In An Age Before – Part 215
Now in the later hours of the night, whilst Tahmirih, Kiana, and Ashti slept, Helluin dragged a chair out to the front of their tent and sat watching the stars. Sentries passed by on their rounds and she acknowledged them with a nod. They replied in kind, deeming her a measure of added security for the princess.
Beside the tent, Barq and the Mâh-Sakâ horses dozed, alternately standing or lying down. It seemed each tent had its compliment of horses, even the tent of the khan. They too added to the security of the camp, for horses sleep lightly and only for a few hours a night. Too, their night vision is better than that of Men, though perhaps not so acute as the Elves. After a while, Helluin marked that the horses in the Mâh-Sakâ camp indeed slept longer and more deeply than wild horses, and from this, she deemed that they felt safe amongst their people. As the night wore on, she eavesdropped on their whispered conversations, though the content was rather boring to her, for much of it concerned the state of their digestion.
Eventually the sky lightened and dawn drew 'nigh. The first stirrings of the Mâh-Sakâ camp came to her ears, mostly cooks rising to rekindle their fires for the morning meal. Just after the first light of dawn, the flap of the khan's tent was pulled aside and Targitai stood forth to sample the morn. He marked Helluin straightaway and beckoned her o'er. 'Twas 2 Nórui.
"Thou rise early, Targitai Khan," she said after bowing to him as she came 'nigh.
"As I have done all my life," he replied, adding, "I see thou sleep little as well."
"The Elves sleep not at all," Helluin told him, "though we are inclined to rest our minds by revisiting memories, or simply staring at a subject without conscious thought. A favorite of mine is the night sky. It reminds me of my youth, though the stars were far brighter then."
The khan nodded to her, but mentioned not her assertion about the dimming of the stars.
"I was ne'er certain of that, Helluin," Targitai said. "At all times of day or night, I have found Halatir awake, and indeed in all the years of our acquaintance, I have ne'er seen him sleep."
"I am sure he does not, and as he is in thy service, I expect he makes himself available to thee at need," she said.
"I understand," he replied, accepting her claim. There was no way for him to stay awake long enough to gainsay it.
"I reckon much shall come to pass this day," he said, "but first to break my fast. Hast thou eaten?"
"Nay, I have not, for I expected to take my morning meal with the princess and her warriors when they rose."
"Come and join me, Helluin. I know my daughter well," he said, and the Noldo marked a fleeting expression of fondness. "She and her warriors shall rise at the first hour past dawn."
"My thanks for thy invitation, Targitai Khan. T'would be my honor."
Helluin followed the khan back into his tent 'neath the watchful eyes of a pair of sentries posted within. They took seats at the table in the center whilst awaiting the morning meal.
"I have a question if 'tis allowed, Targitai Khan," Helluin said. At his nod, she continued. "On the day ere we crossed the ford, we saw a host riding west. Unsure of their allegiance, we avoided them for the night and then continued to the river yesternoon. From tracks seen 'nigh the crossing, I deem that host came from the Mâh-Sakâ lands."
"They did indeed. The host thou saw is commanded by my middle son, Arpoksai. They rode west to relieve another host commanded by my eldest son, Lipoksai. Our armies continue the prosecution of the Medes far to the south and east. Kolaksai, my youngest, has seen but sixteen summers and is yet to command, but that shall come in time."
"I have been told that because of thy actions last year, the realm of Gondor was able to come to the aid of her sister realm of Arnor far to the northwest. There they achieved the defeat of the Witch King, captain of Sauron's Nine. 'Twas only because of thy war on the Medes that Gondor was freed from defending its eastern border for a time."
A grim smile lit the face of the khan and he nodded his head in appreciation.
"I thank thee for thy tidings, Helluin. Cause breeds effect to the benefit of all. Ne'er have I been more convinced of the righteousness of my campaign against the worshippers of the God of Fire."
"When time allows, I shall bear word of thee and thy actions against the mutual enemy to the Kings of Gondor and the lord of the Dúnedain of the north."
"Though I have but recently learnt of these Men and their realms, I applaud their opposition of the God of Fire. Now they shall have in me, a counterpart in the east."
Helluin dipped her head to honor the Red Khan, then servers entered the tent bearing fruit and a cooked cereal of oats with minced dates, and the eggs of hens scrambled with cow's milk and butter. The Noldo shared the morning meal with Targitai and much conversation spanning many topics. She learnt that when his council convened at the second hour after dawn, he would announce his declaration of holy war against the Medes and their allies, and tell of the revelations he had seen in his visions of her memories. He wished her to attend, for he had a request.
"Helluin, is it possible to share thy memories with more than one at a time?"
"Aye, so long as they stare into my eyes."
"Though I have no doubts of what I saw, for the ease of convincing a realm, t'would be a great help to have others who can offer like testimony. Would thou share thy memories of Aman with my grand vizier, Enaree¹ and my youngest son, Kolaksai?" ¹(Enaree, Soothsayer Scythian)
Curious about the whispered words she had heard at the end of her sharing with Targitai, Helluin agreed.
"I shall do so, Targitai Khan."
"Then please attend the morning council session. I reckon it shall conclude well ere noon."
The Noldo nodded and they finished their meal. Afterwards, she excused herself to go and inform Tahmirih of her plans. By then, 'twas shortly after the first hour and she found the three warriors awake and preparing for their day. She entered, carrying her chair to return it to the table, and saw that the same breakfast foods she had shared with the khan had been delivered to the princess's tent.
"Helluin, whence come thee? When we rose, I saw that thou had already gone," Tahmirih said.
"I spent the night sitting before the tent enjoying a view of the stars," she said, "and at dawn met thy father who invited me to join in breaking his fast. He requested that I attend the morning council for to share my memories with his grand vizier and thy youngest brother."
The princess' eyes widened in surprise, for her sharing of the Noldo's memories included only the horrifying scenes of Mordor that Helluin had shared with her.
"Kolaksai is still young. He is acquainted with battle, but not with the horrors that I saw. Doth my father deem him ready to view such nightmares?"
"'Tis not scenes of battle that thy father would have me share, but rather those views of the Blessed Realm that I shared with him yesternight. He deems that the viewing of those memories shall lead to added testimony for his introduction of such changes as he intends to announce."
The princess breathed a sigh of relief at her declaration, but then her mood turned pensive.
"As Khan of the Mâh-Sakâ Confederation, my father commands half a million warriors. When he was a boy, our people fought amongst themselves, or defended their settlements from raiders who came from beyond our lands. As a young prince, he managed to convince several clans to join him in repelling invaders. The members of that first alliance then turned to enlisting other clans 'til at last, my father was the first to unite all the clans of our people. 'Twas then only natural to extend our influence into the lands beyond our border and bring war to our hereditary enemies, the Medes and the other worshippers of the God of Fire. In opposing them as one people, we have become more unified in heart and have greatly increased our security. The raid in which Alun was abducted was the first incursion in o'er a year. 'Twas of great importance for the honor of the confederation that he be rescued and returned."
"I deem that by entrusting the rescue of Alun to thee, he showed a great measure of confidence in thy capabilities," Helluin said.
Tahmirih nodded and said, "My father is responsible for the security of the Mâh-Sakâ lands. His two elder sons are commanding hosts and his youngest is too young for such an expedition. I have trained and am considered an able warrior, so naturally, I was chosen."
