Gandalf woke suddenly, excitement surging through him and one thought in his mind…

            "The Dark Lord has fallen."

            Rising to his feet and clutching his staff in his weathered old hand, he spoke the words of magic that would transport him in an instant to wherever he wanted to go.

~*~

            Frodo leaned against the wall next to the window and gazed out across the land of Mordor. It was still barren and dark…but somehow it wasn't as forbidding as it had been at the same time the day before.

            So much had happened, the little hobbit could scarcely believe it.

            He'd been stabbed by a Ring Wraith, walked among the Elves in Lothlorien and Rivendell, fought Orcs and Trolls in the Mines of Moria, been taken prisoner by Sauron, thrown in a dungeon, looked into the fires of Mount Doom, seen the One Ring of Power destroyed, and seen a red Dragon. Now he was staying in the Dark Tower as a guest until he was well enough rested to return home.

            Home…the mere thought of Bag End definitely struck a chord in his heartstrings, he missed the Shire more than anything. The peaceful way of life, the laughter of children, the blueness of the sky and greenness of the grass, he missed it all.

            He wondered what would happen when he returned, what wild rumors about him would race around the countryside. About Dragons, and Elves, and other such nonsensical adventures…they'd probably all be true. He'd become like Bilbo, an oddity of the hobbit world, loved and ridiculed at the same time. But, like Bilbo, he didn't think he would mind it in the slightest.

            Below him, the courtyard was empty. The MoonElves had all returned to their mountain, which was apparently quite close, to prepare to return to their homeland. He hoped they would find it unruined.

            Behind him, Sam was humming quietly as he packed their clothes, which had been cleaned, in preparation to return home, which they hoped to do tomorrow.

            Frodo smiled, thinking of Sam and the adventure they had had. He was about to comment when a startled cry arose from Sam. Frodo whirled around and found himself staring at a cloud of smoke. Coughing and drawing his sword, he cried out, "Sam? Where are you? Are you alright?"

            A tall figure wearing gray robes and carrying a wooden staff stepped out of the smoke and coughed, "of course he's ok, as long as I haven't landed on him."

            "Gandalf!" Frodo dropped his sword and launched himself at the wizard.

            Smiling, the wizard embraced him, patting his hair, which was sill damp from his bath, "well, little hobbit, you made it after all, did you?"

            Sam started blurting out the whole tale, but Gandalf stopped him, "I know quite well what has been going on, Mister Gamgee, I have been watching from afar." He shot Frodo an amused look and continued, "what kind of mischief do you think you'd get into if I wasn't keeping an eye on things?"

            Frodo laughed and waved to a chair, "please, have a seat, are you hungry?"

            Gandalf laughed again, "no matter what happens, Frodo Baggins, you're a hobbit first." He laughed again, a hardly laugh that lit the room, and shook his head, "I'm not hungry, as a matter of fact, and I won't have a seat because I don't plan to stay. Where, my I ask, are the others?"

            Frodo shrugged, "I'm not exactly sure, Merry and Pippin are undoubtedly in the kitchen, but I'm not sure where everyone else is."

            "Well, then," Gandalf stroked his beard and smiled down at the hobbit, his eyes crinkling merrily, "we'll just have to go find them, won't we?"

~*~

            Aragorn leaned against the wall, smoking his pipe and watching the clouds move across the sky. He glanced around, thinking that the Dark Tower wasn't half bad, minus the Dark Lord and minions of evil running around.

            He sighed and ran his hand through his hair, appreciating in the nearly forgotten luxury of being clean.

It wasn't just him that felt fresh and clean, it was everything.

            The air was sweeter, the sky was lighter, and the Dark Tower didn't seem quite so dark.

            He wondered if the rest of Middle Earth felt it. He wondered if Arwen felt it.

            Arwen…he missed her so much he could hardly bear it. But they would be together again as soon as he got to Rivendell, which would be little more than a week if he got going soon.

            He wondered where the others would go. Would Gimli return to his father and live under his mountain? Would Legolas return to Mirkwood? Would Savina return to her mother and wash tables in the tavern? Would they part ways and forget each other?

            They would part ways, he was sure of that, but they would not…could not forget each other.

            "Aragorn, my dear boy!"

            Aragorn whirled, unsure he'd heard correctly, then he burst into laughter and embraced the old wizard, early knocking his shapeless hat off of his head, "Gandalf, what are you doing here?"

            Gandalf straightened his hat and laughed, "I thought you and Legolas might not mind me tagging along when you return back to Rivendell in a few days."

            Aragorn smiled, "Legolas is coming with me to Rivendell? I thought for sure he would stay with Savina, is she coming to Rivendell as well?"

            "Of course she isn't," Gandalf shook his head, his beard wobbling, "she has business to attend to."

            Knowing better than to question the wizard, Aragorn laughed and raised his eyebrows, "does Legolas know he's going to Rivendell?"

