In An Age Before – Part 268
In the darkness of the tunnel, Helluin advanced with silent footsteps, but at a normal walking pace. She could clearly sense that she was alone, and so she felt no great need of stealth. She marked that the floor was rough, as were the walls and ceiling, typical of the unfinished, (and in her estimation, lazy), manner of delving amongst the Uruk-hai. After the small, level, entry vestibule, the way was descending and a backward glance after walking twenty fathoms revealed that the exterior opening was eclipsed so that she presented no silhouette against the moon and starlit outdoors. The Noldo reckoned herself halfway to the far end where the ruddy light, now grown brighter, wavered, and as she approached it, she clove to the left wall to keep her right arm with Anguirél free to swing.
Helluin soon marked the subdued voices of Yrch and their mutterings in a dialect of Orkish somewhat different from what was spoken in Dol Guldur or Angmar. For the most part, their vocabulary and grammar were akin, but their pronunciation included softened consonants and shortened vowels, all presented at a higher rate of speech than what the Noldo was accustomed to hearing. The result sounded more conversational and less threatening. It also suggested long years of isolation sufficient for the beginnings of another degree of divergence from the original Black Speech.
When Helluin reached the end of the tunnel, she stood a while listening, registering the count of voices and reckoning their distance from where she waited. Because she could see none of them directly, she guessed that the passage opened into a corner or an end of the chamber, rather than directly facing its center. She also reasoned that the chamber was fairly small, for she heard no echoes. Finally, she decided that 'twas time to chance a look and pulled back her hood.
Slowly, the Noldo edged her face forward, tilted slightly down so that the plane of her brow and nose was vertical. She did not tilt her head towards the voices, but only shifted her eyes to the left so that with only two fingers' width of her upper face exposed, the interior of the chamber became visible to her left eye.
The ruddy, wavering light that illuminated the space came from a fire burning on the floor some four fathoms to her left, and encircled by stones. In a tight group 'round it were a company of ten Yrch, of whom eight were sitting upright and had been speaking whilst two were reclining silent, wrapped in their cloaks asleep. They were passing a jug of something 'twixt them and eating cubes of meat scorched o'er the fire on sticks at a leisurely pace. If one amongst them was captain, 'twas not apparent, for they acted as equals. On the far side of the chamber lay the entrance to another passage continuing on further 'neath the ground. What lay before her was 'naught more than a guard chamber for the outer entrance.
Helluin withdrew and stood in the tunnel thinking. They were taking their ease and sharing a meal without any apparent strife, and that alone seemed odd. None lorded their authority o'er the others, nor sought a fairer portion of the food and drink, nor issued commands. It seemed they all waited on the changing of guard duty at the mouth of the tunnel and Helluin had no idea when that would be. One thing was certain though. To penetrate this lair any further, she would need to go past these Yrch and take the tunnel on the further side of the chamber. The Noldo doubted that they would allow her to advance without some convincing.
Mayhap I can cow them so that they would suffer a Nazgûl to proceed, she thought, but no, they shall eventually discover the two I slew up at the mouth of the tunnel and the words, "Fire in the Blood" scrawled on the wall. She shook her head. Sometimes, appearing as a Nazgûl was no help at all.
So then I shall convince them with violence, she decided. Very well, predation by starlight 'tis. A cold grin shaped her lips and she drew her hood back up o'er her head. Then she drew her dagger in her left hand and swept 'round the corner into the chamber.
"Danoj narkrampal-hai afar Hokurvótár¹!" Helluin proclaimed as she strode towards them. ¹(Danoj narkrampal-hai afar Hokurvótár, (I) punish doomed refusers of Iron Home (aka Angmar) = danoj-(punish) + dûmp(doom) + -uga(past pass part suff, doomed) + narkramp-(v. refuse) + -al(n. on v. suff., refuser) + -hai(coll. pl., all refusers) + afar(of) + hokur(iron) + vótár(home) Orkish)
As one, their heads whipped 'round towards her voice, and then they froze in shock. A Nazgûl! 'Twas well known in Kâpul Ulot that some had arrived as deserters from Angmar and had fled the call of the Witch King to march against Mithlond. That they would be held to account for that betrayal five centuries later was incomprehensible, save only if the lord who had commanded their allegiance sought to settle that score now for vengeance sake. Alas, that was easily comprehensible from a Shadow who died not.
