To Vanquish the Shadows
By Priscilla Stafford
Author's Note: My most sincere apologies for not updating for quite a while! This chapter was such a hard time to write but now that it's finished, it was all worth it! I hope it turns out to be a chapter you all will love. Lots of action and finally a bit of 'echoing'!
Chapter 7: 'Echoing' in Battle
Minnar rode in speed up from with Captain Mithirr. The group of six had made good time and would be reaching the small post on the borders of the Forgotten Hills any moment. Minnar tried to figure out why the signal had been used. Were they under attack?
Finally they arrived at the border patrol house. It was a small cabin, large enough for two people to live comfortably without feeling crowded. Next to the cabin was a small stable and a tall watch tower, from there it was possible to look out over the valley of Carn Dum. The place was at the same time strategically a good lookout post yet hidden from spying eyes.
The riders stopped their horses. Something was not right. The cabin was dark, no smoke coming from the chimney. And it was quiet, too quiet. Mithirr gave the signal to dismount and the order was obeyed instantaneously. The captain was the first to approach the post. Minnar's quick eyes observed that there was one horse in the stables. But they were supposed to be two.
Captain motioned for a few men to go around the back then he himself went to the door. But before he could enter, the door was opened from the inside. The person was one of the village guards, Nethlin. A young man still only just reached the age of manhood, he was now pale and frightened.
Captain Mithirr was the first to speak. "Nethlin, who sounded the horn. And where is Aknor."
"Aknor called on the horn sir. He's gone, to scout the area." The young man's voice was faintly quivering as he spoke again. "It's an emergency, sir. I. that is. he came and."
By this time, Mithirr had begun to lose his patience. "Make some sense lad, what happened?"
"The spy from Rhudaur arrived and." Nethlin opened the door wider to let them in. Minnar let the Captain push his way through before entering. The room was dark except for one lamp lighted on a stool. The place was in disarray and he could see dishes stacked on the table. But Minnar's attention was drawn to the figure lying on one of the beds pushed to the side. As his superior went towards the bed, Minnar ordered the other Eligere's to wait outside and he too went to stand next to Mithirr.
The figure was undoubtedly Lothane, even in the dark that much was able to be established. Nethlin had taken the abandoned lamp and brought it to shine on the spy. To his horror, Minnar saw Lothane's face was unnaturally gray and he was bleeding from a deep cut on his cheek. He let his eyes drift lower to where a cloth covered the wounded man's lower chest. He saw it was soaked in blood and he lifted the corner. He instantly wished he hadn't as Lothane had a deep wound still bleeding. Minnar covered the injury and pressed the cloth down to try to stop the bleeding.
In the corner of his mind he heard Nethlin speak in halting tones. "We saw him through the guard tower. Ankor went to bring him back here then left him in my care after sounding the call. I took out the arrow that was in his chest then you came."
"Any other injuries?"
"He had a gash in his leg which I already bandaged. I."
"Who did this to him." Minnar looked up when hearing Mithirr's sharp voice. He saw the man was barely controlling his rage. Minnar understood, it hurt whenever someone was wounded. But whereas Mithirr reacted in anger, Minnar just felt an incredibly sadness. He was not a healer, wasn't experienced in any kind of healing. The one look had been enough to see the arrow wound was fatal, it would take a miracle for Lothane to survive this.
The three jumped up hearing the soft voice coming from the bed. "Captain Mithirr an honor to have you here. And Minnar, too."
Mithirr dropped to his knees beside the bed and brought a hand to the Eligere's shoulder. "You're late for the meeting," he tried to speak lightly.
Lothane tried to chuckle but in only came out in a rasping cough. "I know, sir, punctuality is not one of my best virtues." Minnar's heart nearly tore at the sound. Lothane had always been a jovial person, always full of laughter. It pained him to hear how weak the other sounded.
The injured continued. "You know I was in Rhudaur. I was about to leave for the Council meeting, just a few days ago." Lothane cleared his voice. "But then I learned that some of the chiefs of Rhudaur would be having a secret meeting, with whom I didn't know. And of course I knew I had to attend secretly.
"What did you find out?"
Lothane shook his head. "What I found out you wouldn't believe." Then his eyes shone with a fierce light. "But what I found out you must believe. Rhudaur is making a secret alliance with the Hillmen."
At this, Mithirr exploded. "Those Rhudaurian fools! Have they any idea what they are doing! The Dunedain would never allow for it! Do they not remember who it was who first tried to steal their lands from them?"
Lothane gave a grim smile. "At least you believe me. Sadly, all of it's true. And you are partly correct, the Dunedain would never have allowed it. But they are not in power of Rhudaur anymore, no. The power belongs to the new so-called Chiefs. The Hillmen are giving the Rhudaurs fighting men, and the Rhudaurs give them free access through the Rhudaurian borders."
