In An Age Before – Part 152
Chapter One Hundred-two
Imladris and Khazad-dûm – The Third Age of the Sun
Now following their voyage to Tol Fuin, the two ellith wandered the lands of Eriador at their leisure for some years, for neither duty, nor errantry called them. They met at whiles with companies of the Laiquendi, for o'er the passing ennin these had grown more curious about their journeys and what tidings they would tell. The Green Elves were happy to share as well such tidings as they had heard, or o'erheard, whilst they themselves remained unseen. So 'twas that in the autumn of T.A. 1540, Helluin and Beinvír learnt of the fall of their old friend Aldamir, twenty-third King of Gondor.
The younger son of Eldacar had ruled for fifty years, during which time conflict with Umbar and the sons of Castamir the Usurper, who had fled thither after the Battle of the Crossings of Erui, ne'er ceased. Inland from the southern port and fortress, Castamir's sons and their vassals had long inflamed and encouraged the ancient hatred of the native Haradrim for the Kings of Gondor. Many were the raids and assaults upon ships and holdings of the South Kingdom that came of their agitation. 'Twas in battle with these Haradrim allies of Umbar that King Aldamir had fallen. Though further tidings had not yet been heard by the Laiquendi, 'twas assumed that Aldamir would be succeeded by his son and heir Vinyarion, whom Helluin and Beinvír had barely known, though he had been forty-one at the start of the kin-strife and had fought in his grandfather's cause.
More years passed whilst Helluin and Beinvír wandered Eriador, visiting at times with Rochen and Eirien in Cardolan, and rejoicing in the birth and growth of their son, Castron¹, who would follow his father as regent of the Red Hill Country. ¹(Castron, Steward = cast(caretaker) + -ron(masculine agent, n. on n.) Sindarin)
Many were their visits to the village of Celenhár to meet with Lainiel's children and grandchildren. Great joy they felt to see the peace and prosperity of the realm of Rhudaur, where the peoples' pride had been renewed in living memory with the retaking of their lands.
At times too they visited with their friends in Imladris, for the Lord Elrond was e'er eager to hear their tidings and have their counsel. 'Twas on just such a sojourn to the Hidden Valley that they were met in timely fashion by Lindir 'nigh the Ford of Bruinen, an occurrence which had long since ceased to be a surprise. Having exchanged greetings, the ellon led them hence to the study of the Peredhel, where he bid them erin maer, (good morning), and walked off chuckling. The two ellith couldn't escape the suspicion that he had withheld a secret. 'Twas 20 Gwirith, T.A. 1551.
Now Elrond received his friends and offered refreshments, and they settled to trade tidings of Eriador and the wider world. Unlike the Green Elves, who quickly learnt 'aught that came to pass in their homelands, Imladris was as a clearinghouse for the wider world. Many tidings were borne to the Lord of the Hidden Valley by those who sought his counsel from afar. Too, he traded in thought with Mithrandir and Galadriel by the virtue of the Three. So 'twas that words had come to him of late from the Greenwood by way of Lórinand, and these he felt compelled to share with Helluin and Beinvír, for they had become enmeshed in the affair aforetime. He deemed it fortunate that they had chosen to visit in so timely a fashion, recognizing therein a form of convergence that had long ago ceased to be a surprise.
"Mae govannen, mildis nín," Elrond said in greeting, "Im harthant lín túli.¹" ¹(Im harthant lín túli, I hoped you would come. Sindarin)
"Then we art glad to have saved thy noble son a half century's search for to summon us hither," Helluin replied with a straight face.
The Peredhel favored her with a brief grin.
"I have received word of serious doings in the Greenwood," he told them. He hardly needed the prescience of his Ring to follow the thoughts that passed 'twixt the two ellith in a silent glance.
'Tis the wretched Sorcerer again, no doubt, Helluin carped.
So t'will be another sojourn to Dol Guldur for thee, and a merry holiday amongst the spiders for me…oh joy.
"'Tis neither the Sorcerer returned, nor fell tidings of spiders that I proffer this day, my friends," Elrond said. "Indeed, my tidings art good."
