Chapter II - The Three Rings

"Three Rings for Elven-kings under the sky,..."
The Ring Poem, J.R.R. Tolkien
September 29, 3021:

Merry, Pippen, and Sam watched as the ship bearing Frodo, Bilbo, Gandalf and many Elves sailed through the Gulf of Lune, away from the Gray Havens. With sad hearts, they turned and rode slowly back to the shire.

The sun began to set as the ship sailed out of the Gulf of Lune. As they sailed toward the radiant colors in the west, the bearers of the three Elven rings decided to rid theselves of their last connection to Middle Earth. They calmly walked toward the port side of the majestic vessel, and in almost perfect unison, removed their own rings, casting them into the water. They watched intently, as the rings sank at an unusually slow rate.

Before the rings disapeared from site, a rather large, silver fish swam up and swallowed them. With heads solemnly bowed, Gandalf, Galadriel and Elrond turned and walked away. Unbeknownst to them, two sharp, skillful eyes watched them as they ceremonially discarded the symbols of the power they had once wielded.

When the sun had set and a full moon rested high above the horizon, a shadow swooped over the Gulf of Lune from the south. It searched the water silently for several minutes, then wih amazing agility, dipped its legs into the water. The dark, winged figure then soared back into the air and flew south, tightly holding its prey. If someone had been watching then, they might have seen the moonlight reflected off hundreds of silver scales being carried through the night sky.