In An Age Before – Part 301
The host rode a league from the battlefield and then Helm called a brief halt. The horses and wagons stopped on the road in the pouring rain. A count of the dead and wounded was taken and what further aid could be given to their injured was administered. Both the king and the prince had survived. Otherwise, the results were appalling.
'Nigh six hundred Riders were slain and 'nigh seven hundred wounded, and though many would be fit for duty in a few days, many more would need weeks or months to recover. And there were some for whom battle would now be but a memory. They would ne'er ride to war again. In an hour and a half of brutal fighting, o'er twelve hundred Rohirrim, a quarter of the king's host, had been stricken from combat, and they had still to break through whate'er army was laying siege to Súthburg. They had no alternative in this. To camp that night beyond the walls whilst the enemy was so close would invite disaster.
"We have five leagues yet to ride ere reaching Súthburg," Helm said, "and though the day is dim, I reckon seven hours of light remain." 'Twas still an hour ere noon.
"The distance is little challenge, my lord," Helluin said. "'Tis rather the unknown menace that awaits us before the walls."
"I could lead a small party and ride ahead," Háma offered, but his father shook his head 'nay'.
"We have scouts for that, and when they have recovered a bit and taken some food, I shall send a company thither," he said.
"Is there no other way into Súthburg save by the road?" Helluin asked. The king shook his head 'nay'.
"The Deeping-coomb is steep sided south, east, and west and those slopes are covered with scree and loose boulders," he said. "The footing is too treacherous for horse or Man and not even one wholly mad would try to descend with wagons."
"Still, I should like to see this coomb ere having to fight in it," Helluin said.
The king dipped his head to her, for as he had said in Edoras, 'I ken that thou art an ally and not oath-bound to my command'. He could neither order her to go nor restrain her from going, even if she found herself required to ride thither alone. Beyond that, he too would prefer knowing the nature of a future battlefield.
Helluin left a half-hour later with a dozen Riders, all mounted archers. They left the host behind as it plodded along the road at a walking pace and galloped west searching e'ery foot of ground they passed whilst expecting to be ambushed at any moment. The falling rain stung their eyes and bit on their faces with their speed. One by one, the miles disappeared 'neath the hooves of their horses as the foothills of the Ered Nimrais withdrew e'er further from the road.
After five miles, the Men were staring 'round like mice in a barn filled with cats. Helluin could see their knuckles, whitened by their grips on the reins, and if each inhalation was not quite as a downing Man's last gasp for air, then 'twas close. The tension only grew with each mile that passed 'neath their horses' hooves. Even the Noldo was beginning to get edgy, wondering why they had met no enemy patrols or scouts. It made no sense unless another ambush had been set and they were riding straight into it.
When they had come ten miles and found no sign of foes, the stress became intolerable. By then, they had long ago slowed from a gallop to a trot. Finally, they came to a halt, looked at each other for a few heartbeats, and then turned their horses off the road and into the rising land to the southwest. They had reached agreement without speaking a word. The company passed o'er sodden grass, 'twixt taller clumps of sedge, and finally into the loose woods of the foothills.
The land soon began to rise, and through the rain and mist, they saw the walls of the White Mountains climbing half a league to their south. Although the chance of danger rose with each step forward, their mood had recovered a bit for being no longer as sitting ducks on the road. The scouts even breathed sighs of relief when they passed into the trees.
Helluin and the Riders continued as the ground rose. The way was not a steep mountain trail, but rather a slope, steeper, but not unlike the backslopes of the downs, save that 'twas sparsely dotted with trees and outcrops of rock. There was no path to follow, only a choice of the clearest, least impeded way upwards. By the end of another hour, they had come a league and the Men reckoned that the Deeping-coomb lay two miles ahead.
They had also gained significant altitude. Dim through the grey of mist and rain, the road cut a dark line in the distance, bending northwest.
"I ken not why we have seen none," muttered Scefing¹, who was the leader of the scouting party. ¹(Scefing, Sheaf, lit. 'bundle of grain', relates to the first king of the Danes named in Beowulf, Scyld Scefing aka 'Shield son of Sheaf', an idealized heroic king. Old English)
"Mayhap they are preoccupied with the fortress, though prudence would that they guard their flanks," Helluin agreed. "It may be that they deem themselves safe in their numbers, or they are simply ignorant." She cast her sight ahead and marked the ridgeline, higher and perhaps a mile ahead. "Doth that ridge look down upon Súthburg and the Deeping-coomb?"
"Aye, it doth, and enchanted must be thine eyes, for 'tis but a shadow to my sight."
"I deem some crags lie 'twixt us and the top," Helluin said.
Scefing looked at her in surprise, but finally said, "Sharp are the eyes of Ælfcynn¹. Aye, there are folds and bare rock, and even a small dell ere reaching the ridge, many places wherein foes might hide." These things he recalled from his earlier visits. ¹(Ælfcynn, Elf-kind Old English)
They went forward more warily then and the tension they had felt on the road revisited the Men in full measure. The horses were no more at ease than their masters. They searched the land with eyes wide and ears pricked forward, snorting as they sought for any foreboding scents. The scouts unshouldered their bows and set arrows to the strings as they approached the broken ground 'nigh the top of the ridge. Like their horses, they ceaselessly scanned the outcrops and standing stones, seeking for any hint of foes.
"I know not which is worse," Scefing whispered to himself, "expecting foes and finding none, or being attacked outright."
The anxiety he and his scouts felt was well 'nigh palpable to Helluin. She saw some draw and then relax the tension on their bowstrings when 'naught came from some clump of sedge shifting in the breeze or a wisp of mist moving 'twixt the rocks. So jumpy are they that we shall be well if none shoots another of our company unintended, she thought, shaking her head.
