In An Age Before – Part 164
Now in Khazad-dûm, Beinvír and Durin VI stared into each others' eyes, and they traded in thought 'aught that could not be openly spoken of, even 'twixt two alone. The king adapted well to their unfamiliar mode of conversation, and 'twas of great benefit to him that the Green Elf was a long known and trusted friend.
That for which I seek thy counsel is indeed the work of Lord Celebrimbor, though I suspect this is known to thee from thy time with Lieutenant Dalâl, he said.
Aye, lord, 'tis known to me, and too, that thy Ring has brought disquiet to thy heart and mind of late. The Elves deem such enchantments wayward and difficult to control.
Wise art thy people, my friend, and I have found it to be just so. Thoughts and fears come to me, yet few answers, for the impressions are unclear.
I pray thee, speak to me of thy concerns. I deem that one of such stout heart as thee should not be easily discomfited, Beinvír said.
The king dipped his head in respect for her words and then sat ordering his thoughts for a moment. In hindsight, it had seemed that the Ring had come to life slowly. For an Age he had asked 'naught of it, for he was already richer than his desires, and he had not the time to practice any craft save governing. All had deemed that its enchantments slept. Its first pronouncements had come unbidden, surprising, but they had seemed to be in character with its known purpose and innocent enough.
'Twas in 1754, some twenty-three years after I ascended the throne that my first impressions came from the Ring. Whilst inspecting a newly delved hall, I felt a presence. At each visit to that construction site, those feelings were reinforced, 'til finally my doubts were o'ercome and I 'knew' that some undiscovered wealth was to be found 'neath the floor. 'Silver' the Ring whispered, 'a lode of silver lies 'neath thy feet, to be had for the taking'. I was curious, and so I mentioned it to an engineer at the site. Reluctant to gainsay his king, he had an exploratory shaft dug. Less than two fathoms down, the lode was found, native silver and chlorargyrite, mostly. The wealth obtained was substantial.
As finder, I was due a percentage of all that was extracted. I donated my share to the Mason's Guild. He chuckled at this. He hadn't needed the income and his generosity had only increased his prestige, but the incident had cemented his belief in the veracity of the Ring.
Since that time, I have doubted not such tidings as have come from the Ring. Alas, it hath been but rarely that what I learnt was so easily interpreted. After that first discovery, I have been directed to a pocket of colored diamonds, a vein of gold, and a marvelous natural cavern lined with flowstone draperies translucent as the finest silk, pools containing submerged calcite pearls, frostwork crystals as delicate as hoarfrost, and grottos filled with stalactites infinitely reflected in waters so still they tremble at a footstep. I had not seen the like since ere the founding of Khazad-dûm.
Durin shrugged and the Green Elf perceived that his amazement still lingered.
My lord, 'tis obvious that thy Ring has indeed 'come to life' and that it hath won thy confidence. Having now thy ear, I wager some tidings more grave have come of it, she prompted, for the finding of a few treasures was not the cause of Durin's disquiet, nor would such have birthed his need of counsel. Whisperings of wealth, those he could as easily have ignored and as acted upon.
Graver tidings have indeed come of the Ring, and these were slow to develop and slow to progress. Yet after some five decades, I am convinced that a threat is coming, and it shall bear heavily upon the well-being of my realm. I yearn for understanding, that I may safeguard my people.
So for fifty years thy Ring has whispered of a threat to thy realm. Did those hints become more defined o'er time? Beinvír asked. Have they become more specific as the years passed, or only through their repetition, more troublesome?
Durin thought a moment on the Green Elf's question. Repetition had certainly made the danger seem more acute. Fifty years of being reminded of some impending doom would do that to anyone, but as for understanding its source or substance, he was little closer now than when he had first felt a frisson of disquiet decades ago. The voice of the Ring had not said anything definitive, and what little it had said remained cryptic.
It whispers of doom and ruin, and of the fall of our halls into darkness. Softly, it tells of fire and shadow, of old fear and desperate flight, and of long Ages of sleep. At first I had guessed it spoke of Sauron. I know he would enslave us if he could, but though his followers worship fire and he was a shadow of evil following his fall in Númenor, he sleeps not.
Nay, he does not, Beinvír agreed, and certainly not for Ages. Little more than a century after the Whelming of Númenor, Sauron took Minas Ithil and besieged Gondor. E'er he seethes with hate. His malice sustains him, and so he hath no time for sleep.