"And in the coming war, shalt thou command a host as well?"
"After his words last night, my father will declare the worshippers of the God of Fire outcasts consorting with demons and the normal traditions of war will no longer apply to them. He may have disputes with a few of the sultans at first, but I reckon they will join him, for they will not wish to be seen as sympathetic to devils. T'will be genocide thereafter and he will lead the host encamped here in a holy war. Our perennial enemies in Wahat Binya shall likely be first; some twenty-six thousands dwell there and they shall all be put to the sword. I shall ride with him, but if tactics require, I shall command a demi-host, fifty to one hundred thousand warriors."
Helluin weighed Tahmirih's words. The Noldo had seen the slaughter of hosts in war and the intentional emptying of nations. The War of Wrath, the War of the Last Alliance, and the three wars against Angmar had all resulted in the destruction of realms, yet in each case, some had escaped to raise realms anew, filled with the same foes. Her own extermination of the Yrch in the southeastern Hithaeglir amounted to genocide, whilst her battle with the Dwarves of the Emyn Angren had been a slaughter. Yet in each, she had encountered only combatants on the field.
What Targitai proposed was as if Fëanor's host had slain all of the Teleri at Alqualondë as a matter of policy, with no mercy shown to ellith, children, or any others who had no role in guarding their ships. Of course, it had not happened thus. Despite the First Kinslaying and his later betrayal of the Host of Fingolfin, Curufinwë had first appealed to the mariners to convey them to the Mortal Lands. In reverence for the Valar, the people of Olwë had refused. 'Twas only then that the fighting had ensued, at first evenly matched, but with the arrival of the vanguard of Fingolfin's host 'neath the command of Findekáno, the balance had tipped in favor of the Noldor and the white ships had been taken. Ultimately, for Fingon, aiding his uncle proved thankless, for along with the rest of his father's host, he was left behind on the shores of Oiomúrë 'nigh the Helcaraxë when Fëanor's host sailed for Losgar.
Some had felt remorse after Alqualondë, whilst others had rationalized their acts by citing necessity. The appearance of Námo on the shore of Araman where he spoke the Doom of the Noldor had disabused them of any notion that the Valar would excuse their actions. Some had repented then and returned to Aman. Most had continued on.
In time, all that the Vala had declared came to pass. All the realms of the Noldor in Beleriand had fallen and Morgoth had encompassed their defeat. Yet the First Kinslaying had not been genocide, though the Second Kinslaying at Menegroth and the Third Kinslaying at the Havens of Sirion came closer in that non-combatants were massacred. Helluin had been late to the first, and absent in Gondolin for the second, but in the third, she had acted against the House of Fëanor at the behest of a Vala, and she had slain warriors of the Noldor and the Sindar. Even so, she had ne'er slain any who had not raised a sword against her.
In the war to come, the Mâh-Sakâ would slaughter any of the worshippers of the God of Fire that they could find. Their war would not be for defense, revenge, or conquest. It would be ideological, immutable, and absolute. Win or lose, Rhûn would be littered afterwards with corpses and ruins. Mentally, Helluin groaned.
When Númenor had come to the relief of Gil-galad in S.A. 1700, Ciryatur had brought one hundred thousand warriors to Eriador. They had been sufficient to defeat Sauron's Glamhoth in the War of the Elves and Sauron. Once gathered, the Host of the Last Alliance had numbered two hundred twenty-four thousands, and they had been victorious in Mordor after grievous losses. Targitai's host numbered a third greater than the sum of the two largest hosts Helluin had seen since the breaking of Beleriand. Now each of the khan's sons commanded a host greater than all the allied warriors that had defeated Angmar in T.A. 1975. The coming slaughter would be astonishing.
The second hour after dawn was drawing 'nigh and the council was soon to begin.
"I must go to thy father," she said to Tahmirih.
The princess nodded and Helluin took her leave, walking the short way to the khan's tent. This time, the sentries nodded to her and held the flap aside so she could enter. Within she found the khan seated on a folding chair, his sentries on duty, with the viziers in attendance, seated to his left. 'Round them were gathered a dozen of captains of the host and many councilors who represented other clans. Targitai gestured Helluin to an empty chair next to the unoccupied seat on his right. Almost as soon as she was seated, a serious looking teen entered and took the chair 'twixt her and the khan. Helluin marked that he projected the vigor of mortal youth, and though neither tall, nor broad, he was well knit, with the wiry build of a young athlete.
"Meet my son, Kolaksai," Targitai said. "My son, this is Helluin of the Host of Finwë."
Helluin rose and bowed to the prince, who gave her a nod of acknowledgement and looked at her carefully.
"Mae govannen, Prince Kolaksai, son of Targitai," Helluin said.
To her surprise, the prince replied, "Mae Govannen, Helluin Maeg-mórmenel, Úlairdacil Gondor."
"Hast thou studied the Sindarin tongue, prince?" She said, marking the light of intelligence in his eyes.
"Aye, I have learnt some of it from Mage Halatir. I look forward to this day's council."
Helluin offered him a smile and then Targitai declared the council in session.
"Yesternight I was gifted visions of the Immortal Realm as it was long ago, for the attaining of which I shared memories with our ally, Helluin of the Noldor who once dwelt therein. My enlightenment was profound. In her eyes, I found inspiration, and from that inspiration, determined that those who worship the God of Fire were more than simply Men with whom we have disputes. They are collaborators with the Satan that brought darkness to paradise, and for that blasphemy, we must smite them without mercy. By colluding through their worship and reverence for Sauron, they damn themselves and are complicit in their hearts in the blighting of what was once beautiful and noble beyond mortal ken.
Shortly, I shall call upon all our people to wage holy war on these infidels and idolaters, and in token of addressing whatsoe'er doubts may linger still amongst them, I would have others besides myself bear witness to what was, and what was destroyed.
In Helluin's memory, there lives yet the vision of paradise lost, and this she hath consented to share. I would that Enaree and Kolaksai view the wonder of Aman as 'twas in the time of the Trees of Light."
As would any good leader who was aware of the nuances of parliamentary procedure, Targitai had spoken ahead of time with his grand vizier and his son, and both knew what to do and what to expect. There was no hesitation as they moved their chairs close together and side by side to face Helluin. 'Twas as if they had rehearsed, and Helluin nodded in appreciation.
"Thou need do 'naught save look into my eyes," the Noldo said for the sake of the other councilors gathered 'nigh. They watched with vulturine anticipation of the coming bewitchment.
Now Enaree and Kolaksai looked into Helluin's eyes. She felt curiosity foremost from them, with a thin veneer of uncertainty from the vizier. For a moment, the mortals saw the blue of a cloudless sky rushing down upon them, enveloping their consciousness, and then they were no longer in the tent of their khan. Despite that they were both viewing the same memories, they saw only through Helluin's eyes and each was alone in the vision.
Before them stood the city of Tirion, just as Targitai had seen it the night past, and they heard Helluin's voice in their minds explaining what lay before them. 'Twas as no city either had e'er imagined, for 'naught was made of mud brick, and the turf on the plain and the hill of Túna was greener and lusher than any they had seen aforetime. The tower, Mindon Eldaliéva, lanced into the sky, crystalline, slender, and lofty, and crowned by a great lamp like a silver star. Beyond the Pass of Light lay the Bay of Eldamar and the Sundering Sea; more water seen in a glance than either had thought there could be.
