(Archive) The Song of Indilzar

\"Forgive me m\'lord.\" Speaks Aglaring in a somber tone. Slowly taking the seat across from Indilzar, upon the bench identical to the other. Though again he nods, slightly slower then the ones before hand, as the knight speaks of lore and arts, something not entirely unfamiliar in Aglaring\'s life.

Over white towers manned by few

In lonely Pelargir by the sea,

Now held under deadly siege.

By foes of the west dire and black

And greatly was their wont to sack

that mighty city on river quay,

Pelargir mighty might have fallen that day,

t\'were it not for the deeds of some,

Who at Angbor\'s behest did come:

Angiest proud, Hurin dauntless,

Sirion Marshall with blue crest.

Yet chief of these that held the day

was Hirluin the Fair as sunlit ray

might be to those manly handful,

who saw hope in the Fair until,

\'gainst iron sword of Umbar making

came to Pelargir in hopes creating

chaos of their enemies in the North

seeking that they may come not forth

\'gain to open war and Gondor\'s

folk sold enslaved who not would swore

to the Shadow of whom they did serve,

in worship hateful and with ferve.

In the melee dire by the quay,

Came Hirluin to that doomed fray,

where the blood ran thick as the smoke

of Orodruin, whose clouds choke

Mount Doom: the hopes of the West

Yet he be on those white walls bound

by countless cruel hands which sound

proud beastly horns for all to hear

Hirluin was caught, and all felt fear

that doom was nigh as the banners of Fire,

came foreboding fate most Dire.

To be taken to the burning south,

Far away from Anduin\'s mouth

to Umbar town of Corsair home,

far away from the rich loam

of Pinath Gelin of which from

Hirluin\'s the Fair\'s might did come.

Yet in torment did he languish

in dungeons deep not to finish

his moveless fate in fair Gondor,

Of Tree amid the sunlit skies.

Yet that tale is in other lore told,

Of the deeds of great Gondor bold

And cast back the Mordor yoke,

that sought to trample and choke

that fair land nigh the Anduin

And battle that there in grim din

Claiming many brave lives ere all

was to tell. Such was the fall

of Mordor\'s dark and dreary host

When they fell few and manly most.

Yet now know in those after days,

When the sunlit and moonlit rays,

Returned to merry Anduin,

Came the news in the joyful din

of Umbar town in shackles beheld

no longer to roam on the fair field

no more. Now that prince that noble

blood, no taint or stain or sable

thought be in that fair frame. Call

Council in fair Belfalas of fall

of Hirluin in Pelargir

to contrive rescue without fear

of that dauntless man. Such plan

was wrought in the Swan Knightly Clan

to go by stealth and secret skill

in disguise, but not bound to kill

rather to rescue by stealthy

wit, Hirluin the man mighty.

for in that Prince was no nobler man

thought where the true blood elven

still courses through the strong veins

in fair Dol Amroth. Where none fains

battle and honor or quest perilous

seeking that which is most glorious

to defend that noble blood and Tree

known as Lord Sema Isilrim

Sirion by name, of hand shorn

whilst wandering in lands forlorn.

His title was Marshall of Thanes

Amarthion the fierce, the foe

of all who brood in dark light

He who sought relief from night

of his Lord of Old, Thorondor

Erindil valiant lord, Pinnath Gelin

was his home. Young and valiant,

the fullness of manhood and salient,

For love\'s sake travel did go he

No friend to foe, no stranger to fear.

Yet by fickle fate: a strange hand,

picked him to join this noble band.

Sent by Hurin, Ward of the Keys,

Away in the east from Ithilien,

came Celebhir the Grey, valiant of men,

knowledgeble in the hunt and chase,

they are like none other race

An almost Elf-folk in the forest,

Trained not for war but for effete

learning and skills, southern ways,

of their evils along their quays,

Sent was he by Hurin too,

Of the Thanes, swift, the best

and hand picked for peril in the waste,

For the journey was sure with haste

Landros of Linhir was the first,

The men of heart, all were true

Who sailed on that sure ship to the south,

Far away from Anduin\'s mouth

Would \'The Hand that Pursues\' speed,

Away from mirth, away from mead,

of fair northlands beneath the sun,

Camfaroth was disguised as one

of the merchant ships that sailed

alone in those watery ways never failed

its mission. In storm or shadow

never sunk never hindered in row

brought them across those wide bare bays

Away from magic, away from fays

to the mortalest mortal realm

in the world. Where black is the helm,

and crooked the swords, of dark Umbar,

Where death is quick and never far.

