Annael by Tomour

Chapter 2, section 5

As a teenager, Tuor seeks a direction for his life, and a vision of the future arises.  

The years passed and Tuor became restless with youth. Water had little to say to him anymore.  Instead he became competitive with the elves.  He had grown very strong, able to wield the war axe as well as the the grey-elven bow. The first time he beat one of his friends in sword-play he was elated and thoughtlessly said: “Ha. That is how we humans do it!” But the expression on his uncle’s face made him feel ashamed at his insult.  

Often he grew enamored with one female elf or another, doting on her for weeks, but all saw him as a mere child, and kindly brushed him off.  Still, everyone noted that he grew in knowledge, strength, and beauty, tall and valiant.  When he was sixteen years old he became angry thinking about the long story of the grief of his people, and how futile the little attacks of the elves where.  He railed at how the harsh tribes of the east enslaved ‘his people’ and how the orcs brutalized them. “They do not respect Middle Earth and someday it will swallow them!” he insisted.  “ We are its power and its health.  We must drive them out instead of harassing them with random raids!” They smiled kindly, for he always seemed the child amongst them.

Not much later he was with a patrol on the northern edge of the woods, following a group of orcs. Tuor came up beside Annael and spoke. “We must do something father.  We must attack; burn the Easterling houses, ruin their fields, something.  We must drive them from the land.  This is our home, where we live and here we will die.”

"No, young one,” Annael said, "far from here will your fate carry you." These words seemed to harden Tuor’s dark mood so Annael added, "I know for certain that the shadow of Morgoth will not lift from Hithlum until his terrible fortress of Angband is overthrown. Thus we trouble him for a time but the day will come when we must go south to the mouth of the river Sirion to band with others and then mass an attack, or make a final escape across the sea."

"But how could we ever leave these valleys?” protested Tuor, “Surely we would bring men and Orcs upon us quickly."

Annael’s response was mysterious, "We will go East and seek Annon-in-Gelydh, the gate of the Noldor. It is hidden, but it waits for those who will find it.  It was made with skill long ago in the days when Turgon ruled at Vinyamar. It will lead us to freedom.

At this name, something stirred in Tuor.  He had heard it long ago and hope awakened on hearing it again.  He looked to Annael and asked, "Who was this that once ruled?"

"He is," replied his foster father, "a son of mighty Fingolfin and is now accounted High King of the Noldor. He lives as the most feared of all the foes of Morgoth. He is the one who escaped the ruin of the Battle of Tears because Huor, your father, and your uncle Hurin of Dor-Lomin, held the passes of river Sirion.  Because of your father, Turgon lived to rule and to fight on."

Tuor said with sudden certainty, "Then I must go and see him. For my father's sake, he will lend me aid to drive the evil from my people's homeland.”

Annael shook his head, "To visit Turgon is something no one can do, for his stronghold is hidden from the eyes of men and of elves. No one knows where it stands, though we all have heard of his gleaming city of white.”

Tuor said, incredulity and challenge in his voice, "I can't believe that you father, leader of our people, could not know something so important!"

Annael sighed, "Not one grey elf could ever know. Of the Noldorian elves, there may be some who have ventured from there and know the way. But," he insisted, "none ever speak of their knowledge. I am certain that if you wish to speak with Turgon, first you must come with me to the far havens of the south and there we will seek wanderers from the hidden kingdom." 

Like a well-spring, small, yet flowing on to become the mightiest of rivers, the desire rose in Tuor to travel and see mighty Gondolin the most beautiful of all the cities of the world. He would go, whether his foster father allowed it or not.

Chapter End Notes

End of Chapter 2 of “Tuor Comes to Gondolin.”