It only grew worse when they passed amongst the crags and folds. Now the scouts held the tension on their drawn bows as they swung right and left seeking a mark, and their breaths came in short, sharp pants of apprehension. The hoof beats of their horses at a slow walk seemed thunderous o'er the soft soughing of the breeze amongst the grasses and the few lonely trees. Yet for all their vigilance, there proved to be 'naught to find. They came to the ridge unchallenged. Finally, the scouts relaxed the draw of their bows and shook out their arms and hands to relieve the stiffness from the exertion.
The dell that Scefing had mentioned lay but a few yards back from the ridgeline, hidden in a fold with bare rock on three sides. Helluin and the scouts dismounted and left the horses there. Afoot they advanced 'til they had a view down into the Deeping-coomb. 'Nigh a furlong 'neath them, softened by falling rain and an intervening cloud of fog, lay Súthburg with its walls and keep, home of Lord Eadmundr, Second Marshal of Rohan and the husband of Helm's sister Hild.
From the foot of the eastern highland, the Deeping-wall ran 'cross the mouth of the narrows that cut 'twixt the arms of Thrihyrne and led to the caverns of Aglarond, whilst on an outthrust mound at the foot of the western highland was built the fortress. Set in massive walls of stone stood Súthburg's gate with a causeway leading up to it, whilst within its half-circle stood the keep. A dirt road led from the causeway, running north to join the Great West Road. The swollen Deeping-stream flowed from 'neath the wall, dividing the eastern third of the coomb from the western two thirds.
The enemy camp lay astride the Deeping-stream with its greater part to the east, hard by the feet of the highland, intentionally leaving the west, with the road and the causeway, free for battle and the eventual siege. Looking down, the Dunlendings and Corsairs lay well 'nigh at their feet.
The slope descending before them was steep and strewn with scree accumulated through Ages of cyclic freeze and thaw. The rubble varied in size from coarse, pea-sized grains of gravel to boulders and all the sundry sizes 'twixt them, though the preponderance was of fist size or less. All of it was soaking wet and they marked rivulets trickling down from the ridge to disappear amidst the debris. O'er time, it had surely washed away the dust and sand-sized grains that might have acted like cement, leaving the whole as a haphazard pile of jagged jackstraws.
Looking at it, Helluin felt a 'nigh irresistible urge to kick rocks downslope to test its instability and to see what would happen. She looked 'round just in time to hiss at one of the scouts who was about to do just that. When Scefing saw him a heartbeat later, boot drawn back and poised behind a head-sized stone, he shook his head sharply, forbidding any such frivolous acts.
The scout leader looked to Helluin and offered an exasperated roll of his eyes, but when he met her gaze, she tilted her head towards the slope and offered a grin. It seemed he kenned her meaning immediately, for he grinned in return.
"Hither stands an army and long hath it waited," she said. "Let us gather rock and set it against future need," she said.
"Aye, let us indeed," he agreed. "An army none may slay could be a timely ally."
The scouts collected several dozen boulders weighing 'twixt five and ten stone and set them in an irregular row atop the ridge. They placed these with care, above what they guessed to be the least stable parts of the debris field.
Helluin took from her travel bag the now ancient glass lenses from Rhûn and the repeatedly replaced hard leather cylinders and assembled her viewing tube. With it, she examined the fortress and then the enemy encampment, marking the placement of the largest tents, the pennants waving o'er them, and the disposition of the troops gathered beyond bowshot from the walls. Most were Dunlendings, but some, perhaps three in ten, were Corsairs. Finally, she swung the tube so that she could follow the stream and the road leading out of the coomb, to assure herself that no further enemy presence lay beyond the mouth of the vale. When she took the tube from her eye, she saw Scefing watching her in confusion.
"'Tis for far seeing," she explained, handing it to him. Having watched her, he set it to his eye.
"Gahhh!" he hissed, jerking it away, "Wiccecræft!¹" And then he frantically rubbed his eye and blinked, fearing that 'twas bewitched and the effect might linger. ¹(Wiccecræft, Witchcraft Old English)
Despite that her initial reaction was to guffaw, the Noldo maintained her composure, barely. She simply said, "Just as thy bow sends an arrow to slay at a distance, so the glass in this tube sends thy sight to see at a distance. There is 'naught supernatural about it, though it may seem eldritch for being unknown."
Scefing looked at her hopefully, truly wanting to believe her. He looked carefully at her eyes, but saw 'naught untoward. By then, his own sight had wholly returned to normal. Helluin gave him a nod of reassurance and gingerly, he again set the tube to his eye.
"Try closing thine other eye, my friend," the Noldo said, and after a moment, he did so.
Though the view was strange, he had looked through it briefly aforetime and so he was less shocked by suddenly feeling that he stood just outside the enemy's tents. He swung the tube to look at the fortress and groaned at the sickening lurch the small movement of his hand had caused, but then he gasped. He could see the expression of wrath on the face of a sentry he knew who was walking a watch on the wall. Finally, after several more minutes spent examining the coomb with increasing confidence, he took the tube from his eye and handed it back to Helluin.
"A great wonder is thy contrivance, Helluin. None might hide from such."
"It hath its limits," she said, taking the viewing tube apart and stowing it back in her travel bag. "It sees but poorly at night."
After taking the measure of the enemy, their count, and the positions of their tents and pickets, they withdrew.
"I make them three thousands, give or take," Scefing said as the scouts returned to their horses.
Helluin nodded in agreement, adding, "I reckon nine hundred are Corsairs."
"With that tally, I would agree," the scout said.
"As they have neither o'erwhelming numbers, nor engines of siege, I deem them a blocking force only, meant to keep Eadmundr behind his walls," Helluin said. "I would wager much that Wulf is not there and that bodes ill."
"It does, for if he is neither hither, nor was at the ambush this morn past, then whither doth he lurk?"
As with Helm aforetime, neither said what they both feared, that as he was not at Súthburg, Wulf was off somewhere else, perhaps flanking them wide to the north and marching on Edoras. And with him, the bulk of his host and his Corsair allies as well.
The rain continued and the afternoon remained dreary as the scouting party descended from the ridge. They spent less time and less worry on their return to the road, for having seen no foes aforetime, they deemed that all their enemies were engaged at the fortress.
