Lords and Lordship by WendWriter

Chapter 1

After the Battle of Unnumbered Tears, when Morgoth was the undisputed master of the North and Húrin was captive in Angband, the Dark Lord set his thought on Rhûn and the temple of Moko. Word had come to him of the treachery of Narcawë, a Maia who had been given command of that land and of the temple Sauron built for him. Maiar who dwelt there reported that Narcawë had become overbearing, claiming lordship of the land and the worship in the temple for himself.

Morgoth was furious when he heard this news. He summoned his most trusted lieutenants, Sauron the Deceiver and Artíre the Watcher, and took counsel with them. "I have received news that Narcawë has turned against me. He has claimed lordship over the land and is demanding worship for himself in my temple. He must be brought to me for judgement!"

Sauron said nothing, for he had elected to leave Narcawë there in the first place, and everyone knew it.

Artíre spoke up. "My lord, who wilt thou send to fetch him back?"

Morgoth regarded the Watcher, a Maia who had risen in his estimation since the battle with the Eagles. Artíre's leadership in the tumult had astonished the Dark Lord, who had never imagined the Watcher as being capable of anything other than spying.

Morgoth was aware of the feud between Artíre and Sauron, though he never mentioned it. He was also pleased that they had called a truce. It seemed that both Maiar realized that mutual destruction would be the result if their warring continued.

As it was, Sauron had striven to raise himself from his wretched state after his mauling by Huan of Valinor, and had almost regained his former strength. Once Sauron felt himself to be in a strong enough position, Morgoth knew he might well be tempted to try to exact revenge on Artíre, whom Sauron blamed for his downfall. He claimed that an Elf-maid could not have achieved what Lúthien did by herself, so she must have had help. Sauron believed the Watcher was that help.

Morgoth was unwilling to delve into the matter, given that it might result in the loss of one or both of his best lieutenants. Getting Artíre out of Angband would keep him out of Sauron's way.

"Artíre," said Morgoth, "go thou to Rhûn and bring Narcawë back to face me. I give thee authority to do what thou wilt, for he may not come of his own accord. Do not return without him."

"I will," replied the Watcher, and went at once to obey his lord.

At Taur-nu-Fuin, Sauron was working on a project to improve Orc breeding rates. His sorcery and other skills had enabled him to recover from his defeat and to regain his position at Morgoth's right hand. Ending his feud with Artíre had allowed him to do this unhindered. The Watcher's rise in the ranks, however, was beginning to make him uncomfortable. Now that his position was more secure, he believed the time had come to bring Artíre down.

The Watcher's leadership during the attack of the Eagles at Angband had impressed Morgoth, and this had led to his promotion to a position of authority. Artire was now responsible for overseeing the Orcs who guarded his realm, giving them orders rather than simply making sure their work was being done. Sauron was unhappy that the Watcher was gaining influence at Morgoth's court. The idea that Artíre might one day usurp Sauron's position as chief lieutenant was never far from the Deceiver's mind. Indeed, Sauron's aide Rautanor never let him forget it.

It suited Rautanor the Plotter to be an assistant rather than seek power on his own. That way, if something went wrong, there was someone to hide behind - or to blame. He prodded the embers of Sauron's feud with Artíre, knowing the Deceiver would depend on his loyal aide to help keep the Watcher's ambitions, real or imagined, in check. The Plotter preferred serving Sauron over Morgoth, for Morgoth had always been too interested in domination, but had little interest in ruling the realms he acquired. Rautanor liked order and the things for which Sauron stood. He also liked to have another's name to act under. He was ever in the shadows, a whisperer in the dark, and was rarely in the firing line when battle was joined.

The hatred Rautanor affected for Artíre was not real. He had no true enmity towards the Watcher, but he did see Artíre as a hindrance to the advancement of his master Sauron, and anything that was a threat to Sauron's position was a threat to him as well. Inventing or exaggerating a threat for the advancement of his master was his stock in trade. Many of the enemies Sauron had among the Maiar were due to Rautanor's plots as he strove to assert Sauron's authority and might on Middle-earth. It was Rautanor who had aided his master's recovery after his defeat by Huan. The Plotter had worked hard to keep the fear of Sauron's wrath fresh in the minds of Morgoth's minions to prevent anyone usurping his master's position as chief lieutenant. As a result, although Artíre had risen high in Morgoth's estimation, it was Sauron who still had the greater regard in the Dark Lord's court.

On the way to Taur-nu-Fuin, Rautanor discussed the meeting at Angband with Sauron. "My lord, why was Artíre sent to Rhûn to fetch Narcawë back, and not yourself? While it is true the Watcher did some good at Taur-nu-Fuin, was that not to compensate for the harm he did you at Tol-in-Gaurhoth? I am convinced it was he who bound you to your wolf-form so that the Hound of the Valar could defeat you! Surely the Elf-maid could not have composed such a spell? How would she have known of such a thing?"

"Rautanor," said Sauron, unwilling to discuss the matter yet again, "I am weary of this subject being brought back up again and again, and to no good purpose! What if you are right, and it was indeed Artíre and not Lúthien who bound me to the wolf-form I took? What difference would it make? The feud between us must be laid to rest else we will destroy each other in the end! My heart forebodes that we will need the Watcher on our side until the end comes. The fact that the Valar have not yet come to make war on us again does not mean they never will. We are not yet in a strong enough position to make enemies of other Maiar."

"But my lord, does this mean that Artíre may deal with you as he desires, with no consequences?" asked Rautanor, his shocked tones betraying his confusion. Sauron never admitted defeat, and never gave in to an enemy while victory was within reach.

"Of course not!" declared Sauron. "However, Artíre would be more useful to us if he believed our feud was over than if he had an inkling that his doom was being planned even now."

"Ah!" said Rautanor. "So you have a plan for dealing with him, then?"

"Indeed I do," replied the Deceiver. "And I will entrust it to you and to no other. Heed me, Rautanor, and do not let me down!"

"I have always been loyal to you, my lord!" Rautanor asserted.

"Good," said Sauron. "I want you to refrain from any attempts to bring Artíre down. My desire is to use him to increase my influence at Morgoth's court, which cannot be achieved if there is dissension between us. By subtle means, we can persuade the Watcher that we are on the same side, and use his skills and reputation with our lord to our advantage."

"How can this be done?" asked the Plotter, intrigued.

"If I can bring him under my dominion, the doom I plan for him will not be the great downfall you may have had in mind, but I will be his master, and that will suffice," replied Sauron. "For you know I crave order, and that cannot be achieved if we are fighting on more than one front."

"What do you want me to do, master?" Rautanor asked, hoping it would involve some punishment for the Watcher.

"I want you to go to Rhûn and aid Artíre in bringing Narcawë back to Morgoth for judgement," Sauron instructed. "You may help him in such a way as to gain the credit for your endeavours, but you may not frustrate his efforts. Is that clear, Rautanor?"

"Yes, my lord," the Plotter agreed. This was going to be most interesting. "Of course, if Artíre should misinterpret my assistance it would make him look like the trouble-maker in Morgoth's eyes."

"Precisely!" said Sauron with a grin. "Now you understand!"

"Thank you, Sauron, for entrusting me with this task," Rautanor crowed. "I will enjoy it very much!"

Rautanor the Plotter left soon afterwards, intent on fulfilling his master's wishes. As he made his way to Rhûn, he wondered if Artíre had spoken yet to Narcawë, and what was happening. Since Narcawë also knew the binding spell, there was a good chance that Artíre would need Rautanor's help after all.