Minnar had been listening quietly throughout the conversation while dressing the wounds. He now spoke up as something was troubling his mind. "It does not make any sense. Why would the Hillmen want free border access? They are vicious warriors, they do not make compromises."
The Captain dismissed the question. "Nothing surprises me anymore. Lothane, you still haven't told me why you are in this predicament."
"I was discovered. Naturally I was a liability, if ever Arthedain or Cardolan heard of this alliance they might join forces to fight them. Dissension is easy prey for evil."
Minnar felt a cold shiver run down his back. Lord Palannar had spoken the exact same words as Lothane just this morning. He felt it was a bad omen as the words sunk in. It seemed in this day and age, Middle Earth was full of troubled alliances and dissensions among even neighboring regions.
Lothane continued his story. "I was able to barely escape and I came here as fast as I could. As soon as Aknor found me, he lead me here. And that is all I can remember." He eyes suddenly seemed to lose focus and he whispered. "All I can remember, everything is dim." He lost consciousness.
Minnar sighed heavily and spoke his thoughts out loud. "The wound does not look good. For some reason, the bleeding is not stopping and there is no sign of any clotting. We have to get him to a healer."
"We shall take him to Shannar." Mithirr stood up. "It's a good thing the poor lad is out of it. The roads will be hard on him."
Suddenly the door slammed open. Instinctively, Minnar reached for his sword and saw the other Eligere do the same, Nethlin remaining still. With a relief they realized it was the returned Aknor. But the relief soon turned to worry at the look of the arrival's face.
Aknor spoke. "We are soon going to be under attack."
**********
Minnar watched as Nethlin rode off with Lothane riding in front. He hoped to Valar that the wounded man made the journey. In all the preparations to leave, the man had not stirred. Minnar could still not make out the nature of the wound, it seemed the body was not trying to heal itself, thus letting the injury become even more infected.
Danorath and his group had arrived soon after and they had repeated the dire words of Aknor. When Lothane had rode up to the border patrol house, his horse had been bleeding, leaving a small trail. Aknor had backtracked the trail as far into the Carn Dum as to approach the beginnings of the Mountains. To his horror a host of Hillmen were following the trail and were quickly approaching.
Minnar saw that dawn would soon be breaking in a few hours. The sky was still dark yet there was a hazy grayness. A slight fog had descended upon them and Minnar smiled. The perfect weather for an Eligere to be in combat. Men would find it hard to see through the haze, and even Elves with their keen eyes could not see that far. For an Eligere, sight was not a very important factor.
The Eligere turned to face his approaching friend Danorath. The group of twelve warriors plus Aknor had just picked a spot to hold their stand. The chosen battleground was on the very edge of the Forgotten Hills, not too deep into the valley of Carn Dum. The terrain had grass up to their knees with few trees here and there. In what they knew of the Hillmen, they were fighters with the sword. The bow and arrows shouldn't be used, but there was still the arrow wound in Lothane. Just in case though, there was cover behind them in the beginnings of a small forest of trees.
"Well, the enemy should be upon us any moment," Danorath spoke as he sat down on the ground next to Minnar.
Minnar did not bother to reply, he was too busy surveying the land before them. They had the element of surprise. It would be a shame if they failed to see the Hillmen first.
Danorath fingered the handle of his sword which lay across his knees. Most swords were passed down from father to son and usually remained in one family. But in this case, his father's sword had been given to Danorath's older brother. Danorath had studied the art of sword making and had succeeded in crafting his own sword. Everyone had to admit that his sword was a masterpiece, well balanced with a sharp blade.
Minnar spoke softly. "Danorath, how long would it take for Nethlin to arrive in Shannaran and bring back more reinforcements?"
"Who knows." The silence that followed was of tense silence. They knew that the other Eligeres were scattered around, ready for a fight. But now it felt that there was only the two of them, and instead of waiting for an imminent battle, they were taking some quiet time for themselves.
The dark haired Eligere felt his thoughts drift towards that of Gwendolyn. He kept thinking of the kiss she had given him, even now he felt his insides melt. Oh, sweet Gwendolyn, if she only knew the affect she had on him. From her lightly pale skin to her clear green eyes, he saw her in his mind's eye. How he would like to kiss her back. He could just imagine her soft lips on his. He mentally scolded himself. How could he even think of her in that way? She probably had not even really looked at him and besides, she was a Consul. But there had been that kiss.
There was quiet call of a lark succeeded by another call. Minnar knew that it was no bird that had made the sound, it had been one of the Eligeres. The Hillmen were approaching. Minnar strained his eyes through the mist. Nothing, except.
It was at that exact moment when he saw a group of men running straight towards their position. Minnar glanced at Danorath and saw that he too looked surprised. There were at least fifty warriors against their thirteen. It would certainly be a fight and the Eligeres had strict orders to let none alive.
