In An Age Before – Part 198
Now when the newly arrived riders met, Ulf and his fellow guards bowed to the knight commander at the fore who rode 'neath the banner. Then as a group they closed the distance to the Noldo. The Northmen stopped at two fathoms in a formation of two columns with the lead knight at the front, and Helluin bowed in the saddle to them.
The knight commander doffed his helm and looked carefully at Helluin, taking stock of her armor and weapons, and her horse.
"Thou art as Prince Eärnur and the Lord Elrond described," he said at last. Then he bowed in the saddle to her and said, "Hail and well met, Lady Helluin of the Noldor. 'Tis my honor to greet thee, Úlairdacil. I am Arne, captain of the Third Hors Earm of my king, Frumgar son of Forstjóri¹ son of Forthwini." ¹(Forstjóri, Leader(m) O.C. Old Norse)
"Hail and well met, Prince Arne Frumgarsen," Helluin replied. "I regret not meeting thee on the field of battle. Alas, I was otherwise occupied." She grinned at the prince and he grinned back.
"Whither drove thee the Sorcerer of Angmar, pray tell?" He asked. "'Tis said thou chased him hence and not for the first time."
Behind him, his Men seemed to strain forward to hear her tale of that battle.
"Forty leagues he fled me, for I drove him into the Ettenmoors. There we contested for four months 'til I trapped him on a precipice and flung my dagger into his chest, pitching him o'er a cliff. He abandoned his body ere hitting the bottom and fled into the south as a spirit unhoused," Helluin recounted through gritted teeth. "I slew him as a mortal Man thirty-four centuries ago. His spirit fled me then and he hath fled me in combat four times since, the miserable coward. I crave to destroy him."
A great cheer went up from the assembled riders. Helluin's words and the sentiments behind them were familiar to them all as the distillation of their own beliefs. As a culture they celebrated the warrior spirit, the fearless determination to conquer in a righteous cause, and the contempt of cowardice that Helluin espoused. 'Twas the same set of values that had led Arne to accord the fallen Men of Angmar interment with honor.
After their time at war in Eriador, the warriors of Arne's cavalry were familiar enough with Elves not to be completely shocked by the details Helluin had claimed, unlikely as such might have seemed to them aforetime. A combat of four months, or a hostility stretching 'cross thirty-four centuries, had become acceptable.
"I know not yet if any amongst my people can tell thee 'aught of Beinvír's disappearance, but if thou would have it so, I shall enquire on thy behalf," Arne offered, "and I pray thee accompany us to our settlement to meet my father, King Frumgar, and my brother, Prince Fram."
After one hundred twenty-four years, Helluin deemed that her mission to Dol Guldur could wait a day or two longer, and so she nodded 'yea' to the prince.
"T'would be my honor to meet thy king and his heir, Lord Arne," she said.
Arne turned to his Men and ordered, "Rotate the watch! We ride for Frumgarsborg¹!" ¹(Frumgarsborg, Frumgar's Fortress Old Norse)
At the prince's command a sergeant and a dozen riders from the newly arrived company peeled off and took up station behind the barricade, whilst Sergeant Ulf and the eleven remaining Men of the original guard company joined the group riding back to their town.
Now the town of Frumgarsborg lay closer than Helluin had anticipated. Because of some minor undulations in the land that rose and fell 'twixt the barricade and the town, it had been out of sight, but topping a rise after about a half-mile, it came into view. There on a low hillock stood a sturdy palisade of wood encircling a cluster of log and thatch buildings built 'round a much larger hall. Outside the palisade, a narrow berm and a deep fosse ran 'round and out of sight on either side. The track they rode crossed the fosse on a causeway and then passed through a gate of heavy timbers 'neath a gatehouse, and then into the town. Within the palisade, and to the right of the gate stood a watchtower wherefrom archers kept a lookout. Helluin thought the whole fortress would burn to the ground in an hour or two if attacked in earnest, especially by Yrch.
The gate swung open as the prince's banner drew 'nigh.
"'Tis not so impressive after seeing Lindon, Annúminas, and Fornost," Arne said to Helluin as they rode side by side o'er the causeway, "but 'tis home."
"'Tis not so old, so abandoned, or so haunted either," Helluin said with a chuckle as they passed the gate.
Frumgarsborg was anything but abandoned. Indeed, for a town of its size it seemed quite populous. Men, women, and children went about their business. Some rode and many walked. The air was alive with conversations and the sounds of people at their labors. From somewhere came the ringing of a black smith's hammer, the measured growls of sawyers in their pits sawing boards from trunks, and the whacks of axes splitting firewood. Columns of smoke rose from chimneys, and with it, the scent of cooking food. 'Nigh stood a market square whence came the calls of merchants hawking their wares and offering bargains as the afternoon grew late.
The track they followed from the gate was two wagons' breadth, but the side streets branching off of it were narrower, some of barely a wagon's width and others with scarcely room for a rider and one walking beside. Rustic homes of wood stood cheek by jowl, barely separated by passages spaced for a person afoot. Most buildings had a hitching post or rail in front, and businesses oft hosted a watering trough as well. In the far distance, Helluin marked the road leaving town by a second gate that was identical to the first, so far as she could tell.
