New Challenge: Crossroads of the Fallen King
Cross "The Silmarillion" with a second text or fandom in this month's crossover challenge.
Not every Dwarven craft was shared.
(No warnings. Drabble)
Telchar stroked his beard, gaze intent upon the sliver of metal on the oil’s surface. He pinched it between his fingers and gave a twist. Once he released his hold, it returned to its former orientation.
One year and countless attempts later, he held the final device, finished to his satisfaction. Within a brass casing, a metal needle floated in an enclosed glass dish on a bed of oil. He carried it from Nogrod to Menegroth and beyond, and it served him well.
So long as he kept it away from the forges, its orientation was stable and true: north.
Angband, or "Iron Prison", may have been more than metaphorical.