strayed steerless, and the stars were hid.
| ‘Nay, for famine and thirst we faint,’ saith Halog, | |
| ‘wayworn and wildered, and wot not the road. | |
| Or hast not heard of the hills of slain, | 205 |
| or the tear-drenchéd field where the terror and fire | |
| of Morgoth devoured both Men and Elves? | |
| There Thalion Erithámrod and his thanes like gods | |
| vanished from the earth, and his valiant lady | |
| weeps yet widowed as she waits in Hithlum. | 210 |
| Thou lookest on the last of the lieges of Morwin | |
| and Thalion’s son Túrin, who to Thingol’s court | |
| are wending by the word of the wife of Húrin.’ | |
| Then Beleg bade them be blithe, and said: | |
| ‘The Gods have guided you to good keeping. | 215 |
| I have heard of the house of Húrin the Steadfast – | |
| and who hath not heard of the hills of slain, | |
| of Nínin Unothradin, the Unnumbered Tears? | |
| To that war I went not, but wage a feud | |
| with the Orcs unending, whom mine arrows bitter | 220 |
| oft stab unseen and strike to death. | |
| I am the huntsman Beleg of the Hidden People.’ | |
| Then he bade them drink, and drew from his belt | |
| a flask of leather full filled with wine | |
| that is bruised from the berries of the burning South – | 225 |
| and the Gnome-folk know it, and the nation of the Elves, | |
| and by long ways lead it to the lands of the North. | |
| There bakéd flesh and bread from his wallet | |
| they had to their hearts’ joy; but their heads were mazed | |
| by the wine of Dor-Winion that went in their veins, | 230 |
| and they soundly slept on the soft needles | |
| of the tall pine-trees that towered above. | |
| Later they wakened and were led by ways | |
| devious winding through the dark wood-realm | |
| by slade and slope and swampy thicket | 235 |
| through lonely days and long night-times, | |
| and but for Beleg had been baffled utterly | |
| by the magic mazes of Melian the Queen. | |
| To the shadowy shores he showed the way | |
| where stilly that stream strikes ’fore the gates | 240 |
| of the cavernous court of the King of Doriath. | |
| O’er the guarded bridge he gained a passage, | |
| and thrice they thanked him, and thought in their hearts | |
| ‘the Gods are good’ – had they guessed maybe | |
| what the future enfolded they had feared to live. | 245 |
| To the throne of Thingol the three were come, | |
| and their speech sped them; for he spake them fair, | |
| and held in honour Húrin the steadfast, | |
| Beren Ermabwed’s brother-in-arms. | |
| Remembering Morwin, of mortals fairest, | 250 |
| he turned not Túrin in contempt away; | |
| said: ‘O son of Húrin, here shalt sojourn | |
| in my cavernous court for thy kindred’s sake. | |
| Nor as slave or servant, but a second king’s son | |
| thou shalt dwell in dear love, till thou deem’st it time | 255 |
| to remember thy mother Morwin’s loneliness. | |
| Thou wisdom shalt win unwist of Men | |
| and weapons shalt wield as the warrior Elves, | |
| and Thalion’s son no thrall shall be.’ | |
| There tarried the twain that had tended the child, | 260 |
| till their limbs were lightened and they longed to fare | |
| through dread and danger to their dear lady. | |
| But Gumlin was gone in greater years | |
| than Halog, and hoped not to home again. | |
| Then sickness took him, and he stayed by Túrin, | 265 |
| while Halog hardened his heart to go. | |
| An Elfin escort to his aid was given | |
| and magics of Melian, and a meed of gold. | |
| In his mouth a message to Morwin was set, | |
| words of the king’s will, how her wish was granted; | 270 |
| how Thingol called her to the Thousand Caves | |
| to fare unfearing with his folk again, | |
| there to sojourn in solace, till her son be grown; | |
| for Húrin the hero was held in mind, | |
| and no might had Morgoth where Melian dwelt. | 275 |
| Of the errand of the Elves and that other Halog | |
| the tale tells not, save in time they came | |
| to the threshold of Morwin, and Thingol’s message | |
| was said where she sate in her solitary hall. | |
| But she dared not do as was dearly bidden, | 280 |
| for Nienor her nestling was not yet weaned. | |
| More, the pride of her people, princes of Men, | |
| had suffered her send her son to Thingol | |
| when despair sped her, but to spend her days | |
| as alms-guest of others, even Elfin kings, | 285 |
| it liked her little; and there lived e’en now | |
| a hope in her heart that Húrin would come, | |
| and the dwelling was dear where he dwelt of old. | |
| At night she would listen for a knock at the doors, | |
| or a footstep falling that she fondly knew; | 290 |
| so she fared not forth, and her fate was woven. | |
| Yet the thanes of Thingol she thanked nobly, | |
| and her shame she showed not, how shorn of glory | |
| to reward their wending she had wealth too scant; | |
| but gave them in gift her golden things | 295 |
| that last lingered, and they led away | |
| a helm of Húrin that was hewn in war | |
| when he battled with Beren his brother-in-arms | |
| against ogres and Orcs and evil foemen; | |
| ’twas o’erwritten with runes by wrights of old. | 300 |
| She bade Thingol receive it and think of her. | |
| Thus Halog her henchman came home, but the Elves, | |
| the thanes of Thingol, thrust through the woods, | |
| and the message of Morwin in a month’s journey, | |
| so quick their coming, to the king was said. | 305 |
| Then was Melian moved to ruth, | |
| and courteously received the king her gift, | |
| who deeply delved had dungeons filled | |
| with Elfin armouries of ancient gear, | |
| but he handled the helm as his hoard were scant; | 310 |
| said: ‘High were the head that upheld this thing | |
| with that token crowned of the towering dragon | |
| that Thalion Erithámrod thrice-renownéd | |
| oft bore into battle with baleful foes.’ | |
| Then a thought was thrust into Thingol’s heart, | 315 |
| and Túrin he called and told when come | |
| that Morwin his mother a mighty thing | |
| had sent to her son, his sire’s heirloom, | |
| a helm that hammers had hardened of old, | |
| whose makers had mingled a magic therein | 320 |
| that its worth was a wonder and its wearer safe, | |
| guarded from glaive or gleaming axe – | |
| ‘Lo! Húrin’s helm hoard thou till manhood | |
| bids thee battle; then bravely don it’; | |
| and Túrin touched it, but took it not, | 325 |
too weak to
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