Part III

It was the sound of shrieking and cursing that brought him wide awake, fumbling for the sword that lay near at hand beneath his cot. He leapt to his feet, and saw many another man doing the same.

To his astonishment, he saw that there was another captive! This one was a foul and shriveled creature, clearly not an orc, though it had an orc-like look about it. It was thrashing in the strong grip of three of the men: Anborn, Eradan and Beren. Blood was running down Beren's arm. Captain Faramir was behind them, and the halflings looked on in concern.

It was soon subdued, and instead of fighting and thrashing, began to grovel unpleasantly. Anborn was able to handle it alone, finally. The Captain waved the other men off, and began to question the creature.

Beren went over to where the water for washing was kept. "It bit me!" he exclaimed. "The foul thing bit me!"

Findegil, who served as healer to the Company joined him, and Mablung and others went to see what had happened. Findegil shook his head. "That's a nasty bite! He's actually torn a small chunk of flesh out of your arm, Beren!" He washed the blood, and shook his head. "Keep it in the water and let it bleed for a while. Bites can turn septic easily. I do not want to stitch it up--who knows what that creature's had in its mouth!" Beren nodded.

"What happened?" Mablung asked.

It was Eradan who answered, gesturing with his chin to the corner where Anborn held the prisoner, and the Captain and the halflings stood by. "Anborn spotted it in the Forbidden Pool. We were going to shoot it, but the Captain ordered us to try and take it alive. The dark-haired halfling, Frodo, he persuaded it into our grasp. It fought us like a wild animal!"

After a while, Anborn brought the cringing creature away, and bound it. It began to weep piteously, but did not shriek again, but muttered to itself, and kept making an unpleasant noise in its throat, "gollum, gollum", until the men were weary of hearing it. The Captain came back.

"Watch over this thing. It's treacherous enough." He glanced around at his men. "I will be releasing these three in the morning. Mablung, if you would, prepare journey food and water for our guests to take with them. There is not much left of the night--those of you who have no other duties may take your rest." He passed out of the cavern, and stood before the veil of the waterfall, looking thoughtful.

"He's going to allow them to leave?" Gelmir's voice was incredulous, and though he asked the question first, he was not alone in his thoughts. Why would the Captain do such a thing, a thing against all the orders they had been given?

"Has he gone mad?" asked another man, a relative newcomer to the Company of Rangers--Valandil? Valandor? some such name, Mablung tried to remember.

Several voices were raised in indignation. "Of course not!"

Suddenly a conviction came to Mablung--he thought he knew the answer. "I think I know," he said.

All ears turned to him. "What?" asked Beren crossly, and then gasped, as Findegil splashed an astringent on his injury.

"They had been travelling with the Captain General. And they had come from the West! Don't you see?"

"See what, Mablung?" asked Eradan.

"They must be on a secret mission from the Lord Steward! That would explain all--the secrecy, and why our Captain questioned them so closely, to be sure of them, and why he agreed to let the go on their way! Lord Denethor must have sent them--perhaps to spy out the Enemy's land!"

Suddenly, it seemed to all the men that Mablung's guesses had to be the true solution. Of course, such small beings would be excellent spies! Perhaps that was why the Lord Boromir had been bringing them South! Their faith renewed, the men nodded all around, pleased to have discerned the true state of things.

Mablung busied himself packing the supplies the two would need on their dangerous journey. Journeybread, dried meat, dried fruit, plenty of water. Poor little things, such a dreadful task. But they were valiant creatures, and they seemed to have a lightness about them, an air of hope, that would serve them well when they went on their dreaded task. He was not too sure of what role that ugly creature had to play, but he had faith that the Captain knew, and that was enough for him.

He joined them as they led their guests blindfolded from the sanctuary, back to the woods, away from the falls. Mablung and Eradan waited out of the light, in the shadows of the trees, to see the leave-taking.

Captain Faramir stood by the two halflings. "Here is the parting of our ways," he said. "If you take my counsel, you will not turn eastward yet. Go straight on, for thus you will have the cover of the woodland for many miles. On your west is an edge where the land falls into the great vales, sometimes suddenly and sheer, sometimes in long hillsides. Keep near to this edge and the skirts of the forest. In the beginning of your journey you may walk under daylight, I think. The land dreams in a false peace, and for a while all evil is withdrawn. Fare you well, while you may!"

He stooped and placed his hands upon their shoulders, and bestowed a kiss upon their brows. "Go, with the good will of all good men!"

The halflings bowed, and Mablung saw them look up briefly at him and at Eradan. Then at a gestured order from the Captain, he and the others turned and left them behind.

"I wonder," said Eradan to Mablung under his breath, "I wonder shall we ever see them again."

Mablung sighed sadly. "Not alive, I ween. It is a shame, for I have grown quite fond of them in this short time."