Title: The tale of Mîm – as it could have been

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

Rating: M overall, this chapter K

Summary: The children of Melian and the Kings hear a promised tale.

A/N: Sequel to "A tale about friendship"

Disclaimer: I don't own either Middle Earth or it's inhabitants, Melian and her family are mine though.

Chapter 3, Friendships made.

One of the things that happened during the following days was that we made friends with almost all of the Wolf men, as unlikely as it may sound. With the exception of a few who disliked us and the archer who had fired upon us, we found that most of them weren't evil, they had been driven out of Dor Lomin and longed to be able to go back there. They spoke about what had happened to their families and we found that they had been treated the same way as we were, even worse, because we were just hunted while they were enslaved. They spoke of the battle where many of their warriors had fallen, they also mentioned that their Lord had gone missing and none knew where he was if he still lived. Their chieftain was named Neithan, the wronged, but father sensed there was more to him than met the eyes. For one thing his weapons and armour were clearly made by Elves from Doriath. He also spoke the dialect of Doriath and that showed that he had been brought up there. He became a close friend of father's and they spent much of the following winter together.

A few days after the day the Wolf men came, father brought another group to our home. This group was more welcome though as it consisted of Melian's father who was named Aratar son of Gildorath and some of his warriors. Aratar glared at the Men living with us but Neithan asked us, Melian and Aratar to listen to his tale privately. All of us agreed to do that and it was then we learned who he was. He told us that his name was in truth Túrin son of Húrin and that he was the rightful Lord of Dor Lomin. He had been sent to Doriath by his mother, a kinswoman of Beren son of Barahir, who feared that the Easterlings would kill him so they could keep the land they had been placed in by Morgoth. He admitted that some of his men were no good but told Aratar that most of them were decent, they had simply been forced to make a living as best they could and that he was willing to make amends for all of them. The chieftain listened to the tale he was told and to the promise made by Túrin that they would only attack the servants of Angband.

"Still you have harmed one who isn't one of Morgoth´s servants" Aratar stated, and Túrin nodded. He told us that the archer offered to escort us all when we were out gathering food and healing herbs as recompense for Khîm´s injury and father accepted it, as well as Melian, even though neither of them trusted the Man. Then father and Aratar discussed how we could pay for the aid Melian gave us, finally they agreed that we would make and repair arms and mail for his warriors. Father accepted this, particularly as the chieftain said that our kindred make the best arms and mail that can be found anywhere. The Men had brought food to Melian as well as all the medicines she would need to treat the illnesses and injuries we and Túrin´s men might catch. Melian was given her father's blessing and permission to remain with us, and they parted with Aratar's promise that he would visit as often as he was able to.

Aratar and his men also became friends with us and that was also good. The chieftain felt that we needed to join our forces in order to fight the hoards sent by Morgoth, "the more warriors they face, the better" as Aratar put it. He also considered the tales he had heard and finally stated that he was sure Morgoth had feared us, because he wouldn't have separated us from the Elves of all kindreds otherwise and he thought that the dreadful battle before the Gates of Angband would have ended better had our people been there also.

Túrin asked all of us to promise that we wouldn't tell his men who he was, when father asked him why he said that he feared some of his men might sell the knowledge of his name and news of where he lived to Morgoth in return for permission to return to their homes. Not that he blamed them, they had spent many years away from their homes and if they thought they had a chance to return they would take it. When we heard that all of us promised to keep his name a secret and he looked very relieved. In my opinion Túrin decided to tell us, particularly Aratar, who he was in order to prove that he was a Man who could be trusted. He told us that his predecessor as chieftain of the Outlaw band had been a man who treated everyone badly and Aratar was pleased to hear that the man was dead and could no longer harm anyone.

The following winter was very hard, snow covered the hill and none could move outside the halls. Fortunately we had been able to store vast amounts of fuel as the halls would have been cold otherwise, but our stores ran low and we feared that we would soon be starving. Imagine the surprise we felt when one evening a stranger came to our home and the astonishment that followed when we realised it was an Elf, and from Doriath at that. Father glared at him but it was clear that he was known to Túrin and thus father had no say in the matter.

What followed next was unexpected to all of us; Melian challenged the Elf, who named himself Beleg Strongbow, demanding an explanation from him of two things. The first was why he was there in the first place; the second was why his people had hunted our kinsmen. He answered each of the questions, telling us that he had been sent by king Thingol to see if he could find a way to make Neithan return to Doriath. He tried to avoid answering the second question but Melian pressed him on the matter and finally he admitted that his people had made a mistake when they had regarded us as mere beasts. He admitted that we had defended ourselves and that we had the right to do so, as we had clearly been the first to settle in the area.

The fact that Melian had challenged Beleg on our behalf, as if we were kinsmen, showed Beleg that we were friends and he found that to be amazing. He became even more amazed when Neithan declared us as friends also and asked Beleg why he hadn't been told that tale while he lived with them. Beleg answered that a decision had been made that the matter wasn't to be discussed, that none of them felt any pride when they thought about it. He also said that the Lady of Doriath, a Maia named Melian, had said that the hunts would haunt all of them at one time or other and he found that the time had indeed come upon him.

Father had felt encouraged by Melian and told Beleg about the hunts of our kinsmen, how some had been found dead while others had gone missing. He also spoke of the Exiles and their thefts of homes, even though he admitted that lord Felagund had had the decency to send warning. Beleg looked shaken when he heard father's tale. He offered our father a ransom for our slain kinsmen, even though it wouldn't be enough to slake the anger we felt. To the astonishment of all of us father accepted, stating that if Beleg could offer it then he could show the grace to accept it and the two of them made friends during the days that followed. At father's insistence Melian also made friends with the Elf and so peace was restored to the halls.

TBC