During their absence of three hours, they found that the host had advanced nine miles at their walking pace and so they met them 'nigh the same place where they had abandoned the road aforetime.
As they came through the haze of rain and mist, they waved and saw the Riders escorting the wagons relax and lower their spears and shields. Straightaway they came to the head of the column and reported to Helm and Háma.
"What have ye learnt?" Helm asked as the scouts bowed in the saddle to their king.
"From the eastern ridge we have looked down upon Súthburg, sire, and we have marked the enemy," Scefing said.
"How many?" asked Háma. "How stands the fortress? Do our folk yet resist?"
"We made the enemy's count three thousands, Dunlendings mostly, with some nine hundred Corsairs amongst them," the scout leader answered, and Helluin nodded in agreement with his tally. "The fortress still stands with Eadmundr's Men upon the walls."
The Riders who sat 'nigh nodded and whispered comments of thanksgiving for that tiding, but Helm had stood upon that ridge aforetime and seen Súthburg, and 'twixt the distance and the weather he deemed it well 'nigh impossible to tell beyond a doubt who populated the fortress.
"How canst thou know 'twas Eadmundr's Men? The distance is far and the view poor this day. A worsted foe's heraldry might be left to offer false hope to their kin." He cast a doubtful eye upon the scout leader, but Scefing bore his gaze unwavering, for he knew what he had seen.
"Sire, Helluin has a tube to view afar. With it, I marked Deorlic¹, a Man I know, standing watch upon the walls. I saw the rage upon his face as he looked out upon the enemy." At the look of disbelief on his king's face, he sputtered, "My king, I am not bewitched, nor bereft of my wits." He then looked beseechingly to the Noldo and Helm turned to hear her rede. ¹(Deorlic, Daring Old English)
"What Scefing claims is true, my lord. I have a viewing tube, an invention from far away wherewith one may espy 'aught at a distance save in darkness. I shall show thee, and it partakes of no enchantments, I swear."
The king watched carefully as Helluin retrieved the parts from her travel bag. He marked the glass lenses and that her hands seen through them as she held them were enlarged, much as would be the veins of a leaf 'neath a droplet of rain. He found that he was surprised, yet not disbelieving, for the effect was familiar. She assembled the viewing tube, setting it to her eye and looking toward the mountains a half-league to the south.
"Beside a creek where the trees grow dense there stands a roe buck with antlers growing for the rutting season a few months hence." She took the tube from her eye and handed it to Helm.
The king took the device and examined it, staring carefully at the glass lenses in each end of the hard leather tubes, one sized to slip fit within the other. Finally, he set it to his eye and gasped softly, and then he swung the tube towards the mountains whither Helluin had looked. After searching a bit, he found the deer and 'twas just as she had said.
"Wondrous," he whispered. After a few moments more, he took the tube from his eye and handed it back to the Noldo. Then he turned to Scefing and said, "Now I doubt thee not, mazed though I should be at the truth of it. Is there 'aught else thou wouldst report?"
"We saw none beyond the coomb, sire, and we have provided for a diversion shouldst thou desire it."
"Pray explain thy preparations," Helm said.
They spent a while sitting their horses in the rain, detailing a battle plan to safely bring the wagons and their wounded to the fortress whilst reducing the blocking force in the Deeping-coomb. After the third part of an hour, Helm bid the column resume their ride, though he sent a reinforced party of scouts back to the ridge.
"Await my sign," Helluin had told them ere they broke off to cross the open land south of the road. Scefing had again been named to lead the company and he gave her a nod and a grin in anticipation of mayhem.
Mid-afternoon found the Dunlendings bored by their standoff at Súthburg and vexed by the endless rains. Frustrated at being left to endure the weather and not allowed to assail the fortress, they were itching for a fight. Their Corsair allies, strange southerners with many lifetimes' experience of worse at sea, heeded the wind and downpours little and were no comfort at all. The camp was grim and tempers frayed.
'Twas almost a gift when an éored of straw-heads rounded the eastern headland and galloped into the coomb ere marking that 'twas held against them. From the walls of Súthburg came a mighty cheer of greeting and shouts of warning. From the Dunlending encampment came jeers and threats.
'Nigh three hundred Dunlendings, literally e'ery currently mounted Man amongst them, charged towards the éored, as much from hatred as to have something to do. They saw the Rohirrim mark them, rein to a desperate halt, stare for several heartbeats as if in disbelief, and then turn tail and flee as fast as their horses could carry them. The two furlongs separating them dwindled as the Dunlendings' well-rested horses ate up their lead.
In moments, the éored and their three hundred pursuers passed 'round the eastern headland and out of sight. The third part of an hour passed, and then, to the astonishment of those in both the camp and the fortress, the same éored reappeared and rode back into the coomb. They appeared unscathed and there was no sign of their foes.
They came within two furlongs of the encampment and halted, still and silent. In the camp, those with horses frantically readied them and those afoot girt themselves with their weapons. No orders or words of command could have hastened or stayed them. As they began to gather to meet their foes, beyond all belief, the éored charged, six score Riders against twenty-seven hundred foemen.
In Súthburg, the walls were now lined with Men of the West Emnet and they cheered on their fey and fearless kith as they leveled their spears at the vastly superior invaders. Though they stood no possible chance of victory, they would make an end worthy of song. So compelling was the sight that no eye of friend or foe strayed from their bold-hearted and hopeless challenge. None marked the host gathering at the mouth of the Deeping-coomb.
Now the distance to clashing was halved. 'Naught but one furlong separated the éored from the Dunlending camp as the Riders came on at a full gallop. Men on the wall held their breath. Then the green cloak of the leader blew free to rise in the wind of Hildmearh's passing. A black-armored figure rose to stand upright atop the mare's back, bow drawn, a broadhead arrow upon the string. She had seen her target stride from a central tent topped with a pennant displaying the Tengwa mb/b for Umbar in yellow upon a field of scarlet.
