It was dark for him.
It had been dark ever since the first grey had accented Frodo's hair, since Bilbo had passed on.
Many who had seen him there, in the Blessed Lands, had wondered aloud how Olorin could be
so terribly sad at times. But Nienna knew otherwise. The lady Valar knew that the final rest of the
First Ringbearer had been peaceful in his heart, for he had known it would come. But Frodo, dear
now to even so powerful a Valar as Nienna, was nearing day by day his rest. And Nienna also
knew another thing: The death would shatter Olorin, called Gandalf. It would shatter him like so
much glass on cold stones. And she, the immortal Nienna, would weep at him as he passed
with his broken heart. Well, not if Nienna had anything to do about it.
" Nerwen!" The elven woman cringed slightly at her given name when Nienna approached her.
" MUST you call me so?" She said in a low tone.
" Yes, and I must ask something of you. I need to ask that you get Aule's Book of All."
Galadriel's eyes widened in shock.
" His book of the history of the world? Of its secrets kept to him only?" Nienna nodded.
" Why?" Nienna started. She's not expected anyone to question her, seeing as how she
was higher up than most on the whole damn island. But the again, this was GALADRIEL,
and Galadriel got away with a hell of a lot of crap.
" For my own purposes, of course."
" I'm sorry, Lady Nienna, but to steal from a Valar is beneath any of us here." Nienna's
eyes narrowed in quiet fury. Galadriel, sensing this, started to move away, but a low voice
stopped her.
" Then, my Lady Nerwen, is it beneath you to save Olorin? For, by my word, I know he will
die if Frodo does. You know very well that the Halflings are close to his heart?" Galadriel
lowered her head. Nienna, with her usual mood swing, came to her side and quietly
amended her words.
" I would, but Aule, though he's broken rules before, will not consent to what I plan to do."
" And, may I ask, what would that be?" Smiling, Nienna whispered her plan to the Elf-Lady.
" oh..." Said Galadriel," thats rather sweet of you...."
*************************************************************************
"WHY am I helping in this horrible little adventure, my wife?" Whined Celeborn a few minutes
later as he and Galadriel sat together under an apple tree, watching to see when Aule would
leave his dwelling.
"I TOLD you, dearest. Is it not a good reason?"
" GOOD REASON??? We're going to be in so much trouble, that Melkor's bretrayal will look
like a child getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar!"
" Celeborn, dear?"
"yes?"
" Shut up." Celeborn quicky swallowed his words, looking for all the world like a kicked puppy.
He stayed though, and when Aule walked towards Numo's dwelling, he stood with his wife and
snuck, yes, SNUCK, into the kitchen. Up the stairs they went until the bedroom of Aule and
Yavanna was before them. And upon the mantle of their large, circular fire, was the book on
a glass stand.
" Aule isn't too bright, is he?" Said Celeborn, raising an silvery eyebrow at Galadriel.
But she was already holding it in the small hands, reading through to the part she needed
to know: Fírima I Ilfirin.
" Aha. Good." She shut the book, placing it delicatly back in place. Both of the ran down
and out of the building, not stopping until they caught sight of two people in the distance.
Gandalf and Frodo, back from the forest, where Frodo had been learning simple magics.
For it was possible only upon Valinor for common folk to do such things. Frodo, the grey
in his hair running in lines on either side of his curly-haired head, was laughing as he
made the stone in his hand float for a few seconds.
" This is not our day. Aule will know for sure now!"
" love, be quiet, and act naturally spooky." He smiled, recalling Gimli's first thoughts
on his wife and himself.
" Good day, my Lady Galadriel!!" Said Frodo joyously, leaning only slightly on his ivory
walking stick. And for a moment, Galadriel wondered how Nienna could think this small
hero was soon for his last rest. But the wise, old look in the blue eyes told her the truth.
A look up at Gandalf, who gaev a cherry hello, only strengthened that idea.
" And good day to you both." She and Celeborn said in unison, bowing their heads
in greeting. Nervously, Galadriel walked again, until both figures were out of sight AND
earshot.
