Chapter XXXVI: Terror Goes on the Plain

In the early morning of four days later, Aryon and Nerwen set forth, leaving reluctantly the wonderful place that had witnessed the fulfilment of their love. They followed the brook to the ford Nerwen had seen, crossed it and reached again the Rinnen; they rode beside it, proceeding north by northeast. Their next stop, a couple of days away, was Kopellin, the capital city of the Hwenti realm.

In the late afternoon, they came across a herd of bison, consisting in about 15 specimens, a number of females – one of them was pregnant – a few very young ones and three little calves less than two months old. The herd was standing still and, so as not to frighten the animals, Aryon and Nerwen proceeded very quietly, with no sudden moves.

While surpassing them, the Istar noticed that a few females were grouped at the centre of the herd in what seemed to her an unnatural attitude; extending instinctively her special senses, she picked up a feeling of fear and concern so sharp, she was induced to pull Thilgiloth's bridles and stop. Noticing it, Aryon promptly did the same.

"What's up?" he asked her.

"There's something wrong," Nerwen explained, pointing to the abnormally herded females, "Those bison are terrified of something, and I want to find out what it is. I alert Calad."

"All right," the prince said, sitting straighter on his saddle to keep an eye on the surroundings, his hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to unsheathe it at the slightest sign of danger.

Calad, Nerwen transmitted to the hawk, keep an eye out and warn me if something bigger than a badger shows up.

The bird consented.

T he Aini then dismounted and went into the herd, radiating reassuring thoughts so that the animals wouldn't be frightened, and heading for the anomalous group. When she approached it, she saw that a male of about two years was laying on the ground; blood covered one of his hindquarters. A particularly large female, with an air of authority – surely the heard leader – turned to the intruder; she showed no fear, only perplexity and a certain degree of mistrust.

I'm a friend, Nerwen quickly transmitted so as to reassure her. The female bison moved her ears, surprised, and watched her intently with her very lively brown eyes. Then in them sparkled a sudden light of understanding.

I greet you, Daughter of the Sunset, she said; this time it was Nerwen, the one who felt surprised.

Do you know me? she enquired: the epithet she had been addressed to revealed clearly that the bison knew where she came from.

Yes, I do, the leader confirmed, The wind talks about you, and so do water and grass, since you have arrived from beyond the Great Sea.

At this point, Nerwen recalled that Calad, too, had been aware about where she came from: it was clear that the news had spread far and wide, reaching the lands of the Avari, too.

I see, she commented, then she pointed to the youngster laying on the ground, What happened to him?

A monstrous being has attacked us, the female bison answered,anguished, I'm afraid we must abandon him: we have to run, or the monster will attack again.

That kind of monster is it? Nerwen enquired. The leader sent her a scary image: a big, menacing figure in which the Istar soon recognised a female troll of the plains, one of the few races able to bear the sunshine without turning into stone.

Maybe abandoning him won't be necessary, she stated firmly, approaching the young bison and kneeling at his side, I think I can help him.

One of the females surrounding the wounded specimen looked at her pleadingly:

Can you, really…? she asked. From the strong feelings she was radiating, Nerwen realised she was the mother.

Yes, don't worry, she reassured her, then she touched lightly the injured leg, examining the gash with her power. It wasn't very deep, but it was about to become infected: first thing first, therefore, she had to clean the wound; she stood up and went back to Aryon.

"They've been attacked by a female troll of the plains," she informed him, "One of the young bison has been injured."

"A troll of the plains?" the prince repeated, frowning, "Last year there were some of them, sneaking around in the eastern part of the Hwenti territory; I led personally the hunt and I thought we had exterminated them all, but apparently I was wrong… We'll have to keep very watchful so as not to be caught off guard."

"Yes," Nerwen commented, "Let's hope she'll stay away: I want to heal the wounded, otherwise the herd will be forced to leave him behind."

Aryon's face expressed doubt:

"But you'll need days," he observed; Nerwen remembered she had no chance yet to tell him about her thaumaturgic powers.

"Not if I use my magical abilities," she explained him. The prince cast a glance to her, expressing his surprise, but he quickly dominated his perplexity: he had no doubt about his partner's talents, even if he still wasn't familiar with them all.

