Wesker's POV
Once we were settled on our Aquilas, the journey to Minas Tirith was remarkably quick. Thorongil guided us from his mount, and thanks to his presence, we also avoided having to explain to the sentries why five gigantic eagles were approaching the capital of Gondor directly.
The city gradually came into view at the foot of the mountain, and even I had to admit that the sight was impressive. Minas Tirith seemed to have been carved directly out of white stone, its various levels rising one above another all the way to the citadel overlooking the entire region.
Naturally, our arrival caused quite a commotion.
Soldiers gathered along the walls while the inhabitants looked up at our mounts. However, as soon as Thorongil was recognized, weapons were gradually lowered, and nobody attempted to prevent us from continuing our ascent.
With his permission, the Aquilas flew directly over the various levels of the city until we reached the citadel. We landed in a vast courtyard not far from the great hall, spacious enough for our mounts to touch down without damaging the surrounding buildings.
The beating of their wings still kicked up an impressive amount of dust.
Pascal dismounted first before helping Dr. Khaled down, while Ada, Kevin, and I climbed off our own mounts. Several guards were still watching the Aquilas with an obvious mixture of suspicion and fascination.
My attention, however, was drawn to something else.
An ancient tree stood in the middle of the courtyard.
Or rather, what remained of one.
Its trunk was pale and withered, its completely bare branches stretched toward the sky, and no leaves seemed to have grown on it for years. Yet its position at the center of the courtyard, and the carefully maintained space surrounding it, clearly indicated that this was no ordinary tree.
Thorongil noticed my gaze.
His expression immediately grew more serious.
"That is the White Tree. One of the symbols of Gondor."
I stepped a little closer without touching it.
"Is it dead?"
"We prefer to say that it is withering."
Thorongil looked at the dead branches with a sadness he made no attempt to conceal.
"It began to wither in the year 2050. Since then, nobody has managed to restore its vitality. Healers have tried, and even Elves have examined its condition, but none have succeeded in reversing what happened to it."
Kevin approached as well.
He studied the tree for a long moment before frowning slightly.
"Would you mind if I tried something?"
Thorongil looked at him in surprise.
"You believe you can heal it?"
Kevin shrugged.
"I can't promise anything. But I can at least try to figure out what's wrong with it."
After a few seconds of hesitation, Thorongil nodded.
"Go ahead."
Kevin slowly removed his glove.
He placed his palm directly against the withered bark and closed his eyes. For several seconds, nothing happened, and the guards stationed around the courtyard simply continued watching us.
Then I sensed the change.
The bark beneath Kevin's hand seemed to tighten.
A faint pulse traveled through the trunk.
Kevin suddenly opened his eyes.
"It's not dead."
The transformation began immediately afterward.
An almost absurd amount of vitality seemed to spread from the point of contact. The cracks in the bark closed one after another as the withered wood gradually regained a brilliant white hue.
Thorongil took a step forward.
"By the Valar..."
The branches began to move.
New shoots appeared at their tips and grew at a visible speed. Buds formed almost immediately before opening, gradually covering the previously lifeless branches with leaves and white blossoms.
But something else happened.
A small bulge suddenly appeared on the trunk.
The bark warped around a foreign object buried deep within the wood, as though the newly revitalized tree itself were trying to expel whatever had been poisoning it all these years.
"Step back," I said immediately.
Kevin withdrew his hand.
A black fragment suddenly shot out of the trunk.
It fell toward the ground, but Ada instantly raised two fingers.
The object stopped in midair, several dozen centimeters above the stone paving.
It was a dark metallic fragment, only a few centimeters long. Part of its surface appeared corroded, but its shape was still recognizable as something that had probably once been part of an arrowhead.
The effect of its removal was immediate.
The White Tree seemed to literally breathe.
Its trunk thickened slightly as its branches continued to grow. Dozens of new leaves appeared, and its white blossoms multiplied until they covered almost its entire crown.
