HI: This is a disclaimer. I dis-claim, as in I do not claim, the works of
Tamora Pierce or those of JRR Tolken for my own and am merely borrowing
their excellent characters for my own musings.
Please take a couple of seconds to let me know what you think of it.
Legend: "@" Talking
'@' Personal thoughts
//@// Telepathy, thought speech, etc...
** Beginning and ends of a flash back
A Proper Battle
Chapter 1 : New World
The battle had been long and hard. She had been on the field since dawn and neither she nor her horse had gotten any rest. Dusk was starting to fall and they had finally beaten the Scanrans back across the border. As she wielded Peach Blossom back to the Fort, she watched as her troops sluggishly left the fields, their horses as tired as they. Her back was sore and wet but she put that down to the sweat of a hard battle. Blossom was favoring his back leg but again that was not unusual. Grinning, Kel patted her faithful warhorse, happy that they had lived to see another day.
As she sat there waiting, she began to check her equipment. Her glaive was strapped to her back, cleaned of the gore that it had accumulated through out the day, her sword was notched and would need sharpening, her shield had seen better days but the black phoenix over the white tree in a blood red field still shone through. It was five years since Haven and she was now the Second of the King's Own and 6'1 with solid muscles covering her lanky frame. She kept her golden brown hair shoulder length frequently in a ponytail at the nap of her neck and covered by a bandanna under her helm.
She had spent most of the off time that she could get in the Yammani Isles with the Shang, getting more lessons with her infamous glaive sword and the shruiken (battle fans). She also was trying to improve her unarmed skills. Because she was a female, despite her success as a knight, three out of five times she could be taken in a wrestling match. So she trained and trained and trained some more. So far all those skills were very applicable on the battlefield.
Nodding her head at the last rider past her and no more seemed to come; she waited an extra minute and made to follow her unit. Suddenly Peach Blossom became really fidgety and started to prance. The air practically hummed with energy. Kel swore, refastened her facemask and unsheathed her sword, bringing her shield up to guard. She looked around frantically to see were the attack was going to be coming from. The ground glowed and then walls of light shot up all around her. Before her curses could be heard from the Fort, Kel and Peach Blossom were engulfed in the light and disappeared into the ground.
**********
Signals for a hasty retreat had been given and the men of Gondor were getting the hell out of there. To the horses they sprang with whatever energy they had left to be sprung and fled the River Garrison like Sauron itself was after them. And for them, perhaps that is what it seemed, the inundation of orcs flooding the base like toxic waste spilling from a breached barrel. The riders sprinted across the plain before the White City.
Then they heard them, the screams of tormented souls, enough to drive the horses into a panic and what little courage the warriors left, right out the window. Faramir looked over his shoulder as he rode hard for the gates. The Ring Wraiths had found new mounts in the dragons of the nazghul and they were gunning for his men. A prayer he sent, one of desperation to any deity that was listening, to get them out of this, to help them deal with this problem, to deal with the incompetence of his father, to give him the love and respect that his father would not. To help protect the land until the king returned.
The world stopped and a voice Faramir heard. //Is this what you desire Son of Man?// Faramir nodded. //Then it shall be done. Remember your legends. Pheonix will be returned to Gondor in her hour of need. Heed the warrior and there will be hope for man.//
The world started again and Faramir shook his head to clear the clouds. The dragons had started to dive bomb the River Guards and they were only a quarter of the way to the city. As the dragons were swooping into another dive, at half plain, a brilliant circle of light erupted from the ground shooting up to the sky, not unlike the red beam that was seen from Mordor three days past. Its appearance drew the attention of their harassers' attention and for that he was eternally grateful.
The light dissipated as the battle cry of both man and beast rung out surprisingly loud the rearing battle stallion and the armoured warrior with a strange long weapon drawn. The Stallion was off and they were coming right at the retreating troops. 'Please let this be the answer to my prayers or we are screwed.' He grimaced as he watched the dragons pull back from his men as one then a second plunged at the rider from the light.
************
Kel was in a bit of a fog and a voice whispered to her, a face forming out of the mist. It reminded her of the face and the voice of the Chamber of Ordeals. "You and your warhorse are dieing Protector." "What are you talking about?" "The arrow the punctured your lung through the back and your horse is bleeding to death. You are destined to die as you enter the Gates of the Fort as you men cheer in Victory." "Why are you telling me this?" "Because one's fate is not written in stone. You have served us well in the past correcting an imbalance in the forces of good and evil and we have use of you again as a means to bring balance to a world where evil has broken the rules." "So what is the mission?" "That the White City does not fall." "And the other option?" "You and your horse take your forever rest in peace at the Halls of Valhala and the Fields of Elysion." Kel shook her head and looked at Peach Blossom. He waffled her armour. "Show me the city please." Flashes of the Minas Tirath were view in her mind's eye. Each remembered and analyzed. A proud cold city lodged at the base of the mountains, a disgruntled lord indifferently inhaled rich food as a child sang a haunting mourning melody. A line of cavalry riding out and one coming back, a little girl with flowers hugging a soldiers knee before he rides out the gate, one rider being dragged back through the gates, the crazy lord setting a wounded soldier on fire in a death pyre, the crowded city waving good-bye to the soldiers.
Kel blinked. And their foes? Orcs, trolls, dragons, and wraiths filtered before her eyes. The shear number was over whelming. 'Good Goddess, they will be massacred.' And the fires of fury burned in her eyes. "Chamber, do they know that the enemy are approaching?" "Yes, from three days ago they knew."
'And their leaders have done nothing! Incompetence...' "I'll do it. I chose the mission, this new world in need of balance. I don't care what it takes, if I die, I will fight for them. Peach?" The old warhorse nodded his head.