"Very well, then," he nodded. She smiled, grateful for the trust he was showing, accepting her statement with not even one question.

She motioned to Thilgiloth, who walked up to her; the Istar took one of the water canteens from the saddlebag, then she returned to the young bison. She noticed he was shaking.

I'm afraid, he said. She brushed softly his side.

Don't be, she reassured him, I'll take care of you: you'll be well soon, I promise.

The animal calmed down a little, even if he was still feeling anxious.

Nerwen washed his wound, then she extended her particular senses, looking for an antiseptic herb; at a short distance, she found some andlhaw, or longears in Common Speech, so called because of the slender, oblong leaves, similar to donkey or hare ears, very common in the meadows. She rose and moved to gather a bunch, which she washed with the water of the canteen and then crushed with her fingers, so as to get the juice and spill it over the injury; finally, she covered wound and remedy with both hands and focused her power on it, stimulating the antiseptic qualities of the herb and therefore fighting the infection more efficiently; in a few minutes, the infection disappeared from the gash and from the organism of the young bison.

Satisfied, Nerwen brushed away the herb, now useless, and cleaned again the wound, then she placed back her hands on it and focused again to close it; a white-blue light radiated off from under her fingers. When she finished, only an ugly scar remained of the injury. The patient turned his head to look at it, marvelling, and shuddered.

It doesn't hurt anymore, he stated, astonished.

Fine: you can stand up, Nerwen told him, but try to move your first steps cautiously.

The young bison did as she had told him and got up from the ground, staggering slightly, still weak because of the loss of blood; then he moved carefully, trying his just healed leg and verifying he didn't feel neither pain nor any kind of hindrance in walking.

His mother brushed with her muzzle the area that had been wounded, ascertaining the healing with a sense of complete wonder. Then she approached the Istar and touched shyly her hand with her wet nose.

Thank you, Daughter of the Sunset, she said, deeply moved, My son is safe.

I'm happy I could help him, Nerwen answered, sincerely, Now you can go on with no problems, even if not too swiftly: the youngster needs a little rest, to fully recover.

Now it's late, the leader mused, observing the sun, now just above the horizon, We'll have to stop here for the night, and hope that the monster won't attack us again.

Is it pursuing you? the Maia asked.

I do fear so: we are a good food supply, and not only… it killed some of us to satisfy its hunger, but other ones, it killed them with no reason whatsoever, only to tear them apart and abandon their remains…

She sent her other images, horrifying ones, of females and youths mauled and left rotting in the grass. It was apparent that the troll was dangerous and wicked, because she killed only sometimes to eat, and other times with no reason, if not maybe for gratuitous fun. Besides, the way she tore to shreds the individuals she dragged away, showed a high level of sadism. Nerwen felt outraged: everyone has the right to feed – she did it, too – but not to use unnecessary cruelty.

She turned to her partner and told him what she had just learned from the herd leader.

"The herd is still in danger," Aryon considered, frowning, "but just the two of us can't protect it," he looked in the direction they were heading to, "If we could reach Kopellin, we could organise a new group to hunt down the troll and get rid of her once and for all."

"But should we encounter her, or if she attacks the herd tonight, we wouldn't be able to fight her," Nerwen observed, "I'll try to find some nearer ally."

Aryon saw her expression becoming distant, her eyes empty as if they were seeing invisible things, and realised the Istar was extending her mind, looking for someone or something in a position to help them, as she had done while seeking Thilgiloth in the vicinity of Gaerlonn.

Nerwen began to scan the neighbourhood; unlike in Fangorn Forest, as she had not do control the here because there was Aryon to protect her, she could focus solely on the elsewhere and extend her awareness in a more than doubled area. Slowly, she pivoted, examining all around. Not much far away she found a deer herd, but as they were only females with their babies, not unlike the bison herd, she went on searching; she hoped to find a herd of males, possibly precisely bison. Animals among the most massive in Middle-earth, these big herbivores could reach over 2 metres height at shoulder level and an average weight of over 500 kilograms, and in case of need, they could run at high speed, wiping out every obstacle in their path. Their nature wasn't particularly irritable or fierce but, if provoked or feeling in danger, they could be devastating. They would be truly perfect, to defend them against the troll.

She had luck: a few minutes later, at about a dozen kilometres to the north-west, she intercepted a herd of eight male bison.

