The Deal by Kriemhild

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Chapter 1

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I hopped from rock to rock, boulder to boulder, and slowly but surelymade my way down the ravine

The Deal

I hopped from rock to rock, boulderto boulder, and slowly but surely made my way down the ravine. About halfwaydown, a cold wind blew and sent my long hair flying into my face. As I brushedit back into place, I shrank against the rocks. There were always eyeswatching, especially Manwe's, and his eyes were the ones I didnÕt want to seeme.

When I was within ten feet of thebottom of the ravine, I slipped on a rock and fell the rest of the way, landingon a very hard rock.

Hissing in pain, I stumbled to myfeet and thanked whoever was listening, except the Valar, that my bones didnÕtbreak easily.

Glancing around the ravine, IdidnÕt see anyone. Not terribly surprising as this part of Valinor wasnÕtinhabited. According to the Valar, at least, and what did they know?

'Come out,Ó I whispered. 'I knowyouÕre here.Ó

Silence.

I looked around and called outagain, louder this time. Still no answer. I was beginning to feel like themadman the Valar, particularly Varda, claimed I was.

'Damn it,Ó I hissed. 'Now IÕmtalking to myself.Ó Not a terribly unusual thing. I used to talk to myself allthe time while I was imprisoned in the Halls of Mandos. Actually, I was rathersurprised I wasnÕt incurably insane after spending several thousand yearsthere.

'What do you want?Ó a cautious andquiet voice asked.

Spinning around, I looked at thespot the voice had come from. There was no one there.

'Who are you?Ó I demanded.Certainly not the person IÕd come to talk to. For one thing, this was a malevoice.

'I am Ungwe,Ó the voice said. 'Whydo you come here?Ó he asked, sounding curious.

Ungwe, eh? I thought. Probably oneof Her children. I thought about asking Ôwhere are youÕ but decided against it.As a Vala myself, I shouldnÕt be admitting a weakness like not being able tosee something.

Walking closer to where Ungwe's voice was coming from, I saw that there was a large boulder there. Lookingbehind it, I found a very short, very hairy, creature standing there, lookingup at me.

Ungwe was a cross between a spider anda child, though of what race, I didnÕt know. Certainly not elven, that was forsure. He was covered, from head to toe, with thick black hair. Eight bright redeyes glimmered in his head, and while his wide mouth held only two teeth, theywere long and sharp. Ungwe walked on two legs though, and appeared in all otherrespects to be a child.

'What are you?Ó I asked.

'I am Ungwe,Ó the spider-childsaid, pointing to himself. 'DidnÕt I already tell you that? You must not bethat smart.Ó

I glared at him, but Ungwe justsmiled back.

'Your mother is Ungoliant?Ó Iasked.

'Yes, that is Mother,Ó Ungwe said.

'Take me to her,Ó I said. 'I have adeal she canÕt refuse.Ó

'Why canÕt she refuse?Ó Ungweasked.

'What?Ó

'Why canÕt she refuse this deal?Ó

'Because she wouldnÕt want to!Ó Iexclaimed in exasperation. 'It's an amazing deal! No one in their right mindwould refuse a deal like this!Ó

Ungwe thought this over, then henodded. 'I will take you to Mother,Ó he said. 'Why are you not offering me thisdeal?Ó he asked as an afterthought.

I looked at the three-foot, hairycreature. 'No idea,Ó I said. 'Just take me to Ungoliant.Ó

Ungwe nodded and pointed to a holein the wall of the ravine I hadnÕt noticed before.

'In there,Ó he said, walkingtowards it.

'How could I have missed this?Ó Imuttered as I followed him. A thick curtain of spider webs hung over theentrance, and while Ungwe was able to walk under them, I ran head first intothem, and ended up covered in tiny spiders.

'DonÕt hurt my brothers andsisters,Ó Ungwe said as I brushed the spiders off.

'TheyÕre UngoliantÕs?Ó I asked,ceasing the brushing-off of the spiders. If I wanted Ungoliant to help me, IÕdbest not kill her children.

'No,Ó Ungwe said. 'But all spidersare her children.Ó

Not hers though, I thought. Not bybirth. I continued brushing off the spiders.

After IÕd finished, Ungwe led methrough crooked, twisting tunnels that had been bored straight into the sidesof the ravine. The ground was far from smooth. It was more like walking up amountain that was composed mostly of sharp rocks than walking through a tunnel,I thought.

'Almost there,Ó Ungwe said. Spiderwebs had started to appear on the walls of the tunnel. Thousand of spiderscrawled in them, and thousand of flies and insects hung dead or dying in thewebs.

