In An Age Before – Part 212
Chapter One Hundred thirty-eight
The Star Hook Spear – The Third Age of the Sun
Now following Helluin's encounter with the were-worm, she took up somewhat of the paranoiac behavior of the mortals of Rhûn. Though she was not subject to the diseases attributed to infestations by the smaller vermiformes, she ne'er saw the landscape the same way again. Knowing now that any patch of land might host monsters quelched her naiveté, causing her to look more suspiciously at any patch of moisture, any opening in the earth, and any cadaver or carcass. She scanned them carefully for tell tale holes by which a worm had entered or escaped.
On those occasions when they met natives, she examined their exposed skin for rashes, hives, swellings, deep bruises, and weeping sores. Patches of baldness were always suspect. So too were rheumy eyes, runny noses, trembling hands, and any evidence of digestive problems. Coughing or sneezing birthed aversion to that person's company.
No longer did she drink from streams without closely scrutinizing the water for 'aught wriggling, or the slight cloudiness that spoke of contamination with tiny eggs. No longer did she bite freely into a fruit, but rather sliced it thinly and watched the cut surfaces carefully for movement. All these things she had seen the Mâh-Sakâ and the freed slaves doing aforetime, but understanding the reasons for such precautions now, she adopted those behaviors herself and for the same reasons. Knowing what to look for, she marked those practices more readily in others.
On a deeper level, the destruction of the walled town by the giant were-worm reinforced another of Helluin's behaviors. The mob of attacking nomads had escaped unscathed whilst the sedentary townsfolk had perished. Having e'er been a wanderer herself, she was all the less inclined to e'er settle in one place, for she deemed that a sitting target was more easily struck. The Noldo felt a deeper sympathy for the nomadic lifestyle when the threat of the worms was combined with the lack of arable land in the east.
Several weeks passed and they saw 'naught of the giant worms, yet now they expected that at any moment they might and they were seldom wholly at peace. They were still uncertain of their path, for there were no roads and any mile of trackless steppe looked akin to all the others. In the end, it took them three weeks to travel the three hundred fifty miles to a ford on the smaller river. On a good road, Helluin and Barq could have easily traversed that distance in a week. 'Twas 18 Gwirith and they had been gone from Suat for just o'er two months.
Now the ford the company crossed was actually one of many, for that river ran shallow for much of its length and could be forded in many places. This was attested to by the fact that no road had developed due to the funneling of traffic to one spot, and no town had grown up to take advantage of it, as had been the case whilst crossing the Silys.
Helluin, the Mâh-Sakâ, and their company of freed slaves were riding southeast, when on their second day past the river, they came upon two characters walking north. As 'twas already a couple hours past noon, they chose to take their day meal together, for though peculiar of comportment, the two Men did not appear to bear any infections. At first, the Noldo deemed them an impoverished warrior with his servant, off to join a campaign, but ere they began their meal, she judged them a deluded, itinerant, would-be hero and his mad sidekick.
"I am Shulgi, son of divine Lugalbanda and Ninsun," the hero said as he set aside his spear.
The weapon encompassed a wooden pole of roughly two rangar, bearing a four-bladed steel tip with a star like cross section and a single hooked wing projecting from its haft socket. The shaft bore a butt spike at the opposite end, which he jabbed into the dirt so that it stood upright.
Shulgi's companion, a hirsute fellow clad only in a dog pelt made into a loincloth, who picked at things on the ground that no one else could see and mumbled incoherently, he introduced as Enkidu. Throughout their meal, Enkidu engaged no one in converse, rocked back and forth with blankly staring eyes, and gnawed on his own shoulder as oft as on the strips of jerky and hunks of bread with which Shulgi provided him.
Ere the meal was done, the Noldo deemed them both tiresome. If 'aught was amazing about them, 'twas that Shulgi spoke a dialect close enough akin that the company could understand his words, though Helluin deemed that he had an accent even worse than the three Mâh-Sakâ. When he spoke of his 'divine mission', Helluin could barely resist rolling her eyes.
"I and many others call my goddess Inanna, but in these latter days, others call her Ishtar…" Shulgi said, continuing to drone on about his 'divine mission' as Helluin ceased paying him any mind. Enkidu she had dismissed from her reckoning after but a few minutes.
For a time, she reclined and retreated into her memories whilst Tahmirih, Kiana, and Ashti continued to question Shulgi. Coddle and humor him, she thought, rather uncharitably. She was only roused from her thoughts when Enkidu began hooting as he thrust his chin repeatedly to the sky. Oh, I am so done with this and shall have off his head in another moment, she thought as she groaned and sat back up. Anor was mostly 'neath the horizon and evening had come. To the west, bright Eärendil shone forth in the darkening sky.
"Ai! Eärendil, vín él meldwain,¹" she whispered, dipping her head a moment in honor. ¹(Ai, Eärendil, vín él meldwain, Hail! Eärendil, our most beloved star = Ai(hail) + Eärendil + vín(our) + él(star) + meld(dear) + -wain(superlative adj. suff., dearest, most beloved) An adj. follows its noun in Sindarin)
To Helluin's astonishment, Shulgi said, "Thou honor Inanna's star," and then he leaned closer and added in a conspiratorial whisper, "though 'tis not really a star like the others."
"Nay, 'tis not," Helluin affirmed, though of course with their cultural and language differences, she did not expect to hear the names of Varda or Eärendil. Still, his words were enough to peak her interest, and thereafter she harkened to his rede.
"Further up this river grows a great huluppu tree from which my goddess hopes to harvest much timber," he said, "but 'tis infested with a serpent, a horrible winged monster, and a daemon that she has not been able to banish. The tree was to be carved into her throne and a bed upon which to rest." At the last, he wagged his brows, implying that 'twas not only sleep that would occur on that bed, but faced with four grim warrior women, he declined to elaborate further.
For Helluin's part, she tried to imagine a sizeable tree of any kind amidst the lands they had seen. Thus far, they had not even come 'cross a sapling, and she had ne'er heard of a huluppu tree. She cast a glance to Tahmirih, but the warrior only shrugged, for she was no arborist.
"Know thou 'aught else of these creatures infesting Inanna's huluppu tree?" She asked. The serpent at least sounded suspiciously like a big worm.
"The serpent winds its coils 'round 'aught that draws breath, squeezing out its victims' life ere swallowing them whole. It hath a forked tongue with which to speak lies. It cannot be charmed. And it inhabits the roots and lower branches, the better to snatch up passersby," Shulgi said.
