Escape from Umbar

Beregelis was sitting on a sunny bank of the river. There was not much on at the moment and Beregelis was resting by the flowing bluey waters watching the splashy waves. The River was large at this point, and Beregelis could only just make out the opposite bank. Beregelis was a young man of Gondor of Numenorean stock, dark-haired stocky and around 25 years old making him rather young for one of his race. Beregelis was a long way from home and had been for a number of years, but this wasn't so much a problem for him as I can say he liked to travel.

There was a call from a friend of his. A blond haired young-man that had been Beregelis's companion for a while. Fregil his name was. 'Pleasant day. But then it often is, this far south. Doesn't make one nostalgic for the rains of home,' smiled the lad, offering Beregelis a bottle of liquid. 'Have a Beer. Speaking of home, I understand that there has been a delivery of those fuses you ordered from Gondor,' Ah, well this was of interest to Beregelis. Beregelis had something of an interest in crafts of metalwork and to do that well one needed fuses, the best of whom he could lay hold of came from Gondor, his home country.

'Oh, great, I could use those, when do I get them?'

'Well, there is a slight problem.'

'Oh, yes, Fregil?' Beregelis was very suspicious here.

'Well, you know that you ordered around 500? Well only 100 actually arrived. And I fear that the civic authorities grabbed the use of those. So I guess you're stuck with those bolts. Any that you haven't used up,' Beregelis sighed. This was nothing unusual. It was hard to get supplies from home. In fact that was a bit of a problem generally for his people at that place. But more of that later!

'What, again?' cried he. 'I paid for those!'

'Yes, and apparently, you can claim compensation for them later, as always!' smiled his companion used to Beregelis's technical interests. 'Which reminds me, it is in the interests of everyone to return to the City of Umbar as fast as we can. I understand there is a party there. Nice bit of food something of a sing-song, I always enjoy those!

'Yes, I'll just stay here with a drink for a while. No harm in that, is there. Then I'll make my way.' Beregelis sighed. 'There are things there I am not happy with after all as you know. Still can't do much about that, can I?' As Beregelis spoke a large flock of white Swans with yellow becks, Berwick swans actually you'd might like to know came flying past across the yellow sun flapping their wings gracefully.

'Well, see you there soon. Don't arrive too late or all the beer will be drunk!' threatened Fregil playfully. After a while, Beregelis finished his beer, untethered his horse, called Binky to him although it did have a more formal official name. The city he was heading to wasn't far by horse and easily recognizable by a bright, tall, sparkling tower commemorating early victories. The climate by the city was an arid, dry one, though by the River was more tropical and had plants of many varieties.

Now was there something I had fogotten? Oh, yes, his people had been under assault by the wild men of the South for a number of years now and where hard pressed. Indeed it looked very likely that the City would fall shortly and then matters would be perilous for those of the West living there. The good folk that where not killed would have to settle for a life of slavery. Beregelis himself was something of a warrior if a little reluctant one. In fact he was more interested in crafts as you have seen and he did desire to move away from soldiering.

Comfortably by the evening Beregelis rode into the City through the main gates of metal and silver, nodding to the gatemen as he passed by. There was indeed ale to be had. And Tea and cakes as well. Something of a party even. A local Inn which Beregelis enjoyed was full to the brim. The Birthday boy was saying, 'Soon be time to return to Gondor. To more habital lands shall we say. With women at least. I haven't had much of a chance for a while.' Which was true. As Umbar the city which was inhabited by these people was pretty much a frontier town, shall we say, it was considered too dangerous for most of the womenfolk and so at that time, the only sex that Beregelis saw was the male one.

Oh, and a few more considerations. The year was 1856 of the third age of the world. The city was under the rule of Gondor as had been said, but for a time recently had been under the control of their enemies. Many of it's inhabitants where under arms as an assault was expected at any time. Beregelis sometimes looked with longing eyes to the lands to the south of the City but it was unadvisable for someone like him to travel there. Many on their own where picked up by their enemies and I am afraid to say that the survival rate wasn't that good. Less that 50% in fact. Something make Beregelis nervous and he pulled out his sword that he had recently retrived.

To be honest, it wasn't quite at it's best. Beregelis had wanted to re-sharpen it, but some of the tools for this where lacking. There just wasn't the facilities to adequally equip everyone in the fortress and some just had to wait. Something to do, I believe to the problems of supply and distance. There was a desperate cry from one of the scouts. Then a fall of arrows. The assault had started. Men shouted, Captains blarred out orders and various companies where organised. This assault was not totally unexpected, you see. Beregelis was ordered to take a position at the wall. But before he had time to prepare, he heard a crash as a ladder thudded to the wall next to him and those of his foes climbed up.