****************************************************************
" You have done so very much for me, I thank you!" Was Nienna's reply on learning that
Galadriel had gotten the information.
" You? I thought this was for Frodo and Olorin?" The Valar stopped her next sentence, a
blush slowly creeping up her face.
" But...It will help me rest easy knowing this task has been done! Now I must go, for if what
you said is true, it will not be long that Frodo is with us!"
" Oh my....Your in love with him! A Valar in love with a Maia!" Nienna gulped, her heart
racing in her chest. Her? A Valar? That was unheared of! But maybe there was something
to it... Quickly, Nienna ran down the spiral stairs of her bedroom tower, out the door, and
into the quickly fading sunset. Looking up, she saw Galadriel smiling.
"Good luck." She nodded back to the Lady Of Lorien, and was gone.
*********************************************************************************************
Her heart told her Galadriel was right. Stepping into the hall where the two slept, Nienna
got a glimpse of Olorin. He was in his true form this time. It had been too long since she'd
seen him like that, for the sight of him left her breathless. He was Elven in looks, with fair
blonde hair that fell to his sholders. Tenderly, Nienna touched his cheek, careful not to wake
him.
" I love you....amazing..." She whispered, looking at him from the doorway. Carefully, Nienna
walked into Frodo's room. Around were trinkets from his adventures, on the desk and chair, in
the closet, and on the shelves. She recognized his Gondorian clothes sitting on the chair. They
were of a magnificent silver material with gold threading, Nienna was sure Frodo was an honorary
Prince of Gondor, for such gifts as she saw next suprised her. A cloak that looked Rivendell made
was underneath, surely a gift from Arwen Undomiel herself! And upon the aged Hobbit's chest, the
Evenstar of Arwen's!
"How beloved you are to so many, Little Hero." Nienna whispered. Stepping back, Nienna began her
chant:
Fírima I Ilfirin
By love, you grew
By time, you aged
Upon my heart, upon my soul
Walk evermore
As you did ere you came into the world!
Rise and walk evermore!
Fírima I Ilfirin
A soft glow engulfed the Hobbit, and before Nienna's eyes, Frodo's hair turned a silvery brown, while a
youthfulness molded his now ever young face. He was immortal. Nienna stepped back, and left him to
his slumber. But out in the corridor, just as she exited the hall, a voice stopped her.
" Lady Nienna!" She spun around to find Olorin, in his nightshirt, standing in the doorway. Her face
immediatly went red. But Olorin didn't notice, for he was checking into Frodo's room. When he came
back, he was in shock.
" You...did you?" She nodded.
" He is one of us, at least in his immortality." Olorin walked towards her, and taking her chin in his hand,
forced her to look at him. Nienna's breathing came out eratic, he was so very close...only an inch or two
more...and...
" Nienna...I..am grateful. But why?"
" Because I saw your death night after night for the past week." she stated, continuing with no real line
of thought." Because I feared your loss...because I care for Frodo...Because I love YOU." She gasped,
unable to thing how he sanity had gone in that moment. Olorin too, may have wondered that, for the blush
was now fully engulfing his fair face. And then Nienna closed her eyes for fear of seeing his rejection. Such
a silly thing for her to say! She was terrified...her....an immortal Lady Valar...
" Ni..en..na.." Warm lips pressed against hers, forcing her to open her eyes. Olorin was kissing her, so
tenderly that she almost didn't understand it. Desperatly, as if in fear he too had lost his senses for a
moment, she returned it, until neither had any doubt of thier feelings. A cough, however, ended the moment.
It was Frodo, grinning at the scene before him with his ageless eyes.
" oooohhh, and to think, now I have all of Eternity to tease YOU for once Gandalf!" The couple shared a
look of horror before chasing after the Hobbit.
___________________________________________________________________________________-
Even though the eventually caught him, Frod held to his words
...to this day those who stray upon the smallest of islands can hear a faraway call of " FRODOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!"