They were so o'erwhelmed that they did not even voice protests or excuses. None of them had been alive five centuries ago. None of them was personally guilty. They sat petrified in terror as the Ringwraith paced widdershins amongst them 'round the fire, stabbing and slashing whilst not a one of them sought to raise a weapon. The last to die were those who had been lying prone, asleep. Helluin sat their bodies upright 'round their fire as if 'naught had come to pass.
On the wall, she wrote "Vrasuztakûrûk¹!" in their blood. ¹(Vrasuztakûrûk, I killed them all = vras-(v. kill) + -uz(1st or 2nd pers, past v. suff, I killed) + takûrûk(dat. 3rd pers. coll. pl. pron., them all) Orkish)
That was easy enough, she thought to herself, and now on to the next.
The passage from the guard chamber twisted as it led downwards, deeper into Kâpul Ulot. Helluin did not expect the next place she found to be as sparsely guarded, and this proved true, though 'twas far ahead. Along the way, the Noldo saw tunnels branching off left and right at irregular intervals, suggesting a complex and sprawling delving of many galleries and chambers. She also marked that the floor was more heavily worn at those intersections, and she deemed that only the slow smoothing of stone 'neath hundreds of feet o'er many centuries could have caused such wear.
It seemed that Kâpul Ulot boasted great age and had maintained a large population o'er time. Added to the changes in the speech of the guards she had slain, this was a confirmation rather than a surprise. Helluin had no way to know how old Kâpul Ulot was, how far it extended, or what its inhabitants numbered. Ne'ertheless, she was already getting the impression that 'twas older and more populous than any of the warrens she had assailed in the Hithaeglir aforetime.
On a couple of occasions as she advanced, Helluin chose to slip into the opening of side passages to allow pairs or small groups of Yrch to pass. These had been quite easy to espy by the torches they carried even ere she could hear their footfalls, and she had enjoyed ample time to conceal herself. Unlike Helluin, or any other Amanya, they could not project their own light, nor extinguish it at will. They had loped past her as she pressed herself against the tunnel walls, still and silent, her figure disappearing into the gloom, enshrouded in her black cloak.
What she had not seen thus far was a company heading up the tunnel of a size that suggested they were replacements for the guards she had slain. Of course, Helluin knew that her assault and the words she had scrawled would eventually become known and indeed this was intended. She just hoped to be further away when it came to pass. To that end, the Noldo continued forward, and by her best guess, she had been descending for o'er half an hour and had come o'er a mile.
The tunnel wound on, increasing slowly in breadth, and Helluin was increasingly impressed by its length. Several more passages had intersected from the right and the left, and at one point, there had been a branching of the way with a ramp splitting off to the right and leading in the same direction, but more steeply down. This had been narrower, with a lower ceiling, and from it wafted a fell air different from the familiar stench of the Yrch. 'Twas vaguely reminiscent of fetid water and rotting fish, and deeming it ill-omened, Helluin chose to stay to the left. By then, she reckoned that she had been walking for an hour and had covered most of a league.
Now the passage broadened yet more and foot traffic increased. The Noldo was increasingly pressed to remain unseen. More and more frequently, she had concealed herself in the darkness of a side tunnel 'til the tramping of feet had passed. By then, Helluin deemed that the tunnel she had been following was now a highway of sorts, for it had not led to any chamber. It seemed that only the side tunnels could bring one to a destination and by then, she had passed many. Finally, it became obvious that she would needs make a choice, and as one passage was no better than another to her, she waited 'til she saw a company of six Yrch disappear into an opening on the left and then followed them at a distance well beyond the light of their torch.
