Chapter Eight: Sightings
Elrond finished folding the parchment, he had prepared and had placed the emblem of his house as the seal for the ruling Steward of Gondor to identify when his chief messenger finally came into his study.
Bowing in respect to the elf lord, the messenger took the sealed parchment and slipped it into his small bag.
"Take it to the ruling Steward of Gondor and I hope you will be able to bring the girl's uncle here to Imladris." Elrond instructed his messenger further about the girl in their keeping. When he finished, the messenger left the library.
Estel looked up from his work when his father came by to check on his development on the piece of parchment he had been given to work on for his writing skills.
Elrond suppresses a smile and instead casts a wry look at what his son's tells him to be his handwriting. Sighing inwardly, he squints at the scribbled marks.
"Estel, please try to concentrate on your handwriting," Elrond slightly chided as he noted the eager look on his son face. The boy clearly wanted to be outdoors, join his brothers for another lesson, and not slave on his writing exercises.
"You will spend tomorrow with your brothers instead," he firmly decided. Elrond was not particularly happy with the boy's efforts today and he was not going to let Estel play with his feelings now. He had to instill some discipline in the child and of course, to write distinctly.
"But father..." he started to protest.
"Estel, do you want me to add another day before you can join your brothers out in the woods?" Elrond asked as his voice taking a stern tone as his elegant brow rose.
Estel stopped with his protest as he recognized his father's tone and demeanor. He obediently pulled his concentration back into his writings. "No, father." He spoke meekly while trying to force down the fidgety- feeling he was starting to get.
"You will need this, Estel." His father said in gentler tones while placing a hand on the boy's shoulders. He could easily see the struggle his youngest son was having, trying to control his restlessness. "There will be time for play." He assured the child but let his hand stay on the boy's shoulder for a while until he was satisfied that Estel had managed to quell his heart. Elrond soon stretched his tall frame and remained at the boy's side.
Estel automatically nodded and went back to practicing his hand writing again. Elrond watched him for a few minutes before moving to his study.
~******~
Several leagues away, across the vast broken plain, two riders on one horse charged through the land. Vanmeare and Avalenne rode in silence for several hours now and both wished to be back to the land of their great nation, Rohan. However, this was not the only thing in Avalenne's mind.
"Vanmeare, if we go back to Rohan, the chance in finding the children will be lost." Avalenne said to her brother in a worried tone. She had not slept much the previous night as her mind kept wandering on what has befallen to her sons.
"We have to go back and find them," Avalenne pleaded.
"We will find them, Avalenne but both of us have no strength to go on in an extended journey without adequate provisions and rest. We will surely die thus not be of any help to the children." Vanmeare reasoned.
Avalenne bit her quivering lips. It was not from the cold that they trembled but from the hunger pangs that she was experiencing. She knew her brother said was true but it did not ease much of her concern and as the day passed, it only increased her anxiousness to ride out and search for her sons instead.
"We will find them, Avalenne." Vanmeare promised.
~******~
"There are no signs of the others," reported one of Reckan's men.
"We have searched long enough." Novan boomed from behind Reckan. "Break camp and we must proceed now with greater speeds." He ordered.
With that, Novan left them and moved to the front of the caravan. Reckan gestured his men to follow and soon one wagon was journeying through the rough plain. Inside, the 13 weary prisoners sat in a disconsolate heap as their hope of escape vanished from their eyes.
Five hours into their travel and stopping only for a very short rest, the caravan continued to trudge on the northward journey. Most of the prisoners knew there was no settlement of any kind found in that area so they were very puzzled as to why they were heading there at all. One of the captives struck a conversation with Reckan who was sitting up front beside the other wagon driver.
"Surely, you can now tell us who has bought us." Telvero asked Reckan from behind the bars. The other man merely gave him a sidelong glance and continued on chewing a root that was in his mouth.
"Please!" Telvero's calm face finally broke as his voice screeched. This time Reckan half-turned to regard him and the rest of the prisoners.