It had been dark ever since the first grey had accented Frodo's hair, since Bilbo had passed on.
Many who had seen him there, in the Blessed Lands, had wondered aloud how Olorin could be
so terribly sad at times. But Nienna knew otherwise. The lady Valar knew that the final rest of the
First Ringbearer had been peaceful in his heart, for he had known it would come. But Frodo, dear
now to even so powerful a Valar as Nienna, was nearing day by day his rest. And Nienna also
knew another thing: The death would shatter Olorin, called Gandalf. It would shatter him like so
much glass on cold stones. And she, the immortal Nienna, would weep at him as he passed
with his broken heart. Well, not if Nienna had anything to do about it.
" Nerwen!" The elven woman cringed slightly at her given name when Nienna approached her.
" MUST you call me so?" She said in a low tone.
" Yes, and I must ask something of you. I need to ask that you get Aule's Book of All."
Galadriel's eyes widened in shock.
" His book of the history of the world? Of its secrets kept to him only?" Nienna nodded.
" Why?" Nienna started. She's not expected anyone to question her, seeing as how she
was higher up than most on the whole damn island. But the again, this was GALADRIEL,
and Galadriel got away with a hell of a lot of crap.
" For my own purposes, of course."
" I'm sorry, Lady Nienna, but to steal from a Valar is beneath any of us here." Nienna's
eyes narrowed in quiet fury. Galadriel, sensing this, started to move away, but a low voice
stopped her.
" Then, my Lady Nerwen, is it beneath you to save Olorin? For, by my word, I know he will
die if Frodo does. You know very well that the Halflings are close to his heart?" Galadriel
lowered her head. Nienna, with her usual mood swing, came to her side and quietly
amended her words.
" I would, but Aule, though he's broken rules before, will not consent to what I plan to do."
" And, may I ask, what would that be?" Smiling, Nienna whispered her plan to the Elf-Lady.
" oh..." Said Galadriel," thats rather sweet of you...."
*************************************************************************
"WHY am I helping in this horrible little adventure, my wife?" Whined Celeborn a few minutes
later as he and Galadriel sat together under an apple tree, watching to see when Aule would
leave his dwelling.
"I TOLD you, dearest. Is it not a good reason?"
" GOOD REASON??? We're going to be in so much trouble, that Melkor's bretrayal will look
like a child getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar!"
" Celeborn, dear?"
"yes?"
" Shut up." Celeborn quicky swallowed his words, looking for all the world like a kicked puppy.
He stayed though, and when Aule walked towards Numo's dwelling, he stood with his wife and
snuck, yes, SNUCK, into the kitchen. Up the stairs they went until the bedroom of Aule and
Yavanna was before them. And upon the mantle of their large, circular fire, was the book on
a glass stand.
" Aule isn't too bright, is he?" Said Celeborn, raising an silvery eyebrow at Galadriel.
But she was already holding it in the small hands, reading through to the part she needed
to know: Fírima I Ilfirin.
" Aha. Good." She shut the book, placing it delicatly back in place. Both of the ran down
and out of the building, not stopping until they caught sight of two people in the distance.
Gandalf and Frodo, back from the forest, where Frodo had been learning simple magics.
For it was possible only upon Valinor for common folk to do such things. Frodo, the grey
in his hair running in lines on either side of his curly-haired head, was laughing as he
made the stone in his hand float for a few seconds.
" This is not our day. Aule will know for sure now!"
" love, be quiet, and act naturally spooky." He smiled, recalling Gimli's first thoughts
on his wife and himself.
" Good day, my Lady Galadriel!!" Said Frodo joyously, leaning only slightly on his ivory
walking stick. And for a moment, Galadriel wondered how Nienna could think this small
hero was soon for his last rest. But the wise, old look in the blue eyes told her the truth.
A look up at Gandalf, who gaev a cherry hello, only strengthened that idea.
" And good day to you both." She and Celeborn said in unison, bowing their heads
in greeting. Nervously, Galadriel walked again, until both figures were out of sight AND
earshot.
