The company of House Bar-en-Acharn departed Falathlorn two days after the council, bound for the hidden refuge of Esteldin on the North Downs. Several of the Household had already departed, with the word that they would converge upon the Dunedain sanctuary in one week’s time. A vanguard led by Catrena had departed the previous day, intending to meet with members of the Blackburrow Trading Company and organize the supplies for the expedition.
Seregrían led the way, accompanied by her husband Cutch, Iyenue the huntress, the hobbit Royzenberry, and the elf Aethalis, a newcomer to the Household. Through most of the ride, Seregrían was silent, brooding in her own thoughts; Cutch tried to lighten her mood with cheerful banter and light talk of the Shire and their ways.
For four days they rode across the Shire in comfort, stopping at the inns along the Road until spending the night in Bree before turning north along the Greenway. The fifth day saw them arrive at the town of Trestlebridge; once a burnt-out husk from the troubles of the North, the town now boasted more traffic and commerce, as eager sellswords used the rebuilt town as a base for forays west and north into the Wild. Here the party stayed while Iyenue rode onward, acting as a scout and seeking tidings of the road ahead.
The morning of the sixth day saw the weather turn colder, with the threat of snow or chill rains building in the north. The party took the Greenway north, then turned east until they reached the line of a river that plunged down from the north into Nen Harn in the Breelands. They crossed the river and camped at the old ruins just above the road as dusk closed in, the night chill but a warm fire and blankets kept the cold at bay. Cutch and Aethalis took turns at sentry, and the night passed uneventfully.
The next morning Seregrían awoke to a warm fire and a hearty meal that Cutch provided, Aethalis and Royzenberry tending a cheerful fire. As she ate, she stood and looked round.
'Well! After a few days' ride, we are almost there, though a little chilled,’ Seregrían said.
'Where is it, that we find ourselves now, my friends?' Aethalis asked, ‘I've not travelled this far North in a very long time.’
Cutch looked out over the plain, holding his arm eastward. 'This was once Ost Lagaros, one of the places of the old realm of Arnor. Esteldin is that way,’ pointing off to a spur of the hills to the east.
Seregrían walked over beside him and gazed out on the landscape. 'This is the plain of Kingsfell - the great battle of the North was on this field. The forces of Angmar were wiped out by the combined might of Elves and Men, and the Witch-King was almost brought to bay.’
‘How fascinating, I had no idea we were near the place,' Aethalis said as he produced a journal and made notes.
'It is for Esteldin that we are bound for first,’ Seregrían said. ‘Come, friends, we shall ride at leisure.’ The party broke camp and was riding east within the hour, Seregrían and Cutch in front, Aethalis and Royzenberry behind.
‘People still work these lands, judging from the farmsteads in the distance,’ Aethalis noted. ‘I can only respect their decision.’ Cutch looked around, recalling his youth with the Dunedain.
Seregrían looked around, seeing things the others cannot. 'These lands were once ridden by my kin, from Nenuial; Men call it Lake Evendim today. I lived long there, before coming to Eregion.'
'I can't imagine what it must've been like here back then,’ Aethalis said.
'Once, these lands were covered by a mighty forest - trees from here to Rohan,' Seregrían said. 'A bird could fly from branch to branch and never alight on the ground.' Aethalis looked around, impressed by the story, looking for remnants of the past.
'But, what happened to the trees?’ Royzenberry asked.
'Numenor', Seregrían said. 'They cut everything down; only the Old Forest and the Chetwood remain. The Sea-kings desired timber for their vast fleets - and they took the forests of Middle-Earth to sate their need. At first, they planted more than they felled - but their greed outlasted their wisdom.
'Now you see their legacy,' Seregrían said, 'One of the many reasons I scorned Mortals - until recently...'
'And now you know us better than we know ourselves,' Cutch said.
'A shame it such things had to happen,' Aethalis said, and the company rode on in silence. Hours later they rode through a gap in the hills sheltered by tall trees and passed through a stone archway into a small village square; they had arrived at Esteldin.
Glad shouts arose from a small camp in the shadow of the walls, and a group of friends greeted them as they dismounted. There stood Catrena with Applecider at her side, along with a dwarf and a hobbit they did not recognize. Catrena introduced the members of the Blackburrow Trading Company, the dwarf Dwisen and the hobbit Yumonyx.
‘Well met indeed, all of you! Dwisen of the Blue Mountains, at your service.’
‘And at yours, good beard, ‘Seregrían replied, ‘call me Seregrían, Lady of House Bar-en-Acharn.’
‘Glad to be of assistance, and gladder still to meet you,’ Dwisen said, 'We of the Blackburrow company always try to help our friends.’
‘And here is Yumonyx, Yum for short,’ Catrena said, ‘and she’s a healer of repute. Yum, the Lady Seregrían shall be staying behind, but the rest of her company shall be with us – as soon as they all arrive?’