Their view shifted south and then upwards as Helluin revealed Taniquetil, the Holy Mountain. It would have dwarfed the Orocarni, the only mountains they knew. Crowning that snow-capped peak, far off, yet clear to their eyes, stood Ilmarin, the palace of the gods.
In the tongue of Tirion, its name means 'Mansion of the High Airs'. Therefrom, Manwë, King of the Gods, and his queen, Varda, Lady of the Stars, see and hear 'aught that passes in Arda and 'naught is hid from them. Yet upon a time, their vigilance failed to the ruin of all.
Didst thou e'er stand in the halls atop that mount? A voice Helluin realized was Kolaksai's asked.
Once only did I enter Ilmarin, at a feast of thanksgiving to Eru that Manwë had made. Whilst we sang and rifts were healed 'twixt the princes of my people, the Enemy came in stealth and did a great blasphemy, followed by murder and theft. Aman and my people have ne'er fully recovered.
Enaree and Kolaksai felt the great sorrow of Helluin's heart at the memory of what had come after, but 'twas tinged with regret.
Whyfor, Helluin? Enaree asked.
Only Fëanor's presence was commanded by Manwë, and had I not been attending the feast, I would likely have attended the Trees as had long been my habit if I was 'nigh at the Mingling of the Lights. 'Twas then that Melkor and Ungoliant struck. Perhaps I could have raised an alarm, perhaps…
She trailed off and would say no more, and then she directed their sight to her memory of the plain of Valinor stretching inland from the cliffs of the Pelori and the valley of the Calicirya. They crossed the intervening four hundred-odd miles from Tirion in a sickening lurch of movement so disorienting to the mortals' minds that they reeled in their chairs and only slowly became aware of the blinding brilliance outside the walls of a great city with gates of gold.
When they finally recovered their equilibrium, Kolaksai and Enaree beheld an illumination brighter than an ill-advised viewing of the noonday sun. Helluin dimmed the Light in her memory so they could see the low, grassy mound of Ezellohar, and growing upon it, the Two Trees, Telperion and Laurelin, surrounded by vats of liquid Light. 'Twixt the hill of the trees and the gates of the city stood a circle of fourteen thrones, no two alike in form.
Behold, Corollairë, hill of the Two Trees of Valinor that once lit the world. They stand before the Máhanaxar, the council ring of the Valar, and beyond, the gates of Valmar, city of the gods.
In Helluin's memory, the Two Trees stood each with its ril waxing and waning in counterpoint, but she slowed the effect 'til both Trees stood at half brightness, the balance of the Mingling of the Lights. Then there came a flash. Enaree and Kolaksai marked a female figure with arms uplifted, standing naked 'twixt the Trees where their branches and the fall of their dews o'erlapped. At first, they deemed it a statue, coated and lit with liquid Light. Then it moved.
Not my memory, that last! They heard Helluin exclaim in surprise. After a pause, she muttered, I am the only one in all Arda who could not have seen it.
Whatsoe'er power had usurped the vision relinquished its hold and Helluin provided one last image in a contrast stark and heartbreaking that explained Helluin's sorrow and their khan's zealotry.
Years had passed, though they knew not their count, but now Valinor was dark, lit only by the stars o'erhead and far. A pall of melancholy lay upon all hearts and the land of the gods was somber. Upon blighted Corollairë stood the husks of two trees, wounded by thrust of spear and then sucked dry by unholy fangs in service to an unquenchable thirst that only grew. Now dead branches clawed at the sky like skeletal fingers, bare of leaves, whilst strips of bark peeled from the withered boles. Fallen twigs lay scattered o'er the mound of poisoned dirt. Surrounding it all, the vats too lay dry and empty.
Helluin blinked and the vision ended. The prince and the vizier found themselves back in their chairs where they shook their heads and took deep breaths. Eventually, they stretched their limbs and then stood and returned their chairs to their accustomed places.
"Now ye have also borne witness to the destruction of what once blessed this world," Targitai said. "Morgoth, who appeared to Men in their earliest days for the sake of corrupting their hearts against the Valar, and who is the original God of Fire, encompassed the destruction of the Two Trees that darkened all the world."
Enaree and Kolaksai nodded in agreement and the prince said, "What I saw leaves me no doubt that Morgoth is the Satan of our world and his mortal followers are idolaters and blasphemers."
"That he is Satan is without doubt," Enaree said, "and I deem he hates but also fears Elves and Men, for the Elves despise and reject him, whilst Men die and escape him at the last."
Helluin was impressed by the vizier's capacity for reasoning.
"What he speaks is true," she said, "for the Valar, the Maiar, and the Elves are bound to the fate presaged in the First Song, but Men were made by Ilúvatar to exercise their own wills. Their fates are unwritten, their doom unknown, and they escape the world in the end.
Mark my words, for those of e'erlasting Life, the mortal world becomes fraught with reminders of heartbreak and disappointment. 'Tis the birthplace of memories and the womb of despair. O'er time, we come to tire of it and so most of my people left long ago. We who remain shall Fade, as the grinding of the years wears us down, 'til we are 'naught but ghosts; invisible, impotent, and ultimately, exhausted at heart. Arda shall be a world of Men one day."
"Then we shall make ours a world wherein the darkness and fear, and the worship of one who would destroy us is rejected," Targitai said, "for though a Man may die from the world, his ideas live on, to be taken up by the nations of his sons and daughters. The God of Fire has been known since time immemorial, yet he is the god of cruelty. Only by the disavowal of his lies and the eradication of his disciples' idolatry can his hold be broken."
Helluin marked that 'round them, the other councilors were nodding in agreement.
"Do any of ye feel doubts?" Targitai Khan asked of the council.
'Round the tent, none voiced objection, though some spoke their own reasons for acceptance.
"The worshippers of the God of Fire have long sought to oppress our people, waylaying travelers abroad, attacking settlements, and abducting our people as slaves or sacrifices. Now we know the full measure of their sin and 'tis very great. 'Tis not the way of simple foes, but rather 'tis the way of devils," one said.
"We thought aforetime that their trespasses derived from evils of their own making, greed, hate, and opportunism," another claimed. "Now we see that they act in emulation of their god, having neither honor, nor true courage. We are called to smite them with whate'er strength we have, god given and no longer blind to the black hearts of our foes."
"Once we feuded amongst ourselves, ne'er knowing the depth of evil that surrounded us. Now we see the God of Fire for what he is, and his followers for the blasphemers they are. We cannot but oppose them with prejudice hereafter, may they burn in the hell of their own making."
The declarations continued thus for some time ere all seemed satisfied to have spoken their peace. Then Targitai rose from his chair and said, "I order the morning session of the council dissolved. There shall be no afternoon session this day. Rather, I shall ride to Ürgenҫ to appear before the Council of the Clans, for now we have tidings that all our people should know. My vizier and my son shall accompany me."
With that, he bowed to the councilors and as had been the past evening, the attendees filed out of the tent according to the formal order.
"My thanks, Helluin of the Host of Finwë," Targitai said as she rose to exit his tent.
