Now was Tamar’s heart in a great turmoil of pain for the dread things that he had seen and heard, and the long hopelessness of his love for Nнniel, so did rage against Turambar kindle suddenly within him, and shaking off his touch he said: “A maid thou foundest in the wild woods and gave her a jesting name, that thou and all the folk called her Nнniel, the little one of tears. Ill was that jest, Turambar, for lo! she has cast herself away blind with horror and with woe, desiring never to see thee again, and the name she named herself in death was Nienуri daughter of Ъrin, child of woe, nor may all the waters of the Silver Bowl as they drop into the deep shed the full tale of tears o’er Nнniel.”

Then Turambar with a roar took his throat and shook him, saying: “Thou liest—thou evil son of Bethos”—but Tamar gasped “Nay, accursed one; so spake Glorund the drake, and Nнniel hearing knew that it was true.” But Turambar said: “Then go commune in Mandos with thy Glorund,” and he slew him before the face of the people, and fared after as one mad, shouting “He lieth, he lieth” and yet being free now of blindness and of dreams in his deep heart he knew that it was true and that now his weird was spent at last.

So did he leave the folk behind and drive heedless through the woods calling ever the name of Nнniel, till the woods rang most dismally with that word, and his going led him by circuitous ways ever to the glade of Silver Bowl, and none had dared to follow him. There shone the sun of afternoon, and lo, were all the trees grown sere although it was high summer still, and noise there was as of dying autumn in the leaves. Withered were all the flowers and the grass, and the voice of the falling water was sadder than tears for the death of the white maiden Nienуri daughter of Ъrin that there had been. There stood Turambar spent at last, and there he drew his sword, and said: “Hail, Gurtholfin, wand of death, for thou art all men’s bane and all men’s lives fain wouldst thou drink, knowing no lord or faith save the hand that wields thee if it be strong. Thee only have I now—slay me therefore and be swift, for life is a curse, and all my days are creeping foul, and all my deeds are vile, and all I love is dead.” And Gurtholfin said: “That will I gladly do, for blood is blood, and perchance thine is not less sweet than many a one’s that thou hast given me ere now” and Turambar cast himself then upon the point of Gurtholfin, and the dark blade took his life.

But later some came timidly and bore him away and laid him in a place nigh, and raised a great mound over him, and thereafter some drew a great rock there with a smooth face, and on it were cut strange signs such as Turambar himself had taught them in dead days, bringing that knowledge from the caves of the Rodothlim, and that writing said:

Turambar slayer of Glorund the Worm

who also was Tъrin Mormakil

Son of Ъrin of the Woods

and beneath that was carven the word “Nнniel” (or child of tears); but she was not there, nor where the waters have laid her fair form doth any man know.’

Now thereupon did Eltas cease his speaking, and suddenly all who hearkened wept; but he said thereto: ‘Yea, ’tis an unhappy tale, for sorrow hath fared ever abroad among Men and doth so still, but in the wild days were very terrible things done and suffered; and yet hath Melko seldom devised more cruelty, nor do I know a tale that is more pitiful.’

Then after a time some questioned him concerning Mavwin and Ъrin and after happenings, and he said: ‘Now of Mavwin hath no sure record been preserved like unto the tale of Tъrin Turambar her son, and many things are said and some of them differ from one another; but this much can I tell to ye, that after those dread deeds the woodfolk had no heart for their abiding place and departed to other valleys of the wood, and yet did a few linger sadly nigh their old homes; and once came an aged dame wandering through the woods, and she chanced upon that carven rock. To her did one of those woodmen read the meaning of the signs, and he told her all the tale as he remembered it—but she was silent, and nor spoke nor moved. Then said he: “Thy heart is heavy, for it is a tale to move all men to tears.” But she said: “Ay, sad indeed is my heart, for I am Mavwin, mother of those twain,” and that man perceived that not yet had that long tale of sorrow reached its ending—but Mavwin arose and went out into the woods crying in anguish, and for long time she haunted that spot so that the woodman and his folk fled and came never back, and none may say whether indeed it was Mavwin that came there or her dark shade that sought not back to Mandos by reason of her great unhappiness.³¹

Yet it is said that all these dread happenings Ъrin saw by the magic of Melko, and was continually tempted by that Ainu to yield to his will, and he would not; but when the doom of his folk was utterly fulfilled then did Melko think to use Ъrin in another and more subtle way, and he released him from that high and bitter place where he had sat through many years in torment of heart. But Melko went to him and spoke evilly of the Elves to him, and especially did he accuse Tinwelint³² of weakness and cravenhood. “Never can I comprehend,” said he, “wherefore it is that there be still great and wise Men who trust to the friendship of the Elves, and becoming fools enough to resist my might do treble their folly in looking for sure help therein from Gnomes or Fairies. Lo, O Ъrin, but for the faint heart of Tinwelint of the woodland how could my designs have come to pass, and perchance now had Nienуri lived and Mavwin thy wife had wept not, being glad for the recovery of her son. Go therefore, O foolish one, and return to eat the bitter bread of almsgiving in the halls of thy fair friends.”

Then did Ъrin bowed with years and sorrow depart unmolested from Melko’s realms and came unto the better lands, but ever as he went he pondered Melko’s saying and the cunning web of woven truth and falsity clouded his heart’s eye, and he was very bitter in spirit. Now therefore he gathered to him a band of wild Elves,³³ and they were waxen a fierce and lawless folk that dwelt not with their kin, who thrust them into the hills to live or die as they might. On a time therefore Ъrin led them to the caves of the Rodothlim, and behold the Orcs had fled therefrom at the death of Glorund, and one only dwelt there still, an old misshapen dwarf who sat ever on the pile of gold singing black songs of enchantment to himself. But none had come nigh till then to despoil him, for the terror of the drake lived longer than he, and none had ventured thither again for dread of the very spirit of Glorund the worm.³⁴ Now therefore when those Elves approached the dwarf stood before the doors of the cave that was once the abode of Galweg, and he cried: “What will ye with me, O outlaws of the hills?” But Ъrin answered: “We come to take what is not thine.” Then said that dwarf, and his name was Mоm: “O Ъrin, little did I think to see thee, a lord of Men, with such a rabble. Hearken now to the words of Mоm the fatherless, and depart, touching not this gold no more than were it venomous fires. For has not Glorund lain long years upon it, and the evil of the drakes of Melko is on it, and no good can it bring to Man or Elf, but I, only I, can ward it, Mоm the dwarf, and by many a dark spell have I bound it to myself.” Then Ъrin wavered, but his men were wroth at that, so that he bid them seize it all, and Mоm stood by and watched, and he broke forth into terrible and evil curses. Thereat did Ъrin smite him, saying: “We came but to take what was not thine—now for thy evil words we will take what is thine as well, even thy life.”