Minnar chose that moment to close his eyes and take in a deep breath. It was time to concentrate. He led his mind to a secluded corner where there was no distraction. There was nothing; no friends, no problems, no worries. He felt himself sink deeper and deeper into the quietest part of his mind. Once he achieved the state of mind where no emotion existed, he opened his eyes. Everything appeared distorted, everything looked doubled, situations repeated. Yet everything was perfectly clear to him, he who was trained to absorb and interpret the images into his mind.
He saw Danorath jump up, sword ready in hand, twice. Then he too stood up to face the first opponent. The man was large and his armor was strong. But in a glance Minnar could see the weakness in the shoulder areas and the neck. The man swung his blade in the blink of an eye towards Minnar's unprotected side. A normal person would not have been able to counter it. But then just as quickly, the enemy was once again just beginning to swing back his sword arm. Minnar was ready and was able to counterattack the 'echo'. And anticipating the other's move, Minnar sliced down and his first foe was down.
But in the 'echoes' there was no joy in the kill, no joy in victory until the battle was over. Without so much as a glance at the fallen man's direction, Minnar coldly made ready for the next enemy. This time the man was a wiry looking one, his quickness would make up for strength. When the sword threatened to slice down, Minnar just sidestepped and pinned the sword down with his sai. A swift kick and lethal stroke, the Hillman was dead.
And on Minnar continued to battle along with his comrades. To the observer they were as if in a dance, every move, every stroke, every attack planned in an elaborate fashion. But to look closer, they would see the Eligere's in a sort of trance, their eyes neither blinked nor seemed to have any focus. But within a short period of time, the Hillmen were depleted in numbers while the Eligeres still remained thirteen in their numbers.
Finally there were no survivors. As if hearing an imaginary signal in the distance, the victors froze, each in various fighting stances. Each stood as if statues.
On the contrary though, Minnar's mind was in deep concentration. The battle was over, but his special powers enabled him to have a sixth sense hidden deep into his inner being. In the immediate are though, everything appeared peaceful. Minnar for the quickest moment he sensed his comrades too were not moving, they too must sense the uneasiness. But just as the thought entered his mind, his pushed it out. A distraction would cost him.
Then, knowing the consequences, he extended out his 'echo'. Inwardly he knew that the idea was a bad one. On he continued though, a few yards, a dozen yards, a few paces more.
With a gasp he brought himself back and swung his sword to slice the arrow intended for his head. "Take cover!" he yelled as he too ran towards safety, staying as low as he could. He tried to control his senses which screamed for him to get out of his mode and rest. But automatically his mind pushed the emotion of tiredness away to concentrate. He felt an arrow hit is arm, he moved to the left to avoid the real arrow which could have injured him.
He made it to the trees then, taking cover behind a fallen tree trunk, faced the attackers. Seven figures were shooting arrow after arrow. It would be impossible to try to surprise assailants. Minnar saw an arrow fly towards his shoulder, stop and disappear. The actual arrow he deflected aside with his sword.
The Eligere knew they were trapped. The only possible option was to retreat. But that meant they would be followed and they couldn't risk the safety of the villages.
There was a sudden flash of light and Minnar was blinded. A few moments passed and he faced where the light had been. He discovered the light had come from the top of the staff of none other than Radagast the Brown. The wizard at the moment was knocking out the last of the stunned and disoriented archers. Minnar rushed to assist but found it wasn't necessary. Through his doubled vision he saw Radagast look at him and saw his expression turn to concern. Minnar felt the maia lay his shoulders on him and ask, "Are you all right?"
Minnar knew the battle was over, they had won. Slowly he centered himself and let go of his state of mind. As he blinked his eyes several times he began to return his brain to normal function. Then suddenly without a warning, a weight descended upon him, which brought him down upon his knees. He knew no more after that.
**********
Radagast watched the Eligere on the bed. After Minnar had collapsed he had immediately picked him up and together had ridden them on a borrowed horse towards Shannaran. His first thought was that the young man had been mortally wounded or worse. But after arriving and depositing him on a bed at the house of healing, he saw that there were no wounds of any kind. He was for some reason in a kind of deep sleep, ones which were usually caused by intense stress. And since he seemed in no immediate danger, under no circumstance was he going to force him awake with the use of any healing art, it was always better for the mind to wake up on its own.
Radagast leaned back against the wall since the stool had no back rest. What had transpired today had unnerved him. As soon as he heard about the group of Hillmen coming towards them, he had borrowed a horse. Arriving he had found the orcs firing upon the Eligere's and was lucky to find there were only a few. Radagast abhorred fighting but his blood had been riled up. Those orcs were the same ones who had fired upon poor Lothane.
