In An Age Before

by Phantom Bard

Part 298 posted, in which Helluin and the Riders of Norðr-vestandóttir Bý aid the Third Marshal Haleth in Rohan's defeat of the Easterling invaders. Brutal weather, disease, and failing morale play a part. Aldburg is no sooner freed of the eastern threat when tidings come of the Dunlending's invasion from the west. OCs galore as usual.

197. In An Age Before Chapter 197

In An Age Before – Part 197

Chapter One Hundred twenty-nine

Imladris and Rhovanion – The Third Age of the Sun

After a week traversing the High Pass east of Rivendell, Helluin had ridden Barq down into the Vale of Anduin as the month of Ivanneth ended. The Easterling horse had been o'erjoyed at their reunion, for after 'nigh five months in the valley whilst Helluin chased the Ringwraith through the Ettenmoors and the Cold Fells, he was beginning to become impatient. Kind as the Elves were, they had fought no battles during his tenancy in Rivendell and, (as he had repeatedly asked himself), what purpose has a war horse without a war?

Yet finally, Helluin had arrived in the third week of Ivanneth, T.A. 1975, disappointed that the wraith had fled her yet again, irritated at the loss of her dagger, and invigorated by having learnt a clue regarding the disappearance of her beloved. The back-story she explained to him in encapsulated form, compressing four thousand years into a half-hour's recitation. After assuring that he was healthy, she went to find the Lord Elrond, to give account of her battle with Tindomul for the updating of his lore.

Helluin came to Elrond's study and knocked upon the half-open door. When the Peredhel looked up, she offered him a courteous bow and walked in.

"Mae govannen, Helluin," he said with a smile. "As you are here, I wager Tindomul is again defeated. How went the battle, meldis nín?"

"Mae govannen, Lord Elrond," she replied. "'Tis as thou say, Tindomul is again defeated, and his spirit fled south o'er the mountains. Alas, I slew him not and he escaped."

"'Tis a victory still, even if not a final one, eh? He is at least vanquished for a time."

"Aye, he is, though I wager that in a century or two he shall trouble us again. Still, I have had of him more profit this time than simply his flight. He offered information on Beinvír's disappearance, and so I shall go next to Rhovanion to investigate."

"That is good tidings indeed, for any information is better than none. What did he claim?"

And so the questioning began, and Helluin spent the remainder of that afternoon providing her tale of the chase and battle, and hearing accounts of what had occurred in the Battle of Fornost that they had not witnessed firsthand, and which the Peredhel had learnt only later by questioning Prince Eärnur and Prince Arne. To this, she added what had transpired in Celenhár through her viewing of the palantíri, and what she had learnt from Aranarth, Níshír, and Mithrandir.

"So thou shalt go o'er the High Pass next? I wager Barq shall be happy to be off again, for he hath seemed increasingly restless." he said.

Helluin rolled her eyes and said, "as we spoke I could well 'nigh hear him muttering, what purpose has a war horse without a war, o'er and o'er. Aye, in the morn we shall go east."

"Then I pray thee, join my board this night and perhaps enjoy the tales in the Hall of Fire after, for I wager many would greet thee."

To his offer, Helluin nodded her acceptance. A good meal would be welcome, though she was less than eager to regale the company of Imladris with her gruesome tales. Then again, she thought with the hint of a grin, perhaps they have not heard aforetime of a dead horse running headless through the night.

Helluin indeed joined the company of Imladris for the evening meal and after, provided entertainments for the company in the Hall of Fire. She thought they had particularly relished the tale of the headless horse, and the sword in the stone Troll. Eventually though, she deferred to others for the recitation of the songs and poetry so beloved by the Elves. In the morn she found Barq and rode to the High Pass. 'Twas 22 Ivanneth.

Now when she descended into the Vale of Anduin, Helluin crossed the river at the Old Ford. Rather than continuing into the forest on the Men-i-Naugrim, she rode east 'til she struck a track that ran north-south, a score and five miles inland from the east bank. Though it had shifted somewhat o'er the centuries, 'twas the same road upon which she had come south to prosecute the Necromancer of Dol Guldur, back when she had first met Inthuiril and the Periannath. 'Twas also the same track she had followed with Beinvír when they had discovered the Ithron Aiwendil at Rhosgobel.