They proved easy enough to trail, 'twixt the bobbing light of their torch and the flapping of their feet on the stone, and that brought another realization to the Noldo. Like the ones she followed, but unlike the dozen she had slain, many of the Yrch that had passed her in Kâpul Ulot went barefoot. This she had marked, but had paid it no heed 'til then, and yet the Yrch she was familiar with had always worn some manner of footwear, whether iron shod shoes, leather boots, or hobnailed sandals.
Hard underfoot must these tunnels feel, Helluin thought, and I wonder that their feet are not so swollen from the pounding that they resemble the feet of the Periannath.
Another, even more surprising habit differentiated the Yrch of Kâpul Ulot from all the others that Helluin had fought. As she trailed behind, she picked up somewhat of their mutterings, and for the first time e'er, she realized that the words were set to a rhythm and the entire company partook of it, with the torchbearer voicing solo lines alternating with the other five's replies. 'Twas a call and response they were using to set a swift marching pace. It reminded the Noldo of a Dúnedain infantry double-time cadence call, though of course the words were far different. What Helluin heard sounded something like this:
When you can't stand the pace,
(can't stand the pace)
In the Big Rodent Race,
(Big Rodent Race)
Come on in where it's safe,
(in where it's safe)
Where the menu is tref…
(the menu is tref)
There's a smell in the air,
(a smell in the air)
that reminds you of hair,
(reminds you of hair)
You've got something to get,
(something to get)
And it looks like your pet!
(looks like your pet)
First we take some rat parts,
(rat parts, rat parts)
And fry them up real nice…
(fry 'em, fry 'em up nice)
Then we skin the kitties,
(skin, skinny kitties)
And barbeque the mice!
(B-b-b-barbequed mice)
Guts in a cup!
(yum, yum, guts)
Mouse on a stick!
(on a stick, on a stick)
And Beer-Battered Ticks!
(beer 'n battered ticks)¹
¹(Lyrics not in italics are from the song, "Rat in a Box" by Firesign Theater. They explain that 'tref' means non-kosher.)
'Twas far less appetizing than any of the Naugrim banquet anthems she recalled from many a celebration in Khazad-dûm, yet it seemed appropriate for the Uruk-hai. That brought a darker thought to mind, the fate of the prisoners from Helrunahlæw. 'Nigh on three weeks had passed since the attack, but perhaps the Yrch were still eating the dead…and the horses. One could hope, but honestly, Helluin reckoned that any survivors would be traumatized to the point of catatonia by now.
Now the six Yrch continued on for what Helluin deemed to be 'round two furlongs ere they turned off into a side passage. Curious about their chant, the Noldo followed. A glance down the passage showed that they had gone only a short ways 'til the torch stopped, its light now joined to a greater illumination. Helluin took up the full measure of her stealth and slowly approached, for she reasoned that the six she followed had entered a chamber already lit by a fire. Sure enough, when she came 'nigh she heard many voices speaking, and it seemed that a council was being held.
A careful glance into the room revealed a natural cavern opened by several passages, including the one she stood in. Within, 'twixt stalactites and stalagmites, waited dozens of Yrch. A fire burned on a raised shelf that might have been an elevated pool, but had been drained by the breaking of its surrounding lip. Sheets of flowstone now blackened with soot hung from the ceiling above the flames. Several torches had been set amongst piles of stones 'round the edges of the council so that the figures there were well lit. Helluin barely breathed as she hearkened to their words. Though the debate went on a while, the important points can be summarized as:
"Uruk Grubs raided a village downways," said one, "an' brought back slaves an' a feast."
"Lots a' food an' lots a' slaves, but they don' share," said a second, and the others nodded in agreement.
"Meats don' keep 'cept inna belly," said a third, "an' ours as good as theirs."
"Grubs treats us Goblins like dirt," said a fourth, and the anger in his voice was plain. Again, the others nodded in agreement and some muttered, "greedy Grubs."
"Someun's gotta teach 'em t'share," said another, and voices were raised in assent.
"Cowards, deserters of Angmar," said the first.
"More a' us 'n them. Always has been," said the second.
"More mouths," declared the third.
"An' more hands," declared the fourth.
