Near Minas Tirith, at daybreak
At dawn the army stopped again. Their two leaders had ordered them to hide in the big forests near the Pelennor fields, so that they are able to see the white city, but no one would see them. They were quite lucky, as for now, not a single soldier from Gondor was to be seen. Two farmer-boys were unfortunate enough to run into the army, but they were killed easily. Two arrows and it was over before they even noticed the invasion.
"The gods are with us today" Nahkar said, earning a doubtful look from his sister "Yes, brother, If you think so" she shrugged her shoulders so he continued to study the city carefully "The walls of this city are strong. And the gate, too. Do you think we will be able to break it?" Now he had Alayas attention. "Minas Tirith is made of stone" she said "It will be their fortune and curse. Maybe we should just besiege it. They have no supplies, no fields for crops inside the city. Let them starve"
Nahkar smiled "I like your idea, sister. We will let them starve. Except…" Alaya looked at him "Except what?" Nahkar broadened his smile "Except when they give us Thorongil"
His sister was still doubtful "So when they surrender Thorongil, we'll just go?" "No. Alaya, think about it! It will be just perfect. We will besiege the city. When they come out to meet us on the field, we will fight. When they have lost some men they will be desperate enough, that we can give them the opportunity to surrender Thorongil. If they do not do so, we will just starve them- or crush them with our men. It will work either way" he smiled "When we have won, we leave one half of our army in Gondor to buy their cooperation. Gondor will obey. They will not misbehave, when we have their precious Thorongil as leverage. And then even Thorongil will dare to not fight us, when we have the whole city at our mercy."
Alaya's eyes sparkled dangerously "Nahkar, this is just brilliant" she called our happily and ignored his shush "Father will be proud. We will bring him Thorongil as well as a tributary Gondor"
The siblings rose and mounted their horses.
"Prepare to attack!" Alaya yelled and watched how the whole army gathered around her and her brother "They will be blinded by the rising sun, but ride quiet. If everything goes as planned, no one will notice us, until it is too late" She patted her horse happily and kicked it softly with her spurs. It jumped forward and galloped as swift as an arrow, carrying its rider closer to the city.
Next to her, Nahkar urged his stallion to run even faster and even the countless banners were about to get ripped of their wooden staffs by the bitter wind.
Out of firing range, the army stopped their fierce ride again. The banners and flags were plugged into the earth, swaying softly in the morning breeze. No one had noticed them, yet.
Minas Tirith, shortly after sunrise
When Gahold, a guard of the city wall, looked over to the Pelennor fields to enjoy the warmth of the risen sun on his face, he could not believe his eyes. A sea of spears and banners and of horses and men seemed to have come from nowhere to break against the city like waves. "CLOSE THE GATE!" he yelled and it felt like his lungs would break "CLOSE THE GATE!" he yelled again, grabbed his horn and blew it three times to signal the presence of a hostile army. Within a few seconds the walls were crowded with farmers, merchants and noblemen, all standing side by side watching the great army anxiously.
"Mamma, is th'army friendly?" a small girl clad in a grey white dress asked "Ssh, Freda, it will be okay" the mother, a young woman answered soothingly, but her voice trembled. The little girl started crying "We're all goin' to die!" she sobbed heartbreakingly.
People were yelling for their relatives, children were crying and those brave enough casted a glance on the enormous army outside.
Suddenly the streets were packed with guards "Go inside your houses and stay there" they ordered "Do not try to leave the city. Every man and every lad old enough to wield a weapon is to come to the seventh ring."
Note:
I want to make a clear difference between noblemen and "normal" people and I think the best way to do so, is to give them a different style of speaking.
In my story, highborns talk very correctly, without abbreviations or colloquial expressions and, well, low(er)borns don't.
The best example is "my Lord" and "M'Lord" :)
So, if you read, that someone says "my Lord", he is most likely highborn, if he only mutters "m'lord" he is not that...educated :P
(Yes, I read (and watch) a Song of Ice and Fire :D)