Although the pending meeting filled her with misgivings, 'twas indeed to Rhosgobel and the home of the Brown Wizard that Helluin rode. Despite his bizarre abode and even more bizarre behavior, the Ithron was the closest friendly presence she knew, and so she determined to begin her investigations there. For a score miles, she and Barq continued north up the track as it veered further inland from the river 'til it ran but a furlong from the verge of the wood. During that time she marked only a single, thin column of smoke rising to the southwest.

"We go to visit with one of the strangest characters on the Hither Shores, probably second only to Iarwain Ben-adar," the Noldo told the Easterling horse. She continued to recount her prior meeting with Aiwendil, all of which Barq absorbed with surprisingly little reaction. "In Aman he seemed not nearly so peculiar," she said, shaking her head. "I deem that in these Mortal Lands he hath developed some…foibles. Perhaps some things have changed since I saw him last."

O'er four centuries had passed since her prior visit, and in that time, all she had heard of him was Mithrandir's tale describing the two-headed calves. She shook her head again and tried to keep an open mind.

He does sound like a curious character by western standards, Barq eventually said, but he might not be deemed so strange in the east. We have many shamans who use herbs to prompt their visions. I shall be interested to meet him…not so sure about the two-headed calves though.

Now a score miles northwards passed at an easy trot, and by early afternoon they came to the nondescript trail leading into the forest. Helluin searched the border 'twixt the grasslands and the wood, but no cyclone of birds or 'aught else peculiar did she see. With a sigh, she urged Barq 'neath the trees. 'Twas 28 Ivanneth.

They came some hundred yards ere a clearing appeared, and compared to Helluin's memory, 'twas noticeably expanded. The path ended 'twixt a bracket of termite mounds that rose as massive as the hovels of Men. Now the encircling ring of bared earth extended south for a good thirty additional yards by the Noldo's estimation, wherein all plant life had been beaten down and trampled 'neath copious foot, hoof, and claw prints. Scattered heaps of dung lay at intervals, decomposing into the ground. The remains of snacks and meals were strewn haphazard, piles of bones, tufts of fur, and lumps of feathers. Shed antlers lay hither and thither, with the occasional turtle shell and abandoned bird's nest still to be recognized.

The construction itself had only grown o'er the intervening centuries since she had last beheld it. Now the mountains of bird cages, roosts, and nests rose another story higher. The walls no longer formed an irregular cliff, but had evolved into canyons of wood and stone, rushes and thatching, mounds and the entrances of lairs and burrows. No sign of the windows, porches, or doors was to be seen. The new southern extension was much the same, save that it rose only two stories instead of four. Nests of squirrels and birds, interspersed with thatching, formed the roof. From within came a cacophony of mewling, bleating, and neighing, adding to the din of animal calls, bird songs, chitterings, barks, and shrieks. The voices of well 'nigh e'ery species Helluin could recall was represented in that chorus, and combined with the o'erwhelming stench, threatened to give Helluin a pounding headache.

Beside the Noldo, Barq pranced in disquiet. The whole impression of so many creatures left him o'erborne by the assault on his senses. Particularly, the scent and howls of the wolves and the growling of panthers proved upsetting. Helluin groaned and lay a hand on his neck, trying to calm him, yet she herself was on edge, her senses assailed, the situation less welcome than the press of battle. Alas, she marked 'naught upon which she could apply her weapons.

"Aiwendil!" She called out at the top of her lungs, barely to be heard o'er the din. Helluin repeated her shout several times during the course of the next few minutes, but received no response. Finally, in mounting exasperation, she snatched up a sizeable rock and flung it at the wall of bird houses and nests where it bounced off, inciting an even greater clamoring from the creatures.

Now whether the Ithron had been deep within Rhosgobel and required significant time to find his way out, or 'twas only the increased clamoring of the animals that coaxed him hence, Helluin could not be sure. Only as she turned from the calamitous scene to take her leave did the Wizard appear from the far end of the new addition. He called out in an unnatural and booming voice, and the Noldo turned to him, her prior annoyance graduating to incredulity and then shock.

