Disclaimer: I don't own LOTR. Prof. Tolkien does and I am honoured to write about his characters and places (for fun, of course).

Welcome back, chickadees! I only have one little thing to say; yes, they are taking the Harad Road. Alright, enough said. Gee up!


Things you need to know

founder (verb.)- when a horse stumbles/falls. Can result in injury to hoof

canter- a 'medium' pace for a horse, faster than a jog/trot

'give the head'- meaning to loosen the reins to let the horse use its head to gain momentum

crohop- a hop or small lifting of the back legs of a horse. Like a small buck


III- Hard of Heart, Sound of Soul

We rode at a fast pace for a long while and the moon rose high in the sky as we traveled. Our group slowed up to a canter rarely and only for a short time before returning to a gallop. By now, the horses were sweating at the flank and neck, regardless of the drop in temperature. The sand was loose and unforgiving and one or two horses had their hooves caught and nearly foundered, but their riders held them fast. Our group was standing strong and none of us had lost our determination despite the journey ahead nor the lingering thoughts of home. I believed that a large part of that was the way my brother sat ahead of us, face lined with the weight of his purpose, but tall and proud in his posture. The constant hard riding had not bowed his back an inch. Sufyan looked like a king, sporting his long tiger skin cloak and I was honored to be riding with him and even more so to know that he was my kin.

More than once in the ride, I caught myself stealing glances at the Orc pack that rode a good ten lengths ahead of us. The wargs seemed tireless as they loped on and their riders were silent as they rode. One of the beasts, long legged and brown, howled at the sky as the moon glowed directly above us, which startled our horses. He was almost instantly reprimanded by a slap on the ear from his Orc master and he yelped for a second before falling quiet. I scowled at that but found I did not feel any real sympathy. The final time I looked, my eyes found the back of the Orc on the black warg. I could see his piercings flashing in the low moonlight as his head twisted this way and that, scanning the desert. I looked away, but my mind remained on him for a long while.

As the sun began to rise on the horizon we came into a long canyon. The rocky cliffs that rose up on either side of us were menacing and jagged, but the Orcs did not slow their pace. I myself was growing tired in the saddle, but I tapped my heels to Sorx once more. The canyon path wove back and forth like the trail of a snake and the sand gave way to hard stone after a short time. The metallic clacking of the horses' shoes echoed around the canyon and it caused the Orc leader to glare back at us. I could tell his sharp gaze was unamused even from the distance I was at. He turned to the rider on his right, the brown skinned one, and spoke loud enough for us to hear.

"Kal zanalt. Marr dyri*. We cannot be heard." At his words, the wargs began to slow down, their riders leaning up and away from their necks to sit upright. Instead of loping their full bodied stride, the large wolves now simply walked, padding softly on the rock. My brother hauled back on the reins and brought Vidatu to a walk, as well. The group copied the action, most of us seemingly grateful to rest their horses and ourselves. At the slower pace, our horses' steps were much quieter and that seemed to satisfy the Orc. He turned back to face forward and remained silent.

We rode for what felt like another hour or so, weaving through the canyon like a line of heavily armed ants. I saw birds gliding down to the small cliff sides and noticed the nests that lined it. One bird, long of wingspan, was gliding around directly above us. I watched it, finding its effortless movement beautiful and peaceful to watch. For a long while, my eyes didn't leave its form. Then suddenly, it jerked and fell with a screech. The screaming bird plummeted to the ground, a large arrow in its wing and crashed down just beside the Orc pack. I stared, incredulous, at the creature who shot it down. It was a small Orc, astride a mud coloured warg, and he leaned over to pick up the still living bird. He looked back at me, a sick grin spreading his lips, before he snapped its neck with loud crunch. I jumped in the saddle and gasped. The Orc laughed and bit into the bird's wing, but not before he spoke to me.

"Nar thos*." He snarled, his voice fierce and his words obviously spoken in cruel jest. I glanced down and kept my gaze on Sorx's mane, trying not to vomit. I was appalled, but I knew I should have expected it from such a monster. Off to my left, the rider astride the big chestnut reined his horse closer to me. He placed a hand on my shoulder, causing me to start. He laughed in a good nature and leaned away.

"Don't worry, boy. They mean to frighten us. They are evil creatures and don't ever forget that but as long as Sufyan the Tiger is leading us, you have nothing to worry about." I looked to him and nodded once. That made him smile and he held out a hand.

"I'm Javeed." He said, waiting. I grasped his wrist with my hand hesitantly and he wrapped his own hand around my arm, a standard greeting.

"Niss." I spoke quietly, lowering my voice so as to sound male. The name, obviously not my own, was from an old children's tale that suddenly made its way into my mind. This seemed to satisfy Javeed and he released my arm to pat his horse on the shoulder.

