My deepest apologies to Winston Churchill from whom I adapted Gil-galad's send off speech to Elrond and his little army. It was a shameless rewording of the "Be Ye Men of Valour" speech in 1940 when the German forces had broken through the French lines.
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Oro
It is early Spring of SA 1696 - I have the army of 500 just setting out . . . slowly, of course, and by the time Spring thaws things out, we will be up to our Elven behinds in muck and mud.
I gave the army 450 actual warriors - 100 spears, 200 swords, 150 bows. Along with the captains in each weapon section, us 3 commanders and Lord Elrond and his yet unnamed aide that makes 500. There are of course the supply wagons and those supply Elves coming along too, as well as . . . oh say, 250 horses (100 of which are from Numenor by way of Alcarfalon's ship).
I have Elrond heading out of Mithlond (the Grey Havens) to where the Blue Mountains (Ered Luin) lay a short way to the east of our starting point. I thought we could inch our way down the eastern foot of the mountains ( relatively short chain) and then head east - across the part of Eriador called Minhiriath. It is a large section, probably much like the Shire lands, that lies between the southern Baranduin(Brandywine River) and the southern Gwathló (Greyflood River).
Would you like to take us to our first encampment? Probably just as we reach the Blue Mountains, before we turn south. It's still a little snowy and icy - there will no doubt be grumbling about the conditions!
Ondomirë will have laid in a personal supply of wine. Feel free to come to his tent for a glass or two to drive off the chill . . .
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