Towards her advanced the distinguished Ithron, the tattered remains of brown robes draped o'er his shoulders and reaching down only so far as his upper thighs. His bare and spindly legs made Helluin suspect that he was otherwise naked. He bore the staff of his office, but it displayed obvious signs of gnawing, pecking, and clawing. Upon his head he wore the same fur hat that she recalled from her visit aforetime, and upon his feet a pair of sturdy but shabby boots. Atop his hat sat a bird's nest, and a fall of guano decorated the brim. It had o'erflowed down the side of his head to encrust his right shoulder. Helluin grimaced in disgust. Aiwendil approached with a broad smile on his face, clearly glad to have a visitor. He came 'nigh with words of welcome and arms opened wide for a welcoming hug. The Noldo cringed. The Ithron walked past her and embraced Barq 'round his neck. The Easterling horse greeted him with a violent sneeze.

Allergic to bird dander, he said apologetically. The Ithron nodded.

"Aiwendil, I have questions," Helluin said, swallowing her annoyance.

The Ithron turned at the sound of her voice, as if seeing her for the first time. He looked her up and down and said, "thou seem familiar. Have we met aforetime?"

Helluin regarded him with jaw agape in astonishment. She marked the extreme dilation of his pupils, his somewhat rapid breathing, and the sheen of sweat on his face.

"We met first in Aman, eight thousand years ago," she said in exasperation, "and most recently in 1551. Art thou well, meldir ifant?"

At first he just stared at her. Then the Ithron brushed aside with his hands some things hanging 'twixt them that neither she nor Barq could see. Finally, he squinted at her.

"'Tis vexing, trying to view thee clearly through all this drifting haze of patterns and colors," he admitted, "and thy form appears to 'breath', now shorter and squatter, now taller and thinner. Pray hold still a moment?"

With a groan, Helluin said to Barq, "He hath had more of his 'tea', I wager. Could be days ere he recovers himself." She shook her head, consigning herself to an indefinite wait ere being able to engage him in a coherent conversation.

If it should take days ere he speaks, then I must away. I shall await thee in the grasslands 'twixt the forest and the river, for I cannot much longer abide the allergens so abundant here.

The Easterling horse punctuated his silent words with another violent sneeze. Helluin reluctantly nodded her agreement and watched as he walked off 'twixt the termite mounds and back up the path away from Rhosgobel.

Now it did indeed take a full day ere Aiwendil recovered his wits. The evening and night were trying to Helluin, for the Ithron made little sense and remembered less, even of their ongoing conversation. By dawn of the 29th he seemed more rational, at least recognizing her and his surroundings. His mentation improved during the morn whilst his cognitive deficits decreased so that by noon he at least managed to provide them with a meal.

Aiwendil's kitchen was just as Helluin remembered it, a large open space of several stories height, with an off-center stone hearth and a pantry jutting out to one side. A rickety table, mismatched chairs, decrepit cabinets, and a large wash basin in a tilted stand stood amidst cupboards, countertops, and bookshelves. The Ithron took a seat and gestured Helluin to an empty chair. Though the family of hedgehogs were absent from the china cabinet, birds still flew free o'erhead, whilst from the ceiling dangled hundreds of quiescent bats whose guano had formed stalagmites on the floor. Aiwendil pointed out an oval metal tub half-filled with dried grain, rye and wheat mostly. Blackish purple cones, slender and curved protruded from 'twixt the kernels. Nearby, a bucket of water held a mat of the purple cones, steeping to render their virtue. Helluin shook her head, somehow hardly surprised. 'Twas ergot being processed, a source of hallucinogenic compounds.

For their noon meal, the Ithron provided mugs of cider and a large puffball mushroom, baked and served with a sauce of berries. Suspicious of adulterants, Helluin declined both. Aiwendil shrugged and ate with gusto, eventually finishing off all.

"Now that's better," he said, seeming quite pleasantly sated. "Had thou some concerns?"

"Indeed so," she began, trying not to roll her eyes. "Recall thou that upon my last visit I was accompanied by another elleth, Beinvír? She disappeared from Nanduhirion in 1851, and only of late have I heard tidings telling of her fate. I pray thee, hast thou heard 'aught concerning her since we last took our leave?"

'Cross the table, Aiwendil scratched his head, his eyes turned within as he searched his memories. For many minutes he remained silent in thought.

