THE
FAIRER SEX
Prologue:
Survivors
Somehow they had escaped.
In the midst of utter destruction, they had somehow survived where many of
their kindred had not. Allies, who had fought with them, now lay buried and forgotten,
their corpses becoming nothing more than sustenance for the bottom feeders on
the seabed. They themselves had narrowly escaped such a terrible fate and their
own number had been greatly reduced during the exodus from their ruined city.
Now there was only a handful where there had been many and the survivors were
at a loss over what to do next.
At the time, their imperative had been to escape the rising deluge of water that filled the cavern where their city was sheltered for so many ages. Fleeing the tide of the cold sea that pursued them amidst the destruction of falling rocks and boulder like fragments of crumbling ceiling, they had thought little of what would come once they escaped the immediate peril. However, upon emerging once again to what was relatively steady ground, they discovered that the danger had not passed even though they were for momentarily safe. For so long, their city had protected them. It kept them safe from the outside world and as they sat at the feet of their master whose schemes would have made it possible for them to leave their city and emerge into the world again, it never even occurred to them that he might fail.
Or worse yet, be killed.
But killed hie was and the great plan had failed, the one the Master had assured would return them to existence they knew before the sunlight had filled the cracks of the world with its blinding light. Before the First Age of the Sun, the world had been as a paradise to them, a time where they were filled with the sinful delights of pleasure borne out of pain. When the dark lord Morgoth had ruled the world, they had been at the height of their power. To them, it was a time still spoken of in whispers of awe and reverence. To make the world as it once was, they had served their new master when Morgoth had been banished to the void and the shape of Middle earth changed beyond recognition in the War of Wrath.
In the face of the cataclysmic battle that had been fought and the subsequent
destruction of Beleriand which took with it Angband and much of Morgoth’s
army, they had been driven to hide out of fear. During the war, their value had
always been in concealment and subterfuge. They were created as a covert weapon
unlike the Balrogs whose purpose was destruction in
all its grand chaos. They walked among the enemy, listening and reporting back
their observations to their master. When Morgoth had
been vanquished, it was easy enough for them to hide and with the Valar more concerned with the Balrogs,
firedrakes and other demon spirits fighting openly, it was easy to be
forgotten.
With the end of the war, they had bound themselves to a new master and for many ages, they served him well and were contented to remain within the city under the sea. Their new master had also served Morgoth and like them, wished to serve the dark lord again. His plan was audacious to say the least but it would bring Morgoth back to them and there was nothing they would not do to see that accomplished. After waiting for so long, the vassal in that Morgoth would inhabit upon his return was finally conceived and the master’s plan was finally coming to fruition.
It should have worked.
It would have if not for the determination of the she elf and her companions to save her child from the blessing of Morgoth’s spirit. They had underestimated her and were paid dearly for their mistake for the she elf had aided the death of their master and brought down their city upon their heads. The plan lay ruined forever beneath the sea, along with the carcass of their master and the allies who would have helped them usher in a new order if only Morgoth been allowed to inhabit the body of the child slumbering within the she elf’s womb.
After their escape, the survivors banded together, united by their confusion and fear because for the first time in their lives, they had no leader, no one to tell them what to do. Many were prepared to find other enclaves in the dark, to hide again. It might have transpired this way if one of them had not made the suggestion that perhaps what was needed was a new plan, one that they would carry out themselves, without the need of a master to guide their actions or allies upon whom they could rely on. Perhaps they could not bring Morgoth back to Middle earth but they could change it to suit their needs.
Emerging into the sunlight for the first time in eons, they soon learnt how to move safely through this world they had feared for so long. While they traveled sometimes during the day, under guises that ensured no one would accost them, mostly their journey took place by night. It appeared that exodus was not an uncommon thing in Middle earth these days. The Eldar were also leaving the shores of Middle earth. Arda was being left to the race of men and this suited them well for men did not have the sight or the senses to perceive them as the elves did. Even if they did encounter the First Born, they had means of concealing themselves. They were aware of craft that was old even when the Eldar were first awakened at Cuinvienen.
If they had to, they could remain hidden from anyone.
They crossed the Misty Mountains, visited the ruins of Dol Goldur before crossing Mirkwood to take the river into the Sea of Rhun, into the lands that were laid claim to by the folk known to the rest of Middle earth as the Easterlings. Like they had been after Morgoth’s banishment to the void, the Easterlings were similarly displaced. They were a warrior people, bred to fight and relishing victory and battle in all its forms. The enforced peace they had no choice but to endure, thanks to the destruction of Sauron, was a found festering upon their pride. The new arrivals finally found the instrument with which they could secure their place in Middle earth as well as strike a blow of vengeance against the she elf that had ruined everything.
It was an easy enough matter to infiltrate the Easterling ranks with none of the race having the slightest inkling that there were those among them that were not men but something else completely. The new arrivals were swift to consolidate their power and though they did not overtly reveal themselves, they found that the Easterlings were easily manipulated because of their inherent dislike for the Reunified Kingdom. The power of the Easterling had well and truly been broken by the defeat of Sauron. The loss left deep wounds upon their pride that was worsened because of the peace they were forced to accept.
The lord of the Easterlings had begrudgingly entered negotiations with Minas Tirith to establish new lines of trade and commerce so that his people could begin to prosper after so many years of war. Though the idea of peace was abhorrent to the men of the southern lands, the fact remained that without Mordor they were starving. For years, the dark lord had kept them fed by allotting them portions of tributes gathered from other lands subservient to Mordor. The arrangement ensured that the armies of men under his yoke could focus singularly on the business of war.
Unfortunately, with the demise of Sauron, this delicately poised balance had shattered and suddenly, men who had lived all their lives as soldiers were faced with the reality of starvation. So few Easterling resources had been directed towards agriculture and pastoral farming that without Mordor’s aid, the southern lands were quickly descending into poverty. Thus, the need to forge an alliance of some sort with their old enemies was not only a necessary evil but also an urgent imperative. King Elessar, aware of the deteriorating situation had extended the hand of friendship, hoping to bring order to the realm by a gesture of goodwill.
The years following the war had been good ones for Gondor and its surrounding neighbors, a gift of grain was thus offered the Easterlings as an overture of friendship to solidify relations between the former enemies. The Easterlings were proud but like the Corsairs and Wainriders who were driven to make similar agreements, they had little choice but to accept Gondor’s offer of aid. The negotiations had continued over a number of months as both sides were cautious of each other and rightly so. It was no easy thing to shirk years of hostility in order forge something better and while Elessar was willing to make concessions to leave the Easterlings with their dignity, he would not relinquish the sovereignty of Gondor to dictate some terms.
The culmination of all this was a treaty that was historic in every sense of the word. It meant that for the first time since the race of men had emerged from Hildorien, they would stand together as one. Across Middle earth from Rohan to Dol Amroth and Ithilien, the respective leaders of each realm were converging upon the White City for a gathering that would welcome the Easterlings as their neighbors.
Unknown to any of them, not even the Easterlings, they would have some unexpected guests.