In An Age Before – Part 245
Chapter One Hundred fifty-two
Vorondil the Hunter – The Third Age of the Sun
Now following the mixed reviews of their mission to Harondor, Helluin and Prince Eärnur were not redeployed thither. The casualties had been deemed too high for the abstract gain of hampering Sauron's food production, whilst freeing the slaves of Nurn was judged a mission more fittingly undertaken by Samara.
Prince Eärnur and his knights were tasked with the vigorous suppression of any incursions by soldiers of Mordor and Minas Morgul. This had been the prior mission of the knights, when not engaged in an actual war, and so they continued to prosecute a low intensity campaign on behalf of their king and the realm.
During the mission, 'twas marked that of all the forces sent south from Minas Tirith, only Helluin had understood the Black Speech, and only she could speak the Orkish tongue. In both negotiations and intelligence gathering, this capability was reckoned a great advantage. Steward Vorondil had recognized the value of her linguistic ability and easily convinced King Eärnil of it as well, for already there were some in uniform who spoke several of the Haradic dialects. So it came to pass that Helluin conducted seminars in the language of the Black Land for certain officers of the Army of Gondor and the Rangers of Lebennin charged with duties in proximity to Morgulduin and the Cirith Gorgor.
Beyond her charge to increase the abilities of His Majesty's warriors in hostile languages, Helluin was also tapped to instruct soldiers in the refinement of those skills of hand to hand combat, primarily with bladed weapons, in which she was celebrated. Unlike her foray into linguistic instruction, which involved a couple dozen at any given time, her instruction with the sword and dagger, spear and bow, became so popular that those lessons were given on the Pelennor before the city gates, and were typically attended by half a thousand warriors and the throng of civilians who hedged the practice field. Indeed, many of these latter were common folk, people inspired by hope to ascend to higher station through the exercise of arms, and perhaps receive a title as provided for in the 3rd proclamation of King Eldacar. The lords of the city deemed theirs a noble ambition and hindered it not.
Also in those days, the Dúnedain Ranger Dúnriel was promoted to sergeant after serving two years. She had won praise for her actions in The Battle of the Five Armies, most notably for her defense of the fallen Sergeant Orodben. Half a year later, Draugrán was similarly promoted for his valor in a battle at the mouth of Morgulduin against Yrch from the Tower of Black Sorcery. He was then offered and accepted a dispensation from the Ranger Commander, to travel to Linhir and refine his skills for the span of half a year. The king and the steward had plans for the Dúnedain from Eriador, for they had come to esteem more highly the capabilities of the Rangers.
When the year 2007 opened, Dúnriel and Draugrán, (he but lately returned from the south coast where he had learnt much of boarding and littoral warfare), were summoned to a privy council with King Eärnil, Prince Eärnur, and the Steward Vorondil. They entered the small meeting chamber behind the Hall of Kings and there found the lords of the city, and Helluin who had also been summoned. At their entrance, they bowed deeply to the lords and were bid seat themselves at the table. Wine was served, and some biscuits. A blaze on the grate warded off the chill as the cold winds of Narwain flowed down from Mindolluin. Outside the windows, a thin carpet of snow swirled up, scintillating in the winter sunlight 'neath a sky of cloudless blue. 'Twas 2 Narwain.
"Three years ye have dwelt in Gondor, and in that time, ye have won renown," King Eärnil began, "and a boon ye have been to the realm."
"'Tis by your deeds that we have become convinced of the virtue of our people training as Rangers," Vorondil said. "For o'er two thousand years, Gondor has benefitted from the prowess of our warriors from Lebennin, and so none of the Southern Dúnedain have learnt that mode of warfare."
"Yet now we are uniquely blessed to have, not only she who taught those ways to the Men of Lebennin and Eriador long ago, but also to have ye, people of our own blood who have learnt those ways," King Eärnil said. "'Tis my desire that the Dúnedain of Gondor learn the Ranger ways of warfare, and so I pray ye shall accede to our hope and teach your skills to those of our folk who desire to learn them."
His request was a surprise to Draugrán and Dúnriel, who had come to believe, as did Helluin, that amongst the Dúnedain of the south, the waging of war was still held synonymous with the clash of mass armies, wherein hosts of cavalry and infantry openly marched into battle 'neath their realm's banners. Such great actions had always defined the victories and defeats of Gondor's army and navy, and they had led to the triumphs of their most celebrated kings.
Yet now it seemed that a change was to take place, and from the highest office in the realm, that change would be embraced. Neither of the young Dúnedain knew that the Noldo had subtly campaigned to institute that change. In a multitude of small incidents, she had promoted those aspects of Ranger warfare most lacking within the regular army.
On several occasions she had simply appeared in the midst of the training field, seeming to conjure herself from 'naught but sunlight, cloud shadows, and the motion of the breeze through the grass, into being before the eyes of five hundred-odd soldiers and civilians. Those same students had been equally astonished when she had vanished without a trace at the conclusions of her lessons. She employed the same wiles when attending staff meetings, suddenly stepping from shadows into councils of bewildered officers.
Whilst teaching the Black Speech, she had offered sample dialogs for translation, using fictitious conversations 'twixt Mordor Orcs as they spoke in despair of being constrained to Minas Ithil by the Rangers of Ithilien during the War of the Last Alliance. Helluin had been particularly gratified when the king and his steward had suggested, on their own initiative, the possibility that she instruct Men of the West in the skills of the Rangers, as if t'were a novel invention birthed by their own minds.
"Mellyn nín, an opportunity is offered ye to bequeath to Gondor a mighty gift and leave behind a legacy from the North," Helluin said. "Ye may forge for your brothers in the south, a weapon that shall remain a part of their arsenal long after ye return to serve your chieftain in Eriador."
"Úlairdacil Helluin Maeg-móremenel has agreed to train Dúnedain of Gondor in the ways of the Rangers and would have ye aid her," Vorondil said, using her title, renewed after the Noldo's destruction of two more Nazgûl. "We can think of no others so qualified."
And Prince Eärnur spoke for the first time, adding, "To hold proper authority o'er any already commissioned as officers by the realm, they shall needs be elevated in rank."
"Sergeant Dúnriel, Sergeant Draugrán," King Eärnil said to them, "if ye see fit to join Helluin in this task, then by the authority of the crown, ye shall be commissioned as captains of the Rangers of Gondor."
The two Dúnedain stared at the king in surprise.
They had both but recently been promoted to sergeant, scarcely a year past in Dúnriel's case and half that in Draugrán's, and now they were offered a promotion completely bypassing the rank of lieutenant. Becoming a captain usually required a royal commission in addition to no less than ten years service with five of those at the prior rank. Historically, such leapfrogging was an honor rarely conferred by the king to a sergeant who had distinguished his or herself on the field of battle, and when the need for commanding officers in a continuing campaign was dire. And it had been long since such a battlefield commission had been bestowed.
