User blog:High Prince Imrahil/The Rebuilding: Parts 1-3

This is a sequel to The Siege of Dol Amroth so I would highly suggest reading that if you haven't already.

PART 1: THE RETURN

Forty years after Dol Amroth fell to Sauron, the elves of Lorien managed to defeat the and vanquish dark lord, destroying the ring and ending his realm forever. Thus the men of Dol Amroth under the command of Elphir son of Imrahil now return to their ancient homeland so many years later. Imrahil, Travian, and Amrothos are with the elves in the North, waiting for tidings from Elphir before going South themselves. Dol Amroth was never occupied by the Southrons, for they dared not go near that place, the sea-ward tower still a symbol of dread. Thus Elphir and his men are able to walk into the ruins un-opposed. . ..

Thus after many days of marching, Elphir finally arrived at Dol Amroth.

The sun rose like a ball of fire in the East, rising over the hills of Tarnost and making the sea glimmer with a rich and brilliant gold. The spears of his army looked like blades of fire, their ranks like great balrogs in glowing arms and armour. It was thus in the early hours that they first sighted what no Numenorean had seen in thirty years: the white tower of Tirith Aear glowing in the distance like the white marble pike of some great statue. Elphir was overcome with emotion and halted to give thanks to Iluvitar, and to pray for his protection as they marched into the forsaken city of the Dunedain. They walked down the foothills of Tarnost, parallel to the Bay of Cobas. They were within only a few miles of Dol Amroth now, and they could see her proud gates and walls rising in the distance. Elphir was overcome with emotion again, but he refused to halt, and instead tried to make the force move faster towards his homeland. Finally, they passed under the Gates of Imrazor and saw, with humble yet eager eyes, the greatest city of men. White houses spread out in all directions, their golden roofs had been looted by orcs. The company passed along the main street which led past the harbor and onto the Tirith Aear via the Gates of the Prince. Everywhere there lay skeletons of Haradrim and Amrothian knights, still clutching their swords and shields. Great chariots lay broken and desolate in the streets, not having been moved since their mounts met a bitter spear-wall of Gondorian steel so many decades ago. Once, Elphir’s company had to halt and clear the path, for a great siege engine had fallen over the road. Yet despite the ruin, the men had high hearts, and they sang great songs of old as they marched towards the sea-ward tower.



Praise be to Elphir,

Mighty prince and lord,

Praise be to Imrahil,

May Manwe strengthen his sword!

For many years, we stayed away,

From the sea-ward tower grim,

With gripping fear, of Tirith Aear,

And the light of Gondor dimed,

Yet Imrahil slayed that dark lord,

As our mighty king,

And Elphir leads us now back to home,

<p class="MsoNormal">Glory to him bring!!

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">Elphir laughed aloud at his name being mentioned in song, and continued towards the Tirith Aear. They had reached the harbor now, and the burnt-out shells of old swan-ships still sat capsized in the water. Beautiful gardens along the beach had now overgrown, covering road and houses in vines and Eleanor. Yet the swan-warriors continued through the waste-high foliage and were now almost at the gates of the prince. Yet Elphir pulled aside to look towards the mouth of the harbor. There had once been two great statues there: one of Imrazor and one of Elendil, being built in fashion and memory of the Aragornath of old. Yet Now the enemy had thrown the head of Imrazor, and Elendil was gone entirely, being thrown into the deepest part of the water. Elphir laughed spitefully.

<p class="MsoNormal">"So that's how you get back at us, eh?" he said aloud in rising spirit and tone "Well maybe if you had spent less time defacing statues and more time fighting we wouldn't have crushed your orcish forces as easily and swiftfully as we did!"

<p class="MsoNormal">A cheer rose from the men as they turned back along the road that led towards the Tirith Aear. When they finally reached the Gates of the Prince, they found them tall and still fair, a few tattered banners still hanging from the battlements. The enemy had clearly not looted this court quite as badly. The shattered remains of the gate still lay upon the ground, the finely crafted shapes of swans, and trees, and flowers, still visible. They walked through the Gates of the Prince and stared now acrossed the great white bridge that led to the Tirith Aear. All of the journey that remained. They marched acrossed it quickly in rising expectation. Elphir stopped for a moment and looked back towards the city, for he could see almost all of it from the bridge.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Well. . ." he said "I'm home at last"

<p class="MsoNormal">He smiled warmly.

