the story of beren and lúthien ~ finished by geoff zeiger
IX
In Wizard's Isle still lay forgot,
enmeshed and tortured in that grot
cold, evil, doorless, without light,
and blank-eyed stared at endless night 2640
two comrades. Now alone they were.
The others lived no more, but bare
their broken bones would lie and tell
how ten had served their master well.
To Felagund then Beren said: 2645
"'twere little loss if I were dead,
and I am minded all to tell,
and thus, perchance, from this dark hell
thy life to loose. I set thee free
from thine old oath, for more for me 2650
hast thou endured than e'er was earned."
"A! Beren, Beren hast not learned
that promises of Morgoth's folk
are frail as breath. From this dark yoke
of pain shall neither ever go, 2655
whether he learn our names or no,
with Thû's consent. Nay more, I think
yet deeper of torment should we drink,
knew he that son of Barahir
and Felagund were captive here, 2660
and even worse if he should know
the dreadful errand we did go."
A devil's laugh they ringing heard
within the pit. "True, true the word
I hear you speak," a voice then said. 2665
"'Twere little loss if he were dead,
the outlaw mortal. But the king,
the Elf undying, many a thing
no Man could suffer may endure.
Perchance, when what these walls immure 2670
of dreadful anguish thy folk learn,
their king to ransom they will yearn
with gold and gems and high hearts cowed;
or maybe Celegorm the proud
will deem a rival's prison cheap, 2675
and crown and gold himself will keep.
Perchance the errand I shall know,
ere all is done, that ye did go.
The wolf is hungry, the hour is nigh;
no more need Beren wait to die." 2680
The slow time passed. Then in the gloom
two eyes there glowed. He saw his doom,
Beren, silent, as bonds he strained
beyond his mortal might enchained.
Lo! sudden there was a rending sound 2685
of chains that parted and unwound,
of meshes broken. Forth there leapt
upon the wolvish thing that crept
in shadow faithful Felagund,
careless of fang and venomed wound. 2690
There in the dark they wrestled slow,
remorseless, snarling, to and fro,
teeth in flesh, gripe on throat,
fingers locked in shaggy coat,
spurning Beren who there lying 2695
heard the werewolf gasping, dying.
Then a voice he heard: "Farewell!
On earth I need no longer dwell,
friend and comrade, Beren bold.
My heart is burst, my limbs are cold. 2700
Here all my power I have spent
to break my bonds, and dreadful rent
of poisoned teeth is in my breast.
I now must go to my long rest
neath Timbrenting in timeless halls 2705
where drink the Gods, where the light falls
on the shining sea." Thus died the king
as elvish harpers yet do sing.
There Beren lies. His grief no tear,
his despair no horror has nor fear, 2710
waiting for footsteps, for voice, for doom.
Silences profounder than the tomb
of long-forgotten kings, neath years
and sand uncounted laid on biers
and buried everlasting-deep, 2715
slow and unbroken round him creep.
The silences were sudden shivered
to silver fragments. Faint there quivered
a voice in song that walls of rock,
enchanted hill, and bar and lock, 2720
and powers of darkness pierced with light.
He felt about him the soft night
of many stars, and in the air
were rustlings and a perfume rare;
the nightingales were in the trees, 2725
slim fingers flute and viol seize
beneath the moon, and one more fair
than all there be or ever were
upon a lonely knoll of stone
in shimmering raiment danced alone. 2730
Then in his dream it seemed he sang,
and loud and fierce his chanting rang,
old songs of battle in the North,
of breathless deeds, of marching forth
to dare uncounted odds and break 2735
great powers, and towers, and strong walls shake;
and over all the silver fire
that once Men named the Burning Briar,
the seven stars that Varda set
about the North, were burning yet, 2740
a light in darkness, hope in woe,
the emblem vast of Morgoth's foe.
"Huan, Huan! I hear a song
far under welling, far but strong;
a song that Beren bore aloft. 2745
I hear his voice, I have heard it oft
in dream and wandering." Whispering low
thus Lúthien spake. On the bridge of woe
in mantle wrapped at dead of night
she sat and sang, and to its height 2750
and to its depth the Wizard's Isle,
rock on rock and pile on pile,
trembling echoed. The werewolves howled,
and Huan hidden lay and growled
watchful listening in the dark, 2755
waiting for battle cruel and stark.
Thû heard that voice, and sudden stood
wrapped in his cloak and sable hood
in his high tower. He listened long,
and smiled, and knew that elvish song. 2760
"A! little Lúthien! What brought
the foolish fly to web unsought?
Morgoth! a great and rich reward
to me will owe when to his hoard
this jewel is added." Down he went, 2765
and forth his messengers he sent.
Still Lúthien sang. A creeping shape
with bloodred tongue and jaws agape
stole on the bridge; but she sang on
with trembling lips and wide eyes wan. 2770
The creeping shape leaped to her side,
and gasped, and sudden fell and died.
And still they came, still one by one,
and each was seized, and there were none
returned with padding feet to tell 2775
that a shadow lurketh fierce and fell
at the bridge's end, and that below
the shuddering waters loathing flow
o'er the grey corpses Huan killed.
