The moon was yet to rise in full by the time that a company of men found themselves a place to rest after an arduous scaling of dreadful dark rock. Hardy they were and tall, not unlike their ancestors from the West. The vitality gifted through their blood by divinity was theirs from long ago and it showed. For few other men in those days would have been able to make that steep climb. Let alone under a dark cloudy nightsky. The surface had plenty of purchase, although slick and sharp most of those jutting rocks are. One false move and some trustworthy servants to their lord would be lost forever.
None of this was worth dwelling on, they made it to the top, all eighty of them. The wind up here was cold, but not as strong as expected and with only a gesture of his gloved hand did he get his men into action. These were no hapless vagabonds left to scrape in the wilds, nor an Orcish raiding party, these were the Men of the West. As confident as they were proud and also capable. They arrived near exactly where they meant to and an ancient stone hut still stood there. The thatched roof long blown off, but the walls still in one piece. Some of the men began unpacking their gear and part of this was to unroll large leather sails that were tied in place to form a roof. In the meantime two men came forth with maps. "Let us proceed over the most recent report.", the leader spoke while stabbing a finger at the thick parchment, right across the far world spanning ridge that is described as the White mountains. "We've never had a more obvious path to follow. Up here we'll remain unseen from unwanted eyes." "My lord Dulguzimra.", the second in command began addressing his officer in Adunaic, "Why did we go all the way out here? Surely it is true we won't be seen, but we could've made it through several passes below and be faster for it." The answer came with a curt shake of his head, "Too often.. strangeness has been happening down that valley. Only a few years before the worst would have been to meet the occasional Orc band. These days however an army that moves swift and enjoys leaving bloody trophies after each skirmish dwells there. It's not worth the risk and in the long it will have been less effort or danger than making it up here. See to it that all men have eaten and rested, by tomorrow morning we leave without breaking our fast. Can you convince them of that Azûlgazar? The handsome man nodded, his grey eyes shining as they do when given a chance to prove himself."
Before long most of them were sound asleep, not a one as much as breathing too deeply and give them away by sound. Dulguzimra went to the edge to observe the world below, he took in a breath of air and exhaled until his lungs were empty. It was dark for certain, but his eyes were sharp and he could make out distant lights of small villages. He could even see a jutting rock far to his left that must no doubt be a landmark where the Anduin river ran. The name at the moment was lost on him, a sign he indeed should get some rest. If only he could figure out from here where Imladris would be.. maybe soon. Then his ears detected a faint noise. Something from below? It couldn't be. He looked down and waited. But there was naught but naked rock, not even a black figure moving against the darkness. He was in no habit to casually dismiss any sound no matter how unlikely it was for there to be any danger. He went back into the house and got two men up to take guard. They did so without complaint and then he would lay down in no more comfortable spot than his men.
The next morning they did as he had told them. No food until later today. Their belongings were packed up and with the little discipline possible in this rocky terrain they continued their march. The sun was only freshly rising, but bright beams came over the horizon and the pink streaked clouds were carried off south by the wind. The day was otherwise uneventful, silence wasn't broken once throughout the better part of the day and it would be evening before they reached their destination and the ones meant to wait for them there. Dulguzimra, looked to either side , rose his hand and spoke to the point, "Check equipment." Without pause the men went over their gear, most had bows with each thirty arrows of fine feathering, a longsword as was their way and two knives. One for the hunt, the other something closer to a shortsword if needed. Beyond that they were dressed for speed and they wore dark leather that for most part matched the landscape and cloaks white on one side if they needed to hide in the snow or charcoal dark for the stoneworks. The only steel protection were their helmets, wrought from a dark iron and decorated with motifs depicting an old betrayed king of long ago days. Still bitterly remembered.Beyond this they had their baggage and all seemed to be in place.
Dulguzimra was about to signal a continued advance, but Azûlgazar broke silence, "Where is Inzilkôr? And Gimilkadar?" The men that were woken to join the guard last night, but surely they were with them in the morning. "What is this foolishness?", the leader began without anger. Azûlgazar looked to the end of the line as if he'd expect both lost men to appear in the back, they did not. "Perhaps a search party? Send a few men back to look for them.", Azûlgazar began and Dulguzimra nodded reasonably, "And when they are found there'll be disciplinary action. Five men, two for each and the final one to run back to us when they are found if unable to catch up for whichever reason. And now onwards."
It was evening again and there they were. Azûlgazar tried to hide his disgust, "Shall we have at them?" Ahead there was another stone hut, a near identical copy of the first. Here however there were Orcs and a few wargs awaiting. If he so wanted he could've sent his men upon that raable and they'd be dead to the last. But that was not why he was here and he moved forward his hand not too far from his sword near this kind. He didn't speak, merely set two fingers on his mouth and whistled loudly. Only that riled the Orcs up from their lazing and from what it seemed drinking. A miserable goblin like creature with enormous watery eyes and red fishlike lips standing out in his pale yellow snout, "You made it here fast and from the looks of it almost full numbers." Dulguzimra blinked with mild confusion, the Orc had barely seen him and somehow had a count of his men? Maybe scouts. "I'm not here to answer to you Orc, speaking of which, you do to me and I will know how you made it up here and indeed you and yours made it here fast too."
The Orc for a moment looked like taking offence, but realizing he didn't have the numbers and how well armed the men were he merely swallowed and replied, "After maybe sixteen years or has it been closer to twenty we finally dug a tunnel underneath the valley and all up here. We finished only a few days ago, look the hole is overthere.", the Orc pointed a long nail at the gaping mouth wrested out of the hard rock, "On the way back you can even join us if you want. Spares you a treacherous exercise"
Dulguzimra pondered for a moment, how many more such holes have you lot dug out as such? The Orc shrugged if there are others I would not know. I was told to guard this one and to tell you lot what comes next. We're going to bring you and your fellows downhill, there's a village there full of folk who are handy with their long bows and do all sorts of nasty business with other villages further east. You can handle the men and ..hehe.. me and mine will do the rest of the work to make sure nobody gets to try this ever again.
Still thinking about his lost men he spoke directly and almost threatening, "When it starts to get dark. That is when we'll surprise them in their beds."
The Orc shrugged, "I'm in no hurry to go back. Besides, have you seen any other târk around here?" Dulguzimra didn't like where this was heading, "What of it?"
The Orc waved him to follow and they went behind the stone hut. Dulguzimra was prepared for much, but this baffled him beyond name. Amidst a circle of giggling Orcs there were two heads stuck on poles, their handsome features defaced with hideous clawmarks. The actions of a warg..
(to be continued)