More there is that helped dismiss Sauron from my suspicions, for the Ring also whispers o'er and o'er, 'deep, deep, deep', and if it speaks of Khazad-dûm, none delve deeper herein than my people. 'Neath the mansions of my realm is 'naught but solid bedrock, and if 'aught else once lay there, it hath not come to light in ten thousand years.
He shook his head, understanding that he was proving a point with negative evidence, for none truly knew how deep the bedrock lay, or if 'aught lay 'neath it. And there were the veins and lodes of ore still being excavated in the depths of the mines. Deeper and deeper his prospectors sought for riches, and oft enough, something of value previously unknown came to light. But the foundations of Arda went deeper still, and if they were not solid, how then could they support the incomprehensible weight of the Hithaeglir? Those towers of the Ainur were taller by far than any edifice raised by Elves, or Dwarves, or Men, indeed loftier than Sauron's Barad-dûr, which he himself had seen in another life. No, the rock 'neath Khazad-dûm was solid, the world was as solid as the anvil in Mahal's forge, perhaps save for those fissures and caves 'nigh the surface were water and weathering had slowly opened crevices into caverns through years beyond count. And he had explored well 'nigh all of the Misty Mountains after his awakening, long, long ago. The cavern which his folk had expanded into the realm of Hadhodrond had been the greatest of them.
I feel no doubt that my halls stand upon a stout foundation, he said silently to Beinvír, eye to eye, and if some danger lurks in a deep place herein, then perhaps 'tis deep in the heart of one who will fall to evil, or treachery, or some morgul we cannot see.
None knows thy home more thoroughly than thee, my noble friend, and if thou say the foundations of Khazad-dûm are sound, then who am I to gainsay thy wisdom, for I have visited but a small fraction of thy realm and know not its secrets. The Green Elf then paused, and after a moment's thought she asked, know thou 'aught of whither a fall into the chasm 'neath thy namesake bridge might lead? I have crossed that narrow span aforetime, and hope to do so again upon taking my leave, yet e'er have I wondered how deep it lay and to what end it led.
For long the king said 'naught, and Beinvír could feel his thought had turned deep within. Through their link she 'watched', as into his mind came a vision from his memories of the bridge and the chasm 'neath it as he had first beheld them in his earliest lifetime, only shortly after discovering the cavern that would become Khazad-dûm. A natural slope of rock led down, from the opening and the cave behind it, to a vast second space on a lower level. At the bottom of the slope lay a chasm, and crossing it, a broad and sturdy slab calved off a wall. Durin the Deathless had hefted a large stone and dropped it o'er the edge as he stood at the center of the slab. Long he had waited as the stone fell into the abyss. Finally, after many, many heartbeats, there came an echo of the impact, and Beinvír would have sworn that it told of a ricochet off a wall or shelf, and a final plunge into deep water. To the Dwarf, it had only sounded like a faint and distant crash.
Ten thousand years had passed since that day. The cave behind the entrance was now the First Hall of Azanulbizar Gate. The slope had been hewn into a broad staircase leading down to Durin's Bridge and the Second Hall of the First Deep. For the sake of defense, the slab had been heavily worked, narrowed to a yard in breadth, and carved atop and beneath into the shapely and delicate arching span she knew. But the chasm 'neath the bridge had not been touched, for what possible improvements could any have made to such a perfect natural feature of defense?
My friend, neither I, nor any other living or dead, have taken the measure of that abyss. For all practical purposes, 'tis bottomless, Durin said. A torch dropped there recedes from sight and finally disappears long ere any landing is heard. Of course, we know 'tis not truly bottomless, but whatsoe'er bottom lies 'neath the bridge lies so far 'neath the bridge as to be part of another world. And from that world, 'naught has e'er been heard or seen. 'Tis inconceivable that 'aught could climb up and out of that chasm without many marking it long ere it reached the surface.
The Green Elf nodded in acceptance of Durin's words. 'Twas certain that anything hostile seen rising out of the chasm would be bombarded unmercifully from above by the Naugrim. Less literally though, during his recall of the memory of that first stone dropped from the bridge when it had been only a natural slab, Beinvír had felt a twinge of fear in the mind of Durin the Deathless. She had felt the faint echo of it again when Durin VI had called the chasm 'bottomless'.
