Chapter 383: The Corsairs of Umbar
At Sauron's command, the harbour of Umbar in the South erupted into motion.
A hundred great warships, and a swarm of smaller vessels beyond counting, poured out of the port in a vast, black tide and set their prows north.
Those who infested Umbar were corsairs made up of Haradrim and Black Númenóreans. Allied with Sauron, their strength was formidable, and they had long ruled the Bay of Belfalas as if it belonged to them.
For years, whenever they clashed with Gondor's fleet, they held the upper hand, pressing Gondor back until the navy could scarcely venture beyond Pelargir.
That changed only a little over ten years ago.
Back then, Aragorn, under the name Thorongil, led Gondor's ships in a sudden raid on Umbar. He slew the Captain of the Haven and put a great number of corsair ships to the torch, dealing Umbar a crippling loss.
Only then were the corsairs forced to curb their arrogance, and Gondor was spared the worst of the southern threat upon the sea.
But a decade had passed. Umbar had raised a new captain. Many of the ships lost in that raid had been replaced.
Now, as the corsair fleet left Umbar and cut across the Bay of Belfalas, it was spotted by Gondor's patrolling warships.
Gondor's sailors immediately went on high alert. They assumed Umbar had come at last to strike Gondor directly, and they braced for a fight to the death.
Then they realised the corsairs did not even slow for them.
The fleet ignored Gondor's patrols and continued north.
When the naval commander at Pelargir received the report, confusion warred with relief. Still, he wasted no time. Couriers were sent at once, riding hard with the news back to the White City.
In the palace of Minas Tirith, Denethor II received the message. His face barely changed. He studied the map in silence, then spoke coolly to his secretary.
"Send word to Rivendell. Tell them the Corsairs of Umbar are sailing north. And issue orders to the First Captain of the East, Faramir, and to the commander of the southern fleet. Full defence. Be ready for Mordor's next move."
The letter from Gondor swiftly reached Elrond.
As he read, his expression grew grave.
Kael happened to be beside him. Seeing the shift in Elrond's face, he asked, "Has something happened, Lord Elrond?"
Elrond handed him the letter. "Denethor II reports that the Corsairs of Umbar have crossed the Bay of Belfalas and are sailing north in great numbers. At least a hundred large warships, and countless smaller craft besides."
Kael took the message and read it carefully, his face thoughtful.
"The Corsairs of Umbar are Mordor's claws," he said. "For them to sail north so suddenly must be on Sauron's orders. As for northern ports, Lond Daer has been abandoned for a long time. It cannot be their target. The only place that makes sense is the Grey Havens."
He looked up sharply, meeting Elrond's eyes. "If Sauron is moving like this, he may already know our plan."
Elrond nodded. "His intent is to strike the Grey Havens and seal its sea-lanes, to prevent us from sending the Ring to Valinor."
Both of them had expected their feint might be discovered, and in truth, drawing Sauron's attention was part of the design.
Even so, for it to happen this quickly still caught them off balance.
The most urgent matter is to warn the Grey Havens," Elrond said, worry tightening his voice. "Lord Círdan has not yet returned from the Sea. There is none there to speak with his authority, save Galdor of the Havens, his trusted envoy. The Grey Havens cannot afford to fall.
Elrond wanted to oversee the defence in person, but Rivendell itself required him. He could not leave.
Kael understood his concern. "There is no need to worry, Lord Elrond. A hundred elite Aurors will be dispatched to reinforce the Grey Havens. With them in the field, those pirates can be dealt with."
Some of the tension eased in Elrond's expression.
He had complete confidence in the strength of Kael's Aurors. Even a mere hundred wizards could surpass an army of ordinary soldiers by an overwhelming margin.
Many of Rivendell's Elves now carried wands. They had learned a range of useful spells, and as a whole their strength already surpassed that of Elves elsewhere.
Even so, they still could not compare with elite Aurors. Aurors studied almost every demanding branch of practical magic, save the three Unforgivable Curses.
And even the Unforgivables, after passing Kael's tests, could be learned by a select few. That privilege belonged only to Kael's most trusted people.
Hogwarts might welcome all races with magical talent, and teach common spells openly, but it would never hand out the most advanced combat magic, much less Dark Arts, as if it were ordinary classroom material.
Only Aurors, Hogwarts professors, and a handful of others could ever come into contact with that depth of magic.
Once the matter of the Grey Havens was settled, Kael and Elrond turned to the Fellowship.
If they meant to mislead Sauron and slip the Ring into Mount Doom in secret, the Fellowship could not draw attention. They needed to leave traces as well, small hints that the company truly intended to go west to the Grey Havens, so that Sauron would be more certain than ever.
After some discussion, the Fellowship split in two.
Frodo, Sam, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli formed the hidden party, using the Vanishing Cabinet to pass quietly into Lothlórien.
Bilbo, Merry, Pippin, Boromir, and Gandalf became the visible party, travelling west in a half-open, half-hidden fashion, tasked with drawing eyes and suspicion.
Bilbo volunteered for the role, disguising himself as his nephew Frodo and joining the westbound group.
At first, Merry or Pippin had been considered for the disguise, but they were far too lively and mischievous. Even if they looked like Frodo, they could never carry themselves properly. They would be spotted at once.
So in the end, the task fell to Bilbo, who knew Frodo better than anyone.
Bilbo drank a Polyjuice Potion brewed with one of Frodo's hairs and became Frodo.
Disguised Bilbo looked like Frodo so perfectly that, aside from a slightly more mature air, the two of them could have been mistaken for the same person. Even Sam, Merry, and Pippin would struggle to tell them apart without close attention.
To make the deception even more convincing, Kael prepared a golden ring identical to the One Ring in appearance. It carried a powerful Confundus Charm and a heavy aura of Dark Magic.
Unless someone was intimately familiar with the One Ring, they would not be able to tell it was false at a glance.
And so, Bilbo, disguised as Frodo, set out west with Merry, Pippin, Boromir, and Gandalf.
Gandalf went with them as well, to make Sauron believe the story completely.
And at Gandalf's suggestion, this group abandoned the Floo Network, claiming that the Ring would destabilise fireplace travel. Instead of using a fireplace to reach the Grey Havens directly, they chose to travel by the winged horses Elrond lent them.