Seeing that pursuit was unavailing, the Valar, the Maiar and the Vanyar remained seated in great concourse about the Ring of Doom, but the Noldor returned as best they could in the darkness to Tirion, and mourned for the darkness and the marring of Fëanor, and mists and shadows from the Great Sea drifted in on dark winds from the East and mantled the towers of Tirion and coiled about its streets, and the lamp of the Mindon Eldaliéva burned pale in the gloaming.
But on a sudden Fëanor returned to Tirion, marching boldly into the courts of the high city, and thus he broke the ban of the Valar and rebelled. A great many of the Noldor gathered about him to hear him speak, and there were his Sons, the sons of Finwë, Fingolfin and Finarfin, and many others. And he spoke to them in wrath and bitterness, conjuring in their minds visions of war and conquest of Middle-earth and defiance of the Valar, and none who so listened were unmoved. He spoke long, and ever urged his people (for he now claimed the Kingship of the Noldor, since Finwë was dead) to follow him to the Outer Lands. And he spoke a terrible oath, and straightaway his seven Sons leapt to his side and spoke the same oath; and they said that they would pursue with hatred anyone who would take, withhold from them, or even name in desire one of the Silmarils that Fëanor had wrought.
Many there quailed to hear the dread words spoken, and there arose a great tumult. Finarfin spoke wisely and calmly, as was his wont, and he sought to dissuade the Noldor from rash deeds, but the greater part hearkened to Fëanor and were eager to be gone from the West, which was not secure from the malice of Morgoth, and was altogether dark. And so they prepared a great faring forth, and set out from Tirion in pursuit of Morgoth; but at length, heralds came even from Manwë, and they spoke before Fëanor, saying that by his oath he and his sons were exiled, and that they would unlearn the lies of Morgoth in bitterness. But Fëanor's voice arose in wrath and power and he dismissed the heralds, saying that he was eager to be gone, and that although the Valar would not aid in their pursuit, ere long they would follow him. And so the Noldor marched on.
At length the hosts of the Noldor came nigh to the Telerin haven of Alqualondë, and Fëanor purposed then to persuade the Teleri, ever friends of the Noldor, to aid them in his cause; moreover he needed the aid of ships, and the building of many vessels to ferry the hosts across the Great Sea would take long and would be toilsome. Therefore he spoke to Olwë much as he had done in Tirion, but Olwë was unmoved by aught that he would say. And Olwë would lend the Noldor neither their own sons in conquest, nor their fair ships, and so Fëanor departed and sat brooding beyond the confines of Alqualondë.
When he deemed the time to be ripe, he returned to the Haven with a great many of his host, and he began to man the ships that were anchored there and to take them away by force. But the Teleri withstood them, and there was fought a bitter fight upon the ships and the quays of that Haven. And the host of Fingolfin, coming up and seeing the Noldor in battle with the Teleri, joined in the battle and thus were the Teleri overcome, and many were put cruelly to death. But when many of the ships were put out to sea, Uinen wept for the fair mariners slain unjustly, and the sea arose in wrath and engulfed many of them, and thus many of the Noldor perished. But the main host marched on by land (under the lords Fingolfin and Finarfin), and Fëanor led the ships north.
But at length, many caught sight of a tall figure standing upon a rock upon the beach, and he commanded them to halt, and perforce they did so, even Fëanor among the ships. Some say that this was Mandos himself, and no lesser herald, and he spoke in a strong and terrible voice the Doom of Mandos. He foretold much that the Noldor understood not until the things came to pass, and many shuddered to hear him. But when all was said, and the figure departed, many quailed, and Finarfin with a great many marched back in sorrow to Tirion, and they cursed Fëanor. But Fëanor was unmoved and held the main host only by the constraint of his will.
After a time, the Noldor came to the cold regions about the north of Araman, and they saw the first iceburgs of the Helcaraxë, and many of the Noldor, though a mighty people, suffered anguish of the cold, and they were weary as with a great burden; and many of the host of Fingolfin cursed Fëanor, naming him the cause of all their woes. And knowing all that was said, Fëanor took counsel with his Sons, and with his own host, they departed out of sight and sailed to Middle-earth with a wind from the north-west, and Fëanor set first of the Noldor back upon the shores of Middle-earth, at the Firth of Drengist. Now Maedhros desired to return to Araman so that they might ferry the other host to the Outer Lands, but Fëanor forbade this with a bitter laugh, and caused fire to be set into the fair vessels of the Teleri. And seeing the burning of the ships far away in the West, Fingolfin knew that he was betrayed, abandoned to perish in the cold and dark lands, and thus he desired more than ever to come by some way to the Great Lands...
Forgive the length of this post, but I have tried to keep it as succinct as possible - it is afterall a great tale in the telling, and I have actually left out much! The above image is of course by Ted Nasmith and depicts the Kinslaying at Alqualondë.
No comments:
Post a Comment