Part 59.
At once she looked to the sky to Gwaihir, the Windlord, the Eagle who had borne Gandalf to Rivendell, and his brother Landroval, the descendants of the Eagles of the North, the greatest of all the Eagles, and what was left of their kin.
High above they descended upon the Nazgul, chasing them far across the sky, back towards the Tower of Barad-dur, where their Master was summoning them.
Then the laughter of the soldiers of Mordor failed, and each one clutched at their hearts.
Arwen felt Frodo suddenly become overtaken by the Ring, but could not imagine why. Then, suddenly, the weight of it was lifted from her shoulders.
A strangled cry came from the heart of Mordor, from the Tower of Barad-dur itself.
The earth groaned and quaked and the Mountain of Fire sent a cloud of ash into the air, a flood of fire dribbling over its summit.
Once more Arwen fell to the ground, unable to stand properly on her own. At once the four who had attended her the first time she had fallen looked down at her with concern.
"All is well now. The Ringbearer had completed his quest." She said to them, a new joy emerged in her voice. "The Realm of Sauron is ended."
A great hush fell over the battlefield.
Then, the men of Rhun and Harad, Easterling and Southron hurled themselves into battle once more, not willing to accept defeat.
Gandalf darted over to them and helped Arwen to her feet. "Come Lady, I am now in need of your skills."
She nodded, finding the strength in her tired limbs to follow him to the top of the hill on their side of the Black Gates. There the Eagles Gwaihir and Landroval waited for them.
Gandalf spoke quickly to them, then showed Arwen where to hold on. Once astride Landroval's back he took flight, following his brother, bearing Gandalf, towards the fires of Mount Doom.
Swiftly they flew, over Udun and Gorgoroth, ever closer to the Mountain of Fire.
They flew over the Mountain several times before Sma and Frodo could be seen.
On the slopes Gwaihir landed, right beside them, followed by his brother.
At once Arwen slid from the great bird's back and rushed to attend to the two hobbits. Both lay unconscious, drained from the efforts they had expended in destroying the One Ring. She noticed that the third finger on Frodo's right hand was missing, wrenched off. With care and skill Arwen bound the weeping sore, before passing to attend to Sam, who only lay exhausted.
She breathed a sigh of relief. "We must go. Both are fit for travel." She told Gandalf, watching as he picked Frodo up and carried him back to Gwaihir. Arwen did the same with Sam. Once they were settled, cradling the hobbits gently in their arms the Eagles took flight once more.
And so the last two members of the Fellowship of the Ring were borne away to safety, far from darkness and flame, by the speed of the Eagles.
The Eagles bore them swiftly to Ithilien, where they were met by Nallahir, Arwen's own gray stallion.
She had both hobbits carried inside and there she tended to their ills, ever mindful of the war on the Fields of Cormallen. Once done she passed over them a deep and dreamless sleep, to help them both recover their strength. Then she set about waiting, ever present by their bedside.
From the high tower room Arwen was able to watch the horizon for any news that came from the war.
After hours, upon hours of watching and waiting shapes appeared on the distant horizon. As they neared Arwen could pick out the banners of Elendil, Dol Amroth and Rohan, fluttering victoriously in the breeze.
Arwen turned to gaze up Sam's and Frodo's sleeping forms once more and then left the room, hurrying down the stairs to the courtyard.
The victorious soldiers met her there, Aragorn dismounting and rushing over embrace her, swinging her around by the waist and laughing joyiously. "It is done, Arwen, Lady Evenstar, Queen of my Heart. We have triumphed." He cried.
She smiled and laughed with him.
"What of Sam and Frodo?" Legolas asked, coming up to hug her as well.
"They are both safe in my care, sleeping for now. We found them on the slopes of Mount Doom." She told him. "They will both heal in time."
"Thank the Valar." Aragorn breathed, pulling her close and stroking her hair, no longer bound up in braids but falling freely about her face.
"Come if you wish and look over them for yourself and set your minds at ease. You are still sorely troubled." She told them, gathering Pippin to her side as the others stood before her.
"Are you well now Lady?" Eomer asked her. "You fell in battle, are you injured?"
