Isildur

'Perhaps not so long, Captain,' said Cirdan. 'For among my people are many shipwrights and sailmakers and all the maritime trades, for we have been building ships in Mithlond all this age. They shall remain here to help you to rebuild. And I will send our own pickets to guard the Ethir and patrol the coasts, so that the South Gate of Gondor remains safe while your ships are building.'

Luindor's face brightened at once. 'I would be most happy to talk with the architects who designed your corbitas, my Lord. Never did I think a ship so large could turn in its own length, yet I swear I saw it happen more than once in the engagement. With a score of ships like that I could hold the Bay of Belfalas against all foes!'

Duitirith smiled at Luindor's eager face. The waterfront was still smoldering, and already Luindor had twenty swan-ships on the ways.

They were seated at long tables in a large and lovely hall. Platters of food, hastily prepared, were brought out with flagons of wine and mead. Then a beautiful woman appeared and bowed to the Elven lords. She wore a flowing green gown that accentuated her long red hair. She went to Duitirith and threw her arms about him. She held him tight as if to convince herself he really had survived the battle. Duitirith kissed her and smiled at his guests.

'My Lords, may I present my mother, Lady Heleth? Mother, this is Cirdan of Mithlond and his lords and allies.' Cirdan introduced his companions, and her eyes were shining as each was named. Finally she burst into tears of joy.

'Welcome to Pelargir, my Lords,' she said, wiping her eyes. 'Forgive me, but I cannot contain myself. Since the earliest hours of the morning we have seen our ships burned, our people slain, our gates shattered. We looked only for death before the evening. I tell you, Lords, when I looked out from the Blue Tower and saw your ships gleaming in the morning sun, I thought I saw Earendil returned from the sky to save us. We shall forever be indebted to you.'

'Fair Lady,' replied Cirdan. 'I am only sorry we did not arrive earlier and spare you this day of horror.'

'Lord Cirdan, you have freed us of a horror that has loomed over us all our lives. We have paid a terrible price, but if the might of Umbar is broken, the cost is well spent.'

They fell to their food then and all ate with good appetite, for none had broken fast that day. Men and Elves laughed and talked together and exchanged tales of their parts in the battle. Amroth sat between two ship captains, one of Pelargir and one of Mithlond. The Elf told of driving his ship toward a great trireme, using the Corsairs' own ramming tactic against them.

'I kept the helm over slightly,' he said, 'so that we turned into them, like this.' He swung two loaves of bread in the air, arcing one into the side of the other. 'They saw us coming at them and put their helm hard over. I could hear their slavemaster drumming for all he was worth. If they had pulled hard, they could have slipped past us, but the oars just drooped into the water and stopped. It was as if they just gave up and waited for us.

'Then the oarsmen on the side toward us threw back that leather cover they're under and stood up, shouting and waving their arms. I thought they had panicked, but just before we struck, I could hear what they were shouting. They were cheering, crying 'Gondor! Gondor! Gondor!' Then I realized they must be captives taken from Gondor. They were being forced to attack their own city, and they would row no more for Umbar.' He shook his head grimly. 'We cut them in two. We cut them in two and had to leave them there in the water, and still they cheered us. I'll never forget it.'

The Pelargir captain was silent a moment. 'It was always thus when we fought the Corsairs,' he said. 'We knew they had our people at the oars, but what could we do? We had to do our best to sink them, knowing our brothers or sons might be aboard. Many more brave men of Gondor died today than fought in Pelargir.'

'None were braver than the garrison at the bridge,' said a Man sitting on his other side. 'Young Foradan had only twenty men to hold the bridge over the Sirith. Several of the Umbardrim galleys landed beyond the Sirith and their companies had to cross the bridge to come at the gates. I saw the battle from the top of the gate. Foradan's men formed a line across the road at the near tower, though hundreds of the enemy were already on the bridge. They didn't have a chance and they knew it. It was a terrible bloody fight and soon over, of course, but every one of them fell where he had stood. Not one had been pressed back a foot.' He shook his head sadly. 'Young lads, they were, all of them, not one more than eighteen.'

