The Eyes and Ears of Melkor by Chilled in Hithlum

Chapter 2 The Stuff of Arda

For many days Hurin sat in anxiety and anticipation of the repercussion against his words to Morgoth.  He expected to be beaten or tortured or starved or to be left in his own filth; but his fears came not to pass and the deadening tedium continued as before.  In effect, his days became less evil for he now did not have to suffer the petty whims of Morgoth, who visited not, and for long years ahead his life continued thus.  Always present though was the Orb; Hurin knew that whenever he looked into it and whatever he saw would become eventually known to his enemy, however, if he did not use it at all then he would provoke unwanted attention.  So Hurin proceeded in the following way; he would randomly flit from Orb to Orb and back again so as to scramble what he was seeing, and possibly veil any doings that may prove useful to his foes.  Furthermore, if somebody was monitoring him, Hurin hoped that this activity would leave the impression that he was impatient and bored.  Hurin became so proficient at doing this that he was able to follow the threads of previous scenes from particular Orbs and therefore he formed a coherent, if somewhat disjointed, picture of the world without.  Whilst scouring his Orb, Hurin wound happen on a specific view that would never change, and for a long time its location puzzled him, for all other Orbs were used portably.  The Orb in question showed gentle slopes with long grass in the foreground and beyond, splitting the image into semicircles, was a seemingly forgotten dust road.  The only thing that ever altered in that view was the onset of the seasons and the passing of wildlife.

Now the second anniversary of the fall of the Havens was approaching and Melkor declared ‘A Day of Revelry and Debauchery' in honour of Gothmog.  Melkor did this for two reasons; firstly as a release from Hurin's words, harassing him still in his head, and second because ever since that day his captains perceived that their lord suffered from some unknown malady, and this was Melkor's way of taking charge again.  Melkor decreed that all in Angband will attend, there will Elf flesh on the spit, there will blood in the cup and there will be much sport for thralls.  Hurin heard of this because the Orc children that soaked him weekly goaded him about his absence from ‘The Party'.  The day came with much noise and much evil; Hurin found it difficult to concentrate on the Orb and his scanning of it became erratic, the images whizzed and blurred together like they did of old, and Hurin became nauseous.  Suddenly the images stopped, but not by Hurin's will, and the Orb settled on the scene that never changed.  The noise from below began to dissipate as Hurin gazed upon the beauty of the countryside now being shown to him, and he had neither the will nor the ability to change what he was seeing.  All sound now came through the Orb and Hurin delighted in the song of autumn birds somewhere out of his vision; presently he heard other voices singing, faint at first but growing louder and sweeter.  He knew the song to be in the Elven tongue but he knew not the words they sang.  Hurin hoped desperately that they would pass by so that he could look upon the Fair Folk once more, and so it happened.  Hurin received more than he wished for, because these Elves were from Gondolin and his heart leapt at the sight of one in the company that he knew.  Hurin shouted aloud "Voronwe, it is Hurin calling to you, I am lost to the world, please hear me"; but Voronwe heard him not, for Hurin's Orb was unlike to Melkor's.  Hurin wept as the Elves moved on, and all that was to left to him was the scene with which he was so familiar for the birds followed after them.  In all his time as a captive, Hurin had never felt so abandoned and alone and he said "Oh Orb, I thank you dearly for showing me this, but your gift is bittersweet for I am a prisoner without hope and they sing aloud in freedom.  Oh! If only I could, I would follow them willingly to whatever end it would take me and I would be glad".

Now about the high places of Arda where the winds are strongest, be it in a place of good or evil, a heartfelt prayer of gratitude is heard all the clearer by The Powers of the World; for so it was on this day, and a thing undreamt of happened before Hurin's eyes.  The Orb in the long grass began to roll forward and follow along in the direction that the Elves of Gondolin had taken, it made no sound upon the dusty ground as it moved and the Elves were unaware of it.  The Elven group already had made a lot of ground before the rolling Orb began its pursuit; again the sound of singing was heard before they came into view.  Hurin watched in wonder as he saw his friend waking ahead of him; he spoke again "Oh Voronwe, could it be that you heard my call?  Even if it not so, I pray that The Powers protect you in payment for the kindness you showed my brother and I in Gondolin, and for blessing of seeing you again this day."  The Elves stopped abruptly and Voronwe said "What trickery is this?  We are on the wrong road; look back yonder far through those trees, there lays The Gates of Sirion.  We must turn back".  A venerable Elf arrayed in different gear spoke "But this would take us too long and time is pressing.  Cirdan cannot wait for us overlong, Voronwe; your ship awaits you in the delta".  A younger Gondolindrim pointed towards a thicket "look lords, down here, our road lays beyond this copse.  The ground is not too steep and I can see a way through" he said.  So lead by the young Elf, the party continued on their way and the stray Orb followed.  By going along this route the travellers saved two hours journeying and they met Cirdan in good time.  The stronghold at The Mouths of Sirion compared little to the lost Havens but the harbourage was good.  The Orb stopped atop a sheer rock face which had steps carved into it leading down to plateau below that served as a jetty, there stood Cirdan and the Gondolindrim.  All Hurin could see now were wild waters leading out to wide sea beyond and his heart was stirred as never before.  The winds were kindly that day and Hurin was able to hear the Elves below.  Cirdan said "As I spoke to Turgon's Herald, I say again to you now, this is the last ship I will build for you. I urge you not to take it.  Many of your kinfolk have tried this errand and have been lost".  Voronwe replied "I fear you are right, kind lord, but I must do my king's will" and all about him assented.  Hurin suddenly gasped with horror; and although he feared for Voronwe, he realised that listening to this conversation could hand vital information to Morgoth.  He tried frantically to will the Orb to stop but he could not; he shouted and begged and cajoled but all to no avail.  As abruptly as his panic began it was assuaged by the words "...all is safe" calmly spoken by Cirdan.  Hurin heard many blessings and farewells; then he watched with a heavy heart as the Last Ship of Gondolin sailed out into The West.  Last of all Hurin heard Cirdan ascending the cliff stairway, but before the shipwright reached the top the Orb rolled over the edge and fell into the crashing waters below.  Hurin experienced the onrush of that plummet before the Orb broke asunder and was no more; his words returned to him, "...I would follow them willingly to whatever end it would take me and I would glad."  Hurin sat cold thought as the riotous carousing of Angband invaded his senses once again.