Helluin bowed again to the khan and took her leave. Outside, she cast a glance to the sky, marking that 'twas still two hours ere noon. She walked o'er to Tahmirih's tent, finding it empty, and then looked to Barq, who waited alone.
Good to see thee, O Helluin, he said, I was beginning to get bored.
The Noldo nodded apologetically and said, I am sorry for my absence, O Barq. Hast thou been well tended?
I would enjoy a run if that may be. Tahmirih and her warriors took their leave o'er an hour past, intending to exercise their mounts. I would have followed, though they would ne'er bring a horse save with its rider's permission, which alas, I lacked.
Come then, and let us ride, O Barq. I too find myself afflicted with too much sitting and more than sufficient talk. Pray spare me but the time to gather my bow.
The Easterling horse nodded to her and she went back inside the tent, lifting her steel bow and quiver of arrows from the armor stand and draping them o'er her shoulders. As e'er, Anguirél, the Sarchram, and her new dagger were already in place on her belt. She returned to Barq and hoisted herself onto his back, and then they walked forward, Helluin nodding to the sentries standing guard at Targitai's tent flap.
"I go to exercise my steed," she announced to them. They nodded in easy acceptance of her intent. As with the Northmen, none found her catering to a horse's needs odd.
Now Helluin let Barq follow his nose, and they came beyond the camp where had been set aside a large field for the practicing of dressage, formation drills, and the general exercising of many horses. To that end, a large oval track of a mile encircled a number of fenced courses and a parade ground. As the oval ran at the outer edge, Helluin and Barq entered there and proceeded counterclockwise, following the other mounts and riders at a trot. After two furlongs, Barq increased his pace to a canter and Helluin nudged him toward an intermediate lane set aside for horses moving at that gait.
For the remainder of the mile, Barq continued at a canter, but when he reached the point of his initial entry onto the track, he turned to the innermost lane and broke into a gallop. Having spent the past day idle and having warmed his muscles and reached his second wind, he was now ready for a good run. After rounding half the track, Helluin lifted each leg in turn and removed her boots, sliding the shafts 'neath her belt to hold them fast.
"I hope thou shalt feel no undue irritation from my bare feet," she called out to Barq as she rose to her feet, balancing upright on his back.
Facing forward at full speed, he broke not his gait by turning to reply, but merely bobbed his head and continued on at his full speed. Then 'round the track they went, Barq at a gallop and Helluin standing serenely upright whilst the Mâh-Sakâ watched. After a full circuit, they ceased holding their breaths, confident now that she would not fall, nor Barq stumble. They proceeded thus for five miles ere Barq slowed, first to a canter, and then to a trot whilst edging outwards on the track 'til they again paced on the margin of the oval at a walk.
Ahhh, that felt good, the Easterling horse said, having looked back o'er his shoulder to meet Helluin's eyes, thou may resume thy seat, if thou would like.
Perhaps I shall remain thus a while longer, O Barq. The view is better high than low. Hast thou marked the exercises in the dressage arenas?
I did indeed, a strange pursuit much practiced in the east. We all spent time at it in Xwârazm, though the novelty was soon to wear thin.
I have marked thy agility and thy surety afoot, Helluin said, pray show me thy skill.
With a long-suffering groan, Barq grimaced and shook his head, but he made his way 'cross the track and towards an empty arena. Upon reaching it, Helluin leapt down and opened the gated entrance, then followed Barq in, closing the gate behind them. Within the waist-high fencing was a smaller field of bare earth, groomed smooth, and bounded by only a low border of mud bricks. That field measured eleven fathoms by thirty-three, and after putting on her boots, Helluin rode Barq through the gap in the mud bricks at the center of one end.
I shall first perform a basic routine, the Easterling horse said, not that the Noldo would have any idea of what that encompassed.
Helluin gave him a nod as he ambled to the center. After a short pause, he began by stepping jauntily forward, holding each hoof aloft a moment in a formal and unnatural gait. As he neared the further end of the arena, he executed a tight circle to his right, and then another to his left, both encompassing barely his body length ere he smoothly transitioned into a canter 'round the sides of the space. He continued on a while in like maneuvers, including sidestepping the leg yield to his right and then to his left, traveling forward haunches-in and then shoulder-in ere he returned to the center and ceased.
I shall now perform an optional routine, Barq announced. Pray be ready to keep thy seat.
By then his performance had attracted some attention, and a few of the Mâh-Sakâ had come to stand 'round beyond the bordering bricks. They watched carefully as he took up his position again in the center. Helluin sat with literally 'naught to do, simply going along for the ride. That the watching riders deemed her control o'er her horse to be supernatural birthed a flurry of comments and speculations 'twixt them that both she and Barq ignored.
Now Barq began by planting a forefoot, locking the joints of his cannon, and then raising his other foreleg. In that posture he used the planted hoof as a pivot and circled with his hindquarters, first clockwise. When he was again facing his starting position and his circle was complete, he switched forelegs and circled his hindquarters counterclockwise. He then bucked up on his hind legs, drew in his forelegs, and hopped forward a few times, thereby having proven the strength of both his forelegs and hind legs. He was quite satisfied thus far, though Helluin deemed his movements bizarre. On the sidelines, the Mâh-Sakâ rubbed their eyes in disbelief.
The Easterling horse then took to prancing 'round the arena, first at a trot and then at a canter, in reverse. After making a circuit, he 'criss crossed the breadth of the arena stepping sideways. He paced through a walk, trot, and canter whilst stretching his gait to lengthen his strides, then did the opposite, shortening his strides 'til Helluin started laughing because he moved like a big insect. Finally, he rose up on his hind legs, turned a couple pirouettes, and then leapt upwards, kicking out with both hind legs whilst airborne, and finally landing again on all fours.
That shall be quite enough, I think, Helluin said, shaking her head in consternation. Honestly, the horsemanship of the east leaves me confounded.
We undertake such exercises as training for, and a demonstration of, strength, agility, and coordination, he said, odd as the movements might seem to novices at the equestrian arts.
The Noldo could not but roll her eyes, having ridden since 'nigh ten millennia ere Barq's birth.
I will allow that the results have stood thee in good stead upon the battlefield, O Barq, though I would not ask thee to impersonate a rabbit, a bug, or a slinking fox.
'Twas then Barq's turn to roll his eyes. Still, loath to bicker and deeming discretion the better part of valor, he changed the subject, saying, I should now appreciate a drink and a bite to eat.
Loath to bicker and deeming discretion the better part of valor, Helluin readily agreed.
They left the exercise field where the spectating Mâh-Sakâ were dumbfounded, and made their way back to Tahmirih's tent. Along the way, they passed a few instances of unfathomable behavior. Groups of riders stood together, all voicing the same monotone, holding the note for so long as their breath lasted. Helluin looked askance at this peculiar practice, and then dismissed it, for there was still much about her new allies that she did not yet understand.
Upon reaching the tent, she saw the other horses standing 'nigh, and the Noldo reckoned that the princess and her two warriors had also returned. Barq joined the three Mâh-Sakâ horses and lapped water from a half-barrel, then went face first into a feed trough. Helluin pulled aside the tent flap and entered.
Sure enough, Tahmirih, Kiana, and Ashti were seated 'round the table. Helluin doffed her bow and quiver and hung them from her weapons stand. She then washed the dust of the field from her face and hands and joined the other three. They seemed most somber.
