Early 3002 TA: Nîn-in-Eilph, Royal Tharbad
Not long after celebrating the birthday of his little girl did Eldarion tell his wife his plan. He was soon going south again. This time to cripple the Dunlendings for years to come.
His plan, to raze Dun Larach to the ground.
So it's finally happening. Elenien thought.
Eldarion could no longer contain himself and needed to deal a decisive blow against his enemy. The strange thing was, though she loathed it, Elenien somewhat agreed with him after hearing his reasoning. He told her he was not only driven by hatred but also by necessity. The Wildmen would continue to throw their armies at Tharbad till the end of time if they had to. Their families would never be safe if something wasn't done. He explained that the Dúnedain, though strong and brave, were not numerous and could not contend with the vast hordes of Dunland in the long run. Thus they needed to take a bold strategy and walk a dark road. It was inhumane but effective, she condemned it but could not say it was a bad idea. In the end she could not stop him even if she tried so she didn't and simply said he be careful and come back home as soon as possible, before kissing him goodbye. What he didn't know was that Elenien was pregnant again. If he had known he would never have gone away. But Elenien thought better of it and would not burden her husband any further.
Before leaving he had one more thing left to do. Visit Gandalf.
He entered the wizard's chambers where the old man was sitting in his chair. While smoking his pipe, he was looking into the hearthfire lost in thought.
“Gandalf, I've come to tell you I'm leaving.” Eldarion said his heart thumping in his throat.
Gandalf turned around in his chair and looked at his former pupil. Eldarion thought he would be angry with him but was surprised to see his old mentor smile.
“I know, but still, thank you for coming here to tell me.” the old man said
“I know you are just doing what you think is right and you are old enough to make your own decisions.” Gandalf said.
Gandalf let out a sigh.
“I know you don't like the Wildmen and perhaps with good reason, yet I would urge you to look inside your heart. The path you're on is very dark and once committed, there is no going back.” he said ominously.
He rose from his chair and towered over the young Dúnadan, looking into his grey eyes.
“Are you prepared to murder innocent women and children for that is where your mission will lead you.” he told Eldarion.
Eldarion just stood there.
“I have to do this.” Eldarion just said.
“There are always other ways whether we see them or not.” the wizard replied.
Silence.
“Then I'm sure we have nothing else to talk about.” Gandalf said eventually.
“Safe travels, and may you return unscathed back to us.” he said.
He embraced his former pupil and said.
“Farewell my boy, and remember what I told you today when the time comes.”
“Farewell, ancient one. May we meet again at happier times.” Eldarion said.
He left Gandalf's house and began his march south towards the Dunlending capital. This time they would not escape his wrath.
Late Autumn 3002 TA: Northern Dunland, Dun Larach
Dun Larach was a Wildman stronghold in all aspects. It was located on a hill surrounded by a wooden wall. A strong place to defend with multiple choke points where the attacker's numbers mattered little. Eldarion had placed his camp on the northern side of the Dunlending capital. A tiny force was garrisoned in the city and Eldarion gathered his advisors around him to construct a plan to take the city. He, unlike Araphor, had the time and supplies to perform a protracted siege and this was what all his advisors suggested he should do. Just wait. But Eldarion was not someone to sit idly by, waiting. Thus he employed the same tactic Hirvegil was using in his siege of Bar-i-Donyonach. Companies of rangers were to skirmish with the forces on the wall and pick them off. This would demoralise the enemy and perhaps prompt them to leave their fortifications. The siege lasted for almost 8 months while siege equipment was being built. Then in the late autumn of 3002 TA, almost at the same time when the Orcs sallied from Carn Dûm, did the Dúnedain see banners of the black crow on the horizon. Reinforcements from the southern clans had come to relieve their faction heir who sat trapped in their capital. The current Huntmaster, Séalbeach, a young noble who had seen his chance to take over Dunland after the demise of Yagthak's clan, saw his folk coming to his aid and he decided to join them.
The fate of Dun Larach was to be decided in the hills surrounding it.
The Dunlending force outnumbered the Dúnedain almost 2 to 1. This however did not affect Eldarion's confidence. He thought his foe had made a mistake by sallying out of the city. He had better tried to get his reinforcements inside the city, was what Eldarion thought to be the better strategy. Eldarion stationed his troops on a hill nearby. He placed his infantry in an L formation at the base of the hill. His rangers and archers he ordered to stand in loose formation on the slope of the hill. His cavalry he put on his right flank. The longer side of the L was facing the bulk of the Dunleding force coming from the southeast while the shorter side was facing the direction where reinforcements from Dun Larach were coming from.
The Dunlending force consisted mostly of clansmen rabble but were supported by some elite javelinmen, archers and strong Dunlendings in Isengard armour. They inspired the rabble to go forward and fight with a fierceness only known to the Wildmen.
Eldarions force consisted of mostly troops from Cardolan supported by some elite Dúnedain rangers, scouts and wardens. Most of the troops he commanded had come from Tharbad itself and the surrounding lands. They all knew why they were here and they would not run away. They had all had bad experiences with the Dunlendings and wanted to repay them in kind. An eye for an eye.