The company of riders disbanded after coming a couple of blocks, leaving Arne and Ulf to accompany Helluin to the lord's hall. This was a large building of logs and planks, topped with a thick roof of thatch pierced towards the rear by several chimneys. The eaves were vented and the planks capping the ridge were carved with running horses and riders. 'Twas located dead center of the town at the top of the low rise, and as they approached, Helluin saw that this had been built up, and leveled. Short segments of trunks raised the floor Man high above the ground. Eight steps ascended to a deep portico that ran the full width 'cross the front where double doors were guarded by soldiers in mail and green surcoats bearing spears and swords.
Arne and Ulf tethered their mounts to a hitching rail out front whilst Helluin dismounted Barq, giving him a look, and leaving him free. Partway to the steps, she turned 'round and unshouldered her bow and quiver. These she draped o'er Barq's neck with an apologetic glance. As she rode bareback, the Easterling horse had neither a saddle, nor any other tack, and he appeared as a stray in a city of horsemen. She returned to the prince and the sergeant, and together they climbed the stairs and came to the doors. At a nod from Arne, the guards opened them and stood aside.
Helluin was instantly reminded of the Hall of King Ërlick after 'twas built anew in the first year of his reign. She had burnt down its predecessor, the Mead Hall of King Lüdhgavia, in 1002, whilst trying to raise the Northmen to defend their homes against the army of the Dwarves from the Emyn Angren who had been enthralled by Sauron using one of the Seven Rings of Celebrimbor. Yet after that battle, when the newlywed Ërlick and Brekka had been crowned, a new hall had risen, slightly smaller, much cleaner, and the home of a proud if somewhat diminished people. 'Twixt the rivers Carnen and Celduin, it had stood eight and one-half centuries, the capital whence King Eldacar's kin had reigned. Then the Wainriders had come, destroying all.
The Hall of King Frumgar was divided into the hall proper, encompassing the front half of the building, and the royal quarters filling the rear half. From the doors, the hall opened up the full breadth of the structure, wherein twin rows of tall, carved columns created side aisles and a central space. Four rangar o'erhead, massive ceiling beams spanned the columns to the external wall headers, and rafters rose to the ceiling ridge. An open hearth occupied the center of the hall with the ceiling above it vented by a step in the thatched roof. At the far end was a wide dais of three steps upon which were set three thrones of carved wood. King Frumgar sat on the central throne, his heir Prince Fram sat at his right hand, but the queen's throne was empty. Seats for counselors lined the rear and sides of the dais, yet only a few were currently occupied. To the right side of the dais stood a door leading to the private rooms behind.
King Frumgar was a mighty Man of slightly o'er a half-century's age, with long, golden hair tied back in a pony tail, a full beard and moustache, and sharp, blue-grey eyes. A thin circlet of gold sat on his brow, and this too Helluin found familiar. If 'twas not the same crown that King Ërlick had once worn, then 'twas fashioned in its image. Prince Fram favored his father in all respects, and indeed it seemed that 'naught save the difference of twenty-odd years separated them.
Prince Arne led Helluin forward towards the dais where his father and elder brother waited. Along the way, Sergeant Ulf peeled off as they passed the central hearth and went to join other riders and subjects who had congregated in the side aisles of the hall. Helluin and Arne continued 'til they stood a fathom before the dais. There they bowed to the king and the heir.
"Father, here is Helluin Maeg-mórmenel of the Noldor, lately of the Host of Imladris, and the Úlairdacil in Mordor long ago; she of whom I spoke upon my return from Eriador," he said. "Helluin, here is my father, King Frumgar, son of Forstjóri son of Forthwini, the Fourth King of the Riders of the North. With him is my elder brother, Prince Fram Frumgarsen, Heir of the Realm."
Helluin bowed again to the king and his heir and said, "'Tis my honor to greet thee, King Frumgar, son of Forstjóri son of Forthwini son of Marhwini, heir of Marhari. Long it hath been since last I met a ruler of thy noble line. That was King Vindaria, son of Vindálfr¹ son of Vindaskati² son of Vidugavia who aided Vinitharya/Eldacar reclaim the throne of Gondor. I have held thy people in high esteem since the reign of King Ërlick, nine hundred seventy-five years past."¹(Vindálfr, Wind Elf O.C. Old Norse) ²(Vindaskati, Wind Ruler O.C. Old Norse)
Some of the early ancestors she had cited were little more than names to the king and the princes, their deeds lost in the passing years. In this time, none of the living even claimed firsthand memories of his great-grandfather, Marhwini. Much history had been lost in their flight from their ancestral homelands east of the forest, yet not all.
King Frumgar and Prince Fram had risen from their thrones, and they descended from the dais to meet Helluin and Prince Arne. When they stood facing each other, the king and prince bowed to their guest.
"The welcome of the riders is extended to thee, Helluin of the Noldor, most ancient ally of our people," King Frumgar said. "'Tis told that in our ancestral home was kept an ancient tapestry depicting thee and thy beloved in battle with an army of Naugrim. That weaving and the tale of the love of Ërlick and Brekka were amongst our earliest lore. The latter tale tells of Beinvír delivering the maiden Brekka from an untimely arrow.
Thou hast said 'tis Beinvír who is lost. Though I know of no tale telling of her fate, the loremasters shall be questioned, for glad would we be to aid in thy search. We owe her much."
Helluin dipper her head to honor the king's words.
