- Day 3 -
The Counteroffer
An hour after sunrise, Arathorn was watching the road from the palisade when Mallor and another Ranger rode up to the fort on horseback. He climbed down the catwalk ladder and stepped through the gate to greet them.
"We visited the Sirith Bridge at first light, and found this," said Mallor.
He held up a black arrow of the type the Orcs used, with a piece of parchment wrapped around its shaft. Arathorn unfolded the note and read the narrow, slanted handwriting.
The creature is of little value to me. Offer me something I care about.
The note went on to name their terms. To win Halbaron's release, the Rangers must leave Southern Mirkwood forever. The note was unsigned.
Arathorn blanched. This was not what he expected. The trade he'd offered was a good one, and he'd never imagined it would be refused.
He missed Halbaron's wise council more than ever, and tried to guess what his friend would say about this note. In his mind, Arathorn could almost hear his friend saying, "Maybe it's not so bad. Sauron answered the ransom note; that means he's interested. And he just told you I'm still alive."
And why would Sauron claim the creature had no value? Like all the heirs of Isildur, Arathorn had been fostered by Elrond Peredhil[1]. What would Elrond have to say?
When Sauron the Deceiver tells you something is of no value, do not believe him. The creature wears a Great Ring. In the Second Age, Sauron waged war to recover the Great Rings[2], said Elrond in his imagination.
"But I offered him a fair trade, one of his people for one of mine. Why didn't he accept?" asked Arathorn.
If he accepted your offer too quickly, it would tell you the value of what you had. He was afraid you would raise the price, said Elrond.
"He was afraid I'd ask for its weight in gold?"
He was afraid you'd ask him to surrender Dol Guldur.
Arathorn considered his next move. Sauron had already raised the price for Halbaron's release beyond the trade of captive for captive. He wondered if he should raise his own price to include Surrender Dol Guldur.
But in the end, he decided Sauron would choose his fortress over his servant, and any attempt to drive a hard bargain would just get Halbaron killed.
-o-o-o-o-o-
Arathorn sat in front of a blank piece of parchment, struggling to compose a counteroffer. In his first note, he'd proposed a fair trade, but Sauron had turned it down.
Arathorn could demand a higher price, and possibly even get it, but the risk to Halbaron was too great. What approach would be accepted? Sauron respected strength, so Arathorn would offer the same terms a second time, but this time he would insist the terms be accepted. He picked up a pen and wrote,
I'll trade your creature for my man on the Sirith Bridge at noon tomorrow. Return my man alive and well, or I'll have your creature hanged.
Arathorn started to add, and leave its lifeless body on the bridge.
He frowned. That might not be much of a threat, given that the creature was one of the Undead. And even if it could be killed, from what he'd heard, the Nazgûl were all alike, faceless wraiths with no free will. It was the ring they each wore that was prized. He rephrased his threat.
or I'll leave its lifeless body on the bridge, without its hands.
That ought to get Sauron's attention.
Arathorn folded and sealed the message, then had Mallor take it to the Sirith Bridge. If the message was placed on the bridge by late afternoon, the Enemy should find it during the night.
[1] peredil = half-elven
[2] The War of the Elves and Sauron, SA 1700. In an attempt to acquire the three Elven Rings, Sauron overran Eregion and tried to invade Lindon and Imladris.