Lyrd of the Ryngs - Return of Good Architecture

[Grey_Wolf]

And a voice spoke softly behind: "In the land of Ithilien, and in the keeping of the EO; and he awaits you."

With that Gandalf stood before him, dressed in white leather bikergear, his beard now gleaming like pure snow in the twinkling of the leafy sunlight.

"Well, Master Samwise, how do you feel?" he said.

But Sam lay back, and stared with open mouth, and for a moment, between bewilderment and great joy, he could not answer.

At last he gasped: "Gandalf! I thought you were dead! But then I thought I was dead myself. Is everything sad going to come untrue? What's happened to the world?"

[Grey_Wolf]

"A great Shadow has departed," said Gandalf, and then he laughed and the sound was like music, or like water in a parched land; and as he listened the thought came to Sam that he had not heard laughter, the pure sound of merriment, for days upon days without count. It fell upon his ears like the echo of all the joys he had ever known. But he himself burst into tears.

[Grey_Wolf]

Then, as a sweet rain will pass down a wind of spring and the sun will shine out the clearer, his tears ceased, and his laughter welled up, and laughing he sprang from his bed.

"How do I feel?" he cried. "Well, I don't know how to say it. I feel, I feel' - he waved his arms in the air - "I feel like spring after winter, and sun on the leaves; and like trumpets and harps and all the songs I have ever heard!" He stopped and he turned towards his master.

"But how's Mr. Frodo?" he said. "Isn't it a shame about his poor hands?But I hope he's all right otherwise. He's had a cruel time."

"Yes, I am all right otherwise," said Frodo, sitting up and laughing in his turn. I fell asleep again waiting for you, Sam, you sleepyhead. I was awake early this morning, and now it must be nearly noon."

"Noon?" said Sam, trying to calculate. "Noon of what day?"

[Grey_Wolf]

"The fourteenth of the New Year," said Gandalf; "or if you like, the eighth day of April in the Shire reckoning. But in Gondor the New Year will always now begin upon the twenty-fifth of March when Sauron fell. and when you were brought out of the fire to the Chief Architect. He has tended you, and now he awaits you. You shall eat and drink with him. When you are ready I will lead you to him."

"The Chief Architect?" said Sam. "What Chief Architect, and who is he?"

"The Chief Architect of the Gondorian Architural Agency and EO of the Ithilian Branch," said Gandalf "and he has set up again his board of directors. He will drive soon to his signing of contract, but he waits for you."

[Grey_Wolf]

"What shall we wear?" said Sam; for all he could see was the old and tattered windbreakers and jeans that they had journeyed in, lying folded on the ground beside their beds.

"The clothes that you wore on your way to Mordor," said Gandalf. "Even the orc-rags that you bore in the black land; Frodo, shall be preserved. No silks and linens, nor any armour or heraldry could be more honourable. But later I will find some other clothes, perhaps."

Then he held out his hands to them, and they saw that one shone with light. "What have you got there?" Frodo cried. "Can it be - ?"

"Yes, I have brought your two treasures. They were found on Sam when you were rescued. The Lady Galadriel's gifts: your halogene lamp, Frodo, and your box, Sam. You will be glad to have these safe again."

When they were washed in the portable pool and clad in new fresh Gondorese garb, and had eaten a light McGondor happy meal, the Hobbits followed Gandalf.

They stepped out of the beech-grove in which they had lain, and passed on to a long green lawn, glowing in sunshine, bordered by stately dark-leaved trees laden with scarlet blossom.

Behind them they could hear the sound of falling water, and a stream ran down before them between flowering banks, until it came to a greenwood at the lawn's foot and passed then on under an archway of trees, through which they saw the shimmer of water far away.

As they came to the opening in the wood, they were surprised to see soldiers in camouflaged combat fatigues and troopers in black and white body armour who greeted them with honour and bowed before them.

