And at last, here I was, awaiting my audience with the proud king of the Firebeards. At long last I am to show my king what I have brought from lands far beyond, in realms too dark and terrible to imagine. I felt rather anxious, for he could well receive my gifts with little care if I was to tell him that his most desired gift, the ring-lore of Sauron, now lies at the bottom of the sea. If indeed those books even held that knowledge...
I was in doubt about whether it was a good course of action to tell his lordship of what I had done and why I had done it. "Perchance it would be better to say that the Dark Lord's secrets were destroyed with him", I thought. "It would neither be a lie nor the full truth of the matter." But what if the King wished to hear my story in full detail? After all, I am a renowned storyteller, I am High Chronicler of this very keep, surely my king will demand me to stay the remainder of the day and tell of my adventures? Alas, I know not what is best. Telling him I threw those books in the Lune might cost me dearly. Was I by right to take that decision? Would I lose my favour with the king or worse still? I was about to find out, for the captain of the King's Guard opened the doors to allow me passage into the Great Hall.
The Hall looked no different than last I was there. The polished floors showed no sign of stains and the gold and crimson banners hung in eternal respite. All is well in the Hall of the King, I could tell. I felt rather out of place though, with scars that told a tale where respite had little part in it.
I saw the king sitting on his crimson throne as if he had not left the seat in 6 months. He had an eager look in his eye, and he had clearly put on his most regal outfit. The herald of the king started: "Nyr son of Norr, High Chronicler and Great Adventurer of.."
"Yes, yes I know of his titles, it was I who gave them in good faith after all! Now, leave us herald of mine, for Nyr and I have a good deal to discuss", the king interrupted. The herald felt flustered and left the room with a frown upon his face. Aye, I too would have felt the same. To be interrupted in your speech-making, it is an insult. But when the king is annoyed, you take it and leave.
The king beckoned. "Come closer friend."
I climbed the stairs to the throne.
"Tell me first of all what you have brought from the Black Land far to the east", he said with a most eager look on his face. I was afraid to disappoint my lordship, but I prepared my voice for my rhetoric and hoped it would present my gifts in as good a light as I could.
"My King, through hardship and great danger I have brought ye treasures from far beyond. The Black Land proved prosperous as you had predicted, my liege. But the treasure I found there is beyond what we could have imagined."
The king's eyes widened in anticipation and he grew mad with lust as only dwarves can at the prospect of great treasure. He said:
"Come now Nyr, do not leave me in such a state of wanting! Bring forth this treasure you speak of so that I may judge for myself!"
I nodded and signed in Iglishmêk at the captain of the guard that he was to bring in the cart I had prepared, displaying all the treasures I had found, with the gold, silver and jewels of Durthang in the vanguard. Behind that was seen elevated on plinths the gold jewellery and armour of dead Easterlings and Southrons, with jewelled scabbards and shining scimitars that shone bright as daylight. Scattered around them lay black adamants and obsidian of the Mountain of Doom. The fires of the room lit up the treasure in such a wondrous way that made every guard in the hall lose their wary state, and even my king looked absent.
As the cart arrived at the base of the throne and the guards tried to compose themselves, the king hurried his way down the staircase in such haste, the captain and I feared he could trip and fall. He gave notice to everything in the treasure, weighing the gold in his hands, unsheathing the scimitars, holding the jewels to the light,... I tried to explain everything he held in his hands so that he could understand the effort that had gone behind retrieving it.
"Those are Moria-forged trinkets and gold my liege, brought to Mordor as tribute to the Dark Lord in years past. I found them in a grim place called Durthang, where I risked capture by the black uruks still calling it home." The King looked up at the mention of Moria-forged and I witnessed a fire of desire in his eyes the likes which I had not seen in his eyes before.
"This is a great gift Nyr son of Norr. A great gift indeed!", he said to me without losing sight of the goblet he was admiring. "You have restored treasure to our people that was held to be long lost, and though it is but a small share of the treasures of Khazad-Dûm that we are entitled to, it is nonetheless a wondrous thing to see it returned."
It seemed like the treasure was making a good impression, perhaps so much so that he would forget to ask after the ring-lore. But I was hoping for naught, as after some time admiring the gold, the king turned to his guards and bade them to leave the hall, all of them. They seemed reluctant, but the king was resolute. The question he was about to ask next he deemed too precious for his guards to hear the answer to. As soon as the guards had all disappeared behind the door to the Great Hall, the king turned to me and asked:
"And what of the ring-lore, Nyr? What of the secrets of Sauron? Have you found what I tasked you to look for?"
I was still forging my answer in my head. The doubt in my mind returned to me seeing my king so hopeful.
"My lordship, I scoured the dusty, ash-filled plains of Gorgoroth, I climbed the Mountains of Shadow and Ash, I spent days locked in an orc dungeon and I searched every dark keep I could find, including the tower of Barad-Dûr itself. Little remained of the Dark Lord's keep and I fear his secrets were destroyed along with him, if not crushed by the tremors of the earth, then consumed by the fire of Mount Doom. I regret not having brought you the ring-lore you so desired, my only hope is that my liege finds comfort in the treasures I did bring him."
The king remained silent and looked at me as if he suspected the truth, that I had thrown away what might have been the very secrets to ring-forging. I could only imagine what his reaction would be if he found out. The silence was eventually broken by a sigh and a question.
"You are certain there was nothing left? No scrolls or other rings of power that he might have kept hidden? Did you search properly, Nyr?"
I felt rather insulted at that last question. Properly? By my beard, I always search properly for treasure! I risked my very life to search properly! The king must have been able to read my discontent from my face, for he quickly corrected himself.
"Forgive me, my friend, I should not doubt your honesty nor your expertise in adventuring. For indeed, you never leave a word unspoken of your adventures, always eager to tell every detail... If there was anything to report to me, you would have done so without question."
I nodded and replied: "Aye, my king, I would not keep secrets from you unless they were kept secret from me."
The king looked at me with a slight frown - did he expect something? I felt not particularly proud of that lie, but I was afraid to tell him the truth. Destroying those books was the right thing to do. And who knows, there was a good chance it did not hold anything on ring-lore! After all, why would Sauron be so mundane as to write it down on some piece of paper? For all I know I may have well rid this world of the secret to pissing rainbows. Though I doubt Sauron was concerned with rainbows. But it seemed I had naught to fear, for the king scaled the stairs and went to sit on his throne and then he spoke:
"You have done me a great service nonetheless Nyr son of Norr. For your valour, persistence and discretion in this matter, you will be rewarded with a portion of the treasure you brought home."
I kneeled.
"You honour me my king."
Then the King continued: "And for your exemplary trustworthiness, you and your offspring will never fall short of anything for as long as my line endures."
At the mention of offspring, I realised that I had no prospects on having a son or daughter any time soon. I had postponed my seeking a wife in favour of my adventures.
"I thank you my king. Then it is high time that I sought myself a wife so that your gift is not wasted on me."
The king looked surprised.
"You still walk this earth alone? My dear Nyr, surely a heroic dwarrow such as yourself does not have any trouble finding a bride-to-be?"
"I seem to have been too occupied with my craft and my adventures to let my thoughts dwell on such things."
"The king smiled. "Then I order you to find such happiness, for I know no dwarf more deserving of it than you. Go now with my blessing, Nyr son of Norr."
And that is how I left the Hall of the King and ended the quest for the ring-lore. A mighty long journey it was, full of danger and excitement. But it was more than that, for if anything this journey has taught me that adventure and the pursuit of glory are second only to family. Perhaps it is time I started my own.
Nyr
The year 1 of the Fourth Age
