What happened next Part I...

The Valar sat long in thought upon their thrones in the Máhanaxar (the Ring of Doom), when at last the messengers from Finwë arrived. Upon hearing the news that Melkor had departed beyond their sight and vigilance, the Valar ordered the defences along the Mountains of the Pelóri to be redoubled, and the pursuit sent out. But their pursuit was in vain, as shall be seen later...

Now, since the departure of Melkor, Manwë had desired to heal the divisions among the Princes of the House of Finwë, and so he ordained a great feast, greater than any that had been held since the coming of the Eldar to Aman. Thither came all the Valar, the Vanyar, the Noldor of Tirion, and the Maiar were gathered together in splendour. Alone among the Eldar Fëanor was commanded to come, but he left the Silmarils at Formenos, and before the Throne of Manwë he was reconciled (in word) with Fingolfin. And to all it seemed good.

But Melkor, escaping the pursuit of the Valar, came to the wastes of Avathar. For even before the pursuit was begun, he had turned south and hastened along the eastern shores of the Blessed Realm, cold and uncharted lands the further south one goes. And the Valar heard no rumour of his passing beyond the Mountains, for he was as yet still Vala and could walk unclad (though with pain) but this power he was about to loose forever. And coming to a dark and narrow ravine far south of great Taniquetil, he called upon Ungoliant; and he assumed then the form that of old he had worn in Utumno, that of a Dark Lord tall and terrible. In that form he remained ever after.

Now Ungoliant, I must explain, was one of the foul creatures (probably fallen Maiar in origin, although even this is uncertain - I expect that like Tom Bombadil, she is an anomaly) of Melkor, who had been drawn to the primeval splendour and power of the Dark Lord when first he looked down in envy upon the Kingdom of Arda. But at some point (no one knows) she had disowned her master, and fled from the terrible battles in the North and came to the far South of the World. From there she crept towards the light of the Blessed Realm, for she hungered for Light and hated it. There, she assumed the form of a monstrous Spider, and spun forth vast webs in the gloaming, and she sucked up all Light until no more came to her, and she was famished, for all living things had fled far away. And Melkor came to her, for he knew of her whereabouts, and she, seeing his coming, was filled with great fear, knowing his hatred for all who forsook him. ''Come forth!'' he cried, but she did not answer and wove about herself thick shadows. Then in wrath (and indeed fear, for he was in dire peril of capture) his eyes pierced through her shadows (for who could confound the dread lord of Hell with shadows?) he sought her out crying: ''Thrice fool: to leave me first, to dwell here languishing within reach of feasts untold, and now to shun me, Giver of Gifts, thy only hope!'' And Melkor offered her gems that he had stolen from Valinor in earnest of his diabolical plan. And she, filled with lust for the jewels, came forth saying: ''What is your bidding Master?''

The above image is by John Howe, a Tolkien artist, and depicts the coming forth of Ungoliant. It isn't quite as I imagine it (in fact it's nothing as I imagine it!) but its the only image to liven up the post which doesn't give away what happens next! I imagine that Melkor was much bigger for a start...