Part 4 (1/2)

'Nay, I will not walk backward in life,' said Turin. 'Nor can I come easily to Dimbar now. Sirion lies between, unbridged and unforded below the Brithiach far northward; it is perilous to cross. Save in Doriath. But I will not pa.s.s into Doriath, and make use of Thingol's leave and pardon.'

'A hard man you have called yourself, Turin. Truly, if by that you meant stubborn. Now the turn is mine. I will go, by your leave, as soon as I may, and bid you farewell. If you wish indeed to have the Strongbow beside you, look for me in Dimbar.' At that time Turin said no more.

The next day Beleg set out, and Turin went with him a bowshot from the camp, but said nothing. 'Is it farewell, then, son of Hurin?' said Beleg.

'If you wish indeed to keep your word and stay beside me,' answered Turin, 'then look for me on Amon Rudh!' Thus he spoke, being fey and unwitting of what lay before him. 'Else, this is our last farewell.'

'Maybe that is best,' said Beleg, and went his way.

It is said that Beleg went back to Menegroth, and came before Thingol and Melian and told them of all that had happened, save only his evil handling by Turin's companions. Then Thingol sighed, and he said: 'I took up the fathering of the son of Hurin, and that cannot be laid down for love or hate, unless Hurin the Valiant himself should return. What more would he have me do?'

But Melian said: 'A gift you shall now have of me, Cuthalion, for your help, and your honour, for I have none worthier to give.' And she gave him a store of lembas lembas, the waybread of the Elves, wrapped in leaves of silver; and the threads that bound it were sealed at the knots with the seal of the Queen, a wafer of white wax shaped as a single flower of Telperion. For according to the customs of the Eldalie the keeping and the giving of this food belonged to the Queen alone. 'This waybread, Beleg,' she said, 'shall be your help in the wild and the winter, and the help also of those whom you choose. For I commit this now to you, to apportion as you will in my stead.' In nothing did Melian show greater favour to Turin than in this gift; for the Eldar had never before allowed Men to use this waybread, and seldom did so again.

Then Beleg departed from Menegroth and went back to the north-marches, where he had his lodges, and many friends; but when winter came, and war was stilled, suddenly his companions missed Beleg, and he returned to them no more.

CHAPTER VII.

OF MIM THE DWARF.

Now the tale turns to Mim the Petty-dwarf. The Petty-dwarves are long out of mind, for Mim was the last. Little was known of them even in days of old. The Nibin-nogrim the Elves of Beleriand called them long ago, but they did not love them; and the Petty-dwarves loved none but themselves. If they hated and feared the Orcs, they hated also the Eldar, and the Exiles most of all; for the Noldor, they said, had stolen their lands and their homes. Nargothrond was first found and its delving begun by the Petty-dwarves, long before Finrod Felagund came over the Sea.

They came, some said, of Dwarves that had been banished from the Dwarf-cities of the east in ancient days. Long before the return of Morgoth they had wandered westward. Being masterless and few in number, they found it hard to come by the ore of metals, and their smith-craft and store of weapons dwindled; and they took to lives of stealth, and became somewhat smaller in stature than their eastern kin, walking with bent shoulders and quick, furtive steps. Nonetheless, as all the Dwarf-kind, they were far stronger than their stature promised, and they could cling to life in great hards.h.i.+p. But now at last they had dwindled and died out of Middle-earth, all save Mim and his two sons; and Mim was old even in the reckoning of Dwarves, old and forgotten.

After the departure of Beleg (and that was in the second summer after the flight of Turin from Doriath) things went ill for the outlaws. There were rains out of season, and Orcs in greater numbers than before came down from the North and along the old South Road over Teiglin, troubling all the woods on the west borders of Doriath. There was little safety or rest, and the company were more often hunted than hunters.

One night as they lay lurking in the fireless dark, Turin looked on his life, and it seemed to him that it might well be bettered. 'I must find some secure refuge,' he thought, 'and make provision against winter and hunger.' But he did not know whither to turn.

Next day he led his men away southward, further than they had yet come from the Teiglin and the marches of Doriath; and after three days' journeying they halted at the western edge of the woods of Sirion's Vale. There the land was drier and barer, as it began to climb up into the moorlands.

Soon after, it chanced that as the grey light of a day of rain was failing Turin and his men were sheltering in a holly-thicket; and beyond it was a treeless s.p.a.ce, in which there were many great stones, leaning or tumbled together. All was still, save for the drip of rain from the leaves.

Suddenly a watchman gave a call, and leaping up they saw three hooded shapes, grey-clad, going stealthily among the stones. They were burdened each with a great sack, but they went swiftly for all that. Turin cried to them to halt, and the men ran out on them like hounds; but they held on their way, and though Androg shot at them two vanished in the dusk. One lagged behind, being slower or more heavily burdened; and he was soon seized and thrown down, and held by many hard hands, though he struggled and bit like a beast. But Turin came up, and rebuked his men. 'What have you there?' he said. 'What need to be so fierce? It is old and small. What harm is in it?'

'It bites,' said Androg, nursing a bleeding hand. 'It is an Orc, or of Orc-kin. Kill it!'

'It deserves no less, for cheating our hope,' said another, who had taken the sack. 'There is nothing here but roots and small stones.'

'Nay,' said Turin, 'it is bearded. It is only a Dwarf, I guess. Let him up, and speak.'

So it was that Mim came into the Tale of the Children of Hurin. For he stumbled up on his knees before Turin's feet and begged for his life. 'I am old,' he said, 'and poor. Only a Dwarf, as you say, not an Orc. Mim is my name. Do not let them slay me, master, for no cause, as Orcs would.'

