The Children of Húrin

On his way to rescue Finduilas, Túrin finds himself passing through the roads into Dor-lómin for the first time in 23 years. He finds that his old home has been left vacant and plundered. He proceeds to the house of Brodda, now known as the Incomer, and seeks shelter from the cold. Inside, he encounters the elderly Sador, who fails to recognize Túrin as an adult.

Sador tells him that the lady of the land and her daughter have long since gone, though he is unsure what became of them after. Túrin subtly reveals himself by calling Sador “Labadal,” and Sador brings him outside to talk privately. Sador shares that Túrin was rumored to have become a lord and summoned his family to live with him, which Túrin denies. Sador suggests that Túrin should speak to Brodda’s wife, Lady Aerin, for more answers. However, when he implies that it may be difficult to reach her, Túrin angrily strides back into Brodda’s hall and demands to see Aerin.

Speaking to Aerin in Brodda’s presence, Túrin asks after his mother and his sister. Aerin is too scared of Brodda to answer anything substantial, and when Túrin challenges her, Brodda is outraged by the visitor’s boldness. Túrin subdues Brodda, revealing himself as Túrin, the rightful lord of the country. Aerin then confirms Sador’s story. Free from the grip of Glaurung’s lies, Túrin grows angrier, killing Brodda and many other Easterlings. The elders of Dor-lómin are inspired to join him in rebellion. However, the ensuing fight results in Sador’s death.

Choosing to stay and face the wrath of the Easterlings, Aerin orders Túrin to seek out Morwen. He leads the rebels out of Dor-lómin, and from the hills, they see that Aerin has set fire to Brodda’s hall. Waiting for the snow to subside, Túrin and the rebels take shelter in the mountain caves before parting ways.

Leaving Dor-lómin, Túrin feels remorse for abandoning his people in such a sorry state. He tries to console himself with the thought of his family’s safety in Doriath and continues his search for Finduilas. However, the change of seasons has washed away the trails, and Túrin finds himself in the Brethil forest, encountering a stockade of Haleth’s people, who are led by a gentle lord named Brandir, who has a disability that causes him to limp.

Túrin rescues some of Brandir’s woodmen from a large party of Orcs, introducing himself to them as Wildman of the Woods. They invite him to join their stockade, but Túrin refuses on account of his search for Finduilas. The woodmen then tell him that they recently attacked a host of Orcs escorting prisoners. During the ambush, the Orcs killed the women and speared Finduilas to a tree. She confirmed her identity before dying and was buried near Teiglin. Túrin asks to be led to her grave, where the woodmen recognize him as Mormegil while he grieves.

Túrin is brought to Brandir, who receives him as a guest. Túrin comes out of his grieving just as spring arrives, and he resolves to remain at the stockade, renouncing his name. He abandons his sword, renames himself Turambar, which means Master of Doom, and asks everyone to consider him a native of Brethil. Every now and then, however, he recalls his true past, especially when he goes Orc-hunting with the woodmen. He kills enough Orcs near the grave of Finduilas to teach the Orcs to avoid it. Later, the leader of the woodmen, Dorlas, infers that Túrin was a lord of the House of Hador. Turambar requests that he not share this information with anyone else.

Varying rumors spread across Doriath about the fall of Nargothrond, all converging on the revelation that the legendary Mormegil, the Black Sword, was none other than Túrin of Dor-lómin. The news reaches Morwen, who becomes deeply anxious to learn what happened to him. Despite Thingol’s protests, she is determined to leave Doriath and seek Túrin on her own. She leaves Niënor behind.

Thingol tasks Mablung and a small company with following Morwen to guard her in secret. When Morwen loses her way, Mablung reveals his company’s presence and begins to guide her. Crossing a river, Morwen notices that Mablung’s company has gained a rider: It is Niënor, who joined the company in secret during their departure from Doriath. Niënor stubbornly refuses Morwen’s commands to turn back, hoping that doing so might convince her mother to return instead. Morwen instead begrudgingly permits Niënor to come along.

They travel for several days, passing through foreboding, desolate lands. Mablung decides that before they reach Nargothrond, he will have Morwen wait at a nearby hill while he goes into the ruins of the city. He finds Glaurung waiting for them at the passage into the city, having spied the company from the hill. Glaurung attacks, forcing Mablung to seek cover. Up on the hill, the horses are distraught by a great stench, making it difficult for their riders to control them. Morwen disappears in the chaos while Niënor, who was thrown from her horse, struggles to return up the hill. At the summit, Niënor encounters Glaurung face-to-face. He tells her that Túrin fled from the defense of Nargothrond, which Niënor decries as false. She then falls into a deep darkness.

Mablung explores Nargothrond’s ruins but finds no sign of Túrin’s fate. Returning outside, he sees Glaurung return to the city from the hill. He taunts Mablung to go to the hill, where Niënor has been petrified. Mablung breaks the enchantment and leads her to safety, but she cannot speak and is largely unresponsive.

The surviving members of the company begin the journey back to Doriath. They travel slowly, often stopping to recover. Just before their destination, they are surprised by a band of Orcs, prompting Niënor to flee into the forest. Mablung and the riders kill the Orcs but are unable to recover Niënor. He returns to Doriath ashamed of his failure. Though Thingol and Melian absolve him, he resolves to find Niënor and Morwen, resulting in a search that goes on for three years.