Here we're back to Gwin's perspective. What will happen to her? Read on to find out!

Chapter 56

I screamed as I fell, and the Uruk released me as we crashed into a rock ledge. I tried desperately to grab onto it, but it was slippery with ice and I could not get a good grip. As I moved rapidly towards the river, I kept attempting to stop myself somehow, but the wall was smooth. My right arm was almost numb due to the impact of the arrow, and I cried out as it scraped against the rock and jerked my shoulder.

My eyes widened in fear as I noted I was about to crash into the icy waters below, and I was just able to fill my lungs with air and hold my breath before I hit the surface.

I almost gasped as the cold water made my muscles seize up, but I knew if I did so, I would drown. The current was swift, and I tried to swim to the bank, but it was difficult with one working arm. My body slammed into a few large boulders, and I had to quickly dive down as a log almost decapitated me. My vision was blurry, and I had to fight against the urge to just give up as I used all of my willpower to stay conscious. Finally, I was able to grasp the roots of a fallen tree, but did not have enough strength to use it to pull myself out.

Let go, Gwinthilnel. It will be better this way…no one will need to worry about you anymore. A dark, unfortunately familiar voice was whispering, and as I weakened, the words seemed harder to resist. They can move forward to help Aragorn; you will only slow them down with your injuries. You can find peace in the Halls, and see your family again…

My family…I missed them so much; it would be wonderful to see them again…

Let go…

Just as I was about to do as the whispered words suggested, someone's arm was reaching out to help me, and I held on tightly as they dragged me onto the bank. I collapsed onto my stomach, breathing rapidly and shivering violently. Whoever had rescued me then turned me over onto my back, and I got a look at them.

It was a man, but he was wearing a thick, woolen cloak, which was obscuring most of his face from me. What I did notice was his eyes were brown, and a bit of his blonde hair had come loose of its tie. I did not recognize him, but he seemed to perhaps recognize me.

"Th-thank you," I gasped, and turned over slightly as I started coughing up some water that I had accidentally inhaled. Once I was done, he gently helped me sit up. "W-what is y-your n-name?" I asked, my teeth chattering.

"Do not worry about that now," he replied gently, and my eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Let us get you somewhere safe and find some clean, dry clothes. I also see there is part of an arrow sticking out of your shoulder that I should help you with."

Despite my gratitude for his actions, I did not want to go off with a stranger who refused to give me his name. "I will g-go with you o-once you answer m-me," I tried to say firmly, but it sounded weak.

He quirked a little smile at me. "Very well. I am Ergothorn."

My eyes widened, "A-ah, so you are t-the mystery m-man writing l-letters to u-us."

His smile broadened, and his eyes twinkled. "I am," he said simply. "Now, will you come with me and let me tend to you, or would you prefer to freeze to death?" I could see icicles forming in my hair, and nodded my agreement. "Will you be able to walk?"

I held out my hand, and he carefully pulled me to my feet, but I stumbled as my legs started to cramp. Embarrassed but realizing I needed help, I threw my left arm over his shoulder and we slowly moved south, away from the riverbank, and into a forested area. Eventually I was unable to hold my weight, even with his help, and with much convincing on his part, I climbed onto his back. It jostled my injured shoulder, but it was much less exhausting. It seemed like an Age before I noticed us approaching a cave, which was covered by thick pine branches. Ergothorn moved them, and I ducked my head as we went inside.

It was larger than I expected, and he had set up a simple campsite. He helped me sit down, and quickly made a fire, stoking it a little higher than perhaps he normally would. Digging in one of his bags, he handed me a shirt and some trousers, as well as a spare cloak and some warm socks. He also had a large piece of soft linen, that I could use to dry off. I thanked him wordlessly with a shaky smile, and I ducked into his tent to change.