And then one put a loudhailer to his mouth and shouted through, and the two hobbits went on through the aisle of trees beside the singing stream.

[Grey_Wolf]

So they came to a wide green land, and beyond it was a broad river in a silver haze, out of which rose a long wooded isle, and many ships lay by its shores.

But on the field where they now stood a great host was drawn up, in ranks and companies glittering in the sun.

And as the Hobbits approached rifles were raised, and carhorns sounded, and men cried with many voices and in many tongues:

Long live the Halflings! Praise them with great praise!
Cuio i Pheriain anann! Aglar'ni Pheriannath!
Praise them with great praise, Frodo and Samwise!
Daur a Berhael, Conin en Annûn! Eglerio!
Praise them!
Eglerio!
A laita te, laita te! Andave laituvalmet!
Praise them!
Cormacolindor, a laita tárienna!
Praise them! The Packageers, praise them with great praise!

[Grey_Wolf]

And so the red blood blushing in their faces and their eyes shining with wonder, Frodo and Sam went forward and saw that amidst the clamorous host were set three high-seats built of green turves.

Behind the seat upon the right floated, white on green, a great horse running free; upon the left was a banner, silver upon blue, a ship swan-prowed faring on the sea; but behind the highest throne in the midst of all a great standard was spread in the breeze, and there a white tree flowered upon a sable field beneath a shining crown and seven glittering stars.

And on the throne sat a man in fine black suit and white shirt, and in his lap lay a silvercoloured powersaw.

As they drew near he rose. And then they knew him, changed as he was, so high and glad of face, kingly, lord of Men, dark-haired with eyes of grey.

Frodo ran to meet him, and Sam followed close behind. "Well, if that isn't the crown of all!" he said. "Strider, or I'm still asleep!"

"Yes, Sam, Strider," said Aragorn. "It is a long way, is it not, from Bree, where you did not like the look of me? A long way for us all but yours has been the darkest road."

[Grey_Wolf]

And then to Sam's surprise and utter confusion he bowed his knee before them; and taking them by the hand, Frodo upon his right and Sam upon his left, he led them to the throne, and setting them upon it, he turned to the men and captains who stood by and spoke, so that his voice rang over all the host, crying:
"Praise them with great praise!"

And when the glad shout had swelled up and died away again, to Sam's final and complete satisfaction and pure joy, a minstrel of Gondor stood forth, and knelt, and begged leave to sing.

And behold! he said:

"Lo! Generals and officers and men of valour unashamed, kings and princes, and fair people of Gondor, and Bikers of Rohan, and ye sons of Elrond, and Dúnedain of the North, and Elf and Dwarf, and greathearts of the Shire, and all free folk of the West, now listen to my lay. For I will sing to you of Frodo of the Marked Fingers and the Package of Doom."

[Grey_Wolf]

And when Sam heard that he laughed aloud for sheer delight, and he stood up and cried: "O great glory and splendour! And all my wishes have come true!" And then he wept.

And all the host laughed and wept, and in the midst of their merriment and tears the clear voice of the minstrel rose like silver and gold, and all men were hushed. And he sang to them, now in the Elven-tongue, now in the speech of the West, until their hearts, wounded with sweet words, overflowed, and their joy was like swords, and they passed in thought out to regions where pain and delight flow together and tears are the very wine of blessedness.

[Grey_Wolf]

And at the last, as the Sun fell from the noon and the shadows of the trees lengthened, he ended. "Praise them with great praise!" he said and knelt.

And then Aragorn stood up, and all the host arose, and they passed to party tents made ready, to eat and drink and make merry while the day lasted.

Frodo and Sam were led apart and brought to a tent, and there their temporary clothes were taken off, but folded and set aside with honour; and clean shirts and slacks were given to them.

Then Gandalf came and in his arms, to the wonder of Frodo, he bore the Bowie knife, the elven windbreaker and the mithril body armour that had been taken from him in Mordor.

