The Tale
Eventually the watchers on
the wall can see the retreat of the out-companies back to the city, and they
start trickling back to the gate. The advance of the enemy can be seen by the
lines of fires they carry, creeping forward and torching buildings as they
come. The dike is down. As night falls they sight, about a mile away, a more
ordered group of men returning. ‘Faramir must be there,’ they said. ‘He can
govern man and beast. He will make it yet.’
The retreat is only ‘two
furlongs’ (about a quarter of a mile) from the city. A small rearguard of
mounted men turn to cover the final retreat, but a sudden surge of enemy
soldiers mount a desperate final attempt to stop them, Orcs with torches and
Southron men with red banners, and the Nazgul come swooping down ‘to the kill.’
The Gondoreans start to break up and flee wildly, when Denethor at last gives
the signal and releases the sortie.
They spring from the
recesses of the Gate and shadows of the wall, led by the swan-nights of Dol
Amroth and their prince. But before them comes Gandalf, the White Rider upon
Shadowfax, with white light leaping from his shining figure in the gloom. ‘The
Nazgul screeched and swept away, for their Captain was not yet come to
challenge the white fire of his foe.’ The enemy breaks and flees and the troops
sweep them from the field. But Denethor does not let them go too far. He has
the retreat sounded and weary men return. But where is Farimir?
He comes in last of all,
carried by his kinsman, the Prince of Dol Amroth, from where he has fallen on
the field. Even as the Nazgul were turned aside by Gandalf, Faramir, who has
been holding at bay ‘a mounted champion of Harad’ is struck down by a flying ‘deadly
dart’. He would have been cut up by southland swords if the Prince had not
caught him up. ‘Your son has returned, lord, after great deeds.’
In the White Tower the Steward looks
upon his fallen son’s face and is silent. He bids them lay Faramir in a bed in
the chamber and leave them. Denethor goes alone into the secret room under the
summit of the Tower. Many who looked up can see a pale light flickering and
glimmering from the narrow windows, then with a great flash it goes out. ‘And
when Denethor descended again he went to Faramir and sat beside him without
speaking, but the face of the Lord was grey, more deathlike than his son’s.’
Notes
The Prince of Dol Amroth is
Faramir’s uncle, the brother of his mother Finduilas, who died when Faramir was
five years old.
The ‘deadly dart’ is a
poisoned arrow, which accounts for his subsequent fever and unconsciousness.
It is hinted here (and revealed later) that Denethor has withdrawn to consult the Tower’s palantir. What is revealed to him … is not encouraging.
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