The birth of the Razgriz
Chapter 1
There was a knock on the door. Ihan jumped out of his bed and went to open the door. It had been a few months since he had moved back in into the rangers barrack and he still had to get used to the that idea he will never wake up in the arms of his wife, and have his little daughter in his arms. And as every time he thought about it he couldn’t shake the image of there live less body bathing in there own blood. He had sworn to avenge them and this was the only thought that kept him from joining them in the halls of Mandos. He simply couldn’t die before he had found the assassins of harasin who had attacked the village. They had murdered and mutilated every living soul in the settlement. Ihan only survived it as he was on patrol for the Hyandaner.
“Ihan get cleaned up and in uniform, and clear out your room. The Steward will receive you in one hour” It was the Hyandaner Corporal Amos Trask, He had learned Ihan all his skills with the blades, even if the corporal was 10 years younger then him, he always had looked up to him and hoped that his new born son emus wouldn’t suffer the same destiny as his daughter as the shadow of war was about to cover Minas Tirith. Luckily Minas Tirith was going to be harder to over power then a little village of women and children.
“Well this is good bye’s then my friend, I am sorry but that old fool ordered me
to recommend one of my men f a special mission. And unfortunately you are the
perfect candidate gave it a soft pinch. Then he turned around letting Ihan
prepare for his meeting with the Steward Denethor. The Corporals words had made
him curios but not like Amos he didn’t care what would happen to him, as long as
he could avenge his family, by killing there assassins or serving his country on
an important mission against his enemies he will avenge there death, one way or
another. So Ihan who had never been presented to the Steward prepared himself as
well as he could.
One hour later Ihan got introduced to Denethor in the throne room. Denethor was one of the most noble men Ihan had ever seen and all the gossip he started to lose his mind where quickly forgotten by anyone kneeling in front of him.” You have been selected to take a part to a new project. I heard many good things about your ability to lead and inspire men. And Amos Trask praised your skill with any sort of blade.” Ihan felt a blush starting at all the merit he was receiving by there leader who spoke with a calm voice. ”But to be honest with you, you where also selected because you have noting left to lose.” Denethor paused and looked at the man kneeled in front of him and smiled, thinking to himself that he would be prefect for his plans.
“Do you know what advantage the upcoming enemy has over us? It’s they have nothing to lose, all what matters is to serve there master. Even our Muinc’s, are hesitant to forget there honour and own live to serve there country. Well you and others I have recruited won’t have this problem; many have been contempt to the rope but offered an alternative. And then we have the good men as you. Unfortunately sometimes it falls upon a few good men to sacrifice there live for the good of many.” Denethor then stood up and walked out of the throne room.” Oh you will leave tonight towards the forest of Ithilien. There you will be picked up by the people in charge of the Razgriz project. You will endure the training of a muinc, and a lot worse.” As Denethor was finished he stood up and left the throne room leaving Ihan with a new goal in his live, serve Lord Denethor until he is called to join his family in the halls of Mandos.
Ihan had then made his way to the stalls to pick up his horse but when he got there he was told that Denethor had repossessed his horse for the Roquen. Ihan was disappointed to lose his horse but he understood that where he was going he would have no use for it. So donating it to the Roquen was the best thing to do. And it was so that Ihan was last seen walking out Minas Tirith with only a bag of provisions over his shoulder. He looked forward to accomplish his mission to please Denethor the man who had give him a chance to fulfil his revenge upon there enemies
Ihan had walked for several days when he finally arrived in the forest of
Ithilien. During his walk he only got more determined to do all was asked him by
his ruler. He only had been in the forest for about 20 minutes when he was
ambushed by 4 muinc’s. “Hyandaner Ihan Melarn reports for duty!” as he announced
himself one of the muinc’s jumped out of the tree and offered him a hand.
“Welcome to Ithilien, fallow me I will get you to the camp.” Ihan got
blindfolded and helped towards the camp. Ihan could feel that they where walking
in circles for several hours but decided to not speak as the men around him
where silent to. But then finally the blindfold went off. Ihan had to close his
eyes because of the sun but once his eyes where adapted he looked at the camp.
