GOING HOME
Everything was ready. It was time to leave Middle Earth and return to Valinor, to Elvenhome.
She had left it millennia ago in the quest to recover the silmarils from Morgoth. That was long over and her time in Arda had come to an end. Now she, Galadriel, Artanis, last of the house of Finwe in Middle earth was returning home. Or was she the last?
She stopped just before boarding the ship, gesturing Frodo to go before her. "Has he gone?" she thought "or does he still remain by the shore lamenting to the sea? I wish I knew." As if in answer she heard the faintest music of a harp, almost inaudible even to elven ears.
None else had noticed but she had. And she knew that tune very well. Softly she whispered "The Noldolante. I could recognize it anywhere. So he still lingers on." Her time had come but…...
"Lady Galadriel, it is time to go." she heard Elrond say. Yes it was time but how could she leave when one of her house remained suffering? No, she would bring him back or else not leave until he does too.
"Lady Galadriel?" Elrond repeated. She turned to him "Yes Elrond I will come but still I have an unfinished task. Wait here for me."
...
He played his harp, sorrowfully repeating the lament he had written so many ages ago. It brought back all the painful memories and he once again lived the torment. But he kept playing; it was his self appointed doom.
Suddenly he heard a sound he hadn't heard in millennia; someone was calling his name. Again he heard it, it was not his imagination, but who was it?
"Macalaure! Macalaure! Where are you?" Galadriel called out. On and on she rode calling out again and again with no response. At the same time she recalled her time in Valinor before they knew of any war when she, her brothers and their cousins would get together secretly and how they became strong friends although their fathers were enemies.
She remembered how her father had tried to persuade her not to follow her brothers but how she had remained firm and had gone anyway. She would never let them have an adventure without her. She remembered Uncle Feanor's moving speeches and the oaths of his sons. She remembered them, tall, proud and grim, illuminated by the fires of burning Aqualonde.
She wondered if they had been forgiven, her brothers, Uncle Fingolfin and her cousins. "They should be" she thought "it won't be home without them."Again she called out "Cano! Cano! ". No reply. Now she was getting angry. "CANAFINWE MACALAURE FEANORIAN! WHERE IN ARDA ARE YOU?" she yelled.
Finally she found him sitting under a tree and gazing at the sea. "Cousin Mine have you no decency?"She said "I have been calling you for the past hour and you have not answered once. Or is it that you have forgotten me?"
On his thin, once handsome face she saw the ghost of a smile. "How could one forget you Artanis? But you have definitely changed and I could not at first recognize you." he said. Certainly this regal queenly elf with her proud face was not like the adventurous, hot headed cousin who was always in trouble for her unladylike ways that he had once known. But her expression he knew too well, it was the same as that of a young elleth, angry because her brothers and cousins had left her out of an adventure.
...
"What brings you here cousin" he asked. She got off her horse and came to sit next to him. "I am leaving for Valinor and I shall take you with me. It is time for us both to go home."
Sighing, Macalaure rose up and turned away "No, I cannot come with you. I am one of the Dispossessed. There is now no home for me. Go now, you are delaying your ship for no reason." She stared at him and noticed that his silky hair was dull and rough and his voice had obviously not been used for a long time. Too long had he suffered needlessly she realized.
"How dare you turn your back on me? And do not give me that pathetic nonsense!" she said, grabbing his arm and making him turn around. "Too long have you wandered in loneliness, Cano. It appears the solitude has affected your mind. Come back and let yourself heal."
"Aman is forbidden for me. I cannot go back. There is too much guilt on my soul and too many scars on my hands. I can never be forgiven nor healed." He showed her his scarred hands. The silmarils had burnt them because he had spilled too much blood and was no longer pure. But she still said "You do not know for sure. There is still hope. Do you not want to see Aman again? Or your brothers?"
At the mention of his brothers a tiny spark lit up in his blank eyes but he said "I will never be allowed to see them although my heart greatly desires to." She gripped him tighter and said "You have to come back Cano. You must stand before the Valar and face your judgment. It will be better than this." But he was stubborn and said "No Artanis, I cannot…." She cut him off saying "I will not leave you here and you know this. Besides think you that your brothers would forgive me if I did so? Nay I would never hear the end of their anger."
At that he laughed "They would never. You are the only one they fear." She replied "Perhaps that is so. But please come home. Our time is ending and it is useless to tarry here. Please cousin, it is time to go home."
He stared out to the sea for a moment then picked up his harp and smiled "Yes, it seems you are right. Let's go home."
And as the grey ship sailed away to the Undying Lands, Maglor let out a sigh of relief. Finally, he was going home.
The End