[b]Caeran’s Son[/b]

An eagle soaring on bright wings
gliding over blackened trees.
Within the woods darkling shadowed
harsh cries shriek in feathered ears,
Orcs beneath the leafy shroud shout amid the clash of steel
flaming swords leaping bloody in coming night.
Attacked at their rest by Bauglir’s cruel minions
five Men hopeless fall in battle
Caeran’s children seeking vengeance
for the dreadful killing of their people.

Warned of strife by wingëd watcher
a band of Elves, while Orc-hunting
come upon the scene of battle ended.
Here, on bloodied ground there lieth
five brothers one alone yet living;
Etran, middle son of nine
last of all of Caeran’s offspring,
red-haired, dark eyed sorely wounded.
The Elves they took him to their safe-hold,
amidst grey pillared trees they laid him down
his hurts they tended then to their own rest
to wait in hope the warrior’s reviving.

Waking sudden his eyes he opened
onto darkness seeing only,
hearing voices turning quickly
seeing in soft-light pale Elf-faces.
With darkling Man-eyes viewed them, wondering.
Feeling his gaze one turned to him,
speaking softly to his brethren
Rising, drifting gently toward him
Caeran’s son shrinking fearful
mistrusting Elf-kind in shadow minded.
In ruth the fair-faced huntsman coming to him
bid him “Be not afraid” told him that safe he was there
from his dreadful foes defended. “Here heal thee all thy wounds”
the Elf-folk told him, so body and mind he healed him then
in woodland dark with green-time coming.
Friends he made there everlasting.
Hunter’s band he joined him to them.

Note: Here ‘in ruth the fair-faced…’ ruth means pity or compassion.