And In The Dawn Save Them

Chapter 12 : War Is Coming

Illustration :  John Howe, The Witch-King of Angmar

Music to listen to on this chapter : 

The habit of being a novice sister came in very handy: the palace inhabitants were so used to seeing it that Alcara could slip into any corridor without a hitch. The Sister Ruler kept a close eye on her, but the fact that no one was injured gave Alcara a respite.

This is why she was able to hear the conversation between Denethor and Gandalf directly, behind the great latticed marble balustrades that dominated the throne room. She heard Denethor's harsh words towards Gandalf, calling him a bird of ill omen and asking him how Boromir had died, even though he had been holding the broken horn of his dead son in his hand for several days. He also saw Gandalf's tenacity in insisting that a retaliation be organised against Mordor, and the courage of the little Hobbit, whom she recognised as Pippin, and who offered his service to the King in return for Boromir's death to save him.

Alcara could feel her heart racing: Gandalf, alive and right in front of her! And in a new white robe, just like Saruman wore. If he was here, it was because he was organising the Men, including Aragorn, the Dwarf Gimli and maybe even Legolas...

Denethor abruptly ended the meeting with a curt refusal. Alcara got up as quickly as possible and ran down the stairs to join Gandalf in the Palace corridors.

At the bottom of the steps, out of breath, she saw him: he turned round when he heard her hurried footsteps and short breath. He didn't recognise her at first, in her strict novice's habit, but her eyes could not be mistaken for anyone else's...

Gandalf's eyes widened and he opened his arms wide, exclaiming: "Alcara, my dear Alcara!" and she ran to take him in her arms, to the astonishment of Pippin, who also recognised her from the feasts at Rivendell, which now seemed so far away...

Alcara could not help crying with joy and Gandalf, touched, wiped the tears from her cheeks as he continued to whisper simply "My little Alcara, how happy I am to see you again".

"Gandalf," she said, "I thought you were dead!

"Oh yes, that's a long story to tell," he says facetiously. "But we're running out of time. Come along, then! Denethor has given us a room in the palace, and Pippin Took here will find his new clothes as the steward's servant", he added with a sigh, looking at the Hobbit out of the corner of his eye as he made his way upstairs.

They ate their dinner in the large room reserved for them, where the three of them shared the two platters that had been brought in. Pippin kept looking at Alcara out of the corner of his eye, his cheeks pink with shyness: Alcara was a very beautiful young woman, who had nothing to envy of the elves, and her strict dress highlighted her naturally harmonious face and very pale skin. But unlike the elves, her large, soft hazel-coloured eyes shone with energy, increased tenfold by the joy of seeing her friends and guardian again. As for Gandalf, he was already aware of this and had once been as proud as a father, but now he was focused on the imminence of war. Nevertheless, they took the time to tell her everything that had happened since they had left Rivendell several months earlier: Moria, the woods of Galadriel, Boromir's death, and the different groups of the scattered Fellowship that had joined up at intervals. All except Frodo and Sam, who continued their journey in silence and for whom Gandalf still hoped they would be safe and sound.

When they told her about the Orcs attacked near Fangorn by an eored, Alcara put the pieces of the jigsaw together, recounting her encounter with the rider in the white mane helmet.