Chapter 4
Truth
"Pallando, I've been wondering," Lasca began. "Why is it that we are sundered from the Northern Men? Why is it that our languages and beliefs are different?"
The old man sighed heavily, for he had known the time would come when that tale would have to be told. Over the time he had known Lasca, he had grown fond of the Southron girl. He did not want to answer her, but went on nonetheless.
"It began when Maedhros Fëanor's son heard of the deeds of Beren and Lùthien. Those words lifted up his heart, for now he deemed that Morgoth was not unassailable. However, he also knew that one by one, the Dark Lord would destroy the lords of the free peoples if they did not unite. Thus he began counsels for this, and they are called the Union of Maedhros.
"Alas, Orodreth and the Elves of Nargothrond trusted him little and did not join with him, for the memory of the deeds of his brothers Celegorm and Curufin were fresh in their minds. Therefore came only a small company from them, led by Gwindor son of Guilin, against the will of Orodreth.
"Little help came from the Hidden Realm of Doriath, for King Thingol was ill pleased with the haughty words by which the Sons of Fëanor demanded the Silmaril he possessed. Thinking of the torment his daughter Luthien and the pain Beren had endured to win it, he desired to keep it the more. Therefore he sent back their messengers with scornful words. Maedhros gave no reply, for he had now begun to devise the league and the union of Elves, though his brothers were wroth to leave Thingol's words of contempt unanswered. Then it was that the King of Doriath fortified the boundaries of his realm and went not to war, nor any out of Doriath save Mablung and Beleg, who were unwilling to have no part in these great deeds.
"Maedhros had the help of the Naugrim (the Dwarves), both in armed force and in weaponry; and the smithies of Nogrod and Belegost were busy in those days. And he gathered together once more all his brothers and all those who would follow them; and the men of Bòr and Ulfang were marshaled and trained for war, and they summoned yet more of their kin out of the East. Furthermore in the west Fingon, ever the friend of Maedhros, took counsel with him and in Hithlum the Noldor and the Men of the house of Hador prepared for war. In the forests of Brethil Halmir, the people of Haleth did likewise, under the rule of Haldir. And to Turgon in hidden Gondolin the tidings also came.
"The grave mistake came, however, when Maedhros sought too soon to test his strength and drove the Orcs out of all northern regions of Beleriand. From this Morgoth was warned of the uprising of the Eldar and the Elf-friends, and took counsel against them. Many spies he sent among them, and soon he had treacherous Men that were deep in the secrets of the Sons of Fëanor.
"Maedhros resolved to assault Angband, the stronghold of Morgoth, form both east and west. He purposed to march in open over the sands of Anfauglith and draw the forces of Morgoth out, and then Fingon would issue forth from the passes of Hithlum. Thus they thought to take the might of Morgoth as between anvil and hammer, and break it to pieces.
"On the appointed day, the morning of Midsummer, the trumpets of the Eldar greeted the rising sun; and in the east was raised the standard of the sons of Fëanor, and in the west the standard of Fingon, High King of the Noldor. With Fingon was arrayed a vast force, though such was their skill that they were completely hidden within the woods of Ered Wethrin. Among them stood the valiant brothers Hùrin and Huor with their host of Men from Dor-lòmin.
"It was then that Fingon looked towards the mountains above Angband. He perceived a dark cloud was about it, and knew that the wrath of Morgoth was aroused, and their challenge was accepted. A shadow of doubt fell upon his heart, and he looked towards the sands of Anfauglith, hoping to espy the dust rising beneath the hosts of Maedhros. He knew not that Maedhros was hindered in his setting forth by the guile of Uldor the accursed, who deceived him with false warnings of assault from Angband.
"But now a cry went up, passing up the wind from the south, and Elves and Men lifted their voices in wonder and joy. For unsummoned and unlooked for Turgon had opened the leaguer of Gondolin, and was come with an army ten thousand strong.
Now Morgoth, who knew much of the designs of his enemies, chose his hour, and trusting in his treacherous servants to hold back Maedhros and prevent the union of his foes he sent a force seemingly great (though was only a part of his full host) towards Hithlum.
"The hearts of the Noldor grew hot with the sight of their enemy, and they wished to assail their foes upon the plain, but Hùrin spoke against it. Still Maedhros came not, and though the host grew impatient, Hùrin urged them still to wait.
"But the captain of Morgoth had been commanded to draw out Fingon swiftly from the hills at all costs. When the taunting of the orcs had failed, he brought forth a captive, Gelmir the brother of Gwindor, within sight of the hosts of the Eldar, and they had blinded him. Cruelly they hewed off his hands and feet, and his head last.
"By ill chance Gwindor had seen all, and with wrath now kindled to madness, he leapt forth on horseback, and many riders with him. They pursued the heralds and slew them, and drove deep into the main host. And seeing this all the host of the Noldor was set on fire, and Fingon let sound the trumpets, and all the host of Hithlum leapt forth from the hills in sudden onslaught. So fell and swift was their onset that almost the designs of Morgoth went astray. Before his army could be strengthened, it was swept away, and the banners of Fingon were raised before the walls of Angband. At the forefront was Gwindor and the Elves of Nargothrond, and even now they could not be restrained; and they burst through the Gate and slew the guards upon the very stairs of Angband, but they were trapped there, and all were slain save Gwindor only, whom was taken alive, for Fingon could not come to their aid. By many secret doors Morgoth let issue his main host, which he had kept in waiting, and Fingon was beaten back with great loss from the walls.
