It is the 51st day of Iavas
In the 3016th year of the Sun
Of the Third Age of Middle-earth

Today marks the passing of two and fifty years since the day of my begetting, and in the hours before the setting of the Sun there came hither to the glade of the Laegrim a glad gift unlooked-for (that is, for a young unworldly Elf of inquisitive mind!): a strange visitor; an Elf unlike any I have met in the Woodland Realm. On his back he bore a great steel blade of marvellous workmanship, its full length but a foot shorter than I stand in my bare feet, and the saddle of his stallion -- for unlike the horses of the Tawarwaith, his mount was both saddled and bridled -- was girt with an unblazoned shield together with a scabbarded long sword; his longbow was of yew, and painted with gilded vines and leaves. And he was clad in armour, but not in leather as we garb ourselves, but with a hauberk of steel mail such as I have never seen.

In stature, he stood well-nigh a whole head taller than either my father or Echeleb; he was fair of face, his hair dark -- darker than that of we Laegil -- and his grey eyes were keen and proud. Of my kindred gathered there about the glade I espied him first of all, and from the tales of old that Teithoron Tegilbor had told to me I knew forthwith his ilk, and in eagerness cried out, "A Golodh! A Golodh has come!" Whereat he cast his piercing glance upon me, and in it burned such displeasure that my heart quailed within my breast; however his look was but fleeting, for marking Echeleb standing amidst the throng, he strode swiftly to him and they each embraced the other as long-lost friends!

My father's father presented this tall stranger to us as Aranyo, who had aforetime dwelt among the Laegim of Lindon ere the ruin of Beleriand, then they withdrew alone into Echeleb's abode and spoke long together until the rising of Gil-Estel, the evening star; and coming forth at last while we sang our glad greeting to the new day, Aranyo looked up to the heavens and called out, "Aiya Eärendil elenion ancalima!" And he had laid aside his gear of war and was garbed in a robe the warm colours of autumn leaves, and shod with boots of stitched soft leather. Then Echeleb summoned our folk to assemble 'round about the communal fire, for Aranyo had brought tidings of the Western lands for all to hear. Still abashed from his glowering ill-look before, I hid unquiet and unheeded behind my kinfolk and hearkened to all that was said beneath the rising stars.

Now for a long count of years, Aranyo told us, has he dwelt in Imladris under the aegis of Master Elrond, but lately he undertook to accompany a score of Elrond's folk to bring home Arwen Undómiel, that Elf-lord's beloved daughter; for these past years she has been a guest in the land of Lothlórien, the Golden Wood, but her father deems the mountains and all lands eastward are becoming dangerous. And passing nigh the abode of Echeleb, his friend of old in Ossiriand, he took his leave of the company for to briefly visit my father's father, so to bring both fond greetings and grim tidings.

For in the five and seventy years since Sauron, in his guise as the Necomancer, was driven from his stronghold of Dol Guldur in the South, he has returned to his rebuilt fortress of Barad-dûr in Mordor and declared himself openly; Orodruin, long dormant, has burst again in smoke and red flame. Now the Shadow that lies upon Mirkwood and issues forth from the dungeons of the Necromancer is of three of his fell servants, the Úlairi (though we know not this name nor the creatures which it marks.)

Yrch from the Hithaeglir oft issue forth to raid the eastern regions and slay or steal the horses of Rochand, and among their number march a new breed: great 'Uruk-hai', a kind stronger and more fell than all other Orchoth... and not all bear the badge of the Red Eye, but whom they serve is yet unknown. Therefore are the ways East over the Hithaeglir perilous, though Grimbeorn son of Beorn yet holds open Cirith Forn en Andrath, the narrow Pass of Caradhras is deemed treacherous for there it was that Celebrían, daughter of Galadriel and Celeborn of Lórien and wife to Elrond, was waylaid and seized by a sudden assault of Orcs, and at their hands suffered torment until she was rescued by the pursuit of Elrond and his sons, Elladan and Elrohir.

The Shadow of Mordor creeps over the lands, Aranyo warned, and all the hearts of the folks in Westlands are darkened; and there was much shaking of heads and murmurings among my kin at all his words.

O, alas for these drear days of my youth!

And after sharing his sad and ominous news, he bade farewell to all who had gathered to hear his words; but seeing me still lurking in the shadows he called to me and I obeyed with a trembling heart, for I knew well the tales of the hot and wayward wrath of the Exiles. But needless was my dread, for he had read the dismay in my face at his fierce glance before, and thereupon he sat with me beside the dwindling embers of our fire and asked my pardon!

