After a long journey Túrin returned to Dor-lómin. There he found his childhood home long abandoned. Brodda, an Easterling who had forced Aerin, Húrin's kinswoman, into marriage lived closest and being weary Túrin entered his halls. He asked for news of the land but using the old tongue most disassociated with for that language was forbidden. One older man on crutches did speak with Túrin.
They spoke of Morwen and the happenings of the land. Túrin learned from the man his mother had been aided by Aerin at the cost of beatings from Brodda. All who remained in the land now were the old and weaponless. The man spoke freely of Morwen, her son, and kin. But he stopped himself not knowing who Túrin was or why he had come. He did reveal his name, Sador Onefoot. Túrin rebuked him for thinking he was a spy calling him Sador Labadal and by that name Sador recognized his friend of old.
Then they went outside the halls to speak and Sador wondered why Túrin returned. He knew little of Morwen's fate other than many thought Túrin had called her away. But he was certain that Aerin would know where his mother had fled but warned that Túrin could not simply walk in and request to speak with Brodda's wife. "'May I not walk up Brodda's hall, and they will beat me? Come, and see!'" (p. 186, The Children of Húrin). And in anger Túrin stormed into the hall requesting to see Aerin.
The Easterlings tried to seize him but Túrin threw them to the ground. He rebuked Brodda for such inhospitality: the mishandling of his wife's kin. Begrudgingly Brodda let Túrin question Aerin. He asked her about Morwen but in fear of her husband she said nothing. Brodda spoke in wrath about the thrall woman Morwen and bid Túrin be gone before he too would become a slave. In an instant Túrin leaped at Brodda, drew his sword, and held it to his neck threatening all in the hall he would cut his head off.
Then he revealed himself as Túrin, Lord of Dor-lómin, and commanded Aerin to speak. She revealed that Morwen and Nienor had left 15 months ago, during a time of relative peace provided by the Blacksword of the South (that would be Túrin), going to the Hidden Kingdom (Doriath). In that moment the last of Glaurung's lies and spells left him and he knew he had been deceived; he had been sent to Dor-lómin to die a humiliating death. All about him he could hear again the cries of Finduilas. But Túrin refused to die.
He hurled Brodda across the table breaking his neck in the fall. Quickly he killed three more Easterlings before the slaves, his people from Dor-lómin rose up with kitchen knives and whatever they could find to aid the uprising. All the Easterlings in the hall were killed. Sador, wounded to the death, came to Túrin bidding him leave quickly as some of the Easterlings had escaped. Aerin sided with Túrin and when he offered to take her with him she refused. He accused her of having a faint heart. But being winter she knew she would die along the way. Death she had earned with what happened in the hall.
Túrin bowed and left the hall of Brodda being guided by some of the servants on secret paths to safety. And they rejoiced at the falling snow that would cover their tracks. In the distance Túrin saw a fire and wondered why the Easterlings would burn the house. Asgon, one of the servants, said "'They? No lord: she, I guess...Many a man if arms misreads patience and quiet. She did much good among us at much cost. Her heart was not faint, and patience will break at the last'" (p. 190, The Children of Húrin).
Middle-earth timeline: First Age, 495
Today's reading comes from: The Children of Húring, pages 182-191
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