"GL1" - читать интересную книгу автора (vol04)

great while, and Gelmir let build dwellings for the folk
about the shores and shoreland woods, but there too be
numbered and marshalled all his hosts both of spearmen,
and bowmen, and of swordsmen, for no lack of arms did
the Gnomes bring out of Valinor and the armouries of
Makar to their war with Melko. And three great armies had
Gelmir under his lordship, and Golfin his son was captain
of one, and Delin his son of another, and Luthien (not that
Luthien of the Roses who is of another and a later tale) of
a third; and Golfin's might was in swordsmen, and Delin
had more of those who bore the long... elfin spears, but
Luthien's joy was in the number and... of his bowmen -
and the bow has ever been the weapon wherein the Elf-kin
has had the most wondrous skill. Now the colours of the
Gnomes were gold and white in those ancient days in mem-
ory of the Two Trees, but Gelmir's standard bore upon a
silver field a crown of gold, and each captain had a fair
banner; and the sign of Golfin in those days was upon gold
a silver sword, and of Delin a green beech leaf upon silver
diapered with golden flowers, and of Luthien a golden
swallow that winged through an azure field as it were the
sky set with silver stars, and the sons of Feanor wrought
that standard and those banners, and they shone by sunlight
and by mist and by moonlight and by starless dark by the
light of the Gnome-wrought gems that sewed them [sic].
Now it happened on a while that Feanor got him beyond
to the hills that girt Dor Lomin in those parts [northward
of >] beyond Artanor where these were open empty lands
and treeless hills, and he had no small company and three
of his sons were with him. Thus came they on a day nigh
evening to a hilltop, and afar off descried a red light leaping
in a vale open on that side that looked towards [?them].



Then Feanor wondered what this fire might be, and he and
his folk marched in the still night swiftly thereto, so that ere
dawn they looked down into that vale. There saw they an
armed company no less than their own, and they sat around
a mighty fire of wood. The most were asleep, but some few
stirred, and Feanor stood then up and called in his clear
voice so that the dark vale rang: 'Who be ye; men of the
Gnomes or other what - say swiftly for 'tis best for [you to]
know the children of Feanor compass you around.'
Then a great clamour broke forth in the vale and the folk
of Feanor knew full soon that here were no elfin folk, by
reason of their harsh voices and unlovely cries, and many
arrows came winging in the dark towards that voice, but
Feanor was no longer there. Swiftly had he gone and drawn
the most of his folk before the vale's mouth whence a