Lyrd Of The Ryngs - The Homies

[Grey_Wolf]

THUS ENDS THE FOUR TOWERS - IT BEING THE SECOND PART OF THE LYRD OF THE RYNGS

[Grey_Wolf]

THUS BEGINS....

THE RETURN OF GOOD ARCHITECTURE

- this being the third part of the Lyrd of the Ryngs -

Book 5.1: Minas Tirith

[Telcontar_Dunedain]

Pippin awoke to the sound of Shadowfax's engine purring during the night.
"Gandalf," he murmered sleeepily. "Gandalf where are we?"
"We are nearing the realm of Gondor," replied Gandalf. "We are heading for the great city of Minas Tirith."

[Grey_Wolf]

There was a silence again for a while.
"What is that?" cried Pippin, suddenly, clutching at Gandalf's white biker gear."Look! Light, red light! Are there voluntary fire brigades in this country? Look, there's another"

For answer Gandalf geared up and accelerated."Oh, Pippin! We must hasten. Time is short. The electronic beacons of Gondor has been activated and are calling for aid. War is about to come. See, there's Amon Dîn, and Eilenach; and there they go speeding west; Nardol, Erelas, Min-Rimmon, Calenhad, and the Halifirien on the borders of Rohan."

[Grey_Wolf]

And Gandalf eased up on the accelerator-grip, Shadowfax slowed to a crawl, it's engine purring. And out of the darkness came the roaring of offroad bikes, three of them swept up and passed like ghosts in the moon and vanished in to the West. Gandalf accelerated once more and the night flowed over them like an roaring wind.

[Grey_Wolf]

Pippin became drowsy again and paid little attention to Gandalf telling him of the customs of Gondor, and how the Lord of the City had electronic beacons installed on the tops of outlying hills along both borders of the great range, and maintained gas stations at these points where repairmen were always in readiness to help his errand-bikers, in case of breakdown, when they were going to Rohan in the North, or to Belfalas in the South. "It is long since the beacons of the North were activated," he said; "and in the ancient days of Gondor they were not needed, for they had the Seven Mobiles."Pippin stirred uneasily.

[Grey_Wolf]

"Sleep again, and do not be afraid!" said Gandalf. "For you are not going like Frodo to Mordor, but to Minas Tirith, and there you will be as safe as you can be anywhere in these days. If Gondor falls, or the Package is taken, then the Shire will be no refuge."
"You do not comfort me," said Pippin, but nonetheless sleep crept over him. The last thing that he remembered before he fell into deep dream was a glimpse of high white peaks, glimmering like floating isles above the clouds as they caught the light of the westering moon. He wondered where Frodo was, and if he was already in Mordor, or if he was dead; and he did not know that Frodo from far away looked on that same moon as it set beyond Gondor ere the coming of the day.

[Grey_Wolf]

Pippin woke to the sound of voices. Another day of hiding and a night of journey had fleeted by. It was twilight: the cold dawn was at hand again, and chill grey mists were about them. Shadowfax had stopped and was just ticking over. Many tall men in windbreakers stood beside him, and behind them in the mist loomed a concrete wall. Partly ruinous it seemed, but already before the night was passed the sound of hurried labour could be heard: whirrr of electric drills, cachunk chachunc of piledrivers, and the roaring engines of wheeled machinery. Flood-lights glowed dully here and there in the fog. Gandalf was speaking to the men that barred his way, and as he listened Pippin became aware that he himself was being discussed.
"Yea truly, we know you, Mithrandir," said the leader of the men, "and you know the codes of the Seven Gates and are free to go forward. But we do not know your companion. What is he? A dwarf out of the mountains in the North? We wish for no strangers in the land at this time, unless they be mighty men of arms in whose faith and help we can trust."
"I will vouch for him before the seat of Denethor," said Gandalf. "And as for valour, that cannot be computed by stature. He has passed through more battles and perils than you have, Ingold, though you be twice his height; and he comes now from the storming of Isengard, of which we bear tidings, and great weariness is on him, or I would wake him. His name is Peregrin, a very valiant man."
"Man?" said Ingold dubiously; and the others laughed.
"Man!" cried Pippin, now thoroughly roused. "Man! Indeed not! I am a hobbit and no more valiant than I am a man, save perhaps now and again by necessity. Do not let Gandalf deceive you!"
"Many a doer of great deeds might say no more," said Ingold. "But what is a hobbit?"

