[Anguirel]

RESULTS OF DAY THIRTEEN (M-e)

Dior was getting withdrawal symptoms. He twitched. He paced about. He tossed his fine head. But he could not subdue his longing to wear the Silmaril again.

Without it, he felt...so ugly! His grandmother was far prettier than him when he lacked his gem! This could not go on! No matter how much it burnt him, he would take it back.

"Daddy," a voice came, "why are you so distraught?"

Hah! Perfect timing! It was his prissy daughter Elwing! Dior turned, and said, slowly but firmly, "Pass me your Silmaril, dear."

"But father, you gave it to me..."

"It's mine, mine, do you hear!" the King of Brethil cried. Close to tears, his daughter surrendered it. Almost before he felt the searing in his hand, Dior slipped the silver chain which held the Silmaril over his neck...now his throat blazed, and his voice choked in agony. Weeping, Elwing tried to take the jewel back, but her father drew his sword on her.

"Don't come...any...closer...Silmaril...mine..."

And so Dior burnt to death, just as Curufin, his foe, had done, for the Silmaril's sake.

RESULTS OF THE CHALLENGE

Elwing would not touch the jewel as it lay among the ashes, but ran through the halls, looking for her brothers and her mother. The family rushed to the scene.

"We shall go to Melian," Nimloth declared. "She will shelter us." And the widowed Queen took up the gem by its chain as it blazed their way.

But the rumours had reached Telchar and his smiths, who had not been paid for their building, and they followed the Queen; and a glimpse of the white light enslaved them. They surrounded the royal family, and demanded the Silmaril. When Nimloth ordered them away, they seized their axes. Only Elwing escaped the slaughter, hiding beneath the enchanted cloak of Luthien's hair; and the Naugrim bore away the jewel.

When Melian beheld through her arts what seemed to be the massacre of her daughter's family, she forsook Middle-earth, defeated at last by misfortune.

But neither would the Dwarves escape with their plunder; for the Laiquendi brought word of the theft to Maedhros and Maglor. The High King of the Noldor laid a trap between the rivers of Ossiriand; and the Dwarves were cut down. But Telchar hurled the Silmaril which scalded him even through his dwarf-mail into the water of a river, shortly before Maedhros slew him. And the gem flowed down the river and came to Sirion, where it revealed itself to Elwing when she fled there.

Day Fourteen in Middle-earth! The contestants:

Tribes

VALAR

Elbereth
Ulmo
Mandos, Doom of

NOLDOR

Maedhros
Maglor
Celebrimbor
Ereinion
Galadriel
Idril
Salgant
Glorfindel
Finduilas
Gwindor

TELERI/SINDAR

Celeborn
Mablung
Cirdan
Elwing

MAIA

Uinen
Arien (with Sun)

DWARVES

Mim the Petty-dwarf

MEN

Tuor
Nienor

PEREDHIL

Earendil

FORCES OF EVIL

Morgoth
Sauron
Glaurung

Fourteenth challenge-the Humbling of the Gnomes. Bring down Nargothrond. (Gondolin tomorrow!)