Tolkien Fan Fiction
| 10 |
| The Outland Captains |
| Pippin went to his lodging for a wash and brush up before reporting back to Denethor, and was delighted and relieved to find Gandalf smoking and brooding in a chair before the empty hearth. Forgetting his new dignity as a guard of the Citadel he flung himself into the wizard's arms. "Gandalf at last! I was begining to think you'd ridden off somewhere and left us." Startled out of his dark thoughts Gandalf gave him a quick hug, a sharply assessing look and said briskly: "I am not leaving Minas Tirith until her present troubles are settled, and certainly not without you, Peregrin Took!" Pippin sighed in relief. *** The wizard too had been summoned to attend Denethor the second hour after sundown when he would formally recieve the Outland Captains. As the appointed hour struck Gandalf took Pippin through a back door of the Hall into a sort of dressing room where one of Denethor's gentlemen servants was waiting with a small, silver bright helmet for Pippin to wear and a larger one adorned with ravens' wings of real feathers for him to carry on a cushion. Another little door led to the apse behind the throne. For the first time Pippin saw the great Hall of the Kings full of people, its starkness enlivened by the richly colored, fur trimmed robes of the Men and the shimmering jewels and gold embroideries of their ladies. A double row of Citadel Guards in their bright armor and gold bordered tunics kept clear a long aisle to the doors. Denethor was sitting on his throne, wrapped loosely in a dark robe with a great black fur collar, having a quiet but intensely bitter argument with Lord Hurin. The latter was splendidly dressed in silvered armor under a great black velvet cloak edged with gold and pearls and had a winged helmet, like the one Pippin was carrying, tucked under his arm. Gandalf left the Hobbit's side to join and end the argument with a few low voiced words. Then he and Hurin went to stand side by side to the right of the throne dais, and Denethor turned to greet Pippin with a wintery smile. "Ah, there you are my esquire. Stand you here at my left hand." Pippin took his appointed place feeling a little nervous, but also enjoying the bustle and color. *Just like one of Uncle Bilbo's stories.* Denethor seemed to be looking for someone over Pippin's shoulder, brow creased in what wasn't quite a frown, then he relaxed and the Hobbit turned to see Lady Idril coming towards them, looking unexpectedly militant with a corselet of gold inlaid plate over her flowing scarlet gown. She gave Pippin a smile and her father a cool nod, and went to stand upon the dais at his right hand. Denethor picked up his gold tipped white rod and stood, throwing back his fur lined robe as he did so. And Pippin saw, with surprise, that the Steward was clad from throat to heel in glimmering black mail with a heavy, gold adorned sword girded at his side. trumpets sounded from the galleries above and the great doors at the end of the Hall were thrown open. The Outland Captains marched in, encased in mail and plate under bright surcoats embroidered with their devices, each attended by squires carrying his helmet and banner. They advanced to within a yard of the dais, and bowed. Denethor returned their bows. "Welcome," he said, "welcome true hearts and true friends come to our aid in this dark hour. Dire is the need that has brought you here, yet for tonight let us forget fear and rejoice to find ourselves still so well befriended." and then he came down from his throne and went to take the hand of Lord Forlong, bearlike in his black armor and scarlet trappings. The people lining the length of the Hall came out from behind the rows of guards to mingle and talk, and somebody put a hand on Pippin's shoulder making him start. It proved to be one of the gentlemen in waiting, who signed for the Hobbit to put the Steward's helmet down on the dais and handed him a dish of fanciful sweets made out of sugar paste and filled with honeyed cream or jellies. Pippin carried it over to where Denethor still stood talking with Forlong. The old Lord of Lossarnach took a sweet, studying the Hobbit with keen interest. "So this is the Prince of the Halflings I have heard tell of. They say you've offered your allegiance and five thousand swords to the Lord Steward here - and when the Riders of Rohan come each will have behind