"A dark ghost flew south two fortnights past," he muttered, his eyes still unfocused. "Belron brought another calf in Cerveth…honey in Nórui. End of Nínui an Eagle stole a calf."

He continued on, recalling events further and further into the past. Helluin sighed. At the rate he was going, t'would be a week ere he worked his way back one hundred and twenty four years to 1851. She was torn 'twixt remaining, on the off-chance of hearing some valuable tidbit, or taking a walk to the grassland to check on Barq.

When she looked back to Aiwendil he was muttering softly, but far faster, and he seemed to be accelerating. His eyes were fluttering with small movements reminiscent of a seizure. The Ithron was fast-tracking his memory, his voice progressing to a buzz akin to a bumblebee, and the Noldo could no longer understand a word he said. She watched him with curiosity, trying to imagine Mithrandir employing the same method, yet e'er aforetime, the Grey Wizard had easily plucked events from his memory with random access rather than by serial recall. It seemed that the Brown Wizard, whether by nature or through the use of his pharmacopoeia, now had a mind altered in a fundamental way.

Huh…imagine that. I shall have to ask of Mithrandir regarding this, for I recall it not from Aman.

Her attention snapped back to the Ithron. His mumbling was slowing. Finally, he spoke words she could understand.

"14 Lothron, Glam and a dark ghost bring a prisoner south. 13 Lothron, Glam and a dark ghost crossed Anduin. 2 Lothron, a blast of Light."

Helluin blinked. Ere the dawn of 2 Lothron in 1851 she had destroyed two score Tor to the east of Fornost using the Light of Aman. In Nanduhirion the following evening, Beinvír had disappeared. 'Cross the table, Aiwendil had returned to himself and was regarding her carefully.

"I have many friends," he reminded her. "They tell me all that passes in the forest and 'nigh the river."

The Noldo nodded to him. Though he had not identified the prisoner, the timing was right. A company of Yrch driven in haste from Nanduhirion could have covered the two hundred and fifty miles to the Old Ford in eleven days, and turned south in twelve. If they were accompanied by a Nazgûl, such haste would be no surprise. And if they had turned south after crossing the Old Ford, then they would have been making for but one destination, Dol Guldur. A month ago, Tindomul had fled south after she had defeated him in the Cold Fells.

"Know thou 'aught of the state of Dol Guldur as it now stands?" She asked. Surely his animal friends would have reported on its occupancy.

"Eight of the Nine departed in 1856. I know not whither the ninth abode in those days. I have not heard of any save a few Glam lingering there since."

"In 1856, the ninth was recovering in the Far East, judging by the troops he conscripted after. In 1851 I had scorched him with the Light of Aman, concentrated as ne'er aforetime, and I deem his rehabilitation took many years. I wager the other eight went either into the East where a war of conquest now rages, or perhaps to Mordor. One only commands them, even whilst weakened by the loss of his Ring."

Perhaps even now, the injured spirit of Tindomul seeks to convalesce in the otherwise deserted fortress of Dol Guldur. A predatory look came into Helluin's eyes and she weighed possibilities. Perhaps she could come upon him in a weakened state, when he least expected it, and finish him off with the Sarchram. Of course if the other eight had gone to Mordor with Sauron in 1856, Tindomul could have fled thither as well. She had no way to be sure, save by going to Dol Guldur herself.

Such was my plan anyway, she thought, and going thither, perhaps I shall uncover some further clues to Beinvír's fate.

Aiwendil had been watching her, and though he appeared addled, he was still Maia and Ithron.

"So you will go next to Dol Guldur, and I suppose you will want to leave at once," he said, though it did not sound like a question. "I do hope you will learn more of Beinvír. She seemed nice. Perhaps on your way south, you can also ask of the Northmen. Marhwini son of Marhari and his folk fled west through the forest in 1856 and now dwell to the south. They are ruled by Marhwini's great grandson, King Frumgar."

Helluin nodded to the Ithron. It seemed he was able to read her intent as easily as Mithrandir.

"1856 was a busy year, t'would seem," she remarked.

"The Wainriders defeated King Narmacil II and scattered the Northmen. Perhaps the Úlairi and their master deemed their work accomplished after that and turned to other concerns, leaving the conquered lands to their allies, I know not for certain."

