Author: Arinya
Rating:R
Summary: Sam is forced to retell all the things that happened after the Fellowship had succeeded in destroying the Ring. All the members of the Fellowship have their own problems. Darkness returns, and Love struggles to conquer all. But as the problems mount up to a peak, can they survive? And can Sam bear telling his audience the true story?
Chapter Nineteen: Reminders
Gandalf sat in a chair over a balcony. He smoked his pipe and looked on into the distance. Narya felt warm against his chest, underneath the folds of his white robes. He feared for the ring, he feared for himself, but most of all, for all the others. The ring of fire, which had rekindled his spirit on the mountain against the balrog, and rallied the men, elves, dwarves, and hobbits together, felt heavier. His mind was so weary, and he tried to be careful of his actions. Elrond should have felt the change in the link of the rings. He should have felt it as well. But as to why, he did not know. Was it that the change was so subtle and neither could notice?
Or was it because the change was so slight that it had made almost no difference? He was worried, very worried. Now that two rings had been captured, he could not use Narya. He had to resist from ever putting it on his finger again, but recent desire burned. Galadriel was reaching out to him, to Narya, and he knew. Even Gandalf the White had secrets, dark secrets. He knew he could take the ring from Galadriel and purify it again, return her to the light as well. But the price was so great, he did now know if losing himself would be worth the trouble.
He heard light snores from Sam who was asleep in the room behind him and allowed a very small smile. Hobbits were a thing to behold, and they brought a smile to anyone who would look upon them. It seemed, that now was the perfect time for one.
Gandalf was not surprised as he saw Celeborn approach the balcony, seeking the night air.
"How are you faring Celeborn?"
"My heart is in pain, but I can bear it so long as I have hope for her future"
They both knew who 'her' was.
"She's trying to stretch her gaze towards the palantiris we had hidden long ago" said Gandalf
"She knows where two of them are, she helped to put them away" said Celeborn in alarm
"Yes...but one of them she can never recover. The one who cast into the Fires of Mount Doom is lost forever, she will not gain sight over all things"
"For that I am grateful, yet the ones in Helm's Deep's ravine and Rivendell's underground water network, she knows. I was relieved to find that she had not recovered the one in Rivendell."
"She has not forgotten, merely busy with other affairs"
Affairs...the word sounded dirty to Celeborn.
Celeborn let the night wind push his silver hair back.
"So cold...yet comforting..." he murmured.
"The night reminds you of many things Celeborn"
"Yes, it does"