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appendix a 1361
Road as far as the Weather Hills. Rhudaur was in the North-east
and lay between the Ettenmoors, the Weather Hills, and the
Misty Mountains, but included also the Angle between the
Hoarwell and the Loudwater. Cardolan was in the South, its
bounds being the Brandywine, the Greyflood, and the Great
Road.
In Arthedain the line of Isildur was maintained and endured,
but the line soon perished in Cardolan and Rhudaur. There was
often strife between the kingdoms, which hastened the waning
of the Dúnedain. The chief matter of debate was the possession
of the Weather Hills and the land westward towards Bree. Both
Rhudaur and Cardolan desired to possess Amon Sûl
(Weathertop), which stood on the borders of their realms; for
the Tower of Amon Sûl held the chief Palantír of the North, and
the other two were both in the keeping of Arthedain.
‘It was in the beginning of the reign of Malvegil of Arthedain
that evil came to Arnor. For at that time the realm of Angmar
arose in the North beyond the Ettenmoors. Its lands lay on both
sides of the Mountains, and there were gathered many evil men,
and Orcs, and other fell creatures. [The lord of that land was
known as the Witch-king, but it was not known until later that
he was indeed the chief of the Ringwraiths, who came north with
the purpose of destroying the Dúnedain in Arnor, seeing hope
in their disunion, while Gondor was strong.]’
In the days of Argeleb son of Malvegil, since no descendants
of Isildur remained in the other kingdoms, the kings of Arthedain
again claimed the lordship of all Arnor. The claim was resisted
by Rhudaur. There the Dúnedain were few, and power had been
seized by an evil lord of the Hillmen, who was in secret league
with Angmar. Argeleb therefore fortified the Weather Hills; 1 but
he was slain in battle with Rhudaur and Angmar.
Arveleg son of Argeleb, with the help of Cardolan and Lindon,
drove back his enemies from the Hills; and for many years
Arthedain and Cardolan held in force a frontier along the
Weather Hills, the Great Road, and the lower Hoarwell. It is said
that at this time Rivendell was besieged.
1 p. 242.