Loosed, the arrow crossed a hundred fifty yards and took the Corsair captain in the face. Then Helluin blazed with the Light of Aman. The signal was given and the éored turned away. As the Dunlendings and Corsairs gave chase, the ground trembled.
From the eastern heights, the thunder grew 'til 'twas deafening. It easily drowned out the screams and cries of terror from the encampment. The entire field of scree slid down the slope in an avalanche, gaining speed with each passing second. Soaked for weeks, little dust rose and the approaching horror was clear for all to see. The mass movement of rocks and boulders rolling and leaping downhill was sickening to gaze upon.
The bold éored was in full retreat as the wave of stone came down upon the enemy encampment, churning its eastern half to ruin. The horses and Men there were tumbled and crushed, o'erborne to their ruin, their screams drowned out as surely as their lives were snuffed out 'neath the irresistible mass of scree. The long waiting army that none could slay had taken the measure of Rohan's foes and worsted them. In the end, it became their barrow field.
Shocked and horrified, the twelve hundred survivors milled in confusion as the natural disaster drew to an end. A field of stones and boulders had swallowed much of their encampment and yet their suffering was incomplete, for more was to be visited upon them. From the mouth of the Deeping-coomb, a host of Eorlingas was charging towards them, and at its fore flew the pennant of the House of Eorl. Then a great cheer went up from the walls of Súthburg as battle was joined. Soon, the gates opened and Lord Eadmundr and his knights rode down the causeway to the aid of Helm King.
The slaughter would have been far greater had not Helm detailed half his host been to guard the wagons and the wounded. Still, 'nigh two thousand Riders charged forth to smite the invaders. On the wet ground, there could be no fine maneuvers, only straight-line charges. Even so, the Men from Edoras and Súthburg bedeviled their enemies that day. From the scourging of the Deeping-coomb came scarcely seven hundred terrified Dunlendings and Corsairs, fleeing in rout to the grasslands of the northwest and hoping to find succor with their comrades 'nigh the Fords of Isen.
'Twas a joyous meeting 'twixt Helm and his brother-in-law, the Second Marshal.
"Thou art a thousand times welcome, brother, may Béma be praised," Eadmundr said as they clasped forearms in the saddle.
"I rejoice to find thee well, brother," Helm said, "and on a day of such renown. I would worst them to the last, but we have many wounded in need of tending and they must come first."
They looked to the eastern slope, seeing it barren for the first time in their lives and wondering if on some future day, a fearless Rider on a fearless steed might chance to descend it. At its feet lay a new talus field that thinned 'til only a few stray stones rested along the bank of the Deeping-stream. They marked that the current was carrying off tendrils of scarlet. Here and there, protruding scraps of canvas, shivered tent poles, parts of carcasses, and broken cadavers were visible.
"How strange to see it thus," Eadmundr said. "I shall be long growing accustomed to it."
"Aye, 'tis very strange," the king agreed, "and yet 'twas meet, as if the Gods themselves provided for our victory. I am thankful. Come; let us take counsel together, for I have much to tell and much to learn."
Late into that night, the king, the prince, and the Second Marshal remained sequestered in a high chamber in the Burg. Lower in the fortress, healers labored o'er the wounded, cooks labored o'er meals, and soldiers labored o'er unloading the wagons. These carried a great store of victuals, very welcome, and a hoard of weapons and armor, more welcome yet.
Helluin had accepted a bowl of stew, a wedge of cheese, a mug of ale, and a small loaf from the kitchen staff, but seeing the hall already o'erfilled, chose to eat on the battlements outside the keep. As she stood looking out o'er the coomb, a young knight came to her and introduced himself.
"I am Fréaláf, Eadmundrsson, and I would greet thee, Lady Helluin," he said. The Noldo dipped her head to the young lord and finished swallowing a mouthful of stew.
"'Tis my pleasure to greet thee, Lord Fréaláf," she said. "I saw thee in thy father's riding this afternoon. Vigorous wast thou in smiting the enemy with spear and sword."
Fréaláf grinned, and if not made self-conscious by her compliment, he was certainly appreciative of it.
"My thanks for thy praise, m'lady. I have yearned to take steel to those invaders since they appeared in the coomb in the dead of night two fortnights past," he said. "Pray tell, dost thou oft stand atop thy steed to shoot?"
"I have from time to time, though this afternoon 'twas mostly for dramatic effect," she said with a grin.
"'Twas certainly that," Fréaláf said, chuckling, "and I doubt any had seen the like aforetime. I know I had not. And thy shot was perfect, taking that Corsair captain straight in the face at seventy-five fathoms." He paused a moment and then admitted, "I am no archer, but I wager thy skill is as uncommon as thy bow."
"The bow is uncommon, aye, but the skill…many of Ælfcynn are equally fell," Helluin said, "and indeed there are whole realms that live by their archery."
"I accept thy word, for I have known none amongst þā Ielfe¹." ¹(þā Ielfe, the Elves Old English)
Helluin nodded in understanding. The Elvish realms were mostly closed to outsiders, more from superstition and tradition rather than any actual decrees, and Elves seldom roamed in lands not their own. Those who did oft passed unseen by mortals, and so the Elder and Younger kindreds of Eru's Children rarely met.
"'Tis a shame, that, for Elves and Men were once mighty allies who stood together against the Shadow," she said. "Perhaps they shall again, one day. Yet for now, the Elves vigorously defend their borders, but march not to war in other lands. Their self-imposed isolation holds true in Eriador amongst the Laiquendi, in Mithlond amongst the Sindar, in Imladris amongst the Noldor, in Lothlórien amongst the Galadhrim, and in Mirkwood amongst the Nandor."
"Save for our oath-bond with Gondor, we are pledged to bring aid to none and fight only for our own," Fréaláf said. "We are not so very different after all, strange as it seems for me to say it."
They spoke a while longer, but the Lord Eadmundr's son had duties to attend in the now crowded fortress and excused himself after offering words of honor.
