return

appendix a 1371
‘But Eldacar eluded his enemies, and came to the North, to
his kinsfolk in Rhovanion. Many gathered to him there, both of
the Northmen in the service of Gondor, and of the Dúnedain of
the northern parts of the realm. For many of the latter had
learned to esteem him, and many more came to hate his usurper.
This was Castamir, grandson of Calimehtar, younger brother of
Rómendacil II. He was not only one of those nearest by blood
to the crown, but he had the greatest following of all the rebels; for
he was the Captain of Ships, and was supported by the people of
the coasts and of the great havens of Pelargir and Umbar.
‘Castamir had not long sat upon the throne before he proved
himself haughty and ungenerous. He was a cruel man, as he had
first shown in the taking of Osgiliath. He caused Ornendil son
of Eldacar, who was captured, to be put to death; and the slaughter
and destruction done in the city at his bidding far exceeded
the needs of war. This was remembered in Minas Anor and in
Ithilien; and there love for Castamir was further lessened when
it became seen that he cared little for the land, and thought only
of the fleets, and purposed to remove the king’s seat to Pelargir.
‘Thus he had been king only ten years, when Eldacar, seeing
his time, came with a great army out of the north, and folk
flocked to him from Calenardhon and Anórien and Ithilien.
There was a great battle in Lebennin at the Crossings of Erui,
in which much of the best blood in Gondor was shed. Eldacar
himself slew Castamir in combat, and so was avenged for Ornendil;
but Castamir’s sons escaped, and with others of their kin
and many people of the fleets they held out long at Pelargir.
‘When they had gathered there all the force that they could
(for Eldacar had no ships to beset them by sea) they sailed away,
and established themselves at Umbar. There they made a refuge
for all the enemies of the king, and a lordship independent of his
crown. Umbar remained at war with Gondor for many lives of
men, a threat to its coastlands and to all traffic on the sea. It was
never again completely subdued until the days of Elessar; and
the region of South Gondor became a debatable land between
the Corsairs and the Kings.’
‘The loss of Umbar was grievous to Gondor, not only because
the realm was diminished in the south and its hold upon the