Chapter Seven:
Namarie
(Farewell)
*Why does she have to go?* Aragorn asked himself again. He looked at the beautiful Elven face of Arwen. Aragorn sighed, hearing Elrond's voice in his head; Elrond's answer to that question when Aragorn had asked him before.
"You know, Aragorn. Why do you think you carry the burden of the name 'Estel'? You are the only one who can defeat Sauron. You are the only one he fears. You are the hope of Middle Earth," Elrond had said. "Now, he's trying to find a weakness in you, one that he can use to have an advantage over you. And he's found it: love, your love for Arwen. Sauron knows that you will do anything for Arwen, anything at all to protect her from harm. He will take her, and play with you. Will you save Middle Earth or Arwen? And if you try to attempt both, yo9u will most certainly fail. He'll destroy one while you're saving the other. I will not let my daughter be taken be Sauron." Here Elrond had stopped, glaring at Aragorn. Then his gaze had softened. "Nor will I let you take on such a heavy burden by yourself. Even if you think you can try to protect her, you will need help. Leave Arwen's safety to us. Let us help, her family. That is why she must go." Then Elrond had left him there, leaving him to dwell on his thoughts alone that day.
*What is he to say what I can and cannot do?* Aragorn thought angrily, clenching his fists.
"Aragorn?" Arwen asked, looking up as she detected his change of mood. "What's wrong? Her soft hands caressed his face, bringing tears to his eyes.
When he didn't answer, Arwen sat up and brought his face around to look at her.
"Answer me, Aragorn," she demanded.
Aragorn exhaled deeply, willing his tears not to flow from his eyes. He would not cry, not now at least. Aragorn wiped his tears away before Arwen could see them.
"It's not right of me."
"Not right of you to what?"
"To wish you weren't going away," Aragorn said bitterly.
"Melamin (my love), if you think it's selfish of you, it is most certainly not!" Arwen declared.
"But I should be worried about your safety more than whether or not you will remember me," Aragorn said angrily.
"And by thinking like that, it means that you care for me and wish for my safety!" Arwen argued.
Aragorn chuckled a little, giving in at last. "Remind me to never argue with you. You'll always find a way to win."
Arwen smiled to herself, satisfied that she had managed to cheer Aragorn up. Snuggling against Aragorn once more, she closed her eyes, smiling blissfully as the sound of his heartbeat echoed through her ears.
Her smile soon faded.
"Aragorn, Arwen," Elladan called. "It's time."
Suddenly, a wave of unexpected tears hit Aragorn again. He turned away, releasing Arwen's hand and getting up to walk back in.
Arwen stood up and grasped his hand tightly again, motioning for Elladan to leave them.
"Wait, Aragorn."
She slipped something cold and hard into his hand.
"For you."
Aragorn stared down in astonishment at the Evenstar jewel nestled, sparkling and radiating with its own light, in his hand.
"What?" he trailed off.
"Something for you to remember me by, and my symbol of immortality." She grinned a little at him. "Because I have every intention to come back. "
"Diola lie. Amin harmuva onalle e' cormamin (Thank you. I shall treasure you gift in my heart)," he said, relieved that he would have something to keep that would remind him of her.
"Let's go." Arwen took his hand and let him into the Hall of Fire.
* * *
"Today, we have gathered here in the Hall of Fire for something other than our Elvish tales and stories," Elrond said.
He looked at his family, Aragorn, Gandalf, and Celeborn and Galadriel, who had just arrived from Lothlórien.
"It is time."
Everyone gathered around Elrond, as if shielding him from some unknown danger.
"Elladan, Elrohoir," the Lord said. "When we go into the porthole, you two will go in at the same time, therefore combining the two of you together into one person. This will make it even harder for Sauron to find us. No complaints. I do not even want to hear about it. "
The twins looked at each other in horror. *Wonderful. We're going to be ONE PERSON?!?! * they thought in unison.
"Enough of this," Gandalf interrupted. "Sauron's forces are moving quickly. The Nine have already left."
"When?" Elrond asked quickly.
"On Midsummer's Eve."
Aragorn and Arwen looked at each other uncomfortably. Midsummer's Eve was when they had bound themselves to each other.
"Quel marth (Good luck)," Aragorn said, stepping away with Gandalf, Celeborn, and Galadriel.
"Yala I aman tel' seldarine o edain, a nauva edain (Summon the bless of man, to be mortal). Take our immortality," Elrond chanted softly.