Throughout Súthburg, folk scrambled to accommodate the sudden growth in the population. Aforetime, 'nigh three and a half thousands had taken refuge thither, but now the count of the Eorlingas was o'er eight and a half thousands. The field behind the Deeping wall and the mouth of the narrows had sprouted tents filled with Riders, much like a meadow suddenly carpeted with mushrooms after a summer shower. Just inside the wall were pickets lined with horses, whilst the people of the Westfold took refuge in the caverns of Aglarond. 'Twas the eve of 17 Gwirith and it had been a long day.
There were many long days that spring and summer. The first labor after their victory was the interment of their dead. The fallen from Edoras were buried on the east side of the road, those from Súthburg on the west. The bodies of their slain foes the Rohirrim dragged from the coomb and left in the grasslands for collection by their kith and kin, should they deign to do so. Despite the hatred 'twixt them, the Eorlingas did not desecrate the dead Dunlendings, for they were Men too. Orcs were another matter entirely. Those they would have piled and burnt with curses.
During the respite from the occupation of the Deeping-coomb, Helm ordered the digging of a trench and the raising of a dike 'cross the field, two furlongs out from the Deeping wall. Of course, they were forced to wait 'til the spring rains ceased at the end of Gwirith ere construction could begin, but with so many hands available, the labor was done in a fortnight. That earthwork came to be known after as Helm's Dike and was intended as a forward defensive emplacement and an impediment to enemy cavalry, wagons, siege engines, and the like. 'Twas pierced in only two places, for the passage of the road, and the Deeping-stream.
Once the rains had ceased and the weather warmed, Helm and Eadmundr led forays into the lands north and west, seeking to drive the invading Dunlendings and Corsairs hence. They were perhaps half successful. The Fords of Isen and other parts of the West Emnet changed hands several times, for whilst the Eorlingas might force their enemies out for a time, they always came back after the Horse lords moved on. They simply proved too numerous to eradicate.
Two factors proved a darker side to the conflict. The first was attrition. The Dunlendings were fierce and many. The Corsairs well equipped and well-practiced at war. The very organization and command structure required to sail ships and maintain a navy transferred to actions on land. In battle, they proved coordinated and formidable. Although the Eorlingas had the advantages of mounted warriors in a land well suited to cavalry, they were slain by arrows, mobbed by footmen during skirmishes, and matched when forced to fight afoot. Though the king guessed that they slew more than they lost, still they knew their own fallen and counted each with sorrow. The land within Helm's Dike had become a barrow field ere midsummer.
The second fact that bode ill was that Helm's personal enemy was ne'er found. Wulf eluded the king's searches and was ne'er seen in battle. By Nórui, Helluin was convinced that he was not in the West Emnet and had not been for a long time. Helm feared the same.
"My lord, I reckon the time has come for me to seek battle elsewhere," she told the king, the prince, the Second Marshal, and his son at their board the evening of 6 Nórui. "'Tis not as if my aid can stem the enemy or turn the tide of war hither."
Since their ride from Edoras six fortnights past, she had slain several hundreds and engineered several victories. The Noldo's presence in battle had inspired the Riders, but they had already their king for that. Helm nodded to her and finished chewing a mouthful of game fowl.
"Had enough of the Westfold, hast thou, Helluin?" he asked, though with a grin. "Whither then?" As he had given his word aforetime, he would not seek to command an ally against her will.
"I return to Edoras to discover the state of its defense," she said. "I am vexed at the absence of Wulf, and as he commands the Dunlendings, I would know his whereabouts."
Suddenly grim, Helm regarded her a moment ere admitting, "I would know the answer to that riddle as well. In truth, I am tempted to ride with thee, for I have cursed and declared Wulf my enemy. I should have slain him as I did his sire at Edoras in '54." He shook his head with regret.
Helluin looked at him, understanding that he would feel some disappointment should she slay Wulf ere he had an opportunity to meet him in battle.
"Should chance allow, I shall hamstring him like a pig and leave him for thee, my lord," she said. To that, Eadmundr stamped his feet and Háma pounded a fist on the tabletop in approval.
Helm chuckled and said, "Pray leave him able to stand, Helluin. I would reap little joy from slaying him on his sickbed, though on his knees, that I would relish."
The Noldo dipped her head to the Lord of the Eorlingas and said, "As thou wouldst, my lord. One leg then. I take my leave."
So whither now, Helluin? Hildmearh had asked when the Noldo came to her amidst the pickets.
We return to Edoras, my friend. I fear it goes ill there, or soon shall, Helluin had said silently, eye to eye.
I shall be glad to leave this fortress, the mare declared. It hath been o'ercrowded.
And I had thought thee glad to share noble company with so many.
Too much of a good thing and not a moment's peace, the warhorse replied. Besides, in a land the Gods made for horses, being held within walls chaffed. Perhaps I am spoilt by my life on the farm, but I found myself constantly yearning to stretch my legs.
Helluin nodded, understanding the mare's plight. The animals at Norðr-vestandóttir Bý were barely constrained and the horses least of all.
Well, thou shalt have ample opportunity to run now, Helluin said.
Shall I then set my nose to following my tail?
Nay, we shall not ride the road only, but rather have a look at the grasslands to the north that were bypassed aforetime in the rain. I wish to learn the disposition of the enemy and see if they have been about some mischief in these lands.
Oh, very good! I am all the more glad to be leaving Súthburg, Hildmearh said.
Then let us be away. Pray head northeast 'til we cross the road, then north. Thy gait I leave to thee.
Helluin rode out of Súthburg on Hildmearh under cover of night, trotting down the Deeping-coomb road. Once they were beyond the mouth of the coomb, the warhorse broke into a gallop, cutting 'cross open land rather than following the dirt track to the Great West Road.
