Disclaimer: I own nothing. Obviously, all belongs to Tolkien. Because seriously, Sardhrantor could never have pulled off something like that, could I?
Eruwaedhen paused at the entrance to her Lady's quarters.
"Enter," Celebrían said, in an unusually soft voice.
Eruwaedhen pushed the curtain aside and sat beside her mistress. "My lady, is it well with you?"
Celebrían, even after Elrond had healed her, rarely smiled and never laughed or told a joke after she was attacked. Her face was grim, her eyes ever gazing wistfully westward. She said then, "Boe athra Belegaer."
"Dân Elrond Hîr—nestant hery lín, hiril vuin," Eruwaedhen replied, confused.
The Lady shook her head slowly. "He has healed my body, but he has not healed my mind – or my heart. I have no joy now in this Middle-earth."
Eruwaedhen looked away.
"Boe athra Belegaer," Celebrían murmured again, and arose.
"May I go with you?"
Celebrían turned and looked into Eruwaedhen's dark brown eyes, as if reading her thoughts. At last the Lady asked, "Why would you?"
Eruwaedhen answered her not.
"Child," Celebrían said, "I cannot have the whole of my following departing because I have chosen to. I alone must go. It is the way of things: my daughter will be in need of your faithfulness and your skills. But besides all this: Who will remain to shelter all things that are good in this world if all of the Firstborn go over the Sea? Will we leave the world's sorrows to mortals who are bound to the Hither Lands?"
In silence, Eruwaedhen watched her mistress go.
The Lords and Ladies of Imladris were gathered in seats around the dinner table on a porch, open directly to the warm sunlight of a cloudless day. Celebrían sat beside her husband. Elladan and Elrohir were seated to Elrond's right, and Arwen to Celebrían's left. Eruwaedhen stood behind her mistress, and Cirdoliel stood behind Arwen. A month had passed since the attack in the Redhorn Pass.
"Lady Celebrían," Elrond said, "shall depart over the Sea."
"Mar?" asked Glorfindel.
"We shall leave on the morrow." And it was so.
Several weeks afterwards, Glorfindel, Elrond, Celebrían, Elladan, Elrohir, Arwen, and a few servants, including Eruwaedhen and Cirdoliel, arrived at the Grey Havens. And there Eruwaedhen saw a white ship on the quay. Celebrían turned to the others and kissed her sons and daughter, and the five servants she had brought with her, and last of all her husband.
"My lady, must you leave?" Eruwaedhen wept.
"I have been too deeply hurt for healing here, Eruwaedhen," Celebrían said. "I must go to the Undying Lands."
"Lady Celebrían," Eruwaedhen whispered, "when may I follow you at last? Shall I always be bound to the Hither Lands? My heart is with you."
"Eruwaedhen, I have told you before; your place is in Imladris, to serve the Lady Arwen. So long as she abides here, you must abide also. If she departs over the Sea, then if you choose, you may go with her. But if she goes not, when the time comes, another chance she may give you. For my heart tells me that, ere long, she will encounter a choice of a different kind."
Elrond gave his wife a puzzled look, which she returned with a sad smile. But in the meantime, Eruwaedhen wept.
"Farewell!" Lady Celebrían called with tears starting in her own eyes, as she ascended onto the ship. "We shall meet again!"
The vessel lifted anchor, the oars dipped smoothly, and the sails were opened as the Lady Celebrían gazed at her household for one last, long time as the vessel sailed away, into the Great Sea. Then when she could see them no more, she turned her face towards the Uttermost West.
Eruwaedhen watched as the ship disappeared into the sunset. "Someday," she silently told herself, "I will follow you."
A/N: I hope you liked this chapter! Please leave a review! A short epilogue follows, so stay tuned for Wednesday.
Sindarin translations:
Boe athra Belegaer = I must go over the Sea.
Dân Elrond Hîr—nestant hery lín, hiril vuin = But Lord Elrond—he healed your wounds, my lady
Mar? = When?