'Cross his desk, Helluin and Beinvír regarded him in silence, expressions of surprise turning to anticipation on their faces. His seeming to know their thoughts had long ago ceased to be a surprise.
"A fortnight past, a messenger from Calenglad i'Dhaer came to King Amroth in Lórinand, bearing an invitation to Lady Nimrodel from her sister Inthuiril, and requesting the Lady's presence in the wedding party of Inthuiril and King Thranduil, upon the Ré Anaro, or the Andwain Aurin¹ as they call it, now two months hence." ¹(Andwain Aurin, Longest of Days Sindarin)
In reaction to his words, the expressions of anticipation upon the two ellith's faces changed to joy on Beinvír's, and shock graduating to panic on Helluin's.
"In light of your involvement during the incident with the Sorcerer of Dol Guldur, I wager both Thranduil and Inthuiril would welcome your presence on such a joyous occasion," the Peredhel said.
"So after a courtship of five and one half centuries they have decided to join at last," the Green Elf said. "I feel great joy for them and shalt certainly travel thither to wish them well."
Beside her, the dark Noldo grimaced at the prospect of confronting the folk of Thranduil's realm, or at least the kin of the two-thirds of their warriors who hadn't survived the War of the Last Alliance. 'Twas absolutely the last place she desired to visit.
"Whilst thou celebrate in the Greenwood, I wager I shalt sour their mood the less if I were to tarry in a more favorable venue…Mordor, perhaps. I hear the Sea of Núrnen is lovely this time of year."
Elrond suppressed a guffaw, understanding the lore regarding Helluin's reluctance to visit the Woodland Realm.
"Oh come now, meleth nín," the Green Elf said. "Surely t'will not be so bad. Thranduil repeatedly expressed his friendship for thee, and he hath long absolved thee of any blame arising from the losses in the war. Indeed he was thankful for thy aid to his people aforetime. Ere I last took my leave of him, he expressed his gratitude for thy deliverance of his beloved from Dol Guldur."
"So thou hast said, and I believe thee," Helluin replied, "yet still I am reluctant to come whither my very appearance shalt renew the anguish of so many. The immediacy of sorrow revisits us at the prompting of memory."
"Aye, it does, and yet I deem thou art not the sole cause for revisiting such memories, which might be triggered equally by a scent, a word, or the time of year. Meldanya, I would not have thee deprive thyself of a noble friend, for none may know how long any of us shalt abide upon the Hither Shores. At least meet and make thy peace ere the time runs out."
For some moments the warrior sat silent, wrestling within o'er the balance of her feelings of guilt and the words of her beloved. All thou hast said is true, and I can gainsay none of it, for thy arguments art sound. Still, Thranduil's folk distrusted all my people long ere e'er I met them, and not without cause. And 'twas I who gave their suspicions renewed truth, goading Oropher to war far from home, and bringing the diminishing of their realm.
'Twas obvious to both Beinvír and Elrond that Helluin was stuck, and absent further prompting, would ne'er resolve her internal conflict.
"I deem it the greatest irony that one who would welcome confrontation with Sauron should shy from meeting a friend who may feel he owes thee a life debt," the Peredhel mused as if to himself, whilst staring up at a particular knot in the ceiling panels.
"I at least shalt go to Calenglad, and I shalt take my leave upon the morrow," Beinvír declared.
With a groan, Helluin looked o'er at her. 'Twas no way that the Noldo would fail to accompany her soulmate to the Greenwood. The very thought of Beinvír crossing the Hithaeglir alone, with its unpredictable weather and warrens of Yrch, chilled her blood. At the very least, she had to take her o'er the mountains and down the Men-i-Naugrim to the forest. And once there, what excuse could she contrive not to finish the journey and come before the King of the Woodland Realm, whose counselors hated her guts, and of whose people, at least two-thirds would wish her minced and fed to the spiders.
As if party to her thought, from Anguirél came the reassurance that, should worst come to worst, O Helluin, I shalt be happy to drink their blood.
