XI OF THE LAIR OF THE BEAST OF MIRKWOOD Great were the celebrations when Ubar came to be a hundred years old, for he celebrated not only a birthday, but Durin’s day as well. Wellnigh all the Dwarvenfolk of Dale, and some of those who resided in Esgaroth and under the Lonely Mountain too, came then upon the festival, which was held in a forge, for forges were ever dear to Ubar’s heart. Irminsul sang fine songs, which pleased the Dwarves greatly, and many fine games involving the throwing and catching of hammers, which seem strange to those of the First and Secondborn alike, were played. Beren of the Woodmen tried his hand at these games and caused naught but harm to himself thereby. As the night passed, three unexpected guests came as well. The first of these was Una the Fair, who desired to see her friends. The coming of Una brought others as well. Jonar had come to Dale to spy upon Una and had followed her to the festivities, though he dared not enter the rooms in which those revels were held, and so remained unseen for a little while. For Jonar blamed Una for the death of Finnar. Of what befell Finnar only rumour tells, though it is known that the last time Finnar was seen by any man was not long before Gorgol made attempt to capture Una. The third and final unexpected guest was a forester and he came to seek Una for he knew she was fair, and he wished not to invoke the ire of Bard. For this man had gone into Mirkwood with his fellows to cut down trees, and in the darkness of that forest the Beast of Mirkwood fell upon them. He had ran back to Dale, bloodied and scarred, and hoping to hear that vengeance would be served against the Beast. He had scarce entered the forge when, crying out for an audience with Una, her guards caught him and dragged him out, for they were rough and ready men, ever suspicious of men of the North, who were as strangers to them, and ever eager to do whatever it took to protect their Lady. Una though liked not such treatment being meted out in her name and asked the Fellowship to investigate what had upset that forester so. Ubar remained with Una while Caranthiel, Irminsul and Beren went forth to speak to him. Caranthiel spoke to the guards: “Let that man go. Can you not see that he is injured?” They released him then, and the forester thanked her: “I thank you lady, though I have done injustice to you and your kin. Please, if I tell you, do no harm to me.” Caranthiel merely led the forester further away from Una’s guards and let him continue. “Me and my companions went into Mirkwood, that we might cut down trees, when attacked we were by the largest wolf we have ever seen. I thought not to tell Bard, for he will be wroth with me, but Una is fair, so I thought rather to speak to her, that she might find someone to exact vengeance upon that wolf.” Caranthiel replied: “And what did you expect, venturing into the forest? It is not safe for your kin. We may kill the wolf, but if I see you venture into Mirkwood again, I will not hesitate.” “I will never cut down another tree, nor step foot in the Woodland Realm ever again, I swear it.” “Tell all your friends and neighbours, that Mirkwood is not safe, and they must not venture there.” The forester gave directions then, to where his fellows were ambushed, and returned to his home, never more to tread under leaves of the forest. As Caranthiel, Irminsul and Beren discussed the matter of the Beast, Caranthiel saw that a man stood across the street, hooded and cloaked and with an air of malice around him. It seemed to her that this man watched the forges where Ubar celebrated, and thus Beren came close to the man, and greeted him in a friendly manner, though the hooded man would talk in return not. As the hooded man was distracted, Caranthiel and Irminsul came close as well, and there they saw it was Jonar who stood before, and Jonar spat at them: “What happened to Finnar, you so-called councillor, and you Elven witch? I know you slew him, and I will get justice for Finnar.” Irminsul spoke when Jonar tried to leave then: “We are not done here. We have seen you attempt to spy upon the Queen of Dale. Think you the guards will allow you to leave when they learn of this?” Beren called the guards, and these men had little patience for vagabonds who would spy upon their lady, and little patience for northern customs besides. They struck Jonar many times and beat him with their fists and boots. Outrage came into Caranthiel’s heart and she spoke thus: “Is this how guards of Dale behave? What have you prisons for?” Una’s guards responded with contempt: “We are not guards of Dale, but Una’s guards, and we come from Dorwinion, which lies close to the Easterlings, and we learned long ago to show not mercy. Very well, he has been warned, and will not trouble us again.” Jonar swore then that he would stay away, and so the guards cast him aside. Irminsul made to follow Jonar, yet Jonar went into Brokenstone of the Old Quarter, and the alleyways there were winding and filled with many other dark and hooded figures. Thus, was sight of Jonar lost. Irminsul returned to Beren and to Caranthiel, and they returned to the topic of the forester, and of the Beast of Mirkwood, for certain they were that it had been the Beast whom the forester had seen. Beren thought there to be no need to tell either Bard or Una of what the forester had said, for he thought that their Fellowship could slay the beast, and so bring justice for the forester, with no need to lay any troubles at Bard and Una’s feet. Caranthiel thought otherwise, for she reasoned that the more Bard heard of the dangers of the forest, the more he might seek to stop men of his city from venturing there for timber. Beren, Caranthiel, Irminsul and Ubar came then the next day to the Royal Palace of Dale to meet with Bard and with Una. They were joined in this by Halfdan and Valin not, for Halfdan wished to dedicate himself to his family and folk for yet a while longer, and Valin received summons from Dain for military service. Caranthiel stepped forward and spoke to the king: “Greetings King Bard, and Lady Una. I bear bad news, that a company of foresters from Dale was attacked in Mirkwood, one of the parties of forester whom you do not prevent from entering the forest. He claims to have been attacked by a great wolf, and we have fought such wolves before. Dangerous they are indeed, and I can only advise you, King Bard, that your people would be safer if they bought wood from us, rather than venturing into the forest themselves.” Bard replied: “I do not encourage them. We owe a great deal to Thranduil, and we would not have survived without his aid, and yet Dale must be rebuilt, and we must have timber for such building. In Esgaroth wood can be sold by none but Elves, and the men of Esgaroth pay dearly for that privilege.” “Is gold dearer to you than the lives of your people?” “No, it is not. I have seen what happens when kings value treasure more than their people’s lives. I wish to unite the peoples of the north, and to be joined in friendship with the Elves. We are long overdue a Council of the North, to discuss such matters. As for this wolf, while I may wish upon a time to hunt such thing myself, I am a king now. Slay this wolf for me and you will have my gratitude.” Ingiful came forth then and gave to Irminsul a dozen of the finest arrows, fletched with feathers which had been granted to Dale following the Battle of Five Armies by the Lord of the Eagles. The Fellowship departed from Dale and soon came to the eastern edge of the forest, between the Mountains of Mirkwood and the Woodland Realm. There Caranthiel came upon a band of wayward Elves who had been feasting when they had found an injured Barding forester. Their leader, whose name was Erestor, told Caranthiel that they knew this man had cut down their trees, and that once he had recovered from his wounds, they sought to lead him in the wrong direction, that he might die in Mirkwood. They thought that dying of his wounds would be too fast and merciful and would serve little sport besides. Caranthiel agreed with them, though in secret as she tended to the forester, she gave him true directions, that he might find his way out of the forest. This being done, the wayward Elves invited Caranthiel and the rest of her Fellowship to join them for a little while. It was at nightfall when the Beast of Mirkwood was come. It came rushing out of the shadows and fell upon Erestor and smote his body with fearsome claws. Beren strode forth, relinquishing cover and so his companions followed him. There were two Elven-lamps in that clearing, and Ubar took one, throwing it at the Beast, though this did little other than inflame it further with wrath.