Carefully, I cut off my shirt with a dagger he had placed on the ground for my use; it was in tatters, and I needed my shoulder exposed so Ergothorn could tend to my wound. His spare shirt was large enough that it would be easy to move aside. While I donned the borrowed clothes, I realized how lucky I had been, and it almost brought me to tears. While it was true I had toed the line of life and death countless times, I knew I could have easily died tonight. The thought of it almost took my breath away.

I also felt some worry and panic about what happened during the battle. Was everyone alive? The situation had seemed dire, but we had been holding our own from what I could tell. I worried most about Corunir, who had seemed seriously injured, but I had not been able to get a good look at him. I was sure Candaith and the twins were frantically searching for me, but I was in no state to wander off looking for them. My skin was very pale, from both the cold and the blood loss from my shoulder, and I was fatigued and stumbling around. I could feel the plethora of bruises that were surely forming, but noted I thankfully had no broken bones.

As presentable as I could be, I slowly exited the tent and sat down by the fire gingerly. Ergothorn said, "Can I help with your arrow wound?"

I nodded, and he settled himself beside me, a bag of healing supplies in his hand. Shrugging the shirt off my shoulder, I tried not to blush at his very close proximity, but quickly winced at the gentle prodding. He apologized softly, and carefully removed the shortened arrow shaft, which had partially broken off during my fall. It hurt terribly, and I tried my best to keep quiet, but could not help the pained grunt when he finally pulled it out.

"I am sorry, I should have offered you some poppy oil," he said, looking contrite.

"I am fine, do not worry," I replied, feeling a little better with the arrow out of my shoulder. He proceeded to bind it with linen soaked in some sort of herbal solution, which I knew was not athelas due to the lack of its familiar smell. I hoped it worked just as well at preventing infection.

Pulling up the shirt so it covered me completely, and wrapping my cloak about me, I realized I had not introduced myself. "It is only fair I tell you my name, as you have told me yours."

He smirked, "You assume I do not know who you are."

I raised an eyebrow, "Who am I, then?"

"You are the Lady Gwinthilnel, of the Elves," he said, and his eyes were full of mirth.

"Lady Gwinthilnel? I am hardly a 'lady'," I scoffed, but I was slightly unnerved he knew my name.

He chuckled, "You are a female, are you not?" I rolled my eyes, and he looked at me with some amusement. He then seemed to anticipate my next question. "I have observed your camp, and spotted you once. The others speak about you sometimes, so I put the pieces together." What were they saying about me? The thought made me feel a little uncomfortable, and I frowned.

"Do not worry, their words were only complementary," Ergothorn added. Straightening up, he said, "Would you like something to eat? I also have some water left in my waterskin if you'd like." Realizing how thirsty I was, I took it gratefully, and he then passed me some dried meat and fruit.

I ate slowly, and appraised him. He had removed his cloak, likely feeling too warm next to the fire. As I thought, he had blonde hair, which was tied back but looked to be about shoulder-length, and a short beard. He had a broader build, and it made me doubt his claim of being from Gondor; he looked more like the Rohirrim. I could not easily discern how old he was, but it seemed he was perhaps around Candaith's age.

"Do you like what you see?" Ergothorn asked with a sly grin, and I rolled my eyes.

Instead of answering that question, I asked my own, "In your first letter, you said you were from Gondor, but your appearance suggests otherwise."

He shrugged, "I grew up in Gondor and lived there for most of my life, but my father is from Rohan, and I inherited his dashingly good looks."

"Oh yes, very dashing," I said sarcastically, but couldn't help a small smile when he laughed. "How long have you been in Enedwaith?"

Reigning in his mirth, he replied, "About six months maybe, but I have moved back and forth between here and Dunland. I like to travel, and have been doing some map-making in recent years for the archives in Gondor's library."

"Do you work there?" I asked curiously.

He nodded, "I have been employed in the library in one form or another for many years, first as a boy when I was tasked with returning books and stocking supplies, to eventually learning to transcribe copies." He smiled, clearly reminiscing on old memories. "I could not tell you how many books I have read over the years. I always wanted to go out and see the world, so I could write my own." There was excitement in his eyes, and I could tell he was passionate about his work.

