The Lays of Beleriand by J. R. R. Tolkien Read Free Book Online

servant of Thingol they had tied to a tree -- and Turin coming
    stared astonied on the stern visage
    of Beleg the brave his brother in arms,
    of whom he learned the lore of leaping blades, and of bended bow and barbed shaft,
    and the wild woodland's wisdom secret,
    when they blent in battle the blood of their wounds.
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    Then Turin's heart was turned from hate,
    and he bade unbind Beleg the huntsman.
    'Now fare thou free! But, of friendship aught if thy heart yet holds for Hurin's son,
    never tell thou tale that Turin thou sawst
    an outlaw unloved from Elves and Men,
    whom Thingol's thanes yet thirst to slay.
    Betray not my trust or thy troth of yore! '
    Then Beleg of the bow embraced him there --
    he had not fared to the feast or the fall of Orgof --
    there kissed him kindly comfort speaking:
    'Lo! nought know I of the news thou tellest;
    but outlawed or honoured thou ever shalt be
    the brother of Beleg, come bliss come woe!

    Yet little me likes that thy leaping sword
    the life should drink of the leaguered Elves.
    Are the grim Glamhoth then grown so few,
    or the foes of Faerie feeble-hearted,
    that warlike Men have no work to do?
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    Shall the foes of Faerie be friends of Men?
    Betrayest thou thy troth whom we trusted of yore? '
    'Nor of armed Orc, nor [of] Elf of the wood,
    nor of any on earth have I honour or love,
    0 Beleg the bowman. This band alone
    I count as comrades, my kindred in woe
    and friendless fate -- our foes the world.'
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    'Let the bow of Beleg to your band be joined; and swearing death to the sons of darkness
    let us suage our sorrow and the smart of fate!
    Our valour is not vanquished, nor vain the glory that once we did win in the woods of old.'
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    Thus hope in the heart of Hurin's offspring
    awoke at those words; and them well liked
    of that band the boldest, save Blodrin only --
    Blodrin Bor's son, who for blood and for gold alone lusted, and little he recked
    whom he robbed of riches or reft of life,
    were it Elf or Orc; but he opened not
    the thoughts of his heart. There throbbed the harp, where the fires flickered, and the flaming brands of pine were piled in the place of their camp; where glad men gathered in good friendship
    as dusk fell down on the drear woodland.
    Then a song on a sudden soaring loudly --
    and the trees up-looming towering harkened --
    was raised of the Wrack of the Realm of the Gods; of the need of the Gnomes on the Narrow Crossing; of the fight at Fangros, and Feanor's sons'

    oath unbreakable. Then up sprang Beleg:
    'That our vaunt and our vows be not vain for ever, even such as they swore, those seven chieftains, an oath let us swear that is unchanging
    as Tain-Gwethil's towering mountain! '
    Their blades were bared, as blood shining
    in the flame of the fires while they flashed and touched.
    As with one man's voice the words were spoken, and the oath uttered that must unrecalled
    abide for ever, a bond of truth
    and friendship in arms, and faith in peril.
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    Thus war was waked in the woods once more
    for the foes of Faerie, and its fame widely,
    and the fear of that fellowship, now fared abroad; when the horn was heard of the hunting Elves
    that shook the shaws and the sheer valleys.
    Blades were naked and bows twanging,
    and shafts from the shadows shooting winged,
    and the sons of darkness slain and conquered; even in Angband the Orcs trembled.
    Then the word wandered down the ways of the forest that Turin Thalion was returned to war;
    and Thingol heard it, and his thanes were sped to lead the lost one in love to his halls --
    but his fate was fashioned that they found him not.
    Little gold they got in that grim warfare,
    but weary watches and wounds for guerdon;
    nor on robber-raids now rode they ever,
    who fended from Faerie the fiends of Hell.
    But Blodrin Bor's son for booty lusted,
    for the loud laughter of the lawless days,
    and meats unmeasured, and mead-goblets
    refilled and filled, and the flagons of