In a flash of searing light, everything changed. No longer immortal, they started to take their mortal forms.
*They look so different* Aragorn thought with shock.
*It had never occurred to him that this transformation would steal Arwen's beauty* Galadriel thought sadly.
"Would you like to leave?" Galadriel whispered to Aragorn, barely moving her mouth.
"No," Aragorn said stubbornly. "Tanya n'farnuva (That will not suffice)."
"Suit yourself," Celeborn said.
Taking a shaky breath, Elrond continued.
"Amin yala lema ed' templa, lema ed' ando en' templa, ar' irma haennon (I summon teleport, gate travel, and dimension door)."
An enormous rush of wind greeted them as a porthole opened in front of the family.
Utter silence followed.
"Amin nauva yeste' (I will go first)," Elrond said. "Then you, Celebrían. Next will be Elladan and Elrohoir, TOGETHER, and last, Arwen."
*Diola lie, Ada* Arwen thought to herself. She was grateful that her father would let her say good-bye to Aragorn without him staring at her.
Elrond walked straight into the porthole, disappearing instantly. His wife followed him, vanishing completely as Elrond had done before. The twins went in at the same time, obeying their father's wishes, and walking out of sight as quickly as their parents.
Arwen was the last to go, pausing a bit as she turned around.
Aragorn held his breath, watching as Arwen turned, meeting his eyes for the last time in years to come.
*Amin mela lie (I love you). Remember these words always: Elen síla lumenn omentilmo (A star shall shine on the hour of our meeting)* Arwen thought to Aragorn.
He nodded, acknowledging her request of him. Aragorn's hand reached up to his neck, grasping her Evenstar necklace.
Then, Arwen disappeared.
At first, it did not register in his brain that Arwen was indeed gone. And then, the tears came. Finally, Aragorn could not hold them in any longer. He turned way from the others and sought out the safety of him room.
* * *
That night, when Aragorn looked out into the sky, all was dark. The star did not shine and his heat was weeping fro his lost love.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hey, ppls. Dun worry, this story has a very happy ending! (Just in case ur wondering. Oh, and if I get a lot more reviews for this chapter, and the rest of my story, I'll post two chapters the next time! (And u'll just have to find out how many "a lot" is!) (
*Why does she have to go?* Aragorn asked himself again. He looked at the beautiful Elven face of Arwen. Aragorn sighed, hearing Elrond's voice in his head; Elrond's answer to that question when Aragorn had asked him before.
"You know, Aragorn. Why do you think you carry the burden of the name 'Estel'? You are the only one who can defeat Sauron. You are the only one he fears. You are the hope of Middle Earth," Elrond had said. "Now, he's trying to find a weakness in you, one that he can use to have an advantage over you. And he's found it: love, your love for Arwen. Sauron knows that you will do anything for Arwen, anything at all to protect her from harm. He will take her, and play with you. Will you save Middle Earth or Arwen? And if you try to attempt both, yo9u will most certainly fail. He'll destroy one while you're saving the other. I will not let my daughter be taken be Sauron." Here Elrond had stopped, glaring at Aragorn. Then his gaze had softened. "Nor will I let you take on such a heavy burden by yourself. Even if you think you can try to protect her, you will need help. Leave Arwen's safety to us. Let us help, her family. That is why she must go." Then Elrond had left him there, leaving him to dwell on his thoughts alone that day.
*What is he to say what I can and cannot do?* Aragorn thought angrily, clenching his fists.
"Aragorn?" Arwen asked, looking up as she detected his change of mood. "What's wrong? Her soft hands caressed his face, bringing tears to his eyes.
When he didn't answer, Arwen sat up and brought his face around to look at her.
"Answer me, Aragorn," she demanded.
Aragorn exhaled deeply, willing his tears not to flow from his eyes. He would not cry, not now at least. Aragorn wiped his tears away before Arwen could see them.
"It's not right of me."
"Not right of you to what?"
"To wish you weren't going away," Aragorn said bitterly.
"Melamin (my love), if you think it's selfish of you, it is most certainly not!" Arwen declared.
"But I should be worried about your safety more than whether or not you will remember me," Aragorn said angrily.
"And by thinking like that, it means that you care for me and wish for my safety!" Arwen argued.
Aragorn chuckled a little, giving in at last. "Remind me to never argue with you. You'll always find a way to win."