Thorongil said nothing.
The soldiers around us were equally silent.
One of the guards stationed in front of the great hall finally regained his senses and rushed inside without even waiting for an order.
Kevin slowly stepped back, admiring his handiwork.
"I think it worked."
Ada turned toward him.
"You think?"
I let out a quiet chuckle.
"Remarkable observation, Kevin."
Less than a minute later, the great doors suddenly swung open.
An elderly man dressed with the wealth and dignity befitting his rank hurried out of the hall, accompanied by several guards and servants. His gaze briefly passed over us before settling on the tree.
He froze.
I saw his eyes widen.
For several seconds, he seemed incapable of speaking.
The White Tree now stood before him in all its splendor, covered in leaves and blossoms while its bark gradually regained its almost immaculate whiteness.
Tears began rolling down his cheeks.
"The White Tree..."
He took a few steps forward, as though afraid the vision might disappear.
"It lives again..."
Several people emerged behind him, and their reactions were much the same. Some knelt, while others simply stood frozen as whispers spread throughout the courtyard.
"A miracle..."
I could already hear the commotion spreading to the lower levels of the citadel.
Ada, meanwhile, remained focused on the metallic fragment she was still holding suspended in front of her.
Thorongil eventually noticed it.
His expression changed instantly.
"Whatever you do, don't touch it!"
Ada raised an eyebrow.
"I wasn't exactly planning to."
"It's a fragment of a Morgul arrow."
Several guards immediately stepped back.
Thorongil stared at the black fragment with obvious suspicion.
"These weapons are dangerous to the living. If this fragment was truly capable of poisoning the White Tree for so long, I dare not imagine what even the slightest contact could do to a person."
That immediately made the object far more interesting.
I reached into one of my tactical pouches and pulled out a small lead-lined box that Gerald had instructed us to carry precisely for discoveries like this.
"Ada, put it in here."
She slowly guided the fragment into the opening without ever touching it.
I immediately closed the lid.
Several mechanisms hermetically sealed the box before I slipped it back into the depths of my tactical pouch.
At least, that was what the people around us saw.
The moment the box had closed, the actual fragment had already been transferred directly to Gerald. He could now have our scientists analyze it under controlled conditions while I kept an apparently sealed box, avoiding the need to explain its disappearance.
I then looked at Kevin.
"You do realize we only came here to visit a library?"
He calmly put his glove back on.
"Technically, I just made that easier."
I looked around us.
The Steward of Gondor was crying in front of his miraculously restored tree, several guards seemed to regard Kevin as some sort of divine messenger, and the news was already beginning to spread throughout the citadel.
Ada crossed her arms.
"I don't think getting access to the library will be very difficult anymore."
The man remained before the White Tree for a few more moments, his eyes still moist, before finally regaining his composure. He discreetly wiped his cheeks and turned toward us, gradually recovering the dignity and commanding posture befitting his rank.
His gaze immediately settled on Kevin.
"I do not have words sufficient to thank you for what you have just accomplished. This tree is far more than a mere plant to our people. You have restored to Gondor a part of its history that many believed lost forever."
Kevin seemed slightly embarrassed by so much gratitude.
"I just gave it a helping hand. Apparently, what it really needed was for someone to get that nasty thing out of its trunk."
The Steward smiled faintly before turning toward Thorongil.
"And it is to you that I owe their presence here. You brought them to our city and placed your trust in them. For that, I thank you as well, Thorongil."
"They had already earned that trust before we arrived," Thorongil replied simply. "Without their intervention at Osgiliath, our victory would certainly have cost many more lives."
Thorongil then proceeded to give a brief account of the battle. He described the arrival of our Aquilas, Ada's destruction of the enemy's winged mount, and our direct participation in the fighting against the thousands of Orcs gathered outside the city.
Ecthelion II regarded us with renewed interest.