"You'll be serving the dark man from the North," he told them as he looked at the despicable wretches. "Until the end of your lives." He said so matter-of-factly that the captives could not help but gasped at their fate. If some of them have panic, they were not expressing it -yet.
~******~
Ilmelion, the chief messenger of Lord Elrond leaned forward to bring more speed into his steed's gallop. Flanking on either side of him, are the two guards sent along with him in his journey out from Imladris. Their strong horses beat down the ground with succinct cadence that it was hard to believe that Ilmelion was not a part of the elven army. They have left the protective realm of Imladris and ventured forth on their way to Gondor. Once there, he would go to the ruling steward and ask to be brought to Anathea's uncle where they will journey back to Imladris to take Anathea with him. Normally, Ilmelion would not need an armed escort for such a routine errand but the Easterlings were found near their borders and Lord Elrond did not want to take a chance of a mishap.
The sun rose steadily until midday arrived and the Elves gave their horses a well-deserved rest before hitting back on the road. When it was time to move on, they mounted and rode for about a league or so when Himandel noticed something ahead of them. He spoke to Ilmelion.
"Two riders on a horse, four leagues away from us, riding in haste as well."
"We will be careful," Ilmelion said and they continued riding in silence. The afternoon sun beat down on the riders for hours until it began to dip over the horizon to signal the coming of dusk.
~*****~
Movlen looked up from where he was sitting under an old tree as Enerion put wood into a small pit he had made. It was going to be dark soon and it was best to start hunting for dinner. Movlen stared with a sullen face as the man went out again after kindling the fire with pieces of old wood he found scattered about. Enerion watched the boy stroking his horse and soon stood up.
"I will be getting us our dinner, Lebelon." He told the boy as if he was referencing a tool. "I trust you will not ride away with the horse." Enerion sarcastically said.
My name is not Lebelon, but Movlen! His mind bit back but he wasn't going to let Enerion know that. He said to himself.
"No," the child bluntly replied without hesitation.
Soon, Enerion left the camp satisfied that the boy would not give him trouble and went to find food. Movlen finally left alone began studying the tree before him. He wondered if it could still hold him. It offered little shade as most of its leaves have dried out. There wasn't any river flowing near the tree anymore too. Therefore, it was withering to its death until it would become hollow reminder of what it was once.
He did see a dried riverbed a few miles back but its streams leading to the tree have were empty long ago. He reached for the low branch and began climbing. He tested it first before settling all his weight on it. He felt the tree could still hold his body weight though. He climbed more using the branches like a ladder and perched on one branch that gave him a bird's eye view of their surroundings.
He found Enerion walking for some fifty paces away from the camp and steadily moving to a cluster of rocks where he disappeared when he climbed down from them.
Movlen watched the vast stretch of land for any signs of travelers. The idea of riding away from Enerion wasn't a bad one unfortunately; he doesn't know where he is. He couldn't tell where he should go. He was afraid that if he did take the horse, the animal might be lead him back to his captor and he doesn't want that. So, there he was sitting and staring gloomily in space. His young eyes failed to see that there were indeed three riders about and if he was gifted with keen eyesight, he could have easily called for help since the three riders happened to be Elves.
~*****~
The elf riders were moving in easy pace, this time letting their horses take the strain off from the full gallop several hours ago. Dusk has started around the plain and little puffs of mists swirled here and there over the area.
Ilmelion curiously turned his attention to his left just as Himandel apprised him.
"I see smoke rising upon that hill, near a tree, three leagues to the east." Himandel said as he pointed to the others.
"Shall we investigate?" Narqueleon asked.
Ilmelion shook his head. "We have matters to attend to and they are perhaps weary travelers seeking respite." He responded.
"I believe our horses too need rest from the long travel. Let us find shelter for the night and see if the riders we saw ahead of us will be on the same route as ours the next morning." Himandel suggested and the other two riders nodded in agreement.
