The Story of the Silent from the Beginning of the World by SteveofCallie

The Quorin During Days of the Quenta Silmarillion

On the Unchaining of Melkor

After the long years during which Melkor lay bound with the chain Angainor and imprisoned within the Halls of Mandos, he was brought to trial before the Valar on Valinor.  The rest of Ainur pleaded with Nienna and Yavanna, that they should beg to bring Caladan and the attendants of the Temple of Melkor to the Ring of Doom in Valinor, to give unmatched counsel on the state of redemption of Melkor after the long imprisonment.  But Caladan and the Quorin again were silent and would not answer the request of their sponsors Nienna and Yavanna.

The Valar were troubled, as the Quorin loved Melkor in the form that he sang with Caladan, most deeply with all their hearts, but still would not visit him in Valinor.  They felt that the incarnation of Melkor as Morgoth Bauglir was not a legitimate form of the spirit of Melkor and the shadow of Morgoth was doomed to pass in the mill of Time from the face of Melkor.

Before even the arrival of Melkor enchained, Ulmo did lift the veil and the Valar beheld the light of Tol Úpahtëa far beyond the horizon painting the sky with inexpressible beauty.  But even after the lifting of the veil, no ship could venture near the island from the intense light and heat upon approach, so bright was the light that smoke rose from the masts and sails; and the way to Tol Úpahtëa was closed, even to the Ainur.

And Melkor was greatly relieved that the Pen-úgarth did not come, and especially Caladan.  He lied to that Valar in his trial that his fear of the greater power of Caladan that made him greedy for even more might and gaining more strength, in order to protect himself against Caladan.

Long after the judgment and release of Melkor, and after he crept into evil once more, even more bitter was the despite of the Valar for the Quorin at the Darkening of Valinor, after the rise of Morgoth again from his deception of Manwë and the rest of the Valar at the Ring of Doom.  For they imagined that Caladan could have warned them that the wickedness of Morgoth had not left forever, but he remained silent.

On the coming of the Pen-úgarth to Middle-Earth The First Lonely Pilgrim

Long silent were the Quorin; they had no voice in the later parts of the Song of Creation and cared little for the depredation of Morgoth Bauglir and his slaves.

After the destruction of the Two Lamps, Yavanna protected all by placing life into a deep sleep, not to awaken until the creation of the Sun and Moon, the Second Spring of Arda.  During the Deep Sleep, Melian and Thingol protected the small realm in Beleriand where the sleep was not upon life.  Yavanna spoke to the Orvlann pleading for a special intercession by a member of the Isle.

For greatly did Yavanna fear that the poison of Ungoliant Wirilomë, the putrid deathlight of the Two Trees, the fetid, purulent filth of tainted blood of the trees in her ghastly abdomen, would become smeared in the darkness across Middle-Earth by her retreat to Ered Gorgoroth in Beleriand.  The smears of poisoned and envenomed light might themselves awaken with the life of the Second Spring under the light of the Sun, to poison the sap of all trees of Middle-earth.

A Maia in her service, Nissírë (known later as Duin Adaneth) lived within a dark stream in a sleeping woodland near the coast, far from the depredations of Morgoth in past years.  Yavanna pleaded to all of the Pen-úgarth, for a forester to travel to Middle-Earth to protect against the corruption of the trees in this little wood. If the foul poison of Ungoliant did spread about Middle-Earth, one small grove might be spared.

One of the Maiar of Melkor from the Quorin came forward, as he had long been favored by Yavanna and was greatly trusted in matters of living and growing things and agreed to travel to the valley of the domain of Nissírë, to watch and be her helper.  He was known by a myriad of names - Yára Ontáro, Cundu Tasarion; Iarwain the Guardian; Forn the Herald. His companion is Tasariel, daughter of Nissírë.

Of that Maia and his story from the eldest of days of Middle-Earth is told elsewhere; for he dwelt long in the copse and kept it invisible to the eyes of Morgoth and his servants.  That woodland is hidden, but it endures to this day. Yára Ontáro and Tasariel, daughter of Nissírë, still watch over it