Helluin nodded to him. That one at least sounded more like a snake than a worm.
"The second monster is called an Anzû bird, though 'tis not truly a bird," he said. When the dark warrior raised a brow in question, he added, "It hath the head, body, and forelegs of a lion, but 'tis covered with feathers rather than fur, and bears the wings and hind legs of an eagle. In the midmost branches of the huluppu tree, it hath built a nest and now feeds the torn bodies of Men carried off to its voracious young."
"I have ne'er aforetime heard of, or seen such a creature," Helluin told him.
Shulgi nodded and said, "They are few and live only atop some mountains far to the south. 'Tis truly ill chance that one came here."
The Anzû bird she deemed unbelievable and the Noldo reckoned that most of the description was just exaggeration. It sounded like something hatched through the bloatation of rumors rather than from an egg. 'Twas the third creature, the daemon that concerned her most though, for such a name was applied in the west to the Valaraukar.
"Pray tell, what of this third creature, Shulgi…this daemon?" Helluin asked.
Here the hero looked down in uncertainty. In truth, very little was known about the daemon, for none had seen it. Still, he finally looked back up and told what he could, little though 'twas.
"No living eyes have beheld this daemon, for none have dared climb the huluppu tree," he admitted. "To do so would require winning past the serpent and the Anzû bird that dwell 'neath it. 'Tis said that at times the crown of the tree swings as though from a wind when none is felt. 'Tis said that the branches sway in rhythm when none is heard. 'Tis said that a glow may radiate from the canopy at those times that is no reflection of sun or moon. That is all I know."
Helluin nodded to him, accepting his words. She had detected neither lies, nor exaggerations. The nature of the daemon was unknown and its existence only inferred from observed phenomena for which Men had no explanation. Perhaps 'tis 'naught but a baboon or a flock of birds in the higher branches, she thought, then added less charitably, or reflections, swamp gas, or a mass hallucination.
"I am curious about these things," Helluin said, to which Tahmirih, Kiana, and Ashti gave her looks of surprise. "I would see this tree and its 'wonders'."
Shulgi smiled, Enkidu hooted at the rising moon, and Tahmirih urgently gestured with a tilt of her head for a private council. Helluin rose and walked out of earshot with her.
"Art thou truly considering joining Shulgi in his quest?" Tahmirih immediately asked.
"I am indeed. Ne'er aforetime have I seen a huluppu tree. Nor have I seen an Anzû bird, though I find its description fantastical," Helluin replied. "About the daemon I am unsure, but such beings are not well regarded amongst my people. As for the serpent, Shulgi claimed that 'it hath a forked tongue with which to speak lies', and the history of the west recalls a serpent given just such wiles by the Great Enemy long ago. If such proves true, then Shulgi shall need aid if he is not to be bewitched to his doom."
Tahmirih nodded, accepting Helluin's reasoning. She had some curiosity as well, but still, she had other considerations that she deemed more pressing.
"We shall lose valuable time on such a quest," she said.
"Aye, we shall," Helluin agreed, "yet we have lost more, I wager, whilst blindly criss-crossing these lands without roads or directions."
The Mâh-Sakâ warrior sighed, but could not refute the Noldo's argument. At least the tree lay upriver and they were unlikely to lose their way in coming to it.
"Very well. Let us see how far away this tree lies. A few days we can spare, but not weeks."
"I agree. Let us return to the council."
Helluin and Tahmirih walked back to where the rest were gathered and Helluin posed their question.
"From this spot, the huluppu tree stands two days walk upriver," Shulgi said.
Helluin looked to Tahmirih and saw her nod.
"We shall accompany thee to see this wonder, starting on the morrow, but we have a quest of our own and cannot stray from it for but a few days," Helluin told him. In truth, she had no interest at all in aiding to doom a great tree for the sake of carving a throne.
Now their trek upriver indeed lasted two days, during which time Helluin was repeatedly temped to gouge Enkidu with her dagger for to have a moment's peace. Save for his time asleep, he ne'er ceased gibbering or hooting, and he was given to dancing awkwardly, though the Noldo deemed his flailing more akin to the fits of a gyrating dervish.
"Whyfor dost thou abide him?" She asked of Shulgi one afternoon.
"He is a great and fearless warrior," the hero replied, completely serious, "and ne'er have I met one more powerful at barehanded wrestling. Even now, he demonstrates his prowess."
Helluin looked o'er at Enkidu, who was flapping his arms like a bird with a broken wing as he whirled and hopped up the path on one leg.
"Uh-huh," she said, wholly unconvinced. Any thought of stealth was lost, and he made a mockery of the notion of presenting a menacing appearance.
Perhaps the serpent shall encoil and swallow him up, she thought. At least, one could hope. The side effects of nausea and diarrhea, dizziness and vomiting, heart palpitations and impaired liver function resulting from ingesting such a bitter pill might prove an advantage.
The land had begun to rise in the afternoon of their first day, and the river had become hastier in its current with each passing hour. By the afternoon of the second day, they were ascending within a deepening gully through which the water had cut a course o'er many centuries. Finally, the gully widened suddenly and before them lay a high field through which the stream ran. A bit of grass grew 'nigh the banks and in a bay at the field's head stood a tree, very great and aged of years. Its gnarled roots dipped their toes directly into the running water and Helluin recalled the trees growing beside the Withywindle in the Old Forest east of Sûza, for like them, the huluppu tree was indeed a willow, yet more restrained in the weeping habit of its branches.
Well, that's one mystery solved, she thought, but how came a willow to grow in this place when we have seen none aforetime anywhere in the east? If 'twas the sole survivor of a grove, there would be stumps and rotted trunks 'nigh, but save for the grass, the field was bare of vegetation.
Tahmirih had dismounted and climbed a ways up the wall of the gully, and now she called out, pointing to a spot on the far side of the tree from the stream. Helluin climbed up to join her. Sure enough, there lay the maw of a wormhole, its edges eroded, but still menacing. The Noldo reckoned its breadth to be three times a Man's height and wondered again if the serpent was not really a worm. Amongst the freed slaves, a muttering of apprehension grew.
"Pray take the horses and withdraw a ways downstream to make thy camp," she told Alun, who nodded vigorously in agreement and led his company away.
