The Kinstrife
Part
51
In
which Ragnor and Castaher
play catch with ‘the buck’; Mordulin summons Aerin and Brand to Osgiliath for
the Day of Memory; we make plans for intervening in the midnight smuggling
operation; but all does not go according to (our) plans and whatever it is gets
away while the Upper and Lower Halls beneath the Sealord’s
Tower are flooded; Ragnor buys a present for Estel while Pimm and Sern load the ‘So Much For Subtlety’ with contraband; our
intrepid heroes sail up the Anduin; Pimm secures freedom from boarding by the River Patrol; we
arrive at Osgiliath to find Castamir has turned it in
to a prison camp.
I request
an interview with Castaher and to my surprise he does
not keep me waiting. I pass on Ilviren’s belief that Neithan may be at Tarannon’s Villa along with her father’s observation that Benish Armon will probably keep
him moving through the marshes. In my opinion he will doubtless wind up at the
Villa at some point as it is of great importance to the cult but knowing
whether he’s there at any time and successfully assaulting it may prove tricky.
Castaher clearly intends to take the Villa as soon as
he can; it belongs to the Gondorian
Royal family and not Benish Armon
and taking it will demonstrate Castamir’s resolution
in the matter. If Neithan’s there
at the time, so much the better. Castaher
reckons he has the keys and plans to the Villa and plenty of troops and clearly
intends to make it a personal priority.
I mention
the
Finally I
give a précis of my discussions with Triwath. Castaher seems fully cognisant of Triwath’s
efforts. I tell the Prince that I intend to reconnoitre Mordor probably via
Minas Ithil and he offers to give me a letter of
introduction to Heruvorn, the governor of the city. I
wonder if he will remember my name from Hargen’s reports? Evidently Ranmes’ report
on Minas Ithil has left Heruvorn
unmoved - pity! I tell Castaher that I intend to
depart for Minas Ithil in the next few days.
It crosses
my mind that Castaher’s manner is a little like the
Straight Man’s: I observe him carefully throughout our
conversation but I honestly don’t know.
Returning
to the city I hear Aerin has received a letter from Mordulin. I thought Mordulin
would be on her way to Lond Ernil
or Tolfalas by now but evidently not. It seems she
has inaugurated an annual ‘Day of Memory’ in recognition of Ornendil’s
death at the hands of Neithan and the subsequent sack of Osgiliath,
which went well beyond the necessities of war. Castamir, of course, deplores
this festival but is unwilling to move overtly against Mordulin.
Mordulin intends to be in Osgiliath
for the Day of Memory, as she is every year, which means Estel
will also be in Osgiliath at the same time.
Mordulin
has invited Aerin to come to Osgiliath
to examine Estel, who is having bad dreams. Brand is
also invited in order to ‘catalogue the Royal Archives’, which I suspect is
code for something more nefarious. I had intended to go straight to Minas Ithil but I want to see Estel and
Mordulin so it makes sense to detour – and I want to
see Osgiliath, ruined as it is.
We discuss
our plans for tonight. Yes, I think we should be involved but after briefly
considering hiding an armed force in the Lower Halls I decide to set a trap
outside. I ask Ilviren for a dozen matelots from her ship, capable of handling themselves in a
fight and willing to accept orders from me in her absence (Ilviren
will be in a boat in the Garth).
The plan is
for Ilviren to put in at a jetty on the outer side of
the southernmost channel from the Garth in the dark where Brand and I can examine
whatever it is. If of no consequence Ilviren will
complete her mission having lost just a few minutes. But if it’s something that
we think needs more care we can bear it away by hand with Ilviren’s sailors on
hand in case of unpleasantness.
We’re in
place in time for
Sern
runs to the outer edge of the Garth, some 150 yards away, and returns to report
that hundreds of small boats are milling about in the Garth – it seems Ilviren was just one of many, many, small boat handlers
hired this night. Sern has good eyes and spied one
boat that made a beeline for the eastern channel rather than mill around
aimlessly.
