Marching Towards Annúminas - Chapter 3, Lone Lands Pt 2

In the wake of an attack on the ruins of Minas Eriol a host of riders were seen flying too and fro about the countryside in Bree Land, Cardolan, the Lone Lands, and even as far as Esteldin. The careful listener may overhear requests for aid at the Forsaken Inn, where the Hand of Numenor was currently camped and seeking to launch a hasty expedition back into Minas Eriol.

The even more astute, or investigative, would even hear that the company's leader, Captain Belenir, had been lost and they sought to find him. Alvarwyn, a young leader within the company, seemed desperate to pull whatever resources she might in order to deal with the forces that had been arrayed to capture their captain and it seemed as if their expedition north teetered on the precipice of failure.

Summary

With Captain Belenir stil missing, The Hand of Numenor has been chasing shadows and ghosts. One rumor has lead to another since his loss at Minas Eriol and the company has begun to feel the stress. A man from Gondor by the name of Narmonen cites that Captain Belenir will be brought up on ridiculous charges for 'allying with elves and dwarves without the Council's consent' and another agent by the name of Zarthon professes to want to help clear his name. In concert with Master Thonin Lady Strelarien and Alvarwyn lead the company to Bree-Land after slave traders reveal that the Captain may be being held at Nen Harn - but not for long.

Riding as quickly and as covertly as possibly through the Chetwood the party came upon the outskirts of a ruin infested with half-orcs situated just on the edge of the lake. After their second attack on Minas Eriol it was decided to make their approach as stealthy as possible and in short order Strelarien was able to dispatch the picket sentries without alerting the garrison, and the rest of the company fell upon the outer guardhouse with grim determination that allowed them to take a prisoner.

An interrogation revealed not only the strength of the half-orc host but the fact that a number of Bree-folk had been taken prisoner in anticipation of being sold to a pair of 'strange slave traders' from Rhun and Angmar and that another force had taken over Dol Dinen. While the fact was alarming, it was determined that nothing could be done about it at this point and the company resolved that Captain Belenir and these soon-to-be slaves were the priority. 

After locating the main body of half-orcs the dwarf scout Rorkur infiltrated the camp and raised a number of fires, throwing the camp into disarray and allowing the company to descend on it with fell-handed purpose, cutting down the remaining half-orcs with minimal effort in an effort to find the keys and free the prisoners being held.

Lalerael, recently recruited to the company, came into her own despite a rather shaky sense of self-confidence, bringing down a slew of foes in short order and the hobbits Digard, Dandiny, and Hamilfas who joined the group incited all manner of chaos in the melee while acquitting themselves well despite suffering a few injuries. Most significantly Zarthon and Thonin - still weary and injured from their past fights - grew even worse while leading the vanguard of the company into the fray. 

The leader of the half-orcs attempted to parlay with Alvarwyn as the few warriors that had remained with him fell but after revealing that Captain Belenir had already been sold to 'a woman in Bree' he sealed his own fate, dying at Rorkur's hand but not before he managed to strike down Zarthon with his dying breath. The group found itself faced with a grim choice as reinforcements began to arrive to stop the escape of their slaves: with so many of the company injured they could not possibly lead civilians to safety and carry the doughty body of Zarthon free of the hold. 

Acting on what they thought Captain Belenir and Zarthon would want, the company elected to free the prisoners and get them to safety. Conducting a disciplined fighting withdrawal they managed to escape the ruins and make it back to Bree, reconvening at The Prancing Pony where Narmonen awaited them. As surly as ever, he belittled the company for their actions and cited they would all face trial before departing to harass Thonin as he lay in recovery.

With the company now camped about Bree-Town, and with Captain Belenir still missing, it was determined that their campaign must turn from force of arms to winning the hearts and minds of Bree-folk if they were to not only find the captain but carry out the company's original assignment of paving the way for King Elessar's return to the North and his seat in Annuminas.

Most curiously, while recuperating in the common room, Alvarwyn, Strelarien, Lalerael, and one of the kin's former members - an elf by the namef Ethilaen, were approached by a surprisingly well informed and hooded stranger that spoke of the possible treason of Narmonen: the man was an admiral and while a servant of the Council of Gondor he allegedly had ties to the Black Numenoreans in Umbar and the heirs of Castimir, with designs to de-stabilize the newly crowned king's rule. With the death of the Ithilien Inquisitor Zarthon the company's job would be all the harder to complete - Zarthon sought to help clear Belenir's name and now the company's sole contact with Gondor was a possible traitor.