"This is Dorri. She and I have been together for close to 5 years now. She is the offspring of my old horse and she has never done me wrong, have you girl?" I smiled under my mask and told him that she was beautiful.

"She shares a name with a star, does she not?" Came a rider to my right. I turned to regard him and noticed that it was one of the two riders who rode the blue roans. He was the one closest to me and he wore is dark brown hair curly and long. Jarrod answered the affirmative and patted Dorri again. The rider turned and punched his fellow on the shoulder. "Did I not say that?"

"Yes you did, Piruz." Said the man, rubbing his arm where he was struck. This rider wore his hair short and the locks were straight and black. He nodded to me and Javeed and ruffled his own mount's mane.

"I'm Kia and this is Emad. He has been my partner since I was seven."

"And, as Kia said, I'm Piruz." Exclaimed the first of the two. "And my four legged friend here is Sepehr. They are brothers." He explained by darting a finger between the two horses. He told us that they were born a 2 years apart, as he and Kia were. The horses' mother was the offspring of one of the Warlord's own herd and was blessed with speed and endurance. I found myself so absorbed in the conversation that I almost lost my balance as Sorx began cantering without my command. I noticed that all around us, the other horses had picked up their pace and we were once again moving with haste through the canyon.

I looked to my brother and he was now hunched slightly over in his saddle, as if urge his horse faster. I grew worried and did the same, as did Javeed and the other two. We were now galloping headlong through the canyon and I saw some of the wargs flying back towards us, kicking up large clouds of dust. They passed us within seconds and soon I lost sight of them. I turned to glance behind, to spot any danger and found none. Above us, however, a large flock of black birds were starting to call and warble as they flew overhead. I didn't spare a thought on them and rode on, loosening my reins to give Sorx his head. Only two Orcs remained ahead of us: the leader and the Orc on the black warg, who I still felt curious about. They pushed their mounts onwards, snarling and spurring them as we followed.

The sun had long since left its high throne in the sky and was giving way to the dark purple of the early evening when we finally stopped the headlong run. I was sure I was going to drop from the saddle from exhaustion if we continued on any further. Even my brother now seemed drawn and tired as he rode in front of us. We slowed our horses to a walk once more and I nearly sighed in relief as I finally relaxed my muscles. I looked at Javeed and noticed immediately that his eyes were drifting shut as if he meant to sleep upright in the saddle. Kira and Piruz were yawning, as well, and their horses' heads were low to the ground in their own apparent exhaustion.

My eyes were starting to slip closed, as well, when a horse's whinny made me sit bolt upright. Looking for the horse in question, I instead noticed that a warg was passing us on the left, its rider staring at us from under his heavy brows. He was one of the riders, I noticed, that had ridden off with haste earlier that day and I now was aware of the blood that was spattered on his armor and on the warg's mouth. I grew wary and I reined Sorx's head up to rouse him. On our right, the last two wargs and their riders appeared, trotting casually and panting. They, too, were covered in blood, though none of it seemed to be theirs. I clucked my tongue and my horse began to jog forward, as well. The Orc riders glanced at me, but deemed me unworthy of their thought and quickly looked away.

I moved through the group, noting the sleepy gazes of the men, until I rode once more beside Sufyan. The tall man spared a moment to observe my face before he turned his eyes to the road ahead.

"Speak." His voice was unfeeling, as if he was speaking to a regular grunt and not his sister. It stung, but I understood the reason for the tone. I swallowed and leaned forward to speak in hushed tones.

"Why did the Orcs ride off in such a rush, Great Tiger?" I asked, using his title so as to appear formal in my speech. "And, then they return looking as if they had a tussle of some sort." Sufyan now turned to regard me, his mouth set deep in a frown.

"Do you recall those birds? The flock of black winged spies, more like. They told the Orc leader, Gaduhend, that there were scouts on the ridge, there." He pointed vaguely at the rim of the canyon. "In turn, the Orcs ran off to stop them before they could report back to the White City of our movements."

"Oh." Was all I could manage, feeling sheepish at my worry.

"Was that all, rider?" My brother spoke again. I bowed my head, mumbling out a short "Yes, my Tiger" before drifting slowly back into place beside Javeed and the others. By now, I was incredibly sleepy and, acting on this heavy feeling, I shut my eyes and let the gentle rocking of my horse's gait lull me to sleep.


I awoke early the next morning and when I did, I was leaning partially off the saddle. When I had finally managed to blink away the blurriness in my eyes, the sky that I could see was as blue as sapphires. Javeed was holding my reins and when he noticed me rousing from sleep, he handed them back, nodding to me in silent understanding. I thanked him quietly, keeping my voice low.

