A Last Glimpse
Frodo stood on the ship with Gandalf at his side. Frodo heard the waves splash playfully around the hull of the ship, he smelled the salt permeating the air, and he felt the gentle sway of the boat and the wind cool as a spring morning upon his hair. He looked over the sea hoping to get a last glance at the Grey Havens. The last place he would ever see in Middle-Earth.
He stood still as an old oak sitting on its knoll in the summer, unmoving, still, and lonely. The salt stung his eyes making them water. He knew that Sam was gone and that no one could replace him. His prowess faltered and he swayed and sat down hard on the wooden beams of the floor. He sat for a moment holding back tears.
Gandalf came and sat beside him as Frodo wept uncontrollably, his head between his knees. The elves stopped and stared at Frodo and watched him with pity in their eyes. Frodo felt like the pain which pursued him had finally hit him at once. Like a blade piercing his heart. His sorrow was so great that the pain was worse than anything he ever suffered on his journey to Mordor even more so than when he was pierced by the Witch Kings blade.
When his tears finally dried up he took a shaky breath. He stood holding on to the mast for support. He looked at Gandalf with his back to the sunset, orange, yellow, red, and purple complementing the rays of the golden sun. He averted his gaze from the sunset and looked into Gandalf's keen eyes, blue and shimmering with wisdom. Gandalf smiled kindly at Frodo. Frodo turned his gaze away from Gandalf and looked back across the sea again ashamed of his outburst of tears.
Gandalf knowing Frodo's thoughts said, "It is fine to cry, not all tears are an evil."
Frodo turned and looked at Gandalf. Not being able to bring himself to look into Gandalf's eyes, he looked at his stark white robes billowing in the wind, twisting and making shapes. Gandalf bent down and lifted Frodo's chin so he was looking him in the eyes. They stood for several moments staring into each other's eyes.
Finally Gandalf said, "There will be a time when you will be able to see Sam, Merry, and Pippin again, but that time has not come and will not come for a while. You will not be able to see them quite yet though for they are doing their own part in ridding Middle-Earth of its evils.*"
"Yes Gandalf, for my heart says the same thing but my mind and body are still mourning." answered Frodo.
Just then Elrond came and took his place beside Gandalf. Elrond turned and gazed over the sea with his hands on the side of the ship. His fingers were long and slender like the branches of a willow. He wore a mantle of grey that shifted along the floor shimmering and dancing in the fading light.
"What a beautiful sight the sea is with its birds and its creatures." said Elrond.
Frodo came and stood beside Elrond also staring at the sea. The sea was now a mixture of blues and oranges that changed and glistened with the sun, broken only by splotches of white foam that frothed and churned with the waves. A seagull screeched overhead.
"It has a fascinating aura about it, doesn't it." admitted Frodo.
"Now you know why the elves have longed for it ever since we came to Middle-Earth. Its beauty rivals that of even Lothlorien and its Golden Halls. All elves are called to it like a bee is called to a flower." Elrond stopped and stayed gazing across the sea.
Elrond's ring, Vilya, sat on his finger, the gold rippling like water as it reflected the waves and its currents. The blue stone shone with a deepness like a well, swirling with the dazzling light. Frodo stared at the ring entranced by its boldness. When Frodo looked at it more closely, elegant lines of Elvish runes became visible.
The words translated said Vilya, Ring of Air, and Greatest of the Three Rings. He saw that Elrond was looking at him so he quickly averted his eyes.
"I notice you take interest in my ring."
"Yes," said Frodo, "It seems odd that, even though Sauron never touched the rings, they still lost their power with the destruction of the ring."
"They did not lose all their power, but the power that is left in them is was not strong enough to sustain our realms. Our realms, both Rivendell and Lothlorien, would have faded and with them us. We would have become powerless beings with no meaning to our lives."
"I did not know the rings had that much affect."
"Yes it is sad that Sauron went through all that trouble just to see all of Middle-Earth under his control. He destroyed everything that stood between him and victory, just as he had done years ago. All things beautiful would have ceased to exist had the One Ring fallen into Sauron's hand."
"Well it is getting late," said Gandalf, "So I think I'll get some shut eye."
Gandalf left and headed towards the cabins. By then the sun had already sunk beneath the sky, leaving it a velvety black with brilliant white stars piercing its darkness.
"The stars look so much brighter, bigger, and closer than they did in the Shire."
"The stars here are not tainted as they are in the Shire. They are pure and clean and untouched. There is Earendil the star."
It was even more brilliant than the phial Galadriel gave me thought Frodo to himself as he stared at the star with renewed vigilance. He let out a yawn and found himself exhausted. His head sagged.
"It seems like you need to rest little one." Said Elrond.
So Elrond lead Frodo to a door in the ship. They descended a flight of stairs and went down a long hall. When they reached the end of the hall Elrond turned to the left and opened the door. Inside was a room lavished with silken drapes and a plush bead. The drapes were purple with a hint of red and the sheets to his bed were emerald green with gold tassels.
Frodo immediately haphazardly staggered to the bed and threw himself on it. Moments later he was fast asleep. Elrond silently closed the door and receded to his quarters. Gandalf was waiting there for him.
"The Poor lad," said Gandalf, "he's had a rough day and needed some rest."
"I think we all need some rest, the day after tomorrow we reach our destination."
"Yes I am quite ready to be released from my burdens. It has been a long time since I have had rest. Even in Rivendell I was fighting with Sauron for control."
