The Fall of Gondolin

FA 511, Midsummer

Sunrise. We had taken the fires of war for sunrise. Where had our brains been? Had I not been terrified I would have railed at myself.

The world broke down around me. We knew the lay of city. It helped in so far that we could lead our forces in a semblance of strategy within the winding streets. But the orcs were too many, they were everywhere as if an anthill had been poured out over the city. And then there came the dragons which plucked us from the walls and fried warriors to the pavement with a casual breath. I heard of Ecthelion's fall, of the fire-demon, even as I ran for the king's court. A last stand, a final last stand. If we would all die here, it would be in the king's court.

I had not counted on reaching the yard. I came from the wrong side, and leaped down from the high wall into the court, as much to escape the orcs at my back as to rush into the next wave that branded against the white tower. Glorfindel arrived, having a Valar-sent new force with him. All mine had scattered on the mad flight through the streets to come here. Some of them, led by Voronwe, came in now.

Turgon's warriors opened the tower-gates and poured out, and in a short time the orcs in the yard were killed. For a brief moment, there were only elves in the yard.

The leading captain of tower's warriors pulled off his helm, and I realized it was Turgon himself "You go" he shouted "I command you. Follow my daughter"

We stared around blankly for a moment, realizing why he was ordering us off.

"We swore allegiance, we will not run to leave you to fall with the city" someone cried.

Turgon rounded on him "I command you. My pride brought this on you"

"Come with me" another voice ordered "And come quickly. They have broken the last wall"

Idril, holding her sword in one hand, a helm in the other, stood at the main entrance to the yard. I saw warriors of all houses gathered behind her, as well as unarmed people and children. It was no longer a question of which warriors would die, but that all others would die as well, and sooner and more tormented than those who could fight. And if they were killed, there was no sense for the warriors anymore, no reason to defend a dying, empty city.

Turgon and those of his guard who would stay with him stood on the wide steps of the tower. There was no time to rebel, to change the course, or to cry. We obeyed, because we were given an order by the king himself, even if it was his last order. Idril led us into the oldest part of the city, and into ways I had never seen. Almost immediately, I lost track where we were going. It was a mad run, and over and over, orcs came out of the shadows, dropped from walls like spiders, sent arrows whizzing into the narrow ways.

My lungs burned from the reek, and I could hardly see for my streaming eyes. Sounds all mixed into a continuous crash of utter destruction. We plunged into what seemed a tunnel, rough earthen walls surrounded us. Suddenly we were out in the open, the city looming behind us further than seemed possible. We were in the plains, without shelter or cover but we ran on. There was nothing for it. There came a terrible scream overhead, and one of the winged dragons dropped out of the swirling smoke. For a second that seemed frozen in time I saw the beast overhead, its wings spread wide like a hovering bird's, the sinuous body curling as it veered. Reptile eyes gleamed in the reek, fierce and fiery.

It is beautiful, I thought. The dragons wrought the most disastrous damage on city-walls and survivors both, but I never forgot that moment of seeing the dragon overhead and realizing how beautiful a creature it was. And then it opened its mouth. Someone crashed into my back and we rolled on the ash-covered ground, choking. Heat rushed over us, there were screams and a terrible stench of burning flesh that made everyone retch.

"It's gone" Idril's voice carried over the noise and the shouts "Get up, run, ahead to the mountains"

She was in the front, her bright armour gleaming fitfully in the murk. I was bowled over again, but as I rolled, I saw that this time not by another elf.

"Faire!" I rasped, struggling to my feet. She all but dropped to her knees, and I dragged myself on her back. We were at the edge of the fleeing train, and Faire did not need my orders to move alongside them, guarding and herding at the same time. I was glad for that, because I could not think at all. A child stumbled, screaming. Faire dropped back, and I snatched the boy up behind me. The hills had risen up around us.

