Return to Valinor

On the day of the celebration, Frodo spent the morning at the hobbit hole, now called Elvenwood, finishing up the last minute touches before the guests began to arrive.

As he was adjusting the flowers on the head table more to his liking, he saw Figwit walking thoughtfully into the glade.

Wondering what the elflord could possibly want with him on such a day, Frodo steeled his resolve, ready for the unexpected, though he greeted Figwit cordially, “Mae govannen, herumin.”

“Hannon lle, Frodo,” he replied.

“What may I do for you?”

Figwit took his time answering. “I’m not entirely certain of that, my friend,” he replied. “I started out on a walk and ended up here without even thinking.” He paused for a long moment then added, “I owe you an apology – several apologies when it comes to it.” Frodo raised an astonished eyebrow. “I’ve treated you coldly and spoken ill of you to others when you’ve only shown me kindness and respect. That is uncommonly gracious of you and you have never deserved my contempt.”

“You know, my lord, that it was never my intention to take Cara away from you,” Frodo said.

The elflord nodded slowly. “As Cara so often reminded me,” he replied with a rueful smile, “she was never really mine to take, Frodo.

“Cara did not like having to be so cold to you.”

“I gave her little choice, I know.” Figwit offered his hand to Frodo and said, “Do you think perhaps we could start over? I would much rather be your friend than your enemy…”

Eagerly the hobbit took his hand and shook it warmly, “Of course! And it’s noble of you to offer, my friend. I hope you too can find happiness here in Valinor.”

“Perhaps now that I’ve come to my senses I will, my friend…”

Both the hobbit and the elf suddenly felt the forest grow cold around them and they looked around warily. “What is that?” asked Frodo.

Figwit closed his eyes and opened his senses to their surroundings, but just as quickly as they felt it, the sensation was gone. “I could not tell… it felt…” He looked gravely at Frodo, “It did not feel good, my friend.”

“It’s gone now,” said the hobbit.

“Yes,” agreed Figwit after he searched a few moments longer. “Have you ever felt that here before?”

Frodo shook his head. “No… not here…” Strangely he had a brief vision of Gollum, but that creature was long dead. Why think of him now after so many weeks?

“But somewhere?”

“It doesn’t matter, Figwit.” Standing up straighter, Frodo took a deep breath and said with a happy smile, “Today is my wedding day and nothing is going to spoil it. Let’s not say anything to Cara, all right?”

“As you wish, my friend,” he agreed.

“What are you doing standing around, boy? Why aren’t you dressed?” shouted Bilbo breathlessly as he hurried up the path to Elvenwood.

“I’m waiting for you, Bilbo, to bring my clothes,” laughed Frodo at the sight of his kinsman laden down with a neat stack of clothing.

“Sticklebats, boy! Do I have to take care of everything?!” He shoved the clothes at Frodo. “You’ve been rearranging things, haven’t you?”

Frodo threw Figwit an amused look, “I’d better get inside and change before he decides he has to do that for me as well!”

Briefly the halfling glanced back into the forest and the elflord put a reassuring hand on Frodo’s shoulder, “I think I’ll remain awhile in case Bilbo needs someone to order around.”

“Hannon lle, mellon nin!” laughed Frodo.

Shaking off his uneasiness he headed toward his cozy hobbit hole while Figwit lent his services to the older hobbit in the glade. Still, the air was filled with a subtle sense of unrest that neither could completely banish from their thoughts.


Carantaliel also felt uneasy as she finished dressing in her chambers at the palace. Around her, most of her belongings had been packed to transport to the hobbit hole in Elvenwood. Yet, it was neither the move to the glade after living so many years at Enedvása nor even the ceremony to come that had the Elven princess edgy.

“Are you feeling all right, child?” asked Galadriel tenderly as she lightly placed a crown of blush roses on Carantaliel’s rose-gold head. “You have time to lie down for a few moments…”

“It’s not that, my lady,” replied Carantaliel as she gazed up into her great-grandmother’s infinite eyes. “You are frightened.”

“Nai!” she answered breathlessly.

Gravely Galadriel asked, “Why should you be frightened at a time like this?”

The younger elf said earnestly, “I am not frightened to bind myself to Frodo. Of him I am sure.” Her gaze dropped and her voice faltered as she continued, “Yet, it is the depth of my love for him that has made me anxious. I did not feel this for Tellonnion.”

Sensing the reason for Carantaliel’s disquiet the Lady of Light said, “Then it is fortunate that you did not make your union permanent. You may marry Frodo with a clear conscience, melethnín.”

“But what if Tellonnion comes back and tries to claim me?” she asked, barely masking the terror in her whispered voice.

Galadriel wanted nothing more than to reassure her that such a thing was not possible, but deep down she knew that trouble was brewing in Valinor. Carantaliel had sensed it as well, centering her fears on her old love. Elrond had the gift of foresight and it was not unlikely that his granddaughter might too have a prescient thought from time to time.

Instead she wiped the lone tear that dampened Carantaliel’s cheek and kissed her affectionately on the forehead. “This is not the day for such worries, child. Frodo awaits you in Elvenwood, and if I know nothing else in this world I know that he loves you. There is nothing or no one that will sway him, and whatever the obstacle he will strive as he has always done to overcome it.”

Carantaliel smiled through crystalline tears, “He has made me so happy, arwenamin! I never thought I would find joy like this again.”

“Then think on that today, Cara. There may be another time to worry over a lost love, but this is not the day. Be happy in your choice and I wish you all the joy you have been missing and more.”

“Hannon lle!” she said breathlessly and threw her arms around Galadriel. The great lady was somewhat taken aback by her great-granddaughter’s impetuous hug, but she returned it warmly.

Finally pulling away slightly, she again looked Carantaliel in the eye and asked, “Are you ready, Cara?”

“I am.”

Together they left the chamber to find Fimbelis waiting with other elfmaidens of Enedvása to escort them through the forest. Such a joyous occasion had not taken place at the Palace by the Sea in some time and the excitement was palpable as the company wound its way towards the glade of Elvenwood.

Little did they know that joy could not be sustained in the days to come.


-end of Chapter Fifteen-

arwenamin - my lady