"No Eomer, I am not injured. A great weight has been pressing on me. But now it has been lifted." She told him, leading the men towards Sam's and Frodo's tower room.
At once Gandalf stopped, for he too had come out to greet the victors. "You took the weight of the Ring on your shoulders." He stared at her.
"Only some of it. It taxed my strength. In the end I needed the power of the Elves and their own Rings of Power." She did not look at them.
"I have another question for the Lady." Imrahil said. "Why when the Mouth beheld the Halflings clothing did you refuse to speak of a trade?"
"Because at the time Frodo was not in his possession to trade. Sam had already freed him from the Dark Tower and helped his Master to continue on the quest." She was silent for several moments as they walked, before coming to the door of the hobbit's chamber.
The men looked in on the sleeping hobbits for only a few moments before leaving the room.
Then they proceeded downstairs to the courtyard, before continuing on to the dining hall.
As they walked Elladan and Elrohir caught up to them, catching Arwen up in hugs and praising the Valar, because all were safe.
As the men sat in the dining hall Arwen excused herself and walked outside, enjoying the feel of the wind on her skin and the sun on her face. Dressed once more in the clothing of an Elven Lady her skirt touched the stonework of the paths, changing to grass as she walked into the gardens.
She heard Aragorn behind her and turned to face him, allowing him to speak first.
"Arwen, come in and celebrate with us! For this is the first day of the New Year, forever more will this day be a holiday on the calender of Gondor." He said to her.
"The war is now over my love, you are right. But your work is only just beginning. I promised my father I would come home at the end of the war." She said to him.
Aragorn sat down on one of the stone benches and gazed up at her. "I am not leaving forever, Aragorn. There are things you need to do before our marriage can take place. I will ride out tomorrow, I think Elladan and Elrohir will come with me. I entrust you with the care of Sam and Frodo." She told him.
"Promised me you will return to me." Aragorn told her, standing once more and cradling her body against his.
She reached up and kissed him, holding gently to him. "I will return to you."
Then she left him there in the gardens, staring after her.
At once she looked to the sky to Gwaihir, the Windlord, the Eagle who had borne Gandalf to Rivendell, and his brother Landroval, the descendants of the Eagles of the North, the greatest of all the Eagles, and what was left of their kin.
High above they descended upon the Nazgul, chasing them far across the sky, back towards the Tower of Barad-dur, where their Master was summoning them.
Then the laughter of the soldiers of Mordor failed, and each one clutched at their hearts.
Arwen felt Frodo suddenly become overtaken by the Ring, but could not imagine why. Then, suddenly, the weight of it was lifted from her shoulders.
A strangled cry came from the heart of Mordor, from the Tower of Barad-dur itself.
The earth groaned and quaked and the Mountain of Fire sent a cloud of ash into the air, a flood of fire dribbling over its summit.
Once more Arwen fell to the ground, unable to stand properly on her own. At once the four who had attended her the first time she had fallen looked down at her with concern.
"All is well now. The Ringbearer had completed his quest." She said to them, a new joy emerged in her voice. "The Realm of Sauron is ended."
A great hush fell over the battlefield.
Then, the men of Rhun and Harad, Easterling and Southron hurled themselves into battle once more, not willing to accept defeat.
Gandalf darted over to them and helped Arwen to her feet. "Come Lady, I am now in need of your skills."
She nodded, finding the strength in her tired limbs to follow him to the top of the hill on their side of the Black Gates. There the Eagles Gwaihir and Landroval waited for them.
Gandalf spoke quickly to them, then showed Arwen where to hold on. Once astride Landroval's back he took flight, following his brother, bearing Gandalf, towards the fires of Mount Doom.
Swiftly they flew, over Udun and Gorgoroth, ever closer to the Mountain of Fire.
They flew over the Mountain several times before Sma and Frodo could be seen.
On the slopes Gwaihir landed, right beside them, followed by his brother.
At once Arwen slid from the great bird's back and rushed to attend to the two hobbits. Both lay unconscious, drained from the efforts they had expended in destroying the One Ring. She noticed that the third finger on Frodo's right hand was missing, wrenched off. With care and skill Arwen bound the weeping sore, before passing to attend to Sam, who only lay exhausted.