"Take care" I shouted "Look up"

Instinct more than my belated shout moved the fugitives into a tight knot in the middle of the narrow strip along which we ran. Arrows whizzed out of the darkened hills to the left, striking mostly horses and donkeys. Several went down, and I felt near senseless panic rise inside me. Faire was not armoured, wore neither saddle nor bridle. I twisted on her back, trying to see the next volley coming and thinking to shield her with my body when she sprang aside, bringing us even closer to the hills as she kept to the outside of the group. I wanted desperately to urge her back to the right, but knew I could not. It was my duty to guard them. There was a crush and a roar above. We looked up fearfully, expecting another dragon. Instead, rocks hurtled out of the reek that hung low over our heads. One struck my leg, nearly pulling me off Faire's back. I dug my hands into her mane, blinded by the pain for a moment. I felt her moving aside, and then forward. The child behind whimpered. I twisted to see if he was hurt, but he wasn't.

"I'm alright" I answered the unspoken question as we clung to Faire and a mad run towards the right side and the end of the valley began. Several smaller groups formed according to the speed people could hold, but warriors assigned themselves to each. Faire neared the front when the shout went up in our scattered ranks and the guards carried it on „Raca, raca!"

No, I thought. We had orcs, dragons, balrogs and avalanches. Not wolves as well. A moment later I saw them, dark shapes in the fog, darting towards us.

"Circles" I shouted at the guards behind me "Form circles, swords outside. Riders, try to bowl them over"

Similar orders were given all over the place, but it was too late. The wolves, large as our donkeys, were too fast and too strong. An arrow hit the terrified mule Voronwe was trying to drag along and the poor beast went down braying and kicking. The leading wolf leaped over it and bore down on Voronwe. Panic nearly choked me. Wolves did not move strategically, did not move in a body. Everybody had to see to his own survival. Judging by the screams and shouts in the almost impenetrable fog we failed miserably to defend ourselves anymore. I dropped off Faire's back, shoving the boy forward so he could grab her mane "Hold tight and lean forward" I ordered "And you get him out of here"

I turned with my sword in my hand. My leg hurt abominably, and I could feel blood trickling. At least Faire obeyed.

I saw Voronwe rolling and struggling to his feet just as the wolf, borne by his own momentum, shot over his aim and turned to attack again. Something inside me stirred and came to life roaring. Weapons availed little, but we had words left. The syllables of the spell flamed in my mind, and I screamed them aloud, over and over. The words were taken up by others, but I did not know what was happening. There was no fire, but light, blinding us, but also the wolves. Yelps, growls, the whiz of arrows all mingled, and then silence followed. I shook my head, feeling dizzy.

"Run!" I shouted instinctively "Run for the mountains again!"

We did. I stumbled along until someone caught me and dragged my arm over his shoulder. We had reached the hills, finally.

"Your horse"

Indeed Faire had turned up again. Her coat was bloody and smeared with ash.

"The child?"

°Someone found him° The elf beside me boosted me up, and I swung my injured leg over Faire's back with some effort. She began to climb, stumbling into dells and holes so often I thought she must break her legs and my neck in the bargain. For a short while, we fled unmolested, but then the hoarse cries of the orcs came again, and the wolves howled just a little behind us.

"Over here, here's the valley!" someone shouted, and for once, we turned as one and made for that voice. Anyone still on horseback, archers and spear-bearers pushed to the mouth of the long, flat valley once the unarmed elves and the fighters on foot had passed between us. Had the wolves found us a little further from the valley none of us would have survived. Now, the narrow entrance to the valley was defendable. I saw Voronwe in the chaos, and hope and relief almost made me giddy. The words still shone in my mind as if written with fire. I squinted into the dark fog, trying to see if shapes moved there. Glorfindel suddenly pulled up beside me, leading a small and motley company. He ordered a number of those who held the entrance to follow the rest and replaced the breaches with his own men. We retreated to the end of the narrow entrance at his command.

