lo , the king had been distraught with grief and had relaxed his ancient wariness and cunning ; indeed his warriors had been sent hither and thither deep into the unwholesome woods searching for that maiden , and many had been slain or lost for ever , and war there was with melko 's servants about all their northern and eastern borders , so that the folk feared mightily lest that ainu upraise his strength and come utterly to crush them and gwendeling 's magic have not the strength to withhold the numbers of the orcs .