But now Radagast could ponder upon a puzzling thought. At the battlefield, there had been at least fifty attackers, and only thirteen Eligere. All Eligeres were healthy if not grim from the ordeal. And same with Minnar, not a scratch on any of them. It was strange. Radagast had only learned a little about the Eligeres having some sort of power, a curse which gave them an immortal like power. What was the power exactly? Everyone until now had carefully avoided answering the question directly. Whatever it was must be a dangerous weapon.
He turned towards the open doorway and saw that the young woman was there again. Gwendolyn yes, that was her name. She had a wistfully sad expression on her face and her gaze rested on the sleeping man. She caught his eyes and Radagast could see the powerful emotions flitting through her face. Gwendolyn abruptly dropped her eyes and walked away.
Radagast smiled. There was something going on between the two, he was most certain. Information gathered had told him the two had just met, and that barely knew each other. Radagast was no fool, he saw the intensity of the look she had given Minnar, one full worry and tenderness. This was definitely something to look in.
The wizard decided that maybe Gandalf wasn't too crazy to have such an intense liking to the people of Middle Earth. Radagast realized that he too was becoming attached to the realms of the Forgotten Hills. The reason was because he found that unlike many mortals, these people were sincere and put forth such a passion in their lives. Here they were, hidden from the eyes of the land and remembered only as a legend, a myth. And yet they were working to stop the forces of evil and to protect the people of Middle Earth.
Radagast was brought out of his musings when someone spoke. "What time is it?"
The maia looked down at Minnar, still lying down but wide awake. Radagast shifted the stool to better converse. "It's nearly midday."
The young Eligere closed his eyes. "That long."
Both Radagast and Minnar were not one to speak much but at this moment Radagast was in a curious mood. "Would it be too much to ask what exactly happened?"
Minnar snapped his eyes and looked up into the 'old man's' eyes. Radagast could see he was contemplating whether or not to tell him. He hoped he would make the choice in his favor. "We Eligere's have special. powers."
"Go on."
"It's hard to explain."
"Try me."
Minnar sighed. "When going into battle, we can foresee certain things. We call it echoing. What it is actually is that we can reach out into the future, grab an event and bring it back to the present. So to us, we see something from the very near future, then when the event really happens, we can react to it."
Radagast shook his head. "But this must take an enormous amount of discipline. To have the mind trained like that, it seems impossible."
"The mind is but a tool to be used to its best advantages. Yet you are right, it takes discipline and much training. Focus is the main point, just a single distraction could make an echo arrive either too early or late."
"But after the battle, why did you become unconscious?"
Minnar grimaced and looked guilty. "I'm afraid I overextended myself." Seeing the puzzled look on the other's face, he tried to explain. "Like I said, the mind takes in information from the future then presents it to us seconds before it happens. Just doing this the brain has to work at incredible speeds to beat the speed of time. I and any other Eligere can focus on anything at short distances, like an opponent. But the farther the distance, the more speed we need. It was necessary today to do it, but I went a bit too far. After slowing the mind down to normal brain activity, the exhaustion was too much."
Incredibly though it seemed, Radagast had to believe him. How could he not, the story was too strange to be made up. An immense power this was, a person capable of such mastery could be indestructible. "So, your only barriers are distance?"
The Eligere shook his head. "Not exactly. Another incapability is distance in time. In battle, a split second could mean life and death, there is no reason to foresee so far in the future. But there is no way on any other occasion we could try to predict the times to come. Things change, anything could happen and whatever is visualized is uncertain. And there is no reason to try."
Minnar continued. "It is said that the first Eligeres, Shannar, Dane, Mithlen, and Gwenor had the ability to do anything with their powers. They were indestructible, fight a whole army while deflecting a hail of arrows. But such discipline of the mind is fading, even now it is harder for each generation to grasp their powers. Our powers are fading."
Radagast was stopped from asking any more questions by the arrival of Gwendolyn. "Minnar, you're awake!" She ran to the bedside and though the worry was washed away from her features, there was still a slight crease in her brow. "Are you well?"
Minnar's whole face lightened up as he sat up swiftly and took her hands in his. "I am well now."
The wizard stifled a smile. It was time for an 'old man' like him to leave the scene. Fortunately, he was able to leave without taking any notice. Once outside the room, Radagast shut the door and allowed himself a small grin. Goodness, he was turning into someone he himself would have called a meddling old fool. He would definitely have to keep all this secret from Gandalf, if it were at all possible.
**********
Author's Note: Ahh, sorry for having to keep the romance out of the chapter, there will be some romance in the next chapter, I promise. I hope you like my characterization of Radagast, I'm starting to really like writing him! Some parts of Gandalf are put into his character, yet some things about him are completely the opposite. Anyway, please review! Minnar and Gwendolyn's part of my story will be ending in the next few chapters.
