The Eyes and Ears of Melkor by Chilled in Hithlum

Chapter 10 The Marring of Nienor

In the days after Yule the winter had deepened to the point that Hurin's Orb had frosted over and nothing more could be descried.  The last thing of note that he had seen was the recovery of the dropped Orb in Brethil, but Hurin felt some relief in those days that Turin was now bestowed with his distant kin.  Hurin pondered much in those empty days; he thought of what may have been had Morwen sent their son to Brethil in the first place as he desired before the Nirnaeth, but in the end he deemed that Turin gained more through the prowess of the Elves and that he would probably have been slain in one of the many attacks on that land.  Always the cruel winds reminded Hurin of Lalaith, but instead of woe this recollection took him back to his days of bliss before evil befell his people.  He never forgot the effects of the last encounter with Glaurung and he searched in his mind how manage his next inevitable confrontation with the beast.  At feeding time the food came via the pulleys used by the Orc Children for the carrion bird was still loath to fly in the harsh climate; but Hurin remembered the wind that took up the hemp bag and he took thought of The Powers.  For his last sight of Voronwe reminded him of the time when the last ship of Gondolin sailed to The West; he had already guessed that Sauron summoned the Orb to follow, but the other deeds of that day were not of evil doing and Hurin knew that stronger forces were at work.  He began to pray amid the winds to Manwe on a daily basis saying, "Oh Lord of Winds hear my prayer as you did of old!  I desire that you destroy this accursed Orb but I know that my enemy would simply replace it.  Since this cannot be, I humbly beg that you request of Eru to bequeath me with the strength to contest with the wicked Dragon that now holds me in its thrall.  I wholly repent of the evil concepts that this creature evoked in me and of the deeds done in my stead albeit by the Dragon's malice.  Without your assistance I am utterly lost, and I thank you always for showing me the things that make my days here less evil."

Springtime reluctantly came at last, but during the three days that passed since the departure of Morwen an uneasy foreboding had troubled Hurin's spirit; he guessed that it had something to do with the reawakening of Glaurung and he girded himself for the discord to come.  Hurin approximated the time of Glaurung's arousing and he woke two hours before the rising of the sun on the following day to ready himself, thus it came to pass that the Orb of Thangorodhrim began to violently shudder in its clasps and he knew the Dragon was stirred.  He faced the blinding light head on with steely eyes but the blazing whiteness was too powerful for him and Hurin screamed aloud a resounding "NO!" in spite of his torment.  Then a stroke unlooked for by Glaurung confounded his will; for the whiteness transformed into a tranquil blue and the silhouette of an ascending Eagle broke the veil of colour and said "Hurin, you are full heard," and with that the vision vanished.  Hurin had the same sense of vision as before and he perceived the Dragon's wrath but it did not and could not consume him.  Glaurung thrashed wildly as would a lassoed unbroken horse and shots of intermittent flame blasted from his snout; he scorched the Elven tapestries hanging in the king's chamber and smelted much of the treasure in his hoard.  When the writhing ceased Glaurung panted heavy smoke and he was furious, for he had wasted more energy than he intended and the Dragon would now need to relax to conserve his vigour.  As often happened with Morgoth's designs, this delay proved to be an evil because Glaurung wished to announce his presence to the southlands with a grand burning but now he was constrained to lie in wait by the gaping doors of Nargothrond.  Had Glaurung come forth as he wanted then the riders out of Doriath would have seen him and fled; for they were but a league away encamped on Amon Ethir, the spy-hill of Felagund, and they did not go unnoticed by the gloating Dragon.

The remote voice of Glaurung spoke to Hurin, "So my medicine was too strong and you sought an antidote, well met Son of Galdor.  As I said to your ‘Captain Foolhardy' ere my slumber, ‘they lie who say that we of our part do not honour the valour of foes,' none have dared to ever contest with me thus, once again you impress me; for who among the mighty would have guessed that a mere mortal could defend himself from my power?"

"Your perverse magic is no match for the divinity of The Powers" said Hurin boldly.

Glaurung laughed, "Ha! I like you mortal, but I will not err as did my compassionate lord when you spurned his instruction. THAT, Hurin was your gravest error; and do not speak to me of The Powers!  Where are they now and how is it, if they are so divine, that they lurk still on their isle and do not contend with the true Master of the Fates of Arda?"

"Your questions are nonsense: when it is you that lurks here in a doorway and your craven lord does not budge from his throne," replied Hurin amid a far distant peel of northerly thunder, "your kind knows nothing of chances of the world, or the designs of nature and you see none of its beauty."

