Long and weary is the road that leads from Fleswen ta-Fëore to the Realm of Dúmiel and many the dangers that surround it. Lansenet rode this way and fought many battles, against the gulbúna, the falakkazri, and the hyífrâ, against fondri and sûrongri. But the armour and weapons of the Green Rider withstood them all.
So anxious was Lansenet for the healing of his sister that he did not return to the Well to give the Green Rider his armaments and receive back his own. He entered by the North Gate of Dúmiel, heedless of any spies of Fíbor, and rode at speed to Tídris. In his haste the great steed Damarâw cast a shoe, but even his horse’s plight would not stop Lansenet. He came to the Queen’s House, and entered the chamber where Thilfri lay. She was just as he had left her, still and deathly white; but she was breathing very lightly. Queen Vidnî was there, with her ladies and gentlemen attendants, and all rose up as Lansenet entered.
‘Lady Vidnî! I have the Rune of Healing from the Book of Slungandi. I bartered it for a crock of starfire that I won from the Lady of the Angûthégri of Nanôr! Oh, but it is too long a tale to tell now. Here is the leaf from the book. But I fear that we lack the knowledge and learning to use it aright!’
And kneeling, Lansenet tendered the leaf to Vidnî, saying in a low voice as he did so,
‘Pardon me, lady, for my intemperate wrath at my departing from hence on my quest, and my curses. I have learnt better.’
Queen Vidnî smiled as she took the leaf.
‘For my part, it is pardoned. But you must also make your peace with the Lord Arbros! And who can solve the riddle of this rune?’
Quietly, they went to the bed of Thilfri. Tears sprang to Lansenet’s eyes as he looked on her. So fair she was, the friend of all his life, and she had been so valiant.
The Queen spread the leaf on a table beside the bed. She studied the small square of tibros, written symbols inscribed just in one corner. She read to herself:
IN GOR
NE ISO
GI LIG
OSI EN
ROG NI
‘It is an ûthéka perlum, an enchanted square!’ she said. ‘A perlum of tibros is a rare thing, hard to contrive! But are these real words in some unknown tongue, or meaningless sounds, I wonder?
Lansenet and the steward of the House drew near and read. The tibros were of an ancient sort and hard to make out, but they both saw that it read the same way, both top to bottom and bottom to top, and from the left side to the right and the right side to the left:
Ingor Neiso Gilig Osien Rogni
Lansenet said:
‘My Lady, there is not one word that I know.’
The Queen replied:
‘Nor I. Would that Master Pedrekkarpon were here.’
For the Kabadka master builder had been called back to Thémi Kabatigna for a season.
‘Lord Steward, you have read somewhat in the ancient writings that the blessed Entellári left with us: can you interpret the rune?’
The Steward said:
‘No, my Lady. I cannot read the rune. Almost I think it is mere tibros at random.’
Lansenet said:
‘That is my fear. The Lady of the Lake declared that this leaf bears nothing but a few meaningless characters! And yet, the Green Rider, emissary of the Fâdhéri, sent me to bargain for it, with a treasure that cost me much labour to win from the accursed witch of Nanôr: the last of the starfire that Prámiz her dead son stole.’
At this the Queen and the High Steward were amazed; for all in Tídris knew of that great crime committed in the former age, and all revered the Fâdhéri, guardians of the Greenmarch.
The Queen said:
‘Then it is a healing rune. Surely we must trust the Entellári, people of Émarul Sápha. We must rely on its power. We must adventure it, forthwith!’
At that a voice spoke from the doorway.
‘You speak rightly, Vidnî, my Queen.’
It was the voice of the Lord Arbros, who at that moment had entered the chamber.
‘And, friend Lansenet welcome safely home from your quest, though strangely armed and arrayed. Now is not the time, but we must soon hear the full tale!’
Lansenet knelt before Prince Arbros, saying.
‘My Lord, I crave your pardon, for I cursed your house in my madness! But I have seen and heard much that has changed my heart.’
‘It is forgiven. This is a sore trial for any brother to bear. Now I deem that Queen Vidnî and I should try the rune together. If it is perilous, let us be partners in the venture, as we are in all things.’
Queen Vidnî said:
‘That is my wish too, Arbros, and may Émarul Sápha speed healing.’
Without a moment’s hesitation, she took up the leaf from the Book of Silûnakánti in one of her hands, and Arbros also took hold of it with one of his. Each laid the other hand lightly upon one of Thilfri’s shoulders. And they said together:
‘Ingor Neiso Gilig Osien Rogni’
All in the chamber waited breathlessly. There was silence. No change came over Thilfri.
Then they tried again, making sure to speak each syllable distinctly:
‘In. Gor. Ne. I. So. Gil. Ig. Os. I. En. Rog. Ni.’
And then they tried with different speeds and tones. But all seemed vain.
The whole company retired to the seats around the chamber, baffled and sad. Then Arbros said:
‘Friend Lansenet, I do not doubt that you have ridden hard and endured many ordeals on your quest, of which as yet we know nothing. Pray retire for a time to your chamber to rest. And by the Towers of Tídris, that is passing strange armour that you wear. There is some great tale to this, I am sure. We will watch Thilfri and make no further move till you have supped and rested.’
‘I thank you, my Lord. I am very weary and weighed down by this armour, to which there is indeed a tale. And my poor Damarâw has cast a shoe. I must obtain a farrier for him.’
‘Then call upon Hadhríka the Smith, one of the settlers from Fíbor — she was one of those who smote down the barrier that stayed our escape from under that accursed city!’
And Lansenet, still sore at heart for his sister, departed to find the smith.
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