II OF BALDUR AND BELGO

The Beast of Mirkwood returned soon after, drawing greater strength from the fire of its fury against Gailavira and her people. At that time, the Woodmen were yet to comprehend the meaning of this, not knowing whether this second Beast was kin of the first, or if the Beast had returned from death by some foul sorcery.

It gathered yet more goblins to its side, for those goblins who had survived the Battle of Five Armies were weak and divided, having no leader, and being easily forced into servitude. With this freshly raised band, the Beast laid siege to Rowanhold, and the people of Rowanhold would all have been slain were it not for the cunning and craft of Dwarves. Snorri, Borri, and Hár had devised a tunnel to lead the Woodmen to safety, and by these means did Gailavira and her people escape ere the Beast broke down the palisade.

Halfdan knew nothing of these matters and came to Rowanhold in the hopes of speaking with Gailavira, though he found Rowanhold in ruins. He continued on to Woodmen-town where he rejoiced to find that Gailavira had survived and had settled there. Owing to her great wisdom and her experiences fighting the Beast, she was named to the Council of Elders who led Woodmen-town. Gailavira and the other Elders named Halfdan Friend of the Woodmen for his past deeds, and permitted him to build a trading post there, through which much wealth and many goods would come to flow.

It was at this time that the Gathering of Five Armies was celebrated, in which the free peoples of the North came together under King Bard at Esgaroth. Bard worked to establish the bonds of friendship between all peoples of the North, but there was mistrust between them as well, which threatened many troubles to come.

A new Master of Esgaroth had been chosen by the Men of the Lake and though he was wiser and more well-loved than the Master who had come before him, there were some who feared that King Bard would bring the Master under his dominion. These people did not want Bard for their king and wished him to be content with Dale alone. The Wood Elves had been granted a monopoly on all timber traded within Esgaroth and governed their own quarter almost as if it were a separate city from Esgaroth entirely. So, there were men who trusted not the Elves, and thought that Thranduil, and not Bard, was the greater threat to their freedom.

When Halfdan returned to the shores of the Long Lake he met his companions Caranthiel, Elanor and Baldric. They chanced upon Belgo, a boy of ten winters, who begged them to come to the aid of Baldur, who was his father. Baldur was one of the Men of the Lake and desired to journey across Mirkwood to trade at Woodmen-town. His guards were Jonar, Kelmund and Finnar, and they were filled with evil thoughts and made to rob their employer rather than serve him.

A fourth guard was named Éowyn, a Shieldmaiden of Rohan, although she was a stranger in a strange land, and knew not the way. Jonar through cunning words had sent her on the wrong path, so that he and his accomplices might commit their crime. It was at that time the Fellowship arrived, and with intimidating words and the threat of drawn bows they drove them off Jonar and his co-conspirators ere they could finish the deed, though Jonar vowed to undertake great vengeance against them.

The Fellowship agreed to escort Baldur to Woodmen-town, though Halfdan agreed only for he was master of the trading post there, which Baldur knew not. As this was decided, Éowyn emerged from the trees, having found her way, and greeted Baldur and the Companions. She had known not of Jonar’s thoughts, and wished to fulfil her obligations to Baldur, and so she too came to join the Fellowship, if but for a little while.

Baldur was an Elf-friend, and the Silvan Elves gladly gave him aid, bringing them by raft to Thranduil’s halls. There Caranthiel spoke fairly to Lindar, who was master of his king’s cellars, and Lindar treated them all as honoured guests, allowing them to reside for a short while in the upper caves, from where they could hear the singing of the Eldar.

After the Fellowship left Thranduil’s halls, it happened that they spied a party of wayward Elves in the forest, who were drinking and making merry. None of the Fellowship dared leave the path or treat with these strangers save Caranthiel who spoke with them. They bade her to remain with them and forget her quest, though she would not, for she thought merriment alone would not drive back the Shadow, They liked this refusal not, and trusted not the men she travelled with, so they gave her ill-advice to lead the Fellowship astray.

They came to know more of Baldur and Belgo, and it was Elanor who learned of the demise of Belgo’s mother, and the fall of Baldur’s fortunes when the Dragon came upon Esgaroth. In this time, the Fellowship would bicker amongst themselves in a most unseemly way, which drove Baldur to despair.

By cunning Halfdan found a cache left by some hunter, and shared the dried meats with his companions, though he kept a bottle of fine Elvish wine, which he considered to be his right. Elanor spied this, and without Halfdan’s knowing, took Halfdan’s bag, so that she might see what lay within. Such mistrust was not fitting for one of her noble race, and she began to feel the corruption of the Shadow.

They chanced too upon Thranduil, King of the Woodland Realm, who was hunting for the Beast of Mirkwood. He and Caranthiel spoke in the old Silvan tongue, which few now remembered, and none know what was said between them, as both are secretive and held their thoughts to be their own.

Later they made camp at an open-air feast hall of the Silvan Elves, long since abandoned. Caranthiel had learned then to hear the murmurings of all things, and listened to the grass and to the trees, who spoke of the intrusion of Shelob’s brood.

It was at night when Baldric had a cunning plan, or so he thought. He slept, and in his dreams, he took the form of a bear to watch over the camp, though in bear form he desired nothing more than to lay by the fire. Now, Baldur rose to drink from the Enchanted Stream, which he had been warned against by Elanor, but he heeded this warning not. Whether he was driven by some foul spell or spirit, or whether he chose to drink so that he might forget all the ills that had befallen him, none know. Baldric made to give Baldur another warning, though in that form he could not speak the words of men, and so Baldur passed unopposed and drank from the stream. Baldur arose to find his memories of the last several years were gone, and that he believed the Fellowship had kidnapped him, and that he must return to Esgaroth to find his wife and his young son Belgo, who would be in danger from Smaug, freshly awoken by Thorin’s Company. For no mortal may drink from the Enchanted Stream and keep his wits.

An attempt was made to follow Baldur, though that attempt led Elanor to fall into the stream and lose her memories as well, this affliction being only healed by Caranthiel’s healing arts, and Elanor bade her to speak of this to no one. But Thranduil would ask Caranthiel to tell him all that occurred in his realm, and she could hold no secret from him, even to protect the pride of one of the Dúnedain. Thus, was Elanor known ever after to the Elves of Mirkwood as Nînfîniel, or Wet-hair.

It was not until morning that the Fellowship set out again to find Baldur, by which time he had been captured by the spiders of Mirkwood, wrapped in great webs and left for next day’s supper. Baldur had been taken far into the forest, and the Fellowship had to travel over treacherous terrain. These exertions greatly tired the Fellowship, although they gained succour from Baldric’s twice baked honey cakes.

Caranthiel made to move stealthily to rescue Baldur, though her Companions knew not the arts of stealth and awoke the spiders. A great battle was joined, and the companions fought bravely, though of them it was Halfdan who let fly the arrows which brought the most hurt to the spiders. Many of Shelob’s brood were slain ere Éowyn rode her steed across the battlefield as if she had been born in the saddle and plucked Baldur from the place in which he was held. Baldric and Caranthiel were stricken with grievous wounds, and their companions bore them away from the battlefield to recover with the aid of Baldur’s herbs.

Baldur’s memories returned to him slowly, and a rift was formed between him and his son Belgo, for Belgo felt as if his father had abandoned him and cared for him no longer, though Caranthiel and Elanor spoke to them both to encourage them and bring them comfort.

They came in time to Woodmen-town, where it was revealed to Baldur that Halfdan was master of trade there, and so Halfdan gained great wealth in taxes.