Changing Perceptions Chapter 11:
By Nerwen Calaelen
Disclaimer: I don't own LotR. I (possibly) own the characters that I invented and the plot of the story, nothing else, so don't sue me!
Rating: I've said PG-13, but I don't think it merits it at all at the moment, but there will be more violence if I continue and I was not really sure about the rating anyway.
A/N: I know I've not updated this in ages – and this isn't really a very good chapter, but I was having so many problems with it that I decided just to sit down and write it. Also, I would have probably worked on it more before posting, but I wanted to post this today – exactly a year since I became a member of this site. It isn't precisely a year since I posted this story as it took me a couple of days to be brave enough, but that is when I decided I was going to post. While I'm writing this I think I'm going to thank two people, without whose encouragement and help I very much doubt I'd still be posting: Waseom and Soledad.
I can't promise more updates, I'm in the middle of my dissertation and have finals coming up. However, there might be more as hopefully this'll get easier to write now.
***
It was not at dawn that the knock on the door came, but soon after. Sleepily the doorkeeper moved to answer it to find an armed squad on the doorstep,
"Slave, summon your master. We have business with him." The young noble who led the squad looked more uncertain than his words suggested. The slave scurried off whilst the squad entered the house and stood waiting in the main room.
"This is unexpected. Explain yourselves." Mauburz entered, "Zirkan! Have you decided to join with my foes that you enter my house at the head of a troop, instead of as a friend?"
"I am merely following orders. I take no pleasure in this, no more than you. I have been ordered to arrest your daughter Razzuga on the grounds of high treason."
"Who ordered this? I had thought that her connections would have rendered her above the petty revenge of Globthak and his cabal."
"I do not know whence the orders came. Come, send a servant to fetch her. If you send messages to her friends you can surely get her freed before nightfall, but I dare not leave her free."
"Very well." He gestured to one of the slaves, "It will take some time for her to get ready. I will send messages to the palace at once." He left, leaving the other to wait.
Eventually Razzuga appeared, dressed in all her finery. She walked head high, determined not to show her fear. The squad fell in around her and left.
***
"My lady, Lord Mauburz is here to speak with you."
Arraga looked up from the papers in front of her,
"Tell him that I am unavailable." She returned to the report from Grimtrak on food supplies from Rhun. She scrawled down calculations, trying to work out how much the food had cost in total and how many it would feed. They seemed to be getting there, but she was not certain whether there would be enough to last until the harvest. She hesitated, then drafted a reply, before summoning a scribe to copy it and send it off. She filled the report with earlier ones and turned to the next document. Her desk was buried in paper, all of which needed to be dealt with, immediately or five days ago. For a minute she sighed, wishing that Bazbog would help, but he had decided that he was in charge of the troops and would not touch the rest of the work and so it was left for her to deal with. At least Olrat will be back to help soon, he has already left Gondor, I know from his last report.
***
Mauburz paced around the room. Having sent many messages to his allies and received no replies he had visited them, one after another; asking for information and help. However, no one had been able to help him and so he had come to the palace, to speak to the one person who must be able to help. Yet the Empress would not speak to him, she was too busy, apparently. He slammed his fist into the wall, he was a lord, how dare she not make a little time to speak with him!
***
Olrat smiled as he looked down on the city, this was a better homecoming than the last. He turned to speak to the man riding beside him,
"The capital. What think you of it?"
The Gondorian hesitated before speaking,
"It seems very spread out, and disordered. As well as probably impossible to defend. Yet I can see how it has its own beauty."
Olrat smiled,
"No enemy has ever got this far; nor will one ever whilst a man of the army lives. It is very different from your cities – it has grown unplanned."
"True. In our cities, the layout is designed for defence. We fight the enemy wherever he is, even within the cities. You saw the ruins in Minas Tirith from the recent war." Erchirion answered.
"Over there on the hillside is the palace. That is our destination." Though I will I knew more certainly what awaits us there. I feel that some of the reports Arraga has sent do not tell the whole truth of events. There are gaps and I fear that means bad news. He drew his attention back to the present just in time to hear the question asked to him by the third rider,
"Are you expecting us to be met by a guard of honour or the like, before we ride through the city?"
"I do not know whether we will be met, but I had thought to avoid riding through the city until we know more about conditions now. We will follow that road," he gestured to where a track parted from their road a little further down the hill. It ran along the edge of a grove of trees, and on coming to the palace from the side.