All of this became known in Valinor and Manwe was dismayed.  Once Hurin's plea was heard; Manwe's Eagles were sent abroad, and then when the Orb split Thorondor was summoned to tell all that the Eagles had seen.  He came, as directed, to the House of Aule and there Manwe awaited him.  Present also were the Elven Lords Ingwe, Olwe and Finarfin; Manwe spoke "I have asked Thorondor to appraise us of matters now moving in Middle-Earth before I call a council at the Mahanaxar".  Thorondor began "My lords, for over three years now we have observed a figure imprisoned in a seat high above Melkor's stronghold.  Today we got close enough to identify him as Hurin, son of Galdor.  He saw us not because he was held enthralled by a black glass-like globe fixed to his chair.  Strange also was the fact that none were posted about Angband but there was great noise within.  Many cries of distress and travesty were heard, and we ventured not inside.  Away to the south, we saw a delegation of Gondolindrim being followed by another globe - like to the one at Angband.  And there at Sirion's Mouths we saw them sailing West in a ship provided by Cirdan".  Finarfin said "Strange indeed, for you have told us before that Turgon lays hidden away and sends not his people abroad. Tell me, Thorondor, is this man of Angband connected somehow to my nephew?"  The Eagle told of Hurin and Huor's time in Gondolin and of Hurin's fame among Elves and Men since the year of lamentation.  Ingwe spoke next "What of these globes, could it be that the craft of Feanor has been bestowed upon Melkor?"  Manwe answered "Nought of this has ever been reported to me by Mandos, I will discover more at the council".  Olwe asked "What of the ship, will Ulmo have to be summoned?"  Manwe spoke again "A difficulty has arisen which we all must consider, for the matter is not simply about preventing this unlawful ship from reaching our shores.  For you see, when the winds brought Hurin's utterances to me I heard much, which I will discuss later, but I perceived at the time that it was more than just a cry in the wind.  This voice came strong and clear to my ears without any meditation, so seems to me now that I attuned to an amplified source which was the globe.  I felt no evil from it, although it appears to an agent of my brother's..."  Aule interrupted "That is because it made of the stuff of Arda and not intrinsically evil, but I fear this substance has been put to evil uses".  Manwe spoke for the last time "Thank you Aule, I came to your abode to speak of this further.  However, regarding the question of Ulmo, yes he will be called.  For during the discourse with the globe, Hurin called sincerely upon The Powers to protect one aboard that ship called Voronwe in payment for kindness also Hurin deemed it a blessing to see him again, albeit from afar.  I am touched in heart by this man's plight and I ask you, Thorondor, to watch over him and keep me informed of his condition.  Go now with the blessings of Eru!  Come Aule, we have much to discuss!"

The evil activities at Angband continued through the night and well into the following morning, and Hurin slept not at all.  So when the time to eat came he was fast asleep and he missed plenty of leftovers from the day before.  Although he went hungry for a day, Hurin would have been disgusted by the fare that was on offer; and so when the carrion bird returned with a full bag, the Orcs said "All the more for us" and they scoffed the lot.  When Hurin awoke again it was getting dark, he was not accustomed to using the Orb at this time of day and he was happy to leave it dormant.  Although all that was at the forefront of his mind was the Orb, and what he had seen in it the day before.  He considered the many coincidences of the day and asked himself many questions.  For example: "Why did my Orb stop at the precise time when the Elves were passing?  How is it that they took the wrong road when they seemed to know their way?  Why that road, the one I always wondered about?  Why Voronwe, and what errand was he on?  Why could I not will the Orb to stop?"  His head began to swim with these unanswerable questions and doubt crept into his heart.  "Have I unwillingly betrayed Turgon by some malice of Morgoth, did HE set the other Orb in motion? Hurin asked himself.  But he recalled Cirdan's words "...all is safe" and how this reassured him.  Then he remembered he taunts of the Orc children "...everyone in Angband will be there and you're not going, Har-Har-Har!"  Hurin dared to hope that everyone meant EVERYONE, and none would be there to monitor what he saw.  Hurin laughed aloud and said "Ha! Morgoth, on the very day you tighten your grip on your own and loosen your grip on me, your hope cheats you.  Great indeed is Illuvatar; for whatsoever you do in his despite, Morgoth, in the end redounds only to his glory".  That night Hurin felt no hunger and he slept soundly, secure in this knowledge.