MalekPoem

Of the Sarnim Stone

Dim in dusk, dark fields and forests lay
Open, exposed to lengthening light.
Golden beams glinted on heads and helms
Silently slipping from forest fastness
Into open twilight
reaching the road
on the verge of night.

They were awaited: one in sable silk
Bowed gravely in greeting, held out his hand,
Wishing welcome to His Lady’s lands.
The riders reined in, their heavy helms
Revealing elvish eyes:
Sylvan, unyielding
Wary, yet wise.

Hunched on the heights, a castle crowned the crag:
In fading light it loomed stark and strong.
The cobblestones clattered; flaming torches flared
Shielding corners in shadows that dipped and danced.
They entered the hall:
bright gold, crystal
a fire-lined wall.

The master of his Hall sat in state
Tall as a tower, gaunt, with gleaming eyes.
Briefly they bowed, then stood silent, still
Like statues in a tyrant's tomb.
The tall lord smiled
as a hunter might
to something once wild.

'Welcome,' he said, 'And where is the smith,'
'Whose skill is famed near and far?'
One stirred and stepped forward; softly spoke:
'The smith stands before you, for Orodruin has come,'
'And would learn from your lips what price you would pay.'
And his face was cold
his voice polite
and utterly controlled.

'Have you skill sufficient,' said that master of Drow,
'Armour to make unbreakable by man?'
'No price may be paid for the perfect piece,'
'But gifts I may give, exchange priceless for perfect.'
Thus the grim lord
offered for armour
a choice from his hoard.

'If the metal is mithril,' the Half Gnome answered,
'My skill could shape it strong and sure.'
'But armour unbreakable? Only Powers could prove it,
'Or battering of battle, though the smith should strive'
'Armour to make unbreakable by man.'
'But what, great lord,'
might you have to offer
from the depths of your hoard?

---

Deep they descended to a hidden hall
Locked with locks, secured with seals.
The narrow gate gaped, they walked within
Dazzled by dance of flickering flames
On diamond and mithril
serried arms and armour
jewels and precious metal.

Their bright brands glanced on stunning stone
Which flashed in the flame like a subterranean star:
And its rose-red ruby like a captive king
Lay enfolded in flowers of moulded mithril.
The Half-Gnome held his breath
at treasure long-lost
in ancient years of death.

He looked at the lord matching eye to eye
And slowly smiled as if to challenge with charm.
'If the mail I make can break the blows
Of your strongest soldier, O Master of Elves,
Would you call this stone an equal exchange?'
And so they agreed
one lustful for power,
he other, from need.

The high-roofed hall given to guests
Echoed with anger and whiplash of words.
Her face aflame, her eyes ablaze
Fèglin, his wedded wife
Spoke for them all
as they huddled close
in that alien hall.

'Make that murderer's armour? His promise to pay
'Is as constant as cobwebs and as safe as a storm!'
'And what can he offer but ill-gotten gains,'
'The pillage and plunder of countless halls?'
Then from her lips a wild cry burst
'Such utter folly'
'This has been from the first!'

'That elf has Sarnim!' So Unglak cried
'That my father found and my mother bore!'
'That price will I pay, and risk what I must
'To ransom their relic from this house of dust!'
Fèhaglin sighed: 'And also strive,
'Gaining the treasure,
'to reach home alive.'

Shrouded in shadows that dipped and danced
The three softly spoke in their gnomish speech
Of cares, contingencies, methods, means,
Secrets, circumstances, purposes, plans:
Lest fear at night
should catch them aground
lacking wings for flight.

---

The trumpet's call announced an arrival
Whom the grim lord greeted to his kingly court.
And courtiers crowded to meet the Lord
Sent to speak for the Watery Land.
Among the rest
the dark sea elves came
to become Sylvan guest.

The Marid smiled, benignly bowed,
Wishing them well with liquid voice.
Seuse, he noted, his Lady and liege,
Was friend to their folk since the sea faring Age.
His thin lips smiled
as a shark’s might that stalked
Prey in the wild.

Their talk soon turned by delicate degrees
To the mail to be made for the land's own lord.
That grim lord laughed and with braggart's boast
Said that they should be finest friends
Since both in their worth
worked to make him
the strongest on earth.

Their words wound on to meaningless matters
And soon they stopped when others arrived.
His evil eyes, though, caught Unglak’s face
And scanned and studied each feature and fault
As if there he read
with gruesome pleasure
ancient tales of dread.

---

The seasons spun with ponderous pace
From Summer to Spring, and the fiery forge
Roared red-hot in a hollow hall
Where metal's might was shaped by skill,
Where anvil sang
where bellows hissed
and heavy hammers rang.

And Fèglin, furtive, with soft-paced steps
Lurked where the Lord was wont to walk,
In sunlight strolling, head to head,
Closely consulting Seuse’s ambassador.
And her Gnomish ears
heard what they said
confirming her fears.

If our friendship is firm, we stand established,
strong and sure. My lord would ally
his crown to your cause, securing your strength
Should rivals arise. As sign and seal
Will he give you a gem
potent with power.
And one more thing

The ambassador added, with whispering words:
My lord by your leave, a matter to mark:
Lord Fringol has stated, and so it is certain:
That elf once escaped my Potentate's prisons;
His features remind him
Of unfinished business
He would put behind him.

The water lord grinned, his sharp teeth shining.
I need him now, nor would it be wise
To give a guest into hostile hands.
Yet robbers are rife; when he leaves my lands
Would any think it strange
Were he caught by ambush
Covertly arranged?

