...
~ Two ~
He thought of the counselor left at home, the mysterious prisoner whose very presence seemed to stoke the feelings of anger, fear, and resentment among the islanders for each other. He it was who caused the great temple to be built, and at whose suggestion the punishment for perceived treason ended in the dark halls within.
The king's cousin remembered the capture of the prisoner many years before. Back then, just as it remained now, it was difficult not to be caught up in the frenzy of a militaristic and war-fighting spirit, when at the time the King had set it in his mind for Numenor to confront the threat of Sauron on its own.
He remembered the morning sun had lit up the red sails of their massive fleet as they set out, as if the sea itself were set to flame, almost the same as it looked now. In spite of the journey taking many weeks the fever for war and glory grew with each passing day upon the water, when at last they came within sight of the Havens at Umbar.
By the time their ships reached close to the shore of the coastline of Umbar, the homes in the villages in view along the coast were shuttered down, and if their inhabitants were even still there they were keeping very quiet.
They disembarked at the harbor at the mouth of the river Harnen, and marched forth under a cool wind waving their glorious banners above them. In between the blares of their ferocious horns they perceived an eerie silence even through wood and fen. Not a bird or squirrel could be heard as their great host pushed forward, but the skies at least held fortuitously clear.
Onward their massive forces of armored soldiers hiked, with nary a woodland snake about to challenge them. For several days they thus continued, until they came to a point in the midst of the land within sight of the southern end of the Shadow Mountains, and at the top of a great hill the king had his throne placed.
His cousin, the young lieutenant, was chosen to head the envoy of heralds to summon the leader of their enemies. Off they set forth, departing from their king feeling yet powerful and proud. But without their king and his rousing talk on hand the mood of the company of heralds began to cool as their days alone passed on and they drew nearer to the Shadow Mountains
Then one morning dawned even quieter, and even the wind held its breath still. The skies curiously were now overcast with a blanket of gray to block the direct shine of the sun. All the men of the camp likewise found themselves hardly daring to breathe, and let alone make any soldiers' jests nor vent their worries, so tense and still was the air of that moment.
They couldn't even judge any passage of time. The king's cousin felt much the same as the rest. Had hours past since dawn and none had noticed the sun was already waning in the sky? Or had it only been minutes? He couldn't tell, and if he felt any impatience he could give no voice to it. As stouthearted and proud as the men were he found himself inexplicably frozen with a fear he was struggling to suppress. His comrades seemed to be enduring the same experience.
Then they saw it: a small dark spot in the distance, slowly growing larger, with spots of white about it. The mass grew closer and before long they could make out a caravan of riders upon black horses with a curtained litter in their midst, borne by a dozen half naked slaves. Flying above them was a single banner of bare white, borne by the standard bearer in the front. Now a big helping of confusion was heaped upon the soldiers' fear.
The litter came to a halt, not far across a field of tall grass. A figure emerged from the litter and walked over to mount a black horse, which began moving toward them.
The confusion over the bare white flag helped the lieutenant gain mastery over his fears, and mounting his own horse signaled his own standard bearer to join him, and his trumpeter to announce them.
Out across the field of grasses waving apart like a boat's wake upon the sea their horses waded, the company unable to take their eyes off the enemy leader growing ever closer. There a figure emerged that none quite expected to see, riding toward them was what almost looked to be an elf prince, tall and fair and gallant-looking. The lieutenant and his men found themselves feeling somewhat relieved but still nervous in their uncertainty.
Remembering the king's fearsome anger and resolve the lieutenant straightened himself up and rode proudly to meet their opponent with a small group of knights in tow. He looked upon the curiously fair face of his opponent, and caught and returned the gaze of his pale steely eyes. Before his nerves could get the better of him, the lieutenant plunged into his announcement, shouting out as quickly as he could the king's declaration of possession ofl Middle-earth and readiness for war against any who opposed the claim.
For an interminably long moment the enemy leader stared at them in silence with a calm and indecipherable expression. The lieutenant and his team waited, some with bows and arrows already strung but yet pointed toward the ground, wondering what might befall next. At last their opponent bowed low, and in an effusive display of humility declared his goodwill and lack of intention to accept their war challenge, and requested a parley.
The king's men were bewildered. They were so taken by surprise that for a long moment they were lost for words.
"Very well," the lieutenant then at last replied. "Then you must follow me to treat with the king."
The lieutenant ordered that he must follow alone on foot, to which his opponent obliged. Then the enemy leader waved off his escorts who promptly set off back toward the mountains at their dismissal. The lieutenant found the whole sequence of events uncomfortably curious, but turned about and headed off in the direction of the king's camp with his horse at a slow walk, the herald party escorting their great enemy followed close behind.
They marched on in this manner the rest of the day and through the following night, thinking better of stopping to rest until they reached their destination, and reached the king's camp early the next evening.
The king, who had spied their party with its blazing banners approaching from afar, made ready, setting himself upon his hilltop throne, and waited.
The king's cousin dismounted at the bottom of the hill and led the guest and his guard up the hill, growing more curious by the moment about how the encounter would unfold.
The king in the proud and haughty manner that inspired such pride in his followers, declared the dominion of Numenor over all of Middle-Earth. As his cousin stood by among other officers and kin he could not help but feel elated at the talk of his noble lineage and the majesty of his people and their island, and he stood up a bit straighter and cocked his chin out a bit farther.
The strange foe stood before the king and listened with a quiet and curious patience, his fair countenance looking not at all like an image that his reputation would lead the imagination to conjure.
The king listed his list of charges against his opponent, and all who stood near held their breath, even those who had already treated with their foe, proudly approving of their king's fierce words but anxious about their guest's reaction.
To the surprise of all the great and fearsome enemy who had declared himself ruler of all Middle-earth bowed low and with the humble words of a honeyed tongue accepted the charges and conceded his defeat.
A stunned silence followed. Even the high and mighty king himself could hardly conceal his surprise and confusion.
What happened next was an even bigger surprise. All were fully expecting the king to have the enemy leader established in some dungeon prison they could make somewhere here in Middle-earth. But then to everyone's astonishment he announced a different idea: to take the prisoner and bear him back to their fair and blessed isle for imprisonment.
Another pause followed, for this king's men were a little confused. Why would so long-lived and powerful an enemy submit so easily? Without any attempt at resistance in battle? They did not know quite what to make of it, and turned to the king for his reaction.
But their leader saw only the victory his pride would allow him to see, and declared the dominance of Numenor over Middle-earth, and that this wicked enemy of the peoples of the world was now subject to him.
Taking their cue from the king's assured resolve they erupted into cheers and jeers and shouts and taunts to show their support. The lieutenant could not help but join in, but deep in his heart still felt pause. This enemy appeared fair, and disarming was his voice, but all knew he was cruel and malicious. The king's cousin did not like at all the idea of the prisoner besmirching the fair Andor with his foul presence, foreboding in his heart what distant evil might become of it. But the king's mind was made up and not one to be argued, and the young lieutenant dared not even let these feelings surface to his waking thoughts let alone utter such dissent. And so off the prisoner was carted to their ships most ungently, treatment which he bore with unnerving quietude.