Gondor FF
Hello, this is my first FF I ever have published on the web. I hope people like it, and excuse my writing errors, it`s because english isn`t my native language (norwegian is). I currently don`t have a good title, so until I find one, I will only call it Gondor FF
I would like constructiv critisism, not only negative (Like "yu suck. this was terrible!"), that will not encourage me to write better. And please comment, even if you don`t have anything special to say, please comment so that I know what people think about it.
Heres part 1:
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:Gondor FF
Chapter 1, Recapturing Osgiliath
Callin marched forward. He could see the city gates now, and something moving on the wall. Orcs, he thought. Today they would drive the scum out of Western Osgiliath, and retake it in Gondor and in Steward Echtelion IIs name!
He stopped, together with his group of spearmen, and they waited. Callin turned his head toward Field Marshall Mistion and General Forlong the fat. They sat on their horses and studied the city. Then a horn sounded, and the siege towers started moving towards the walls. Callin did not envy the Axemen of Lossarnach, whom would be first on the walls. Or the militia, who worked as support troops / meat shield for orc arrows.
The city had huge walls, and once it was a city full of life and joy. Now the once proud towers was ruined, and the only who lived was orcs and men who worshiped Melkor. The walls still stood proud, though.
The archers started to fire, and Callin smiled when he heard screams from orcs who had been hit.
He heard his friend and neighbor in formation draw a deep breath, and Callin turned his head. “Nervous?” he asked.
“No,” his friend, Arlev, said ironically. “It`s only a couple a thousands orcs, who are just waiting to slay us.”
Callin smiled. “Then we better kill them before they kill us.”
Arlev only nodded. He was a brave soldier, but to young. Before Callin could think more he heard a crash, and saw that the towers were at the walls, and soldiers started to fight for a place on the wall. “Spearmen; forward!” Mistion called, and the captain of Callins group started moving. A wave of arrows hit them, but no one died. “This is it, Arlev. Nice knowing you, may Eru help us beat this scum.” He said to Arlev, who nodded, and was white.
They entered the siege tower, and started climbing up the ladder. When Callin were on the wall, the enemies had retreated in to the streets. A new order came from Mistion, but Callin didn`t hear it before his captain repeated it: “Secure the walls!” Callin looked around. There were only gondorians on the walls. “The walls are secured, sire.” Callin said, and the troops laughed a bit. Even their Captain, Gertil, smiled. Gertil was a huge man, and slow. He was not smart at all, but he was one of this army’s best swordfighters. Callin did not know why he had become captain for spearmen, but he didn`t think about it.
The gates opened, and militia poured in against the orcs who held their position. “Move of the wall!” Gertil yelled, and they went down to the street and started fighting. Callin thrusted his spear towards an orc, who fell. He blocked a sword, and stabbed the orc with his spear. This war retuined now, but he started to sweat and war tired after a short time.
Then the archers started to shoot flaming arrows in the middle of the orcs, and they broke and fled. One. Two. Three. Callin killed orcs as they tried to flee. “Die!” he yelled, and soon he was covered in blood. “Rally here! Gondor! Rally here!” a voice yelled, and he walked towards it. General Forlong was there. “You have done a good job, all of you, but there is still orcs in this city. Let`s move towards the plaza!” he was not a good general or motivator, Callin thought, so he helped: “For Gondor! For Gondor and The White Tree!” he yelled and slammed his spear and shield together to make sound. The soldiers cheered, and started moving in a solid column. The spearmen in front, then the militia, then the archers.
On the plaza thousands of orcs were gathered.
The plaza was a huge flat square, and was the largest in the city. In the middle a flag was planted, Saurons. The stone was dirty, but you could see that once they had been white and beautiful. “Hold!” Mistion yelled. He said something to Forlong, and rode away with the cavalry. A captain disappeared with 500 militias, on the order from Forlong. “What`s happening?” Arlev asked. “I don`t know, but we`ll just have to trust them.” Callin answered, quite unsure.
“Spearmen, form spear wall!” the order sounded, and the spearmen did as told. “Archers, fire!” and they did, orcs fell like flies.
The spearmen marched forward, and stopped in front of the orcs. The orcs charged, and god impaled on the long spears. Callin shook of the orc, and stabbed another. He cut him open when he pulled his spear back. A horn sounded, and many orcs turned around. Callin didn`t waste his time, and stabbed many in the backs. Then he saw what the horn was, and Mistion and the cavalry charged into the orc mass, and 500 militias came from the other side. The orcs were surrounded, and got slaughtered. Then they focused entirely on the militias, and broke through. They fled in to the city.