"So you have not only restored life to the White Tree. You also fought for Gondor before you had even truly come to know our people."
"We had a common enemy," I replied. "And the Orcs made the unfortunate mistake of standing between us and our destination."
Ada smiled faintly behind me.
Thorongil then took the opportunity to explain our request concerning the archives of Minas Tirith. After what had just happened, Ecthelion II didn't even take the time to hesitate.
"You shall have access to our archives."
He gestured toward one of his guards.
"Escort this scholar to the royal archives and ensure that he is provided with everything he needs for his research."
Dr. Khaled respectfully bowed his head.
"Thank you, Lord Steward. I assure you that every book entrusted to me will be treated with the utmost respect."
Pascal naturally took his place behind him.
The guard briefly examined the giant before realizing that he was the protector Thorongil had mentioned. He then showed them the way and escorted them into the citadel.
"Good work, Doctor," I told him before he left. "Take all the time you need."
"You can count on me, Captain."
I watched him walk away with Pascal before turning back to Ecthelion II. Now that the matter of the archives had been settled, there was still some military intelligence I preferred to share before discussing trade.
"There's also something you should know. A large column of Orcs is currently advancing toward Minas Morgul. We were following it before changing course to come to Osgiliath."
The Steward's expression immediately grew serious again.
"Do you know how many there are?"
"Not precisely, but enough to warrant your attention. However, we have several companions currently operating inside Mordor. Their main objective is to sow chaos and eliminate as many Orcs as possible."
Ecthelion II slowly nodded.
"That information will be valuable to us. I'll have our borders placed under increased surveillance and send a warning to the relevant commanders. Will your friends be all right?"
"There's no need to worry about them. They can escape if necessary, and so far, they haven't asked for any help, so they must be doing fine," I replied, without going into detail.
He then turned toward one of his advisers and quietly asked him for something. The man disappeared for a few moments before returning with a large, carefully protected scroll.
The Steward held it out to me.
"Take this."
I unrolled the document just enough to reveal a particularly detailed map of the territories known to Gondor and several neighboring regions.
"With your mounts, you can cover in a few hours distances that would take our horsemen several days. This map should therefore be far more useful to you than to most travelers."
I carefully rolled it back up.
"Thank you. It will indeed be very useful."
Ecthelion II then looked toward the White Tree, still covered in new leaves and blossoms.
"Access to our archives is a reward for the assistance you provided during the battle. But Gondor cannot afford to be stingy toward those who have also just restored life to the symbol of our nation."
He turned his attention back to us.
"So speak. Is there anything else you desire?"
That gave me exactly the opportunity I had been waiting for.
"If you're willing to trade, we're interested in certain resources from your country. Seeds from local plants, unusual metals, minerals, animals, or simply materials that can only be found in Gondor and the surrounding regions."
Ecthelion II frowned slightly.
"Are you looking for precious objects?"
"Not necessarily."
I immediately clarified what I meant.
"Something perfectly ordinary to you might be extremely interesting to us simply because we don't have it. A few seeds from a common plant, a particular ore, or a local animal could be worth more to us than a piece of jewelry."
I smiled faintly.
"We have gold to trade."
Ecthelion II's expression immediately hardened.
For a moment, I wondered whether my proposal had offended him.
"No."
I raised an eyebrow slightly.
"No?"
"I will not take your gold for this."
He gestured toward the White Tree.
"You have just restored to Gondor something that no amount of gold could ever have purchased. If all you ask for are small quantities of different resources, I am certain our people will be happy to contribute."
He immediately turned toward one of his advisers.
"Have an edict issued."
The man straightened.
"My lord?"
"Let it be known throughout Minas Tirith, and then across the lands of Gondor, that those who restored life to the White Tree wish to discover what makes our kingdom unique. Plants, seeds, animals, ores, metals, or any other resources native to our lands."
I was already beginning to understand what he had just done.
And it was far more interesting than my original proposal.