"Greatly do I appreciate thy aid, my lord," she said. "I know her disappearance came ere thy people arrived in these lands, yet I greatly value thy offer."
"My son shall enquire of the loremasters, the better to prompt their memories," King Frumgar said, with a chuckle. He gave Arne a nod and the prince bowed to his father and brother ere taking his leave.
"Come, Helluin, the eastern sky darkens and the day is 'nigh its end," he said. "Pray join us for our evening meal, and we shall hear 'aught that is told ere we are done."
Helluin nodded her acceptance of the offer and said, "I thank thee for thy invitation to thy board, my lord. One thing I must accomplish ere I sup. I must attend my horse. He has borne me swift and sure and without complaint, and 'tis my part to care for him. I shall not be long."
Though such an excuse would have seemed odd in other realms, and perhaps even taken as an insult by some lords, amongst the Northmen 'twas a concern that e'ery rider could understand. Oft times a Man's life might depend on the bond 'twixt a rider and his horse, a bond earned with consistent attention and care.
"My brother told some tales of this horse, if 'tis the same as thou rode in the west?" Prince Fram asked, speaking for the first time. When Helluin nodded 'yea', he said, "I should like to meet this noble steed, for save our honor, we value little else more highly than our horses and our swords. Pray introduce me? I shall show thee whither stabling and fodder can be found."
"T'would be my pleasure, Lord Fram," Helluin said. She cast a glance to the king and he gave his leave and approval in a nod. She offered a bow in parting and led Prince Fram from the hall.
As they walked from the doors and down the stairs from the portico, Fram asked after Barq.
"My brother has told that Prince Eärnur said thou and thy horse not only withstood the Nazgûl, but advanced against him and finally drove him to flight," he said. At Helluin's nod, he asked, "Is thy steed an Elvish horse that he knows no fear of such horrors?"
"He hath indeed proven fearless, swift, and strong, a warrior at heart, I deem him. I believe that as I feared the Nazgûl not, so too he feared not, for we have come to trust one another," Helluin said. "He is not Elven raised or trained. Indeed he came out of the East in service to the cavalry of the enemy. From Gwirith to Nórui of 1974 I joined the Green Elves' assault on the blocking force outside of Lindon. There I slew twenty-four hundreds and liberated their steeds. The last forty-eight I brought with me to Sûza, and there Barq offered his service, for he desired to go to war. I embraced his offer and have been glad of it after."
Prince Fram nodded gravely, accepting her tale. Unlike many she had met, he had no trouble believing that a horse would change sides in a war, offer its service, and perform honorably after. 'Twas no stretch for one of his culture to ascribe nobility of spirit to a horse. Indeed, if he doubted 'aught that Helluin had said, 'twas her claim to have slain twenty-four hundred foes, for that was a greater count than a full hors earm, the third part of his nation's warriors.
They came to Barq, who was standing just where Helluin had left him, with a bow and quiver round his neck. His ears pricked up and he nodded to her in greeting. She removed her weapon, after which he shook out his mane. Then he laid his head o'er her shoulder and accepted scratches about his ears. Next, he looked her in the eyes and offered conversation.
What goes forth, O Helluin? He asked. I have spoken at whiles with many hither and incurred much attention from the Men as well. Most were curious about thy bow, of which kind they had ne'er seen aforetime.
Helluin nodded to him and said, "I have been invited to share King Frumgar's board this eve and have come to provide for thee first. Pray greet Prince Fram, the king's eldest son and heir."
To the prince's surprise, Barq cocked his right hind leg, dipped his head for a moment, and then offered a nicker. A broad smile shaped the prince's lips and he looked to Helluin in question. She gave him a nod and he stepped forward, observant eyes watching Barq's carriage, ears, eyes, and muzzle. When he saw no signs of alarm or fear, he lifted a hand slowly, allowed Barq to sniff, and finally stroked his cheek.
After a few moments he turned to Helluin and said, "he is a fine steed, one any rider would be proud to ride against a foe. As thou hast no tack and I see no mud upon his coat, we shall proceed to water and fodder. Pray follow me, Helluin."
They walked from the hall and after a couple blocks, turned down a side street.
"Were it the morn, I would take thee to the pastures outside the walls, but with night we shall instead go to the stables where hay and oats are to be had," the prince said.
Helluin nodded and Barq pranced a few steps in anticipation of a good meal. They soon came to a stable located on a street adjacent to the palisade and entered there. 'Twas a large space, well lit and ventilated, yet cozy and not so large as to be unmanageable. 'Nigh the entrance stood a staircase climbing to a second floor 'neath the rafters. A second staircase was set at the opposite end of the building. A tack room was walled off 'neath the staircase at the front. The prince seemed not at all surprised that Barq had dutifully followed them.
"We store hay in the rear loft and have rooms for the stable hands at the front," the prince explained.
Sure enough, well 'nigh as soon as they entered, they were attended by a stable hand who descended the stairs, bowed to the prince and to Helluin, and looked appreciatively at Barq.
"Hagr¹, hast thou space for a guest this night?" Fram asked. ¹(Hagr, Skilled, handy Old Norse)
"Aye, my lord. A company of messengers rides to Norꝺriborg¹," Hagr said. "They shall not return 'til the eve of the morrow." ¹(Norꝺriborg, North Fortress Old Norse)
Helluin watched as Hagr gave Barq a quick but thorough check for injuries, the condition of his hooves, caked mud, parasites, or evidence of ill-fitted tack. He took charge of the preparations, assuring that water, hay, and a feedbag of oats were provided.
