Chapter 33
September was well on to its end, and the warm October sun was warming the stones of the White City as Berett exited the "gates" of the city. A temporary-but-moveable barricade was in place of the gate until a new one could be made. The Ranger had heard that Gimli had offered to rebuild the gates of mithril and steel, which — he thought — was a generous offer. And, as much as he had tried to adjust to living in Gondor (which was not as hard as he thought), he still could feel like he fully belonged. Which was why he left.
Though King Elessar (and Berett could not think of Aragorn as anything less) had offered to let him stay in the City, Berett wanted to see if he could find a way home. "Who knows," he said before taking leave, "perhaps we'll find a way to travel back and forth. I know the King of Araluen would welcome you."
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Berett had travelled his way down to the city of Dol Amroth before he was forced to stop his journey for a while. Their ports had suffered quite a bit during the Ring War (as it was being called), and thus the city had very few ships. If he wanted to go anywhere, he was told, he would have to wait until the fleet had been rebuilt.
In the end, the wait took a whole two years. During that time however, Berett managed to keep busy. After all, there were still roving bands of Orcs, and — though not in his homeland — he could still do his duty as a Ranger.
Then — while wandering by the docks — he heard about an expedition that meant to sail southward, to uncharted waters, and see if there was an easier way to the eastern coast of Middle-earth. After a little asking around, he found the captain of the expedition and asked if he could join them.
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In his cabin aboard the Haerain Berett watched the land slipping away out the starboard-side window. The Ranger would miss his friends in Middle-earth, but he would always carry a token of his adventures. The beautiful brooch that the Lady of the Golden Wood had given him was among the things that — as Elessar had explained — the ambassador of the Black Land had shown them in his treating with the Host of the West. Also, his weapons and Frodo's had been shown. Gandalf had recovered them and given them back.
Haerain's sister ship, the Berthas, was following close behind as they sailed out of the harbour and down south. Their expedition to uncharted waters had begun.
A few quick notes
Haerain means 'far wandering' (This is a compound name I translated.)
Berthas is a real word (again, one I translated) and it means 'bold undertaking'
And finally, if you're not sure how it would be possible to sail to the eastern coast of Middle-earth, I will include this quote from the book, The Fall of Númenor (about how the world was changed after Númenor was destroyed):
"Men may now sail West, if they will, as far as they may, and come no nearer to Valinor or the Blessed Realm, but return only into the east and so back again; for the world is round, and finite, and a circle inescapable..." (The Fall of Númenor, p.192)
And, in this case, my Gondorian sailors are looking for a 'Southeast Passage' (if you will/can think of it that way) instead of a Northwest Passage.