The last great war in Gondor's history was the Battle of the Camp in 1944, three score and three years past, and in that campaign, none had been so elevated, not for lack of need, but because the king and his heirs had all been slain. None had remained to satisfy tradition, and so command had fallen to the surviving officers regardless of their current ranks. As General of the Southern Army, Eärnil had taken command of the entire host, a position normally held only by the king, his heir, or an appointed Bregedúr.
Not for an instant did it cross Draugrán or Dúnriel's minds that thus far, there were no 'Rangers of Gondor'. There were no other captains yet, nor lieutenants, sergeants, or any other figures of authority. Indeed, there was no command structure because there were no troops to command. Ne'ertheless, both Rangers rose from their chairs and bowed to the lords.
"Your Majesty, Your Highness, Lord Steward, 'twas to share tidings with our brothers in the south that we came from Eriador," Dúnriel said, "yet whilst we abide in Gondor, we shall strive to serve her needs."
And Draugrán said, "Your Majesty, Your Highness, Lord Steward, t'would be our honor to aid Helluin in this undertaking, and if the king would have it so, then we shall do 'aught we can to train Dúnedain of Gondor as Rangers."
King Eärnil rose from his chair and called them to come close. Then, after they had knelt and sworn their fealty to Gondor as officers, he took the presentation cases from Vorondil and pinned the small, eight-pointed silver stars denoting the rank of captain to the collars of their tunics.
"Rise now, captains of Gondor," the king said with a smile, "and pray rest well this night, for at dawn upon the morrow, your duties as teachers begin."
In the last of the darkness on 3 Narwain, T.A. 2007, Helluin and the newly minted captains Draugrán and Dúnriel waited in the center of the bailey behind the gates of Minas Tirith. Bitter chill was the air, but the stars o'erhead were bright. They marked a gaggle of onlookers ringing the margins of the yard, common folk who had come to watch the arrival of their recruits, those Dúnedain who would become the first company of the Rangers of Gondor.
Slowly, the light grew in the eastern sky as dawn approached. Then Arien lofted Anor o'er the crests of the Mountains of Shadow and the dawn of the 3rd arrived from Mordor. Helluin looked 'round, but like Dúnriel and Draugrán, she saw that no more had come. But now the crowd of common folk quit the walls of surrounding buildings and the shadows 'neath the o'erhangs of rooves, and they formed up in an awkward arrangement of ranks and files. The recruits had arrived, though they had been long present, and their teachers simply had not recognized them for what they were.
Already blessed with their own form of stealth are these, Helluin thought, nodding in approval.
Amongst that first cadre were hunters and trappers, blacksmiths' apprentices and ferriers' assistants, shop tenders and wagon drivers, cream collectors and carpet bangers, farmers and fishmongers, stable hands and herders. Aside from being of Dúnedain heritage, they had but one thing in common; each yearned to win honor through service to their king and the realm. Not a one had been a soldier, though a few had previously been rejected by the army. Whilst Dúnriel and Draugrán were at first dismayed, Helluin was well pleased. Their recruits had no prior training in warcraft to be o'ercome, and they had no experience of battle. Few preconceptions of what it meant to be a warrior would hamper their instruction, and so they could absorb whate'er they were taught without prejudice. Helluin thought they were perfect.
The Lords of Gondor looked down on the courtyard from the embrasure at the tip of the Seventh Circle and watched the commencement of the training.
"May I present the 'Rangers of Gondor', my lord," Steward Vorondil announced to King Eärnil as he arrived at the o'erlook.
The king looked down on the rabble and nodded.
"There is not a soldier amongst them," the prince said, suppressing a chuckle, "and a fine force they shall make, I wager."
His father regarded him with a stern glance.
"They are Men of the West upon whom the lives of thine own may one day depend," he said, "and I reckon that upon a time, just such subjects became the Rangers of Lebennin and the Rangers of Rhudaur."
"Perhaps so, father, yet that would have been centuries and millennia ago."
"Alone of us all, thou met Rangers of Rhudaur as allies in battle. What impression hast thou of their warcraft?"
"They were as ghosts upon the field, yet their archery was the best I have seen…" the prince trailed off, recalling the deadly archers he had not seen.
As if his father read his mind, he next asked, "And what of the Laiquendi whose ways they emulate?"
And the prince paled at the memory of the one Green Elf he had met. Mórfin had appeared in their command tent bearing tidings of the Witch King, and then she had disappeared after as if she had been a spirit or a dream. She could have slain them all ere they marked her. His silence spoke volumes to the king and the steward.
On that morn, and the morns that followed during the next six months, the Dúnedain recruits received the training that Helluin and Beinvír had once provided to the Men of Lebennin, and the Men of Cardolan, Rhudaur, and Arthedain. The odd collection of Minas Tirith's commoners digested those lessons with the same commitment and zeal as those who had come aforetime, and in Nórui of 2007, they undertook their first mission.
In the weeks that followed, they held the watch posts and conducted the patrols at the mouth of Imlad Morgul. They distinguished themselves in patience and in combat, ambushing and slaying patrols of Yrch that dared pass from the accursed Valley of Sorcery in their periodic testing of Gondor's vigilance. At Helluin's behest, and unlike the Rangers from Lebennin, they gathered their enemy's corpses and posed them amongst the boulders in a growing necropolis to either side of the Morgul Road. There they kept watch with their dead eyes, well within the valley, a source of horror to subsequent patrols from the Tower of Sorcery.
If 'aught distinguished these new Rangers from those who had come aforetime, 'twas that they were more grim and more compelled by their hatred of the enemy, (if that were possible). They felt that they had somewhat to prove, and perhaps they felt the more keenly the threat of Mordor, living closer to it than had the Men of Linhir ere Sauron and his Úlairi had inhabited the Black Land. In any case, the Lords of Gondor received their service wholeheartedly. Also at that time, the first sergeants and a lieutenant were chosen and commissioned by the king.
The training of the second cadre began directly after, and this time, o'er a hundred commoners, including some dozen regular soldiers who had obtained leave of their commanding officers, gathered in the bailey just ere dawn on 1 Cerveth. Along with Helluin, Dúnriel, and Draugrán were three Rangers from the first group who were receiving added practical training in how to instruct later recruits. In the same manner in which the first Rangers of Cardolan, Rhudaur, and Arthedain had instructed those who came after, the Rangers of Gondor would teach Dúnedain of Gondor in perpetuity.
