Title: The tale of Mîm – as it could have been

Author: Dís Thráinsdotter

Rating: M overall, this chapter K

Summary: The children of Melian and the Kings hear a promised tale.

A/N: Sequel to "A tale about friendship"

Disclaimer: I don't own either Middle Earth or it's inhabitants, Melian and her family are mine though.

Chapter 2, The tale begins

This is the tale about my life and also about my father and brother. It is the tale of how we almost were snuffed out, the last of our people, but thanks to a chance meeting in the woods it didn't happen. Because of that some of Morgoth´s plans were foiled and some bad things that could have happened didn't.

But I am beginning the tale in the middle and should start it in its proper place, the beginning, although I am not sure where to begin. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Ibun son of Mîm, and for a long time we lived in the Bald Hill, Amon Rudh as the Elves renamed it. My people consisted of the descendants of Dwarves who were driven out from the great cities for something so ghastly that neither their records nor ours show what had happened, the only thing that is known is that they were told that they would never again be allowed to live permanently there although they were allowed to come and trade with those who did. Forced to find new places to dwell they came to the area the Elves renamed Beleriand and lived there long before the Elves came. Not that they recognised the fact, they considered us as beasts that they hunted and killed until our kin from Gabilgathol and Tumunzahar informed them. Then they stopped hunting us and we were named Noegyth Nibin, the Petty dwarves. By the time my tale begins our people had been reduced to the three of us and we came close to being killed ourselves.

We were out one day gathering roots for our winter stores when we came upon a group of Men, Wolf men they were called by others in the area, or rather, they came upon us for we were taken at unawares by them. Some of them came after us and we ran, hoping to escape them. Father told us to run on and said that he would hold the Men, so we ran as fast as we could while father slowed down, allowing the Men to catch up with him. We heard the fight behind us and his plan almost worked because they didn't run after us but one of them sent arrows after us. I dodged the arrow but my brother was hit and would have died that day if it hadn't been for the aforementioned chance meeting.

Two daughters of Men, two healers, were in the forest gathering herbs for medicines. They were regarded as healers in their own right despite the fact that they were still children in the reckoning of Men. We had met them at times and knew that their names were Melian and Emeldir but we had exchanged few words with them. They were always escorted by warriors because there were a lot of Orcs and other foul creatures around after the Battle of Unnumbered Tears when the siege of Angband was broken and not even healers could move about safely, particularly not healers because Morgoth wanted his enemies to suffer. They looked surprised when I ran past, telling them that Wolf men were in the area and that I couldn't stay. A few of the warriors went in the direction I came from and the others remained alert in case some of those Men had followed us.

I thought my brother was with me and kept running for a while but then I realised that I was alone. I went back to the glade where I had met the group of Men and found my brother there, having a wound treated by the healers. I saw the arrow they removed from my brother's back and heard them saying that he would have bled to death if that wound had been left untreated. I was very angry when I heard it and came forward to speak with him. The healers showed me the arrow and one of the warriors said it was the kind of arrow used by the Men from Dor Lomin, who were few in numbers because many had been slain in battle and others had been killed by the evil Men who had served Angband.

Emeldir then went with a warrior to tell those who had left about the situation and to see what had happened to father, who was still missing at the time. In the meanwhile we had a meal with the Men, who treated us kindly in spite of their friendship with the Elves. We sat there talking for some time and then Emeldir and the warriors came back, saying that two of them remained in the woods, keeping an eye on the Wolf men and our father. He had been taken captive but hadn't been badly treated even though he no doubt vas bruised and the Men had bound his hands and feet. "They will remain unseen but if the Wolf men tries to harm him they will act" one of the warriors said to us and it was good to know that father was safe.

Then one of the warriors looked at my brother and said "what do we do now, he needs to have the wound treated. We could bring him with us but I doubt our families will be pleased with that." The healers looked at each other and made the decision without a word being spoken. Melian looked at the others and said "I will go with them, tell father that I will come home when I am no longer needed". The Men nodded in agreement and while Emeldir went home with the warriors Melian came with us to our home. She supported Khîm whose breathing was laboured because of the wound and loss of blood but finally we came to our home. At the entrance Khîm said that he had not expected to see the sunset that day and he was amazed to find that he did.

Melian had been provided with food by the warriors and added that to the food we had in our stores so we had a decent meal together before we went to sleep, Melian and I taking turns to watch over my brother. The following day passed slowly, Melian treated Khîm and I did assorted things in the house to while away the time. That evening father came back but he wasn't alone, the Wolf men had come with him and father told me that he had been forced to give them our halls as ransom, and then he asked what had happened to my brother. I told him that my brother was injured and the healer Melian had come with us to give him the care he needed. He went in haste to Khîms bedroom and was very relieved to find him still living and he was angered when he heard what had happened. Some of the Men had followed us and Melian looked angrily at them, asking who the fool was that had sent arrows against us. One of the Men came forward and was given a tongue lashing, as well as a lesson about the importance of knowing what one aims at, then he was given the arrow and told to put it to better use.

The Men retreated from the doorway looking rather puzzled and father also looked astonished, he had never seen a daughter of Men defend us before her own kindred as Melian did and when they left she turned muttering about foolish persons who couldn't see the difference between good and evil folk. We told father what had happened to us and then father told us his tale. He had indeed been taken captive by the Wolf men and had fought them as much as he could, even biting some of them when he was unable to use hands and feet. Then their chieftain came to the place asking what was going on and his men told him about the fight. He had been asked who he was and what he could give them as ransom for his life and freedom. He had been forced to hand over our home to them as that was the only fortune we had and also to show them the way, because it was so well hidden that none could find it unaided. He looked at Melian, telling her that he didn't know how to pay her but she smiled and said she was sure her father could find a way for us to do so, in the meanwhile she would stay with us because she had taken an oath to aid all good persons who were in need of aid regardless of their kindred. Father and Melian shook hands on that decision and father was well pleased by the fact that my brother was under competent care.

TBC