Disclaimer: not going to say it anymore…I AM NOT TOLKIEN! I will never be Tolkien…therefore, I don't own this.
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The dwelling of Cirdan in the gulf of Lhun was breathtaking. It smelled of the sea, a smell Lirima had never experienced before, but it filled her with longing. Longing to sail and explore and never return to Middle Earth. For the first time in her life she didn't miss Lorien. The trees, she felt, couldn't compare to the sea. Cirdan the shipwright was like a mirror image of his land. Cool and new and strange to Lirima, but wise, it seemed, and kind. There was a fierceness in Cirdan, a determination. He never showed it, but you could feel it when you were near him.
"Gandalf my old friend as usual you've brought before me a new puzzle to figure out." Gandalf and Cirdan were walking along one of the lanes in the garden. He was referring to Lirima, who was walking along the beach talking with other elves. "There is something that lingers over her, a sadness it seems. Though I cannot deem what it could be. She should be livelier, she should shine brighter.
"She has experienced many hardships in her life, hardships that will aid her with the rest of it."
"Her parents, what have they done to help her? It seems as if she needs something, something that is out of her reach. Perhaps, the sea – "
"The sea both heals many hearts and drives many hearts mad. You are right, she does long for something, though what it is even I can not tell. Her father would do anything for his daughter. She is his reason for living. But-"
"But her mother has long passed into the halls of Mandos, and that is the cause of her sorrow. Or at least part of it. Gandalf, I have seen many of my friends pass and I have seen them go through things worse than death. It is a horrible thing to experience, but I suspect that it would be even worse to have one so close to you pass. There is however something else, something that adds to her burden. And you know what it is do you not?"
" I do, but it is not my place to reveal it. She hardly knows of it herself, and only three others besides myself know of it."
"I would like to know more of this young elf they call lovely. She could learn much here, from myself, and my daughters." Gandalf's brow was furrowed, he knew what awaited Lirima, and he would save her from it if he could. This was a way to do that. " Ai Mithrandir, lle nowno' sina, uum. You know what must be done. That is her path, she can not stray from it. Indeed, I think she will not. For I sense in her a strength I have not seen for ages. Yes, she will have hard times, but she will overcome them." Just then Lirima came bounding up towards them. Her faced flushed with the wind from the sea, and her hair waving behind her like golden streams in the wind.
"It is wonderful here, amin heru. I would love to go sailing."
"Are you hinting at it?" Cirdan laughed. "Or are you just stating a desire of your heart?"
"Well I'll just say it then will you take me sailing?"
"No, and I suspect Gandalf has already told you the reasoning for it." They heard a chime in the distance signaling that dinner was ready. "Shall we eat?"
Before Lirima knew it the week was over and they were preparing to leave the havens.
"Farewell, and do wish old Bilbo a happy birthday from me."
"You know Bilbo?"
"We met in Imladris long ago." Before Gandalf climbed onto his cart Cirdan took him aside. You must watch her Gandalf, I feel that the eye of the enemy is on her. He wants to harm her, as he did her mother." Gandalf's eyes went wide, he looked at Lirima than back at Cirdan.
"You have seen this?"
"No, but there grows upon me a sense of foreboding. She will be hunted soon." Gandalf nodded then climbed into his cart, which was laden with fireworks of all sizes. He snapped the reigns on the horses back.
"I shall miss the sea, but I don't think it's the last time I shall see it." Gandalf didn't respond, all he did was take a pipe out of his pocket, light it, and start puffing away in deep thought. It was his turn not to talk.
By the morning of the 22nd they reached the shire border.
"Well Gandalf, if it is all the same to you I think I shall take a nap." Gandalf nodded and Lirima took out a cloak from her bag and spread it across the fireworks in the back.
"Where did you get that?"
"Oh, Cirdan gave it to me before we left." Gandalf just nodded again and Lirima climbed into the back and promptly fell asleep.