"Has someone died?" She asked.
"Not yet, but soon," the princess said. "'Tis done, for better or worse."
When Helluin cocked her brow in question, Tahmirih added, "My father had scant trouble convincing the other sultans to go to war."
"That was fast," Helluin said, having expected at least a day or two of debate.
"With the testimony of Enaree and Kolaksai in addition to his own eloquence, the subject gained vehement approval. T'would seem the sultans had long sought for a cause to expand the war against the worshippers of the God of Fire."
"They have been universally reviled for many years, and none would wish to appear shy of battle or craven now that the call to war has been sounded," Ashti said.
"So then when shall the Mâh-Sakâ ride to war?" Helluin asked, reckoning that perhaps a week would be required for the muster of warriors not already encamped 'nigh Ürgenҫ.
"A day after the morrow the host rides west at the first hour following dawn," Tahmirih said, "and any not ready to do so must catch up after."
Now on the day after the morrow, the host of the Mâh-Sakâ did indeed ride to war. Helluin rode in the van, in her black cloak, looking much like one of Sauron's Nine. 'Twas then 4 Nórui, and the camp at Ürgenҫ was struck with surprising swiftness. By noon, the host was riding west at a moderate walk and raising a cloud of dust in their wake. Some four thousand Mâh-Sakâ warriors had joined the host on the previous day from the towns that lay 'nigh. Beyond those settlements, word of the declaration of holy war was spreading, and 'twas expected that tens of thousands more would ride in haste to catch up.
The host rode at their leisure in those familiar lands, reaching Wahat Xzûwing on the 7th, and during that time another eleven thousand riders did indeed join them. The sultans came to the khan's tent that evening to join the council. There they heard the revelations that Targitai shared and avowed their concurrence with the declaration of holy war. Alun was particularly fervent in his condemnation of the Medes and their allies, having personally suffered at their hands. On the morn of 8 Nórui, another thousand riders joined the host.
On that day, the Mâh-Sakâ came to the ford of the river Rā, and in the afternoon, they passed beyond the border of their lands, just as had the host commanded by Arpoksai that Helluin, Tahmirih, Kiana, and Ashti had seen aforetime on 28 Lothron.
'Twas only shortly after crossing that they came upon a most ragged company of six dozens staggering 'cross the steppe, heading east. They were clad in loose bandages of linen, and scouts returned shaking in terror from the sight of them. After twenty-six days, the mummies from the small wahat of the mastabas had arrived.
Tahmirih, Kiana, and Ashti wore expressions of horror whilst Helluin groaned. We shall all be pursued 'til the end of days. It is said that the undead ne'er cease in their quest for vengeance. Surely we shall all die, Helluin recalled the freed slaves wailing. She looked 'round at the uncertainty and hesitation of the vanguard and finally shook her head in exasperation.
C'mon, Barq, let us dispense with these wights, she said, for they are not even armed and wield 'naught but fear as their weapon.
If thou say so, the Easterling horse replied, looking askance at her, but beginning to canter forward towards the motley crew of walking cadavers.
I do say so, for they have neither the heart, nor the stomach for a fight, having left their canopic jars behind. She chuckled at her own humor as they closed on the walking dead.
Barq rapidly covered the intervening furlong towards the mummies, and Helluin first deployed Anguirél against them, easily hewing off heads and she rode past their line. Behind her, Targitai and the host watched her assault in morbid fascination.
One by one, she beheaded the mummy wights. Those bodies so bereft staggered 'round lacking direction and the heads snapped their jaws whilst lying on the ground. After ten minutes, the Noldo had managed to decapitate them all, ignoring the bodies that staggered and limped 'round with arms outstretched, seeking by feel for foes. She leapt off Barq's back, urging him to move clear, which he was only too glad to do.
How horrible. I have lost my appetite. Those were far too dry for my taste, the Black Sword said with a hint of pique. Need I remind thee that I have a discriminating palette and a delicate constitution?
Better thou than me, the Sarchram muttered from her belt clip.
Now Helluin sheathed the Black Sword and drew the Sarchram. She walked amongst the fallen heads, stooping to smite one after another, and just as it had been in the antechamber of the mastaba, with each blow, a mummy fell limp to the ground. In all, the suppression of the accursed mummies had taken her the quarter part of an hour, but finally 'twas done and she mounted Barq and returned to the fore of the host.
As I said aforetime, 'twas 'naught to trouble thee, O Barq, she said.
So t'would seem, O Helluin, they proved one of thy less troublesome adversaries. I wonder if in their absence, their entrails were uneasy in their jars.
Huh. I had not considered the quailing of their organs, the Noldo replied. Ahhh well, 'tis moot now, I reckon, though if the opportunity presents again, I shall endeavor to discover the truth of it, yea, or nay.
"Targitai Khan, the threat of yonder cadavers is past," she reported to the khan.
"I recall them from my daughter's report, though I had ne'er seen their like aforetime. T'would seem that rumor and lore speaks true. I hope 'tis an isolated incident and we needs not slay e'ery foeman twice."
"I wager such are rare, for we met only those seen here in our travel 'cross the east."
"Hast thou encountered such in the west, Helluin?"
"Aye, Targitai Khan. In the land of Eriador, many haunt the grave barrows of Cardolan, whilst the defeated warriors of the Witch King's host now populate the fallen capital of Arthedain. In spite, he cursed his own soldiers for to render the city of his foes uninhabitable."
"Truly, the God of Fire is the Satan of our Age," the khan said. "Neither honor, nor mercy hath he for those who serve him, whether in life or in death."
"Worse than their foes did their master treat them, for the prince of the Northmen laid his fallen enemies to rest with honor following the battle, only to have them rise from their graves and shamble off to take up an eternal unrest in Fornost."
The khan sat his horse in silence, digesting Helluin's words.
"The more I hear of him, the less inclined am I to show mercy to those who exalt him, for I deem t'would be a waste of effort," he finally said, ere gesturing the host forward.
The Mâh-Sakâ advanced seven leagues beyond the river Rā on that first day, and as they passed the place of the mummies' fall, many took the opportunity to tread o'er them with their horses. Ere the whole of the host had passed, 'naught but powdered fertilizer remained of those ancient acolytes of the God of Fire.
Now whilst it had taken the company returning Alun and the freed slaves twenty-six days to ride from Wahat Binya, the host was accompanied by the khan's obscurantanists, reductionists, excrementalists, phallologists, and metaphysicists, and so they found their way 'cross the steppe with no time wasted. Diviners found water, astronographers predicted their course, and astrologers spoke of the future. During the day when the stars were hid, the pseudo scientists consulted a water-filled dish wherein a magnetized needle of iron pierced a cork and floated, e'er pointing north south. 'Twas consulted on the hour and the host's course corrected. In all, but a fortnight passed ere they saw the dim glow of the settlement on the land at night, and the host prepared themselves for battle. 'Twas 22 Nórui.
'Round midnight, Targitai called for Helluin and Tahmirih to join him, and they went up the very same rise from which Helluin, Tahmirih, and her warriors had looked in horrified surprise upon the unexpected sight of Wahat Binya. Now, whilst Kiana, Ashti, and the khan's bodyguard waited below, they came to that same viewpoint. Below on the steppe spread the irrigated fields and the palm-encircled body of water, with the walled town in the midst of which stood the temple and the tower. For a while, they observed it in silence.