It was a huge wooden construction that looked more to a prison then a camp, on
top of the huge wooden walls there where guards who where supervising what was
happening inside, but what marked Ihan the most were the archers that where
ready to shoot anything that came close to the camp.” Nobody gets out, and
nobody who see this camp survive. Common lets go inside and present you to your
new boss.
As Ihan entered the camp he saw what would become his new home for the year to come. Everywhere there where men training with the sword, bow and hand to hand combat, going through an obstacle course and moving piles of stones. Ihan had to think of the Training grounds in Minas Tirith but seeing the intensity of training here the training ground looked like a kinder garden. One of the officers came towards him.” Ihan, we get up at 6 for a hike through the forest, breakfast at 9, you will give sword lessons at 9:15 and then there is the obstacle course from 11 till 13. then you get a 30 minute break to eat. When that’s done you will pile the stones somewhere else then they stand at the moment until I think you and your team have enough. And after that you will get two hours of strategy courses and we finish the day with a 5 mile hike around the camp square, now you are in tent 7b. You can call me Drill Sergeant or sire, and always remember, I own you now. “With that the drill Sergeant left Ihan go prepare himself for his first sword lesson as it was almost 9:15.
Ihan sighed when he dropped onto his bed, he had been training to be a Razgriz for the past 5 months and it started to get to him as
the drill sergeant was out of his mind, but Ihan was aware of the progresses he had done even with the blades, he had gained a far better control over his body who had become more powerful then ever.He looked up when Merel entered the room and as Ihan before dropped in his bed, moaning and puffing. Merel was a former ranger to who alcohol abuse had lead to him being send over this place as punishment. But Ihan and him had bounded to become good friends due to the proximity they had as next to the hard work they weren’t allowed any privacy.
“Man Drilly is nuts, he made us run the course with 100 pound on our shoulders and if that wasn’t enough we had to do 5 rounds. I can’t even lift a finger anymore.” The man turned with great difficulty to his side to face his friend.” Then again that’s more fun then the pointless moving of his rock pyramids. How many did you do today? “ Ihan to tired to speak showed three fingers.” Man you guys are nuts. “As the door opened the two men jumped up to stand at the end of there bed as straight as they could. Ready for the surprise inspection that where often hold in he camp to be sure nobody broke the rules.
Ihan, Merel we have a little surprise for you
guys, this is Thom a murderer be nice to him he will share your quarters till you go back to Minas Tirith.” The drill sergeant left the room leavening Thom set up a bed.” So Thom tell us who did you kill” Asked Merel who couldn’t control his curiosity. Thom stared at him for a long moment before lying down on his bed.” Two men had drunk to much one night, and when the morning came they took a cart to go home. They lost control over the horses and ran over several of my pupils who where crossing the street. They got away with it because they where friends with Denethor. So I decided to make sure they paid for there crime. As a simple teacher I had no other way to make sure of that.” Then Thom turned around and tried to sleep.
Almost three months past and the three men had become close friends the most of there training was over and surprisingly Thom had the endurance of a ranger even if he had been just a teacher until the day he got send to this hell. But all knew something was happening, the guards and drill sergeants looked more nervous then normal and after dinner Ihan and his two friends where asked in the tent of the camp master. As they arrived there they immediately recognised Faramir and all knew what this meant, the war was about to start.
“Gentlemen, Easterlings are on there way to our forest. At the moment it are only little groups men who are trying to make a map of the forest to prepare for when there army will cross. Off course we can not let this happen, my men and I are to little to cover the whole area, so you are recruited into my death squadron, by order of Denethor we kill any one who enter these woods without the permission of the steward or arrest them for trial if we think it is necessary, so pack your bags boys and lets kill some enemies.” With that Faramir send the three friends back to there tent to pack.
Ihan smirked a whole caravan of Easterlings where passing through there area. Merel had just found tracks of three spy’s but this caravan was a higher priority as all soldiers that died in this forest the less soldiers will attack Minas Tirith. Faramir gave the order to spread out around the caravan and be ready to attack. Ihan still had a difficulty with these guerrilla techniques. He was a Hyandaner by heart and so he rather faced his enemy, but with there large force the little group of men lead by Faramir would easily be crushed in a eye to eye combat.
