Chapter 51: The Undying Lands

Notes: This is it! This is the last chapter! Thank you so much for reading! There's an author's note after this chapter that will go over some themes in this writing, some alternative endings/scenarios, and some questions about things I'd be curious to hear your take on if you're so inclined. Your reviews are always appreciated and never expected. I have been convinced to do a follow-on fic that will follow Ginnar, Araveth, probably Yijun and some of the other 'descendants' OCs that were introduced in this fic. More on that in the Author's Note if you will.

(~***~)

Six Months Later

Lossrilleth sat watching as Legolas helped set up the large dining room in the Woodland Hall for the event that had everyone buzzing. This was only the eleventh chess match to be held in Valinor – just enough times that interest in the game had been piqued among the elves and there was now a sufficiently satisfying number of participants. Thranduil was quite looking forward to this. He, Elrond, and Mithrandir could boast that they were the three best players in Valinor although, infuriatingly, the wizard won every single tournament. Thranduil and Elrond had never been closer than when they commiserated and schemed over how to defeat the Istar. (Galadriel had yet to express an interest in taking part, to Thranduil's private relief.)

The young mother was in a comfortable chair with her feet up, resting her hands on her belly. It showed, but it wasn't huge. She really didn't need all the coddling that was being heaped on her just yet. She could even put her own shoes on still! So silly, she thought fondly, watching the family that had insisted she relax and watch nonetheless. She loved these people, she really did. Bustling around arranging tables and urgently discussing the food and drinks that would be served to all their guests.

Legolas stopped by her chair as he was passing by on his way to the kitchen.

"How are you?" he asked, resting a hand on her belly and leaning down to kiss her cheek.

"I am fine. We both are. Stop fussing!" she told him for the thousandth time.

Legolas chuckled. "No," he said. But continued on his way.

Pardon me, Lossrilleth heard Galadriel say in her great voice. Your daughter was practically shouting at her post at the selkie watchtower trying to get my attention. She has asked me to give you a message. She sounded more amazed than upset, the old elleth added when Lossrilleth began to get anxious.

She said to tell you the Sanghamitra is here. I believe she was speaking about a rather large ship she has sighted. Does that make sense to you? Galadriel asked calmly.

What? Lossrilleth replied, shocked. Yes, but – no? How can the Sanghamitra be here? That is a mortal ship from Endorë. The one the dwarfs stole from the Collector.

Curious, Galadriel replied. In any case, your daughter has requested your presence on the beach. All of you. Do be careful in your condition, Lossrilleth. If this might be dangerous, better that you and Legolas both stay away.

Angharad would know that. She has a good head on her shoulders, Lossrilleth mused.

I leave it to you. Perhaps you will share the story with me later, Galadriel said.

Legolas burst out of the kitchen and darted over to Lossrilleth, looking for the source of her spike of alarm.

"Be calm," Lossrilleth told him. "Angharad asked Galadriel to pass along a message."

"Angharad is at the selkie watch. Is something wrong?" Legolas asked, relieved that it had nothing to do with his pregnant wife, but now nervous for an entirely different reason.

"My Lord Thranduil, you are going to want to hear this," Lossrilleth called to the old king. He strode over to them, his brow furrowed.

"The Sanghamitra has just emerged from the Straight Road and is headed for the beach!" Lossrilleth declared.

"What?" Legolas exclaimed in confusion.

Thranduil looked like he was thinking hard. "Did Angharad say that Kathyayini was on the ship?" he asked.

"No. That is a very specific question. Do you know something?" Lossrilleth asked, sitting up awkwardly.

"No, but I have a few guesses," Thranduil said, flagging down one of his younger sons. "Go and find Mithrandir, as fast as you can. Tell him to meet me at the beach with the selkie watchtower," he told the younger ellyn, who took off without pause to do as he was asked.

"The two of you stay here," Thranduil told them firmly.

"But – " Lossrilleth began to protest.

"Trust me and this family to take care of your daughter, Losrrilleth. The two of you take care of your infant by staying away from that beach until we know more," the old king told her.

"Agreed," said Legolas, standing close behind Lossrilleth's chair.

"Yes, you are right of course," Lossrilleth grumbled. Being pregnant could be very inconvenient.

So Thranduil found himself back on that beach, where he'd once stepped onto the sand, waterlogged and yet filled with relief and gladness to be home. He'd hoped then that he'd never look East again.

Angharad stood next to him, watching the Sanghamitra approach with curiosity, and with caution. She held her spear in one hand and shaded her eyes with the other, watching the longboat that was now approaching them.