Down the length of the building there were stalls along both walls. These were bedded with straw for individual mounts, but the watering trough and hay racks were communal. Many horses roamed freely and most turned their heads to the newcomers with the curiosity typical of their kind.
Barq looked back to them, and after a few minutes they resumed their activities, whether standing together, eating, drinking, or walking to stretch their legs and socialize. Some of the stalls were occupied by horses lying down, whilst others slept upright as was their nature.
Barq turned to Helluin and said, this is a goodly company, O Helluin, and I am honored to join them for the night. One in the third stall on the left rests, for she is heavy and soon to foal. I pray thee enjoy thy meal and the company of these noble warriors.
Helluin nodded to him and said, "take thy rest this night, O Barq. In the morn we ride south."
She cast a glance to the third stall on the left, but saw 'naught, for the mare was wholly within her box. Fram marked her glance, wondering how she could know its occupant was special. She offered Hagr a smile and a nod as she and the prince took their leave.
On their return to the king's hall, Fram asked after Helluin's bow, for no lore told of its like being seen aforetime in Rhovanion. Many riders were also archers and some who rode not were also skilled with the bow. Helluin's weapon was a hand's length longer than the bows the Northmen bore, but 'twas its construction that garnered the most questions.
"Lady Helluin, thy bow is of a kind most unfamiliar," Prince Fram said. "Surely some tale distinguishes it."
"'Tis ancient, my lord, wrought in Númenor ere its whelming and brought to the Hither Shores by the Dúnedain of the north. Craftsmen of Imladris reduced its limbs for me, for most such are of two rangar in length. The draw is somewhat o'er one hundred pounds, manageable to string and fire from horseback. With it, I shot off the head and lower leg of the Ringwraith's horse."
At the look of horror on the prince's face, she added, "'twas already long dead, its body subject to the necromancy of the Witch King. T'would have tired not, and already I had pushed Barq 'nigh six score miles through the night."
"I would hear this tale, Helluin, for t'would seem that my brother knew not the whole of the story."
"Indeed he doth not, for he was in battle with the Witch King's host and much came to pass after the accursed wraith fled the field. With thee and thy father I shall be glad to share my account, should he have interest in the telling."
When they returned to the hall, they found preparations underway for the evening meal. Trestle tables and benches were being set, a keg of ale was rolled out, and many mugs were arranged upon a console beside it. King Frumgar sat at the head of a central table just below the dais speaking with his captains and counselors. When he saw his son and guest enter, he beckoned them hence to join him. Prince Fram took the seat at his father's right hand whilst the seat to his left stood empty pending Prince Arne's return. Prince Leifr, the youngest of Frumgar's sons, sat beside his eldest brother, and Helluin was gestured to the seat opposite him.
Young Prince Leifr stared at her with undisguised admiration whilst bowls of vegetables, baskets of rolls, platters of roasted meats and chickens, and tureens of soup were set down the center of the table.
"Thou found our accommodations suitable for thy horse, Helluin?" King Frumgar asked.
With a dip of her head, Helluin said, "Aye, O King, thy stables seem to offer all a horse could want for, and indeed Barq was quite happy with the setting and deemed the company a noble group that he was honored to spend the night with."
The king looked at her askance and asked, "Thou speak oft with thy mount, Helluin?"
"Aye, Lord Frumgar, 'tis the Elvish way, to share speech with some animals at times. Barq is wise after his fashion and forward in battle…indeed he deems it his purpose in life.
In Eriador aforetime we received valuable information on the movements of the Host of Angmar from a pack of wolves met 'nigh the Weather Hills. They told of the enemy marching from Fornost dragging a monstrous battering ram down country roads and through mud towards Baranduin whither they were first slaughtered."
"Father, I witnessed either their conversation, or a deep connection as is 'twixt horse and rider after some time together," Prince Fram said.
"Barq said that the mare in the third stall on the left side of thy stable rests ere she foals," Helluin said. "I saw her not for she was entirely within her stall, yet I doubt not his word."
A glance from the king to his elder son received a nod of confirmation.
"Would that I could have spoken thus with the noble steeds that have borne me aforetime," Frumgar said, slowly shaking his head, "especially Bjartr-feldr¹. He was my first warhorse, slain 'neath me when I was younger than Leifr." He cast a glance to his youngest son. "Alas, I was forced to fight and could return only after death took him. I have always felt that I should have been there to honor his passing." ¹(Bjartr-feldr, Bright cloak Old Norse)
For a while, the king fell silent and his eyes were turned within to memories of decades past. Frumgar had been fifteen and it had been his first real battle. Fierce had been his enmity for the servants of Dol Guldur after.
"Though none seek death alone, I deem he understood thy necessity and blamed thee not, my lord," Helluin said softly. "Such things all warriors know. If a horse is comfortable and enjoys thy company, then I deem he was thankful for the time together and the love thou bore him. No more can any ask of a comrade in arms."
The king looked up and gave her a grim nod, accepting her words.
"He hath been avenged a hundredfold and his line remains," Frumgar said. Then he looked up and a smile shaped his lips, "Ahhh, Arne returns."