Author's Note: My most sincere apologies for not updating for quite a while! This chapter was such a hard time to write but now that it's finished, it was all worth it! I hope it turns out to be a chapter you all will love. Lots of action and finally a bit of 'echoing'!
Chapter 7: 'Echoing' in Battle
Minnar rode in speed up from with Captain Mithirr. The group of six had made good time and would be reaching the small post on the borders of the Forgotten Hills any moment. Minnar tried to figure out why the signal had been used. Were they under attack?
Finally they arrived at the border patrol house. It was a small cabin, large enough for two people to live comfortably without feeling crowded. Next to the cabin was a small stable and a tall watch tower, from there it was possible to look out over the valley of Carn Dum. The place was at the same time strategically a good lookout post yet hidden from spying eyes.
The riders stopped their horses. Something was not right. The cabin was dark, no smoke coming from the chimney. And it was quiet, too quiet. Mithirr gave the signal to dismount and the order was obeyed instantaneously. The captain was the first to approach the post. Minnar's quick eyes observed that there was one horse in the stables. But they were supposed to be two.
Captain motioned for a few men to go around the back then he himself went to the door. But before he could enter, the door was opened from the inside. The person was one of the village guards, Nethlin. A young man still only just reached the age of manhood, he was now pale and frightened.
Captain Mithirr was the first to speak. "Nethlin, who sounded the horn. And where is Aknor."
"Aknor called on the horn sir. He's gone, to scout the area." The young man's voice was faintly quivering as he spoke again. "It's an emergency, sir. I. that is. he came and."
By this time, Mithirr had begun to lose his patience. "Make some sense lad, what happened?"
"The spy from Rhudaur arrived and." Nethlin opened the door wider to let them in. Minnar let the Captain push his way through before entering. The room was dark except for one lamp lighted on a stool. The place was in disarray and he could see dishes stacked on the table. But Minnar's attention was drawn to the figure lying on one of the beds pushed to the side. As his superior went towards the bed, Minnar ordered the other Eligere's to wait outside and he too went to stand next to Mithirr.
The figure was undoubtedly Lothane, even in the dark that much was able to be established. Nethlin had taken the abandoned lamp and brought it to shine on the spy. To his horror, Minnar saw Lothane's face was unnaturally gray and he was bleeding from a deep cut on his cheek. He let his eyes drift lower to where a cloth covered the wounded man's lower chest. He saw it was soaked in blood and he lifted the corner. He instantly wished he hadn't as Lothane had a deep wound still bleeding. Minnar covered the injury and pressed the cloth down to try to stop the bleeding.
In the corner of his mind he heard Nethlin speak in halting tones. "We saw him through the guard tower. Ankor went to bring him back here then left him in my care after sounding the call. I took out the arrow that was in his chest then you came."
"Any other injuries?"
"He had a gash in his leg which I already bandaged. I."
"Who did this to him." Minnar looked up when hearing Mithirr's sharp voice. He saw the man was barely controlling his rage. Minnar understood, it hurt whenever someone was wounded. But whereas Mithirr reacted in anger, Minnar just felt an incredibly sadness. He was not a healer, wasn't experienced in any kind of healing. The one look had been enough to see the arrow wound was fatal, it would take a miracle for Lothane to survive this.
The three jumped up hearing the soft voice coming from the bed. "Captain Mithirr an honor to have you here. And Minnar, too."
Mithirr dropped to his knees beside the bed and brought a hand to the Eligere's shoulder. "You're late for the meeting," he tried to speak lightly.
Lothane tried to chuckle but in only came out in a rasping cough. "I know, sir, punctuality is not one of my best virtues." Minnar's heart nearly tore at the sound. Lothane had always been a jovial person, always full of laughter. It pained him to hear how weak the other sounded.
The injured continued. "You know I was in Rhudaur. I was about to leave for the Council meeting, just a few days ago." Lothane cleared his voice. "But then I learned that some of the chiefs of Rhudaur would be having a secret meeting, with whom I didn't know. And of course I knew I had to attend secretly.
"What did you find out?"
Lothane shook his head. "What I found out you wouldn't believe." Then his eyes shone with a fierce light. "But what I found out you must believe. Rhudaur is making a secret alliance with the Hillmen."
At this, Mithirr exploded. "Those Rhudaurian fools! Have they any idea what they are doing! The Dunedain would never allow for it! Do they not remember who it was who first tried to steal their lands from them?"
Lothane gave a grim smile. "At least you believe me. Sadly, all of it's true. And you are partly correct, the Dunedain would never have allowed it. But they are not in power of Rhudaur anymore, no. The power belongs to the new so-called Chiefs. The Hillmen are giving the Rhudaurs fighting men, and the Rhudaurs give them free access through the Rhudaurian borders."