Helluin, Tahmirih, Kiana, and Ashti remained behind with Shulgi and Enkidu. The hero cast his eyes to the sky, reckoned but a couple hours of daylight remained, and withdrew to the entrance of the field.
"I deem we should camp here this night and take up our quest by daylight," he said.
The others readily agreed with that course, and after retrieving water skins and some rations from their travel bags, led their horses downstream to join the freed slaves. Upon their return, they consumed a meal and then cast themselves down for the night beside the stream. They were all nervous, and even Enkidu seemed subdued, though some chittering and babbling bubbled up ere he clamped a hand o'er his own mouth to stifle any future outbursts.
After giving him a warning glance, Helluin climbed to a lookout spot on the gully wall and there kept watch through the night whilst the mortals tossed and turned and got very little sleep. During the hours of darkness, the Noldo saw 'naught to evidence any unnatural activity. If the tree was indeed infested with horrible creatures, she marked no hint of them. By dawn, she had become unconvinced of any threat save the wormhole. 'Twas 23 Gwirith.
Morning came and the five mortals arose, yawning and irritable for lack of sleep. Only Enkidu seemed unaffected, though 'twas hard to tell. Rather than breakfast, he had a fit of pelvic thrusting whilst chortling as if in ecstasy and then settled down to flapping his hands and skipping in place. Shulgi smiled and nodded in approval prompting Helluin to give him a dirty look for seeming to offer encouragement. The rest drank some water, consumed some rations, and then readied their weapons and looked to the huluppu tree.
"Should we be met by the serpent, I bid ye look not into its eyes, nor give heed to its words," Helluin said, "for it may read your fears and then bewitch ye with its lies."
They traded glances and nodded their understanding save for Enkidu who giggled.
Now they approached the tree, carefully checking the lower branches and about its roots where many shadows lay. They sought for any movement, or the sound of scales sliding 'cross bark. Of such tell tales they marked 'naught. The tree stood with the base of its trunk a fathom thick, with upright branching beginning 'round eight feet and successive branching creating a thick, full crown. New leaves sheathed the tree in dense green. From mid-trunk up, the branches were wholly obscured. The base of the tree's trunk flared out into a mass of robust roots, tangled o'er many years in their blind search for water.
"We must be careful and take no chances," Shulgi advised as he stabbed a root with his spear.
Thereafter, many were tested. Helluin jabbed Anguirél's tip into e'ery root she stepped o'er, but provoked no response. Neither did slashes administered by Tahmirih, Kiana, and Ashti with their scimitars.
Though the mass of roots first gave the impression of myriad serpents, they saw that all were clothed in bark and none in scales. 'Naught moved despite the warriors' abuses, and with a more careful glance, 'twas possible to dismiss them as too flattened or too narrowly compressed in cross section to be the bodies of snakes. Still, they deemed it better to be safe than sorry, yet after stabbing, slashing, and jabbing their way 'round the whole of the trunk, they had found no serpent.
They were about to withdraw and give thought to their next moves, when from higher up in the tree came a horrible ruckus of hissing, roaring, scraping, and clawing. The warriors leapt from 'nigh the trunk and stared up into the canopy. Above, obscured by the leaves, branches bent and shook whilst the foliage whipped back and forth as if caught in a whirlwind. After a few minutes of whatsoe'er disturbance was afoot, they espied the tail of a serpent descending into view as the creature retreated backwards down the trunk. The pointed tip tapered o'er a fathom and a half's length to a girth of 'nigh a yard. Several more fathoms of scale-clad body came into view and the warriors retreated beyond the roots where they gathered, brandishing their weapons.
Now in short order, the serpent curled its coils at the base of the trunk, its triangular head still pointed upward, carefully watching for any counter-attack. Finally, it lowered its gaze, recoiled back in shock at the sight of the six, armed figures standing so close by, and then recovered itself and gave a calculating hiss.
"Pray pardon my absence and tardy welcome, O heroic warriors of legend and song," it said with an oily mien. "I was most regrettably detained."
They marked that its neck and face were criss-crossed with claw marks and scratches, and it bore deep bite marks on its snout.
Seeing their perusal of its injuries, it said, "My apologies for my disheveled appearance. I was not expecting visitors and have endured an unnecessary disagreement as sometimes occurs 'twixt neighbors. You see, I had called upon an acquaintance, simply to offer my salutations on a fair morn, but they proved most unreasonable and I have suffered the consequences of their volatile temper. 'Twas a most uncivil exchange, and now I shall be forced to shed my skin to mend the marring of their assault. Alas, that demands I feed."
Helluin had been preparing to scoff and offer a scathing retort, upbraiding the snake for trying to start its morn with a breakfast of Anzû bird, when the serpent was struck in the eye by a remarkably large cat stool that had been expelled from above with great precision.
Whether Enkidu had calculated the perfect method of adding insult to injury, or whether he simply could not restrain himself, none in the company could tell, but he burst out in hysterics, holding his sides and rocking with gleeful laughter whilst rolling on the ground. His unabashed mockery kindled an immediate transformation in the serpent's demeanor.
The creature revealed its vicious nature as it narrowed its eyes, bared its fangs, and launched itself explosively at the recumbent lunatic. The serpent sought to lay its fangs into Enkidu's body, so to hold him fast and wrap him in its crushing coils. The speed with which it struck was unexpected in a creature of its bulk, for it crossed the distance to its victim in the blink of an eye.
Whether Enkidu had timed his two-legged kick perfectly, or had just gotten lucky, none in the company could tell, but he forcefully planted both feet 'neath the serpent's chin with a mighty upward thrust. The snake's head, 'nigh half the mass of Enkidu's body, jerked upwards from the impact, baring its throat just long enough for Shulgi to impale it from underneath with a lunge of his spear. The star-bladed tip punctured both its upper and lower jaws and the hook burst out halfway 'twixt the serpent's eyes and nostrils. 'Twas the hook that pinned its mouth closed. In the next instant, Helluin whipped Anguirél downward and hewed off the serpent's head.
"Tastes like chicken," the Black Sword declared in surprise, "who'd have thought…"
Now true to the nature of snakes, having had its head severed did not bring immediate death. Despite its prodigious size, the serpent abided by the lifestyle of snakes big and small. Ten fathoms of body writhed and lashed in mindlessly agony, threatening to flail to the death any standing 'nigh. The six warriors leapt away in a desperate bid to clear its thrashing coils lest they be crushed amidst the death throes of the slain. Their salvation came most unexpectedly from above.
