A Candle for the Hollow City by Lordnelson100

Chapter 5 Kings of Gold and Grey

Now it happened that Grey-Cloak the Forest King had a beautiful daughter, called Nightingale, most dear to her father and mother and people. Nightingale was herself strong and powerful, wise and magical like her mother, and she could turn herself into the form of a bird or an animal, or turn her long black hair into a shadowy cloak and run invisible when she willed it. So she travelled through the deep woods alone without harm,  and went where she wanted.

Journeying one time in the wilderness she met One-Hand, a brave warrior of the people of Men, and both being mighty and courageous they liked each other well, and fell in love. They danced and hunted in the woods and shared a horn of mead, and chose one another freely under the Moon and stars.

When King Grey-Cloak heard of this, he was furious that his daughter should chose a mortal warrior, and not an Elven lord, as a husband. Not surprising! So have many a father and many a mother stamped in anger,  and shouted at their children’s choices of the heart, thinking them foolish, and wishing it otherwise!  Yet it is not given to parents to part any who have chosen their One freely,  in true love. Not even for Kings.

But there came into the head of Grey-Cloak a very wicked idea. He imprisoned his daughter, and swore she and her love should never be together, unless the Man sought out and obtained one of the Cursed Jewels from the very crown of the Enemy.

And this was a murderous and treacherous vow! For he purposed One-Hand should die in the doing of this seeming impossible deed, but that the blood would not be on Thinkol’s own hands. He seemed to think that he could hide his thoughts even from the Powers. But they cannot be fooled. They saw his wicked purpose.

In deep sorrow, but filled with brave intent, One-Hand went then to Nargothrond to seek Felakgundu, the Golden King, because that Elf had been the friend of his father and grandfather before him, and there were sacred vows of service and  shield-brothership among their families.  And in loyalty and loving friendship, Felakgundu went together with hero One-Hand, and sought their terrible foe, with only a few brave warriors behind them.  

The Speaker paused here for a time. One in the Chorus used the ancient bull’s horn to make a call both noble and melancholy, and the Dwarves sang for the setting forth of that journey. And they filled all cups and drank together for so brave and impossible a quest.

But after a mighty struggle,  these good warriors all fell into the hands of the Enemy’s terrible captain, the Lord of Wolves (who was our hated foe Sauron under another name), and were like to die. But the Maker Mahal and his Sacred Brothers and Sisters did not allow that.  

Instead, Nightingale, being s a mighty sorceress, had a dream sent to her of her spouse’s great peril, and she broke her prison, and flew to his aid in the form of a bird. And together they threw down the Lord of Wolves, and fought their way even into the castle of the Enemy himself, and knocked him down and took one of the Great Jewels from his crown, and flew away, for the Powers willed it so!

But brave Felakgundu was not with them. For he had been slain by the terrible Lord of Wolves, defending his friend. His blood stained the stones of the dark prison, and the bright King went never home to Nargothrond of the beautiful caves.

And the Enemy, though he was for the moment struck to the ground, was not truly wounded. Soon he arose. In his rage, he sent his armies against the kingdom of lost Finrod, and without their bright king, the power even of these fair Elves of old was naught, and his fortress was uncovered and broken. For the Enemy’s host was lead by a dragon, Glaurung the Terrible, whom our own great King Azaghâl wrestled in the Battle of Uncounted Tears. And Nulukkizdîn’s people died or fled away. The dragon entered into the empty house, and crouched upon the treasures there.

All this came in great part of the wicked vow that Grey-Cloak had wished upon his daughter and her husband. For if the Enemy had completed these dooms, it was Thinkol who sent the heroes to their fate.