Illeandir was crouched less than one hundred yards from the entrance to Minas Tirith. The doors that had been reconstructed after the War of the Ring loomed large and imposing, and slightly ajar. The doors were the only way in. He'd tried scaling the walls but after fifteen feet there was nothing to hold onto and he dropped back down. He thought about digging but dismissed the idea as soon as it came. It would take weeks to complete and he only had days. He also had little idea of how deep the wall went underground and how thick it was. He would have to slip unnoticed through the doors. A process that appealed to him more than climbing the wall and then descending, which took time, time that could very well result with him being spotted. Distracting the two guards outside and quickly slipping between the doors took a lot less time.

Slowly he crept forward, freezing every time a guard stirred himself and looked around before settling back down. It was late in their shift and they were both looking forward to their relief and a cold ale in the nearest tavern. The younger guard leaned heavily on his spear and watched the tips of his boots. The older one let his gaze travel slowly over the plain in front of him. To slowly. Illeandir was able to move several feet each time the man looked away. The tall grass hid him from sight and the slight breeze that made the stalks bend and sway hid his movements.

So intent was he on the guards that he nearly tripped over a rock and ruined his chances of getting in. He paused for several moments and inspected the offending rock. It was smooth and about the size of his fist and speckled with darker spots. He picked it up and stowed it away for later use and continued his stealth march.

The closer he got the harder it was to remain unseen. When he judged the distance to be right he slowly eased the rock out of his pocket and held it in his hand, waiting for the right moment.

There! Both guards had looked away. Quickly and quietly as he could Illeandir threw the rock away from him so the men wouldn't see him as he raced toward the door. The rock whistled through the air so softly only an elf would have heard it and struck the ground with a thud and rolled, causing the grass to crackles and bend sharply. The older guard shouted and ran toward the noise. The young man, whom had nearly fallen asleep on his feet, relayed the shout and stabbed the air with the butt-end of his spear. He realized he held the weapon wrong and quickly changed it and rushed to aid his companion.

Illeandir grinned and ran to the doors, keeping low and just below their line of sight should they glance in his direction. He paused for a moment at the doors feeling incredibly small, so vast was the size of the doors. He didn't spare a second glance at them. He was not interested in the make and decoration, merely that they provided a way for him to get in. He stepped into a large courtyard and immediately realized he had made a huge mistake.

Shouts rang out and he found himself facing a prickly hedge of spears. He held his hands up and lowered his head. So much for that. He thought looking over top the the heads of about two dozen men. He stood more than a head taller than most of them.

"Lay your weapons down!"

Illeandir unsheathed his sword and laid it down with the hilt facing the spearmen. He laid his bow and quiver next to it. He stood up and held his hand up again, still with his head bowed.

"Remove you hood!"

Illeandir pulled his mask off and flicked his hood back.

"Search him!"

One of the spearmen stepped forward and handed his spear, reluctantly, to the man on his left. He searched Illeandir thoroughly, coming up with two long knives. He spent extra time searching his arms but couldn't find anything. Illeandir sighed and in the span of about five seconds removed four more shorter blades. He handed them over and reached down pulling a long curved knife he had hidden in his boot.

"Is that all?" the man asked wide-eyed. Illeandir handed him a serrated disc that had been hidden over his shoulder blade. He still had one knife hidden on the inside of his arm but it had been a gift and he wouldn't ever part with it. The man backed away staring at the weapons in his hands.

"What is your name and state your business."

"I am called Elstan by your people and my business is my own." Illeandir replied searching for the source of the loud voice. He found it on a wall shorter than the one that he'd just been on the outside of. The man was huge! Easily much larger than all the men in the courtyard. His hair, like so many Gondorians, was dark and his eyes a deep shade of brown. He had a wide face with a large, hard mouth. He laughed at Illeandir's reply and sauntered down. The men parted before him.

"And what would you be doing sneakin' through them here gates like a thief?" he asked.

