From Silver Shores

by Eldwyn Rochallor

The armies of Kerkassk under a mysterious leader named Kamuil spread quickly through the lands of the free peoples, Orcs roam open lands and Goblins creep far from their caves. Three heroes journeys take them across Middle earth in search of a way to halt this advance as they discover realms of Middle Earth they never knew existed.

Synopsis
Osulle Nuelle, the 'Dark Sisterhood' roam the forests of the Greenleaves, the Elves are in hiding and the Rangers are being forced from lands they usually protect. The armies of Kerkassk under a mysterious leader named Kamuil spread quickly through the lands of
the free peoples, Orcs roaming open lands and goblins far from their caves. Three heroes journeys take them across Middle earth in search of a way to halt this advance, encountering parts of the world and great weapons they never knew existed. Dagor Dagorath (end of days) is whispered as evidence of Morgoths influence becomes apparent and the peoples of middle earth must oppose his evil after so long of a peace.

Prelude

"Come now, before I quench you like a candle on a river." the Dragon uttered in the dark. Asfalon steadied his shaking hands, gripping the blade of his house so tightly his knuckles nearly glowed in the darkness. Striding out before the beast, glaring deep into its glinting, emerald green eyes he screamed "Victory to Arda!". Abruptly Dragons-breath consumed him, the blade fell clinking on the cobbles, its sound inaudible over the raging flames.

And this, children is why we don't go north to the mountains because Dragons lurk there, lingering vestiges of an age of fire and steel where Men and Elves warred with the forces of darkness. "Tell us more of the Dragons!" the children squealed as the old man rocked back on his seat, a smile visible under the heavy beard and maze of wrinkles, "ah, well before I was born there was a time when the mountain of the Dwarves was held by a great dragon, named smog, no that's not right… Smaug! That was his name, a great Dragon even as Dragons are reckoned…" began the story, but that's a story not for this book, no this book tells of my own adventure on the roads of middle earth. No doubt the ramblings of my grandfather and the stories he knew by heart spurned those first steps out the door but it was what I saw on the open road, which I wished to tell in this letter.
There had been years of isolation for the men of the valley from our Dwarven neighbors, Erebor was quiet and the gates were closed, and in the forests there were not even the whispers of Elves watching in the shadows. It was as if something was wrong and the creatures of the land had hidden until it might pass, many were glad but those with half a mind knew that this could only mean trouble.

I was out in the fields one day when I found a spear, alone in a field where it hadn't been yesterday, nor the day before, and I would know as I'd walked the same path everyday for weeks now, to go to a particularly delightful raspberry bush which clung to an old stone fence, perfect for sitting.
But the spear, it was just laying there and as I picked it up noticing its shaft was splintered, in the way a stave might be under the weight of a cart. I went about that day as usual and later I took the spear back to my grandfather, hoping he might enlighten me of its nature. After making some attempts to belittle its significance to myself and my curious peers he left for the alehouse and I followed, determined to hear the thoughts which made his brow furrow.

He approached a group of men with urgency, I could tell this because he skipped the bar. I crept closer to hear his hushed speech, "…a spear, shattered by magic. It was one of the Rangers weapons I tell you, old Elvish make." Their dispositions soured as they chewed his words among themselves, too quietly for me to hear. My position by a table of grumbling drunkards was already dangerously close and I dared not move closer lest I interrupt and miss their reply; my patience was soon rewarded. "Our position is not to question the workings of such men, they actively look for danger and rouse it where it was sleeping before, lets hope their presence does not involve us and ignore this matter. Quiet any suspicions of this item and we can be done with it. Best to let sleeping Dragons lie I always say!" Grandfather nodded to them and proceeded to get himself a flagon of ale to wash away the questions at the back of his mind. My questions burned too furiously however; I decided to do as one of the heroes in Granddads stories might, to uncover the mystery.
That night went slowly as I lay staring at the crack between the shutters, the only light which pierced the dark of my room, galvanizing myself for the tasks of the coming days which I was already formulating in my head. Balancing my quest with the commitments of my daily chores would not be easy and when finally the warm embrace of slumber came I dreamed of dark forests and men in cloaks, eyes and blades glinting in the black…

After two days and no results from my inspections of the area surrounding the spear I decided that a new approach must be taken, I wrote a small note to Grandpa as my parents could not read and took with me my hunting bow, knife and as much bread, honey and sausage as I thought could go unnoticed. Making my way into the forest I glanced back at the glow of the valley and the lights of the homestead, not realizing that it would be a long time before I returned to the place of my childhood, and that childhood had ended with the steps I took into the night.
After a few hours walking into the darkness; tripping on roots, slipping on rocks and resting to drink at small brooks I heard what sounded like singing in the trees but no matter how much I concentrated to find its direction I could not, it appeared to be all around me, faint and distant but without definable origin. suddenly it ceased and silence pierced my ears, the wind in the trees echoed the song but no voices could be heard against its gentle whispering. The song had been comforting and I was tired, so I decided it best to rest here at the base of a giant tree, nestling myself in its knotted roots to wake early and continue my wandering. It was only a few hours later when I awoke to hear the cries of a man in the distance, he called to a partner and as I picked my way through the roots, already becoming more visible in the dawning light the wind picked up and the voice was lost to the moaning of the woods. I wandered for hours searching out the source of the noise always on the look out, trying to keep the element of surprise in case I encountered some beast whose breakfast I might become. I came across a clearing, the hairs stood up on the back of my neck and I froze, it felt as though I was being watched. I couldn't see anything out there in the trees and these moments passed slowly. Finally I began to move with care around the edge of the clearing. There were twisted trees, splintered and shattered littering this clearing, it looked more like a gash in the woods than something natural. I heard a scraping sound far off in the trees and I flattened myself on the ground and hid. Then I saw them, limp bodies mangled into the splintered wood. There were three or four men, cloaked in green and grey with their blades drawn and their faces mangled as if they had fallen from a great height. It was unsurprising I hadnt seen them before as they were barely distinguishable from the rest of the carnage. Here were my Rangers, not as I had hoped; as the proud and glorious heroes of my stories but victims of some unnatural evil.
I lay still there till I was sure I was alone, staring at the bodies. I hadnt seen a dead man since an old drunkard had been fished out of the lake in the last winter. His body had been swollen by the water and his skin grayed. These men were probably still warm but had been mangled beyond recognition. I resolved to move on again, terror no longer freezing me in place. Although I thought it best to stay in the shadows of the trees even if the Ranger's blades glinted at me invitingly.

The forest grew deeper and I knew I was in true Mirkwood by noon, the light, which glimmered through the trees, became duller and it was as if night was descending early and a thought occurred, I was further from home than father, mother or myself had ever been. I was nearing the kingdom of the Elves and Radagast the brown that Grandpa had told so many stories of. Oh to meet Legolas the great hero of the war of the ring, or any of the Elves, fair and long lived.
It was in the darkness of that night when I found them, three Rangers camping by a small river. They had made a fire, dug down into the earth so as not to cast a light, they had not heard me and so I crept closer, wondering if I should call out to announce my presence or not, how would they treat a boy in the woods?
I did not get to finish my pondering before the weight and glint of a blade was lain upon my shoulder and a gruff voice out of the darkness said "Don't move, but do tell what a boys business is sneaking up on our camp?" I considered my response but resolved quickly to tell the truth "Curiosity sir. I, I found your men a ways back dead." The weight of the blade remained steady while the man chose his response "A terror plagues these woods boy, do you know its name?"
"No sir."
"Best then you leave, this is not a place for children. But that thing lurks out there somewhere, perhaps you will be safer with us. If you can promise not to make a sound then we will ensure you make it through the night, after that you will go home and warn whatever people you came from that they are not safe to wander in the night."
"I am of the valley and my people do not wander far, I should like to join by the fire sir."
"Do not call me sir, I am no housemaster or lord." The blade lifted from my shoulder and I glanced round to see the face of my new friend, but beneath his cowl only the tip of his nose and a shaggy beard were visible. He led me down to the fire and with a nod wandered back into the dark, the others barely noticed my arrival. I ate in silence and watched the flames while one of them whittled at a small piece of wood, the other two chewed bark and joined me in gazing into the dancing light. It was a long time before one of the others spoke, "A boy from the valley, wandering in the woods while Osellë núlë are on the loose and vile creatures roam the land. How many days has it been boy? And you're still alive."
"Who are they?"
"Witches, women who delved in sorcery and the black arts. They revived magic's we thought were lost and some of the nastier creatures lingering in the dark have returned in a scourge, this time imbued with a ferocity we haven't seen. Those men you found today, they found one of these sorceresses and her followers. Even the Elves refuse to wander after dark in these lands lest they are killed or worse captured by these machinations of evil and we have no way to fight such power."

"Why do you come here if you have no hope of victory over this?"
"The roots of evil delve too deep in these lands for us to relent; all that their growth requires is for the forces of good to be negligent In the face of oblivion… Now sleep."

He leant back and drew his cape to his chin and I noticed the others were already silently slumbering lit solely by the remaining coals. I supposed the conversation over and settled into a restless sleep, visions of cruel Women and Dragons washed through my mind…

A strong hand shook my shoulder, waking me abruptly to a chill dawn; the blanket having fallen from my shoulders and a light fog meandering through the trees I got up shivering slightly. The rangers hand went straight to my mouth as I went to speak and he signaled quiet, handing my things to me he indicated to follow him. The others were no where to be seen and due to the dark I had no idea which ranger I followed. We walked no more than 200 yards when we stopped, he knelt and I followed suit, I saw the hint of approval on his face as he glanced back. Time passed and it became lighter, he drew his bow and readied an arrow lifting himself to a crouch and leaning around a massive trunk. He drew the bow silently, without even the quiet rasping I had been trying to mute in my own draw and took aim at some invisible target. The moment he loosed the arrow he drew another and it followed the first whipping into the fog, he silently signaled for me to follow and made off in the direction we had initially been headed. Looking into the trees I saw two dark figures slumped against a trunk, arrows deeply embedded in their torsos; my curiosity had to wait. I chased the Ranger at some pace now, no longer sure of our course, I would be lost if I let him out of my sight.

It was noon when we stopped, he put a hand on my shoulder indicating I should stay put and disappeared into the trees, he soon returned and spoke mutely "At dawn our watchman encountered some foul men, they are certainly servants of the Osellë núlë. Now we must continue to the woodland realm and the home of the Greenleaf's, let us hope my companions will distract any evils from our trail. Pray the Osellë núlë do not appear in the flesh, else more lives will be lost to their sorcery."

"Those men back…" I had questions to ask, but he silenced me and began to move off again so I followed silently, nearly running to keep up with his brisk pace…

My stomach grumbled and twisted, I stumbled due to the quick pace and my mind raced around what I had heard and seen in the past few days, usurping my humble reality. Once again we stopped, this time standing in a clearing and as I arrived at my companions side he rested a hand on my chest and spoke loudly into the trees before us; "A ranger stands before you, friend to the Greenleaf's!" a time passed and the silence persisted, finally the ranger began to sing into the trees.
"The forests are quiet, the guards are asleep, we wait at your doorstep and at your kings feet, come welcome your friends and cast down your arms, a friendship was founded while Sauron was put down, the council of Elrond, it was but a start to a peace of the ages where all play their part…"
He was cut off by the emergence of a tall slender figure from the tree line in front of us, the stranger picked up the tempo
"those seated on thrones or those scraping the dirt are the children of Arda and shall not be hurt, so cast down your weapons and open your arms for friends here that wait and have traveled so far."
As the silhouette of this stranger entered the light I saw the distinct elvish features, sharp ears and a slender graceful form. "I am Emlindir, and you know our language well. Thuranduil has left for the caves and does not see visitors, even rangers. All I can offer is for you to join those who still dance among the trees."

