The time spent on the ship passed uneventfully. Port side, the shore line
came and went, again and again, while to their starboard side the Sea
steadily churned, unchanging in its ancient ways. For the most part the
weather was bearable: the rain was minute, and storms were rare. The days
were often windy, which kept them comfortably cool.
There was nothing much for Argalen to do onboard, as far as work went. The small craft was maintained easily enough by it's crew, and Argalen was simply acting as a passenger. She spent much of her time sketching the never changing sea-scape, or catching up on her lore with the few books that were kept below decks. Sometimes she would talk with Galdor, or one of the other elves about a variety of different subjects. But more often than not, she would stay in solitude, thinking things over.
It was one of those nights when, as she stood leaning on the gunwale in the breezy, starlit darkness, that Galdor came up from below, hoping to talk to her. As he walked up, she turned to greet him.
"Hello, Galdor," she said. "May I ask what it takes to bring you out there, at this time of night?" she smiled.
"Oh, nothing much," he answered, joining her near some rigging. "Just the need of a lonely friend, when I recognize it." He looked at her, and as he spoke he noticed her expression sadden. "You haven't been yourself at all lately, Argalen. I wish you would tell me what the problem is. I'm here to help."
She looked at him as she would a brother, and then noticed the seriousness in his eyes. Argalen sighed, "I'm no longer the elf I was, Galdor. We may be long-lived, but all the sorrows of Middle-earth are taking their toll on me. I have no real reason to remain here, with no parents or any other living kin. The only thing that keeps me from going West is . . ." Her voice trailed off into nothing. "I don't know what."
"Maybe," he began to suggest, "you stay because the people here care so much for you?"
"Galdor --"
"No, I'm serious. So many have taken you in and cared for you because of who you are and not because they feel obligated towards your father. You really mean a lot, to a lot of people, Argalen, though you may not see it, yet." He looked at her, hoping to see some acknowledgment.
She stood quiet for a moment, and then began to speak. "Do you really expect me to believe that?"
"I believe it."
Argalen looked down into the water, seeming defeated. "I know you do," she said, leaning onto his shoulder. "I know."
The two stood together for a while, silently, with the feeling that the slightest sound above the gentle lapping of the waves upon the hull would break that perfect moment of tranquility. After about an hour or so, Galdor began to speak. "Argalen, do you remember the first time we met, when you arrived at the Havens?"
Standing with her head rested on his shoulder, she sighed. "I do. It was such a long time ago, and I was so young, but I remember it perfectly. Elrond had just returned with the remnants of the Last Alliance, and with tidings of what had happened to my father. My mother died, from the pain it left her with. I remember that Elrond felt that it was still too dangerous for me to be living that far east in those days, being that I was the only child of Gil-galad, not to mention the last full-blooded descendant of Finwë."
She stopped for a moment, and breathed in the heavy salt air, trying to ease her tension. Then she started to speak again. "Since it was so unsafe for me there, in Rivendell, he thought it'd be best if I went someplace more secure, which is why he sent me to Mithlond. After all, if there were a sudden emergency I could easily be placed aboard a ship and be spared. Of course, because of my age I couldn't make the journey by myself, so he had Glorfindel take me, as an escort. We were in no particular hurry, and so we got to know each other quite well while we were out on the road. He was the one who taught me how to ride horseback, and the first to have me use a sword.
"But once we did reach the Havens I remember feeling so alone. There were all older elves there, no one near my own age. And whenever a new group came it was just to board the ships to Valinor. Círdan was there, but his age made it hard for such a young elf to connect with him, and he was often pre-occupied trying to maintain order with the departures, and such.
"And then I met you. You were still older than I was, but you were the closest one to my age. You made me feel so welcome and comfortable; I finally had someone I felt I could talk to, that would understand me." Then Argalen looked up at him, the tears forming at the corners of her eyes blurring the already dark setting. "I'm glad you were there for me, Galdor," she said. "I don't know what I would've done without you."
As Argalen turned and collapsed into him, Galdor wrapped his arms around his friend, trying to console her. He had stood there listening, while she told him things that had never been spoken by her lips before. He couldn't offer much, but he could give her the relief of getting her feelings out in the open. All he could do was be there.
* * *
Late next morning, Argalen awoke in her quarters and breathed in the damp ocean air. She had stayed out with Galdor most of the previous night, though much of the time was spent in silence.
She had expected it to be another quiet, uneventful day onboard the ship, but as she emerged from the sub-levels onto the main deck she saw that the whole crew seemed to be busy rushing about. She also noted that they had weighed anchor, and a smaller vessel was being lowered into the water. There was a group of elves standing on the nearby shore.
