Chapter I-The Rider's News
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"Lord Boromir! Lord-" The errand rider called, riding into a temporary camp that had been set up for the Lord Boromir and his small army of soldiers. The rider could see the soldiers eyeing him angrily for disturbing their sleep. The soldiers had spent the majority of their last years fighting and were used to little sleep. But the last few days, they had had almost no sleep at all. And they weren't happy that a rider could come riding into camp, disturbing their sleep and get away with it. But they did nothing, they knew he carried news, or he wouldn't be yelling. Silently, some of the younger soldiers wondered whether or not the rider brought news of a victory, possibly one their side had won? But the older soldiers had long ago given up hope; most now believed this war would last forever.
"The Lord sleeps," A man standing at the entrance to finely woven tent that had long since needed replacing. He was clad in the clothes of a northern ranger and the rider seemed to remember hearing that a ranger had been recruited to guard the Lord Boromir. He also remembered hearing, as a child, that rangers were not to be trusted.
"My news is urgent, it comes from the Lord's brother himself. I must speak with his Lordship as soon as it may be," The rider persisted. This ranger would not stop him; he was going to deliver the Lord Faramir's message, even if that meant fighting his way through to the Lord Boromir.
To the rider's surprise, the ranger backed down and allowed the rider to pass through the flap of the tent to the chamber within. The rider found that the Lord was indeed not asleep, that he stood pacing his quarters like a cooped up dog. Boromir turned to see the rider and motioned him to begin.
"My Lord, I bring news from your brother, The Lord Faramir," The rider said quickly. As he began to speak again, Boromir signaled for him to pause, and called to the ranger outside the tent.
"Lord Boromir, your brother insisted that this news be heard by your ears only," the rider said cautiously. It was not his place to talk back to the Lord, but he was sure he didn't want a un-trust worthy ranger hearing this message.
"This ranger will be present. Ignore him and tell me my brother's message," Boromir replied sharply, settling down in a chair. The ranger remained standing but moved to a nearby folding table and began to leaf through a bunch of papers while straightening them.
"The Lord Faramir has had news from the elves," The rider began slowly, still watching every move the ranger made. "They say that all those who value their alliances with the elves should gather towards a place called The Fortress of Bag End. A spy reported that that was to be the Dark Lord's next target, though we no not why. The inhabients are small and ruthless at times, but do not pose a great threat to the Dark Lord. I have a map to the place," the rider cut off, digging into his pockets for the map he was entrusted to. He soon produced it and handed it to Boromir. "It is believed that the orcs are assembling there in numbers un-countable. Mithrandir himself has come forth asking the elves and all others to aid in this battle so that the half-lings will not fall."
"Mithrandir? He came to plead for help? If that indeed is the case, who can refuse the council of Mithrandir?" Boromir said quietly. The rider had the feeling that Boromir wasn't aiming this comment towards him, but more towards the ranger still puttering about near the table.
"But another council is warning us against going to battle," the rider said quickly, turning away from the ranger. His message was important and he didn't need any distractions, lest he forget something. "Saruman the White has counseled us to remain where we are, for either the half-lings fall alone or we all fall fighting beside them, and all hope is lost. But a third council was also given, that of the Lord Elrond,"
"The Lord Elrond? Has he come out of his secret lair to help protect these half-lings you speak of? For if he does, these half-lings are of grave importance," the ranger suddenly remarked. He had stopped puttering and was standing closer now than he was but a moment before.
"No, the Lord Elrond has not emerged from his safe-haven," the rider replied angrily. Why should he have to answer a question asked by a mere ranger that shouldn't be here in the first place? "But Elrond has ordered Mithrandir to take a certain half-ling to him at a certain date. He is offering his full protection to them. But, there isn't even rumor of why. The Lord Faramir has sent this letter with his council, but that is all I know," the rider was glad to be finished. He handed the letter to Boromir. The ranger was eyeing him strangely and he was out of breath and hoping that he had forgotten nothing on his long journey from the South. He was surprised to find Boromir's troops so far North; he suspected that the Lord and his troops were up here fighting a long battle. According to the map, it looked like they were only about a day's journey to the north of the land called the Shire.
"Thank you. Go now and sleep before I send you back to my brother in the morning with what my plans are. I must think this over." Boromir sighed, acknowledging that he would have another night of no rest. The rider quietly slipped out, noticing that the ranger stayed.
"My friend, you should not be so bold about having me near you. Soon, someone will suspect." The ranger said quietly to the Lord.
"Ara-- Strider, you would never have heard that man from your position at the tent door. I am too tired to come up with an excuse for your being here. The rider will need to live with it."
"You, Lord Boromir, are supposed to be protecting the true King of Gondor. You are supposed to be making sure no one finds out who I really am. You are supposed to be answering to me, doing as I tell you." Strider said, upset that Boromir wasn't sticking exactly to the plan that had worked for ages; the King of Gondor would rule behind one of the Lords of Gondor and that lord would protect his identity at all costs.
"What do you believe I should do?"
"I believe we should follow the council of Mithrandir and Elrond, They would not both lead us astray."
"But the men are already weak and tired. They long to go south, back to their homes for a bit. If we do not turn back now, we will not be back in time for the winter to come!" Boromir looked to Strider and sighed, "I know you are right and we should go, but what help we our small numbers be? We have lost so many recently."
"Yes, but every few will help the half-lings stand. We must help them, if both Mithrandir and Elrond are asking, these small people must be of a greater value than all others," Strider said quickly. His mind was made up. He would go to help the half-lings, whether Boromir and his troops came with him or not.