We walked through some dense wood for a while and eventually came to a clearing; filled with lanterns and music it was an island of life amid the damp, dark forest. How we hadn't heard or seen something from beyond the clearing was beyond me but the trees here parted enough that the faint glimmer of stars was visible through the blanket of boughs above. The ranger turned to me and patted my shoulder, "If any companion of mine survived we shall meet them here. Drink and eat, I will find you before long but first I must discuss what we have seen with whoever leads here." He turned away and followed Emlindir, a pair of Elves came and walked me to a table where wine and food lay and we listened to the songs of the Elf bards, their abilities honed over centuries. I wondered if any of these Elves were the ones in the stories Grandfather used to tell, seeing as they did not age they could truly have witnessed the battle of the five armies or perhaps even the fall of Gondolin. They gave me drink which warmed my aching limbs and eventually my exhaustion began to overcome my excitement. I lay down in a pile of leaves, their enchanting melodies dancing me to the edge of dreams…

Colors swirled and the faces of the cruel creatures from the forest leered out of the night. I awoke in the clearing alone, the Elves gone and my companion no where to be seen. The only evidence that what I had seen was real was a finely woven blanket draped across me and a small parcel of food which I immediately consumed. There was bread, rich with the sweetness of honey and berries of many kinds, a small strip of smoked meat much better than that which the old butcher near my home used to make. Home, I had almost forgotten that I didn't belong here, out in the world with Rangers and Elves and magical monsters. The crack of light I often gazed into was gone and I was out in the world like I had always dreamed of being, on a great adventure. But I could remember the warmth of the fire and the low rumble of my grandfathers voice, the games of my friends and the face of a girl who once held my hand a little too long...
Abruptly out of the trees came my companion and he sauntered over to me with a smile, "I see you had your fill boy, naught left but crumbs."

"It was very good but where did all the Elves go? I thought this was their camp."

"Ah boy it was. I talked with the elders of this group and told them of the happenings which brought us here. They have decided to retreat from this threat for the time being and send for aid. These Elves are less adept with magic than some, they are however unequaled in their elusiveness and will play to their strong points until some who know how to combat dark magic arrive."

"And what of the other Rangers, did any return?" His gaze faltered and I saw sorrow in his eyes, he looked down as he told me "They did not come and I fear their fates may have been the same as the others I traveled here with."

"I'm sorry, if it weren't for me they would've escaped..." He cut me short, "Do not think it is your fault. We suffered near nightly attacks and the men I came here with could not contend this enemy. Luck is all that saved us, and the kindness of the Elves, do not blame yourself for that which you had no power to change."
I decided that I wished to follow this ranger and help him if I could, "My name is Eldwyn." He looked up and placed a hand on my shoulder, maybe aware that our fates were now tied. "I am Kantha, and I head to Annúminas in Arnor, a great way from these forests but I shall take you home before I make this journey."
"No."
"No? What do you mean, would you like to return al..."
"No, I wish to come with you. I am not ready to go home, what would I do there? I do not belong."
"It is far." He paused, thinking about my request. "But if this is how you feel then I should enjoy some company." Getting up he indicated that I should follow and hurriedly I packed the few things I had into my bag, carefully folding the new Elvish blanket on top. We began into the woods again and I glanced back to the clearing. Hoping that I would see Elves again, their vibrant music echoing in my mind...

Chapter 1

She clutched at the pulsating beast, its mane flapping against her hands and chest, the great ribcage flaring against her thighs. She buried her face in her steeds neck and spoke softly to it urging him forward. "Noro lim Rollachor." the pounding of her heart and the galloping hooves synchronized for just a second before a resounding cheer went up. She sat back in her saddle, easing down her steed by stroking his neck and looking back at the crowd and the boys just now galloping over the line their faces marred with fury. "Afridor, Afridor!" she turned and saw her friends rushing towards her, congratulating her on how fast she rode. Devona; "You won! And you beat all the boys!" Amma; "Did you see Almund? He is crying!" She hugged them both while Rocallor went and harassed an overweight woman for the bucket of grain she was holding, creating quite a fuss as he stamped his hoof and whinnied commandingly when he wasn't head butting her around and biting at the bucket. The woman's face turned red with a mixture of embarrassment and frustration as she attempted to push the gentle giant away screaming insistently "Its for my husbands bread! Shoo, you brute!" The girls laughed and Afridor ran across to her father Wybjorn's side as he stood mocking the other fathers. He was a huge man, taller than most of the Rohirrim and today he bore his two sons, one on either shoulder while still easily managing his flagon of ale. He was the stable-master for the king of Rohan and as such had a way with horses only bettered by his talented daughter. Wybjorn had married Aelinuial an Elf from Lorien who had accepted a seat in the Meduseld as a token of the bond sealed at Helms Deep long ago. Every day Afridors parents were in love there were kisses in the hallway when they thought no one was looking, lingering touches before leaving one another for the day and then at night they would often hold one anther for hours as Aelinuial would tell stories of the many centuries of her life to Wybjorn and the children.
That night the Meduseld was filled with cheer, race-days were a popular event in Rohan land of the horsemen and this was the first time a girl had won in more than the life of Wybjorn as he repetitively told Afridor and the other fathers, chest swollen with pride and belly with ale. That night the King himself presented Afridor with a great wooden shield and a strong blade which felt only too heavy in her hands and as Wybjorn carried her high in the air back to their home he said to her, "I will teach you to wield that blade so well that no man might bring you harm, if that is that he can catch you!"

The next morning Aelinuial took Afridor for one of their weekly lessons. She had been teaching her the history of Middle Earth, the languages that its people spoke and about the arts of the Elven folk. Her aim with a bow and her mastery of the horse had been greatly helped by these lessons, she was so good that mounted with a bow she had beaten all of the Rohirrim at the last festival in Aldburg to win her prize steed Rochallor. Rochallor was a Maeras, one of an ancient line of the noblest and fastest horses to ever grace Arda.
They had ridden nearly all day before Aelinuial cautioned her to stop and riding next to each other she said, "I want you to see this with your own eyes, so you are not caught off guard when we go to war." After placing a finger on Afridors mouth she dismounted and indicated to follow. The two women climbed down from their horses and began up the next large rise taking cover behind an outcrop of rocks. Aelinuial then pulled from her robes some leather and glass and proceeded to assemble something. She pointed far into the distance along the rolling sea of grass, "look there at that dark stain in the land."
"Yes but I..." Aelinuial silenced her daughter again and put the newly rolled leather to her eye, gazing through it, a frown marring her beauty, moments later she spoke, "Look, and see the men who have come to make this war." Handing over the monocular she put it slowly up to Afridors eye and the dark stain suddenly rushed up to meet them as Afridor could then see the shapes of men and banners and weapons, they had steeds too but not the noble horses of the mark, instead they rode great Wargs, larger than any Afridor had seen shot in the wild.
"These are brutal men and goblins, I sense an uncommon evil in them. Not something that should be felt in these lands, the goblins and orcs for years have hid in the mountains and would not dare enter the lands of men. These are raiders but a larger force exists in the north and the east called Kerkassk that has been reported by our scouts. They already have claimed much of the land to the east and north of the Mark and the damage they wrought there was great, even the might of Gondor has fallen prey to their armies. Their empire is large and they will not spare any, lest we relinquish ourselves to slavery, to which death is preferable."
"Surely the Rohirrim can ride them down, we are strong and they are some days yet away from Edoras."
"The king told me during the ceremonies last night that we would attack them the day after next, as they neared Edoras. He wants to use the flatness of the plains there to his advantage. They prepare a strategy this day and have called for a massing of the riders of the mark. But these men have not seen war, there have been no battles to harden their resolve and I admit doubt as this enemy has spread unchecked by armies greater than our own. I am sorry you had to live through this child but the long peace is done and once again we raise up arms and ready ourselves for blood, for once this host is gone there will surely be others to take its place."
The two women began the journey home again in silence, a few tears ran from her eyes as Afridor thought of her peoples plight. The journey dragged on, the sun had begun to set and clouds filled the skies as they returned to Edoras, the roaring of thunder in the distance doing nothing to lighten the mood. Afridor looked up, realizing suddenly that what she was hearing was not thunder, the women kicked their steeds into a gallop. They raced across the final league, hearing the sound of thunder gradually give way fighting and screaming. Swords crashed and shields splintered but intermittently a great roar would go up, chilling Afridor to the core.
They soon saw smoke rising from Edoras and evidence of a battle being fought.
Goblins on Vargs battled the Royal Guard and some scattered militia, the men of Rohan were winning but they had taken casualties.
The two women rode straight for the stables to find Wybjorn, hearts fearful for the ones they loved most. They rounded the final streets as a huge roar went up followed by crashing, then crashing into view they saw the monster which had made this sound. A great Wrym, its scales black and glinting, wings of thick leather and teeth massive and yellowed, its claws tore the cobbles from the ground and the walls from houses. The beasts thrashing made sense when Afridor saw a man grasping an axe embedded in its head striking it with another in his free hand, it was Wybjorn he had gouged out the beasts eyes already and was hacking his way through its thick scales. The beast swung its head against a building in an attempt to dislodge its attacker but Wybjorn held on although he grimaced in pain. The beast was tiring and its attempts were getting weaker, as blood began to spurt from its wound. It slammed to the ground as Wybjorn leapt into some nearby thatching. The women rode towards him as Royal Guardsmen stabbed the creature repetitively to ensure its expiration.

Wybjorn was covered in blood, it was impossible to tell what came from him or from the monster. Afridor began to weep as she saw the proud strong man who had raised her bent and broken, his limbs twisted in peculiar ways and his breathing weak. He spoke "worry not my dear, I will be fine. It hurts but it shall take more than that hell-hawk to kill me."
Aelinuial and some men came and carried him back to the stables, the battle seemed to be done as a few Wargs rode off in retreat. Wybjorn lay on a bench and was tended by his wife but he grew weaker slowly, the color drained from his face and his grip on Afridors hand loosened. She cried now as she felt the life drain from her father, she was not alone the men and women of the stables too wept. Whether for the great men who died or the coming darkness no songs were sung that night, Edoras tended its wounded and buried its dead. Fortifications were raised and weapons sharpened, war had come to the people of Rohan and their first battle had been a bloody one.

Chapter 2

The sun burned down on the face of Tar as the bough of his fathers ship Miratsa clipped over the crest of a large wave. The sails were immediately stricken by the crew and all free hands went to battle stations. The flank of the merchant ship came into view as they coasted towards her. The merchant guards were too late, as they sounded the alarms hooked ropes were cast into her rigging catching and drawing her lumbering weight close to the nimble pirate vessel. A volley of arrows flew from the pirate ship as the vessels ground their flanks together rocking in the high sea. The guards rallied on the loading deck forming up in groups to repel the attackers, heavily armed and armored juggernauts. A cry went up and attackers swung over, boarding quickly and surrounding the guards. They kept their distance however and through them came striding a tall man, dark skinned and fierce. He stopped in-front of a group of merchants and leveled his sword at them, a hush coming over his men. In a thick rhythmic accent he told them "I am Nyah Palarran and you may lay down your arms and keep your ship, or dance with the fish in the deep, deep blue. We want your cargo, not your lives. Don't be foolish." One of the merchants spat at the pirate captain and the guards readied themselves. The pirates however just laughed as nets were cast down from the rigging by men who had crept there while the confrontation on deck had ensued these nets trapped the guards whose advantage of heavy weaponry had been turned against them. The pirates then swarmed over the guards and merchants, dropping from above and rushing from the sides they bashed them with blunt objects tying them up when they were properly subdued. The ships hull was opened and its contents counted, the prisoners were then stowed in the hull of the merchant ship and its command was given to a selected group of trusted crew. The two ships parted and Tal approached his father excitedly, "Another ship for the fleet father, soon we shall be able to contend with Gondor!" His father now spoke normally without the feigned jungle speak he used to intimidate his foes.
"Soon, but our armies are still weak. We might be able to contend in skirmishes, but a war would see us fall to a larger force and greater resources. Our men are not trained and commanders cannot read and have no experience on the battlefield. We must bide our time, maybe when this war is fought you shall command a ship and I the fleet."
"Yes father, I am ready for a..." His father interrupted, "But that is some years off, you are a man yes, however when you are ready, you will know every aspect of your vessel. She and your crew will be an extension of your body. You are a good apprentice son, but a master you are yet to become."
"Aye father." That night they sailed north and when the wind came up took refuge in a bay near the mouths of the Anduin.

