Chapter 22

Of the ruin of Doriath

From Morgoth's mountain, Hurin had been watching his family come to ruin. All he saw was filtered through Morgoth's eyes, twisting everything with lies and malice. After Turin had killed himself, however, Morgoth released Hurin, telling him that he pitied the man's misfortune.

The Hurin who left Angband was much older and bitterer than the one who had entered it. He wandered the land, but his own people shunned him, thinking that surely he had bent to Morgoth's will after so much time.

Finding no welcome in his own lands, Hurin decided to turn towards Gondolin. Although he had only been to the city once in his youth, and he had been riding on the back of an eagle and therefore did not know it's exact location, he had a general idea of where it was.

Messengers brought news to Turgon that Hurin was wandering nearby. "We cannot let him in," Turgon told them. "Surely he must have surrendered to the will of Morgoth after so long. He has certainly become a spy, and we would reveal our location to Morgoth if we let him in."

But after saying this, Turgon sat in troubled thought, remembering how valiant Hurin had been. He changed his decision and asked his messengers to guide Hurin into Gondolin. It was too late, however, as Hurin had already wandered on and was unable to be found.

It was, however, for the best that they hadn't let Hurin in, for Hurin's steps were being tracked by Morgoth. Although he didn't know it's exact location, Morgoth now knew the region in which Gondolin was located.

Hurin wandered on until at last he came to the grave of his children. He was not alone. Already sitting at the base of the gravestone was an old woman in a tattered cloak. When she looked at Hurin, the light in her eyes gleamed. It was the same light that had shone long ago in the eyes of a woman he had known to be proud and beautiful.

"You came at last," said Morwen. "I have waited long."

"It was a dark road. I have come as I could," he answered.

"But you are too late," said Morwen. "They are lost."

"I know. But you are not."

Morwen shook her head. "Almost. My strength is spent, and I will be gone with the sun."

In silence they sat together by the grave of their children, watching the sun sink below the horizon. Their hands still clasped together, Hurin looked at his wife and knew that she had died. In the twilight, the lines on her face seemed to disappear and all the grief and hardship seemed washed away. "She was not conquered," Hurin declared. He made her a grave and then went to the gravestone of his children, carving her name below theirs.

Hurin continued on until he had reached the broken doors of Nargothrond. The ruined city was not entirely empty. After the dragon had left, Mim the Petty-Dwarf had moved in and was claiming its vast treasures for himself. "These treasures are all mine," Mim declared. "My people delved these halls long ago, and I am the last of my people."

"I know who you are," said Hurin, remembering what Morgoth's sight had shown him. "You betrayed Turin, my son, to the Orcs." With that, Hurin killed Mim.

Out of the vast mound of treasure, Hurin took one necklace. It was a very famous necklace, which had been made by the Dwarves for Finrod long ago. Hurin took this necklace to Doriath and threw it at Thingol's feet. "Here is your payment for keeping my family safe," he said bitterly.

Thingol looked down in surprise, but Melian spoke up. "What you saw was filtered through Morgoth's sight. We had shown your wife and children love while they lived here, and it was by their own will that they left."

As Hurin gazed into the eyes of Melian, Morgoth's taint of malice left his sight and he saw things as they really had been. Picking up the necklace, he handed it to Thingol. "Receive this treasure as a gift from one who has nothing, and as a memorial of Hurin. Morgoth's goals may be achieved, but I am no longer his thrall."

With that, he left Doriath and cast himself into the sea. Rest in peace, Hurin.

Thingol sat long in silence, gazing at the necklace. His thoughts kept turning back toward the Silmaril in his possession, which had been consuming his mind to the point where he had to wear it all the time, not even feeling comfortable to let it rest in his innermost treasury. He decided that the Silmaril should be set into the grand necklace as its crown jewel.

He hired some Dwarves to accomplish this, and soon the greatest treasures of the Dwarves and Elves were united. But as Thingol reached for the finished necklace, the Dwarves withheld it from him. "This necklace was made by the Dwarves long ago, and rightfully belongs to us," they said. In truth, however, they had fallen to the lure of the Silmaril and wanted to possess it for themselves.

Realizing this, Thingol grew wrathful. "How dare you make such a demand to me. I was walking this world years before your stunted forefathers crawled out of the ground. Leave my kingdom!"

The Dwarves were filled with greed and sparked with anger, and they ganged up and killed Thingol. The last thing Thingol saw was the Silmaril being taken away.

Of course, the Elves of Doriath wouldn't let such a crime go unpunished. While they killed most of the Dwarves that had killed Thingol, a few of them escaped and returned to their homes, where they mixed lies with their story and told how they had been attacked. The Dwarves marched forth for war.

A change had fallen over Doriath. Melian sat in silence next to the body of her husband while her mind drifted through her memories, returning to her first meeting with Thingol under the stars. Out of love for him, she endured much. While Maiar spirits like herself could change forms at will, she had taken a single physical form to be with Thingol, binding herself to the world of Arda.

Now that Thingol was dead, however, she had lost the will to stay in Middle-earth. She gave one last instruction to the people of Doriath to find Beren and Luthien, knowing that they would be able to help. Then she cast off her physical form and vanished back to the gardens of Valinor from whence she came, musing on her sorrows.

And then the Dwarves came in and sacked Doriath, and Mablung was finally killed, so you don't have to think about him anymore.

Meanwhile, Beren and Luthien were enjoying their retirement. They had a son, Dior, who was married and had three children of his own: two boys and a girl named Elwing. One day, a messenger from Doriath arrived to tell Luthien that her father was dead and that Doriath was being overrun with Dwarves.

Having been called upon once again, Beren got up and removed the Dwarves from Doriath. In the carnage, he found the necklace that held the Silmaril. "Huh, I never thought I'd see this again," he said, looking at the jewel.

He took the necklace back to Luthien, and while it didn't ease her grief of knowing that her father was dead, she looked so beautiful wearing it that her land started to look like Valinor. The sight of it was too beautiful for mortals, and it possibly shortened their lifespans.

Additionally, since Doriath needed a new king and Beren and Luthien were unwilling to come out of retirement, their son Dior went there to lead the people. His wife and three kids went with him and began the slow process of rebuilding.

One evening, while Dior was busy admiring the work that was being done to fix Doriath, a messenger came to the door. In silence he handed the necklace with the Silmaril to Dior, a sure sign that Beren and Luthien were now dead.

Dior solemnly put on the necklace, inheriting the Silmaril that his parents had won.

News passed around that a Silmaril was once again in the realm of Doriath, and eventually that news reached the sons of Feanor. While they hadn't dared to get the Silmaril while Luthien had worn it, Dior was a much easier target. Celegorm stirred up his brothers and invaded Doriath.

In this battle, the sons of Feanor Celegorm, Curufin, and Caranthir were all killed, finally ridding the world of their presence. Unfortunately, Dior and his wife were also killed, and Celegorm's servants, out of cruelty, dragged Dior's young sons into the woods to starve. Maedhros was horrified to hear about this and he searched for the two boys, but they were never found.

Dior's daughter, Elwing, did manage to escape with a remnant of Doriath's people. But Doriath itself was destroyed, never to rise again.