Chapter 6 – The Hill of Dark Knowledge
TA 2063
A Daring Attempt
From the shelter of the tree, Gandalf looked up at the sheer walls of Dol Guldur He had come here to learn the identity of the Necromancer. He still believed the sorcerer who occupied this stronghold was Sauron.
He could tell that the fortress was occupied. Smoke rose from the chimneys, and there were dogs barking inside. The sun reflected from the helms of soldiers keeping watch from the top of the walls.
Gandalf knew he was taking a huge risk. He was unfamiliar with the layout of the fortress. If he had to make a run for it, he might take a wrong turn and get trapped inside.
He circled the stronghold, never quite leaving the safety of the trees. He was looking for a portal, the exit to an escape tunnel. All fortresses have them. In times of peace, the defenders often forget they're there.
By late afternoon, he found the mouth of a tunnel, overgrown and hidden from view. He retreated into the forest and waited overnight. A few hours before dawn, when it was still too dark to be seen, he crept up to the tunnel entrance and crawled in.
He concealed himself just inside the tunnel entrance. There was no point in entering the fortress just yet. He was looking for someone, and the corridors would be empty right now. At this hour, everyone was still asleep.
After several hours, the sun came up. A bell tolled to signal the change in watch. From the far end of the tunnel, he heard sounds that told him people inside the fortress were up and moving around.
He guessed his quarry was awake by now. It was time to go hunting.
Gandalf crawled the length of it on hands and knees and entered the fortress. The tunnel led to a wider corridor. In the distance, he heard the heavy footsteps of what were probably soldiers. He hugged the wall and stayed in the shadows.
Then he heard the sound of the alarm being raised, shouting, hunting horns, a bell in the tower ringing. He heard running feet, shouting, doors slamming. He had no idea how he'd been detected, but obviously they knew he was here.
He was lucky they detected him right away. He had no map of the fortress, no knowledge of how it was laid out. They raised the alarm when he'd barely gotten inside. He didn't get lost when he had to leave in a hurry.
He hurried out the escape tunnel to the safety of the woods. Already, patrols were fanning out to search the sides of the hill. He reached the trees and kept running.
Gandalf returned to Dol Guldur a few days later. The drawbridge was down and the main gates stood open. There were no soldiers on the walls, no smoke above chimneys, no horses in the stables. The stronghold was abandoned.
He went inside to explore. He saw a pile of papers on a fireplace hearth, reduced to ashes. In the next room, he saw the same thing. Every scrap of paper in the fortress had been burned. Whoever lived here went to a lot of trouble to keep his identity secret. Gandalf left knowing little more than when he went in, other than the layout of the building.