By virtue of that shortcut, they avoided both a league of extra travel and the decomposing remains of those slain on 17 Gwirith that had not been recovered for burial by their folk. Having ridden past that grim site on their way to later battles, it had seemed that a quarter of the cadavers had been unclaimed, and by their raiment, Helluin had deemed them Corsairs. They had sailed far to become fodder for dogs, wolves, vultures, and crows.
The night of 6 Nórui was fine for riding and Hildmearh was energetic for having been confined of late. She spent long periods at a gallop, slowing to a restful trot from time to time, or stopping for water when the opportunity arose as they passed some rill. 'Round midnight, Helluin stayed the mare, for she had marked a trail of stunted grass and worn earth leading east west. The damaged plants showed several fortnights recovery and whate'er host had passed that way was long gone. After examining the sky to confirm her bearings, Helluin turned Hildmearh east to follow.
O'er the next couple of days, they tracked the host and found its trail joined by another coming east on a more northerly track. They had passed several flattened areas with fire rings and the scavenger-cleaned carcasses of animals butchered to feed many mouths. From these nightly camps, the Noldo reckoned their pace that of an army afoot with wains and some mounted but constrained to a walking pace by the slowest amongst them. After the two trails joined, the campsites were predictably larger, easily equal to Helm's host as they marched east to Súthburg, she thought, five thousand-odd.
Thrice she found the remains of outlying farms and a hamlet that had once held a few homes, all burnt, all ruined. They had been raided by companies of several dozen, breaking off from the main host and leaving bodies, collapsed rooves, and tumbled walls in their wake, but ne'er any survivors or livestock. Foraging parties seeking to augment their army's victuals, she thought. They take no prisoners and keep no slaves. She buried the dead, elders, adults, and children, in shallow graves, and then resumed her tracking.
On 10 Nórui, Helluin marked the trail veering southeast and thought this strange, for by her reckoning, they were 'nigh due north of Edoras by then. For whate'er reason, it seemed that the army was making for the Entwade instead. With a shrug, she turned Hildmearh south, expecting to come to the capital late the next day.
Now that afternoon, some leagues ere she came to the Great West Road, Helluin espied a wagon drawn by a single tired horse. It carried a barrel, a few crates of goods, and an old couple, and walking beside it, another two adult couples, a pair of teenage boys, a girl of similar age and another younger, perhaps ten or eleven years of age. Leading and trailing the wagon walked a foursome of what appeared to be unhorsed Riders, for they wore helms of steel and green cloaks. They bore shields and swords were sheathed on their hips.
Helluin had marked them at a distance of a mile, moving slowly south towards the Great West Road and Edoras, and she saw them long ere they saw her. Curious, she set out towards them at a trot.
When she approached, the entourage predictably fell into a defensive formation with the six adult Men foremost, the four bearing arms central, flanked by what she deemed were two farmers desperately clutching a forester's axe and a pitchfork. The women and youths had gathered behind them along the side of the wagon. All of them were watching her with suspicion for she was mounted, well armed, and she was a stranger, obviously not of their kindred.
At fifty yards, Helluin brought Hildmearh to a halt and called out to them in their own tongue, saying, "Do ye make for Edoras? I am come of late from Súthburg and would take counsel with the Third Marshal, for I have tracked a host of foemen marching east towards the ford. Might we not travel together?"
Helluin watched as the group held a brief council ere hailing her in return.
"Aye, we make for Edoras, as we should've done two months past. Who art thou that comes from Súthburg? Thou art not of the Eorlingas."
"I am Helluin, an Ælf¹ of Norðr-vestandóttir Bý and an ally of old who rode with Eorl and Fram, and of late with Helm King." ¹(Ælf, Elf Old English)
Her answer caused the group to engage in another council with more vigorous gestures and more vehement disagreements. This time, the old couple joined the argument from the wagon bed and the younger members eventually hearkened to them.
Finally, one of the soldiers stood forth and called out, "If thou art also bound for Edoras, then join us. We would hear of Helm King, and 'tis not as if we can stay thee in any case."
As Helluin could easily have ridden 'round them and come to Meduseld hours ahead of their arrival, their words were true. She had Hildmearh trot forward 'til she was beside the wagon.
"Thou see, Hroþulf¹, she is as was woven on the tapestry," the old man admonished one of the soldiers. ¹(Hroþulf, Hrothulf nephew of Hrothgar, son of Halga, and a semi-legendary King of the Danes from the early 6th century AD. Old English)
"Aye, aye, I see now the bright Ring Blade, Halga¹. I am not uneducated," Hroþulf protested, then muttered, "nor so sharp sighted, despite thine age." He turned then to Helluin and offered greetings. "Welcome, Helluin of Norðr-vestandóttir Bý. How fares the king at Súthburg?" ¹(Halga, another semi- legendary King of the Danes and brother of King Hrothgar from the early 6th century AD. Old English)
"I took my leave of the Deeping-coomb on the 6th, and on that eve, Helm King, Prince Háma, Lord Eadmundr, and his son Lord Fréaláf were well," she told the group and saw looks of relief on their faces. "At the king's arrival on 17 Gwirith, a host of three thousand Dunlendings and Corsairs was worsted and the survivors driven hence. Thereafter, the king and the Second Marshal have prosecuted their foes in the West Emnet, but the battles have been indecisive for the enemy is numerous."
The soldiers, farmers, and wagon were ready to move by then and as they continued on their way south towards the capital, Hroþulf asked, "Pray tell us of the first battle, Helluin. Three thousands slain or put to flight. I would hear that tale."
The others nodded eagerly in agreement. They had displayed surprisingly little difficulty in accepting her as an Elf, rare and legendary as that kindred was to the Eorlingas.
Helluin told them of the battle in the Deeping-coomb and of the following actions, and then of her discoveries during her return to Edoras. They appreciated not being excluded for being common folk and soldiers rather than lords or captains. Helluin too had questions and the group members were willing to tell their tales so that as the day faded and they set their night's camp, each had learnt the experiences of the others.