Prince Arne made his way to the table, bowed to his father, and took his chair. He turned to Helluin and said, "I have questioned the loremasters and those who are Wise amongst us. Alas, none knew 'aught of an elleth taken south in 1851. Only do they agree that she must have been conveyed to Dol Guldur. I am sorry, Lady Helluin."
"I thank thee for thy efforts, Prince Arne. 'Tis no less than I expected though, the years being as they are. On the morrow I shall make my way south, in hopes of discovering more."
'Round her, Men blanched at that declaration. Dol Guldur was a horror and none abode 'nigh, not within a hundred miles. The southernmost of their people manned a fortress opposite the mouth of the River Ninglor and the Gladden Fields. From there they rode patrols, slaying any servants of evil they chanced upon, and e'er ready to flee north to warn their people of attack.
Helluin looked 'round the circle of faces, clearly reading their thoughts.
"Ten centuries aforetime I invaded that fastness and emptied its denizens, freeing many prisoners and laying to rest a prince of thy ancestors. 'Twas on my return that I first met King Ërlick and his company who had ridden west seeking tidings of Lundhini son and heir of King Lüdhgavia, he who fell after in battle with an army of Dwarves. He was King Ërlick's predecessor. Alas, the Sorcerer fled before me and that for the second time."
At that, Prince Fram's eyes lit with enthusiasm and he said, "Lady Helluin has much to tell regarding the Witch King and what came to pass after he fled the field in Angmar. The tale continues beyond what was told to my brother by Prince Eärnur or Lord Elrond."
All three of the royal family regarded her closely. So too did the Men surrounding them, giving her their attention.
"This story I would hear, if thou would tell it," King Frumgar said.
Helluin dipped her head to the king and said, "I shall speak of what came to pass after the Host of Angmar was destroyed, for it gives hope that the north may be free of that evil for a time."
Now Helluin told her tale and the Men hearkened with their full attention. Mugs rested on the table and food went chill, and yet their focus wavered not. Few enough of them had actually seen the Ringwraith save at a distance, but they had heard tell of Prince Eärnur being borne far away by the panic of his horse. 'Twixt the storm and the terror, the Heir of Gondor had not been able to withstand the Witch King. Yet the Host of Imladris had faced him unmoved and 'twas he who wavered, attacking not and finally being chased from the field by a single knight.
Then the Noldo recounted her pursuit of the enemy 'cross the leagues of Angmar, driving the Nazgûl before her in a rout that lasted the full night, 'til in the last hour ere dawn she had shot down the bespelled horse and he had fled her afoot into the highland of the Ettenmoors. There the combat had been joined in earnest, week after week as they moved south. She had reached the account of the stone troll and the trapping of the Ringwraith's sword when a commotion broke out at the doors of the hall. All the gathering's attentions turned thither.
When the king, the princes, and Helluin looked to the door wards, one called forth, saying, "a horse, my lord, 'tis mad!"
From beyond the doors they heard the scream of a horse and Helluin recognized it at once.
"I beg thy leave, lord, 'tis Barq outside and I know not what upset has driven him to this pass."
At a nod from the king she stood, snatched up her travel bag, and hastened to the entrance. There the wardens stood aside and she threw open the doors. Upon the threshold stood Barq. His eyes were wide and his ears laid back in alarm as he pranced. When he saw Helluin, 'twas as if he breathed a sigh of relief and calmed.
Ere she could speak, he looked her in the eyes and said, Hasten, O Helluin! The mare! Her time has come and she is in trouble!
"We go to the stables, my lords!" Helluin called back. "'Tis some problem with the birthing!"
With that she leapt onto Barq's back and he turned from the door, crossing the portico in a stride, and then jumping the steps to the street. People drew back from them as they launched themselves away, whilst in the hall behind, the king and the princes charged from the table to follow.
But minutes later, Helluin and Barq arrived at the stables. Hagr's relief at Barq's return was well 'nigh comical, for the horse had been entrusted to his care. The Man was simply surprised to see Helluin as well. The stable hand hastened to follow them as they rode through the doors and came straightaway to the third stall on the left. The horses gathered there made way for them and Helluin leapt off of Barq's back.
Within, the prospective mother lay on her side amidst the straw bedding, and Helluin marked her chestnut coat, mane, and tail, with white mid-canon socks and a narrow blaze.
She approached the mare quietly and slowly, seeking not to upset her further, for 'twas obvious that she was in pain and o'erborne by fear. Swift and shallow was her breathing and the whites showed 'round her eyes. Sweat dampened her coat.
Softly the Noldo spoke words in the Quenya tongue to the suffering horse as she came to kneel beside her, and she marked that she received the mare's attention. Looking her directly in the eyes, Helluin projected confidence and sympathy, and explained her desire to help.
Long ago and far to the east I met Dágeleb Meara and his mate Celegield, who was with child. I was able to aid in the delivery of their son Aduial. Pray allow me to try to do the same for thee, for thy time draws 'nigh.
The mare's eyes widened in surprise. 'Twas much, learning that this one knew the right names of those horses, even if she knew them not herself. Long ago there had been trust 'twixt the Elf and a lord and lady of her kind. When she had begun her labor and knew that something felt wrong, Barq had offered aid. Though the Easterling was a stranger, he had brought the one he trusted, after having actually lifted the door latch with his lips and nosed the doors of the stable open ere taking off into the night despite Hagr frantically trying to stay him. Now she was desperate for the welfare of her foal and she would grasp at any straw.
