Of Beren and Lúthien: The Complete Tale of “The Lay of Leithian” by LuthienHuan

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Chapter 3 Of Gorlim’s Betrayal

Gorlim betrays Barahir and the men.

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Gorlim walks warily through the woods toward his old home. He sees a light in the window. He hears his wife’s voice lamenting.

“Gorlim, please return to me,” Eilinel’s voice said. “Say not that you have forsaken me.” Gorlim gets to the window, looks in and sees her saying, “Please come back to me.”

Gorlim runs to the doorway shouting, “I am here! I am here, my Eilinel!” As he gets to the door, the light is blown out, wolves howl nearby and a couple Orcs’ hands grab his shoulders. He turns to see an Orc fist – he’s out cold.

Gorlim awakens by water splashed in his face. He has been tied to a stake and is bleeding from being beaten and whipped. Orc soldier Lombag stands by Orc Captain Horgas, who punches Gorlim’s face. Other Orcs stand nearby laughing and cheering.

“Are you now ready to talk?” asked Horgas.

Gorlim, after he spits blood, answered, “Have you gotten any prettier?”

Lombag whips Gorlim, who shouts out in pain.

“I must tell you,” Horgas said, “you are the most stubborn captive I’ve ever encountered. But, no matter how tough a Man, Elf, Dwarf or Orc is, the eyes are very, very tender.” Lombag pulls from the fire an iron rod with a glowing red hot tip. He holds it near Gorlim’s right eye, slowly drawing it closer. “Do you not agree?”

Gorlim squints as his eye feels the heat. Finally, he shouts, “No, stop! Stop!”

Lombag stopped, and Horgas said, “I’ll take that as a ‘yes.’ I’ll ask you one more time: where are your friends hiding? Where is Barahir’s lair?”

Gorlim answered, “I’m not telling you.” Lombag again raises the rod to his eye, but Gorlim then says, “Wait! If Sauron wants to know from me where Barahir’s lair is, then you’ll have to take me to him. Tell Sauron I wish to strike a bargain with him.”

“No! No bartering!” Horgas angrily shouts; for he wants to be the one to tell Sauron the whereabouts of the lair to receive a reward from his master. “You either tell me now, or I’ll slay you right now!”

“You can put both eyes out and beat me to death,” said Gorlim, “but I will never tell you; only Sauron. And if you begrudge me this, how’s Sauron going to react when one of your Orcs tells him that I was willing to give him Barahir’s location, but instead you slew me? I bet Sauron won’t pin a medal on your ugly hide.”

Horgas takes the glowing brand from Lombag’s claw. He touches Gorlim’s chest with the point. Gorlim screams again in pain. “Fine, have it your way,” said Horgas. “All right you filthy maggots, we march for Tol-in-Gaurhoth! Now!”

*****

Taken inside Sauron’s main chamber, Gorlim stands before him on his throne as Horgas and Lombag stand next to it. The chamber is decorated with many machines and devises of torture. There are two Balrogs who stand guard behind Sauron. About the room are several other Orcs and wolves; snakes slither all around or curl themselves to things. At the foot of Sauron’s throne now sits Draugluin, the largest wolf save the one that sits before Morgoth’s throne and guards Angband’s Gate.

“I hear you wish to barter with me. What is your price?” Sauron asked.

Gorlim answered, “I saw my wife, Eilinel, whom you have enslaved and used to capture me. I knew all along she was alive, although my friends believed not. Please, reunite us and release us from your service, and I will tell you the location of Barahir’s Lair.”

Sauron smiles as he says, “That’s such a small price for so great a treachery. So shall it surely be. Say on.”

Gorlim hesitates, but Sauron glares at him. Gorlim feels as if Sauron’s eyes pierce through his flesh. At that moment a Balrog stretches its arms and flames shoot out from its entire upper torso. Gorlim sighs deeply and then says, “Tarn-Ailuin, on the northeast side.”

“We have searched that area and found nothing,” Sauron said. “How do I know that it is the truth you tell me?”

“You didn’t find anything because every time we leave we make sure there are no traces that we were there; we even bury the ashes of our campfires when we leave. We’ve seen your Orcs’ footprints when they searched there about a fortnight ago. What’s more: I would never cross you, especially when it comes to my wife.”

“Well, you are telling the truth. It was slightly more than two weeks ago when we last searched that area.”

“You also searched it two weeks before that.”

Sauron smiles, and then mocks Gorlim with laughter: “Ha. You also searched it two weeks before that. If you release us, I’ll tell you the location of Barahir’s Lair. Well, I want to thank you for your treachery. However, we have a small problem; for you see, the Eilinel that you saw was only a phantom devised to ensnare you; for your precious Eilinel died from an arrow through her heart the day Morgoth attacked your homes. Nonetheless, I will grant your prayer and you shall go to Eilinel.

“Horgas, you’ve earned your fun. Now you may carry out my end of our bargain. What say you on how to have him reunited with Eilinel — and have him released from my service?”

Horgas laughed and said, “I’ve always like using the shredder. I’m going to enjoy watching as your flesh is torn from your bones, one tiny piece at a time. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you stay alive and enjoy it as long as possible.” Horgas again laughed as the Orcs dragged Gorlim away screaming, “NO!!!”

