Happiness in Valinor
Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the rings, Tolkien does. New Line Cinema owns the movies.
The yellow sun was shining brightly in the sky casting it's reflection in the almost clear sea.
Frodo, Sam, Bilbo, and all the elves were standing on the soft pearly white sands watching the ocean which was mostly calm except for a few waves that were crashing upon the shore. Some of the elves walked very close to the ocean where the water meets the land; making the sand feel cool and firm underneath their feet while making their feet and ankles feel cool.
Everybody felt excitement inside their hearts, because the arrival of their families and friends and many haven't seen them in many years. Frodo was no exception because he would finally be reunited with his faithful friend Sam who he had parted with 60 years ago. The parting was hard because it meant that they would be without each other's company for so long, but there was hope because they would see each other again. Frodo understood that there are elves who waited a lot longer than Frodo did, and some like Elrond and Celebrian won't see their loved ones because they chose the mortal life, but he knew that everyone who is good will finally be reunited again after Arda has been remade, but that probably won't be until thousands of years later because the time they were in was long before the time of Christ. It was hard for Frodo to leave his other friends, Merry, Pippin, and Rosie; because he thought he couldn't see them again until after he dies.
"I'm so excited, Uncle Bilbo; after waiting for Sam for so long, I'm finally going to see him again," Frodo said with excitement in his voice and a smile on his face."
"I know," Bilbo said while he put his arm around Frodo's shoulder. "It will be great to see him again after so long, but don't forget that many of the elves have waited even longer for their families and friends to arrive."
"I know," said Frodo.
"Frodo is not the only one who is looking forward to seeing Sam again," said Gandalf who was standing besides Bilbo. "You can't wait to see him again either."
"To make Frodo happy," added Bilbo.
"To make yourself happy too," said Gandalf. "I remember you telling me that you were teaching Sam how to read, and I saw the brightness in your face when you explained to me how excited Sam was to learn his letters."
"I remember when he was little he always loved reading about elves; in fact he loved everything about elves," said Frodo. When you introduced me to Sam when I was a tweenager, Sam thought I was the elf and the first game we ever played together was called elves."
"I also remembered when you and Sam read books about elves together, and I saw the bright smile on both of your faces," said Bilbo.
"I'm glad that Sam married that lovely Rosie Cotton and little Elanor was lovely too. I can't wait till he tells me all about his family and other things he has done since we left. He's going to have lots of stories that will last for weeks and weeks," said Frodo with a smile on his face that reached his eyes.
"You'll have a lot of stories to tell Sam too, both of you will," Gandalf said while he looked at Bilbo.
"You will too, Gandalf," said Bilbo.
"Let's just say that we all have lots of stories to share with each when he arrives," Frodo said excitedly.
Bilbo was about to say something else when he heard an elf shout with excitement, "a ship is coming!"
Everybody looked far in the horizon and saw a beautiful ship with sales on it riding on the waves and coming toward them. The ship at that distance looked like a toy boat for a child to play with, but as it moved closer it seemed to grow bigger until it landed on the shore. As soon as the boat was on the shore a gang plank was let out and everybody was walking down the plank in single file. The elves greeted their loves ones and friends with hugs and shouts of excitement such as I'm glad to see, you again, I missed you, etc. Brightness shone in Elrond and Celebrian while they had their arms around each other because they were filled with joy when they finally saw each other again. Frodo's excitement on finally seeing Sam magnified while he was carefully watching the elves walking down the plank and this caused him to be oblivious to everything else around him including his friends who were talking to him. Finally his dream came true, for there was Sam walking down the plank and as soon as his feet touched the firm sand they ran to each other and embraced each other for a long time. Neither one of them said any words; for no words were needed to be said.
After a while they let go of each other, and looked at each for a moment the kindness and love that shone in their eyes for each other could not be mistaken even by the most unobservant of people because they were the best of friends and brothers at heart, and were very glad to see each other after so long.
"I'm so glad to see you again Sam; I've been waiting so long for you."
"I'm glad to see you too after all these years," "My marriage to Rosie was very happy, and I lived a full and happy life with my family and friends, but I missed you and wished you could have stayed with us. I wanted you to meet our children.
"How many did you and Rosie have?"
"13."
"Wow!"
"I also been having a very happy life with Uncle Bilbo, Gandalf, and the elves, but I always missed you."
Bilbo and Gandalf were standing near frodo and Sam watching them before Sam finally noticed them. He looked at Bilbo with joy in his eyes and gave him a tight hug saying, ""I'm glad to see you too, Bilbo."
"I am glad to see you too, my lad," said Bilbo.
"Welcome to Valinor, Sam," said Gandalf while he hugged him.
"I wish that I can see Merry, Pippin, and Rosie, again," said Frodo.
"I have a surprise for you," Sam said with joy in his voice and eyes.
He ran back into the ship for a few minutes. Frodo, Bilbo, and Gandalf were watching the elves reuniting with each other with warm hugs, smiles on their faces, and with enthusiastic greetings before Sam returned to him. When he did return the eyes of all three of them were wide, and their mouths were opened in shock.
"Pippin, Merry, you're here; I can't believe. This is so unexpected, Frodo said with excitement in his voice and eyes.
"We have longed to see you and Bilbo too," said Pippin. "That is why when we were offered by the Valar to live in Valinor for a while we didn't want to pass up the opportunity"
The three friends enthusiastically embraced each other while Gandalf embraced Rosie and saying similar things to her.
"Frodo, I'm so glad to see you again said Rosie while she threw her arms around him. They were so glad to see each other again after a very long time that it seemed that time has stopped while they were hugging each other.