Helluin nodded. Aiwendil's analysis seemed sound to her. From a distance, she had seen the knights of Rhovanion at the last stand of the Host of Angmar. That had been in Lothron, o'er five months past. She expected they were home in the Vale of Anduin by now.

"I shall walk out with thee, Helluin," Aiwendil offered, rising to his feet.

From the kitchen, the Ithron led Helluin down a cavernous hall, past the trunk of the central tree, and 'twixt cliffs of dog houses, bird cages, bat houses, rabbit hutches and other assorted domiciles. She had not realized 'til then that the entrances of as many such animal houses faced inward as she had seen aforetime facing outward. Eventually, they came to a long open space of two stories' height, divided into rows of stalls. This was the 'new' addition extending to the south that she had marked. She glanced into the stalls in passing and stopped in mid-stride. There stood many two headed cows, bulls, calves, goats, sheep, and even a two headed pony. Barn cats with two heads or two faces lounged atop the stall dividers, or dozed in mangers of hay. She stared in astonishment. A mouse with two heads raced o'er her boot and a cat gave chase. A cow with two vastly unequal sized heads regarded her placidly, both of its mouths chewing, chewing, chewing. 'Nigh the exit stood an o'ersized hutch filled with o'ersized rabbits. One sat on its haunches, its sniffing nose waist high to her. She shook her head and followed the Brown Wizard. Shortly later, they emerged from the 'barn' and into the yard where the stench assailed her afresh, forcing her to wrinkle her nose and breathe through her mouth. Aiwendil reacted not at all.

"T'would seem thou hast been busy, my friend," she finally said.

Aiwendil nodded gravely and said, "The settler Belron and his folk bring them to me, and it seems there are more with each passing year. The rabbits came of their own accord. They grow larger with each generation." Then he leant in close and whispered, "A deep sickness afflicts this forest and the lands 'round it, Helluin, and I believe it hath been sick for a long time. The symptoms are sometimes subtle, yet not to be ignored. I see them now where're I look. 'Tis some dark spell of the Nazgûl and their master, poisoning the soul of the earth, the water, and the air. Though they seem to be gone, their venom remains and I know not how to counter it."

He shook his head sadly and Helluin felt sorry for him. The creatures he cared for so deeply suffered from the spiritual pollution of their home. She looked at him closely and saw the sadness in his eyes. The birds nesting atop his hat were deformed, one missing a leg, another a wing. Their chicks had misshapen beaks and asymmetrical eyes. None of them would e'er fly.

"Would that the Onodrim still guarded the forest," she said, "yet they were the first to be driven hence."

He nodded in agreement.

"Good fortune on thy path, Helluin. I hope thou find what thou seek."

"Be well 'til next we meet, old friend."

She left him in the clearing with his animals and his birds and walked past the termite mounds and up the path leading out of the forest. When she came to the grasslands, she found Barq close by. He had not strayed far.

Ahhh, Helluin. Glad am I to see thee safely returned, for this place leaves me unsettled. Thy friend is strange, even by eastern standards, he said silently and with obvious relief.

"He is faced with a threat that I doubt he can o'ercome," she explained, "and sorrow afflicts him. I realized not aforetime how dire was his plight."

Barq regarded her for some time ere he spoke, and then he simply changed the topic.

So whither next, O Helluin?

"We go south, O Barq, first to meet the Northmen and then to Dol Guldur."

'Twas by then early afternoon, and perhaps four hours of daylight remained. They set off down the path at a trot, Helluin scanning the landscape for rising columns of smoke, buildings, fences, or defensive palisades. She marked many hoof prints headed both directions in the mud of the track. It seemed regular traffic or patrols rode the north-south road. For a moment she wondered how the largely solitary settlers such as Belron, whom Aiwendil had mentioned, or any other descendants of Balorn, whom she had met in 1551, might feel about the Northmen, and vice versa. She imagined that having giant bears for neighbors could be upsetting.

Now after riding an hour and a half and coming ten miles south, Helluin again marked the thin column of smoke rising perhaps a league to the west. She turned Barq thither, imagining the homestead of a settler, probably Belron, for it seemed a hamlet of riders would maintain more fires. In this, she was not mistaken.

