One Last Kiss
Part 12
Disclaimer: I don't own it...it owns me.
~*~
Eldarion spotted a bit of color amongst the seemingly endless array of sand. Calling for the party to halt, he dismounted to investigate, Elboron following him. After brushing as much sand as possible off themselves, the two stared at the figure in apparent shock. It was a man in his late twenties bearing the livery of Gondor. Dead.
"The battle scene must be near." Eldarion murmured. "Come! Let us find it ere nightfall. He was shot in the back and lying face down with his feet pointing south, so I deem that is the direction." The two lords mounted their horses and at the signal, the thirty men rode off into the swirling winds of the desert.
~*~
They rode for what seemed like hours. Finally, a soldier saw a bit of black tunic underneath the sand. And then more saw the same, and soon it was realized that the battle scene had been discovered.
"Search every inch of the land!" Elboron ordered. "Inform either the Prince or myself immediately if either the King or Prince of Ithilien is discovered!" The men searched into nightfall and beyond, finding every body and analyzing it, but neither lord was found.
"Eldarion, we have found every body there is to find. Out fathers are not dead, more likely they have been captured."
"But by chance or were they recognized? All lords in the party were dressed as common soldiers and hidden amongst the ranks. Unless these Haradrim knew our fathers' by face, they would be here and dead. There is something strange at work here." Eldarion thoughtfully replied.
"Indeed there is", Elboron whispered, "but we shall not know of it as of yet."
Suddenly, a guard ran up to them. "My lords! We have found a man alive! He witnessed the fight and saw the Prince an-"
Eldarion cut him off. "Where is this man? Lead me to him," he ordered.
The soldier led Eldarion to the wounded man's side, with Elboron lagging behind.
"Elboron, go tend to the men while I question this witness."
Recognizing an order when he heard one, Elboron gave a short, crisp half bow and stalked away to do as he was told.
When Eldarion got a good look at the man's face, he gasped. It was Beregond, Captain of Faramir's guard. "Arthad, leave us," he commanded.
When the guard was gone, he turned back to Beregond. "Beregond, what has happened? Who took my father? Where did they take him? Was Prince Faramir taken to the same place?"
"'Twas a corsair, M'lord. They took the King Southeast and they took Faramir, as well. We must have been near water for them to catch us."
"A corsair," Eldarion breathed. "Undoubtedly of Umbar. So it seems that it was not Haradrim, after all. This King of Umbar is planning something...." Snapping out of his thoughts and back into reality, Eldarion asked, "Do you know aught more?"
"Naught but a rushed conclusion made on a whim, M'lord...." Beregond trailed off.
"Tell me. It might mean the difference between the life or death for your King and Steward."
"Well...I thought the capturer might be Berékangu, Captain of the Black Pearl."
"Berékangu!" Eldarion gasped. The corsair was one of the few to escape the raid Aragorn had led years ago to reach the Pelennor Fields. Many tales had been told about this pirate and he was said to be the most fearsome of all to sails the seas. "If Berékangu is indeed the culprit, we are in trouble."
Suddenly, Beregond coughed up a bit of blood. In an instant, Eldarion had knelt beside him to examine the wounds. "'Tis but a scratch, My Lord!" he protested, but Eldarion would not hear it.
"Summon the healer!" he called to a nearby guard. Before the healer even got there, Eldarion had removed Beregond's tunic, chain mail and shirt. Underneath, he found a gaping hole that would have killed a lesser man than Beregond. "A scratch, say you?" The Prince raised an eyebrow as the healer arrived.
"My, that is an ugly wound!" the healer commented. "Come now, let's get a closer look."
Beregond sighed and closed his eyes. This was going to be a long night.
~*~
Please Review!
Part 12
Disclaimer: I don't own it...it owns me.
~*~
Eldarion spotted a bit of color amongst the seemingly endless array of sand. Calling for the party to halt, he dismounted to investigate, Elboron following him. After brushing as much sand as possible off themselves, the two stared at the figure in apparent shock. It was a man in his late twenties bearing the livery of Gondor. Dead.
"The battle scene must be near." Eldarion murmured. "Come! Let us find it ere nightfall. He was shot in the back and lying face down with his feet pointing south, so I deem that is the direction." The two lords mounted their horses and at the signal, the thirty men rode off into the swirling winds of the desert.
~*~
They rode for what seemed like hours. Finally, a soldier saw a bit of black tunic underneath the sand. And then more saw the same, and soon it was realized that the battle scene had been discovered.
"Search every inch of the land!" Elboron ordered. "Inform either the Prince or myself immediately if either the King or Prince of Ithilien is discovered!" The men searched into nightfall and beyond, finding every body and analyzing it, but neither lord was found.
"Eldarion, we have found every body there is to find. Out fathers are not dead, more likely they have been captured."
"But by chance or were they recognized? All lords in the party were dressed as common soldiers and hidden amongst the ranks. Unless these Haradrim knew our fathers' by face, they would be here and dead. There is something strange at work here." Eldarion thoughtfully replied.
"Indeed there is", Elboron whispered, "but we shall not know of it as of yet."
Suddenly, a guard ran up to them. "My lords! We have found a man alive! He witnessed the fight and saw the Prince an-"
Eldarion cut him off. "Where is this man? Lead me to him," he ordered.
The soldier led Eldarion to the wounded man's side, with Elboron lagging behind.
"Elboron, go tend to the men while I question this witness."
Recognizing an order when he heard one, Elboron gave a short, crisp half bow and stalked away to do as he was told.
When Eldarion got a good look at the man's face, he gasped. It was Beregond, Captain of Faramir's guard. "Arthad, leave us," he commanded.
When the guard was gone, he turned back to Beregond. "Beregond, what has happened? Who took my father? Where did they take him? Was Prince Faramir taken to the same place?"
"'Twas a corsair, M'lord. They took the King Southeast and they took Faramir, as well. We must have been near water for them to catch us."
"A corsair," Eldarion breathed. "Undoubtedly of Umbar. So it seems that it was not Haradrim, after all. This King of Umbar is planning something...." Snapping out of his thoughts and back into reality, Eldarion asked, "Do you know aught more?"
"Naught but a rushed conclusion made on a whim, M'lord...." Beregond trailed off.
"Tell me. It might mean the difference between the life or death for your King and Steward."
"Well...I thought the capturer might be Berékangu, Captain of the Black Pearl."
"Berékangu!" Eldarion gasped. The corsair was one of the few to escape the raid Aragorn had led years ago to reach the Pelennor Fields. Many tales had been told about this pirate and he was said to be the most fearsome of all to sails the seas. "If Berékangu is indeed the culprit, we are in trouble."
Suddenly, Beregond coughed up a bit of blood. In an instant, Eldarion had knelt beside him to examine the wounds. "'Tis but a scratch, My Lord!" he protested, but Eldarion would not hear it.
"Summon the healer!" he called to a nearby guard. Before the healer even got there, Eldarion had removed Beregond's tunic, chain mail and shirt. Underneath, he found a gaping hole that would have killed a lesser man than Beregond. "A scratch, say you?" The Prince raised an eyebrow as the healer arrived.
"My, that is an ugly wound!" the healer commented. "Come now, let's get a closer look."
Beregond sighed and closed his eyes. This was going to be a long night.
~*~
Please Review!