Unnoticed during the brief combat was the flight of the Anzû bird. It had quit its nest in the huluppu tree, and had taken up its cub by the scruff of the neck in the manner of cats great and small. After that morning's attack, the creature had resolved to flee back to its original home in the Zagros Mountains far to the south. As it cleared the foliage and burst into the open sky, it marked the headless, flailing body of its foe. Then, with the nature of an eagle and barely able to believe its luck, it stooped upon the battle and with its raptor hind feet, snatched up the serpent's body and carried it off.
In the aftermath, Helluin and the Mâh-Sakâ were dumbfounded by the chain of events. They followed the flight of the Anzû bird 'til it disappeared into the distant south and then looked to the serpent's head. Shulgi was tugging his spear free, pulling it out the top of the serpent's head. Enkidu was duck walking 'round in circles, hooting and thrusting his chin at the sky.
Later, Helluin and Shulgi took to cleaning their weapons. With Tahmirih, Kiana, and Ashti, the Noldo offered him praise and congratulations on his victory, for now two of the three monsters infesting Inanna's huluppu tree were banished. When they went to offer their praise to Enkidu on his timely kick, they saw him astride the serpent's head, using its tongue as a rein and kicking its severed neck with his heels in the manner of a rider coaxing his mount to a gallop.
He was actually managing to make some headway by thrusting his hips forward as he bounced o'er the ground. Whilst they watched, he humped the serpent's head forward 'round the east side of the tree. The Wildman was still hooting at the sky, oblivious to his progress, when he and the head bounced o'er to the edge, teetered for a moment at the event horizon, and then disappeared into the depths, swallowed up by the wormhole. His shrieks of surprise and fear grew e'er more distant as he fell into the underworld. Soon even the echoes of his voice had faded into the distance.
Helluin and the Mâh-Sakâ were again dumbfounded by the chain of events as they watched a tearful Shulgi kneeling at the rim of the black maw, calling out to his lost friend. Alas, 'naught but the echoes of his own voice did he hear in return.
Finally, the Noldo came to him, and taking him by the shoulders, raised him to his feet and escorted him back to the far end of the field. There he sat weeping as the Mâh-Sakâ reported their success thus far to the camp of the freed slaves. He remained morose and inconsolable for the remainder of the day.
Now as evening drew down, Helluin took counsel with the Mâh-Sakâ regarding the further prosecution of the quest, for though the serpent and the Anzû bird had been expelled, the daemon still abode in Inanna's tree. Whilst Shulgi remained unresponsive and consumed in his grief, they deemed that it fell to them to complete the purification of the huluppu.
"Do we even know for sure that a daemon resides in the tree?" Ashti asked.
"He seemed well convinced of it, though he had no details of its nature," Tahmirih replied.
"Where he claimed there were a serpent and the Anzû bird aforetime, they turned out to be real enough," Helluin said.
"Aye, more than real enough," Kiana added, "though at this point, I am inclined to offer thanks for the Anzû bird."
The Noldo nodded in agreement. The thrashing body of the serpent had been a deadly threat after being beheaded, for 'twas hard to still by slaying that which was already dead.
"So how shall we determine if the daemon is also real?" Kiana asked. "We have seen no sign of it as yet."
"We must watch and await any sign of the daemon's presence and perhaps discern some clues to its nature," Helluin said, "though it may continue to remain hidden unless we coax it forth."
The others looked to her, for that course was but a passive tactic in which they would lose both initiative and time.
"And how long shall we persevere in this quest?" Tahmirih asked. "We have spent three days already and shall spend two more returning ere we again take up our journey."
To this, Kiana and Ashti nodded in agreement.
"Pray tell, how would we coax forth a daemon if we choose not to simply wait?" Kiana asked.
"A daemon must be tempted with whatsoe'er it craves," Helluin said.
"But that could be anything," Ashti groaned.
The others nodded in agreement. They had no way of knowing how to tempt forth a daemon when they had no way of knowing what it craved, and no way of knowing what it craved, save by tempting it forth. Helluin groaned and shook her head.
"Aforetime, the daemons I have known craved to slaughter in service of the Great Enemy of the World," Helluin said, "but if 'twas a Valarauko we face here, I deem t'would have assailed us already and neither the serpent, nor the Anzû bird would have escaped its voracious lust for destruction."
The three warriors looked at Helluin, unsettled and unsure.
"'Twas long ago that I encountered such, and I have seen 'naught of them since the First Age," Helluin said. "They were Spirits of Fire of the order of the Maiar, fallen from grace to celebrate the Dark Fire. They were the first acolytes of the God of Fire."
"So thou would recognize such if thou saw one again?" Tahmirih asked.
"Aye, the Balrogs of Morgoth I shall ne'er forget," the Noldo said.
"So then, what other kinds of daemons could it be?" Ashti asked.
"Alas, I know not, for I know not what creatures the Men of these lands call daemons," she said, shaking her head. By this point, she was only fairly sure that 'twas not a Balrog.
The four fell silent thereafter, for save some clue being offered, they had not even any proof that there was a daemon in the tree at all. Eventually, they consumed some rations and the mortals lay down in hope of getting some sleep. Helluin climbed a ways up the wall of the gully, seeking a better view of the tree. There she again kept watch as the hours of darkness passed.
Now o'er the course of that night, Helluin had spent many hours ruminating o'er possible ways of determining whether some daemon lurked in the top of Inanna's tree. Though she had no way of guessing what sort of creature it might be, or what dangers it might pose, she had one reassurance from her gods.
On the morn of the Eruhantalë in the year 3370 of the Second Age, she had been visited by Aireráma, a messenger dispatched to the Hallow on Mindolluin by the Elder King. The Eagle bore tidings of the Noldo's doom, that she would ne'er leave the Hither Shores ere several seemingly impossible conditions were met. 'Til then, her fëa was trapped within the round world and so she deemed that she could not die. She was fated to Fade long ere she fled the Mortal Lands. As Anor cast its first light o'er Rhûn, Helluin made up her mind and decided her course. 'Twas 24 Gwirith.
In the growing light, the mortals stirred and the Noldo climbed down to join them. As they broke their fast, she spoke with them, sharing her decision and her reasons behind it. Their amazement was complete, but they accepted her reasoning, for they had no wisdom to gainsay it.
