Aredhel Ar-Feiniel, the White Lady of the Noldor, dwelt in Nevrast with her brother Turgon and went with him to Gondolin. But in Valinor it had been her wont to ride in the wide lands and walk in the forests and after she had lived for two hundred years in Gondolin, she asked Turgon to allow her to leave the city. And Turgon said :

"Go then if you will, though it is against my wisdom and I forebode that ill will come of it both to you and to me. But you shall go only to seek Fingon, our brother, and those that I send with you shall return hither to Gondolin as swiftly as they may."

And he chose three lords to guide her and protect her of Morgoth.

But after she had left Gondolin, she desired to go southward and find the sons of Fëanor which were old friends of hers. And because the lords could not let her go alone they agreed. Thus they reached Doriath but they were not allowed to pass the Girdle of Melian. The march-wardens said to Melian :

"To the land of Celegorm, for which you seek Lady, you may by no means pass through the realm of King Thingol, you must ride beyond the Girdle of Melian, to the south or to the north. The speediest way is by the paths that lead east from the Brithiach through Dimbar and along the north-march of the kingdom, until you pass the bridge of Esgalduin and the Forest of Aros, and come to the lands that lie behind the Hill of Himring. There dwell, as we believe, Celegorm and Curufin, and it may be that you will find them; but the road is perilious."

Thus Aredhel went this way but near Nan Dungortheb the riders became emmeshed in shadows and Aredhel strayed from her companions. And though they sought long for her in vain they finally had to give up.

But Aredhel rode on and reached the land of Celegorm and Curufin. But as the men were not at home she soon became restless again and rode on until she reached the forest of Nan Elmoth.

There dwelt Eöl, the Dark Elf, who was a friend of the Dwarves and often dwelled in Nogrod or Belegost. He set his enchantment on Aredhel for he desired her and when she finally met him in the forest, Eöl took her to wife.

Aredhel bore Eöl a son who was called Maeglin. As Maeglin grew to full stature he resembled in face and form rather his kindred of the Noldor but in mood and mind he was the son of his father. Long he sat beside his mother, listening to all she told him about her kin and Turgon, though she never revealed him the way to Gondolin. But by telling her son about all these things, a desire awoke in Aredhel to see her own kin again.

When Eöl was the guest of the Dwarves in Nogrod again, Aredhel and her son left Nan Elmoth secretly. But Eöl returned home earlier as they had thought and he started to follow them.

Thus Eöl found the hidden path to Gondolin but when he tried to enter the hidden valley the guards found him. He claimed Aredhel to be his wife and was brought to Turgon's hall. Eöl's wrath was strong and Turgon finally said to him:

"I will not deabte with you, Dark Elf. By the swords of the Nodlor alone are you sunless woods defended, your freedom to wander there wild you can owe to my kin; and but for them long since you would have laboured in thraldomin in the pits of Angband. And here I am King; and wether you will it or will it not, my doom is law. This choice only is given to you: to abide here or to die here, and so also for your son."

Suddenly, swift as a serpent, Eöl seized a javelin that he held hid beneath his cloak and cast if at Maeglin. But Aredhel sprang before the dart and it hit her in the shoulder. Eöl was set in bonds and in the night Aredhel died, for the point of the javelin was poisoned.

The next day Eöl was slain.