Whilst the mortals could mark the buildings with their lighted windows, only Helluin could clearly see the mounted sentries making their rounds of the wall. She looked o'er at a rustling of robes to see the khan take his leather bracer from his forearm and a padded pouch from his belt. Targitai loosened the laces on the bracer and withdrew from the pouch a trio of double convex glass lenses. They were smaller versions of the light concentrating lens in the brass barrel of the device with which Elrond called upon the Eagles. She watched with interest as the khan placed one into each end of his bracer and the third 'twixt them, o'erlapped its ends, and then laced it to form a closed tube. This he put to his eye and stared through it at Wahat Binya.
After a moment, he adjusted the position of a lens, checked the focus of the image he saw, and then scanned the town. He offered some commentary, muttered 'neath his breath.
"Their wall is thin, no more than necessary for archers to stand on. Now the devils drag a Man to the temple as he screams for mercy. I wager he is to be a sacrifice."
Helluin looked closely at the temple and could just make out the figures the khan saw. Their facial expressions were lost in the distance. She looked with greater interest at the khan's viewing tube as he panned o'er to the citadel.
"The guards are many," he said, passing the viewing tube to his daughter, "but their security shall prove an illusion. We attack at dawn on the morrow."
Tahmirih searched the temple and the citadel, as had her father. She also checked the guards at the city gate and the watchtower to its east side. Finally, she returned the device to the khan who handed it to Helluin lying on his other side.
Now Helluin looked through the viewing tube and was shocked at the magnification. Though her eyesight was much finer than that of mortal Men, she could suddenly see distant figures at two furlongs that appeared as if but a hundred yards away. Though the images were not so clear as her naked eyes, the illusion of proximity was an advantage. Perhaps with better lenses…
Finally, after surveying the layout of Wahat Binya, Helluin returned the viewing tube to Targitai, who dissembled it and stowed the parts ere lacing his bracer back onto his forearm. Together, the three crawled back downslope 'til they were out of sight and then rose to their feet. The khan went to confer with his captains on the morrow's attack, whilst Helluin followed Tahmirih, Kiana, and Ashti back to their tent.
Rest well, O Barq. We attack on the morrow at dawn, she told the Easterling horse as she walked past.
I shall be ready, O Helluin. May the next day's sun bring us victory.
Helluin did not for a moment believe that the siege of Wahat Binya would be complete in a day, nor the campaign decided in less than a week. At the first sight of so great a host, they shall bar their gates and staff their walls, and then not budge 'til starved out. They certainly lack not for water.
The dawn of 23 Nórui saw the host preparing to ride out for battle. After breaking their fasts in the growing light, the Mâh-Sakâ mounted and divided into two equal demi-hosts, one to be commanded by the khan and the other by his daughter. Promptly at the first hour, they rode from their encampment and approached Wahat Binya.
As Helluin had expected, the sight of the approaching host prompted the city gates to be shut and archers to line the wall walks. The long morning shadows made them easy to count, but it seemed the Mâh-Sakâ ignored them. Shouted orders came softly to their ears 'cross the distance. At just shy of coming within bowshot, the host halted and formed up in wedge formations side by side, but not facing the gate. Rather, the points of the formations were directed towards a section of the wall beyond the watchtower adjacent to the gate.
"Helluin, as thy bow has a greater range, would thou consent to implanting a shaft into the wall, half its height and five fathoms from the east side of that watchtower," Targitai asked.
With a nod, Helluin unshouldered her steel bow, strung it and drew an arrow from her quiver. She knocked, sighted, and released, sending the shaft into the wall at the precise location the khan had requested. Targitai smiled and nodded his thanks, then stood in his stirrups and addressed the host with his commands.
"Sing now, sons of the east! Sing to the dawn for the fall of these devils!"
Helluin watched, completely confused by his orders. The best she could guess was that they intended to sing some battle anthem for the detriment of their foes' morale and the elevation of their own.
Now each rider removed the bracer from his left forearm and then raised the leather tube to his mouth. Each rider in the khan's demi-host produced a monotone, low, steady, and from one hundred and thirty thousand throats, astonishingly powerful. They adjusted their pitch 'til all produced the same note. The Noldo marked that each rider had pointed his bracer towards her arrow.
In the next moment, e'ery warrior in Tahmirih's demi-host joined them, producing the same tone, and finally Helluin understood and knew that the walls of Wahat Binya would fall.
Targitai's host held their tone and Tahmirih's host adjusted their pitch to match 'til its frequency produced a resonance that caused pebbles on the ground to vibrate and dust to rise 'twixt their position and the ground 'neath Helluin's arrow. With her Elvish attunement to sound, she recognized the production of a frequency in which the voices of the khan's host caused vibration in the mud brick walls of Wahat Binya. The pitch held as warriors took breaths, but with a quarter million voices raised in concert, the tone was sustained.
Upon the wall, arches loosed arrows in vain, but with the bricks trembling 'neath their feet, the defense was abandoned and they fled the parapet. Beyond their reach, Targitai's host continued their assault, and struck by waves of sound from two slightly differing directions, the mud bricks had not even the opportunity to resonate in sympathy. Soon cracks appeared in the mud coating o'er the bricks, and thereafter the structural failure of the defense quickened. Each fracture concentrated the stresses and soon the facing of dried mud fell free from the underlying bricks in large plaques that shattered as they crashed to the ground. In the resulting cloud, rapid pulsations could be seen from the sound waves as they perturbed the tiny particles of dust
Now though it seemed an improbable process, 'twas but the sixth part of an hour ere the mud brick failed utterly and the targeted section of the wall came tumbling down. The sound of crashing masonry caused the Mâh-Sakâ to cease their singing and they laced their bracers back onto their forearms. Then swords were drawn and arrows knocked. Before their formations, a gap of eight fathoms breadth lay open to their attack, whilst the ground before it was scattered with rubble.
Targitai again stood in his stirrups and cried out, "Charge! Slay these blasphemous devotees of Satan! Leave none alive!"
Then his host began to move, coming to a gallop ere they passed the wall, and scattering or running down the defenders waiting within. One hundred thirty thousand warriors charged into Wahat Binya following their khan, and when the last had gone, Tahmirih's host followed.
Within the town, all was chaos. People ran screaming in e'ery direction and the defense had lost all order. 'Twas a full out panic and rout. Helluin rode with those headed for the temple, and in the court before its doors, slew whate'er guards she saw, taking many heads with the Black Sword and the Sarchram. Unarmed civilians she ignored.
At the temple, soldiers of Wahat Binya held the entrance in a block formation of two dozens. Helluin dismounted to fight them afoot and told Barq to withdraw beyond the city walls and rejoin the host's support train. Then, to the horror of the defenders, appearing as a Nazgûl in her tattered black cloak and antique black armor, she slew any willing to raise arms against her with a flurry of strokes that cowed the remaining half of that company to flight.