On the morn of the next day a shout went out from the crows nest and the thunder of feet and dressing crewmen filled the otherwise calm bay. Tar reached the deck to see a group of confused seamen peering over the side of the ship. The sun was not quite up but it was getting light enough to see around. Tar leaned overboard peering into the half light and then he saw it. Bodies in the water, not just one or two either but a good handful. Their black cloaks showed that they were not mere vessel guards. These were soldiers from the land armies of Gondor and their presence here puzzled the crew. Nyah had seen and was heading to the stern, "Father, those men. There is fighting on the land?"
"I hope not, Gimilkhâd is not usually an eager man. And these men seem to have floated down the Anduin, not from Umbar. But we should attempt to see what is the meaning of this."
Nyah grabbed the helm and commanded the men to stations, the ship lurched with the weight of the wind on its sails and it slipped silently out into the calm morning air onto a calm sea with a gentle roll.
They sailed north again, still encountering bodies in the water occasionally one would be hauled up by some crewmen and stripped clean before being cast back into the ocean. They came up on the current of the great river and the bodies appeared strewn down her banks caught on this and that. Some fishermen and their families were dragging the bodies clear and searching their pockets while scattered groups of militia gathered them for burial. Miratsa pulled away and headed back to open waters catching the current, Nyah summoned his son and giving him the wheel he stepped down, "Keep heading for Umbar, we must either report this to Gimilkhâd and get to the bottom of this. That is a lot of dead Gondorians, I have not heard of Anduin being so littered since the days of King Elessar."
"There must be a war in the north, perhaps the peoples of Rhun?"
"In which case we must join with them, but this does not seem right. Gondors armies would not be so easily overcome by the men of the east. They fight too much among themselves that they couldn't take back their lands let alone be fighting near the Anduin. The bodies did not fall in the water idly either, my bet is that they were thrown there by someone sending a message to Gondor, maybe even luring her out. I must go and prepare some letters for when we make port, inform me when we reach Umbar."
The wind was not favorable but Tar manages to tame the sails and tacked wide reaching Umbar mid-afternoon, his fathers face was unusually furrowed as they docked in an empty corner of the harbor. Tar was told to remain with the ship and Nyah took only a few good men to meet Gimilkhâd keeping stealth his number one priority.
Some of the men Tar let go and purchase supplies at a nearby market to make a good meal for the crew. The hard tack and dried meat soup had become tiresome. They gladly did as he asked and before long there was a good meal in-front of each man and the ships stores looked a little better. His father had always said that a happy crew was a strong crew and Tar was glad to put a smile on their faces. Before long it was time to cot, Tar read to the crew a passage from the book of histories as many of them fell asleep, the men were always interested in the beautiful women of the fables and they went to sleep with fair queens and flawless princesses to keep them company in the dark lonely night.

Nyah returned late in the night, he walked into the cabin with a lamp and sat at his desk slumped. He picked up his pen and began to write, scrawling a short letter before folding it into the pages of a book. As he went to bed Tar waited patiently until his breathing softened and sleep took him then creeping to the desk he opened the letter and read the contents.
"Morinehtar I have grave news, the northern threat to Gondor is not the blessing we had hoped. A great host of Gondorian troops had been killed somewhere in the Wold and cast into the Anduin to terrify Gondor. What our informants tell us is that in a matter of months Gondors power in the east has been destroyed by these men who call themselves 'Kerkassk', im afraid they are worshipers of the darkness. They are led by a man named Khamûl which means that surely the will of Morgoth Is being done here, for how else could a host of Easterlings push so far, so fast.
I take my ship north to the Grey Havens to speak with the Elves, I will return before the leaves begin to redden. We shall meet then with Gimilkhâd and the committee to plan our next moves."
The gears were moving and Tar went to bed with many questions, the Grey havens were the domain of Elves and Tar had never seen their kind before, sleep came to him as he wondered where else this journey might take them.

Chapter 3

Eldwyn flattened himself in the cover of some brush as the enemy approached, the men to his right notching arrows silently. It had been 5 years since he had crept from his home that night into the woods and he had grown into a skilled warrior. He commanded a raiding party which had been harrying the invaders for months now although almost the entirety of Arnor had fallen to the dark mens advance. The sauntering orcs and malicious men walked unknowingly into the Dunedian trap and his men waited patiently for the command to fire. Suddenly a thundering sound came from behind the enemy, a large group of riders crested a hill and came into view. They were an earol of riders from Rohan and they charged towards the orcs with breakneck speed a great white stallion out pacing the others by many yards. Eldwyn signaled the loosing of arrows and a volley struck the orcs as they began to panic, the realisation that they were surrounded causing them to rout. The Dunedian fired freely dropping many of the enemy before the horsemen's charge smashed into the enemy's divided ranks. Flattening them as if they were naught but tall grass, Eldwyn indicated a ceasefire and watched as the last of the enemy party were ridden down. When the horsemen had begun to dismount he walked slowly from the woods holding his bow in the air to indicate his peaceful intent, immediately the rider of the great white stallion galloped towards him and stopped only feet away leveling his spear and speaking with a shockingly soft voice, "Who are you, archer?"
"I am one of the Dunedain, men of Arnor."
"Oh really? I had heard that your people had already succumbed to the enemies forces."
"Many have, yes but we still fight to regain our land from these marauders. I stand before you as a friend and ally."
"Why should I believe you are a friend, how do I know you have not joined the dark whorde?" The riders horse stepped forward and the tip of the spear came to rest against his chest.
"For one me and my men just helped you kill a host of enemy troops." The rider did not relent and instead stared deep into Eldwyns eyes, there was a strange beauty there in the stranger, a slenderness of figure and a lack of beard. Quickly he knocked the spear aside and drew an arrow, leveling it at the chest of the stranger he said "If we were your enemies you would not have seen us but felt the heavy thud of arrows piercing your armor." Lowering the bow he smiled and bowed, "My lady I am Eldwyn, ranger of the north and these," he said indicating to the bushes as no more than 20 men in green cloaks emerged uneasily, "are my men."
The riders rested their weapons and their leader took off her helmet and dismounted, "Very perceptive of you Ranger. But we do not need the help of archers who hide in the bushes and take their enemy out from the darkness."
"And we do not need those who ride in the brightness of day, alerting all to their presence. If you wish to debate on the effectiveness of military tactics then you might wish to count the 50 men with horses you used to take out 100 enemies and the 19 'men in the shadows' which I would have used to achieve the same result. Why dont we put our minor differences aside and proceed to a discourse which might assist one another in our endeavors."
"Very well then, we head to Rivendell to see what has become of the Elven city there."
"Ah Rivendell, I love that place. The Elves are so kind and wonderous, and the library is beyond compare. I can tell you that the city is still strong, the magic which has always protected it lingers there still though the Elves have mostly gone and it is nearly always autumn. I guess some spiritual allusion to the Elves presence in midd..."
"Is a she Elf named Aliniual staying there? She is my mother."
"Ah then this surely explains your beauty, she has been and gone some months passed. She left to investigate the plight of her brethren in Lorien."
"Then she is alive, I feared for her life, thankyou!" She embraced him tightly and he uncertainly put his arms around her too, a smile coming to his face and those of some of his men. She let him go and blushed when she realized what she had done, walking back to her horse briskly and donning her helmet. As she mounted the stallion Eldwyn called out to her, "Lady, might I at least know the name of such a jewel that set my heart at a brisk pace?" She looked back and smiled, "I am Afridor, daughter of Wybjorn and commander of the Rohirrim and it was a pleasure to meet you Eldwyn of the Rangers. A man of such manners and talent is hard to come by, I'm almost ready to say that I like you." She rode off through her men as they piled up the bodies of the dead and with a small group began disappearing over the plains.
Eldwyn turned on his heel and quickly walked into the forest, his men in tow. They reached the clearing where their horses were tied and the Rangers mounted up and rode out of the bush. They waited for the Rohirrim to begin burning the carcasses of the enemy and followed as they then made after their commander. The rangers followed at a great distance, keeping the same heading but greatly offset and at the range where they could barely see their quarry. Eldwyn had seen the woman of his dreams and he wasn't about to let her ride off into the sunset so easily. Chapter 4

