"It is time" These staves Eomer spoke, but he laughed as he said them. For once more, lust of battle was upon him, for he was still unscathed, and he was young, and he was king, the lord of a fell people. And lo! even as he laughed at despair, he looked up again at the black ships, and he lifted up his sword to defy them.
And then wonder took him, and a great joy, and he cast his sword up in the sunlight and sang as he caught it. And all eyes followed his gaze and behold! upon the foremost ship a great standard broke, and the wind displayed it, as she turned toward the Harlond. There flowered a White Tree, for that was for Gondor; but Seven Stars were about it, and a high crown above it, the signs of Elendil that no lord had borne for years beyond count. And the stars flamed in the sunlight, for they were wrought of gems by Arwen daughter of Elrond; and the crown was bright in the morning, for it was wrought of mithril and gold.
Thus came Aragorn son of Arathorn, Elessar, Isildur's heir, out of the Paths of the Dead, borne by a wind from the Sea to the kingdom of Gondor, and the mirth of the Rohirrin was a torrent of laughter and a flashing of swords, and the joy and wonder of the City was a music of trumpets and the ringing of bells. But the hosts of Mordor were seized with bewilderment, amd a great wizadry it seemed to them that their own ships would be filled with their foes; and a black dread fell on them, knowing that the tides of fate had turned against them and their doom was at hand.
East rode the knights of Dol Amroth, driving the enemy before them; troll-men and Variags and orcs that hated the sunlight. South strode Eomer, and men fled before his face, but they were caught between the hammer and the anvil. For now men leaped from the ships to the quay of the Harlond and swept north like a storm. Then came Legolas, and Gimli wielding his axe, and Halbarad with the standard, and Elladan and Elrohir with stars on their brow, and the dour-handed Dunedain, Rangers of the north; leading a great valour of the folk of Lebennin and Lamedon and the fiefs of the South. But before it all went Aragorn with the Flame of the West, Anduril like a new fire kindled, Narsil re-forged and as deadly as old, and upon his brow was the Star of Elendil.
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