I stretched my hands above my head, leaving my reins on Sorx's neck. I knew he wouldn't take off while they rested there. Smiling, I leaned back down and ran a hand over his rump to praise him and looked about to get my bearings. We still rode in the canyon, if the rocks and cliffs that rose up on either side were any inclination, and the Orc pack was now reformed at the front. I looked up, noting that some stars were still in the sky as it began to lighten. I dropped my gaze, looking instantly to where my brother was.

Sufyan rode ahead, still sitting noble and strong in the saddle, but now his head was tilted to the side and he conversed with a man who rode close on his right. The man sat astride a dark bay stallion and his saddle was as heavily draped in red as my brother's was. The man himself was wearing a brown cloak over a red tunic and leggings and a dark crimson cloth was wrapped about his head and face. From what I could see, the man wore a large gold ring that bore a ruby in the middle. It glowed as it caught what little light there was and I wondered who this man was to have possession of such an item.

In the end, I gave in to the curiosity and I urged Sorx forward a bit so I could hear what they were saying. The riders around me parted to let me pass, as if they also wanted to know and were letting me be the one to snoop. Once I rode three lengths behind my brother, I dropped my head and strained my ears to listen. The stranger's voice was soft as silk, but gravelly like stones being dragged over one another.

"Are you sure it is wise to take this road, Great Tiger?" Spoke the man with the ring, "I mean, are you not worried about the Men of the North ambushing your riders?"

"The Orcs have told us that the Men of the White City know well of this road, but are stretched too thin to do too much unless they have sufficient proof of our presence. The Orcs have already dealt with a small troop of scouts not too long ago."

"But, my lord, surely you don't believe the word of Orcs? Wouldn't you feel safer riding a path that the Warlords have deemed safe?"

"Hold your tongue," Sufyan's voice was a hiss, "And do not presume to question me! I was put in charge of this vanguard and I shall direct them as I see fit. Now, away with you and let your master know he will hear from me in due time. Go!" With that, the man scowled and wheeled his horse sharply to bolt back the way we had come.

I wondered for a long while who the man was and why my brother was choosing this path, but I knew better than to bring it up. The ride was taking its toll on all of us and Sufyan was famous for his temper, however long the fuse was. I returned to my place near to Javeed, feeling that he, Kira and Piruz were the closest thing to friends I was going to have on this journey. The older man was singing quietly now and he nodded to me.

"You know of the Ode of Yakh, Niss?" I shook my head. "It is a short thing, so allow me regale you with a telling." The man cleared his throat and started singing in a low tone.

'O days have come and days have gone/ Only once in our lives may we swallow the Sun.'

'Our wings may not be made of gold/ But shine we will as in the tales of old.'

'Men of the desert, we are and will be/ Blessed be our swords and bold be our dreams.'

'Strong backs and hands are all that we know/ Fleet feet and sound souls are all that we sow.'

'We triumph through fire and never are burned/ Many of life's great lessons we've learned.'

'Now we raise our voices, one and all/ Never in weakness shall our people fall.'

'O days will come as days have gone/ And only once in our lives do we swallow the Sun.'

Once he finished, I noticed that my eyes had filled with tears. I wiped them away and nodded to him and only then did I notice that all the riders around us were watching silently. The words still echoing in my head, I leaned forward to pet Sorx's mane. The black strands were full of dust and I stroked them away, thinking about what those words meant. Golden wings and swallowing the sun seemed something out of a mad man's thoughts, but they resonated with me somehow and I held on to it, feeling peaceful.

To my right, Piruz was starting to sing, as well, but his song was more of a poem to the drink and food of our people. The riders who could hear him laughed at his words as he spoke longingly of mead basted boar and the sweet fluffy bread that was dipped in the oil of olives. His song made my stomach growl as I too shared in a giggle.

Minutes later, the white orb of the sun finally taking its place among the clouds, we rode out of the canyon. I breathed the warm air deeply, not missing the closeness of it in the canyon. The road before us, from what I could see, was long and ran straight through a craggy land. I could now see the sparkling of water in the distance and knew that this was what the Orcs spoke of. That didn't look to be such a long ride, but I would trust my horse, not my eyes, on this particular matter.

The horses around us seemed to enjoy the open air, as well, and some of them crohopped to expel their cooped up energy and it jostled their riders. Sorx dipped his head towards Dorri and tried to sniff noses with her, but the long legged chesnut mare wouldn't have it and even went so far as to step away from him. I rubbed my horse's neck to comfort his mock hurt and Javeed shook his head at me, the action full of mirth.

"Oh, the sun feels wonderful, doesn't it, Kia?" Piruz spoke loudly to my right, turning to his friend. The calm rider was smiling slightly and had his face turned to the sky.

