Chapter 18

Here follow some short journal entries made by the King Elessar before he was crowned, when the Host of the West encamped at the Field of Cormallen.

April 11, 3019 TA

The first company of soldiers we sent out returned today. They had pursued a group of Easterlings nearly to the edge of the Nindalf before the Easterlings turned to fight.

I feel the fear of Sauron had a strong hold on their hearts, for they did not ask for mercy — but we gave it to them. I came and spoke to them, and some of them seemed surprised that I spoke their language. (Some of our own soldiers were as well.) But the Easterlings are still fearful of what they think we will do to them. During my time in the East, I heard many stories that both shocked and mourned me deeply.

Still, now I can hope that we will have no more trouble from the East or the South.

~o~o~

April 20, 3019 TA

Nearly our full company has returned to the camp here at Cormallen. We now only wait for one more group — the one that entered the Black Land. I am not sure what they will find, but whatever they do I know they will deal with it accordingly.

The Hobbits have spent their days wandering around Ithilien, visiting familiar places and seeing new sights. Sam was hoping to catch another sight of a mûmak, I think, but was disappointed to hear that many of them had been killed in our breaking the siege on the White City.

~o~o~

April 28, 3019 T.A.

Our last company returned today, and we are prepared to leave. However, their captain came up and told me some things that greatly disturbed me.

When they had come to a fortress in the mountains they entered, but what they found was not what they expected. They found people. Men, women, and children; thin, starved, and dressed in rags. Slaves. From Gondor, the Rhûn, and from the Khand. All of them were brought back.

Aragorn paused in his writing and observed the hustle and bustle of the departure preparations. Tents were stowed, horses and wains readied, and belongings gathered.

He bent back over the small, leatherbound journal in his lap.

Those from the Rhûn and the Khand seem uneasy. The land around the Sea of Núrnen — as I understand that is where they came from — is all they have ever known. It is their life; it is their home.

A slight cough interrupted his thoughts. Aragorn glanced up to notice a young soldier standing in the open doorway of his tent.

"I…uh," he stammered. "We are…are ready to leave, my lord."

Aragorn smiled and nodded at him. "I shall be ready shortly," he told him, then turned back to the notebook and scratched out one final thought.

I am compelled to do something for them. And should I not? For have I, who am about to achieve the goal that I have worked toward for many years, wandered among all the peoples of Middle-earth only to ignore their needs? No. It would not be just — and that is what a king should be.

Aragorn closed the notebook and placed it in his pack. It was time to leave.

01/27/2023

A/N: I just made up events that happened on these dates, but the last one on April 28th could have totally been canon. Here's why:

In the timeline in Appendix B of the Lord of the Rings, it gave the date of Aragorn's coronation as May 1st. Combining that with the info. from this passage:

"But at the last when the month of May was drawing near the Captains of the West set out again; and they went aboard ships...and they sailed from Cair Andros down Anduin to Osgiliath; and there they remained for one day; and the day after they came to the green fields of Pelennor...And there in the midst of the fields they set up their pavilions and awaited the morning; for it was the Eve of May..." (The Return of the King, Chapter IV The Field of Cormallen, page 253)

I took the "Eve of May" to mean the day before May 1st, which-in turn-would mean that they spent all of April 30th on the field. So that means that they came to Osgiliath on April 29th.

So inbetween when the Ringbearer was honored at Cormallen (April 8th) and they day they arrived at Pelennor (April 30th), they spent about 3 weeks at Cormallen.

(I apologize for the really long note, I just found this very interesting and wanted to share it with you all.)