Tolkien Fan Fiction
| 20 |
| Chapter Twenty |
| Once they had rounded the promontory of Andrast, it would be a direct sail almost due north. ‘They will find his body, Turallien. Shouldn’t we have dumped it in the sea?’ ‘That would not scare them half as much and I want Imrahil to see what I do to those who displease me,’ he answered coldly. ‘I want him to fear what I will do to each of his children, starting with his most beloved daughter. That will cause him, and his sons, the most pain.’ ‘And Belegond? They did not know where Lothíriel has hidden him, but Tuor left me to meet Elphir in Umbar. It would make sense that she had put Ottakar in charge of him.’ ‘They will return him to Dol Amroth. Imrahil is so predictable. It would be fitting that I kill him there, in the very dungeons he tortured Cirion. Tell me, Herumor, what did it feel like when you cut out Amedlan’s tongue?’ he asked his eyes glinting with the memory of her screams. ‘She got what she deserved. It was unlucky for her the Astari in Calembel confessed to me what she had done, hoping to save his skin. He even offered me the twelve sovereigns back, saying he hadn’t realised the order had not come from you. Still, she had been useful to us… until she wasn’t, and there were some personal advantages I enjoyed - ones she most certainly wasn’t enjoying with her husband,’ he laughed derisively. ‘We will have women enough for you. But first I want Lothíriel. We both have unfinished business with her. We will secure the hoard and then find out which route she will take back from the north to Rohan. With any luck, they will take the Dunland road. The closer they get to Rohan, the safer they will feel and the more vulnerable they will be… Or we wait until they feel at their safest and have their guard down. Our network in Aldburg is still undiscovered. Their testimony to Vandan’s murder proved most useful in turning Galbrand against Éomer, they should be rewarded with a personal visit. To take her from her own wedding, now that would be most gratifying. And then, my boy, I need you to go East to one of the tribes near Rhûn. They are ready for conversion and we will need to disappear for a few years.’ ------------------------------------------------------------------- Hannedriel was beginning to look haggard, still beautiful, but thin and drawn. She clearly was not enjoying sleeping on the floor, chained to a wall, being fed scraps but she maintained her arrogance as she faced Tuor. ‘You pirate filth, you have no right to keep me here. Bastard offspring of a long-decayed house,’ she said viciously. ‘I insist you return me to Minas Tirith to Faramir’s protection.’ ‘You will get no protection from Faramir, nor Aragorn, not now. You have not been cooperative enough. Besides, they do not know you are here. No one does. Not even Turallien, well, especially not him, as you would already be dead, like both your brothers and your nephew…’ That information had caused Hannedriel to pause. ‘… your nephew Herumor that is…, not Galador. How did he come by that scar out of interest?’ ‘He cannot be dead.’ ‘Really, what makes you think that?’ She glared at him unwilling to be drawn in to saying something either compromising or illuminating. ‘He was killed in Pelargir, trying to sneak out a considerable amount of wealth by ship. I say killed. He talked quite a lot to your captors before finally succumbing to his wounds, although I am not quite sure whether these were inflicted during the fight or a considerable amount of time afterwards. They won’t tell me, and I don’t feel like insisting on knowing…’ Hannedriel’s face betrayed a moment’s hesitation and doubt. ‘So, you knew all along that Turallien, Melian and Cirion are very closely related and yet you failed to tell us this. You failed to tell us why Imrahil’s family were specifically targeted by Turallien’s.’ Tuor said grimly. ‘So far, I have prevented you being subjected to their usual techniques of interrogation, but now that I believe you always knew the extent of that family’s evil, about the worst aspects of Turallien’s sacrifice of young girls, I am not inclined to protect you any longer,’ he menaced. ‘Let me tell you in some detail what he did to Lilléth, a girl you knew well, a girl you gave up to him to distract him from your daughters. It is partly how Amedlan died, although she had her tongue cut out as an extra treat after they raped her but before they skinned her alive and finally disembowelled her. My friends here tell me you can keep a person alive for many weeks as you piece by piece cut their skin away from their body. Time didn’t allow him to take weeks with either Lilléth or Amedlan, but I have weeks, and so do my friends, unless there is information you can give me that perhaps Herumor overlooked in his pain.’ He made to leave. ‘Are you left or right-handed? I’ve heard that taking the skin off so close to bone is excruciating but we need your writing hand sound for you to sign your confession, assuming you decide to cooperate. At which point I will have no choice but to release you back to Faramir.’ Assa, dressed in Astari garb stepped forward, knife in hand. Tuor had no doubt that she would not flinch in carrying out his threat, but he had no wish to see it. He was already out of the door when he heard the first scream. ‘No, no, I will tell you. I will tell you.’ He took his time to re-enter the cell, observing the blood already dripping from her left hand. She screamed again as Hadán cleaned the hand with salt water and bound it. ‘For every lie, I will take another slice. For Lilléth,’ Assa whispered grimly in her ear. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Elphir had already been told what to expect before he boarded the boat one of his larger sailing ships had found anchored close to the shores off Anfalas. The crew who sailed it back to Dol Amroth would need rewarding for the task they had just performed. Elphir was sure that this had been the boat used to take the riches hidden in Pelargir to its unknown destination further north. The remains of the man and the two young girls with him had been a clear enough message from Turallien. After mastering his disgust, Elphir had immediately sent for Belegond to be escorted on board. His reaction confirmed one of the scenarios Elphir had entertained, but he was still confused. ‘Why these tortures, Belegond? All show similarities, the rape of the two girls, the skinning and eventual disembowelment. Amedlan had her tongue cut out and her hands crushed, which reflects her torture of Cirion. Your brother here seems to have first been poisoned, based on his skin colouration, at least what is left of his skin. That is how Bregolin, the old Condir, had been killed. But the two girls are curious. It seems one has been flogged, the other hanged. This is a message. I think you know what he has in mind for you. I am almost tempted to let you go… And he will come for you.’ he said nonchalantly, determined to hide his horror. ‘I wonder what he intends for your son when he ceases to be of use to him, and Sylvennan, assuming she is still alive?’ ‘You bastard. She killed herself as soon as I was taken into custody. With me gone, her nightmares overtook her. You and your family, your bitch sister and my disgusting son, you all killed her. Turallien will never hurt Herumor, he is his heir. I have nothing more to fear from you.’ ‘So, now the truth. Was Sylvennan a full or half-sister to Turallien, your wife and Cirion? Why their hatred towards my family?’ Belegond sneered. ‘You should ask your father that question. This all started before you were even born... If you think your little half-sister is safe in the North, think again. None of you will ever be safe from him.’ ------------------------------------------------------------------- Being careful to preserve the bodies as disgusting as this was, Elphir left immediately with the boat together with an escort of Swan Knights to Pelargir. His instincts urged him to let Belegond go and have him followed, ensuring no one gave him any aid or food wherever in Gondor he chose to roam. A slow death by starvation would be more than just, but he did not feel he could take that decision alone without his father. But Belegond was not returned to the comfort of the dungeons of Dol Amroth. As he sailed into the harbour at Pelargir, he was expecting to be greeted by Tuor as would be customary for a ship bearing the princely flag of Dol Amroth putting into harbour, but it was Gelian who was waiting for him with Benethrin as he disembarked. ‘You have just missed them, Elphir,’ she said hurriedly. ‘Benethrin was about to sail to inform you. They have all gone upstream to Minas Tirith, you are but a quarter of an hour behind them. Tuor left with Gallend, Assa and Hadán to see your father and Faramir. Something happened in Dol Amroth to Turallien’s family a long time ago when your grandfather was alive. This is the source of their hatred. Turallien, Melian, Cirion and Hannemor’s wife were siblings. They used the Astari and their connection with Hannedriel’s family for their own revenge. It had nothing to do with Pallando and Alatar. Lothíriel was simply caught in between the two feuds. You are all still in immense danger, but they believe Lothíriel most of all. Go now, you are needed in Minas Tirith.’ ‘Erchirion and Galador? Are they still here?’ Elphir demanded of Benethrin. ‘They are, Margelith also,’ came his reply. ‘I do not want to leave Dol Amroth so unguarded, Benethrin. Take the fastest ship you can and get back there with all three of them and increase the vigilance of the guard,’ he ordered, before striding back to his own ship to sail for Harlond. ------------------------------------------------------------------- The lookouts on the guard tower high above Harlond’s harbour heard the trumpet blast first to announce an important arrival into the port and they spotted the signal from their counterparts at the fortress on the bend in the river to their south. The flags had indicated a request from the Prince of Harondor for an urgent meeting at the highest level and riders were sent immediately to the Citadel to inform the King. This system of warning had lapsed under Denethor’s long rule but had been re-established all the way along the river as Aragorn made his Kingdom secure. It gave those in the Citadel time to send whatever force was necessary to protect Harlond or emissaries to greet important visitors. As their horses were disembarked with them, Tuor, Assa, Hadán and Gallend were greeted by Faramir, who had been with the King when the messenger arrived. The trumpets sounded a second time. It was Elphir. The guards were not sure they had understood his coded message but presented it to Faramir as they understood it: ‘Tuor to wait at Harlond’. Assa was impatient. ‘I will not wait. I will speak with Imrahil. Hadán will take me if you will not,’ she said tartly to Gallend. ‘Assa,’ Tuor replied firmly, ‘I need you here. Elphir would not send such a message unless it was important. We will wait. Is Imrahil at the Citadel, Faramir?’ ‘No, but we have sent for him, he had only gone to Osgiliath. He will be there soon enough.’ It was a grim-faced party which filed into the Great Counsel chamber of the King to find Aragorn seated with Arwen at his side, Imrahil pacing in front of them, with Amrothos standing tensely in the corner. His father turned to greet his son as soon as he entered, his face etched with worry. ‘Are the children safe? Your wife? Erchirion, Galador?’ ‘For now,’ his son replied. ‘My King, my Queen,’ Elphir bowed the correct greeting to his liege. ‘If I may, I must first ask my father for information which I hope will shed light on all the events we have been fumbling around in the dark to understand.’ Aragorn gestured his approval. ‘Father, can you think of any incident involving a family of at least three children, most likely four, two boys, and definitely one if not two girls, where they were punished by your father - a hanging and a flogging. I have looked back through the records and there were during his reign only four hangings for capital crimes, but none made mention of a flogging.’ Imrahil raised his eyes to the ceiling and released a tortured breath. ‘Bregolith,’ Imrahil uttered with difficulty. ‘We do not speak of it. Mention of it was banned in Dol Amroth. But yes, Elphir. I remember this only too well.’ ‘Father, we need to know everything you can tell us.’ Elphir said urgently. Imrahil sighed deeply, pained at the memory. ‘It was the year after your great victory over the Corsairs in Umbar, Aragorn. We never knew from which hole this family had crawled but with hindsight we felt that under the more enlightened regime that followed your victory, they had probably been expelled from or fled Umbar. Bregolith, the mother and Kalmut, her alleged ‘husband’. He was Haradrim. Curufin was the eldest boy, dark-haired, handsome, only about fourteen but already strong and tall; a sister, whose name we never found out, but she resembled her brother so much in looks and age, we assumed they were twins; and the two youngest, a fair girl of ten and a pure blond-haired boy of about four. Those two both looked nothing like their parents, they could almost have been stolen. None of the four looked like Kalmut. They had set themselves up in Dol Amroth as seemingly legitimate tradesfolk, but my father began to hear rumours of an underground brothel operating from their house, one allowing the abuse of very young girls, and also boys. Father had it put under increased surveillance but there was simply no evidence to support these rumours.’ His face hardened as he continued. ‘And then three girls went missing, two young sisters from a well-respected family and their young maid. The maid escaped somehow and raised the alarm. I was not in Dol Amroth at the time but arrived back the next day. At least I was spared the ordeal of finding the two girls. My father was not so lucky. I have never seen him in such a rage. I thought he would tear the man responsible apart with his bare hands. They were found in a cottage deep in the woods above Dol Amroth, one of the two girls was still alive when he got there, but barely. She kept saying ‘Bregolith, Bregolith’ until she died in my father’s arms. The family were rounded up quickly. They found Curufin and Kalmut separately in the woods. They must have been looking for the missing maid. Only Kalmut had blood on his clothes. Kalmut had reacted violently to being caught, thereby compounding his guilt in my father’s eyes. The boy on the other hand was completely calm, almost… helpful. The maid corroborated the dead girl’s accusation of Bregolith. She had lured the girls with promises of treats to the cottage. The maid had been more wary and had tried to persuade them not to go in but she had felt duty bound to stay with them when they did. She had been pulled into the cellars by the boy, Curufin, almost immediately and raped. He then hit her on the head, possibly to kill her or at least to keep her quiet. She regained consciousness much later to hear screaming. She found a rotten section in the roof of the cellar she was able to punch a hole through, climb her way out and run for help. You should know, Elphir. She was Benethrin’s mother, Idromiel. Her master’s family was destroyed by what happened to their daughters and left Dol Amroth soon afterwards, so we took her in at the palace.’ Elphir nodded his understanding. ‘Benethrin never understood why she gave up her position in our household to serve Belegond in a much lower position. He had really resented her for that. She must have suspected that Melian was one of Bregolith’s daughters, the younger one, since she was blond. And the youngest son… became Cirion. They are all of the right age. Assuming Turallien is Curufin, his twin sister would fit with Hannemor’s wife, Sylvennan. What happened to them?’ ‘They found Bregolith walking close to their house with her elder daughter, Sylvennan you say? They both bolted as soon as they saw the guards coming for them. Only Sylvennan somehow managed to escape and she just disappeared. We found the two younger children at their house unattended. When confronted with the murder of the girls and the witness of the maid, Bregolith blamed everything on Kalmut, she said he forced her to bring the girls to him, but she had left them all alive with him. He spoke no Sindarin, and poor Westron, he became violent at the slightest questioning. We asked one of the traders who spoke Haradrim to interpret for him. He denied it was him, he said it was Bregolith’s brother who had raped and mutilated the girls with the help of her son, Curufin. He was not her husband, nor even the father of the children. He had gone to try to stop them when he realised the girls they had taken were not some street urchins no one would miss, the kind they used to target in Umbar, but girls from a good family. He had been too late. He had tried to save the one girl still alive which is why he had her blood on his clothes, but he realised he could not and was trying to leave Dol Amroth when we caught him. Knowing what we know now, I believe he was telling the truth.’ Assa interrupted, ‘Bregolin was the name of the old Condir. It seems very likely Bregolith was his sister although not of Pallando’s line assuming they were both born in Sennebar, in which case she would have been sold in the slave markets aged six to eight, rather than kept until twelve to become a breeder herself. We may never know, but what we do know is that Bregolin preferred boys. This was not for Bregolin, this was all for Turallien, or Curufin to give him his birth name. Kalmut may still have been lying, Imrahil. Turallien would have needed help to keep the three girls captive. That could have been Kalmut, Bregolith or Sylvennan, as much as it was Bregolin. None were innocent. They will all have known what those girls were there for. Why is this story not more widely known?’ ‘The dead girls’ family did not want the grisly details to be known. They had other children they wanted to protect, and this kind of scandal follows the reputation of the innocent victims as much as the perpetrators. This my own family knows only too well… The parents were present at Kalmut’s hanging which was done privately at the Palace.’ Imrahil continued. ‘And Curufin, Father. He must have been punished,’ Elphir persisted. ‘He was flogged, as was his mother. There was no proof they had themselves committed murder, only the rape of poor Idromiel in the case of Curufin, and kidnap in the case of Bregolith. He was so young and so convincing he had not known of the presence of the two girls and what they were there for. Only for these crimes they were punished. This was done publicly. My father then exiled the whole family from Dol Amroth on pain of death if they returned. I had felt that unjust, not for the elder children, of course, but for the two youngest, especially the boy, they were too young to have been party to this evil. As they left, I offered to take the two youngest children into my household, to protect them. I almost begged her, but Bregolith spat in my face. The lasting memory I have is that beautiful blond four year old boy looking back at me in such confusion as to what was happening to him and the look of pure hatred from his older sister. What a fool I have been! They did come back, only it was my wife and daughter who were the ones to pay the price for me letting those children down.’ ‘They must have gone straight to Bregolin,’ Gallend interjected. ‘I believe this was to be Curufin’s initiation into the sect of the Shadow, and it was to him hidden nearby they all fled. He was already the Condir and Hannestor was working for him. His sister could not go back to Umbar, but there was no reason the children could not. He must have married off his eldest niece to Hannemor. We know Melian was taken in by Hannedriel and taught how to be a lady, ultimately becoming Belegond’s wife. Curufin became Turallien and was duly embedded in the both the Astari network as well as Hannedriel’s family trading business. And Cirion, he could have been sent anywhere, probably with his mother, until he too was old enough to be in training. And we know where he ended up. Their property holdings were extensive. Bregolith and her youngest son must have lived in one of them before he was sent to Dol Amroth. We need to go back to that list.’ ‘There is only one property we have not yet identified. We thought we had but it doesn’t match with anywhere in Gondor or Rohan. Ottakar has confirmed it’s not in his realm,’ Faramir informed them. ‘Perhaps it is in Arnor. Show me,’ asked Aragorn urgently. He looked intently and showed it to Arwen. ‘Do you have the original deeds? I would like to see the one relating to this property if you do.’ ‘Yes, at our lodgings,’ Hadán replied. ‘I will bring all of them here now,’ as he sped off. ‘What are you thinking, Aragorn?’ Imrahil enquired. ‘They use a slightly different script in the North. If this is for a property in Arnor it will read Tyrn Gorthad, not Tirn Gorffad as seemingly written here.’ Imrahil could tell from Arwen’s expression that this was not good news. ‘All property transactions in Arnor are marked with the watermark of the town the contract is drawn up. This will confirm the location to me.’ They did not have to wait long as Hadán marched swiftly back into the chamber carrying the deed, followed later by two guards carrying a small chest between them. He showed it to Aragorn who gently scattered some ashes from the fire grate onto the document and shook the deed to reveal the mark more clearly. It was one he recognised. He asked for the sketch of Turallien which was kept in his study. He closed his eyes, breathing out audibly as he looked again at the sketch and back into his memories. ‘I know where I have seen this man before. He was in Bree.’ ‘Lothíriel is in Bree,’ Imrahil shouted. ‘I must go to her,’ he said as he made to leave, with Hadán and Gallend close behind him. ‘Wait, Imrahil. Please.’ Aragorn commanded. ‘She is not alone. Eradan, Gimli and Legolas have all seen this sketch. They know he is hunting her. She is safe, I promise you that, and she knows not to take risks. Besides, we do not know that he is in Bree, only that this property lies to the south of that town. You cannot go there, not even my kin risk going near there lightly. We need help. He is truly a servant of Sauron if this is where he has made his base and taken the hoard.’ He turned to Gallend. ‘Did Éomer raid all the properties in these deeds which are in Rohan or are they only under surveillance?’ he asked. ‘They are only under surveillance and all seems to be in order. The ones in and around Elbrond have not been lived in since my father’s arrest, we have all the others covered.’ ‘Might I suggest that you and Hadán leave for Edoras immediately and ask Éomer to raid them, innocent seeming or not, and arrest all those within until we have this man in custody or dead. We will do the same. We need to chase him and his network out into the open. I would also advise Éomer to send a force up the Greenway to Bree to provide extra protection for Lothíriel for her return to Rohan.’ Both men nodded their agreement, Assa pouted her disapproval. ‘Assa, Tuor, I need you back in Pelargir to secure Hannedriel. I assume she is still there?’ ‘I will go with Hadán and Gallend to Bree. Tuor does not need me in Pelargir,’ Assa retorted matter-of-factly. Arwen drew breath but Aragorn simply smiled at Assa and said, ‘As you wish, my Lady,’ raising a hand to stop her from saying, ‘I am no lady.’ For once Assa backed down, Gallend noted admiringly, wondering if would ever have such authority with her. ‘Imrahil, I would prefer it if all your family and Galador were in Dol Amroth. You will only play into his hands if you chase him and you are better protected in Dol Amroth than anywhere. He was taunting you with the bodies he left on the boat. But you need to move Belegond from the dungeons, it is where he will expect you to keep him…’ Elphir discreetly interrupted. ‘I have already taken that precaution; he is tied up in the boat with his brother’s rotting corpse. The girls I ordered to be respectfully brought ashore, once I had shown everyone the bodies as we had found them. I had Hannemor’s body taken downstairs and dumped next to Belegond. My apologies if that sounds somewhat cruel and spiteful but I thought they should be together. Also, I ordered Erchirion, Galador and Margelith back to Dol Amroth with an escort under Benethrin.’ ‘Imrahil,’ Tuor addressed himself to his brother-in-law, ‘I agree with Aragorn. Until we unravel this network, you are all the main targets. Besides, if the whole family is in Dol Amroth, it might make going after you there more appealing than trying to strike at Lothíriel. You might be able to draw him away from her. We do not even know if he is himself in the North.’ ‘I will not sit in Dol Amroth doing nothing while my daughter is in such danger, Tuor. Aragorn, do not ask this of me. I failed to protect her ten years ago and will not fail her again.’ Aragorn was deep in thought. ‘Elphir, you said you found the boat with Hannemor’s corpse moored off the coast of Anfalas by the promontory of Belerest. They most likely transferred to a larger ship indicating they intended a long sea journey. The safest way to move any treasure to Tyrn Gorthad from Pelargir would undoubtedly be in the open seas by ship to the mouth of the Brandywine River and then by barge to Sarn Ford and possibly even beyond. If you must go, Imrahil, you can best serve your daughter by cutting off that escape route. You have my authority to stop and search any vessel along this route, however large or small, and impound any you believe to be suspicious.’ ‘I will come with you, Father,’ Amrothos interjected brooking no dissent. ‘We can hide our absence from Dol Amroth well enough to make it seem we are all there. Elphir, please take Frea with you and keep her safe for me.’ Elphir nodded gladly. ‘Then you must take my new ship,’ Tuor said with some pride. ‘She is designed specifically for the purpose of converting from sailing the oceans to rowing upstream without needing to offload cargo. She is robust enough to sail to the Grey Havens and beyond faster than bigger vessels and yet small enough to navigate far upstream our main riverways, assuming Elphir, you will sail me back to Pelargir on your way home?’ |