Gwin speaks with a woman she never expected to see again; what will they discuss, and why is she there? If you haven't played the game before, Gun Ain won't be a familiar character, but when she showed up in Saruman's Hall while I played, my jaw literally dropped in shock haha. Definitely was an unexpected twist! Read on to find out more about her!
Chapter 110A familiar Angmarim woman shuffled into the room. When we had first met, back in Angmar, she was called Avair of the Trév Duvárdain. After losing an important fight in a ritual between dueling clans (of which I somehow ended up being a part of), she was stripped of her name and cast out of her clan. Refusing the offer of the winning clan, the Trév Gállorg, to join their people, she wandered to faraway lands.
I came across her next while in the cold, northern land of Forochel with Lothrandir. She had been stealing food from Suri-kyla, the biggest city in the region. She was shivering in the snow, and Lothrandir, feeling pity for her, left her with a large bag of food and supplies. We offered to escort her somewhere safe, but in her pride, she refused, calling herself Gun Ain, which means 'without name' in her language.
To say I was surprised to find her in Isengard of all places would be an understatement. "Avair?" I asked timidly. "What are you doing here?"
Her eyes flashed, "I do not go by that name!" She swallowed, before continuing, "I am called Gun Ain, you know that."
"Very well," I said placatingly. "Are you Saruman's prisoner too?"
"Prisoner?" Saruman said with a condescending laugh. "Oh no, Gun Ain serves me now, of her own free will." The woman nodded in affirmation, and then kneeled before him. Saruman then turned his attention to me. "Gun Ain followed your company down from the north, biding her time." I raised an eyebrow, but did not comment at this new information. Saruman continued, "Sometimes she lost your trail, but always she would find it again." He looked down upon the kneeling Angmarim with an evil glint in his eye. "That is when I found her in Enedwaith."
"You accosted her when she was in need of help, and instead of giving it to her, you turned her into your spy?" I asked, putting a few of the pieces together.
"I did both, Gwinthilnel," he answered slyly. "She did my work in Enedwaith and Dunland, and for that she will be rewarded."
Gun Ain's head whipped up, "You will give me my name? Once I kill Gwinthilnel?" My eyes widened in shock.
"Yes," Saruman said softly, stroking her cheek in a mockery of a fatherly gesture. "You will no longer be Gun Ain. But not yet."
"Why do you wish to kill me?" I asked angrily, turning to face her. "What have I done to you?"
She surged to her feet and pulled out a dagger. "You let me live after you defeated me in Clúcath. I asked you to kill me, and give me some kind of honorable death, yet you refused! I was cast out by my people, stripped of my name, and left to wander and die!"
I sighed, but kept my eye on the dagger in her hand, "You know as well as I do that the rules of Clúcath demand that the loser of the duel lives. It is not my fault your spineless chieftain cast you out."
Gun Ain seemed not to hear me, "Now I return to deal retribution on you for your actions."
"We saved you!" I shouted angrily. "Lothrandir and I gave you food when you were starving, and offered you our help, but you refused! Your decisions are your own, and I should not be blamed for the consequences. Saruman has poisoned your mind with lies." I was breathing heavily, and wished I had my weapons with me. They had been carted away with the rest of my belongings when Candaith and Lothrandir went down below Isengard.
The Angmarim was shaking in anger, "I did not ask to be saved!" For a moment it looked like she was about to lunge for me, but Saruman held up a hand and she slowly put her dagger away. Saruman then addressed me, "Consider my offer, Gwinthilnel. Give me the information I seek, and you and your companions will be released and free to go where you will. Until then, you will work in the caves for Morflak, and languish in the cells below."
Gun Ain walked over to me, and took my arm tightly. "I will bring you to Morflak. But soon I will kill you, and I will earn my new name. My master has promised."
I narrowed my eyes, "You have not killed since your name was stripped from you?" Somehow, I doubted it.
Something malicious flashed in her eyes, before they were filled with anger once more, "I tried to kill the blonde man in Enedwaith, but I found out later he lived." I froze, knowing without asking that she spoke of Ergothorn. I felt a wild urge to take her dagger and slay her right there, for daring to try and murder someone so dear to me. She must have sensed it, for as she caught my gaze, she let go of my arm as if burned, and stepped back a few paces.