"We see much you pious fool, and we always seize our chances; behold!" spitted the Dragon whilst focussing his eye on the spy-hill, "What do we see on yonder hill, a party of runagates perhaps, or maybe the envoys of Manwe come to your salvation? No, it is but a group on nosing Elves seeking treasure no doubt; but lo, they have with them a pair of mortal women, now I wonder who they could be?"

Hurin answered not, because he saw with enhanced vision his wife and daughter arguing with Mablung who commanded them to stay put whilst he embarked further; he wondered greatly at this sight and feared what evil might now befall them.  Hurin watched with increasing dread as Mablung and his division crept down the tree-clad hill; spreading out across the Guarded Plain and stealthily converging again along the western banks of the Narog nigh to the broken bridge, and Glaurung laughed to himself as the Elves deliberated on how to ford the foaming torrent.  Glaurung suddenly emerged with great fire but he did not pursue the fleeing followers of Mablung, instead the Dragon climbed down the deep cleft of rocks towards the river; there he emitted another blast and a great hissing of steam enveloped the gorge and nobody noticed Mablung hiding amid the rocks waiting for the boiling vapours to disperse.  Hurin was dismayed because Glaurung maintained this veil of steam, causing him to see little else but fog, and he knew not that an evil wind carried the mists of Narog about Amon Ethir.  Hurin was still bound by his senses to Glaurung and he reeled at the disgusting stench of mingled river-haze and Dragon-reek; he tasted foul chemicals and sulphur, he heard many screams of fright and the panicky neighing of horses, and he despaired on hearing the voice of his wife calling out in blind terror, "NIENOR, NIENOR!" 

The mists before Hurin's eyes gradually cleared as the Dragon made his surreptitious progress up the spy-hill and Glaurung spoke remotely to Hurin once more, "I wonder, what we shall discover atop Meddler's Mound?"

Hurin said at a whisper, "Nothing, I hope."

"Oh come now! We have not ventured this far for nought," said Glaurung as his head peered over the summit, "Ah! We are not disappointed; lo! It is a beautiful maiden looking for her companions."

Hurin shared Nienor's fright as she turned about to see the terrifying Dragon examining her grimly, but her father's pride grew apace when she stood firm and did not falter against Glaurung's eye.  Glaurung compelled her to tell him who she was and what or who she sought, and when at last the daughter of Hurin was revealed to his malice the Dragon laughed within.  Glaurung held her transfixed as he spoke again to Hurin, "Well, this is an unexpected boon; my master will be delighted.  What to do, what to do?  Hmm, well Hurin, it seems that payment for your daring against me has arrived earlier than I expected.  It would be a shame to separate you both after all these years of being apart, after all you hardly know the girl."

"What do you mean by that?" demanded Hurin.

"Just this," said Glaurung coldly, "I hereby and henceforth relinquish my hold upon you, but not your Orb.  Since I now hold in my sway a father and daughter who have never met, I deem that it would be cruel not to join them together albeit from afar.  Therefore Hurin I will it, you shall remain unchanged yet you shall experience all that Nienor does, but she will know nothing of this; and as I speak to you now I am casting a spell of forgetfulness upon her with my ‘perverse magic' and she will have to begin her life anew and relearn everything afresh.  Think of it as a second chance for you to get to know your estranged child; for when all is said and done, as I told you before, we reward the valour of our foes," and he laughed long and dim.

Hurin discerned the Dragon's oily presence ebbing away and heaved with disgust; he vomited profusely and, though the smell of bile would last for days, he felt relieved and cleansed inside.  He expected to see through Nienor's eyes but there was only a silent blackness and he feared that his daughter was slain by the brunt of the Glaurung's magic.  He spent a hour or so in doubt and grief until he heard a muffled but kindly voice expressing perplexity and concern; soon after he felt a gentle grasp on his left hand and the crunching of footfalls but all remained dark, the footsteps ceased when the grip released and all became stagnant again, the sense of movement would resume only when Hurin felt a touch on his hand.  Now, it became known to many in after days that Mablung chanced the river crossing and entered the ruins of Nargothrond in Glaurung's absence; and returning he found a wide-eyed Nienor heedless and catatonic on the summit of Amon Ethir, she responded not at all and stood as one whose fea had departed its hroar.  Mablung searched unavailing for the others that he left on the hill prior to his task, and Morwen was gone; so it was that he led his charge by the hand, and stopping and starting along the way, they drew on slowly towards Doriath.  They travelled thus for many days and were later joined by three other escaping Elves; Hurin felt that his daughter was safe with her unnamed assistants and he was comforted, he did not know then that Nienor slept not during this time until a morning came when he felt her drowsiness and relaxation.  Hurin had naturally assumed that his enhanced senses would become separate when Glaurung renounced his control, and Nienor's present condition only lent credence to his notion; but it was not the case, for when his daughter fell asleep Hurin's hearing sharpened manifold.  He heard the Elves bemoaning how the impetuosity of the Lady of Dor-Lomin led them such an end; they feared how Morwen would fare now astray in the wilderness, and they expressed the sincere hope that Nienor could be healed by Melian's skill.  Although it was early spring, the winds blew chill that day and Hurin listened as Mablung discussed their road home by a diminishing fire: they would pass through the Forest of Nivrim and follow the River Esgalduin down to the secluded bridge of Menegroth.  The tired Elves now deemed that since Nienor slept they would not need to take turns in guarding her, and all took the opportunity to rest before continuing with their journey; they slumbered nigh to the eaves of Nivrim on the west-marches of Doriath, north of Amon Rudh.  Their weariness was such, that the Elves paid little regard to the rumours of Orcs still secretly patrolling these lands beyond the days of the betrayal of Mim; thus it was that Hurin sat in a tense silence whilst waiting for the company to pick up again. 