Because of their greater count, the second cadre was divided into two companies for their first missions. Helluin led one whilst Dúnriel and Draugrán led the other. Specifically trained for combat by land or sea, they held the watch of Emyn Arnen and served with the fleet at Pelargir. Yet 'twas soon decided that maritime duties o'erlapped too closely with those of the navy's marines, and so they were bid concentrate on scouting, infiltration, and the hunting of Gondor's foes by stealth.
The legacy of the Rangers of Gondor began in that time and it persisted long into the Age of Men. O'er time, the Rangers became a company of great honor and esteem, such that even sons of the lords of the city would join their ranks and vie to attain positions of command. So the tradition of Dúnedain Rangers in the south was born, and with the Rangers of Lebennin to whom they were eventually joined, it persisted throughout the Third Age, even to the days of the War of the Ring.
'Twas at the start of Gwaeron in 2008, after the first class of recruits to be taught primarily by Rangers of Gondor were seen to be successfully digesting their training, that King Eärnil again summoned Helluin, Draugrán, and Dúnriel to council in the king's chamber behind the throne.
At their arrival, they bowed deeply to the lords of the city, for seated with the king at his table were Prince Eärnur and the Steward Vorondil. Then the doors were shut and the king spoke of a new and secret mission.
"Úlairdacil Helluin Maeg-móremenel, Captain Draugrán, Captain Dúnriel, ye have succeeded in creating Dúnedain Rangers in Gondor and ye have my sincerest thanks for this triumph," Eärnil said. "I pray this new tradition shall be maintained as long as it hath been in the north, and even as it hath been from of old upon our own southern shores."
"As ye have orchestrated the training of Rangers by Rangers hereafter, the king considers your task as instructors complete," Steward Vorondil announced.
The three offered bows to the lords of the city, and having been formally relieved of that duty, hung on their words, wondering what new mission might be forthcoming.
"At thine arrival, thou offered tidings of Rhûn and the mighty allies that dwell there," the king said to Helluin, "and thy words have much occupied my mind since."
To this, Helluin nodded, recalling with perfect clarity her recitation of the victories of the Mâh-Sakâ and the Ithryn Luin o'er the Wainriders and at Skator, Sauron's refuge in the east.
"Now comes the time when I would ask of thee a great boon," he continued. "With the recent loss of two of his Nazgûl, we deem the Dark Lord less likely than aforetime to initiate an invasion of Ithilien. I would send an embassy to the Ithryn Luin, beseeching them for their aid and the loan of the weapon they created, which only thou can use. I would beg them to grant thee leave to complete the campaign thou began at Sheol; to destroy Sauron with E-ngúrglaw."
Helluin could only stare at the king, astonished by his audacity. He had contrived a plan both subtle and bold, to destroy his peoples' greatest foe whilst advancing Gondor's alliance with the Ithryn Luin who were potentially amongst their strongest allies. Fate had delivered to him the means and the opportunity to achieve his goals, those being her own presence, whilst the motivation had been a fantasy of the Dúnedain since the corruption of Númenor.
She had revealed the destructive potential of a weapon already proven effective against Sauron that only she could empower, and she had slain the Úlairi, opening a window for action. With Prince Eärnur, she had aided Lord Kanafinwë and the warriors of Samara, advancing that relationship with Gondor. She had even brought Dúnriel and Draugrán, and with them, trained Dúnedain Rangers in a fashion that no longer required their presence for perpetuation. And having accomplished all that, she, (and certainly Draugrán and Dúnriel), were now expendable enough to send into the further east, to allies that only she had met, and perhaps only for whom the Blue Wizards might allow the deployment of the Death Ray. Helluin had to wonder if Eärnil had come up with the plan himself.
And yet she had felt the desire to do just so, and indeed she had expressed that same desire to Elrond, Glorfindel, and Mithrandir in Imladris, immediately following her return to Eriador.
"So thou feel it reasonable to believe that E-ngúrglaw shall not be used again," Elrond asked.
"Nay, I do not," Helluin declared, to the alarm of the others. "Indeed, I am tempted to ride back into the east at once and beg an alliance of the Mâh-Sakâ and the Ithryn Luin, and perhaps Eärnil of Gondor as well. I crave to bring the Death Ray to Mordor, for ere I left, we had taken the lands east of the Sea of Núrnen and could invade the Black Land directly. I imagine the armies of Rhûn riding against the soldiery of Mordor from the southeast whilst the armies of Gondor hold Dagorlad to prevent any escape from Udûn. I would cleave Orodruin and then the Barad-dûr, leveling them to Gorgoroth, and then I would turn my wrath on the Nine and raze Minas Morgul to the ground."
The king had not included the more extreme aspects of Helluin's own plan, but those actions grew easily from what he had suggested. Though after coming to Gondor, she had confirmed that the Barad-dûr had remained razed to its foundations since the War of the Last Alliance, why would they destroy Gorthaur whilst leaving Orodruin and Minas Morgul intact? The Úlairi could not be ignored so long as the lost One Ring still existed. She reckoned that the only reason the king had not included the Tower of Black Sorcery as a target was that if Sauron was indeed destroyed, Gondor's armies could recover the city intact. Still, the notion of assailing accursed Mairon with E-ngúrglaw was well 'nigh irresistible to Helluin, especially with the threat of Mordor currently reduced by two Ringwraiths. Oh how deeply she longed to afflict her ancient enemy in a campaign that King Eärnil was eager to sponsor.
Ere she looked back 'cross the table to meet the king's eyes, Helluin knew that she would undertake his embassy. Had she not asked Gorvon regarding the disposition of the weapon, and had she not chastised herself for failing to ask the same of Maglor? She remained curious, for what good was a weapon unused when enemies threatened?
"Your majesty, I shall undertake thine embassy," she said, and saw Eärnil nod and heave a sigh of relief rather than try to suppress a smirk of triumph at the advancement of his plan.
"Captains Dúnriel and Draugrán, are ye willing to accompany Helluin to Rhûn?" He asked.
"Your Majesty, if that is the will of the king, then we shall see it done," Dúnriel answered, and Draugrán nodded 'aye' in agreement.
Helluin looked 'round the table and read the look of yearning on the prince's face. Strangely, the steward seemed uncomfortable. Eärnur would gladly go if asked. He deems it a chance to reap further glory in battle, I wager. Now why would Vorondil look like someone spat in his wine?
"I pin great hopes for our future on the resolution of this embassy," King Eärnil said, "and so I must appoint an official representative of the court to parlay and treat on my behalf. I shall rely on thee to ensure his safe arrival and return."
Helluin's eyes widened in surprise at his words, having deemed herself the obvious choice to be appointed in that capacity, to treat with her friends and allies. After all, I have known them 'nigh on ten thousand years, for crying aloud. Yet the Noldo had read the genuine concern for the outcome of this appeal to the Blue Wizards in Eärnil's eyes. Curious, she nodded to the king, accepting his reasoning and agreeing to his terms.