"Pray offer my good wishes to King Thranduil and Lady Inthuiril upon the occasion of their wedding," the Peredhel said some time later as the two ellith rose from their chairs.
They took their leave of Imladris and the Lord Elrond with the sun, but they went not by the High Pass. Rather, they made their way south into Eregion, where after a march of five days they came to Hollin Ridge, and thither they met a company of Laiquendi. Amongst these was an elder lord whom they had met aforetime, long ago, and with whom they shared the tidings of the Greenwood.
"Adar Ifant, I recall thee from a camp 'nigh Nenuial in the last Age, whither our king and his company gave account of their sojourn in the house of Iarwain Ben-adar. I regret I know not thy right name. Still, 'tis good to see thee well, and to thee and thy company we would speak tidings of distant kin, which should be shared with others of our people," Beinvír told him. It had been two millennia since they had seen him last.
"Beinvír, 'tis good to meet thee again after so long. I am called Tulus¹. Our people know thee and thy beloved. None amongst us wander further, and so thy tidings we shalt gladly receive. Tell us then, I pray thee, what passes amongst our far-kin." ¹(Tulus, poplar tree Sindarin)
"We have learnt that upon the Andwain Aurin, Thranduil son of Oropher shalt wed Inthuiril, scout, hunter, and counselor of the Greenwood, following a courtship of some five hundred and fifty years," she said. "We travel thither to witness the occasion."
"That is good tidings indeed," Tulus said, his smile reflected by the others in his company. "'Tis seldom a king weds, and we hope this marriage brings joy to the people of the Woodland Realm. An heir too a kingdom needs," he declared with a wink, and his comment was met with laughter and nods of agreement. "Give the happy couple all our best for the days to come. I wish ye well on your journey, mildis nín. May Caradhras favor your crossing."
"Our thanks for thy good wishes, meldir nín, but we shalt not go o'er the mountains," Beinvír said. "Rather we shalt go 'neath them. Two days hence, we should come to the West Gate of Hadhodrond, and thereafter pass through the Halls of Durin. We have business there ere we follow the Dwarf Road east."
Amongst the Green Elves there arose much muttering, for though they had allied themselves with the Naugrim in the scourging of Rhudaur, still, not a one of them had set foot 'neath the mountains. 'Twas a viscerally discomforting prospect, to walk deep in the earth, far from the sky and stars. This the two ellith understood. Beinvír had once felt the same way herself.
"Many times we have walked those deep ways, millyn nín, and long have we had the favor of their lords," Helluin told them. "'Tis a realm of friends, feasting, and many lamps."
"Aye, and whither better 'twixt Eriador and Calenglad to seek gifts appropriate for a royal wedding?" Beinvír reasoned.
Indeed, such had been their logic in not taking the High Pass north of the Hidden Valley, which led directly to the Men-i-Naugrim with its Ford of Anduin, and which had been far closer whilst they were in Imladris.
The Laiquendi considered their words for a span, but finally Tulus said, "yet again we see the proof of thy far travels, Beinvír. As e'er, we wish thee well and safe upon thy road. I bid ye share our camp this night, and join us for the evening meal."
"We accept thy most gracious invitation, meldir nín, and art happy to offer our hosts a brace of coneys and this skin of wine, which Lord Elrond told us comes of a vineyard 'nigh Nenuial."
That night the two ellith enjoyed good company and a hearty meal, sharing many tales with the Green Elves, and in the morn they made their way south. In the evening two days later, they came to the Ennyn Durin, and there traded greetings with the guard company of the West Gate. 'Twas 27 Gwirith, 1551.
Now the two ellith were admitted to Khazad-dûm with great honor, for they were friends and allies of the Ages. Having stated their desire for the commerce of the Guild of Smiths, they were conveyed straight away to the ancient House of Gneiss. There they were met by Aslâm son of Utrab¹, the twenty-seventh generation descendant of Gneiss son of Gnoss, who had created Helluin's armor in S.A. 143. ¹(Aslâm son of Utrab, Abundance son of Craft Neo-Khuzdul fr. Dwarrow Scholar website, Engl-Khuz vocabulary .pdf file)
"My esteemed friends, how may the House of Gneiss be of service on this fine spring day?" Aslâm asked as he bid them to be seated in a lavishly furnished space that was a combination of showroom and parlor.
