19. An Old Campaigner
Originally written for the LiveJournal tolkien_weekly "Mealtimes: Luncheon" challenge.
~~~
Crouching in what shelter Osgiliath's battered walls still offer, Mablung peers cautiously over the parapet.
"No sign of 'em yet."
Beside him the Rangers' rawest recruit casts nervous glances skywards. He can't shake it, Mablung reflects ruefully; the terror of those bone-chilling, grating screeches sears his own soul still.
"Wh-what hour d'you think it is?" the youngster quavers.
"How's to tell, in this murk?" Mablung glares at the louring, ever-darkened Eastward sky. "But since things are quiet awhile –" he rummages in his knapsack, the lad's face brightening as he pulls out a loaf, cheese, apples – "I'm calling it luncheon."
~~~
(The title is taken from RoTK Book 5, Ch 1, Minas Tirith, Beregond's conversation with Pippin: "An old campaigner, I see. They say that men who go warring afield look ever to the next hope of food and of drink...")
This is a work of fan fiction, written because the author has an abiding love for the works of J R R Tolkien. The characters, settings, places, and languages used in this work are the property of the Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and possibly New Line Cinema, except for certain original characters who belong to the author of the said work. The author will not receive any money or other remuneration for presenting the work on this archive site. The work is the intellectual property of the author, is available solely for the enjoyment of Henneth Annûn Story Archive readers, and may not be copied or redistributed by any means without the explicit written consent of the author.
