A group of Elves stood in the underpass of the road beneath the Havens' Bridge. They conversed quietly as a lone rider approached from afar.
"Who is it?"
"Not an elf. Much too small."
"A man? A child?"
"No child would have that much grey in their hair."
"A hobbit. A Perian."
"Perhaps."
"Yes."
"But why?"
Sam saw the fair, grey-clad group and spurred his pony a bit faster. He reached them quickly and dismounted.
"Pardon me..." What could he say?
A sudden spark of recognition caused one elf to cry out.
"Samwise! Samwise Gamgee!"
Haldir of Lorien advanced toward Sam. Relieved, Sam greeted the elf quietly, all too aware of his height among the elven folk.
"Why have you come, Samwise?"
Sam didn't quite know where to begin.
He could smell, even taste the seabreeze before he saw the glimmer of the lapping waves. He could hear the white gulls calling before he saw them circling in lazy flight, crossing and crisscrossing the westering sun, causing shafts of sunlight to play upon the stone pier.
The sight was so devastating and beautiful it was all Sam could do to keep from crying out. The grey boat with white sails was tethered by a length of hithlain to the pier. It swayed slowly, back and forth with the cresting of the waves.
It was playing perfectly before him, a memory from sixty years ago. Everything was the same, save the fact that the elves were leading him onto the ship by means of a small wooden plank. He set foot on the smooth, sanded grey wood of the ship, and it hardly responded to the weight.
He had never cared much for ships, or boats, or even water, for that matter. He tread cautiously across the deck, and when he began to feel the rocking of the waves, hurried to the cabin in the center and grasped a handrail, bracing himself against the wall, and glancing around nervously.
Haldir laughed gently, boarding the boat. "I see, Samwise, that sixty years have all but taken away your fear of boats."
Sam smiled queasily up at the elf. "All but," he said shortly, white-knuckling his anchor.
"Well, at least come with me to the front of the ship and watch our boat depart. I promise I won't let you fall."
Sam took a deep breath and let go of the handrail. He spread his arms for a moment to steady himself, and then bravely began to walk towards the bow of the ship. Haldir followed him, his hand hovering behind the hobbit's back, ready to help him if he faltered.
Finally, he grasped the handrail at the very front of the ship, finding its height sufficient to contain him. Indeed, resting his arms on the rail and putting his chin on his hands required him to stand on tiptoe to see over the rail.
He sighed, looking at the cliffs flanking the setting sun and the horizon. He pulled his cloak closer about him as the cool autumn breeze licked his face and ruffled his curly hair. Just for a moment, he looked back at the harbor.
"I'm leavin' Middle-earth," he said to himself with some incredulity. "I'm leaving. Never to return..."
The immensity of the statement hit him hard, and he turned away his gaze from the harbor. But then the sun began to dip below the horizon, and the clouds shimmered with rose and gold, and shafts of sunlight pierced them, glowing bands of light outstretching. The sight comforted him somewhat in his decision.
"I'm not leavin'. I'm coming. I'm coming."
A few moments later, one of the elves untied the rope tethering the ship to shore, and the deck rocked and shuddered as it pulled off the shallows of the Great Sea. Sam took no notice. He was too deep in thought.
Have you forgotten me?
I remember you.
I've always remembered you.
And as the ship passed out of the harbor, and the cliffs passed out of his peripheral vision, it seemed to him that the grey rain-curtain of this world turned all to silver glass and was rolled back.
Just one chapter and the epilogue to go! Can you feel the excitement? Yes!
Of course, the last couple lines are from both the book and movie of RotK.
Thanks for the reviews, and please keep them coming!