The Wildmen forces marched in decent order towards their Dúnedain counterparts and Eldarion was surprised to see this. Then again, he thought, this was the first time he fought them in an open battle. All the other times he had laid ambushes or surprised them while still in camp. This battle would be the true test of his abillities. The enemy were almost in range of his archers and he ordered them to prepare as well as himself. Once in range the Dunlendings broke into a run, speeding towards the Dúnedain ranks. Somewhere behind, their archers, the famed Beast Slayers, started nocking their first arrows. They aimed and loosed their first volley of arrows into the Dúnedain rangers. Many of Eldarions cloacked friends fell down with arrows sticking out of their limbs. The young Ranger-Captain ordered his archers to focus down these troublemakers. When the first arrows had reached the Dúnedain archer line, the infantry had clashed. Spears, swords and shields of the Dunedain met with the axes, shields and javelins of the Dunlendings. A bloody mess was what ensued. Neither side gave in and tried to push through the other side while arrows and javelins flew over their heads. For the infantry only the clash mattered and they had no account of what was happening on the rest of the battlefield. Meanwhile the Dúnedain cavalry was busy chasing away the Wildmen skirmishers and couldn't support the infantry in their bitter struggle. The Dúnedain line was suffering heavy losses where the berserkers had charged with their dubbleheaded axes. Their initial charge had almost broken their ranks but luckily they had held. Eldarion had comitted all his troops in this battle. It was all or nothing. If the left flank had fallen the battle would have been over. The right flank was not faring any better as the heavily armoured spearmen were stationed there, pushing the clansmen ever forward. Chanting from the back lines could be heard to boost their morale.
Why won't they break. Break dammit. Eldarion thought while biting his lip.
He had fired all his arrows already with the bow of Aranarth. A horn could be heard coming from the south. Séalbheah had finally arrived and the Dunlendings took heart from this. They pushed ever harder to break the Dúnedain. Unfortunately for them the cavalry had dealt with the skirmishers and were preparing to charge into their infantry's rear. The force of the charge made several clansmen fly through the air. Even while crushed between the swords and horses they still did not break. It was only after the third charge that panic started to spread. One moment Eldarion was sure his line would break, the other a ripple of fear spread among his foes and they started to flee. Now to deal with the Huntmaster. The Dúnedain infantry was spent, either dead, wounded or too tired to fight on. He would have to go in melee himself. He ordered his archers to fire their remaining arrows at the approaching fresh force while he prepared his last contingents of infantry to fight for one last time. He took the battleaxe that Halbarad had given him for his wedding, and awaited the arrival of Séalbheach.
Séalbheach saw his men run and knew the battle was lost. Running away would make no difference he knew thus he pressed on to die an honourable death. He knew his city would be at the mercy of the tall darkhaired Dúnadan. He already saw it before him, the countless rapings that would happen, the slaughtering of innocent civilians, man, woman and child alike. He could already smell the scent of burnt wood and blood in the air as they sacked his beautiful city. He cursed the Dúnedain and cursed them again as he neared their lines. Arrows flew all around him and he saw his comrades fall. The last thing he saw was a great battleaxe speeding towards him. He wondered, as he saw his death approaching, had they made the right decision siding with Saruman. Could all of this been prevented by not taking sides. He would never know as the axe imbedded itself in his head.
Séalcheach was dead.
Eldarion ripped his axe from the Huntmaster's head, covered in blood and brains. It was over, he had won but at a great cost. 555 men of the 1800 he had brought were dead. Half of his infantry line was gone. However the entire Dunlending force was destroyed and noone opposed him as he marched back to Dun Larach. There at the front gate, still in a battlefrenzy, he uttered the dreadful words.
“Steal their riches, kill anyone who opposes you but capture the strong men, they will serve well as slaves to rebuild our city! Burn this hovel to the ground!” he shouted.
His men did not need any more encouragement and they obliged. They lusted their revenge and anger on the poor townspeople of Dun Larach as they first stripped every place of their valuables and subsequentially burned the structure to the ground. The sacking lasted almost for a week and an innumerable amount of civilians were killed trying to protect their homes. Eldarion himself had also partaken in the looting but thusfar only by going to the Hall of Wulf and robbing it of its riches. Noone was there so he torched the place. As he was walking through the raging city he came across a mother lying dead with her baby son in her arms. They had been killed by the looting Dúnedain. Eldarion vomitted when he saw the baby's corspe, feeling sick with himself. He would have been more appalled by this had he known his own son, Cuven, had just been born. Nonetheless he hated himself that moment knowing he had brought this destruction upon them. Suddenly he remembered what Gandalf had told him
There is always another way, even if we do not see it.
Only Eldarion had not seen another way blinded with battlefury and hatred. He would always have nightmares about the mother and her baby he knew. He knew he had done an evil thing and only now did he understand the true horror of his decision.
The column of smoke could be seen from the broken ramparts of Tharbad and Gandalf knew his former pupil had done the terrible thing he had said he would do. He was not angry with him but only felt pity for the boy. He knew Eldarion was a good man and would regret this decision for the rest of his life.
After that terrible week, Dun Larach was a dark shadow of itself. The once crowded streets empty and the once colourful buildings now black. It would take years if not even generations to regain the position they had been in mere days ago. Eldarion's plan had been effective but at a terrible cost. His wagons now laden with gold and plunder marched back to Tharbad. The army was followed by a long line of chained men. The Wildmen who would rebuild the city of Tharbad. Some of them were crying and some just had blank eyes having cried all the tears they had to shed. Their spirit had been broken. They had just lost everything to live for, their homes, their wives and their children.
Thus Eldarion marched victoriously into Tharbad and was welcomed by his people as a hero. He did not think himself a hero. Maybe for his victory in the field but not for his actions done in Dun Larach. When he came home he saw his baby boy and could only think of the dead baby cradled in his mother's dead arms. There in front of his wife and son did he collapse and cry. He cried all the tears until there weren't any left to shed. Though he would never stop hating the Wildmen, he would never again strive for the complete destruction of their people. Thus, Gandalf and Elenien thought, something good had come from this evil deed.
And now the healing process could begin.
Battle results
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