A mightier shadow slowly filled 2780
the narrow bridge, a slavering hate,
an awful werewolf fierce and great:
pale Draugluin, the old grey lord
of wolves and beasts of blood abhorred,
that fed on flesh of Man and Elf 2785
beneath the chair of Thû himself.
No more in silence did they fight.
Howling and baying smote the night,
till back to the chair where he had fed
to die the werewolf yammering fled. 2790
"Huan is there" he gasped and died,
and Thû was filled with wrath and pride.
"Before the mightiest he shall fall,
before the mightiest wolf of all,"
so thought he now, and thought he knew 2795
how fate long spoken should come true.
Now there came slowly forth and glared
into the night a shape long-haired,
dank with poison, with awful eyes
wolvish, ravenous; but there lies 2800
a light therein more cruel and dread
than ever wolvish eyes had fed.
More huge its limbs, its jaws more wide,
its teeth more gleaming-sharp, and dyed
with venom, torment, and with death. 2805
The deadly vapor of its breath
swept on before it. Swooning dies
the song of Lúthien; her eyes
are dimmed and darkened with a fear,
cold and poisonous and drear. 2810
Thus came Thû, as wolf more great
than e'er was seen from Angband's gate
to the burning south, than ever lurked
in mortal lands or murder worked.
Sudden he sprang, and Huan leaped 2815
aside in shadow. On he swept
to Lúthien lying swooning faint.
To her drowning senses came the taint
of his foul breathing, and she stirred;
dizzily she spake a whispered word, 2820
her mantle brushed across his face.
He stumbled staggering in his place.
Out leaped Huan. Back he sprang.
Beneath the stars there shuddering rang
the cry of hunting wolves at bay, 2825
the tongue of hounds that fearless slay.
Backward and forward they leaped and ran
feinting to flee, and round they span,
and bit and grappled, and fell and rose.
Then sudden Huan holds and throws 2830
his ghastly foe; his throat he rends,
choking his life. Not so it ends.
From shape to shape, from wolf to worm,
from monster to his own demon form,
Thû changes, but that desperate grip 2835
he cannot shake, nor from it slip.
No wizardry, nor spell, nor dart,
no fang, nor venom, nor devil's art
could harm that hound that hart and boar
had hunted once in Valinor. 2840
Nigh the foul spirit Morgoth made
and bred of evil shuddering strayed
from its dark house, when Lúthien rose
and shivering looked upon his throes.
"O demon dark, O phantom vile 2845
of foulness wrought, of lies and guile,
here shalt thou die, thy spirit roam
quaking back to thy master's home
his scorn and fury to endure;
thee he will in the bowels immure 2850
of groaning earth, and in a hole
everlastingly thy naked soul
shall wail and gibber – this shall be,
unless the keys thou render me
of thy black fortress, and the spell 2855
that bindeth stone to stone thou tell,
and speak the words of opening."
With gasping death and shuddering
he spake, and yielded as he must,
and vanquished betrayed his master's trust. 2860
Lo! by the bridge a gleam of light,
like stars descended from the night
to burn and tremble here below.
There wide her arms did Lúthien throw,
and called aloud with voice as clear 2865
as still at whiles may mortal hear
long elvish trumpets o'er the hill
echo, when all the world is still.
The dawn peered over mountains wan,
their grey heads silent looked thereon. 2870
The hill trembled; the citadel
crumbled, and all its towers fell;
the rocks yawned and the bridge broke,
and Sirion spumed in sudden smoke.
Like ghosts the owls were flying seen 2875
hooting in the dawn, and bats unclean
went skimming dark through the cold airs
shrieking thinly to find new lairs
in Deadly Nightshade's branches dread.
The wolves whimpering and yammering fled 2880
like dusky shadows. Out there creep
pale forms and ragged as from sleep,
crawling, and shielding blinded eyes:
the captives in fear and in surprise
from dolour long in clinging night 2885
beyond all hope set free to light.
A vampire shape with pinions vast
screeching leaped from the ground, and passed,
its dark blood dripping on the trees;
and Huan neath him lifeless sees 2890
a wolvish corpse – for Thû had flown
to Taur-na-Fuin, a new throne
and darker stronghold there to build.
The captives came and wept and shrilled
their piteous cries of thanks and praise. 2895
But Lúthien anxious-gazing stays.
Beren comes not. At length she said:
"Huan, Huan, among the dead
must we then find him whom we sought,
for love of whom we toiled and fought?" 2900
Then side by side from stone to stone
o'er Sirion they climbed. Alone
unmoving they him found, who mourned
by Felagund, and never turned
to see what feet drew halting nigh. 2905
"A! Beren, Beren!" came her cry,
"almost too late have I thee found?
Alas! that here upon the ground
the noblest of the noble race
in vain thy anguish doth embrace! 2910
Alas! in tears that we should meet
who once found meeting passing sweet!"
Her voice such love and longing filled
he raised his eyes, his mourning stilled,
and felt his heart new-turned to flame 2915
that she through peril to him came.
"O Lúthien, O Lúthien,
more fair than any child of Men,
O loveliest maid in Elfinesse,
what might of love did thee possess 2920
to bring thee here to terror's lair!
O lissom limbs and shadowy hair,
O flower-entwinéd brows so white,
O slender hands in this new light!"
She found his arms and swooned away 2925
just at the breaking of the day.