The Miratsa clipped over the waves, speeding past merchant vessels and other boats which ploughed through the water. She was the finest vessel and fastest which had been seen on the great oceans of the world. Nyah had her built from a damaged Elvish schooner which had been dry-docked on the southern coast of Umbar. It was him only who saw the ptential in her a long and thin tri-masted vessel capable of reducing the force of the water slowing her down, made from iron hard wood of the far southern jungles and Elvish silks from beyond the inland seas she was unique. Nyah had hand picked a crew of men who were exceptional sailors and crafty fighters. All of them were good men and Nyah did all he could to avoid having to make them spill the blood of their victims. Instead he used the crews fierce appearance and superior numbers to take most enemy vessels, his own size and ebony skin doing much to erode most men's resolve. If push came to shove they would have to knock the enemy unconscious with blunt instruments and tie them down to become slaves to their own empire. He told his men stories to open their minds and enusre they never became violent or greedy. Kicking men he disliked from his vessel if he doubted their character, a pirate but also a man of great heart and kindness. Well read and wise he seemed too good for the life he chose, but his sharp mind was what had kept his men safe and his ship strong for so long. Tyr approached his father, having not confronted him about the letter which he had seen before they left Umbar he decide he had to investigate the questions burning in his head. "Father, what do you expect to learn from the Elves? It is a long journey just to satisfy your curiosity."
"Well it is a great question which burns in me, wise council is all that might resolve it."
"The Elves are all but gone from the Grey havens, is it not more a refuge of craftsmen than Elders?"
"The Elves have always been a wise people, it is their years and their nature. But the trade route with Rivendell does not solely carry goods, there will be information as well."
They reached the Grey havens as the light began to dim, but the harbor was blocked with a large spiked chain and the walls were manned. A guard flashed the reflection of a fire at them warning them away. Nyah handed the wheel to his son and issued a command to strike sails and come to rest near the walls. Nyah undid his belt and dropped his weapons to the floor he slipped out of his boots and cast aside his jacket. He then mounted the side of the ship and dove into the sea slipping silently into the blue. He swam over to the guards and as they aimed their bows at him he stopped, treading water he yelled to them, Tyr straining his ears to hear the conversation. "We have sailed far to reach you here and wish to dock in your harbor. We are friends of the elves and men who live here and have done no foul deed which should mean our rejection from this port." The guard was surprised by the sailors boldness and he replied confusedly, "The town is under siege and by the lords order the harbor is sealed. Until this attack has been done with we cannot allow unknown vessels entry." Nyah swam back to the ship briskly scaling her side and retaking the wheel. he then sailed her to a nearby bay to remain until the morning might shed some light on the situation.
The coming day revealed small encampments surrounding the Havens, groups of 5-8 tents scattered through the surrounding terrain. And what looked like catapults intermittently releasing volleys into the city. It looked as if an attack was being made near the northern sea side corner, the eroded cliffs meaning that the wall had been severely weakened and mostly fallen into the sea. Nyah ordered the ship into the battle and as they got closer they saw the desperation in the defenders repelling a superior force. The ship rode up to the shore and when she got close Nyah struck sail and ordered the men to begin firing the disused Balistas on the deck of the ship at the city's assailants, splitting their attention and immediately making an impact on the fighting. A push was made however across one of the walls as some of the attackers had scaled the rubble and ran down a number of defending archers. Nyah focused fire on where the enemy was most dense but the attackers began to regain the upper hand now attacking the defenders from multiple sides. Nyah ordered some men into the sea to scale the walls and join the fighting on the land and they complied quickly, Tyr grabbed his tomahawk and a cutlass and tucking them into his clothes he dove overboard. Just as he reached the shore one of the elven defenders toppled from the walls making a great splash and winding himself severely. He began uselessly flailing in the water, panicked and obviously incapable of swimming in his armor and weapons while they dragged him down. Tyr swam over and grabbed the terrified Elf dragging him to the shore and up onto the safety of the land. The Elf coughed and spluttered but other than his apparent shock he was unharmed, steadying himself the two men looked at each other for a second before Tyr spoke "Let us repel these barbarous men." The Elf nodded and smiled slightly as they turned to catch the rest of the Miratsa's crewmen who had taken cover near the base of the wall as the Bolts from the Balista flew overhead. Tyr quickly realized that this small group couldn't do much to contend the attackers forces, in fact they would barely last a moment against the horde in open combat. He directed the men up the walls and they began scaling quickly. He let the elf go before him and climbed up last himself. A small band of men had begun firing on the ship protected by a shield wall, but the ballistas punched through their shields like paper and impaled both the man holding it and often the archer behind him. This group quickly realized that at this range they would be quickly dispatched and their volleys were barely hitting the target. Tyr smiled and led his small band along the wall and came upon the guard tower which was holding back the attackers on the wall. Their Elven friend let them through and they climbed to the top readying themselves to leap into the fray. The fighting was intense and Tyr noticed that there were Orcs and men of the far east, short and squat with slanted eyes and sour dispositions. They were quickly forced back down the wall and over the edge, the Miratsas crew meeting the exhausted elven defenders and rallying their courage. Together they forced the enemy out of the gap in the wall, quickly routing them and re-manning the defenses. The elves commander staggered over having taken multiple injuries, "Thankyou, you and your men surely saved us, we were almost defeated when you came from no where."
"You must thank my father, for it was his plan and his men. We wish to dock our ship in your port as we have traveled far."
"Certainly, I shall arrange it as soon as possible. Although I am unsure why you would wish to dock in a port under seige."
"My father must speak to your elders, he has questions." The elf nodded and indicated to one of his men who made for the port while the commander returned to the defenses.
Tyr began down to the docks to meet his father with his men hoping they would not be needed as their talent was not in conventional land combat and he thought their lives more valuable than being sacrificed in a drawn out siege.
The Elf he had saved nodded and smiled to him while resuming his post, a strong warrior for the elven folk but not so good in the water it seemed.
Nyah had docked the Miratsa and was standing talking to a tall elf with flowing robes and a silver chain threaded through his long brown hair it was Círdan the shipbuilder of the grey havens.
"...this host of men and orcs has been in the region for a while now and we attempted to send for aid however none has come. We heard of a threat in Arnor and many battles with a unknown enemy which were not in their favor. Next the Dwarves were attacked and we lost contact, but within less than a year of hearing about the threat in Arnor our own borders and neighboring towns were under attack. Many ships sailed west and we were isolated but from the sea. The enemy sat at range, firing on us for days but just today they made an attack at the weakest part of our wall. We have not been at war this age and we suffered because of a lack of preparation. All we have to defend ourselves are ancient armories scattered through Lindon." Nyah grimaced, he finally looked up at the elves and told them his news; "We bring sad tidings to you then, as if your plight was not already grave enough there is a threat in the east also. An enemy has battled down the men of Gondor all the way to the Anduin, the corrupt and cruel king of Gondor who we had wished to depose is now fighting this same enemy and it looks as if they too have taken grave losses. The men of the east call themselves Kerkassk and they too are horsemen, this threat truly is grave if the north and the east have both been lost in so short a span." Círdan spoke up,
"This enemy is master of the open lands, but so far we have held to their advances. Perhaps our allies too have maintained their homes. The Dwarves great halls would be impregnable to the armies we have seen so far and the men of Arnor are not easily killed, although their disharmony might have cost a timely defense. Once we repel these attackers we must try to find out the fate of our allies."
"let us see the extent of the threat." They walked to the walls, Cirdan and Nyah seeming to know each other well. They reached a tower on the cities inner wall and looking out saw the enemies encampments were far more numerous than they had looked from the sea. Cirdan spoke, "They have received reinforcements daily it seems and their number at my estimate would be around 40,000 while the Elves left in Mithlond number less than 10,000 with more than half that number unequipped or unable to fight."
Nyah tapped a rhythm on the hilt of his blade as he thought, "What of the nearby ports of Harlond and Forlond?"
"They are untouched by this scourge and so have sent warriors and aid, most of their weapons reside here also. We have already exploited them to strengthen our defenses, for if Mithlond and this pass shall fall then so shall they."
"And the mountains, Is there a way to the Dwarves?"
"We sent envoys but they have not returned. The enemy scouts are everywhere."
Nyah went silent and stared into the distance. Tar spoke up,
"I would take a group of men to the blue mountains, we can move by night and avoid the enemy. Drop me near the forest and we will maintain the cover of the trees until we reach the Dwarven halls."
Nyah looked back at his son, a look of sorrow washed over his usually stoic face. He turned away and muttered "If you must."
They walked back to the docks and Tar fell behind to where his father walked, looking as if he were already in mourning. Nyah spoke before Tar could begin, "I am proud son don't get me wrong, but I had hoped to to teach you more before you leapt so readily into danger."
"But father you have taught me well and I am ready. Fear not, I will return and we shall save these elves."
"I must return to the south and meet with a council to decide our response to this threat, but you may return south on a ship from Cirdan for I don't fear for your safety on the high seas."
"Father, I did not mean to circumvent your authority."
"You have not, you exercised your own will which you were free to do. But I will miss your presence and fear for your safety none the less." Tar slipped his hand around that of his fathers and saw a smile return to his face. They walked together in silence back to the Miratsa, vessel of Tars youth. Between father and son not a word hung on the air, both knew of the unconditional love and respect which bound them together. Chapter 5

Eldwyn brought his horse to a stop just within his own sight of the Rohirrim camp in the twilight, observing the locations of their sentries who did not share his keen senses. He instructed his men to set down for the night and grabbed some dried meat from beneath his saddle, chewing it slowly as he waited for darkness to come watching the Rohirrims almost laughable attempts to secure their location. The watchmen were blind fools and their patrols could not have picked up the trail of a flaming Balrog, The Rohirrim set up tents whose silhouettes were visible for miles with their square corners on the rolling grasslands. And yet he waited until complete darkness and his quarry to bed before he made a move into the night.
He crept through the guards and the whispering men whose fires although kept low, blinded them to the dark and reaching the tents and finding his quarry chatting with another female rider he listened in the quiet night air.
"...but was he not handsome Afridor?"
"Any beauty which I saw was marred by an undeserved swagger from a common brigand."
"I would bed him were he not captivated by you."
"Captivated by boyish lust maybe."
"Well I guess you are cursed to live alone then as no man shall ever fill the shoes you expect to be filled."
"I am in no need my dear Devona, I can assure you." She hesitated momentarily at the entrance to her tent, "But yes he was handsome, and what wit he had did spark my interest." Both women parted ways smiling but the hiding Eldwyn grinned the widest as he darted his way to the back of her tent.
Waiting until he had heard her stop moving around inside he ducked under the canopy and found himself in a moderate tent with one cot covered in furs next to him and his lady sitting across the tent before a polished brass mirror glinting by the candle which she held. He spoke before she had a chance to notice him standing in the shadows, lowering his cowl. "If I were so beautiful I might hardly stop staring at my own reflection also." She grabbed the sword which hung beside her and readied herself against him, "What are you doing here?"
"I merely wished to see you once again and now that I have I shall go, if that is your wish." She stared at him intently, but the fear washed from her face and the sword which she had brandished aggressively now fell to her side.
"How dare you come here unannounced and uninvited, I could have killed you."
"You could have, but I suspect there are many things which you might prefer to do to me in the night."
"Do not speak to me like some common woman you brigand!"
"You know as well as I, that I am no brigand and that you although fairer and nobler are still a woman and I, a man." She glared at him for a moment and he knew her hesitation had guaranteed his success although she still looked at him with an upturned nose. She sheathed her sword and began to speak, "I am not that kind of woman, although I do have questions for you, if you touch me you shall lose whatever skin might make contact."
"Very well, my lady."
"I am not your lady, although I shall take that as an attempt at chivalry by a man who would sneak into a lady's tent at night while she may very well be indisposed.
Here I have this map and I assume you might know better of the enemy troop movements than I."
"Whatever you need." He walked over to her table and looked upon the worn parchment which she had stretched over its surface.
"The lands which I have questions about are the Dwarven Kingdoms of the west. We once had trade with their peoples but for two seasons our caravans have not returned. We wish to discover the fate of these caravans and that too of the Dwarves, have you been this far west?"
"I have not visited the Dwarves since the start of this invasion but I assure you they are locked deep within their great halls counting coin and waiting until they might open their doors once again to trade. This is how they always winter conflict, avoiding all that might threaten them until it is dealt with by men and elves." He stepped close behind her so that she could feel his warmth, pointing his finger at a spot to the north of Mithlond, "If you wish to attempt to rally their support then these halls might be your best bet, their trade routes have almost disappeared with the appearance of the hordes. They must be getting desperate for weed and bread as ale and salted meats shall only satisfy the pallet for so long." She slid her hand beneath his feeling static excite the skin but stopping just short of contact, she pointed to the southern halls, "We head to the southern halls," turning to look at him, her eyes darting momentarily to his lips. "There reside the halls of Tumunzahar and our allies." He held back his overwhelming desire recognizing the test put before him. "You will be hard pressed to find allies there. But a guide you have in me."
"A guide, How do I know that I could trust you, man of the shadows?" He hesitated before stepping back from her, "I shall bid you goodnight and let you find me at our camp to the east, if you wish for company that is, I leave it in your hands." She smiled as he crept into the shadows, "Very well, my noble brigand."

