Abandoning Middle-Earth by Cirdan

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Abandoning Middle-Earth

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Maedhros left his sword Helcar unsheathed, for its red blade was already aflame and only the scabbard kept it from revealing their location to the fell servants of Morgoth. Elros, half-crouched beside him, noted this and so did not draw his sword Aranruth. Though he was only 15 years of age, he was already a man of full adult stature of body, and this rapid growth was attributed to his mortal ancestry. Maedhros had taken note of this and had gradually allowed Elros to accompany him in the battles, for their numbers were ever dwindling and every available sword was needed. Although they were a scouting party, they numbered only four. Maedhros glanced at Elros's scabbard and saw that his hand remained on the hilt of his sword but that the blade remained wholly sheathed; Elros had not even withdrawn it a twig's width in youthful eagerness. Maedhros locked eyes with the boy for a moment and nodded slightly in approval, and though the servants of Morgoth might slay them on this very night, Elros's spirit was high from that single nod. They remained motionless, and yet there was no sound in the heavy darkness, not even the sounds of crickets chirping in the fields.

At last, Maedhros broke the smothering silence. "What hear you, Gimli?" he asked of the blind Elf.

"The servants of Morgoth are indeed moving under the cover of darkness," Gimli said slowly. "Amon Ereb is surrounded, and the ring of death marches closer from all sides. From the southwest, though, the stomping of Orcs is lightest." Maedhros nodded, and Elros knew almost immediately that he would lead his people forth once more, but where would they go? Elros was training to be a leader of men as well, but he could think of nowhere that was not under Morgoth's dominion.

"Why must you choose positions that are so difficult to defend?" complained Legolas. He aided Gimli to stand. It had been Legolas, with the far-seeing lenses, who had first seen the faintest hint of the rising of dust about the Lonely Hill. Legolas wasn't serious, of course. Though there was indeed no cover, Amon Ereb was the only hill in a region of flat plains, and so it served as an excellent watch post. However, if they were surrounded by some chance, they would be trapped with insufficient stores of food to last for very long. The strength of Amon Ereb depended upon their vigilance and their reaction time.

"We leave by that way tonight then," Maedhros said.

"But where will we go, Ada?" Elros asked as they hurried back to the main camp, with Legolas guiding Gimli's steps. "There is no place that is safe from Morgoth, and if they are massing an army to attack us so far south, then what sanctuary can we hope to find on this side of the Sea?"

"There are lands to the East of Ered Luin that might yet be free of Morgoth," Legolas suggested.

"Nay, Legolas," Maedhros said. "The Atani fled from the east, and so the situation there must not be better. Besides, the Dwarf Road is well- guarded by the servants of Morgoth, and we have little chances of crossing the mountains without such a road for aid."

"If not east, then will you lead us to westward?" asked Gimli.

"Yet all of Western Beleriand is taken," Elros said.

"A slim chance exists for us," Maedhros said. "I will speak of it later, Elros, for the ears of Morgoth are many and the night hides many foes underneath its cloak of darkness."

In fact, Maedhros never wholly explained his plans, if indeed he had any, but his people did not question him. Once they heard that the servants of Morgoth were approaching even as they had surrounded Gondolin, the people of Maedhros packed what they could, readied their weapons, and left Amon Ereb within the hour. From that night forth, there was no rest. Though they managed to break through the southwestern troops of Morgoth, they were continually pursued, for Morgoth knew them to be what remained of the resistance in Middle Earth and had chosen this time to complete his conquest. Maglor and Elrond led the people as quickly as possible along the low hills of Ramdal, and then they made a dash south to Taur-im- Duinath, but even so, the going was slowed by those like Gimli, who had been tormented and maimed by Sauron. Maedhros and Elros held the rearguard, and battle scarcely halted. When it did, Maedhros's small band of warriors sprinted madly to catch up to the women, children, and wounded at the front of the company. Even the dark and gloomy forest of Taur-im- Duinath offered them little respite from the assaults of their foes, for werewolves, Wargs, demon cats, and other fell beats roamed the woods and sought them out.

They'd been fleeing from Morgoth's forces for weeks, and still the pursuit did not halt, but at last, they left the forest and came to the Mouths of Sirion. Legolas had scouted ahead with two others and located three small skiffs hidden in the tall reeds. It was the third hour of the morning when Maedhros took account of the few followers who remained and chose some to board the small boats, and to each he assigned one who had some experience as a mariner, for like Legolas, some of the Falathrim had been joined to the people of Maedhros after the sacking of Sirion's Havens. Among those chosen were Elros and Elrond.

"I will not flee on the ships," Elrond said. "I will stay with you and Maglor until the last group has been ferried across. And if the servants of Morgoth come upon us, let us die making a last stand with our backs to the Sea." He slung his bow over his shoulder and drew forth the axe of Tuor, Dramborleg.

