XXVIII OF THE RETURN OF THE FELLOWSHIP TO DOL GULDUR

Greatly was Gandalf troubled by the violence that had occurred in Woodmen-Town. For the hearts of men fall easily to wrath and to hatred, yet they are also easily deceived and led astray. He came to believe that it was not just the pride of the Woodmen alone that had caused them to strike at Ormal so, but that foreign voices had led them astray.

He further came to suspect that these voices had their origin in Dol Guldur, from which much evil sprang. He believed too that Valter, who had not now been seen in some years, had retreated from his fastness at Amon Bauglir into Dol Guldur itself. For when Athala had struck him with her dagger, she had plunged the blade deep into his chest, and the men of Tyrant’s Hill had not the skill to save him. Gandalf knew that if Valter were alive, it would only be so through the sorceries of Dol Guldur.

He knew as well that Iglund still had much faith in his brother and hope that Valter might once more become Ingold of old, a worthy brother and Woodman. Commendable did Gandalf find this faith, for he was never eager to deal out judgement, yet he knew too that the truth must be seen, lest Iglund be too eager to trust the man who was now the foe of all Woodmen.

Iglund and Valter had never been so alike. For as Valter had received a terrible wound, so had Iglund. As Valter had fallen into shadow, so did Iglund start to fall, for the shadow left on him by the Morgul blade was great, and could never be truly healed, not even by the skill of Elrond.

After Iglund and Ithilonnen had returned from Imladris, Gandalf summoned the members of the Fellowship to Rhosgobel, where they met with Radagast and Beorn also. He gave the Fellowship a quest to return to Dol Guldur, that they might uncover truths of which Gandalf already suspected, but for which he had no proof.

Radagast bade his woodland friends to watch out for the Fellowship as they journeyed into Southern Mirkwood, while Gandalf and Beorn offered to create distractions that the Fellowship might enter Dol Guldur with secrecy and guile.

So it was that the Fellowship travelled through those blighted lands, passing by Amon Bauglir and by Fenbridge Castle, into the wasteland of stagnant and treacherous pools, and of tangled roots that sought ever to snare those that trod upon that unwholesome ground. They were guided in this by a squirrel which Radagast had sent, till they stood beneath the blackened walls of Dol Guldur itself.

There was a hidden path there of which few knew, and which led then into the depths of the fortress. The Fellowship waited till they heard the riotous sound of Gandalf’s fireworks and the sounds of battle as Beorn fell upon the orcs who came out to investigate.

The Fellowship passed through that crack and divided into two groups. Ithilonnen, Ubar and Eberwulf descended further into the dungeons, and they found there great pits of the dead, from which were being fed certain fell beasts with dark wings and terrible screams. The name and form of these beasts were quite unknown to the Fellowship, or to any of the Free Peoples at that time. Ithilonnen, Ubar and Eberwulf skirted around the outside of a vast cavern, in which these beasts were chained, and moved carefully from rock to rock lest they be seen. They passed unharmed and unseen, till they came to certain vaults, guarded by orcs and by those fell beasts. Ithilonnen and Ubar slew the orcish sentries with great stealth and opened the chests that lay there.

There were gleaming rubies, a delight to all spider-kind, and many treasures of the Dwarves too, for Sauron had begun to conceive of a plan to offer the Dwarves great riches in return for their allegiance. The last of these chests contained many scrolls of purported history of the men and Eldar of the forest, though they contained many falsities and cast the Eldar as oppressors of men who had deprived them of their rightful knowledge of the Lidless Eye. For Sauron had thought of the Kin-Strife after Morgoth had made his arguments in Eldamar and hoped that a like situation could be brought about again.

There was no time for Ithilonnen, Ubar or Eberwulf to loot the treasures contained there, though they did burn the scrolls that none might read the lies contained therein.

Above them, Caranthiel, Irminsul and Iglund ascended to the quarters of the men who resided now within Dol Guldur and came there to the rooms of Valter himself.

Thus spoke Iglund to Valter: “Why are you here brother? It is not safe for you to be here.”

Valter replied: “I have come here to discern what evil dwells in these parts, and I find you here, and not as a prisoner. Instead you incite violence towards my guests and your men have slain many Woodmen. Explain yourself, Ingold. I have tried to bring you back among the fold. I tried to bring you back among the Woodmen.”

“I wished to number myself amongst the Woodmen, brother, but they have rejected me so many times. The Woodmen have deprived me of the right to claim my own ancestry, yet the Nazgul have promised me I will be able to go home.”

“Commanding an army of darkness to return home, is that what you want? With fire and sword? Pillaging our home, setting it aflame. Is that what you want. The words of the Nazgul are poison, lies and deceit.”

“That may be, but the time in which I might have chosen another path is long gone. If you were wise, brother, you would flee from Mirkwood, to the furthest reaches of Middle-Earth where we might not reach you.”

“I will not let the Shadow run free. Come Ingold, I am offering you a last choice.”

“When we were young, I thought you a coward, but there is more of our father’s strength in you than I saw. He was a strong man, and well loved for the Woodmen for it, but he was a harsh man, and all I have known is harshness, and harshness is all I will ever know. I am happy for you that you have found a place of your own now, but it should have been mine. I should have been War-Leader. I will take back my home, but I swear this doom, that I shall not permit another to harm you. When the time comes, I will make sure it is swift. For what it is worth, I truly did not wish this. Leave now, before you are discovered.”

“Perhaps there is no Ingold left, perhaps there is only Valter now after all.” As Iglund left, Irminsul spoke to Valter thus: “I know you do not wish to listen to me, but he is your brother. Would you condemn him for the deeds of others?”

“My brother is the only reason I have not called for orcs to come and slaughter you all already. The armies of Dol Guldur will march, whether I march with them or no. The world of men will fall. If you think I still have choice left, then you should wait till you have worn that ring upon your finger a little longer. Tell me, why did they grant you one of the Nine, but gave to me only a lesser ring?”

“I asked not for this shackle. Men are tools to them, to be used and discarded. Is that what you want for your brother?”

“It is not, and yet I do think he shall bow, though he should. I know one of the Nazgul struck him with a Morgul blade, and now he will never be whole again. I do not wish him harm, but there is no preventing the doom that is to come.”

“Perhaps not, but as long as there is something yet to love in this world, I see no reason to bow down like a dog.” With these words, Irminsul and Caranthiel left, to re-join with Iglund, and then with their other companions.

They left at last from Dol Guldur, though their flight was more hurried and less stealthy than their entrance, and so pursued they were by the eldest of the fell beasts to the East Nether Vales, where the beast was slain. Yet Sauron was pleased at how it fought, for fiercely it clawed at and grasped Iglund ere it was slain and had the shots of the Fellowship been not so true, it would have lifted Iglund to a great height and let him fall to his doom. Yet doom would still be Iglund’s fate, for he would continue to fall into shadow, and become ever more like his brother.