****************************************************************
" You have done so very much for me, I thank you!" Was Nienna's reply on learning that
Galadriel had gotten the information.
" You? I thought this was for Frodo and Olorin?" The Valar stopped her next sentence, a
blush slowly creeping up her face.
" But...It will help me rest easy knowing this task has been done! Now I must go, for if what
you said is true, it will not be long that Frodo is with us!"
" Oh my....Your in love with him! A Valar in love with a Maia!" Nienna gulped, her heart
racing in her chest. Her? A Valar? That was unheared of! But maybe there was something
to it... Quickly, Nienna ran down the spiral stairs of her bedroom tower, out the door, and
into the quickly fading sunset. Looking up, she saw Galadriel smiling.
"Good luck." She nodded back to the Lady Of Lorien, and was gone.
*********************************************************************************************
Her heart told her Galadriel was right. Stepping into the hall where the two slept, Nienna
got a glimpse of Olorin. He was in his true form this time. It had been too long since she'd
seen him like that, for the sight of him left her breathless. He was Elven in looks, with fair
blonde hair that fell to his sholders. Tenderly, Nienna touched his cheek, careful not to wake
him.
" I love you....amazing..." She whispered, looking at him from the doorway. Carefully, Nienna
walked into Frodo's room. Around were trinkets from his adventures, on the desk and chair, in
the closet, and on the shelves. She recognized his Gondorian clothes sitting on the chair. They
were of a magnificent silver material with gold threading, Nienna was sure Frodo was an honorary
Prince of Gondor, for such gifts as she saw next suprised her. A cloak that looked Rivendell made
was underneath, surely a gift from Arwen Undomiel herself! And upon the aged Hobbit's chest, the
Evenstar of Arwen's!
"How beloved you are to so many, Little Hero." Nienna whispered. Stepping back, Nienna began her
chant:
Fírima I Ilfirin
By love, you grew
By time, you aged
Upon my heart, upon my soul
Walk evermore
As you did ere you came into the world!
Rise and walk evermore!
Fírima I Ilfirin
A soft glow engulfed the Hobbit, and before Nienna's eyes, Frodo's hair turned a silvery brown, while a
youthfulness molded his now ever young face. He was immortal. Nienna stepped back, and left him to
his slumber. But out in the corridor, just as she exited the hall, a voice stopped her.
" Lady Nienna!" She spun around to find Olorin, in his nightshirt, standing in the doorway. Her face
immediatly went red. But Olorin didn't notice, for he was checking into Frodo's room. When he came
back, he was in shock.
" You...did you?" She nodded.
" He is one of us, at least in his immortality." Olorin walked towards her, and taking her chin in his hand,
forced her to look at him. Nienna's breathing came out eratic, he was so very close...only an inch or two
more...and...
" Nienna...I..am grateful. But why?"
" Because I saw your death night after night for the past week." she stated, continuing with no real line
of thought." Because I feared your loss...because I care for Frodo...Because I love YOU." She gasped,
unable to thing how he sanity had gone in that moment. Olorin too, may have wondered that, for the blush
was now fully engulfing his fair face. And then Nienna closed her eyes for fear of seeing his rejection. Such
a silly thing for her to say! She was terrified...her....an immortal Lady Valar...
" Ni..en..na.." Warm lips pressed against hers, forcing her to open her eyes. Olorin was kissing her, so
tenderly that she almost didn't understand it. Desperatly, as if in fear he too had lost his senses for a
moment, she returned it, until neither had any doubt of thier feelings. A cough, however, ended the moment.
It was Frodo, grinning at the scene before him with his ageless eyes.
" oooohhh, and to think, now I have all of Eternity to tease YOU for once Gandalf!" The couple shared a
look of horror before chasing after the Hobbit.
___________________________________________________________________________________-
Even though the eventually caught him, Frod held to his words
...to this day those who stray upon the smallest of islands can hear a faraway call of " FRODOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!"