The next morning as Eldwyn was eating a small wafer of elvish bread looking out to the Rohirrim as they tidied up their encampment. His men sat around impatiently as they would usually have already moved out by the time day broke and their leaders new obsession detracted from their guerrilla war against the invaders who had taken their homes. But there she was, blonde hair flying in the wind and armor glinting in the sun riding straight towards him. He sipped his water skin, laid down his food and began walking towards her smiling. She stopped a few meters away from him and smiled, "You have my trust Eldwyn of the Rangers and I shall follow your advice, lead us to the halls of these Dwarves you say might help us."
"Very well, we leave as soon as your men are readied." She turned and rode back to her men who were packing the last of their camp onto the horses. Eldwyn returned to his men who all sat in a circle, some of them glared at him. "Commander, we follow this girl on some petty errand while we could be harrying the enemy and halting their advance? If selfish passions are all that motivate you then it is our place to speak up, calling to your duty. What of the men of Arnor?"
"Yesterday we scattered a group of orcs without either of us losing a single man or horse. I feel that we can achieve more against the enemy with these riders than without. And what of the Dwarves, have we sent them envoys? We must gather our allies in the face of this coming darkness, not forsake them." His men gave in and began to ready their horses. They rode with the Rohirrim that day, making better time than Eldwyn had previously thought and resting only once before noon. He waited for Afridor to come to him, hoping that she might ride at his side but it wasn't until they neared Bree that he knew he needed to talk with her. Issuing a full stop he grabbed his second and they rode between the two parties. She followed suit and they came together to discuss the town as Eldwyn doubted that its greasy master had resisted the enemy at all.
"The men here in Bree are weak willed, I doubt the enemy has left many troops to supervise them."
Afridor: "These men are not our concern, we can ride around and leave them with their cowardice."
Eldwyn sighed, "It is high on our priorities to recapture this town and my men grow restless as I have taken them from their usual duties to escort you."
"Very well then, you flush out the enemy and we shall ride down upon them for we do not wish to fight men who have positioned themselves behind walls."
"Bring your best 10 men and we shall enter the town in secrecy. We will have it by morning. Is it not your prerogative to protect your northern borders? Let us create another center of resistance against the horde."
Afridor nodded as she turned back to the troops and again Eldwyn caught the hint of a smile. They summoned a small raiding party consisting of 20 men and left the rest of the troops to surround the town. Creeping silently in the night they made their way down the wall until Eldwyn stopped and began knocking on the wood listening to the sound which was made. Eventually there was a dull thud as he hit a hollow part of the wall and grabbing an axe from one of the Rohirrim he began to pry away a large plank. It came away easily and he handed the axe back to the man. Reaching into this hole he gave a vigorous tug on some unseen lever and a door appeared in the wall beside them. Placing the plank back in the wall Eldwyn ushered the party through and into the town, moving silently they made their way to where Eldwyn thought the most likely place of garrison. Surrounding the Prancing Pony Inn his men made ready to attack, he took Afridor by the hand and led her to the door where they heard a commotion inside they nodded to one another and Eldwyn flung the door open his men rushing the building simultaneously, smashing through windows and leaping onto balconies. The savage men had some locals as the center of attention, they were being beaten and had their clothes taken from them. Eldwyn glimpsed the face of a girl as she looked up from the floor, face covered in bruises and cuts as if the brutality had taken days. The sorrow in her eyes triggered his anger and the first of the enemy who came towards him felt the sting of his blade as Eldwyn swung with fury and separated his ugly head from his squat body. The Rangers and Rohirrim followed Eldwyns lead and within moments the bodies of some fifty of the enemy lay scattered and separated through the Inn. Their play things were cleaned up and Eldwyn ordered a few men to stay behind to guard and care for them. They waited until a horn rang out and he knew that the men left outside the wall had initiated an attack. Knowing that the enemy commander would certainly go to the main gate to see his enemy over the wall he took the men by back alleys until the gate was in view and the enemy commander could be seen peering into the dawn twilight. Eldwyns men rushed the gate towers and killing the few men positioned there he came upon the enemy commander, he looked the bastard dead in the eye and leveling his blade he commanded "Surrender!". The Kerkassk commander cursed him in a foreign tongue and went for a crossbow which one of his men had dropped, Eldwyn flicked down his blade between the mans helm and collar slicing cleanly through. He booted the gate lever and lifted the portcullis, the Rangers who had been outside rushed in and they began clearing the city. Eldwyn took the head of the enemy commander and threw it down to one of his men who rode with it before him to strike terror into the enemies hearts. Afridor looked at him shocked and disgusted, he explained that "The enemy will flee before this man as if he had an army at his back. If the hordes of Kerkassk have one weakness it is this, they believe their leaders are gods so only something greater than a god could kill them. This one act of brutality could save us time and men so I justify its use."
Afridor replied curtly,
"Beware you do not become what you fear."
This time as she turned there was no smile and this struck Eldwyn deeply. The day was spent clearing up the town and its surroundings of enemy soldiers, some of whom had hidden themselves in peculiar places such as hay bails and thatching. Messengers were sent at speed to Rivendell and Annuminas to report the liberation of Bree from her captors and the town began to fill with life as people, no longer afraid to leave their homes attempted to get things back to normal in a town which had suffered greatly under the savage men who had been destroyed by a much smaller force.
That night as they ate and drank with the grateful locals Eldwyn attempted to catch the eye of the woman who had become the object of his desire but she ate quickly and did not partake in the drink. She made to leave early and having not smiled all this evening Eldwyn felt a need to speak with her. He chased her up the stairs and caught her in the hallway as she made for an empty room, hearing his footsteps she turned and her gaze stopped him like a wall had sprung up in mid air. Eldwyn made to speak but she cut him short,
"I'm sorry Eldwyn, but you showed me this day that you are not the man I had hoped you might've been. I know the way to our Dwarven friends and on the morrow we shall go our separate ways..."
"What I did saved many lives!"
"That may be the case, but the code by which we live in the Mark prohibits such acts of brutality irrelevant of their benefit."
"An nin athranna, cormamin niuve tenna' ta elea lle au."
Afridor paused looking deep into Eldwyn, convinced that the man who stood before her was better than his actions this day. She turned slowly and when Eldwyn saw it, barely a quiver on her lip he lunged forward and taking her hand spun her round so that their lips were almost touching. Hesitating momentarily, just long enough for her to feel the warm tingling of his breath he said,
"You are the only light to have entered my life in this perpetual darkness of war, the honesty in your heart and the beauty on your skin has done what a thousand of our enemies could not, you have captured me."
She kissed him deeply and they stumbled back into the room practically tearing the clothes from one another.

Chapter 6

Tar scrambled up the last of the rocks onto the jagged ridge which separated them from the other side of the blue mountains, around him were peaks capped in white and waterfalls which cascaded through cracks and over ledges falling sometimes hundreds of feet into the dense forest below, it was captivating but the day was coming to an end and the party had not found a good night harbor. Helping his companions over the ledges his new Elven friends leaping nimbly past him smiling and thanking for his needlessly outstretched arm.
He approached the Elf who he had saved from drowning, "We must make harbor before night falls, this terrain is too dangerous to navigate at night."
"Ah yes, we forget that your eyes do not see so clearly by moonlight. Very well there are some caves near here, we shall make camp for the night that we might begin down by light of morning."
"Thank-you."
"I ought to be the one thanking you, were it not for you and your men I should have perished and the city may have fallen."
"I am Tar son of Nyah."
"I am Egalmoth, let us make this camp by dark then." They walked on into the twilight, the beauty of their surrounds somehow lost on the Elves. They clambered down sheer cliffs and across shingle covered slopes eventually reaching a place where shrubs and small ferns could cling to the ground, entering a great cave. Patches of the floor had been padded with dry brush, some of the travelers collapsed. Egalmoth spoke, "We stay here tonight, prepare food and rest, tomorrow shall be much the same country."
The mariners mixed salted fish and liquor with their hard biscuits and the Elves dined on Honey, dried fruit and leavened bread Egalmoth encouraged them to combine their meals, both parties complied reluctantly eventually warming to the change although one sailor refused the Elvish food due to ignorance and could not be convinced. Once the meal was done and they all began to bed Egalmoth came to Tar and requested they venture out of the cave. They walked down and around a corner from the cavemouth before he spoke, "This water is warmed by the earth, it is why we use these caves."
Tar peered into the darkness and saw the shimmer of water in the night, Egalmoth had begun to undress and Tar followed suit slipping into the hot water. Egalmoth struck a tinder box and lit a long curved pipe, once it lit he took a long draw and handed it to Tar. Tar followed suit and immediately coughed to Egalmoths amusement, Egalmoth puffed a few more times and put away the pipe. They sat there under a starlit sky framed by the black mass of mountains, running water and the odd gust of wind the only sound.
Egalmoth spoke up, "Do you know the story of the war of wrath?"
Tar, thought his way through the thick steam of the pools,
"I have seen it mentioned in the books of my father, where Morgoth released his Dragons."
"Yes, it was that war which clove this mountain range in two and destroyed the first Dwarven halls."
"Clove the mountains?"
"Yes the magic weilded by both sides was so immense that it ruined the earth here."
"What a sight that must have been."

"The ship Vingilot of the Elves was said to sail on the breeze like an eagle and the great Dragon Ancalagon falling from the sky shattered the ancient Thangorodrim of the Dwarves. My father told me of these things in my youth, the world does not see things such as this, the magic of the Valar has waned and we are left to fare for ourselves, the world of men has come and we are but shadows. We awoke under the stars, before moon or sun were in the sky and many among our number inhabit the heavens. See there the star of Earendil, far beyond the circles of the world. That is where the ship Vingilot came to rest."
"The Elves are hardly shadows, it is you who have guided man forward through the darkness. Just like the star of Earendil guided the men to Numenor, your people and the Valar have always guided us away from Morgoth and his minions." The two men sat there in the darkness, the ambiance enveloping them. The stars shimmered brightly, the shape of Manelmacar clearly visible and the wanderers making their way through the night. They returned to the cave and all the others had gone to sleep they bedded down on the comfortable mats and drifted into the night, chasing Vingilot into the heavens. Chapter 7

Eldwyn awoke to the sound of birds chirruping and an empty bed, the smell of her hair still on the pillow and a golden thread proof of last nights dream. He walked down into the bar space where both the Rohirrim and the Rangers were making a hearty breakfast. He looked around for Afridor but she was nowhere to be seen finally he asked one of his men. "Where is the lady of Rohan?"
"She left in the dawn hours sir, she has ridden ahead with a smaller group of men with spare horses that they might make the journey in less time."
Eldwyn cursed and struck a nearby joist, "She has gone with a small band of Rohirrim into enemy controlled territory?
We have not heard from the Dwarves, nor the Elves of Mithlond?"
"No, not in months."
"Then do you expect there to be a welcome feast waiting for weary riders? If the Elves and Dwarves have been silenced then that land contains a great many enemies. More than a few riders could outrun even with fresh steeds, MAKE READY!" Eldwyn yelled at his men and the remaining Rohirrim who quickly devoured what they could from their plates and made for the stables.
Eldwyn moved with intent he ensured the best men were mounted and left those without steeds to serve as a skeleton guard of the town. He took 30 Rohirrim who seemed to rally to his call almost as quickly as the 17 Rangers he had left and they rode at speed from the gates into the wild, pursuing Afridor and her party.

As the sun began to set on a days riding the horses were exhausted they had covered some 150 odd miles from Bree at pace and whats more laden for war. Eldwyn leapt from his steed as they came to a small rise from which they could see the relatively bare lands ahead of them and as he watched in the amber light he saw their quarry still moving at pace towards the great mountains, out of reach of their steeds this day and open to enemy view from miles around. He stepped back down and found an appropriate site for the men and horses to rest, himself only nibbling at some jerky and bread while staring out into the moonlit landscape as if he could still see riders in the distance.
Eldwyn issued the command to move again, this time the men would have to lead their horses as opposed to riding. They began to move through the exposed land in a staggered formation which might confuse the enemy as to their numbers.

As dawn approached Eldwyns troops moved along a treeline, still following the tracks of Afridors riders. He worried for her safety as he knew she could be up to a day ahead of them by now and nearing the Dwarven fortress, he noticed a change in the tracks, suddenly some new creatures had joined the trail. He knelt down and examined the prints, identifying them as goblins and Wargs. Wargs can move faster than horses, Afridor would struggle to keep ahead of them. He turned back and looked at his tired men tending their horses who knew they would not sleep that night as Eldwyn climbed back up on his horse and beckoned them after him.

