Chapter Eight. The End of the King at Mordor's Gate...
Faramir Drew reign outside of Cair Andros, a sad sight... most buildings were still in rubble. And the population of the area seemed to be... perhaps thirty from here... They were quickly spotted, several of the villagers ran forward, and it seemed, they were armed... "Who comes to Cair Andros? Where do you hail from? Whom has sent you?" Faramir dismounted. "I am the steward of Gondor, these are companions of mine. We hail from Minas Tirith, and come of no mans will but our own." A murmuring went up, then died down. "We welcome you Steward of Gondor, but have nothing to offer you, neither bed nor food can we spare, our hospitality must wait until we rebuild." Faramir nodded, "We ask you for no more than information then, have you seen dark riders on dark steeds pass by here? Perchance within days of us?"
The question was passed around, one woman stepped forward, "Indeed good Steward, they passed not two days ago. Horrible things they were..." Legolas nodded to Gimli, the two hobbits watched silently. They were catching up... and that meant a soon battle. "Faramir, we must depart, and not waist this chance while we have it." The steward nodded, then turned and sighed, he climbed up behind legolas, for the elf had more skill at steering with naught but a horses main to aid him. The dark beast eyed him in silence, for it was loath to go so slowly. But the other horses needed a gentler pace, they were no longer fresh. "Well? Are we to go then?" Legolas nodded and gave the beast a gentle pat, it took of like the wind, the other horses straining to keep it in sight.
"...I, for one, expected this." The heavy rain had turned the dwarfs beard into a large red mop. "Well I didn't, and I don't relish the thought of being drenched, what say you Pippen?" The other hobbit shivered. "No, I cannot say I do either Merry." Legolas smiled, he was humming a tune under his breath. Gimli snorted, "Elves don't mind horrible weather, good for the trees! Crazy smisdhfsfhshumph..." Faramir watched them In an amused silence, "Well, on the bright side Gimli, we no longer have to take a break to bathe." The entire fellowship looked at Aragorn for a few moments of silence. "True, but I rather like resting now and then." Pippen nodded, his stomach growling. "Faramir, the horses will need to rest soon." Merry nodded in agreement, both hobbits and now the dwarf as well eying their rations. Legolas turned to face Faramir, nodding in silent agreement.
Faramir sighed, "Very well, we take a short rest, Short! I remind you." The group pulled the horses in and sent them to graze, Faramir and Legolas ste up a makeshift shelter, just enough to keep out the wind and most of the rain. What faramir failed to notice, was gimli going around to the shelters back, and filling in the cracks with mud to make it more permanent. The hobbits did not overlook this however, and quickly tethered the horses to a nearby tree. All save the black one, which bolted every time the rope lay near it. Now Faramir noticed, "I said a short break! Not an overnight break! We will fall behind!!" Legolas turned and almost laughed at the Stewards horrified expression. "We need the rest Faramir, for days we have ridden with little food and less and less sleep. By the time we catch them we will not be able to stand, let alone fight. We can spare a single night."
The face was not a happy one and the argument long, but finally Faramir caved in, and the group brought out the rations and rested for the night.
Arwen... we need to head back, they will be missing us! The stairway they descended was long, it curved and each step nearly crumpled bellow their feet. To pass the Time and distract the other woman, Eowyn had suggested they explore the city and citadel, now that they were lost... well... "This entire place is ready to collapse, we shouldn't be down here, Arwen! We need to go!!" The steps were turning from building block to carved stone, a deep, musky smell filled the air. "We will see what is here, and then we shall depart." There was no emotion in the others voice, when we go back, I will ask Gandalf to sit with her. A steady dripping sound echoed from around and bellow them. The wall was slick to Eowyn's palm, but if the walls were slick... Arwen suddenly stumbled, and for all her elven balance could not recover before she plunged into the darkness before them. "Arwen!!!" Eowyn followed after her as quickly as she dared, to quickly it seemed, for soon she felt her feet leave the floor, and then she was falling...
