New Shadow Rising and the Red Tree

New Shadow Rising and the Dark Tree

     A clear and sunny day, with the only cloud in the sky is the small trail of smoke coming out of a quiet Mt Doom.  The familiar plateau of Gorgoroth encircled by mountains is green with invading plants over-growing old, worn and broken roads.  The sleeping Mt Doom smokes in the distance as we see a hole with dirt coming out into a mound.  A figure wearing a helmet reaches up and pulls the helmet off.  A red tattoo on her arm could be seen as the little girl tries on another helmet.  She pulls off the metal hat and looks at a parchment with red ink writing.  Her black hair and gray eyes look at a small book with notes and translations of the red ink writing.  The digger stops as his shovel makes a 'tink' noise.  The girl jumps down into the hole as the same tattoo could be seen on the digger's arm, he wipes away some dirt.  With a deep Southron accent the man pulls down his wrap and says, "Not another piece of armor."  The girl keeps clearing away dirt with her hands and says, "This one made a different sound."  She wipes away enough to expose a red eye carved into a large piece of metal.
  The two continue to dig out the large metal object.  "This is the stand he had built to hold it.  It should be here." He said in his accent.  They have cleaned the stand over halfway dugout of the ruins and still no sign of the prize they seek.  Then he feels something in the dirt and stops.  "I think this is it!  Hand me that towel." He points to one hanging off the ladder step.  She hands it to him and he covers his hands with the towel.  He moves his hands around under the towel to clear it out from its resting place. He wraps the sphere and frees it from its ancient ruins and he says, "This is what I have been searching for all these years.  I knew it was here!  They were forged by Feanor himself during the time of the Two Trees.  They are indestructible."  He finishes wrapping it up and places it in the box she retrieved for him after he climbed out of the hole.  "Keep it covered and locked!  Remember, IT WAS DESTROYED WHEN SAURON FELL.  That lie can finally be helpful for once."  They loaded it on a cart and covered it with other stuff to hide the box.  They start filling in the hole they made in the smashed ruins of Barad'Dur.  "No one can know that we've been here.  We have an hour to avoid the patrolling Guard." He said as they finished up.  He lays down some leftover armor and marks the location in his book.  After loading up the rest of the camp it looks just the same as before.

Chapter 1

     The city of Umbar has stood since the men of Numenor first traveled across the sea.  Ar-Pharazon the Golden in 3261 of the Second Age first landed here and built the city.  The fortress that was built is where the Black Numenoreans turned against Gondor and the king and fought alongside the Easterlings and Sauron.  Prince Caloharar was the last full blooded Numenorean descendant from the original line of Numenoreans of South Gondor.  Caloharar was walking next to his escort of guards and royal carts into the city of Lebennin.  The city hasn't seen any royalty from Gondor in decades let alone the Black Numenoreans.  They pass through the city and reach the outskirts and head to a small cottage along the road near the Anduin river.  The small party stops outside the cottage and begins to set up camp.  Two guards unload something off the royal cart as Caloharar knocks on the door and enters the cottage.
     As he enters the room he can see the average kitchen of the day.  Table, chairs, washbasin, shelves, cabinets, pantry, this one has a wood oven/stove with meats and fish hanging above the stove getting smoked and cured.  Astorial was standing next to the chair at the head of the table with papers, notes, maps and drawings spread out in a spiral pattern from the end chair.  "Your royal highness, Prince Caloharar, you've arrived on time.  Please come in." she bowed as is custom, to show respect.  "Astorial, you do not have to be so formal.  Please." He opens his arms for a hug.  She steps forward into his arms.  He feels her relax into his arms as she starts to cry.  "Thanks for coming so quickly Cal." She wipes her eyes stepping back.  "He's asleep right now and still healing." She looks into his familiar gray eyes and feels better instantly.  "What did the healers say about his injuries Ash?" he asks as she motions to the chairs at the table.  The worry lines in her forehead reappear, "They said he will live but he may not walk again.  His hands, arms and knees are cut and scraped.  His age with the severe injuries would kill most people in that situation but his will and determination kept him alive long enough to crawl to help.  Four miles.  Just crawling with his arms.  He's stubborn." She wipes away a few tears.  Two knocks at the door helps break the mood for a moment.  Caloharar opens the door and a guard says a few words and hands over a box.  Cal takes the box and the guard closes the door as Cal turns and puts the box on the end of the table.  "My mother, the Queen, sent this as he requested.  When did you find out he left?" Cal sat back down.  "Well, ... ah month.  He sent me to Ithilian, which was part of his plan if you couldn't tell." She motions her hands to the spiral of papers on the table.  Cal looks at the papers.  More than three different languages, maps, diagrams of buildings, red ink, black ink and dates written in many different handwriting.  He recognized a few words, or drawings but most were coded or written in a shorthand way he couldn't decipher.  The red book is to the right of the chair at the head of the spiral and is closed.  The papers closest to the chair have the same distinctive handwriting he has seen for years.  "We will talk more after he is awake.  I am right outside and Lilly is here to help you.  It will be okay, Ash.  I am here now." Cal always knew the right thing to say.  Ash smiled, "Thank you."  "Get some sleep if you can." Cal opened the door and Lilly came in.  "Do not touch the table.  I bet he has it just a certain way." Cal said to Lilly who nodded.
