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recall the light that was of old; that came from the Trees before they were touched by the poison of Ungoliant That light
lives now in the Silmarils alone。
But Morgoth hated the new lights; and was for a while confounded by this unlooked…for stroke of the Valar。 Then
he assailed Tilion; sending spirits of shadow against him; and there was strife in Ilmen beneath the paths of the stars; but
Tilion was victorious。 And Arien Morgoth feared with a great fear; but dared not e nigh her; having indeed no longer
the power; for as he grew in malice; and sent forth from himself the evil that he conceived in lies and creatures of
wickedness; his might passed into them and was dispersed; and he himself became ever more bound to the earth;
unwilling to issue from his dark strongholds。 With shadows he hid himself and his servants from Arien; the glance of
whose eyes they could not long endure; and the lands near his dwelling were shrouded in fumes and great clouds。
But seeing the assault upon Tilion the Valar were in doubt; fearing what the malice and cunning of Morgoth
might yet contrive against them。 Being unwilling to make war upon him in Middle…earth; they remembered nonetheless
the ruin of Almaren; and they resolved that the like should not befall Valinor。 Therefore at that time they fortified their
land anew; and they raised up the mountain…walls of the Pelóri to sheer and dreadful heights; east; north; and south。
Their outer sides were dark and smooth; without foothold or ledge; and they fell in great precipices with faces hard as
glass; and rose up to towers with crowns of white ice。 A sleepless watch was set upon them; and no pass led through
them; save only at the Calacirya: but that pass the Valar did not close; because of the Eldar that were faithful; and in the
city of Tirion upon the green hill Finarfin yet ruled the remnant of the Noldor in the deep cleft of the mountains。 For all
those of elven…race; even the Vanyar and Ingw? their lord; must breathe at times the outer air and the wind that es
over the sea from the lands of their birth; and the Valar would not sunder the Teleri wholly from their kin。 But in the
Calacirya they set strong towers and many sentinels; and at its issue upon the plains of Valmar a host was encamped; so
that neither bird nor beast nor elf nor man; nor any creature beside that dwelt in Middle…earth; could pass that leaguer。
And in that time also; which songs call Nurtal? Valinóreva; the Hiding of Valinor; the Enchanted Isles were set;
and ail the seas about them were filled with shadows and bewilderment。 And these isles were strung as a net in the
Shadowy Seas from the north to the south; before Tol Eress?a; the Lonely Isle; is reached by one sailing west。 Hardly
might any vessel pass between them; for in the dangerous sounds the waves sighed for ever upon dark rocks shrouded in
mist。 And in the twilight a great weariness came upon mariners and a loathing of the sea; but all that ever set foot upon
the islands were there entrapped; and slept until the Change of the World。 Thus it was that as Mandos foretold to them in
Araman the Blessed Realm was shut against the Noldor; and of the many messengers that in after days sailed into the
West none came ever to Valinor … save one only: the mightiest mariner of song。
Chapter 12
Of Men
The Valar sat now behind their mountains at peace; and having given light to Middle…earth they left it for long untended;
and the lordship of Morgoth was uncontested save by the valour of the Noldor。 Most in mind Ulmo kept the exiles; who
gathered news of the Earth through all the waters。
From this time forth were reckoned the Years of the Sun。 Swifter and briefer are they than the long Years of the
Trees in Valinor。 In that time the air of Middle…earth became heavy with the breath of growth and mortality; and the
changing and ageing of all things was hastened exceedingly; life teemed upon the soil and in the waters in the Second
Spring of Arda; and the Eldar increased; and beneath the new Sun Beleriand grew green and fair。
At the first rising of the Sun the Younger Children of Ilúvatar awoke in the land of Hildórien in the eastward
regions of Middle…earth; but the first Sun arose in the West; and the opening eyes of Men were turned towards it; and
their feet as they wandered over the Earth for the most part strayed that way。 The Atani they were named by the Eldar;
the Second People; but they called them also Hildor; the Followers; and many other names: Apanónar; the After…born;
Engwar; the Sickly; and Fírimar; the Mortals; and they named them the Usurpers; the Strangers; and the Inscrutable; the
Self…cursed; the Heavy…handed; the Night…fearers; the Children of the Sun。 Of Men little is told in these tales; which
concern the Eldest Days before the waxing of mortals and the waning of the Elves; save of those fathers of men; the
Atanatári; who in the first years of the Sun and Moon wandered into the North of the world。 To Hildórien there came no
Vala to guide Men; or to summon them to dwell in Valinor; and Men have feared the Valar; rather than loved them; and
have not understood the purposes of the Powers; being at variance with them; and at strife with the world。 Ulmo
nonetheless took thought for them aiding the counsel and will of Manw?; and his messages came often to them by stream
and flood。 But they have not skill in such matters; and still less had they in those days before they had mingled with the
Elves。 Therefore they loved the waters; and their hearts were stirred; but they understood not the messages。 Yet it is told
that ere long they met Dark Elves in many places; and were befriended by them; and Men became the panions and
disciples in their childhood of these ancient folk; wanderers of the Elven…race who never set out upon the paths to
Valinor; and knew of the Valar only as a rumour and a distant name。
Morgoth had then not long e back into Middle…earth; and his power went not far abroad; and was moreover
checked by the sudden ing of great light。 There was little peril in the lands and hills; and there new things; devised
long ages before in the thought of Yavanna and sown as seed in the dark; came at last to their budding and their bloom。
West; North; and South the children of Men spread and wandered; and their joy was the joy of the morning before the
dew is dry; when every leaf is green。
But the dawn is brief and the day full often belies its promise; and now the time drew on to the great wars of the
