I do not own Galadriel, Elrond, Frodo, Bilbo, Celeborn, or Gandalf and nor do I even pretend to have created the magnificent Aman and Alqualondë. These are all manifestations of Tolkien's imagination and without him my story would have never been.
Aman's Destruction
-XLightfoot-
"What's it like?" Frodo asked as he joined Galadriel at the bow of the dragon shaped ship, its pure white sails billowing in the pleasant air behind them. Galadriel turned towards the little hobbit and smiled warmly.
"My dear Frodo, never in all this life will you set your eyes on a more magnificent sight. Golden forests, silvery-rivers and the sweeping Pelori; cities of ancient times gleam in the light of moon and sun, streets filled with the songs and poetry of old," Galadriel suddenly wiped at a single tear rolling down her fair cheek. "And my beautiful daughter Celebrian how long have I dreamed of seeing her again."
"What happened to her?" Frodo asked hoping his curiosity won't offend the gracious elf. To his relief Galadriel smiled again, but this time gravely.
"She was taken by the filthy orcs, tortured and anguished, poisoned by their evil tools,"
Frodo stared at Galadriel in horror, if he had known that such horrors would be recalled in telling the tale he would not have asked.
"Her sons rescued her but, alas; it was too late, although her bodily wounds were healed by Elrond, her mind was troubled ever after. She sailed to Aman five-hundred-and-twelve years ago."
There was a moment of silence as Frodo waited for the elf's tears to flow and dissipate. Galadriel seemed even more fair and beautiful as she cried, her golden hair hung loosely over her shoulders, glimmering as they moved with the air.
"If I had known then what evil horrors were contained in the shores of Middle-Earth I would have stayed in Aman," Galadriel said after a moment, staring intently at the lightening horizon.
Frodo followed her gaze, he had never seen such open waters, and it was breathtaking in its magnificence. He would never have seen such splendour if he had remained behind with Sam and the others. A question itched in Frodo's mind; he had always wondered why the elves sailed across the sea to Middle-Earth.
"Why did the elves sail across the sea?" Frodo asked tentatively.
"Never would I have thought that hobbits were such a curios people," Elrond said as he joined the elf and hobbit at the bow. Galadriel let out a musical laugh that filled Frodo's heart with new vigour.
"Set apart from the world as you are not a care or interest of the things outside your grassland home of the Shire," Elrond finished, joining in Galadriel's hearty laughter. Frodo felt his face warm.
"We are curios, Lord Elrond, just not in anything other than growing crops, drinking ale and the story telling of long dead legends," Frodo said faintly joining in their laughter. "Bilbo is a rare phenomenon in the Shire."
"Indeed he is, but so are you, Frodo Baggins of the Shire," Galadriel said lifting her hand and ruffling Frodo's hair. Even such a relaxed gesture from the elven lady was graceful and somewhat haughty. "But to return to your question, Frodo, my kin was deceived by Melkor who was after the three Silmarils. He swept us up against the Valar, filling our hearts with doubt and conquest. I, myself, was hungry to rule a land of my own for Aman did not belong to us."
"And now we return." Elrond said pleasantly. "Nae saian luume', Celebrian." Elrond added to the cloudless sky and walked off, joining Gandalf a little ways away.
"What did he say," Frodo asked and Galadriel smiled.
"He misses my daughter, 'it has been too long'," Galadriel replied and she too walked off, leaving Frodo to stare at the open seas. Fear and wonder roiled in Frodo's heart. He was unsure of what to expect of the elves' Undying Lands, and that was what made him fear it. But the knowledge that Gandalf and Bilbo will be standing next to him was what gave him heart.
Frodo was about to turn around and head below deck to join his uncle when his eyes suddenly catched the vague outline of a mountain. Frodo's eyes shot back to where he had seen the mountain and surely enough, there it was, a mysterious wonder that floated at the edge of the horizon in a veil of clouds.
"There it is!" Frodo yelled and Galadriel and Elrond was next to him at once, their fair faces intent on the distant land that was becoming larger and clearer. Gandalf stopped next to Frodo and placed a hand on his shoulder as if the old wizard could sense Frodo's nervousness.
"Are you ready my boy?" He asked teasingly a faint smile appearing underneath his snowy beard. Frodo gave a nervous smile in reply as he stared up at Gandalf.
"I hope so," Frodo admitted gingerly. Gandalf nodded encouragingly.
"I'm sure –"
"No!" Frodo and Gandalf both started as Galadriel's terror filled voice ripped through the air. Frodo's head whipped around to stare at the elf in shock.
