VIII OF THE CAPTURE OF AERANDIR

Bard married Una, and there was much rejoicing in the North. A great feast was held, and the Fellowship came in attendance. They saw then the king of Dale and Una the fair speak their vows, and they saw the great firework display by which Gandalf celebrated the marriage. They riddled with the dwarf Hár, and Ubar and Valin drank and made merry with Bombur and with their King, Dain. Ubar gained too the favour of Gandalf when the Grey Wizard gave him a quest to retrieve the finest of desserts for him.

The Dwarves marvelled too to see the bow of Caranthiel, for they saw now it had been strung with mithril. For the bow was Pennaeth, and long had it slumbered under a pall. Yet Gandalf had given the bow his blessing when last she was in Dale, and the bow awoke and shimmered as it once had.

It was soon afterwards when Duvainiel approached Caranthiel to beg for aid, for she wished Caranthiel to intercede with Thranduil on her behalf, and on behalf of the Ancient Oak. For Duvainiel wished for her exile to be lifted, and to be allowed to return to Thranduil’s Halls, and for Thranduil to commit to the protection of the Ancient Oak, which she had sworn a mighty oath to guard. Caranthiel said she would speak with Thranduil but promised Duvainiel naught.

Beren came to the feast too with a great Elven weapon, though this was a pike and not a bow. For Oderic had joined the forces of Rohan, and in such service, he found the great spear while joining an attack upon an orcish lair, but it was too weighty to be wielded on horseback. And so Oderic sent it to Rhosgobel, with a letter thanking Beren, Irminsul and Valin for the new life they had given him. Beren brought this spear to the wedding feast, and Caranthiel read the runes inscribed upon its shaft, and knew it had come from Gondolin of old, though she could say no more of it.

Una made to give the Fellowship gifts, for they had not been rewarded for her rescue. Halfdan and Ubar showed much humility, and could accept such gifts not, though to Beren she gave a mighty horn, made from the horn of the Kine of Araw. To Valin she gave ivory from an ancient and mighty Mumakil and hoped that he might one day make use of it to craft some new weapon. Lastly to Caranthiel she gave the strongest Dorwinion wine, for Una had been greatly amused to hear that even Elves of Mirkwood might fall asleep upon drinking this fortified wine.

It was at this time that Bard announced there was to be an archery competition the following day. Halfdan spoke with Bard and told him of his intention to join the competition, for he wished to out-shoot the Elves. Bard gave his blessing then and swore that if Halfdan proved himself in the archery competition, he would be allowed to join the Royal Archers of Dale.

Aerandir had come to Dale to represent Thranduil, and he thought he himself sure to win the competition, for he was armed with Penbregol, the Bow of Sudden Fury. He had but newly been named Captain of Thranduil’s guard, and the holder of such a post always bore Penbregol. Aerandir too wished to see the ability of the archers outside the Woodland Realm, for he was seeking worthy archers to join a hunt. The white stag of Mirkwood had been sighted, and Thranduil longed to hunt it. Such a hunt would normally be for Elves alone, and yet Thranduil wished to aid in securing peace across Rhovanion and thought such a gesture might aid with the troubles with the men of Dale. For Bardings yet came to Mirkwood to cut down trees beloved by the Elves. This troubled Thranduil, but yet he preferred reassurances of friendship to war.

Aerandir was sufficiently impressed by all of the Fellowship, save for the Dwarves, who failed to advance in the archery tournament. Yet he resolved to invite them regardless, for he had been bade by Thranduil to find appropriate representatives of Erebor, and there were no better Dwarven archers to be found there.

The tournament continued until naught but Caranthiel, Halfdan, Irminsul and Aerandir remained. Caranthiel, Irminsul and Aerandir all struck their target, yet it was judged that Caranthiel had struck closest to home, and she was rewarded with coin, though she had vowed to hold no gold nor silver nor copper of her own, but to give all such in tribute to her king.

Aerandir bade the Fellowship come to the Woodland Realm then, and they were granted permission to travel with the Elves by raft. They came to the Woodland Realm, and all but Caranthiel were bade to remain outside the halls in shelters fresh constructed for them. Valin longed to see the caves of Thranduil’s halls, for he had heard of their beauty, though the Elven guards would allow him entrance not.

In time the hunt was joined, and the Fellowship found the trail of the white stag and followed it across Northern Mirkwood. They came upon a dark hart in the forest, though they stayed their hands and let it pass, which was to the good for it is said that great misfortune falls upon those who shot the dark hart of Mirkwood.