"King don' wan' no disputes tho," said another with a worried tone. The rest fell silent at that.
"He don' need t'know," one more wily said after the pause had gone on and angry mutterings had started. "We keeps it quiet, see. We takes slaves 'n food deep so no one's wiser."
"An what 'bout the Uruks? They don' like t'share."
"We takes 'em deep too…'n let 'em swim," said the wily one with a chuckle.
"Drop 'em thru the hole 'n let 'em swim t'hell," another agreed, and heads nodded.
"Us 'r them, damn Uruk Grubs," said another, and again the heads nodded in agreement.
"We gets the others 'n go," said the first.
"As the king says, bad t'waste time, worse t'waste food," said the wily one.
As Helluin watched, the council members picked up spiked clubs, dirks, and falchions, then took their torches and left in groups of six by several of the other tunnels. Helluin fled back up the short corridor she had come down and then turned aside. From the shadows there, she watched the six she had followed exit and retrace their steps in the opposite direction. Again, the Noldo followed them at a prudent distance.
She was extremely curious now, for it seemed that some internecine slaughter was pending. There were also some more subtle factors that she had marked, for this was more than a one-time dispute o'er food and slaves. 'Twas a long-standing aggrievement coming to a head.
Goblins and Uruks, she thought as she followed, and I had always thought them one and the same. Obviously, they do not.
As she trailed the Goblins, Helluin reviewed what she had heard. She deemed that the animosity in Kâpul Ulot had begun with the arrival of deserters from Angmar, whom the native Goblins called Uruks, (or Grubs). Thereafter, 'neath the rule of a Goblin King, the two parties had coexisted in an uneasy confederation that preserved at least some autonomy 'twixt the two groups. It had also sounded like, in their reluctance to share, the Uruks conducted themselves more like all the Yrch that Helluin had known aforetime. The Goblins, perhaps less so. The Noldo was wondering just what those differences would amount to, beyond a few gruesome marching rhymes and some going barefoot.
Those differences aside, the Noldo had long known that different tribes of Yrch could be bitter enemies. Except when serving the same master, they might be more hateful of each other than of Elves or Men, (though not of Dwarves), at least on a day to day basis, for save during times of war, they were more likely to contest the same spoils with Yrch from different warrens rather than people of other races. 'Twas a simple matter of proximity and desire. Possible abodes for the Uruk-hai were limited by the encroachment of Elves, Men, and Dwarves, and the Yrch all wanted the same things.
Beyond all this, Helluin could infer that the Goblins believed that the slaves yet lived and were still in a condition that they differentiated from food. This seemed hopeful. Some of the victims from Helrunahlæw still survived and were fit for work.
Whilst her mind was sifting these things, Helluin also marked that the six Goblins she was following were leading her downwards 'round many turns. Yet after coming what she guessed was close to a half a mile, they finally turned into a short passage that led to a chamber from which the Noldo heard a cacophony of voices. Considering the sheer volume of speech and the slight echo, she reckoned this chamber far larger than the meeting place of the council.
By the time that Helluin had crept down the passage to peek into the chamber, the Goblins inside were in an uproar. There were at least a hundred of the creatures in a large space and they had just finished listening to the six recite the decision of the council. Now they were cheering and jumping up and down in place, working themselves up into a state of high excitement. Then they seized their weapons and charged out a larger passage leading through the opposite wall of the chamber and leaving none behind.
Helluin stepped into the emptied space and cast a quick glance 'round. Though it had been crowded with Goblins, 'twas far less squalid than a typical Yrch lair. It did not even smell as bad, though it still caused the Noldo to wrinkle her nose. Then she turned and followed the mob out the far tunnel, listening as they ran off, their bare feet flapping against the stone floor in time with a group chant that went something like this:
Pinch 'em, bite 'em,
Greedy Grubs don' wanna share.
Kick 'em, smite 'em,
Stomp their toes an' pull their hair.
Beat 'em, slice 'em,
Greedy Grubs hoard tasty meat.
Punch 'em, dice 'em,
Cut 'em deep so we can eat.
