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The Guests

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The travelers were rested and refreshed, and given many fair new garments to wear, and the king commanded a feast be prepared in a few days time for their welcome. While they waited for the festivities, however, Gwindor and Mírian were summoned to the throne room to again appear before the king. There were few in the room this time.

"Lady Mírian," Orodreth said to her, "I have no wish to compel you to recall before all my court what evils you may have endured, nor for you to bring to light any information that need be kept secret. So I have called you here to an empty room, to continue your tale, which I deem is not quite complete. Gwindor I asked to accompany you, for as the one who vouched for you this concerns him also." Now the king dismissed his guards from the room.

"I have not included your companion, the Bloodstained, as he calls himself," the king continued, "for he makes no claim of errantry to the gods. But I judge that there are parts of your story you have yet concealed from me.

"The decision to remove from the fastness of this kingdom's hold is a serious one, and not one I can make lightly, without all considerations fully and openly available to me. Now, is there anything you would like to add that I should know?"

Gwindor looked over at her, and she was silent for a long moment. At last she replied. "Good king, there are indeed things which I have concealed, but they are not to my benefit. Nor would they be to your detriment, I think. You see, I have one close in kin whom I left behind with the other elf men in the north. My experience with my captors taught me that anyone high in the House of Hador, the men most especially, is of great value to the Enemy. Gwindor confirmed this," she said, gesturing to her comrade, "for he has told me that Húrin, my father's brother, is kept alive, trapped high upon the peaks of Thangorodrim, cursed and tormented by Morgoth personally. And so for a long time now I have feared to make mention of it.

The king was filled with understanding and pity, reminded of his kinsman Maedhros's torment in the mountains above Angband, and he pressed her no further. Now his mood much softened, and as the maiden was not quite fully come of age he felt obliged to honor the valiant sacrifices to his family made by her father and his people by offering to foster and host her as his personal ward for as long as she was willing to stay.

Mírian thought of Cúdolin's insistence on also bearing her message to Doriath, wondering if she should take thought to go there. But she was reluctant to depart, for the healing of her mind and heart was far from complete, and she was in great awe and delight at these elves of the West and their wondrous kingdom of the caves. So she accepted his offer, deciding to heed Gwindor's guidance and wait, and let fate lead her to the forest realm if and when it would.

*.*.*

For the celebration the queen sent her ladies to Mírian to do what they could with her shortened hair. They also brought a salve to treat her scars, though this only served to soothe and lighten them, and the chain marks proved especially stubborn and remained quite dark. But they at least no longer troubled her with the pain of a fresh burn, which had persisted despite the passing of many days. Then as she was getting ready Princess Finduilas came to call on her, so they might enter the hall of the king's board together.

"Here," said the princess, taking the brooch from its cord and pinning it to a thick silver ribbon. "The Lady of the Seas gave this to you, and so you shall wear it," she said. Then she tied it about her neck, so that the sight of it might draw the viewer's eye from her scars.

"You are kind, lady, I thank you," said Mírian. The ladies had left a shawl of pale silvery gray among the gifts of garments, with which to cover her neck and back, but she decided against it. 'Better that these high elves see the marks of my evil plight with the enemy's servants,' Mírian thought to herself, 'that they may be reminded of their danger if they tarry and heed not the guidance of Ulmo the Vala.'

"Come!" Finduilas said, "your companions have also tidied up handsomely, as you may like to see. My mother and I are most interested to hear more of your life with the elves of the northern lake."

In the great feast hall the three comrades were seated by the king and his kin, who marveled at the fair display their mortal guests made, now richly dressed and adorned with treasures of the kingdom's smiths. "My but do you bring to mind now the maidens among my mother's kin at the western havens across the sea!" the king said to her. "And you sir," he said to Agarwaen, "are a sight of one among my own valiant knights of the Noldor. Come and tell me what you will, and I will answer what you would ask, if I can."

Mírian, though often close and quiet, was enthralled by all she saw and heard of the fair folk of the West, and asked to hear more of Valinor. They would say little of the manner of their leaving, though she had heard rumor of much of that story already. But she asked mostly for what they would tell on all manner of small things, from the terrain and flora and fauna you might find there, to the Valar and other elves who dwelt there.

At this enamored fascination Gwindor thought of her forefathers, reminded of what was often said of the elf-friends: that their love for the elves caused their mortality to weigh heavy on their spirits, thus do their dooms hasten to them. Though her kinsman Túrin seemed content enough here in the kingdom, he deemed the great warrior would be more at home among other mortals. But he worried for the girl, for by contrast he could see in this young maiden already that she would likely never find happiness among her own kind, save perhaps with this kinsman still in the north whom she had mentioned.

The king asked about her life with the Sindar in the north. She told them of their living in the woodlands by the lake, and of retreating to a hard and wary existence in the caves. And how she had asked to be taught in fighting and survival as the males were, that she might defend herself from attack. To this her leader had agreed, she told them, for unlike the elf women she had not the skill - magic as it was to mortals - to conceal herself as they could in order to aid flight from danger. For they lived in lands close to the enemy's lair, and ever did his servants among Orcs and Men increasingly encroach further into Hithlum.

"Prudent counsel," King Orodreth responded. "The people of Haleth, your kindred in the Brethil Woods, saw wisdom in this as well. Thus are the women able to defend their homes and children, and even fight alongside men in battle if the need calls. But here in the fastness of our caves however we have not felt the need to demand such of our women. And surely we also have powerful magic to protect us."

"And the might of the Noldoli warriors is unrivaled!" added another of the king's knights. There was a shout of cheers to this from his comrades. Mírian was inclined to take offense at this on behalf of her foster folk, but before she could speak Túrin jumped in.

"Did you see or hear aught of any other kin where you lived in those parts, Lady Mírian?" he asked.

"No, fair son of Úmarth," she replied. "Aside from one other only who dwelt with me in hiding I saw no other Men but Easterlings. But I never journeyed far into Hithlum from the mountains by the lake, nor would the elves venture very far for news, at least not that they told me, for they were keen to keep us well hidden."

Eventually that night all three of the companions became nearly overwhelmed by the feasting and festivities, having each been quite unaccustomed to such crowds and music and finery for a very long time (and Mírian never at all). But even Gwindor felt quite the foreigner in that beautiful cavern kingdom which was his home, and could not guess how adjusting to their presence would unfold among guests and hosts alike in the days to come.