When Hobbiton came into sight Gandalf smiled. 'It will be awhile before anything happens to Lirima, and today is not a day for dark thoughts. It will be good to see old Bilbo again.' Then Gandalf remembered the first time he had met Bilbo, and how Bilbo had looked when he arrived at the door the day the dwarves had come to Bag End. He laughed out loud, and started singing in a deep cheerful voice,
"The road goes ever on and on,
Down from the door where it began
Now far ahead the road has gone"
Sitting against and old tree with a book in his hand was a young hobbit lad with scraggly brown hair and shocking blue eyes. Indeed he was a lad no more, for it was his birthday today, and his coming of age. It was Frodo Baggins. He had been waiting for Gandalf for quite some time, eager to catch a glimpse of the elf-maiden he hadn't seen for over 20 years, the fireworks Gandalf had brought, and of course Gandalf himself.
As soon as Frodo heard the song he perked up and ran over to the edge of the road, which conveniently was on a higher level than the road. Gandalf of course had no idea who he was about to meet, and drove the cart right up to Frodo. He didn't even notice Frodo was there and would have driven right past him had Frodo not said anything.
"Your late," said Frodo, trying to have a cross look on his face. Gandalf stopped his horse and looked up at Frodo trying also to be serious.
"A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins, nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to." Neither of them could keep a straight face any longer and burst out laughing, and Frodo jumped onto the wagon and gave Gandalf a fierce hug.
"It's wonderful to see you again Gandalf!"
"You didn't think we'd miss your Uncle Bilbo's birthday."
"What's new in the world? Tell me everything. Oh! But wait, where's Lirima?" Frodo looked around expecting Lirima to pop out from the bushes. "You said she was coming didn't you?"
"I did."
"Well where is she?" Gandalf motioned with his head towards the back of the wagon. Frodo peered over the side to see Lirima asleep, wrapped up in a silvery-blue cloak. Her hair made it look like she was sleeping on a golden pillow. Then, as if she knew who was looking at her, she opened her eyes. When she saw Frodo a warm smile spread across her face, and she sat up quickly.
"Frodo!"
"Hello Lirima, taking a nap?" Lirima gave herself a fake proud look and said,
"Yes, yes I was, a short one." Gandalf snorted.
"Yes it was short if you consider six hours a short time."
"Six hours? Was I asleep that long? Why didn't you wake me up Gandalf?" Gandalf didn't have a chance to respond with all the hobbits waving greetings at them.
They drove past a large field where there were many hobbits setting up for the party that night.
"Ai, the long expected party," said Lirima. "I hear it's going to be a party of special magnificence."
"How is the old rascal?"
"You know old Bilbo, he has the whole place in an uproar."
"Well that should please him."
"Half the shire's been invited. He's up to something." Gandalf and Lirima exchanged glances, and said simultaneously;
"Indeed?"
"Alright then, keep your secrets. Before you two came along we Bagginses were very well thought of, never went on any adventures or did anything unexpected." Frodo looked at Lirima when he said the last part.
"If your referring to the incident of the dragon I was barely involved. It was Gandalf who started the real trouble."
"All I did was give your uncle a little nudge out the door, nothing more." Frodo snorted.
"Well, whatever you did, you've been officially labeled a disturber of the peace."
"Oh really…" Gandalf looked around at a hobbit grandmother who had stopped sweeping to stare at the passing big people, and nodded to her. As the cart rolled down the lane closer to Bag End hobbit children came running towards them.
"Gandalf! Gandalf! Fireworks Gandalf! Fireworks!" Frodo and Lirima looked at him waiting to see what he would do, he just kept looking forward. But when the children were disappointed and starting to turn back he let off a beautiful firework that sent butterflies flying around the children.
"Do you want to see all our old haunts again Lirima?"
"Yes, let's go." Lirima hopped down from the still moving cart. Frodo started back to follow but turned back to Gandalf.
"I'm glad your back Gandalf." Frodo jumped off the cart and followed Lirima. Gandalf called after him.
"So am I my dear boy! So am I."
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lle nowno' sina, uum~ you think on this, do not.
Amin heru~ my lord
A/N: Tell me what you think of how I depicted Cirdan, I had to go back into the Silmarillion to discover more of his character. He's going to come back into the story, so I'm open to suggestions.
