The Stranger in Middle Earth

I do not own the rights to The Lord of the Rings.

Okay I kinda made a mistake with updating and accidently put on two of the same chapter. Please read this one which should have been here anyway.

Chapter Eight

The Council's decisions

'And then I saw London, York, even Rome burning. He'd replaced the cross on the Basilica with a black banner showing a red eye. Everything was reduced to a charnel house.'

Everyone else in the Golden Hall, which was the Council, Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, Gandalf and Theoden, listened to me as I told them what I saw. Apparently the ball was known as a Palantir, also called a seeing stone, which Gandalf retrieved from Isengard. It appeared that Sauron was trying to spy on us through the Palantir but Pippin had picked it up which alerted us to Sauron's presence.

'As we have seen thanks to John and Pippin we have seen a glimpse of Sauron's plan,' Gandalf clarified. 'Our victory at Helm's Deep has shown the peoples of Middle-Earth that Sauron can be defeated. Sauron has also learned that the Heir of Elendil has come forth,' Gandalf then glanced at Aragorn.

'And we now know that Sauron wants to rule our world as well,' Father Harolds said in a whisper.

'How could he even go to our world though?' Markus asked Gandalf. 'You said that we can't go back so how can Sauron go through.'

Gandalf was silent as he thought of an answer.

'There was once a person who was rumoured to have discovered a way to travel from world to world. His name was Morgoth. He was Sauron's master but Morgoth was defeated millennia ago. It was believed that the skill to travel between worlds at will died with him.'

'Well apparently not,' my uncle added. 'Morgoth must have passed on his knowledge to Sauron.'

'That is the only explanation I can think of,' Gandalf agreed with my uncle. 'However, for now we can't focus on his plans for your world. More important are his plans for Middle-Earth. Sauron moves now to strike at Minas-Tirith, the capital of Gondor. He will burn it to the ground before he sees a king return to the throne of men,' again, I saw Gandalf look at Aragorn before turning to Théoden. 'If the beacons of Gondor are lit then Rohan must be ready for war.'

I expected Theoden to agree with what Gandalf said but instead Theoden asked, 'Tell me, why we should ride to the aid of those who did not come to ours? To what do we owe Gondor?'

'I will go,' Aragorn quickly said to Gandalf.

'No.'

'They must be warned.'

'They will be,' Gandalf told him and then he whispered something which I couldn't properly make out but I heard the words, "river" and "black ships".

'Well,' my uncle said to the Council, 'I assume we are unanimous in agreeing to help defeat Sauron.'
Everyone voiced their agreement to what my uncle said.

'Then I'll tell the men to get ready to ride in an hour,' Jason said and then stood up, ready to get going.

'Wait a moment,' Father Harold told the soldier. 'I don't think that is wise.'

'No offence Father but when I decide to start preaching you can lecture me but not before.'

'At least listen to what he has to say,' Robert snapped at Jason.

Jason sat down again and crossed his arms.

'Well imagine this,' Father Harold addressed the council. 'You are the commander of Minas-Tirith, there is an army about to attack your city and then a force of seventy well trained, well armed and experienced soldiers arrive and offer to help defend your city. What would you think?'

'I'd use me brain and use any help I can get,' Jason answered, seeming bored by the meeting.

'No,' Markus told Jason. 'I would be suspicious. He'd perhaps think that we are spies or enemy agents.'

'So we just on our backsides and wait here then?' asked Jason.

'Precisely. However, if we arrive as a part of an army which has come to aid that leader then he has no reason to fear us.'

'That is assuming that Theoden will ride out and that Gondor will ask for aid,' my uncle reminded him. 'There is something else though. We need to speak with Gandalf.'

Gandalf heard my uncle and then sat down at the table.

'What is the matter?'

'How long will it take to ride from here to Minas Tirith by the fastest road?' my uncle asked him.

'Three days hard riding,' he answered.

'And what did you mean by "the beacons of Gondor"?'

'The beacons are a chain of fires waiting to be lit along the mountains between here and Minas Tirith. When either Gondor or Rohan requires each other's aid they light the beacon closest to their respective capital city and the next beacon on the chain will then be lit until all the beacons a lit which will tell the other leader that they require aid.'

'How long will it take for all the beacons to be lit?' Markus asked him.

'A day.'

'That is assuming that you can persuade the King of Gondor to light the beacons,' Father Harold reminded him.

'The Steward of Gondor,' Gandalf corrected him. 'Gondor has no king now until the heir of Elendil comes forth to claim his throne.'

'And who is that?' I asked him.

Gandalf was silent for a moment and I saw him looking at Aragorn for a moment. I wondered why he would do that.

'Aragorn is the heir of Elendil,' the wizard answered.

'That's not important,' my uncle said, wanting to get back on topic but I looked at Aragorn with surprise. Him. A King? I thought he had an air of nobility to him but I wouldn't have thought that he would be a king.
'Let's assume that it would take a day for you to persuade the Steward to light the beacons,' my uncle suggested, 'and three days to ride there plus a day for the signal to reach us. If the beacons are not lit five days from now then we will ride to Minas Tirith. If the beacons are lit and Theoden agrees to help then we will remain with Rohan's army and ride to war with them.'