---

Argent the armour shone in the sun;
The grim lord grinned at its dazzling display.
A strong man stood with mighty mace;
Let fly such force the mace head burst.
The blows fell thick;
it still shone silver
without scratch or nick.

‘Such magnificent mail,' said that master of Drow
'Is well worth winning; the price I pay
'A pittance so paltry it beggars the brain.'
'Come! The stone is yours; then let us make mirth
'With as splendid a feast
as ever was served
in West or in East.

High that hall, and wide-spread its walls
Yet filled overflowing: all manner of men
Were gathered together with bounty before them,
Washing the wine down from flowing flagons.
Above all the rest
the Drow sat
their grim host's guest.

Unglak cracked jokes, laughing loud,
But his stare often strayed to the distant doors.
Fèhaglin fidgeted, her hasty hands
Flickering, fluttering with hummingbird's hovering.
Nearby, gleaming bright
Sarnim lay, glistening
with roseate light.

At length it was late; the brands burning low
Spat and sputtered with flickering flames.
Some now slept, but many more
Muttered, murmured, drunk and dazed.
Then, her voice strong
Fèhaglin offered
to sing them a song.

Silence struck, and in that instant
Orodruin called from his flute a soothing song
That softly sounded through the eery air
Like a spirit singing of light and life
Undying over mortal lands
which it blew past crying.

Unglak followed with a song like the sea
Soothing yet surging as wild as the waves,
Echoing endlessly, rhythmically rocking,
Roaring, resounding, repeating, returning,
Foaming floods whose constant dashings,
wash all away
with lullaby crashings.

Heavy heads hung, dull eyes drooped,
Then one by one each dim face fell.
And last like a leaf the tall lord's gaze
Dropped faint and frail to face the floor.
Some snoring mutters
then all was still
as the last torch sputtered.

---

They stood with stealth, gently lifted the jewel,
And softly slipped from the hushing hall.
In silent slumber a kingdom slept
Unwarned of absence. They fled for freedom
Leading in quiet line
those of their folk
who had helped with the wine.

A stair fell steep from the castle crag,
Its base abutting a quiet cove
Whose quay held craft both strong and swift.
Straight down the stair the three came
Then checked in fear.
Hatori’s ambassador softly smiled,
'What brings such nightbirds here?'

The castle-crowned crag lay quiet, cold
With neither light nor lamp. But a mass of men
Two score in sum were placed to bar their path.
'The lord would not like to hear of your haste,'
'To borrow wings and fly.'
'Why, what a reaction!'
-'You'd surely die!'

The Marid eyed them with sinister smile.
'But need he know?' he suavely suggested.
'We can mend the matter to our own advantage.'
'Consider, Orodruin! My Potentate will pay you
'What you truly deserve:'
'Not trifles like he
'Whom you would no more serve.'

But savage and sudden Orodruin cried out
A wild cry of war last heard long ago
When Fithurin's warriors, defiant, despairing,
Sallied in strength from besieged Amras Hall
And charged to their doom:
seeking others' escape
and they, the tomb.

The Drow above from the steps of the stairs
Drew aim in the dark with Elvish eyes
And let fly a flock of feathered fangs.
And Unglak came forth, defiant, determined
And slashed his axe
with leaping lunge
at that Marid lord.

---

But he stepped aside, and with mighty power
Swiftly aimed to cripple or kill.
Eluding, evading, they danced a dance
As light as lovers, as deadly as death.
But with lightning speed
the axe did the kissing
And Unglak the deed.

That servant of Hatori slid from his axe
Lifeless and limp back to the river.
Then Fèhaglin found him, her spear stained with blood:
The three were alone but for Death and the dead.
So they swiftly embarked
the ambassador's boat
and were lost in the dark.

In far-off Balem, in a hidden hall
Fèhaglin faced him with unwilling eyes.
In his hands Orodruin held the gem,
His head tilting forward, his gaze to the ground,
His grey eyes glimmering
with sudden sheen,
with gem’s light shimmering.

'I will not bear it. It is bought with blood.'
Her words then wavered; by will they went on:
‘Many of our folk died to deliver it;'
'And how many more shall pay your price,'
'And fall at his hand
Because we have made
Armour unbreakable by man?'

A sad smile sat on her lovely lips
But her face was firm with cold conviction.
Turning Unglak took the bright hard stone,
Laying it lovely in cushioned coffer,
Then closed the lid.
And there it lay,
deeply hid.

---

'There is more to be mended,' Unglak softly sighed.
'For dark years are dawning when Hel will seek
'A world bowed to her will, and our halls fastness
'Lies exposed in the East, no haven from hunters.'
‘There will come one in whom we trust’
‘To use this power and end’
‘The evils dominion a power hungry lust.’

'I have had dark dreams,' she suddenly said,
'But in shadows there shone a vision unveiled,'
'A city encircled by mighty mountains
'Whose white walls stood high strong
'In a high and significant place.'
Could we build such a city
To help shelter our race!'

'I know of a mountain,' Orodruin answered at once,
'Whose crystalline crown covers cavernous caves.'
'And the sun shining down through the secret stones
'Diffuses like dawn through the hollow hills.'
'That is a high and significant place
safe for a city
that would shelter our race.'

Her head held high, she held out her hand;
His hand met hers; they stood face to face.
'Let us dream this dream, and dare to defy
'The Servant of Shadows!' - so he softly said.
Their eyes were wild
like eagles untamed
And they suddenly smiled.