"The items need not be precious," Ecthelion II continued. "Anyone who believes they possess something that meets this request may come and present it in Minas Tirith."
The adviser quickly nodded.
"And how shall they be paid?"
"The royal treasury will see to that."
Several people around us turned toward him.
Ecthelion II's expression remained unchanged.
"Each person will be rewarded according to what they bring and the value of their discovery. I want no one to be able to claim that Gondor asked its people to pay their ruler's debt out of their own pockets."
I bowed my head slightly before him.
"A particularly generous decision."
And a remarkably effective one.
Instead of sending a few officials to search for resources they themselves considered interesting, Ecthelion II had just turned a large portion of Gondor's population into a voluntary collection network.
Farmers could bring their seeds. Miners would present their ores. Hunters could report unusual animal species, while craftsmen would introduce us to materials we didn't even know existed.
Even seemingly useless items would have some value.
Gerald appreciated variety. Alexia could select interesting plants, Heisenberg could examine the metals, and our biologists could study the local species before deciding which ones were worth breeding or improving.
I carefully put away the map the Steward had given me.
"I think Gerald is going to appreciate your approach to trade."
Ecthelion II smiled faintly.
"Then tell your lord that Gondor remembers its friends."
I glanced toward the now-living White Tree behind him. Its branches, covered in leaves and white blossoms, swayed gently in the breeze, creating a striking contrast with the withered skeleton we had discovered barely a few dozen minutes earlier.
It was difficult to imagine a better way to earn a kingdom's trust.
I turned my attention back to my companions.
"Ada, you can stay here for a week. That should give the inhabitants enough time to respond to the edict and bring the first interesting resources to Minas Tirith."
Ada immediately nodded.
"I'll supervise the collection and make sure we don't accept fifty specimens of the same plant simply because it only grows in this region."
"Exactly. Khaled can also point out any resources mentioned in the archives that might be of particular interest to us."
Between her expertise and the doctor's knowledge, we should quickly obtain a decent selection. After that, all we'd need to do was regularly send samples to Gerald so his scientists could determine which ones truly deserved further study.
I then turned toward Kevin.
"You, on the other hand, are coming with me."
He raised an eyebrow.
"Have I been promoted to diplomat?"
"Let's not get carried away. But your abilities with plants should make you popular, since I know they appreciate nature."
Ecthelion II, who had been following our exchange with amusement, intervened before Kevin could enjoy his little victory any further.
"Before you set off across half of Middle-earth again, however, I would like to invite you to share our table. A banquet will be held in your honor this evening."
I glanced briefly at Ada and Kevin.
We had no reason to refuse. On the contrary, sharing a meal with the Steward and Gondor's leading representatives would give us an opportunity to learn more about their kingdom while strengthening the relationships we had just established.
"We would be delighted to accept."
Ecthelion II nodded with satisfaction.
"Good. That will also give your companions time to rest before your next journey."
His gaze then shifted toward Thorongil.
I immediately noticed something in that silent exchange. It wasn't simply the look of a ruler preparing to assign a new mission to one of his officers.
There was a much deeper familiarity between them.
Ecthelion II had clearly known Thorongil long enough to place almost absolute trust in him. More interestingly, Thorongil seemed to understand what his Steward wanted to ask before the man even opened his mouth.
"Thorongil could accompany you to Rivendell," Ecthelion II finally declared. "He knows the customs of the Elves better than most Men and could help you avoid certain misunderstandings."
"Before Kevin starts answering him properly in Sindarin and Thorongil seriously begins wondering whether we're using magic."
I watched Kevin repeat another sentence under our guide's attentive gaze.
"With him as a teacher? Probably before the banquet is over."
Ada smiled faintly.
"I hope I'm there to see the look on his face."
We finally passed through the doors of the citadel and headed toward the banquet hall, while Kevin was already continuing his first Sindarin lesson.
(Author's note: And there you have it—our introduction to Gondor!)