him a small but doughty Halfling warrior." "Oh no!" Pippin said, in real dismay, "oh dear, that's not true at all!" and looked to Denethor for help. The Steward's lips were twitching suspiciously and his grey eyes glittered, but he managed to keep a serious front. "Master Peregrin is indeed the son of the Lord of the Halflings but he has no sword but his own to offer us, having come so far from his homeland on quite a different errand." Forlong nodded. "I thought it sounded an unlikely story. Halflings are a peaceful folk, or so our fireside tales say." "Not that we can't fight if we must." Pippin said quickly. "But the last time was more than a hundred years ago, against the White Wolves of the far North. I'm afraid most of my people have never even heard of Gondor - I know I hadn't until I met Boromir at Rivendell." "And why should you living so far away?" Denethor asked, quite kindly. Continued to Forlong: "Forgive me if I leave you now, my friend, but I must have a word with my good brother of Dol Amroth." Pippin followed his lord over to a tall, fair haired Man draped in a shimmering golden mantle, with swans and ships decorating his surcoat. Not a brother by blood but by marriage and his name was Imrahil. Pippin looked at him curiously. So that was where Boromir and Faramir had their fair coloring from. And just as with Faramir there was something Elvish about the Lord of Dol Amroth. Clean shaven, unlike the other Men of Gondor Pippin had seen, and with his golden hair worn rather longer. "Where is my nephew?" he asked Denethor. "Surely the Steward's heir should be present." "Faramir has gone forth to retake Osgiliath if he can." was the flat reply. "What!" Imrahil stared at his kinsman in disbelief. "Are you mad, Denethor, to throw Men away so rashly? And your only remaining son among them!" The Steward's face hardened but he answered evenly enough. "Would you rather we yielded the crossing unfought, Imrahil? You and the other Captains might have arrived to find Minas Tirith already besieged had we done so. Faramir has done well to hold the Enemy at bay for this one day, even if he does no more." Pippin, looking up at his master, wished that Faramir were there to hear his father's praise, measured as it was. *** The party - if you could call it that - didn't last long. When the bells tolled the fourth hour of the night the company dispersed to their various lodgings in the Citadel or wound their way downhill to their homes in the fifth and sixth circles. Gandalf came back to their rooms with Pippin and stood on the balcony gazing eastward towards Osgiliath. Pippin sat in an armchair before the fire munching leftover sweets. "Faramir came to talk to me last night," he told the wizard. "he knew all about the Ring. Did he tell Denethor?" "He did." Gandalf answered shortly. "And that's why his father was so angry with him wasn't it?" Pippin guessed. "Denethor wanted the Ring brought here." "Yes." Gandalf sighed, and came inside to sit in the other chair drawn up before the hearth. "Gandalf, what's so terrible about this pass of Cirith Ungol? I meant to ask Lord Faramir but I forgot." The wizard smiled grimly. "The name means 'pass of the spider' and it is said to be haunted by a Great Spider, one of the spawn of Ungloliant." "Oh." said Pippin in a small voice. Then more firmly. "Uncle Bilbo fought off the Spiders of Mirkwood didn't he? Frodo has Sting with him. And old Sam to watch his back." "That is so." Gandalf agreed, continued as if to himself. "We must not lose hope. Frodo is still alive and still determined to fulfil his quest. We must trust him to find a way." He got to his feet. "It grows late and there are evil days ahead. To sleep while we may!" "But-" said Pippin. Gandalf turned at the foot of the stair leading to his room. "But what? Only one 'but' will I allow tonight." "Gollum," said Pippin, "how can they be going about with him, even following him? Faramir didn't like it one bit - I could see that - and I can't say I do either." "My heart guessed that Frodo and Gollum would meet before the end. For good, or for evil." the wizard answered grimly, then burst out: "Treachery, I fear treachery from that miserable creature. Yet - a traitor may betray himself and do good that he does not intend." he shook himself and tried to smile reassuringly at the anxious Hobbit. "It can be so - sometimes. Good night, Pippin." |