Minnar had been listening quietly throughout the conversation while dressing the wounds. He now spoke up as something was troubling his mind. "It does not make any sense. Why would the Hillmen want free border access? They are vicious warriors, they do not make compromises."
The Captain dismissed the question. "Nothing surprises me anymore. Lothane, you still haven't told me why you are in this predicament."
"I was discovered. Naturally I was a liability, if ever Arthedain or Cardolan heard of this alliance they might join forces to fight them. Dissension is easy prey for evil."
Minnar felt a cold shiver run down his back. Lord Palannar had spoken the exact same words as Lothane just this morning. He felt it was a bad omen as the words sunk in. It seemed in this day and age, Middle Earth was full of troubled alliances and dissensions among even neighboring regions.
Lothane continued his story. "I was able to barely escape and I came here as fast as I could. As soon as Aknor found me, he lead me here. And that is all I can remember." He eyes suddenly seemed to lose focus and he whispered. "All I can remember, everything is dim." He lost consciousness.
Minnar sighed heavily and spoke his thoughts out loud. "The wound does not look good. For some reason, the bleeding is not stopping and there is no sign of any clotting. We have to get him to a healer."
"We shall take him to Shannar." Mithirr stood up. "It's a good thing the poor lad is out of it. The roads will be hard on him."
Suddenly the door slammed open. Instinctively, Minnar reached for his sword and saw the other Eligere do the same, Nethlin remaining still. With a relief they realized it was the returned Aknor. But the relief soon turned to worry at the look of the arrival's face.
Aknor spoke. "We are soon going to be under attack."
**********
Minnar watched as Nethlin rode off with Lothane riding in front. He hoped to Valar that the wounded man made the journey. In all the preparations to leave, the man had not stirred. Minnar could still not make out the nature of the wound, it seemed the body was not trying to heal itself, thus letting the injury become even more infected.
Danorath and his group had arrived soon after and they had repeated the dire words of Aknor. When Lothane had rode up to the border patrol house, his horse had been bleeding, leaving a small trail. Aknor had backtracked the trail as far into the Carn Dum as to approach the beginnings of the Mountains. To his horror a host of Hillmen were following the trail and were quickly approaching.
Minnar saw that dawn would soon be breaking in a few hours. The sky was still dark yet there was a hazy grayness. A slight fog had descended upon them and Minnar smiled. The perfect weather for an Eligere to be in combat. Men would find it hard to see through the haze, and even Elves with their keen eyes could not see that far. For an Eligere, sight was not a very important factor.
The Eligere turned to face his approaching friend Danorath. The group of twelve warriors plus Aknor had just picked a spot to hold their stand. The chosen battleground was on the very edge of the Forgotten Hills, not too deep into the valley of Carn Dum. The terrain had grass up to their knees with few trees here and there. In what they knew of the Hillmen, they were fighters with the sword. The bow and arrows shouldn't be used, but there was still the arrow wound in Lothane. Just in case though, there was cover behind them in the beginnings of a small forest of trees.
"Well, the enemy should be upon us any moment," Danorath spoke as he sat down on the ground next to Minnar.
Minnar did not bother to reply, he was too busy surveying the land before them. They had the element of surprise. It would be a shame if they failed to see the Hillmen first.
Danorath fingered the handle of his sword which lay across his knees. Most swords were passed down from father to son and usually remained in one family. But in this case, his father's sword had been given to Danorath's older brother. Danorath had studied the art of sword making and had succeeded in crafting his own sword. Everyone had to admit that his sword was a masterpiece, well balanced with a sharp blade.
Minnar spoke softly. "Danorath, how long would it take for Nethlin to arrive in Shannaran and bring back more reinforcements?"
"Who knows." The silence that followed was of tense silence. They knew that the other Eligeres were scattered around, ready for a fight. But now it felt that there was only the two of them, and instead of waiting for an imminent battle, they were taking some quiet time for themselves.
The dark haired Eligere felt his thoughts drift towards that of Gwendolyn. He kept thinking of the kiss she had given him, even now he felt his insides melt. Oh, sweet Gwendolyn, if she only knew the affect she had on him. From her lightly pale skin to her clear green eyes, he saw her in his mind's eye. How he would like to kiss her back. He could just imagine her soft lips on his. He mentally scolded himself. How could he even think of her in that way? She probably had not even really looked at him and besides, she was a Consul. But there had been that kiss.
There was quiet call of a lark succeeded by another call. Minnar knew that it was no bird that had made the sound, it had been one of the Eligeres. The Hillmen were approaching. Minnar strained his eyes through the mist. Nothing, except.
It was at that exact moment when he saw a group of men running straight towards their position. Minnar glanced at Danorath and saw that he too looked surprised. There were at least fifty warriors against their thirteen. It would certainly be a fight and the Eligeres had strict orders to let none alive.