Afridors riders had made exceptional time that day, they had nearly made it to the valley of Tumunzahar before Rollachor started acting strangely. He was complaining about something out there in the darkness, some unseen monsters which bristled the hair on his neck. Afridor looked deep into the shadows, gripping her spear tightly as she readied for whatever it was, the other men took her lead and they formed a tight group facing the ominous darkness. They heard the scrape of metal on metal and caught a glimmer of eyes in the moonlight, then out of the pitch blackness lunged a huge beast which smashed one of the men and his horse flat against the ground. It looked as a mangy brown wolf creature, heavy set shoulders tapering to a small hind its head almost level with that of Rollachor and under one of its paws was the head of the man it had pounced on. A type of Warg not seen before by Afridor and of a size she did not believe possible. It began to turn its colossal head and its huge teeth bared against her, furiously Afridor thrust her spear into the creatures flank, deep into the thick fur. The beast tore the spear from her hand and ran off into the night, but viscous barking could be heard all around them now in the black. Suddenly four more Rohirrim fell to the monstrous creatures, torn from their horses and dragged off screaming as the horses were savagely ripped to pieces before Afridors eyes.

The beasts circled their eyes glinting menacingly while she and Rollachor stood there waiting to be consumed by the pack, then from the darkness she saw a light, a firey beacon of hope. Eldwyn rode at the front of an arrow of men bearing a great blazing torch and as the beasts turned to face this new threat arrows and spears flew into their mass some blazing and igniting the creatures they hit. Afridor noticed some horse mounted men amid the Warg pack. Some of the Wargs and the mounted men turned and fled while others tried to rush the oncoming riders, being ridden down easily in their disarray. In moments the beasts were either dead or had escaped and Eldwyn rode his horse up to Afridor, it stepping carefully over the carnage. "What were you thinking you foolish woman, you could've been killed! You boldly ride into danger with no thought as to the consequences of your actions, I know this land and this enemy, I've been fighting them half my life. Why wont you listen to anything I say!"
Afridor lowered her head and began to cry as she saw the bodies of her men around her and their horses, some still shuddering in agony, large hunks of flesh torn from their bodies and blood glimmering with the starlight. She leaned in to him and whimpered quietly, her icy demeanor finally melting.
"I wanted to do this quickly, and I needed space to ponder some things. You spin me about and fog my mind." She began to compose herself and sat up, realizing that some of her men were watching. Her composure resumed she gave a peircing look at Eldwyn and dismounted, striding over to the suffering horse she swung her sword sorrowfully and finished it, kneeling to wish it happiness on its journey.
Eldwyn turned away still furious with her, determined not to let her sorrow dull his wits as the escaped Wargs would surely bring news of their party to a larger force and they would be quick to react.
They burned the bodies of the horses and their own men but had not time to pile the enemy and again rode out this time making for a narrow pass which Eldwyn had been shown once by some Elves which would take them across to Mithlond. They would be harder to track through this rocky terrain and although the horses might slow them down it seemed like the only chance of survival if the enemy were to attack in large numbers. Riding in the darkness Eldwyn knew he had to save their lives before he could save his relationship and white knuckled he put aside all else other than their immediate concerns. Afridor ashamedly rode behind him unable to shed the images of the men whose deaths she felt responsible for and the quivering of the mutilated horse just before she swung her blade.

Chapter 8

A bead of sweat ran down Tars brow as he lay concealed behind an outcrop of rocks, Egalmoth beside him had an arrow knocked ready in case the Goblin patrol discovered them, Tar gripped his short axe tightly ready to leap into the fray. They had traveled far and now in enemy territory they must creep the last while in as much secrecy as they can. Making their way silently through the night, keeping to shadows as much as possible and moving quickly across open ground.
By dawn they neared the halls of Tumunzahar and where the Dwarves might still hold their ground against the enemy. Another patrol passed by clinking loudly and after a moment Eldwyn and Tar peered from their hiding spot in a rocky outcrop over the valley. The sharply angled sun shone light down the length of the valley casting long black shadows from the mountains over camps of dark men and Orcs. They had catapults intermittently releasing salvos into the mountainside which, Tar noticed was carved in intricate angular patterns with windows and balconies littering its surface, seven seated Dwarven kings held up a ledge overhanging great stone doorways littered with the bodies of Dwarves and Orcs. The battle here was still being fought, same as it was in Mithlond with the defenders holding the horde at bay from their defenses.
Egalmoth spoke softly, "So the Dwarves too struggle at the hands of this enemy, and we are unable to meet them because of the army which stands between us."
"You backed yourself against the sea and help came from there, they have themselves backed into the mountains maybe we can find some way to get to them from above." Tar indicated to the length of rope in his pack and a smile came over Egalmoths face. They made for the rocky vertical heights above Tumunzahar, a plan of how to reach the Dwarves still developing in Tars mind.

Rollachor crunched through shingle, his legs pushing deep into its loose surface and Afridor at his side urging him on, the early morning revealing the sorrowful look on the faces of the men their suffering and exhaustion evident, one man glanced at her angrily and she looked away, dismayed at her mistake and the lives it had cost. It was her first time having to be rescued since her father died and the bodies of her men and their steeds were burned into her mind. What brought her out of her sorrows however was the sound of a pursuing force, still some distance away she heard the chattering of armor and the pattering of feet as a sizable force followed them through the rocks. The men hurried and as Eldwyn reached the top of the shingle run he turned and directed twenty men to stand with him as the others took the horses further up the track. He readied his bow and as he notched the string he felt a hand grip his and looked up to see Afridor in tears, her beauty marred by the shame and sorrow of this day. He kissed her deeply and as he felt his heart lurch in his chest he pulled away and told her to go with the men, promising he would be right behind. She stumbled off up the hill and he turned to face whatever would surge out of the rocks below, knowing that his promise would be hard earned if even possible. Eldwyn had chosen this spot out of desperation but it was well suited to resist the enemy it had a bottleneck to retreat into behind him and a difficult scree in-front for the enemy to have to clamber up, he managed to cleared his mind of things just as he saw an orc leap into view and he drew his bow calmly...
Afridor ran wearily, Rollachor even was beginning to tire his legs scraped and bleeding she buried her head in his mane and begged his forgiveness as they struggled on. She began to hear the sounds of battle behind her as metal struck metal and wept freely at the thought of losing Eldwyn. Her and the men carried on until they reached a narrow gap cut out of a cliff face, the path continued almost vertically and the horses struggled, scraping their flanks on the sides of the passage and clambering up the wet rocks on the ground. Afridor stopped the men and they prepared a defense of this natural wall. Any enemy would be hard pushed to storm such a narrow gap under fire and there were plenty of rocks around in case the defenders ran low on arrows. They set a fire and boiled water from the brook running down the culvert in a few pots and readied that also to terrorize the enemy and waited to cover Eldwyns retreat.

The forces of Kerkassk rushed Eldwyns line once more as he loosed his last arrow, the piles of enemies almost covering the shingle run, he drew his sword and called a retreat. Rushing through the rocks behind their position and into the open ground behind. They rushed after Afridor and the others trying to keep out of the reach of the enemy who were hot on their heels. Then Eldwyn noticed a large force of goblins and some smaller Wargs clambering over the cusp of a cliff edge in front of them. He glanced behind to where a mass of enemy were bearing down upon them, in that split second he made the decision to lead them away from Afridor realizing this battle could not be won by any tactic he knew. He turned to the left and led his men away from the path to where the ground was open for some distance before it turned into a maze of boulders flanked by sheer slopes. They reached the boulders as the wargs began to nip at their heels and turned to fight off their immediate pursuers. Eldwyn brought his blade straight down on the crown of one of the wargs and carrying the momentum brought his blade round again and into an orcs neck crunching into the gristle and bone. A masse of enemy bore down on them and turning again to flee he heard a massive boom and was thrown against the rocks. Stumbling to his feet dazed and deafened he saw through a cloud of dust the cliffs on one side of the open ground had been razed and rubble lay strewn everywhere, much of it having flattened the enemy or at least knocked them off their feet. He saw that some of his men were still reeling from the explosion and he moved to help them up before the enemy gathered themselves again. As he helped a man up he saw a group of Dwarves leaping down around them, they rushed the enemy and began swinging their axes wildly into the disoriented creatures. Eldwyn picked up his sword and moved to follow when a burly dwarf knocked it out of his hand and kicked him to the ground leveling a heavy double headed axe to his throat and glaring at him. Flicking it sideways he caught Eldwyn square in the temple and the world dropped away as Eldwyn slumped to the ground...

Chapter 9

Thunder clapped in the distance as Tar and Egalmoth scrambled over the rocks above the gates of Tumunzahar occasionally glancing over the ledge for a good place to rappel down. This time Tar noticed that the enemy had stopped firing on the Dwarves and were preparing an assault, he noticed some trolls which he had missed earlier carrying huge picks or hammers likely to open doors, they would have to hurry. They perched themselves above a balcony and Tar secured the rope by knotting it between some rocks and pulling it tight. Testing it he leaned over the edge and began to descend, zipping down quickly and landing on the ground below he drew his sword and checked the doorway for anything hostile. Signaling the clear to the rest of the men Egalmoth was quick to follow and soon they made their way into the Dwarven kingdom. It grew dark very quickly and Egalmoth drew a small pouch from his pack. He emptied the contents into his hand and it clicked mutedly, he then whispered something in Elvish which Tar could not quite hear and cast it into the air before him where it began to buzz and glow. There were two of them, small insects which cast a dim light by which the men could pick their way and soon they continued as their eyes adjusted to this new form of light. Tar was fascinated by the dancing insects, so much so that he didn't notice the hole on the ground until he fell down it.
Egalmoth heard a whimper to his rear and turned to see that Tar had dropped right through the ground. He had not seen the hole before but now there was a man sized hole in the ground right where he had just walked. He looked down it and seeing nothing yelled into the black, "TAR!"
He listened intently but only a quiet echo came back to him from far down the hole, he sent one of the firebugs down the hole and It disappeared down around a corner.

Tar however found himself alone in the dark having landed in water barely deep enough to stop his fall with a foul stench permeating the air. He swam back and fourth searching for something to grasp or clamber onto, the cold wet penetrating deep into his bones. One of the firebugs caught up with him and lit the dark mank room. It was a tunnel of sorts and the water in which tar found himself was black and acrid, it stuck to him as he swam over to a platform he could see. He clambered up onto it and began to get dizzy from the fumes his eyes and nostrils burning now from the water. He had to find a way out and commanded the firebug to look about for him. Its obedience something he would have to question when he had escaped this horrid place. He began tapping the walls around him with his axe and found a hollow point, he swung at it and began knocking away big chunks of stone eventually uncovering a tunnel which let in a gust of refreshing air, he peered into the gap and breathed deeply seeing nothing in there but darkness and anyway he could not have fit, but at least now he had some fresh air and one life threatening issue had been resolved. He looked around and saw the bug hovering a wee way down the tunnel, it looked as if it had stopped moving and Tar moved to investigate. Swimming through the muck breathing as shallowly as possible he reached the bug and another tunnel which led off the main one and was only knee deep with sludge so an immediate improvement in circumstance and tar made down it, his small companion leading the way energetically.

