In Feanor's Footsteps - Page 9
© Michael Martinez
The dragons could have wrought great devastation, and swooping down upon Eonwe's forces, the dragons should have driven the army of the west from the field. It may be that the retreat was disorderly and organization broke down. If the terrain was already sinking into the sea behind them, Eonwe's troops would have had to withdraw to isolated pockets and peninsulas. Or, if the Valar and Maiar fought back as they retreated, then the landscape could have undergone its radical transformation in the war's final campaign.
Manwe should have known immediately of the turnaround in events. But it may be that Eonwe sent messengers to Valinor, perhaps even Thorondor himself, to ask what was to be done. Earendil should have had the opportunity to plead with Manwe for permission to launch a counterattack. After all, he had his flying ship. He would share some of the advantages the flying dragons enjoyed. How long would it take Manwe to agree to such a plan? What preparations did Earendil need to make? How much time elapsed between the initial onslaught of the dragons and Earendil's arrival? And, most importantly, how long did the fighting actually last? Earendil fought with Ancalagon through a full night, and in the morning slew the mightiest of Morgoth's dragons. But did Earendil's arrival occur the evening before?
Finally, the death of Ancalagon seems to have signalled a recovery for Eonwe's forces. They turned upon the flying dragons and, after an unspecified length of time, destroyed them all. All that remained was the final assault upon Angband itself, and the capture of Morgoth.
It is hard to imagine what happened through the years of the war. It seems unlikely the Host of Valinor would have become complacent as the Noldor had during their long siege of Angband. Instead, there must have been periods of rest and recupertion between battles. And even if Morgoth's forces fell back continusually, in order to free the Edain, Eonwe or one of his captains would have to visit Hithlum at some point.
The War of Wrath may be better left unimagined, for the task of filling its years with deeds and heroes and journeys would easily constitute another Silmarilion-length text. It became a part of the history of Middle-earth, but its resolution was more a foregone conclusion than a trial for the Noldor. The Silmarillion is a tragedy of Elves and Men, and it demanded an ending. The War of Wrath addresses the need without undermining the impact of the earlier conflict.
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