Disclaimer: See chapter one, part one.
Chapter seventeen. In the End.
When Frodo awoke, he found that he was lying on a soft bed. His vision blurred and for a moment, he thought that he was back in Shire and that Bilbo was waiting for him with a fresh boiled eggs and newly baked bread.
However, above his head swayed wide beech boughs and through their leafs sunlight glimmered in gold. The sun warmed his skin and he felt an almost unbelievable sense of peace swim through his body.
Suddenly memory dawned on him and he shot up in the bed and looked around trying to figure out where he was.
"No don`t" he yelped.
"Do not what?" a voice spoke from behind.
With that, Gandalf stood before him, robed in white, his beard gleaming like pure snow and his eyes twinkled in the sun.
"Well Master Frodo…how do you feel" he said.
Frodo lay back and stared with open mouth, for a moment he could not believe his own eyes, then his heart filled with a great joy, and he could not answer. At last, he gasped.
"Gandalf! I though you were dead. But then again I thought my self dead as well…. what has happened to the world!"
"A great shadow has departed," said Gandalf.
"How do I feel?" cried Frodo happily. " Well I do not know how to say it. I feel….I feel" he waved his arms in the air, " I feel like spring after winter, I feel like signing with all the trumpets and harps in the world I feel…." He trailed off as deep sense of emptiness suddenly washed over him. There was something missing, that comforting feeling that had given him strength all through Mordor. It was gone. He opened his mouth to say something, but then changed his mind and instead asked.
"But how is Sam….I hope he is alright he had such a cruel time".
"I am alright!" said Sam happily and Frodo turned his head and saw his friend standing in the doorway, and had his ears not stopped it, the smile would have cut his face in two.
"But you sure are a sleepy head…it is already noon" he said.
"Noon…noon of what day?" Frodo asked sitting up in the bed again.
"The fourteenth of the New Year" said Gandalf. " Or the eighteenth of April in Shire reckoning. But in Gondor a new age began when the Ring was destroyed and the Dark Lord Sauron fell…on march 25 and you where brought out of the fire and to the king"
"But…. but the others, Legolas and Boromir did you not rescue them as well?" Frodo stuttered. He remembered how he and Sam had suddenly stumbled over them as they tried to flee from the crumbling mountain. He had yelled at them, saying that they must not go inside. But they had, and they had not returned.
A gray shadow flickered across Gandalf`s face and he shook his head.
"There was only you and Sam," he said slowly and Frodo felt his heart jolt. Then what Feavair had been fighting all alone had captured her in the very end.
"In the end, not even I could hinder him"
"Let us not think about that now," said Sam softly seeing the struggles on his master's face.
"You shall eat and drink with the King," said Gandalf ripping him out of his thoughts.
"The King?" asked Frodo. "What King and who is he?"
"The King of Gondor and the Lord of the Western Lands" said Gandalf. " He has taken back his ancient realm and he will ride soon to his crowing, but he waits for you"
When they had washed, dressed, and eaten a light meal the two hobbits followed Gandalf. They stepped out on a long green lawn battered in sunlight bordered with stately dark leaved trees laden with blossom. Behind them, they could hear the sound of falling water, and a stream ran before them between the flowering banks.
Sam awed at everything, but Frodo could not help thinking about Feavair and the others. No matter how hard he tried to enjoy this, his memory returned to all those time she had helped him and how she had saved their lives. The only thing she had wanted was for him to not follow her, for him to not see her. In the end, not even that simple wish had been granted her.
They were surprised to be greeted by knights in bright mail and tall guards in silver and black, who welcomed them with honor and bowed before them, one blew a trumped and they went on through the aisle of trees and beyond. So came they to a wide green land and beyond it was a broad river in silver and on it laid many ships glittering in the sun. However, on the field where they now stood, great hosts where drawn up in ranks and they raised their swords as the hobbits approached.
He thought about the stories she had told them, how she had held his hands and lead him through the darkness, how her words had comforted him in the cold and dark nights. How she had sat, awaken, keeping watch over them as they rested and how she had eased his burden.
They went forward and saw that amidst the clamorous host were set three high-seats build of green turfs. Behind the seat upon the right floated, white on green a great horse running free, and beside it a gigantic white dog barked happily.
Frodo closed his eyes briefly and was brought back to the Watchtower at Amon Sûl all those weeks ago. How Feavair had helped them even then.
He remembered the words he had heard spoken to her in the high tower and he shuddered. No matter how hard he tried he could not forget and he could not enjoy what was happening around him.
On the throne sat a mail-clad man, a great sword was laid across his knees and he wore no helm. As they drew near he rose and then they knew him, changed he was, so high and glad of face, kingly, lord of Men and dark-haired with gray hairs.
Sam ran to meet him and Frodo followed close behind him.
"Well if that isn't the crown of all " Sam laughed, " Strider or I am still asleep!"
