Return to Valinor

Galadriel paced the glade solemnly as Bilbo and Fimbelis tried to distract themselves by keeping busy in the garden. To most it would seem the Lady of Light retained her detached serenity. Yet, it was only through several millennia spent on the road towards enlightenment that kept her deep worry from surfacing to her expression.

The forest was quiet and that was disturbing. She had expected Aldananeth’s return for some time. What could be keeping the Entwife? Galadriel did not really fear for the tree shepherdess. A bigger evil than Tellonnion would be required to give Aldananeth more than merely pause. Still, the Lady could not help but wonder what would keep the Entwife when Yavanna had promised her imminent return to Frodo.

“I’m hungry,” Bilbo declared testily. “Waiting around for something dire to happen builds up an appetite.”

Calmly, Galadriel responded, “I think a meal would be beneficial to us all, Bilbo. Fimbelis, will you not go inside and see what there may be to eat?”

“Gladly, arwenamin,” she answered and headed towards the round blue door.

With the prospect of supper soon to come, the elderly hobbit went to the well to clean up from his gardening duties. Eventually though he made his way to Galadriel and fell in beside her, toddling as fast as he could to keep up with her gracefully long pace.

“That boy,” he grunted. “I never saw such a hobbit as him to get into so much trouble.”

She smiled down at him gently. “I sense that Frodo’s task was not complete at Mt. Doom, my friend,” she mused. “Part of his trial is to face the healing in its aftermath, but healing does not always come so easily.”

“Humph. Well, I suppose Cara must be worth it to him,” Bilbo conceded shaking his head. “I never thought to see him married, let alone with children.”

“Frodo has found someone whose welfare and comfort is more important than his own,” she commented. “That is very different from saving Middle-earth, important though that was. You did that, of course Bilbo, when you took Frodo in after his parents died. It is a difficult sacrifice to put someone else’s needs before your own, especially when you are used to going your own way.”

Bilbo clasped his hands behind his back and agreed, “Well, that’s true enough. Fortunately Frodo proved fairly self-sufficient and he didn’t put me out much. Still…” he looked pensive. “I would do it again. It was nice to have lively companionship after living alone so long.”

The hobbit would swear that a troubled expression crossed Galadriel’s face before she replied, “Yes, Bilbo. A lively companion does make the long years bearable.”

The hobbit started to comment when he suddenly noticed movement deep in the forest and he jumped slightly to see what appeared to be a tree gliding its way towards them. “By Narsil’s shards! What is that?” he breathed.

“At last!” Galadriel exclaimed quietly and moved meet the Entwife. “Aldananeth! Frodo has left already,” she announced. “He would not wait.”

“I am not surprised,” Aldananeth replied. “He is the hastiest creature I have ever met, but he may’ve been right to move on without waiting. The Tarsulëwen has need of him as soon as may be.”

“She is not hurt?” asked the Lady anxiously and tree-like creature was quick to reassure her.

As the Entwife related her information to the elflady, Bilbo stood apart and watched with interest. He now remembered Frodo and his friends discussing the Ents of Middle-earth, but had only given half an ear to the tale. While he pondered the two enchanting beings conversing, Fimbelis finally returned from the hillside dwelling bearing a tray laden with a variety of provisions.

“Ah,” whispered the elegant elflady as she set the tray on the ground near Bilbo. “She has returned finally. What news, Bilbo?”

“Not much, from what I can tell,” he grumbled. “I’m sure the Lady will let us know what she thinks we should know when the time comes.”

Fimbelis’ laughed lightly, a welcome contrast to the gloom the hobbit was feeling. “Come, Bilbo, your mood will be lighter once you’ve eaten. It’s well past suppertime.”

Unable to argue with his lovely companion or his gurgling stomach, Bilbo tucked in and did feel much better for the meal. Some minutes later Galadriel approached with Aldananeth waiting patiently in her customary spot towards the edge of the glade.

“Is Cara all right?” asked Fimbelis as she leapt to her feet.

“It would appear so,” answered Galadriel. “At least for now. Aldananeth counsels us to wait awhile longer here. She will gather those of her sisters here and march on to catch up with Frodo and the others at first light.”

