aaand Arwen's gift to Gimli!
The many, many Rings of Power
accumulated by the Wise
and kept for (kicks) Well-Hidden Value
since Sauron's not-quite-Demise.
Gimli stared at the heap of gold, slack-jawed.
He was aware that he was being very rude, to the Queen of Men of all people, who was struggling to keep a straight face at his incoherence.
And Gimli was not a greedy Dwarf. He just hadn't expected this... this...
'...all this?'
'Yes?'
'But I do not see any design of the Firstborn.'
'Perhaps Father withdrew those, for political reasons.'
'But this looks like Southron make - fit for a maiden!'
'Oh no,' Arwen demurred, smirking at the tiny ring. 'From what I heard of the story, the previous owner made Mithrandir pay through his, mmm, nose when he desired it, but a maiden she was not.'
Gimli's beard bristled.
Arwen knew he was not a greedy Dwarf.
Arwen knew he was a discreet Dwarf entrusted with the disposal of a singular collection which used to entertain the Lord of Imladris.
Which now that the Lord had Sailed, had to be molten and re-molten and made into a coat for some fancy tower in Gondor, so that everybody could plainly see that it did Not. Exist. Anymore. Stop asking. Thank you.
And who better suited for the work than a Dwarf of the Fellowship?
...perhaps Arwen did have some of her Grandmother's gift, in addition to her Father's junk.
'What does that one do?' he asked without hope, trying to estimate the various Magics the enterprisers of Middle-Earth had tailored to their specific needs in the time between Sauron's 'going' and 'coming'.
Such a simple thing, a Ring of Power.
Even a fake one.
On the other hand, one which might or might not be fake...
'It belonged a Rohirric thief. Supposedly, it helps to tame horses. Here's one that never lets the wearer to be singed. Here's one that allows you to breathe underwater. Here's one that points to the exit way. Here's one to clean wounds. I do not know what any of them can really do, though.'
'Nothing for remembrance?' he asked, shaking the visions of a young Captain of Gondor and a Pirate Fleet on fire from his head. Aragorn had some explaining to do.
...Could he even destroy those enchantments?
...Come to think of it, it might be interesting to make some poor fancy tower un-singe-able, horse-taming, underwater-breathing and wound-cleaning. And yes, doing to people whatever that not-maiden did to Gandalf.
Arwen shut the scandalous chest.
'No,' she said, and taking off a narrow silver band, adorned with a beryl oval, offered it to him with a glowing smile of Friendship.
'But this is.'