Please, Lady Elf. 'Aught that thou can do to save my child, I would be most grateful for and my rider would be as well, she said. I shall trust in thee, for I have no other hope.
By then, Hagr had recovered from his surprise and stood amongst the horses at the mouth of the stall. Helluin bid him bring boiling water and towels, and she sought for herbs in her travel bag. Whilst she waited, the Noldo sang a soothing song she had once learnt of Estë softly in the mare's ear, and all watched as her fear subsided. Hagr brought a steaming cauldron and bowls, and Helluin crumbled herbs and sprinkled them o'er some water to steep. She laid gentle hands on the mare's belly and marked the condition of her pregnancy and the position of her young. What she learnt brought a smile to her face despite the inherent dangers. Eventually Helluin deemed the infusion sufficiently cool, and she laved the mare's brow and belly with a towel soaked in the herbs. The effect was marked. Shortly, her breathing slowed to normal and her sweating ceased. Soon enough she rested more easily than ere the labor had begun.
Now Helluin massaged the mare's belly, and with careful manipulations amended the position of the unborn. By then, King Frumgar and the princes Fram, Arne, and Leifr had joined Hagr, and they stood watching in a worried silence as their guest softly sang to the horse.
Blessed art thou this night and great joy I foresee for thee and thy rider, she told the mare in silence, eye to eye.
Helluin continued ministering to the mare, and at its proper time her water broke and the birth came to pass after, and lo, not one foal alone came forth, but two, twin sons, and rare as that was, this birth was rarer still, for they were identical in all respects. Indeed 'twas a thing so uncommon that no rider in living memory had witnessed it. With reluctance, Helluin bid the others, Men and horses alike, to give the new mother her privacy and bonding time with her foals, and then she too left the stall after staying only long enough to ensure the passage of the afterbirth and that the newborns were seeking to nurse.
Rejoice now in thy family, Helluin told her as she rose to depart, I am o'erjoyed for thee.
'Til the end of my days I shall remain thankful and in thy debt, and if there is e'er 'aught that I can do for thee, I pray thee but name it, the mare replied.
This time, when bid to name a boon of thanks from a horse, Helluin hesitated not, but asked of her that which would cement their relationship.
I am Helluin Maeg-mórmenel of the Host of Finwë, and I pray thee declare thy right name to me that our connection be ordained hereafter with full honor and friendship.
Then the mare stood to honor the proceedings and she dipped her head, saying, I am Veꝺrdóttir, daughter of Veꝺrfelder¹ son of Bjartr-feldr. ¹(Veꝺrdóttir, Wind Daughter Veꝺrfelder, Wind Cloak Old Norse)
Helluin bowed to Veꝺrdóttir, for now she understood clearly just how important this birth had been. She rejoined the king and the princes and received their praise, and after bidding Barq a fair night with much thanks, she accompanied the Men back to the hall.
In the Hall of King Frumgar, Helluin was asked to continue her tale of the battle, but ere she resumed, the king spoke his thanks for her aid and of his relief.
"Helluin, thou hast my deepest thanks for aiding in the birthing and I am in thy debt after, for the mare is dear to me and her foals are of great importance."
"She has said that she is the son's daughter of the horse thou lost in thy youth, O King, and now his noble line continues for another generation," she said, offering him a smile.
"Yes!" The king agreed, jubilant. "His son was but a yearling colt when Bjartr-feldr fell. I spoke of it to him, and we shared our sorrow. Fore'er after I have believed that he blamed me not. He spent all his days with my friendship, ridden on the hunt, but seldom to war, for greatly did I dread to lose him. When we galloped, I felt myself cloaked in the wind, so swiftly did he charge."
'Twas many years ere he stood to stud, yet of him came two fillies by different dams. Alas, the younger took the Glanders malaise and passed some few years ago. This night, the elder has exceeded all expectations with the birth of her twins. I deem that without thy aid, all could have perished, but now, they all have the chance to thrive. I feel myself and our people blessed."
The Noldo dipped her head to honor the king's words. Based on what she had felt ere she had ministered to the mare, she expected that the twins would have strangled and their dam torn, losing all three.
Thereafter, King Frumgar and his sons bid Helluin continue her tale, and this she did as the night grew older. 'Round them, the king's householders hearkened, hanging on e'ery word. They snacked throughout on the remains of their meal and drank 'til the keg was drained. When Helluin's story came to its end, the king rose and addressed his folk.
"By the efforts of many is Arthedain freed and Angmar's threat reduced, especially compared to that of Dol Guldur in the south. But 'tis thy prowess, Helluin, that has driven our great foe from the north, and that both west and east of the mountains," he said, dipping his head to honor the Noldo. "Now 'tis said thou intend to ride south, to the very fastness of our enemy, yet he is fled and such foes as may still linger would be goblins. Those, none amongst us fear."
Here, a cheer went up from the gathered warriors and counselors. Listening to him, Helluin experienced foreboding, wondering whither the lord's thought would lead.