"Very good Kelendry of Midelan, Lady Knight, Protector of the Small and The King's Phoenix, a gift we will give you and Warhorse for willingness to serve us again. To him his youth again so that he may not falter through this ordeal and to you... you will know what it is when the time comes."
Wind whipped by the pair as she was somehow reseated on Peach Blossom and knowledge of her mission, her past lives and of her new world was instilled into her head. The white light enveloped her again.
//Welcome to the next level Phoenix.// the voice stated.
***********
As the dragon bore down on the lone horse and rider, Faramir watched in fascination as the rider dropped the reigns and rose to stand crouched on his saddle, legs braced apart. 'What the hell was he doing?' He wondered. The gates of the White City were opening and a white rider rode towards them in all haste.
Kel crouched down on Blossom's back, readying herself for possibly the stupidest thing she had ever done in her career and that was saying a lot. She remember from her training with the Shang, that in a battle a true battle their can only be one strike and that strike a killing blow, it only came once in a fight and it was for that moment that she waited as she twirled her glaive. As it descended upon her, it made a slight correction in its path. There! The opening. Grinning like the fool she was, she launched herself from the back of her steed, bringing the glaive to attack position. The dragon and rider, surprised at the move, pulled up a little, exposing el draco's belly. In one swift movement as she passed directly under the beast, cleaving it, from neck to navel. A scream of agony was sounded and the great beast fell.
She was not worried about the rider, not yet anyway. He still had to extract himself from the dragon's carcass. She privately hoped that the rider was smothered by the beast's death throes. It was his buddy the one that just landed in front of her that was now her main concern. Just as the fell beast was to make a move to attack, a brilliant white light shone into the sky like a beam. The dragons and the riders in the air screamed a protest and retreated to the air above the fallen garrison. Kel's opponent looked to have a similar idea in the face of the white light. She was having none of that. Reaching to the small of her back she grabbed on her two shuriken opened it and launched it at the beast. It lodged itself comfortably at the base of its neck, causing it to echo it's fallen beast's pain. Beneath her facemask she smirk and brought her heavy arm to bear. Wishing for a moment she had her shield, Kel circled the beast, waiting and searching for that one opportunity to attack. Its head darted at her again and again as she wove and dodged around it, sometimes avoiding it's jaws by inches.
After two minutes...three minutes of the strange dance, she noticed it, that the beast would role his head to the right, right after trying to bite her. Regripping her weapon, she moved in to finish it. As the dragon stretched it's neck to tear her in two, Kel feinted right then rolled across it's left, bringing the glaive down where the skull meets the neck, severing it's head
She did not notice as the men of Gondor raced passed her, but focused instead on the sense of wrongness that was being emitted from behind her. Without further conscious thought she unsheathed her sword and used it to block one of the black riders blades as it brought it down upon her exposed back. Kel twirled the glaive, moving into one of her glaive-sword-dance hybrids, to give her more room to access the situation. The men of Gondor were making their way safely to the gates of the city and the rider from the headless fell beast had finally managed to find his feet, while the other advanced upon her again. Taking a deep breath she broke her dance and launched the glaive at the struggling wraith, pinning him through the chest to the body of his steed.
The other nazghul had moved in to kill as the warrior was distracted with his fellow wraith. Kel turned in time to block, and block, and block and block some more. ** "Kel, you can't win if you can't hit them." her tutor sighed. "But you're too fast." "Then even the odds, what do you have that could cause me problems, use your head girl." ** Kel blocked again and got her free hand to grasp the shuriken from her belt, opened it and slashed his torso. Following the dance, she spun inside his guard and ran him through with her sword. The Wraith fell to its knees but seemed otherwise alive and apparently cursing it's ass off. She brought the shuriken down upon it. The decapitated head let out a blood curdling scream and it and it's body shrunk in on itself leaving a pile of black tattered clothes and ash.
The other man in black had somehow removed the glaive from his body and was approaching her rapidly with every intent to scatter her insides to the four winds. Kel sighed as the wraith brought the glaive down on her; she stepped in to the attack and to the side bringing her sword down on his neck. His head rolled from the promptly shrinking body. Grabbing her glaive and cleaning it, she sheathed her sword after cleaning it on the fallen nazghul's robes. Calling to Peach Blossom, she mounted and made her way to the white city before they decided to close the gates again.
*********************
"Mithlindir! Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" "Indeed Lord Faramir... it seems the nine are now seven. This is pleasing news, though I wonder at the riders intentions." "He is approaching, what do you suggest?" "His weapons, though strange are secured, let him enter and see what he wants." "Very Well, Gates-man, let the stranger enter."
Faramir turned to his men, "Assist the wounded to the hall of healing. All able bodied men with me en Guard. We are going to be having a guest." The men rushed to their position. Archers on the walls were readying their bows. Faramir heard the faint request. "Soldier, Permission to Enter the White City."
"Permission granted my Lord," the guard said taking in the warrior's armour and the blood and gore that seemed to be covering it. "There is a guard waiting to take you to the Steward." "Very good, At ease. What is your name Soldier?" "Weston Sir." "Mr.Weston, may I suggest that the gates are barred as securely as possible and that you persuade whom ever is in charge of the outer defenses to at least put a full guard on the wall. We may have company soon." "Sir, yes sir."
Kel nodded then moved Blossom through the gates followed by the two gatemen. When she entered the city, she was met by an armed guard. Kel, nodded her helmed head in the directions of the ones that appeared to be in charge and descended from Peach Blossom. She whispered for Peach Blossom not to bite the hostler and promised to bring an apple by for him as soon as she was done with the humans. After removing her shield and strapping it to her back, she watched hostler walk away with her horse. Turning to the two men on horseback, she bowed, "I wish counsel with the Lord of the City." She said firmly.