"Nimros!" she called over to one of the elves, who helped in navigating the ship. "What is happening?"
The elf informed her, as he continued to tie down the main sail. "Early this morning we were hailed by those elves that you see on the land. We weren't sure who they were at first, in the thick fog, but their fires and clear voices led us to believe that they were one of the Wandering Companies, Gildor's folk, it turns out. They seem to have some urgent news to deliver us, concerning our present course. Galdor is going to them now, to learn what he may. Tirnen and Luinfalas go with him."
Argalen looked over and saw Galdor heading towards the gunwale. Hoping to find out more, she called to him.
"Stay here, Argalen," he replied. "I will return shortly. We'll talk then." As he lowered himself into the boat she thought she caught a slight glimpse of irritance in his eye.
Something's wrong, she thought. Why would one of the Wandering Companies hail us ashore? and why is it affecting Galdor this way?
She knew the two were related, but didn't know how. She also couldn't figure out what Galdor had meant when he said he'd 'talk to her later'. Did this all concern her, and if it did, how did he know?
She moved to the prow, to see if perhaps she could get a better view of all the goings-on, but as the three ship-mates reached dry land she realized that they were too far for her to read their expressions, or their lips; and sound did not travel well on the sea-breeze.
Not that it would've helped, anyway. Soon afterwards, they left the boat and moved further inland, to an area with some coverage provided by the trees. Now they were in the shadows, and as best as she could tell their backs were facing her.
She stood there, hour upon hour, waiting for some sign or another that would signify what was going on. She had only gone down to the galley once to eat, after Nimros had practically begged her to go, though she was only down there for a short time.
It was sometime in the mid-afternoon when Argalen had received her first sign of anything: the boat, with all three elves aboard, was returning to the ship. She began to back away from the prow, and headed towards the port side, to aid the others in their re-boarding. The three were shortly back on deck, and seemed to be resettling when Galdor took Argalen by her arm and drew her aside.
She was concerned about the way he was acting; it wasn't like him at all. "Galdor, what is it?" she asked. "What's going on?"
"You'll find out soon enough," he said. "Right now I need you to come with me."
She looked at him, confused. "Go with you? Where?"
"I'm going back to Gildor," he stated. "What he has to say directly concerns you."
She stared blankly at him.
"Me?"
There was nothing much for Argalen to do onboard, as far as work went. The small craft was maintained easily enough by it's crew, and Argalen was simply acting as a passenger. She spent much of her time sketching the never changing sea-scape, or catching up on her lore with the few books that were kept below decks. Sometimes she would talk with Galdor, or one of the other elves about a variety of different subjects. But more often than not, she would stay in solitude, thinking things over.
It was one of those nights when, as she stood leaning on the gunwale in the breezy, starlit darkness, that Galdor came up from below, hoping to talk to her. As he walked up, she turned to greet him.
"Hello, Galdor," she said. "May I ask what it takes to bring you out there, at this time of night?" she smiled.
"Oh, nothing much," he answered, joining her near some rigging. "Just the need of a lonely friend, when I recognize it." He looked at her, and as he spoke he noticed her expression sadden. "You haven't been yourself at all lately, Argalen. I wish you would tell me what the problem is. I'm here to help."
She looked at him as she would a brother, and then noticed the seriousness in his eyes. Argalen sighed, "I'm no longer the elf I was, Galdor. We may be long-lived, but all the sorrows of Middle-earth are taking their toll on me. I have no real reason to remain here, with no parents or any other living kin. The only thing that keeps me from going West is . . ." Her voice trailed off into nothing. "I don't know what."
"Maybe," he began to suggest, "you stay because the people here care so much for you?"
"Galdor --"
"No, I'm serious. So many have taken you in and cared for you because of who you are and not because they feel obligated towards your father. You really mean a lot, to a lot of people, Argalen, though you may not see it, yet." He looked at her, hoping to see some acknowledgment.
She stood quiet for a moment, and then began to speak. "Do you really expect me to believe that?"
"I believe it."
Argalen looked down into the water, seeming defeated. "I know you do," she said, leaning onto his shoulder. "I know."
The two stood together for a while, silently, with the feeling that the slightest sound above the gentle lapping of the waves upon the hull would break that perfect moment of tranquility. After about an hour or so, Galdor began to speak. "Argalen, do you remember the first time we met, when you arrived at the Havens?"