Yet though they stayed their hands, misfortune came upon them still. They chanced upon a cluster of spiders in the forest, and they would not leave the stag’s path to take a longer path around the spiders. And so, they made to pass close by the spiders with stealth. Yet not all could pass with stealth and Valin alerted the spiders.

Some among them came to realise they could hear the spiders and understand them too. The spiders had sought tribute for their mother, having failed to gather gems for her, which spiders crave above all things, and now they thought to trap the Fellowship for their mother to feast on. Beren blew his horn that Elven aid might come, and if they thought at first to fight, they turned their minds towards flight as the spider’s mother was yet close by and made to join the fight.

She was Tyulquin, daughter of Shelob, and she had more power of Ungoliant than all the rest of Shelob’s brood. Tyulquin drew thick black webs around her, and from these webs she wove a shroud of unlight, through which no light would pass.

Irminsul brought forth oil and fire to block her path, though no sooner had he done so that she looked into his eyes, and he gazed back. Of what dark visions he saw then, no one now know, but he was mesmerised, and would fight no further against Tyulquin, though Ubar hoisted Irminsul on his shoulder and ran.

The Fellowship retreated in the face of this dreadful foe, though Halfdan was trapped in thick webs. He broke free of the webs, but he now trailed at back at of the Fellowship, and was struck by Tyulquin’s beak, bringing him almost unto death. Caranthiel drew one of the gems of Smaug from Irminsul’s pack and she threw it then, and Tyulquin’s children all ran and fought amongst each other, each wishing to be the one to present the gem to their mother. The Fellowship took that opportunity and accomplished their flight.

Thranduil came upon them then, for he had heard the sound of the horn’s call. Bloodied he was, and Tyulqin’s blood was upon his blade, and yet he had slain her not.

“So foul a creature should never be allowed to sully my realm! I swear I shall drive her out, for she would not have come into my realm at all had the guards on my southern border been fully present. Yet I send many of them to our eastern border, that they might guard instead against the men of Dale with their axes. You have all done well in facing such a creature, yet I would not have you speak of this to anyone.” Thranduil proclaimed.

“I must tell Radagast, for I serve him, and he would wish to know of such matters.” Spoke Beren.

“Very well, tell the Istar if you must, but I would have your word, from all of you, that you will speak of this to no one else. I will deal with this, but I would not have news spread and bring forth panic.”

The Fellowship all gave their word, though even then Beren encouraged them to find a way to break that word.

They found a safe camping site, hidden by Elvish craft from those who would do them harm and slept the night in peace.

It happened that Aerandir too came by the nest of spiders, and he fled before the face of Tyulquin, though he knew not that he had fled towards a new enemy.

These enemies were Dwarven brothers, whose names were Polin and Pomin, and who had made their home within Mirkwood. They served Frár the Beardless and wished to see him reclaim the Greydelve and become king. They had ventured into Mirkwood to seek out Thranduil’s halls and ask his aid in recovering the Greydelve.

Yet Mirkwood is no place for Dwarves, and they could find their way not. Tyulquin came upon them and thought them not to be much of a meal and was amused instead to torment them and drive them mad for her sport, until they lost all understanding of time’s passing.

Polin and Pomin saw Aerandir in his terror, and attacked him then, for they saw Penbregol and the gleam of its mithril bowstring. They had heard rumour that the bearer of that bow had shaved Frár and they would allow this insult to stand not.

They bound Aerandir and took him into their shelter, which was fast becoming a home. This was a cave beneath the roots of an old tree, and Dwarven spells lay heavy onto its hidden entrance.

It was at that time that the Fellowship saw the white stag of Mirkwood, or rather that the stag led them to Polin and Pomin, for the stag stood by the tree under which the Dwarves hid. Beren thought ill of hunting such a kingly creature, and he made to move towards the stag, though ere he could, Caranthiel shot a stinging dart from Pennaeth, and so the stag died. As they came upon the stag, they saw then the gleam of Penbregol’s mithril string within the roots of the tree, and Valin retrieved it. The Fellowship were suspicious then, for the bow belonged to Aerandir, and yet Aerandir could not be seen. Polin and Pomin emerged from their hole at that moment, and though they were relieved to see fellow Dwarves in Ubar and in Valin, they feared to see an elf, and demanded to know what Dwarves were doing in Elven company. Valin left Penbregol with Irminsul as a sign of good faith and took Polin and Pomin further away from the company, that they might speak in the secret tongue of Dwarves and have no one overhear.