Gandalf's ring, Narya the Great, shown red in the moon light lamps that hung on the walls and cast soft incandescent light down the hallway.
"Yes, but let us turn aside from these dark thoughts and sleep in peace. Gildron is on the night ship and he is a good sailor. So rest and be at peace."
"I don't know if I can go to sleep with all this excitement in my mind."
"At least try."
"Yes."
Gandalf and Elrond then parted and went to their quarters on opposite ends of the hallway. Frodo was sleeping peacefully with dreams of the ocean lapping up against the ship gurgling and laughing seemingly of its own accord. Rest then consumed his thoughts and he slept without interruption for the rest of the night.
When Frodo woke he felt refreshed and ready to take on the day. He washed his face in the basin of warm water beside his bed. The dressed in some clean white linens that were laid out for him by the elves. They fit splendidly. He looked out his window at the already rising sun. The bright yellow rays struck his face and warmed and rid him of the chilly air.
He opened the door to his room and let out a sigh. Another day on the sea. He thought. He didn't know if he was glad or disappointed. The thought of solid land pulled at the back of his mind. I can't wait to dig my feet into soil. Oh how good that will feel. Thought Frodo again.
Frodo walked down the hall and up the stairs ending up on the main deck. He looked aroud at all the elves that were gracefully walking along the deck with smiles on their faces. The sky was a pale blue with bright white clouds floating along the brim of the horizon. He stood there for a moment then noticed Lady Galadriel sitting on an elegant chair with mithril vines growing up the back and down the legs of the silver chair. He when to her and bowed before her and she did likewise. After they transferred pleasantries Galadriel started to talk.
"So have you fully recovered from your hardships? I heard you had a little spell a time ago."
"Yes, the ocean seems to renew my energy."
"Frodo you shouldn't have been burdened with the task you were burdened with. No one, though, could have done a better job."
"My Lady out of curiosity what exactly will happen to Lothlorien?"
"Well the elves that did not wish to come over the sea yet, will protect it and care for it, but the splendor of the trees will lessen until they are no different than the trees of Mirkwood. Since the power of the rings were diminished their strength and virtue were not enough to protect all the growing things and keep them as they once were. The power of my ring was Adamancy. There is a possibility that even now orcs could overrun Lothlorien although it is very unlikely. The water in Lothlorien will soften and become quiet, sad, and mournful as the day Sauron made the ring."
"What will happen to the elves that stayed behind?"
"They will stay as they are for the moment. A century from now and they will start to fade. They will become like leaves that have fallen from the trees in the fall. They will drift through Middle-Earth until they leave. Their splendour will dissipate. Their songs and epic poems will slowly melt from peoples minds. The age of men is now most prominent. They shall rule without hindrance for quite some time."
Frodo remained silent. He couldn't fathom the elves, happy and joyful elves, to stop existing. He thought of Merry, Pippin, and Sam without the songs and epics of the elves. A colourless world that would be thought Frodo. Frodo began to talk again.
"Why stay behind if you knew you would fade."
"Because they love Middle-Earth and the things that grow and it pains them to see it fall apart into disarray. They are stubbourn."
"Is the place we are headed to beautiful?"
"Yes, even more glorious then Lothlorien in the spring."
"Really?"
"Yes."
Just then an elf named Gloriffon walked towards Lady Galadriel and whispered in his ear.
"Well, Frodo, it seems that I have duties to attend to. Our conversation was much appreciated. Please excuse me."
Galadriel gracefully sat up and walked to the captains room, which just consisted of the many troves of elven history and epics, her crimson gown with gold lace and a deep green velvety trim flittering in the breeze. As she walked past Frodo he discerned a light fragrance of honeysuckle mixed with crushed pine needle. The smell reminded him of Buckland in the spring when the smell of honeysuckle permeated the air and the pines let out a soft fragrance when they swayed.
Oh how I miss the Shire thought Frodo. Frodo stood there and scanned the deck of the ship on the second deck he saw Gandalf and Elrond conversing with one another and he went to see them.
Frodo was walking when suddenly the whole ship shook and threatened to tip over. It would have tipped if not for the elves skill in ship making. Frodo lost his balance and toppled sideways. A wave of icy cold water washed over him chilling him to the bones. He stood shivering. When Gandalf regained his balance he ran to the edge of the boat. Just under the water swam this enormous beast. The beast's size was twice that of the boat and every now and then it squirted great blasts of sea water into the sky from the middle of its back. He made this moaning that went high and low in frequency.
Frodo ran to Gandalf and said,
"Is that…...that thing dangerous?"
Gandalf let out a sigh of relief
"No no it's just a Whael."
"A Whael?"
"Yes, they are giant sea creatures that roam the sea and eat tiny organisms. They are quite harmless."
"Have you seen Bilbo?"
"Yes he was in his room a few moments ago. I believe he is still there. Unless the old scoundrel has wondered off and got himself into trouble."
"Thank you."
"You are quite welcome."
Frodo left in search of Bilbo. He asked an elf where his quarters were then set off to find them. When he came to Bilbo's room he looked in and it was empty except for a copy of There and Back Again a Hobbit's Tale By: Bilbo Baggins and Lord of the Rings By: Frodo Baggins. The old man couldn't bear to part without a copy of it.
He took one last look at the room then left to search the rest of the ship. He searched all day without success then he finally came to the captain's quarters and found Bilbo sitting in a small chair and smoking his pipe while he was reading a scroll from the elves horde.
"Hello!" said Bilbo.