Bison friends, I need assistance, she transmitted. The most massive one – surely the herd leader – raised his head from the ground, where he was peacefully grazing.

I hear you, Daughter of the Sunset, he answered, Speak.

This time Nerwen wasn't surprised they knew who she was: it was by now evident that her reputation was preceeding her everywhere, among olvar and kelvar. She explained quickly the situation, asking the protection of these mighty cattle. As soon as she showed them the image of the troll, as she had seen her in the mind of the female herd leader, the male was filled with rage.

We know that creature, he revealed, In the last season, it has persecuted my herd, killing babies and females until we've been able to catch and drive it away. We injured it, but it looks like it wasn't enough to get rid of it. And now you say it's tormenting this other group. We come immediately to you.

Nerwen thanked them, and then she returned here.

"I found a bison herd willing to help us," she informed Aryon, "They, too, have dealt with this troll, and are anxious to get rid of her. This night they will protect us, and tomorrow we'll be able to hunt her down with them."

The prince didn't hide his doubts.

"I don't know how exactly to proceed," he admitted, "I never hunted with bison… If anything, I hunted them. They could take it the wrong way, I fear."

Nerwen understood his reservations.

"Don't worry," she reassured him, "The animal memory works more through smell than sight, especially the bison who don't have very sharp eyes; therefore, unless they are the same you hunted and had the chance to catch your smell, they won't recognise you."

"I see," Aryon nodded, relieved: he wouldn't like to ruin this potential alliance because he was a hunter.

Nerwen informed the female leader about the news, and she was very pleased.

OOO

Aryon lighted a small fire, far enough from the animals so as not to scare them, and prepared a soup with the herbs Nerwen had gathered; they completed their dinner with some crackers and matured cheese.

The bison herd joined the female and babies one while dusk was turning into night. As soon as she saw the large cattle approaching, Nerwen stood up and went to meet them. The two herds blended and formed a single group, with the calves in the centre of it; the adult males, more massive and stronger than the females and youngsters, set up sentries all around.

Calad landed next to Nerwen.

I'd like to have the eyes of an owl, she stated, unsatisfied: indeed, in the darkness her sight, even if very sharp, was unable to detect much, and the absence of the moon – that exactly this night was new – worsened the situation.

In this dark, sight isn't very useful, the Istar comforted her, Much better hearing and smell, with which the bison are well endowed.

Don't forget me! pointed out Thilgiloth, and Thalion, too, stated his willingness.

No, you can sleep, Nerwen told them, There are more than enough sentinels already.

Aryon of course didn't follow the conversation and asked:

"Shall we take turn on watch?"

"No need for it," she answered, "We already have all the guardians we could possibly want," she explained at his raised eyebrows, pointing to the animals, "It's enough if we move to the centre, where we'll be better protected."

He nodded, accepting the entire situation with no questions: he trusted completely her abilities, which he was quickly learning about, but above all, the trusted completely her.

They put out the last embers tossing earth over them and trampling them carefully, then they moved with their mounts well into the circle of females and youths, where they prepared their pallet.

Before going to sleep, they discussed a strategy to smoke out the troll and definitively free the area of her presence. Both knew well their allies' characteristics – Nerwen being a follower of Yavanna, Aryon being an accomplished hunter – and therefore it wasn't hard for them to work out a plan; the next day they would speak about it to the two leaders.

In spite of all the precautions and the protection of the animal sentries, Nerwen's and Aryon's sleep was light and troubled; both awoke several times at irregular intervals, and the Istar each time used her sleeplessness to scan the neighbourhood with her power, searching for a hostile mind, but the night passed without any show of danger.

Finally, dawn lightened the sky in the east, shifting little by little to a spectacular aurora; then Anar, the Chariot of the Sun containing the last fruit of Laurelin, rose from behind the horizon, driven by Arien.

Nerwen called for the two leaders and talked to them:

My partner and I have thought about how we can get rid of the monster persecuting you…

She explained the plan she and Aryon had devised the night before; the two animals had a lot of questions, because it involved tactics they were completely unused to, but in the end they understood and accepted it.