"Who are you?" Questioned the old man. "Kel of Midelean, Knight of the realm of Tortoll, 2nd of the King's Own, and apparently Gondor's Phoenix." "The Phoenix? Why do you only come now?" The old man asked. Kel was confused. What was this guy talking about? So she told them what she knew. Someone called for reinforcements and you got me. I am here to ensure that this city does not fall despite who the lord is and his lack of actions to prepare the city for the sacking of it's life. Now if you please, my lords may you direct me to your lord, for there isn't much time. Gandalf looked to Faramir who nodded and they turned their horses to canter up to the citadel. Looking around she caught a ride on one of the riderless horses that were flitting around the courtyard to follow them.
Upon reaching the citadel, she dismounted and walked behind the two men. The younger man, Lord Faramir and son to the Steward as she soon discerned, made his report regarding the status of the river fort. The Steward snorted at his son's report and told him in no short order that he was worthless, that he wished that it was he who had died in place of his brother and that if he ever wanted his respect again that he would reclaim the river or he would never be welcome in the city again. The old man whose name she learned was Gandalf and a Child named Pippen stood off the side watching as Faramir was vocally assaulted. She could read the pain in Faramir's eyes, though his face remained stoic throughout the ordeal. These were hardly the actions of a Father much less those of a leader. When Gandalf went to speak up in Faramir's defense, the Steward waved his hand telling him that he would take no counsel from him. He knew who was riding with Rohan and was not calling them, Gondor was his and that was that. Faramir stiffly bowed and requested that his father think better of him upon his return. Gandalf receded into the shadows when Kel finally spoke up.
"Lord Faramir, hold. Lord Steward if you will not listen to his counsel perhaps you will be the leader you are supposed to be and listen to mine." Silence reigned in the hall. Who was this to speak to their lord so. "Who are you stranger and why are you not genuflecting before me?" "I am the King's Phoenix and I kneel only to the King and to Gondor. As you serve neither, but yourself, I will not bow to you." The men in the hall gasped and Delanor sputterd. "If you do not heed the counsel of Gandalf and prepare for war, I will do my duty." "I will not call on Rohen, I know who rides with them. He is a betrayer, not worthy of the duty. GONDOR is MINE!" "So be it."
Before anyone of the men could react, the strange warrior was behind the Steward and poked him in the back a couple of times. Lord Delanor promptly collapsed. Faramir approached the imposing figure in Black, red and silver armour with his sword drawn. "Relax gentleman, the Steward is merely sleeping. He will wake in three candle marks. Lord Faramir, if you could assemble a guard and bring your father to his chambers and post several guards to ensure that he does not leave those rooms. We will wait until you return before any relevant discussion takes place."
Once he had left with his prone father and a guard. Kel snagged a chair from the table and sat down heavily. By the Goddess, she was tired. She watched as the old man and the child approached her. The rest of the men hung back. "I can't tell you how long I've wanted to do that for." Gandalf told her chuckling. "Pretty much since we got here, right Gandalf." Gandalf shot a glare at the child who ducked his head. "Would we not see you face Lord Kel. And we will have to see the mark." "Right, you would ask to see that, bloody inconvenient place might I add, especially in a room of men. And it's just Kel if you don't mind Gandalf, Sir." The old man looked at the child who just shrugged his shoulders.
"If you don't mind me asking little one, what are you?" Kel asked as she reached for her chinstrap. Unbuckling it she removed her helm from her head, exposing her red sweat soaked bandanna. "Well I'm a hobbit, a halfling, we live in the shire, and enjoy a good meal and party." Kel nodded and removed her lower facemask, exposing the rest of her face. "You're a girl." "Yes I am." "But I watched you kill the fell beast and riders." "Yes... Is that what they were called?" "That was so amazing." "Well I don't feel amazing, I feel like I've been at war since dawn and have yet to eat or sleep. Oh, Wait that's because I have." She wiped her face with her hand. "This happened really fast. I've been on the battlefield since dawn. As dusk was falling I waited for the rest of my men to straggle off the field back to the fort for a well-earned celebration, meal and sleep. The victory was ours after three years of hard fighting on the Northern Border. As I went to follow my men, a light encompassed my steed and I and brought us into a white fog. There I was told that someone had requested aid for his country, his people and his city. Because of circumstances being what they were, I was it. They told me they were sending me home. I didn't understand, then presto, my steed and I wake up on a great plain with a hoard of Dragons attacking a group of riders. I am assuming you saw the rest." The old man nodded and handed her a flask. "Water." Kel nodded and took a swig. "Well I guess you want to see that mark then. What's your name sir Hobbit?" "Perigen Took. Friends call me Pippen." She nodded again. "Kelendry is my really name but I prefer when people call me Kel. My command called me mother though, not quite sure why." Both hobbit and wizard smiled at that. Faramir walked into the room at that point and the other lesser lords moved in. "You're a woman!" he exclaimed." "Very astute observation Lord Faramir." She said with a smile. "We just went over that." She started to undo and remove her forearm braces and armour. Moving to her elbow protection. She handed them off to Pippen who placed them carefully on the floor. "Sorry that they are quite rank Pippen. I have been fighting in them all day." "It's no problem Kel." She undid removed her shield from her back and placed against a table and removed her glaive from her back sheath. She undid her sword belt and layed her weapons on the table. She undid a couple of clips around her navel, then the fastening along her side, she slide out of her chest armour, handed it to Pip, the strange chain mail after leaving her in a ripped, sweat and blood soaked white shirt. She looked at their faces. "What are you looking at? I told you I have been on the battlefield all day. You are warriors, you know what that entails." She removed her shirt, leaving her in a form fitting low cut under shirt. "Can you see it now Gandalf." "Yes, yes, thank you," his hand brushed her mark, which was nestled right in the middle of her shoulder blades.
