The Eastern Woman

Choices

Hammon watched the symbol on his shield.

A perfect circle, half moon and half sun united.

Kolos, one of the veterans, who had been a painter and carver before becoming a soldier, had spent three weeks decorating all their shields with that depiction.

Goneril had drawn it: that image meant that her army could fight in the light of the sun, but also in the darkness.

The young captain had not understood her sudden escape. She had left them in Rohan, at night, and was gone. She had fooled them like Degarre had tried to do with her.

Hammon had felt terribly guilty about that matter ... for that attempted betrayal.

When Degarre had asked him to go to Rivendell, after their return from Fangorn with Lassalle, he initially had said no. He had convinced Degarre to wait one more day, he had told him it was their duty to wait for the General. He had told him that Gandalf's orders had been to wait at the camp, and that Goneril would arrive soon.

Degarre had laughed. He had mocked him. "Hammon, you are a fool. You heard her: she wants to go to Isengard alone, she wants to kill Saruman ... as if it was easy. I tell you, that woman went completely mad at last. I knew it could happen." he had told him. "That old man must have killed her."

"No. I don't think so. You said that, too: the white wizard didn't seem hostile. And he saved Lassalle's life, don't forget it."  Hammon had replied.

"That was just an impression. He might have convinced us of his goodness to get rid of both. He wanted to be alone with Goneril, perhaps to eliminate her after hearing of her plan to go to Isengard and send Saruman to hell. Wizards are all part of an Order, and Saruman himself is their leader. The old man we met in the woods is subjected to him, he could have tried to defend his leader, by killing a person who was threatening him." Degarre had explained.

"So why hasn't he killed us too, or turned us into stones or plants or some damn animal?"  Hammon asked.  "That Wizard said that Saruman was dismissed. He is no longer the head of that Order, he would have had no reason to protect him. No, Degarre, there is something odd in this whole story."

"Hammon, listen to me. Goneril is gone, she is dead. Killed by that Gandalf or by some Orc ... she is six feet under now. And our gold is in Rivendell. Let's go and get it, it's ours. Then, when your pockets will be full of small tinkling coins, you will no longer think of Goneril, I guarantee." Degarre had said.

But Hammon had shaken his head.  "We don't know if she's dead!"  he blurted out.  "She could come back. She could come back and if she sees that we've disappeared ... heaven help us, then."

"You cry like a baby."  the other had laughed.  "You're still young, my friend, I understand your worries ... but I haven't spent the last ten years of my infamous life working only for glory. Do you remember what Goneril promised? That with that money she would have built kingdom ...Madness, my friend. Pure  madness of a woman consumed by the desire for revenge. She had sold her soul to death, Hammon, for reasons she never explained to us. But a hundred boxes full of gold are not madness. They exist, they are in the valley of Imladris. Ready for us now. "

"Those are also her property. If she is alive, and if we take those coins  without her consent, she will come looking for us. Think about it ..." were Hammon's words.

Useless prayers, because after a few hours, Degarre had ordered the legion to dismantle tents, collect clothes, untie the horses and start a new march.  To Imladris.

Two days later they had met the Wizard again, in a valley of the Mark.  He was frantically looking for Eomer, nephew of Theoden, and he had found them, instead.