powers of the North; when Noldor and Sindar and Men strove against the hosts of Morgoth Bauglir; and went down in
ruin。 To this end the cunning lies of Morgoth that he sowed of old; and sowed ever anew among his foes; and the curse
that came of the slaying at Alqualond?; and the oath of F?anor; were ever at work。 Only a part is here told of the deeds of
those days; and most is said of the Noldor; and the Silmarils; and the mortals that became entangled in their fate。 In those
days Elves and Men were of like stature and strength of body; but the Elves had greater wisdom; and skill; and beauty;
and those who had dwelt in Valinor and looked upon the Powers as much surpassed the Dark Elves in these things as
they in turn surpassed the people of mortal race。 Only to the realm of Doriath; whose queen Melian was of the kindred
of Valar; did the Sindar e near to match the Calaquendi of the Blessed Realm。
Immortal were the Elves; and their wisdom waxed from age to age; and no sickness nor pestilence brought death
to them。 Their bodies indeed were of the stuff of Earth; and could be destroyed; and in those days they were more like to
the bodies of Men; since they had not so long been inhabited by the fire of their spirit; which consumes them from within
in the courses of time。 But Men were more frail; more easily slain by weapon or mischance; and less easily healed;
subject to sickness and many ills; and they grew old and died。 What may befall their spirits after death the Elves know
not。 Some say that they too go to the halls of Mandos; but their place of waiting there is not that of the Elves; and
Mandos under Ilúvatar alone save Manw? knows whither they go after the time of recollection in those silent halls
beside the Outer Sea。 None have ever e back from the mansions of the dead; save only Beren son of Barahir; whose
hand had touched a Silmaril; but he never spoke afterward to mortal Men。 The fate of Men after death; maybe; is not in
the hands of the Valar; nor was all foretold in the Music of the Ainur。
In after days; when because of the triumph of Morgoth Elves and Men became estranged; as be most wished;
those of the Elven…race that lived still in Middle…earth waned and faded; and Men usurped the sunlight。 Then the Quendi
wandered in the lonely places of the great lands and the isles; and took to the moonlight and the starlight; and to the
woods and caves; being as shadows and memories; save those who ever and anon set sail into the West and vanished
from Middle…earth。 But in the dawn of years Elves and Men were allies and held themselves akin; and there were some
among Men that learned the wisdom of the Eldar; and became great and valiant among the captains of the Noldor。 And
in the glory and beauty of the Elves; and in their fate; full share had the offspring of elf and mortal; E?rendil; and
Elwing; and Elrond their child。
Chapter 13
Of the Return of the Noldor
It has been told that F?anor and his sons came first of the Exiles to Middle…earth; and landed in the waste of Lammoth;
the Great Echo; upon the outer shores of the Firth of Drengist And even as the Noldor set foot upon the strand their cries
were taken up into the hills and multiplied; so that a clamour as of countless mighty voices filled all the coasts of the
North; and the noise of the burning of the ships at Losgar went down the winds of the sea as a tumult of great wrath; and
far away all who heard that sound were filled with wonder。
Now the flames of that burning were seen not only by Fingolfin; whom F?anor had deserted in Araman; but also
by the Orcs and the watchers of Morgoth。 No tale has told what Morgoth thought in his heart at the tidings that F?anor;
his bitterest foe; had brought a host out of the West。 It may be that he feared him little; for he had as yet no proof of the
swords of the Noldor; and soon it was seen that he purposed to drive them back into the sea。
Under the cold stars before the rising of the Moon the host of F?anor went up the long Firth of Drengist that
pierced the Echoing Hills of Ered Lómin; and passed thus from the shores into the great land of Hithlum; and they came
at length to the long lake of Mithrim; and upon its northern shore made their encampment in the region that bore the
same name。 But the host of Morgoth; aroused by the tumult of Lam…moth and the light of the burning at Losgar; came
through the passes of Ered Wethrin; the Mountains of Shadow; and assailed F?anor on a sudden; before his camp was
full…wrought or put in defence; and there on the grey fields of Mithrim was fought the Second Battle in the Wars of
Beleriand。 Dagor…nuin…Giliath it is named; the Battle…under…Stars; for the Moon had not yet risen; and it is renowned in
song。 The Noldor; outnumbered and taken at unawares; were yet swiftly victorious; for the light of Aman was not yet
dimmed in their eyes; and they were strong and swift; and deadly in anger; and their swords were long and terrible。 The
Orcs fled before them; and they were driven forth from Mithrim with great slaughter; and hunted over the Mountains of
Shadow into the great plain of Ard…galen; that lay northward of Dorthonion。 There the armies of Morgoth that had
passed south into the Vale of Sirion and beleaguered Círdan in the Havens of the Falas came up to their aid; and were
caught in their ruin。 For Celegorm; F?anor's son; having news of them; waylaid them with a part of the Elven…host; and
ing down upon them out of the hills near Eithel Sirion drove them into the Fen of Serech。 Evil indeed were the
tidings that came at last to Angband; and Morgoth was dismayed。 Ten days that battle lasted; and from it returned of all
the hosts that he had prepared for the conquest of Beleriand no more than a handful of leaves。
Yet cause he had for great joy; though it was hidden from him for a while。 For F?anor; in his wrath against the
Enemy; would not halt; but pressed on behind the remnant of the Orcs; thinking so to e at Morgoth himself: and he
laughed aloud as he wielded his sword; rejoicing that he had dared the wrath of the Valar and the evils of the road; that
he might see the hour of his vengeance。 Nothing did he know of Angband or the great strength of defence that Morgoth
had so swiftly prepared: but even had he known it would not have deterred him; for he was fey; consumed by the flame
of his own wrath。 Thus it was that he drew far ahead of the van of his host; and seeing this the servants of Morgoth
turned to bay; and there issued from Angband Balrogs to aid them。 There upon the confines of Dor Daedeloth;