Introduction:

Now you must know this, to continue: Frodo Baggins is not himself.

Who is Frodo Baggins? If you cannot answer this question, I suggest you read a book published by our fellow Middle-Earth writer, Tolkien. Yes, Middle-Earth writer. He was a Man, and he recorded the story of the One Ring, and sold it to the world you know as plain old Earth. (Well, actually, if you want to know the truth, he took it from a published book by both Bilbo Baggins and Frodo Baggins: There and Back Again. He took most of the credit, but at least he did mention that Bilbo and Frodo wrote it.)

I am of the many residents of Middle-Earth who, like Tolkien, write down facts of Middle-Earth. I am an Elf-Maiden, by the name of Vanamel Elennar, and I am but of the few who actually sell their books to Earth.

But enough about that. Yes, it is true: Frodo Baggins is not himself. It was the One Ring, sadly. He was corrupted by it too late, before the Ring was destroyed.

You knew that already? Oh, very well.

You know that Frodo did not throw the Ring into Mount Doom, but actually the creature Gollum seized it and fell in? That Frodo was about to keep the Ring for himself?

Yes? Oh, very good! We don't have to retell this. Moving right along.

I bet you thought Frodo was all back to normal after the Ring was destroyed, and the world was all peaceful and happy, and Aragorn and Arwen got married, and all love and joy was all around, and then they all sailed across the Sea to the Gray Havens, and lived happily ever after.

Well, I hate to say this, but: you were wrong.

It was all an act. Sure, Aragorn and Arwen became King and Queen, sure, Samwise Gamgee had several lovely children and was mayor for seven years, sure, Merry and Pippin also had respected positions, and died peacefully, sure, all that is true.

But Frodo was never back to normal.

See, even though Sauron was gone forever, the Ring destroyed, and so on and so forth, Frodo was still corrupted. He never went back to normal. He is devious, and cunning; he seemed to be normal when the Ring was destroyed, but, truthfully, everyone was fooled by his act.

Everyone except The Three: Elrond, Galadriel, and Gandalf.

This was partly why they sailed with him to the Gray Havens: to keep an eye on him. And I was one of the lucky few to be in the Gray Havens when they arrived.

Such a tale I will tell.

Oh! And a note: I will tell from the point of view (most of the time) of Lassalanta, one of the Elf-maidens to accompany The Three and Frodo on their journey to the Gray Havens.

Go forth now, and read!