Disclaimer: I do not own any of the known characters below (Tuor, Ecthelion, Gothmog, etc.). It is only the name of my original character, Faylin that I own.

This story is purely for entertainment purposes only. The Silmarillion (including the characters, settings and story line) belong to JRR Tolkien.

The Fall of Gondolin: The Death of Ecthelion of the Fountain

(Seen from the point of view of Lady Faylin, from the House of the Fountain)

The Great Gate of Gondolin still stands as strong as ever, and all around me my brothers-in-arms continue to fight. My heart beats with pride whenever our Lord Ecthelion rallies the other Elves with the clear sound of his flutes.

I swing my sword, felling orcs right and left. The hope and determination we carry gives me the strength to even dare look beyond the walls of the Great Gate. A mistake, I must say. Death. Thralldom. Evil. Menace. Fire. Ruin. The armies of Morgoth seem to shout the words, again and again.

My heart stops for a beat, as my eyes widen from the sheer amount of malice that awaits us. The sounds of battle seems far away from me, and I lower my sword without thought. 'What kind of future awaits us here? There is so much death.'

"Faylin!" A sharp voice says beside me, and a hand lands upon my shoulder. I startle from the depressing sight and turn my head to see none other than Lord Ecthelion. His grey gaze softens as he looks at me.

"This is no time to be reckless, and suddenly stop fighting." He says sternly, but with understanding. My eyes involuntarily turn to the loud chanting beyond the Great Gate, but Lord Ecthelion effortlessly turns my gaze to his.

"Do not look there. Focus on your people, and the ones you fight for. Remember the things that matter and use that to strengthen yourself." Lord Ecthelion gives me a smile, and I see a hint of the mischief-making Elf that always accompanies Lord Glorfindel and plays the best music in King Turgon's feasts.

"For Gondolin!" He says, and gives me a hand to grasp. Lord Ecthelion pulls me with him through the many warriors of the House of the Fountain, and he encourages me to lift my sword again.

Together with Lord Tuor and the House of the Wing, our two forces combine strength and manage to drive back the multitude of orcs on the Great Gate. Many times in the battle, I find myself lifting my flute and blowing a sweet tune that gives my comrades the hope they need.

Lord Ecthelion fights near me, his longsword gleaming silver in the light. Once again I lift my flute to my lips, but the sound looses its strength at the deafening roar of a dragon. Shouts of panic and fear comes from the Elves around me when the shadow of a monstrous beast envelopes us.

"Dragon! Retreat now!" The shout of warning suddenly stops when the dragon breathes fire upon us. The House of the Wing is the first to feel the inferno, and Lord Ecthelion ushers us to get to safety. Despite my desire to turn and leave the Gate, I decide to stay beside my Lord. This time I use the silver hunting horn of my father to help in rallying the Elves or issuing Lord Ecthelion's orders to retreat. All the while, fire burns around us and the once white walls of Gondolin turns black.

The Gate finally falls when three Balrogs enter the fight. Lord Ecthelion tells me to protect the retreat of the other Elves, and to continue blowing the horn as much as possible to bolster the hope of the soldiers. I reluctantly leave the side of our leader and follow my retreating comrades.

The next time I see Lord Ecthelion, he is limping badly and his left arm hangs limply by his side. I rush towards him and help him to the Fountain of the King. Lord Tuor continues to speak rapidly to Lord Ecthelion as I inspect the wound to his arm. The mail he wears underneath the armor serves as extra protection to sharp blades, but it does little to deflect the flaming sword of a Balrog.

"I do hope you do not mean to burn holes in my body, Faylin. I have enough fire-breathers from the enemy to do that." Lord Ecthelion says in a wry voice. I look towards him, my expression wary and tense. I try to smile and join in his joke but I feel the dread returning to me.

"My Lord, you must get this checked. It must not get infected-" I stop speaking suddenly when he sways on his seat. I catch him, and grunt a little from his weight.

Lord Ecthelion laughs breathlessly from the slip and I feel tears start to slide from my face. 'He is dying,' I think. Numbness spreads in my body at the simple fact. 'It can't be.'

The roars of multiple dragons fill the air around us, and the remaining Elves cry out in despair. I feel the same panic and horror begin to overwhelm me, but I try to cling unto the strength that Lord Ecthelion seems to give to people around him.

"Do you think it is too much to ask you for a favor, my lady?" The simple question brings my gaze to him. I press a wad of linen on his wound and hope to stem the blood flow.

"They are here! Morgoth is here! We are doomed!" Voices of despairing Elves suddenly cry out, and I unconsciously put more force on the wound. I only realize when Lord Ecthelion's hand gently removes mine from his arm. Lord Tuor begins to shout to his people to retreat to Idril's Stair, and the eventuality of our defeat finally catches up with me.

"Faylin." Lord Ecthelion once again pulls my attention to him. He smiles sadly and nods to the quickly retreating Elves. "You must go with them, and I give you the duty of leading the remains of our people through the Hidden Stair. Glorfindel will help you, he knows that if I perish the rule of the House of the Fountain will be yours."

I frown and try to deny that he will die. I grasp his hand tightly, and refuse to leave his side. My heart knows that it will not survive if he dies. He is everything I need, my husband, friend and my companion for life.

Ecthelion leans his forehead against mine and places a lingering kiss on my lips. I sob as he pulls away and I cling to him, while the other Elves of our House that still lingers near the Fountain of the King bow their heads in reverence. The sky above us is already a fiery orange in color, and I know that the Enemy is near. Our time is gone.

Ecthelion stands up unsteadily, and I stop myself from rushing to his arms and pulling him away from his doom. This moment I am not a simple shield maiden of the House of the Fountain, but a Lady and wife of Lord Ecthelion. For the last time, I perform my duties by cupping the clear waters of the Fountain and giving the drink to my husband. Under my breath, I whisper words of encouragement and blessings in Quenya. Hoping that his death is quick and his spirit finds the way to the Halls of Mandos.

The last time I see my husband and Lord, he is fighting the largest Balrog of Morgoth's army. They parry blows and try to find an opening in each other's defences to bring the other to his death. My heart beats with unparalleled pride, for despite Ecthelion's numerous wounds and the limp in his leg, he continues to fight bravely. His movements seem to flow like the waters that symbolize the House he rules, and I know then, that Ecthelion will quench the Balrog's fire.

And the clear, untainted diamonds upon his silver helm will continuously shine as the Enemy shrieks in fear on the very mention of his name.

Ecthelion duelled Gothmog in the battle over Gondolin. During the duel, Ecthelion lost his sword. Gothmog then was about to deliver the final blow when Ecthelion jumped and drove the spike of his helmet into Gothmog's body. Gothmog then lost his balance and he, along with Ecthelion, fell into the Fountain of the King. Gothmog and Ecthelion both drowned.

Excerpt from the Fall of Gondolin, Quenta Silmarillion

A/N: This story is actually an assignment we have from school. I must admit that it is heavily UNEDITED and some of the facts, descriptions or even dialogue may be wrong. It is also a little AU, in regards to the fact that the POV of this story belongs to Ecthelion's wife. I know that in canon, the Lord of the House of the Fountain does not have one. But for the sake of creating a bit of angst and twist in the story, I gave voice to Ecthelion's unknown wife.

If you have questions or suggestions, you are free to message me or comment.

Enjoy!

-VanyaNoldo22