"I have given long thought to our plight and have arrived at a solution. Pray remain here and await my return," Helluin said. "Should 'aught go awry, I bid ye withdraw, rejoin the rest of our company, and flee."
"How shall we know if 'aught has gone awry, Helluin?" Tahmirih asked. "We have no idea of what to expect."
"Little question shalt thou have, I wager, and no aid wilt thou or any mortal be able to offer," she said, "but we shall see."
With that, Helluin doffed her cloak, donned the mithril coif that matched her armor, and then strode off 'cross the field. Shulgi and the Mâh-Sakâ watched her go. When the Noldo reached the base of the tree, she looked upwards, checking again for any sign of habitation, but seeing 'naught, she began to climb.
Now though the huluppu was both tall and broad with many sturdy branches, 'twas no mallorn, being both shorter and less full in its canopy. Helluin had little trouble ascending. Two fathoms up, she began to see shreds and wisps of snakeskin, the shed tatters of the serpent's hide that it had rubbed off on the tree's bark. She could not help but recall the spider webs in the branches of the Greenwood, yet unlike the cobwebs, the snakeskin did not cling. She tore down and flung pieces aside where they impaired her ascent.
Somewhat above five fathoms, Helluin came upon the nest of the Anzû bird. She smelt it ere she saw it, odoriferous as 'twas, for from it wafted the stench of a centuries old cat box left untended. A couple fathoms of the bole had been liberally sprayed and scent marked, as a lion's range would be, save that in the huluppu tree, that range was vertical. The nest was a large and vaguely bowl-shaped platform of sticks, mostly willow withies, woven with little skill and cemented together with the cub's excrement and the vomitage of many hairballs, all tamped into place with endless pacing. Atop that foul mélange, the interior was lined with shed feathers and cat fur. The Anzû bird had built its nest to encircle the bases of three large branches where they diverged from the trunk, and Helluin could not bypass it in her climb.
Such hazards I had not anticipated, the Noldo carped as she drew Anguirél and began hacking off such fetid sticks as blocked her climb. Shortly, she was showered by a rain of urine soaked wood chips, clumps of excrement, fleas, lice, and other ejecta unnamable from which she cringed and held her breath. It seemed to take fore'er, but at last she managed to clear a passage upwards through which she climbed with the greatest possible haste. The worst of the stench abated once she was above the nest, and for that, she gave thanks to the Valar.
"Following that indignity, I should not speak to thee for an Age," Anguirél sniped as Helluin slid her back into her sheath. "Could thou not have hewn a stick for such an onerous task?"
"Or perhaps begged the loan of Shulgi's spear?" Asked the Sarchram.
"A bit more forethought would have been appreciated, especially after a full night's planning," the Black Sword admonished.
"I was somewhat more consumed by the possibility of meeting a Balrog," Helluin replied, "and thou need not be so short. I had no idea that the Anzû bird's nest would be so vile. 'Twas no light-hearted revel for me either."
"Well, pray see that it happens not again," Anguirél said, having vented to her satisfaction.
'Twas a grim Helluin who climbed the last seven fathoms 'til the branches above would no longer support her weight. She stood with one foot wedged into the fork 'twixt the apical branches and stared 'round at the twigs and leaves of the crown. She was well past any cover sufficient to hide a Balrog and she had seen 'naught of any daemons. Having climbed thus far and being in no haste to navigate her way back down past the Anzû bird's nest, the Noldo stretched out on a branch, reclining so as to enjoy the dance of the fluttering leaves o'erhead and the gentle green of the sunlight that came through.
The leaves spoke softly of peace regained, and Helluin closed her eyes to listen. Green highlights scintillated on her closed lids, a faint breeze blew, and balanced prone on the three-inch thick bough, she deemed it the most tranquil setting that she had found herself in for many months. She ignored the passing time and slipped into her memories, recalling a day spent lounging in a tree in northern Lindórinand during the reign of King Lenwin and Queen Calenwen. On that long gone day, she had been visited by recollections of the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, Húrin and Huor, and the Host of Morgoth. She had been roused by the scent of smoke and the harsh voices of Yrch.
"Heldalúne? Heldalúne Maica i móremenel? Is it truly thee?"
The voice spoke Quenya, buttery and soft in timbre, and though the speaker was surprised, still 'twas far more fair than the voice of any mortal. 'Twas also familiar.
Helluin jerked upright so abruptly that she slid off the branch and only caught herself with one hand as she dangled o'er a fall of seventy-odd feet. Above her was a radiance of Light, brilliant and white and so bright that at first she had to squint. The ril diminished and soon a slender hand took hold of her wrist and with little effort, lifted her so that they stood together on the bough.
"'Tis thee indeed! Oh, how good 'tis to see thee!"
"Liltisse¹? 'Tis a joy to meet thee, but how can this be?" Helluin asked in shock, for the Light had faded to reveal a Maia who appeared in the fána, or form, of a young maiden, exactly as the Noldo remembered her from Aman. ¹(Liltisse, Dancer = lilta-(v. dance) + -isse(fem. agent, n. on v. suff., dancer) Quenya)
Liltisse first grinned and then clasped Helluin in a tight hug that the Noldo returned. When the Maia withdrew, there was a wide smile on her face and she sighed in contentment.
"Thou art so bright after spending all that time 'neath the Trees," she said, "and I have missed that Light so. Thou cannot imagine how dark and cold Aman seemed." She paused a moment, but then continued, saying, "but of course thou remember, for thou wast there on that day too."
"Aye, I was, and it felt like all our hopes and happiness crashed down and were gone fore'er," Helluin said, her face grim at the memory of the Darkening of Valinor. "Ne'er shall I forget."
"I left Valinor shortly after," Liltisse confided, "not long after the Noldor in fact, though I took a more direct route. 'Twas not that the starlight was any brighter upon the Mortal Shores, only that 'twas not tainted with memories of evil."
"I understand, dear friend," Helluin said. "I had wanted to explore Middle Earth since seeing it on the Westward March, yet so long as the Two Trees gave Light, I could not return. Afterwards, 'neath the stars all was much the same as in my memory. I deem it a great irony that as I set foot in Mortal Lands again, the moon and then the sun arose."
"And that I understand," the Maia said, smiling. "Absent the old Lights, I came and wandered these lands, musing on my sorrow, but then came the moon and sun. What a surprise! I have been happier since, though 'tis not the same, of course. At times, I wonder how it goes in Aman."
