Rían at the Hill of Slain by Zdenka

Chapter 1

The North Wind wildly blew across the land,
destroying humble hearth and royal tower.
Bent to the ground, I sheltered in my hand
a single blade of grass, a single flower.
When poisoned darkness swallowed up the Light,
the Valar from the wounds of Morgoth’s spear
saved but a single fruit, a single flower.
On wings uplifted, glorious and bright
they shone on high, and Morgoth’s heart knew fear;
the Sun and Moon still stand beyond his power.

This flower that I saved beneath my hands,
not even Morgoth with his iron bars
shall fence it in; its roots will touch the sands
of the Great Sea, its leaves will brush the stars.
Though now my strength is spent, though soon my breath
will falter into silence, while the light
still lingers on this hill whereunder lies
my lord with all his men in sleep of death,
ere yet I go to him, here with the sight
of death I sing to you: a star will rise.

Chapter End Notes

“here with the sight / of death I sing to you: a star will rise.” - From Huor’s words to Turgon at Nirnaeth Arnoediad: “This I say to you, lord, with the eyes of death: though we part here for ever, and I shall not look on your white walls again, from you and from me a new star shall arise.” (The Silmarillion, “Of the Fifth Battle”) And of course Eärendil is Rían’s grandson as well as Huor’s.