Turgon's army of 10,000 in the Fifth Battle: Nirnaeth Arnoediad

[tinewelt]

During the fifth battle, as the host of hurin and turgon are retreating, hurin speaks to turgon and says

go now lord, while tim is! for in you lives the last hope of the Eldar, and while Gondolin stands morgoth shall still know fear in his heart.

Turgon replies

not long now can Gondolin be hidden: and being discovered it must fall

i am just wondering how long it was between the fifth battle and the fall of gondolin. It seems to me that if a host of 10,000 departed from a hidden city, that it could not go unoticed by Morgoth's spies. although it is possible that they could have done it. It just seems to me that during the departure or the return of Turgon's remaining force some spies would have found the hidden city. But it could be that the vigilance of its guardians killed most spies and they never returned to morgoth to report. Since Gondolin was never found by morgoth until betrayal by Maeglin, I guess this could be true. I am kind of confused. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

~Namarie~