            "Of course not," Gandalf smiled, "but that hardly matters." He looked the ranger up and down, "well, you look quite a bit cleaner than the last time I saw you."

            Aragorn laughed and glanced down, noticing Frodo for the first time, "Frodo! Are you and the others returning to the Shire? You would be welcome in Rivendell, you know that, don't you?"

            Frodo looked down at his hairy little feet, "I believe I would be welcome, and I'd like very much to return someday, but," he glanced up toward the tower where he knew Sam was still busily packing, "it's time to go home."

            Gandalf put his hand on the hobbit's shoulder, "wiser words were never spoken."

~*~

            Legolas made his way up the spiral stairs, his soft boots making no noise, and stopped at the door at the top. He took a deep breath and knocked softly, glancing over his shoulder, "Savina?"

            "Come in!"

            He pushed the door open and glanced back down the stairway, where a dark figure was following, "she's here."

            "Thank you, Legolas," the black-cloaked figure swept past him into the room and pushed it's hood back.

            Savina turned in her chair near the window and smiled, "Rayvin!"

            The girls embraced and sat down on opposite chairs.

            Savina glanced at Legolas and smiled, "will you join us?" She glanced fleetingly at Rayvin, "if that's ok, of course."

            Rayvin smiled, "please, have a seat with us." When Legolas had seated himself, Rayvin turned back to Savina, her smiled fading slightly, "I regret that I did not come completely for pleasure, there is also some business I must attend to."

            Taking a sip of water from the mug on her desk, Savina shrugged, "let's talk business first."

            Legolas realized suddenly what was going on, he glanced sharply at Savina, but she didn't seem to have realized it yet. She was so naive it was amazing.

            Rayvin smiled, "as you know, we've sent scouts to Moonzaar and found that the land is still lush and beautiful," Savina sighed in relief, "and when we return we would be honored if you would return with us."

            Savina stood up, and shook her head, "I'm grateful that you would let me, but I cannot," she stood in front of the window and looked out over the land in the direction of Dubbin, where her mother was waiting for her to return, "I have a home I must return to."

            Rayvin's smile faded a little, "you are a MoonElf, your home is Moonzaar, especially now that the Dark Lord has fallen."

            "I'm sorry," Savina remained at the window, "I must return home." She glanced over at Rayvin and smiled, "I promise that I will visit."

            "I don't think you understand," Rayvin said coldly, rising to her feet, "it is your responsibility to return to Moonzaar."

            Savina turned from the window, her eyes narrowed, "my responsibility?"

            "Your father was the rightful king of the MoonElves, he left Moonzaar to find a new home for the MoonElves because he knew evil was spreading. In his absence, his brother, my father, took the throne. When he was killed in this very tower my brother was next in line to rule Moonzaar. Our law states that when the rightful king or his heir returns, the throne is immediately relinquished to him or her." Rayvin's dark eyes flashed, "you are the heir to the throne."

            Savina made an odd noise in her throat and clutched at the windowsill, then she regained her composure, "I…I can't..."

            Legolas stepped between them, "why can't Nor remain king?"

            "It's not Nor's responsibility," Rayvin's face flushed angrily, "it's yours," she pointed accusingly at Savina.

            Savina straightened up, her expression cleared, "you're right, it is my responsibility…I will return to Moonzaar with you tomorrow."

            Rayvin smiled and sat back down, "your father would be proud."

            Savina stiffened, then gazed back out the window, nodding stiffly.

            "If your friends would like, they may come to Moonzaar with us to see your inaugural ceremony and take part in the celebration that will follow."

            "Thank you," Savina said in a hollow voice, "but I think everyone just wants to go home."

            Legolas rose, "I, for one, would like to attend."

            Rayvin flashed him a smile, then glanced at Savina, "well, we will all be quite busy preparing for the journey tomorrow, Moonzaar isn't far but…" her smile faded a little, "we will come for you tomorrow at noon…is that ok?"

            "Perfect," Savina said in an empty voice.

            "Well, I must go," Rayvin rose and made her way to the door, her black cloak swirling around her. She paused and looked at Savina thoughtfully for a moment, "I think you'll like Moonzaar," then she disappeared, her feet making no noise on the stairs.

            Savina stayed silent and stiff at the window, but Legolas could she that she was trembling.

He reached out and hesitantly touched her shoulder.

            She whirled, tears in her eyes, "Legolas…"

            He pulled her to him and stroked her hair, his throat tight with tears, "maybe you'll like Moonzaar."

            "I don't doubt that I'll like Moonzaar, Legolas," she leaned her head against his shoulder, "but I am not a queen. I'm a stupid little girl who makes a mess of things and works at a tavern. Besides," she raised her head to look at him, "Moonzaar is nothing to me without you."

            Legolas sighed and gazed over at her shoulder out the window where he could see Rayvin crossing the courtyard to her black horse.