Those feelings in Durin's mind made an impression, for they were the first and only times she had e'er sensed that emotion in him…either of the hims she had met. On some level, Beinvír realized that for Durin, who had first awakened in a deep cavern in Mt. Gundabad, being 'neath solid rock provided a sense of security, of being cradled in the natal womb of his kind. 'Twas much the same visceral comfort that her people felt 'neath the night sky and the stars, and in their love of the sound of water, for they had awakened long ago beside a starlit mere in Cuiviénen. She could only liken Durin's fear of a deep place underground to her own fear when confronted with the unnatural night 'nigh the house of Iarwain Ben-adar. 'Twas a reaction to the familiar become threatening and strange.
'Of course, we know 'tis not truly bottomless, but whatsoe'er bottom lies 'neath the bridge lies so far 'neath the bridge as to be part of another world,' Durin had said. Beinvír paused ere she spoke again. Something in the sum of Durin's words and the Ring's warnings hinted at a connection, and she strained to apprehend what it could be. '…fire and shadow…' the Ring had whispered, and '…deep, deep, deep…'. Memories of Yrch warrens, battles, and Helluin's memories of the dungeons 'neath the Barad-dûr flickered rapidly through her mind whilst Durin witnessed her recollections secondhand with increasing wonder. Whilst the understories of the Dark Tower were an unmitigated horror, Henneth Annûn and the Halls of the Woodland King elicited the strongest positive reactions. And there the Green Elf stopped. T.A. 1551, on their return to Eriador from Greenwood the Great, she had found a possible connection.
As thou hast shared thy memories with me, I now have a memory to share with thee, my lord. 'Tis a vision that came to my beloved in the home of the Istar Aiwendil, whilst we were affected by many curious herbs. She shared it with me, and now her memory of it is mine as well. I pray thee attend what she saw, for in it, I feel the possibility of some kinship with the warnings of thy Ring.
Then Beinvír shared all that the Noldo had shown to her, and for that time, Durin saw with the Mórgolodh's vision.
Helluin saw herself in a great cavern, dark and deserted, where a rift in the floor admitted reddish flames and the stench of brimstone. 'Twas not Orodruin in Mordor, for that chamber she knew well. Then, as she sought for clues, in the distance there came a moving fire whose source was hidden from her sight. Soon she marked that 'twas not one alone, but two that advanced in her direction like living creatures. 'Twas too dark to see more, but with other senses she felt great evil and the fear of it, and yet she was driven to destroy it. The Noldo looked down, and in her hand she clasped an unfamiliar sword whose blade glittered like ice, and from it she sensed an obsession with vengeance long frustrated.
The vision shifted and she found herself trapped in darkness deep underground. The glittering sword was gone, and before her lay a vast lake whose further shore she could not see. Behind her a craggy wall rose to unguessed heights, and somehow, Helluin knew that her only path back into the world was to climb it.
Of actual combat they had seen 'naught, and yet 'twas strongly implied, for somehow, the Noldo had survived whatsoe'er evil she had confronted. T'would have been out of character for Helluin not to have embattled such an evil as she had felt, and with the sword's battle lust added to her own, the conclusion that she had fought was well 'nigh preordained.
The caverns of fire in her vision are unknown to me, Durin finally said, and no lake so vast have I e'er found 'neath the earth. I know of none who have, nor of any who have heard tell of the like. Such a resource would certainly be worthy of remark, for the wealth of fresh water to be had there would be incalculable.
Beinvír nodded in agreement. The needs of the entire realm of Khazad-dûm could be sustained indefinitely from a lake so vast. Drinking, washing, cooking, and the requirements of industry could all be met without e'er depending on surface water again. She had hoped that perhaps the caverns of fire were familiar to Durin, for the only other such place that any knew of lay within Orodruin, in Mordor, and Helluin had dismissed that possibility from personal experience.
I had hoped that the places in Helluin's vision would prove known to thee, for in it are shadow and fire, and a deep place unknown to the Elves. Yet Arda is wide and many mountains and many caverns are contained therein. And we know not even the time in which her vision takes place, save that it lies in the future. Very well, my lord. 'Twas a slight chance in any case, and alas, 'naught else comes to mind. Perhaps thy Ring hints at a danger from afar that shall arise to assail thy realm from without. That seems most likely, I deem, especially as Sauron's power waxes. Still, 'tis my counsel that thou remain vigilant at home, for we have not found satisfaction in answering this question. 'Twas all that Beinvír could recommend to her friend, and it felt incomplete.