For Sam he brought a bodyarmour of gold, and his elven-windbreaker all healed of the soils and hurts that it had suffered; and then he laid before them two ceremonial swords.

"I do not wish for any sword," said Frodo.
"Tonight at least you should wear one," said Gandalf.

[Grey_Wolf]

Then Frodo took the Bowie Knife that had belonged to Sam, and had been laid at his side in Cirith Ungol. "Sting I gave to you Sam," he said.

"No, master! Mr. Bilbo gave it to you, and it goes with his silver coat; he would not wish anyone else to wear it now."

Frodo gave way; and Gandalf, as if he were their esquire, knelt and girt the ceremonial sword-belts about them, and then rising he set circlets of silver upon their heads. And when they were arrayed they went to the great feast; and they sat at the Chief Architect's table with Gandalf, and General Éomer of Rohan, and the Prince Imrahil and all the chief captains; and there also were Gimli and Legolas.

[Grey_Wolf]

But when, after the Standing Silence, wine was brought there came in two esquires to serve the generals; or so they seemed to be: one was clad in the silver and sable body armourof the Guards of Minas Tirith, and the other in white and green combat fatigues.

But Sam wondered what such young boys were doing in an army of mighty men. Then suddenly as they drew near and he could see them plainly, he exclaimed:

"Why, look Mr. Frodo! Look here! Well, if it isn't Pippin. Mr. Peregrin Took I should say, and Mr. Merry! How they have grown! Bless me! But I can see there's more tales to tell than ours."

"There are indeed," said Pippin turning towards him. "And we'll begin telling them, as soon as this feast is ended. In the meantime you can try Gandalf. He's not so close as he used to be, though he laughs now more than he talks. For the present Merry and I are busy. We are Soldiers of the City and of the Mark, as I hope you observe."

At last the glad day ended; and when the Sun was gone and the round Moon rode slowly above the mists of Anduin and flickered through the fluttering leaves, Frodo and Sam sat under the whispering trees amid the fragrance of fair Ithilien; and they talked deep into the night with Merry and Pippin and Gandalf, and after a while Legolas and Gimli joined them.

There Frodo and Sam learned much of all that had happened to the Homies after their fellowship was broken on the evil day at Parth Galen by Rauros Falls; and still there was always more to ask and more to tell.

[littleadanel]

ORCers, and talking trees otherwise known as Jolly Green Giants, and Bikers upon their roaring vehicles, and so on and on and on... all these passed before Sam's mind until he totally lost track of things and hoped only for the tale-telling to end. That song of the minstrel was long enough already. Couldn't they listen to the others' stories tomorrow?

Finally he couldn't stand it anymore and blurted out: "Merry, Pip, have you grown or what? Can't understand it at your age. But you're three inches taller than you ought to be, or I'm a dwarf."

"Hrmph!" said Gimli, sounding a bit offended. "That you certainly are not! Of Hobbits and Dwarves, we are the taller folk, remember?" he grumbled. "These two of you are taller just because they drank of the Energy Drink of Ents!"

Sam groaned. His attempt to turn the conversation obviously failed.

"There you go about Ents again!" he said miserably. "But what they are beats me. Why, it will take weeks before we get all these things sized up!"

[Grey_Wolf]

"Weeks indeed," said Pippin. "And then Frodo will have to be locked up in a computor stall all by himself in the Minas Tirith Main Library and type it all down. Otherwise he will forget half of it, and poor old Bilbo will be dreadfully disappointed."

[Grey_Wolf]

At length Gandalf rose. "The hands of the FBI-Agent/CA are hands of healing, dear friends," he said. "But you went to the very brink of death ere he recalled you, putting forth all his power, and sent you into the sweet forgetfulness of sleep. And though you have indeed slept long and blessedly, still it is now time to go to bed again."

