AN: Annnnd we have our first reviewer! Big shout out goes to Siny, and cookies. Lots and lots of virtual cookies. Thank you!
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, nada, rien, asgjë, intet... you get the idea.
It was on the morning of the 7th of April, when the suns rays were just beginning to creep in from the East, that a small company of soldiers bearing the standard of the White Swan, a few servants and a princess left behind the gates of Dol Amroth. Their journey would be a long one, taking three weeks in total, and it would be split into several legs.
The first being 65 miles north along the sandy beaches to Edhellond, which would take them 2 and a half days, and during this time they would have no access to fresh water. One reason for the relatively sedate progress was the need to carry provisions to last the travellers on the stretches between civilisations. This of course required the use of carts, which made for notoriously slow journeys.
Lothíriel, sat atop Arauka, did not mind this particularly. Indeed she relished in the opportunity to really study the land of her ancestors. It had been all too rare an occurrence for her to have such an opportunity; normally her father would ensure that she was kept below decks on voyages out of Dol Amroth. This was to serve two purposes: firstly, many of the sailors were superstitious about women being aboard ships, and secondly to keep her out of harms way and the inevitable trouble that she would cause. A particularly memorable incident being when she swapped the ale for vinegar; on that occasion she truly had to lock herself into her cabin to avoid the wrath of the sailors.
The travellers reached Edhellond without much incident at noon on the third day and rested there the night within the walls of the old deserted city. Lothíriel thought it a pity that such a beautiful city was to be left for ruin, especially as it had once harboured Sindar, Nandor and Gondorians. It had also been the place from which the elves had sailed to the West until 1981 of the Third Age, when Amroth was lost at sea after he attempted to return to his love Nimrodel. The princess appreciated this history and the romantic tale of true love; she hoped that the man that won her hand would also be worthy of such stories.
The next morning they set off again with the dawn, this time heading northeast along the river Ringló in an attempt to avoid the mountains of Dor-en-Ernil which stretched North of Dol Amroth and parallel to the great river. This stretch was longer, taking 4 days to reach the bridge at Ethring.
Here they were able to stop for supplies in the town, which was mainly deserted due to the large number of men who had followed the lord's son Dervorin to Minas Tirith. Lothíriel had met Dervorin on a couple of occasions; he had seemed quietly confident, and she was sure he would be a good future leader, yet he was very unfortunate in his appearance, so he preferred to spend more time in the practise fields than at her father's feasts.
Although Lothíriel would have loved to spend more time in this town, which appeared to have a rather promising market, she knew that they had to leave early the next morning. The next stretch, which would take them 225 miles all the way to Pelargir, was the longest one.
There was a great debate amongst the soldiers as to whether it was wise to visit Pelargir, as there had been rumours that the Corsairs of Umbar had been planning to besiege the great city. Lothíriel, however, was adamant that they must stop there.
"We simply cannot carry enough provisions to reach Minas Tirith without another stop and Pelargir is the only option."
"But my lady, we are but a small band, we cannot hope to fight off the corsairs if the city is under siege!" cried one of the younger captains.
"Fear not! It is unlikely that our forces could win such a battle against the dark lord without also overcoming the corsairs! I believe the city will be free and we will be able to pick up the final provisions we need. If not, we will have to use stealth; my family know of the secret entrances."
And with that the discussion was ended, though a sense of foreboding greatened as the party neared the port city on the eighth day. A scout was sent ahead to ensure that the way was safe. However their fears were unfounded as, once Lothíriel had reached the city hall at the centre of the city, she was told that the corsairs had been overrun by none other than Elessar himself, along with a dwarf and an elf and, this being the most shocking news of all, the army of the dead.
"The Oathbreakers have returned!" she exclaimed questioningly.
"Yes my lady, it was a most fearful sight to behold indeed! Though we were most fortunate that they did return, for the corsairs had already laid waste to most of the outskirts of our fair city, as I'm sure you observed on your journey in." replied the warden, who had been placed in charge of the city in the stead of the Gondorian lord that had taken men of the city to Minas Tirith to do battle.
"A most unfortunate occurrence, Pelargir has always been one of the most fair of all Gondorian cities." Lothíriel offered, truly meaning what she said, as Pelargir was indeed a very fine city.
"Thank you my lady, now if I may direct you to our guest's accommodation…"
Again Lothíriel was left regretful at the lack of time to explore. Pelargir was essentially a large port, where the navy of Gondor was based, that was built on the banks of both the Sîr-Sírith and the larger Sîr-Anduin that flowed directly from the plains below Minas Tirith. The walls encircled two sections built on separate banks, with a manmade triangular island at the joining of the two rivers. This island was then split into three further triangles, with waterways between each, with the main tower, which served as a lighthouse, Barad Aerhir in the centre.
At this moment in time Lothíriel was on one of these triangular islands staying in one of the houses of nobility, with a family who seemed only too honoured to receive her. Lothíriel found this almost amusing, as she was not very much more important than any nobility to be found here, but she accepted their hospitality with grace.
Finally, after collecting the final provisions that would be needed for the last leg of their journey, Lothíriel and her company set off to travel north along the South Road to reach Minas Tirith. As they journeyed along the Sîr-Anduin the princess was dismayed to see the evidence of recent destruction along its banks. Small fishing villages were all but burnt to the ground, with smoke still rising, and refugees were also using the road to reach either Minas Tirith or Pelargir in the hope of finding family or a new livelihood to replace their old ones.
On many occasions Lothíriel dismounted from Arauka to walk amongst the people, asking the women for their stories, holding babes for tired mothers and expressing sympathy for the losses of the Gondorians. It all seemed so desperately sad, but Lothíriel was gladdened with the knowledge that now the war was over and a new king was soon to come to the throne, these people would once again be able to thrive in a stronger Gondor.
All too soon the travellers reached Pelennor Fields, which appeared to have been the sight of a great battle, with smoke funeral biers still rising in locations dotted all over the fields and the bodies of fallen Mûmakil being slowly moved towards the river, where they would be transported to tanneries. In the distance Minas Tirith, the great and majestic white city, was visible, rising almost seamlessly with the mountains behind.
Lothíriel and the others in her company breathed a sigh of relief as the three-week journey had come to an end. She could see horses bearing the white swan of her father emerging from the city and headed in their direction, and she prepared herself to be reunited with her family once more.
"Lothíriel!" Cried one of the riders, who she instantly recognised as her brother Amrothos. "You have arrived at last!"
Lothíriel smiled and knew that the next few days would be ones of joy and celebration, and she no longer felt weary from her journey.
AN: Pretty please could I have another review? With a cherry on top?