Applecider greeted the company. 'How's ye been then, luvs? Master Dwisen an’ I been bakin' up a storm at the ovens, so we be well outfitted fer vittles. An' Missie Istuienn gots beds for ye all squared away, Miss Sergie!'
‘Might I tempt you, milady?’ Dwisen said. 'Here is a sample of the food we’ve prepared for the expedition. This might warm your hearth in these cold days.’ The dwarf presented a round biscuitish cake smeared with a cream of some sort.
Seregrían politely accepted the offering. Taking a bite her eyes brightened, and she fell to eating the whole cake. ‘Master Dwarf, you have a flair for this, no mistake!’ Cutch made a careful mental note to ask later what Dwisen had made.
‘And now, to business,’ Seregrían said wiping her mouth. ‘Catrena, is all prepared with the cache of supplies at Othrikar?’
‘Indeed, all is arranged,’ Catrena said. ‘The Blackburrows are better than their word. We have stores for a party for at least a week, longer with care.’
'I have had tidings that the garrison here may need assistance,’ Seregrían said, ‘and could aid them in exchange for stores and supplies. We can keep that option open. Might I suggest we ride as a company to Othrikar, there to obtain the goods? I can ride at least as far as that.'
‘Wise move, Miss Catrena,’ Dwisen said, ‘we can scout the whole area for news.’
‘But we are still not all here,’ Catrena said, ‘I was hoping for a few more swords, it’s getting more difficult to arrange reliable escorts. Master Cutch, what is your intention? Will you stay in Esteldin with Seregrían?'
'I will attend as My Lady sees fit,’ Cutch said, ‘as long as She remain safe.'
Seregrían passes her hand over the obvious bump in her middle. 'I was hoping Gilberian would be here,’ she said, 'she had expressed no desire to proceed, but rather to stay here with me.'
At that moment, the hobbits gave a cry pointing at the gate. Riding up to the company’s camp came Iyenue and Gilberian; and to everyone’s surprise, Lancogard was with them.
‘Ah, here at last we have a sword!’ Catrena grinned at Iyenue, who snapped off a salute. ‘Welcome, O Angmarim’s Nightmare!’
‘We’re ready fer ye, Miss Iyen,’ Cider said, 'I gots you all set up fer this foray .... I mades pork Sausage jus' fer you. Ter compensate fer Angmar's lack of it, an' all.’
Royzenberry was all smiles as Lancogard hopped from the saddle. ‘Lance! I thought you weren’t going to get away from the Shirriffs, how did you pull that off?’
‘Hullo everybody!’ Lancogard said brightly. ‘I am officially “on an extended leave of absence for personal business”, as the writ states properly. Your Ladyship, I TOLD you I would NOT let you go without a proper eyeball on you!'
Cutch muttered, 'Or three...', to which Lancogard winked.
‘I am glad you are here, Gilberian my friend,’ Seregrían said. ‘Together, our research shall yield great result.’
‘Thank you, Your Ladyship’, Gilberian replied. ‘I’m glad to see you are listening to sense and staying behind.’
‘Now that we are assembled more or less,’ Seregrían said, ‘let us get our planning plain for all. Catrena, what is your plan for the expedition?’
‘Here is how things stands right now,’ Catrena began. ‘We shall escort Lady Seregrían to Othrikar, where she will be remaining; then ride on to the Earth-kin camp on the way to Angmar. There we will leave our mounts, to the care of the hillmen.
‘We take a tunnel-path through the mountains,’ she went on, ‘and arrive in Angmar, where we must proceed with caution. We follow the bluffs until we come to an important road -cross the road with care and proceed to the hills. If our luck holds, we won’t have many encounters.'
‘Our archers must do the work of dispatching foes. If there is anyone in sight of the company, they must be slain quickly. Once we get up the hills, we arrive on a post overlooking Imlad Balchorth - our destination. I have a good deal of ropes, which we will use to descend stealthily into the vale.
‘The warriors will go ahead and cause distraction enough among the undead at the bottom of the vale, so that the rest of us can proceed up to the wight-town above. There we will eliminate any opposition and loot what we can. Dwisen and any others with scholarly knowledge will be protected so they can concentrate on the process for a while.'
‘As sound a plan as can be made,’ Seregrían said at last.
‘And with your leave, milady, I should like to break camp immediately and head for Othrikar,’ Catrena said. ‘I had hoped to take advantage of leaving under cover of night, and that is upon us. We can be ready to leave in less than an hour.’
‘Agreed,’ Seregrían said. ‘All who are ready, form up at the archway, we shall ride as soon as the baggage is ready!’ The combined expedition was ready and mounted in less time than expected, the Blackburrows having all in readiness. With a wave of her hand, Seregrían led the caravan north to Othrikar on the first leg of their expedition.