Aryon and Nerwen had a quick breakfast with crackers and dried fruits, then they mounted and finally set forth; the herd of females and youngsters, which would be the bait, went in front of all, followed immediately by Nerwen and Aryon; the calves were in the care of the male herd, following the female one at a few hundred metres distance, while Calad was flying high ahead of them all, scanning the plain.

In this formation, they left the river, heading eastward, in the direction from where the herd of females and babies had come, running from the troll.

Several hours later, while the sun was approaching its zenith, the land began to ripple in low ridges – it would be too much calling them hills; young ashes with grey bark dotted them, thick and numerous enough to call them a small wood, something rather unusual in this landscape that, so far, had been relatively monotonous.

The two herds passed by, turning slightly to avoid the small wood; there was no breath of air whatsoever, and the hotness of the day was heavy on them.

At that moment, Calad sent Nerwen an alarmed feeling:

There's movement among the trees… I go and check it out.

She flew away, and soon after the Maia received the bird of prey's thought:

It's the troll: pay attention, she's approaching at high speed!

They heard a few terrifying crashes; Thalion neighed, scared, while Thilgiloth turned sharply sideways, trying instinctively to go away from the noise. Even Allakos showed nervousness and Aryon had to tug hard at the bridles to prevent him from swerving.

They looked in the direction from where the noise was coming, but they didn't see anything: the trees hid anything that was producing it. Nerwen extended her special senses, and immediately perceived a mind, full of simple as much as evil thoughts: hunger, kill, maul, devour, raid.

Meanwhile, the herd of females and youths had began to scatter, frightened. Following the plan she had devised with Aryon, Nerwen began to send mentally the agreed orders, calling for the first herd to go behind the males'.

Thalion, you go, too, she said to the packhorse: too slow to run, the animal would be an easy prey to the monster, if he would go too near, and it was better if he stayed safe until they would overcome the danger. Maybe clumsy in built, Thalion wasn't less bright than any other horse and obeyed at once: with all the speed his load allowed him, he got back and stayed with the female bison, the youngsters and the calves.

Nerwen asked to the male bison to arrange themselves in front of the small wood on a concave line, of which she and Aryon on their horses would make the bottom, while the animals would line up on the sides, farther but in a more advanced position. In this way, coming out of the trees the troll would see at first the prince and the Istar; in her eyes, they would look like easy preys, so she would charge on them and probably she wouldn't even see the bison. But meanwhile, the huge cattle would close on her like a pincer and so she would be trapped.

S oon after, from behind the trees that had covered her, the gigantic shape of the troll came out; her skin had the colour – and probably the hardness – of leather and her eyes were red like burning embers.

"Haaaa, I did smell fresh meat!" she roared viciously, coming forth in heavy steps. In her hands, she carried an enormous double-sided axe.

Instinctively, Aryon drew his sword, even if he could do very little against such a monster, three metres tall and weighing several hundred kilos.

Thilgiloth tensed visibly: a troll was a big enemy even for her. Sure, the Chargeress couldn't be killed, but she could be injured, and therefore feel pain, and no living being likes it. Luckily, the bison were with them…

"We will not be your meal," the Istar contradicted the troll, amplifying her voice with the aim to keep her focused on her, so that she wouldn't see the bison, "None of us!"

The troll, unheeding, continued advancing and laughed nastily:

"I don't see how you can stop me from eating you," she replied.

"Like this!" Nerwen shouted and ordered mentally the bison to charge, "Out of here!" she yelled then, addressing Aryon; both turned their mounts and left in a gallop, retreating several dozen metres.

The large herbivores started running, converging on the troll, who finally saw them and stopped abruptly. Surprise froze her for only a few moments, anyway crucial for the massive cattle charging and closing in on her; when she realised she had lost precious moments, the troll began hitting frantically around with her axe, but she was too slow and held the blade too high, so she was able to wound only one of the attackers; then, the pincer closed and the troll shrieked while the bison gored, ran over and trampled her ruthlessly.

In a few moments, it was over; the troll was lying on the ground in a pool of blood, lifeless, and the bison retreated from the corpse, scattering around. Aryon and Nerwen watched that heap of bloody flesh, keeping their distance.

"Even if she was an evil and stupid creature," the Maia said in a low voice, "I'm happy her death was quick, with no unnecessary suffering, unlike the one she inflicted to her victims."