The tunnel ended abruptly in alarge cavern. It was about twenty yards in length and width, and the ceilingwas lost in darkness and webs. Scattered about the floor were dozens of otherspider-children, all staring at me. And there, at the far end of the cavern,was a dais, on that was a throne. And on the throne was the woman IÕd come totalk to.

'There is Mother,Ó Ungwe said,pushing me forward slightly before melting into the crowd of spider-children.

'Who are you?Ó Ungoliant called.Her voice was proud and haughty. The voice of a great queen who thought sheknew all the world and controlled it.

'My name is Melkor,Ó I said. 'And Iam a Vala.Ó

'Humph!Ó Ungoliant said, giving mea disdainful look. 'I do not care for Vala. Except perhaps for meals, though IcanÕt say for sure as IÕve never tried them.Ó

'We are not good to eat, I assureyou,Ó I said. Ungoliant did not look convinced.

'Why are you here?Ó she asked,bored now. If I was as I said, and not edible, then there was no point in mycoming.

'I have come to offer you a deal,ÓI said.

Ungoliant sighed and waved a handfor me to continue.

'What do you know of light?Ó Iasked.

'It is a thing belonging only tothe queen,Ó one spider-child said.

Ungoliant glared at the speaker andhissed something. The spider-child hung its head and shrank back into thecrowd.

'You are the queen of all light?Ó Iasked.

'I own it,Ó Ungoliant said. 'How doyou know of it?Ó she asked suspiciously as if I knew of a very special andvaluable treasure that belonged to her and no one else.

'On the surface,Ó I said, pointingtowards the ceiling, 'there is much light.Ó

'How is this possible?' Ungoliantsnarled. 'Did some of it escape?Ó she snarled, turning on one of thespider-children closest to her.

'No, Mother,Ó the spider-childwhimpered. 'None of it has escaped.Ó

'Then how did it get on thesurface?Ó Ungoliant yelled.

'It has always been that way,Ó Isaid. 'The Valar created it.Ó

'I must get it back,Ó Ungoliantwhispered. 'It must be mine, and mine alone!Ó

'I wholeheartedly agree with you,ÓI said. 'And in order to defend your claim to the light, I destroyed the Lampsof Valinor many years ago. And for that, I was imprisoned for many long years.Ó

Ungoliant looked at me with someinkling of pleasure in her eyes. You have pleased me, her eyes seemed to say.Speak your deal.

'Though light is now rampant andcannot be confined completely,Ó I said, 'there exist three gems that hold avery special kind of light.Ó

'Where are these gems?Ó Ungoliantsnarled. 'I must have them!Ó

'And you shall,Ó I assured her.'And many others like them, though lesser in beauty and light. But first, I bega favor.Ó

'What?Ó

'Destroy the producers of thisspecial light. They are called the Two Trees and they will never allow you toown them.Ó

'If they do not bow to me, I willdestroy them,Ó Ungoliant said, licking her lips. 'Tell me, are these trees goodto eat?Ó

'They are full of light,Ó I said.'Is light good to eat?Ó

'I do not eat my light,Ó Ungoliantsaid. 'Light is precious. It cannot be wasted on things such as hunger.Ó

'Ah, but on the surface there islight in abundance,Ó I said. 'You could eat light for eternity and never runout of it.Ó

Greed flared to life in UngoliantÕseyes. Intense greed. She would do anything to get this light.

'Where are these gems that holdthis special light?Ó she asked.

'The gems are called Silmarils,Ó Itold her. 'And they are held in a fortress known as Formenos. After we destroythe producers of this light, I will lead you there.'

Ungoliant didnÕt even pause beforeshe answered. 'I agree to this deal,Ó she said. 'Lead me to this Formenos.Ó

'Follow me,Ó I said, turning andwalking out of the cavern.

Somehow, I found my way backthrough the maze of tunnels to the caveÕs entrance. Ungoliant quickly followedme in and gasped when she saw the dim light.

'How did this light escape me?Ó shewhispered.

'This is nothing compared to theTwo Trees,Ó I told her.

'These trees must be great indeed,ÓUngoliant said.

I started climbing back up theravine, but paused when I saw Ungoliant wasnÕt following me.

'Coming?Ó I asked.

'In this fragile form I cannotclimb,Ó Ungoliant said. She didnÕt look like a spider at all, save for two verylong fangs that protruded from her mouth. Other than that, she appeared to be avery lovely Maia.

'It may not seem so, but this formis stronger than you think,Ó I said.

'Perhaps, but this form is strongerthan all,Ó Ungoliant said. Her shape wavered for an instance and then adarkness enfolded it. When the darkness parted, a massive spider stood wherethe woman previously had been.