In the aftermath, Helluin entered the temple of the God of Fire unchallenged. The reek of the place made her wrinkle her nose. She found the interior dim and austere, with a large open floor tiled in red and black hexagons lit by head high tripod braziers. Six tall columns upheld a domed roof that featured a vent hole at its apex. Centered 'neath it stood an alter, a monolithic block of black granite, polished smooth by centuries of wear from the hands of supplicants and the desperate clawing of victims doomed to be sacrificed. The Noldo marked iron fittings to secure manacles for wrists and ankles, allowing the forced prostration of bodies o'er a deep, central bed of coals. On that bed, partial skeletons lay charring, whilst the stench of burnt bone and hair exuded from stone long permeated with the scents of immolation.
She saw no worshippers, no victims, nor any priests, only a great, seated statue of Sauron Gorthaur, carved of marble, garishly polychromed, and wearing gilded robes. In one hand, he bore a black mace, and in the other, he held a palantír. Helluin found the likeness quite accurate. 'Twas obvious to her that any living souls had fled at the rumor of the attack. She turned on her heel and took her leave, wishing only that she could pull down the entire accursed edifice.
Back out on the street, the chaos continued with soldiers running directionless, for their officers were completely o'erwhelmed by the sheer count of the Mâh-Sakâ. Having no clue as to the whereabouts of prisoners to rescue, Helluin stalked 'cross a square filled with fighting towards the gate of the citadel. This had a barred observation slot and was set in a low wall of perhaps a fathom and a half's height, more ceremonial than defensive, she reckoned. Indeed, it had not even a wall walk for archers or pikemen along its top.
After deflecting an arrow shot at her from the gate with the bracer on her right forearm, she unshouldered her bow and fired twice back through the observation slot at point blank range, then charged forward to have a look. On the ground within, the archer and his quiver bearer had fallen, both impaled though their skulls by her first arrow. Further 'cross the yard, another soldier lay unmoving with only the fletches of her second arrow protruding through the cuirass on his chest. The Noldo saw perhaps another score defenders, half on the steps guarding the door of the citadel, the rest hastening to hold the gate. Ere they could arrive, she spun away and sprinted down the wall to her right.
Soon she came to a narrow alley lying 'twixt the citadel wall and the closest of the businesses that bordered the square. Like all the mud brick buildings she had seen, it had no o'erhanging eaves. At full speed, she leapt upwards, using a window embrasure as a step and then vaulting onto the roof. Helluin recovered to her feet, took a running start, and leapt the two-fathom breadth of the alley. 'Twas easy for her to land atop the wall; indeed, 'twas more difficult to transmute her forward momentum into lateral motion, but with three strides along the top edge, she was back within ten yards of the gate.
Again at full speed, the Noldo cast herself into an aerial cartwheel that brought her to the ground in full stride. She drew an arrow and fired into the crowd of soldiers who had just arrived at the gate. The arrow struck the nearest guard, passing well 'nigh through his body as it spun him 'round so that he slammed into the guard on his right, impaling him as well. The guard standing behind them reacted to their sudden motion on pure reflex and hewed off both their heads with a mighty stroke of his scimitar. Helluin's next arrow took him in the face as he mouthed a shocked 'Oh'.
Helluin shouldered her bow in her last strides toward the gate and slew the remaining guards there with Anguirél ere hauling free the bolt and pulling open the gate. Almost immediately, a half-dozen Mâh-Sakâ poured through, charging past her into the citadel's yard. She barely managed to avoid them as they raced towards the guards at the door. They had scarcely crossed half the distance when the Sarchram whined o'er their heads and struck down three of the ten waiting on the steps ere ricocheting off the embrasure 'round the door and returning to her hand.
Now though the remaining guards barely outnumbered the Mâh-Sakâ, they had just seen thirteen of their company slain by one they took for a Nazgûl and they were in terror. After a short fight, the riders o'ercame them and forced the door, advancing into the citadel with bows, drawn swords, and Helluin at their heels.
From the doors, a short entrance corridor led into a large hall with a lofty ceiling, an encircling mezzanine, and a staircase leading upwards into the tower. Several arrows skipped off the flagstone floor as archers on the mezzanine fired at them. One of the Mâh-Sakâ spun back towards them with an arrow pinning his open mouth to his chest ere his legs folded 'neath him and he sat against a wall of the corridor drooling blood.
"Everyone ready your bows," Helluin hissed, setting three arrows 'twixt the knuckles of her left hand that held her bow. "Squint, wait for my signal, and then shoot your clearest target."
The five remaining Mâh-Sakâ knocked arrows and prepared to draw and aim. They watched Helluin carefully through narrowed lids, not sure of what to expect.
The Noldo took the Sarchram in her right hand, then after a running start, leapt out into the hall and burst into an eye-scorching ril of Light. Startled and blinded, the enemy archers recoiled rather than firing. With her feet again on the floor, she cast the Ring Blade at the first archer she saw on the mezzanine and then snatched an arrow and set it to her bowstring. The Sarchram cleaved the brow of the targeted archer as she drew and aimed. Then she loosed once, twice, and a third time, taking three more foes out of the battle.
Though they seemed slow to her, the five Mâh-Sakâ leapt out into the hall and chose targets, then loosed their arrows. As the Sarchram ricocheted 'round the mezzanine, they drew their second arrows and fired again. Helluin caught the returning Grave Ring and diminished her incandescence. As her allies surveyed the hall for any remaining foes, she charged to the stairs and began her ascent into the tower. Soon, she heard the footsteps of the mortal warriors taking the steps behind her.
They found two levels above the mezzanine and the great hall of the citadel. The first held a deserted council chamber and meeting rooms. They kicked open each door, but found none within. At the top of the tower, they charged into a many-windowed chamber wherein a robed and beturbaned Man stood cowering with the temple priests.
None offered resistance as they were held at arrow point. Helluin shouldered her bow and drew her sword.
"Thou art the Sultan of Wahat Binya?" She asked the robed Easterling.
He nodded 'aye' and then fell to his knees, blubbering and pleading for his life. Helluin heard the release of bowstrings and saw that the Mâh-Sakâ had shot the priests of the God of Fire. She nodded in approval and turned to the sultan.
"Get up," Helluin commanded the Man, sheathing her sword and yanking him to his feet. She dragged him o'er to a window and said, "Look, thy city is fallen and thy worship of the God of Fire is ended. I should take thee prisoner and deliver thee to the khan, but he hath commanded that all within thy walls be put to death."
He gave her a beseeching look and she kicked him out the window.
Following a final search, they found no others within the citadel. Either any who were usually there had fled, or they had been caught outside during the attack and had most likely already been slaughtered. The Noldo desired to burn the citadel, but 'twas built of mud bricks and contained so little that was flammable that t'would have been a waste of time to try. Frustrated again, Helluin and the Mâh-Sakâ collected their arrows as they took their leave and returned to the battle in the streets.
Now whilst her allies triumphantly rejoined the orgy of mayhem, Helluin stalked the center of the town seeking for more soldiers. She found a few, dueled with them, and slew them, but in the back of her mind, it still bothered her that she could not collapse the temple. Finally, she went in search of the khan.
Wahat Binya was a classic oasis settlement in which all construction arose on a ring of land set back from the bank of a pool of open water, and then encircled by the town's wall. There were no shortcuts 'cross town. Because the gates and the initial breach of the wall had been located towards the south and 'nigh the temple and the citadel, the search for the khan proved a long one.