"Do you lads want to look so that you will not argue my claim, feel it if you like because this is the last time any of you will see it Ever." The lesser lords moved forward to examine it, including Faramir. "Why would this be the last time?" one inquired. "Well my lord, I do not make a habit of baring myself in the presence of others." He had the grace to blush. Then Pippen's voice spoke up. "You have small breasts." Kel blushed bright red. "That I do, but could you imagine fighting with two melons on your chest. You would not be able to move freely and you might accidentally cut one by mistake." That caused Pippen to giggle. Kel reached for her blood soaked shirt when another was offered to her. She looked at the shirt to Faramir who was offering it to her. Nodding her head in thanks, she donned the garment. Taking another swig of water she turned to the assembled men. "So there is no contest that I'm the Kings Phoenix and the position that that entails?" The men stayed silent and she accepted that when another voice spoke up. "How are you qualified for this?"
"I am a Knight Commander of the Tortoll. I have been serving as a warrior for my country since for thirteen years. I have commanded refugee cities and fully operational Forts during the Northern Wars. Any free times I had between the battles was spent in combat and tactical training and the healer tents. So therefore, I have experience with the numbers that we are dealing with, command of a large force and various ways to use that force effecting massive damage while receiving minimum casualties. Of course other opinions will be accepted and taken into account for. Does that answer your question my Lord?" "It will do." Came the gruff answer." "I know you don't appreciate someone horning in on your territory, I hated it when my superiors did it to me and I'm not the most politically inclined however I will complete my assigned mission to defend this city and it's people at all costs. If you don't like the way I do things then you can draw and quarter me after we win. Now lets get started."
****************
Within the hour, the signal fires had been lit and the call to Rohan sent. The city senchals had been called as well as the head healer, the scribes, and quartermasters and as many of the upper ranking officers that could come. Maps were spread out on the table as well as lists that the scribes had brought and drawn up. Work crews had already been sent out to reinforce the city gates and do maintenance on the main walls ballistic defenses. Soldiers had already been sent to gather and stockpile ammunition for the said weapons.
As the heads of the guards and army conferred about feasible battle tactics, the civilian experts put their heads together for plans for the people of Gondor. Pippin was included in the planning of the city's defenses. Kel pointed out to that he was a part of this whether he liked it or not, it wont go away no matter what so it is best to stand strong in the face of it so that he may get a better understanding of it in the end and accept it.
By midnight, Kel had been awake for 30 hrs, eighteen of them in hard combat, and was starting to fall asleep in her chair. They had a solid plan for the evacuation of the people to a secure location, which would be put, in place the next morning. The healing house had already begun to stock up on the required materials. The Captains had several plans of battle that would be presented on the 'morrow as well but for now the council would sleep on it.
****************
What really concerned Kel were the various types of enemies that they were facing and the types of weapons that the city had to counter act them. She was well aware of the Nazghul and their flying monstrosities as much as the rest of the military council. She had noted that they tended to dive and snatch soldiers and their steeds yesterday. Not to mention that their cry was a horrible noise that struck a knife of fear into ones very heart. So saying they had to find a way to neutralize them. "It's like hunting really big birds with a muzzle full of teeth." Finally it was decided that a combination of boluses, arrows would be the best way to deter them and if they were close enough they would prepare weighted nets. They had already determined that they were not going to them in the coming battle but that the enemy would come to them and try their luck against the walls of Gondor before they came across it's defenders. With the aid of the spyglass that Kel had brought with her, they were able to see the construction of siege towers. And thus the planning for a battle in the city began.
City planners joined the council as well as the heads of several work crews. They bounced ideas around the table about the various ways to turn their city into a death trap for the invaders. The civilians would all be safely behind the gates to the third levels, which meant that they had two levels of the city to play with. Kel was able to bring a new perspective to way to wage battle, namely urban warfare. Most of the men thought this quite dishonourable. Pippin spoke up then and pointed out that were fighting Orcs and Sauron. They were honourless in combat. "No offence gentlemen, I rather be alive for using dishonourable tactics than dead because I couldn't bring myself to ambush them. One of the Key things in a battle against a much larger foe is to whittle their numbers down gradually rather than face the whole group right up front. I was part of a rescue effort that pitted 17 against 160. We whittled them down, took advantage of their weaknesses, and defeated them with three dead and a couple of casualties. Now where can we put archer blinds?"
Paths were drawn out on the maps for attack patterns within the city. Kel had drawn up a couple of weapon diagrams and had sent them off to the weapon smiths for express construction. Formations, signals and battle plans continued throughout the day and well into the night.
The next day, final details and preparations were hashed out. Gondor's people had been remarkably willing to help booby trap their city and those that were able took up arms. With their help, the defense plans for the city were all in place. The armourers were working over time to produce enough arrows and forging and sharpening blades for the fighters. The master weapon smith, his apprentices and Faramir's guard squad returned telling her that their work in the fields were complete. She nodded her head and hoped that the preparations would be enough to keep the city. 'They have to be enough.' She thought vehemently. Just in case they had an evacuation plan should it be required. The city might fall but the people would live on.
When the council broke for the afternoon, she requested that a rotating skeleton guard be set and the rest of the soldiers be given the day off from training and briefing so that they could spend time with their families or relaxing within the city limits. She ordered a high alert quietly throughout the city. She expected an attack not the morrow but the next. With the council concluded, she had Pippin show her to the training yards, after she picked up a couple of her weapons. She had not practiced for the last two days and frankly she was a little stiff.