"As thou say, 'tis not the same," Helluin admitted. "I have returned to Aman twice in 'spirit-thought', and though I found the new lights sufficient to see by, they light not the fëa with the same joy. I know not how else to explain it. Still, 'tis Valinor and I deem more remains the same than not. Should thou return, I am sure that many there shall be glad to greet thee."
"Did thou see Nessa, or her brother Oromë perchance?" Liltisse asked. In Aman, she had served the Valië Nessa, the Dancer of the Valar.
"Alas, I did not," Helluin told her. "On those occasions, I sought only for the fëa of my beloved, and so I came to Námo and Nienna. Neither time was she admitted to Mandos."
"I recall that thou wast close with Nienna," the Maia said. "In those days, I deemed her and Námo all too somber for my moods."
"As company, they are an acquired taste," Helluin agreed, letting a smile shape her lips.
They continued to talk a while, sitting side by side on the branch, and they shared the tales of their years since they had last met.
"After seeing Beleriand where the Elves spoke strangely, I came to the east when the Atani were newly arisen. I was curious about this new race of Ilúvatar's Children. Amongst them I met one named Veo¹ whom I deemed representative of his kind, though I have heard that they have grown more subtle since," she said, shaking her head at the memories. "To me, accustomed to the refinement and nobility of the Valar and the Elves of Aman, I found Veo much like a lump of clay. He as much as demanded that I serve him, for he deemed women should be submissive to their mates. Who art thou to demand such of me, who was created of the Imperishable Flame and am thy superior in all ways, I asked him more than once, eventually simply to see him fume, for he ne'er amended his heart whilst I knew him." ¹(Veo, Man Quenya)
"I would have been tempted to slap him 'round," Helluin said, chuckling. "Seriously though, I wish thou had met the Edain and later, the Dúnedain in Númenor in the early Second Age. My husband Vëantur was far different from this Veo."
"I am glad to hear that thine experience was better than mine, Helluin. I learnt later that Veo met a woman more to his liking, and I wished them well," Liltisse said. "Alas, of their two sons, Qyn slew Ibil¹ and I was glad to have avoided their drama. I was ne'er his spouse, for I needed his company not at all. Indeed, I came to loath rather than crave his 'bits', which he used rather more than his brains." ¹(Qyn, Blacksmith; Ibil, Herdsman Arch. Arabic)
Helluin shook her head at that sordid tale. Liltisse continued.
"After a time of wandering, I found this tree, a spot of beauty amidst the wastelands. Yet it seemed that no sooner had I taken up residence here than I gained foul neighbors, a peculiar piecemeal creature and a treacherous serpent. They quarreled incessantly and the winged lion stank. 'Til meeting thee just now, it had been long since I had been happier than yesterday when they took their leave."
"Then I am glad to have aided in bringing thee some peace," Helluin said. "The serpent some allies and I beheaded, and that Anzû bird carried off the remains, save for its head which fell into the wormhole."
"Good riddance to them both. In hindsight, for the most part the Mortal Lands have proven irritating and disappointing to me. Perhaps I expected too much."
Their conversation continued through the morning and into the afternoon, yet Helluin cared not for the passage of time. 'Twas a rare and joyous gift to unexpectedly meet one who had been a friend in better days and she was loath for their time together to end. Still, she recognized that Liltisse was not truly happy on the Hither Shores, and 'twas unlikely that she would be so in days to come.
"I know not whether 'tis thy expectations or the nature of the Mortal Lands that have brought thee diminished joy," the Noldo said, "but I wager those things most beloved by thee aforetime are not to be found save in Aman. Although the Two Trees no longer light that land, still much is unsullied and much nobility dwells there that cannot be found elsewhere. My dear friend, I recall thee alight with joy, dancing on grass e'ergreen and untroubled by the nature of mortals and the tiresome grinding of the years on these shores. Friends thou hast in Valinor, and the esteem of those akin to thee, and many who would be joyful to meet thee again. I cannot but wonder if thou would not be happier returning to the West."
Liltisse fell silent and gave heed to Helluin's words. Even long ago, she had esteemed the Noldo's wisdom, for such had come from tireless centuries of exploring, and from meeting well 'nigh all the spirits who dwelt in Aman. In the Mortal Lands, her own contact with those from Aman had been few, and in keeping but a morn's company with Helluin, she had come to realize how much she missed her peers.
"When I left Aman, I fled not my people, but rather a home diminished by violence," the dancer said. "I sought peace in lands far from home, and I have found it not. 'Tis as though the evils I fled were already here, lesser, aye, but wearying o'er time nonetheless."
"Alas, 'tis as thou say," Helluin agreed, "and but little less, for Mairon is here, still doing Melkor's work. Much ill he hath done and I reckon more is to come. I am his enemy, and he mine through the Ages. Long would I remain upon the Hither Shores to see him vanquished."
"Then I wish thee victory, Helluin. I recall him from of old and in time came to condemn him when his treachery became known. Now, because of his darkness, I cannot feel him. I am glad that I have not encountered him here."
"As am I dear friend, for no good could come if it. The ruination of all that was done at first at the bidding of his master has become his compulsion, and rather than service to one greater, he is now in service to his own schemes and lust for power. The fall into which Melkor coaxed him he hath completed of his own accord."
"How sad," Liltisse said, shaking her head. 'Twas not that she was so sympathetic to Mairon as an individual, but rather that she felt sorrow for the sullying of his Imperishable Flame which diminished all Eä.
"'Naught can either of us do to redeem him," Helluin said. "I reckon that if such a task can be accomplished at all, it falls to one greater than thee or me."
The Maia nodded in agreement. Aþāraphelūn Dušamanūðān¹ would not be healed save by the hand of Eru, and ere that would come the Dagor Dagorath and the Second Song of the Ainur. ¹(Aþāraphelūn Dušamanūðān, Arda Marred Valarin)
"Some few others from the Blessed Realm I have met here upon the Hither Shores," Helluin said, and Liltisse met her eyes with interest. "The Lord Laurefindelë, once fallen in Gondolin, now abides in Imladris with the Lord Elrond, son of Eärendil. He was sent back an Age ago."
"I believe we met ere the Exile," the Maia said, her brows furrowed as she searched her memory. "Aye, I recall Laurefindelë from Tirion, though I knew him but little."