After a quarter hour riding 'cross open grassland, they espied a split-log fence with a gate facing south, and within it, the thatched rooves of a cabin and a larger barn. Coming to the fence, she marked the familiar plot of wildflowers, heard the buzzing of bees, and saw fields of grain. At the gate, she dismounted and called out a greeting.

"Hello! Belron? I am Helluin Maeg-mórmenel. I seek tidings and pray thee share speech with me."

After a few minutes, a large Man of familiar stock walked from the barn, and seeing her at the gate waving, approached. He was both tall and stocky, with muscles roping his forearms where they were bared past the rolled cuffs of a tan shirt. Black and thick were his hair and beard, and dark were his eyes. He regarded her with a neutral expression, yet he bore no axe or any other weapon. Still, his manner was one of confidence, tempered with a measure of curiosity.

"I am Belron, but I know thee not," he said after a rapid appraisal of her whilst she stood opposite him at the gate. He seemed not at all impressed by her armor or the weapons she clearly bore.

Helluin nodded in agreement with his words. In the door of the cabin, she marked a woman watching, and a young boy clutching at her skirts.

"Aye, we know each other not, yet I am long a friend of Aiwendil whom thy people know as Radagast. He mentioned thee this past morn, and I have known others of thy kindred long ago."

He nodded, accepting her words for he detected no lies, and then he said, "thou art of the Elvish kindred, yet unlike those in the forest to the north."

Again, Helluin nodded in agreement.

"Aye, thou speak true, and though I have long known the King of the Wood and his people, I am not of their kindred. His people and mine were sundered long ago. I have come of late from the west, from o'er the mountains, and I seek for tidings regarding my beloved who disappeared in 1851. I have heard tell that her captors brought her south."

At this he shook his head sadly and said, "I have heard those were dark days. Alas, I know from my people no tales of an Elvish prisoner brought south. Only have I heard stories of the Necromancer, the terror of his Nazgûl, and the hatred of his Yrch."

Helluin nodded, disappointed, yet in truth, she had expected no more. The settlers were mortal, and none living in 1851 would still draw breath today. The hasty passing of a company of Yrch and a Nazgûl might not have been marked at all, for they would have been 'nigh for only a couple of hours, probably at night. And for all she knew, Belron's ancestors had dwelt further north, beyond the Men-i-Naugrim and the ford.

Finally, she asked after the Northmen, "Know thou 'aught of a kindred of Men, riders who came to these lands in 1856, fleeing the evil in the East?"

"Of them I am aware," he said, "though we share 'naught. Their companies pass upon the road, but do not approach my home. I know only that they treat horses well and are enemies of the Yrch, and for that I am disposed towards them with a measure of respect."

"Many warriors of that kindred rode with the Men of Gondor when they helped to defeat the Witch King and his host in Eriador this past spring."

Belron nodded to this and a smile, the first Helluin had seen, shaped his lips.

"Perhaps hereafter I shall hold them in higher esteem," he said.

Helluin matched his smile and said, "I knew their ancestors east of the forest long ago and fought beside them in battle. They were allies in Gondor, in the days of the Kin-strife. I esteem them as well." Finally, she sighed and said, "I thank thee for thy tidings, Belron. Good fortune to thee and all thy people." She offered the settler a bow and went to mount Barq.

"And to thee, Helluin, safe travels," he said in parting.

They retraced their path back to the north-south track, and when they turned south, Helluin continued searching the landscape for any sign of a village of the Northmen.

An interesting fellow that Belron was, Barq said, courteous, and yet I felt something strange in his presence. I cannot put cause to that feeling, though I believe there is more to him than meets the eye.

"There is indeed, O Barq. He comes of a kindred of skin changers. When he wills it, he may transform into a great and fearsome bear. I have seen that trait aforetime. Some of his ancestors have been allies in battle. Of old, they were friends of the Gonnhirrim of Khazad-dûm."

Huh, I should ne'er have guessed that, the Easterling horse said. I am finding Rhovanion a strange place indeed, and feel that I missed much on my trip west.

"It seems there is e'er more to see," Helluin said. "Nine thousand years after I first trod these lands 'neath the starlight, one of Belron's kin introduced me to the Periannath, whom I had ne'er seen aforetime and whose settlement I had walked right past not a day aforetime."

Then I must wonder what else we have not marked, Barq said, looking 'round at the passing scenery.