And then he took my hand in his, and not unkindly he explained to me that the name 'Golodh' was not used by the friends of the Gelydh Ñoldor of Beleriand, but only by those who deemed that their abode aforetime in Avon gave them a haughty disdain for the "Elves of Darkness" who yet lingered in Middle-earth. Chief among them were the Iathrim, for King Elu Thingol had no love of the Ñoldorin chieftains by reason of their onset upon the Teleri in Aman, the people of Olwë his brother.^[1]

Thus had he thought when he heard me call him 'Golodh' that I was an unfriend to his kin, but Echeleb had told him of my schooling with the Sindar of Thranduil's court, and thus he understood that it was their thought that swayed my words and was no affront on my part. Verily, Teithoron Tegilbor had oft described the Exiles as over-proud and their mood fey and perilous, but there was no wanton pride in the Elf with whom I sat beneath the bright stars and rising silver Moon. And though he had given me comfort with his soft words, so as to redress his misstep -- or so I guess -- he told to me his full tale beside the rekindled fire:

Though he himself has never seen the light of the Two Trees in Valinor with his own eyes, Aranyo is yet deemed -- in the tongue of old -- a Calaquendë, for he and his twin brother were born in Mithrim to Ñoldor of Fingolfin's host who endured the cruel crossing of the Helcaraxë.

They were but children when Hithlum was brought to ruin by the hordes of Morgoth in the Nirnaeth Arnoediad wherein their parents both perished in its defence, and fleeing together south over the Ered Wethrin into Beleriand, they passed secretly across Talath Dirnen in the realm of Nargothrond. Then following the long wall of Andram, the brothers made their way steadily eastwards to the low hills of Ramdan and then travelled south to skirt Amon Ereb (where Denethor our king of old had met his end), for there the sons of Fëanor kept watch over the eastern passage and the twins had no love for the kinslayers who had forsaken Fingolfin's folk upon the shores of Aman.

Thus it came to pass that after much travail they wandered at last over the River Gelion and into Ossiriand, the Laegrim that dwelt therein took pity on the young Ñoldorin waifs and welcomed them into their clan, and there they harboured them until the lands of Beleriand were swallowed up by the deep waters of Belegaer in the War of Wrath and the greenwood of Ossiriand was torn asunder. Alas, in the turmoil the twins were parted, and bitter was Aranyo's grief for his lost brother for it was deemed that he perished in the deluge.

Thereafter he refused the summons of Eönwë for he would not forsake Middle-earth, but chose instead to remain and play his part in the healing of the world's hurts, and thus he long dwelt in the fair forests of Forlindon; but in the after-days of the Third Age many of the Eldar had since departed into the West, and the realm of Lindon had grown empty. But a chance meeting with a wandering company of Calaquendi kindled within his heart a yearning to see Middle-earth beyond the Ered Lindon ere he too passes over the Sundering Seas.

And lest I forget in this long, long retelling of his tale and tidings, he told me also that he is named in Sindarin Renion, but he chooses instead its Quenya form which is 'Aranyo'. Thus, he says, does he honour his Calaquendi mother and father, and still spites the ancient ban of Elu Thingol who forbade the speaking thereof in his realm. (And hence he deigned not to bring his tidings to the ear of Thranduil Elvenking, aforetime a Sinda of Doriath!) Never have I heard speech so lovely as the Quenya that he shared with me this night, though I understood nary a word; nor shall I forget the name he called me: Nesso.

Alas, to my mind the time he spent with me was all too brief, for his journey awaited and thus he could not tarry overlong; but for an hour more he abided my eager questions with gentle patience while the stars wheeled slowly overhead. But naught would he say of the kin-slayings of which Teithoron Tegilbor had schooled me, nor would he speak of Fëanor and his sons, for he loved them not for their misdeeds. Indeed, I deem his long abode with the Laegrim (whom he names Laiquendi) in the forests of Lindon, made him more akin to we Laegil than to his own high kindred!

However, he said much of his lost brother for his heart is still troubled with sorrow though many years have passed. Twins they were and thus alike in face, but their moods were unalike: even as children, Aranyo was bold and a bright flame was in him, and he yearned to ride one day with the cavalry of Eithel Sirion upon the plains of Ard-galen; but his brother's spirit was timid yet gay, and he loved the trees that grew nigh the shores of Lake Mithrim. Thus was he named Aldanil, which in the Sindar tongue is Galadher; it is in remembrance of him that Aranyo took the after-name, Taurosso which means "Forest-warden" and chose for his labour in Middle-earth to safeguard the greenwoods from hurt.

And so it was that while they dwelt together with the Green-elves in Lindon, Aranyo befriended Echeleb whose mood was akin to his, but Aldanil most loved Tawardil my mother's father, friend of the forest. And when I counseled him to not let his hope dwindle, that perchance his brother had prevailed and still lives even now in this latter day and they might yet meet again under the Sun, Aranyo told me that I reminded him much of Aldanil which gladdened his heart.

Little more did we speak but together watched the dying flames, and erelong he deemed the night was old and the hour late, and kissing me upon my brow, he bade me farewell and departed into the dark night.

[1] "Ódhil [sg. Ódhel] thus became specially the name of the Exiled Noldor [...] But the form Golodh seems to have been phonetically unpleasing to the Noldor. The name was, moreover, chiefly used by those who wished to mark the difference between the Noldor and the Sindar, and to ignore the dwelling of the Noldor in Aman which might give them a claim to superiority. This was especially the case in Doriath, where King Thingol was hostile to the Noldorin chieftains, Feanor and his sons, and Fingolfin, because of their assault upon the Teleri in Aman, the people of his brother Olwe. The Noldor, therefore, when using Sindarin, never applied this name (Golodh) to themselves, and it fell out of use among those friendly to them."

- The War of the Jewels, 'Quendi and Eldar'

8