"To represent Gondor in my stead, I appoint my steward, Vorondil son of Pelendur, as embassy to the Ithryn Luin."
The steward narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth in obvious displeasure, and in other company might have groaned aloud or even voiced a complaint, but he only turned to his king and said, "T'will be my honor to represent Gondor and the crown, Your Majesty. I shall not disappoint thee."
"I know thou shalt do thy best, my friend, for I know few love Gondor so well, nor know better her need," Eärnil said.
The king seemed genuinely unhappy to be sending forth his closest and most trusted confidant to what the Gondorim considered the far end of Middle Earth. Helluin marked that whilst all that had come to pass could be viewed through the lens of paranoia and the expectation of self-serving behavior by those in power, that assumption might reflect only her own experiences. In 2994, during the reign of Ar-Zimrathon, her High King Gil-galad would have dispatched her as a scout to Númenor, a land already long hostile to the Eldar.
"Word has come to me of the e'er increasing hostility of the Númenóreans toward our folk," the king declared, "I have need of firsthand knowledge of the situation there. Such as I have comes from those few elvillyn who still call at Mithlond, and these art disregarded at home. I have therefore decided to send thee hence to Númenor upon a scouting mission. Conduct it in such ways as thou see fit."
"My King, I have been long upon the southern coast ruling a realm 'twixt Umbar and Belfalas. O'er the course of the centuries there I have indeed marked the increasing hostility of the Dúnedain. In that land 'tis now illegal to teach our tongues and such that speak them still do so only in secret. Those Elendili of which thou speak art known amongst themselves as The Faithful, for 'tis not merely the friendship of the Eldar in which they persist. Rather art the greater numbers of the Dúnedain now fallen from their love of the Valar and we art seen as their spies. All possessed of unending life art now subject to their hatred, for 'tis born of jealousy and the fear of their own deaths. Neither can we amend. I deem the Shadow of old has crept upon them, and that which they escaped aforetime is now renewed.
"These things we have seen, O King," Beinvír said, "and we have no need of passage to Númenor to confirm them. In Númenor, the last king claimed his throne naming himself 'Lord of the West'. Surely such speaks somewhat of their mood? Going thither, especially for Helluin, t'would be as one going into the maw of Morgoth himself…indeed t'would be little more than a sentence of death."
Helluin said, "save for those Elendili known long to thee, I should trust none of the Dúnedain nowadays, for the greater part have harkened unto the wisdom of the Enemy and art fallen. I should sooner go to the Black Land than the Land of Gift, for from Mordor is flight possible, but Númenor is surrounded by the sea."
Their observations of Westernesse had been substantiated in council by the testimony of a party of the Faithful then resident in Lindon, including Eärendur, the heir of the 14th Lord of Andúnië. Gil-galad had relented from his notion of sending Helluin abroad, for his need of tidings was satisfied. Yet that incident had sharpened Helluin's long-standing ambivalence toward her king, and the disregard with which he had dealt with her in the War of the Elves and Sauron had been reiterated in the War of the Last Alliance. In both cases, Helluin had kept her own council, acted on her own initiative, and won great renown. And here too I shall follow my own notions as the situation dictates, she thought, for ultimately, Gondor and the Ithryn Luin are already bound by common purpose, and I alone can use E-ngúrglaw.
They rode at noon the next day, 2 Gwaeron.
One week later, in the early afternoon of 9 Gwaeron, Helluin, Draugrán, Dúnriel, Steward Vorondil, and a company of two dozen Rangers of Gondor found themselves riding north through Ithilien. Behind them trailed a wagon drawn by a two-horse team, with two squires on the bench and a bed filled with provisions and gifts of state intended for the Ithryn Luin.
That spring day was warm for the season and in all ways fair, the sun playing hide-and-seek amidst fluffy clouds whilst a gentle breeze out of the south swayed the new leaves of black, red, and white oak, and ash, and the evergreen leaves of several species of ilex, (including common holly and Holm oak). From higher ground to the east, the air carried the scents of bay, fir, juniper, and cedar to mix with the faint smell of salt from the distant sea, whilst from the lower, wetter land 'nigh Anduin arose the hint of cypress. Beside the verges of the road lay a groundcover of mixed herbs including thyme, sage, marjoram, and flowering plants such as saxifrages, stonecrops, and anemones.
Along with the whispers of the breeze came the clop of hoof beats, the creaking of saddles and wagon wheels, and the occasional snorts and huffs of the horses. Snatches of conversation came more frequently now, for though still wary, they had come two score miles north past the crossroads and the Morgulduin lay well behind. The company's mood was growing less somber, though the Rangers kept their bows to hand and arrows upon the strings ready to shoot.
In truth, Helluin and the Ranger captains had questioned the wisdom of riding north, for that way would take them 'cross the desolate landscape that lay before Cirith Gorgor, whereat the ruins of the Morannon were still vaguely visible as crumbled stones and tumbled blocks. 'Neath that disheveled ground lay the deep pit into which Durin IV's sappers had contrived to dump the Black Gate, and whither vast quantities of iron still lay corroding. At least the ambassadorial party would be protected by three hundred Knights of Gondor who would stand sentry before the entrance to Udûn during their outbound crossing. These had ridden from the city a day ahead of Helluin's company 'neath the command of Prince Eärnur. Watching them pass out the gate from a window in Commander Turor's office at the Ranger compound in the Second Circle, Helluin had shaken her head in consternation and then set her face in her hands.
"Perhaps thou could ride south and use them as a diversion, First Guardian," Turor had jested.
"Pray gift me no such inspirations, mellon nín, for I am all too likely to succumb," she had replied.
It had been the king's decision not to chance taking the southern route through Harondor and Khand, in light of the recent violence there. Eärnil had commended them to the northern passage of Mordor, perhaps because in his own memories that land included the scene of his great victory at the Battle of the Camp. Had Helluin enjoyed her preferences, she and a dozen veteran Rangers of Lebennin would have ridden the southern route in such stealth as to leave none the wiser, yet she had been o'erruled the moment their company was required to safeguard the steward, for Vorondil had no real notion of stealth.
So now, the party rode openly, camping astride the road at night beside an exposed fire, and protected by an advance party of knights who were sure to draw the attention of any eyes watching from the Black Land. Helluin had been forced to explain all their deviations from field protocols to the relatively inexperienced Rangers of Gondor as 'politics'. Still, they grumbled. The Noldo groaned e'ery time she thought of it.