'I agree,' Father Harold said and all of the others nodded their heads in agreement.

'Shouldn't the rest of the men know what will happen if we fail here?' Robert of Essex asked the rest of the council.

'We should do that once we're done here,' said Markus.

'That said we should try to form a relationship with as many countries as we can,' my uncle added. 'Therefore I shall go to Gondor alone,' my uncle announced to the surprise of everyone.

'You can't just go off alone,' I told him.

'John's right,' Markus agreed with me. 'You will need a bodyguard while in Gondor. I'll go with you.'

'No,' my uncle told him. 'I'll bring a bodyguard but not my heir.'

'Then who?' Markus and I asked at the same time.

'John,' my uncle said to me, 'go and get Rickard. Tell him to be ready to ride within the hour.'

'Are you sure uncle?' I asked him.

'Do as I say.'

I left the Hall and as fast as I could I ran through Edoras down to Sunniva's house where I was sure I could find Rickard. When I reached the house I nearly ran straight into Sunniva who was just walking out.

'Sorry,' I said to her. 'Is Rickard in there?'

'Yes, he's still asleep and I'm surprised he's alive after last night.'

'Shame I have to wake him up,' I said to her.

'Is something wrong?' she asked me, a puzzled look on her face.

'I'll explain later,' I answered and then walked in to see Rickard asleep on his blankets and snoring.
I shoved him a little but he didn't wake up. I groaned and shook my head before kicking him which woke him up.

'What's happening?' he asked me.

'You're riding within the hour,' I told him.

'Where are we going?' he asked as he stood up and put on his shirt and cloak.

'Not "we", you,' I told him. 'You, your father and Gandalf are going to Gondor.'

'Why aren't you coming?'

'He'll explain everything,' I told him.

'But we've always gone into something important together. Remember, we were right next to each other at Bosworth when we charged Tudor and his French mercenaries.'

'I know. I want to go with you but your father has decided that this is what will happen.'

'What about the council?' he was now fully dressed and had strapped his shield onto his back and he put on his belt holding his mace and a new Rohirric sword.

'I think they are all behind him.'

Rickard grabbed the sack holding his armour and then started walking towards the door.

'Let's get to the Hall,' he said to me and then we hurried up to the Golden Hall.

After my uncle had explained what was going to happen I went with Rickard to the stables to help him get his horse ready. As we strapped the saddle onto the horse Rickard looked at me and asked,

'Why do you always agree to what my father says?'

'Well, he's the head of the family so we should go along with what he says,' I answered.

'You should do what I do,' he said to me.

'Make it up as I go along?' I asked.

'No, you nod your head and then do what you think is right.'

'If everyone did that Rickard then every King's authority, every lords authority and our authority over peasants back in England would fall apart.'

'I only do it when I think I have to. I just don't think you should follow orders like a mindless serf back home.'

'Which serf, Wat Tyler[1]?' I asked him as a joke and he laughed a little. 'Just keep your mind on the job for now. Don't do anything stupid.'

'When have I done anything stupid?'

'Do you want me to list them?'

'Not at the moment.'

My uncle then walked in and started to saddle his own horse.

'Are you ready yet?' he asked Rickard.

'Of course,' Rickard answered. 'I'll wait for you outside.'

Rickard then climbed onto his horse and rode to outside the stable. My uncle rolled his eyes and then climbed onto his own horse.

'John,' he said, 'as I'll be away for a while there's a spare place on the council which will have another meeting at midday in the Inn. You're taking that place until the rest of you reach Minas Tirith.'

'Why are you giving me that position?' I asked him. 'I'm not as intelligent as Markus or as experienced as Bridge or Robert.'
'Because I don't completely trust anyone here outside of my own family,' he answered, 'with two of my family members on the Council I can trust them not to make any stupid decisions.'

'Alright,' I answered, seeing the logic in his answer. 'I promise that no one will do anything stupid.'

'You're so much like your father you know. You better stay alive or else I'll lose what I have left of him.'

'I'm going to survive so that I can meet grandfather at last. How do you think he got into Erebor in the first place?'

'I asked Gandalf that last night after you got too drunk to dance. He said something about a quest decades ago.'

'No doubt we'll find out soon.'

'We certainly will. Goodbye John.'

'Goodbye uncle. I'll see you soon.'

'You certainly will.'

I followed him out of the stables and I saw Gandalf and Pippin sitting on Gandalf's horse, Shadowfax, and Rickard on his horse.

'Goodbye Rickard,' I said to my cousin.

'I'll see you soon John,' he said to me with a smile.

With that the four of them rode away out of the city. I watched them from the cities wall until they were nothing more than specs in the distance riding to Minas Tirith.

[1] Wat Tyler was the leader of the 1381 Peasants revolt.

AN: I hope you liked this chapter and please review, criticise and keep reading. Also, yes, two chapters in one day!

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