the story of beren and lúthien ~ finished by geoff zeiger
XIV
Up through the dark and echoing gloom
as ghosts from many-tunneled tomb,
up from the mountains' roots profound
and the vast menace underground, 4250
their limbs aquake with deadly fear,
terror in eyes, and dread in ear
together fled they, by the beat
affrighted of their flying feet.
At last before them far away 4255
they saw the glimmering wraith of day,
the mighty archway of the gate –
and there a horror new did wait.
Upon the threshold, watchful, dire,
his eyes new-kindled with dull fire, 4260
towered Carcharoth, a biding doom:
his jaws were gaping like a tomb,
his teeth were bare, his tongue aflame;
aroused he watched that no one came,
no flitting shade nor hunted shape, 4265
seeking from Angband to escape.
Now past that guard what guile or might
could thrust from death into the light?
He heard afar their hurrying feet,
he snuffed an odour strange and sweet; 4270
he smelled their coming long before
they marked the waiting threat at door.
His limbs he stretched and shook off sleep,
then stood at gaze. With sudden leap
upon them as they sped he sprang; 4275
his howling in the arches rang.
Too swift for thought his onset came,
too swift for any spell to tame;
and Beren desperate then aside
thrust Lúthien, and forth did stride 4280
unarmed, defenceless to defend
Tinúviel until the end.
With left he caught at hairy throat,
with right hand at the eyes he smote –
his right, from which the radiance welled 4285
of the holy Silmaril he held.
As gleam of swords in fire there flashed
the fangs of Carcharoth, and crashed
together like a trap, that tore
the hand about the wrist, and shore 4290
through brittle bone and sinew nesh,
devouring frail mortal flesh;
and in that cruel mouth unclean
engulfed the jewel's holy sheen.
Against the wall then Beren reeled; 4295
still with his left he sought to shield
fair Lúthien, who cried aloud
to see his pain, and down she bowed,
in anguish sinking to the ground.
But Carcharoth, his purpose drowned, 4300
pressed not, for deep the jewel burned,
and half in fear he sudden turned,
and vanished back the stairway dark
to burst from Angband's portals stark.
On rocky hillside high and steep 4305
in seried ranks full threescore deep
the Orcs were ranged with banners black
when sudden came the wolf's attack.
Leaping on the goblins foul
he rent the air with wolfin howl 4310
whence echoed down through caverns chill
the magic of the Silmaril.
At that mighty voice profound
the caverns trembled underground;
the dungeons crumbled, pillars fell 4315
in Morgoth's deeply-dolven hell.
Beren then, at Lúthien's side,
came stumbling out the gates thrown wide
by Carcharoth, and just behind
down crash the gates and ruined bind 4320
the might of Angband under earth
and holden from the lands of mirth.
Morgoth's army broke and fled
at onslaught sudden; filled with dread
of Carcharoth they sprang aside, 4325
yet many stumbled, fell and died.
Not this force would ruin bring
into the land of Thingol king,
for it broke upon the plain
of Dor-na-Fauglith, where the rain 4330
no more shall come to wash away
the dust of bones that still there lay
since that battle long ago
when hate and fire burned the snow.
Carcharoth, by fear pursued, 4335
his maddened flight he swift renewed,
for in his belly burning fierce
the Silmaril, whose light could pierce
the deepest shadow; not the will
of Morgoth would the jewel chill, 4340
and as it burned that holy fire
drove the wolf to fate most dire:
that magic stronger than Melian's
should entrance win to Thingol's lands.
Thus out from Angband's smoke and flame 4345
mighty Carcharoth ravening came,
out of the North, the Land of Dread,
whence only evil pathways led,
and wandered lost across the plain
till he nigh with thirst was slain, 4350
and came at last to Doriath.
Here glen and glade and forest path
had long been kept from every foe
by Melian's magic, wrought in woe,
and long she Morgoth's hand did hold 4355
from that hidden land that was of old.
To Doriath against her will
came naught; the mighty woods were still
for fate was woven; weird of old
decreed that Melian's magic hold 4360
until should come a mortal child,
Beren, and a creature wild
should burst the bonds that held yet back
Bauglir's demons from the wrack
of Elfland flowering under trees 4365
as gardens in the Lands of Ease.
Amid tremendous tumult round
Morgoth woke, for in that sound
he heard his treasure that was gone
and glimpsed his crown, whence two gems shone. 4370
Then wrathful roused his legions there
commanding them to climb the stair
and issue forth upon the plain,
the field with elven blood to stain.
For knew he not the hall was filled 4375
with rock, the army outside stilled,
and Beren drooped near death at door
as Lúthien sought to life restore
with cunning arts and loving hands
and lore she learned in elven lands; 4380
yet that wound of venomed fang
no art would cure, but still she sang.