"We bethought ourselves safe, being so few an' so far from Edoras," Halga told Helluin as she rode beside the wagon. "'Twas just me an' my wife Demelza on land we've farmed for two score an' seven. Our daughter Golda an' son-in-law Burne an' their three young ones raised sheep a mile to the west," he said as the old woman beside him nodded in agreement and waved a hand towards the couple walking just ahead. "Our boy Hroþulf swore his oath an' joined the Riders nine years past," he added with pride.
"The newcomers, Rishley an' Maida, claimed their land a half-league east just a dozen years past," Demelza said, tilting her head to the other couple who walked behind the wagon. "They've been good neighbors, them an' their little girl."
"Eight days past, Dunlending raiders came an' we hid in the fields," Halga said, resuming the narrative. "Burne an' Golda did the same. We didn't know if Rishley an' Maida had escaped 'til they came with this wagon, seeking us an' saying they were fleeing to Edoras."
"They'd packed an' left home after seeing our place burning," Demelza said.
"We were a day on the road when we met my brother Hroþulf an' the other Riders," Golda said.
The four Riders had been listening and Hroþulf continued the tale after only a short pause.
"We were twelve," he said, "a scouting party dispatched by Captain Fyren¹ to seek foes west of the Entwash. Nine days past, we were worsted by a raiding party of three dozens. Our horses were slain and eight good Men with them. We were blessed by Béma to have survived." ¹(Fyren, Fiery Old English)
The other three soldiers were nodding in agreement, their lips pressed in grim lines as they recalled their losses.
"The raiders had come from further west and passed us. Unable to rejoin our éored quickly, we sought to learn the welfare of our people that dwelt 'nigh," Hroþulf said.
Helluin nodded to him in understanding, for who could blame him for trying to learn the fate of his parents and his sister's family? The four scouts had been unhorsed with the enemy 'twixt them and their éored.
"We met the survivors with their wagon the next eve, Béma be praised. Now we return to Edoras as escort and to rejoin the defense of the Eastfold."
"When thou wast dispatched to scouting, how stood the defense?" Helluin asked. "Is Prince Haleth well?"
"Aye," Hroþulf said, "the Third Marshal was well when last we heard tidings of him. His éored was further south of our position, we being second closest to the Entwade."
They continued on their way 'til evening and then sought a campsite for the night. Best reckoning placed them four leagues north of the Great West Road. Still fearful of pursuit, they kindled no fire, but ate cold trail rations and then lay down to sleep in the dark. Feeling no need of rest that night, Helluin volunteered to keep watch. Last to seek his bedroll, Hroþulf shared a few words with her, speaking softly after the others had dozed off, exhausted.
"The host thou followed, Helluin, thou reckoned them heading for the Entwade?"
"Aye, or so it seemed to me," she replied, just as softly.
"Whyfor would they not march on Edoras? What could they want at the ford?"
"'Tis a question in my mind too, for if they assail Edoras, then the way east lies open to Anórien whether the city falls of no," she said. "Haleth cannot defend both the city and the road with a dozen éoreds against a host that I deem numbers o'er five thousands."
Hroþulf nodded to her, grim with his worries for his marshal and his city. Should Edoras be invested and the Riders of the East Emnet occupied thither, Aldburg would soon fall for 'twas undefended. He could see no path by which that did not come to pass, for Haleth would be outnumbered 'nigh four to one whilst defending the capital.
"I can only wager that the Dunlendings and their allies seek to join forces with the Easterlings, knowing not that they have been worsted," Helluin said softly, "and that detour may grant Haleth time to withdraw to Edoras, and for the people to escape to Dunharrow."
At the mention of that name, Hroþulf shivered and shook his head.
"Scant succor shall they find in that haunted, upland meadow," he said. "Many shall favor fighting and a natural death ere chancing being accosted by vengeful spirits in that gods forsaken place."
"Vengeful the ghosts of the Men of the Mountains may be, yet their ire is not turned against the Eorlingas," Helluin said. "Their hatred is for those who cursed them long ago, the West Men of Stāningeard."
"Even so," Hroþulf said as he gathered his blanket 'round his shoulders and prepared to lie down for the night, "hard pressed would I needs be ere I climb that accursed road."
The night passed peacefully, a 'nigh cruel illusion in a land at war, but all were thankful for the rest it allowed. Dawn's light revealed the dark line of small willows along the banks of the river Snowbourn drawing nearer from the east as they marched south and the party turned towards the southern end of it, knowing that it flowed 'round the hill whereon Edoras stood. They had been traveling but an hour ere they heard the beat of distant hooves coming from the northeast.
All heads turned to search for the horsemen and eventually they could be seen, a long line of Riders in green cloaks with spear tips glinting in the morning sun. Pennants of Rohan fluttered from the shafts in the wind of their haste. As there was no cover in that broad land sufficient to hide the wagon, they too were spotted straightaway. A company of Riders broke off from the column and approached at a gallop. When they drew 'nigh, Hroþulf and the other three soldiers raised their shields and shouted greetings.
"Hail, good folk," the leader of the company called out. "Ye must make haste to Edoras. The enemy follows a day behind. The Third Marshal has ordered our withdrawal to the West Road."
"We make for Edoras bearing tidings of raiders in the West Emnet," Hroþulf answered. "These folk have lost all and seek aid. We too have met Dunlending raiders and were worsted in combat, losing eight good Men and our horses. We would rejoin Captain Fyren's éored."
"Captain Fyren and his Men ride second to last. The column is ordered by their position in the deployment," the Rider said. "Ye shall rejoin your captain at Edoras. For now, I pray ye continue guiding these folk to the city."
"Noble Rider, does the Third Marshal lead the column?" Helluin asked.
"Helluin Werewolf's Bane, we marked thee from afar and wondered at thy presence, for didst thou not ride west with Helm King?" the company leader asked.
"Indeed so and I return bearing tidings of battle at Súthburg. I have also followed the trail of the enemy's host as they crossed the West Emnet."