She breathed a sigh of relief. "We must go. Both are fit for travel." She told Gandalf, watching as he picked Frodo up and carried him back to Gwaihir. Arwen did the same with Sam. Once they were settled, cradling the hobbits gently in their arms the Eagles took flight once more.
And so the last two members of the Fellowship of the Ring were borne away to safety, far from darkness and flame, by the speed of the Eagles.
The Eagles bore them swiftly to Ithilien, where they were met by Nallahir, Arwen's own gray stallion.
She had both hobbits carried inside and there she tended to their ills, ever mindful of the war on the Fields of Cormallen. Once done she passed over them a deep and dreamless sleep, to help them both recover their strength. Then she set about waiting, ever present by their bedside.
From the high tower room Arwen was able to watch the horizon for any news that came from the war.
After hours, upon hours of watching and waiting shapes appeared on the distant horizon. As they neared Arwen could pick out the banners of Elendil, Dol Amroth and Rohan, fluttering victoriously in the breeze.
Arwen turned to gaze up Sam's and Frodo's sleeping forms once more and then left the room, hurrying down the stairs to the courtyard.
The victorious soldiers met her there, Aragorn dismounting and rushing over embrace her, swinging her around by the waist and laughing joyiously. "It is done, Arwen, Lady Evenstar, Queen of my Heart. We have triumphed." He cried.
She smiled and laughed with him.
"What of Sam and Frodo?" Legolas asked, coming up to hug her as well.
"They are both safe in my care, sleeping for now. We found them on the slopes of Mount Doom." She told him. "They will both heal in time."
"Thank the Valar." Aragorn breathed, pulling her close and stroking her hair, no longer bound up in braids but falling freely about her face.
"Come if you wish and look over them for yourself and set your minds at ease. You are still sorely troubled." She told them, gathering Pippin to her side as the others stood before her.
"Are you well now Lady?" Eomer asked her. "You fell in battle, are you injured?"
"No Eomer, I am not injured. A great weight has been pressing on me. But now it has been lifted." She told him, leading the men towards Sam's and Frodo's tower room.
At once Gandalf stopped, for he too had come out to greet the victors. "You took the weight of the Ring on your shoulders." He stared at her.
"Only some of it. It taxed my strength. In the end I needed the power of the Elves and their own Rings of Power." She did not look at them.
"I have another question for the Lady." Imrahil said. "Why when the Mouth beheld the Halflings clothing did you refuse to speak of a trade?"
"Because at the time Frodo was not in his possession to trade. Sam had already freed him from the Dark Tower and helped his Master to continue on the quest." She was silent for several moments as they walked, before coming to the door of the hobbit's chamber.
The men looked in on the sleeping hobbits for only a few moments before leaving the room.
Then they proceeded downstairs to the courtyard, before continuing on to the dining hall.
As they walked Elladan and Elrohir caught up to them, catching Arwen up in hugs and praising the Valar, because all were safe.
As the men sat in the dining hall Arwen excused herself and walked outside, enjoying the feel of the wind on her skin and the sun on her face. Dressed once more in the clothing of an Elven Lady her skirt touched the stonework of the paths, changing to grass as she walked into the gardens.
She heard Aragorn behind her and turned to face him, allowing him to speak first.
"Arwen, come in and celebrate with us! For this is the first day of the New Year, forever more will this day be a holiday on the calender of Gondor." He said to her.
"The war is now over my love, you are right. But your work is only just beginning. I promised my father I would come home at the end of the war." She said to him.
Aragorn sat down on one of the stone benches and gazed up at her. "I am not leaving forever, Aragorn. There are things you need to do before our marriage can take place. I will ride out tomorrow, I think Elladan and Elrohir will come with me. I entrust you with the care of Sam and Frodo." She told him.
"Promised me you will return to me." Aragorn told her, standing once more and cradling her body against his.
She reached up and kissed him, holding gently to him. "I will return to you."
Then she left him there in the gardens, staring after her.