"In Taur-nu-Fuin", by Himring

[hhimring]

B2MeM Prompt and Path: “It was the possibility of darkness that made the day seem so bright.” Stephen King (Green Path, Square One)
Format: ficlet
Genre: vignette
Rating: PG
Warnings: mild angst, references to darker bits of canon
Characters: Beleg, Gwindor
Pairings: N/A
Creator’s Notes: I was aiming to follow the spirit of the prompt quite straightforwardly, really, but I seem to have given it a bit of a  twist.
Summary: Before Mirkwood, there was another great forest that fell under nightshade and Sauron himself, who was in those days but the servant of the Black Foe in the North, invaded it with fire and darkness and corrupted it. Treebeard knew it, before its fall, and sings with regret of the pine trees of Dorthonion. It was here that Beleg, who had once wandered freely in all the forests of the land, found Gwindor, who had only just escaped from thralldom in the Iron Hells of Angband, and, aiding him, persuaded him to turn around, in an attempt to rescue another man from the threat of the same thralldom. A conversation between them.

'I'm glad you are with me, Gwindor', said Beleg. 'I used to know these woods well long before they fell under deadly nightshade. It is sad too see them now.'

He spoke truth, from the heart--seeing the the land so changed was like seeing the face of a friend, disfigured, after long separation--was indeed as disturbing as seeing Gwindor's own face utterly changed by his imprisonment in Angband. But nevertheless his words were chosen deliberately, also, for he hoped that Gwindor's resolve would be strengthened if he felt more clearly that he was lending support as well as being given it.

'I, too, used to know the highlands well, if perhaps not so well as you,' said Gwindor, lifting his head where he sat drooping with exhaustion.  'In the days of the long peace, I was often sent to Dorthonion. I remember the resinous scent of tall pine trees and the water of the tarns shimmering under the open sky. I even spent a winter up here once--days of snow and whiteness and a harsh, clean wind sweeping among the branches...'

Briefly, his memory seemed to have carried him away. But then he looked around, at their present surroundings, and grief and fear settled back into the lines of his face.

'Thinking of all that whiteness does make it seem darker,' said Beleg, sympathetically. 'But the oldest trees still remember those winters, I feel it. Only, the memory has retreated deep inside...'

And indeed he felt that although outwardly  the woods seemed to have utterly succumbed to the onslaught of the enemy,  trees black and grim, roots tangled and groping like claws, the land had not quite given up the desperate struggle against Sauron even now, although its last defender had long fled.

'The memory of whiteness may make it seem darker,' said Gwindor. 'But, Beleg, even night in the forest of deadly nightshade seems very bright, compared to the darkness in the depths of Angband. I know I seem much changed to you and you perceive the shadow of fear in me, but I am not as afraid, now, here, as you think. I was dying under nightshade, when you found and aided me, but--to me, it seemed I was dying happy, having escaped into the light.'

Comments

[starbrow.livejournal.com]

What a great look at both Taur-nu-Fuin, and Beleg's and Gwindor's personalities! I really enjoyed Gwindor's perspective on how even this deadly forest, once so beautiful, it's light compared to Angband. Their memories of Dorthonion are very poignant, and I love the idea of Beleg thinking of the trees and how they feel in particular.

[hhimring]

Thank you very much! So glad this worked so well for you!
I think Beleg would be so attuned to the forest that he would still detect the remaining resistance that other observers might miss.

[shirebound]

the oldest trees still remember those winters, I feel it.

I like that very much. Light and hope can be found in even the darkest places.

[hhimring]

Thank you! Glad you like that observation of Beleg's!
Yes, even in the darkest places.

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

A very vivid and chilling description of the forest. In the UK "Deadly nightshade" is a very common poisonous plant.

[hhimring]

Thank you very much, Linda! The description is based quite closely on Tolkien's own.
The phrases "under nightshade" and "deadly nightshade" are Tolkien's own translations of Elvish names of the place. I notice Christopher Tolkien has paraphrased them differently in his glossary--maybe he was just being more literal--but maybe he was trying to avoid the associations of the plant name. I've been wondering about that.

[just-jenni.livejournal.com]

Beleg and Gwindor are two of my favourite characters in the Silm, and their sad story is among my top 5. Your description of the forest is wonderfully tinged with pathos. trees black and grim, roots tangled and groping like claws

I do like Gwindor's positivity after what he's been through and can certainly understand why he'd think the forest as it is not as bad as Angband!

I really enjoyed reading this. :)

[hhimring]

It's a very sad story but I really like the characters and it seems to me, in particular, that the bravery of Gwindor is sometimes under-rated.
This description of the forest here draws on Tolkien's own words.
If you're interested in lengthier descriptions, Marchwriter has written a really intense take on the horrors of Taur-nu-fuin, in a story that features Beleg and Gwindor before the Nirnaeth, and Zdenka has written about the earlier stages, when Barahir and Emeldir were still fighting back.

Thank you for reading and for your comments!

[just-jenni.livejournal.com]

I agree that Gwindor is under-rated and I don't think I've written about him yet. :(

But thank you for those recs! I am eager read them! :)

[mithrial.livejournal.com]

Your story builds up so well as they pass through the dark forest. Beleg's concern that it will oppress, not aid Gwindor's recovery.
Then Gwindor puts him straight in that last paragraph. Very well written. I loved reading it.

I was thinking of this story for Beleg's 'act of kindness', reviving Gwindor with Melian's Lembas. (very hard to draw...hmmm!)

[hhimring]

Thank you!
According to one version of the tale, Gwindor has just lost a hand in the escape. This version has gained wider currency now because Christopher Tolkien included it in the "Children of Hurin" volume, although I personally think that was not such a great idea of Tolkien's and wonder whether he would have stuck with it (the two other people in canon who escape Angband having just lost a hand are carried off by eagles and have a companion to care for them and their wounds from the start).

I'm glad this story and the interaction between the characters works so well for you!

I would love to see a drawing of that scene with the lembas, if you want to attempt it!

[kayleelupin.livejournal.com]

*shivers* Oh, this is frightening, and sad, but I like this very much. Taur-nu-Fuin..we don't see much (or I ought to say *I* haven't seen much - perhaps I don't look in the right places) of the original Forest Under Nightshade. I love Beleg, and I am sure I will come to love Gwindor when I know more about him. <3

[hhimring]

Thank you, Kaylee!
There are some great stories featuring the original Taur-nu-fuin, but not that many, I think--certainly not as many as those set in Mirkwood, at any rate.
Beleg is great (he's Robinka's favourite character, so if you like him you should check out her stories!). Gwindor has a sad fate (and made one big and fatal mistake, earlier on), but I think his qualities are sometimes underrated.

[ysilme]

Oh, this is magnificent. You're conveying a very painful and difficult subject so perfectly with this tale. Thank you for a rare gem of storytelling!

[hhimring]

Thank you very much, Ysilme!
It's really good to hear that my treatment of the subject was so convincing!