"Others of thine own order have been sent forth in this Age by the Elder King," Helluin said.
Here a smirk marked Liltisse's face and she gave Helluin her full attention.
"Five were charged to oppose Mairon and of these, I deem some at least are familiar to thee," she said, marking that her tiding brought a small smile to her friend's face. "Curumo who served Aulë, Olórin who served Manwë, and Aiwendil who served Yavanna I have met in Eriador or Rhovanion. The remaining two are Alatar and Pallando, who served Oromë and whom I met only briefly on their arrival, but who came east shortly after and have not been seen since in the western lands. I came east to seek for them, and for others of my own people who were allied with them a thousand years past."
"I felt their arrival and bent my thought upon them to discover their identities. Perhaps they perceived me as well. I knew them all long ago when we arrived from the Void, of course. On the Hither Shores, I have met with none of them, even Alatar and Pallando who abide but a few hundred miles away. They are all caged as prisoners in the fánar of aged mortals, a thing I find upsetting, for unlike the rest of us, they can neither change, nor abandon these forms at will."
"I understand not Manwë's wisdom in this for it hath lessened their abilities, and Mairon whom they oppose has certainly not restricted himself thus," Helluin said. "Still, I question Him not for he must have some purpose in this. I only know that Olórin struggles in thought with the limitations of the flesh and Aiwendil seeks to circumvent them through the use of many herbals."
"That sounds just like them," Liltisse said, smiling. "Even we are creatures of habit."
Helluin chuckled at that, but then asked, "Thou knows the abode of Alatar and Pallando?"
"Aye. For the past four centuries, they have been two hundred sixty miles south and one hundred twenty miles east. Ere that, they were further west, to the north 'nigh Carnen. With them, I believe thou shalt find several of the Firstborn though their identities I know not."
"One who abode with them was Kanafinwë Makalaurë whom I met a thousand years past and who spoke of them," Helluin said.
"Kanafinwë," Liltisse mused, "I danced with his accompaniment in Tirion. As a gifted harper and singer I recall him."
"He was indeed and even Arandil esteemed his skills," Helluin said.
"Arandil thy old companion?" Liltisse asked. At Helluin's nod 'aye' she chuckled and said, "I deemed him a horrible match for thee, but held my peace at the time. Oft do opposites attract, 'tis said, but I could tell there was little in common 'twixt ye two."
Helluin laughed at that. Twice since then she had found love, and the difference had proven Liltisse's words true. Still, she did not regret her time spent with the Vanya in Tirion. For her it had been a first step, the first relationship in which she had explored intimacy, for aforetime she had been unabashedly solitary, e'er wandering and exploring the Blessed Realm. During their time together, she had finally explored the developing society of her people, and she had learnt much of craft and skill that the Maiar and the Valar would teach. With a blink, she dismissed the memories.
"So what shalt thou do next, Liltisse?" Helluin asked.
"Having spoken with thee, I am contemplating returning to Aman. Whilst much that I once loved is no longer to be found there, much else still is, and 'naught that I have found in Mortal Lands rivals that which I left behind. I find that having explored long and far, I now long most for home. I had not even truly realized it ere seeing thee."
"Aman is and shall e'er be the true home of our peoples," Helluin said. "The Mortal Lands sap our fëar and wear upon our hröar, and Age to Age all things pass to increasing density. Neither the Ainur, nor the Eldar are wholly of Arda as are Men and Dwarves. We may abide here for a time, but are not of here. What thou feel as fatigue of spirit, I feel as Fading. I deem the time of thy abiding here is past and mine soon to end. Arda shall be a wholly mortal world one day."
The Maia nodded gravely to her. The Ainur had made their sojourn to Arda and for long dwelt amidst its tumults, but in the end, they required a greater remove as the Song progressed. Aman had been withdrawn from the Circles of the World and the Straight Road hidden so that flesh would ne'er again impinge upon the Blessed Realm. Spirit and flesh were drawing apart.
"I shall take my leave, dear friend," Liltisse said, having made up her mind. "Is there 'aught that I can do for thee in token of our friendship 'til we meet again?"
Helluin thought a moment. Liltisse had given her a location to find the Blue Wizards and Maglor. That had been her most pressing concern.
"If thou ask not, then I shall," Anguirél said from within her scabbard, prompting a look of surprise from the Maia.
Helluin groaned, but said, "Oh very well. Liltisse, could thou convey us past the Anzû bird's nest? Our ascent was most unpleasant and I wager the descent shall be little better."
Her words drew full-throated laughter from the Maia who readily nodded 'aye'. When she had recovered from her mirth, she said, "Thou hast but to hold onto me and we shall descend. I marked thy companions awaiting thee. We shall come to them."
Helluin nodded her thanks and wrapped her arms 'round Liltisse in a tight hug. The Maia hugged her back and then a Light surrounded them. Helluin felt her feet leave the branch and then she was dangling in the air as they levitated past the branches and leaves of the canopy.
Once they were free of the huluppu tree, the Noldo marked that many hours had passed and 'twas night. The moon and stars shone down, barely to be seen through the glow that surrounded them. Liltisse brought them to the end of the field whence Shulgi and the Mâh-Sakâ had fled in terror. There they descended to the ground and Liltisse released Helluin from their embrace. The Light faded 'round them and they stood together in the cool night, looking up at the sky.
"I recall that when I first came east, the stars seemed strange," the Maia said. "I have grown used to them since, but I wager t'will be strange to see the stars o'er Aman again. 'Twas still part of the mundane world when last I viewed them."
"I too saw them last from Valinor when the world was flat and Aman lay just 'cross the sea," Helluin said, shaking her head. So much had changed.
"Indulge me for old times' sake, dear friend?" The Maia asked, holding out a hand.
Helluin looked to Liltisse, not understanding her meaning at first. The Maia grinned at her and then winked.
"I am curious to see if thou recall the graces I once taught thee, in preparation for a celebration in Tirion."
Helluin groaned. She had been corralled into attending a ball for one of Arandil's friends where formal dancing was expected. Lacking the social graces, Helluin had begged a lesson from her friend, a gifted dancer. In the end, she had learnt well enough, but the process had brought hilarity to them both, tightening their friendship. Finally, the Noldo smiled and took Liltisse's hand. Her memories were intact and the moves recalled in full.
