The road south from Ost-in-Edhul was a carefully kept walking path down to a ford in the Glanduin where watchmen could stand guard. Across the river, however, there was nothing but wilderness. Although the two had ridden this same route on their way north, Galadriel's fear of being too late to save her companion had insulated her from concern over the wilderness.

Now that they could travel in relative peace, the wild steppes below the Glanduin troubled Galadriel. They traveled long miles by day and alternated watch by night, though many nights saw both watching and waiting as the howls of roaming wolves echoed in the darkness. A thin sliver of the waxing moon provided their meagre light but promised safer nights to come.

They picked their way south, keeping the peaks of the Misty Mountains on their left and following its march. Finally on the fifth day of their journey, they came in sight of the river Isen in a valley below them. Following it east they passed into the forests that covered the land from the Misty Mountains south to the White Mountains and east to the Anduin. After another week of riding southeast through the shadow of the trees, they emerged on the banks of the river just below the great falls.

Halbrand sighed heavily as they took their midday meal in the sunlight. "I know the elves are friendly with the trees of Fanghorn, but I confess, the trees do not extend that friendship to those riding with elves."

Galadriel felt the corner of her mouth turn up. "Indeed? You did seem uncomfortable there. Personally, I vastly preferred the forest to the steppes we passed through first. At least the animals of the forest had better prey than us on which to focus."

Her companion grunted but did not reply. Instead, he turned his gaze south and slowly grew pensive. "Do you think they're alright?"

His expression was soft, and Galadriel quickly turned to look south as well. "I do not know. They were so broken, first by the betrayal of their countrymen and then by the mountain's eruption. But in the brief time I spent among them, I found them to be a strong people. Over time, I believe they will recover."

Halbrand's voice was harsh when he spoke again. "I wish you had let me slit Adar's throat when we found him. We learned nothing from him and I'm sure he survived the chaos."

Galadriel looked back at him, her brow raised. "Why is it that you so detest Adar? At the time I thought I understood, but now I cannot fathom the reason."

Halbrand stared out across the falls, silent as he toyed with the leaf wrappings of his waybread. Finally, he sighed. "I suppose you have the right to know. As you know, I was among the first of those who were enticed by Morgoth in the early years of this world. Although promised music and the ability to create what I would, I instead was forced to command his armies and fight his wars—spreading destruction, not creation through this new world. Over the centuries, my eyes began to open to my master's deceit. I was not an equal and a fellow creator. I was nothing more than a pawn in his revenge against the Valar.

"When I first met Adar, he was a young soldier fighting against us. He'd been captured and the Uruk wanted to torture him for information, but I was able to remove him on the pretense of doing it myself. I had grown curious about elves and wanted to know more. What I didn't know was that he was as curious about the darkness as I was about the light.

"We spent months learning from each other but carefully hiding our true intentions. I admit, he discovered my motives before I found his. He threatened to reveal my doubt to Morgoth unless I helped him rise in the ranks. I knew he would still betray me eventually, but the war was going poorly at that time, and I had to hope I could escape my fate before he made his move. So, I groomed my successor. I watched him relish in destruction and become enamored with the Uruk. I had hoped he was destroyed during our defeat, but evidently, he lives. He will still seek to use my betrayal to enhance his own standing before Morgoth, but it doesn't matter now. I will never go back."

He looked at her then, face stern and drawn. "If I have the opportunity again, I will not let you stay my hand. You hate me for being led astray by false promises. Adar knew exactly what Morgoth was and pledged himself to the darkness anyway."

Galadriel smiled bitterly. "I wouldn't stop you again. He is a blight on Middle Earth. I had thought he was working under orders originally, which is why I wanted him alive. It wouldn't have mattered either way. The die had been cast and it was far too late for us to prevent the eruption of the mountain."