Standing with her head rested on his shoulder, she sighed. "I do. It was such a long time ago, and I was so young, but I remember it perfectly. Elrond had just returned with the remnants of the Last Alliance, and with tidings of what had happened to my father. My mother died, from the pain it left her with. I remember that Elrond felt that it was still too dangerous for me to be living that far east in those days, being that I was the only child of Gil-galad, not to mention the last full-blooded descendant of Finwë."
She stopped for a moment, and breathed in the heavy salt air, trying to ease her tension. Then she started to speak again. "Since it was so unsafe for me there, in Rivendell, he thought it'd be best if I went someplace more secure, which is why he sent me to Mithlond. After all, if there were a sudden emergency I could easily be placed aboard a ship and be spared. Of course, because of my age I couldn't make the journey by myself, so he had Glorfindel take me, as an escort. We were in no particular hurry, and so we got to know each other quite well while we were out on the road. He was the one who taught me how to ride horseback, and the first to have me use a sword.
"But once we did reach the Havens I remember feeling so alone. There were all older elves there, no one near my own age. And whenever a new group came it was just to board the ships to Valinor. Círdan was there, but his age made it hard for such a young elf to connect with him, and he was often pre-occupied trying to maintain order with the departures, and such.
"And then I met you. You were still older than I was, but you were the closest one to my age. You made me feel so welcome and comfortable; I finally had someone I felt I could talk to, that would understand me." Then Argalen looked up at him, the tears forming at the corners of her eyes blurring the already dark setting. "I'm glad you were there for me, Galdor," she said. "I don't know what I would've done without you."
As Argalen turned and collapsed into him, Galdor wrapped his arms around his friend, trying to console her. He had stood there listening, while she told him things that had never been spoken by her lips before. He couldn't offer much, but he could give her the relief of getting her feelings out in the open. All he could do was be there.
* * *
Late next morning, Argalen awoke in her quarters and breathed in the damp ocean air. She had stayed out with Galdor most of the previous night, though much of the time was spent in silence.
She had expected it to be another quiet, uneventful day onboard the ship, but as she emerged from the sub-levels onto the main deck she saw that the whole crew seemed to be busy rushing about. She also noted that they had weighed anchor, and a smaller vessel was being lowered into the water. There was a group of elves standing on the nearby shore.
"Nimros!" she called over to one of the elves, who helped in navigating the ship. "What is happening?"
The elf informed her, as he continued to tie down the main sail. "Early this morning we were hailed by those elves that you see on the land. We weren't sure who they were at first, in the thick fog, but their fires and clear voices led us to believe that they were one of the Wandering Companies, Gildor's folk, it turns out. They seem to have some urgent news to deliver us, concerning our present course. Galdor is going to them now, to learn what he may. Tirnen and Luinfalas go with him."
Argalen looked over and saw Galdor heading towards the gunwale. Hoping to find out more, she called to him.
"Stay here, Argalen," he replied. "I will return shortly. We'll talk then." As he lowered himself into the boat she thought she caught a slight glimpse of irritance in his eye.
Something's wrong, she thought. Why would one of the Wandering Companies hail us ashore? and why is it affecting Galdor this way?
She knew the two were related, but didn't know how. She also couldn't figure out what Galdor had meant when he said he'd 'talk to her later'. Did this all concern her, and if it did, how did he know?
She moved to the prow, to see if perhaps she could get a better view of all the goings-on, but as the three ship-mates reached dry land she realized that they were too far for her to read their expressions, or their lips; and sound did not travel well on the sea-breeze.
Not that it would've helped, anyway. Soon afterwards, they left the boat and moved further inland, to an area with some coverage provided by the trees. Now they were in the shadows, and as best as she could tell their backs were facing her.
She stood there, hour upon hour, waiting for some sign or another that would signify what was going on. She had only gone down to the galley once to eat, after Nimros had practically begged her to go, though she was only down there for a short time.
It was sometime in the mid-afternoon when Argalen had received her first sign of anything: the boat, with all three elves aboard, was returning to the ship. She began to back away from the prow, and headed towards the port side, to aid the others in their re-boarding. The three were shortly back on deck, and seemed to be resettling when Galdor took Argalen by her arm and drew her aside.
She was concerned about the way he was acting; it wasn't like him at all. "Galdor, what is it?" she asked. "What's going on?"
"You'll find out soon enough," he said. "Right now I need you to come with me."
She looked at him, confused. "Go with you? Where?"
"I'm going back to Gildor," he stated. "What he has to say directly concerns you."
She stared blankly at him.
"Me?"