At length Hurin heard the familiar ungainly tramping of Orc feet but he could not detect their proximity since the Orb still showed nothing; and an icy dread took him when he heard an Orkish voice say, "Wait!  I smell Elf-meat and, umm, Man-flesh over there beyond the magic trees."  The drawing of weapons noised amid brutish battle-cries and pounding feet, but the assault was met by the sound of swift arrows, flying spears and the ringing of iron on steel.  Suddenly brilliant sunlight shone forth from Hurin's Orb and dazzled him; he gasped as Nienor awoke and saw the onslaught, and whilst he comprehended her insecurity and panic, at the same Hurin fully recognized the dauntless Mablung fighting three enemies at once and a father's gratitude filled his heart.  Within seconds Nienor turned to flight and Hurin experienced a surge of speed like never before.  She darted without stopping for breath, dodging trunks and ducking branches as she flew, and in those moments her father knew how a hunted beast must feel; for the Orcs gave chase and the Elves raced after.  It soon became apparent to Hurin that the Elves caught up to their foes because he heard many Orkish death-cries and Elven voices calling for Nienor to stop; but she sped on without thought or reason and became only the second of the race of Men to pierce the Girdle of Melian without the prior summons of Thingol and his queen.  Those who enter unbidden into the forests of Doriath experience a profound bewilderment; for the power of Melian was such that within Thingol's realm a wall of shadow and deceptive mazes prevented the wayfarer from entering in, unless one came with a greater power or fate delivered them, and it is not known if such bewilderment took Nienor for she was already under the spell of Glaurung.  Hurin's heart thumped violently and he felt grasping claws tearing at his clothing; since his arms were fixed to the chair and no others were present, he realised that Nienor was ripping off her garments as she ran and he wept for the terror that she underwent.  Yet she ran on unrelenting until eventide when at last she collapsed with exhaustion among some long fern brakes; she slept there throughout the night oblivious of her nudity, the dropping temperature or any peril, and Hurin's concern for his daughter's wellbeing deepened all the more. 

Hurin supposed that Nienor's madness had passed when she woke the next morning for she seemed at peace; however he sensed her confusion, because it appeared as though she looked upon everything in that fair land as though it was something new and wonderful to behold.  Presently the snapping of twigs behind the bracken startled Nienor so that she scaled an apple tree and from its low branches she observed a young doe nosing for food; she marvelled at the fallow deer's beauty but would not budge until the creature had long moved on.  Nienor surveyed the regions about her before climbing down; to the north she saw the pure waters of Teiglin and Brethil Forest beyond, and it was not until this time that Hurin shared her thirst.  Nienor headed furtively towards the river, but because of her agitation at anything that moved she strayed too far east and came at length to the inaccessible ravines of Teiglin; from those heights she glimpsed the same river crossing that Sauron and the Orcs carried her captured brother across many years before.  Driven forth by dehydration, she wearily stumbled her way along the perilous precipices with her eyes fixed rigidly upon the distant ford.  Hurin feared that she might plunge into the rapids below at any given time for the ground was rocky, loose and uneven but Nienor strode as one entranced and did not perceive any danger.  After two hours travelling thus, the land became less sheer and more green; but Nienor grew fearful, for storm clouds came up from the south charging the air with static electricity and she ran at all speed towards the crossing.  Parched and panting, she reached a level bank and finally quenched her thirst; at this time the rains came and she desperately sought cover, she did not wish to turn back since the shadow of Glaurung lay behind her and ahead lay the forest of Brethil.  She crossed the ford at length and, drenched and shivering, she noticed a sheltered glade; in its midst lay the Haudh-en-Elleth, the burial mound of Finduilas, and with utter fatigue Nienor, daughter of Hurin, dropped unconscious upon it and fell into a fearful and troubled slumber.