Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters listed, nor do I own the plot. All that cedit must go to the great Prof. Tolkien.
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Prologue-The Year 2885 of the Third Age
Far had Gondor fallen from the majesty of Numenor of old. The Men of Gondor were the descendants of the Kings of Men, and the greatest race of Men upon Middle-earth, but the blood of Numenor was all but spent, and mixed with that of lesser men.
Even the Royal Line was broken, and now there was no King of Gondor, instead a Steward of the Realm who 'Ruled until the King should return'. But still, even in the days of its waning, there are men in Gondor in whom the blood of Numenor flows true. One such man was the then Steward, Turin II, son of Thorondir.
He ruled a realm that had shrunk considerably from the one Isildur of old had reigned over. The height of Gondor's power had come a thousand and nine hundred years before, in the reign of the King Hyarmendacil, which meant 'South-Slayer'.
He had conquered the land of Umbar, the havens of the Corsairs, and the Haradrim and Easterlings acknowledged his sway. It was said in that time that 'precious stones were pebbles in Gondor for children to play with'.
But the seeds of decay had been sown. Hyarmendacil's successors lived lives of luxury and did not adopt his policy of expansion. Slowly, they lost many places like Umbar and all lands west of the Anduin, save Ithilien.
After the Kings failed, the Northmen came to dwell in Rohan and became allies of Gondor after aiding them in battle against Easterlings. Their lord, Eorl, swore an oath of allegiance to Gondor, and said all those who followed in his bloodline should abide by it.
Now the time had come. The oldest and greatest enemy of the Numenoreans, Sauron the Deceiver, had awakened again and reoccupied the Land of Mordor, while the Men of Gondor slept. While he was building up his strength, he sent emmissaries to the Evil and wild Men, who hated Gondor and all the heirs of Elendil.
The hearts of the Haradrim are easily corrupted by Sauron, the base master of treachery.
Their chieftains gathered together and mustered and army. The southern most way to enter Gondor was to cross the dangerous fords of the River Poros. It was this way that the Haradrim purposed to enter Gondor.
After that, they would have to cross Ithilien and be harassed by the Rangers of Gondor, then pass the defenses of Osgiliath, and finally lay siege to that vast and great fortress, Minas Tirith.
Though the spies of Gondor informed the Lords of these tidings, little could Gondor do but gather an army as large as it could afford in its days of waning. The reach of the Kings of Men had lessened, and all they could do was defend against the onslaught.
Turin II turned to his only hope and ally, the King of the Mark, or Rohan, and requested that they remember their oaths and send aid to Gondor in its hour of need. Besides, the soldiers of Gondor wore very heavy armor, and fought on foot for the most part. Even their nobles fought on foot with an elite guard.
Therefore, the mounted knights of the Rohirrim would be a valuable addition to the army of Gondor, and would add mobility to their force. At this time, the King of Rohan was Folcwine. He was an honorable man who fulfilled the Oath of Eorl.
He sent his two older sons, Folcred and Fastred with an army of mounted Rohirrim to Minas Tirith, where they joined the Marshalling of the Army of the Lords of Gondor, under command of Turin II son of Thorondir, the Steward of Gondor.
When the army was assembled, they set forth towards Ithilien, passing Osgiliath, and then turned South at the Cross-Roads towards the River Poros.
The army included ten thousands of men-at-arms, armed with the spear and the sword, and clad in heavy mail with surcoats of black bearing the token of the White Tree of the Court of the Fountain. They wore helms on which were crafted the gull wings of Numenorean heraldry.
There were also one thousand archers, the finest that Gondor could boast of. Though they were in no way comparable to the Numenorean archers of old, they were the best in Middle-earth, save perhaps the elves.
The cavalry was made up of five hundred knights of Gondor, from the princedom of Dol Amroth, which was a fief of Gondor in Belfalas, along the sea. The main cavalry consisted of the Rohirrim, with six thousands of their knights, the finest cavalry in Middle-earth. It is said that the Rohirrim are born upon their saddles. The Royal foot guards of Turin numbered five hundred, and were the best infantry in Middle-earth.
All told some eighteen thousands in all. 'Twas but a rough echo of the glory and majesty of the armies of the Lords of Numenor, but still an impressive sight upon Middle-earth. It was the most that Gondor could spare without leaving its homelands defenseless. The Rohirrim marched under their banners of green, which depicted a white horse running free upon a grassy field.
The Knights of Dol Amroth marched under their banner of a swan-ship upon a background of blue. Their leader was Andrahil, Prince of Dol Amroth. The blood of Numenor flowed true in these men and they bore themselves like Lords.
Last but the proudest marched the men who bore the black banner of Gondor upon their shields and banners. Upon it was an image of the White Tree of Gondor, with seven stars and a crown set atop the tree. It was the device of Elendil the Faithful.
The fate of Gondor lay upon the upcoming battle.
"Et Earello Endorenna utulien. Sinome maruvan ar Hildinyar tenn' Ambar-metta!"
The words of Elendil the faithful as he landed upon Middle-earth-
'Out of the Great Sea to Middle-earth I am come. In this place will I abide, and my heirs, unto the ending of the world.'
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The sky was overcast, and Amon Amarth, or Mount Doom in the common tongue, was spewing fire. 'Twas not always so, reflected Turin sadly. Ever since the Lord of the Black Land had come back to his ancient dwelling, the mountain of fire had rekindled.
Ithilien, called the garden of Gondor, had been emptied of its dwellers, as the orcs of Mordor frequently raided it, as it was the part of Gondor nigh' Mordor. The only Men left were a company of Gondor, called the Rangers of Ithilien, who were chosen from former dwellers and were armed with the longbow, sword and the broad-bladed spear.
Turin was a war-wise man. He knew that the Nameless One was merely biding his time, preparing his strength for the inevitable assault on the last realm of the Dunedain, the Men of the West. His war upon Gondor would come swiftly.
'Twas Turin who founded the refuge of Henneth Annun, in Ithilien for the Rangers. He knew the time had come nigh' when the Dark Lord's assault on the Dunedain would come. As Lord of Minas Tirith and Steward of Gondor, he was charged with the defense of the Realm. He therefore strengthened and made anew many fortifications of Gondor.
The Rangers of Ithilien knew all the lands in the area unto the Fords of Poros. They were sent to scout out the Haradrim force and report its strength, purpose and heading. They established that the force was a few days heading from the Fords and they were currently in the now-desert land of South-Gondor, which was no longer counted as part of the realm.
The strength of the Southrons were said to be at forty thousands, which meant that they twice outnumbered the Lords of Gondor and Rohan. These tidings were disheartening to the Men of the West.