Helluin had set off towards the sounds of the greatest uproar, literally following her ears in the direction of the loudest screaming. It seemed the mounted Mâh-Sakâ were chasing a mob of Wahat Binya's fleeing citizenry 'round the circuit of their town. She followed in their wake and after covering roughly a third of the distance 'round the water, realized that she was being outpaced on foot. Now the Noldo rued sending Barq out of the town. In the end, she spent the better part of two hours circumnavigating the entire wahat and ne'er catching up to the charging riders. Rather, the Noldo was treated to a tour of the ruined town, the bodies of slaughtered natives littering the streets, and the sounds of the battlefront moving e'er further ahead. In the end, she could only placate her own aggravation with the knowledge that following had been better than running headlong into the terrified mob that was fleeing her allies. She shook her head in irritation as she returned to the citadel.
"Ahhh, Helluin, I hope thou missed not the entirety of the battle," Targitai said, "'twas truly glorious! T'would seem that someone slew the sultan of this den of blasphemers. Indeed from appearances, I would say he was flung from a window."
The khan was pointing with his sword to the sultan's cadaver as it lay crumpled in the courtyard 'neath a tower window.
Helluin nodded in agreement, saying, "A sultan he may have been, but he was not able to save himself by flying. His priests died with him, but remained grounded in the tower."
"Had thou 'aught to do with this?"
"Indeed so, Targitai Khan. I and six of thy warriors. Alas, one was slain by an arrow in the great hall of the citadel."
She stooped to retrieve her arrows from the slain soldiers lying just inside the citadel gates.
"I have a matter to discuss with thee," she said. At the khan's questioning look, she asked, "I am vexed that the temple still stands. Could it not be leveled in the same manner as the curtain wall was breached?"
The khan laughed heartily and said, "I applaud thy unforgiving nature, my ally. Alas, 'tis built of hard stone rather than mud brick. Still, I too would see it ruined. I deem that with the aid of enough horses, we might displace some structural member and cause its collapse. We shall give thought to that task, for I find myself in agreement. That monument to Satan should not remain untouched."
Now the khan's host retrieved their slain and their arrows, and reordered their host beyond the walls. Then Targitai set his architologists, his technographers, his structural charlatans, and his sappers to the task of determining how best to encompass the destruction of the temple. These inspected the construction, argued o'er methodology, resources, and time, and eventually concluded that the displacement of just one of the six pillars would cause the failure of the southernmost wall, followed by the collapse of the dome and finally, the tumbling of the remaining walls.
Soldiers were tasked with weaving a great cable from a score of heavy ropes, twenty fathoms in length. Grooms were tasked with joining the tack of the horses from the supply train to make a single team of one hundred beasts. By the completion of these labors, 'twas mid-afternoon.
Straightaway, Targitai ordered one end of the cable attached to the capital of the column closest to the temple's entrance, and its opposite end hitched to the team of horses. Helluin watched as the driver ordered the team to pull.
Now the horses strained at their harnesses and the cable went taut. 'Naught moved, and after a brief time of snorting and hooves scraping against the pavers of the courtyard, the team driver called a halt. The horses were backed up a couple fathoms, leaving slack in the cable. Then they were driven forward 'til they were halted with a great jerk on the cable. Again, they strained for a time, and again, the team driver halted them and let them rest. Helluin chanced a glance within the temple and saw crumbled mortar 'round the base of the column, attesting that the seal 'twixt the capital and the architrave above had broken free. She came forth and gave the driver a thumbs up signal.
Thrice more the team of horses jerked on the cable with progressively greater distances for a head start. On the last, there came a grating as of giant teeth gnashing, but afterwards, the horses again strained with no further forward progress. A grin split the face of the driver and 'twas mirrored by the khan and the Noldo.
Once more, the driver backed up the team, further than aforetime, so that the last horses in the train set their hooves just beyond the broad step at the temple's base. He took time to allow them to recover their strength, and he whispered in the ears of the lead pair. Then, at a nod from the khan, he drove them forward.
The great beasts strode forth, leaning into their harness, the cable went taught, and the horses strained. All heard the grating of stone on stone as the horses snorted and pulled.
Standing to the side of the lead pair, Helluin closed one eye and focused on the foremost end of the tongue where it joined the frontmost yoke. This she carefully compared with the edge of a paving stone, and she marked the slow motion forward of the team in fractions of a finger's length. Very slow at first was their progress, yet from within the temple, the sound of grinding grew as stone slid against stone.
The lead pair had set their full weight against their collars and they snorted and strained, eyes bulging, veins inflated, and ropes of saliva trailing from 'round their bits. One lifted a forefoot as if in anticipation of taking a step. He joined many in the team, splashing urine on the paving in his effort, and finally, he set his lead foot down. Helluin saw the tongue move forward a hand's length. Another horse set down a foot and then another. The team maintained their tension on the cable, but now it gave in reward of their efforts. The whole team advanced a step, and then another, and at last, the tension on the cable dropped and the team lurched forward a full stride.
From within the temple came a great crash and the sound of brittle stone shattering. The cable went completely slack and the driver urged his team forward, away from the entrance.
Behind them, a cloud of dust exploded from within the temple, accompanied by a crescendo of sound as lintels fell, the entablature skewed inward, and the dome trembled. A great shriek of stone sliding on stone filled the air as the dome fell. Rumbles shook the ground, threatening to toss e'eryone off their feet. Then the walls keeled o'er and the temple of the God of Fire collapsed into itself, expelling a huge cloud of dust. From the host of the Mâh-Sakâ came a thunderous cheer that continued as the column of dust rose into the air.
The host retired beyond the slight rise outside the ruined town and spent the night at the same encampment they had occupied on the night preceding the attack. Morale was high and all celebrated and gave thanks for their great victory. Only silence came from within the walls of Wahat Binya and not even the wailed laments of survivors or the barking of dogs troubled the night's peace.
Of the twenty-six thousands who had dwelt in the town, not a one survived. The Mâh-Sakâ had killed them all. 'Twas but the first of many campaigns that came after, and word spread throughout Rhûn of the Red Khan who enjoyed the patronage of one of the God of Fire's Nonādide. Where aforetime there had been fear, now terror spread amongst the idolaters and blasphemers. Their prayers brought no blessings and their sacrifices brought no deliverance. If the God of Fire cared for his devotees, (and indeed he did not and ne'er had), he showed it not.
In fact, Sauron was ensconced in his fortress many miles to the west, and though he knew of the campaign against his followers in the east, they were expendable and he was preoccupied with other concerns. His Nine were again in Mordor, ordering his realm whilst Tindomul recovered and preparing to expand his holdings, whilst he himself pondered the failure of his minions to discover even the least clue as to the disposition of his Ring. It vexed him, for its lack crippled all his dearest schemes, yet unlike his devotees in the east, he had time, and amongst his foes in further Rhûn, only one enjoyed that blessing. If aiding in the slaughter of the Easterlings kept Helluin Maeg-mórmenel occupied and absent from hampering his designs, Sauron considered it a bargain paid with the blood of others. As oft enough aforetime, he reckoned that he reapt a boon at no cost, for mortal worshippers reproduced like rats, (as mortals were wont to do), and when he needed them again, they would be legion.
To Be Continued