Whatever Himandel felt from seeing that smoke by the tree, he let it go and concentrated on looking for shelter for his companions.
~*****~
Reckan sat a little straighter as was his other caravan driver. The horses started to be skittish when early dusk arrived.
"What's wrong with them?" He demanded as the driver whipped the horses to move on. The animals neighed in protest but they continued but in a slackened pace.
"We will not get there in a week's time if the animals are like this." Reckan said in annoyance that while the caravan driver did his best to control the horses to move forward, when an otherworldly shriek swept through their location. All the men on horseback wildly looked around in fright. They have not heard anything like it in their lives.
Novan knew what was happening but he was puzzled, the Dark man was early. With the growing dusk, he thought his eyes were deceiving him but there it was, moving towards him, is the Black Rider.
The caravan driver pulled hard on his reins and stopped in shock of what he saw ahead of them. Other of Reckan's men watched with sheer terror on what was approaching them. Others have bolted away from the terrifying sight and left only a handful of men behind.
At the command of the Black Rider, his horse continued its walk towards Novan who was at the head of the caravan. The other man was calmly seated on his horse as if he had already known what to expect, Reckan observed. Although, he can not say much with Novan's horse because it was nervously neighing as if it wanted to bolt away from the TERROR on horseback. However, Novan tightly held his reins that his horse had no choice but to obey.
Reckan watched while his throat suddenly went dry. Is this the Dark man from the North? His mind asked as Telvero voiced the same question behind him. The prisoner's tone was reduced to a mere whisper. Reckan studied the Black Rider while glancing at the same time towards the captives behind him, in the cage. He heard not a sound from the prisoners and saw them huddled at the back of the cage. Fear was in their eyes.
The Black Rider passed Novan and was moving towards the caravan. His steed snorts with superiority as the rider and the animal walk along the side of the cage. The oppressing evil carried by the Black Rider nearly chokes one of the prisoners while it walked around the cage as if inspecting his goods. If the Black Rider looked disappointed, it was impossible to know since the face was hidden under the thick hood. Reckan felt his skin crawl and shivered from the evilness that was oozing from Black Rider.
He has not met anything like this before. He continued to follow the Black Rider with his eyes while it completed its circuit of the caravan. The rider came up to the driver's side and Reckan couldn't help noticing that the driver grew paler than before.
"Theeeyyy are fewwww," the rider hisses.
Novan nods. "Many have escaped, dark rider." The slave trader replied. "But I will bring more." He hastily told him.
The black rider seemed to be considering something before it continued.
"Indeeed, youuuu will, Noooovann. I finnnd your men, suited fooor the work." The hood sharply looms pointedly looking at caravan driver. The other man shrinks in his seat staring into hood where the unseen eyes could be peering from within.
Suddenly there was confusion! Swords were raised and they came crashing against other swords. Their surroundings seemed to explode with shrieks, shrills and hideous shouts that Rechan could not distinguish to which creature it came from. However, they were suddenly overwhelmed and forced into a tight group on center of what's left of the caravan. Immediately, they were ambushed; Novan's men scuttle about to avoid the rampage of these creatures that in the common tongue were called Orcs. However, it was useless. Broad swords pointed towards them as the Orcs sneered at their helplessness.
"NOVAN, you traitor!" Reckan shouted when he was surrounded by three orcs wielding each a broad sword before him. No matter where he turned, there were orcs everywhere. He glared at the orc in front of him. It seemed to him that the creature was eyeing his neck. It was itching to give him a reason not to make one fell swoop off of his head at that moment.
"Yooooouuuu have sssservvvved youuuurrrr purpossse," the Black Rider told Novan with satisfaction and ordered the orcs to put most of Novan's men inside the cage.
"You will pay for this Novan! You hear me!" Yelled another angry henchman as the Orcs took over the caravan.
"You will pay dearly for this!" He repeated hotly. However, Reckan knew the man's threat was ignored.
The Black Rider soon let out blood-curdling shriek that every living thing on its way sidled away from this creature on horseback.
