Trewsday, 1st of Forelithe, Year 1417 Shire-reckoning
Somewhere in the Land of Hollin
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| Remains of the Nan Sirannon |
"What is this?" asked Nephyn in a hushed voice after some time. "Gaelira, I thought Mallacai was the leader of the Seekers of the Seven Stars. Who is Inar?" The she-Elf sighed deeply and her face became lined with concern.
"The Seekers have, in these days of doubt and darkness, morphed into something very different than the treasure-hunting and scholastic fellowship which was its origin. The spectre of war now overshadows all thoughts, and talk of survival is on everyone's lips. Mallacai was, certainly, our leader, but apparently things have changed. I knew nothing of this until now -- I can only suppose it occurred while we tarried in Rivendell as Lagodir recovered. The Leader has always been elected by the kinship's elders, and perhaps the fear of these times may have finally led us from wisdom down onto the path of folly."
"It sounds as though you know something of this Inar, then," I said measuredly. My history with Gaelira had made me distrustful of her at one time, but that was an unfortunate misunderstanding which had long ago been set to rights. Now, it was taking an effort of will to keep myself from sliding back into old suspicions, but I was determined to fight the temptation and hear her out.
"I do," she answered me, "And I will tell you everything I know about Captain Inar, here and now."
"Captain Inar, is it?" asked Lagodir with an arched eyebrow. "Captain of what?"
"The title is more of an honorific because no one really seems to remember the answer to that question -- or perhaps they never knew," Gaelira said. "All I can tell you is that is how he has always been addressed so long as I have known of him. Most likely it is a reference to some vestige of his past: he may have been a soldier or a mercenary in his younger days. He is of the Race of Men and he is elderly for his kind... I think. It has always been difficult for me to judge the ages of mortals, but he may have seen more than three-score summers on this earth, perhaps more. He always wears a deep cowl which shrouds his face, but a short beard of white and a scarred mouth are all that can usually be seen in public. For myself, I have never seen him wearing anything but his very best, highly polished armour, which is always in black and gold -- the kinship's heraldic colours."
"Well, at least we know what his dressing preferences are," said Drodie with a sneer. "But what of the Man himself? And why would be ordering his lackeys to hunt down and murder poor Luean?"
"I think we should be very careful ere we begin assigning blame for Luean's death to Inar or the Seekers," Gaelira said unexpectedly. "As clear as the note Padryc recovered seems to make things, I would urge restraint on judgment until we have all the facts."
"The facts appear plain enough to me," said Nephyn as her cheeks blushed crimson, "Inar could be a Man, an Elf, or a toad for all I care -- Luean's blood is on his hands! Besides, who is to say we ourselves or not being hunted even now, just as Luean was? Did we not come here to aid him, in search of the same things he sought?"
"Are we in danger, then?" I asked, and I began to scan the country surrounding us. Night was not yet fully descended, but the light was rapidly fading and the coming of darkness was once again full of terror for me as I imagined masked, shadowy assassins pursuing us through all the hollows of the hills.
"I am not certain," Gaelira responded after a pause. "It pains me very much to say so, but I think we had best take all precautions. To answer Drodie's earlier questions -- and thereby give you all more knowledge of what we may be facing -- I can tell you that Inar was a divisive figure from the moment he was admitted into the Seekers. While the kinship had always searched Middle-earth to discover the whereabouts of the Seven Stars (which I, to remind you again, have never believed really exist), Inar believed the Stars would only be revealed when the people of Middle-earth proved themselves worthy of the Valar's assistance in the wars against the Enemy. He preaches that the Seven Stars cannot be found by ordinary searching -- how could relics of such fame and power remain hidden since before the Sun and Moon rode through the sky? Such is his reasoning. No, he believes the Stars do exist, but that they are being withheld by Elbereth until the Free Peoples show themselves to be worthy of receiving them, at which time they will be used to destroy Sauron and bring peace to the world. To this end, Inar was constantly urging the Seekers to journey to all corners of Middle-earth performing deeds of worth in the service of others, even to the point of mounting organized and armed resistance against the Enemy's forces, many of which he led himself."
"Ah, so he is an accomplished soldier?" asked Lagodir thoughtfully. "The manner in which he maneuvered himself into the leadership becomes quite clear, then."
"Precisely," Gaelira went on. "In times of war, a warrior has much appeal as a leader. And Inar is no charlatan; he is perhaps the Seekers' most dedicated and valiant knight -- a gifted commander and strategist. However, his determination to act directly against the Enemy in military fashion has created a rift among us in recent years. He had taken to openly criticizing Mallacai for what he saw as the Elves' lack of concern for the mortal races since (in his mind) they would always steer away from direct action to the detriment of his short-lived kind. Over time, he built up something of a following within the Seekers, particularly among non-Elves and those whose lands were threatened by evil. But now it seems things have finally come to a head: Mallacai is either dead or has been driven from the leadership while this dangerous Man has taken power."
