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~ Errands and Endings ~

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When the host of the west at last returned to Minas Tirith, Elraen walked up with the procession alongside Legolas and Gimli, and from a distance the silver circlet, and the white gems amongst their silver and gold leaves of the pins gleamed in the bright morning sun almost giving the look of a halo of white fire about her hair. The people looked in amazement at the princes of the races of Free Peoples of Middle-earth, and not least was their wonder at the rumors and sight of this maid child, the lost heir of one of their own princes. Some said she was a pupil of the wizard, with most unnatural powers of her own, others said in her, like in the new king, was manifested the ancient power of Numenor of old.

In his pronouncements King Elessar brought Elraen before the throne, with a mind to appoint her to some high station. "Princess Elraen, daughter of Lady Marwen and Prince Marasir of the House of King Anarion," he pronounced, "with me you have walked through fire and ice and darkness to the edge of doom. I would grant you title over Pelargir, the lands of your father's family, and the southern lands beyond, the lands of your mother, if you so desire. But first I will ask what is it that you desire?"

Elraen thought for a moment, and of the mortal life she could live out among friends there in Gondor. Helping to restore and rebuild the kingdom, guarding against rogue attacks from the south, perhaps even choosing a spouse and leaving heirs. But, no, she came here to help the wizard fulfill his mission, and return to her home in the West. It was there her heart belonged, and so to that place in the end she would go.

"I am deeply moved and most grateful, Your Majesty," she replied with a deep curtsy and bow of her head, "you make a tempting offer. But I desire no lordship, and though I cannot explain it, have a mind now to return to the north." The king, paused, his brow furrowed for a moment, grieved that she would depart so far away. So much like to the wizard in more ways than one; both in mood and in magic, he thought. Then he smiled, and obliged her desires, wondering if she had some other end in mind that he could not foresee. The king had appointed one among his kin to be Prince and Steward of the North Kingdom, but still entitled her Princess Elraen, Lady of Lake Evendim, and asked her to assist in the ordering of the north as she would. And so for a time she dwelt in the fine house set for the remainder of the Company, and joined the rejoicing of the city.

*.*.*

With the arrival of the Elves came Elrond and his folk, and Galadriel with the people of the Golden Wood. Among gifts they brought for the Company were the fair garments wrought for her in the elf realms she had visited. She also had a fair mantle gifted from the king and queen, whose colors matched her horse: deep gold and pale flax. Clad in such finery in the White City she walked, looking very much a Princess of the Lost West. Eventually the great wedding and festivities of midsummer came and went, and the Elves and the remaining of the company made ready to depart. All were richly dressed when they finally set out - Elraen back in her Elven riding garments, cleaned and gleaming, with the fair cloak of Gondor at her back.

At last they came across Saruman again. "And you, Princess?" he said to her after his words with Gandalf and Galadriel. "Have you come to collect the payment you promised for your foolhardy swordsman? Make it swift if the spilling of my blood is what you desire."

Elraen again she had not been paying close attention to the conversation, gazing out at the fields of pale green grass of the Edenwaith rolling away below them, tinged with gold as the sun set. She stirred, and turned to him.

"It is not," she retorted. "I said not by my hand would payment be taken. But your own cruel doom will find you, and it will not be long now. That much I foretell."

A clear look of fear flashed across his face, strong enough that he struggled to conceal it, and he said no more. But quickly his pride pushed it away, and turned his attention to the hobbits.

They went on their way, and Elraen remembered the parts they were traveling through - they were not far from the same region where she found unexpected adventures just about a year before. In Eregion she would stay awake at night with the remaining among the Wise, talking long in silence with them of ages past. At last on a mild day as late summer gave whispers of autumn approaching they entered the fair valley of Rivendell, and it was not until then did the Quest quite feel complete.

*.*.*

After a few days rest in Rivendell, Elraen took her leave and went on with some from among the Dunedain who had returned to the north with them, bypassing Bree through the woods to the north toward Fornost, then on to the plains west of Evendim Hills where many of their families still dwelt. There she met with some of those who had been left to tend to affairs in the north while the Rangers were away, giving news and discussing the king's plans. She ventured to the lake and wandered the surrounding the hills to gauge the lands, as she had always been wont to do in her long past, and took and gave counsel with the Dunedain on matters of restoration and security. Here she also planted a seed the king had given her, harvested from the first flowers of the young tree, in the old courtyard of the ancient palace, with her blessings of good health and long happy life upon both the tree and all the forests, crops, and people of the region for many years to come.