"Helluin, thou hast proved thyself an ally, bold, fell, and wise. Faithless would be our failure to offer thee aid. Since thou ride hence seeking tidings and not expecting battle, 'tis my desire that I accompany thee hence. I have long craved to look upon the fastness of the enemy, yet aforetime such a notion would have been folly, for we were sorely o'ermatched."
At his words, Helluin stifled a groan, whilst 'round the room, Men protested vociferously. Their lord's intentions were honorable, yet his sons and vassals argued vehemently against it. Frumgar looked at them, a grim expression shaping his features as he listened.
Helluin could not help but recall the last time she had journeyed to Dol Guldur. In T.A. 1002, she had been charged by the White Council only to confirm the nature of the Necromancer. When she had discovered that 'twas Tindomul, she had wound up exterminating his soldiery and driving him to flight whilst rescuing the future Queen of Calenglad. On that occasion, she had shared a cell with the remains of Lundhini, a prince of the Northmen. Now King Frumgar desired to visit Dol Guldur, and Helluin reckoned 'twas for 'naught but to satisfy his curiosity. She had no desire to chance the death of a king of the Northmen whilst invading Amon Lanc. 'Round her, the hue and cry continued unabated.
Now after allowing the protests of his Men to continue a carefully calculated while, King Frumgar shook his head, then nodded to himself and abruptly stood. He slammed his fist down on the tabletop with such force that mugs jumped on the surface and all were silenced.
"Am I not king?" He shouted. "Is my will to be so easily cast aside?"
At the shocked and chagrined expressions on the faces of his sons and counselors, Frumgar took a deep breath to calm himself and slowly sat back down in his chair whilst matching stares with all those seated 'round the table.
"Thy lord rides not to a war alone," he said in a far more reasonable tone. "I would accompany our ally to a fortress that the enemy has abandoned, and there aid her in the search for tidings regarding the disappearance of her beloved. Should some few goblins still linger, I shall slay them, or she shall. I deem there is little real danger."
He is expert in the exercise of persuasion, Helluin thought in admiration, truly aware of the ways of kingship. 'Twas the same virtue she had once applauded in old King Amdír.
"If thou would see the lair of thy enemy, then thou hast but to look into my eyes. Its horrors live in my memory and I can share them with thee even as we sit in thy hall, if thou would have it so, O King," Helluin offered.
'Round her the Northmen looked to her in silence and uncertainty. What she offered, none of them had heard tell of aforetime, nor had any imagined that such magicks could be.
"'Tis some enchantment? Some conjuring by which thou would share thy phantasms with the king?" Prince Fram asked.
"So it might seem to a mortal, yet amongst the Firstborn, the ability to trade in thought through a glance is commonplace. Ye all know that the Eldar live fore'er if they are not slain, yet 'tis less widely known that our memories endure with us, intact and complete, for we forget 'naught.
In the days of thy longfathers, I came to Amon Lanc and entered Dol Guldur. After fulfilling my mission to discern what evil lurked therein, I emptied the fortress and laid to rest one of thine own. These things thou shalt see and hear, just as I did long aforetime."
"Were I to accept thy offer, Helluin, would I not remain bespelled after?" Frumgar asked whilst studiously staring at his hands.
"Nay, my lord, for 'tis no spell," the Noldo said. "Pray imagine thyself as one looking into a room through a window, whilst I part the curtains."
For some moments the king sat silent, weighing Helluin's offer, and though such seemed unnatural in his experience, 'twas his curiosity that finally ruled his choice.
"Unafraid am I to chance treading in that place, and so to experience thy memories of it should not leave me craven. 'Twixt my trust in thee and my desire to see that abode of evil, I shall accept thy offer, Helluin. I shall see through thy eyes what came to pass in that accursed place, long ago."
Helluin dipped her head to honor the king and said, "My lord, thou hast but to gaze into my eyes."
Then, whilst his sons and counselors sat 'round him with worry etched upon their faces, King Frumgar stared into Helluin's eyes. He found his will immediately captured and held, not as a prize to be grasped, but as a gift to be treasured. The view of his hall was eclipsed by the blue of the Noldo's eyes, and then in the next instant he was surrounded by darkness, walking through a narrow passage of damp and uneven stone, lit only by a shifting glow of silver and gold, as of many torches reflecting off of a vast treasure.
He marked the rows of cells with their doors of wooden slabs, locked and barred, and crudely hewn. Shouts and cries came to his ears from the prisoners within as he passed, and more softly from other cells, whimpers and the sobbing of despair. In one hand he held a ring of gaoler's keys, whilst within him boiled a seething rage. Frumgar realized that she who had walked that hall long ago had escaped captivity but moments afore and now sought for her weapons.
"Drego nin, Tindomul…tulon anich,¹" Frumgar heard her hiss, and the hatred and contempt he felt astonished even him. ¹(Flee me, Tindomul…I come for you. Sindarin)
A goblin suddenly appeared before him, and ere it could open its mouth to curse, his mailed fist stove in its skull and she cackled with glee. She hadn't even broken stride. Only had the glow of Light flared, casting eerie shadows up and down the passage. Another foe burst into his presence, an Easterling Man, and she shattered his ribs with a single vicious blow. From the cells he passed, the rising cries and pleas of prisoners followed his progress, yet they were not the voices she craved to hear.