Sensing she was upset, the prince approached her and placed his hand on her arm, gently squeezing it to make her feel his sympathy.

"The world is now a safer place, without that monster," he reminded her. She cast him a grateful glance and a faint smile.

The two leaders headed for Nerwen and Aryon.

My clan and I thank you and your companions, Daughter of the Sunset, the female said in a solemn tone.

"She is thanking us," Nerwen said, talking to Aryon who obviously couldn't hear the leader's words. Then the female bison approached the male leader and touched him with her snout to show him her gratitude. The massive herbivore shook his head.

We too, we've been tormented by that foul being, he pointed out, therefore there's no need for thanking.

The female radiated a feeling of agreement as an answer to the male bison, while again Nerwen reported the conversation to the prince.

Now we can continue on our way with no fear, the female bison mused, both us and the males.

"Indeed," the Istar agreed, "you can go, we'll stay here to eliminate the corpse: better not leave it here to rot."

As you wish, Daughter of the Sunset. May you and your companions always find green grass and fresh water.

"Thanks, to you and yours, too," Nerwen said. The male leader, too, took his leave, wishing her well, and she reciprocated.

While the two herds where slowly taking their separate ways, Aryon asked:

"What do we do with the corpse? Shall we bury it?"

"Too much work, that it doesn't deserve," Nerwen stated, "We'll burn it."

Meanwhile Thalion had come near them.

Are you well? the quiet packhorse asked; Nerwen sensed that he was feeling guilty because he left the fight and sent him a sense of comfort: there would be nothing he could have done, he would not have been able to defend himself in any way from the troll, and if he would have stayed, he would have been only one more concern for the Istar. A little reassured, Thalion halted next to Thilgiloth.

Calad was flying in circles above them and now cried her typical kek-kek-kek to draw their attention. Nerwen lifted her gaze:

I didn't forget you, my friend, she transmitted her.

At least this time I saw her in time, the hawk grumbled, still remembering the time she didn't see the bandits or the werewolves, even if in both cases it hadn't been because of negligence, but because of pure and simple impossibility.

Nerwen and Aryon dismounted and got busy to gather an adequate quantity of dried wood, which luckily in this place was plentiful, thanks to the presence of the trees; they piled it over the corpse of the troll and around it, then they lighted a great bonfire. The monster's mass, even if significant, was much less than the werewolves' that had been burned at Rhosgobel, however, not having Beorn's fuel oil, the fire had to burn for many hours, and therefore they had to add wood continuously. It was late at night when the remains of the troll were enough incinerated; they left the fire burning down, and went to sleep keeping some distance, to stay away from both the excessive heat and the stench of burned flesh and fat.

OOO

The following morning, they ascertained that the troll's ashes were completely cold: they certainly didn't want risking a small ember triggering a fire in the prairie.

Watching at the ash staining the grass, in which the residues of some of the bigger bones were visible, Nerwen regretted not possessing the talent to control wind: she would gladly stir a gust to scatter the ashes and clean the place. She shrugged: nature would anyway take care of it.

"Let's go!" she cried, mounting Thilgiloth. Aryon mounted Allakos in turn; orienting with the position of the sun, the prince pointed the way:

"There," he said, "It's pointless going back exactly where we started, we'd only go a longer way: we'll go straight northwest and reach the Rinnen again, then from there we'll go on toward Kopellin."

So they did, and before dusk they arrived at the river, where they camped for the night; the day after, they set forth again toward the capital city of the Hwenti.

OOOOO

Author's corner:

…Zoological detail: the European bison, which is the one here referred to, is taller and more slender than its more famous American cousin, and has longer horns.

…Herbal detail: the andlhaw or longears that Nerwen uses to disinfect the young bison's wound is nothing else than the common comfrey, which leaves look like donkey's ears, and in phytotherapy it is actually used for its antiseptic qualities.

The "trolls of the plains" are non-canon in the Tolkienverse, but needing a race of troll compatible with the described territory, I have been forced to come up with something :-D

Trivia: I decided to introduce a female troll because of an observation of Richard Armitage (Thorin Oakenshield in the The Hobbit movies) during an interview, where he complained that Tolkien never named or described female orcs. Thanks for the inspiration, Mr. Armitage! :-D

Lady Angel