Thy counsel I value, my friend and ally, and I shall follow it. Perhaps in time the Ring shall make clearer what danger awaits us, Durin said. Perhaps one day we shall find satisfaction in answering this riddle. Come what may, I give thanks for thy aid and thy willingness to come hither. I pray thee, stay safe in the outer world. Convey my best regards to thy beloved, and my hopes for her victory in the war.
Thou hast my thanks for thy good wishes, dear friend, and for the hospitality of thy realm, Beinvír said. Then after a moment's pause, she smiled and added, thou may find humor in this, O king, but at first I feared to tread thy halls, so deep 'neath the ground and so far from the sky and stars. Yet in the passing of the years, I have found 'naught but friendship and honor within thy mansions, and thy people I have come to esteem most highly, generous in peace and stalwart in battle. Great wonders have thy people wrought in the creation Khazad-dûm, which few of my folk have e'er seen, to their loss. I could not have hoped for better when first I passed the West Door.
Durin VI smiled at the warmth of the Green Elf's words. Whilst he knew that at times there had been deadly feuds 'twixt his people and hers, they had involved other kindreds of the Elves, or other mansions of the Khazâd. Most of that ill will had come during the First Age, in Beleriand, 'twixt the Firebeards of Tumunzahar and the Sindar of Doriath, and the decimation of that clan by the Laiquendi of Ossiriand. There had been ill will too 'twixt some of the sons of Fëanor and the mansions of the Firebeards and the Broadbeams in the Ered Luin.
The king thought on his own peoples' experiences with the Elder Children of the One. He recalled the long years of friendship and aid that Helluin had given to the Longbeards of Khazad-dûm, whilst of the other Noldor, most of his experience was with the friendship of the Lord Celebrimbor and the Noldor of Ost-in-Edhil. His warriors had allied with Beinvír's people, the Laiquendi of Eriador, in the scourging of Rhudaur, and even now they fought together upon the slopes of the Hithaeglir against an invasion of Yrch. The Galadrim of Lórinand had been allies in the War of the Elves and Sauron, and he chuckled, remembering the discomfort of Celeborn and the warriors from the mellyrn wood as they'd passed through his halls to war in Eregion. Though they had become estranged since, the Longbeards and the Nandor of Calenglad had fought as allies in the Black Land during the War of the Last Alliance.
Perhaps the years had brought greater wisdom to his people and hers. Perhaps the deaths of the haughtiest leaders amongst both their kinds long ago had left lords who were more willing to embrace friendship instead of contention. Perhaps 'twas the lack of such temptations as the Silmarils had provided, or perhaps 'twas that they now faced a common enemy whom they had already defeated together once. Perhaps 'twas all those things, but for whate'er reasons, he was glad to have his friends.
I recall that in the early years of the Second Age, many came from Gabilgathol and Tumunzahar after the ruin of Beleriand. Some amongst them held grudges against the Elves they had known there in the First Age. I heard many pleas and petitions favoring hostile relations with the Green Elves and Lindon, distrust of Ost-in-Edhil, and later, Imladris. They were based on the continuation of feuds in which my own people had ne'er been a part. Indeed in those days, being so far to the east of Beleriand, we had had very little to do with Elves of any kind. Now whilst our halls were open to any Khazâd who sought to practice their crafts for the enrichment of the realm, I refused to inherit their animosities for neighbors we didn't know. After many centuries of accumulating new experiences, those originally from the other clans abandoned their hatreds of old, for more profitable ventures they had found to occupy their energies.
Oft have I given thanks for making that decision. I deem that the world offers threats aplenty without acquiring them secondhand, the king said. Now Hollin lies at our West Door and Lórinand to our east. 'Tis far better to count our borders held by friends than foes.
Beinvír recalled the words of another monarch that held much the same wisdom.
"One need not seek out trouble when trouble finds one oft enough." So said King Thranduil when we gave counsel at his halls in Calenglad in 1551, the Green Elf said. Wise lords share much in common through their concern for their people.
The Lord of Khazad-dûm nodded in agreement. He remembered King Oropher and Prince Thranduil from the time of the Last Alliance. With the Nandor of Lórinand, they had suffered devastating losses during the siege of Mordor. In his opinion, they had been martial novices, and they had made so many tactical errors. He hoped that as a king, Thranduil would prove wiser and more resourceful than his father had been, when the Enemy came again with war.
