Tianwen·Magweth Pengolodh

, but it won't be long before he pays a painful price for that desperate move.Either he passed on the pain with a domineering tantrum, which he took out on his assistant (that was me), or he endured the pain and became silent, which was far worse.I'm never quite sure what kind of situation I'm going to deal with when camping.When traveling, we are expected to be as cautious as possible.When Rumir finally found a balance between the past and the present, he became an easier traveling companion.

That's a good thing, because the journey is getting tougher.After a month of departure we forbade all fires unless absolutely necessary.During the day when it is easy to give away our whereabouts, we rested and moved forward in the evening and night.Our prior arrangement was to travel during the waning period.The land became steep and rugged.

The most difficult part of the journey was through cliffs and crevices we didn't know, and it was also the last.Turgon led the caravan first on horseback, and we were astonished one day to see his horse rush forward and plunge into the mouth of a great mountain cave.But in a moment Turgon came out, smiling from his restless horse. "Go through here!" he shouted. "Come and see what we've built!" We were all happy knowing we had finally reached our destination.

Before long, seven magnificent gates will be erected along our path.After passing through a deep tunnel, there will be a stone gate, a wooden gate, a bronze gate, a wrought iron gate, a sun gate, a moon gate, and the last and latest main gate—— —The Gate of Steel.However, only the Stone Gate was repaired at that time.

We passed through narrow tunnels, took a level road that was easy for carriages and pedestrians, and made rapid progress between high cliffs.We have already been greeted by some of the tribesmen who came earlier at the checkpoint.And soon, in less than half a day, we were out of the mountains, out into broad daylight, out into the green meadows, and arrived at what was to be our abode.

I have seen Echoriath marked on maps—meaning "surrounding mountains"—which encloses a circular plain called Tumladen.On those maps, near the center of the plain and slightly to the southwest, a hill was marked.The mountains are majestic, and even though it is midsummer, many of the pinnacles are still capped with snow.The plain is sunk deep in the mountains.Gradually the trees on the hillside were replaced by green shrubs and herbs, and then turned into an open meadow--it was grass at that season.It was all beautiful and splendid, and yet it was like velvet with a fine jewel in a box.The land was no longer barren, it was tamed, given special attention, and glorified by the city atop the central hill.

Gondolin!It is Gondos Limba, the "Song of the Rocks", with smooth and steep white walls, towering above the plain, and countless beautiful roofs plated with blue gray and golden brilliance.Inside the high walls and gates are well-built houses, tall and beautiful, in a style that neither I nor many Sindar have ever seen--they are built very close to each other, as here in Romenna house.They are beautiful and spacious, and we are happy to be residents of these stone houses.My family, used to living in lean-tos and treehouses in the woods, couldn't help but be delighted to have a house like this until I came.They greeted me with joy and showed me my sister Hingo Thiel's two newborn children, my two beautiful nieces.They also offered me a room which was always reserved for me in case I came to Gondolin unmarried.The room overlooked a garden, with its own balcony and stairs, and it was in such a good position that I readily accepted it as my own.

That city was later named "The Hidden Place" because it was so well hidden that all who lived in it could be free from worries—yet worries were not forgotten.It is also the "Tower of Guards" Gewaristling, because from the top of the city, the whole plain can be seen in a panoramic view.Those who preferred martial arts joined the royal guard in large numbers.When the time comes in the future, they will build the seven gates.My friend Ellen Marcher was at home in the Guards, and he told me a lot about what they were up to.We believed at the time that if defenses were necessary, we would be ready.

Our city is especially known for Rose-a-Radwin, the Lily of the Plains, which blooms like the most magnificent flower in the King's garden, pure and enchanting.There, too, our individual crafts are at their best, because we have peace and we have time.Skillful craftsmen work with rock and wood.My family grows fibrous root plants to make elf rope and all kinds of twine and weave them into long, beautiful strands.Dancers and musicians are even more successful, as well as those who are good at needlework, and those who are good at painting... Together, they make the whole city beautiful.

I tell you of the joys I remember, though I must confess that there were hard times in Gondolin's early days.During the period when we were gropingly plowing the plains of Tumladen, the harvest came and went.It was too cold to spend the winter in those tall stone houses.The rest, who were less fortunate than me, bickered and squabbled in the domicile over resettlement.Some things are too much, some things are too little.We scholars are not immune either.Even if we were writing and making books for the royal library, we were mostly forced to write on reed papyrus, because many people also wanted the animal skins that could be used to make parchment.The biggest change is that we work for the common good, relying on noble lords to redistribute food and other necessities, and in doing so, Turgon's rule is greatly strengthened.

My teacher Rumil kept the promise he made to me.When I unpacked all those precious texts and installed them in the new great library, I was ordained a true scholar.How much do I get paid for this job, you ask?I don't need the palace to provide food and lodging, so I can get an allowance of thirty gold coins every year.Besides, every other year I received either a new uniform, or forty ell's of muslin and linen, and many supplies for my own work.Later, I also got a privilege, that is, I served in Angharbar not every three years, but every six years. This is because my knowledge is very important, and Rumil also said that I am almost irreplaceable.The books we brought to Gondolin fill only a quarter of the shelves.Rumir remarked with great satisfaction: "We shall write for many years, and record every bit of useful learning, to fill these shelves, as Turgon bids us."

What?No, what I do is not limited to work.Over time, the plains of Gondolin became more fertile, with the city as the hub and the roads as the spokes, forming a circle of fields, orchards, and pastures.Those fields also inspired a variety of sports, some of which I took part in including horseback riding and archery.Commoners who defected to different lords competed in grand games and competitions.Many people fell in love, many people got married; lovely children played in the squares and streets, while the trees grew taller along the avenues.On a high place Turgon erected two beautiful statues, Belhir the Silver Tree, and Greengar with the Golden Branch.At night, the streets were illuminated by lanterns. By the light, we sat on the hillside and drank yellow wine happily.

During the first full year of life, only one great sorrow happened in the city, the loss of Princess Aredel in Baicheng.She forced her brother Turgon to allow her to visit the relatives of Beleriand outside, but when she went out into the wild, she broke away from her guards and her whereabouts are unknown.Two months later, the escort riders returned in shame, not knowing whether she was alive or dead, or where she might have found a home.

It was then that Princess Idril, daughter of Turgon, first came to us scholars in person.When she knocked on Rumir's door and pulled down the hood of the servant's cloak she was wearing to conceal her identity, the meeting at Rambeingomo had just ended.Seeing that I was there, she looked at me and frowned her beautiful eyebrows: "Master Rumir, I must talk to you alone."

"Princess, keep your voice down," Rumir said. "You are obviously not used to acting in secret when you say such things in front of others. But it may be a good thing, and perhaps others can serve you better."

"No, it must be you, I'm sure." They closed the door and talked for a while.She left quickly, with a worried look on her face.After she had gone, Rumir said: "You have heard, and that is very good. Idril wants me to perform a divination. I will prepare for this event and will not see anyone for three days. Tell people that I am in my room. I don’t eat, I just think for a long time.” Rumir said frankly that Idril asked him to try to foresee whether the missing Ariel would return, and she hoped to get support from it, so as to relieve her father Sad for the loss of my sister.

On the third night I went to the great palace in the center of Gondolin, and brought Idril to Rumir's private quarters.It wasn't far, his room was just outside the library.His divination process is like this.

Rumir hadn't eaten for three days, meditating and ignoring other things, his soul had already been half out of his crippled body.He had already done several things, one of which was to light the strong-smelling incense in the censer.When I brought Idril in, Rumir was sitting on a patterned rug, walking back and forth.