Halbrand turned toward her, brows furrowed. "You cannot blame yourself for the destruction of the Southlands. We had no idea of the work Adar had been doing. Perhaps others should have realized the truth behind the tunnels, but it wouldn't have been possible for us to know."

Galadriel sighed, watching the water foam and roil beneath the falls. "Perhaps. That does not make it any less my responsibility to correct the mistake. Whether I could have prevented the catastrophe or not, the Southlands is in ruins, and I must do my part to rebuild."

She heard her companion rise from his seat next to her. "Indeed, so is our path. We should only have a few days' journey left if the riverbank stays clear."

They rode on, keeping the river in view on their left. Although there was no road, the season had been dry so far, and the ground was firm beneath the horses' hooves. They made good time until they reached the great delta of the Entwash, where it joined the Anduin's larger flow. The fords were shallow, but they were rocky, and the water flowed swiftly out of the west. The horses had to pick their way carefully through the loose sand and stones of the riverbed.

In the south, Galadriel could see the easternmost peaks of the White Mountains looming out of the distance. They were only a few days journey from them now, and the old Númenórean trading post was only just to the south of the range.

On the fourth day from the fords of the Entwash, as the travelers descended from the gentle slopes east of the mountains, they saw, laid out beneath them, a sprawl of tents and rough shelters spanning the Anduin. By nightfall they had reached the northernmost edge of the settlement where they found Bronwyn and Arondir waiting for them.

"My lord, you have returned." Bronwyn managed a rough curtsey before rising to greet Galadriel. "And you, my lady. I didn't realize you were returning to us, but I am glad of it. Theo will be as well. He has not stopped practicing with the sword you gave him since your departure."

Galadriel thanked her as she and her companion dismounted and followed their guides through the maze of tents. As they walked, Bronwyn continued to recount the events of the months that had passed in their absence.

The Southlanders had made their way from the temporary camps on the east side of the mountains and down through the forest to the banks of the Anduin. The Númenóreans had long maintained a small trading settlement there, and the Southlanders settled on the opposite bank of the river.

Míriel and her ships had sailed south to the larger city of Pelargir soon after arriving at the settlement, though a few of the soldiers had stayed behind to assist the fledgling town. The Southlanders had considered moving south with them to join the established city, but the numbers of wounded and sick prevented their travel. Instead, they stayed in the ramshackle town and recovered their strength while Bronwyn served as the leader of the group, a carryover from the war in her homeland.

"Of course," she said quickly. "Now that you're back, my lord, I place myself at your disposal. I am a simple healer after all."

"I'm sure that you have done a marvelous job in my absence," Halbrand reassured her. "In fact, I will likely need your counsel, at least for a while. You have known these people all your life, while I have been in exile. I do not know many of your customs, and I know less of the day-to-day hardships faced by your people."

Bronwyn flushed and sank into another, somewhat steadier curtsey. "It would be my honor, my lord."

Halbrand touched her shoulder gently and smiled at her. Then he turned to Arondir and Galadriel. "I will need both of your assistance as well. Although Lady Galadriel is here as the official envoy from the elves under High King Gil-galad, Arondir, you have been stationed here for many years. I will need your help especially in designing appropriate fortifications."

Arondir's eyebrows rose fractionally. "Fortifications? You expect an attack?"

Halbrand frowned. "I do not know what to expect. Adar claimed his intentions were to create a homeland for the Uruk, and he succeeded. Whether that will be enough for him remains to be seen. I do not want us to be caught off guard again. In addition, and please don't speak of this beyond present company, I noticed while we were on Númenor that the people had grown fractious. I pray we can maintain peace with our neighbors, but many factions exist on that island, and some may not prove friendly to us should they win power."

Arondir nodded once and the four continued in contemplative silence.

Galadriel watched the faces of the men and women they passed. Most looked frightened and many still appeared underfed as they huddled around small fires nestled under the eaves of rickety homespun tents. However, a look of hope dawned on every face upon recognizing the travelers. Whispers reached her. The king. Our king. And the elf warrior. They've come back to us.