Polin and Pomin told him then they served Frár, known as the Beardless, and that they believed that Aerandir had been the one who had shaved Frár, for they had heard of Penbregol, and heard that its bearer had been the one to shave their chief. Valin was outraged, and seeing this growing anger, Beren sounded his horn, that the Elves might come.

Fear gripped Polin and Pomin’s hearts and they ran to the cave beneath the tree. Beren made to stop them with his shield, though he could halt them not and they ran past him in panic.

“Beren, why did you scare them off? We could have negotiated with them peacefully!” Spoke Valin.

“I liked not seeing Dwarven tempers flare. But what were Dwarves doing in Mirkwood?” Replied Beren.

“We know not, for someone interrupted us as we were trying to find out! Peace is tenuous still between Elven and Dwarf kin, and we must negotiate this carefully. I would ask that you not alert the Elves any further until I have spoken to my kin and uncovered the truth of it.”

Beren would understand this not, for he thought that they were in the Elves’ forest, and that the Dwarves had stolen an Elvish bow, and that this therefore was a matter for Thranduil and his servants to deal with. Yet Caranthiel spoke in favour of negotiation and gave Valin some of her Dorwinion wine, that he might offer it them in the spirit of friendship

Hard it was to find the secret door to the brother’s cave, for none save a Dwarf could hope to find hidden Dwarven doors, and even then, finding such a door is no easy task. Yet found it Valin did, and he knocked upon it. The Dwarves were gladdened greatly by the wine, and showed Valin where Aerandir was bound, though Aerandir denied ever having shaved a Dwarf. Polin and Pomin sent a raven then to Frár, bidding him to come, for they thought to ransom Aerandir to Thranduil in exchange for Elven support in reclaiming the Greydelve, and wished Frár to come that Thranduil might recognise him.

Valin came forth from the cave beneath the tree and told the Fellowship all that he had been told. Caranthiel revealed then that Aerandir could not have shaved Frár, for he had only become Captain of the Guard recently and possessed not Penbregol ere he took up his post, and she revealed that it had been Duvainiel who had been Captain of the Guard previously.

Valin returned to Polin and Pomin then, and he brought Ubar with him, who spoke very fairly.

“What would Frár do? Is he not cunning, and would he not know that the prisoner might be released, so that the Elves may trust you and see how much the Dwarves value honesty? The Elves might then aid you out of gratitude. What would Frár do? Would he be dishonest, using prisoners like this, as if he was an Orc?” Polin and Pomin warmed to these words, yet they wished more wine to drink while they pondered. Valin left the tree again, and Caranthiel gave him more of the strong Dorwinion wine, and when Valin returned to Polin and Pomin, they drank readily and soon fell fast asleep.

Though the Fellowship then disagreed on what should be done. Beren wished to simply leave Polin and Pomin in the forest, Caranthiel thought that the Dwarves were quite mad and that only in Thranduil’s prisons, where they might be attended to by the Elves, would they recover. Valin was wary at this, and did not fully trust Thranduil, wishing rather that the Dwarves be taken back to Erebor.

Thranduil arrived then, riding in on his lordly stag. He was glad to see the hunt for the White Stag been successful, though concerned he was that Irminsul held Penbregol. Caranthiel explained all to him, and Irminsul readily returned Penbregol, which pleased Thranduil.

Valin, Ubar and Aerandir emerged from the tree, and Valin spoke to Thranduil about the madness and shadow that afflicted them in the forest. He spoke very fairly and humbly, and though Caranthiel spoke for keeping them in the dungeons of the Woodland Realm, Thranduil saw the decency of Valin, and besides, the Elven-king was afflicted with greater worries. Polin and Pomin were to be taken out of Mirkwood at once he decreed, though if they ventured into the forest again, he would not show mercy a second time.

Elven riders came and granted the Fellowship use of their spare horses. They brought back the stag to one of the feast clearings of the Elves, and also asked the raft elves to carry Polin and Pomin to Gloin in Lake-town.

All feasted then in the clearing, and at the feast was Ormal, who knew much of the works of elder days. Caranthiel brought Beren to him then, and they showed him the great spear which Beren had received from Oderic, and which Beren had named Dagmor. It was a spear, Ormal said, made in Gondolin for the great wars against Melkor’s forces, and in the hand of a mighty wielder, it would never fail.

Elf-lights glittered overhead, and all were inspired by the feast.