No boats
are coming our way but perhaps the smugglers intend to exit to the river by the
eastern channel. We all race 300 yards eastward and I commandeer three boats.
We patrol the channel for another hour but find nothing. The smugglers may have
taken a more roundabout route, north and around the
far point of the Garth in to the western channel but more likely they alighted
in the city and have escaped overland. Whatever was being smuggled out of the Sealord’s Tower is now long gone.
When Ilviren finds us just before dawn she says that a breach
has been made in the base of the Sealord’s Tower and
the waters of the Garth have flooded the Upper and Lower Halls – just as well I
chose not to hide our people down there. Later Brand hears from the Loremasters that they suspect the criminals used weather magics to blast the wall and I recall the sound of thunder.
That is still powerful magic.
I need to
buy a present for Estel. Mindful of Aradan’s lack of empathy over Estel’s
birthday present, I seek advice from Aerin. She
suggests an illuminated book but even the meanest tome is beyond my meagre
budget. But then Aerin suggests the obvious – a dress
or cloth with which to make a dress. Pelargir is the port of entry for silks
from the Raj. With Aerin’s help I find a length of
blue silk with a truly beautiful lustre, gold braid with which to trim it and a
suitable broach to set it off. The price is 50 crowns but Sern
haggles the price down to 45. This should be a
suitable present for a 12-year old princess!
Castaher’s
letter of introduction to Hervorn arrives so it seems
we are ready to sail once Pimm and Sern finish loading cargo.
May 31st –
We set sail
up the Anduin in ‘So Much For
Subtlety’ and enjoy an uneventful trip. It seems the hold is pretty full and if
I don’t miss my guess, mainly full of grain, which counts as contraband to Osgiliath.
Osgiliath’s
steward is Calimon, Morlaen’s
other son. I know that the chief of the Cor Aran in Osgiliath is Angbor, one of the
three infamous officers that forces Neithan’s hand in
the execution of Ornendil. The other two hold more
junior posts under him. When Osgiliath was sacked,
Castamir insisted the walls be left intact. After he had what damage there was
repaired and since he has used Osgiliath as a prison,
sending criminals, especially those who support Eldacar, to be incarcerated
within the city.
Of course
food is sent in but only just enough to maintain life and most of those still
within live on the edge of starvation. But evidently these ‘criminals’ must be
well-behaved or Mordulin wouldn’t risk bringing Estel here. Still I doubt many within will appreciate my
sympathy for their plight or disgust at their treatment; my connections will
probably be a hindrance if they become generally known.
We’re
intercepted by the river patrol just south of Osgiliath
and I loosen my weapons in their sheaths, mindful of the hold full of Pimm’s contraband food. The captain crosses to ‘So Much For Subtlety’ and even a cursory examination of the hold
will give the game away but instead she conducts a most perfunctory interview
with Ilviren and Pimm and
then rejoins her ship. She and Pimm seem to know each
other and Sern observes that she bears a certain
resemblance to him – it’s who you know, and who you’re related to.
We dock at
the Steward’s quay because it’s well guarded along with the walls. Otherwise
the city is lawless. It occurs to me that unloading the contraband cargo under
the noses of all these guards is going to be difficult. I wonder if this has
occurred to Pimm and Ilviren
yet?
Aerin
asks for an escort. Unsurprisingly no guards can be spared from the walls but I
volunteer as I too wish to see Mordulin and Estel. Al-Han carries Estel’s
present bailed in some rough canvas to disguise its contents. We all reach the
Houses of Healing, where Mordulin and Estel are staying, without incident.
To do list:
Give
present to Estel and advise Mordulin
of full suspicions regarding Benish Armon
Visit Minas
Ithil
Talk to the
survivor of the 1st Mordor expedition before entering Mordor
Survey my estates and produce a plan to improve
them – consider Pimm’s offer but be cautious