Travelling with Isildur were his three eldest sons; Elendur, Aratan, and Ciryon, as well as 200 battle hardened Númenórean soldiers. After crossing Dagorlad on the twentieth day heavy storms rained down on them for four days. This caused the Anduin River to flood and forced Isildur to move farther north looking for paths travelled by the Silvan Elves. And so it was that they neared Thranduil's realm on the thirtieth day of marching at Gladden Fields. The men were in good spirits as the journey was nearing its end and the tough country mostly behind them.
"Suddenly as the sun plunged into a cloud they heard the hideous cries of Orcs, and saw them issuing from the Forest and moving down the slopes, yelling their war-cries. In the dimmed light their numbers could only be guessed, but the Dúnedain were plainly many times, even to ten times, outnumbered. Isildur commanded a thangail to be drawn up, a shield-wall of two serried ranks that could be bent back at either end if outflanked, until at need it became a closed ring. If the land had been flat or the slope in his favour he would have formed his company into a dinaith and charged the Orcs, hoping by the great strength of the Dunedain and their weapons to cleave a way through them and scatter them in dismay; but that could not now be done. A shadow of forboding fell upon his heart" (p. 271, Unfinished Tales).
Isildur quickly realized this was no ordinary ambush. He was sure the design of Sauron was behind it as the Dúnedain were too far past Moria and Lorien and too far short of Thranduil's realm for help. Elendur, his son, added: "'And we bear burdens beyond all worth and reckoning'" (p. 271, Unfinished Tales). As the Orcs prepared their attack Isildur called his esquire Ohtar to him for one last command: "'I give this now into your keeping', and he delivered to him the great sheath and the shards of Narsil, Elendil's sword. 'Save it from capture by all means that you can find, and at all costs; even at the cost of being held a coward who deserted me. Take your companion with you and flee!'" (p. 271-272, Unfinished Tales). Ohtar took the heirloom and left with his companion just before the Orcs let fly their arrows.
The Dúnedain held against the advance as the Orc arrows proved little worth against the Númenórean armor. And being taller and stronger than the Orcs the men had the advantage and did not break. Isildur perceived the Orcs were retreating as they often did when they realized their prey could bite back. Night was fast approaching so Isildur ordered the march to begin again hoping to reach more favorable battle ground before another attack might begin. But Isildur's hope proved of no worth for these Orcs did not give up. For the Ruling Ring, full of Sauron's will, called all darkness and evil to it for aid. They gathered all their forces and silently pursued their enemy finally encircling the Dúnedain. Isildur had no choice but to halt his march.
As the Orcs still silently crept closer Elendur went to his father's side and urged him to use the Ring. But Isildur responded, "'I cannot use it. I dread the pain of touching it. And I have not yet found the strength to bend it to my will. It needs one greater than I now know myself to be. My pride has fallen. It should go to the Keepers of the Three'" (p. 274, Unfinished Tales). Indeed, it seems that for all the heroism and renown Isildur had won (saving the White Tree, cutting the Ring from Sauron) his pride was his undoing. We've seen it before in Middle-earth and I know I've seen it in my life as well.
As night set the onslaught began and the Orcs, with reckless abandon, charged into the Dúnedain. "Men were falling for some of the greater Orcs leaped up, two at a time, and dead or alive with their weight bore down a Dúnedain, so that other strong claws could drag him out and slay him" (p. 274, Unfinished Tales). Ciryon, one of Isildur's sons, was killed in the attack and his brother Aratan was mortally wounded trying to rescue him. Isildur was rallying his men where the attack was fiercest when his remaining son, Elendur, found him.
The son reported to his father: "'Ciryon is dead and Aratan is dying. Your last counsellor must advise, nay command you, as you commanded Ohtar. Go! Take your burden, and at all costs bring it to the Keepers: even at the cost of abandoning your men and me!' 'King's son,' said Isildur, 'I knew that I must do so; but I feared the pain. Nor could I go without your leave. Forgive me, and my pride that has brought you to this doom'" (p. 274, Unfinished Tales). Father and son kissed goodbye, and Isildur put on the Ring, yelling in pain, and vanished never to be seen again in Middle-earth.
"So perished Elendur, who should afterwords have been King, and as all foretold who knew him, in his strength and wisdom, and his majesty without pride, one of the greatest, the fairest of the seed of Elendil, most like to his grandsire" (p. 274, Unfinished Tales). Isildur meanwhile made it to the banks of the Anduin River and even being invisible he went warily knowing Orcs could track by scent alone. In despair he shed his armor and gear, save a short sword, and plunged into the river to cross. But the current was strong and the river still swollen from the rains and strong. By the time Isildur reached the other bank he had been swept very nearly back to Gladden Fields.
"There suddenly he knew that the Ring had gone. By chance, or chance well used, it had left his hand and gone where he could never hope to find it again" (p. 275, Unfinished Tales). He struggled up the bank startling some Orc watchers. They loosed their arrows and ran but they found their mark striking Isildur in the throat and heart. Being without armor he fell silently into the river; his body never to be found. "So passed the first victim of the malice of the masterless Ring: Isildur, second King of all the Dúnedain, lord of Arnor and Gondor, and in that age of the World the last" (p. 275, Unfinished Tales).
Only three survived the disaster of Gladden Fields. Ohtar and his companion did escape and bore the shards of Narsil to Imladris. The other survivor was the esquire of Elendur, Estelmo, who was knocked uncouncious by an Orc club. He too would have died had not Thranduil's warriors ambushed the Orcs and drove them away. For Thranduil was warned by some woodmen about Orcs in his realm. Estelmo had witnessed the words of Elendur and Isildur at their parting and between the three survivors the events of that battle were pieced together. But not fully until the Fourth Age in the reign of Elessar.
This was a highly enjoyable read. I love the rich detail of the story and the suspense that builds as you see the Dúnedain surrounded. It's telling, I think, to see what one is made of when they are trapped with no way out. Isildur, in the Peter Jackson's movie portrayal, is kind of painted as this bad dude. While he was prideful he more often than not risked his life for the good of others. I think the last conversation between he and his son illustrates that. Elendur found Isildur where the battle was the heaviest rallying troops and the father could not leave the son (even though he knew he could disappear because of the Ring) without first owning up to his error and asking forgiveness. Good stuff.
Middle-earth timeline: Third Age, 2, autumn
Today's reading comes from: Unfinished Tales, pages 271-276
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