Journal of Igarthel Swiftrider: Entry the Second

Another day here in Angmar, and the horrors which I am witness to in this dark place are more than any man should bear.  That there are Free People here fighting against the evil of the Witch-King lifts my spirits and gladdens my heart.  That I have a supply of hearty food and warm drink makes things bearable.  I must find a courier to send thanks and regards to Mistress Pumpernickle.

But time enough to explain my journeys in Angmar later.  How I came to this place, and how I came to serve the Lady Avalong, are both more pressing tales.

It was in Bree-land that we met Avalong Neverfalle, but it was her companion and friend Amnildir Wolfpaw who introduced us.  Amnildir is an officer of a group calling themselves the Sworn Wanderers, and found Enewyn and I in the Prancing Pony, an inn of some repute here in these far western lands.  He explained his group's focus - they are, essentially, roving guardians, seeking to aid those who require it, and punish those who need it - and both Enewyn and I agreed that, as Erkenbrand had given my troop orders to aid those who would harry the Enemy in these lands, our efforts would be magnified in their company.

We travelled that night to an abandoned camp - once frequented by the Elves of old, if Amnildir was to be believed - and met our fellow Wanderers; Krystic, Lefrinu, Linardir, Faridir, and the Lady Avalong.  She explained to us our duties, and we swore our oaths to her - though I did explain that, should Theoden-King or my lord Erkenbrand request it, I would by necessity return to Rohan.  With that ceremony completed, we were assigned areas to patrol, and given to the command of certain officers.  By virtue of my experience, I was appointed Captain of the Wanderers assigned to the Trollshaws, a group who included my fellow recruits Krystic and Linardir.

I should make a note here that the Wanderers were, at the time of my joining, and are still currently, mainly comprised of Elves, a fact which intimidated me then, and still causes me amazement now.  They are brave and true companions, that I will not have anyone doubt, but there is a certain...farsightedness to their plans and actions which puts me on edge.  It is difficult at times to understand why they do what they do, but eventually their motivation is borne out and their actions more than justified.  Still, there are times when I wonder if perhaps a quicker and more decisive course of action would be better.

But enough of such misgivings.  I have naught but the utmost respect for my companions, and for the Elves amongst them especially.  They have been nothing but generous and kind to me and - if Théogar was to be believed - to my family.  And moreover...I digress.  The tale of the Wanderers needs must be told here.

The Lady Avalong required a number of us - myself, the Lord Linardir, and the Lady Lefrinu - head northward, to the town of Trestlebridge, to aid in their struggles against the orcs that infested the lands surrounding the ancient fortress of Fornost.  We made our way north, riding hard, for the threat was imminent, and arrived none too soon.  The town had been recently attacked, it's buildings burnt and the Men of that land distraught.  Lord Linardir and I set about scouting the land on the far end of the bridge while the Ladies Avalong and Lefrinu tended to those inside Trestlebridge, bolstering their courage and strengthening their hearts.

Linardir and I found the orc fortress - a small thing of rough timber and stone, barely worth calling a fence - and turned to head back when we encountered a caravan laden with barrels.  Without hesitation, we drove into the orcs; Linardir's arrows filled the sky, a dozen of them in the air before the first fell, while Enewyn and I rode in, Windfót and Fýrmanu carrying us into battle without hesitation.  The orcs were stunned, terrified, and completely unaware as to the fact that they outnumbered we three by at least a score.  Had they known that, they'd have no doubt fought harder, but Lord Linardir's hail of fire convinced them that we were the van of a group of rangers and they fled, abandoning their wagons in their haste.  

Those wagons held an assortment of foul and repellent foods and liquors, although one cask held within it a store of strange black powder.  The powder, when set to fire, burst into flames and shattered anything nearby.  The uses for it were not lost on either the Lord or I, and we made haste to Trestlebridge with it strapped to Windfót's saddle.  Once we arrived, Linardir explained his plan to the Ladies and, without hesitation, it was agreed to put it into action.

Lady Avalong began by harrassing the few orcs on the north wall while Lady Lefrinu and I moved in from the east.  We drew their attention, and soon they could not stand the goading of Lady Lefrinu and Lady Avalong's arrows.  The orcs charged, flinging open the gates to their fortress and, as they came forth, Lord Linardir too his opportunity to steal into their midst.  As Enewyn and I held the company of orcs at bay, Lord Linardir was setting contents of the powder cask along the stone foundations of the fort.  When he finally set a torch to the powder, the result was terrifying and amazing all at once.

The sound and light that came from the fortress stunned us all; there must have been more powder casks within the walls, for not all of the black dust we had would have created such a conflagration, no caused that much destruction.  The orcs, being suddenly and violently deprived of their fortress and their reinforcements, fled into the night as Lefrinu, Avalong, Enewyn and I laid into them.  Our exultation at their defeat turned quickly to concern, as the Lord Linardir staggered from the ruin, his skin cracked and bleeding from the heat of the blast.

We took him to the town and tended to his wounds.  We stayed there a day and night, with the Lady Avalong watching over Linardir, and leaving the Lady Lefrinu and I to our leisure.  We spent the evening speaking of a number of things, she and I - though she was far more guarded than the other Elves of our company.  It was most pleasant, but somehow troubling.  Not in the way that something out of place can seem troubling, but rather it was as if I had seen how things should be, were they set in perfect order and yet possessed of the knowledge that that order can never be.  It was - and is - a melancholy thought, though the pain of it's realization was lessened when we paid a visit to the Horsefields of Éogar, son of Hadorgar.

The Lady had never taken instruction in horsemanship, being more concerned with the smith-craft her people are famed for, but having seen Windfót and Fýrmanu, she was determined to learn for herself.  She had a method of choosing a horse that is so much like Thengel's it was uncanny; she would whisper in it's ear and watch the reaction - what she said, she did not tell me, but when she was satisfied, she chose her mount.  We put Huck - her stallion's name sounds odd in my ears, true, but the horse-raising traditions of the West are very different from home - through his paces, and the Lady took to him quite readily.  By the time night had fallen, she had become quite enamoured with Huck, and quite proficient at the basic skills required when living and travelling with a horse.  It will never cease to amaze me, the speed with which the Elves take to learning.

As the moon rose, the Lady Lefrinu and I returned to Hengstacr and I bade her farewell; the tasks which brought me to this dark place were just beginning, and I had a long journey ahead of me.  I set off for Angmar that night, carrying a pleasant memory and a sense of joy within my breast I've yet to put reason to.  It was fortunnate, though, that I did tarry at Hengstacr with Lefrinu; the darkness of these lands would otherwise have surely overwhelmed me.

Enewyn's watch end now, and she needs sleep, ere we make south again, so I will end this entry here, in the hopes that I may yet have the opportunity to write again.