Egalmoth had waited and yelled for a while before he resolved that they must move forward and hope that Tar could find his way alone. Egalmoth released more of the firebugs so that he and his men might be safe from accidentally falling to their doom. They descended a great staircase and wandered through empty rooms, it looked as if all had been abandoned and there were neither Orcs nor sign of fighting in these areas. It was not until they were deep within the halls when their sense of direction had been completely lost that they heard sounds of battle. They followed the sounds down a spiral stair and discovered that they stood on a balcony overlooking a great hall, the floor seethed with goblins, orcs and a troll smashing a beat onto a massive skin drum which resounded through the hall, shaking the masonry. The other beast they had seen earlier with the hammer stood in the distance by a massive wooden door which was deeply scarred from previous assaults. Suddenly the creature roared and brought the hammer on a great arc which intercepted the wood with a great cracking sound. It again brought the weapon on high and with a growl swung its immense weight against the enduring wood.
Egalmoth knew that through that door he might find his Dwarves, they could wait out the trolls assault and try to enter through the goblins or else they must continue through the halls, searching for a better way, but surely the goblins would have already tried...

Tar stumbled through the muck his ecstatic friend seemingly unaffected by the stench still dancing through the air before him. Tar followed the creature assuming that he knew where he was going, maybe he smelt fresh air or maybe he had some sense Tar did not know of. A while later they came across another large chamber, the firebug headed straight for a spot on the wall where it landed and stopped.
Tar waited for the creature to fly off again, maybe it was resting so he sat down and waited. Eventually he grew tired of waiting and stood up, "Make haste, we have not time to rest!" The firebug did not move, it stayed in the same spot it had been since it landed and Tars temper raised. He swung the back of his axe at the rock behind the creature to scare it into flight but instead heard a loud metallic chang followed by a low ringing hum. He again struck the wall and it sounded as though he were in a giant muted bell the ringing this time shaking the water in which he stood. He started to scratch the surface on which the bug rested and it again took flight, coming to rest silently on his shoulder. Tar again struck the metal surface, this time right where the firebug had rested and heard a loud crunch as the axe dug into some rotted metal he drew it back again and through the hole he had made rushed fresh air, he gasped it in deeply. Hacking repetitively he made a hole big enough that he might slip through, the air rushed now over his face.
Climbing through the hole he found himself in carved hallway, magnificent pillars held up the intricately detailed ceiling, the same angular designs as he had seen on the gates of Tumunzahar. But now they followed the natural grain of the rocks, making each shape unique. Quartz veins streaked their way through the wall on the left hand side and flecked the ceilings design giving the appearance of flickering stars. Flickering, he noticed lamps embedded in the walls along the corridor, their warm lights dancing around him and in the distance he heard a faint sound of speech.
He began toward the sound carefully, what the Dwarves would think of a lone man as dirty as he stumbling around in their halls he feared to imagine. The children of man they had no special fondness for and under the circumstances they were liable to think him an outright enemy. The voices got louder and soon he saw a doorway to his left, its light much brighter than the hallway and shadows of Dwarves moved through it. Tar noticed the firebug had ceased to glow but it still clung to him tightly, he wondered what it knew of their situation if it dimmed in the face of danger.
The thought was interrupted before he was through, there before him in the hallway stood three Dwarves they had seen him and seemed to be in as much shock as he. The two parties stared at each other for a moment before the Dwarves rushed towards Tar drawing their weapons and shouting something in their native tongue. Tar instinctively held up his hands and got down on his knees in submission but still when they stopped a few yards in front of him he looked down into their haggard hairy faces.
Tar spoke confidently as the Dwarves took up positions around him, the older of the three remaining at his front and glaring deep into his eyes, "I am Tar a friend to the Dwarves and a traveler from Mithlond."
The gray bearded Dwarf grimaced, "If you were from Mithlond then you would be an Elf, and if you were a friend to the Dwarves you would not be found sneaking deep in our halls covered in muck but instead freshly bathed and sharing the feast hall with our lords."
"My Elven friends search for an entry to your halls as we speak and if you were not under siege then my circumstances might be different."
The Dwarf curtly replied, "I should hardly call this a siege my unfortunate friend." he nodded to one of his companions who had taken up position behind Tar and before he could react Tar felt a warm sensation on the back of his head and saw the world before him rock and topple sideways before fading to black.

Chapter 10

Eldwyn woke to complete darkness, his ears still hummed from the explosion earlier and his body ached as if he had been thrown down a flight of stairs. He sat up and felt the walls around himself, he was in a stone room about 13 steps by 8 with a roof he could not reach and a slight breeze coming from a 2 inch around hole in the wall above the slightly padded surface he had woken on and escaping through a crack which framed the wall furthest from this place.
He sat back down and waited for something to infiltrate his solitude, some sound to cut through the silence or some light to pierce the black...

Eldwyn woke again to a faint scraping sound and echoing voices, it appeared to be coming from the 2 inch hole in the wall. He scrabbled to his feet and peered through into the dark. A great groaning sound hummed through the floor and stone ground against stone a sliver of light cut through the thick darkness and Eldwyn saw a great door rolling open in an adjacent chamber which appeared to match his own, at least in dimensions. The rolling boulder revealed three figures, one slumped between another two of what appeared to be Dwarves a mane of hair and beard jutting out from beneath their helmets and broad stocky frames all clad in mail. They stepped into the chamber and dropped the slumped figure against the wall, as they left the groaning returned and the huge door rolled slowly back into place.
Tar again was left in the dark however through the little hole where he peered another soul lingered, although no signs of life could be seen or heard. The silence returned, throbbing in his ears but the faint sound of breathing on the other side of the wall reassured Tar that at least he wasn't alone. He sat back down on his mat and wondered how he could possibly escape a Dwarf prison, for surely they must be the most secure of all the races.
Eldwyn heard clicking sound coming from the next room and stood up to see what was making it, he saw a faint glow coming from a point which seemed to be floating around casting a faint light on the surrounding stonework. It floated towards him and he noticed it made a soft buzzing sound like that of an insect the creature landed at the far end of the hole in the wall and stopped. He noticed legs, wings and eyes which appeared to be looking at him, the creature jerked and Eldwyn heard the same clicking sound. A moment passed as the two studied each other and then the bug zipped up into the air humming back out of sight.

Egalmoth and his men had walked some distance through the Dwarven halls and judged themselves far enough from the Goblins that they might be able to rest. They chose a large hall complete with solid wooden doors which could be barred and his soldiers began to settle into their evening routines. Egalmoth noticed books on one of the large benches which lined the hall, he opened one inquisitively and skimmed the pages.

It told of the destruction of old Beriland and the Dwarven halls of the Blue mountains, its pages worn and the decoration faded as though it was used regularly before it had been abandoned. Egalmoth noticed one particularly intricate inscription depicting a huge Dragon crushing old Tumunzahar its fiery breath tearing a great rift in the very landscape, the wandering star shone brightly in the sky highlighted by use of a precious metal which seemed to emit its own light as if borrowed from Vangilot itself.
Egalmoth flicked further into the pages and saw the reconstruction of Tumunzahar as a new capital for Dwarf kind and its bolstered population when Erebor was lost to another Dragon. Further on an exaggerated tale of the Dwarves contribution to the war of the ring, Gimli son of Gloin drawn standing next to Elessar and Legolas Greenleaf almost matching them in stature. This brought a smile to the lips of Egalmoth as he neared the end of this lesson in history, the last things he saw were depictions of black oil and strange powders and all kinds of alchemical equipment associated with intense fire and destruction. Egalmoth pondered the meanings of these inscriptions but as he closed the tome he heard the soft pat of feet rushing down the stone halls towards them and turned to see one of his sentries at full pace making for them his sword bloodied.
"They come!" was all he said as he reached their hall and grabbed his pack, within moments the party stood ready and Egalmoth swung the heavy wooden doors shut from the direction they had come barring it as best he could with nearby furniture. They headed in the other direction making off down the long dark corridor. They had barely barred the door when a heavy slam rocked it, as if something had thrown its entire body weight against it. A horrendous cacophony resonated down the corridor they were now in, the unseen enemy doing everything in their power to break through to the Elves on the other side. Egalmoth had seen goblins catch their prey before and he urged his men to run lest they fall being torn apart under tearing and gnashing teeth.

They ran blindly into the darkness, the soft glow of the firebugs barely enough to see the ground upon which they stepped. After a long corridor came a system of passages and halls but they did not pause until they reached a great cavern. This room stretched far ahead into the black and the echoing emptiness was audible if not visible. A sharp burning smell pierced the mens' nostrils and water pooled in their eyes from its sting the smell seemed to come from large pools of black liquid which ran either side of a stone causeway which they now ran along. The goblins entered the room behind them as their gibberish and rattling armor echoed through the hollow space and Egalmoth realized they would soon be caught at this rate. They reached the end of the causeway and Egalmoth called a turn so that they might use the pools as a bottleneck, he dipped the point of his sword in the black liquid and stepped back drawing something small from his pocket. Abruptly the blade was alight, flames licked the surface and crackled up into the air, the black liquid Egalmoth had confirmed was Naptha, a miraculously flammable substance that could be found bubbling to the surface in swamps and some deserts. As the goblins closed the last few yards upon their prey Egalmoth smiled and dropped the point of his flaming blade back into the black liquid.

Chapter 11

Eldwyn heard a mumble and the scuffling of feet from the room next to him and leaped to see if his neighbor had woken. The darkness stretched out before him and only the feel of cold hard rock under his feet assured Eldwyn that he was not floating in the eternal void.
"Hello?"
"Ugh, where am I?", The firebug began glowing and served as a secondary point of reference in the blackness. It revealed a tall, strong dark skinned man wearing brown shabby robes with frayed hair braided back against his scalp, beads and bands of gold threaded into the intricate pattern. As the light filled the black Eldwyn and Tars eyes met and a strange feeling of familiarity washed over the two men silence hanging in the air, finally Tar spoke up.
"I dreamed, and of these dreams none remained save one, a vision of an isle and in the midst of it was a steep mountain, behind which the sun went down, and as shadows sprang up into the sky there shone a single dazzling star."1

"A dream I have shared stranger, pray tell us your name?"

"I am Tar Ibn Nyah. And yours?"
"Eldwyn of Arnor a captive of the Blue Mountains Dwarves."
"You have been here long then?

"Some days, I know not an exact number but I have scarcely a beard yet and I have not begun to rot. What misfortune brought you so deep within the mountain?"

"I came seeking soldiers with which to repel Kerkassk or at least to discover the plight of our allies. But it appears that the Dwarves too are under seige."
"They move more freely than they would have their enemies believe, I traveled in the mountains and from there they moved me hence."

"The mountains, you traveled the pass to Harlindon?"

"We made for Mithlond to see how the Elves fared."

"Their plight is akin to that of the Dwarves, The forces of Kerkassk must be vast indeed to hold two great cities under siege while still fighting a war with Gondor."

Eldwyns forehead furrowed, "Gondor is under siege also?"

"Not two months ago the Aundin flowed with the bodies of her guard, Kerkassk presses against her banks if not on Osgiliath itself."

"Vast indeed..."

Eldwyn had hoped that help someday might come from Gondor to reclaim the northern kingdoms but it seemed now that there was no free nation to summon armies against this scourge, their doom was sealed as the eastern forces chased the sunset.

Afridor woke in the early hours of the morning, the sun glaring across the lands in-front of her, she began noticing only now the majesty of Eriador with its rivers, forests and green open plains. Eldwyn had not arrived in the night, the sentries had seen neither man nor Orc coming up the path and although a strange thunderclap had resounded through the mountains before she had fallen asleep nothing had changed in their predicament. Whether Eldwyn had repelled the enemy, traveled another path into the mountains or had perished she did not know, but they could not wait any longer and after the sun had reached its zenith they began to move. The mountains proved difficult for the horses but the path wound its way slowly and many of the sheer faces they thought might bar their way had alternative routes around them. It was at the crest of a cliff face that Afridor saw Mithlond, far in the distance the city shimmered in splendor. But the land around her was stained black, more of the horde had arrived here and they had surrounded the fair havens.
The land until the sea was under enemy control, she must return to Rohan with the hope of raising an army to combat the evil which spilled from the east.