"I am with Elrond in this." Elros drew Aranruth, and its blade caught the morning sun. "We are warriors, not children. We will cover the escape of our people."

"Brave words, Peredhil, but the end is near. Few cannot always fight against many, and Morgoth is intent on finishing this war," Maglor said gravely.

"If we wished to make a last stand, we could have done so at an earlier point," Maedhros said. "Instead, we came here in hopes to escape to the Isle of Balar."

Elros and Elrond made ready their next argument, but Legolas of the Tree stepped forth. "We are here for you, Elros and Elrond," Legolas said bluntly. "Though Maedhros and Maglor will not say it, we fled here in hopes that the Falathrim would succor you. It is the same reason I am here, or I would not have permitted myself to be taken alive by the sons of Feanor in the Battle of the Havens of Sirion. The armies of Morgoth were nearing too quickly, and though we knew that Gil-galad and Cirdan were coming, they were too late. We had to join with Maedhros or see you die. The same is true for many survivors of that time. Though we would gladly have died in noble combat, we lived to protect the sons of Earendil. If you refuse now to depart these shores, the sacrifice of those who followed Maedhros for your sake will be made meaningless."

"I don't understand," Elros said. He felt as if tears were welling up inside him, but he held them in his jaw and showed no weakness.

"No, you don't, for you are still very young by reckoning of the Elves, though you are a man in body," said Legolas, "but if you do not live now, you will never grow old and understand what I have said."

Elros and Elrond argued in vain, for none were willing to let them remain ashore, and Maedhros made it clear that he would have them bound if necessary. The debate was short and heated, but in the end, Elros and Elrond sheathed their weapons and obeyed their fathers. Just as they had boarded one of the small ships, Gimli cried out, "The gulls are coming!"

The Elves turned their heads to the waters of the Sea, but the sky was dark with thick clouds of Morgoth's designs, and not even the stars could be seen on this winter's night. They remained still and listened to the distant waves, a mere murmur in the deltas at Sirion's end. After what seemed an eternity of holding his breath, Elros at last heard the cry of the gulls. Their caws where shrill and terrible, totally unlike the inland songbirds, but in their shrieks, memories of the ocean returned to Elros, vague ones of infancy when he and Elrond had sat on the beach beside their mother watching the sunset and waiting for their father to return home. The longing for the Sea was awakened in his blood, and he marveled that he had dwelt so long in the Eastern Beleriand. The wailing of the gulls drew nearer until at last the birds seemed to be upon them. At that moment, a small sliver of pale moonlight pierced the dark clouds.

"I see them! The white gulls of the Sea!" Legolas pointed at the great white seabirds, but the others did not need the keen eyes of Legolas Greenleaf to witness the descent of the gulls, for they were well nigh the size of the Eagles of Manwe, with wings that seemed to spread from horizon to horizon. The moonlight cast a ghostly glow upon their white feathers, and they shrieked with the fury of the Valar.

"The Lords of the West have not forgiven us," Maglor said softly.

"They may yet spare our sons," said Maedhros. His eyes were fixed on the aweful sight before them, for the dark clouds parted from the moon to reveal still more great gulls that seemed to fill all the sky.

"If it be so, then that is enough, and I will be content." Maglor put his hand in that of his brother's, and they waited for the end.

But the end did not come. The gulls passed over them, wailing all the way as they did, and in the north and east, they heard the sounds of battle. Maedhros drew Helcar, which had been glowing fiercely red all this time but remained hidden by its scabbard. He held it up, and as he did so, he seemed to grow in stature. His eyes were no longer fixed in the skies but were now lowered to the crest of the waves.

"The swanships of the Teleri," Maglor said. Only then did Elros realize that Maedhros was using his sword as a beacon for the Falathrim, who had before been using the cries of the gulls for navigation.

The swanships skidded across the waters and, by Maedhros's light, stopped short of the rocky coast. Smaller skiffs, like the ones they'd found hidden in the tall reeds, were then dispatched. The Falathrim asked few questions, only how many they were in total and if any needed the attentions of their healers. Elros was surprised to hear Maedhros answering all these questions in the Falathrin tongue, but then he remembered that the Long Peace had lasted for hundreds of years and realized that Maedhros had indeed kept friendships with the other Princes and Lords of the Elves in that time. His reputation could be changed, but the truth of his past actions could not be erased. Elros and Elrond were brought aboard the same white ship as Maedhros and Maglor, and after they'd had a chance to refresh themselves, they were brought to the Captain's quarters. Though Elros had never met Cirdan the Shipwright, he recognized him immediately from the visions conjured by Maglor's songs. He looked in wonder at the fine lines that traced Cirdan's face and touched the corners of his eyes and lips. Gimli had been aged by his torment at the hands of Sauron, but Elros had never heard any tales of the imprisonment of the Lord of the Falas by the servants of the Dark Lord. Cirdan welcomed the sons of Earendil first and foremost.