Elrond finished folding the parchment, he had prepared and had placed the emblem of his house as the seal for the ruling Steward of Gondor to identify when his chief messenger finally came into his study.
Bowing in respect to the elf lord, the messenger took the sealed parchment and slipped it into his small bag.
"Take it to the ruling Steward of Gondor and I hope you will be able to bring the girl's uncle here to Imladris." Elrond instructed his messenger further about the girl in their keeping. When he finished, the messenger left the library.
Estel looked up from his work when his father came by to check on his development on the piece of parchment he had been given to work on for his writing skills.
Elrond suppresses a smile and instead casts a wry look at what his son's tells him to be his handwriting. Sighing inwardly, he squints at the scribbled marks.
"Estel, please try to concentrate on your handwriting," Elrond slightly chided as he noted the eager look on his son face. The boy clearly wanted to be outdoors, join his brothers for another lesson, and not slave on his writing exercises.
"You will spend tomorrow with your brothers instead," he firmly decided. Elrond was not particularly happy with the boy's efforts today and he was not going to let Estel play with his feelings now. He had to instill some discipline in the child and of course, to write distinctly.
"But father..." he started to protest.
"Estel, do you want me to add another day before you can join your brothers out in the woods?" Elrond asked as his voice taking a stern tone as his elegant brow rose.
Estel stopped with his protest as he recognized his father's tone and demeanor. He obediently pulled his concentration back into his writings. "No, father." He spoke meekly while trying to force down the fidgety- feeling he was starting to get.
"You will need this, Estel." His father said in gentler tones while placing a hand on the boy's shoulders. He could easily see the struggle his youngest son was having, trying to control his restlessness. "There will be time for play." He assured the child but let his hand stay on the boy's shoulder for a while until he was satisfied that Estel had managed to quell his heart. Elrond soon stretched his tall frame and remained at the boy's side.
Estel automatically nodded and went back to practicing his hand writing again. Elrond watched him for a few minutes before moving to his study.
~******~
Several leagues away, across the vast broken plain, two riders on one horse charged through the land. Vanmeare and Avalenne rode in silence for several hours now and both wished to be back to the land of their great nation, Rohan. However, this was not the only thing in Avalenne's mind.
"Vanmeare, if we go back to Rohan, the chance in finding the children will be lost." Avalenne said to her brother in a worried tone. She had not slept much the previous night as her mind kept wandering on what has befallen to her sons.
"We have to go back and find them," Avalenne pleaded.
"We will find them, Avalenne but both of us have no strength to go on in an extended journey without adequate provisions and rest. We will surely die thus not be of any help to the children." Vanmeare reasoned.
Avalenne bit her quivering lips. It was not from the cold that they trembled but from the hunger pangs that she was experiencing. She knew her brother said was true but it did not ease much of her concern and as the day passed, it only increased her anxiousness to ride out and search for her sons instead.
"We will find them, Avalenne." Vanmeare promised.
~******~
"There are no signs of the others," reported one of Reckan's men.
"We have searched long enough." Novan boomed from behind Reckan. "Break camp and we must proceed now with greater speeds." He ordered.
With that, Novan left them and moved to the front of the caravan. Reckan gestured his men to follow and soon one wagon was journeying through the rough plain. Inside, the 13 weary prisoners sat in a disconsolate heap as their hope of escape vanished from their eyes.
Five hours into their travel and stopping only for a very short rest, the caravan continued to trudge on the northward journey. Most of the prisoners knew there was no settlement of any kind found in that area so they were very puzzled as to why they were heading there at all. One of the captives struck a conversation with Reckan who was sitting up front beside the other wagon driver.
"Surely, you can now tell us who has bought us." Telvero asked Reckan from behind the bars. The other man merely gave him a sidelong glance and continued on chewing a root that was in his mouth.
"Please!" Telvero's calm face finally broke as his voice screeched. This time Reckan half-turned to regard him and the rest of the prisoners.