Mithrandir arrived, looking hurried, and approached Thranduil swiftly.

"What is happening?" the Istar asked seriously.

"I believe you are about to meet an old acquaintance," Thranduil said calmly. He gazed at the longboat that was approaching, finally catching sight of the many-armed woman he'd been expecting. "Ah, there she is."

The Istar frowned at the tall elf and looked out over the sun-bright water, trying to see who it could be. He was still confused when the longboat pulled up to the beach and Kathyayini strode out, as well as a strong, dark-skinned man. Gandalf was still looking them over carefully when another figure stepped out of the boat and parted the silk curtains of her sun veil.

Angharad screamed. Everyone except Thranduil looked at her in alarm. The old king was just shaking his head, a half-smile on his disbelieving face.

"Xiaoqing how are you here?" the elleth shouted in excitement.

"Well look at you!" the demon crowed. "You're so tall! What happened to the feisty little girl I used to know?"

"Oh, she's been busy," Angharad laughed, her voice full of astonishment.

"But really. What are you doing here?" Angharad repeated in Westron, looking at the other occupants of the boat.

"Alatar, Pallando," Gandalf greeted Kathyayini and her friend with cool surprise. "You look different."

"And you look exactly the same," Kathyayini said wryly. "It has been ages since you finished your tasks, and still you do not bother to try something else. Lack of imagination," she said, shaking her head in consternation.

"Hmmph," Gandalf replied, looking grumpy.

"Would you kindly ask your unhappy old man if he and his friends would speak a language we can all understand? I do so wish to listen in on their bickering," Xiaoqing simpered to Angharad. "Oh hello, you old goat. Where are the other two?"

"Hello, serpent. I'm sure you'll see them later," Thranduil told her dryly. He didn't want to say much until they really understood what was happening here.

"Greetings, my lady. I would be quite curious to understand why we have the pleasure of your… visit," Thranduil said politely to Kathyayini.

"These are the Undying Lands, aren't they?" Kathyayini asked. "We've brought the rest of the undying people, as we were told to," she said.

Angharad and Thranduil looked at each other a bit nervously. Aman had gotten bigger but… how many more immortals were there? And how many kinds?

"Do not worry, they are not staying in Aman. The One has tweaked their plan for immortal folk everywhere, I understand. Have you discovered that you have some extra space lately?" Kathyayini asked.

"That is true," Mithrandir said cautiously. He did not relish wrangling the elves bumping elbows with a plethora of unfamiliar new neighbors. Old elves especially were not always very flexible.

"Well, it is even better than you think! Aman is no longer the only continent on this special plane you have been enjoying all by yourselves. We are hoping to beg your hospitality for a week or two to stock up on fresh water and hopefully some food, if you might indulge us. Then we are off to deliver our charges to their own new lands," Kathyayini explained with a bow and flourish that rippled through her many hands.

Gandalf's eyebrows displayed his peeved reaction. He had not been told about this by the Valar! They clearly could have said something. Dramatic!

Thranduil bowed to the Istari and Xiaoqing. "I believe I may speak for my people when I say that we will be happy to assist you in preparing for the next leg of your voyage. I believe our interests are aligned with regards to the success of your venture," he said smoothly, adopting his best ambassador persona.

"There we go, someone sensible," Kathyayini said with a grin. "Welcome to the Undying Realm, kindly stay in your own section." She and Pallando laughed heartily.

"That is likely to be best for everyone, at the very least until this new arrangement is more… established," Thranduil commented.

"Oh, but can the elves visit the other lands?" Angharad asked, brimming with excitement. She was dying to get on the boat with her field journal in hand and get a look at all the other immortals.

"I imagine that is up to their inhabitants, as you would want it to be if any of them wishes to visit Valinor, or whatever bits of Aman the elves manage to make first claims to," Kathyayini said brightly.

"Well, Xiaoqing I'd be so curious to see where you'll go! How many demons from the Far East are here?" Angharad asked eagerly.

"A good number – just under two hundred, I think. Counting is a little tricky with some of our lot. We are packed in quite cozily on that ship, and we are all different sizes. No one will miss it, I will say that," the demon said, looking sideways at the Istari as she chose to be a little diplomatic. Those two proselytizers considered themselves quite open minded, but they still had rather pesky notions of what was "good" and "bad" that could be inconvenient.

"But look, meet my family for once," Xiaoqing said, switching to Eastron. "My sister, Bai Suzhen, her son the half-demon, Xu Mengjiao."