****************
Please take a couple of seconds to let me know what you think of it.
Legend: "@" Talking
'@' Personal thoughts
//@// Telepathy, thought speech, etc...
** Beginning and ends of a flash back
A Proper Battle
Chapter 1 : New World
The battle had been long and hard. She had been on the field since dawn and neither she nor her horse had gotten any rest. Dusk was starting to fall and they had finally beaten the Scanrans back across the border. As she wielded Peach Blossom back to the Fort, she watched as her troops sluggishly left the fields, their horses as tired as they. Her back was sore and wet but she put that down to the sweat of a hard battle. Blossom was favoring his back leg but again that was not unusual. Grinning, Kel patted her faithful warhorse, happy that they had lived to see another day.
As she sat there waiting, she began to check her equipment. Her glaive was strapped to her back, cleaned of the gore that it had accumulated through out the day, her sword was notched and would need sharpening, her shield had seen better days but the black phoenix over the white tree in a blood red field still shone through. It was five years since Haven and she was now the Second of the King's Own and 6'1 with solid muscles covering her lanky frame. She kept her golden brown hair shoulder length frequently in a ponytail at the nap of her neck and covered by a bandanna under her helm.
She had spent most of the off time that she could get in the Yammani Isles with the Shang, getting more lessons with her infamous glaive sword and the shruiken (battle fans). She also was trying to improve her unarmed skills. Because she was a female, despite her success as a knight, three out of five times she could be taken in a wrestling match. So she trained and trained and trained some more. So far all those skills were very applicable on the battlefield.
Nodding her head at the last rider past her and no more seemed to come; she waited an extra minute and made to follow her unit. Suddenly Peach Blossom became really fidgety and started to prance. The air practically hummed with energy. Kel swore, refastened her facemask and unsheathed her sword, bringing her shield up to guard. She looked around frantically to see were the attack was going to be coming from. The ground glowed and then walls of light shot up all around her. Before her curses could be heard from the Fort, Kel and Peach Blossom were engulfed in the light and disappeared into the ground.
**********
Signals for a hasty retreat had been given and the men of Gondor were getting the hell out of there. To the horses they sprang with whatever energy they had left to be sprung and fled the River Garrison like Sauron itself was after them. And for them, perhaps that is what it seemed, the inundation of orcs flooding the base like toxic waste spilling from a breached barrel. The riders sprinted across the plain before the White City.
Then they heard them, the screams of tormented souls, enough to drive the horses into a panic and what little courage the warriors left, right out the window. Faramir looked over his shoulder as he rode hard for the gates. The Ring Wraiths had found new mounts in the dragons of the nazghul and they were gunning for his men. A prayer he sent, one of desperation to any deity that was listening, to get them out of this, to help them deal with this problem, to deal with the incompetence of his father, to give him the love and respect that his father would not. To help protect the land until the king returned.
The world stopped and a voice Faramir heard. //Is this what you desire Son of Man?// Faramir nodded. //Then it shall be done. Remember your legends. Pheonix will be returned to Gondor in her hour of need. Heed the warrior and there will be hope for man.//
The world started again and Faramir shook his head to clear the clouds. The dragons had started to dive bomb the River Guards and they were only a quarter of the way to the city. As the dragons were swooping into another dive, at half plain, a brilliant circle of light erupted from the ground shooting up to the sky, not unlike the red beam that was seen from Mordor three days past. Its appearance drew the attention of their harassers' attention and for that he was eternally grateful.
The light dissipated as the battle cry of both man and beast rung out surprisingly loud the rearing battle stallion and the armoured warrior with a strange long weapon drawn. The Stallion was off and they were coming right at the retreating troops. 'Please let this be the answer to my prayers or we are screwed.' He grimaced as he watched the dragons pull back from his men as one then a second plunged at the rider from the light.
************
Kel was in a bit of a fog and a voice whispered to her, a face forming out of the mist. It reminded her of the face and the voice of the Chamber of Ordeals. "You and your warhorse are dieing Protector." "What are you talking about?" "The arrow the punctured your lung through the back and your horse is bleeding to death. You are destined to die as you enter the Gates of the Fort as you men cheer in Victory." "Why are you telling me this?" "Because one's fate is not written in stone. You have served us well in the past correcting an imbalance in the forces of good and evil and we have use of you again as a means to bring balance to a world where evil has broken the rules." "So what is the mission?" "That the White City does not fall." "And the other option?" "You and your horse take your forever rest in peace at the Halls of Valhala and the Fields of Elysion." Kel shook her head and looked at Peach Blossom. He waffled her armour. "Show me the city please." Flashes of the Minas Tirath were view in her mind's eye. Each remembered and analyzed. A proud cold city lodged at the base of the mountains, a disgruntled lord indifferently inhaled rich food as a child sang a haunting mourning melody. A line of cavalry riding out and one coming back, a little girl with flowers hugging a soldiers knee before he rides out the gate, one rider being dragged back through the gates, the crazy lord setting a wounded soldier on fire in a death pyre, the crowded city waving good-bye to the soldiers.
Kel blinked. And their foes? Orcs, trolls, dragons, and wraiths filtered before her eyes. The shear number was over whelming. 'Good Goddess, they will be massacred.' And the fires of fury burned in her eyes. "Chamber, do they know that the enemy are approaching?" "Yes, from three days ago they knew."
'And their leaders have done nothing! Incompetence...' "I'll do it. I chose the mission, this new world in need of balance. I don't care what it takes, if I die, I will fight for them. Peach?" The old warhorse nodded his head.
