Weaving a Song

Chapter 105

March 25 3019 TA

The Captains all rode forward, and with them Legolas, Gimli, Pippin, and Haldir. They came within cry of the Morannon, and unfurled their banner and cried, "Come forth! Let the Lord of the Black Land come forth! Justice shall be done upon him. For wrongfully he has made war upon Gondor and wrested its lands. Therefore the King of Gondor demands that he should atone for his evils, and depart then forever. Come forth!"

And just when they were about to turn back, one did come. The Mouth of Sauron he was, and it took all the elves of the company had to keep from shuddering at the evil they felt in his presence. It seemed Sauron was to play one last game with them, before the stroke fell.

"I have tokens that I was bidden to show to thee- to thee in especial, if thou shouldest dare to come." The Messenger said to Gandalf and pulled out Sam's sword, a cloak of Lórien, and the mithril armour once given to Frodo. Pippin let forth a cry and Legolas eyed the armour darkly.

"Silence!" Gandalf said to Pippin and the Messenger laughed.

"So you have yet another of these imps with you! What use you find in them I cannot guess; but to send them as spies into Mordor is beyond even your accustomed folly, since you have not yet stood against my Master but with help from others. Still, I thank him, for it is plain that this brat at least has seen these tokens before, and it would be vain for you to deny them now."

"I do not wish to deny them," Gandalf said, "But why do you bring them here?"

The Messenger took time to taunt them even more before he answered Gandalf's question, "... take swift counsel with what little wit is left to you. For Sauron does not love spies, and what his fate shall be depends now on your choice." The Messenger laughed again at the fear on their faces. "Good, good! He was dear to you, I see. And now he shall endure the slow torment of years, as long and slow as our arts in the Great Tower can contrive. This shall surely be unless you accept my Lord's terms."

"Name the terms," Gandalf's voice was steady but Legolas and those who knew him well could see the anguish within him and how his long years were now weighing on him.

The Messenger smiled and began speaking, "These are the terms. The rabble of Gondor and its deluded allies shall withdraw at once beyond the Anduin, first taking oaths never again to assail Sauron the Great in arms, open or secret. All lands east of the Anduin shall be Sauron's forever, solely. West of the Anduin as far as the Misty Mountains and the Gap of Rohan shall be tributary to Mordor, and men there shall bear no weapons, but shall have leave to govern their own affairs. But they shall help to rebuild Isengard which they have wantonly destroyed, and that shall be Sauron's, and there his lieutenant shall dwell: not Saruman, but one more worthy of trust."

As he finished, there came a laugh, and it chilled the blood of Legolas, Haldir, and Gandalf more than anything else could, for they knew as soon as they heard it who it belonged to. "And have you won the lands East of the Anduin? You hold no captive in your tower, and you hope to find why he was in your land to begin with. No such answers shall you find." Haldir looked like he was going to be sick as Almiel walked in between the horses.

The Messenger looked like the breath had been knocked out of him for a moment but then he laughed. "So you have come once more, have you? Sauron is quite interested in why the old man brought you to his tower. But your questions are being answered even now, and you abandoned your home, and now it has been burned. Soon enough those lands will be ours."

"You doubt my father." Legolas hissed and Gandalf looked at him quickly and saw the anger burning in his eyes. Almiel, however, looked calm.

"He truly wishes to know? I do not think it as grand as you might think. Rather he is curious because it caused him pain."