Minnar chose that moment to close his eyes and take in a deep breath. It was time to concentrate. He led his mind to a secluded corner where there was no distraction. There was nothing; no friends, no problems, no worries. He felt himself sink deeper and deeper into the quietest part of his mind. Once he achieved the state of mind where no emotion existed, he opened his eyes. Everything appeared distorted, everything looked doubled, situations repeated. Yet everything was perfectly clear to him, he who was trained to absorb and interpret the images into his mind.
He saw Danorath jump up, sword ready in hand, twice. Then he too stood up to face the first opponent. The man was large and his armor was strong. But in a glance Minnar could see the weakness in the shoulder areas and the neck. The man swung his blade in the blink of an eye towards Minnar's unprotected side. A normal person would not have been able to counter it. But then just as quickly, the enemy was once again just beginning to swing back his sword arm. Minnar was ready and was able to counterattack the 'echo'. And anticipating the other's move, Minnar sliced down and his first foe was down.
But in the 'echoes' there was no joy in the kill, no joy in victory until the battle was over. Without so much as a glance at the fallen man's direction, Minnar coldly made ready for the next enemy. This time the man was a wiry looking one, his quickness would make up for strength. When the sword threatened to slice down, Minnar just sidestepped and pinned the sword down with his sai. A swift kick and lethal stroke, the Hillman was dead.
And on Minnar continued to battle along with his comrades. To the observer they were as if in a dance, every move, every stroke, every attack planned in an elaborate fashion. But to look closer, they would see the Eligere's in a sort of trance, their eyes neither blinked nor seemed to have any focus. But within a short period of time, the Hillmen were depleted in numbers while the Eligeres still remained thirteen in their numbers.
Finally there were no survivors. As if hearing an imaginary signal in the distance, the victors froze, each in various fighting stances. Each stood as if statues.
On the contrary though, Minnar's mind was in deep concentration. The battle was over, but his special powers enabled him to have a sixth sense hidden deep into his inner being. In the immediate are though, everything appeared peaceful. Minnar for the quickest moment he sensed his comrades too were not moving, they too must sense the uneasiness. But just as the thought entered his mind, his pushed it out. A distraction would cost him.
Then, knowing the consequences, he extended out his 'echo'. Inwardly he knew that the idea was a bad one. On he continued though, a few yards, a dozen yards, a few paces more.
With a gasp he brought himself back and swung his sword to slice the arrow intended for his head. "Take cover!" he yelled as he too ran towards safety, staying as low as he could. He tried to control his senses which screamed for him to get out of his mode and rest. But automatically his mind pushed the emotion of tiredness away to concentrate. He felt an arrow hit is arm, he moved to the left to avoid the real arrow which could have injured him.
He made it to the trees then, taking cover behind a fallen tree trunk, faced the attackers. Seven figures were shooting arrow after arrow. It would be impossible to try to surprise assailants. Minnar saw an arrow fly towards his shoulder, stop and disappear. The actual arrow he deflected aside with his sword.
The Eligere knew they were trapped. The only possible option was to retreat. But that meant they would be followed and they couldn't risk the safety of the villages.
There was a sudden flash of light and Minnar was blinded. A few moments passed and he faced where the light had been. He discovered the light had come from the top of the staff of none other than Radagast the Brown. The wizard at the moment was knocking out the last of the stunned and disoriented archers. Minnar rushed to assist but found it wasn't necessary. Through his doubled vision he saw Radagast look at him and saw his expression turn to concern. Minnar felt the maia lay his shoulders on him and ask, "Are you all right?"
Minnar knew the battle was over, they had won. Slowly he centered himself and let go of his state of mind. As he blinked his eyes several times he began to return his brain to normal function. Then suddenly without a warning, a weight descended upon him, which brought him down upon his knees. He knew no more after that.
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Radagast watched the Eligere on the bed. After Minnar had collapsed he had immediately picked him up and together had ridden them on a borrowed horse towards Shannaran. His first thought was that the young man had been mortally wounded or worse. But after arriving and depositing him on a bed at the house of healing, he saw that there were no wounds of any kind. He was for some reason in a kind of deep sleep, ones which were usually caused by intense stress. And since he seemed in no immediate danger, under no circumstance was he going to force him awake with the use of any healing art, it was always better for the mind to wake up on its own.
Radagast leaned back against the wall since the stool had no back rest. What had transpired today had unnerved him. As soon as he heard about the group of Hillmen coming towards them, he had borrowed a horse. Arriving he had found the orcs firing upon the Eligere's and was lucky to find there were only a few. Radagast abhorred fighting but his blood had been riled up. Those orcs were the same ones who had fired upon poor Lothane.