"Very good Kelendry of Midelan, Lady Knight, Protector of the Small and The King's Phoenix, a gift we will give you and Warhorse for willingness to serve us again. To him his youth again so that he may not falter through this ordeal and to you... you will know what it is when the time comes."
Wind whipped by the pair as she was somehow reseated on Peach Blossom and knowledge of her mission, her past lives and of her new world was instilled into her head. The white light enveloped her again.
//Welcome to the next level Phoenix.// the voice stated.
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As the dragon bore down on the lone horse and rider, Faramir watched in fascination as the rider dropped the reigns and rose to stand crouched on his saddle, legs braced apart. 'What the hell was he doing?' He wondered. The gates of the White City were opening and a white rider rode towards them in all haste.
Kel crouched down on Blossom's back, readying herself for possibly the stupidest thing she had ever done in her career and that was saying a lot. She remember from her training with the Shang, that in a battle a true battle their can only be one strike and that strike a killing blow, it only came once in a fight and it was for that moment that she waited as she twirled her glaive. As it descended upon her, it made a slight correction in its path. There! The opening. Grinning like the fool she was, she launched herself from the back of her steed, bringing the glaive to attack position. The dragon and rider, surprised at the move, pulled up a little, exposing el draco's belly. In one swift movement as she passed directly under the beast, cleaving it, from neck to navel. A scream of agony was sounded and the great beast fell.
She was not worried about the rider, not yet anyway. He still had to extract himself from the dragon's carcass. She privately hoped that the rider was smothered by the beast's death throes. It was his buddy the one that just landed in front of her that was now her main concern. Just as the fell beast was to make a move to attack, a brilliant white light shone into the sky like a beam. The dragons and the riders in the air screamed a protest and retreated to the air above the fallen garrison. Kel's opponent looked to have a similar idea in the face of the white light. She was having none of that. Reaching to the small of her back she grabbed on her two shuriken opened it and launched it at the beast. It lodged itself comfortably at the base of its neck, causing it to echo it's fallen beast's pain. Beneath her facemask she smirk and brought her heavy arm to bear. Wishing for a moment she had her shield, Kel circled the beast, waiting and searching for that one opportunity to attack. Its head darted at her again and again as she wove and dodged around it, sometimes avoiding it's jaws by inches.
After two minutes...three minutes of the strange dance, she noticed it, that the beast would role his head to the right, right after trying to bite her. Regripping her weapon, she moved in to finish it. As the dragon stretched it's neck to tear her in two, Kel feinted right then rolled across it's left, bringing the glaive down where the skull meets the neck, severing it's head
She did not notice as the men of Gondor raced passed her, but focused instead on the sense of wrongness that was being emitted from behind her. Without further conscious thought she unsheathed her sword and used it to block one of the black riders blades as it brought it down upon her exposed back. Kel twirled the glaive, moving into one of her glaive-sword-dance hybrids, to give her more room to access the situation. The men of Gondor were making their way safely to the gates of the city and the rider from the headless fell beast had finally managed to find his feet, while the other advanced upon her again. Taking a deep breath she broke her dance and launched the glaive at the struggling wraith, pinning him through the chest to the body of his steed.
The other nazghul had moved in to kill as the warrior was distracted with his fellow wraith. Kel turned in time to block, and block, and block and block some more. ** "Kel, you can't win if you can't hit them." her tutor sighed. "But you're too fast." "Then even the odds, what do you have that could cause me problems, use your head girl." ** Kel blocked again and got her free hand to grasp the shuriken from her belt, opened it and slashed his torso. Following the dance, she spun inside his guard and ran him through with her sword. The Wraith fell to its knees but seemed otherwise alive and apparently cursing it's ass off. She brought the shuriken down upon it. The decapitated head let out a blood curdling scream and it and it's body shrunk in on itself leaving a pile of black tattered clothes and ash.
The other man in black had somehow removed the glaive from his body and was approaching her rapidly with every intent to scatter her insides to the four winds. Kel sighed as the wraith brought the glaive down on her; she stepped in to the attack and to the side bringing her sword down on his neck. His head rolled from the promptly shrinking body. Grabbing her glaive and cleaning it, she sheathed her sword after cleaning it on the fallen nazghul's robes. Calling to Peach Blossom, she mounted and made her way to the white city before they decided to close the gates again.
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"Mithlindir! Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" "Indeed Lord Faramir... it seems the nine are now seven. This is pleasing news, though I wonder at the riders intentions." "He is approaching, what do you suggest?" "His weapons, though strange are secured, let him enter and see what he wants." "Very Well, Gates-man, let the stranger enter."
Faramir turned to his men, "Assist the wounded to the hall of healing. All able bodied men with me en Guard. We are going to be having a guest." The men rushed to their position. Archers on the walls were readying their bows. Faramir heard the faint request. "Soldier, Permission to Enter the White City."
"Permission granted my Lord," the guard said taking in the warrior's armour and the blood and gore that seemed to be covering it. "There is a guard waiting to take you to the Steward." "Very good, At ease. What is your name Soldier?" "Weston Sir." "Mr.Weston, may I suggest that the gates are barred as securely as possible and that you persuade whom ever is in charge of the outer defenses to at least put a full guard on the wall. We may have company soon." "Sir, yes sir."
Kel nodded then moved Blossom through the gates followed by the two gatemen. When she entered the city, she was met by an armed guard. Kel, nodded her helmed head in the directions of the ones that appeared to be in charge and descended from Peach Blossom. She whispered for Peach Blossom not to bite the hostler and promised to bring an apple by for him as soon as she was done with the humans. After removing her shield and strapping it to her back, she watched hostler walk away with her horse. Turning to the two men on horseback, she bowed, "I wish counsel with the Lord of the City." She said firmly.