Burn 'em, stab 'em,
Greedy Grubs drag t'the well.
Smack 'em, grab 'em,
Toss 'em down the hole to hell.
They were making such a racket as they raced down the tunnel that t'would be impossible for the anyone not to mark them long ere their arrival. The Noldo could not imagine the Uruks not awaiting them with drawn weapons and an organized defense. She followed the mob at a prudent distance, but 'twas hardly necessary. The Goblins were so consumed with their intended attack that they paid no heed to 'aught save their anticipation of vengeance.
The mob's way led down, deeper into Kâpul Ulot, and at the rumor of their passing, it seemed that yet more Goblins joined their throng. By the time they arrived at a huge cavern, they numbered 'nigh seven score, all shouting their chant and brandishing their weapons. They were not alone.
From half a dozen other entrances, similar mobs of Goblins converged on just o'er a couple hundred Uruks who cowered in the center beside a bonfire o'er which hung several massive iron cauldrons. From these wafted a scent reminiscent of stewed pork. To one side stood a cage of wooden poles lashed together to form a large pen that held the slaves from Helrunahlæw. Helluin saw that o'er half of them were children. These were screaming in terror as the cavern filled with Yrch, all chanting in rhyme, their eyes bright and intent on slaughter. From her hiding place in the darkness of the tunnel exit, Helluin watched it all unfold.
The confrontation began with name-calling, ridicule, innuendo, and curses. It then graduated to obscene gestures and making faces. The actual fighting took only a few minutes, so lopsided was the battle, with the Uruks easily outnumbered five to one. Roughly half of them fell slain ere the remaining hundred capitulated, throwing down their arms and pleading for their lives. They were forced to their knees and then bound neck to neck in a long line like slaves. The actual slaves had passed from screaming to whimpering in despair as they peeked out 'twixt the bars of their pen.
Probably wondering if these new Yrch shall stew them now rather than forcing them to labor, Helluin thought. Alas, she was unable to remain to watch.
Most of the victorious Goblins hauled the bound Uruks to their feet, and with much pinching and hair pulling, forced them to march straight towards the tunnel entrance where Helluin had concealed herself. Her only option was to race ahead of them, keeping one eye on their progress behind and the other cast forward lest any more approach. When, after 'round a furlong, she saw them turning off into a side tunnel, she waited for them to pass out of sight and then backtracked to follow. She assumed they were taking the Uruk prisoners to 'the well' and were intending to, "toss 'em down the hole to hell". 'Twas a spectacle that Helluin would not have missed for the world.
Now after following a tunnel that led yet further down, the captors and captives came to a natural dry cavern with a low ceiling, rough walls, and an irregular floor. Many boulders lay strewn 'round as if they had been left where they fell from the ceiling. Their shadows engaged in a macabre dance in the torchlight. Helluin saw that there were no stalactites or stalagmites here. No flowstone or pools lent even a slight beauty to that place. The air held a chill and clammy humidity and a rank scent akin to that from the downward branch of the passage that Helluin had seen earlier and rejected.
In the center of the cavern, a gaping maw with irregular edges pierced the floor, and from its darkness wafted the miasma and a vague threat. At a few places 'round its edge, rusty chains affixed to the floor by stout stakes dangled into the abyss. Perhaps masons had once used them whilst creating or enlarging the hole.
Helluin edged her way into the cavern behind the Yrch. They were all completely focused on the impending end of the confrontation, and none marked her as she advanced in silence. She found a place in the shadow of a boulder with a good view and settled down to watch.
The Goblins forced the Uruks to stand in a ring 'round the opening with the promise of hell at their backs. They were gibbering and pleading now, their fear fueled by the unknown lying 'neath their feet. The Goblins surrounded them with unsympathetic eyes and then gave them a shove. The Uruks fell backwards into the hole, screaming the whole way down. Helluin counted ten seconds ere hearing a faint splash, as of bodies impacting deep water.
One hundred ninety fathoms, she calculated from the time, quite a fall.
Their task accomplished, the Goblins took their leave.