"We had heard rumors that the sons of Earendil had survived with the remnants of the people of Sirion's Havens, but we did not expect these rumors to hold any truth," Cirdan said. He bowed before Elros and Elrond and presented each of them with a perfectly round, white saltwater pearl.

"We thank you for coming to our rescue," Elrond said, and though he could not mimic the accent of the Falathrim, he knew that Cirdan could understand common Sindarin.

"The servants of Morgoth have been pursuing us for weeks without rest, and we judged that this night would be our last stand," Elros said.

"Your gratitude belongs to the Lord of the Waters, for it was Ulmo who sent the great gulls and called upon us to leave the Isle of Balar. I will pass your words on to the Waters." Cirdan looked then to Maedhros and Maglor, who had changed into clean clothes but had covered their faces with the hoods of their cloaks. "Who are your loyal companions, and what need have they for hiding their faces, for they are at last among friends again, and even the scarred need not be ashamed in our company."

"They are Elrosada and Elrondada," Elrond said simply. "They have raised us and protected us since infancy, and I beg that you allow them passage to the Isle of Balar with us."

"Of course," Cirdan said easily. "I would not withhold passage even to those who had been held prisoners by Morgoth, for though the Dark Lord sometimes works through such thralls, they deserve our compassion and sympathy, not our scorn and fear of treachery."

"You may rescind your offer when you know us." Maedhros drew back his hood, and Maglor did likewise. Though Maedhros had dyed his hair dark brown (for since the sacking of the Havens of Sirion, there was but one living Elf with red hair in all of Beleriand), recognition dawned quickly in the eyes of the Lord of Balar. He looked to Maglor and then nodded.

"So it was you who rescued the twin sons of Earendil after the twin sons of Feanor sought the Silmaril," Cirdan said, and he did not sound entirely surprised.

"You may return us to the shores if you wish. We ask only that you take Elros and Elrond with you to the Isle of Balar, where they will at last be safe from Morgoth," said Maglor. He bowed his head.

"The High King of the Noldor will not be pleased to see your faces, and there are many who have not forgiven you for the Second and Third Kinslayings by the sons of Feanor. I myself am not so enlightened that I can look upon you without some measure of sorrow. However, if Elros and Elrond so wish it, I will succor you." Cirdan looked to the young Elves.

"We do," Elros said eagerly. "They are our fathers and as dear to us as the parents who gave us life."

Cirdan nodded. "Very well. Perhaps this too is part of the divine plan of the Lord of the Waters. The Noldori returned when the Havens of the Falas were under siege and slated to fall. Maybe it is just that we now provide sanctuary for the last protectors of Beleriand."

Maedhros bowed low to the Shipwright. "I thank you for all your kindness, but most of all for securing Elros and Elrond."

The swanships remained anchored off the shores of the Falas until an albatross of shining white plumage came from the West. The sign was given. The anchors were pulled up, and the ships of the Falathrim followed the seabird back to the Isle of Balar, for though the pale moon was revealed among the clouds, the rest of the sky remained hidden. As they neared the Isle of Balar, the clouds became increasingly thinner, as if they were passing the legendary Shadowy Seas and coming upon the Blessed Realm. The moonlight revealed the coastline of Balar, and it was beautiful to behold for the servants of Morgoth had not ravished its lands. Small huts could be seen, dark and still and quiet, yet the very potential of life within made Elros's heart soar. It was said that the Havens of Sirion had been peaceful and prosperous, but Elros did not remember such times, and he had only ever known the felled trees and broken homes and burnt lands of Beleriand. Though this could not be the Blessed Realm, Elros imagined that they had somehow reached it. He felt Elrond's hand slide over his waist and put his arm around Elrond as well. They held each other as they beheld this marvel and wondered that they had lived to see this moment.

Beside them, Maedhros inhaled sharply and said, "Surely that is a Silmaril that shines in the sky."

At that, Elros wrenched his eyes from the lovely coastland and searched the night sky. Above the Isle of Balar shone brightly a light more radiant than any star. Elros felt the despair lifted from his heart. He took Maedhros's left hand and felt Elrond also taking Maglor's hand.

"It is the looked for that comest unawares, the longed for that comest beyond hope," said Elrond, and he squeezed Elros's hand.

Elros squeezed Elrond back. "It is Gil-estel, the Star of Hope."

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Chapter End Notes

The reference to Maedhros and Maglor fleeing to the Isle of Balar is in HoME V, p. 157. In my stories, both Maedhros and Maglor raised Elros and Elrond. It's going to take me forever to get to this point in time, but this was one of Elros's fondest memories, and he wanted it told before his death (in Kindreds Apart). Legolas is an Elf of the Tree from Gondolin who has very keen sight; Gimli is an Elf who is blind but has keen hearing and was rescued with Beren (Book of Lost Tales 2). These are not the same characters as the ones in the Fellowship of the Ring.