The Other Ranger [ Lord Of The Rings x Silmarillion ]

Of Harad and Revenge

"Excuse me," Miril waved down a dock worker. "Is there anyone currently docked who's had dealings with Harad?"

The man looked at the two in wonder. "Yes, two boats. Both at the far end of the docks."

They looked where he pointed and Maglor thanked him with a bow of his head. The pretend father-daughter pair walked down the stone docks to the far end where two large boats were moored.

"Excuse me, sirs," Miril said again, this time to the crew of the first ship. "Have you been to Harad of late?"

"Why do you want to know, lass?" one asked with his eyes narrowed. "We do as we please."

"We are looking for any information on Harad that we can find for we are fleeing out homes in the West and need a place to settle," Maglor lied to them. "We are unfamiliar with mannish cultures and want to know about Harad."

A younger crew member nodded and came over. He was scrawny and small, but looked kind enough. "We go to Harad regularly ma'am, sir. They don't much like elves or western men, but the villages each have their own laws regarding foreigners."

"What of the land?" Miril asked. "Is it fertile?"

The first man shook his head. "Not all of it. Much of it be covered in desert wasteland, and the parts that aren't tend to be dense jungles where oliphants and all manners of large cats live! Scary place Harad is, indeed."

"But Umbar pays a good price for goods from Gondor," said a new man, obviously the ship's captain. "And Haradrim wares are highly profitable among the men here. Especially the spices and cloth."

"Cap'n on deck," announced the first man.

"Who might you be, lass, sir?" the Captain asked Maglor and Miril.

Miril hesitated. Her name was quite well known since the war. She would have to be careful.

"Lominzil," Miril told him. "This is my father, Maglor."

Maglor didn't even flinch at her lie, which somewhat frightened Miril. How was he so good at lying, at rolling with whatever happened? What had made him like this?

"So you want information on Harad, eh?" The Captain ran his hand over his short, scruffy beard. "Let me tell you this. It took a long time to get the Haradrim used to me and my men. Perhaps it will take less time for you elves since there are said to be some elves far to the East. I've never seen 'em though."

"Will they kill us on sight?" Maglor asked in somewhat genuine concern.

The Captain shook his head. "Not unless you come in brandishing weapons! They might attack a Gondorian on sight, but I bet they'll be too confused as to why two elves are heading into their land to attack you straight-way."

"You said there are elves far to the east?" Miril asked him in amazement.

He shrugged. "So the legends say. Apparently they call themselves the Kinn-lai. But like I also said, I've never laid eyes on 'em."

"Thank you, sir, for your assistance. We have other errands to run for now," Miril said.

"Are you gonna be wantin' passage to Harad?" he asked. "I'm Captain Durion of the Scorpion. Let me know if you do."

"Thank you, we might." Maglor nodded, forcing a smile.

The two of them turned and made their way back into the main section of the city, up the winding steps and paths. Ivy climbed the walls and hung over the arches while purple blooms added color to the grey and white of the stonework.

"Elves in the East?" Miril asked Maglor quietly while they walked.

Maglor shrugged. "It is entirely possible, quite likely in fact. Some elves refused the summons of the Valar in the first place, never leaving Middle Earth to begin with. It is likely some stayed in the East after the sundering and developed there. We called these "refusers" Avari while we are the Eldar."

"Fascinating," Miril nodded.

It was almost lunch time when they reached the Guest House. They had spent some time wandering Dol Amroth and in the tavern. Maglor insisted he hadn't had good wine in thousands of years. She believed him.

They sat down in the central sitting room of the Guest House and waited for the twins. Elladan and Elrohir weren't long. They came inside soon enough carrying bags stuffed with food, clothes, and money to use in Harad.

"How was your dock visit?" Elladan asked as he closed the door behind his brother and plopped the bags he had been carrying down on the floor. "We were quite successful!"

"As were we," Miril smiled. "It seems that Harad is separated into clan villages, each run by their own leader. There are jungles and deserts in the land. I have never seen either!"

"Neither have I," Elrohir said as both he and his brother agreed.

"Neither are fun." Maglor grimaced. "Though I suppose this isn't meant to be fun or easy. If it was, the Valar wouldn't contact you."

They all supposed he was right.

Miril turned to the twins. "What did you manage to find?"

"Plenty of food. At least enough to last until we reach the mannish settlements in Nurn." Elladan looked through his bag. "Elrohir, you were in charge of clothes."

"Yes," he said with a nod. "Miril I got a basic, worn black cloak for you. Maglor, I got you a blue one. We got grey. I also bought tunics for each of us to use as a spare."

"We managed to trade for some Haradrim coin, too." Elladan pulled out a bag of golden coins with the symbol of a winding serpent on it.

Miril took one of the coins in her hand and felt her throat clench up. She stood and walked away from the group, staring at the serpent icon on the coin she held. Slamming the door to her room and locking it, she slid down into a sitting position, back against the door.

That was the symbol of death for her. The symbol of everything she hated. These men had killed her father. Miril wanted more than anything to see them fall. And yet here she was, going into their land under the guise of a peaceful refugee. It made her sick the more she thought about it. But perhaps this was what she needed to get close enough in to strike a damaging blow to the people who murdered her father. Perhaps this was what she needed after all.

A/N (2): Kinn-lai is from The History of Middle Earth: War of the Jewels: Quendi and Eldar. It is a derivative of Quendi used by one of six clans of Avari as a word for who they are.