“So we’re stuck here,” asked Bilbo, less testy than he might have said earlier.

“I’m afraid so, my friend,” she said. “Did you leave me anything to eat?”

Bilbo was nothing if not a gracious host and quickly prepared a plate for the Lady. “Here you go, my lady,” he said as he settled her on the slight hill where they laid out their evening picnic. “I suppose there’s nothing for it but to wait another day…”

Collectively the foursome in the glade sighed. The waiting could be very hard.



The waiting was getting very hard for Carantaliel. Tellonnion had disappeared yet again, leaving her alone on the flet. She had no idea where he went at such times, but she was grateful that she did not have to endure his spiteful glare while he was gone.

Restlessly she tried to loosen her bonds for the thousandth time to no avail. Frustrated the she-elf tugged at the ropes with hopeless fury and scraped her forearm against a hitherto unnoticed thorn. The sharp spike left a startlingly deep gash across her forearm and as she yanked it away Carantaliel felt the tip of the barb snap off as it lodged firmly in her flesh.

Blood streamed freely down her arm and she used a few creative Dwarvish curses in vain while she attempted to twist her arm to look at the wound.

“Elbereth…” she finally wept, as the swearing was obviously no help. “What am I to do? This surely isn’t meant to be my fate, is it? To suffer this idle captivity? Where is Frodo? Is he even coming for us?”

Carantaliel had not meant to give into her despair, but the pain in her arm was now accompanied by waves of dizziness and she had no way to get to the wound. Her healing prayers did nothing to assuage the sharp twinges or bleeding and the captive dissolved into forlorn tears.

In this dark hour of her wretchedness the Elven princess suddenly felt the flet beneath her shift slightly. Looking around her Carantaliel found a pair of ocher-colored eyes staring at her from within the deeply furrowed reddish-brown bark.

“An Entwife!” Carantaliel breathed, but her hopes were quickly dashed when the tree shepherdess gazed back at her with a malevolence that rivaled Tellonnion’s. Absently she tried to draw closer to the limb she was bound to for comfort and then started as the Entwife flexed it menacingly. “What have I done to you?” she whispered desperately. “Why should you threaten me when I would offer you friendship?”

Raspingly, the Entwife replied, “Friendship? I have no friends, elfling.”

“Then Tellonnion is not your friend?” Carantaliel asked hopefully.

“We are allies,” she stated. That seemed to be all that she intended to impart to the she-elf, for the Entwife shifted heavily one more time sending Carantaliel painfully sprawling across the flet. Her whole being then trembled with suppressed rage, the creamy pea-like blossoms that adorned her limbs giving off a noxious fragrance that sent her Elven captive reeling.

Unable to fend off the fetid odor in her quickly weakening condition Carantaliel finally swooned, rather afraid this wicked creature might be more dangerous than even Tellonnion could be.



As dawn broke Galadriel sensed a shift in the air and went outside to the glade to see that Aldananeth had been joined by two other Entwives. She was promptly introduced to Van’alda and Lothalda , a pair of Entwives whose kinship seemed more than just figurative. In other times, the Entwives would have spent much time with pleasantries, but they all realized that haste in this case was a virtue.

“We are off now, little mistress,” said Aldananeth. “Our help will be needed more than Frodo knows. Not only will he need to deal with the depraved elfman, but our fallen sister Eregalda is in league with him. They are no match for her.”

The Lady of Light stirred uneasily at the ominous name of the traitorous Entwife. “There is nothing I can do in the meantime, Aldananeth?”

“Your skills maybe required later, Lady,” the Entwife answered. “Stay close to Thorondil. We will send word to him through his smaller brothers if needed.”

“May the grace of the Valar go with you then,” said Galadriel with resignation. “I will yet abide here.”



“Frodo, my boy, you should take time to rest,” said Gandalf kindly as the hobbit stumbled tiredly over a root in the path. The arm that held up the bright phial to light their way fell limply to his side and the brilliant spark winked out, leaving them in inky darkness once again.

“We don’t have time, Gandalf,” he replied tearfully, trying to resist his frustration and weariness. “We are close, I feel. And the closer we get, the weaker I sense Cara becoming.” Desperately, he whispered, “What if we’re too late?”

“There is still hope, