Author's Note: Thanks again to all reviewers for the great support!
Chapter 11 The Battle Master
Sam and Sayeed sat close together watching apprehensively as the captain walked off. "I am worried," whispered Sayeed to Sam. "I have heard of this Battle Master. He is a hard man and not known for his compassion. The War Master must have been killed or captured if Perang is in command." He looked worriedly at the hobbit beside him. "Captain Fahim will be duty-bound to tell the Battle Master of your role in the Ring's destruction. I do not think Perang will let you go."
Sam bit his lip and stared at his friend. "Can he do that?" he gasped in dismay. Here he was, all set to head home and now he might become a prisoner again.
"Oh yes," Sayeed assured him. "The Battle Master outranks the captain and can do whatever he desires. The captain will have no choice but to obey him. He may not like it, but he must do his duty. If you are to become a prisoner again, I will use what little influence I have with my father to have you freed. I won't let them torture or kill you!"
Sam could feel all the color draining from his face. This was getting worse and worse! It was bad enough to talk about being a prisoner, but once you started throwing in torture and death, well, that was something else all together! He began to unobtrusively look around for a possible means of escape when he felt Sayeed's hand tighten on his arm. Sam looked up and saw Captain Fahim and two soldiers walking towards them. The captain looked very grim.
He stopped before the apprehensive hobbit and looked down. "Master Samwise, the Battle Master wishes to meet you. You must come with me now." He then looked over at Sayeed. "The troop healer will be here momentarily to tend to you. You will travel in his care from now on. You are no longer under my command."
Sayeed's mouth opened in dismay, but he knew it was not his place to say anything. He simply nodded and watched anxiously as Sam was led away.
Sam had to hurry to keep up with the long strides of the men. He could tell the Captain was angry, although the tall rider said nothing. It was all written there in the tightness of his jaw and his clenched fists. Sam was feeling more alarmed every minute. It wasn't long until they came to where the Battle Master's tent had been erected. The tent was an elaborate affair, brightly colored and sporting a number of red and black pennants.
As soon as they arrived, Sam and Captain Fahim were conducted inside to the cool, dark interior of the tent. The Battle Master was sitting at a small but elegant camp table made of a luminous dark wood. He looked up as they entered. Sam felt his stomach drop at the sight of this man. He had a dark, swarthy look with small glittering eyes and a thin, cruel mouth. His sleek black hair lay slicked back on his skull, leading to a long pony tail flowing down his broad back. A livid scar crossed from just under his right eye across to below the left corner of his mouth. It gave his gaunt face a twisted look. There was neither humor nor kindness in him. This was a man who looked like he enjoyed inflicting pain and death upon his enemies.
The Battle Master stared at Sam as he stood before him. Sam was shaking with fear, but doing his best to look brave. The man stood and slowly walked around the quaking hobbit, looking him up and down in fascination. He had never seen anything in his life like this miniature man. The Battle Master considered himself something of a scientist and he was thinking about ways he could study this strange creature. Sam would not have found any of them pleasant. Finally, the Battle Master stopped his legs wide, his hands behind him. "So, you are a "hobbit" or a Halfling?" he asked in a surprisingly soft voice.
"Um, yes sir," gulped Sam. "My name is Samwise Gamgee."
"Yes, so I have heard," replied the Battle Master thoughtfully, "And I also understand you were involved in the destruction of the One Ring, were you not?"
Sam nodded, but said no more. The man continued to study him, his eyes never shifting away. "You destroyed the Ring," Perang went on, "Which put an end to all of our hopes and plans. Lord Sauron had promised the Emperor dominion over all of Ithilien and Gondor in payment for his support. But, you destroyed the Ring, which destroyed Sauron, and thus destroyed everything we had worked and died for. For that, you should die." Sam's eyes went wide in horror as he stumbled backwards in panic. He bumped into a soldier who held him in place. The Battle Master never moved. "And yet." the Battle Master tilted his head to one side, as if puzzled, "You risked your life to save that of the Crown Prince. How odd. Why would you risk your life to save your enemy? Captain Fahim says that as a reward, he has spared your life and given you your freedom." Perang's eyes narrowed suspiciously, "Maybe you pushed the prince in so that you could rescue him and be the hero, hmm?"
Sam began to sputter in indignation. "Now, just a minute, Mr. Battle Master, sir, I fell in first! That river was high and fast and there was no way them horses could keep their feet! I didn't even know who it was I grabbed when I was stuck in that rock, but it's not in my nature to let someone drown! Maybe people don't care where you come from, but in the Shire, we try to help each other!" He stood there glaring at the amused soldier.
"Well, Master Hobbit, you have spirit, I grant you that. I just find it difficult to imagine why you would rescue one of your enemies. But, no matter. Now, the dilemma is what is to be done with you? Captain Fahim says I should release you, but what would the Emperor say if he found out I had had one of those responsible for the downfall of his plans and let him get away? I believe that the Emperor would be most displeased." Perang turned and leisurely returned to his seat, studying the hobbit all the while. "I am sorry, Samwise Gamgee, but you must remain our prisoner. I shall take you to the Emperor and he can decide how to reward you for saving the life of his son. Or." and here the Battle Master gave a small, cynical smile, "He can decide how to punish you for destroying his plans." He gave a small signal to the two soldiers standing near the tent door. "You will go with these soldiers. If you attempt to escape, you will be killed immediately. If you behave yourself, the trip may not prove too uncomfortable." With that, the Battle Master returned to the papers on his table, dismissing them.
The captain was furious. He stalked out of the tent ahead of Sam and his escorts, but turned abruptly as soon as they had cleared the tent. "I beg you to forgive me for not being able to keep my promise, Master Gamgee," he growled through clenched teeth. "Unfortunately, I have my duty to perform and cannot go against the orders of my superior officer. I will do what I can when we reach the Emperor's palace at Haradirith, our capital city. I do not know how the Emperor will react in this situation, but if it is my power to secure your freedom, I will do so. But now, I must bid you farewell and see to my men." He bowed to Sam, turned on his heel and disappeared into the darkness. Sam felt very alone.
The Battle Master's troop consisted of two or three hundred men, and they had spread out on either side of the river to bed down for the night. Sam's guards led him to a tree in the center of the camp, forced him to the ground and bound him with his back to the tree. They weren't taking any chances on him escaping in the night. One stayed near Sam while the other went off to collect their rations. Sam received nothing.
It was a long, miserable journey for Sam. He was kept apart from any of the survivors of Captain Fahim's company, including the prince. He was forced to march along with the men and found it extremely difficult to keep up. He was still weakened from his recent misadventures, but even under normal circumstances he would have had trouble. The men marched along at a good pace and Sam practically had to run to keep up with them at times. Several times he simply collapsed, unable to keep up. In that case, one of his guards would roughly yank him from the ground and carry him over his shoulder until he felt Sam could continue. The Battle Master would brook no delay. Each evening, at the end of the march, Sam would collapse to the ground, barely conscious. His captors would feed him a meager meal, then tie him up for the night. He wondered if he would even survive long enough to even meet this Emperor. "If I die out here on the road, it would save them the trouble of having me executed," he muttered to himself in despair.
It took them two weeks of forced marching to finally reach the city of Haradirith. It sat high on a mesa in the middle of the arid lands of Far Harad. It had a commanding view for miles and was considered impenetrable. There was only one way up and that was a narrow road that circled the mesa's cliff walls. Large gates barred the road both at the base and at the top and were heavily guarded. The Emperor trusted no one.
The weary soldiers made the final climb along the road hoping to reach home before night. They were all exhausted and dispirited. This had not turned out the way anyone had hoped and many of the soldiers eyed Sam with growing bitterness. They had learned of his role in the downfall of Sauron and a number of the men would have preferred to take their vengeance immediately. Only the fact that he had saved Prince Sayeed prevented them from doing so.
When they reached the city, the men were ordered to return to their barracks. The Battle Master and Captain Fahim headed towards the Emperor's palace with Sam and his guards in tow. Now was the hour of reckoning.
The palace was a massive stone structure sitting atop the highest point of the mesa, like a huge hulking beast overseeing its domain. It was constructed of sand colored stones and towered over every other building in the city. Sam and his captors were quickly granted entrance to the palace and led through an expansive courtyard into a small antechamber to await their summons to the Emperor's presence.
To Sam, the wait seemed stretch out for hours, but probably wasn't any more than thirty minutes. When the call came, the small party followed two guards down long corridors with walls adorned with portraits. Sam assumed they must be past Emperors and their families. Finally, they came to a massive door guarded by several more guards as well as large, wolf-like beasts. These peered at Sam with hungry, red eyes. He felt a cold chill run up his back as he passed them. One of the guards announced them, and Sam followed the Battle Master and the Captain into the audience chamber.
The Emperor sat high upon a gilded throne. Like his palace, it was built to tower over everything in the room. The room was not huge, but spacious. The ceiling rose high above the polished black marble floor and was criss-crossed with gleaming, dark beams. The walls were dressed with numerous banners, most of which were red and black in color. When they reached the center of the room, Sam and his guards stopped, while the two officers went on to confer with the Emperor.
Sam studied the Emperor as he waited. He seemed to be a tall man, with a thin, vulture-like face. His long black hair flowed over his back and shoulders and was kept in place by a golden circlet, studded with rubies. He wore an elaborate gown of black and gold. Sam could see the Emperor wore a number of rings bearing massive gems. Suddenly, he found himself meeting the small, cold eyes of the man on the throne, and Sam felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise up. These were not the eyes of a kind or understanding man. Sam's hope of returning home anytime soon quickly dissipated.
At an unseen signal, the guards grabbed Sam by the arms and marched him up to the dais. The Battle Master and captain stepped aside. Sam glanced over at them and bit his lip in dismay. Captain Fahim looked angry, while the Battle Master had a most self-satisfied look. Sam knew that was bad. He turned his attention to the Emperor.
"So," began the Emperor, his deep voice resonating in Sam's ears. "You are the Halfling that helped destroyed Lord Sauron?" Sam gulped nervously and nodded. Emperor Assadim's eyes narrowed dangerously, "Do you have any idea of what you have done to me? Lord Sauron promised me dominion over all Ithilien and Gondor and the riches they contain. My son would have ruled those lands. In addition, many of my men were killed. My armies return in bits and pieces, shattered by the armies of the West. And it is all because of you!"
Sam stared at the Emperor, fear continuing to grow. This was getting worse and worse. He thought about mentioning that he was just Frodo's companion, but he didn't think the Emperor would care. Sam was the one who was here, not Frodo. Sam would be the one to suffer Assadim's wrath.
The Emperor studied Sam thoughtfully, playing with an especially large ruby ring. "But, on the other hand, you saved my son, Sayeed. That should count for something in your favor, hmmm? But, does it outweigh the destruction of my plans and future of Harad? I do not think so, or at least not completely. So, what should I do with you, Samwise Gamgee of the Shire? Captain Fahim would have me release you and allow you to go home. Battle Master Perang would have you publicly tortured and executed." Sam felt faint. Emperor Assadim smiled. "I think perhaps something in between. Because you did save my son, I will spare your life, but in punishment for your part in the Ring's destruction, you shall become our slave. The life of a slave in Harad is not a pleasant one, Master Gamgee. You may eventually wish that perhaps I had listened to the Battle Master."
With that, the interview was over. Sam was led away and his new of life as a slave of the Haradrim was about to begin.
Chapter 11 The Battle Master
Sam and Sayeed sat close together watching apprehensively as the captain walked off. "I am worried," whispered Sayeed to Sam. "I have heard of this Battle Master. He is a hard man and not known for his compassion. The War Master must have been killed or captured if Perang is in command." He looked worriedly at the hobbit beside him. "Captain Fahim will be duty-bound to tell the Battle Master of your role in the Ring's destruction. I do not think Perang will let you go."
Sam bit his lip and stared at his friend. "Can he do that?" he gasped in dismay. Here he was, all set to head home and now he might become a prisoner again.
"Oh yes," Sayeed assured him. "The Battle Master outranks the captain and can do whatever he desires. The captain will have no choice but to obey him. He may not like it, but he must do his duty. If you are to become a prisoner again, I will use what little influence I have with my father to have you freed. I won't let them torture or kill you!"
Sam could feel all the color draining from his face. This was getting worse and worse! It was bad enough to talk about being a prisoner, but once you started throwing in torture and death, well, that was something else all together! He began to unobtrusively look around for a possible means of escape when he felt Sayeed's hand tighten on his arm. Sam looked up and saw Captain Fahim and two soldiers walking towards them. The captain looked very grim.
He stopped before the apprehensive hobbit and looked down. "Master Samwise, the Battle Master wishes to meet you. You must come with me now." He then looked over at Sayeed. "The troop healer will be here momentarily to tend to you. You will travel in his care from now on. You are no longer under my command."
Sayeed's mouth opened in dismay, but he knew it was not his place to say anything. He simply nodded and watched anxiously as Sam was led away.
Sam had to hurry to keep up with the long strides of the men. He could tell the Captain was angry, although the tall rider said nothing. It was all written there in the tightness of his jaw and his clenched fists. Sam was feeling more alarmed every minute. It wasn't long until they came to where the Battle Master's tent had been erected. The tent was an elaborate affair, brightly colored and sporting a number of red and black pennants.
As soon as they arrived, Sam and Captain Fahim were conducted inside to the cool, dark interior of the tent. The Battle Master was sitting at a small but elegant camp table made of a luminous dark wood. He looked up as they entered. Sam felt his stomach drop at the sight of this man. He had a dark, swarthy look with small glittering eyes and a thin, cruel mouth. His sleek black hair lay slicked back on his skull, leading to a long pony tail flowing down his broad back. A livid scar crossed from just under his right eye across to below the left corner of his mouth. It gave his gaunt face a twisted look. There was neither humor nor kindness in him. This was a man who looked like he enjoyed inflicting pain and death upon his enemies.