[Butterbeer]

Pippin was about to reply (in some detail ... as gandalf no doubt suspected) when Gandalf cut him off,,

" a halfling!" he replied, looking at the concrete walls ...

"my! the architecture of yore is sadly missed in these days of doubt" muttered gandalf as an aside

"Verily" answered Ingold - who had very good hearing - and he launched into a long detailed tirade on the modern day approaches to building and the classical methods of good architecture of old Gondor (this tirade being long and notable both for it's juxtaposition with Pippin's curtailed speech on the history of hobbits and pipeweed .. and notable for the watchers very amused expressions of gandalf's growing impatience)

INGOLD: " ... but then good sound argonauth techniques are much more-"

"peace my good Ingold!" cried Gandalf

" I am in haste! ... build well the walls of the Pelannor and consider not now the perminence or their design: but work you fast for a storm of the east is coming and we must be ready all the sooner"

with that gandalf ...

[EarthBound]

....with that Gandalf forgot his haste and took a moment to extrapolate the finer points of stucco and the use of spackling to hide secret doors.

Finally tiring of his subject Gandalf again journeyed towards the Steward with Pip in tow.

[Grey_Wolf]

Gandalf passed now into the wide land beyond the Rammas Echor. So the men of Gondor called the out wall that they had built with great labour, after Ithilien fell under the legal damnation of their Enemy. For ten leagues or more it ran from the mountains' feet and so back again, enclosing in its fence the fields of the Pelennor: fair and fertile townlands on the long slopes and terraces falling to the deep levels of the Anduin. At its furthest point from the Great Gate of the City, north-eastward, the wall was four leagues distant, and there from a frowning bank it overlooked the long flats beside the river, and men had made it high and strong; for at that point, upon a walled causeway, the road came in from the fords and bridges of Osgiliath and passed through a guarded gate between embattled towers. At its nearest point the wall was little more than one league from the City, and that was south-eastward. There Anduin, going in a wide knee about the hills of Emyn Arnen in South Ithilien, bent sharply west, and the out-wall rose upon its very brink; and beneath it lay the quays and landings of the Harlond for craft that came upstream from the southern fiefs.

The townlands were rich, with wide tilth and many orchards, and homesteads there were with oast and garner, fold and byre, and many rills rippling through the green from the highlands down to Anduin. Yet the herdsmen and husbandmen that dwelt there were not many, and the most part of the people of Gondor lived in the seven circles of the City, or in the high vales of the mountain-borders, in Lossarnach, or further south in fair Lebennin with its five swift streams. There dwelt a hardy folk between the mountains and the sea. They were reckoned men of Gondor, yet their blood was mingled, and there were short and swarthy folk among them whose sires came more from the forgotten men who housed in the shadow of the hills in the Dark Years ere the coming of the kings. But beyond, in the great fief of Belfalas, dwelt Prince Imrahil in his castle of Dol Amroth by the sea, and he was of high blood, and his folk also, tall men and proud with sea-grey eyes.

Now after Gandalf had ridden for some time the light of day grew in the sky, and Pippin roused himself and looked up. To his left lay a sea of mist, rising to a bleak shadow in the East; but to his right great mountains reared their heads, ranging from the West to a steep and sudden end, as if in the making of the land the River had burst through a great barrier, carving out a mighty valley to be a land of battle and debate in times to come. And there where the White Mountains of Ered Nimrais came to their end he saw, as Gandalf had promised, the dark mass of Mount Mindolluin, the deep purple shadows of its high glens, and its tall face whitening in the rising day. And upon its out-thrust knee was the Guarded City, with its seven walls of stone so strong and old that it seemed to have been not builded but carven by giants out of the bones of the earth.