"Pray join us then, but ride to the front of the column. Thither thou shalt find the prince. He would hear any tidings of his father and uncle, but of the enemy, they have been seen approaching and we know enough of them, I think."
Helluin dipped her head to the Rider and then spoke to the refugees.
"I wish ye well and hope for your safety. Hroþulf, perhaps we shall meet again in battle."
"Ride to good fortune, Helluin," Hroþulf said. "I would rejoice to smite our enemies in thy company one day."
Now Helluin joined the company returning to the column, but they parted to rejoin their éored towards the middle whilst the Noldo rode to the fore to meet the prince. She found Haleth, and riding beside him, Captain Heaþolaf, the very same who had come north to summon the Riders of Norðr-vestandóttir Bý. They traded their tidings during the ride back to Edoras.
The twelve éoreds encamped outside the palisade, but the Third Marshal convened a council of his captains and householders in the great hall of Meduseld. Helluin joined them, Heorte and Agrona as well. The evening meal was served, but 'twas eaten with both thanks and trepidation and the mood at table was somber. They had little more than a day ere an enemy host assailed them and they would be at a great disadvantage in numbers.
"Thus our king commanded me," Haleth told the assembled captains, "Take twelve éoreds and set a cordon of patrols 'twixt Írensaga and the Entwade so that none flank thee, but guard most strongly the road. The downs and the Wold we shall not expend Men on, for none may threaten Anórien o'er the river or through the mouths of the Entwash at this time of year. We honor the oath as we can, for by our blood, no foes shall come from the land of Rohan to assail our friends! In strength the enemy approaches, yet 'neath the Oath of Eorl, this is my charge."
He looked to the captains and his visage was stern. They met his eyes with nods of acceptance, some grim, some eager, yet none would refuse the orders of their king, for they were each bound by oath and honor. War had come and they were warriors.
"In truth, I doubt my sire foresaw the strength that would be arrayed against us," Haleth said. "I wager he thought to contain the host of the invaders in the West Emnet and that we would have only some stray companies to foil. Alas, t'would seem their plan has led them hither. Yet my orders and the cause for them have not changed. We are still bound by our forefathers' oath." Then his voice strengthened and he repeated his father's order. "By our blood, no foes shall come from the land of Rohan to assail our friends!"
His words were received with nods and comments of agreement, but far less enthusiasm than when Helm had spoken ere riding to Súthburg when the enemy was yet unseen. 'Twas not that he was uninspired, 'twas simply that the captains had no illusions about their chances of repelling so many foes.
"Prudence demands that I order the city emptied by the morrow's noon. The people shall retreat into Harrowdale, to the hamlets of Upbourn and Underharrow, there to await the outcome of the battle," he said. "My sister, Princess Heorte shall lead the refugees on behalf of the House of Eorl. They shall take with them all such foodstuffs, livestock, herbs of healing, weapons, and heirlooms of the city as they can carry. With Béma's blessing, they shall remain safely away from the fighting, to return home after."
Though the princess had looked aggrieved at the order to flee, she only dipped her head to her brother in acknowledgment of his orders. She would do 'naught to cause dissension in the face of so dire a threat.
"I shall leave a half-éored to protect the people 'til they are safely away. They are charged to hold the city 'til the last chance, and if necessary, to withdraw into Harrowdale." He looked apologetically to his sister and said, "I am sorry. 'Tis all I can spare."
Haleth charged each captain to ask for five volunteers from their éoreds to make up the sixty he would assign to Edoras, and shortly after, the council adjourned. He had made no requests of Rohan's ally Helluin, for like his father, he would not presume to command her. After the hall emptied, the Noldo came to Heorte and spoke with her.
"My lady, I greet thee again, and though fell deeds await, I must ask thee after some details," she said. The princess nodded and bid her continue whilst Agrona stood silent by her side. "I last passed through Harrowdale in the days of Brego King. At that time, the Vale of the Snowbourn was unsettled. Whither lay the hamlets of Upbourn and Underharrow?"
"Upbourn lies within the mouth of the Harrowdale, on the riverbank some five miles south of Edoras. 'Tis home to sixty-odd souls and the site of the gristmill that grinds flour for the city and surrounding farming villages," Heorte said.
Helluin reviewed her memories of the deep-cloven, narrowing valley, estimating its breadth at a distance of five miles from Edoras.
"The Harrowdale is broad there still, just 'neath a half-mile 'twixt the cliffs, if I recall it aright," she said, and after a few moments' thought, Heorte nodded.
"Aye, a half-mile, or perhaps a furlong less sounds right, Helluin."
"And what of Underharrow? Doth it lay further up the dale?"
"That it doth and many think its placement ill-fated," the princess said. "'Tis a few poor sheds frequented by upland trappers and hunters from Upbourn and Edoras mostly, which stands within a mile's walk of the ascending road. They cluster 'neath the southward cliffs opposite the Snowbourn and the road. Few remain thither in winter. This time of year, in better years, there might have been a couple dozen there."
Helluin nodded to her in thanks. Harrowdale ran four leagues into the mountains from Edoras to the climbing, switchback road, and by the time one reached Underharrow after eleven of those twelve miles, the dale was less than a furlong in breadth. She wondered if sixty Men could waylay it. There was one further question for the princess.
"My lady, is there still store of arrows in Edoras?"
"Most were loaded on the wagons my father took to Súthburg," Heorte said. "I believe no more than a few hundred remain in the weapon hoard."
Helluin nodded her thanks for the information, then bowed and took her leave. A few hundred arrows shall not be 'nigh sufficient to turn the tide in a battle of five to six thousand against twelve hundred, even if I had Elvish archers to shoot them, Helluin admitted. Edoras shall fall and the West Road cannot be defended. I reckon the only hope of survival is to withdraw to Dunharrow. She groaned at the notion of trying to convince the superstitious folk of Edoras to shelter in the haunted meadow atop the cliffs. Then with a sigh she thought, I wonder if I can even save Helm's heir.
To Be Continued