"Sínoye. Mirima ni,¹" a familiar voice rife with irritation demanded from a cell she was just passing upon her right. ¹(I am here. Free me, Quenya)
The king understood not the High Elven tongue, but he marked that the door of this cell was of steel and the voice had sounded like Helluin's own. Through her eyes he watched as she found the correct key and threw open the door.
Thither 'cross the cell was the Sarchram, bound to the wall by lock and chain, the cirth upon it edged with a wavering red-orange fire. Helluin groaned. She could clearly feel its spitting rage. Upon a table in the room's center lay Anguirél, still in her sheath, and Helluin's dagger.
"Nia lúas!¹" The blade groused from within its scabbard. Helluin rolled her eyes and lifted her sword.¹(About damn time! Sindarin)
"Hush, thou," Helluin admonished, "and aid me in freeing thy sister."
The blade hissed its approval as it cleared the sheath, and Helluin slashed it in a whistling arc that clove the chain holding the Sarchram to the wall.
"And now for blood," Helluin said in a menacing whisper, to the enthusiastic agreement of both her weapons as she replaced them upon her belt.
Thereafter King Frumgar was given a tour of Dol Guldur, from its lowest dungeons to the heights of its tower. Along the way he was treated to a cavalcade of slaughter the likes of which he had ne'er witnessed in a lifetime at war. Whether alone or in groups, her enemies fell, and through it all he felt the o'erwhelming joy and bloodlust, well 'nigh feral, that captures the hearts of the most fell upon a field of battle. Ere she stilled in the courtyard, one hundred seven were slain with the Black Sword, which still chanted, Sereg! Im aníro sereg! Another eighty-six fell by the Sarchram, and within Dol Guldur, no foe drew breath. Sometime during that rampage, the Witch King had fled, and he felt Helluin's disdain for the wraith.
When she had finally recovered her wits from the mania of battle, the Noldo had freed a gaggle of terrified prisoners from the cells 'neath the fortress. Last of all had been the elleth of Greenwood, and with her aid, Helluin had laid to rest those captives found dead within, and amongst them, Lundhini, Prince of Rhovanion and heir of King Lüdhgavia.
The vision ended as she laid the last stone upon Lundhini's cairn. Helluin blinked and Frumgar was released, to breathe heavily as he recovered from the strangeness of the experience and the adrenalin that had flowed during the fighting, even secondhand. 'Round him, his sons and counselors watched him carefully, waiting to see if he had indeed been returned unscathed.
"Father…?" Prince Fram hesitantly asked.
"I am well, my son," Frumgar said at last. "I felt the horror of that place as if I were there and 'tis slow to pass. Those nightmare memories eclipse 'aught seen aforetime with my own eyes."
The king fell silent awhile, contemplating the evil of Dol Guldur. Bodies of prisoners starved to death in hanging cages, impaled on the battlements, or broken on wheel and rack, then left to rot. The evidence of cannibalism and the general filth throughout were repugnant. He understood Helluin's virulent hatred and unappeasable wrath, both of which he had felt firsthand.
"Thou know the better now, that which thou oppose," Helluin said, "and thou art correct to do so, lord. I reckon thou hast no longer any need to see that place with living eyes."
"Nay, I do not," King Frumgar said, "and rather would I bear witness secondhand than tread that courtyard or those halls as living flesh. Surely 'tis the worst place in all Middangeard."
'Twas some moments ere Helluin found the heart to disabuse him of that notion.
"Dol Guldur, repellant as 'tis, is but an outpost fortress of the Dark Powers. 'Tis the lesser in all respects compared to the Barad-dûr which I have examined, and but a guardhouse when set beside Angband or Utumno, whose memories still kindle fear in my people.
Yet still, to those in each Age is given a span in which to do 'aught that they can, whether to oppose, or to fall thrall to the darkness bred in such places. Evil endures, and set against it is but the hope that lives in the hearts of those who would see good done. I pray thee, keep hope and guard against the evil thou see, for none can do more in their time."
'Round her the Northmen nodded their agreement. Slowly, the chill that had grown in their hearts was warmed by the ale and the company, and the familiarity of their hall. 'Twas said that the Nazgûl had departed Dol Guldur and the last had been defeated but months ago by Helluin. They took heart from these things. Angmar was defeated and the north was liberated. And in Frumgar's heart a notion took hold, to draw further away from the horrors of Dol Guldur and lead his people to a safer homeland.
Helluin sat amongst them, sipping the last from her mug of ale, and it comforted her to think that this king and his people had been given a respite in which to enjoy their lives. They had suffered much, driven from their ancestral homelands in the east, and persecuted after by the minions of Dol Guldur. Yet they had ridden to war beside Gondor, to help in the destruction of Angmar and the freeing of Arthedain. Perhaps both peoples, the Northmen and the northern Dúnedain, could have peace for a while. She sincerely hoped t'would be so.
'Round the Noldo, the Men rose and bowed to their king and took their leave. By then, the night had grown old. Finally, the king and his sons bid her good night and went to their rest. Helluin took a last look 'round the hall and then went out. For a while, she stood on the portico watching the silent town. Only the door wards remained on duty at the hall, and further off, upon the towers, the archers kept watch on the gate roads.
Eventually she took her leave of the king's hall and walked to the stable. As a shadow in the darkness, she silently climbed the outer wall and reached the thatched roof. There she lay down and spent the remaining hours of that night watching the stars.
To Be Continued