[Grey_Wolf]

Even as Pippin gazed in wonder the walls passed from looming grey to white, blushing faintly in the dawn; and suddenly the sun climbed over the eastern shadow and sent forth a shaft that smote the face of the City. Then Pippin cried aloud, for the Tower of Ecthelion, standing high within the topmost walls' shone out against the sky, glimmering like a spike of pearl and silver, tall and fair and shapely, and its pinnacle glittered as if it were wrought of crystals; and white banners broke and fluttered from the battlements in the morning breeze' and high and far he heard a clear ringing as of silver trumpets.

So Gandalf and Peregrin rode to the Great Gate of the Men of Gondor at the rising of the sun, and its doors made of Titanium rolled back before them.
"Mithrandir! Mithrandir!" men cried. "Now we know that the storm is indeed nigh!"
"It is upon you," said Gandalf. "I have ridden on its wings. Let me pass! I must come to your Chief Architect Denethor, while his license lasts. Whatever betide, you have come to the end of the Gondor that you have known. Let me pass!"

[Grey_Wolf]

Then men fell back before the command of his voice and questioned him no further, though they gazed in wonder at the hobbit that sat before him and at the bike that bore him. For the people of the City used bikes very little and they were seldom seen in their streets, save only those driven by the errand-bikers of the Chief Architect. And they said: "Surely that is one of the great bikes of the General Theoden of Rohan? Maybe the Rohirrim will come soon to strengthen us." But Shadowfax was driven proudly up the long winding road.

[Telcontar_Dunedain]

When the reached the top Gandalf got off the bike, and picked Pippin up and placed him on the floor.
"Now listen. Denethor, is not President of this Architectural Establishment. Long ago his anscetors were Vice Presidents. But evil came, and the President left for another company and a better contract, but Denethor's line have ever held the Presidency in the name of Elendil's descendants, in hope that they would return again. Many a man waits for The Return of Good Architecture," said Gandalf

[EarthBound]

After loosing a Gameboy and two packs of juicy-fruit gum to the guard Gandalf and Pip entered the outer chamber…

Wide eyed, Pip looked around him, “Ok, like wow! This place is just incredible; I’ve never seen such sparkly walls! Wait a tick, is that real gold-flaked spackling?” Pippin rushes to wall and begins scratching at it with his Elvin blade.

Grabbing Pippin by the scruff of his cape, Gandalf pulls Pippin away from doing more damage to the ancient spackling. They then entered the main hall. It was there that Pippin’s breathe was stolen. The chamber was somber and beautiful, making a sound seemed unwanted and dangerous to Pip, so he quietly stole behind the wizard towards a fellow wearing a grey buttoned shirt with a spiffy pocket-protector in the front breast pocket.

From the side of Gandalf’s mouth he whispered a warning to Pip.

“Mutter not a word of his son’s death, it may prove testy if he gets wind that his oldest son will not be returning home by the usual channels…in fact don’t mutter a thing if you don’t wish to try my new tooth-decay tonic I’ve made using basic household cleaners and old gum.” Gandalf gave a threatening glance at the young hobbit, but Pippin was too engrossed with the beautiful dark statues that flanked the main aisle towards the throne.

Finally they approached the Steward…

[Grey_Wolf]

The Chief Architect was sitting in his swivel-chair with a split-in-two loud-hailer in his lap which looked familiar to Pippin.

Then Gandalf spoke.
"Hail, Chief Architect of Minas Tirith, Denethor son of Ecthelion! I am come with counsel and tidings in this dark hour."