Then Turin pitied him in his heart, but he said: 'Poor you seem, Mim, though that would be strange in a Dwarf; but we are poorer, I think: houseless and friendless Men. If I said that we do not spare for pity's sake only, being in great need, what would you offer for ransom?'

'I do not know what you desire, lord,' said Mim warily. 'At this time, little enough!' said Turin, looking about him bitterly with rain in his eyes. 'A safe place to sleep in out of the damp woods. Doubtless you have such for yourself.'

'I have,' said Mim; 'but I cannot give it in ransom. I am too old to live under the sky.'

'You need grow no older,' said Androg, stepping up with a knife in his unharmed hand. 'I can spare you that.'

'Lord!' cried Mim in great fear, clinging to Turin's knees. 'If I lose my life, you lose the dwelling; for you will not find it without Mim. I cannot give it, but I will share it. There is more room in it than once there was, so many have gone for ever,' and he began to weep.

'Your life is spared, Mim,' said Turin.

'Till we come to his lair, at least,' said Androg.

But Turin turned upon him, and said: 'If Mim brings us to his home without trickery, and it is good, then his life is ransomed; and he shall not be slain by any man who follows me. So I swear.'

Then Mim kissed Turin's knees and said: 'Mim will be your friend, lord. At first he thought you were an Elf, by your speech and your voice. But if you are a Man, that is better. Mim does not love Elves.'

'Where is this house of yours?' said Androg. 'It must be good indeed to share it with a Dwarf. For Androg does not like Dwarves. His people brought few good tales of that race out of the East.'

'They left worse tales of themselves behind them,' said Mim. 'Judge my home when you see it. But you will need light on your way, you stumbling Men. I will return in good time and lead you.' Then he rose and picked up his sack.

'No, no!' said Androg. 'You will not allow this, surely, captain? You would never see the old rascal again.'

'It is growing dark,' said Turin. 'Let him leave us some pledge. Shall we keep your sack and its load, Mim?'

But at this the Dwarf fell on his knees again in great trouble. 'If Mim did not mean to return, he would not return for an old sack of roots,' he said. 'I will come back. Let me go!'

'I will not,' said Turin. 'If you will not part with your sack, you must stay with it. A night under the leaves will make you pity us in your turn, maybe.' But he marked, and others also, that Mim set more store by the sack and his load than it seemed worth to the eye.

They led the old Dwarf away to their dismal camp, and as he went he muttered in a strange tongue that seemed harsh with ancient hatred; but when they put bonds on his legs he went suddenly quiet. And those who were on the watch saw him sitting on through the night silent and still as a stone, save for his sleepless eyes that glinted as they roved in the dark.

Before morning the rain ceased, and a wind stirred in the trees. Dawn came more brightly than for many days, and light airs from the South opened the sky, pale and clear about the rising of the sun. Mim sat on without moving, and he seemed as if dead; for now the heavy lids of his eyes were closed, and the morning-light showed him withered and shrunken with age. Turin stood and looked down on him. 'There is light enough now,' he said.

Then Mim opened his eyes and pointed to his bonds; and when he was released he spoke fiercely. 'Learn this, fools!' he said. 'Do not put bonds on a Dwarf! He will not forgive it. I do not wish to die, but for what you have done my heart is hot. I repent my promise.'

'But I do not,' said Turin. 'You will lead me to your home. Till then we will not speak of death. That is my my will.' He looked steadfastly in the eyes of the Dwarf, and Mim could not endure it; few indeed could challenge the eyes of Turin in set will or in wrath. Soon he turned away his head, and rose. 'Follow me, lord!' he said. will.' He looked steadfastly in the eyes of the Dwarf, and Mim could not endure it; few indeed could challenge the eyes of Turin in set will or in wrath. Soon he turned away his head, and rose. 'Follow me, lord!' he said.

'Good!' said Turin. 'But now I will add this: I understand your pride. You may die, but you shall not be set in bonds again.'

'I will not,' said Mim. 'But come now!' And with that he led them back to the place where he had been captured, and he pointed westward. 'There is my home!' he said. 'You have often seen it, I guess, for it is tall. Sharbhund we called it, before the Elves changed all the names.' Then they saw that he was pointing to Amon Rudh, the Bald Hill, whose bare head watched over many leagues of the wild.

'We have seen it, but never nearer,' said Androg. 'For what safe lair can be there, or water, or any other thing that we need? I guessed that there was some trick. Do men hide on a hill-top?'

'Long sight may be safer than lurking,' said Turin. 'Amon Rudh gazes far and wide. Well, Mim, I will come and see what you have to show. How long will it take us, stumbling Men, to come thither?'

'All this day until dusk, if we start now,' answered Mim.

Soon the company set out westward, and Turin went at the head with Mim at his side. They walked warily when they left the woods, but all the land seemed empty and quiet. They pa.s.sed over the tumbled stones, and began to climb; for Amon Rudh stood upon the eastern edge of the high moorlands that rose between the vales of Sirion and Narog, and even above the stony heath at its base its crown was reared up a thousand feet and more. Upon the eastern side a broken land climbed slowly up to the high ridges among knots of birch and rowan, and ancient thorn-trees rooted in rock. Beyond, upon the moors and about the lower slopes of Amon Rudh, there grew thickets of aeglos aeglos; but its steep grey head was bare, save for the red seregon seregon that mantled the stone. that mantled the stone.

As the afternoon was waning the outlaws drew near to the roots of the hill. They came now from the north, for so Mim had led them, and the light of the westering sun fell upon the crown of Amon Rudh, and the seregon seregon was all in flower. was all in flower.

'See! There is blood on the hill-top,' said Androg. 'Not yet,' said Turin.