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Eruwaedhen and Uidor arrived at Imladris two days later. Branwen, Cirdurwen, and Cirdoliel asked her many questions concerning the company's misfortune, and Eruwaedhen told all she knew. As the winter's hold on the land loosened, she spun, wove, sewed, and mended to pass the time. Sometimes she visited the horses in the stable, bitterly regretting the loss of her mare.
Twelve days after Eruwaedhen had returned, the hunters arrived at Imladris. By great good providence, none of them had been lost. Elladan carried a forlorn lady sideways before him on his saddle. Though Celebrían was wearing fine clothes her sons had brought for her, her silver hair was disheveled and her face was wan and doleful. Elladan and Elrohir supported their mother to the healing quarters, where Elrond and Arwen anxiously waited, and laid her on a bed.
"Go," Elrond commanded his children. "Do not enter, save at my call. I will return when I may." All three of them left the room, the curtain closing behind them.
Evening came. Aearon strolled wearily about on the stone walks in the garden, until the glint of a silver circlet caught his eye. Aearon saw that it was the Lord Glorfindel. Glorfindel fixed his eyes on Aearon and walked up to him.
"Mae l'ovannen," Glorfindel greeted. Aearon bowed.
"I am a coward, my lord," Aearon replied flatly. "I fear the blame for these troubles is mine."
"You fought well when in the company of the Lady's sons, they tell me. Wherefore should you think such?"
"I left the Lady in her coil while I was safe. Is that not cowardice?"
"I cannot say, for I was not there. Aearon, tell me what you know."
Aearon sighed inwardly, but related the whole tale.
"Aearon," Glorfindel said, putting his hand on the other Elf's shoulder, "you must not blame yourself for the woes of this world. It is not upon your head that Lady Celebrían chose to go through the Pass, though you beseeched her to forebear. Was she not the lady, and you the servant? What more could you have done? I call that not cowardice.
"Furthermore, even when you were in the Redhorn Pass, you fought to the bitter end. The finches bear witness to that fact. You did not forsake your mistress. It is through no fault of yours that you were overcome at the last. The choice that you made, upon your awakening, to follow your lady was a wise one."
"But to turn back without avenging my lady! Is that valour?" Aearon shut his jaw. "Goheno nîn, hîr vuin. I should not have raised my voice against you."
"There was naught more you could have done than what you had done. If you had gone in, essaying a rescue, you would have been slain, and we may never have known where the Lady was, or what had become of her: and she would have died in the Orc-den, or suffered longer torment. It is through you that she has been saved. Heniach nîn?"
"Henion, hîr vuin."
"Ma."
Aearon bowed and left.
Sindarin translations:
Mae l'ovannen = Well met
Goheno nîn, hîr vuin = Forgive me, my lord
Heniach nîn? = Do you understand?
Henion = I understand
Ma = Good
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