Chapter Twenty-Five
"Something has been bothering you, my dear," Olorin said.
Ilmare looked over at him from astride her horse and said with a sad smile, "You could always see through me."
He smiled back at her, but prompted again, "What is wrong?"
She sighed and met his gaze for a second before looking down at her hands. "At Elrond's Council, Elrond said that to claim the start of this whole affair was too great a claim for any one person...I cannot help but wonder if I truly can claim the beginning role in this whole matter. Had I not rejected him, Sauron would not have joined the Great One. I was the reason for all of thi-"
"Do not think such things, my darling. Sauron may well of joined him without you as a catalyst," he assured her, reaching over as if to touch her.
Ilmare smiled softly and asked, "Whatever would I do without you, Olorin?"
"Overthink overything," he responded with a joking smile.
oooooooooooooooo
It did not take long for the group to return to Edoras. That very night, a banquet was held at Meduseld to celebrate their victory and honour their dead. Not long into the party, Gandalf saw a figure slip out of the hall from the corner of his eye. As soon as he had spotted it, it was gone. Quickly, he followed the person outside.
He could see the outline of a cloak against the stars. The light from the fires within the hall cast a red glow on the purple material, making it very clear who precisely this was.
"Why are you not inside?" he asked in old Elvish as he walked to her side.
"Their joy mocks me. It reminds me of what I have lost...of what is held against me."
"Be at peace, my darling," he said quietly, reaching up to lower her hood. She reached up to replace her hood, but Gandalf took her hands in his and said reassuringly, "You are safe here."
She met his eyes sadly, reluctantly revealing the tears which slid down her cheeks.
"Come," he said, dropping one of her hands to lead her back into the hall.
One by one, the men of Rohan noticed Ilmare's presence in the hall. Had she her cloak, she would have blended into the shadows and gone unnoticed by these people. Instead, they stared at her shining presence.
The King stepped out from the crowd and asked, "Who are you?" His eyes flicked to their hands clasped together.
"I am Ilmare," she responded in a very strong timbre.
After a second, Theoden said, "It is an honour to meet you."
Ilmare bowed her head in return before turning to look at Gandalf. At that cue, the men turned back to their drink and their celebration, though many stole glances at the scintillating beauty.
"I believe you have yet to meet the hobbits," Gandalf said to her.
"Lead on, Olorin," she said with a smile.
As he led her through the crowd, he explained in a tone more gay than she had heard from him in a long while, "You'll find hobbits are the most peculiar creatures. They seem quite simple, rustic folk; but they are full of surprises, joy, and delight."
"They sound like magnificent creatures," Ilmare commented just before Gandalf paused in front of two exceedingly short individuals.
"We are indeed, my Lady," one of them said, though it was obvious he was only joking.
"Ilmare, these are Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took," Gandalf introduced, gesturing to each hobbit in turn.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, young Masters," she said with a gracious smile.
"The pleasure is all ours, my Lady," the other, the Took, said.
"But if it pleases you, you can call us Merry-" the other began.
"And Pippin," the first finished.
"Well, Merry and Pippin, I am Ilmare, and I have been Ol- Gandalf's friend for many an age," she said with a smile.
"Are you immortal?" Pippin asked suddenly.
"Pip, don't-" Merry began to whisper to his fellow.
However, Ilmare interrupted them by saying, "In the sense that elves and Gandalf himself are immortal, yes."
"What's it like?" Pippin asked.
"I have watched the world change and darken; I have seen people I knew and loved die or cross the sea I am not allowed to cross until my task is done. I have seen the West sink and the East become overrun by darkness. Outpost upon outpost of light and hope has faded from the world. The last are dimming. They too, will soon leave the world. And I merely endure.
The two hobbits' eyes watered and their faces saddened. Quite suddenly, they threw themselves upon her in an encompassing embrace, which nearly knocked over. As it was, Gandalf's strong hand on her back sustained her.