"O Beren! Beren, why must thou
forsake our love and leave me now?
The gem is won, our quest achieved, 4385
yet here I weep, who once believed
that all our pain should end at last
if e'er again these gates we passed."
The two despaired as lightning broke
the rocks about and wrath awoke 4390
in Angband's stony corridors.
Lo! Thorndor King of Eagles soars
above the field the wolf had fled,
above the dreadful ghastly dead
as Balrogs, Orcs and evil things 4395
creep thence to take the prize that sings
upon their master's threshold drear,
and our tale had ended here
but for the Eagles strong and swift
who to the gates did stoop and lift 4400
the pair entwined in anguish grim
away from Angband's portals dim;
a third there stayed to guard their flight
perched on the mountain's stony height.
No Orc nor thrall of Morgoth dared 4405
approach that Eagle huge that glared
with menace grim and biding hate
upon the wreck of Angband's gate.
Now the Eagles' lord and king,
Thorndor, of whom the Elves still sing, 4410
as he had borne King Fingolfin
from that self-same gate again
he lifted Beren swooning deep
whose high and mighty doom would keep
from harm until appointed hour 4415
in despite of Morgoth's power.
Long leagues o'er the fields of drouth
the Eagles bore them to the south –
far above the mountains tall,
the Hidden City's outer wall, 4420
over the grave of Fingolfin
and secret land of Gondolin.
There Turgon reigned, a lord profound,
whose after fame should long resound
in many a tale of mighty deed: 4425
how to Fingon's aid at need
he marched with host ten thousand strong
upon the northward road, and long
their way when from Unnumbered Tears
to hiding and to secret fears 4430
the host of Gondolin returned.
They sing how as the city burned
Ecthelion with Gothmog fought
to bitter death. His foe he sought
with sword and knife in battle fierce 4435
until the demon he did pierce
with mortal wound, but all enwound
by whip of flame, without a sound
both crashed to ruin. These shall pass,
but Turgon's realm yet green with grass 4440
and niphredil did bloom, its lord
by all of Elfinesse adored,
and high his helm and sharp his sword,
the king of mead and vale and sward.
But Lúthien had only tears 4445
and speed alone could still her fears.
The city lying silver-white
amid the plain that starry night
was glimpsed beneath, and then was gone.
In haste the Eagles flew them on 4450
in fear of Beren's life, and dread
of pursuing anger swift and red.
The Eagles set them gently down
amid the trees and beech-leaves brown
of Doriath's borders, then to steep 4455
and treacherous mountains, watch to keep,
they must return. There Lúthien
with elvish arts unknown to Men,
with ancient lore that she did know
and wild herbs that in Doriath grow, 4460
there healed Beren's wound, and saved
him for whom she perils braved.
Here farther from its source of power
the hurt seemed less; not yet the hour
that Beren seeks the shadowy shore, 4465
forsaking love forevermore.
And soft there blew down forest path
enchanted airs of Doriath
from Melian's throne unto her child
in the woodland, desperate, wild, 4470
and when the dawn broke golden-red
Beren stirred, and laid his head
in Lúthien's lap as he awoke,
and wildered, staring, thusly spoke:
"'twas all a dream, that I did hold 4475
the Silmaril, and thou so bold
before the seat of hell did stand,
deliv'ring us from Morgoth's hand?
It seemed so clear, and yet I know
these woods, so far from Angband's glow. 4480
Here I left you to pursue
my dreadful oath, and death to woo,
that you, kept safe in Doriath,
might follow not my dooméd path."
"Rest, love," she answered, "'twas no dream, 4485
the Silmaril you held, its gleam
a ray of hope in dungeons drear,
nor even that pursuing fear
which claimed thy hand, and near thy life,
then maddened fled. Forget our strife – 4490
my father cannot from his land
now bar thee, nor refuse my hand
in justice, after Morgoth's fire,
and rocks and steel and hatred dire
of that black feud of Elfinesse 4495
kept not that jewel he would possess.
Come back with me to face the king,
with tales of mighty deeds we bring."
And yet the woods were passing sweet,
for flowers sprang beneath her feet 4500
as Lúthien danced, and there they stayed,
enchanted dancing glade to glade,
and on a morning ere the dew
was dry, to them came Huan true,
most loyal hound in all the West, 4505
returned to those who loved him best.
Thus passed the days, till rumour grew
of shadow lurking – Huan knew
that Carcharoth now stalked the land,
and the power of Melian's hand 4510
was broken, for the Silmaril
was power strong, and now the will
of King and Queen it both defied.
Thus doom of old so long denied
had come to pass. In fear they fled 4515
down forest paths gone dark with dread.
To Menegroth they hastened swift
to warn the king, and hearts to lift
with tidings of their valiant fight
and perilous journey back to light. 4520