When the sounds of their flapping feet and victorious chant disappeared into the distance, Helluin came from her place of concealment. Straightaway, she walked to the edge of the hole. Staring down into the darkness was pointless and she could see 'naught. She lay prone with her head o'er the edge, but all still lay in darkness 'neath her, and finally she rose to her feet and came to one of the chains. This she lifted and gave several strong tugs, testing its strength and attachment to the floor. Helluin also carefully listened to the clanking of the links. After a careful assessment, the Noldo had detected no dead 'clunks' as of cracked or broken metal. After howe'er long it had lain there, the chain seemed sound. Its stake was sunk deep into the floor and did not budge at a pull or a kick. Satisfied, she determined to chance a look.
Now Helluin lowered herself down the chain, passing through the thickness of the floor that she found to be about two fathoms, and then into a void. There she emitted an increasing ril of Light. At first, all that she could see was a section of the roof of a great cavern. 'Round her were smooth sheets of flowstone disappearing into the same darkness that shrouded all 'neath her feet. She increased her Light and saw the section of visible ceiling expand. Still she saw 'naught of water or a floor. Finally, Helluin blazed with the Light of Aman, and at last, she was able to make out the surface of water far below, just as the fall time of the Uruks had suggested.
For a while, the Noldo clung to the chain staring down in astonishment. No chamber so vast had she seen aforetime, even in the depths of Khazad-dûm. 'Neath her a vast lake stretched off in all directions, so vast in fact that still she saw no indication of the true extent of the cavern. Its walls remained hidden in the eternal darkness. There was no sign of the Yrch, but a fall of that height would make the water feel as hard as stone. They had surely died upon impact, close to two furlongs below. Then, as she watched in terrified awe, Helluin saw the slow progression of a vast wave front moving 'cross the surface of the lake. Smaller waves followed and she realized that 'twas the passage of some monstrous leviathan 'neath the surface. Its true size and form were hidden, yet the Noldo had no doubt that 'twas the largest creature she had e'er seen and far larger than 'aught she had imagined aforetime.
Helluin climbed back up the chain 'til she hung just 'neath the cavern's roof, and then she opened the ethereal aperture of her fëa and allowed the full measure of the Light of Telperion and Laurelin to explode from her form. The surface of the water 'neath her was lit, the minor chop and large wave front glittering with spectral reflections. For the first time since the creation of Arda, Light came into that place and the sight of it was captivating. Like the Void, it called to her, seductive, the promise of the Thanatos desire fulfilled. T'would be so easy to let go and fall.
Then, slowly because of its immeasurable mass, a form breached and rose from the water, far greater than any were-worm of Rhûn. The Leviathan of Kâpul Ulot was cryptic to Helluin. There were horns and a mouth filled with teeth that could have swallowed a ship of Númenor. If there were eyes, the Noldo could not mark them, and of what use would they have been in the eternal night? Its color was dark against the dark water and any details of its texture were obscured by the distance and impossible to recall, 'twixt the shock of its size and its sudden appearance. Hundreds of feet it rose into the air and its maw gaped wide, wider than the gates of Minas Tirith. Helluin thought she saw things with a multitude of writhing tentacles moving inside its throat. 'Twas all she could take and she extinguished her Light so that darkness returned to the hell 'neath the Hithaeglir. Then she was climbing the chain as fast as she could as it silently roared.
When Helluin again sat at the edge of the hole, she was shaking from the adrenalin and horror. Ne'er in the darkest corners of her thought had she conjured such a creature in her imagination. Indeed, she could not have found the inspiration for such a monstrosity, for 'twas unlike 'aught she had e'er seen aforetime. Whence came such a beast and when? Had the One created it to humble his Children, to remind them that Eä was His alone to control? Were there others akin to it…or others of different kinds no less terrifying? Was it ancient and immortal, like the Valar and Maiar, or was it simply the latest scion of an unknown race? Whither would it go? Were all the mountains haunted at their roots by such forms? Was all of Arda gnawed and underpinned by a similar hell?
