Faramir Fiction Archive

Fairborn (PG)

Written by Paul Price

26 August 2011 | 24652 words

Title: Fairborn
Author: Paul Price
Rating: PG
Pairing(s): Faramir

This is a sixteen chapter short novel detailing curious events and various adventures in the twentieth year of Faramir and Eowyn’s marriage. The adventures and events concern them, their children, their friends, the countries of Gondor, Rohan, Dunland, and Harad, and enemies they did not know they had.

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Chapter 13: Damrod and King Elessar

In Dunland, Damrod continued to lead the White Company during its search for the Dunlending Army. The White Company had scouted almost half of the forests of Dunland, but had discovered nothing of the Dunlending Army. King Elessar was getting impatient. As he had been a ranger for many years in the War against Sauron, the King was frustrated that his rangers could not find the enemy. It was then that Damrod received a letter from Faramir, and changed the area of his search. Damrod moved the search area to the northernmost woods, near the Misty Mountains. As a result, the White Company found very recent traces of the Dunlending Army. Damrod sent some rangers to track the Dunlending Army and he sent others south along the mountains. Then, he reported to the leaders of the allied armies.

Damrod reported to King Elessar of Gondor, the acknowledged leader of the armies, but King Éomer of Rohan was also present. Additionally, important captains from both armies were there.

“Sire, the Dunlending Army has moved to the eastern side of the Misty Mountains.” He said to King Elessar.

King Elessar was surprised. “Why would they do that? Why would they abandon their country to us?” King Elessar was a great fighter and battle leader, but he was not a great strategist. He did not immediately see the cleverness of the Dunlending maneuver.

“I think they are either marching on Rohan, or preparing to come through the mountain passes further south to attack us by surprise.” Said Damrod. “I have sent rangers to scout the southern passes against this latter possibility.”

Damrod’s report caused much discussion among the assembled leaders of the armies. The Rohirrim leaders knew that their country was lightly defended. They would need to send troops home, if Rohan was not to fall to the Dunlending Army. Additionally, the northern part of Gondor would be vulnerable if Rohan fell. In the end, the allied leaders decided to send King Éomer and his Rohirrim army to defend Rohan. Also, the Gondorian Army would move to defend the southern passes of the Misty Mountains. They were all surprised that the young King of Dunland, Unverfurth, was cleaver enough to envision such a plan. They had underestimated him.

In the next several days, Damrod received reports from his rangers. The Dunlending army was heading south at a rapid pace, and soon must march for either the mountain passes or for Rohan. Additionally, the rangers scouting in the passes were being attacked by orcs. The presence of orcs in the area was a surprise. Saruman had forged an alliance of Dunlendings and orcs twenty years before, but that had been exceptional. Generally, Dunlendings and orcs were not ready allies and did not usually live near each other peacefully. Dunlendings were humans after all, and orcs seldom tolerated humans.

King Elessar called Damrod to a meeting three days after the previous council.

“Which way are the Dunlendings going?” He asked Damrod.

“Toward Rohan, Sire.”

“How long would it take the Dunlending army to reach Rohan?”

“About five days from now.”

“King Éomer thinks his army will not get to Rohan for seven more days. So, Erkenbrand will have to hold the entire Dunlending Army in check for about two days. Has anyone notified him of his peril?”

“Yes. I sent three couriers by different routes, and one message by sea, two days ago. He should be aware by now.”

“How was it that you discovered the Dunlending’s plan?”

“I received a letter from Faramir and he suggested that I assume that the Dunlending Army had made the move that we would least expect. He noted that corsairs had raided Gondor and orcs had raided Rohan to take advantage of the military weakness of the two countries. He suggested that I consider how the Dunlendings could exploit the same perceived weakness. Therefore, I shifted our scouting to the North mountain passes where they would likely organize an attack on Rohan. There we found traces of the recent camps of the Dunlending Army. The Misty Mountains could shield the march of their troops from our scouts and our army, just as the forest had shielded them up to then.”

“So, Faramir serves me well, even when he is not here. You did well in interpreting his suggestion.”

“Thank you, Sire.”

“What do you suggest we now do with our army in Dunland?”

“We could march through the southern mountain passes, and trail the Dunlending Army. Then, when they reach Rohan, we would have cut off their path of retreat.”

“What is the risk in that plan?”

“We could be ambushed by the orcs in the mountains, or by the Dunlending Army circling back on its tracks. We do not know exactly how large the Dunlending Army is, or how many orcs are in the mountains.”

“Others have suggested the same plan. Some have suggested that we follow King Éomer to Rohan and aid him there. Some have suggested that we return home by sea and let Rohan carry the burden of the fighting. I will consider the various plans.”

“My suggestion has the largest risk, and the largest reward. We could end the war by trapping Unverfurth’s army in Rohan.”

“Or, we could be ambushed in the mountain passes at great loss to our army.” Said the King.

Two days later, the Gondorian Army in Dunland began to move south to aid the Army of Rohan. It was the safest choice which did not abandon Rohan to fight the war alone.

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