Helluin continued to groan her way through the following four days, 'til 'round noon of the 13th, they bid the knights thanks for waylaying the Cirith Gorgor and made their way east from the mouth of Udûn. Barely was the Ered Lithui stretching out to the south when they saw the cloud of dust rising as Prince Eärnur ordered his company's return to Minas Tirith.
From that cloud of dust, I wager they ride at a gallop, Álfrhestr said silently to Helluin.
I doubt it not, for none in their right mind favor lingering 'nigh the gates of Mordor at night.
'Tis an ugly land, but I saw neither gates, nor foes, he said.
'Tis the ones unseen o'er which I worry, Álfrhestr, and had we not that wagon, we too should be galloping, Helluin carped, shaking her head and ending their conversation.
The Noldo bid them ride past twilight that evening, seeking to put at least a score miles 'twixt themselves and the entrance to the Black Land. That night, none rested at ease, and for the first time, the Rangers contrived to kill the fire directly after the evening meal was cooked. The standard watch of eight out of the company of twenty-four became a dozen on each shift. Even those not on duty felt more at ease standing armed than lying in their bedrolls.
It seemed the horses too were unsettled, for they stood dozing a few at a time, but none actually lying down to 'sleep'. Most stood facing outwards, with ears pricked forward and eyes wide. They spent the hours of darkness constantly shifting and snorting, and in the morning light they pranced whilst being saddled, eager to be away. I wager Álfrhestr chatted with the others, Helluin thought, publishing his account of my nervousness. Ahhh well. I wonder how he shall react to the were-worms?
Constrained to the pace of the wagon, the company averaged but a score and five miles each day. It seemed a snail's pace and the Rangers grew increasingly dour.
Oh what is that horrible smell? Álfrhestr asked for the third morn in a row, as if Helluin's explanation would be any different this day.
As I may have mentioned aforetime, 'tis the stench of the Dead Marshes wafting south for thy torment, she answered for the third time.
Still? I have been tortured thus for half a week. Say it shall be soon to pass, I pray thee.
I could declare it thus, but I cannot know if t'will truly be thus, for 'tis dependent on the wind. That seems always to flow from the north in these parts, damp, dank, and chill. Drowned in shallow water lie the dead from battles going back two thousand years, and most recent, the soldiers of King Ondoher's Northern Army. 'Tis the scent of memory, she said with a touch of cynicism. Thou may as well embrace it, for thou cannot escape it.
Now the embassy's path led one hundred sixty leagues due east, (following Helluin's compass of cat fur and iron needle), with the Ash Mountains slowly marching as a constant and unwelcome companion in the distance on their right. Sure enough, it took them three weeks of unremittingly tedious travel ere the Ered Lithui trailed off into foothills, and there they marked the flat and scrubby landscape of Rhûn, stretching beyond all sight in mind numbing hues of dun, eight hundred miles east to the Orocarni. If there was 'aught to be celebrated, 'twas that they were now only a hundred miles from the western border of the territory claimed by the Ithryn Luin. 'Twas 4 Gwirith.
"Ahhh, we have now passed the first part of our journey," Helluin told Steward Vorondil.
"How lovely," he said, "and I cannot imagine the subsequent parts being more picturesque."
The Steward turned away to gaze off into the distance, shading his eyes with his palm and shaking his head. To the lord's credit, he had tried to make himself as undemanding as possible, ne'er contradicting the decisions Helluin had made and trying his best to subscribe to the traveling protocols of the Rangers. The problem was that these were wholly foreign to him. Their wisdom, originally gleaned from the Green Elves, a people whose outlook and orientation were 'nigh the complete opposite of the Dúnedain, seemed an exercise in paranoia and privation to a Lord of Men.
In years long past, Vorondil had joined hunting parties with his father and other scions of the greater nobility, and in his youth, he had served as a soldier of Gondor, attaining the rank of lieutenant ere resigning his commission to take up a career in civil service. 'Twas the expected trajectory of one groomed for the stewardship that he was to inherit from his father, Pelendur.
The hunting parties of his youth had included spacious tents filled with civilized amenities, nightly banquets with chefs and minstrels, and porters to carry the hunters' weapons 'til their quarry had been flushed by the beaters, hound masters, and game drivers. There had been grooms for their mounts, scribes to record the event, bath attendants, and oft times even a masseuse. The sommelier alone had required a wagon for his stocks and the doxies another. How else to properly enjoy the 'wilderness'?
In truth, the steward had been reluctantly enlisted for the mission. Though his office demanded that he serve his king, he had tried to counsel Eärnil that his presence was both unnecessary and perhaps even a hindrance.
"My lord, what more might I add to this embassy that Úlairdacil Helluin Maeg-móremenel cannot accomplish on her own? She hath prior friendship with the Ithryn Luin, and only she can use the weapon, a contrivance I should not recognize even were I to trip o'er it."
The king had laughed softly and replied, "Whilst thy points are true regarding Helluin, she is not a member of the court or the council. Gondor must be represented directly in so grave a matter of diplomacy, and I trust no other to execute her interests more than thee."
Vorondil had dipped his head in acquiescence, but then King Eärnil had leant forward and continued with more confidential comportment.
"I have trust that Helluin seeks Gondor's best interests, for she hath long been an ally and friend to the realm. Indeed if lore speaks true, we are blood kin, though in distant measure in these latter days. Still, she is of the Elder kindred and hath interests and loyalties of her own.
These Blue Wizards, they appear as Men, or at least, so the White and the Grey have presented themselves aforetime, yet they are not our kin and certainly have their own purposes. I feel 'tis our duty to Gondor to ensure that we are represented before them by Men, Men of the West.
I know that this journey shall encompass hardship simply by its duration and distance, yet imagine the boon it offers. If all should come to pass as I hope, we may finally destroy our peoples' greatest foe. Here is an opportunity to bring down Sauron Gorthaur, a consequence not achieved by Elendil and Isildur, or even by Ar-Pharazôn. We have a chance to end our jeopardy and usher in a new Age of peace and prosperity!"
The steward had watched as a fell light grew to infect the king's eyes, and Vorondil's heart beat unquiet in his breast. Eärnil had e'er been a practical lord, a general ere a king, yet now he seemed enthralled by a grand ambition. He sought with this campaign to surpass all the Lords of the Dúnedain who had come aforetime, and in one deed, establish himself as the paramount King of Gondor. A king to be remembered and esteemed before Isildur and Anárion, Rómendacil I, Hyarmendacil, Eldacar, Rómendacil II, and Umbardacil. He would far surpass his own signature victory at the Battle of the Camp, and, the steward realized in a darker turn of thought, render moot any lingering questions regarding his legitimacy to rule.
Vorondil had bowed to his king and then departed to reclaim from a dusty trunk, his old hauberk, gauntlets, and surcoat, and his belt, sword, and dagger. After three score years in court robes, he had been astonished at how much they weighed. He was now four score and nine years of age.