"...Oh... where, where are... Arwen!!" Eowyn jumped to awarenss, though her leg felt as if it was sliced clean threw, bellow her a small puddle of red had formed. "Arwen!! Where are you?!"
"...I'm... I'm here..." Arwen sank down beside Eowyn, she seemed shaken, but otherwise alright. "You were right, we shouldn't have come down here." Eowyn nodded, no time to worry about that now, need to think, where are we, how to get out... the chamber was huge, its ceiling was high, and the pale moonlight shone threw a distant hole in the roof. It was not natural, this much she could tell, for the walls were polished, even if they were dusty with age, and a great motif had been carved onto the far wall. "We are bellow the city, surely far bellow... perhaps in an old treasury?" Eoywn turned, "An old treasury? What makes you say that?" Arwen reached down, and pulled a handful of smooth pebbles into the light.
They sparkled in the light, "Stones, polished gems, the room is filled with such things, ancient armor of Mirthil, blades with decorative hilts, pearls and gold. What else could we have landed in? It reminds me of the wealth of my people, though we never kept such hordes in one place." A feeling of dread had seeped into Eowyn's bones. "...Often... men do not keep such hordes as this either... let alone under cities with hidden stairways behind kings thrones..." She drew closer to the large carving. The white tree was shone in full bloom, a man stood beside it, tall and wide shouldered. But flying above the tree... "Whoever carved this was foolish.. man could never harness the power of dragons..." Eowyn started to nod, but stopped.
"Gandalf... is there more to this tree than it seems?" The wizard shook his head, "No Frodo, the tree is but a symbol, for both the city, and the king. It is the city that hides a secret... and that is not mine to tell."
"Arwen... we need to get out of this chamber quickly..." the two turned when a warm, but foul smelling breath passed over them, yellow eyes with slit like pupils gazed at them from the shadows. "Leaving, I fear, is one thing you will never do, again."
Faramir Drew reign outside of Cair Andros, a sad sight... most buildings were still in rubble. And the population of the area seemed to be... perhaps thirty from here... They were quickly spotted, several of the villagers ran forward, and it seemed, they were armed... "Who comes to Cair Andros? Where do you hail from? Whom has sent you?" Faramir dismounted. "I am the steward of Gondor, these are companions of mine. We hail from Minas Tirith, and come of no mans will but our own." A murmuring went up, then died down. "We welcome you Steward of Gondor, but have nothing to offer you, neither bed nor food can we spare, our hospitality must wait until we rebuild." Faramir nodded, "We ask you for no more than information then, have you seen dark riders on dark steeds pass by here? Perchance within days of us?"
The question was passed around, one woman stepped forward, "Indeed good Steward, they passed not two days ago. Horrible things they were..." Legolas nodded to Gimli, the two hobbits watched silently. They were catching up... and that meant a soon battle. "Faramir, we must depart, and not waist this chance while we have it." The steward nodded, then turned and sighed, he climbed up behind legolas, for the elf had more skill at steering with naught but a horses main to aid him. The dark beast eyed him in silence, for it was loath to go so slowly. But the other horses needed a gentler pace, they were no longer fresh. "Well? Are we to go then?" Legolas nodded and gave the beast a gentle pat, it took of like the wind, the other horses straining to keep it in sight.
"...I, for one, expected this." The heavy rain had turned the dwarfs beard into a large red mop. "Well I didn't, and I don't relish the thought of being drenched, what say you Pippen?" The other hobbit shivered. "No, I cannot say I do either Merry." Legolas smiled, he was humming a tune under his breath. Gimli snorted, "Elves don't mind horrible weather, good for the trees! Crazy smisdhfsfhshumph..." Faramir watched them In an amused silence, "Well, on the bright side Gimli, we no longer have to take a break to bathe." The entire fellowship looked at Aragorn for a few moments of silence. "True, but I rather like resting now and then." Pippen nodded, his stomach growling. "Faramir, the horses will need to rest soon." Merry nodded in agreement, both hobbits and now the dwarf as well eying their rations. Legolas turned to face Faramir, nodding in silent agreement.
