It has been a while now since we looked at the Lay of Leithian, so it seems fitting that we return to it. So far we have seen how Lúthien came with Huan the Wolfhound of Valinor to Tol-in-Gaurhoth and sang a song of power, and that Sauron espied her from his high tower and purposed to make her captive and deliver her over to the power of Morgoth. And so...
Sauron sent his wolves to the bridge, one by one, but each one Huan took by the throat and slew it silently. But then Sauron sent Draugluin, a dread beast, old in evil, lord and sire of the werewolves of Angband, to the bridge and the battle of Huan and Draugluin was long and fierce, but at last Draugluin hardly escaped, and returning to Sauron, with his last breath he said: ''Huan is there.'' Now Sauron, as did all in that land, knew well the doom of Huan (that he would not meet death ere he encountered the mightiest wolf that would ever walk the earth), and he pondered in his dark heart whether he might himself accomplish it. Therefore, Sauron wrought for himself the form of a werewolf, and he made himself the greatest that had yet walked the earth, and so he came forth from his tower to win the passage of the bridge.
So great was the horror of Sauron's approach that Huan leaped aside. Then Sauron sprang upon Lúthien, and she fainted beneath the menace of his eyes and the foul stench of his breath, but even as he came, she cast a fold of her cloak at his face and he stumbled beneath a fleeting drowsiness. Then Huan sprang upon him. Then befell the great battle of Huan and Wolf-Sauron, and the howls and baying echoed in the hills so that the watchers upon the walls of Ered Wethrin heard it from afar and were dismayed.
But no spell or venom could overthrow Huan of Valinor, and he took Sauron by the throat and pinned him down. Then Sauron shifted shape, from wolf to serpent, and from monster to his own accustomed form; but he could not elude Huan without forsaking his body utterly, but ere he did so, Lúthien came to him and demanded that he be stripped of his flesh, and his ghost be sent quaking back to Hell, and she laid this doom upon him: ''There everlastingly thy naked self shall endure the torment of his scorn, pierced by his eyes, unless thou yield to me the mastery of thy tower.''
Therefore, Sauron yielded himself, and Lúthien took back the tower, and Huan released him. Immediately, Sauron took the form of a monstrous vampire, great as a cloud across the moon, and he fled, dripping blood from his throat upon the trees, and he came to Taur-nu-Fuin and dwelt there, filling it with horror.
Then Lúthien stood upon the bridge and loosed the spell that bound stone to stone and the gates were thrown down, the walls opened, and the pits were laid bare; and then came out many thralls and captives in wonder, shielding their eyes against the cold moonlight, for they had been long in the darkness of Sauron's dungeon. But Beren did not come, so Huan and Lúthien sought long for him throughout the isle, but at last Lúthien found him mourning by the body of Finrod Felagund, but because of the deepest despair upon him, he did not stir. And so thinking him already dead, she put her arms about him and herself fell into dark forgetfulness. But Beren was aroused by her touch, and arising from despair, he lifted her up and in the dungeons of Sauron, they looked again upon eachother, and the early morning sun rising above the hills shone upon both their faces.
They buried the body of Felagund then upon the hill top, and the isle was clean and whole again, and the green mound of Felagund's grave remained inviolate, until the ruin of Beleriand...
The above sketch is by the Tolkien artist Ted Nasmith and depicts the battle of Huan and Sauron upon the bridge of Tol-in-Gaurhoth.
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