Walking into Darkness by Aiwen

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A Cause Without a Rebel

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Curufin and Celegorm ruled Nargothrond in fact while I was lord in name. I went through the motions of running the kingdom. They went out hunting frequently. It eased my mind to get them out of the city for a while, so I had no quarrel with their going. If my luck was very great, perhaps one of them would have a fall and break his neck. But fate was not so kind.

One day they came back with a most unexpected guest. Princess Luthien of Doriath. They did not see fit to inform me of her arrival, so that it was three days later when I learned of it from Gwindor, whose father Guilin had become deep in the councils of the new lords of Nargothrond. However, it appeared Guilin had now seen things that he disliked, which he just happened to repeat in his son's presence. Guilin was far too canny to do anything of the sort unintentionally.

I bullied the guards into letting me see her. I might have little power, but they dared not deny me to my face without the support of their lords. What she had to say froze my blood.

"Beren, Finrod and their companions have been imprisoned in the Tol-in-Gaurhoth for over a month. I have been trying to get help for them ever since, but it proved impossible in Doriath and I ended up having to escape after my father imprisoned me at the top of Hirilorn. I've been trying to get to see you ever since I arrived here, but Celegorm and Curufin kept telling me that you were unavailable, or busy, or visiting friends in some unspecified location, and the guards that they say are for my protection will not let me leave these rooms. Will you help? They have your uncle and your King too, not Beren only."

"Are they still alive?" I asked.

"Beren is. He's frightened and in pain, but he is not dead. I would know if he were dead. Finrod... I do not know, but they would not kill him if they know who he is. He would make far too valuable a prisoner. I take it Gorthaur's minions have not come to taunt you over Finrod's captivity, then?"

"I knew nothing of this until you spoke. Nothing! I presume you told Celegorm and Curufin of this?"

"It was practically the first thing I told them. You mean they didn't tell you? They have known nearly a week!"

I nodded.

Luthien swallowed. "You must do something," she insisted. "You are the regent with Finrod gone."

I looked away. The fact was, I wasn't sure what I could do. The last time I faced Gorthaur with an army, I lost badly. The nightmares had never entirely gone away. To face him again... I could not do it. Even without Curufin and and Celegorm's certain hindrance such an action would be hopeless. I could not ask my people to die for nothing. Not that they'd follow me anyway.

"I do not know that it is possible. I must speak to the council, now that I know what is going on."

"There must be a way somehow! He is your uncle, surely you cannot intend to leave him there?"

"I will do what I can," I answered. However little that may be...

She looked back, and I could see the hope in her eyes dying.

"Do you then desire a throne so badly you will let your uncle, whom I had always been told you loved dearly, die in prison? I had not thought such of you!"

"How dare you! You have not the faintest idea of what you've walked into, have you?" Tears sprang to my eyes unbidden, and I wiped angrily at them. "I may be lord in name but I have no power. I can barely keep my daughter safe from Celegorm's grasping hands! Why do you think Finrod went off on this mad quest with so few in the first place? It was not by choice-"

At that moment, Curufin stepped into the room. "Princess Luthien," he said, bowing. "Prince Orodreth. How good to see you." He frowned at me. "I thought you were meeting with the scouts."

"You forget. I did so yesterday. But since you so obviously do not wish me here, I take my leave." I turned and left.

I went home, but stopped only long enough to collect my climbing equipment. Meril saw my face, but said only "When you return, we need to talk."

I went to a place in the caves I knew. I had climbed there many a time before, when I did not have time to leave the city, or when the weather was bad. I climbed, rapelled down, and climbed again. Finally some of the tension drained out of me. I returned home, not really wanting to talk with Meril, but calm enough that I probably wouldn't dissolve into uselessness. Luthien was right, I had to at least try to do something. It probably wouldn't work but the alternative was unthinkable.

Meril saw me coming and opened the door as I arrived. "Whatever is the matter?" She asked after I was safely inside.

