A/N: I've posted this and chapter 14 together. Please see chapter 14 for notes.
Chapter 15
The quotations in this chapter come from Return of the King, pp. 346-347
As Elewen's students got on with new lives in Rohan and Ithilien, the Ringbearers prepared to depart Middle Earth forever. Frodo and Bilbo would go with the Elves to Valinor, the first Hobbits to ever go there. They had borne the Ring of Power, and had earned a rest. Bilbo and Frodo were both worn out, Bilbo from his long life, and Frodo from the difficulties of bearing the Ring to Mordor. Often his old injury, inflicted by a Morgul blade, pained him, and life in Middle Earth, even the Shire, was difficult. Two years after the War of the Ring, Frodo and Sam rode to meet Elrond and Galadriel on the road. The two Hobbits rode with the Elves to the Grey Havens.
When they arrived in the Havens, the two Hobbits saw a figure wearing all white. Gandalf was waiting for them. They had not known that he would sail with them, but they were relieved to see him. Now that there was no need for secrecy, all could see a red ring on his finger. It was Narya, the Third Ring, which he had borne far since his arrival in Middle Earth.
Merry and Pippin arrived only a moment later, much to Frodo and Sam's surprise. Pippin explained, "You tried to give us the slip once before and failed, Frodo. This time you have nearly succeeded, but you have failed again. It was not Sam, though, that gave you away this time, but Gandalf himself!"
Gandalf nodded. "Yes, for it will be better to ride back three together than one alone." As he spoke, the Hobbits noticed a weariness in the wizard that seemed odd. He'd seemed subdued on the road back to Rivendell from Gondor, but now he seemed exhausted. The revelation that he bore Narya seemed to explain it, though, so they thought little more of it. "Well, here at last, dear friends, on the shores of the Sea comes the end of our fellowship in Middle-earth. Go in peace! I will not say: do not weep; for not all tears are an evil."
Indeed, the hobbits shed tears as Frodo left them, but despite his advice to them, Gandalf withheld the tears his own grief should have brought. To most, he seemed simply tired, but Elrond and Galadriel, who were also worn thin from the pressure of bearing their own rings, realized there was something more to it. The exhaustion they saw in Gandalf went beyond what they might attribute to Narya. To those who did not know him well, the wizard seemed well, if subdued, and it was only his closest companions who noticed the change.
The small party left the Grey Havens in a ship provided by Círdan and passed beyond the bent seas and onto the Straight Road to Valinor. The sailing was pleasant and the journey quiet, but Gandalf was restless. One evening, after the others had gone to their beds, Elrond found Gandalf at the prow of the ship, looking out towards Valinor.
"What troubles you, my friend?" Elrond asked.
"Is it that obvious?"
"No, but we have known each other for many years. I would be a poor friend, indeed, if I did not notice that something is bothering you. You are exhausted, but more than Galadriel or I, and I know there is more to it than your work in Middle Earth these many years."
"I feel guilty for Elewen's death. She offered to come with us to Mordor, and I was quick to agree, and she died because of it. She was an excellent warrior, and I never thought anything would happen to her. She had survived so long alone, without even her own people to help her, and I told myself that no orc would ever slay her. It weighs heavily on my conscience."
"And your heart, it seems." The idea that there had ever been something between the two of them was odd, but there was something in Gandalf's tone and in his eyes that told more than his words. Despite the strangeness, the idea seemed right to Elrond, even though it was unlikely.
Gandalf just sighed. "She was a friend, and I do not think it ever would have been more, even so, the loss of a friend can be hard to bear." Elrond didn't react outwardly, but the confirmation that Gandalf did care for Elewen—as much more than a friend—shocked him. His mother, Lúthien, had been the child of a union between a Maia and an Elf, but for it to happen again would be, at very least, unexpected*. Only twice—no, thrice, Elrond corrected himself—had a Man married an Elf, so a second marriage between a Maia and an Elf seemed even less likely. Even so, the wizard had made no attempt to correct his perception.
"I know. I know I will soon see my wife again, but I often wonder what the fate of Men is when they die. I wonder if I will ever be reunited with my brother*."
"I have no more knowledge of that than you, Elrond." Not even Manwë knew the fate of Men after they departed Middle Earth.
With more questions than answers, the two of them stayed at the prow in companionable silence for a long time, looking toward the West. Eventually, Elrond retired, leaving Gandalf to his thoughts.
The ship carrying the Ringbearers arrived in Valinor to great rejoicing. For Elrond and Galadriel, it was a reunion with Celbrían. Many of the Elves who had come with them were reunited with loved ones. Many were crying tears of joy. Bilbo and Frodo tried to hang back and avoid notice, but the Elves of Valinor quickly swept them into the celebration along with the Elven arrivals.
Gandalf saw Elewen's parents waiting there, searching for their daughter. Disappointment filled their faces when they realized their daughter wasn't there. In Middle Earth, Legolas had spared Gandalf most of the explanations, for which he had been grateful, but Legolas had remained in Middle Earth, so it fell to him to tell them about their daughter's death. He made his way through the crowd to them. They didn't recognize him, because he had never appeared in this form in Valinor before, but they did recognize Elewen's sword hanging from his belt alongside Glamdring.
Dread filling his eyes, Elewen's father, Veryandil**, was the first to speak. "What's happened to Elewen?" he asked.
"She fell in the final battle with Sauron. She asked me to bring this to you." Gandalf removed the sword from his belt and handed it to the Elf. "She died fighting evil, just like she lived while she was in Middle Earth."
The Elves both fought for composure. They'd realized something was wrong when they saw Gandalf with Elewen's sword, so the news was not completely a surprise, but it was still painful. For the rest of the Elves there, though, it was a time for celebration, so they hid their grief as well as they could. "Thank you," Elewen's mother, Maline***, said softly, and the two of them disappeared into the crowd, choosing not to spoil the celebration with their own grief. There would be time for questions later. A few of their kin followed them to lend what comfort they could.
Pushing thoughts of Elewen from his mind, Gandalf walked over to where Elrond and Galadriel stood with Celebrían.
"Mithrandir!" Celebrían greeted him.
"Perhaps we should again call you Olórin, my friend," Galadriel said. She was trying to raise his spirits by reminding him of the life he'd had here before, but it didn't seem to work. She hadn't pressed for answers, but it was obvious that something was weighing on him.
"I care not what name you use. It is good to see you, Celebrían." Gandalf smiled at the Elf, but the smile was forced.
"Have any of you had contact with Elewen? I half expected her to come with you."
Galadriel sighed and explained the story to her daughter, saving Gandalf from telling the story again. Celebrían paled, but soon recovered, playing the role of hostess as well as she could. "It is sad news, but let's not dwell on it. Come. We've prepared a feast to welcome you back."
* Elrond and his twin brother Elros were the sons of Lúthien and Beren. Lúthien was the daughter of Melian and Thingol. Beren was human, and the twins were given the choice to be either Men or Elves. Elrond chose to be and Elf, but Elros chose to be a Man and was the first of the Númenoreans. Celebrían, who was Elrond's wife and the daughter of Celeborn and Galadriel, was injured and poisoned by an Orc attack and left for Valinor earlier in the Third Age.
**Maline: Means yellow.
***Veryandil: Means bold friend.