'Twas long ere Helluin found the will to move. T'would be long ere the memory of the creature ceased to invade her rest. What she felt was pure, unadulterated dread.
For ten thousand years, I have wandered Arda and there is little that I truly fear, she thought, yet on this day, I have found that the world I thought familiar is strange. Indeed, I feel that I know it not at all after learning that so great a behemoth dwells unsuspected within its bounds.
This leviathan is alien to me and wholly strange to my heart. I know not if 'tis even a foe. I felt not the evil of Sauron or his servants from it, only an animal's will to survive. Perhaps I am inconsequential to it and t'would pass me by should we meet. I only know that I shall be haunted hereafter by the knowledge of it.
Eventually, Helluin composed herself and took her leave of the Anto Cúmo¹. Knowing what lay 'neath the floor now, the place simply gave her the creeps. ¹(Anto Cúmo, Mouth of Hell = anto(mouth) + Cúma(Hell) + -o(gen. sing. n. suff., of Hell) With proper nouns, the genitive follows the noun it modifies. Where a noun ends in –a, the –a is elided before adding –u. Quenya)
Having now no more pressing course, the Noldo retraced her steps back to the great cavern containing the prisoners. She found that vast space filled with Goblins partaking of the recently liberated feast. Hundreds of them milled 'round the cauldrons, eating their fill. The pen filled with captives they completely ignored. Whilst they gorged, they sang some songs of victory and of feasting, but these Helluin deemed so inane or so profane that she refused to commit them to memory, (and so they do not appear here). In any case, she saw that there was 'naught to be done for the prisoners whilst the celebration continued. The dark Noldo was forced to bide her time and hope that the cavern would become less populated and the captives less well guarded.
In truth, Helluin had not come to Kâpul Ulot intending to rescue the survivors of Helrunahlæw. She had expected them to be dead, dead and eaten, or so traumatized that any attempt at escape would trigger screams, wailing, and hysterical lamenting that would draw the attention of guards straightaway. Instead, they appeared shell-shocked, subdued, depressed, tearful, and resigned. By this, Helluin deemed that they were completely normal, considering their plight. As 'twas conceivable that they might actually thrive with the restoration of their freedom, Helluin felt obligated to try to liberate them. Perhaps after a few more days, the Goblins would finish the contents of the cauldrons and disperse.
Whilst she awaited the cessation of the festivities, the Noldo stalked the tunnels of Kâpul Ulot, seeking for the most direct route of escape. The place was e'ery bit the labyrinth she had come to expect. The sheer count of passages and rooms was mind numbing, but she managed to place each new route into a growing mental map.
During that time, Helluin found herself discovering somewhat of Goblin Town's secret life. The Goblins, (but not the Uruks), participated in social activities that included attending the many taverns and drinking establishments distributed throughout the realm. In these common rooms, a few varieties of noxious liquors were served, and once inebriated, the Goblins formed choruses and sang whilst the drunkest amongst them performed solos. They produced an abominable and ear-splitting caterwauling in Helluin's opinion, but 'twas also a benign and indeed festive behavior wholly unexpected that she had ne'er seen aforetime in any lair of the Yrch. In those gatherings there was no brawling, no accidents with knives, and no one expired.
Helluin also discovered a scattering of ballrooms that catered only to the Goblins. These were more formal and far less raucous than the drinking establishments, but equally unexpected. Additionally, in the dance halls the Noldo saw more female Yrch than at any time in her life. Of course, they were grotesque in her estimation, yet they twirled and stepped just as gracelessly as their partners did and a good time was had by all. 'Twas harmless, but Helluin did not know whether to be astonished, or simply appalled.