Ungoliant jumped onto the ravineand clambered up it before I was even halfway up.

'You are slow,Ó she noted as shewatched me from the top of the ravine. 'Hurry up, the light awaits me.Ó

'I am coming as fast as I can,Ó Isaid, scrambling up as fast as I could without slipping and falling.

'You are far too slow,Ó Ungoliantsaid when I reached the top of the ravine. 'Climb on my back,Ó she said. 'Youwill guide me from there and we will reach these trees faster.Ó

I nodded and clambered on top ofthe giant spider. After giving her directions we started off at a pace Ithought impossible for a spider, no matter how large. In less than an hour wewere approaching the Mound of the Trees. Above us, the mingling of the lightshad begun. LaurelinÕs gold was beginning to dim as TelperionÕs silver startedto grow.

'What light!Ó Ungoliant gasped in awhisper full of awe. Her multiple red eyes grew bright with greed. 'And it willsoon be mine.Ó

'Drink your fill,Ó I said as wedrew to the base of the mound. 'Destroy these things that will not give youtheir light.Ó

Ungoliant reached the first tree,Laurelin, and attempted to pierce its bark with her fangs.

'This treeÕs skin is tough,Ó shesaid. 'Even my sharp fangs cannot make its blood flow.Ó

'Allow me,Ó I said, drawing adagger. As I slammed the blade into the base of the tree, I felt almostvindicated for all those years in Mandos. The Valar imprisoned me and I woulddeprive them of their greatest treasures. A fair exchange.

'It tastes so sweet,Ó Ungoliantgurgled as she drained LaurelinÕs sap. As it was being sucked dry, the treeÕsleaves started to fall and its golden glow faded.

When Laurelin was no more than ahollow shell, Ungoliant ceased drinking and started towards Telperion.

'Pierce its skin,Ó Ungoliant toldme, and I did so. When Telperion was empty, a great darkness descended upon theland. There was still a faint glow though.

'Where is that coming from?Ó Imuttered, walking towards the light. 'Ah, the Wells of Varda,Ó I said uponfinding the source of the light.

'More light,Ó Ungoliant hissed, andbefore I could stop her, she was drinking the Wells dry.

'Has the light filled you?Ó Iasked.

'Bring me to this Formenos,ÓUngoliant said. 'And then perhaps I will be full.Ó

I nodded and pointed in thedirection of the elven fortress.

'Get on my back,Ó Ungoliant said.'And we will be there soon.Ó

I did as she said and soon themound with its dead trees was far behind us. It was then that I noticed that asUngoliant walked, a great darkness would fall on everything behind her. Thatought to through off any pursuers, I thought.

'Will there be any guards aroundthese Silmarils?Ó Ungoliant asked as we approached Formenos.

'I think not,Ó I said, though IwasnÕt sure. The elves were all supposed to be at a festival like the Valar hadasked, but since when had Feanor listened to the Valar?

'Alas,Ó Ungoliant said. 'I washungry for some meat to go with this wondrous light.Ó

'Perhaps you will yet find food,Ó Isaid. The gates of Formenos loomed near and I scanned the land for any guards.

Ungoliant smashed through the gatesas if they were made of twigs and not the strongest steel ever forged by elves.

'Where is the light?Ó she hissed,feverish eyes looking around.

'Inside,Ó I said, hopping off herback. She followed close behind me, almost breathing down my neck, as weentered Formenos.

'No guards,Ó Ungoliant said.'Foolish.Ó

'Yes, very foolish,Ó I said. Andnot like Feanor at all. For all his faults, he is not a fool. Surely there mustbe one guard?

As we approached the great vaultwherein the Silmarils and other precious jewels were kept, I saw movement.Spinning, I came face-to-face with Finwe, high king of the Noldor.

'Ill met, evil one!Ó Finweexclaimed. He was armed only with a spear and wore no armor.

I easily dodged his clumsy thrustwith the spear and took advantage of the darkness that spread from Ungoliant toget behind the high kingÕs back.

'Where are you?Ó Finwe hissed,looking around. But the king was blind in the darkness and couldnÕt see thedanger he was in.

'Right behind you,Ó I said,slipping the dagger in between his ribs. It pierced his heart and the high kingof the Noldor fell, blood welling from the wound.

'HereÕs your meat, Ungoliant,Ó Isaid, cleaning my dagger on FinweÕs shirt.

'Light!Ó Ungoliant called frominside the vault. How sheÕd gotten in, I had no idea, but from the look of thenow-twisted doors, IÕd say the lust for light had driven her almost to madness.

