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Unwritten Tales of Love and War in Middle-Earth - Page 3

© Michael Martinez

In contrast, the Third Age is bludgeoned into mediocrity by story after story of proud and valiant kings whose conquests or defeats inevitably lead to the diminishing of the Dunadan realms. These losses result in the ultimate confrontation between Sauron and a ragged group of free peoples, who are united only in their desire to remain free. There is a great love story in the Third Age: the tale of Aragorn and Arwen, which is reolved in the Fourth Age. But there is another great love story, which ends less happily: the tale of Nimrodel and Amroth. And there is a tale of a great battle in the north, in which Angmar is finally defeated. But its outcome doesn't change the fact that the ancient kingdom of Arnor has finally been destroyed. As the First Age (of the Sun) follows upon the folly of Feanor (he led his people into exile in a fruitless war of revenge), so the Third Age follows upon the folly of Isildur (he claimed Sauron's One Ring for himself, and ultimately was slain because of the Ring, as Feanor was slain because of the Silmarils). And as the First Age brought about the eventual decline of the Eldar and the Edain, so the Third Age brought about a similar decline of both Eldar and Edain. But the Third Age's three-act drama begins with the great battle in the north. We are told how Angmar systematically weakens Arnor and finally destroys it. And then Gondor swings into action and annihilates the ancient enemy realm. But Gondor's war comes too late. It is merely a war of vengeance, and all the vengeance in the world cannot bring the dead back to life, or restore health and vigor to fields which lie untilled. With the end of Angmar, the allies disperse and go their separate ways. Gondor withdraws to the south and pays no further heed to the north. The Eotheod ride far beyond the borders of Lothlorien. The Eldar of Rivendell and Lindon recede into quiet solitude and seeming oblivion. And, finally, when the Dwarves of Khazad-dum lose their civilization to a Balrog, the Silvan Elves of Lothlorien, who had fought so valiantly in the wars with Angmar, are thrown into a panic. Many of them lose faith or delight in Middle-earth, and they flee over Sea. Nimrodel and Amroth agreed to leave Middle-earth together, and they should have enjoyed many happy centuries together in the Uttermost West. But instead they became separated, and she was lost. When Amroth was forced to take ship without Nimrodel, he could not bear to be separated from her, and so perished in his attempt to return to the mainland. What did either of them do to deserve such a fate?

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