“Hunt them down!” Mistion commanded, and everybody broke formation and ran around in the city.
Callin was tired, and his spear had broken, so he used a sword taken from a dead militia. Han hoped he did not encounter any orcs, for he was too tired to fight. His armor was covered in blood, and he had removed his helmet. His thin, curly, yellow hair was greasy. He had a small nose, and his eyes were green. He heard a noise, something was moving around the corner. Orc! He thought, and wondered if he should fight or run. He decided to fight.
He went closer to the corner, rounded it and thrust the sword forward. Then he saw who it was. Arlev fell down on the ground, dead. His round face covered in blood, and his armor ruined. In his chest there was a sword, Callins sword.
Callin fell down on the ground, over Arlevs body. Weaping. In the background he heard Mistion speak of how Gondor had proven that they were still strong, that the western half of the city was retaken and that the soldiers had made The White Tree proud. Callin stopped listening, and kept weaping over his comrade cold body.
End of chapter 1.
I didn't think chapter two would be that good, but I am quite happy about how it turned out.
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:An unusual company
He wept, and wept over his friends body. He could feel people watching him, but he didn`t care. Someone took a step against him, but then hesitated and went back. Then they started going away, but those who knew him stayed. Arlev didn`t have any other friends, he was considered a sissy, but he was polite and nice, but not anymore.
He woke up in a bed in the barracks, and didn`t remember anything. Another soldier sat on a bed next to him. “Where are everybody?” Callin asked.
“In the city, at the gates, etc.” the soldier answered, and fell asleep.
Callin got up, and walked out. He walked around the city, and found his way to Arlevs grave. Arlev had gotten his own grave, because everyone knew that Callin would demand it. He sat at the grave, and put flowers there. Then he got up, and went into the city.
In the meanwhile a strange company entered Osgiliath. “Of course dwarves from Erebor would have kicked Blue Mountain Dwarves’ ass any day!” the dwarf said.
“I don`t think so. The Ered Luin Dwarves are pretty tough.”
“Bah!” the dwarf said. All the time since Dale they had had this discussion, but these Rangers of the North could of course not understand how much stronger, and cooler, the Erebor dwarves were.
“A nice city, this.” The Ranger said.
“No. Built by humans – no offence, but you really cannot work with stone as good as we do.”
“That is true, but I still think it’s a nice city.”
“Oh yes, not bad at all, considering humans built it.”
The Ranger, Arahen, and the dwarf, Felabad, had met in Dale, and decided to travel to Osgiliath. Arahen wanted to see Osgiliath and help recapturing it, and Felabad wanted to kill orcs. Obviously, they would fit as a team. Arahen was dressed in leather boots, a green cloak, brown pants, a darker green shirt and on his back he had his bow and a quiver with arrows. He had a leather cuirass, but did not wear them now. Felabad had sturdy leather boots, black pants, a shirt of chainmail under his blue shirt, and a grey cloak, with a tattered hood. His axe hang in his belt.
“Too bad we were too late for the battle.” Felabad said. Arahen nodded, but was looking at a girl who sold tomatoes.
“Way out your league.” Felabad smiled, and started eating on an apple he had just bought.
“What? What are you talking about? I… eh,… was looking at the tomatoes.”
Felabad laughed in answer. “Let’s just go watch the bridge.” Arahen nodded.
The company started to wander around in the city, Felabad more and more impressed by the city, and Arahen too. He had never ventured out of Eriador before. Then they come to the bridge, but it was closed. 50 armed soldiers stood before a great arch and through there was the bridge. The arch was barricaded, so was the rest of area that lead to the bridge. “Let us through!” Felabad yelled, and a soldier looked at him. “Who are you?” he asked.
“Who am I?! I am Felabad, son of Felugin, son of Kazlek!” the soldier looked at him, none the wiser. “I can’t let you through, Felabad, son of Felugin, son of Kazlek.” He said after a while. “And why not?”
“On the other side of the bridge there is orcs, and we have barricade this part so that they cannot attack.”
“I just want one look at it, it’s supposed to be a magnificent bridge!”
“I am sorry.”
“Let’s just go, Felabad.” Arahen said.
Felabad said something on Khuzdul, it did not sound nice – but then again, what does on Khuzdul? – and he followed Arahen. They entered a tavern, and ordered some bear. Then they started talking about the situation.
Callin entered a tavern.
“Give me a bear.” He mumbled to the barkeeper, and sat down in the corner. After three bears the barkeeper hesitated. “I think you have had enough.” He said. “I`ll tell you when I`ve had enough! Keep it coming!”
