[Child of the 7th Age]

Saelonia and General Narrative

Saelonia stood at the edge of the encampment, warily scanning the clearing ahead and the nearest grove of trees just beyond it as she strained to glimpse solid forms and figures through the dusky twilight mist. There was no sign of the men's return. Yet the scouting party had left early that morning and, by all rights, should have completed their task many hours before.

Already, the moon rose into the heavens and a screech owl sounded an eerie call into the night. At that instant, the sentry on duty came sprinting forward and made his way up the path to Saelonia's side, saluting her, "Lady, they come." He nodded and pointed towards the trees, but seemed hesitent to speak further and then drew back, disappearing into the woods.

In the distance, Saelonia could hear the slow clanging of the Entwife's chains and the muffled noises made by the returning soldiers. There was no victory in their steps. Rather, the procession made its painful way towards the camp with many of the soliders wounded, some carried in makeshift stretchers or leaning heavily on sticks they had wrenched from trees along the side of the path. Azunal rode at the front of the column, slumped forward in his saddle, and Altair followed close behind. Saelonia's breathing came easier once she'd seen the two men together for there would be no forgiveness or excuses if any misfortune had befallen the Khan's young son. Still, too many other soldiers were missing from the group.

Azunal pushed forward and dismounted, awkwardly going down on one knee, then staring at the ground and refusing to meet Saelonia's eyes. Wth much nervousness, he looked up to face her and began explaining what had happened, how the soldiers had tracked the Entwife to the enemy's encampment and had engaged in fierce fighting to destroy the band of Elves and Men. The enemy, he declared, had been utterly destroyed, with only a few men surviving and those so sorely wounded that they were unable to go forward or cause any further harm.

"Are you certain?" she pressed him. Her voice was cold and hard. "For we do not know what message the Entwife brought to them. And if they warn their own people, it may go ill with us. If any still live, they must be slain." For an instant, Azunal shifted his eyes away, but then turned back to face her, speaking in a voice as firm as her own. "They are destroyed, utterly destroyed, and will do us no further harm."

"Then our plans have not changed. Tomorrow you will lead the huorn in the direction of Isengard. Burn and pillage the plains of Rohan. Kill whom you must, but leave some alive to carry the message of who we are and that we will brook no denial of our claims. The King of Gondor will hear of this carnage and, soft hearted fool that he is, will come to the aid of the Rohirrim who have always been much in his heart. He will forget his northern border, forget the kingdom of Rhun that lies far to the east, and never see the Khan's army make its way along the Ash Mountains or through the Dead Marshes to strike in the heart of Gondor.

For the next several weeks, Azunal led his men along with a large band of the huorn into the plains of Rohan, never stopping in one spot for more than a day but driving speedily towards Isengard. Along the way, they launched quick attacks under cover of darkness, avoiding large settlements but burning and pillaging nearby farmhouses with little mercy. Farmers who were not afraid to battle the attacking soldiers found themselves powerless when faced with the huorn who fought with a madness and rage that struck fear into the hearts of all they encountered.

Mounted horsemen were quickly dispatched from Edoras to try and put a halt to the sporadic destruction. Rohan hastily forwarded a message to the court in Minas Tirith, warning them of the new threat to the West. The King of Gondor promised to send further aid as all attention focused on the lands west of the river.

Yet, on another secret trail, the Khan and a great army made their way westward along the northern border of Mordor in the shadow of the Ered Lithui. This band was a mighty one, far greater than the number of soldiers who had been sent out to Rohan. They met few travellers along their desolate route, and those they met were quickly killed. By this means, they came to the marshlands that lie north and west of Minas Tirith at a point called the Wetwang or the Nindalf. Their destination lay just off the Anduin River at a point near the base of the Rauros Falls. Although close to Minas Tirith, this was a grey and desolate land largely unguarded and mired in mud. With a small band of soldiers at her side, Saelonia met the approaching armies of the Khan and showed him the hidden spot that she had chosen for them to set up the encampment and prepare for the attack.

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 10:42 PM December 24, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]