"Ah, it does, my friend. As suburb as rare wine."

"Or fine as a soft lady, no? Dark and smooth as cocoa butter and tasting of it, too." All the nearby riders laughed again at the man's words. Javeed chortled and spoke up as well.

"Aye, even though the sun is hot, it is better than the stagnant heat in the canyon. I vow never to ride through another one again! I shall find an alternate route on the way back."

"I second that thought!" Came another rider, a young man astride a stocky white horse. Others around him voiced the same and I internally agreed, but I secretly prayed that we would be returning at all.

At the head of the group, my brother looked back, bracing a hand on Vidatu's hindquarters to balance. I nodded to him and he returned the gesture, sweeping back his cloak to the paws of the tiger rested on his chest and on Vidatu's back. He turned the large black horse around and spoke, then, to the group and everyone quieted to listen.

"My friends, we are only half a day's ride away from the river. This has been a rough ride so far, but it is almost over and I promise you that once we reach the banks, there will be rest and food. Onwards, now!" With that he spurred his horse, sharply turned and begun to canter. We followed suit, tapping the sides of our mounts and soon we were covering ground in an encompassing cloud of dust. The warg pack had seperated during the short speech and now they rode on either side of us, with the green skinned leader, Gaduhend, in front of my brother. I was unsure of the reason behind such a formation, but I thought there must be a good one.

The ground we rode upon was much flatter than in the desert we left behind and I started to ache for a full out run. It was perfect for a race, with no holes, large rocks or any kind of obstacle in sight. I nearly turned my horse out of the group to run ahead, but I fought the urge and remained in place. I could see a similar look of want on Piruz's face and I saw his hands twitch on his horse's reins.

The land we rode through passed by in a blur of grays and browns and I found myself thinking back to my family. Surely, they would have noticed my absence by now and I could only imagine what my mother and father would be feeling. Fear, worry, sorrow, maybe even anger or betrayal would be the initial feelings. Acceptance from my father in the end and downright denial from my mother until she heard otherwise. I felt badly for leaving without saying goodbye or telling them where I had gone. I told myself, though, that they probably assumed I had gone with Sufyan and knew that my big brother would protect me.

By this time, our ride had brought the river so close that I could almost smell it. The Orcs, staying in their surrounding formation, called out in Common for us to pick up the pace. We did as they commanded, moving into a gallop. Excited to finally be near to a resting point, the group began to crow and call at one another. There were challenges for races and bets on who was going to drink the most around the fires once we set up. I myself couldn't help but smile broadly as I looked forward to being able to speak with my brother.

Javeed was leaning over Dorri's neck now, grinning as largely as I was. Even the Orcs seemed to be jesting with one another in their perverse tongue, occasionally bumping against the closest warg and causing them to bite at the each others' ears. This continued, the Orcs and Men acting almost like children, until we came finally came upon the banks of river.

The ground had become slightly softer here and little green weeds grew up along the water, blowing gently in the breeze. The water shone in the sunlight and it only rippled slightly as it moved along on its way. The sound of the tiny waves lapping against the shore was soothing even as the sound of our horses' hooves nearly drowned it out.

We hauled to a stop, the horses snorting and tossing their heads and the men began patting one another on the shoulder. Javeed blew out a breath loudly and cracked his neck, which seemed to relax him almost instantly.

"I haven't ridden that kind of distance in a long while. I fear I am getting too old for this kind of thing." With that, he rolled his shoulders and rocked back in his saddle. I stretched my own muscles, standing in my stirrups to work out my legs and lower back. It was almost painful as the tightness began to fade. I hadn't thought about the repercussions of sitting in the same position for so long and now I was paying for it. It was almost humorous.

The group was all doing the same now, yawning and flexing their hands to shake away the ache and stiffness. Some of the horses were now bending their heads down to their legs and were rubbing their muzzles on their knees. They groaned as they did so and afterwards they shook themselves, manes throwing bits of dust around them. Still others were sneezing and coughing slightly as their wind began to return to them. My own horse was tugging at the reins, bobbing his head towards the water as if to say 'let's go for a swim'.

I was so relieved at the concept of rest that I almost cried, but before I could express any kind of joy or happiness my brother spoke loudly to us, his first real order of his new seat in our little army.

"Men, set up!"


Whew, and there you have it. Another chapter. This one was rather hard for me and I hope it came out well enough. It felt very slow, but I'm not the best judge of that. Review and lt me know, my chickadees! Thanks again for reading!

Translations-

Kal zanalt. Marr dyri.- Orcish- Horses are loud. Stupid animals.

Nar thos- Orcish- No sack (an insult)