"Be he foe or friend, be he foul or clean

Brood of Morgoth or bright Vala,

Elda or Maia or Aftercomer,

Man yet unborn upon Middle-earth,

Neither law, nor love, nor league of swords,

Dread nor danger, not Doom itself

Shall defend him from Fëanáro and Fëanáro's kin,

Whoso hideth or hoarded, or in hand taketh

In finding keepeth or afar casteth

A Silmaril. This swear we all:

Death we will deal him ere Day's ending,

Woe unto world's end! Our word hear thou,

Eru Allfather! To the everlasting

Darkness doom us if our deed faileth!

On the holy mountain hear in witness

and our vow remember,

Manwë and Varda!"

The moment was dark and foreboding. For days the land had been shrouded in an unforgiving cloud of blackness that seemed to be haunted by a small degree of a darkness that was more than just the mere lack of light.

Now, it was suddenly lit by the glow of hundreds of torches and the fell gleam emanating from Curufinwë Fëanáro's eyes. He sat mounted on a pitch black steed whose eyes were rolling in the center of a crowd of elves. His sword was drawn, muscles taunt as the dread invoked by the Oath he had just sworn lingered in the air, chilling more than a few hearts.

Silence had only hung over the crowd for barely half a minute when Fëanáro's sons - who had been watching their father as a fëanorian could - spurred their mounts to encircle Fëanáro and drew their swords, one by one with soft voiced Cänäfinwë last to do so, to cross Fëanáro's; reciting their father's Oath in the same fell voice - each of them - as it had been originally sworn.

As the last line slid off of their tongues, Fëanáro's mount reared in an almost panic. Laughing - though it wasn't quite true laughing - Fëanáro brought the animal back under control and ordered a march to Alqualondë for their boats, sword still drawn. He wheeled the horse under him around, leaving his sword where it rested in his hand. Six of his seven sons followed suit, though Cänäfinwë sheathed his sword and dismounted, vanishing into the crowd.

His face was streaked with horror. Utter horror. And fear.

On that day, only he realized what they had done and would be yet forced to do. But he realized too late. That fact would haunt him as long as he lingered.

(and that was very long indeed)