"I didn't know you could" he wheezed.

I shivered suddenly "Neither did I"

"There they come" he pointed.

I nodded, and at his signal, we charged forward together.

I did not know how we survived that second encounter with the remaining wolves, but we did. Archers had climbed hastily into the rocks of the entrance-tunnel, and added their arrows to our mad and gleaming charge. After that, we all turned tail once more and fled through the valley. It was one of the scouts who had ordered us here, and the valley led us easily far up into the mountains. The scouts took command as they had been trained to, and as the road was too narrow that anyone could fall back or catch up, we fled at the end of the untidy line. Night must have passed, but morning did not come in the smoke-wreathed mountains. We climbed and struggled in a stupor of weariness, up and up a steep and treacherous path.

"Cirith Thoronath" Glorfindel whispered at one point, and then I realized that he was right. We were climbing that way. My heart sank, and a cold dread replaced the empty weariness that only knew the urge to run forward as fast as possible, away from the dread in the valley.

"That is an evil pass"

Without noticing, I had halted. Glorfindel grasped Faire's mane and pulled us forward "What do you mean?"

I shook my head, and then it was too late to answer, because the pace was picked up. For a moment, the road widened and though the part of the way was extremely steep, we used the space to gallop forward and come to the front of the line finally. Idril and Tuor were there, so I dropped back a little, keeping near the middle of the train. My heart hammering, I rode near the sheer drop in the dim light, praying Faire would not stumble. But this was the only thing we could do to keep the line moving and away from the abyss. There were many wounded and a number of children struggling along, and at times, the path was just wide enough for a horse to cross with utmost care. We lost two horses and a donkey there, though I found out only much later, in Nan Tathren.

I could not say how much time passed. We climbed higher and higher, and it was bitter cold. A cruel wind blew, often so hard than we swayed on our feet. A dreadful abyss loomed beside us, and it sometimes felt as if the vast drop sucked our steps towards it. Just when we began to whisper of the end of this evil road, small stones rained down on us, and we heard the harsh voices of orcs. They climbed down from high above. Panic seized me once more. Strung out as we were, they could pick us off at their leisure, and they did.

The wind roared and gathered, and then the orcs screamed as the gales blew their hold from the cliff. So I thought, but then I saw the wings in the gloom and could make out the shrill wails that were eagles' voices and not orc-cries. Even as our hopes rose with that, the reddish glow suddenly in front of us dashed them again. The eagles dived, screamed, and something roared. The stinging scent of singed feather wafted on the cold wind.

"A balrog, a balrog!" as the warning of the wolves had shivered through the ranks before, that wail was taken up now.

I looked around desperately. The abyss. We should jump before that fate caught us.

Glorfindel pushed past Faire and me, pinning me against the wall. I had not realized when he had dropped back again. He had lost his sword, I saw.

"Whatever happens, promise me to lead them down"

I stared at him blankly. Eagles and elves wailed, orcs screamed, but the gale snatched the sounds away

"Promise!"

I wished later he had commanded me. Orders could be broken, but I was bound by my given word. He knew well what he was doing. He looked at Faire, and she dropped her head, once, as if bowing. Then he was gone.

"No!" I heard Idril's voice as clear as one of the eagles' screams. There was a rush, and a flare of red. Wings of shadow spread, and it was as if thunder rumbled. Panic and despair nearly drove me senseless. I clawed my way forward, but was jerked back painfully. Faire's teeth left a large bruise on my shoulder as I twisted madly in her grasp. The tiny thread of awareness I shared with my lover thinned and stretched, and then it was gone, as was the red flame and the shadow. Someone screamed, but it was a while until I realized it was me.

Chapter Notes:

According to the Silmarillion the dragons sent against Gondolin were "of the brood of Glaurung", so they would have been wingless. The winged dragons were reserved for the War of Wrath, but I take the freedom to add one or two flying dragons to the city's fall.

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