After another, a hooded man sat down. “You really have had enough.” He said.
“Arlev would have wanted this.” Callin lied.
“No, he wouldn`t. He would have wanted you to continue.” The hooded man said. Like this they talked, mostly about Arlev. It turned out the hooded man knew Arlev too, but he never removed his hood. Callin was too drunk to notice this, but after even more beers the hooded man got up. “
I have to go now, Callin.” He said, with a softer voice. The voice was like… Callin looked up, and the hooded man removed his hood. It was Arlev.
“I have to go.” He started backing out of the bar, and Callin got up.
“No! Stay! Please! Don`t leave!” he screamed, and Arlev started fading away. He fell on the floor weeping.
Arahen and Felabad was talking, when suddenly the soldier in the corner got up. He had talked to himself all the night, and even bought a bear to the empty chair over the table. He started yelling for Arlev, and fell on the floor. He was drunk, and weaping.
End of chapter 2
I like this chapter, I think it's the best I have written. And yeah, I know the battle-cry is from LOTRO (fun game), but I took it because it's cool. And I have really no idea about have Gondorians swore oaths, so I made one up. It could have been much worse, I think.
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:A trick?
Callin woke up. He laid in a bed, probably in an inn. “Where am I?” he asked out loud, and saw that a man and a dwarf sat beside the bed. The dwarf had a huge light brown beard. Callin jumped up. “Just take it easy!” the dwarf said. “You are in an inn, last night you got drunk, and we helped you up to our room.” The man said. Callin looked around. Two other beds were in the room. “Who are you?” he asked.
“I think we have the right to ask that question first.” The dwarf said. Callin nodded.
“I am Callin, soldier of the Gondorian army, third battalion Spearmen. Now, who are you?”
“I am Felabad, son of Felugin, son of Kazlek, miner in The Iron Hills, smith in Dale and Erebor and soldier of The Lonely Mountain.” The dwarf said.
“And I am Arahen, son of Thedan, Ranger of the North.” The man answered. The man was about the height of Callin, had black hair down to his neck and had obviously not shaved in a couple a days.
“And – if I may ask – what does a Ranger of the North and a dwarf do in Osgiliath? I assume we still are in Osgiliath?”
“Yes, yes. We are still in Osgiliath.” The dwarf said.
“I traveled towards Dale, and needed my armor repaired. Felabad here repaired it, and said he was just waiting for heading south and killing orcs. I said I was going south, and he joined me.”
“Okey… Can I go now?” Callin did not want to learn more about these clearly crazy people. Who wanted to waste their lives against orcs?
“Ye…,” Arahen started, but Felabad interrupted him. “If you find a way for us to look at the bridge.”
“You got to be kidding me!” Callin yelled, looking around the room for his weapons.
“No. I want to see the bridge.”
“It’s too dangerous.”
“Nothing is too dangerous for Felabad, son of Fel…,”
Callin interrupted him. “So you alone could kill maybe thousands of orcs, who would attack you at the first sight?”
The dwarf said nothing, Arahen did. “You are right, I apologize for my friend. You are free to go, you will find your stuff in the barracks.”
Callin left.
“Why did you do that! We could pressure him, to give us access to the bridge!”
“No. We must find another way to do that.” Arahen said, and sat down in his chair while they both lighted their pipes.
Callin wandered about in Osgiliath, and found the barracks after a short walk. He went in, and there his stuff wore. He took his armor on, and went outside to guard the bridge.
“Callin! Nice to see you!” Gertil said, who had command of the ones who guarded the bridge.
“I want to guard the brigde, sir!” Callin said.
“Why?”
“A dwarf and a man asked me how they could see the bridge, I don’t trust them.”
“They were here yesterday, too.” Then Callin remembered that he went too a bar, and suddenly he felt the head ache.
“Are you all right?”
“Yeah… Heh… just a little head ache.”
“You can’t work with that. Dismissed!”
“But Sir….”
“Dismissed!”
Callin nodded, and left.
Just as Callin left a brothel, a young soldier came running. “Callin, you are summoned to Field Marshall Mistions office.”
“When?”