Durin sighed. He had enjoyed the Green Elf's company. 'Twas a welcome respite from the mundane business of rule, and in this case, it had involved a concern that weighed heavily on him for his peoples' future, and which he could discuss with no other in Khazad-dûm. Still, much else called for his time and it seemed his labors as king were endless.
My friend, despite the dark nature of our discourse, I am thankful to have had thy counsel, and more, I am simply glad to see thee. Odd as it may seem, thou art the oldest friend I have met in this life, he chuckled at that, and saw Beinvír smile in response. Much as I desire to extend our time together, the necessities of the realm demand my attention. I suppose t'will be 'nigh midnight ere I set the preoccupations of my rule aside in favor of some few hours of sleep.
It hath been my pleasure to spend this time with thee, dear friend, she said. Would that it could be more oft. Helluin too desired to meet with thee, yet in this time of war, she was bound to support the House of Elendil in which her own blood flows. I hope that in the near future, with peace returned, we can come to thee again, perhaps with some new insights and better counsel.
I would simply be glad to share your company.
The king smiled at the prospect of seeing both of his friends ere too many more years passed. He had missed them during his last sojourn upon the Hither Shores.
The Green Elf bowed her head to the king and the contact was gone. Durin took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment, then sighed. Odd as it seemed, it felt strange to be alone again. He and Beinvír rose from the table almost at the same time, and as if they were still connected in mind, bowed to each other as esteemed friends, rather than as a guest to a king and a king acknowledging the obeisance of a visitor.
"I have arranged for a guide to show thee to accommodations for the night, and to accompany thee to the East Gate," he said as they walked from the table to the door. "T'will be a journey of two days ere thou issue into Azanulbizar, or Nanduhirion as thy people call it. I wish thee a safe journey thereafter. Pray offer my regards to King Amdír in Lórinand. Though we have had little contact for many years, I consider him a friend and ally of old. Again, thou hast my thanks for thy counsel. I hope to see thee and thy beloved when the peace has been restored."
"Thou hast my thanks for thy most gracious hospitality, and for all thy good wishes, my lord. I know that Helluin will be glad to see thee again as time allows. I wish thee long life, and thy realm good fortune and much prosperity in the days to come."
Durin opened the door and there two ministers and a robed attendant stood waiting, and with the sentries stationed to either side, they bowed deeply to their king. He acknowledged them with a nod and exchanged smiles with the Green Elf in parting ere the ministers entered and shut the door behind them.
The attendant seemed a bit awed by Beinvír at first, for 'twas obvious that she had the favor of the king. Indeed, the attendant had ne'er aforetime seen Durin smile at anyone with such fondness, though he was of a lower rank and spent but little time in his lord's presence. The Green Elf marked that he was rather young, surely no more than forty or fifty. She guessed that he was probably not long in government service, a couple decades at most.
"I am Uhas¹, and I am honored to assist thee, most esteemed Beinvír of the Laiquendi," he said. "Though the hour is late, I am ordered to convey thee to the guest apartments on the First Deep. We shall spend some time in the descent of the Endless Stair, but thy lodging is close by the entrance," he said. "The morrow shall be the first of two days' walk to the east, but all such travel shall be on the same level 'til we come to Durin's Bridge." ¹(Uhas, a person who gives aid Neo-Khuzdul)
"I begrudge not the time spent, good Uhas, and thou hast my thanks for thy aid, without which I should certainly become lost and wander thy halls fore'er," the Green Elf said, offering him a smile to ease his nervousness. He gave her a tentative smile in return. "In any case, I deem that the descent shall be easier than the prior ascent was, and therefore quite welcome."
Uhas led her back the way she had come with Deputy Assistant Counselor Khufshkarl. They passed through the Ministry of Privy Affairs, still filled with clerks at that late hour, all of whom turned to stare at them and mutter 'twixt themselves. The two walked through the four long, narrow halls, still identical and still deserted. At the far end of each, the slit window was now darkened by night. Soon they came to the entrance of the Endless Stair and began their descent.
Now the stair had not changed a whit since Beinvír had climbed it a few hours aforetime. Still it made its squared spiral up and down, and so she allowed herself to fall into memories of earlier visits, whilst her feet continued, one after the other, to navigate the steps and the landings. If Uhas marked 'aught of her diminished attention to their way, he said 'naught. Indeed he was wholly focused on each step ahead, and grimly determined to ignore the rail and edges of the staircases and landings, beyond which lay a sickening drop.