      It was past mid morning when Caloharar heard a ruckus.  He was just about ready to leave his tent when he heard glass break.  Cal left his tent as the cottage door opened and closed quickly.  "Ash.  I am guessing he is awake!" Cal said with a smile.  Ash walks over to Cal with a frustrated look.  "He's feeling better.  And now he won't shut up or do anything until he sees you.  So... your presence is requested by the High Priest." She says sternly as she makes the official statement, gritting her teeth.  "Let us see what he has to say."  Just when they get to the door they can hear inside, "I TOLD YOU!  That can all wait until AFTER I talk to Prince Caloharar, Lilly.  Yes! After! Yes!"  Caloharar opens the door to see Lilly next to the old man in bandages.  
     His Southron accent lays heavily in his speech as he talks.  The old priest stops his shoo-ing of Lilly and smiles when he sees Caloharar and Astorial enter.  "High Priest.  Prince Caloharar has come at your request.  How may I help you?"  Caloharar said bowing as is the formality.  His royal duties must always follow tradition anywhere he travels.  "Prince Cal! Finally! Great.  Come here."  He motions with his hands.  As Cal stands before the old priest he tries his best from a sitting position to bow with all his bandages.  "Thank you for arriving so quickly, your highness.  Pardon my attire.  Your High Priest is humbled before his majesty in state."  He says officially.  "Fuinor, what are you doing up here? By yourself no less!"  Caloharar asks, sitting down to the old man's right.  "Look! Ash, hand me that. Yes!"  the priest points to one of the many papers on the table that Ash passes over.  She sits down to his left to see.  "This scroll from Dol Amroth mentions the Stone of Erech.  It fits."  He says excitedly.  Cal looks at the paper.  He's seen thousands like it over the course of his studies.  "Fits? What fits?" Ash asked.  "Fits the pattern!  Oranthac, palantiri, the Stone of Erech.  They all fit the same pattern.  The elves and men left clues to follow." The old priest said anxiously.  "Fuinor. Take me to the beginning.   Where does the pattern start?" Cal asks inquisitively.  "Many hours of study lead me to look for things... lost.  Scripture, books, and scrolls all talk about Melkor and the Valar.  They fought and defeated the mightiest of the Valar, Melkor.  The elves learned from the Valar and created many things.   Weapons, armor, tools, artifacts and, of course, rings.  All created by the elves, with the help of the Valar, then given to the Men of Numenor.  These things all had different uses and powers.  Some of these items are still here.  THAT, is one of them.'' He pointed to the box Caloharar brought with him.  "Do you know what it is?  Did your father show it to you?"  Fuinor asks playfully.  "It has the Queen's seal.  I am not the King yet.  I am still bound by the law from opening it.  So I do not know what IT is, yet." Cal lied.  He then walked over to the box and brought it over to the old man's reach.  "It's yours.  An heirloom of the family line, not the throne."  Fuinor said as he broke the seal.  Cal then nodded his head, "Yes.  My father did show me and tell me the story.  He also said to not tell anyone but family members.  How do you know what it is?"  Fuinor opened the box, "Yes. And your father also honored that tradition of family only.  I asked him about it.  Ahhhhhh, nice.  Just as I remember." He lifted out a square wooden frame with a black velvety cloth.  The cloth was cradling three pieces of a broken jar.  Three pieces were firmly secured in place next to the other pieces to show the artwork.  He laid it down on the table.  "Ash, dear.  Please get the box.  It's in the bedroom.  This is yours of course.  I found a log entry on an ancient scroll describing a jar of importance.  When I asked your father about the jar he confirmed it.  Years later he showed me this jar, after you were born.  And now it's yours to protect.  The Queen has passed it to you."  He said, sliding the pieces toward him.  