"Finrod is a prisoner in the Tol-in-Guarhoth." Meril's eyes widened in horror, but she gestured to me to keep speaking. "If he is still alive. Beren is still alive, but Luthien cannot tell if Finrod is. The Feanorions are keeping her prisoner in all but name, and did not inform me about either her presence or Finrod's fate though they knew both full well. What am I going to do, Meril? They aren't going to lift a hand to rescue him, and I can't face Gorthaur without them even if I were by some miracle to get our people to follow me. Curse them, and Finrod's implacable oath! And their oath as well while we're at it, and Beren's oath and Thingol's!"

"Orodreth, I don't think that is necessary. All of them except the Feanorions are in quite enough trouble already."

"You know I didn't mean it that way, dear."

"I just want you to calm down," Meril replied. "You don't have to make a decision immediately, and panicking is not going to help your uncle."

"I want to help them," I replied. "The trouble is, it is not in my power to get them out. Certainly I could make an effort, but all it will do is get people killed. The last time I went up against Gorthaur I lost badly. Yes, yes we got out, but that was only because Gorthaur wanted the tower rather than our deaths. I should have used the spell of unmaking on the tower and I knew it even then, but I could not find the strength of will to make it function amidst the nightmare hallucinations. If I face Gorthaur again I am going to lose my mind and accomplish nothing whatever save to destroy Nargothrond and its people. Ultimately Finrod and the others are only twelve people. Twelve people or an entire kingdom... at least they are adults who walked knowingly into their fate. We can't do anything."

I stopped pacing, and sat down. "The trouble is, if it were me in that dungeon and him sitting here he would not sit here and do nothing. He would find a way to help me, or would at least try. For that matter, that is how his own oath to Barahir happened. He was trying to reach Angrod and Aegnor. Of course, that didn't work and look where we are now... but there must be some way to make it work!" I got up again and resumed pacing.

"We know the layout of the tower; if we could just get a small group inside without Gorthaur's notice we could probably get Finrod and the others out. The problem is, we'd have to find people as insane as the ones who left with Finrod in the first place, and get them past Gorthaur. Finrod didn't get past Gorthaur. How many more people must die before we realize we can't get them out of this?"

"What about Luthien?" Meril asked. "Thingol is not going to take his daughter's captivity well."

"I don't know what I'm going to do about that. They have no right to confine her, it is blatantly unlawful, but I can't make them do anything. You are right; King Elu Thingol is going to explode when he finds out about this, and he is probably going to blame me. Although he might actually thank us for preventing her running after Beren - he imprisoned her to prevent her chasing after him, after all."

"Thingol imprisoned his own daughter?" said Meril in astonishment.

"Yes, really. She escaped against his will, from what she told me. If I knew that was the only reason Celegorm and Curufin were holding her..."

"You need to tell the people what is happening. You may not be able to do much about the situation, but you have the responsibility to let them know what is going on."

I blinked." You are right. They definitely need to know this. I'll have to call the council together." The enormity of what that entailed struck me. I'd never be able to stand up to the Feanorions without allies. It would also be much better if we could get Luthien to be present. Quite what I'd do once the council had been told was an open question also. The situation was likely to be quite chaotic and I did not handle chaos well. Oh no...

"Why don't you to speak to Elris, Thorontir, and Moriel? I know they don't like what's been happening and they will want to help Finrod."

"Finrod told me not to start another kinslaying - but I need to speak to Thorontir anyway about the progress of the sewer extensions. I shall speak to him..." I looked down and realized I was still in my climbing gear, "after it is no longer obvious that I have been climbing the walls. When did Moriel get here?"

"I spoke to her last night. She said she had been trying to get hold of you for the past three days to talk about the impact of the new secrecy laws."

"Oh. I guess I have been rather hard to speak to lately."

"Water across the Ford. Go have a bath, and talk to Thorontir." Meril gave me a gentle push towards the bathing chamber.