<p class="MsoNormal">They marched closer to Tirith Aear, awe-struck at its incredible height. Finally they passed through the doors and into the tower itself. All the memories came flooding back to Elphir of that bloody battle, and how many Dol Amrothians had died attempting to keep those doors from the grasp of the enemy. He remembered suddenly every move of the battle, every swing of his sword, every fallen enemy and ally. His gaze was drawn to his left where lay the skeleton of Hurin, Warden of the Keys. Elphir remembered his death well, stabbed in the back by a Haradrim warrior while fighting a Rhunic chieftain. Elphir gazed at the staircase, the staircase he had nearly died upon, and the staircase he had played on as a child. For indeed Tirith Aear had been the palace of Dol Amroth in happier times, when the prince was untroubled by wars. Elphir, with heavy yet quick strides, ran up the steps, memories descending upon him like great beasts. He flew down the halls like a phoenix, until finally he reached his goal: his own room. The Lebrethron door was still intact, and he was loath to open it and see what the Southrons had looted. but still, he opened it, and behold! The room and all of its possessions were intact, by some miracle the Southrons hadn't looted it! His bed was still made, just as it had been the day he fled from the tower. He cried aloud with joy, and with reverence he took from his shelf a family portrait: Both of his brothers, his sister, and his mother. He held it to his chest and wept with joy. He was home. His squire Trav walked through the door into the room.

<p class="MsoNormal">"My pardon, Elphir" he said "But I have news: The treasuries, the armories and the smithies were never looted by the enemy! For what reason, we don't know, but everything inside this tower is still intact!"

<p class="MsoNormal">Elphir embraced Trav with joy.

<p class="MsoNormal">"We have our kingdom back! We are home! We are home. . ."

<p class="MsoNormal">He set out down the stairs again, eager to get started on rebuilding the city.

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">PART 2

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">The next day, Elphir awoke in the early hours. Suddenly he realized it had been nigh forty years since he had last slept in his own bed. The first glimmers of sun had not yet appeared over the Hills of Tarnost, but already the tower was alive with activity as troops woke up, were eating breakfast and preparing themselves for whatever the day might bring. Elphir himself wasn't sure what to do, for the city was in such ruins it was hard to decide what to repair first.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Not the barracks" spoke Elphir to himself "for the tower can house the troops for now. . . perhaps we should start rebuilding the harbor first."

<p class="MsoNormal">Elphir walked over to Trav who was eating a bowl of soup in the corner of the guardroom.

<p class="MsoNormal">"How much food do we have?" asked Elphir

<p class="MsoNormal">"Not much, sir, the supplies in the tower, though not looted, are rotten and old, though there is still some cram and lembas there. All we have is the rations we brought with us."

<p class="MsoNormal">"hmmmmmmmm" said Elphir thoughtfully "How long will that last us?"

<p class="MsoNormal">"Not much more then a month, I fear."

<p class="MsoNormal">Elphir saluted Trav then headed out to the stables where he sent some riders North giving his father and brother tidings of what was going on in Dol Amroth. He then went acrossed the bridge to survey the harbor. A few troops, not having any orders, were fishing peacefully there.

<p class="MsoNormal">Elphir reached the harbor at dawn, and taking a second look at it, could see the wreckage and ruin: it would take a long while to clear enough room for even a small ship to enter or exit the harbor. Ruined and rotting corisair marauders and swan-ships filled the water, jumbled masts and rigging like a great forest as Elphir looked out towards the mouth of the harbor. And at the mouth of the harbor the great statue of Elendil still blocked the path should any ship be able to clear the wreckage of battleships. It was clear the harbor would be useless for at least half of a year.

