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.

The Beast struck at Ubar, and at Irminsul, and its claws cleaved deep into their flesh, almost crippling their arms ere it turned towards the other lamp and destroyed it too. The Fellowship fell back towards the camp fire, where still there was light. Ubar there struck the Beast with a bottle of potent Dwarven liquor that it might be lit aflame and Caranthiel shot a stinging arrow at it, which flickered with magic flame. Thus, did blue fire consume the Beast, and as it howled in anguish, Beren hewed at it with his sword, and sundered its leg from its body ere it collapsed.

When the Beast was slain, the Fellowship went then to Thranduil’s Halls, for it was said that Thranduil’s chief hunter, an Elf named Orophal, had found the Beast’s lair, and they wished to speak with Orophal and learn of what he knew. When they came to the Halls of the Elven King, they found something most unusual: the great doors, which could only be opened by the will of Thranduil, opened and the guards bade them all to enter, even Ubar, though the guards showed great distrust towards the dwarf.

Thranduil’s Halls glittered as if with starlight and carved pillars of stone intertwined with roots and leaves and branches, though those trees saw no sunlight. Such a marvel was not oft seen by those who were not of the Eldar, and Ubar rejoiced to see such fine caves.

The court of Thranduil was all assembled then and they stood before Thranduil on his carven throne. There was Legolas Greenleaf, Aerandir captain of the Guard, Ormal the Lamp-maker, Lindar the master of the cellars and Halbrech a wine-seller and Elf-friend from Esgaroth, yet Orophal could not be seen.

Caranthiel reported to him all that she had known and the news of this troubled Thranduil greatly.

“The forest has become dark of late. The Beast of Mirkwood roams the forest, spiders and goblins lay siege to our realm, and Sauron has declared himself in Mordor. You and your companions have slain the Beast before, would you speak to Orophal and find the Beast’s lair for me? Your companions may rest here for a time, that you may all recover from your toils.”

The Fellowship visited Orophal, who was resting abed, for grievous had been his wounds, and Orophal asked them to finish what he could not and told them of the location of the lair. The Fellowship knew all they needed to find the lair then, though they lingered a while that they might regain their fighting strength.

Great was the craft of Elven-healers and they tended to the wounds of Irminsul and Ubar. Beren wished to see the wood-crafting of the Elves and was pleased to see them work on their boats, while Irminsul spoke to Halbrech, whom he had known in Esgaroth.

Caranthiel took Ubar to see Ormal, that they might find out more about the cloak pin which Ubar took from Dol Guldur. They learned that the malice of Maeglin, which still lay heavy upon it, would drive the wearer to treachery over time, and that the curse could only be undone by preventing other treacheries. It was not only of curses that they spoke, for Ubar marvelled at the jeweller’s anvil and hammer which Ormal used, for it was made of mithril, gifted to him in ages long past when friendship ran strong between the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm and the Elves. Ubar longed to learn all he could of crafting, and Ormal respected Ubar as a fellow craftsman and was happy to tell him of the lamps he had forged, and of his mentor, Celebrimbor of Hollin.

When rested they were and full of good cheer, the Fellowship departed from the Woodland Realm, and ventured south in search of the Beast’s lair. Great where the troubles which beset them on that path, for children of Sarquin came upon them in the Castle of Spiders, and one night when they were encamped, the orc called Pushkrimp returned.

Pushkrimp had grown impatient and wished to see the Fellowship find Gorgol and end the Pale Orc forever. He crept into Ubar’s tent, held a knife to his throat, yet called him friend, saying that as friends, the Fellowship should not forget him, or the pact that had been made. Pushkrimp thought to talk quietly, yet great was the cry of alarm which Ubar gave then, and Caranthiel heard his cry, and thus she too entered the tent and held a knife to the orc’s throat and warned him that if friend he truly was, he would not threaten Ubar in this way. Pushkrimp wished not to be stuck in such circumstances, and with some kind of orcish devilry, he escaped in a great torrent of smoke, cutting his way through the side of the tent and he made to run into the forest. Beren saw Pushkrimp emerge then from the tent then and let fly an arrow, which struck the orc in an almost impossible shot, though it slew him not and he escaped under the cover of night.

Troubles were still to beset them when they found the lair, though they knew not what danger awaited them. Scaling up the sides of one of the mountains, they found the entrance to the lair and ventured inside. No wolf was there, yet great were the remains of his hunt, and great was the stench of death in that place. Among the bones and rotting carcasses they found the remnants of an ancient silver lamp, and Caranthiel knew this at once to be an ancient lamp of Elven make. Hard it was to destroy the elder great lamps, yet the Beast seemed to have made every attempt. The crystal was shattered, the metal twisted and scarred by claw and by tooth, by great falls and ire. Clear it was that vast hatred and malice had been directed at that lamp, and the Fellowship took it then, to return it to Thranduil.

Yet as they descended the dark and accursed slopes of those mountains, they found black web, so fine as could barely be seen or felt, even by the Eldar, though such web had been there not when first they ascended the crags. Thus, they saw their first sign of Tyulqin. It is not known if Tyulqin happened by under some ill chance, or if she came to seek alliance with the Beast, or if she thought of the Beast as naught but prey.

It was not long afterwards that Tyulqin descended upon them, and not just the kin of Ungoliant, but too came Gorgol. Rotting was the flesh of the Pale Orc, and all semblance of understanding had gone from his eyes, such that the Fellowship could not know whether he had died and become a wight, or if he yet clung on to life of some kind by other foul means.

Gorgol had but a small band of forest goblins, and he laid ambush for the Fellowship. It happened that Tyulqin had followed the Fellowship ever since they had stumbled into her webs, and came from behind the companions, trapping them between goblins and the spawn of Shelob.

Yet Caranthiel opened safe passage then, for she brought forth her Elf-lights, which shone so brightly as if it the light of Eärendil lay within it. The goblins held a great hatred for sunlight, having known not but the shade of Mirkwood, and fled, giving the companions opportunity to escape. Tyulqiun made to pursue, yet Gorgol and his goblins now stood in her way, and she struck at them in attempt to reach the Fellowship. Yet the companion’s feet carried them too fast and she could catch them not. As they ran, the last thing they saw of that battlefield was Pushkrimp, who leapt from among the trees, and buried his dagger deep into the Pale Orc’s flesh. Thus, fell Gorgol once and for all.

Following the death of Gorgol, the Fellowship came once more to Thranduil’s Halls, and as they came there, they heard a roar so terrible that nothing of its like had been heard in that age. Black was the anger of the Beast, and his cry could be heard across Mirkwood, for he had come into his lair and found the lamp missing. Behind the Dwarf-wrought doors of the Elven- king’s palace they were safe, but they knew one day they would have to face the Beast again, full in his wrath.