“Immediently.” They walked towards the office. The building was huge, and all wood. It was built not far from det wall, and the plaza it stood on was surrounded by sharpened stakes and footmen. The building was nothing more than a huge squared building, easy to defend, ugly to watch. They went in, and at least a hundred other were there. Mistion stood at the end of the hall, three steps over the others. “To hold Osgiliath will be hard, and we cannot do that without pikemen. Steward Ecthelion II have ordred us to send 80 pikemen to Cair Andros, and he sent ut 100 spearmen from Minas Tirith. All of you were spearmen, but you are now pikemen. 120 of you, and that means we will raise two of you to Lieutenants, who will command 60 each. Thorben!” a man, obviously Thorben walked up. He was a skinny man, but all knew him to be a cunning man, and he had worked with Rangers of Ithilien for two years, so he also knew cunning tactics. “Thorben, I, Mistion, Field Marshall of Gondor, name you Lieutenant. You have the command of 60 pikemen, you must swear the oath.” “I swear to defend Gondor against its enemies, I swear to serve Gondor to the end of my days, and if I am allowed to retire I will serve Gondor peacefully. This, I swear by the Valar, and if I break this oath, may I suffer to Dagor Dagorath.” Thorben went down again. “Callin!” Mistion yelled. Callin was shocked? Him? Why? He wasn’t a good leader, was he? He went up, and swore the oath. Everyone looked as shocked as he was, but it seemed that Mistion trusted him.
Arahen had climbed a ruined tower, but it was high enough to look over the walls. Felabad was on the ground floor, watching. Arahen saw orcs. Everywhere on the bridge, but doing nothing. Just walking, talking, sleeping. Killing each other. They were doing something on the other side, he could tell, but not what. “Hey, Arahen, someones coming!” Felabad said, and Arahen got down as three Gondorian riders passed. He climbed down. “I think they are about to attack.” He said, and Felabad got a worried look on his face. “Let’s tell that soldier at the gate about it.”
“I’ll tell him, you won’t. He doesn’t like you, and I heard something about some dwarves coming here earlier. Check it out.”
Felabad nodded, reluctlantly, but went off. Arahen runned towards the gate, and met the captain. “Sir!” he said, and Captain Gertil turned. “What do you want?”
“Check out the bridge, my good Captain.”
Gertil sighed, but nodded towards a soldier who looked at the bridge. “Orcs, lots o’ ‘em, too, Sir.”
At the time Forlong came out from the gatehouse, and heard. “Gather all the riders, and get me a couple a hundred infantry, too. We attack!” Arahen looked shocked at the fat general.
Felabad saw at least a hundred dwarves and two wagons gather outside the gates. He went out, he would have loved to tell Gertil about the orcs, but Arahen saw them, and then Arahen should get the honor. “Hello!” a dwarf yelled, smiling. It was Barogin, a good solder. “What are you doing here?”
“Dain decided to send some help to the Men down here, too show that we have the power to fight Easterlings, Orcs from the Mountains AND orcs here in the south.”
“How many?”
“90 veterans, but your brother Kazlek will arrive with 210 more, but only 60 veterans.”
“What about armor?” Felabad had never liked Kazlek, their father had always preferred Kazlek, but he was only 12 years older.
“Fully armored everyone, we even got one for you to!” he walked towards the wagon, and took up a sack. Out of the sack he took a breastplate with ebony color, and made of strong iron. He also took up a helmet, it was completely covered, except where the eyes would be, and also a few small holes in front of the mouth. “Wonderful!” Felabad said, when they heard a horn. “We’re under attack! Get your men ready!” Felabad started to dress up in his armor.
Arahen knew it was a trick, but Forlong wouldn’t listen. He rode out, and just then thousands of orcs poured out of the other gate. He didn’t have time to retreat before they were on him. He had sounded a warhorn, and the closest solders came out. He knew others would soon come. Arrows flew from his bow, an orc closing in on Forlong got an arrow in it’s neck. He would soon be empty, but he also knew that the battle on top of this bridge was lost, but then arrows started to flew from the towers over the bridge, and he ran towards them. Thousands of soldiers poured out of the gates too.
Callin ran out of the gate. “MAKE A PIKEWALL!” he screamed, and his men did as they were commanded. They joined the main wall, and fought. He stood with his pike at the side, but in fourth line. Then he heard a huge noise, and out of the gates came trolls. They charged the Gondorian lines, and suddenly he was at the front. He pushed his pike inside a troll-belly, and poked another too hold it away. He did not see it, but he knew the lines would break.
Arahen was out of arrows, but found 10 more in the tower. The trolls had annihilated most of the formation, and they would soon break, again he was out of arrows, and he ran out of the tower. On the wall an arrow hit him in the chest. He fell on the wall, gasping for air, trying to ignore the tremendous pain. The last thing he heard was: “Baruk Khazâd! Khazâd ai-mênu!”, as the dwarves charged the trolls.
End of chapter3
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Originally Posted by Aenima