"That is not the way you will be expected to travel." Hurin objected, half considering whether he should be saying that such a course was an insult to them as the ambassadors of Gondor and that they should be welcomed respectfully.
"Which is a compelling reason to take it. I do not know what the exact situation here is at the moment but it is very likely that there are many of the former Emperor's servants still free and who may well be looking for a chance for revenge. Until I know more, I feel that it is safer to be cautious." He hesitated for a minute before continuing, "Especially as there will be many who would not find your presences welcome. Remember Gondor has been our sworn enemy for many centauries. They will have to be persuaded of the advantages of an alliance."
"Yet you have formed the alliance and will honour it." It was not quite a question and in the moments Olrat let pass whilst trying to think of a diplomatic way to answer this, Erchirion leapt in,
"You cannot doubt the alliance will hold. You have heard him speak in its favour so often on the journey here. Surely he would not take such an unpopular decision unless he intended to keep it."
Hurin did not speak again, but thought I would not be so confident of that. Although you two have become friends, I have no reason to suspect that he would not drop the alliance immediately if it because more of a disadvantage than an advantage. He listened to the two talking, it seemed that Erchirion has asked about the trees and Olrat was now explaining about the agriculture of the region.
They came round a twist in the track and faced the palace. Olrat rode forward towards the nearest gates and spoke to the men guarding it, but the others were too far back to hear his words. Quickly the gates were open, stable hands can forward to lead away the horses and servants to unpack the belongings from the carts. The two ambassadors, together with Olrat were led into the palace, to where Arraga was waiting for them.
She hesitated, uncertain of what to say, before speaking,
"Olrat. It is good to see you arrived back safely and successfully. Please speak to them in welcome, saying whatever is correct and about how honoured we are to have them here. I do not know their language."
"Lady, I understand yours and thank you for our welcome." Erchirion spoke, almost correctly.
She blushed, annoyed at herself for her assumption,
"Thank you. It is an honour to great you. Your journey has been long and no doubt you wish a chance to rest. Let the servants show you to your rooms." She waited until they had left to turn to Olrat,
"You have succeeded beyond what we had believed possible. Are you weary or would you prefer to hear an up to date report? There is a lot that has happened, yet everything is going more or less as we expected, and yet very differently." She seemed ready to go on, but Olrat interrupted,
"Let me bathe and then you can tell me about it whilst I eat. Have you arranged for food to be taken to the Gondorians?"
"Yes. I have followed the instructions you sent with your last report. Hopefully everything will be as they expect it."
"Good."
***
Arraga had returned to her study and sat down at the desk. I must report everything to him, but I cannot work out what to say. It is very important how I present it to him. I wish I knew how to get him to react as I want him to, with my father I know exactly how to do that, but Olrat is practically a stranger to me, although he is my husband. She went to her filing system to look out the last batch of reports and reread them, noting down the important points. At this stage I can safely leave out the news of Razzuga's trial, but he will need to learn of it soon and if I do not tell him someone else will and they could encourage him to inappropriate actions. She looked down at her notes, trying to ensure that she had not missed anything vital; she could always give him more information if he asked for it. She returned the reports to her files, checking everything was correctly sorted so that she could quickly find anything she needed. She turned back to the desk; as always it was covered in documents, all of which needed reading and acting on. She piled them neatly. It is now Olrat's responsibly unless he chooses to let me carry on with it and so I must ensure that everything is in order for him. Satisfied that everything was organised, she left, taking with her the notes she had made.
The dinner was in one of the small dining rooms of the palace. By the standards of that building it was very plain, but also a very pleasant refuge of the summer's heat. It opened onto one of the many small gardens enclosed by the buildings. When she entered she saw Olrat standing at the edge of the room, looking at the fountains,
"There is water to spare for such luxuries?" He said, turning to face her.
"They actually waste very little water; it goes through various fountains in the palace, before flowing into the water tanks for watering the crops. Come let us eat and I will tell you of what has occurred whilst you have been away." She sat down at the table and he joined her,
"Very well." He glanced around, noticing that there were no servants in the room, before glancing at the food, which to his satisfaction was simple as was appropriate in a time of famine.
She started to speak, detailing events and decisions. He listened, but did not comment until she had finished,
"You have done well. I did not realise from your earlier reports how small a role Bazbog decided to play. Tomorrow you must tell me in more detail about what needs to be decided and we will work out the next stages of our plan.
***
A/N: Review please. : )