Came they then disguised in garment,

Of merchants of the firmament.

Outcasts of Gondor were they to be,

when the washing waves lapped the quay

of Umbar, Camfaroth swift came

As one to look as if the same

A merchant folk with fine, fair goods

From afar, from nether wild woods.

And as they shewed those wares away

softly searching for a secret way

to the Fire Tower where resides,

Hirluin in languish. There hides

torment and despair. Man on man

what willful and worse a sin can

be contrived? Yet even ere search

could be sent. And to elm, and birch

could they return.

Namir came, Lord

was he tall and grim and untoward

to those of mighty Northern race

those who with Dunland besieged that place

not long reckoning of the Southrons

was that. Even sinister Sauron\'s

land was not so much as hated

as was Gondor, in Umbar fated

\"Ho there One-Hand! Where be ye from?

Light is thine skin and eyes are fair

as if from the Norlands who would dare

face us in war. Speak now be sure,

forced a swift and full denial,

\"From Norlands we come that is certain

but we are outcasts among those men

forever victims of injustice that be

\"Bravely thou art to sail the sea.

What are thy names? To one and all.

Eight I see here perhaps too tall

to be sons of traders from afar,

\"I am Vorn captain of sailing

ship. Outcast I am with Eran

and Amar from Pelargir\'s clan

This is Ravenwyr my first mate

who sudden chance has brought by fate

to Umbar before. Here is Makhar

merchant of fine goods from afar

and Luken the Simple sturdy boy

who is with the women never coy.

And here is Lanny and Finny,

From the north in forgotten city

are they, now turned to the soft sea

\"Tell me oh captain by all the song

of Numenor what do you bring?

Perhaps bright and magical rings?

Or slaves from the north lost in war

Come now by fate to poor Umbar

where they will weep forever

\"Cloth from north of Rohirrim

bring we, to sell to thine proud folk,

and those that lay under thy yoke.

The darkling skinned Haradrim.

They are said to be even more grim,

than my mate here if that may be,

\"Fine and fine but first simple tithe

of thine cargo will be to me

given so thee from raiders that be

lurking in the shadows free.

and sell thy wares and not cower

may\'st come even to mine tower

and see their all of mine power

perhaps some cloth then may need I

and soon enough they were freed

to wander that black-hearted town

where ne\'er a person is without frown

in misery abject. This indeed

they could see. An evil, the seed

of Sauron\'s lies long ago

ere the world was bent or laid low

There at quays end stood man who wrought

Sorrow unto Umbar. He was tall

and perfect of face. Once at his call

was men mighty, they were clad in green

and their swords of steel were a-sheen.

Such was Pinnath Gelin\'s prince

yet languishing in Umbar since

Hirluin the fair, of lordship shorn,

shackled with chains and forlorn

watching the distant sun sorrowed

waning in the west. Now furrowed

his brow as he sat by the shore

Unknown to him who from the core

of Gondor\'s finest men came

in disguise wearing foreign name.

Yet now the party knew new hope

for he lived in a state few may cope

such as a caged bird in confines

narrow. Yet he lived and such times

may come to free him yet

though he be enmeshed in the net

of Namir the Cruel. Now plans were laid

for rescue and daring but fate had made

other plans for Prince Hirluin

when Numenor yet was sworn

to goodness and wholesome air,

and Meneltarma yet was fair.

The city was wholesome and free.

Yet now black fills the sea

and the maidens weep

as the black land sweeps

about the world in a din of evil.

Yet even in these later days until

the ending of time strange deeds

may be done by foes who heed

the strength of Glorious Gondor.

For what more than fear for

Hirluin\'s kingdom could have mended fate

as none other than the dauntless knights

of Dol Amroth. Quaked he in cringing fear

at the sight, and also he shed a tear

knowing what hurt and vengeance may be done

of Flame. And saw there the frail power

of Namir\'s hand. A darkling deal was struck

not by gallant deed but by the luck

cast by the die of fate. Greed and gold

it was that unyieldy sword. Not bold

or gallant deeds of doughty mighty men.

Through fearful forest thick or ancient fen.

