The Other Ranger [ Lord Of The Rings x Silmarillion ]

What Fire Leaves Behind

"We will need water soon," Elladan said with a sigh as they packed up lunch on the second day since the Crossroads. "We're almost out. Perhaps another two, two and a half days, if we ration ourselves."

"We'll be fine." Míril insisted this as she looked ahead down the road.

Maglor snapped. "You say the will of the Valar are with us? Yet when did they ever help us except after all was lost?"

Everyone froze. Maglor had started becoming more angry and aggressive as the days went by. Míril frowned but shook her head. Perhaps he did not trust the Valar, but she did.

Maglor turned away and frowned at himself. He could feel it happening again. Every time he looked around at the desolate, burned wasteland, he thought of the scorched lands of Beleriand after Dagor Bragollach, the Battle of Sudden Flame. He thought back to that horrible day.

"What is that?" an elven sentry shouted from the walls of the fortress in Maglor's Gap.

Blasts of horns were sounded as horsemen scouts could be seen riding swiftly back in retreat. Maglor, coming to the wall still dressed in but a tunic and robes, watched in horror as a giant lizard like creature, as big as a castle, lumbered down the entrance of the Gap and, followed by a host of balrogs and orcs, laid his beautiful countryside to waste. But that was not what caused him to look away in horror.

For the giant wingless creature drew a great breath and hurled a column of fire from it's maw, catching the retreating horsemen. Their screams could be heard as horses and elves were burned alive. The stench of burning flesh found its way even to his fortress upon the wind.

"Sound the alarm!" Maglor ordered with a shout. "Sound the alarm! All soldiers ready yourselves! Send the maidens and children behind us to Himring, send them to Maedhros!"

The might of Morgoth was coming after four hundred years of being held back. And it came in fire.

Where had the Valar been that day? That day was the first appearance of dragons, the first day of the end of the Eldar. For hundreds of years they had withstood minor attacks. The sons of Fëanor had kept the lands of Beleriand safe. The Valar had not. It was by the strength of the Eldar that Middle Earth had not been destroyed.

"Protect the children!" Maglor shouted to his guard. "We are almost to Maedhros' fortress."

Thousands of his elves lay dead and scortched across the countryside. The swords and lashes of the balrogs, though some were defeated, magnified the destruction that was being caused by the giant scaly beast the orcs called "Glaurung."

One of his scouts rode back to report. "Lord, the host is all but spent!"

"We must hold."

His castle was destroyed, the walls breeched and decimated. The majority of his warriors were dead. His personal guard had forced him to lead the retreat to protect the women and children. The ground they were leaving behind was black, charred to nothing but ash. Fire was a powerful weapon of the enemy.

Just as Maglor thought all was lost, a slew of horns sounded from behind them as Maedhros' host came riding out to protect the vanguard.

The brother's met on the field together. The red hair of Maedhros was unmistakable. It whipped in the wind as he tore through his warriors, looking for his brother.

"Maglor," he shouted. "What assails you! We received strange tidings from your heralds."

"Fire." Maglor caughed and sputtered. "Unquenchable, sudden flames from Angband. Help get the remainder of my host inside Himring!"

Maedhros nodded and asked no more questions as balrogs came into view. He gave a fresh horse to Maglor and together they led the host to safety. The remaining elves of Maglor's Gap numbered but a few over a hundred. They had been all but eradicated.

The company continued the walk in silence. The only noises came from their footfalls on the dusty, rocky road and the clatter of Bill's hooves upon the ground. Hours later, nearing night time, Maglor held up his hand for them to halt.

"There are three men ahead of us. I do not think they have spotted us yet." Maglor pointed forward.

The half elves squinted and saw the newcomers. They were dressed in shabby clothes of mostly grey and bore orc weapons. Men of Nurn.

It wasn't long until the men saw them approaching and drew their weapons. Both parties walked toward each other, the trespassers with weapons sheathed.

"State your purpose in this land, Outsiders!" Growled the eldest of the three.

"We are elven travelers from far in the West seeking wares and shelter as we move on to the East and South," Elrohir nodded politely to them. "Can you aid us?"

The men looked at them in suspicion. Drawing close together, the three men of Nurn whispered quietly and cast unsure glances upon the travelers.

"Fine. We can offer it to you. As long as you have something to give us in return," offered the spokeman.

Maglor nodded. "We have much to trade."

Immediately the men's eyes brightened. Evidently that was very important to them. With a nod, they beckoned for the travelers to follow.

"We will take yah as far as Thaurband. We should reach there by dawn." The first man nodded. "I am Brute, this is Snips and that's Lash."

Strange names, Míril noted. "I am Lôminzil, this is Maglor, and these are Elladan and Elrohir."

"Welcome to Nurn," said the youngest, a boy no older than those she had tried to protect at Helm's Deep whose name was apparently Snips.

Míril bowed her head. "Thank you."

As they walked, Maglor looked up at the stars. Varda Elentarí, star-kindler. How he wished he could praise her yet again, but he could not. For the Valar had left them, and all of Middle Earth, to fend for themselves. Even those not under the ban, like the Edain and other men, they had been abandoned to Morgoth.