"Dangerous, indeed!" said Nephyn, "How else would you describe someone who orders the killing of a stranger for no apparent reason? We must remain on our guard lest we be next, mark my words!"
"Caution would certainly be prudent," said Gaelira, "Yet that is the one thing in all of this which makes the least sense to me -- I have never heard that Inar was a cold-blooded killer, certainly not of any Free Folk."
"Still, power can make a monster out of anyone, Man or Elf, Dwarf or Hobbit," said Lagodir grimly. "And who is Volfren -- the individual to whom the letter was addressed? It would seem to me that he is our cold-blooded killer, though Inar issued him his orders."
"I am not familiar with that name at all," Gaelira answered. "I can only guess he is someone in Inar's service, probably a trusted agent of his -- possibly a Seeker himself, but maybe not."
"If he is so dangerous, why haven't you spoken about him before now?" I asked.
"My association with Inar is not something about which I've ever been proud, and I spoke against his admittance into the kinship," the she-Elf said with a grimace. "He and I agree on virtually nothing, although I do not begrudge him his heroics. I've always thought him to be a sort of warrior-zealot, and I have no time for his ramblings. Besides, there has been no particular reason to discuss him up until now."
"Sounds like nothing more than a madman to me," laughed Drodie. "We should have naught to fear from the likes of him."
"I would warn against being so cavalier about it," Gaelira replied emphatically. "For one thing, Luean's death alone proves we are walking treacherous ground, regardless of who was responsible for his passing. Furthermore, Inar's beliefs may be strange to me and to others, but he holds them fervently, as do his followers. That alone could make him very dangerous."
"I agree with Gaelira," said Lagodir. "A Man of such standing could threaten the peace of whole regions, given the right circumstances. We have seen such things many times among the disparate peoples of my home away in the South-lands."
"There are certainly those who fear Inar intends to raise his own private army and set himself up as tyrant over all the North," said Gaelira, "But I do not think so. I have seen the Man put himself on the front lines in many forays against the Enemy, and a mere pretender would never do such a thing. No, I judge him to be a true believer with sincerely held convictions -- but that may only make him more dangerous, not less, especially if he is now a direct adversary."
There was a long pause in the conversation as each of us mulled over all that we had just learned. Several torches and campfires leapt to life as the Elves of Mirobel concluded their ceremony at the setting of the Sun. The stars were kindled overhead and the music of many instruments could be heard. Into my mind suddenly flashed my last memory of Mallacai when he bade me farewell in the hills of Angmar -- and then promptly vanished. Had he known of his danger even then?
"Then you must decide," came a voice, "What you will do next." I started, for the voice was that of Minasse. There he sat on an elegant stone bench, apart and a little ways behind us. He had said nothing for a very long time, and now I was puzzled to hear him speaking as if he were not a part of our Company. Gaelira nodded slowly.
"Yes," she said, "The time has come for us to make an important choice."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"I think," said Nephyn as she eyed Gaelira carefully, "That we shall have to decide whether to continue Luean's work of searching for Narchuil or to attend to Lagodir's need -- to locate one of the gondath, and thereby have a chance of restoring him and destroying the threat of Guloth forever. I believe the Company already knows where I stand on this question."
"I myself will abstain from speaking on the matter," said Lagodir solemnly, "As I cannot be expected to judge impartially. I shall follow the will of the Company."
"As shall I," said Minasse very suddenly. I shot him a look, wondering why he was so eager to be left out of the voting process when he was usually quite outspoken, especially in matters where his own wisdom was concerned.
"As for me," said Drodie, clearly enjoying the opportunity to make his thoughts known, "I say we should find this Inar and deal with him ourselves. Like as not he has plenty of guards, so that should entertain me for a little while at least. In all seriousness: I like not the idea of having my footsteps dogged all across Eriador -- let us put him down like the villain he is and avenge our fallen comrade!"
"I don't know," I said as I pulled on my chin. "Elrond himself said this business with Amarthiel and her Ring may not be ours -- that we might start things while others would finish them. And somehow it just feels right that we should try to help Lagodir, especially since his ordeal is still not really over, when you think about it. I vote that we try to find the gondath, but Heaven help me if I know where to start looking."
"That makes two votes for the gondath and one vote to find Inar," Nephyn summarized for us. "Lagodir and Minasse have both said they will abide by the Company's collective decision, so it is down to you, Gaelira." The she-Elf frowned and blinked several times as she thought.
"I agree with Nephyn and Padryc," she said at last. "The welfare of our friend is of the most importance, and if Guloth were to emerge again he could be nearly as dangerous as Amarthiel herself -- perhaps even more so considering our proximity to him. Still, I believe we must send word to Elrond of what we learned here with Tham Mirdain. I will send Malkan with tidings to Imladris."