"Gandalf!" Pippin and Merry shouted while they hugged Gandalf.
"It's so good to see you again," Gandalf said to them while he hugged them tightly.
Everyone continued to rejoice in their reunion with each other until Elrond said, "let us all go inside and celebrate."
The newly arrived hobbit and elves were taking in everything while everybody was walking through the forest and towards the elven home. The mallorn trees grew so tall that they could hardly see the lowest branches and leaves were high in the sky, and there were many other smaller trees including maple, pine, and many that the newly arrived hobbits did not recognized. Plus there were elanors and other wild flowers growing all over the place. When they finally got to the elven home, there standing before them proudly was a very beautiful elven house that was so wide that none of them was able to see the ends of it, and it was painted a snow white color with sky blue trimmings. When they entered the house the entrance room was painted a warm yellow with many paintings on the walls that included the Valar and heroes vanquishing foes, and many beautiful types of scenery such as ocean sceneries and gardens filled with roses, lillies, forget-me-nots and other flowers. There was a soft dark brown rug with matching couches and chairs that looked so comfortable that it made one feels like resting on clouds.
Everyone separated into groups and walked through different parts of the houses with the newest arrivals who were continually taking in their surroundings. Many of the elves went into the kitchen to prepare for the feast.
Two hours later everybody was inside one of the dining rooms sitting on cushioned chairs around a long chestnut rectangular table covered with a rose pink cloth. On top of the table were pancakes topped with blueberries and strawberries, grapes, apples, cherries and other fruits, scones including lemon and raspberry, fluffy scrambled eggs with plump sausages and crispy bacons, toasts, teas, and orange, grape, and other fruit juices. After they said silent prayers of thanks to Eru and the Valar, they began to enjoy the feast.
All around the hobbits and Gandalf (who were sitting together) were elves laughing and talking to each other. One elf took a bite out her pancake and savored the sweet blue berry and maple taste while the fluffy pancake almost melted in her mouth, while another elf took a bite out of a savory plump sausage, and another one spread smashed strawberries on his toast instead of butter. Frodo introduced Sam, Merry, Pippin, and Rosie to the elves.
"Welcome to Valinor," Sam, Rosie, Merry, and Pippin said Elrond after he took a bite out of his eggs.
"Thank you very much," Merry said, while he reached for an apple. "We are very happy to be here.
"Very happy," Pippin repeated. "We are definitely going to have lots of fun here. Pippin took a bit out of his scone and tasted the slightly sweetened lemons.
"Uh oh," Sam said very quietly, after he sipped some orange juice.
"Who are you going to prank first?" Frodo asked jokingly, before he took another bite out of an apple.
Pippin and Merry looked at Gandalf for a second, but before they could say anything, Gandalf raised his staff, and with an annoyed look on his face said, "I think we are going to have two new porcupines at this table; yes two new porcupines.
Merry and Pippin quickly turned their faces away from Gandalf.
"I guess we will have to find somebody else to prank first, Merry," said Pippin.
"We better watch out for them, brother," Elrohir," said to Elladan before he plunged his fork into a plump sausage and brought it to his mouth savoring the taste.
"You are right, or maybe they need to look out for us," Elladan said with a little laughter in his voice.
"We better run for it," Sam said to Rosie, before he plopped another grape into his mouth and enjoying the sweet taste of the fruit.
While some of the people were talking about jokes, a female elf looked at them curiously and then asked Rosie, "I heard a lot about the hobbits that joined the quest to destroy the ring; are they those hobbits?"
"Yes," Rosie answered her," My husband and Frodo's kin stood by Frodo while he went on this dangerous quest. They are real heroes, but the quest affected all of them in some way; so none of them came out of it unscathed. Frodo suffered from most from the dangerous quest." She sipped her tea.
"That was because he was the one who was carrying the ring to mordor to destroy it," said Galadriel. She also sipped her tea."
"You are very brave," another female elf said to the hobbits while reaching for another pear. "I'm Elina, and the one who spoke to you just before is my sister Eleni.
Sam blushed. "I'm no hero; I'm just a servant."
"Yes you are," Frodo said, before he took another bite out of his blue berry pancake. "You risked your life to protect me on the dangerous quest."
"But I failed," Sam said sadly.
"No one could have protected Frodo from what he suffered from on during the dangerous quest, but you comforted him when he needed it, and you gave him the courage to move on when he wanted to quit," said Elrond before he took another bite out of his eggs.
"There were times I wanted to quit too, but I kept on going for Frodo's sake.
"You are a hero, Sam, like us," Merry said while he and Pippin stood up on the chairs with their arms around each other's shoulders and showing pride in their faces.
"You two sure know how to be modest," Frodo said with a slight laughter.
"Where you part of the fellowship?" A male elf asked Rosie.
"I didn't go with them to help Frodo destroy the ring, but my husband did," she answered while she put her arm Around Sam.
Sam blushed again.
"Rosie didn't join the quest, but she was a great help to many of the hobbits when our shire was invaded by Saruman and his men," said frodo. She fed the starving hobbits, cared for the injured, and she and her family gave shelter to Sam's father and family when they were kicked out of their home."
"Who is that beautiful lady sitting next to Elrond," Pippin quietly asked Merry.
Before Merry was able to say anything, Elrond picked up his question with his keen elvish hearing. "This is my wife Celebrian."
"It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Celebrian," Sam said while he bowed to her.
"It's a pleasure to meet you to Sam, and you need not bow to me. It's a pleasure to meet all of you," said Celebrian.
"We're glad to meet you too," Merry, Pippin, and Rosie said at the same time.
To Be Continued