Saruman, on his part, looked both disappointed in Gun Ain and pleased at my reaction. "I sense a power in you, Gwinthilnel, one that only needs the right spark to ignite it. Perhaps I can help you in this." I shivered at his words, wondering what he meant. Did he mean to use me in some way, for his purposes? When I remained silent, he murmured, "Very well. Consider my words, but do not wait too long." He smiled, "I am certain we will speak more soon." He ordered Gun Ain to escort me out, and she did so but with less fervor. I felt some satisfaction at knowing I had frightened her a little.
In truth, I was a little scared of my own thoughts at this moment. The urge to get revenge on her was almost overwhelming, but my innate sense of justice and the light of the Eldar helped me see reason…barely. It was all I could do to keep breathing as we left the suffocating throne room of Saruman, and I almost felt relieved at seeing Morflak's monstrous face. Galthrod was there also, and I must have looked a state, for his eyes widened in surprise. Or it could have been due to the presence of Gun Ain. I honestly didn't care enough to ask.
Morflak didn't seem fazed by anything. "Let's get you down with the others. Time for you to get some…rest, before I put you to work, she-elf."
I nodded, too tired to say anything, and allowed the Uruk to bind my hands again before stumbling alongside him. Galthrod and Gun Ain were having a conversation, and we left them behind as we made the trek down into the caverns below.
I tried to stay engaged in my surroundings as we walked, and found the strange pressure in my head dissipate the further away we moved from Saruman. I was not sure how well I had done in preventing the Istari from gaining some knowledge he desired, but it was a difficult endeavor. He was powerful, probably more so than Gandalf had been. How would I prevail in future encounters, especially after the many trials I was sure to face here?
Once we came out of the doors of the tower, we took a sharp right, passing by a guard house before following a sloping path into the deeps. The air grew steadily warmer, and I could see flickers of fire, and ominous shadows danced on the rock walls. Hammers were ringing as they formed weapons and armor, and I noticed with grim amusement a few orcs fighting each other before one was shoved off a cliff, likely falling to their death. Perhaps we could use this to our advantage.
The path to the dungeons was a long one, moving clockwise around the entirety of the depths of Isengard, first going what I assumed was south before turning north again. I noticed with dismay how far the dungeons were from the entrance; escaping from there seemed impossible. We would need to find a way to get close to the entrance, but how?
I snapped to attention as Morflak started speaking, "All of us are servants of Sharkû, but some of us have more freedom and authority. I am one of these, little she-elf, and I help those who help me."
I furrowed my brow at this strange statement. Did he mean that, if I did his bidding, he would aid me in some way? It seemed insane. I knew how much these creatures of darkness hated Elves. Determining I would think on this later, I just nodded in pretend understanding.
Seeming to find this response acceptable, he continued. "When you are not in the dungeon, you will be under the orders of Fasch, my lackey. He will give you things to do, and it is best that you listen, or you may find yourself with more scars on your scrawny waif of a body than you already have." He seemed amused by this, if the grating sound coming out of his mouth was laughter.
"I will…do my best," I stammered uneasily.
"That's the spirit!" he roared, a terrifying grin on his face. "Ah, here we are now, she-elf."
Sure enough, after what felt like an endless walk, we arrived in a dank, poorly-lit cell block. There were many cells, and most were already filled with prisoners, but I could not get a good look at their faces. I heard with some heartache the sobbing of a woman, and another person was muttering to themselves as I passed; it sounded like Dunlendish, but I was unable to make out the words.
I startled as I saw an elderly woman threw herself against the bars of her cell, "Please, help me!" she gasped, her throat raspy. Her grey hair was in disarray, and her eyes were wild with desperation.
"I…" was all I had time to say before Morflak pulled me along, and she was too far away to answer. Although what I had meant to say, I did not know.
Finally, a familiar voice called my name, and my eyes flew to Lothrandir's. He didn't rush against the door with quite as much fervor as the woman, but I could tell he was relieved to see me in one piece. Again, I was rushed along too quickly to say anything, but I gave him a grateful look of my own. He was alive at the very least.