"Greetings, welcome to the Undying Lands – Realm, I suppose," Angharad said politely with a traditional bow.

"You must be the original, then," Mengjiao said. "You inspired quite a passion in my aunt. She's helped a lot of clever children grow up safe, and none of them liked it very much."

Angharad laughed loudly at that.

"Well, if this is going to be our arrangement for the next week or so… Xiaoqing, do you play chess?" Thranduil asked, feeling curious.

"What, real Eastern chess or that bastardized version they play in the West?" she sneered. "But actually, I can play both, so yes."

"We have a tournament that is starting this evening. Perhaps you would like to join us and show some elves why they ought to respect their new neighbors?" Thranduil suggested. He was dying to try himself against this tricky serpent.

"Oh yes, please! But can Mengjiao join in? My nephew is such a lovely chess player," Xiaoqing said.

"Of course," Thranduil said, simpering as much as she was.

"Oh dear, these two are trouble," Angharad whispered to Mithrandir.

"I think we had better help our new … friends… find the food and water they need as efficiently as we can," the wizard suggested.

"You are not wrong," Angharad agreed wryly.

(~***~)

The demon gave Lossrilleth's bump an inspection back at the Woodland Hall and concluded, "well better you than me, sister. Speak with Suzhen if you will – she is quite fond of her offspring, as you are."

But for all she professed to be cold and uncaring, the demon was visibly touched when she learned that Angharad was now called Nenloth by everyone but her closest family, a name clearly inspired by the one the snake had gifted to her.

"You know what they say about water lilies in the East, don't you, girl?" Xiaoqing had asked, looking over the strong, calm lady that her first protege had become. "The most beautiful lotus flowers only grow in muddy water."

The young elf had returned a smile that was at once bitter and sweet.

When Xiaoqing saw the chess board that featured her on both sides, she crowed with glee. She and Mengjiao were delighted to get a look at their new 'neighbors' through the lens of a strategic contest. As Thranduil had suggested, the elves did discover rather quickly that the lands assigned to other immortals should not be trifled with.

On the evening of the next day, the tournament raged on. Angharad and Lossrilleth were still 'in', as were Thranduil, Elrond, Mithrandir, and now Kathyayini as well.

Legolas had never entered. He'd never liked chess that much, although he understood the game. He looked over his family, either thinking hard and playing, or watching and whispering over the moves. He checked Lossrilleth and their growing child carefully. They were both fine. He drummed his fingers on his chair arm, then made up his mind. He gave Lossrilleth a little bump and she looked up at him. He gestured to the door.

Everything alright? She asked.

Yes. This is boring. I am going to go do something else, if you do not mind, he replied.

Of course, Lossrilleth told him, feeling lighthearted. She watched him make a quiet exit. He felt fine, and that was excellent. It made her happy to see him so whole in his own company again.

"Is he alright?" Angharad whispered to her from the neighboring table.

"He is fine," Lossrilleth assured her daughter. "Perhaps a little nostalgic. I expect he will find himself in the dwarfs' garden before long, whether he knows it or not."

Angharad nodded and turned back to her game. Her mind was turning and turning. When Thranduil finally beat her she made the show she knew he'd enjoy, then followed Legolas's quiet exit, stopping in the kitchens first.

(***)

Legolas sat on the stone bench across from the pale stone statue of Gimli, watching over the shorter, colorfully glazed young Ginnar. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do right now, but all these things happening at once had him thinking back on his life.

"Old friend," he said to Gimli. "You would not believe all the things that have happened since your passing. Truly, I thought my life would be an endless stream of mundane parties after that. Be careful what you wish for, they say – oh, has that been true! But it has also been wonderful."

Angharad found her father in the garden a while later, sitting quietly and watching the sun set. He seemed peaceful. She was glad. She was not sure he would take what she wanted to say to him very well.

"Are you moping over a dwarf? You know Gimli would hate that. It seems he was right, you are a melancholy, pointy-eared princeling," she jibed.

"Well hello, iell nin, my darling girl. Ginnar's birthday is not for four months yet, why the insults?" he teased her.

Angharad turned it over in her mind one more time, but she landed the same way every time. She'd wondered and wished that she could think of her little brother as Ginnar renewed, but when she reached out to carefully brush the little soul, it felt new to her. Not like Ginnar or like anyone else. Just a little stranger at the moment. They'd have plenty of time.

"I do not think I will be here for Ginnar's birthday," she said cautiously, her hands behind her back. "Or to see my brother born."

