Disaster of the Gladden Fields

The Battle at Gladden Fields was a disaster that befell the Dunedain at a period when they looked to recover from their war losses. Gladden Fields refers to a field of marshland located in Gladden river's valley and on Anduin bank. It was in this location that Sauron's ring fell and was found by the hobbit, Deagol, during fishing with his cousin, Smeagol, centuries later. In the early years of the Third Age, a large army of Orcs from Hithaeglir attacked Isildur and his entourage, killing his three adult sons, Aratan, Elendur, and Ciryon. Isildur lost Sauron's Ring in River Anduin as he made his way to escape imminent defeat in the hands of Orcs. The ring fell from his hand and exposed his whereabouts to the Orcs that fired at him. Only three members of Isiludr's entourage escaped the massacre at Gladden Fields, Ohtar that held the Shards of Narsil, and two others. The sudden death of Isildur left the devastated nations of Dunedain in exile in further gloom and disunity. Isildur lost his father and brother that ruled the nations with him, and their death would make him the sole ruler of both nations of Dunedain, Arnor and Gondor. Arnor struggled for stability afterward and remained the weaker of the nations in exile until the reunification of the nations under King Elessar II in the Fourth Age. The King's sudden death, however, prevented a grave error that could have occurred from him. He told Elendur about his intention to hand the ring over to the Elves who kept three other rings.

After twelve years of fighting in the Last Alliance, Isildur lived in Gondor for one year to regain some lost territories and to ensure stability was restored in the kingdom. He ordered a faction of his army to return to Eriador through the Dundaine's route from Isen's fords to Fornost. Isildur believed he had stabilized Gondor and decided to return home in Arnor to do the same. But before he left, he called on his brother's son, Meneldil, to hand over the rule of Gondor to him. He then proceeded to Rivendell as he retained a part of his household in the Elven realm, his queen and youngest heir. He also intended to meet Elrond for his wise counsel in times of hardship. In his journey to Rivendell, he would move from Osgiliath to Anduin's Vale, then to Cirith Forn en Andrath (North Hithaeglir's steep pass) that led to Rivendell.

Isildur's hosts moved from Lothlorien to the North, going through Greenwood's path, The Woodland Elves' domain. The traveling Dunedain diverted from their course because Anduin was flooded, so they took the path on the steep slopes to the east of the river bank; on their right stood cliffs. As the dusk came close, the traveling Dunedain sang and rejoiced until the Dunedain's lusty men sensed the presence of orcs. Isildur sprung into action and ordered his entourage into a wall that would shield the traveling party; the Numenoreans were not prepared for a massive attack and would have hoped the orcs were at most twice their size. The king was in despair as he feared the odds were against his party. They guessed the attacking army was massive, probably ten times more than them. The king's entourage formed a 'Thanguil' but could have done much better on level grounds; where they could have formed a 'Dirnaith'. The orcs launched their first attack with arrows. They sent arrows through the lines of Dunedain and struck the very center of their formation.

The king saw the imminent onslaught and gave his esquire the shard of Narsil to deliver to Rivendell, before Elrond's watch. The Numenoreans fought the first set of orcs without any casualty; they stood at a height that raised them above the orcs. Dunedain army raised their confidence when the orcs suddenly held back from their attack and stood at a distance that was out of Numenoreans' arrow reach. Isildur misjudged their hesitation to attack for being stunned; he ordered his army to move to lower grounds to stay level with the orcs. He thought they would not return to the fight, but they did in a second attack. The attack was fiercer than the first as they approached in full crescent. Dunedain's formation broke and the orcs began to massacre the army. It did not take long before two of Isildur's sons fell. On seeing this, Elendur begged his father to leave the battleground; he told him to cross River Anduin to the other side, he could continue his journey to Rivendell unharmed. A group of men from the woods came to Dunedain's rescue but their arrival was too late to avail them.

The king took his son's advice and put on the ring to become veiled. He moved into the valley and then to the banks of Anduin. He disarmed himself, so he could swim to safety; he removed his shield too. Isildur only kept a small sword with him before he dashed into Anduin. The Dunedain king realized Anduin was harder to cross than he thought, his strength began to fade and exhaustion overtook him despite his vigor. When he swam to the river's western shallows, the ring mysteriously slipped from his finger and exposed him. Some orcs saw a strange figure emerging from the sea and struck him dead.

The disaster at Gladden Fields only had three survivors: Ohtar whom the king sent to deliver the shard, Estelmo that was stunned from club blow and saved by woodsmen, and an unknown figure-Dunedain. The body of Isildur was never found; the popular belief was that he was captured even after death. Valandil, the youngest son of Elendur, became the king of Arnor when he attained maturity. Estelmo was Elendur's esquire; the Orcs may have left him after they thought he was dead from a club that struck him on his head. He lived after the woodmen helped him recover to narrate the conversation between Elendur and his father, Isildur, before the King's disappearance and death. Estelmo narrated that Isildur said to his son that he dreaded the pain that follows his use of the ring. He said that he was yet to find the strength to bend the ring to his will and cannot put it on. Isildur told his son that he needed the power of his will to be stronger than he knows of himself. Isildur acknowledges that his lack of control over the ring made him feel his pride lessened, so he would send the ring to the Elves that kept the other three.