Arwen smiled to herself, satisfied that she had managed to cheer Aragorn up. Snuggling against Aragorn once more, she closed her eyes, smiling blissfully as the sound of his heartbeat echoed through her ears.
Her smile soon faded.
"Aragorn, Arwen," Elladan called. "It's time."
Suddenly, a wave of unexpected tears hit Aragorn again. He turned away, releasing Arwen's hand and getting up to walk back in.
Arwen stood up and grasped his hand tightly again, motioning for Elladan to leave them.
"Wait, Aragorn."
She slipped something cold and hard into his hand.
"For you."
Aragorn stared down in astonishment at the Evenstar jewel nestled, sparkling and radiating with its own light, in his hand.
"What?" he trailed off.
"Something for you to remember me by, and my symbol of immortality." She grinned a little at him. "Because I have every intention to come back. "
"Diola lie. Amin harmuva onalle e' cormamin (Thank you. I shall treasure you gift in my heart)," he said, relieved that he would have something to keep that would remind him of her.
"Let's go." Arwen took his hand and let him into the Hall of Fire.
* * *
"Today, we have gathered here in the Hall of Fire for something other than our Elvish tales and stories," Elrond said.
He looked at his family, Aragorn, Gandalf, and Celeborn and Galadriel, who had just arrived from Lothlórien.
"It is time."
Everyone gathered around Elrond, as if shielding him from some unknown danger.
"Elladan, Elrohoir," the Lord said. "When we go into the porthole, you two will go in at the same time, therefore combining the two of you together into one person. This will make it even harder for Sauron to find us. No complaints. I do not even want to hear about it. "
The twins looked at each other in horror. *Wonderful. We're going to be ONE PERSON?!?! * they thought in unison.
"Enough of this," Gandalf interrupted. "Sauron's forces are moving quickly. The Nine have already left."
"When?" Elrond asked quickly.
"On Midsummer's Eve."
Aragorn and Arwen looked at each other uncomfortably. Midsummer's Eve was when they had bound themselves to each other.
"Quel marth (Good luck)," Aragorn said, stepping away with Gandalf, Celeborn, and Galadriel.
"Yala I aman tel' seldarine o edain, a nauva edain (Summon the bless of man, to be mortal). Take our immortality," Elrond chanted softly.
In a flash of searing light, everything changed. No longer immortal, they started to take their mortal forms.
*They look so different* Aragorn thought with shock.
*It had never occurred to him that this transformation would steal Arwen's beauty* Galadriel thought sadly.
"Would you like to leave?" Galadriel whispered to Aragorn, barely moving her mouth.
"No," Aragorn said stubbornly. "Tanya n'farnuva (That will not suffice)."
"Suit yourself," Celeborn said.
Taking a shaky breath, Elrond continued.
"Amin yala lema ed' templa, lema ed' ando en' templa, ar' irma haennon (I summon teleport, gate travel, and dimension door)."
An enormous rush of wind greeted them as a porthole opened in front of the family.
Utter silence followed.
"Amin nauva yeste' (I will go first)," Elrond said. "Then you, Celebrían. Next will be Elladan and Elrohoir, TOGETHER, and last, Arwen."
*Diola lie, Ada* Arwen thought to herself. She was grateful that her father would let her say good-bye to Aragorn without him staring at her.
Elrond walked straight into the porthole, disappearing instantly. His wife followed him, vanishing completely as Elrond had done before. The twins went in at the same time, obeying their father's wishes, and walking out of sight as quickly as their parents.
Arwen was the last to go, pausing a bit as she turned around.
Aragorn held his breath, watching as Arwen turned, meeting his eyes for the last time in years to come.
*Amin mela lie (I love you). Remember these words always: Elen síla lumenn omentilmo (A star shall shine on the hour of our meeting)* Arwen thought to Aragorn.
He nodded, acknowledging her request of him. Aragorn's hand reached up to his neck, grasping her Evenstar necklace.
Then, Arwen disappeared.
At first, it did not register in his brain that Arwen was indeed gone. And then, the tears came. Finally, Aragorn could not hold them in any longer. He turned way from the others and sought out the safety of him room.
* * *
That night, when Aragorn looked out into the sky, all was dark. The star did not shine and his heat was weeping fro his lost love.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hey, ppls. Dun worry, this story has a very happy ending! (Just in case ur wondering. Oh, and if I get a lot more reviews for this chapter, and the rest of my story, I'll post two chapters the next time! (And u'll just have to find out how many "a lot" is!) (