"And not only Frodo and Sam. You too, Pippin, it has been to a short a time for you recovery from the last battle. But for Gimli the Dwarf you would have been lost then. But at least I know now the look of a hobbit's foot. I made sure you were dead. I could have. torn out my beard. And it is only a day yet since you were first up and abroad again. To bed now you go. And so shall I."

"And I," said Legolas, "shall walk in the woods of this fair land, which is rest enough. In days to come, if my Elven-lord allows, some of our folk shall remove hither; and when we come it shall be blessed, for a while. For a while: a month, a life, a hundred years of Men. But Anduin is near, and Anduin leads down to the Sea. To the Sea!

To the Sea, to the Sea! The white gulls are crying,
The wind is blowing, and the white foam is flying.
West, west away, the round sun is falling.
Grey ship, grey ship, do you hear them calling.
The voices of my people that have gone before me?
I will leave, I will leave the woods that bore me;
For our days are ending and our years failing.
I will pass the wide waters lonely sailing.
Long are the waves on the Last Shore falling,
Sweet are the voices in the Lost Isle calling,
In Eressëa, in Elvenhome that no man can discover,
Where the leaves fall not: land of my people for ever!

And so singing Legolas went away down the hill.

[Grey_Wolf]

Then the others also departed, and Frodo and Sam went to their beds and slept. And in the morning they rose again in hope and peace; and they spent many days in Ithilien. For the Field of Cormallen, where the host was now encamped was near to Henneth Annûn, and the stream that flowed from its falls could be heard in the night as it rushed down through its rocky gate, and passed through the flowery meads into the tides of Anduin by the Isle of Cair Andros.

The hobbits wandered here and there visiting again the places that they had passed before; and Sam hoped always in some shadow of the woods or secret glade to catch, maybe, a glimpse of the great Walker.

And when he learned that at the siege of Gondor there had been a great number of these mammoth machines but that they were all destroyed, he thought it a sad loss.

"Well, one can't be everywhere at once, I suppose," he said. "But I missed a lot, seemingly."

In the meanwhile the host made ready for the return to Minas Tirith. The weary rested and the hurt were healed.

For some had laboured and fought much with the remnants of the Easterlings and Southrons, until all were subdued.

And, latest of all, those returned who had passed into Mordor and destroyed the fortresses in the north of the land.

[Grey_Wolf]

But at the last when the month of May was drawing near the Captains of the West set out again; and they went aboard the trawlers with all their men, and they travelled from Cair Andros down Anduin to Osgiliath; and there they remained for one day; and the day after they came to the green fields of the Pelennor and saw again the white towers under tall Mindolluin, the City of the Men of Gondor, last memory of Westernesse, that had passed through the darkness and fire to a new day.

And there in the midst of the fields they set up their tents and awaited the morning; for it was the Eve of May, and the chief Architect would enter his gates with the rising of the Sun.

[Grey_Wolf]

Book 6 Chapter 5: The Steward and the King

[Grey_Wolf]

Over the city of Gondor doubt and great dread had hung.

Fair weather and clear sun had seemed but a mockery to men whose days held little hope, and who looked each morning for news of doom.

Their lord was dead and burned, dead lay the General of Rohan in their citadel, and the new Chief Architect that had come to them in the night was gone again to a war with legal powers too corrupt and terrible for any trick or technicality to work.

[Grey_Wolf]

When the Captains were but two days gone, Eowyn the Bride got dressed in her bright-yellow leather outfit and said that she wanted to leave without further ado. The orderlies set her arm in a sling and then she went to the head nurse of the ER.

"Miss." she said."I am bored out of my whits here and can no longer lie around doing nothing while the Men go out and do honourable work."

"Miss Eowyn." the nurse said."You are not yet healed and I was told to see to it personally that you were tended with special care. You should not have gotten out of bed for another week, so I was told. Now, please, return to your room."

"I am healed and well." Eowyn said."Healed at least in body, save my arm only, which is at ease. But I shall get sick again if there is nothing for me to do. Are there no news? The ordelies can't tell me anyting."