The Battle Master stared at Sam as he stood before him. Sam was shaking with fear, but doing his best to look brave. The man stood and slowly walked around the quaking hobbit, looking him up and down in fascination. He had never seen anything in his life like this miniature man. The Battle Master considered himself something of a scientist and he was thinking about ways he could study this strange creature. Sam would not have found any of them pleasant. Finally, the Battle Master stopped his legs wide, his hands behind him. "So, you are a "hobbit" or a Halfling?" he asked in a surprisingly soft voice.
"Um, yes sir," gulped Sam. "My name is Samwise Gamgee."
"Yes, so I have heard," replied the Battle Master thoughtfully, "And I also understand you were involved in the destruction of the One Ring, were you not?"
Sam nodded, but said no more. The man continued to study him, his eyes never shifting away. "You destroyed the Ring," Perang went on, "Which put an end to all of our hopes and plans. Lord Sauron had promised the Emperor dominion over all of Ithilien and Gondor in payment for his support. But, you destroyed the Ring, which destroyed Sauron, and thus destroyed everything we had worked and died for. For that, you should die." Sam's eyes went wide in horror as he stumbled backwards in panic. He bumped into a soldier who held him in place. The Battle Master never moved. "And yet." the Battle Master tilted his head to one side, as if puzzled, "You risked your life to save that of the Crown Prince. How odd. Why would you risk your life to save your enemy? Captain Fahim says that as a reward, he has spared your life and given you your freedom." Perang's eyes narrowed suspiciously, "Maybe you pushed the prince in so that you could rescue him and be the hero, hmm?"
Sam began to sputter in indignation. "Now, just a minute, Mr. Battle Master, sir, I fell in first! That river was high and fast and there was no way them horses could keep their feet! I didn't even know who it was I grabbed when I was stuck in that rock, but it's not in my nature to let someone drown! Maybe people don't care where you come from, but in the Shire, we try to help each other!" He stood there glaring at the amused soldier.
"Well, Master Hobbit, you have spirit, I grant you that. I just find it difficult to imagine why you would rescue one of your enemies. But, no matter. Now, the dilemma is what is to be done with you? Captain Fahim says I should release you, but what would the Emperor say if he found out I had had one of those responsible for the downfall of his plans and let him get away? I believe that the Emperor would be most displeased." Perang turned and leisurely returned to his seat, studying the hobbit all the while. "I am sorry, Samwise Gamgee, but you must remain our prisoner. I shall take you to the Emperor and he can decide how to reward you for saving the life of his son. Or." and here the Battle Master gave a small, cynical smile, "He can decide how to punish you for destroying his plans." He gave a small signal to the two soldiers standing near the tent door. "You will go with these soldiers. If you attempt to escape, you will be killed immediately. If you behave yourself, the trip may not prove too uncomfortable." With that, the Battle Master returned to the papers on his table, dismissing them.
The captain was furious. He stalked out of the tent ahead of Sam and his escorts, but turned abruptly as soon as they had cleared the tent. "I beg you to forgive me for not being able to keep my promise, Master Gamgee," he growled through clenched teeth. "Unfortunately, I have my duty to perform and cannot go against the orders of my superior officer. I will do what I can when we reach the Emperor's palace at Haradirith, our capital city. I do not know how the Emperor will react in this situation, but if it is my power to secure your freedom, I will do so. But now, I must bid you farewell and see to my men." He bowed to Sam, turned on his heel and disappeared into the darkness. Sam felt very alone.
The Battle Master's troop consisted of two or three hundred men, and they had spread out on either side of the river to bed down for the night. Sam's guards led him to a tree in the center of the camp, forced him to the ground and bound him with his back to the tree. They weren't taking any chances on him escaping in the night. One stayed near Sam while the other went off to collect their rations. Sam received nothing.
It was a long, miserable journey for Sam. He was kept apart from any of the survivors of Captain Fahim's company, including the prince. He was forced to march along with the men and found it extremely difficult to keep up. He was still weakened from his recent misadventures, but even under normal circumstances he would have had trouble. The men marched along at a good pace and Sam practically had to run to keep up with them at times. Several times he simply collapsed, unable to keep up. In that case, one of his guards would roughly yank him from the ground and carry him over his shoulder until he felt Sam could continue. The Battle Master would brook no delay. Each evening, at the end of the march, Sam would collapse to the ground, barely conscious. His captors would feed him a meager meal, then tie him up for the night. He wondered if he would even survive long enough to even meet this Emperor. "If I die out here on the road, it would save them the trouble of having me executed," he muttered to himself in despair.