The bird whistle made by Faramir’s right hand was the signal to attack and all the men who where hiding in the surrounding nature launched a deadly salvo of arrows. Ihan smiled when he saw that his arrow had hit a mumakil right in the eye, the beast fell making the ground tremble. Without losing a second he continued to shoot arrows to the group of Easterlings until there where no more enemies left to shoot. Ihan hurried to the rally point where he saw something strange. Faramir held two children prisoner.
“Hobbits.” It was Thom who had sneaked up behind Ihan.” I told the children stories about them, the half men. To be honest I always thought they where just legends but apparently not.” But the men where ordered to go to the cave and without paying attention to the hobbits they moved to the cave to rest out. Ihan and his two friends had been assigned to cook tonight and it was as they where taking the soup from the fire that Merel who was one of the best arguments was asked to get his bow and go to the forbidden pool.
When Merel came back he sighed” Man I don’t know what Faramir is thinking but he left the sneakiest creature I ever saw live just to please those little men. It seems that Faramir believes that because he is the son of Denethor that he can bend the rules to his own will.” Thom stood up as he looked offended. “Faramir just do what he does because he believes that is the best think to do for the country. I am sure that he has a perfectly good reason to let that creature and those hobbits live. Isn’t it so Ihan? “Ihan just shrugged his shoulders” Don’t look at me I don’t know what Faramir does. All I know is that if its wrong he will get punished by people over him. “Ihan jumped up as an officer arrived.
”Ihan we are leavening for Minas Tirith right away, the enemy is to numerous for us to even hurt them so Faramir decided we would pull back to Osgiliath. You have order to go present your self to Denethor as you are too special to get into a full scale battle.” Merel said as he started to pack his stuff. Ihan jumped up and started to pack, he knew that Merel wanted to stay here with the group of Faramir but they all knew that they where now muinc’s and assassins aren’t needed in huge scale battles.” Say Ihan what do you think about Faramir letting those two hobbits and that little freak leave?” Ihan just shrugged his shoulders, not willing to take a stand. When they where ready they took three horses and rushed to Minas Tirith.
“Ihan my friend, I heard you and your two friends here have done well during training and you did well under my son. I am sorry to call you back to the city in this hour, I am sure you would all have preferred to fight but with your training will be more valuable in the city if the enemy gets through our gates. Also I have a mission for you. There is a man coming this way, he lead allied troops but his only plan is to take over the control of Gondor His name is Aragorn, after the battle find out if he has survived and if so take him out. And this is Pill the son of one of my favourite. He is now part of your team.” With that said they where dismissed.
The now four members of the Razgriz had murdered countless enemies who had entered the city but all where relieved when the Ghosts brought by Aragorn swooped in to finish the job that they wouldn’t have possible got done. When the night fell they sneaked towards Aragorn’s tent and Ihan stepped in, his knife out of its shed.” I do not which to fight you, soldier of Gondor. But if you leave me no other option I will.” Ihan looked upon Aragorn who still had the grace of a king after battling so hard. ”I just fallow up orders from Denethor sire, nothing personal;” Ihan raised his knife in an attacking position.” Denethor lost his mind and kill himself. So you are now under my command.” Ihan smirked to Aragorn’s words” I do not see a crown; I do not see you sitting in the thrown room. So until further notice I serve the house of the stewards.” As Ihan came closer to start the fight, Aragorn dropped his sword and waited till Ihan’s knife touched his neck.” What do you think Faramir would order you if he was here?” Ihan froze and thought about it. Faramir had let the hobbits go, knowing his father would be outraged by it. But he thought that letting the hobbits go was the best thing to do. Maybe this king would be okay after all or Faramir would at least wait before taking him out. Ihan took his knife away and moved out of the tent.” Common guys lets go to our post we are now under Faramir’s orders until further notice.” And so the Razgriz moved towards the city where they would wait on the orders of Faramir.
