Chapter 15: Ancient Secrets and Hard Decisions

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On the third day since leaving Doriath, the Companions began moving north, into the Ered Gorgoroth, the Mountains of Terror.  Although the captain of the March-wardens had said the vicious attacks had happened to the east, e'Narmire chose to go north into the mountains.  He had hunted these demons in ages past, and knew they would need a place to take refuge.  They had been created before the rising of the Sun, so they would be weakened in such a pure light.  They would need a place to hide, and the mountains provided the most likely place.

The Companions moved along the western bank of Dor Dinen, closest to the cover of the mountains, and followed the river to its headwaters.  From there, they turned east, toward the Pass of Aglon which lay along the borders of Himlad, a realm co-ruled by two of Feanor's sons, Celegorm and Curufin. 

Never having fought a fell shadow, much of the tracking of the demon was left to e'Narmire.  The rest of the Companions busied themselves with finding any traces of the Hunter, but much to no avail.  Although a hulking, vicious beast on the surface, its appearance belied a creature of stealth and cunning that was surprisingly difficult to follow. 

But closer they came to their quarry.  Shadow-bane seemed to be following an unseen trail, sensing the proximity of the demon.  Curucam, too, began to sense their prey.  Not by the same means as e'Narmire, but by its very stench, an odor with which he was quite acquainted.  But then, something else attracted Shaelina's attention.  This was a feeling not of evil, but of agony.  An overwhelming feeling of despair came over her.  She sensed great suffering, sorrow, and torment.  Shadow-bane sensed it too, and quickened his pace.

Coming up to the base of a small rise, e'Narmire signaled the Companions to stop.  He crawled to the top of the rise and peered over.  After a few seconds, he slid back down, taking care to remain silent.  The expression on his face was that of disgust, anger, and unbridled hatred.

Using hand signals and muffled voices, the Companions spread out and moved to the top of the rise.  Below where six orc sentries, four where lounging at the corners of a loose square while the other two where flanking an open pit in the center.  Oblivious to their impending fate, they were completely occupied with tormenting and teasing whatever was being held in the pit.  Shadow-bane looked over at Shaelina.  The expression on her face betrayed what she feared.  She knew what was in the pit. 

But e'Narmire knew she could never imagine the horror of what was truly happening.

All at once, the Companions struck.  Shaelina, Taurensil, Telemire, and e'Narmire each loosed an arrow at the four corner orcs, catching them completely by surprise and felling them before they could react.  Curucam rushed the last two near the pit, and taking advantage of the surprise attack, quickly dispatched the first, driving his mattock into the orc's skull.  The second, regaining his senses, began to charge the Dwarf, but was quickly discouraged by one of Taurensil's arrows that had driven itself deep into his armpit.

Killed instantly, the orc fell to the ground and rolled into the pit.  Almost immediately, a terrible, shrieking scream erupted from the pit as the orc's body was torn apart in a matter of seconds. 

None of the Companions moved for what seemed an eternity.  The screams were not those of a caged animal, but of . . .  no one wanted to finish the thought.  Finally, Curucam mustered up the courage to look into the pit.  A look of shock and bewilderment crossed his face almost immediately and he quickly jerked away, closing his eyes tightly.  Next, the ranger and the smith moved cautiously toward the hole.  Peering inside, they were shocked, disgusted, and most of all, frightened. 

Shaelina, knowing but not wanting to see, was driven by morbid curiosity.  She approached an inch at a time before peering in.  Her jaw dropped instinctually as she too stared in horror at what she saw.

Eldar, twisted into a state of brutal animalism, stared back at the Companions.  The look in their eyes was disturbing.  A mixture of hatred and agony, it was as if they were predators eyeing their prey.  Some tried to claw their way out of the pit to rip the tormenting onlookers apart.  So desperate were they to kill, they bloodied their hands as they scratched at their earthen prison.  Others tore into what remained of the orc's body, tearing huge chunks of flesh from bone in a fit of unbridled rage.  One stripped the orc's sword from its hands, brandishing it at the Companions.

"That is how it begins."  His voice startled the Companions as e'Narmire spoke.  He had not approached the pit, knowing exactly what was inside.  No one turned to look at him.  "They are maddened, tortured beyond anyone's comprehension of pain, and driven into a blood-thirst that cannot be quenched."

"What has begun?" asked Telemire, not looking away from the pit.

"Orcs," replied e'Narmire bluntly.  Only now did the Companions look at him.  When all eyes were focused on him, he continued.  "The Dark One cannot create.  That is the providence of Manwe and the other Valar.  Morgoth can only twist, can only pervert and corrupt that which has been created.  Orcs are such a perversion.  They were once of our kind.  They were once Eldar."

"Impossible," said Taurensil.  "Nothing so vile can be akin to . . ."

"It is," retorted e'Narmire sharply, cutting the ranger off in mid sentence.  "Go," he said, pointing at the dead orc across the pit.  "Go look for yourself.  For all of the Enemy's soldiers that you have slain, have you never truly seen your foe?  Go! Look closely, ranger."

"If what you say is true," stammered Shaelina, "then we must do something to help these Eldar."

"There is nothing to be done that can save them," replied e'Narmire flatly.

"But they are our kinsman!" cried Shaelina.

"No longer."  Shadow-bane walked over to the pit and looked in.  "They are kinsmen no longer."

Telemire was in shock, not believing what he was hearing.  "How does this . . . ? What can cause . . . such hatred and pain?"

All eyes looked back to e'Narmire.  "Daengurtha," he replied.  "A Death-shadow; an ancient evil born of Morgoth's dark mind.  They were one of many evils that stalked the Eldar during the Great Journey, many ages ago.  This is why we were called to Doriath, for Thingol remembered such evil and feared that it was hunting for prey again."

"What of the dindair?" asked Shaelina.

"That is why Thingol feared a Death-shadow.  Dindair are spies, preferring to avoid a
fight, but dangerous when cornered.  They hide in the shadows, luring victims into their trap.  The Hunters are used as a diversion, to create havoc and draw out the best warriors, so the Death-shadow can capture his prey."

Shadow-bane went on to describe the demon.  As big, or bigger, than a hunter, it is skeletal in appearance, with only a thin skin hiding its bones.  Winged creatures with razor-like claws, they can attack from above and tear a potential victim to pieces.  But they were most feared because of the torture they inflict on those that they capture.

"Nwalmarog," uttered Shaelina under her breath.  All looked to her and she explained further.  "A torment demon.  My father used to tell me stories of them as a young child.  I had always thought they were legend.  He also spoke of a great warrior that hunted them, a warrior that protected the Eldar during the Great Journey.  That warrior was you," she pointed to e'Narmire.  "You are the Shadow-bane that my father spoke of."

A shriek erupted from the pit, returning everyone's attention back to an unanswered question.  Taurensil walked back over to the edge.  "What about them?" he asked.

"Burn them," replied e'Narmire, betraying no emotion.

"No!" protested Shaelina.  "You can't!  They are Eldar!  You cannot murder your own kind!"

"They are no longer our kind," said Telemire.  "Shadow-bane is right.  It must be done.  If none of you have the stomach for such vile work, I shall do it."

And do it he did.  All watched for as long as they could stand to hear the screams.  All but e'Narmire and Telemire turned away.  Shaelina vomited.  Then she cried.