"Indeed we have need of thy expertise, my noble friend, for whither else in Middle Earth art works so fine and subtle created save in the smithies of Khazad-dûm, and its foremost House of Craft? We travel to celebrate a royal wedding, and seek a gift befitting a King and Queen of the Greenwood," Helluin said in Khuzdul, following the laudatory manner of Khazad.
"Ahhh-ha! My friend, such a commission is a most serious matter, not only for the prestige it shalt bring thee and thy beloved, but also as it reflects upon the reputation of this House and the Guild. 'Naught save the best work shalt suffice," Aslâm said, whilst nodding his head in self-agreement. "Pray spare me a moment for consideration, unless thou hast some inspiration?" He asked Helluin. The dark Noldo shook her head 'nay'.
After some moments in an attitude of concentration, during which he pursed his lips, narrowed his eyes, and sucked on his teeth, Aslâm brightened as if he had received a blessing from Mahal.
"I believe I have just the thing," he declared with a broad smile. "Come, come…I shalt show ye a recent triumph of our craft," he said, beckoning them to follow.
The master craftsman led them from the showroom, down a long hall and past a number of workrooms, to a chamber with a heavy, guarded door. Within were several tables whose tops were padded and covered in black velvet. 'Twas certainly a treasury, and even in all her years acquaintance with the Naugrim, ne'er aforetime had Helluin entered such a place.
The walls were lined with drawers from floor to ceiling, each with a label in a brass holder upon its front. Surely these held gems and precious metals, and creations of craft whose value was beyond reckoning. But the greatest wonder was surely the ceiling. The whole was aglow with sunlight passing through many panes of opal glass, from what could only have been an open shaft leading to some high niche upon the face of Celebdil. The sheer labor, to bore in a straight line through hundreds of yards of solid rock, was beyond impressive. Both of the Elves stared at it in awe, and at their side Aslâm glowed with pride, for he deemed his clients recognized real wealth when they saw it.
Whilst Helluin and Beinvír enjoyed the light of Anor, Aslâm went to a drawer, and from it withdrew a drawstring pouch of purple velvet roughly the size of his fist. This he brought and set upon a table, and then he beckoned the two ellith o'er to join him.
With a flourish he opened the bag and emptied its contents onto the tabletop. Thither lay five spheres of misty, translucent white, each the size of an eyeball, and each glowed from within where a shifting light seemed to move like a living thing.
"Thou hast…," Helluin began in amazement, whilst Beinvír stared in wonder.
"Aye," Aslâm said, "after an Age of trials we have recreated the craft of Celebrimbor. In emulation of the great craftsman of the Eldar, whose first gift to the Lord of Khazad-dûm brought wonder to all and sealed the goodwill 'twixt our peoples, we have finally attained to a measure of his mastery in the fabrication of gems. These art the first of our Ithilvírin¹." ¹(Ithilvírin, Moon Jewels = Ithil(moon) + mír(jewel) + -in(pl suff) The -m becomes –v at the partition in Sindarin proper names. Sindarin)
"I am amazed at thy achievement, my friend. Truly, thou hast elevated the craft of thy house and thy realm," the Noldo said in praise.
"They art beautiful," Beinvír added, "and fit for any king."
"Just so, my discerning friend, and I propose to set a pair of them, one in each of two circlets of mithril, for the king and his new queen."
After some moments of consideration, Helluin said, "my friend, whilst 'tis most generous of thee to even consider sending forth such treasures to the Greenwood, I deem them far beyond anything two such wanderers as we can afford. Thou deserve a fair price for the work of thy hands, and I doubt we can compensate thee fairly. T'would dishonor us both to make an inequitable trade." Beside her, the Green Elf nodded in agreement.
At first Aslâm received Helluin's words with astonishment. Most of those he knew, Khazad or not, would have been o'ercome with lust for the gems and would have spared no guile in trying to part him from such works at a bargain price. Then he recalled in full the lore of his house and their dealings from of old with this Elf. He looked again at her, seeing her armor of galvorn washed mithril, which appeared as 'naught but blackened steel.