Faramir sighed, "Very well, we take a short rest, Short! I remind you." The group pulled the horses in and sent them to graze, Faramir and Legolas ste up a makeshift shelter, just enough to keep out the wind and most of the rain. What faramir failed to notice, was gimli going around to the shelters back, and filling in the cracks with mud to make it more permanent. The hobbits did not overlook this however, and quickly tethered the horses to a nearby tree. All save the black one, which bolted every time the rope lay near it. Now Faramir noticed, "I said a short break! Not an overnight break! We will fall behind!!" Legolas turned and almost laughed at the Stewards horrified expression. "We need the rest Faramir, for days we have ridden with little food and less and less sleep. By the time we catch them we will not be able to stand, let alone fight. We can spare a single night."
The face was not a happy one and the argument long, but finally Faramir caved in, and the group brought out the rations and rested for the night.
Arwen... we need to head back, they will be missing us! The stairway they descended was long, it curved and each step nearly crumpled bellow their feet. To pass the Time and distract the other woman, Eowyn had suggested they explore the city and citadel, now that they were lost... well... "This entire place is ready to collapse, we shouldn't be down here, Arwen! We need to go!!" The steps were turning from building block to carved stone, a deep, musky smell filled the air. "We will see what is here, and then we shall depart." There was no emotion in the others voice, when we go back, I will ask Gandalf to sit with her. A steady dripping sound echoed from around and bellow them. The wall was slick to Eowyn's palm, but if the walls were slick... Arwen suddenly stumbled, and for all her elven balance could not recover before she plunged into the darkness before them. "Arwen!!!" Eowyn followed after her as quickly as she dared, to quickly it seemed, for soon she felt her feet leave the floor, and then she was falling...
"...Oh... where, where are... Arwen!!" Eowyn jumped to awarenss, though her leg felt as if it was sliced clean threw, bellow her a small puddle of red had formed. "Arwen!! Where are you?!"
"...I'm... I'm here..." Arwen sank down beside Eowyn, she seemed shaken, but otherwise alright. "You were right, we shouldn't have come down here." Eowyn nodded, no time to worry about that now, need to think, where are we, how to get out... the chamber was huge, its ceiling was high, and the pale moonlight shone threw a distant hole in the roof. It was not natural, this much she could tell, for the walls were polished, even if they were dusty with age, and a great motif had been carved onto the far wall. "We are bellow the city, surely far bellow... perhaps in an old treasury?" Eoywn turned, "An old treasury? What makes you say that?" Arwen reached down, and pulled a handful of smooth pebbles into the light.
They sparkled in the light, "Stones, polished gems, the room is filled with such things, ancient armor of Mirthil, blades with decorative hilts, pearls and gold. What else could we have landed in? It reminds me of the wealth of my people, though we never kept such hordes in one place." A feeling of dread had seeped into Eowyn's bones. "...Often... men do not keep such hordes as this either... let alone under cities with hidden stairways behind kings thrones..." She drew closer to the large carving. The white tree was shone in full bloom, a man stood beside it, tall and wide shouldered. But flying above the tree... "Whoever carved this was foolish.. man could never harness the power of dragons..." Eowyn started to nod, but stopped.
"Gandalf... is there more to this tree than it seems?" The wizard shook his head, "No Frodo, the tree is but a symbol, for both the city, and the king. It is the city that hides a secret... and that is not mine to tell."
"Arwen... we need to get out of this chamber quickly..." the two turned when a warm, but foul smelling breath passed over them, yellow eyes with slit like pupils gazed at them from the shadows. "Leaving, I fear, is one thing you will never do, again."