Disclaimer: It all belongs to Tolkien
Celeborn felt strangely light as he stood on the dock. He nodded a vague greeting to the few elves congregating by the ship and his eyes settled on another silver hued head.
"Cirdan" he greeted the elf
"Celeborn"
"I have come to give you my answer in person." He continued a slight inclination of the head acknowledging the older elf's 1 greeting. Cirdan nodded slowly waiting for more "and to bid you and Thranduil farewell."
"So the answer is no." the shipwright said heavily. There was a pause as Celeborn forced his head forward into a nod, not trusting his voice. Cirdan hesitated and then abandoning caution he replied
"Do you think this is wise?" he said, as the prince 2 met his eyes
"No" In that single word was concentrated all the sorrow, grief and anger that Celeborn had fought with in the month it had taken for him to reply to Cirdan's last offer to give him a place on a ship.
"Perhaps I should stay." It seemed but a simple statement from the older elf but the assertion brought up the head of the younger elf
"No"
"Is that all you can say?" Cirdan teased as a small smile appeared on Celeborn's face
"No" They laughed but Celeborn grew solemn again soon. "You still must not stay – you cannot stay. You have finally caught the devouring fever I have tried to catch for years while others fought against it. I can see it in you. You must go; there will be other coves and seas for you beyond the straight road."
"And other trees for you." Cirdan shot back
"No" Celeborn replied instantly. Cirdan smiled bitterly at the word but when he spoke again his voice held no trace of the cynical expression.
"Please come..." he trailed off "for her." At those words the silver eyes went hard and flat. There was silence for some moments before Celeborn spoke again
"Cirdan, you have felt it – the sea longing. Now imagine this for me, imagine that instead of yearning for Aman you longed for Middle-earth with the same desire," "I suppose I would stay here" Cirdan said dubiously unsure where Celeborn was leading.
"Yes, but you would miss all your... friends that had gone to Aman?"
"Yes."
"Well, now you understand me. Only of course I have a wife in Aman. Looks like all the dire prophecies all those people made about... Galadriel," his voice shook, "and me when we married are about to come true. What was it they said? Oh yes - light and dark do not mix." Scorn and sarcasm danced on ever word though Celeborn's voice was hoarse and low. Cirdan winced and though he now knew it was hopeless he tried again.
"My friend, you have lived here for years, come to Aman and maybe your longing will fade, or maybe the Valar will help you." Celeborn's look showed his clearly what he thought of this "Maybe you will give her some respite."
"Do you think I have not considered that? You know what has happened to those afflicted by sea longing, what do you think would happen to them if they had not left? Would it give my wife pleasure to see me waste away?" His anger broke then as suddenly as it had come. "I am sorry." The older of the pair nodded in acceptance of his apology and slowly he lifted his eyes and met Celeborn's silver gaze.
"Celeborn, you might not ever be able to come."
"I know." Celeborn said his voice still hoarse and Cirdan slowly nodded accepting the answer. With an easy grace he stepped away from the other elf and aboard the waiting ship. With a forced smile he spoke once more
"Maybe we shall see each other again... some day."
"Beyond the borders of Arda, farewell." An amused smile stole on to Cirdan's face as the ropes uncurled.
"You believe in that tale?" The ship left the moorings and Celeborn nodded quietly, though he was unsure whether Cirdan would be able to see the barely imperceptible movement of his head.
"So would you, in my place."
1 I think that Cirdan is older than Celeborn but I could be wrong as elven generations don't correspond with age, due to their 'immortality'. I seem to remember that somewhere in one of the Annals Tolkien said that Cirdan was born by Cuvienen and Celeborn in Doriath but this is very shaky so I just hope that I'm right.
2 I'm referring to Celeborn as 'the prince' under the assumption that he was a prince of Doriath as Thingol's great nephew.
Celeborn felt strangely light as he stood on the dock. He nodded a vague greeting to the few elves congregating by the ship and his eyes settled on another silver hued head.
"Cirdan" he greeted the elf
"Celeborn"
"I have come to give you my answer in person." He continued a slight inclination of the head acknowledging the older elf's 1 greeting. Cirdan nodded slowly waiting for more "and to bid you and Thranduil farewell."
"So the answer is no." the shipwright said heavily. There was a pause as Celeborn forced his head forward into a nod, not trusting his voice. Cirdan hesitated and then abandoning caution he replied
"Do you think this is wise?" he said, as the prince 2 met his eyes
"No" In that single word was concentrated all the sorrow, grief and anger that Celeborn had fought with in the month it had taken for him to reply to Cirdan's last offer to give him a place on a ship.
"Perhaps I should stay." It seemed but a simple statement from the older elf but the assertion brought up the head of the younger elf
"No"
"Is that all you can say?" Cirdan teased as a small smile appeared on Celeborn's face
"No" They laughed but Celeborn grew solemn again soon. "You still must not stay – you cannot stay. You have finally caught the devouring fever I have tried to catch for years while others fought against it. I can see it in you. You must go; there will be other coves and seas for you beyond the straight road."
"And other trees for you." Cirdan shot back
"No" Celeborn replied instantly. Cirdan smiled bitterly at the word but when he spoke again his voice held no trace of the cynical expression.
"Please come..." he trailed off "for her." At those words the silver eyes went hard and flat. There was silence for some moments before Celeborn spoke again
"Cirdan, you have felt it – the sea longing. Now imagine this for me, imagine that instead of yearning for Aman you longed for Middle-earth with the same desire," "I suppose I would stay here" Cirdan said dubiously unsure where Celeborn was leading.
"Yes, but you would miss all your... friends that had gone to Aman?"
"Yes."
"Well, now you understand me. Only of course I have a wife in Aman. Looks like all the dire prophecies all those people made about... Galadriel," his voice shook, "and me when we married are about to come true. What was it they said? Oh yes - light and dark do not mix." Scorn and sarcasm danced on ever word though Celeborn's voice was hoarse and low. Cirdan winced and though he now knew it was hopeless he tried again.
"My friend, you have lived here for years, come to Aman and maybe your longing will fade, or maybe the Valar will help you." Celeborn's look showed his clearly what he thought of this "Maybe you will give her some respite."
"Do you think I have not considered that? You know what has happened to those afflicted by sea longing, what do you think would happen to them if they had not left? Would it give my wife pleasure to see me waste away?" His anger broke then as suddenly as it had come. "I am sorry." The older of the pair nodded in acceptance of his apology and slowly he lifted his eyes and met Celeborn's silver gaze.
"Celeborn, you might not ever be able to come."
"I know." Celeborn said his voice still hoarse and Cirdan slowly nodded accepting the answer. With an easy grace he stepped away from the other elf and aboard the waiting ship. With a forced smile he spoke once more
"Maybe we shall see each other again... some day."
"Beyond the borders of Arda, farewell." An amused smile stole on to Cirdan's face as the ropes uncurled.
"You believe in that tale?" The ship left the moorings and Celeborn nodded quietly, though he was unsure whether Cirdan would be able to see the barely imperceptible movement of his head.
"So would you, in my place."
1 I think that Cirdan is older than Celeborn but I could be wrong as elven generations don't correspond with age, due to their 'immortality'. I seem to remember that somewhere in one of the Annals Tolkien said that Cirdan was born by Cuvienen and Celeborn in Doriath but this is very shaky so I just hope that I'm right.
2 I'm referring to Celeborn as 'the prince' under the assumption that he was a prince of Doriath as Thingol's great nephew.