I was pleasantly surprised to have my cell door opened, and the next be gathered up in the arms of Candaith. For some reason, I was allowed to share a jail cell with him. What was Saruman up to? Morflak seemed disgusted by the emotional display, and shut the door with a little more force than I felt was necessary. "You'll be summoned when its time," he growled, before zeroing in on Candaith. "I better not hear of any mischief from you, tark, or your little she-elf here will find herself in a cell of her own, far away from you." My stomach dropped, but I noticed Candaith nod before the Uruk-hai strode away, swallowed up in the darkness.
Gently I felt the 'wall' in our souls dissipate, and the sensation of them flaring together once more almost took my breath away. "Gwin, you are trembling," he whispered worriedly, and I noticed he was right. He pulled away a fraction so he could see my face. "What did that wizard do to you?" His eyes flashed in anger, but softened as he took in my appearance. He put his hand on my cheek and stroked it with his thumb. "Are you hurt?"
I was unsure of how to answer this. Physically, I was fine. Perhaps a little weakened by my encounter with Saruman, but there were no wounds to speak of.
The same could not be said of Candaith. Instead of replying, I appraised him more closely. He had not been given new clothing since we arrived here, and there was dried blood staining his chest, arms, and back. I could tell the fabric was stuck to his skin painfully, and I wished I could do something to heal him. There was a nice bruise on his right cheek, from where he was struck by someone, and one of his expressive blue eyes was swollen. He seemed to be favoring his right leg more than his left, and I hoped he hadn't twisted his ankle; if he couldn't walk, he would be of little use to Morflak, and I feared where that would leave him.
I placed a shaking hand on his injured cheek, and he automatically leaned into my touch and said, "Do not worry about me, meleth nin. I am well." When I gave him a doubtful look, a tiny smile formed on his face. "I'm still as handsome as ever, am I not?"
"Oh yes, you take my breath away with your beauty," I said sarcastically. "I'm practically swooning." The answering grin lightened my heart of its burdens, if only for a moment. I couldn't help but kiss him, and it was slow and lingering. He threaded his fingers through my hair, but we both winced as he hit a snag. "Where are our things?" I asked, scanning the cell in the dim lighting.
Candaith took my hand and guided me over to a darkened corner, where our bags were haphazardly thrown. I was pleased to see our weapons were there, but doubted we would be able to carry them around while outside our cell. "Everything we brought with us is still there, thankfully." He handed me some cram, and I nibbled on in as I considered our situation. "I have not seen Mair yet, but hopefully she is here somewhere."
"I hope so too; it is the reason we came here, after all. Until we know where she is, we cannot make a good plan." Not that I could think of anything quite yet.
Well, I had one thought.
"Candaith, the Uruk-hai who escorted me said something curious," I began. Candaith furrowed his brow and gave me his full attention. "He said, and I quote, 'I help those who help me'. It makes me wonder how we can use this to our advantage."
"Do you think we can get on his good side, and somehow rise enough in the ranks to gain more freedom to move around?" he asked, looking doubtful.
I shrugged, "It is worth a try. I hadn't really planned on rebelling just yet. We will see how things go today…or tomorrow." I frowned. "I am not really sure what day it is anymore."
"I was told I would be under the direction of some creature named Fasch," Candaith murmured, pursing his lips.
"As am I," I replied. "Perhaps we will be able to work together?" I tried not to get too hopeful, but it would be comforting to have Candaith by my side in this dark place. "Do you know much about Lothrandir's situation?"
Candaith shook his head, and peered around me to look upon the other ranger. His cell was just two away from ours, and he gave us a weak smile when he noticed our gaze. There was no one in between us, as the cell sat empty, but the distance looked to be a little too far to speak in a normal voice, and shouting would draw attention we didn't need.
"It is too bad there are no birds here," I mused wryly. "Then you could use your little bird calls to pass messages between you."
"That would be convenient," Candaith replied, and I could see him thinking deeply before he faintly trilled something. It was not nearly as loud as it had been when we were all communicating at the barricade, but Lothrandir noticed right away. We were all quiet, waiting to see if any Uruks would come to investigate, but things remained calm. The Forochel ranger replied similarly, and Candaith nodded in understanding. "He says he is fine, and not to worry."
I rolled my eyes, "That's what you said, and I am not sure I would agree with your assessment, meleth." I was sure Lothrandir was in a similar state, if not worse. I remembered how he had looked when we were still stumbling around outside, and it had been rough.
"They gave us some water, but I drank some of what we have left from before our capture. I will only use theirs once ours is gone." Candaith eyed the dirty jug with disgust. "I worry where it came from, and how it would affect us."
"Unless we manage to get out of here soon, we may have no choice but to drink it," I said sadly, keeping my voice down. "I would use it to clean your wounds, but…"
"It would probably only make them worse," he finished with a rueful twist of his lips. I intertwined our fingers and squeezed his hand, and prayed he and Lothrandir would be well. "Would you like to tell me what happened with Saruman?" His voice was gentle, and he ran his thumb across my knuckles in comfort.
I nodded reluctantly, and we both lowered ourselves to the ground. He pulled me into his lap and I curled up against his chest. The beating of his heart was reassuring, and I closed my eyes for a moment. "Am I hurting you?"
"No meleth, I am much improved with you in my arms," he said quietly, kissing me softly before taking a comb and gently working out the tangles in my hair. Once he was done, he ran his fingers through it in a familiar way, and I sighed at the pleasant sensation. He chuckled, before whispering, "I am ready to listen, if you would like to speak."
I took a minute to gather my thoughts before telling him of what happened. It was difficult to describe at times what I had been feeling and thinking. "My mind was foggy, and I didn't feel like I was fully in control of my actions or words." I sighed. "I am ashamed at what I told him, as I thought I was stronger than this."
"Gwin, he is an Istari," Candaith countered. "The fact that you were able to resist him at all proves how strong you are."
"He seemed to know of our errand, in part, but desired the full truth of it from me, especially the name of your Chieftain." I decided not to use Aragorn's name in this place; who knew who might be listening? We needed to be careful discussing our plans as well…perhaps we would need to use our soul connection to communicate. "I was able to keep that to myself…but he mentioned Nar was slain, by Saruman himself." I roughly brushed a tear away that rolled down my cheek. "He did not deserve to die."
"No, he did not," Candaith murmured sadly. "Despite the troubles he caused us, he was a gentle soul," He sighed, "I am sorry, truly."
"There is nothing you or I could have done," I said dully. "Yet, I still feel guilty, as I am sure Saruman intended." I took a moment to gather myself, for speaking of the cursed darkness was always difficult for me. Candaith tipped my chin up to meet my eyes with his own, listening quietly as I haltingly told him. After I was finished, he kissed me again, before pulling me even closer. "Saruman could tell right away that Sauron's essence was in the darkness," I whispered.
"It is what you suspected, right?" Candaith asked.
I nodded, "Radagast thought so from the very beginning. It is strange to have it confirmed, finally. Not that it really helps aid me in finding a way to banish it for good."
When I got to the part about Gun Ain, I chanced a look over at Lothrandir, wishing he could join us in this conversation. "I met her in Angmar, many months ago, and then again in Forochel with Lothrandir. It was jarring to see her again, and under Saruman's thumb, no less."
"Hmm…there is a darkness in the Angmarim. It must have been only too easy for Saruman to call upon it, while exploiting her poor circumstances in her wanderings," Candaith mused. "You say she followed us to Enedwaith. Was she giving Saruman information of our whereabouts and plans?"
I shrugged, "I am not sure how much intelligence she was able to gather. As I said, Saruman seemed to suspect we were traveling to answer the call of someone, but not why." I stiffened, the memory of her words about Ergothorn hitting me like a slap. "She was the one who tried to kill Ergothorn."
Candaith stroked my hair, clearly noting my distress, "She did not succeed, meleth nin."
"Now she aims to kill me, so she can get a new name, which Saruman has promised her," I said bitterly. "One more threat I need to worry about."
"She will not succeed," Candaith growled.
I hoped he was right.
So Gwin is reunited with Candaith, who is a little worse for wear but not in danger of dying just yet. If you would like to see the layout of the inside of Nan Curunir, google lotro wiki Isengard Depths. The wiki page will have a map if you scroll to the bottom. I try to describe it as best I can in the text, but it might prove a useful reference. Thanks for reading!