"You'll be serving the dark man from the North," he told them as he looked at the despicable wretches. "Until the end of your lives." He said so matter-of-factly that the captives could not help but gasped at their fate. If some of them have panic, they were not expressing it -yet.
~******~
Ilmelion, the chief messenger of Lord Elrond leaned forward to bring more speed into his steed's gallop. Flanking on either side of him, are the two guards sent along with him in his journey out from Imladris. Their strong horses beat down the ground with succinct cadence that it was hard to believe that Ilmelion was not a part of the elven army. They have left the protective realm of Imladris and ventured forth on their way to Gondor. Once there, he would go to the ruling steward and ask to be brought to Anathea's uncle where they will journey back to Imladris to take Anathea with him. Normally, Ilmelion would not need an armed escort for such a routine errand but the Easterlings were found near their borders and Lord Elrond did not want to take a chance of a mishap.
The sun rose steadily until midday arrived and the Elves gave their horses a well-deserved rest before hitting back on the road. When it was time to move on, they mounted and rode for about a league or so when Himandel noticed something ahead of them. He spoke to Ilmelion.
"Two riders on a horse, four leagues away from us, riding in haste as well."
"We will be careful," Ilmelion said and they continued riding in silence. The afternoon sun beat down on the riders for hours until it began to dip over the horizon to signal the coming of dusk.
~*****~
Movlen looked up from where he was sitting under an old tree as Enerion put wood into a small pit he had made. It was going to be dark soon and it was best to start hunting for dinner. Movlen stared with a sullen face as the man went out again after kindling the fire with pieces of old wood he found scattered about. Enerion watched the boy stroking his horse and soon stood up.
"I will be getting us our dinner, Lebelon." He told the boy as if he was referencing a tool. "I trust you will not ride away with the horse." Enerion sarcastically said.
My name is not Lebelon, but Movlen! His mind bit back but he wasn't going to let Enerion know that. He said to himself.
"No," the child bluntly replied without hesitation.
Soon, Enerion left the camp satisfied that the boy would not give him trouble and went to find food. Movlen finally left alone began studying the tree before him. He wondered if it could still hold him. It offered little shade as most of its leaves have dried out. There wasn't any river flowing near the tree anymore too. Therefore, it was withering to its death until it would become hollow reminder of what it was once.
He did see a dried riverbed a few miles back but its streams leading to the tree have were empty long ago. He reached for the low branch and began climbing. He tested it first before settling all his weight on it. He felt the tree could still hold his body weight though. He climbed more using the branches like a ladder and perched on one branch that gave him a bird's eye view of their surroundings.
He found Enerion walking for some fifty paces away from the camp and steadily moving to a cluster of rocks where he disappeared when he climbed down from them.
Movlen watched the vast stretch of land for any signs of travelers. The idea of riding away from Enerion wasn't a bad one unfortunately; he doesn't know where he is. He couldn't tell where he should go. He was afraid that if he did take the horse, the animal might be lead him back to his captor and he doesn't want that. So, there he was sitting and staring gloomily in space. His young eyes failed to see that there were indeed three riders about and if he was gifted with keen eyesight, he could have easily called for help since the three riders happened to be Elves.
~*****~
The elf riders were moving in easy pace, this time letting their horses take the strain off from the full gallop several hours ago. Dusk has started around the plain and little puffs of mists swirled here and there over the area.
Ilmelion curiously turned his attention to his left just as Himandel apprised him.
"I see smoke rising upon that hill, near a tree, three leagues to the east." Himandel said as he pointed to the others.
"Shall we investigate?" Narqueleon asked.
Ilmelion shook his head. "We have matters to attend to and they are perhaps weary travelers seeking respite." He responded.
"I believe our horses too need rest from the long travel. Let us find shelter for the night and see if the riders we saw ahead of us will be on the same route as ours the next morning." Himandel suggested and the other two riders nodded in agreement.
Whatever Himandel felt from seeing that smoke by the tree, he let it go and concentrated on looking for shelter for his companions.