"Who are you?" Questioned the old man. "Kel of Midelean, Knight of the realm of Tortoll, 2nd of the King's Own, and apparently Gondor's Phoenix." "The Phoenix? Why do you only come now?" The old man asked. Kel was confused. What was this guy talking about? So she told them what she knew. Someone called for reinforcements and you got me. I am here to ensure that this city does not fall despite who the lord is and his lack of actions to prepare the city for the sacking of it's life. Now if you please, my lords may you direct me to your lord, for there isn't much time. Gandalf looked to Faramir who nodded and they turned their horses to canter up to the citadel. Looking around she caught a ride on one of the riderless horses that were flitting around the courtyard to follow them.
Upon reaching the citadel, she dismounted and walked behind the two men. The younger man, Lord Faramir and son to the Steward as she soon discerned, made his report regarding the status of the river fort. The Steward snorted at his son's report and told him in no short order that he was worthless, that he wished that it was he who had died in place of his brother and that if he ever wanted his respect again that he would reclaim the river or he would never be welcome in the city again. The old man whose name she learned was Gandalf and a Child named Pippen stood off the side watching as Faramir was vocally assaulted. She could read the pain in Faramir's eyes, though his face remained stoic throughout the ordeal. These were hardly the actions of a Father much less those of a leader. When Gandalf went to speak up in Faramir's defense, the Steward waved his hand telling him that he would take no counsel from him. He knew who was riding with Rohan and was not calling them, Gondor was his and that was that. Faramir stiffly bowed and requested that his father think better of him upon his return. Gandalf receded into the shadows when Kel finally spoke up.
"Lord Faramir, hold. Lord Steward if you will not listen to his counsel perhaps you will be the leader you are supposed to be and listen to mine." Silence reigned in the hall. Who was this to speak to their lord so. "Who are you stranger and why are you not genuflecting before me?" "I am the King's Phoenix and I kneel only to the King and to Gondor. As you serve neither, but yourself, I will not bow to you." The men in the hall gasped and Delanor sputterd. "If you do not heed the counsel of Gandalf and prepare for war, I will do my duty." "I will not call on Rohen, I know who rides with them. He is a betrayer, not worthy of the duty. GONDOR is MINE!" "So be it."
Before anyone of the men could react, the strange warrior was behind the Steward and poked him in the back a couple of times. Lord Delanor promptly collapsed. Faramir approached the imposing figure in Black, red and silver armour with his sword drawn. "Relax gentleman, the Steward is merely sleeping. He will wake in three candle marks. Lord Faramir, if you could assemble a guard and bring your father to his chambers and post several guards to ensure that he does not leave those rooms. We will wait until you return before any relevant discussion takes place."
Once he had left with his prone father and a guard. Kel snagged a chair from the table and sat down heavily. By the Goddess, she was tired. She watched as the old man and the child approached her. The rest of the men hung back. "I can't tell you how long I've wanted to do that for." Gandalf told her chuckling. "Pretty much since we got here, right Gandalf." Gandalf shot a glare at the child who ducked his head. "Would we not see you face Lord Kel. And we will have to see the mark." "Right, you would ask to see that, bloody inconvenient place might I add, especially in a room of men. And it's just Kel if you don't mind Gandalf, Sir." The old man looked at the child who just shrugged his shoulders.
"If you don't mind me asking little one, what are you?" Kel asked as she reached for her chinstrap. Unbuckling it she removed her helm from her head, exposing her red sweat soaked bandanna. "Well I'm a hobbit, a halfling, we live in the shire, and enjoy a good meal and party." Kel nodded and removed her lower facemask, exposing the rest of her face. "You're a girl." "Yes I am." "But I watched you kill the fell beast and riders." "Yes... Is that what they were called?" "That was so amazing." "Well I don't feel amazing, I feel like I've been at war since dawn and have yet to eat or sleep. Oh, Wait that's because I have." She wiped her face with her hand. "This happened really fast. I've been on the battlefield since dawn. As dusk was falling I waited for the rest of my men to straggle off the field back to the fort for a well-earned celebration, meal and sleep. The victory was ours after three years of hard fighting on the Northern Border. As I went to follow my men, a light encompassed my steed and I and brought us into a white fog. There I was told that someone had requested aid for his country, his people and his city. Because of circumstances being what they were, I was it. They told me they were sending me home. I didn't understand, then presto, my steed and I wake up on a great plain with a hoard of Dragons attacking a group of riders. I am assuming you saw the rest." The old man nodded and handed her a flask. "Water." Kel nodded and took a swig. "Well I guess you want to see that mark then. What's your name sir Hobbit?" "Perigen Took. Friends call me Pippen." She nodded again. "Kelendry is my really name but I prefer when people call me Kel. My command called me mother though, not quite sure why." Both hobbit and wizard smiled at that. Faramir walked into the room at that point and the other lesser lords moved in. "You're a woman!" he exclaimed." "Very astute observation Lord Faramir." She said with a smile. "We just went over that." She started to undo and remove her forearm braces and armour. Moving to her elbow protection. She handed them off to Pippen who placed them carefully on the floor. "Sorry that they are quite rank Pippen. I have been fighting in them all day." "It's no problem Kel." She undid removed her shield from her back and placed against a table and removed her glaive from her back sheath. She undid her sword belt and layed her weapons on the table. She undid a couple of clips around her navel, then the fastening along her side, she slide out of her chest armour, handed it to Pip, the strange chain mail after leaving her in a ripped, sweat and blood soaked white shirt. She looked at their faces. "What are you looking at? I told you I have been on the battlefield all day. You are warriors, you know what that entails." She removed her shirt, leaving her in a form fitting low cut under shirt. "Can you see it now Gandalf." "Yes, yes, thank you," his hand brushed her mark, which was nestled right in the middle of her shoulder blades.