*****

Prior to dawn the next morning, Beren, Mablung and Beleg lie sleeping near a smoldering campfire in the woods of northwestern Dorthonion. Beren dreams that he’s standing beside Tarn-Ailuin and hears many carrion fowl croaking in the trees near the lair’s location. He looks up to see the huge flock covering the trees’ branches above the lair; pieces of flesh hang and blood drips from many of their beaks. He hears something across the lake, turns and realizes it’s a wraith of Gorlim drawing near, as if gliding atop the water. Wraith-Gorlim stops before him with tears in his eyes.

“Gorlim?” questions Beren.

“Yes, it is I, Gorlim,” said wraith-Gorlim, “though what you now see is only my spirit, for dead I am now. And although you dream, what I am about to say is real.

“I know nothing more to say than I am very sorry, and that your father was right; you all were. I was captured and taken to Sauron, who deceived me, and I faltered. I told him of the Lair’s location. I’ve been dead for several hours as I wait for Mandos to summon me, and thus I bade you to make haste. You may be able to warn the rest before it’s too late. Please, awake now and go. Farewell.”

Wraith-Gorlim, with tears in his eyes, turns and again glides across the lake. Beren watches in wonder until he disappeared.

*****

Beren then awakens and runs to his horse. Mablung and Beleg awaken from his sudden noises.

“Beren, what is your madness?” Mablung asked.

Beren answers, “I must go; I must go now! I must race back to my father and friends! The men are in grave danger!”

Beleg asked, “Is there anything we can do? We would gladly go with you?”

Beren answers as he mounts his horse, “Thank you, but no. This isn’t your fight. You need to find out about that weapon. Just pray for me and the Men, and that my horse may now run faster than the wind. Farewell!”

Mablung and Beleg shout, “Farewell!” They watch until Beren rides out of sight.

*****

Beren rides through the morning, day and night; then another day and night. At dawn he nears the Lake and stopping sees in the trees the birds of his dream; with flesh hanging and blood dripping from their beaks. He rides to the lair. There he sees: many birds still on the ground feasting on his friends’ flesh; all the men are dead, not one body is whole; severed heads, arms and legs lying about. He yells out “NO!” in disbelief and anger as tears flow down his cheeks. The birds on the ground fly into the trees and join the others croaking in mockery; it’s almost as he hears the birds in mockery saying, “Too late. Beren, you are too late.”

*****

Beren kneels beside Barahir’s cairn. He takes the top rock and hits it three times on another rock and says, “In my heart I curse you thrice, Morgoth. As to you, my father, I make this oath, as well as to our friends: I will find and destroy those who’ve done this, and I will never stop hunting and slaying Morgoth’s servants. My dying breath will probably come during a bout with a servant of his, if not Morgoth himself; or Sauron. Rest in peace, father, and know that I alone shall be such a force against them that they will not believe that one man can do so much damage to them.”

*****

At dusk that same day, Beren stands atop a cliff overlooking Rivil’s Well and into the Orc camp in a small clearing of the woods. There he waits until nightfall. When darkness finally comes, Beren moves toward the camp. The moon is in its waning and is partly hidden by clouds, which helps Beren remain unseen as he gets closer. Horgas stands near the campfire and a huge rock, which Beren creeps behind and now waits for his opportunity, although he has no idea how he’s going to survive the thirty-two Orcs he’s counted.

Beren then sees Horgas holding up Barahir’s hand, and the ring of Felagund is still on it as the Orc boast, “This will show Lord Sauron that we have destroyed Barahir and his pitiful little band. I’m sure this ring will fit Sauron quite nicely. He truly loves rings. But he’ll especially love this treasure for it originally came from another of his enemies: that foolish Elven King Finrod Felagund of Nargothrond. Or maybe I should go back and get Barahir’s head for Sauron’s treasury and claim that the hand was bare and keep this trinket for myself.”

Hearing Horgas’ bragging, Beren shoots an arrow through his heart. He darts from behind the rock, grabs Barahir’s hand without hesitation and runs into the woods. Initially startled at Beren’s unbelievable boldness and speed, the Orcs give chase; some wildly shoot arrows at Beren, who keeps running from their sight unharmed.

As the chase continues, two Orcs run side-by-side through the trees. There’s a “snap” sound and then a louder “swoosh” as a large branch swings toward their chests. Several of many spikes whittled from the limbs of the branch stab them. The others abruptly stop when they see the dead Orcs standing stuck to the branch.

In fear Lombag said, “Let us return to Sauron swiftly. No one tells him that one of Barahir’s men remains alive. Agreed?”

The other Orcs grunt in agreement.

*****

The next morning in his chambers, while several other Orcs stand nearby holding their claws over their ears, Sauron yells at Lombag: ”I know what happened to Horgas and another two of your Orcs, as does Morgoth! I want the son of Barahir’s head! Lombag, you and your maggots are going back out there with another legion! Bring me back Beren’s head or don’t come back at all! Now get out of here before I cut all your heads off!”

All the Orcs run for the door, stumbling over each other in haste.