Let me tell you a tale of Boromir, Captain-General of Gondor and how he stopped the Witch-Kings advance
Osgilliath, once the capital of Gondor. When I first laid eyes upon it as a soldier of Gondor I could not believe it was once the seat of our glorious land. It's white marble towers ruined and black; its archways crumbling and derelict.
I was a simple swordsman, my regiment just out of Gondor's basic man-at-arms training. We were all new and nervous as the legion we were attached to was one of Gondor's finest. We had just returned from patrol duty around the large fortification of Cair Andros and our regiment had be enlisted for immediate deployment in Osgilliath as part of the 2nd Grand Army of Gondor. There were 10,000 men altogether mainly drawn from the 1st "Boromirs" Army with a few new units like ours added.
We reached Osgilliath on the 5th night of marching. It had been a cold day and we had marched a long way so men quickly lit fires out of anything we could get our hands on. Myself and two other swordsmen found ourselves a dead oak tree in a small courtyard. We quickly stripped the dry branches and made a small, yet adequate fire. Those who have fought with Gondorian armies will quickly understand why we always light fires as, at least the tents they supplied to us infantry were little more than a large sheet of linen hung over two long wooden poles. They were never very good at keeping out the cold and so most evenings we slept outside by the fire.
For several days after we got to Osgilliath nothing happened as Boromir and his advisors spent hours and hours pouring over maps and discussing a plan of action. So during the long days we would explore this vast ruin that was Osgilliath. Most days we found very little, but one a few occasions we walked into small roaming packs of Orcs. These were usually in packs of 2 or 3 so for the 10 or 9 of us wandering around they we dispacthed quickly or simply fled.
It was on the 20th day we finally found something serious happening. It began early in the morning, my tent was roused by a series of shouts and the sound of bells ringing. This meant only one thing, we were under attack! We suited up quickly and hurried through the streets towards the sound of the warning bell. As we turned a corner we suddenly came face to face with a group of orcs and for a split secound we all just stared at each other. Then the largest orc raised his vicious-looking axe above his head, gave a ferocious roar and charge head long into our group. With a shout of "Gondor!" I plunged into the chaotic melee of battle try to remember everything we had learned in training. My shield was soon broken by the heavy blow of a hammer-wielding orc but I fought on. Suddenly a great horn blow echoed through the city and as the orcs turned towards the sound we cut them down.
Nevertheless the battle was not over and our captain had been injured by one of the orcs. He couldn't walk and had suffered a blow to the head. So I called for one of my companions to carry him and we formed a protective circle around our injured captain. Now we had to fight our way to the main base to see that our captain recieved medical attention. Eventually we made our way to the main base and with the skirmish over we made camp at the base.
Boromir was frustrated with his advisors and declared that in 2 days we would begin a major assault on the last stone bridge. His plan was to march his force over the bridge and into enemy territory and defend the bridge while sappers would begin permanently destroying the supports. Boromir would then call a retreat and we would quickly move back into the western half and as the enemy pursued us the bridge would collapse. His advisors did not like the plan saying we would suffer major losses before the bridge was ready to collapse. But Boromir convinced them and so on the secound say after the skirmish we marched for the eastern half of Osgilliath.
To begin with the going was easy. After crossing the bridge Boromir stationed us around a perimeter and few orcs came close to our large force. It was close to evening when their first major attack came. Hundreds of orcs poured out of hiding and we were almost overwhelmed if not for Boromir and his strength. He knocked orcs high into the air with his great shield and they were soon driven back into retreat. He camped with us that night, a true Hero amoung soldiers. His precense gave us strength. Strength that we would need for the following days to come.
Early Morning the next day after we had eaten our track rations we got news from scouts that a large host of orcs and men were heading our way. Boromir left our encampment to warn the rest of army and soon enough we saw the first lines of the Black Captains army. Orcs from Morannon and Minas Morgul along with a small group of Haradrim had amassed as a force far larger than our own. Fear soon spread through our ranks but Boromir returned and gave us a banner, upon it was the white tree of Gondor. Our hearts rose and we readied ourselves for the coming battle.
When the attack it was late in the afternoon but we were ready. We held our ground as line after line of orcs attacked. It was early morning the next day that we were ordered to begin a slow paced retreat to the bridge. We had lost three men and all were injured. I had taken a blow to the leg and was limping. The fighting continued and we lost one other man. Suddenly as we retreated through a winding street we were surronded. Haradrim in front, orcs behind. I could feel the men lose hope around me. Then just as the first rays of the suns light crept into the alley I unfurled Boromirs Banner. Raising my sword I cried "For Gondor!" and we all charged. The Haradrim and orcs were not match for our emboldening charge they were driven from the alley.
And then we heard it. The long, proud sound of Boromir's horn. We all cheered and charged through the streets towards the bridge. Cutting through and knocking down any that stood in our way we cleaved a path through the orcs and hurriedly crossed the bridge. We turned to see Boromir on the other side giving one final blast of his horn and then he too turn and crossed the bridge.
Mordor's fell host charged after him but as Boromir crossed to the western side the sappers beneth the Bridge pulled out the final supports and before they knew what was happening they plummeted to their deaths.
Well their is not much else to tell after that. We had stopped their advance and began a glorious celebration but that is another story...
Subject: Boromir and the last bridge of Osgiliath 
Thu Apr 24, 2008 5:16 am