With a cry one of his enemies dashed to Beregelis. The man heaved a sword at him aimed for Beregelis's neck. Beregelis's armour would not have saved him so he was forced to parry with his own sword. This was a desperate one to one. The invader was not giving up and made another slash after slash towards Beregelis. Beregelis took a step backwards and replied with a few parries of his own. Beregelis was not the greatest warrior in Gondor's armies, at least in terms of one to one fighting there where many better than he. Actually Beregelis did have more of a, strategic, shall we say, talent but that wasn't much use here.

With a whirl, the enemies sword just missed Beregelis's forehead, but with a little move he had been taught at the military school, Beregelis moved and his enemies sword flew out of his hand. Beregelis stepped forward but before he could do anything his enemy had vanished. But his body was then hit by a rock, thrown from outside and he was pushed backwards down from the wall. Where he couldn't help but notice that some chaos was in the streets in the nights darkness.

The enemy had broken in, slaying all they could find. As it happened, Beregelis doubted that Umbar would fall from the first assault, but one couldn't be sure. He saw men, many of companies he recognized, trying their best to fight individually, but with not much organization. None of the major captains he could see. Beregelis supposed it would be down to him to say the obvious. He called, putting an edge to his voice, 'Come on, men, get in formation at least!' and with a little persuasion, this advice was taken and the defenders pressed together to form a square. This had the desired effect and at least in that part of the City, the assault lessened.

However, there was some tough fighting to be had in the other sections. The invaders where not easily repelled and it was not until the coming of day, a bright one, which was always the hope of Beregelis's people that the assault lessened and then repelled. Beregelis had a few cuts and bruises and indeed a rather deep one on the neck. But many where worst wounded, even killed than him. Some went to the mess for much-needed victuals such as an early breakfast.

'Bit of a shock the enemy breaking in like that,' commented Fergil, Beregelis's companion.

'Well, that's not too much of a surprise, we where expecting some type of attack weren't we?' replied Beregelis. He was tucking into some kind of eggs. Someone cried and one of the major captains, Ecthelon named after a hero of old, rode by giving the men a salute and stopping for a moment to enquire on their well beaning. But Ecthelon couldn't stay long as some important information had been received and there was an urgent meeting of the King and his council.

And this information was bad news. Basically, a small, but significant fort near to Umbar, that of Irglis had been taken by the enemy. This meant that the people where close to been surrounded by foes. Which also meant......... 'We're pulling out,' Fergil told a slightly incredulous Beregelis. 'Trapped out here, without easy access to our supplies, we would fall to overwhelming hate. '

'But we've been here for generations!' said someone.

'For about a few hundred years. Yes, and only just hanging on. But I think the commanders have made the right decision on this one. We are a bit adrift out here. Or soon will be. But weather or not I approve of it is immaterial. We are pulling out and that's that. It would be nice to think we would be coming back soon. Unless any of us would fancy staying to greet any of our friends from the South!' The last sentence was a rather sarcastic one from Beregelis which didn't get any takers.

The reason been that the main Lord that was Lord of the Southrons their enemy had declared his own personal rule over those lands and many further. He had already declared who his friends and enemies where and had a deeply personal rule based on fear and corruption. Those few that where his favorites lived in ease, but most of those in his control lived in poverty, slavery fear or not at all. The Lord based his wealth on large slave mines in the East of his country where live was miserable, painful and short. He had already designated that all those of Gondor he could find would either be killed or end up there, which most did that left the Gondorian territories.

Now admittedly the men of Gondor hadn't always been whiter than white. There could be amongst some quite a superior attidude to those of other races and some had kept the enemy in conditions that where not much better than slavery, but such thoughts where on the decline if for no other reason than that recent defeats had shown Gondor the meaning of humility.

Anyway, the postings of retreat had been issued. It had to be quick as the danger of been surrounded was a real and growing one. So Beregelis had less than a day to sort out his affairs and pack his belongings. In fact it was with some negotiations that they had time till dawn the next day so urgent was the situation. So it was that at the dawn of a bright, hot day, though there where clouds in the sky and rain was a bit in the air, that in well-ordered companies, the Gondorians marched out of the gates of Umbar.

They marched out with arms and with the anticipation of conflict. Ecthelon had said, 'I would be very surprised if we do not meet any of the enemy on the way back. Therefore we should be prepared. One thing which is important. We are withdrawn, but not running. It does not do sometimes to withdraw too quickly or without order. Neither do we intend the Southrons to have it all their own way. Sometimes we may have to turn and counter-attack them. I will inform you of these times,' these words where not necessarily always listened to but Beregelis was one that paid attention.