Though their conversation was grim, many others in the hall were joyous, and laughter was often heard. The people of Pelargir felt as if delivered from a sentence of death, and the Eldar were ashore again after a long and perilous voyage. And all felt that strange guilty joy a soldier feels after a deadly battle when he realizes that, though many have fallen, he has survived.

Duitirith seemed in particularly good spirits. He offered toast after toast to Cirdan and the other Elven-lords. His young face glowed red with pleasure and with mead. Suddenly his clear laugh cut across the room. He was standing, holding up his drinking horn.

'I just want to see my father's face,' he roared, 'when he returns in great haste and finds us not besieged but besotted!'

Cirdan turned to him in surprise. 'Lord Barathor is returning to Pelargir? You sent word to him?'

'Oh, aye, many hours ago. When the pirates first struck, I sent my esquire riding as fast as he could after him.'

'But this is not good,' said Cirdan. 'If what you have told me of Isildur's fortunes is true, the loss of Barathor's men will leave Osgiliath but weakly defended.'

'But the battle is over,' said Duitirith, suddenly sober. 'The Corsairs are destroyed and the Gate of the South is secure. We have won.'

'Do you think that because we have destroyed its fleet we have defeated Umbar? Umbar is mighty yet. It has other ships. It has great forces on land, and they have allies: the men of Harondor and Far Harad will rally to Herumor's banner. And Umbar is but one weapon in Sauron's arsenal. Even were the Empire of Umbar broken and humbled, he could discard it like a broken bow string and simply take up another. Nay, this was but a skirmish before the true battle begins.'

Duitirith paled and the hall fell quiet.

'The Lords of the West decreed that a council of all our allies be held in Osgiliath in but three day's time. If Barathor is not there the council could be delayed and our long-planned stroke go amiss. The war could yet turn on this chance. Indeed, this could have been the whole purpose of the Corsair attack — not to take Pelargir, but to delay the council.' He sat a moment, deep in thought.

'Duitirith, Lady Heleth,' he said. 'We thank you much for your hospitality. Long has it been since we sat at board with friends and laughed. But we must go to Osgiliath with all possible speed.'

'Now?' asked Duitirith in amazement. 'But you are just out of battle. You have barely eaten. Rest here tonight, and in the morning…'

'We cannot wait until morning. You do not know all that hangs on this. If our plans are thwarted and we are undone, you will find a far greater peril than the Corsairs of Umbar at your gates, and there will then be none to come to your aid. Cardur! When can we have a ship ready?'

Cirdan's senior surviving captain pulled himself gingerly to his feet, a bandage about his wounded leg. 'There is hardly a ship fit to sail, my Lord,' he said. 'but in a few hours, I suppose, if we…'

'Good. Luindor! How long would it take a ship to reach Osgiliath?'

'It is sixty-five leagues, Lord Cirdan, against the current. Three days, at best.'

'And if we ride?'

'The road is but fifty leagues. A day and a half, perhaps.'

'Then we must ride. Just as well, we would have a better chance of intercepting Barathor. Prince Duitirith! Can you provide me with six swift horses?'

'Of course. Glamrod, make it so. Have them brought to the ships of the Elves. And provide them with plenty of provisions, for let it never be said that a guest of the Lord of Pelargir went away hungry.

'And Lord Cirdan,' he went on, 'when you meet my father he will wish to come here to help us. He must not. Urge him to return to Osgiliath with you, for the greater need is there. Assure him that we are well and with the help of your Sea-elves we are secure and repairing our defenses.'

'My lord,' said Cirdan, 'I shall do so. Clear it is to me that you are managing a difficult situation admirably. You will be a great lord one day.'

Duitirith fairly swelled with pride and pleasure at this compliment.

'Cardur,' said Cirdan. 'I leave you in charge of the fleet. See first to the repair of the ships. When a dozen