She did not stay long by the lake, and she asked their leader to return to meet her at the lake in a month's time. Shortly after that she returned down the road from Fornost. A few of the Rangers were with her, along with King Elessar's appointed prince to manage affairs in Arnor who came to formally introduce himself, when she came to Bree before continuing onward. They all checked into the Prancing Pony, where she discovered her former companions had departed but a few days earlier.

Aragorn's kinsman introduced himself as the Prince and Steward of the North, then introduced her as the new King's kinswoman, Princess of Lake Annuminas. This created some useful excitement among the locals who again flocked to the inn for news, as the lot of these newcomers were as richly attired and armored, and as elven wise and battle hardy, as the other recently arrived visitors. This greatly pleased the innkeeper, whose business seemed to return to its previous levels thereafter. Several of the Rangers were indeed recognized, though looked at now with great wonder and new reverence, in their solemn but fair gear and garments. The innkeeper himself eventually remembered Elraen, too, as the curious maiden strangely traveling out of the south alone and had gone galloping off with the wizard shortly after.

They decided to take their ease at the inn another day, and Elraen spent the day out of her riding wear and in one the dresses gifted from the elves. She then looked very much a proper princess; a lady out of some lost kingdom of forgotten tales, traveling in the company of a great king's knights, to the great wonder and curiosity of the crowd. She and her companions answered many questions from the curious Breelanders, reassuring them that the protection of the Rangers had now resumed as Gandalf had told them.

Elraen assured them again also that any more folks moving up from the south would not encroach upon Bree-land, though at the least there would likely be more traffic through town in the near future, very good for business, she made sure to point out. She also advertised that they would soon be recruiting workers for the restoration of the Greenway and the old royal towns up north. When they departed the next morning she had returned to riding garments of fine Elven samite, with the Elven pins back in her hair, and very becoming did the travelers look indeed to their hosts as they left.

From there she parted with the Rangers, who headed northwest to their dwellings. And so Elraen continued west, then by chance or fate decided to turn south after Bree, to visit Tom Bombadil, after all she had heard about him, with other plans in mind further west. There to her surprise she found Gandalf also visiting, having stayed at ease there for some days.

She remembered old Tom, and he eventually remembered her. For in the dark years after the great pillars fell, to all their recollection, she had come across him and offered to take him to refuge, but he refused, having long bound himself to his little spot of Middle-earth forever. Elraen stayed there a while, and together they all remembered times even further back than the oldest of the elves could recall.

But after a few days she took her leave of them and went onward around the south of the Shire to the Blue Mountains, where she was greeted warmly and hosted with honor. Elraen regaled the dwarves there with stories of the war. But then she came to the purpose of her visit, which was to take them up on their promise for help in return for the help she rendered to their kin. For this she requested the restoration of the palace at Annuminas, and the surrounding city to its former glory, as well helping with new buildings at Fornost, or at least as close as could reasonably be accomplished. Additionally she included the building of a new bridge over both the Greyflood crossing and its southern tributary.

Knowing enough about Dwarves and their moods in regards to exchanges of services, she added: "I will send to King Elessar of the Western Kingdoms of Men for any monies required for equipment, materials, and any further compensation for labor."

And so to her request the dwarves readily consented and promised to begin labor within the month, for besides fulfilling their promise to return the favor of her help one day, they rejoiced at the charge of accomplishing great and marvelous works for the world to see.

She continued on to the Havens to visit Lord Cirdan, who offered his woodcarvers to supply the palace and other buildings with new doors, windows, and furnishings. For the last boat would not leave for many years yet, he said, and like the dwarves they delighted in such tasks of craft.

Princess Elraen then continued northeast to where the families of the Dunedain dwelt, and from there took a footpath through the Evendim Hills where several of the Rangers had already begun preparations of the palace at Annuminas. While she was there the dwarves began to arrive, eager to start such new works in spite of the onset of winter, and she lingered to help with directing the start of restorations. While there she also set her armor of Galadriel with helmet and gauntlets on fair display in the corner of a common room. And so there she stayed for the rest of the winter.