Lost Tales from Middle-earth

Rhaweth's past

Rhaweth had seen many events throughout her long life, many of which worthy of mention in songs.

When Fëanor her father, of whom she was the eldest child, wrought the Silmarils, she was there. When Melkor betrayed the Valar once more, she was there. When Ungoliant devoured the Light of the Trees, she was there. When her father brought the Noldor into exile, she was there. When the First Kinslaying was made and her seven brothers, Maedhros, Maglor, Celegorm, Caranthir, Curufin, Amrod and Amras killed the Falmari, although she did not partake in it, refusing to shed Elven blood, she was there; and fortunately, Elvëander, her friend, was not slain.

When the battles against Melkor, then renamed Morgoth, were fought, to reclaim the land of Middle-earth, she was there. When Túrin Turambar, son of Húrin and of Morwen exiled himself to live in the wild, became the Blacksword of Nargothrond, brought Glaurung down then killed himself, she was there, when Bilbo and the dwarves arrived at Imladris, the protected city that Elrond had founded, she was there.

She had argued with Elrond, telling him that the quest to take back Erebor was a noble one, as Túrin's to retake Nargothrond had been, and that he had to help them, but he paid no heed to her words, so she had stormed off to see an old friend of hers.

Later she met the dwarves at the house of Beorn whence she had gone, for he alone did not judge her for what she was, being a skin-changer too. It was her that had interceded in the favor of the dwarves and of Olórin, so that Beorn would give them his aid. They afterwards had liked her, though she was a "pointy-eared snobbish leek", as they called her.

She had accompanied them to the borders of the forest, but not farther.

She already knew Greenwood, then renamed Mirkwood, and loved it very much, as a third Home, but had decided, after leaving the Company of Oakenshield at the edge of the Wood, to visit Minas Tirith, the white city of the Kings of Gondor of which she had seen the birth, in its stead for it had been long since she went there last, and she could not bear to return to the Halls of the Elvenking, for long ago she had been very close to him, but their friendship ended in sorrow, grief and heartbreak, which she did not want to feel again.

Alas! she should have stayed with them, for how could she know that the King would abduct them? In the end all was well, but she blamed herself for the deaths of Oakenshield, Fili and Kili. Had she been there she could have stopped the Bloodbath, but had left them, for she had been afraid. When she told the remaining dwarves and Bilbo of her guilt, they did not understand how terrible she felt about abandoning them and said that she should not blame herself anymore for it was not her fault. How could they understand? She could have single-handedly killed every Orc, every goblin and every warg without even staining her fur. So sorrowful was she that she returned once more to Lothlórien. There her cousin eased her from her pain, and after sixty years told her to go to Imladris, where Elrond dwelt. He long ago had wedded Celebrían, Artanis' daughter but unfortunately the mother of Elladan, Elrohir and Arwen had been captured by Orcs and had sailed to the Undying Lands, which had grieved them all for years. She had not often seen her, for she preferred to stay away from people, but on the rare occasions she had met a young and sweet Elleth, always listening to the stories of the adventures of her mother's elder cousin.

Rhaweth did not oft see her kin either, for she never long stayed in one place. The reasons were that she loved to travel, but mostly that she was afraid of hurting her friends as a Wolf, but she was glad when with them, so to Rivendell, as the Edain called it, she went.

She soon arrived at Imladris.

When Rhaweth neared the gates, she put her hood on, wishing not that everyone knew she was there. She liked being discreet.

And now, dear reader, you have caught up with the beginning and the story may pursue.