"I am no more a thief than you are." Illeandir said lowering his arms.

"Keep yer thieving hands up!" The man jabbed his sword at Illeandir. Illeandir did as he said. Normally in a situation such as this he would have simply apologised for intruding and been on his way. But he couldn't, much as he wanted to. He needed to see his friend. Had he known what awaited him inside the gate he would have probably climbed the mountain upon which the city rested and gotten in that way. But there was no going back now, he could only hope to go forward.

"What business do you have in the White City, thief?" the man demanded yet again.

"I am no thief. I seek to visit a friend of mine."

"And who might that be?"

"A man of great honor. I know him as El."

"I know of no El."

"Perhaps not. He goes by many names but that is the one I know him by."

"You lie! There's been no going in an' out of this city fer nearly a month and you show up claiming to be seeing a friend. Ain't no one going nowhere 'til you spit the truth out." The man pressed his sword against Illeandir's neck.

"I told you. I'm visiting a friend out of need. Had not my need been great I would have never come."

"Ha! You'll be telling that to the council. Agnmir! Send word to the council we've caught a spy." Agnmir ran off through a set of smaller doors and disappeared.

"You name me thief and spy. Long has it been since the Guard of the Citadel has named friends enemies."

"What do you know of friends, spy? I say we expose him now!" Cheers of agreement rang in Illeandir's ears. Confusion filled Illeandir. Who did they think he was? He knew he wasn't friendly looking, he had a long life of betrayal and hurt to thank for that. But branded an enemy? Something was wrong.

"Just stay still." the big man said reaching for Illeandir.

Illeandir panicked. He tried to stay calm but the moment someone reached for him instinct set in and he couldn't control it. He punched the man square in the jaw, sending him to his knees. A spearman to his left stabbed at him and Illeandir spun and knocked the weapons from his hands.

Bow. I need my bow. Illeandir thought. He needed distance. In fact, he would take any weapon right now. Except for an axe, axes were no good. He dodged another spear and kicked its bearer in the chest. The man's breath whooshed out of him and he fell backward, tripping several of his comrades. Illeandir tripped over a discarded spear and nearly went down. It was too crowded. He needed space. He tried to get to the door but that way was blocked. His weapons were lost in the fray. He had only the jeweled dagger given to him as a gift, but he was loath to use it.

His legs were swept out from underneath him and he fell, narrowly avoiding hitting his head on the paved ground. Almost instantly his arms were pulled behind his back and legs pinned together. For a minute he struggled, jerking and twisting with all his strength but nothing worked. He gave up and lay still. Several moments passed before the men eased their grip on him but they remained close, ready to act of he tried to escape. The big man, who had first spoken to him, still held Illeandir's arms behind his back, breathing heavily. He pulled a dagger from his belt and held it to Illeandir's neck and forced him to sit up.

"Now, show me the mark." he said.

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Two updates today for you all because I feel really guilty about not updating for a longish time.

I'd like to make an extension on my potatoes tag, where I take a quote and replace it with potato(es).

"This is Berk. It's twelve days north of Hopeless and a few degrees south of Freezing to Death. It's located solidly on the Meridian of Misery. My village. In a word, sturdy. It's been here for seven generations, but every single building is new. We've got hunting, fishing, and a charming view of the sunsets. The only problems are the pests. Most places have mice or mosquitoes. We have... Potatoes!"

How to Train Your Dragon, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock lll

"One potato to rule them all
And in the darkness bind them."

Hehehe! Was laughing as I did this. I've been taking quotes all day and replacing words with potatoes. It's been a very amusing day.

I need a favor. Can someone come up with a female elf name for me? I've been trying but can't come up with anything that I really like. So I will hold a mini contest to see who can come up with the best female elf name. The reward will be, of course, the elleth named that and a chapter dedication, the first to be exact. So please help me out. I don't care how many names you enter.

Yeah, I realize I just gave away a portion of the book. I'm desperate okay!