Chapter 4
Silence had now come – utter silence. Not a leaf stirred. Even Elireth's own breath seemed stilled as, in the blackness, she tried to commune with her heart. Where did the path lead for her? What was the voice within saying?
As she listened intently, it seemed that she did hear a sound. And the sound was coming from the woods, and sound of many voices, strange and fair, singing together:
A! Elbereth Gilthoniel!
silivren penna míriel
o menel aglar elenath,
Gilthoniel, A! Elbereth!
And then she saw the Elven lights coming through the trees, and saw the people of the Hidden Grove walking slowly, silver lamps in their outstretched hands, singing as they came. The lights of their eyes glittered beneath the shining stars, for they were going to Elvenhome at last. As they passed by Elireth, she recognised Hithuiel, the Elf-maid she had often stayed with. And Hithuiel smiled as she passed and put into Elireth's hand a spray of Bond of Love. And the Elf-maiden behind her also smiled and placed Bond of Love into Elireth's hand. Elf after Elf gave to Elireth Bond of Love as they passed, until she stood with her arms full of it.
And then the song changed, and she heard the Elves singing:
Few mortal eyes have seen the light
That lies there ever, long and bright.
Galadriel! Galadriel!
Clear is the water of your well;
White is the star in your white hand;
Unmarred, unstained is leaf and land.
And Elireth looked and there, among the Elves, walked Gimli son of Gloin. Axe and armour were now put away; he wore only his grey Elven cloak upon his clothes and his silver hair and beard hung long and loose over all. In his outstretched hand he carried, not a lamp, but a crystal prism decorated with gold and mithril – the container of the golden lock of the Lady Galadriel. Peace and solemnity were in his eyes, and he turned and smiled at Elireth with a look of affection and reassurance.
And now Elireth's face shone and her eyes gleamed with the clear light they had once borrowed from this fair people. For, behind all the ranks of Elves, walked a pure white horse set with a green cloth hung with golden bells. And upon this horse rode Legolas Greenleaf, lord of the Wood-Elves of Ithilien. The jewel she had brought him from his father was hung about his neck. His Lothlórien cloak, the cloak of the Fellowship, was about him, but his clothes were silken and his crown was not green but silver, glinting upon his golden hair. In his hands he held a white harp and, as he rode, he sang:
To the Sea, to the Sea! The white gulls are crying,
The wind is blowing, and the white foam is flying.
West, west away, the round sun is falling.
Grey ship, grey ship, do you hear them calling,
The voices of my people that have gone before me?
Then he stopped before Elireth as she stood with the Bond of Love in her arms. And he looked intently at her with his keen, shining eyes.
"Do you hear them?" he said, softly.
"I have heard them since the day you were recalled to life," she said. "But I thought their voices were not meant for me."
Legolas nodded. "I too," he said. "But it seems the Bond of Love cannot be so easily undone. A light will indeed shine beyond the Sea but it will not be the light of memory."
And then he smiled warmly, as if the sun should have come out in the middle of the night to revive her heart. He took the Star of Melian and bound it to her brow.
"Your place is with your people," he said. "Come, ride with me."
And he lifted her onto his horse before him to go to where the ship waited with open sails, verily the Elven prince of her childhood, who she had ever dreamed would come riding out of Ithilien and carry her away, never to return.
THE END
"Elven hymn to Elbereth" Lord of the Rings p. 1066 ("The Grey Havens", The Return of the King)
"In Dwimordene, in Lorien..." Lord of the Rings p.536 ("The King of the Golden Hall", The Two Towers)
"Legolas's Song of the Sea" Lord of the Rings p. 992-3 ("The Fields of Cormallen", The Return of the King)
Tolkien, JRR, The Lord of the Rings (London: Harper Collins, 1993) First published in Great Britain by George Allen & Unwin 1954, 1955
Elireth bids you a fond farewell. What happens next is up to your own imagination and preference...