"What can thou tell of our current position, Helluin?" Vorondil asked as he turned back to her from surveying the expanse of Rhûn.
"We are now due south of the Sea of Rhûn, my lord," she said, "and 'nigh five hundred miles due west of the citadel of the Ithryn Luin. I reckon we keep this heading for another twenty days."
"And what of friends or foes here'bouts?"
"We are still some hundred miles west of the Wizards' territory as it stood five years past when I took my leave of the east. We are also south of the lands of the Mâh-Sakâ. We may meet some of the remaining Medes or Rhoxolāni, but I deem that possibility slight, for both are scarce after the purges by our allies. We are more likely to meet friends, especially after another week."
The steward nodded, accepting her assessment. In all, it seemed their greatest foes would be the distance and the aridity of the landscape. And the boredom. He sighed and resigned himself to another three weeks of plodding along and sweating like a pig 'neath his armor and leather surcoat.
By the start of the second week, his hauberk rode in the wagon and he rode in far greater comfort. Helluin deemed their jeopardy slight and he had long ago marked that the Rangers wore no such armor. Rather, they favored pauldrons, bracers, gauntlets and tall greaves of hard leather. Indeed, in their company, only Helluin wore metal plate, and even that was not a full suit, such as a knight would don for battle. Curious, he had asked after these observations.
"Úlairdacil, whyfor dost thou wear three-quarter armor when the Rangers do not wear mail or plate as do Gondor's infantry?"
"My armor was a gift out of Khazad-dûm o'er fifty-three centuries ago, and now its like cannot be made again. I wear it as much to honor those friends lost to time as to protect myself. As for the Rangers, they are hunters rather than foot soldiers, Lord Steward, and they seek to slay their foes at a distance and from concealment. Only in the direst of situations would a Ranger be forced to close with an enemy," she said.
"So the defense of the wagons and slaves in Harondor was not their favored combat," he said.
"Precisely. In their eyes, 'twas a failure born of desperation, for though they and their allies prevailed, 'twas only with great, and in their opinion, unnecessary loss. They were forced by circumstance to abandon their chosen mode of warfare."
"I see," the steward mused, though Helluin doubted he truly did.
"For a Ranger, success in battle comes when the foe ne'er realizes that they were present and are left to wonder at the count of their dead. Given the chance, Rangers will recover their arrows that their enemies cannot with surety attribute the slain to them."
Helluin looked at the steward carefully. Leaving tokens declaring to their enemies who had encompassed their defeat was the result of open warfare and second nature to the Dúnedain. And it conferred bragging rights, she thought. But the Rangers had learnt their warcraft from the Laiquendi, and that kindred were as ghosts.
"Ere the rise of sun or moon, the Laiquendi lost a calamitous battle upon Amon Ereb, and ne'er after did they march openly to war. With their king slain and Morgoth's servants roaming East Beleriand, many took refuge in Doriath. The rest learnt to vanish, to slay from a distance with the bow, and to leave no clues behind. They perfected their woodscraft in the forests of Ossiriand and became a fell and phantom people. The heavily armed and armored Naugrim of Nogrod learnt this 'nigh Sarn Athrad.
Following I Ohta Ormeron¹, the Laiquendi fled the Whelming of Beleriand and repaired east, eventually coming to Eriador. To this day, 'tis their home, yet most know it not and few of other kindreds have seen any of their people. Elendil was visited once ere he marched to war, and Elrond has met their king on two occasions. Save for my beloved, Cónhal Beinvír, most have met none. ¹(I Ohta Ormeron, The War of Wrath = i(def art, the) + ohta(war) + orme(wrath) + -ron(sing gen n suff, of wrath) In proper names, the genitive follows the noun it modifies and agrees with it in number. Quenya)
"Prince Eärnur met one briefly. He spoke of her when he first provided his account of the war, but seldom hath he mentioned that incident since," Vorondil said.
Helluin had not heard that tale, but she could easily imagine the prince's reaction when suddenly confronted by the likes of Lind, Calenvír, or Alfirin. She cracked a smile.
"If he met one, then be assured there were others 'nigh, at least one to aim an arrow at each in the prince's company. So 'twas when with the Host of Maedhros and Maglor, I first met their king in the woods 'nigh Ascar following the Third Kinslaying at the Mouths of Sirion. Their army had lain unmarked whilst he had words with the Sons of Fëanor, and I doubt not that his safety was ensured by his peoples' bows.
The Laiquendi wear no armor, for by their stealth, they need it not. So too the Rangers who emulate their craft."
The steward nodded, having now a far better understanding of the motivations and practices of the Rangers. They were wholly different from the foot soldiers of Gondor in 'nigh all respects. A Ranger camp would be as invisible as a company preparing to ambush their foes, and none would see them marching to war, for like the hunters of beasts, they would remain 'neath cover.
He realized then that the entire trip had been as an exercise in folly to them; the wagon, camping in the open, traveling by the road, the cook fires, all these fairly invited attack. No wonder they had been so on edge during their transit of Ithilien and the Cirith Gorgor. And there they had been awaited by hundreds of knights who had advertised their presence as plainly as the cries of a herald. Only the banner bearers and trumpet fanfares had been lacking. Vorondil groaned and covered his face with his hands.
"Thou and thy Rangers came to keep me safe and I have but set ye in harm's way," he said in dejection.
"I would have chosen no more than a dozen, all Rangers of Lebennin with at least a decade's experience afield," Helluin told him softly, "and I would have ridden the southern route. After these last thirty-nine days, we would already be lying safe in the Ithryn's citadel, our embassy complete. Ne'ertheless, our lot and our road lie together, Lord Steward, and I am confident that we shall succeed."
Vorondil nodded to her then and he seemed somewhat relieved, though troubled still.
"Though I am Steward of Gondor and the king's appointed embassy, thou and thy Rangers have been charged with my safety on the road. Pray conduct the remainder of our journey as thou see fit and I shall not contest thine authority. Already I feel guilt for the danger I have saddled thee with. Let me not be the cause of greater jeopardy or loss of life."
"My lord, there are some practices that I am sure the Rangers shall be relieved to resume," Helluin said, "but in truth, the most hazardous part of our journey is past, I shall keep thee apprised of the changes we make to our daily routine, mostly in how the nightly camps are set."
"I thank thee, Helluin Úlairdacil," Vorondil said, offering her a smile. "I was a soldier once, a Lieutenant of Gondor, though it seems long ago to me now. In those days, I would ne'er have disputed the wisdom of our captains or the knowledge of our scouts. If we accompanied a division of the army, perhaps things would be different, but that bears not upon us now.