"Yes, Sam, Strider" said Aragorn "It is a long way, is it not, from Bree where you did not like the look of me? A long way for us all but yours have been the darkest road"
Then shouts of prays and glory echoed through the green valley and all the great lords and knight, even the king him self, knelt before them. Sam looked close to tears and Frodo looked down in the ground. He felt like they did not deserve this honor it was she who had helped them, she had sacrificed her self.
It was Feavair who felt like an unforgivable sinner and he wished so much he could have given her some kind of peace in the end.
They were lead away to a great feast in their honor, and they sat at the King's table with Gandalf and Eomer of Rohan, and Gimli. Next to the dwarf were three empty seats and Frodo felt his heart shudder for he knew who should have been seated in the chairs and joined their celebration.
After the Standing Silence, wine was brought and there came two esquires to serve the king, or so it seemed. One was clad in silver and sable of the Guards of Minas Thirit, the other was clad in green. However, Sam wondered what such young boys were doing in an army of mighty men. Then suddenly as they drew near and he could see them plainly he exclaimed.
"Look Mr. Frodo. Look here! Well is it is not Pippin. Mr. Peregrin Took I should say and Mr. Merry. How they have grown. Bless me! But I can see there's more tales to tell then ours"
"There are indeed," laughed Merry turning towards him.
"And we will begin telling them as soon as this feast has ended. In the meantime, you can try Gandalf. He is not to close as he used to be; though he laughs more then he talks. For the presence, Pippin and I are busy. We are knights of the City and the Mark, as I hope you observe"
Frodo turned and smiled at his two friends his heart swelling with joy as he saw them safe and sound. Pippin was scanning the room not able to meet any eyes. At last, his eyes rested on the three empty chairs and a dark shadow flickered across his face. He then meet Frodo`s eyes and he slowly shook his head.
The glad ended and when the Sun was gone and the round Moon rode slowly above the mists of Anduin and flickered trees amid the fragrance of fair Ithilien. They talked deep into the night with Merry, Pippin, Gandalf and Gimli.
There Frodo and Sam learned much of all that had happened to the Company after their fellowship was broken on that evil day at Parth Galen by Rauros Falls, and there still there was always more to ask and more to tell.
Orcs and talking trees, leagues of grass and galloping riders and glittering caves, white towers and golden halls. All this passed through Sam`s mind until he felt bewildered, but amidst all these wonder he returned always to his astonishment at the size of Merry and Pippin and he made them stand back to back with Frodo and him self.
He scratched his head. "Can't understand it, at your age!" he said.
"But there it is, you are three inches taller then you ought to be, or I am a dwarf"
"That you certainly are not," said Gimli laughing. "But what did I say? Mortals cannot go drinking ent-draughts and expect no more to come of them than of pot of beer"
"Ent-draughts" said Frodo. "There you go about Ents again; but what they are beats me. Why it will take weeks before we get all these things sized up"
"Weeks indeed" said Pippin "And then Frodo will have to be locked up in a tower in Minas Tirith and write it all down. Otherwise he will forget half of it and poor old Bilbo will be dreadfully disappointed"
The others laughed and finally a silence settled over them, and now Frodo knew he had to get answer to some of the questions that raged through his mind.
"We meet Faramir…does anybody know if he is okay?" he asked. Pippin, Merry and Gandalf exchanged glances, at last Gandalf nodded.
"Yes it he…he has been hurt in the battles, but he is healing"
"Tell me…Gandalf that white wolf like creature that has been running around on a field with Shadowfax…and is now sitting under the trees, who is he?" Sam asked and they all turned their heads in the direction of the white wolf. It turned its head, his brown eyes twinkled, and Sam chuckled.
"T`quel, that old rascal"
"Yes, that is T`quel the bravest dog to walk the earth, now in white as I am" laughed Gandalf.
The wind started to blow playfully around them and it twirled through T`quel`s fur as the dog rose and turned his head in the direction of Mordor. Then it howled a long and hollow howl that echoed through the valleys.
The others sat still watching T`quel, and then the dog turned its head to them again and its eyes were filled with sorrow.
"I wish I had not said it. Though I knew I could not stop them…I wish I had" Pippin said suddenly, and Merry put a hand on his shoulder.
"Do not think of it Took, you could not have stopped them more then I can fly"
"Who?" Sam asked.
"Alas, Legolas and Boromir determined to follow after Lady Feavair, even though she forbid it" Pippin said and stared at T`quel.
"Feavair….I can still see her in my mind" Sam muttered sadly and the others stared at him bewildered and it dawned on him and Frodo that they had not told them that Feavair had traveled with them all the way through Mordor.
"So you did meet her" Gandalf mused and Frodo and Sam nodded.
"Yes…but that is a tale we should spare for tomorrow….it is getting late" Sam said seeing the pain that flickered across Frodo`s face at the memory.
"Yes…tomorrow, we shall learn the tale of the Last Spirit Weaver," said Gandalf.
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