With a nod he softly repeated the words she had spoken to his ancestor long ago…words still recalled in his family's lore for their generosity and honor. 'All that lies 'neath Durin's Halls rightly belongs to Durin's Folk. Take of it what thou will, yet I would petition thy lords for such of it as would make for me some mail to protect me when I leave, for I lead a warrior's life in the outside world and such may save me one day.'
"Helluin, we do not forget the generosity of friends, nor the honor done us by our allies. Hast thou any guess as to the wealth that came of the lode of mithril ore thou once found, which we have long called the Barazinbar Spur?"
Helluin shook her head 'nay'. In truth, she had ne'er really considered it, only happy that it had enriched her friends.
"The armor thou wear, which my ancestor Gneiss wrought for thee, weighs sixteen pounds, give or take, and wise art thou to hide the nature of it," he said. Then, after a pause and a deep breath, he continued, saying, "o'er the last 4,800 years we have mined some three hundred and seventy tons of ore, from which we have obtained o'er twenty-three tons of mithril."
The two ellith could only stare at Aslâm in astonishment. Though no one they had e'er heard of had even tried to guess at the total of mithril in existence, still, at current rates it was valued in most places at ten times its weight in gold. Amongst those who had no trade with the Naugrim, its value could be radically higher.
"I needn't tell thee that thy discovery greatly enriched the House of Gneiss, or that the reputation gleaned from our working of mithril has added immeasurably to our prestige," he said. "My friend, for many generations we have deemed ourselves deeply in thy debt, and yet there was 'naught that we could do to amend it. Thou would not be laden with treasure, and thou hast already learnt all of our tongue that we can teach."
Helluin shrugged. Calculating abstract debts was not amongst her interests or skills, and Aslâm seemed to understand.
"I pray thee allow the House of Gneiss to complete thy commission of the proposed gifts for the royal wedding," he said, "not as payment of a debt, but as a token of thanks and appreciation for thy past honoring of us, and for thy continuing friendship."
His words of friendship and esteem affected Helluin more than she e'er would have expected and she had to blink and swallow ere nodding her agreement. Though oft guarded and slow to trust, the Naugrim were amongst the most honorable and generous folk she had e'er met.
The creation of the circlets for the commission took a fortnight, and upon 11 Lothron Aslâm led Helluin and Beinvír back to the showroom of the House of Gneiss. Thither he presented the completed works with a flourish, and the two ellith found them breathtaking.
As garlands of delicate woodland leaves were they formed, and thither at the fore, mounted in bezels shaped like the caps of acorns, were set the Ithilvírin. The Elves could see that the leaves had been cut in a predetermined pattern from a single sheet of mithril, and then each leaf curled to form a tubular ring of open-work, strong and light, and true to the forms of nature in all respects save color. Every surface was polished to a mirror finish, silvery, and yet with that sheen which only mithril can attain, but there was more. Perhaps in the finishing, or in the forming of the original sheet, the finest of lines had been etched upon the surfaces such that the metal refracted as well as reflected light, producing a prismatic rainbow of colors that shifted as the work was moved 'neath lamp or sun. And as the highlight, within each Ithilvír, a seemingly living luminescence endlessly moved, to animate all the changes of colors upon the mithril.
For long Helluin and Beinvír could but stare in amazement at what their friends had wrought. Though the craft of the Naugrim had been esteemed for Ages, in these works they felt that their hosts had far exceeded 'aught created aforetime. And for Helluin, who had e'er held the world, creation of the Valar, supreme o'er any craft the living might attain, there came a feeling that perhaps on rare occasions, the works of the One's Children could indeed attain to a degree of such mastery. 'Twas a revelation.
"My friend, I have not the words to offer due praise," the Noldo said at last. Beside her, the Green Elf nodded in agreement.
For Aslâm 'twas enough. Helluin's admission, that those who had been from the first named Quendi, speakers, were struck dumb was praise aplenty.
To Be Continued