A price was set on Hirluin\'s head,

that he be taken for treasure and lead

away from dark and dusky Umbar town

for the gold rather than quake in their land

of fear of the might of Gondor aroused

not to be dimmed in dark unlight, not doused

but full aflame in eager ardor,

\"It would be better than a bitter loss

to pay this petty tithe and away toss

blandful and useless daring deeds

that may end us all once and forever,

give then that courage and not sever

our chance to escape in full glory

So the deal was struck and the exchange made

Greedful gold for man met, and plan was laid

to leave that dark city Umbar swiftly,

yet bitter betrayal is more oftenly

occur there than honored loyalty

and the trust and fragile fealty

was snapped like sticks. The folk of Umbar

roused were they as if in a December

storm. Blackful, baleful and thick they came

and soon the party of merchant hame

were chased in the sea by wicked corsairs,

the sound to which the soul calmly claves,

the sound that calls one to the shored shells,

resounding clear as many fair bells.

Now the party with the Fair in tow

sought to escape swiftly without row

from Umbar city by the swift sea,

yet this escape was not fated to be.

For the corsairs came as a black storm

to catch to kill sound they the harsh horns

of the kill, of the hunt of dark death.

And so unto the reefs they droveth

the Hand that Pursues fell into the deep

never to sail again until the sleep

upon kings ends to scour Arda of foe

forever from fairy to east unto

beaches of sand, dry and hot were they

high was the sun upon that doomed day,

when they emerged as wizened wet rats

yet all still lived though not quite as fat

perhaps as those few mighty might be

as if trapped within a dusty tomb.

Truly t\'were it not for Celebhir,

Ranger excell, and dark Ravenwyr,

who in tongue enlisted the desert folk

to their side. Who would shake the hated yoke

of their urbane, fell and cruel masters.

So thence they did give heed and mustered

strength enough to show Celebhir the path

that crossed the desert as a bloody swath.

And though the lonely leagues be long and long

and the hopeless hunt be hot, not in song

or merry mirth would they ever be

and elven kinlings were young and bold,

a fierce monster, a rare race, a black breed,

that still lingers as if a soulless seed,

of strange beasts baleful in the wild waste.

Yet even in the party\'s swift haste,

they came upon one of these creatures wild

Roaming the desert as a child

forlorn. Mighty Mumakil it is called,

and indeed it was mammoth and tall.

Its tusks were sharp and ivory white,

it shoulders were three mighty men of height

and its mouth dripped in blushing fierce foam

Erindil Telpekhor, Prince of Might

faced down that monstrous baleful beast

not would any Gondor-man be a feast

for its mouth. But rather be a carpet

on which to trample. It was parapet

when the sword of Erindil in dismay

swept clean that fated, that doomed day

and down came he with bitter sharp stroke,

the party and all that folk laid it waste,

but Erindil was the chief one of hate

of that dire creature. Tossed as a bale

of new sown hay. That hardy and hale

warrior\'s strength did eb as his blood

seeped from his body like a flash flood.

Hear! Yet t\'were it not so to avail

they left, not to be mirthless and mope

by those washed, withered, and wasted ways

and at last they found the sure, swift, true path

with Erindil bearing a proudly swath

of Mumakil scars. At length the Last

bridge they came to the final task

Ye who have been since the dawn of days.

What secrets ye keep, what desires ye hold,

ground gladly of that righteous realm of might,

Gondor. Gondor land of the stern stone.

Gondor, whose swinging swords were hone

as sharp bitter knives, as tough as bone

was the party commended for their task

and upraised were they with honor rare

for to them went the medal of Murazor

and to Ravenwyr honor from afar

for to him went promotion \'mongst other things

and love of Lynnthia the fair maid

who then gladly blissful plans were laid

Of their long and lawful love to each other.

And Erindil, ah Erindil the valiant,

from that hardy hale house most salient

Telpekhor. To thee calls the knighthood

yet to Celebhir, promised brotherhood

of Sirion to he and to Ravenwyr

and all else who now gathered here to hear.

And the people sang in honor and praise

to their valiant deeds gallant. Upraised

were they in that fair land by the sea,

awaiting a new quest and to be free

to show honor and love to proud Gondor,

what proud land art thee!

Bastion of strength, herald grim,

thee that fights to the last din.

For freedom from foes of the west,

to challenge to honor to show the best

of the western world. Come now and hear

the sea? What paths will bring thee

to such gladness and goodness and happy days

to see the king return and with it praise

of the Folk who fought until the last,

the proud folk who took the task.

Of Gondor, weep ye not for here