They had descended to the First Level o'er the course of two hours, when the Green Elf blinked and returned her attention to the present.
"We are a level above the First Deep, I wager," she said.
Uhas nodded, a bit surprised that she was able to know her position within the Endless Stair without reading the cirth upon the lintels o'er the exits. Then he cringed as she made her way to the rail and leaned o'er to look down to the base of the staircase on the Eighth Deep.
"Hast thou descended to the bottom aforetime, good Uhas?" She asked.
"Nay, I have not," he replied. "'Tis mostly miners and prospectors who frequent that netherworld. From there, shafts are sunk to follow the veins of ores howe'er deep and far they may lead."
"And how extensive is the Eighth Deep, pray tell? Doth it lead far to the east, the north, or the south?"
Uhas had to think a while ere he answered. The excavations of the miners and the expansion of their workspaces was not his area of expertise.
"Like the other Deeps and Levels that lie above it, I believe the Eighth Deep underlies much of the realm, though it hath no limitations, for it lies far 'neath the surface, and so meets not at its edges with any mountain slopes or high meres. I suspect that also, some avenues have been expanded beyond the floors above, the better to follow the lodes of ores and the deposits of gems."
"Know thou 'aught of the Barazinbar Spur, which my beloved, Helluin of the Host of Finwë, first discovered in the early Second Age? I believe 'tis still mined by the House of Gneiss," she said.
Uhas turned to her, eyes wide. In two sentences, she had named the richest, longest producing lode of mithril ore e'er found, the legendary warrior and ambassador who had been the benefactor of Khazad-dûm for o'er 5,100 years, and the richest house of the Guild of Craftsmen. He blinked and swallowed ere he spoke.
"Lady Beinvír," he said, "all here know of the famed Barazinbar Spur, whether they craft in metals or no. Thy beloved is also known to us, a friend and ally of the Ages, as art thou. In the last century, the House of Gneiss has surpassed all others to become the wealthiest and most prestigious house of craftsmen in our kingdom. As to the actual specifications for the mining of the spur, that knowledge is held by the House of Gneiss alone. If thou hast the time and the interest, we may approach a representative of that establishment and beg such details as thou would learn."
The Green Elf nodded to Uhas for his answer. From her visit with Helluin in 1551, she knew that the House of Gneiss lay a day's journey east, and so she would have some time to decide whether or not they should try to obtain details of the excavation of the famous mithril vein. The problem was that, although she doubted not that the answers she sought were known, she couldn't reveal the source of her interest without divulging Durin's concerns, and those were a privy matter 'twixt herself and the king.
Finally she said, "I thank thee for thy answer, Uhas. Pray let us continue, for the hour is indeed late, and I should not keep thee longer than required."
In short order they descended the final staircases to the First Deep, and there they exited the Endless Stair. Uhas led the Green Elf a short distance down a broad way that led to a precinct of guest accommodations, taverns, and small shops selling sundries. At the entrance to an apartment 'nigh their path and a tavern, he opened the door and gestured her inside.
"I shall come to thee in the morn and we can then break our fasts, and thereafter be on our way," he told her ere he bowed and bid her a good night. He then withdrew to a guest room reserved for officials.
Beinvír entered the suite of rooms and made herself comfortable, lying on a bed and staring up at the ceiling. Through the remaining hours of the night, she pondered on the Barazinbar Spur. Helluin had discovered it long, long ago, and in 1551, Aslâm son of Utrab had claimed that, "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."
'Twas the longest producing mithril vein known, and though she didn't know how steeply it led downward, by this time it must be quite deep. Surely it must be deeper now than the Eighth Deep. Being named the Barazinbar Spur, t'would lead north, towards Caradhras. Yet she doubted if it had reached a depth 'nigh that of the chasm 'neath Durin's Bridge, for had it done so, surely some lore about it would be known.
Finally, she sighed, realizing that no answers would be forthcoming no matter how long she ruminated on the lore she knew. By the Valar, I am 'nigh brooding, she thought, ere she chuckled to herself and abandoned that concern in favor of more pleasant memories of the night sky as it had appeared from the high talan aboard a fast ship of Númenor on a magickal night long ago.
To Be Continued