A letter was in the box dated from a day before he left Umbar.  The letter explains the ownership transfer to Prince Caloharar of the relic.  After reading his mothers letter Cal looked up, "But why is it here?  What are you trying to prove?"  Cal looks at the relic he saw once when he was nine years old.  "You two need to go to the Stone of Erech for me."  Fuinor said as Ash returned with a black box.  "I can not do that at this time.  Why?"  Cal said.  He was still processing the old priest's request.  "It can prove what I believe the jar says about the Palantiri."  He said.  "The seeing stones of Numenor?  The king of Gondor commands the last two stones."  Cal said.  This is common knowledge among all the free peoples of Middle Earth.  Ash and her father look at each other.  She had the box in front of her on the table.  "What if the seeing stones were NOT destroyed and lost?" Fuinor asked.  Ash opened the box.  A black cloth covered a sphere.  Caloharar was astonished at what he saw.  He walked over to the box.  "Don't uncover it."  Ash said.  Cal put his hand on the covered sphere.  He heard a rush of indistinguishable voices and pulled his hand away like it was hot to the touch.  "Where...where did you find this?" Cal asks, a little stunned.  Ash closed the box.  "I searched for years on my own.  But when I found the parchment, ...this one.  Did I find the Ithil stone Sauron used in  Barad'Dur." Fuinor was getting worked up.  Ash moved the stone to the end of the table to tend to her father.  One of his many bandages failed to cover the wounds on his hand as the old man was using them through the cuts and scratches.  She grabbed a fresh bandage to change it.  "Dad."  She tries to put it on.  "I said when we're done talking!" he pushed her away as he lazily recovered his wound with the old bandage.  "The stones are indestructible.  Crafted by Feanor himself during the time of the trees.  Given by the High Elves to the Kings of Numenor, saved by the Nine ships during the fall of Numenor.  The Stone of Erech was also saved and brought to these shores.  My theory, if it's correct, could be the key to raise the fallen land of Numenor from the sea and bring about a new age."  He shuffles through the papers and finds the one he needs.  The bandage falls loose again and he recovers it.  "All my research is to uncover the lost relics of the elves and the palantiri are the key."  He finishes.  Caloharar looks at him and the papers.  He sits down.  "Old friend.  This is a lot to take in and process.  Can I think about it?" he asks.  "Sure! No rush! My legs are broken and I'm not going anywhere.  Okay, yes Caloharar.  You can let them pick and poke me.  We have time.  Your highness, thank you."  The old man surrenders.  "Let me think and we can talk more.  High Priest Fuinor V, it has been my pleasure to be in your company." Caloharar bowed and left the cottage.  Lilly and a few healers enter the cottage and Ash follows after Cal.  "Prince Caloharar.  Cal." She says running after him.  "What are we going to do?  He needs to heal and rest." She says pleading to him.  "We can stay awhile and then get him on a boat back to Umbar." He answers.  "So we are not going to Erech?" she asks.  "Not anytime soon.  His health is first.  But we can go later.  I am going to look at his research.  You did not tell me about the stone?" he asks.  "You're not the only one with family heirlooms.  I have an oath to follow as you have obligations to follow.  We found it when I was a kid.  I didn't know about his "research".   He gave a presentation like yours when I got here.  I have no clue about this new age nonsense.  He started to make less and less sense when he got to Melkor and raising Numenor." She said.  "Do you have any more family secrets I should know?  The staff of Gandalf the White maybe?" Cal asks her as a joke.  "None I can tell you about." She smiles back.  "Tell him I will come see him after the midday meal.  He is going to be okay, Ash."  Cal reassured her.  He always had that big brother mentality about him.  Ash nodded and went back to the cottage.