"Do you lads want to look so that you will not argue my claim, feel it if you like because this is the last time any of you will see it Ever." The lesser lords moved forward to examine it, including Faramir. "Why would this be the last time?" one inquired. "Well my lord, I do not make a habit of baring myself in the presence of others." He had the grace to blush. Then Pippen's voice spoke up. "You have small breasts." Kel blushed bright red. "That I do, but could you imagine fighting with two melons on your chest. You would not be able to move freely and you might accidentally cut one by mistake." That caused Pippen to giggle. Kel reached for her blood soaked shirt when another was offered to her. She looked at the shirt to Faramir who was offering it to her. Nodding her head in thanks, she donned the garment. Taking another swig of water she turned to the assembled men. "So there is no contest that I'm the Kings Phoenix and the position that that entails?" The men stayed silent and she accepted that when another voice spoke up. "How are you qualified for this?"
"I am a Knight Commander of the Tortoll. I have been serving as a warrior for my country since for thirteen years. I have commanded refugee cities and fully operational Forts during the Northern Wars. Any free times I had between the battles was spent in combat and tactical training and the healer tents. So therefore, I have experience with the numbers that we are dealing with, command of a large force and various ways to use that force effecting massive damage while receiving minimum casualties. Of course other opinions will be accepted and taken into account for. Does that answer your question my Lord?" "It will do." Came the gruff answer." "I know you don't appreciate someone horning in on your territory, I hated it when my superiors did it to me and I'm not the most politically inclined however I will complete my assigned mission to defend this city and it's people at all costs. If you don't like the way I do things then you can draw and quarter me after we win. Now lets get started."
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Within the hour, the signal fires had been lit and the call to Rohan sent. The city senchals had been called as well as the head healer, the scribes, and quartermasters and as many of the upper ranking officers that could come. Maps were spread out on the table as well as lists that the scribes had brought and drawn up. Work crews had already been sent out to reinforce the city gates and do maintenance on the main walls ballistic defenses. Soldiers had already been sent to gather and stockpile ammunition for the said weapons.
As the heads of the guards and army conferred about feasible battle tactics, the civilian experts put their heads together for plans for the people of Gondor. Pippin was included in the planning of the city's defenses. Kel pointed out to that he was a part of this whether he liked it or not, it wont go away no matter what so it is best to stand strong in the face of it so that he may get a better understanding of it in the end and accept it.
By midnight, Kel had been awake for 30 hrs, eighteen of them in hard combat, and was starting to fall asleep in her chair. They had a solid plan for the evacuation of the people to a secure location, which would be put, in place the next morning. The healing house had already begun to stock up on the required materials. The Captains had several plans of battle that would be presented on the 'morrow as well but for now the council would sleep on it.
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What really concerned Kel were the various types of enemies that they were facing and the types of weapons that the city had to counter act them. She was well aware of the Nazghul and their flying monstrosities as much as the rest of the military council. She had noted that they tended to dive and snatch soldiers and their steeds yesterday. Not to mention that their cry was a horrible noise that struck a knife of fear into ones very heart. So saying they had to find a way to neutralize them. "It's like hunting really big birds with a muzzle full of teeth." Finally it was decided that a combination of boluses, arrows would be the best way to deter them and if they were close enough they would prepare weighted nets. They had already determined that they were not going to them in the coming battle but that the enemy would come to them and try their luck against the walls of Gondor before they came across it's defenders. With the aid of the spyglass that Kel had brought with her, they were able to see the construction of siege towers. And thus the planning for a battle in the city began.
City planners joined the council as well as the heads of several work crews. They bounced ideas around the table about the various ways to turn their city into a death trap for the invaders. The civilians would all be safely behind the gates to the third levels, which meant that they had two levels of the city to play with. Kel was able to bring a new perspective to way to wage battle, namely urban warfare. Most of the men thought this quite dishonourable. Pippin spoke up then and pointed out that were fighting Orcs and Sauron. They were honourless in combat. "No offence gentlemen, I rather be alive for using dishonourable tactics than dead because I couldn't bring myself to ambush them. One of the Key things in a battle against a much larger foe is to whittle their numbers down gradually rather than face the whole group right up front. I was part of a rescue effort that pitted 17 against 160. We whittled them down, took advantage of their weaknesses, and defeated them with three dead and a couple of casualties. Now where can we put archer blinds?"
Paths were drawn out on the maps for attack patterns within the city. Kel had drawn up a couple of weapon diagrams and had sent them off to the weapon smiths for express construction. Formations, signals and battle plans continued throughout the day and well into the night.
The next day, final details and preparations were hashed out. Gondor's people had been remarkably willing to help booby trap their city and those that were able took up arms. With their help, the defense plans for the city were all in place. The armourers were working over time to produce enough arrows and forging and sharpening blades for the fighters. The master weapon smith, his apprentices and Faramir's guard squad returned telling her that their work in the fields were complete. She nodded her head and hoped that the preparations would be enough to keep the city. 'They have to be enough.' She thought vehemently. Just in case they had an evacuation plan should it be required. The city might fall but the people would live on.
When the council broke for the afternoon, she requested that a rotating skeleton guard be set and the rest of the soldiers be given the day off from training and briefing so that they could spend time with their families or relaxing within the city limits. She ordered a high alert quietly throughout the city. She expected an attack not the morrow but the next. With the council concluded, she had Pippin show her to the training yards, after she picked up a couple of her weapons. She had not practiced for the last two days and frankly she was a little stiff.
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