I was ne'er a Ranger, but all these others are. I shall conduct myself so far as my abilities allow in accord with their ways whilst afield."
Helluin nodded and returned his smile. Though Vorondil was third in power after King Eärnil and Prince Eärnur, he was a practical Man at heart, and more than that, a noble Man who understood and accepted his limitations. He had not shied from acknowledging his deficiencies or appearing vulnerable rather than clinging rigidly to command. Duty and necessity drove him more strongly than his ambition or his ego. More importantly still, he felt genuine concern for those who served him. The Noldo was impressed, more so than she had expected to be. Looking back though and recalling his expression when the king had named him embassy, she realized that he had wanted the appointment no more than she had wanted him to have it.
She suppressed a chuckle at that and said, "At this night's camp, my lord, I shall show thee the trench fire, known to hunters and adopted from the Laiquendi by the Rangers."
O'er the last fortnight of their journey, Helluin, and soon the other Rangers, took to offering the steward tips on their methods of travel. After Helluin showed him how to construct a proper trench fire and the reasons behind it, another of the Dúnedain offered Vorondil a short lesson on selecting wood that burned with the least smoke. Another refined his technique for laying the tinder and first branches in the trench so that they caught quickly and with minimal flame. They found him a ready student and a quick study. The twenty-two common folk of Minas Tirith became not only more accepting of the nobleman, but also quite overtly protective of him. More importantly, they came to respect him for more than just his office.
One incident only marred their otherwise peaceful trip. On 20 Gwirith, Draugrán, who was then riding point, raised a fist to order a halt and extended his arm, indicating a small cloud of dust rising a half-mile to the north. Helluin immediately assembled her viewing tube, and with it identified a party of nine Rhoxolāni. Despite the minimal dust cloud that their own company raised because of its slow progress 'cross the steppe, she was certain they had been marked. The Rhoxolāni were riding directly towards them.
Helluin recalled the first time she had opposed such people, whilst riding east in the company of Tahmirih, Kiana, and Ashti. She deemed that o'er the past thirty-three years, 'twas possible that her previous encounter with them had become lore. Quickly, she called Dúnriel and two other female Rangers to her.
"Dúnriel, Mishin, Lenthu¹, pray join me," the Noldo requested. ¹(Mishin, Grey Eyes = mith(grey) + hend(eye) At the partition in proper nouns,-th becomes –s and the –e becomes –i to form the plural, eyes. The final –nd becomes –n in proper nouns. Lenthu, Sweet Voice = lend(sweet sound) + hu(voice) At the partition in proper nouns,-d becomes –th and the duplicate –h is elided. Sindarin)
The three Rangers hastened to join her, and together they held a brief council.
"Aforetime, I encountered a larger party of these Rhoxolāni," she said as she doffed her boots and replaced them with camp slippers of felted horsehair. "I was then accompanied by three Mâh-Sakâ warriors and a number of freed slaves. We drove them off then without loss, and I deem we may do so again today.
Ye are each able ahorse and with the bow. I bid ye raise your hoods and bind them 'neath a scarf 'round your lower faces, revealing only your eyes. When we ride, pull in behind me in a single file once within bowshot. Release as targets of opportunity present themselves on the flanks."
The Noldo donned her coif of mithril rings and pulled up her hood, leaving her face in shadow as the trio of Dúnedain nodded and made their preparations. By the time that Helluin and the Rangers rode out to meet them, the Rhoxolāni had trotted to within a quarter-mile. Draugrán ordered the remaining Rangers and the pair of squires to defend the steward and prepare to shoot from behind the wagon.
Now at last comes the time for thee to earn thy distinction as a warhorse, Álfrhestr. I bid thee fear not.
I fear 'naught, the stallion bragged, and Helluin nodded in encouragement, hoping he would not shy when they charged.
Now the Rhoxolāni saw but four riding to oppose them, leaving the rest cowering behind the wagon, and at first they deemed them mercenaries hired by traders to protect a shipment of riches. They were not averse to exercising a bit of opportunistic banditry, and reckoned such paid guards would flee when pressed, so they hastened their approach to a gallop. At a furlong, they drew swords or nocked arrows, and then they gave a fearsome shout.
In response, Dúnriel, Mishin, and Lenthu pulled in behind Helluin to present only a single target as the Noldo galloped straight towards the center of the charging Rhoxolāni. She drew her steel bow and set an arrow to the string. At a hundred yards, six of the Rhoxolāni rose to crouch atop their saddles and loosed their arrows. Like those Helluin had encountered aforetime, their aim was good. Four of their arrows flew wide by only a couple feet whilst another pair struck her square in the chest.
The Noldo grunted softly as they impacted against her mithril cuirass, but paid them no mind as they fell away. Then she rose atop Álfrhestr's back. For a moment, she stood there motionless, stable as if she stood upon solid ground, and then she drew and loosed, taking the lead rider in the face. The power of the steel Númenórean bow drove Helluin's arrow to explode out the back of his skull and plant itself in the chest of the following rider, slaying both.
Dúnriel and Lenthu loosed arrows towards the Rhoxolāni left flank, one striking a rider just above his hip, whilst Mishin fired on their right flank, driving the riders there towards their center. Still standing upright atop Álfrhestr's back, Helluin slung her bow and unsheathed Anguirél. Then she burst into a blinding ril of Light and blue fire rose from within the shadow of her hood.
As the companies passed through each other a moment later, the Black Sword swept out, taking the head of a rider that had ventured to pass too close on her right. Dúnriel, Mishin, and Lenthu twisted in their saddles and loosed another trio of arrows as their foes rode away. One found a mark high in the shoulder of a Rhoxolāni rider's back.
Then Helluin increased the pressure of her foot on the right side of Álfrhestr's spine, directing him to turn that direction in a gentle arc. A slight shift of her weight back cued him to drop to a canter. The three Rangers followed, drawing arrows whilst remaining in a single file.
The Rhoxolāni spared not a moment, but also swung right, maintaining their distance from Helluin and the Rangers. They did not complete their arc to come about and face them, but instead peeled away, galloping into the northwest. Shortly, they were lost in the distance and the cloud of their own dust. Helluin extinguished her incandescence and sheathed Anguirél, then reclaimed her seat. With an appreciative pat on the neck, she directed Álfrhestr back to the fallen and reclaimed her arrow.
Well done, warhorse! Helluin praised when they returned to the wagon.
The stallion carried his head proudly and pranced in place a few strides.
I thank thee for trading thy boots for slippers, Helluin, he said, jovial, ere he dunked his nose in a water bucket and drank. When he came up, he added, Dost thou ride oft standing thus?
Nay, 'twas but a touch of theatrics, the Noldo explained. I have found it advantageous to confront mortal foes with the most unnatural appearance possible.