Then the old man looked up. Pippin saw his carven face with its proud bones and skin like ivory, and the long curved nose between the dark deep eyes; and he was reminded not so much of Boromir as of Aragorn. "Dark indeed is the hour," said the old man, "and at such times you are wont to come, Mithrandir. But though all the signs forebode that the doom of Gondor is drawing nigh, less now to me is that darkness than my own darkness. It has been told to me that you bring with you one who saw my son die. Is this he?"
"It is," said Gandalf. "One of the twain. The other is with Théoden of Rohan and may come hereafter. Halflings they are, as you see, yet this is not he of whom the omens spoke."
"Yet a Halfling still," said Denethor grimly, "and little love do I bear the name, since those accursed words came to trouble our counsels and drew away my son on the wild errand to his death. My Boromir! Now we have need of you. Faramir should have gone in his stead."
"He would have gone," said Gandalf. "Be not unjust in your grief! Boromir claimed the errand and would not suffer any other to have it. He was a masterful man, and one to take what he desired. I journeyed far with him and learned much of his mood. But you speak of his death. You have had news of that ere we came?"

[Grey_Wolf]

"I have received this," said Denethor, and laying down his rod he lifted from his lap the loud-hailer that he had been gazing at. In each hand he held up one half .
"That is the loud-hailer that Boromir always wore!" cried Pippin.
"Verily," said Denethor. "And in my turn I bore it, and so did each eldest son of our house, far back into the vanished years before the failing of the kings, since Vorondil father of Mardil hunted the wild kine of Araw in the far fields of Rhûn. I heard it calling dim upon the northern marches thirteen days ago, and the River brought it to me, broken: it will wind no more." He paused and there was a heavy silence. Suddenly he turned his black glance upon Pippin. "What say you to that, Halfling?"
"Thirteen, thirteen days," faltered Pippin. "Yes, I think that would be so. Yes, I stood beside him, as he called with his hailer. But no help came. Only more orcs."
"So," said Denethor, looking keenly at Pippin's face. "You were there? Tell me more! Why did no help come? And how did you escape, and yet he did not, so mighty a man as he was, and only orcs to withstand him?"

[Grey_Wolf]

Pippin flushed and forgot his fear. "The mightiest man may be slain by one arrow," he said; "and Boromir was pierced by many. When last I saw him he sank beside a tree and plucked a black-feathered shaft from his side. Then I swooned and was made captive. I saw him no more, and know no more. But I honour his memory, for he was very valiant. He died to save us, my kinsman Meriadoc and myself, waylaid in the woods by the soldiery of the Dark Lord; and though he fell and failed, my gratitude is none the less."

[Grey_Wolf]

Then Pippin looked the old man in the eye, for pride stirred strangely within him, still stung by the scorn and suspicion in that cold voice. "Little service, no doubt, will so great a lord of Men think to find in a hobbit, a halfling from the northern Shire; yet such as it is, I will offer it, in payment of my debt." Twitching aside his grey cloak, Pippin drew forth his Bowie Knife and laid it at Denethor's feet.

[Grey_Wolf]

A pale smile, like a gleam of cold sun on a winter's evening, passed over the old man's face; but he bent his head and held out his hand, laying the shards of the horn aside. "Give me the knife!" he said.

Pippin lifted it and presented the hilt to him. "Whence came this?" said Denethor. "Many, many years lie on it. Surely this is a blade wrought by our own kindred in the North in the deep past?"

"It came out of the mounds that lie on the borders of my country " said Pippin. "But only evil wights dwell there now, and I will not willingly tell more of them."
"I see that strange tales are woven about you," said Denethor, "and once again it is shown that looks may belie the man - or the halfling. I accept your service. For you are not daunted by words; and you have courteous speech, strange though the sound of it may be to us in the South. And we shall have need of all folk of courtesy, be they great or small, in the days to come. Swear to me now!"
"Take the hilt," said Gandalf, "and speak after the Lord, if you are resolved on this."
"I am," said Pippin.
The old man laid the Bowie knife along his lap, and Pippin put his hand to the hilt, and said slowly after Denethor:
"Here do I swear fealty and service to Gondor, and to the Chief Architect of the Agency, to try achieve greatness in the field of Architecture, to meddle in design, plentyful or not, in conflict or peace, or death take me, or the world end, from this hour henceforth, until my contract expires. So say I, Peregrin son of Paladin of the Shire of the Halflings."