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"Lord Boromir! Lord-" The errand rider called, riding into a temporary camp that had been set up for the Lord Boromir and his small army of soldiers. The rider could see the soldiers eyeing him angrily for disturbing their sleep. The soldiers had spent the majority of their last years fighting and were used to little sleep. But the last few days, they had had almost no sleep at all. And they weren't happy that a rider could come riding into camp, disturbing their sleep and get away with it. But they did nothing, they knew he carried news, or he wouldn't be yelling. Silently, some of the younger soldiers wondered whether or not the rider brought news of a victory, possibly one their side had won? But the older soldiers had long ago given up hope; most now believed this war would last forever.
"The Lord sleeps," A man standing at the entrance to finely woven tent that had long since needed replacing. He was clad in the clothes of a northern ranger and the rider seemed to remember hearing that a ranger had been recruited to guard the Lord Boromir. He also remembered hearing, as a child, that rangers were not to be trusted.
"My news is urgent, it comes from the Lord's brother himself. I must speak with his Lordship as soon as it may be," The rider persisted. This ranger would not stop him; he was going to deliver the Lord Faramir's message, even if that meant fighting his way through to the Lord Boromir.
To the rider's surprise, the ranger backed down and allowed the rider to pass through the flap of the tent to the chamber within. The rider found that the Lord was indeed not asleep, that he stood pacing his quarters like a cooped up dog. Boromir turned to see the rider and motioned him to begin.
"My Lord, I bring news from your brother, The Lord Faramir," The rider said quickly. As he began to speak again, Boromir signaled for him to pause, and called to the ranger outside the tent.
"Lord Boromir, your brother insisted that this news be heard by your ears only," the rider said cautiously. It was not his place to talk back to the Lord, but he was sure he didn't want a un-trust worthy ranger hearing this message.
"This ranger will be present. Ignore him and tell me my brother's message," Boromir replied sharply, settling down in a chair. The ranger remained standing but moved to a nearby folding table and began to leaf through a bunch of papers while straightening them.
"The Lord Faramir has had news from the elves," The rider began slowly, still watching every move the ranger made. "They say that all those who value their alliances with the elves should gather towards a place called The Fortress of Bag End. A spy reported that that was to be the Dark Lord's next target, though we no not why. The inhabients are small and ruthless at times, but do not pose a great threat to the Dark Lord. I have a map to the place," the rider cut off, digging into his pockets for the map he was entrusted to. He soon produced it and handed it to Boromir. "It is believed that the orcs are assembling there in numbers un-countable. Mithrandir himself has come forth asking the elves and all others to aid in this battle so that the half-lings will not fall."
"Mithrandir? He came to plead for help? If that indeed is the case, who can refuse the council of Mithrandir?" Boromir said quietly. The rider had the feeling that Boromir wasn't aiming this comment towards him, but more towards the ranger still puttering about near the table.
"But another council is warning us against going to battle," the rider said quickly, turning away from the ranger. His message was important and he didn't need any distractions, lest he forget something. "Saruman the White has counseled us to remain where we are, for either the half-lings fall alone or we all fall fighting beside them, and all hope is lost. But a third council was also given, that of the Lord Elrond,"
"The Lord Elrond? Has he come out of his secret lair to help protect these half-lings you speak of? For if he does, these half-lings are of grave importance," the ranger suddenly remarked. He had stopped puttering and was standing closer now than he was but a moment before.
"No, the Lord Elrond has not emerged from his safe-haven," the rider replied angrily. Why should he have to answer a question asked by a mere ranger that shouldn't be here in the first place? "But Elrond has ordered Mithrandir to take a certain half-ling to him at a certain date. He is offering his full protection to them. But, there isn't even rumor of why. The Lord Faramir has sent this letter with his council, but that is all I know," the rider was glad to be finished. He handed the letter to Boromir. The ranger was eyeing him strangely and he was out of breath and hoping that he had forgotten nothing on his long journey from the South. He was surprised to find Boromir's troops so far North; he suspected that the Lord and his troops were up here fighting a long battle. According to the map, it looked like they were only about a day's journey to the north of the land called the Shire.
"Thank you. Go now and sleep before I send you back to my brother in the morning with what my plans are. I must think this over." Boromir sighed, acknowledging that he would have another night of no rest. The rider quietly slipped out, noticing that the ranger stayed.
"My friend, you should not be so bold about having me near you. Soon, someone will suspect." The ranger said quietly to the Lord.
"Ara-- Strider, you would never have heard that man from your position at the tent door. I am too tired to come up with an excuse for your being here. The rider will need to live with it."
"You, Lord Boromir, are supposed to be protecting the true King of Gondor. You are supposed to be making sure no one finds out who I really am. You are supposed to be answering to me, doing as I tell you." Strider said, upset that Boromir wasn't sticking exactly to the plan that had worked for ages; the King of Gondor would rule behind one of the Lords of Gondor and that lord would protect his identity at all costs.
"What do you believe I should do?"
"I believe we should follow the council of Mithrandir and Elrond, They would not both lead us astray."
"But the men are already weak and tired. They long to go south, back to their homes for a bit. If we do not turn back now, we will not be back in time for the winter to come!" Boromir looked to Strider and sighed, "I know you are right and we should go, but what help we our small numbers be? We have lost so many recently."
"Yes, but every few will help the half-lings stand. We must help them, if both Mithrandir and Elrond are asking, these small people must be of a greater value than all others," Strider said quickly. His mind was made up. He would go to help the half-lings, whether Boromir and his troops came with him or not.
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