But now Radagast could ponder upon a puzzling thought. At the battlefield, there had been at least fifty attackers, and only thirteen Eligere. All Eligeres were healthy if not grim from the ordeal. And same with Minnar, not a scratch on any of them. It was strange. Radagast had only learned a little about the Eligeres having some sort of power, a curse which gave them an immortal like power. What was the power exactly? Everyone until now had carefully avoided answering the question directly. Whatever it was must be a dangerous weapon.
He turned towards the open doorway and saw that the young woman was there again. Gwendolyn yes, that was her name. She had a wistfully sad expression on her face and her gaze rested on the sleeping man. She caught his eyes and Radagast could see the powerful emotions flitting through her face. Gwendolyn abruptly dropped her eyes and walked away.
Radagast smiled. There was something going on between the two, he was most certain. Information gathered had told him the two had just met, and that barely knew each other. Radagast was no fool, he saw the intensity of the look she had given Minnar, one full worry and tenderness. This was definitely something to look in.
The wizard decided that maybe Gandalf wasn't too crazy to have such an intense liking to the people of Middle Earth. Radagast realized that he too was becoming attached to the realms of the Forgotten Hills. The reason was because he found that unlike many mortals, these people were sincere and put forth such a passion in their lives. Here they were, hidden from the eyes of the land and remembered only as a legend, a myth. And yet they were working to stop the forces of evil and to protect the people of Middle Earth.
Radagast was brought out of his musings when someone spoke. "What time is it?"
The maia looked down at Minnar, still lying down but wide awake. Radagast shifted the stool to better converse. "It's nearly midday."
The young Eligere closed his eyes. "That long."
Both Radagast and Minnar were not one to speak much but at this moment Radagast was in a curious mood. "Would it be too much to ask what exactly happened?"
Minnar snapped his eyes and looked up into the 'old man's' eyes. Radagast could see he was contemplating whether or not to tell him. He hoped he would make the choice in his favor. "We Eligere's have special. powers."
"Go on."
"It's hard to explain."
"Try me."
Minnar sighed. "When going into battle, we can foresee certain things. We call it echoing. What it is actually is that we can reach out into the future, grab an event and bring it back to the present. So to us, we see something from the very near future, then when the event really happens, we can react to it."
Radagast shook his head. "But this must take an enormous amount of discipline. To have the mind trained like that, it seems impossible."
"The mind is but a tool to be used to its best advantages. Yet you are right, it takes discipline and much training. Focus is the main point, just a single distraction could make an echo arrive either too early or late."
"But after the battle, why did you become unconscious?"
Minnar grimaced and looked guilty. "I'm afraid I overextended myself." Seeing the puzzled look on the other's face, he tried to explain. "Like I said, the mind takes in information from the future then presents it to us seconds before it happens. Just doing this the brain has to work at incredible speeds to beat the speed of time. I and any other Eligere can focus on anything at short distances, like an opponent. But the farther the distance, the more speed we need. It was necessary today to do it, but I went a bit too far. After slowing the mind down to normal brain activity, the exhaustion was too much."
Incredibly though it seemed, Radagast had to believe him. How could he not, the story was too strange to be made up. An immense power this was, a person capable of such mastery could be indestructible. "So, your only barriers are distance?"
The Eligere shook his head. "Not exactly. Another incapability is distance in time. In battle, a split second could mean life and death, there is no reason to foresee so far in the future. But there is no way on any other occasion we could try to predict the times to come. Things change, anything could happen and whatever is visualized is uncertain. And there is no reason to try."
Minnar continued. "It is said that the first Eligeres, Shannar, Dane, Mithlen, and Gwenor had the ability to do anything with their powers. They were indestructible, fight a whole army while deflecting a hail of arrows. But such discipline of the mind is fading, even now it is harder for each generation to grasp their powers. Our powers are fading."
Radagast was stopped from asking any more questions by the arrival of Gwendolyn. "Minnar, you're awake!" She ran to the bedside and though the worry was washed away from her features, there was still a slight crease in her brow. "Are you well?"
Minnar's whole face lightened up as he sat up swiftly and took her hands in his. "I am well now."
The wizard stifled a smile. It was time for an 'old man' like him to leave the scene. Fortunately, he was able to leave without taking any notice. Once outside the room, Radagast shut the door and allowed himself a small grin. Goodness, he was turning into someone he himself would have called a meddling old fool. He would definitely have to keep all this secret from Gandalf, if it were at all possible.
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Author's Note: Ahh, sorry for having to keep the romance out of the chapter, there will be some romance in the next chapter, I promise. I hope you like my characterization of Radagast, I'm starting to really like writing him! Some parts of Gandalf are put into his character, yet some things about him are completely the opposite. Anyway, please review! Minnar and Gwendolyn's part of my story will be ending in the next few chapters.