"Water is scarce in Harad". The though rolled over and over endlessly. It had been the most prominent fact since Kundos had left Middle-Earth and made for Harad. The task had been almost unbeareable. Maps of this land were scarce. Entering Near Harad, the northern region, one could find only a desert, dune after dune, reaching for the horizon. The sun was devious. It burned the skin red and blinded the eyes with a white glare. The wind was dry and swift. The mind was tricked my mirages. The body felt drained because water was so scarce. Kundos' mind kept coming back to the same thought. He must have walked four miles since sunrise in the fourth day of his journey, and the place around him looked the same. It was like a circular path and Kudos mounted a horse riding the path. Ride until the end and you will find yourself back at the starting point. He found himself standing still, inmersed in thought. 'Thinking won't get me out'. He took a step. The sand dragged his feet. Another step. Another. He felt his body getting used to the pace. The sky was clear blue and cloudless. The sun shone down upon him. His eyes were surrounded by black paint to push away the glare. He thought about the strange garments he had adquired from a wandering salesman as he had entered Harad. One would not last long in here were it not for this specific clothing. He climbed up a dune and reached the crest. For a moment he though he was back in some distant forest in Middle-Earth, and though that from this high point he looked down upon an endless woodland, the green of the tree canopies, a glade here, a clear stream there, running across the landscape. The vision did not last. He became aware of the desert again and cursed out loud. There would be many dunes to climb up and down from here to his destination. Dune after dune. He wondered if he would see a vision of woodlands everytime he reached a crest. The change in the landscape from MIddle-Earth to Harad had been abrupt. Suddenly the grasslands had given away to the sand. To Haradum, the City of Sands, he had twenty miles as the wold runs left to ponder.
Something happened, however, that would quickly shorten his journey. It began with the glimpse of a shadow, ahead and far off, above the dunes. Kundos had seen many mirages and had gotten used to them. He thought this was another trick played by the heat. However, the shadow, slowly, seemed to move, growing larger, but not clearer. The air rippled and distorted his sight. The small shadow moved closer with surprising speed, and soon became a towering, blurry mass coming swiftly, outlined in the Sun, and along with it came a thumping noise, like drums: thump-thump...thump-thump. It became clearer and clearer. It was not a mirage, for sure. Soon Kundos distinguished the shape.
What once had been a mere shadow far away had turned out to be the the most incredible sight he would ever recall.
It was a beast, and the most stunning thing about it was the size. To be precise, it was a Mumakil, common sight in the dense jungles of Far Harad, the southern region. The head of the imponent creature blocked the sun. From it stood out curving tusks of ivory white. It was grey-skinned, with a snout reaching out to the ground, ending in a sniffing nose. The snout waved and swayed, here and there. Hidden behind the snout was a mouth, with two lesser tusks at its sides. The nose puffed out air, and to Kundos it felt like the strongest of winds. The beast had four long legs of the deepest grey. He could not see the creature's back, but from it called a faint voice, sounding very distant."A man from beyond!"
"Here! Here! I've come in search for Haradun, the City in the Sand!" replied Kundos, shouting in the voice's direction. For a moment he thought the speaking man atop the beast had not heard. But then the grey creature kneeled, something Kundos thought impossible, and from the back climbed down, holding on to a rope, a man wearing white robes. They were wrapped around him, and his face was hidden. Only dark eyes peered through an opened slit in the white face wraps.
The man neared. Kundos grasped the hilt of his concealed knife. "I mean no harm!" said the man seeing the defensive action. He let go off the rope. His voice was pitched and loud when he spoke. "I am sorry, stranger. I have no need for greeting manners here in the desert. Few men from beyond ever venture into the sands of Harad."
"We have got no reason to come here," uttered Kundos.
"You have got a reason."
Kundos hesitated on answering. This man had an air of leadership. Still griping the knife, he spoke: "As I said before. I need to go to Haradum."
The dark eyes of the man widened. "Strangers are not allowed into Haradum." Before Kundos could answer, the man reached for something behind his head and brought down the white clothes hiding his face, revealing very dark skin and a bald head.
"I am Fiarad." he said.
"I am Kundos" came the response.
"You're not like the usual traveller, Kundos. Your eyes are sharp. You saw us from a long distance."
"It would be hard to miss such a creature" said Kundos, directing his gaze at the grey animal.
Fiarad followed his gaze. "That is Guthunu. He is a mere beast to carry our burden, but also our safe passage through the desert. We come from Dreep, some leagues from Haradum, meaning to trade. We are headed there. You can come along if you feel. Wether you're allowed entrance or not will be decided upon reaching the gate to the City of Sands." He then whistled unexpectedly. From the beast's back dropped a whole troop of white-clothed figures, climbing down with a cat's swiftness, completely silent. The white wraps swished behind them. Kundos had never tought the creature carried any more passangers untill he heard Fiarad. 'Our safe passage, We come from Dreep'. He counted twelve men when they reached the ground. One spoke to Fiarad and climbed back up using the rope. The others stood before Kundos. "Follow us" said one with a deep voice, standing in the middle of the troop. "You must climb atop our Guthunu. We will aid you."