<p class="MsoNormal">A bit demoralized, Elphir then walked back to Tirith Aear, still trying to decide where to assign his men. But for the moment, while he was deciding, he let Trav take most of them out on a hunt in the surrounding forests to hopefully gather more food.

<p class="MsoNormal">Elphir walked towards the gate of the city, glancing at the skeletons and ruined war machines about him. Indeed it seemed as if everything littered the streets from great rock-flinging engines to chariots to wooden towers. Moss and rot covered their likeness, and cobwebs seemed to have taken over the alleys and side-streets. Elphir shook his head thinking about all the labor that would be needed to clear the streets alone, much less repair the many pot holes and craters gouged by troll warhammers or great stones flung over the walls. Indeed Elphir began to wonder if it was even worth repairing the city rather then just building anew. But he quickly dismissed this notion, thinking of how many years he had yearned to return to this fair place. He would make it fair once more or die in the attempt!

<p class="MsoNormal">Elphir turned a corner into a side-alley that led to the royal gardens. He passed the likeness of several burnt-out houses and finally stepped over a crumbled arch into a large garden with marble walls and benches. A white fountain sang sweetly in the corner, nearly unharmed. The beds of Nimrodel and Eleanor had long since overgrown the paths, and a few trees rose up through the flower beds. But still Elphir was content to sit on a broken bench and relax thoughtfully to the beautiful music of the fountain.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Finally!" he thought "A quite moment to gather my thoughts. . . why wasn't the tower looted? Sauron knew we had all of our greatest treasures there. . . why didn't he loot it? A puzzle indeed. . . And what of the men? What should we do now? Repair the market? The canals? The harbor? Hmmmmmmmm. . ."

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">PART 3: Old Friends

<p class="MsoNormal">

<p class="MsoNormal">Elphir awoke to hoofbeats.

<p class="MsoNormal">"How long have I been lying here?" he thought as he began to awaken "I must have fallen asleep in the relaxing music of the fountain. . ."

<p class="MsoNormal">He opened his eyes to see that the sun was setting over the ruins of the West Gate and that it was most likely past dinner time.

<p class="MsoNormal">"I must keep awake" he thought as he wrenched himself off of the bench "I can't rule a kingdom when I'm constantly sleeping all day. . ."

<p class="MsoNormal">But his attention suddenly focused on the sound of hoofbeats coming from the main road. It was a quiet sound, probably a single horse trotting along.

<p class="MsoNormal">But Elphir knew that Southrons occasionally passed through the ruins of Dol Amroth and he crept towards the sound slowly, careful to avoid detection in case it was an enemy. Soon there was only a fence between himself and the sound, and his heart pounded as he pressed his back against the barrier. But he put to much wait on his left side and snapped a dry twig. ..

<p class="MsoNormal">"Hail!" sounded a familiar voice "Be ye friend or foe??"

<p class="MsoNormal">"That depends" said Elphir, still not showing himself "I am a servant of the King of Gondor. Who are you?"

<p class="MsoNormal">Elphir heard metal upon stone as iron-clad feet walked towards the wall he was hiding behind.

<p class="MsoNormal">A pale face peeked over the wall, an elf with high cheek bones and long black hair.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Uncle Edacnik!!" exclaimed Elphir in joyous surprise as he leapt to his feet "I thought you were in Forodwaith with Aunt Idril!"

<p class="MsoNormal">Edacnik smiled

<p class="MsoNormal">"Yes, my dear nephew, but the business there has been set strait. I heard that you were attempting to reclaim these old ruins, and well, I decided to help. You have my sword, Elphir, I am prepared to help you rebuild these ruins at whatever cost!"

<p class="MsoNormal">Elphir embraced his uncle

<p class="MsoNormal">"By Manwe, Edacnik, it is good to see you! And you will be staying??"

<p class="MsoNormal">"Aye, I'll stay and help. I'm another mouth to feed but I can hunt more then my share"

<p class="MsoNormal">"Don't worry about it, Edacnik! you're worth more then a thousand mouths to feed!"