"So it was on the fourth day of that war upon the plains of Anfauglith began Nirnaeth Arnoediad, Unnumbered Tears, for no song or tale can contain all its grief. As the host of Fingon retreated over the sands, Haldir lord of the Haladin was slain in the rearguard, and with him most of the men of Brethil. There was hope for a time on the morning of the sixth day when Turgon marched up with the main host of Gondolin, for he had restrained most of his people from the rash onslaught.
"In the third hour of that morning, the trumpets of Maedhros were heard at last from the east. Some have said even then the Eldar might have won that day, had all their hosts proved faithful; for the Orcs wavered and some turned to flight. But even as the vanguard of Maedhros came upon the Orcs, Morgoth loosed his last strength. Wolves, Balrogs, and dragons issued forth from Angband and came between the hosts of Fingon and Maedhros and swept them apart.
"Yet neither by Balrog or dragon would Morgoth have achieved his end, but for the treachery of Men. In this hour the plot of Ulfang was revealed. Many of the Easterlings turned and fled, their hearts being filled with lies and fear; but the sons of Ulfang went over suddenly to Morgoth and drove in upon the rear of the sons of Fëanor, and in the confusion that they wrought they came near to the standard of Maedhros. They reaped not the reward that Morgoth promised them, for Maglor slew Uldor the accursed, and the leader in treason, and the sons of Bòr slew Ulfast and Ulwarth ere they themselves were slain. But new strength of evil Men came up that Uldor had summoned and kept hidden in the eastern hills, and the host of Maedhros was assailed now on three sides, and it broke and was scattered.
"Though fate saved the sons of Fëanor, and though the Naugrim won great renown that day, the battle was lost. Fingon, High King of the Elves, was cruelly slain by Gothmog Lord of Balrogs. Huor was killed by an arrow to his eye, and his brother Hùrin taken captive. Hundreds more of the Eldar and valiant Men were slaughtered besides.
"Great was the triumph of Morgoth, and his design was accomplished in a manner after his own heart; for Men took the lives of Men, and betrayed the Eldar, and fear and hatred was aroused among those that should have been united against him. From that day the hearts of the Elves were estranged from Men, save only those of the Three Houses of the Edain."
For a while Lasca was silent, realizing what she had just heard. "We are descended from those Easterling Men, are we not?" she asked quietly.
"Indeed," Pallando sighed. "And that is much of the reason why your people are estranged from those of the North, and from the Elves. Both are slow to forget dreadful deeds, however many ages have gone by."
Lasca stood up and left without a word, her heart greatly troubled with her newfound knowledge. She said nothing to anyone for the rest of the day, save when night came, and she made her way to the tribe leader's tent. The two guards swiftly stepped aside and admitted her in. As she went through the flap, the heat and stuffiness of the room swept over her, for there were many lit candles and lamps spread about, giving the atmosphere an eerie red glow. The thick smell of incense pervaded the air.
"What troubles you, young caretaker?"
Lasca jumped, startled by the leader sitting shrouded in a dark corner of the tent. She could barely see him, save for where the light shone on his eyes. Slowly she knelt down on a rug in front of him.
"I, I beg your pardon sir, but there is..... there is something I must know."
"What old wives' tales has that fool been telling you?"
Lasca did not question how he seemed to know her mind. Quickly she related to him what Pallando had told her earlier that day. "And sir, I want to know…is it true we are descended from those Men?"
He said nothing for a very long time. Lasca could feel herself become drowsy with the heat and intoxicating smell. Beads of sweat fell from her forehead. Finally he spoke in a harsh whisper.
"Yes, what he says is true," he hissed. "Our forebears have ever sided with the Darkness, for we have found no hope in Light. Indeed, the Light is our enemy. Does not the cruel Sun scorch our already withered land day after day, year after year, age upon age? It is only in night that we feel relief from the sweltering heat; only in the Dark. And what of the Nùmenoreans? Mighty and noble?" he spat with disgust. "For countless years we suffered under their rule and were treated no better than beasts. They give us no reason to trust them now. No, it is only Sauron who has offered what we want—and need—so badly."
"You are proud, then? Proud of being spineless, of being treacherous?" Lasca spoke in a low voice, staring down at her clenched fists. "Indeed, I have not yet learned all the ways of the world as you know it, and maybe I am too naïve to judge, but I am ashamed of my heritage."
"Naïve indeed! What do you hold dearer? Honor or survival? Would you rather die proudly or hang on to precious life in the shadows? That wizened old man has turned your mind!"
"No, he has not. I still have doubts of what he says, though you yourself say that he is truthful."
"And what of it? Living life, however spineless, has ever beat chasing after petty ideals of what is good and just. That is the way of the Haradrim: to live and survive and further our people. You need to believe that, for you are nearing womanhood, and a woman's duty is to bear children, not to set right a wrong done beyond what living memory can recall."
Lasca looked up suddenly, the flickering flames of the candles dancing in her dark eyes. "I do not believe that."
She left without another word.
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Okay, I did take Pallando's tale from the Silmarillion. Some of it is paraphrased, though I got lazy at some parts and just took directly from it ^^; Here are the pages (in the hardcover 1977 edition): 188-195. Again I don't own any of Tolkien's works, they belong to the Tolkien estate, etc.