~*****~
Reckan sat a little straighter as was his other caravan driver. The horses started to be skittish when early dusk arrived.
"What's wrong with them?" He demanded as the driver whipped the horses to move on. The animals neighed in protest but they continued but in a slackened pace.
"We will not get there in a week's time if the animals are like this." Reckan said in annoyance that while the caravan driver did his best to control the horses to move forward, when an otherworldly shriek swept through their location. All the men on horseback wildly looked around in fright. They have not heard anything like it in their lives.
Novan knew what was happening but he was puzzled, the Dark man was early. With the growing dusk, he thought his eyes were deceiving him but there it was, moving towards him, is the Black Rider.
The caravan driver pulled hard on his reins and stopped in shock of what he saw ahead of them. Other of Reckan's men watched with sheer terror on what was approaching them. Others have bolted away from the terrifying sight and left only a handful of men behind.
At the command of the Black Rider, his horse continued its walk towards Novan who was at the head of the caravan. The other man was calmly seated on his horse as if he had already known what to expect, Reckan observed. Although, he can not say much with Novan's horse because it was nervously neighing as if it wanted to bolt away from the TERROR on horseback. However, Novan tightly held his reins that his horse had no choice but to obey.
Reckan watched while his throat suddenly went dry. Is this the Dark man from the North? His mind asked as Telvero voiced the same question behind him. The prisoner's tone was reduced to a mere whisper. Reckan studied the Black Rider while glancing at the same time towards the captives behind him, in the cage. He heard not a sound from the prisoners and saw them huddled at the back of the cage. Fear was in their eyes.
The Black Rider passed Novan and was moving towards the caravan. His steed snorts with superiority as the rider and the animal walk along the side of the cage. The oppressing evil carried by the Black Rider nearly chokes one of the prisoners while it walked around the cage as if inspecting his goods. If the Black Rider looked disappointed, it was impossible to know since the face was hidden under the thick hood. Reckan felt his skin crawl and shivered from the evilness that was oozing from Black Rider.
He has not met anything like this before. He continued to follow the Black Rider with his eyes while it completed its circuit of the caravan. The rider came up to the driver's side and Reckan couldn't help noticing that the driver grew paler than before.
"Theeeyyy are fewwww," the rider hisses.
Novan nods. "Many have escaped, dark rider." The slave trader replied. "But I will bring more." He hastily told him.
The black rider seemed to be considering something before it continued.
"Indeeed, youuuu will, Noooovann. I finnnd your men, suited fooor the work." The hood sharply looms pointedly looking at caravan driver. The other man shrinks in his seat staring into hood where the unseen eyes could be peering from within.
Suddenly there was confusion! Swords were raised and they came crashing against other swords. Their surroundings seemed to explode with shrieks, shrills and hideous shouts that Rechan could not distinguish to which creature it came from. However, they were suddenly overwhelmed and forced into a tight group on center of what's left of the caravan. Immediately, they were ambushed; Novan's men scuttle about to avoid the rampage of these creatures that in the common tongue were called Orcs. However, it was useless. Broad swords pointed towards them as the Orcs sneered at their helplessness.
"NOVAN, you traitor!" Reckan shouted when he was surrounded by three orcs wielding each a broad sword before him. No matter where he turned, there were orcs everywhere. He glared at the orc in front of him. It seemed to him that the creature was eyeing his neck. It was itching to give him a reason not to make one fell swoop off of his head at that moment.
"Yooooouuuu have sssservvvved youuuurrrr purpossse," the Black Rider told Novan with satisfaction and ordered the orcs to put most of Novan's men inside the cage.
"You will pay for this Novan! You hear me!" Yelled another angry henchman as the Orcs took over the caravan.
"You will pay dearly for this!" He repeated hotly. However, Reckan knew the man's threat was ignored.
The Black Rider soon let out blood-curdling shriek that every living thing on its way sidled away from this creature on horseback.