Chapter 12

Egalmoth and his men reeled from the flames which had erupted from the Naptha, the whole chamber now was visible as flames caressed the walls, roof and spilled over the narrow causeway sizzling the pursuing Goblins. A new concern however came to Egalmoths mind and that was the thick acrid smoke twisting its way up from the flames. Before too long the room would be full of it and the air unbreathable for any who still might linger with the smoke plumes. Gathering his men, some of whom had already retreated from the inferno they headed out the door at the back of the room and down a long passage which thankfully sloped down and away from the toxic air, a cool breeze rushed towards them as the flames drew the air in to be consumed. They passed by pipes and pits which dropped away either side into the black, large mechanical devices which made no sense to the Elves stood still in the shadows, their brass gears intricately arranged by skilled hands who understood some grand plan of their design. They passed by a door from which the cool breeze seemed to originate and the air again hung damp and cool but with a bitter taste. Egalmoth urged his men back in the hope that they might follow this fresher air to its source, perhaps some exit from the maze of tunnels behind them. What they found inside the room was perplexing; more of the strange mechanisms arranged against the far wall framing a door shaped hole. The hole appeared as some kind of fireplace where a long chimney of matching proportions stretched up into blackness framed by four thick steel cables pulled taught. A lack of charred ground at the base of this chimney and the complex set of gears and levers there set Egalmoth wondering if this was at all a chimney for fumes and not some strange new device of Dwarven construct. Suddenly the machinery lurched to life, gears spun and whirled their pieces so finely crafted that barely a murmur came from them, it was instead the chimney which began to sing, a strange song as the cables on the far wall vibrated slowly at first and as the pitch raised Egalmoth noticed the roof of the chimney descending rapidly and moved quickly out of the way. He and his men took up positions in the room and waited to see the outcome of this curious contraptions vigorous effort. There was a sudden change in pitch as the wheels whurred to a stop and a metal platform hit the base of the chimney expelling a small cloud of dust and upon it stood approximately 10 heavily armed Dwarves shoulder to shoulder and bristling for a fight. The Dwarves leveled their weapons at the Elves before one of the burly creatures growled "Var Hrothgarz korda, Vanyali!" , his axe lowering and stepping forward he spoke now in the common tongue, "How did Elves get this deep into the earth? This is a surprise, we thought Goblins were lurking in the deep places!"
"Goblins are not far behind Dwarf, only while your Naptha burns will we be safe."
"You mean the middle oil? Haha, it was you then who set it alight. We had not thought to use it so, but it appears to have worked well."
"Yes, the Goblins are delayed but there is a much greater host who will follow shortly."
"Delayed? Ah, as I thought you seem to have done deeds much greater than you intended. The enemies have been routed entirely my friend, that fire you set released a smoke which turns even Dwarves blue of skin. We came to shut off the fires so that we might chase them down while they still stumble about in confusion, even the trolls shall be easy picking!" He again laughed and strode toward the Elves, both sides now growing easy and lowering their guard. Eldwyn followed him back the way they had come, glad to know that he may have chanced upon the salvation of the Dwarves.
The Dwarves covered their faces with thick cloth as they neared the flaming chamber, its glow still apparent from far away. Egalmoths men followed suit bringing up their collars to filter out the fumes. The Dwarf indicated to one of his companions stating matter of factly "Ilf carnz orodüm." the man nodded and began discarding his mail and helm donning instead a heavy leather jacket, glass goggles and a reinforced heavy linen cap. All of which had been kept in a bag slung over his shoulder, another Dwarf began pouring copious amounts of water over him from the canteens the Dwarves carried. After he had tucked away his beard as well as he could and adjusted his breathing mask he nodded to the others saying only "Akh sartos oen dûrgrimst!" and entering the inferno. Egalmoth peered around the corner, his face burning even from this distance as he watched the stout figure run across the room, flames licking him over as he crossed the causeway. Once on the far side he closed the large metal doors as his gloves smoked from their heat. He ran back towards them as suddenly the smoke began to thicken and instead of escaping out the far door it swirled above them and began filling the corridor in which they stood. The Dwarf returned and the heavy metal doors this side too were slammed behind him, the smoke locked in to choke nothing but the fire, the Dwarf who had entered the room was again doused in water as he sizzled and steamed, hopping around and discarding his clothes. "Mahal!" the Dwarf grunted as he tore off the material which covered his mouth and tugged at his beard frantically lest it be damaged by the fire, the others simply stood there laughing at him, one Dwarf even having to lean on his axe for support. The Dwarf who had spoken earlier turned to Egalmoth, his face pink with laughter, "They now call him The Bald".
The chuckling continued as they headed again for the room with the gears and levers the air now clear of smoke, Egalmoth hoped Tar had not been somewhere flooded with toxic fumes...

Tar peered through the hole between cells, "Eala Eldwyn, are you awake?"
"Yes I believe I am, although whether my eyes are open or closed does not seem to matter with this encircling black, so the borders of sleep become indistinguishable."
"I too swim in blackness, it is almost maddening."
"The dream you mentioned earlier, what meaning do you take from it?"
"It is of a land which my people came from, my father called it Numenor."
"The star of Eärendil shining there brighter than all else in the sky. I too have dreamed of this land, my Grandfather once told me the tale of its downfall. Strange though that it should appear in our dreams."
"Not so strange as it comes to all men of Numenor."
"I am not of Numenor, I came from a valley of no significance and was born to parents who knew nothing of the outside world."
"I would hardly believe this if I did not hear pain in your voice. You have the blood of Numenor in whatever quantity and it is strange that your grandfather should know of the tales if he is from such a small town when only the scribes of great empires record such things."
"He traveled, it makes no sense to me that a star of hope should shine on a sinking isle."
"Ah but it does, for It was the fault of mans curiosity that he was banished from this island and it sunk to the depths. Eärendil shines there to give hope to the race of Numenor, for all our failings as a people, our weakness is a privilege just as death is. We are blessed by the powers to be imperfect and to die, to experience the world around us with the fascination of a child and then pass over into greener pastures while our physical body rejoins the earth upon which all its parts shall live again."

Just then the door of Eldwyns chamber lurched and began to grind open, it revealed the feet of two Dwarves, but now Eldwyn noticed through the blinding brilliance that they wore thick linen robes studded with gold and gemstones and that their hair was brushed and finely plaited. The Dwarves smiled,
"Come with us, the council needs to see you."
Eldwyn got to his feet and glanced back into Tars cell before following the Dwarves lead, but through the gap there was only darkness and so he left his companion in silence.
They proceeded through the corridors as Eldwyn squinted into the torchlight, his eyes slowly adjusting to its brilliance. As he began to see normally they passed into a long hall decorated in onyx and gold, great murals of Dwarf heroes, some smiting goblins or driving great hammers down on glowing anvils as amber sparks danced in the glimmering torchlight.
At the rear of the gilt hall there sat a group of Dwarves pouring over a map their brows furrowed and teasing their long white beards in contemplation. As Eldwyn apporached they covered the map and stepped forward. One of the elderly Dwarves spoke up in a cheerful manner befitting his kind.
"Apologies for the cell friend but we know not from whence you come."
"I have ridden from Arnor my lords."
"Then you have brought men to our aid?"
"No, we have too been plagued by the men who roam your lands."
"Innuminas, She has not fallen?"
"I fear it may be so, I have not seen her walls breached with my own eyes but her seige began nearly two moons ago."
"I'm afraid I do not lament her loss human. Her citizens may drink and sing well, their pleasures are sated for hours and 'hores and her warriors do not train for battle but instead for enforcing taxes on the citizenry. Innuminas was no hold of culture and civilisation as she once was but instead a city founded on the hard-headed tight-fisted nature of its populace. The Empire to which the forces of good once rallied has destroyed itself and left vulnerable, the tribe of the wolf now rides over her ashes."
Eldwyn was taken aback by the insult, the Dwarf who now stood there waiting for a reaction. The Dwarf stopped teasing his beard and leveled his eyes at the man aggressively triggering Eldywn to speak.
"You are right for the most part Dwarf, yet my city was not all corruption and debauchery. Culture was a long resting seed in Innuminas, its emergence only awaiting a drop of fresh water to the throne room."
The Dwarf smiled once again and nodded to his peers before turning back to Eldwyn and bowing.
"I am Twerg, and you are welcome at our table. Although don't expect much conversation from the others, they're a grouchy bunch who refuse to speak the common tongue."
Eldwyn joined the Dwarves as the table was cleared and ale was brought out, soon plates and trays of food came too some so laden that two Dwarves might need to carry one. And when the table began to lurch with the weight the servants disappeared and the hall felt empty again. The old Dwarf spoke again, but this time in the Dwarven tongue.

"Mahal al Khuzdul shalom, hava nagila."
Turning with a smile to Eldwyn he said "Eat and then we shall talk." Chapter 13

Afridor rode steadily through the plains, her companions chasing her brisk pace their steeds weary though refreshed at curiously unaffected villages along the way. They were less than a day from Edoras and as of yet had not been challenged by either the riders of the mark nor the invaders. It was as if evil had not touched these people yet but this spurred Afridor fourth, hoping to protect their way of life and the children who had chased the ragged riders out of town.
Edoras came into view momentarily as they crested a hill, the Meduseld golden and glorious, glinting in the sunlight. The walls manned and the gates wide Afridor was confronted by Swidhurn, her aunt rushing towards her.
"Afridor, the powers bring you back safe. But what of your men?"
"They are lost, have you suffered no attacks?"
"Lost? How can this be, there must have been fifty by your side!"
"We were set upon. Has Edoras seen no fighting?"
"No, not since you left. The enemy are out east, they have not again crossed the Isen."
"King Wilmaer?"
"He tends his ales. He will not see you."
"He must."
Afridor dismounted and began up the steps to the Meduseld, passing the Royal guards who looked at her uneasily and opening the doors to the great hall she found that most of the men of Edoras were assisting the King in 'tending his ales.'
"My leige, I have news which must reach your ears!"
The king stepped down from a large boiler which churned with the mash of ale, he among the crowd of drunkards had maintained his sobriety. His interest was in the perfection of brewing and the product he rendered not reveling in its influence.
"What news from the north does my niece bring me that is so urgent?"
"The horde is in the north Uncle. They have taken Innuminas and besiege the kingdoms of the Dwarves and Elves as we speak."
"Innuminas has fallen?"
"Yes."
"And what of your mother?"
"I did not reach her, we will know of her fate in the fullness of time. But now we must be proactive about this enemy."
The King Willmaer glanced down at his hand as it moved to the pommel of his sword, the metal was cold and alien to the hands that had brought peace to his people its brass and leather grip attached to a blade that had hidden away since his hair was darker and his bones less tired. He looked back up at the woman before him and saw the strength in her eyes, the determination which drove her forward to whatever end.
"You shall be our general in this war."
Afridor was taken aback but she saw in the kings eyes what he dare not say. He had no stomach for battle anymore and his body could not wield the sword as it must be.
She knelt before the old man and took his hands in hers,
"I will do all that is in my power to see that Edoras is kept safe King Willmaer, our gilded halls shall not look again upon the grotesque enemy."

Afridor assembled a war council with the aide of the King and although some at first held her in contempt within days she had won their loyalty through her confidence at the helm. Within the week the Rohirrim had summoned some eight thousand troops and as their spears were polished and their blades sharpened Afridors hope returned. But as the troops kept riding in one thing had become clear, neither the heralds who had ridden to summon them nor the people themselves had ridden to Edoras from the far eastern parts of Rohan.

1-J.R.R Tolkien. Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle Earth, Of Tuor and his coming to Gondolin, (Dream of Tuor)