"Well, here you are, living out your dreams," I replied with a smile of my own. "Now, I must ask…how did you come upon the knowledge you imparted to us in your letters?"

Ergothorn sighed, becoming more serious. "I have learned many languages, and spent some time in Dunland to immerse myself in their culture and discover whether or not the prejudices I'd heard from the Rohirrim were true."

I looked at him with some surprise. "I would have thought they would have driven you off, as you clearly look Rohirric."

He smirked, and looked a little smug, "I found a way to dye my hair black, so I looked more Gondorian, which helped me blend in a little better."

I was impressed at his ingenuity. "That was quite a risk; if they had suspected you, I doubt we would be having this conversation today."

He shrugged, looking unbothered. "What can I say? I like to take risks sometimes, especially if it leads me to learning some interesting things about other cultures that I could write about. There is not much recorded about the people of Dunland or Enedwaith, and I wanted to try and discern the truth so that others could learn more about them, and not just about the great battle between them and the Rohirrim."

"Did you learn what you hoped you would?" I asked.

"I discovered quite a bit, and recently had started to investigate this matter of Saruman and his spreading influence. Traveling all across Dunland while I filled in my maps, I got the sense that many of the clans had decided it was easier to go along with Saruman's plans than oppose him. All except the people of Tur Morva, which is in the far Northeastern area of Dunland, in the mountains of Tal Methedras." He paused to take a few bites of food, and a swig of his waterskin, and continued.

"I was at the market in Tur Morva, and overheard a plan to send a messenger to Lhanuch, to tell their leader they had decided to defy Saruman's orders to join him. Curious, I followed him, and was alarmed to see him dragged into Lhaid Ogo." He looked frustrated. "I was too far away to aid him, and by the time I got to the tomb, I was afraid to enter by myself." His shoulders sagged, "It was cowardly."

I looked at him with some sympathy, understanding his struggles. "No, I think it was wise to ask for help, but why did you choose us?"

"The Dunedain rangers have a reputation for being an honorable people. I was nervous to approach Harndirion, as it is quite sizeable and I did not want to draw too much attention to myself. As I was considering what to do, I discovered your camp." He looked at me with some curiosity. "Although I did not know much about you and your companions, I got the sense that you would be willing to help."

"You wrote a letter and attached it to a tree; why did you not approach?" I asked, trying to make sense of it all. "We did not know if we could trust your words, and had considered not even going to Lhaid Ogo, fearing a trap."

"I decided if you chose not to go, I would reveal myself, but only as a last resort." He looked uncomfortable. "I realized it had been foolish to expect you to trust the words of a mysterious stranger, but I hoped for the best."

Recalling the bad memories of our trip to Lhaid Ogo, I shivered, and he looked at me with some concern. "Are you cold? I have more blankets if you would like."

I shook my head and replied, "I am well." He did not look convinced, but nodded in acceptance. After a pause, I continued, "We were successful in retrieving the messenger, and he delivered his words to the Brenin in Lhanuch, but one in my group of rangers came rushing to town with a letter from you regarding an attack on Zudrugund. How did you know of this plot?" I was paying close attention, trying to find any sign of a lie or that he was telling me false information, but as of yet, there had been no indications of this.

He put his chin in his hand, thinking. "I was on my way back to my camp, but had to hide quickly as I came upon a large group of Uruk-hai. They were speaking loudly of their mission to capture a dwarf named Nar up in the mountains. They said that 'The Boss' was looking for information on the Dunedain rangers and..." His eyes widened. "They mentioned your name! I had not realized it until just now!"

My stomach dropped, and I murmured, partially to myself, "How does he know about me? Was he trying to find me?"

