6.

When it became at last all too clear that Morgoth had escaped, the Gods assembled about the dead Trees and sat there in darkness for a long while in dumb silence, and mourned in their hearts. Now that day which Morgoth chose for this assault was a day of high festival throughout Valinor. On this day it was the custom of the chief Valar, all save Osse who seldom came thither, and of many of the Elves, especially the people of Ingwe, to climb the long winding paths in white-robed procession to Manwe's halls on the summit of Tindbrenting. All the Lindar and many of the Gnomes, who under Fingolfin still lived in Tun, were therefore on Tindbrenting's height and were singing before the feet of Varda, when the watchers from afar beheld the fading of the Trees. But most of the Gnomes were in the plain, and all the Teleri, as was their wont, were on the shore. The fogs and darkness now drifted in from off the sea through the pass of Kôr, as the Trees died. A murmur of dismay ran through all Elfland, and the Foamriders wailed beside the sea.

Then Feanor rebelling against his banishment summoned all the Gnomes to Tun. A vast concourse gathered in the great square on the top of the hill of Kôr, and it was lit by the light of many torches which each one that came bore in hand.

Feanor was a great orator with a power of moving words. A very wild and terrible speech he made before the Gnomes that day, and though his anger was most against Morgoth, yet his words were in great part the fruit of Morgoth's lies. But he was distraught with grief for his father and wrath for the rape of the Silmarils. He now claimed the kingship of all the Gnomes, since Finwe was dead, in spite of the decree of the Gods. 'Why should we obey the jealous Gods any longer,' he asked, 'who cannot, even keep their own realm from their foe?' He bade the Gnomes prepare for flight in the darkness, while the Valar were still wrapped in mourning; to seek freedom in the world and of their own prowess to win there a new realm, since Valinor was no longer more bright and blissful than the lands outside; to seek out Morgoth and war with him for ever until they were avenged. Then he swore a terrible oath. His seven sons leaped to his side and took the selfsame vow together, each with drawn sword. They swore an oath which none shall break, and none should take, by the name of the Allfather, calling the Everlasting Dark upon them, if they kept it not, and Manwe they named in witness, and Varda, and the Holy Mount, vowing to pursue with hate and vengeance to the ends of the world Vala, Demon, Elf, or Man, or Orc who hold or take or keep a Silmaril against their will.

Fingolfin and his son Fingon spake against Feanor, and wrath and angry words came near to blows; but Finrod spoke and sought to calm them, though of his sons only Felagund was on his side. Orodreth, Angrod, and Egnor took the part of Feanor. In the end it was put to the vote of the assembly, and moved by the potent words of Feanor the Gnomes decided to depart. But the Gnomes of Tun would not renounce the kingship of Fingolfin, and as two divided. hosts therefore they set forth: one under Fingolfin who with his sons yielded to the general voice against their wisdom, because they would not desert their people; the other under Feanor. Some remained behind. Those were the Gnomes who were with the Lindar upon Tindbrenting. It was long ere they came back into this tale of the wars and wanderings of their people.

The Teleri would not join that flight. Never had they listened to Morgoth. They desired no other cliffs nor beaches than the strands of Fairyland. But the Gnomes knew that they could not escape without boats and ships, and that there was no time to build. They must cross the seas far to the North where they were narrower, but further still feared to venture; for they had heard of Helkarakse, the Strait of the Grinding Ice, where the great frozen hills ever shifted and broke, sundered and clashed together. But their white ships with white sails the Teleri would not give, since they prized them dearly, and dreaded moreover the wrath of the Gods.

Now it is told that the hosts of Feanor marched forth first along the coast of. Valinor; then came the people of Fingolfin less eager, and in the rear of this host were Finrod and Felagund and many of the noblest and fairest of the Noldoli. Reluctantly they forsook the walls of Tun, and more than others they carried thence memories of its bliss and beauty, and even many fair things made there by hands. Thus the people of Finrod had no part in the dreadful deed that then was done, and not all of Fingolfin's folks shared in it; yet all the Gnomes that departed from Valinor came under the curse that followed. When the Gnomes came to the Haven of the Swans they attempted to seize by force the white fleets that lay anchored there. A bitter affray was fought upon the great arch of the gate and on the lamplit quays and piers, as is sadly told in the song of the Flight of the Gnomes. Many were slain on either side, but fierce and desperate were the hearts of the people of Feanor, and they won the battle; and with the help beside of many even of the Gnomes of Tun they drew away the ships of the Teleri, and manned their oars as best they might, and took them north along the coast.

After they had journeyed a great way and were come to the northern confines of the Blessed Realm, they beheld a dark figure standing high upon the cliffs. Some say it was a messenger, others that it was Mandos himself. There he spoke in a loud dread voice the curse and prophecy that is called the Prophecy of the North, warning them to return and seek for pardon, or in the end to return only at last after sorrow and endless misery. Much he foretold in the dark words, which only the wisest of them understood, of things that after befell; but all heard the curse he uttered upon those that would not stay, because they had at Swanhaven spilled the blood of their kindred, and fought the first battle between the children of earth unrighteously. For that they should suffer in all their wars and councils from treachery and from the fear of treachery among their own kindred. But Feanor said: 'He saith not that we shall suffer from cowardice, from cravens or the fear of cravens', and that proved true.

All too soon did the evil begin to work. They came at last far to the North and saw the first teeth of the ice that floated in the sea. Anguish they had of the cold. Many of the Gnomes murmured, especially of those that followed less eagerly under the banners of Fingolfin. So it came into the heart of Feanor and his sons to sail off suddenly with all the ships, of which they had the mastery, and 'leave the grumblers to grumble, or whine their way back to the cages of the Gods.' Thus began the curse of the slaying at Swanhaven. When Feanor and his folk landed on the shores in the West of the northern world, they set fire in the ships and made a great burning terrible and bright; and Fingolfin and his people saw the light of it in the sky. Thereafter those left behind wandered miserably, and were joined by the companies of Finrod that marched up after.

In the end in woe and weariness Finrod led some back to Valinor and the pardon of the Gods - for they were not at Swanhaven - but Fingolfin and the sons of Finrod would not yield, having come so far. They led their host far into the bitterest North, and dared at last the Grinding Ice. Many were lost there wretchedly, and there was small love for the sons of Feanor in the hearts of those that came at last by this perilous passage into the Northern lands.