<p class="MsoNormal">"Thanks, lad!" laughed Edacnik "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to make of that comment"

<p class="MsoNormal">Elphir was too overjoyed to laugh. Not only was it incredible to have his uncle here to help, but Edacnik was a warrior mighty above all, and would surly help defend the Sea-Ward Tower!

<p class="MsoNormal">"Now don't forget about me, my lad!" said a female voice

<p class="MsoNormal">Elphir turned to see a beautiful elf with long blonde hair sitting on Edacnik's horse She smiled warmly.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Aunt Idril!" exclaimed Elphir, rushing to the horse "You have come as well?? This is surely a most joyous day!"

<p class="MsoNormal">And Idril had been more then just an aunt to Elphir. When Dol Amroth was destroyed and Imrahil wandered in exile, had been left in Idril's care for weeks at a time, and she had been as a mother to him, the only mother he had since Imrahil's wife had died in the Siege of Dol Amroth. Indeed the day Idril married Edacnik and became his kin was one of the happiest days in Elphir's life.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Idril!" said Elphir as he embraced his aunt "I should have known that with Edacnik here you wouldn't be far off!"

<p class="MsoNormal">Edacnik smiled, leaning on his sword and watching the happy exchange between nephew and Aunt.

<p class="MsoNormal">Yet all was cut short, for there was another sound of hoofbeats, this time a swift gallop and coming from the interior of the city. Suddenly a Palfrey galloped out of a side alley and onto the street, clad in the manor of the silver swan. The rider was Trav son of Travian, squire to Elphir. His face broke into a grin as he saw the three family members.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Trav!" shouted Elphir to the rider "Look what guests we have!"

<p class="MsoNormal">"My goodness!" exclaimed the squire "Fair Idril Cal'endurë and Edacnik Fyr! It is an honor indeed!"

<p class="MsoNormal">He dismounted his horse and bowed

<p class="MsoNormal">"Up with ya, Trav!" said Edacnik good-naturedly "I'm going to be staying here a while and if you bow every time you see me. . . "

<p class="MsoNormal">Trav stood and turned to Elphir

<p class="MsoNormal">"My lord!" he said "As for you, Elphir, we've been looking for you the whole blasted day! Where in the name of Varda where you?!"

<p class="MsoNormal">Elphir reddened

<p class="MsoNormal">"I'm quite sorry, Trav, I was in the royal gardens and I fell asleep. . ."

<p class="MsoNormal">"Enough of this rot!" said Edacnik in jest "I came to eat and if I don't get some food I'll flame you all to crisps!"

<p class="MsoNormal">"Very well, uncle!" laughed Elphir "The kitchens in the Sea-Ward tower are intact and I'm sure we can get some food there!"

<p class="MsoNormal">So Elphir mounted Trav's horse and Edacnik mounted his own horse, and the four rode down the main street, along the harbor, and acrossed the massive stone bridge. Idril talked about battles in the North while Trav and Elphir spoke about their journey through Dor-en-Ernil and what it was like arriving at Dol Amroth for the first time in so many years. Edacnik was oddly silent, and Elphir decided that his uncle was merely respecting the dead that had fallen in the siege.

<p class="MsoNormal">But after they got into the kitchen and ate some food in the dim firelight, Elphir could see his uncle lightening up.

<p class="MsoNormal">"Ya know, lad" Edacnik said between bites on a deer's leg "I spoke to your father on my way down here."

<p class="MsoNormal">Elphir nodded sadly.

<p class="MsoNormal">"He'd be here if he could, you know that lad" said Edacnik, placing his hand on Elphir's shoulder and looking suddenly serious "He loves you, Elphir, and we both know that he would be here if he could. But. . . he's getting old. He could still outmatch any champion in a sword-fight, but he just can't take the questing anymore, the fleeing from danger, the excitement, the action. And we both know he's had more then his share of that anyways. The point is, he is proud of you Elphir, and he'd be here if he could."

<p class="MsoNormal">"You already said that, uncle"

<p class="MsoNormal">"Good! its worth saying twice"

<p class="MsoNormal">And slowly night slowly drew to a close.