QUESTIONS AND INFORMATION
QUESTION: Did Sidhen and the Hornblower-sisters get any recognition for what they did during Sharkey's attack? From the other Hobbits or Rangers and the like? Love that you placed your OCs at a less known/explored event like that than, say, Pelennor Fields!
ANSWER: I was actually thinking about this the other day, more specifically on the fact that during the war of the ring Eriador was left more or less defenseless. Quite funny that the moment the Grey Company is formed and the best fighters the dunedain ride south, is the moment the pieces fall into place for something like the Scouring of the Shire to happen. Sidhen was offered the choice to ride but she denied vehemently, being firm in her conviction of staying behind. Toram did not however. Such, a parting of friends happened.
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Sidhen, alongside the last remnant of dunedain forces stayed behind and watched how ruffians, then half-orcs started coming in the Bree area then slowly moved into the Shire. She watched how little by little the hobbits lost their land, their food, their pipe-weed, then their freedom. Sadly, Sidhen is but one woman and for a long while the only thing she could do is move with the skill of the rangers through the shadows, pass bits of information from one Farthing to the other, bring food if possible. A lot of her fellow rangers were busy in the North-Downs, at the northern and eastern borders, Angmar to the north and the Ettenmoors to the east. Feeling the malice of Sauron, goblins, orcs and trolls became a lot more active and the dunedain did whatever they could so they wouldn’t pass into the Lone-Lands or Bree-land.
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During the final battle of the Scouring, while Frodo and the others were busy in Bywater, Sidhen and the sisters were leading the rebellion in the Northfarthing. Oatbarton is home to the Cotton farms, one of the biggest sources of food in the Shire, so Sharkey’s lackeys had their eyes set on them. Sidhen fought and killed, as she knew how to use a sword and daggers, Melilot fought and tried to incapacitate as many as she could through non-lethal means, but Adamanta? Adamanta knew how to use a bow, the duty of the Bounders demanded that she must. Each arrow that the loosened felt heavier than the last, and in one heated moment of the battle, she was accosted by a ruffian. Sidhen threw her a knife and before Adamanta knew... she had stabbed him. The sight of life living him, the blood dripping off the knife, marked the hobbit-lass forever since.
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When the nation-wide battle was finally done, the whole Shire breathed relieved then a sorrowful festivity to mourn the dead followed. Both Melilot and Adamanta received commendations for their efforts from none other than the mayor of the Shire. Melilot smiles and gives thanks, but Adamanta is deeply uncomfortable. The events of the Scouring stayed with her for a long time after. It was the event that made her lose the innocence all hobbits have, same as Frodo did when he was stabbed by a morgul blade, and Merry did when he attacked the Witch-king, and Sam did when he fought Shelob, and Pippin did when he gazed into the Palantir.
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Sidhen on the other side, sweet Sidhen is used to her thankless duty. Bitter and dark were the days that followed the war of the ring. When the Grey Company finally returned, as it is tradition among the dunedain, she was handed a star-brooch, a brooch that each ranger has adorned on their cloak. With dread she discovered that it belonged to Toram. Toram fell on Pelennor Fields. His mother was long dead, as she was of the middle-men, and his father was so old, he couldn’t remember the name of his son. Sidhen was the closest thing to a relative Toram had, and Sidhen decided to bury his body in the Trollshaws, close to the settlement he was born in. The dunedain had lost so many in the war, that the years following were nothing but mourning. Commendations? A reward for their effort in the war was the last thing the northern dunedain had on their minds. The dead had to be buried and mourned first. Then everyone got busy with rebuilding Annuminas.
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As you mentioned my ocs at Pelennor, Lothrin rode to Pelennor and she was the one to bring back Halbarad’s brooch. Council was held and they decided to bury his body in the Shire, near Sarn Ford.