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befell the second slaying of Elf by Elf。 There fell Celegorm by Dior's hand; and there fell Curufin; and dark Caranthir;
but Dior was slain also; and Nimloth his wife; and the cruel servants of Celegorm seized his young sons and left them to
starve in the forest。 Of this Maedhros indeed repented; and sought for them long in the woods of Doriath; but his search
was unavailing; and of the fate of Eluréd and Elurín no tale tells。
Thus Doriath was destroyed; and never rose again。
But the sons of F?anor gained not what they sought; for a remnant of the people fled before them; and with them
was Elwing Dior's daughter; and they escaped; and bearing with them the Silmaril they came in time to the mouths of the
River Sirion by the sea。
Chapter 23
Of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin
It has been told that Huor the brother of Húrin was slain in the Battle of Unnumbered Tears; and in the winter of that
year Rían his wife bore a child in the wilds of Mithrim; and he was named Tuor; and was taken to foster by Annael of the
Grey…elves; who yet lived in those hills。 Now when Tuor was sixteen years old the Elves were minded to leave the caves
of Androth where they dwelt; and to make their way secretly to the Havens of Sirion in the distant south; but they were
assailed by Orcs and Easterlings before they made good their escape; and Tuor was taken captive and enslaved by
Lorgan; chief of the Easterlings of Hithlum。 For three years he endured that thraldom; but at the end of that time he
escaped; and returning to the caves of Androth he dwelt there alone; and did such great hurt to the Easterlings that
Lorgan set a price upon his head。
But when Tuor had lived thus in solitude as an outlaw for four years; Ulmo set it in his heart to depart from the
land of his fathers; for he had chosen Tuor as the instrument of his designs; and leaving once more the caves of Androth
he went westwards across Dor…lómin; and found Annon…in…Gelydh; the Gate of the Noldor; which the people of Turgon
built when they dwelt in Nevrast long years before。 Thence a dark tunnel led beneath the mountains; and issued into
Cirith Ninniach; the Rainbow Cleft; through which a turbulent water ran towards the western sea。 Thus it was that Tuor's
flight from Hithlum was marked by neither Man nor Orc; and no knowledge of it came to the ears of Morgoth。
And Tuor came into Nevrast; and looking upon Belegaer the Great Sea he was enamoured of it; and the sound of
it and the longing for it were ever in his heart and ear; and an unquiet was on him that took him at last into the depths of
the realms of Ulmo。 Then he dwelt in Nevrast alone; and the summer of that year passed; and the doom of Nargothrond
drew near; but when the autumn came he saw seven great swans flying south; and he knew them for a sign that he had
tarried overlong; and he followed their flight along the shores of the sea。 Thus he came at length to the deserted halls of
Vinyamar beneath Mount Taras; and he entered in; and found there the shield and hauberk; and the sword and helm; that
Turgon had left there by the mand of Ulmo long before; and he arrayed himself in those arms; and went down to the
shore。 But there came a great storm out of the west; and out of that storm Ulmo the Lord of Waters arose in majesty and
spoke to Tuor as he stood beside the sea。 And Ulmo bade him depart from that place and seek out the hidden kingdom of
Gondolin; and he gave Tuor a great cloak; to mantle him in shadow from the eyes of his enemies。
But in the morning when the storm was passed; Tuor came upon an Elf standing beside the walls of Vinyamar;
and he was Voronw?; son of Aranw?; of Gondolin; who sailed in the last ship that Turgon sent into the West。 But when
that ship returning at last out of the deep ocean foundered in the great storm within sight of the coasts of Middle…earth;
Ulmo took him up; alone of all its mariners; and cast him onto the land near Vinyamar; and learning of the mand
laid upon Tuor by the Lord of Waters Voronw? was filled with wonder; and did not refuse him his guidance to the hidden
door of Gondolin。 Therefore they set out together from that place; and as the Fell Winter of that year came down upon
them out of the north they went warily eastward under the eaves of the Mountains of Shadow/
At length they came in their journeying to the Pools of Ivrin; and looked with grief on the defilement wrought
there by the passage of Glaurung the Dragon; but even as they gazed upon it they saw one going northward in haste; and
he was a tall Man; clad in black; and bearing a black sword。 But they knew not who he was; nor anything of what had
befallen in the south; and he passed them by; and they said no word。
And at the last by the power that Ulmo set upon them they came to the hidden door of Gondolin; and passing
down the tunnel they reached the inner gate; and were taken by the guard as prisoners。 Then they were led up the mighty
ravine of Orfalch Echor; barred by seven gates; and brought before Ecthelion of the Fountain; the warden of the great
gate at the end of the climbing road; and there Tuor cast aside his cloak; and from the arms that he bore from Vinyamar
it was seen that he was in truth one sent by Ulmo。 Then Tuor looked down upon the fair vale of Tumladen; set as a green
jewel amid the encircling hills; and he saw far off upon the rocky height of Amon Gwareth Gondolin the great; city of
seven names; whose fame and glory is mightiest in song of all dwellings of the Elves in the Hither Lands。 At the bidding
of Ecthelion trumpets were blown on the towers of the great gate; and they echoed in the hills; and far off but clear there
came a sound of answering trumpets blown upon the white walls of the city; flushed with the rose of dawn upon the
plain。
Thus it was that the son of Huor rode across Tumladen; and came to the gate of Gondolin; and passing up the
wide stairways of the city he was brought at last to the Tower of the King; and looked upon the images of the Trees of
Valinor。 Then Tuor stood before Turgon son of Fingolfin; High King of the Noldor; and upon the King's right hand there
stood Maeglin his sister…son; but upon his left hand sat Idril Celebrindal his daughter; and all that heard the voice of
Tuor marvelled; doubting that this were in truth a Man of mortal race; for his words were the words of the Lord of
Waters that came to him in that hour。 And he gave warning to Turgon that the Curse of Mandos now hastened to its
fulfilment; when all the works of the Noldor should perish; and he bade him depart; and abandon the fair and mighty city
that he had built; and go down Sirion to the sea。
Then Turgon pondered long the counsel of Ulmo; and there came into his mind the words that were spoken to
him in Vinyamar: 'Love not too well the work of thy hands and the devices of thy heart; and remember that the true hope
of the Noldor lieth in the West; and eth from the Sea。' But Turgon was bee proud; and Gondolin as beautiful as a
memory of Elven Tirion; and he trusted still in its secret and impregnable strength; though even a Vala