"I have a better idea," said Minasse as he stood. "I myself shall bear word to Elrond, which frees Malkan to find Mallacai. The eagle will have a much better chance of locating the Elf since we have no idea where he might have gone, whereas I would know the way to Rivendell through these lands blindfolded and I am perfectly capable of defending myself along the way."
"This counsel seems good to me," said Gaelira. "In such a way we could both inform Lord Elrond of what has transpired while also having a chance to make contact with Mallacai, or at least learn what might have befallen him. Mayhap he would even join our efforts! Let it be as you suggest, Minasse. In the meantime, if we are to pursue the gondath, we shall have to decide where to commence our search. I have an idea about that, and perhaps it will bring our Dwarf some consolation at missing out on a good brawl: I believe we should begin in the deep dark of Moria."
Drodie sat upright, a smoldering fire kindled in his brown eyes, but I shuddered. Despite all of the terrible places I had already been, the idea of going into Moria petrified me. The stories I had heard about those caverns all my life were not the sort of thing anyone would ever tell their children -- every sensible hobbit feared the Black Pit.
"I can see the reason in this," said Lagodir, to my dismay. "Considering Elrond's description of the stones, Moria would be a more logical spot to search for them than most places in Middle-earth. In addition, if we are being tracked by Inar, Volfren, or any of their allies, then disappearing into the darkness of the Dwarf-realm will certainly throw them off our trail -- few would ever go thither willingly."
"And not without good reason," I piped up, but my words went unheeded.
"This certainly is a perilous choice," said Nephyn, her brow knitted together in thought, "But, despite my fear, I agree that it is the right decision."
"I assure you that it is," said Minasse. "Come, let us get started at once."
"Nonsense!" I said, determined to be heard this time. "It's nearly pitch-dark; I'm both tired and hungry. You'll not get me to walk an inch until sunrise at the earliest."
"Padryc is right," said Gaelira. "Our hearts are heavy with the loss of our friend while the road we have chosen shall be fraught with danger. Let us each rest according to their kind, and we will set out with the light of dawn."
"Very well," said Minasse. "We shall be safe enough here from prowlers, if Inar has any agents stalking the hillsides. It will be another day's march before we reach the Walls of Moria. Once we reach them, I will leave you and turn North, toward Imladris."
"But how will we find the doors that are shut?" asked Drodie. "I am no lore-master, not even among my own people: the secrets which guard the West-gate of Khazad-dum are not known to me."
"Ah, but they are known to me," said Minasse with a grin. "I once called Eregion my own home, long before it was laid waste by the Dark Lord. I passed through your West-gate more times than I can recall, for I traded with the Naugrim of Moria in both goods and skill. I shall bestow my knowledge upon you ere we go our separate ways."
"I would dance for joy if only Luean's passing did not prohibit such an exhibition," said Drodie, clearly trying to hold his exultation in check for the sake of decorum. "To think that I shall soon behold the halls of my long-fathers! This is a great gift that you are giving me, Minasse. I would normally begrudge you holding Dwarven knowledge that my own people no longer possess, but the fact that you would freely impart it to me is a great boon, and so I cannot be angry with you."
"Don't be foolish," said Minasse as he looked down at Drodie, but he wore a broad smile. "The manner for entering the West-gate was widely known in my day, for the traffic betwixt our peoples at that time was great indeed. Still, it warms my heart to know this wisdom brings you such happiness, Son of Durin -- may you rejoice at the sights which now await you!" We all settled down for the night and got some much-needed rest.
Hevensday, 2nd of Forelithe, Year 1417 Shire-reckoning
Somewhere in the Land of Hollin
Gaelira had us up at the first light of dawn. We breakfasted and said our farewells to the Elves before returning to the road and marching along the empty banks of the Nan Sirannon all day. Nothing hindered our passing, but I always felt as though we were being watched; I kept glancing over my shoulder, but of course there was nothing to see. At the end of the day we arrived at the same tumbled ruins we had seen the day before and made our camp there. Minasse said he would remain with us through the night and depart for Rivendell in the morning. Nephyn busied herself with the making of a fire while Gaelira conversed with Malkan the eagle, whom she had summoned earlier. The bird was being instructed to try and locate Mallacai and inform him of our situation, but there was little hope of finding him in all the vastness of Eriador. Drodie, meanwhile, wouldn't stop talking about the wonders of Moria, and we eventually had to quiet him out of concern for safety -- the wilds were deadly silent all around and it made the rest of us uneasy.
We had a good supper together and passed the time recounting the more incredible parts of our journey together so far. As I sit here writing about today's happenings, though, my eye is constantly drawn off the page to stare at the great stone archway which lies just a short distance east along the road... the road into Moria. The space under that arch is black in the night air, as if it were the entrance to Khazad-dum itself -- a yawning cavern of impenetrable darkness from which no one ever returns.
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