At other times during her explorations, the Noldo came upon actual exits from Kâpul Ulot. When she found them attended by barefooted Goblins, she turned around and left. When she found them guarded by iron shod Uruks, she slaughtered them and wrote, 'Vrasuztakûrûk' or 'Ghâsh gijak-ishi' on the walls with their blood. Having learnt of the animosity 'twixt the Goblins and the Uruks, she also added, 'Gurzu fûralu Hokurvótárob¹', deeming that it could not hurt to attribute her slaughters to a known crime and thereby announce that all the Goblins were exempt from her wrath. ¹(Gurzu fûralu Hokurvótárob, Death to betrayers of Angmar = gurz(death) + -u(prep. to) + fûr-(v. betray) + -al(n. on v. suff., betrayer) + -u(pl suff for nouns ending in consonants) + hokur(iron) + vótár(home) + -ob(prep. of) Orkish)
In the end, it took ten days ere the cauldrons were exhausted and the feast finished. Most of the Goblins dispersed from the large cavern that held the slave pen. Helluin deemed that her best chance to free the slaves had arrived, for sooner or later they would be taken to labor and perhaps they would be split up into groups. She watched as the remaining couple dozen guards kept a lax watch o'er the captives, though they spent much of their time drinking from jugs and singing. When half of them went to sleep, she carefully advanced using her full stealth, and slipped some now thickened adulterant into their jugs of liquor.
Now the Noldo waited whilst the guards swigged and swigged and eventually passed into a stupor as the narcotic rhododendron honey that she had culled in the Old Forest outside of Sûza in 1974 did its work. When they were quiescent, she doffed her hooded cloak and made her way to the slave pen.
Helluin employed a bit of theatrical enhancement, glowing with a subdued ril of silver and gold and plastering a reassuring smile on her face. She held a finger to her lips to hush the astonished captives, and then as they gathered at the fore and crowded towards her against the wooden bars, told them that if they could remain 'quiet as a mouse' she could see them to freedom. They nodded 'yea' as if their heads were on springs and she cut the ropes that held the door of their pen fast. By the time that they had cleared the cavern, she was truly amazed at how silent mortal children could be when they knew their lives depended on it.
Now once they were in a secondary tunnel, Helluin had the adults take the fore and the rear of their line to make sure that no child was left behind, and she led the way through the darksome passages, glowing brightly enough that they could follow. In this way, they came a league o'er a span of two hours and made good their escape from an entrance the Noldo had cleared of Uruks that morn. They stepped out into the night in a dry cirque just above the tree line.
The Noldo urged the freed slaves downslope into the cover of the trees and there allowed them to rest 'til daybreak. They threw themselves onto the coarse grass as if 'twas a feather mattress and collapsed into sleep. Though some of the children cried and whimpered in their dreams, the adults comforted them and eventually all rested as their hearts filled with renewed hope. Helluin stood upslope, keeping a careful watch on the exit from Kâpul Ulot, an arrow notched on the string of her bow, yet it seemed their luck held and none pursued them.
As dawn brightened the landscape, Helluin returned her arrow to her quiver and watched the morning glow on the mountain peaks. With daylight, she feared no pursuit. Finally, she groaned and shook her head. Anor was rising o'er the mountains and they were on the west side of the Hithaeglir. To return the survivors to Helrunahlæw, or better yet, lead them to Norðr-vestandóttir Bý, she would have to take them back o'er the High Pass. Singlehandedly shepherding o'er nine score unarmed civilians, o'er half of them children, past the very same sprawling warren of Goblin Town that they had just escaped from was not a course the Noldo would undertake. She needed help and her charges needed rest and food ere they could make any long journey. She sighed and looked downslope.
After a careful examination of the landscape, Helluin beckoned the adults and told them that, "We are on the wrong side of the Misty Mountains, and though free, ere I return ye to your lands, I deem the children should have rest, warm beds, and good food. Therefore, I propose to bring ye to recover amongst friends who dwell 'nigh. We can reach their valley on the morrow."
The people looked at her and their stomachs grumbled with hunger. Autumn was approaching and bringing children clad for summer through the pass was an unnecessary hardship. They nodded in agreement with the Noldo's suggestion and having decided their course, set out downhill shortly later.
'Twas in the late morn of the next day that Helluin led one hundred eighty-seven hungry, dirty, but newly hopeful mortals down the steep eastern path into the hidden valley of Imladris. She could not wait to see the expression on Lindir's face.
To Be Continued