It took them two weeks of forced marching to finally reach the city of Haradirith. It sat high on a mesa in the middle of the arid lands of Far Harad. It had a commanding view for miles and was considered impenetrable. There was only one way up and that was a narrow road that circled the mesa's cliff walls. Large gates barred the road both at the base and at the top and were heavily guarded. The Emperor trusted no one.
The weary soldiers made the final climb along the road hoping to reach home before night. They were all exhausted and dispirited. This had not turned out the way anyone had hoped and many of the soldiers eyed Sam with growing bitterness. They had learned of his role in the downfall of Sauron and a number of the men would have preferred to take their vengeance immediately. Only the fact that he had saved Prince Sayeed prevented them from doing so.
When they reached the city, the men were ordered to return to their barracks. The Battle Master and Captain Fahim headed towards the Emperor's palace with Sam and his guards in tow. Now was the hour of reckoning.
The palace was a massive stone structure sitting atop the highest point of the mesa, like a huge hulking beast overseeing its domain. It was constructed of sand colored stones and towered over every other building in the city. Sam and his captors were quickly granted entrance to the palace and led through an expansive courtyard into a small antechamber to await their summons to the Emperor's presence.
To Sam, the wait seemed stretch out for hours, but probably wasn't any more than thirty minutes. When the call came, the small party followed two guards down long corridors with walls adorned with portraits. Sam assumed they must be past Emperors and their families. Finally, they came to a massive door guarded by several more guards as well as large, wolf-like beasts. These peered at Sam with hungry, red eyes. He felt a cold chill run up his back as he passed them. One of the guards announced them, and Sam followed the Battle Master and the Captain into the audience chamber.
The Emperor sat high upon a gilded throne. Like his palace, it was built to tower over everything in the room. The room was not huge, but spacious. The ceiling rose high above the polished black marble floor and was criss-crossed with gleaming, dark beams. The walls were dressed with numerous banners, most of which were red and black in color. When they reached the center of the room, Sam and his guards stopped, while the two officers went on to confer with the Emperor.
Sam studied the Emperor as he waited. He seemed to be a tall man, with a thin, vulture-like face. His long black hair flowed over his back and shoulders and was kept in place by a golden circlet, studded with rubies. He wore an elaborate gown of black and gold. Sam could see the Emperor wore a number of rings bearing massive gems. Suddenly, he found himself meeting the small, cold eyes of the man on the throne, and Sam felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise up. These were not the eyes of a kind or understanding man. Sam's hope of returning home anytime soon quickly dissipated.
At an unseen signal, the guards grabbed Sam by the arms and marched him up to the dais. The Battle Master and captain stepped aside. Sam glanced over at them and bit his lip in dismay. Captain Fahim looked angry, while the Battle Master had a most self-satisfied look. Sam knew that was bad. He turned his attention to the Emperor.
"So," began the Emperor, his deep voice resonating in Sam's ears. "You are the Halfling that helped destroyed Lord Sauron?" Sam gulped nervously and nodded. Emperor Assadim's eyes narrowed dangerously, "Do you have any idea of what you have done to me? Lord Sauron promised me dominion over all Ithilien and Gondor and the riches they contain. My son would have ruled those lands. In addition, many of my men were killed. My armies return in bits and pieces, shattered by the armies of the West. And it is all because of you!"
Sam stared at the Emperor, fear continuing to grow. This was getting worse and worse. He thought about mentioning that he was just Frodo's companion, but he didn't think the Emperor would care. Sam was the one who was here, not Frodo. Sam would be the one to suffer Assadim's wrath.
The Emperor studied Sam thoughtfully, playing with an especially large ruby ring. "But, on the other hand, you saved my son, Sayeed. That should count for something in your favor, hmmm? But, does it outweigh the destruction of my plans and future of Harad? I do not think so, or at least not completely. So, what should I do with you, Samwise Gamgee of the Shire? Captain Fahim would have me release you and allow you to go home. Battle Master Perang would have you publicly tortured and executed." Sam felt faint. Emperor Assadim smiled. "I think perhaps something in between. Because you did save my son, I will spare your life, but in punishment for your part in the Ring's destruction, you shall become our slave. The life of a slave in Harad is not a pleasant one, Master Gamgee. You may eventually wish that perhaps I had listened to the Battle Master."
With that, the interview was over. Sam was led away and his new of life as a slave of the Haradrim was about to begin.