"Here we are." The four were standing in front of a comparatively large and ornate tent.

Bronwyn looked quickly toward Halbrand before continuing. "We took the liberty of asking the men of Númenor advice on your quarters. The Southlands have been kingless for so long, we did not know how to prepare for your return. We have done the best we could based on their advice and our current predicament. I hope it is acceptable to you, my lord."

Halbrand smiled warmly. "I'm sure it will be better than most places I have called home. You have outdone yourselves."

The nervous lines of the healer's face quickly faded to a blinding smile. "Thank you, my lord." She turned to Galadriel. "I'm afraid we did not know you were coming, nor do we know the expectations of an elvish general. Only a few of us have our own tents at the moment, but you can stay with me until we're able to make a new one for you."

Halbrand answered at once. "This tent is far more space than one man needs. We can hang a blanket to one side and create an additional room for Lady Galadriel until she has a dwelling of her own."

Galadriel looked at him sharply but did not contradict him.

"That is generous, my lord. I should be able to find a spare blanket and some bedding. Please make yourself comfortable while you wait." Bronwyn left them on her errand. Arondir looked at the two for another moment before turning to follow the healer. With his long strides, he quickly caught up with her and the two continued out of sight together.

Galadriel looked back at Halbrand who wore a small smirk. "Must you resort to trickery to get your way?"

"My lady," He exclaimed in mock indignation. "How could you accuse me of such a thing. I knew you would be unwilling to displace one of these poor people from their beds, so I resolved the situation. You are, of course, most welcome." He opened one flap of the tent and gestured for her to enter.

Galadriel said nothing, her attention fixed on the small interior of the tent as she passed him. It was, indeed, large enough for two, though the quarters would be cramped. A large chair sat in the front of the tent facing the door while a sturdy bed and small chest sat in the back portion of the space. Off to the left was a small alcove with a low writing table and cushion.

"If we move the table to the corner of the tent behind your chair then we can hang the curtain here. This space will be sufficient for me."

Halbrand nodded and began to move the furniture as she'd asked. Soon, Bronwyn returned with the bedding and an old blanket which she helped them to stitch into the fabric of the tent as a divider. The resulting room was small, hardly larger than the bed provided to Halbrand, but the straw filled pallet was remarkably comfortable considering the spartan camp.

Finally, after everyone had left, Halbrand took a small portion of their travel rations from his bag and gestured for Galadriel to join him at the table.

"I don't want to eat anything from the stores until I've had time to judge the state of our resources." He explained as she sat across from him. "I'm afraid I don't know much about leading a town like this, but I do have experience with armies and some matters will be similar.

"I will need your assistance," he said quietly. Galadriel met his intense stare. "You have more experience with matters of state than I do. I know I told the others that your role was as envoy of the elves, but I hope you will be more than that, even if unofficially."

"I will do what I can to help you. I have never governed a people either, but I have seen many administrations and will advise when I can." She paused to take a bite of the waybread she was eating. "I agree that our first priority must be to take stock of our position. We need a count of the refugees and their supplies, as well as a better idea of the sorts of work they're suited to. I'd imagine we have many farmers here, and we need to find them plots as soon as possible."

Halbrand nodded. "From there, we need to begin building. A mass of tents is not suitable for a city. We should design as if this were to be the capital of a new land."

They sat long into the night discussing plans for the new capital. By the time they retired, the last of the cookfires had burned to embers and only the light of the recently full moon illuminated the sleeping camp.


AN: I went back and forth on whether to use the Sindarin or Westron names for the locations on the journey. I did not want to repeat every name three or four times in different languages, but I also didn't want to confuse everyone by using the elvish names that rarely if ever appear in the Lord of the Rings. For that reason, I've used the common Westron names, even though Galadriel herself would likely use their Sindarin names. I will probably continue to call places by their common names, except perhaps in conversation.