"How?" Elrond gasped next to Galadriel his elven eyes wide. Hesitantly Frodo glanced in the direction of their distraught eyes and his heart sank to the decks below. Frodo didn't know how he could have missed it before, it was as clear as day.
Only a few yards in front of them, drifting in the restless water was the ruins of another elven ship. Wood boards and broken mast all bobbed in the water, flames still eating at the white sails and bodies strewn all around, bodies of elves that shouldn't have died for at least ten-thousand more years. But in the shadow of the great plume of black smoke another ship lay in ruin and the shadow of that one drifted another and another. The two elves next to Frodo was crying openly now, crying for the lives of their kin forcibly taken by forces unknown. On the other side of Frodo stood Gandalf as motionless as a statue but eyes glaring at the ruins and dead in silent growing fury.
"What foul thing could have done this?" Gandalf breathed as their ship passed what must have been the seventh ruined ship. Frodo couldn't even begin to imagine and instead shook his head in disbelief and horror.
Aman was clear now, only a few minutes sailing away. To Frodo it felt as if the sail had gathered speed with the two elves' growing desperation. Galadriel's face was contorted with grief, tears streaming down her cheeks in silver; Elrond seemed unable to control his grief as well, as his face was just as wet as his kin's.
Great pillars of black rose from the shores of Aman, spreading deeper into the land. What Frodo guessed was the golden forests Galadriel had mentioned was ruined and broken. But that wasn't what held Frodo's attention; it was a city not unlike the Grey Havens, majestic silvery-grey buildings, marble statues and intricate gardens. Or rather what it would have looked like if it weren't burning and crumbling into ruins.
Even from here Frodo could clearly see the forms of dead elves as they lay killed whilst trying to protect their home. Bodies drifted all around the ship now in rivers of blood and debris, staining the white hull of the ship.
Frodo felt sick to his stomach with dread and the acrid smell that hung in the air.
"Elrond, Galadriel, this is the work of orcs, we have to turn around or at least go somewhere safe," Gandalf said trying to glance in every direction as the ship drifted into Alqualondë's harbour, ruins of ships drifting in every direction.
"Gandalf we cannot linger," Galadriel whispered through sobs of grief, "we have to help protect Alqualondë."
"Galadriel, see reason, Alqualondë is lost, everybody's dead," Gandalf pressed and she whirled about.
"How can you even suggest... all the elves are here, Gandalf, only a hundred or so remained in Middle-earth... if we do not help the elves will perish!" She cried through gritted teeth. Frodo shivered, he never thought that in his life he would see an elf in this light, helpless and irrational.
"I agree, Gandalf, we have no choice," Elrond said, Frodo thought he saw a glint of defiance in the elf's expression.
Gandalf sighed heavily. "We are but three capable to fight and two unarmed hobbits... what can we possibly do?"
The elves ignored Gandalf as the boat reached the gangplank and they hurried to get off of the boat. Gandalf hurried after but reaching the gangplank he turned towards Frodo with a stern expression.
"Go below deck, get Bilbo and barricade yourselves in the Hold. Find any weapon that you can," Gandalf rambled and ran off after the two elves, who were already disappearing between the ruined buildings.
Frodo did as Gandalf asked hurrying below deck. Bilbo was sleeping in his cabin, his old withering form grey and drawn.
"Bilbo, Bilbo, wake up. Bilbo wake up!" Frodo yelled shaking his uncle until his blue eyes fluttered open.
"Huh... what? Frodo, what's going on, my boy?" Bilbo yawned wearily.
"Bilbo, we have to go, come quick," Frodo said as he helped Bilbo from his bed, pulling the old hobbit from his cabin and down towards the Hold.
Abruptly Frodo could hear monstrous noises that chilled him to the bone seep through the wood of the ship. Frodo tried desperately to listen for the sounds of battle but none came. Heart beating alarmingly fast Frodo lead Bilbo into the Hold and began stacking crates and barrels in front of the door.
Above deck Frodo heard racing footsteps, pounding onto the ship followed by growls, hisses and menacing cries and snarls in the guttural tongue of the orcs. Frodo frantically searched the Hold for anything he could use as a weapon but the closest thing he got was a lid of one of the wooden crates. The noises of the orcs were spreading throughout the ship and Frodo felt himself go cold from head to toe. He didn't know where Gandalf, Galadriel or Elrond were but he was sure that they will not be coming to rescue him or Bilbo.
Frodo closed his eyes as footsteps rushed towards the Hold and then the door creaked and cried in protest as they started bashing the door. Taking a long deep breath Frodo only let it out when the door burst open and a horde of orcs stormed in.