Kundos held tight to the rope and pushed himself up. In a minute he found himself sitting on the grey back of the beast. He gazed down at the desert. From such height he could stare back and see the path he had taken. Fiarad was the last to climb up. He took the reins of the enormous creature. He held them tight, pulled them back, and snaped them forward. Then they were riding across the dunes. Kundos felt the wind against himself, leaned forward and stared once more into the desert that trailed away behind them, and ahead, into the sand and dunes that passed by them.
Something happened, however, that would quickly shorten his journey. It began with the glimpse of a shadow, ahead and far off, above the dunes. Kundos had seen many mirages and had gotten used to them. He thought this was another trick played by the heat. However, the shadow, slowly, seemed to move, growing larger, but not clearer. The air rippled and distorted his sight. The small shadow moved closer with surprising speed, and soon became a towering, blurry mass coming swiftly, outlined in the Sun, and along with it came a thumping noise, like drums: thump-thump...thump-thump. It became clearer and clearer. It was not a mirage, for sure. Soon Kundos distinguished the shape.
What once had been a mere shadow far away had turned out to be the the most incredible sight he would ever recall.
It was a beast, and the most stunning thing about it was the size. To be precise, it was a Mumakil, common sight in the dense jungles of Far Harad, the southern region. The head of the imponent creature blocked the sun. From it stood out curving tusks of ivory white. It was grey-skinned, with a snout reaching out to the ground, ending in a sniffing nose. The snout waved and swayed, here and there. Hidden behind the snout was a mouth, with two lesser tusks at its sides. The nose puffed out air, and to Kundos it felt like the strongest of winds. The beast had four long legs of the deepest grey. He could not see the creature's back, but from it called a faint voice, sounding very distant."A man from beyond!"
"Here! Here! I've come in search for Haradun, the City in the Sand!" replied Kundos, shouting in the voice's direction. For a moment he thought the speaking man atop the beast had not heard. But then the grey creature kneeled, something Kundos thought impossible, and from the back climbed down, holding on to a rope, a man wearing white robes. They were wrapped around him, and his face was hidden. Only dark eyes peered through an opened slit in the white face wraps.
The man neared. Kundos grasped the hilt of his concealed knife. "I mean no harm!" said the man seeing the defensive action. He let go off the rope. His voice was pitched and loud when he spoke. "I am sorry, stranger. I have no need for greeting manners here in the desert. Few men from beyond ever venture into the sands of Harad."
"We have got no reason to come here," uttered Kundos.
"You have got a reason."
Kundos hesitated on answering. This man had an air of leadership. Still griping the knife, he spoke: "As I said before. I need to go to Haradum."
The dark eyes of the man widened. "Strangers are not allowed into Haradum." Before Kundos could answer, the man reached for something behind his head and brought down the white clothes hiding his face, revealing very dark skin and a bald head.
"I am Fiarad." he said.
"I am Kundos" came the response.
"You're not like the usual traveller, Kundos. Your eyes are sharp. You saw us from a long distance."
"It would be hard to miss such a creature" said Kundos, directing his gaze at the grey animal.
Fiarad followed his gaze. "That is Guthunu. He is a mere beast to carry our burden, but also our safe passage through the desert. We come from Dreep, some leagues from Haradum, meaning to trade. We are headed there. You can come along if you feel. Wether you're allowed entrance or not will be decided upon reaching the gate to the City of Sands." He then whistled unexpectedly. From the beast's back dropped a whole troop of white-clothed figures, climbing down with a cat's swiftness, completely silent. The white wraps swished behind them. Kundos had never tought the creature carried any more passangers untill he heard Fiarad. 'Our safe passage, We come from Dreep'. He counted twelve men when they reached the ground. One spoke to Fiarad and climbed back up using the rope. The others stood before Kundos. "Follow us" said one with a deep voice, standing in the middle of the troop. "You must climb atop our Guthunu. We will aid you."
Kundos held tight to the rope and pushed himself up. In a minute he found himself sitting on the grey back of the beast. He gazed down at the desert. From such height he could stare back and see the path he had taken. Fiarad was the last to climb up. He took the reins of the enormous creature. He held them tight, pulled them back, and snaped them forward. Then they were riding across the dunes. Kundos felt the wind against himself, leaned forward and stared once more into the desert that trailed away behind them, and ahead, into the sand and dunes that passed by them.