The dance proceeded from a traditional opening of many hundred steps and positions, each with its own name, to movements depicting a formal interpretation of the Bliss of the Isle of Almaren. The events that were but lore to the Eldar lived in the memories of the Ainur, and as Helluin had learnt the steps from one of that order rather than from another Elf, she had internalized some nuances that had left Arandil both surprised and impressed.
For the half part of an hour, Liltisse and Helluin joined in the steps of The Wedding Dance of Tulkas and Nessa, that few had known better than her teacher. As all Elves were light upon their feet and the Maiar weighed 'naught, but preserved the illusion of mass when convenient, the movements were airy, with much leaping and gyrating, pirouetting and steps performed 'en pointe'. Dust rose and surrounded their figures and a subtle glow emanated from both. Too soon it came to an end and the two stood facing each other, joined only by the tips of their fingers on arms raised high o'erhead. Finally, they bowed to each other and stepped apart.
During that time, having heard no clash of arms, no battle cries, or screams of pain, Shulgi and the Mâh-Sakâ had crept back in time to see some few minutes of the dance. There they stood, rooted in place and paralyzed in astonishment, for 'twas obviously no combat 'twixt Helluin and the daemon. At the end, when they had stilled, the four warriors came forward, apprehensive but curious. They wondered foremost if Helluin had been bewitched and would now require rescue.
At allay their fears and suspicions, Helluin introduced her friend to them, and they to her.
"This is my old friend Liltisse, whom I have known now for 'nigh eighty five centuries, but had not seen in sixty-one. She is a dancer, aforetime in the service of the goddess Nessa in Aman, of which I have made mention aforetime," the Noldo said. "She hath explored the east and came to reside in the huluppu tree, and she gives ye thanks for removing the serpent and the Anzû bird."
"Liltisse, here is Shulgi, a hero and slayer of serpents. Here too are Tahmirih, Kiana, and Ashti, warriors of the Mâh-Sakâ people who live further east. They seek to convey home a company of freed slaves rescued further west."
"My thanks for slaying the serpent, Shulgi. 'Twas an evil and loathsome creature," Liltisse said. "As a token of my appreciation, I would offer thee two objects, (which she conjured into existence on the spot). This one is a pica¹, and this one a micsa ². ¹(pica, small dot Quenya) ²(micsa, pointed Quenya)
The Man looked at her in amazement, then dipped his head in thanks for her praise and asked, "What are they and what can they do?"
The pica was simply a small disc, whilst the micsa was a slender cone the length of a finger that came to a sharp point. A hole was pierced through its thicker end. Both appeared much like cheap trinkets of tin such as a pauper would string for a necklace.
"They have great virtue," Liltisse said, straight-faced. "With them, thou may be able to speak with spirits of the departed, but t'will depend on thy faith that such may come to pass."
"I thank thee, Lilitsu," Shulgi said, mispronouncing her name in his state of amazement. "Perhaps someday I shall be able to speak to the spirit of Enkidu in the underworld." After a moment, he blurted out, "Thou seem not so daemonic for a daemon."
"I am happy to disappoint thee on that account, but thou may inform Inanna that the daemon is gone from her tree, for I take my leave of these lands," she said.
"My goddess shall look more favorably upon me if I may tell her that thou wast indeed a horrifying daemon that she is rid of," he said with little shame, "and being gone, thy reputation should be of little concern."
"I care not in the least how I am remembered in these lands," she said, laughing. "Indeed I deem it most likely that I shall be forgotten entirely in a generation or two."
Now at the last, Helluin and Liltisse withdrew a few paces from the others to say their final goodbyes. With hugs and much thanksgiving for their unexpected but joyous meeting, the Maia smiled and then her figure became enveloped in a growing glow of Light. Eventually, the fána so familiar to Helluin dissolved into the radiant cloud of the Imperishable Flame.
Just ere her face disappeared, Liltisse said, "Shulgi's goddess Inanna is a harlot, indeed the Queen of Harlots and to me, a most frivolous character. The pica and micsa are just worthless scraps of tin. Good luck in thy quests, Helluin, 'til next we meet."
"Thou hast not lost thy sense of humor, dear friend. Fare well 'til we meet again," Helluin replied. Last to disappear was her friend's smiling mouth.
The Light became nebulous and rose into the night sky, and soon 'twas as a cloud of colors that drew off into the west, diminishing in size as its distance increased. The acceleration was phenomenal though the distance was hard to appreciate from the ground. Helluin gazed after her 'til the Light was lost in the expanse of the night sky.
After the Maia's departure, Helluin joined her companions as they returned to the encampment of the freed slaves. There they spent the night and whilst the mortals slept, the Noldo visualized the directions Liltisse had given her superimposed on the memory of a map she had seen in Suat.
When the morn arrived, the company took the path south down the river, back whence they had come. The 25th and 26th of Gwirith were spent in returning to the place where they had met Shulgi and Enkidu. There, Helluin and the Mâh-Sakâ parted ways with the hero.
"I bid ye fair weather and clean water, my new friends," Shulgi said. "I am thankful for your aid in my quest and ye have my friendship."
"Fare well on thy road, Shulgi," Kiana said, "and a safe trip home."
"Good fortune to thee, my friend," Helluin said in parting. "As are the heroes in lore, I name thee for thy weapon, the 'star hook spear' that slew the great serpent; Gil-gambech¹ in the tongue of the Elves. Fare well." ¹(Gil-gambech, Star hook spear = gil(star) + gamp(claw, hook) + ech(spear) –p becomes –b at the partition in Sindarin proper nouns Sindarin)
Now Shulgi indeed made his way home safely to the city of Uruk and there told the Queen of Harlots all that he had seen and done. Great praise he received for ridding the huluppu tree of its infestation. As time passed, his story came to be told as a great epic of his people, and later still 'twas adopted as mythology by peoples who came after. During that time, pronunciations and languages changed bit by bit, and o'er time, Shulgi came to be confused with the name of his weapon, Gilgamesh. Liltisse, the Quenya name of the daemon in his tale, was unpronounceable to his folk, and in their tongue, the best they could do was Lilitu, and eventually, Lilith.
Even millennia later, the pica and micsa were ne'er understood, and if they appear in the tale at all, they are simply 'mysterious objects', (a pikku and mikku, whate'er those may be), that were eventually lost by the hero without explanation. Had one the ears of the Valar, they would probably have heard Liltisse laughing aloud.
To Be Continued