The Captains Crazy of Middle-earth

Men of Brethil had sent as large a force as they could muster to the battle. And Cirdan had come north with his mariners, and the Sindar of Hithlum marched with Fingon's people. The hills must have been overflowing with Fingon's troops. In the distant east Maedhros' battle plan went awry from the start. The sons of Ulfang were secretly in league with Morgoth, and they delayed Maedhros' arrival. This delay gave Morgoth's captain time to draw Fingon out of the hills, and he did so by cruelly torturing and murdering a captured Elven lord, Gelmor. Gelmir's brother Gwindor, the only lord from Nargothrond who had joined Fingon's army, saw his brother's death, and he charged out to exact revenge. The rest of Maedhros' battle plan therefore fell apart, and as Fingon saw the small company of Nargothrondic Elves move out to engage the enemy he knew he would either have to join them or watch them get slaughtered. It would be unimaginable for him to abandon an ally, and so he led his army out. The only good news of the day had been the arrival, before the onset of battle, of Turgon with an army of Elven warriors from the south. But there was no time for a reunion of brothers. Gwindor's frenzied flight prevented their meeting. Turgon's army held back when Fingon's army attacked, and the Elves moved forward and crushed the first of Morgoth's armies. But Gwindor rode all the way to Angband, and forgetting the order of battle and Maedhros' grand design Fingon followed after him in a desperate hope, perhaps, of rescuing or at least reinforcing the Nargothrondians. Gwindor's company entered Angband and they were all lost. But then Morgoth's main army marched out to battle, and Fingon's troops were driven back. This was on the fourth day of battle, and by now Fingon and Turgon's forces were scattered across the landscape. There was no order of battle, no coordination, and no sign of Maedhros. But when Fingon had also lost nearly all the Men of Brethil, and his army was surrounded by Morgoth's forces, Turgon moved north. On the fifth day Turgon broke the Orcish battle line from the south and he was reunited with Fingon. Maedhros' army now appeared in the east, and Morgoth had been waiting for his arrival. The last of Angband's forces issued out, and these included the Balrogs and Glaurung leading the dragons beside

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