I had to reach the Silmarils beforeUngoliant, or risk losing them forever. Fortunately, the giant spider was busyeating a barrel of shining gems and paying no attention whatsoever to the ironcasket that rested on a nearby shelf. I quickly grabbed the casket and tuckedit under my right arm. Then I turned my attention to the other jewels in theroom.

'The Valar will be coming,Ó I saidafter a while. I had been selective about which gems I kept. Only the fairestand brightest would fill the halls of the new fortress I would build.

'I am sated,Ó Ungoliant said. Shehad eaten nearly all the gems that I had not saved. 'We may leave.Ó

It was then I heard the horn ofOrome. 'We have to leave!Ó I exclaimed, jumping onto her back. 'Run! ToBeleriand!Ó

'How do I get there?Ó Ungoliantasked. There was a trace of fear in her voice.

'Through the Helcaraxe,Ó I said.'Hurry! We do not have much time!Ó

Ungoliant moved like her lifedepended on it, and it probably did. The light in the gems increased her power,and her speed, and the next time the horn of Orome sounded, it was far in thedistance and we nearly over the Helcaraxe.

When we reached Beleriand,Ungoliant stopped and I got off her back.

apos;Thank you for your services,Ó Isaid. I looked into the north and my heart stirred as I saw the mountains of myold stronghold there. Soon there will be another, I thought. And then all Ardawill belong to me.

'I have not yet had my payment,ÓUngoliant hissed. 'Give me the gems you took from Formenos. Such was the termsof our agreement.Ó

I heaved a sigh and grudginglyhanded over the beautiful, priceless, and irreplaceable gems. The first oneUngoliant devoured was a perfect pearl the color of the clouds at sunset. Itgave off a soft pinkish-orange light, but as it disappeared into UngoliantÕsmouth, I knew the light would never be seen again in Arda.

The next to go was a flawless bluesapphire that shone like the sea. After that a perfectly cut diamond thatflared like the stars was consumed. And so one by one, the gems disappearedfrom the world.

'YouÕve given me all the gems inyour left hand,Ó Ungoliant said. 'But you still hold something in your righthand. Give them to me.Ó

The Silmarils were beginning toburn through the casket and scorched my hand. They hated my touch, my evil, andwere determined to burn it away.

'No,Ó I said, shaking my head.'These are mine, and will never belong to you.Ó

'You promised me!Ó Ungoliantsnarled. She was a monster now. Towering over me with great flaming red eyesand drooling fangs, she opened her mouth wide to receive the Silmarils.

'I lied,Ó I said.

Ungoliant roared and then thedarkness that surrounded her pounced on me, knocking me to the ground andbinding me. Still, I clutched the Silmarils to my chest with both my hands,despite that now the Silmarils were burning both.

'Give them to me,Ó Ungoliant roared.Sticky webs flew from her and replaced the darkness in holding me. I wascovered with the impossibly strong things before Ungoliant stopped. 'Lastchance,Ó she said.

'These are mine!Ó I yelled.

The webs started to constrict,choking my life away. I writhed in pain as the webs started to crush me. Strongas my bones were, the webs were stronger still. They crushed my left leg,sending fiery bolts of agony up my body. I could feel blood flowing down my legas a bone burst through the skin.

I screamed.

For what seemed like ages, Iscreamed. The earth shook with it, the mountains trembled and the skiesshuddered. And then I stopped as the webs closed in on my neck. I gasped forbreath and my eyes bulged from their sockets.

And then a mighty roar shook theland and I heard the tramp of feet. Something had heard my terrible cry and hadcome. Though to help me or Ungoliant I couldnÕt tell.

Suddenly the webs loosened and Icould breathe again. The websÕ strength disappeared and I heard Ungoliantrunning off. What had frightened her away? I wondered.

As I struggled with the webs, afiery whip sliced through the sticky material, freeing me. Gothmog grabbed myhand and helped me to my feet.

'My king,Ó he said, bowing. 'Youhave returned.Ó

'Yes,Ó I said, picking off the lastof the webbing. 'And I have returned victorious!Ó I held the casket containingthe Silmarils over my head. 'I have revenged myself upon the Valar! I havespilled the first blood in Arda! The Two Trees are dead! And I have theSilmarils!Ó

Though they didnÕt know what theSilmarils were, the Balrogs cheered loudly and gazed in wonder at the casket.

'Let us return to the north,Ó Isaid. 'And there we shall build a new fortress and defend the Silmarils againstall who would claim them!Ó The Balrogs cheered louder. 'With these,Ó I said,tapping the casket, 'I will rule the world!Ó The Balrogs cheered even louder.Come what may, I thought, there is nothing that can stop me.