Now they rode for another hour alternating canter and trot, and by then they had crossed the Men-i-Naugrim and were south of that stretch of the path that they had traveled aforetime. Again, 'twas a column of smoke that caught Helluin's eye, for it told of a larger settlement with many cook fires, and therefore many more people. She deemed it lay a league south and probably a league or more west. They continued on another half of an hour, and as they drew abreast of the smoke, they found a well-traveled track leading straight west towards it. Many hoof prints they saw in the dirt as they proceeded, and many of these were fresh.

"A dozen riders passed this way not an hour ago," she commented to Barq.

They rode single file at a canter. I wonder how distant they maintain their guard?

"Were I they, the start of the path would be closely watched and a company would stand guard within a mile. 'Twixt those ahead and those behind, trespassers could easily be waylaid long ere reaching the settlement."

Howe'er the Northmen were not her and the relatively flat grasslands offered little cover for horsemen. The riders' practices were not those of the Rangers or the Laiquendi. The Noldo continued on unchallenged for a mile ere she saw a low palisade of upright sapling trunks stretching for fifty feet 'cross the top of a slight rise and but fifteen yards from the path. Helluin slowed Barq to a walk as they approached, for she marked movement 'twixt the logs. Riders waited there behind cover. When they were twenty yards from the palisade, she stopped her horse and hailed those on guard.

"Hail, O stouthearted riders of Frumgar! I am Helluin of the Host of Finwë, of late a knight in the host of Elrond Peredhel of Imladris. I am come to these lands seeking tidings of my beloved, Beinvír Laiquende, who was made captive by a Nazgûl in 1851. I have learnt she was brought south and would hear any tales telling of her."

For some moments there was no reply, but Helluin and Barq marked a single rider hastening west from behind the barricade. When he passed out of sight o'er the next rise, a company of a dozen riders walked their mounts from behind the palisade to block the track. Finally, one of them walked his mount forward a couple horse lengths and replied her hail.

"Hail, Lady Helluin, knight of Imladris, I am Ulf¹, sergeant of the Third Hors Earm of King Frumgar. Alas, I know no tales of thy beloved, Beinvír Laiquende. Her abduction came ere my people arrived in these lands, but perhaps some steeped in lore have more to tell. A messenger rides hence and I bid thee wait on a reply from our lord." ¹(Ulf, Wolf Old Norse)

Helluin dipped her head to the sergeant and said, "My thanks for thy aid, noble Ulf. I shall await word from thy lord. Pray tell, did thou accompany Prince Arne to Arthedain for the worsting of the Host of Angmar?"

Now though the riders knew not quite what to make of Helluin, a female knight seeking tidings of one who had disappeared 'nigh three generations aforetime, (and that being five years ere their people had fled west to the Vale of Anduin), they were all veterans of the Battle of Fornost. In fact, one warrior in three amongst their people were. As Elrond had told her in Imladris, Prince Arne commanded the Third Hors Earm, or cavalry army, of his king, and Ulf had claimed assignment to that company.

At her question, the Men quickened and their horses stepped in place, sensing their excitement. Ulf nodded 'aye' and a smile shaped his lips.

"'Twas a glorious victory and honored I was to add my sword," he said. Then he shook his head and added, "Eldritch is that realm and fraught with horrors. Proud was I to serve, yet I would not return to those lands."

'Round him, his Men nodded and commented in agreement.

"The lands of Eriador have been long afflicted, yet with your swords ye have amended much evil," Helluin said. "I doubt not that such doings as ye have witnessed chills your hearts and counsels, yet 'twas not always so. Those lands enjoyed many centuries of peace, and I reckon no land is truly free of fear or battle. Was it not so 'twixt Carnen and Celduin?"

"Aye, 'twas just so in our ancestral homelands and still is, or so we have heard tell," Ulf said. "Riding hence in time of war shows a land at its worst, so I shall accept thy word and hope that peace comes again to the country o'er the mountains."

Helluin dipped her head to honor Ulf's words and then, with the Men of the guard company, turned to the west where the sounds of horses approaching at a gallop could just be heard. They waited only a short time ere a company of twenty-five came into view o'er the next rise, and they bore a pennant of the Third Hors Earm.

To Be Continued