I see, Álfrhestr said, though Helluin doubted he truly did. Perhaps I should adopt a disguise?
And what terrifying creature would thou impersonate? A dragon?
The most dangerous creature…the one feared and hated by all my kind!
Helluin gave him a questioning look and raised a brow to bid him continue.
The pig, he said, and Helluin's mouth tightened, suspecting he jested, but he clarified, or more rightly, the boar.
Ahhh, that I can understand, she replied, massive, tusked, quick moving, unpredictable, and vicious. Men too view wild boars as dangerous, though it but tempts them to hunt boars for thrills and meat. Perhaps thy notion bears further consideration.
Ere he could continue, she turned to answer questions from the steward.
"Úlairdacil, we saw thee struck twice by arrows. How art thou unharmed?" Vorondil asked as he hastened towards her with justifiable concern.
He was surreptitiously looking her up and down, seeking for any evidence of wounds. There were certainly no shafts protruding from her body, but also no trace of blood, yet he was sure of what he and the other Rangers had heard and seen, the thuds of impact and the spent arrows falling away.
Helluin sought to reassure him and the others, who were sneaking glances her way. She spread her cloak with both hands, revealing her unblemished armor.
"Beyond minor bruises, I have taken no hurt, my lord. I had not expected to," she calmly said.
"I reckon thou wast struck at under five score yards whilst closing at a full gallop," the steward said, "and unless their bows were unexpectedly weak, thou art lucky thine armor turned their arrows."
"From the feel of the impacts, I deem their bows had a draw of forty to forty-eight pounds," Helluin estimated, "sufficient to slay an unarmored rider and perhaps a horse if luck is with them. They were standard weapons for mounted archers in these lands, who most value ease of draw from any position and accuracy in shooting."
Vorondil nodded and gave her a look of relief that she was well. Questions glinted in his eyes, but he held his peace 'til he could find her alone to ask them in private. He reckoned she was more than just lucky to have survived two fatal shots without a mark.
Shortly later, after the company had reordered themselves, they continued on their way. They were not threatened again on that leg of their trip, though the boredom was relentless. The land of Rhûn continued on, generally flat and dry 'neath scrubby vegetation. Helluin had soon trained them to proficiency in identifying seeps and springs, and all came to esteem whatsoe'er shade they could find. So their days passed in a slow but constant advance 'cross the steppe, 'til on the 27th, when the Noldo reckoned them but four days shy of reaching the Ithryn Luin's citadel, they were met by a patrol of a dozen mounted Elves and Men.
'Twas late in the afternoon when the twelve cloaked riders approached. Helluin recognized their raiment immediately and raised a hand in greeting. For their part, to the Blue Wizard's troops, Helluin was unmistakable from her years in the east. Helluin and Vorondil rode forth to meet the patrol, leaving the Rangers behind with the wagon.
As the two came 'nigh the patrol, Helluin was surprised to find that she knew their leader. In 1984, he had consented to allow his mare, Glís to mate with her stallion, Barq.
"Suilad nín, meldir Orchal," she said, adding a dip of her head to the tall ellon in greeting, "'tis good to find thee well."
"Suilad nín, meldis Helluin," he replied, "'tis good to meet thee again and find thee well. I mark that thou art accompanied this time by friends. Who rides with thee, pray tell?"
"Orchal, may I present the Lord Steward of Gondor, Vorondil son of Pelendur," she said, and the steward offered the ellon a dip of his head whilst Orchal's eyes widened in surprise. "With us are two dozen Rangers of Gondor who ride as a security detail, for Lord Vorondil is charged as embassy from His Majesty King Eärnil II of Gondor, to seek counsel with the Ithryn Luin."
Then Orchal and his eleven riders bowed in the saddle to Vorondil, and the ellon said, "We would be honored to provide thee an escort for the completion of thy passage to the citadel, Lord Steward. I shall send a messenger to inform the Ithryn Alatar and Pallando of thy coming."
He raised his right arm and made a series of hand signs, and at once, the hindmost rider in the patrol broke off and galloped east.
"Four days travel remains ere thee and thy company comes to the gates of the citadel, Lord Steward," he said "yet this land is long secured and thou may rest without worry these coming nights."
Steward Vorondil again dipped his head in thanks and said, "I thank thee for the warmth of thy welcome. Thine offer of an escort is gladly accepted. I pray our presence shall not badly disrupt thy duties."
"In truth, we are now so close to the citadel that it hath been long since this land was contested. With the mastery of our allies to the north, my lord, foes have become few." He cast a glance to the sky and added, "Anor seeks the horizon, but I deem 'nigh two hours of daylight remain. With thy leave, Lord Vorondil, we may make another couple leagues ere resting for the night."
"We shall follow thy company, Orchal. Again, thou hast our thanks. Pray lead on."
So the ambassadorial company from Gondor was accompanied for the last four days by the patrol from the citadel, and Helluin spent much time in conversation with its members. It seemed that they were familiar with the missions undertaken by the warriors of Samara, though she marked that some, mostly Elves, had deep reservations about offering succor to the growing cadre of 'Snaga'. Their lingering doubts were founded mainly on millennia of bitter animosity, a thing Helluin understood well, yet even the staunchest skeptics had to admit that the freed Yrch were tireless laborers and had caused no trouble. Indeed, they were unremittingly thankful for the opportunity to start a new way of life.
Finally, on 1 Lothron, Helluin, Steward Vorondil, and the Rangers stood before the citadel and looked upon its tall walls, massive towers, and strong gate. Though less visually imposing than Minas Tirith, for 'twas set upon flat ground, all of the Dúnedain marked its cunning defenses.
The outer portcullis was already raised, but the massive, criss-crossing steel bars of its lower edge were visible where it had been retracted upwards into the floor of the gatehouse that bridged the span 'twixt the square gate towers. Then, at a call from Orchal, the heavy outer doors swung inward, revealing a long, dark tunnel perforated by arrow slits and murder holes, all defenses not seen in the City of Kings.
"Pray mark well this entrance, my lord," Helluin said softly to the steward, "and I shall explain somewhat of its capabilities later. Many of the contrivances incorporated here would serve well in Minas Tirith."
Then the patrol began to move forward and the party from Gondor followed in their wake, the hooves of their horses ringing hollow on the massive timbers that made up the floor of the tunnel. The inner gate stood open and the inner portcullis was already raised as usual. The steward's eyes roved o'er the construction, and as Helluin had said, he marked many features that contributed to an entrance he would not care to assail. He wondered if it had e'er been breached. Yet one fact he clearly apprehended; unlike the White or the Grey, the Ithryn Luin were expert military engineers. Powerful allies they would make for the Men of the West. Despite his original reservations, he was glad that he had come.
To Be Continued