Ergothorn shrugged, clearly unsettled by his revelation, "I am not certain, but it seems so. Anyway, the Uruks said they were told to kill any ranger they came across, and to capture Nar and the filthy…ah..." He seemed uncomfortable, and I realized the Uruks referred to me in a not-so-complementary way. I nodded, letting him know I understood.

Taking a cleansing breath to settle my thoughts, I said, "So, you wrote another letter and delivered it to our camp, as you did before. How could you assume someone would find it in time? What if we had not discovered your note until it was too late?" The sheer thought of Corunir being slaughtered and Nar or Frithgeir being taken was horrifying, and I felt a little upset at Ergothorn's carelessness.

He raised his hands in a gesture of peace, "I noticed the ranger called Radanir sitting on a crate, and I was able to set it carefully next to him and sneak away. He noticed it only a few minutes later, and raced off to Lhanuch to find you."

I was becoming frustrated, "I understand you were perhaps afraid of how we would react, but the way you communicated with us made us distrust you. We feared an ambush, but were willing to risk it to save our friends." He looked ashamed, and it seemed wrong to see such an expression on his face. I could tell he was quick to smile, and that little fazed him. However, in these instances, he let his fear and doubt get the best of him.

"I…I don't know what I was thinking," he said quietly. "I wanted the innocent dwarf to be safe, but knew I could not face such an army of Uruks on my own." He was gazing into the flames, but likely not really seeing them. "I believed you and your comrades could succeed, so I put my faith in you."

I furrowed my brow as something else occurred to me. "Why were you near the river bank? Was it just sheer luck that you found me, or were you purposely there in case of trouble?"

"In this, it was truly a coincidence. I like to fish in the river, as salmon are plentiful this time of year." He gestured behind him, and I noticed his fishing pole. "I have some nets in place to collect the fish, and I had just arrived when I saw you upstream, holding onto the tree. I fear I got to you just in time." He looked at me gravely, and I agreed with his assessment. I noticed him hesitate, like he was considering something. Before I could ask, he moved a little closer to me, and looked into my eyes earnestly. "It pains me to know you suffered because of what I wrote, and…and I hope that by saving your life, perhaps I have made it up to you, at least a little?"

There was nothing false in his eyes, and I could tell he feared what I would say. I considered his question; did saving my life make up for the possible damage that could have been done due to his actions? While it was true his letters helped us save lives and prevent an attempt to capture Nar, his method of delivering his information caused us to question the validity of it, which would have possibly led to us not acting in time. Yet, I was also grateful. He had saved my life, when I had lost all hope of surviving.

"Ergothorn," I began, and he paid close attention. "Although the way you went about…helping…was not the wisest, I know we could not have saved an innocent Dunlending messenger or prevented the capture of Nar without your warnings." I sighed, but gave him a small smile. "I also would not be alive right now without you. I thank you for saving me, and providing me with shelter and medical care."

He cautiously returned my smile, and I noticed it made his whole countenance light up. "You are very welcome, Lady Gwinthilnel," he added, and despite him being almost a stranger, I hit him on the arm with my good one. He laughed at me, and it made me feel warm inside, which was somewhat confusing.

Internally shrugging at this observation, I took a few more sips of water and leaned against the wall of the cave. My shoulder ached, but it was not as bad as it had been. Realizing how fatigued I was (I had survived a difficult battle, fell off a cliff and almost drowned), I rubbed my eyes tiredly. Noticing this, Ergothorn unrolled a palette and offered it to me. "You clearly need rest. I will keep watch and tend the fire," he insisted, and I smiled gratefully. He winked at me and said softly, "Goodnight, Gwinthilnel."

"Goodnight," I replied, and settled down, falling into reverie almost instantly.

Finally, we meet the mysterious Ergothorn. Gwin will be hanging out with him for a bit while she recovers. When will she be reunited with Candaith and the rest of those she cares about? We will just have to wait and see! Thanks for reading, and write a review if you'd be so kind!