The look that passed over Legolas's face cut her more deeply than she'd imagined.

"I – maybe that is not right. Maybe I should stay," she hedged uncomfortably.

"You want to go with the Sanghamitra?" Legolas asked, realizing without having to think too hard what his exploration-loving daughter was thinking.

Angharad nodded, watching him carefully. "We all do, well four of us who crossed the continent. We would come back, of course. Eventually."

Legolas watched his daughter as she explained what she felt she should do, and why. A part of him hated this – wanted to wheedle or demand until she agreed to stay until her sibling was grown, at least. But the other part could see her hope and excitement. It was becoming the work of this age of her life, exploring the new possibilities of their realm and all the people in it. It would be sad not to have her there when the baby was born. But…

"If it is what you feel called to do, you should go," he finally said. "But Angharad take our old boat with you, will you? We did not make the same mistake and dismantle it because it had been a few decades this time. It has been spelled for longevity, as the Sanghamitra must be. I would not want you to get stuck somewhere," he said, unable to hide his concern.

Angharad nodded, seeing the wisdom of this immediately. "That is good advice. I will speak to Cirdan tomorrow. After I speak with Naneth. I think the two of you will be alright," she said. "You love each other well. I know my brother will be well loved in your hands, as I have been."

"We will be fine. We will miss you, of course. But your life is your own. We did not give it to you just to chain you down when the world is calling to you," he encouraged her. Once he'd let go of the idea of her being here, he found he could rest mostly at peace.

"I think you will understand one day, if you have a child of your own. You realize quickly enough that they do not belong to you. We only have the privilege of shepherding them into who they are meant to be," Legolas reflected.

"I am sure you will not lead my brother astray. Perhaps keep him away from the selkies, though," she teased, deflecting.

She had been getting these hints for some time now. She would be three hundred fifty years old soon enough. Her peers were mostly married off. The two who weren't coming with them were staying home because they were expecting a child that would be a playmate to Angharad's new sibling. But Angharad had not yet felt the pull of romance, and a part of her hoped she never would.

She was even more uninterested in childbearing. Pregnancy didn't look so bad - that wasn't it. Her mother was glowing and happy, the baby inside her adorable and safe. Angharad loved those who lived and all the forms their lives took. She was dedicating herself to their study and support. But she had fallen from the beauty and timelessness of Valinor into the harshness of the mortal world, and she'd seen life, suddenly, quite differently.

When she had returned, she noticed how even the elves faced dissatisfaction in their paradise. The nature of the world was that it changed: constantly. Everywhere there were elves mourning comrades lost, whole kingdoms that had risen and fallen away, or just the death of a favorite pet. Everywhere there were elves worrying about how the others thought of them. Not a year went by when she did not hear someone wanting after something: a new dress, a special jewel, the attention of the one they were falling for.

Yes, Angharad loved those who lived. But life was often quite painful. She was not sure she wished to be responsible for bringing a new being into it, especially forever. She would rather dedicate her energy to helping ease the suffering of those that had already arrived.

But the future was long. She knew there could be a day when she changed her mind. More than one elf in her line had married and had children late: maybe she would follow after them.

"Oh, this child will not know the word 'ocean' until a ripe, old age. And will you all stop calling the baby a boy? We cannot know that until he is born," Legolas complained, interrupting Angharad's thoughts.

"Until 'he' is born?" Angharad teased her father.

"Oh, hush. It is catching. But we cannot know. And I do not know why everyone thinks I should be so excited by the prospect. In all likelihood 'he' will be a scholarly type like your mother. As if there is anything I could want in a son that I did not have in my daughter," he groused.

"I suppose you never got to teach me to urinate on a tree," she teased.

"Angharad!" Legolas said, starting to laugh. "You are trying to make up for missing his birthday. Your attempts have been so weak I was not even sure they were insults."

Angharad laughed and sat beside her father, plunking a heavy jug beside him and grinning.

"There is only one way to honor our friends properly, ada. I will race you to the bottom of this jug of strong wine and then we can sing some good, bawdy songs. Yes?" she teased.

"You think you can outdrink me, child of mine? I may not have learned high manners growing up with the Silvans, but I tell you what I did learn," Legolas scoffed, downing a great gulp of the liquid. "You do not even know what drunk is."

"Oh ho, then you have not taught me about the world properly and are failing in your duties as a father!" she jibed back, copying his swig.

The father and daughter sat together – drinking and laughing before the images of their friends in the deepening twilight.

Over their shoulders, a red star shot past, followed by another.

(~*** Fin ***~)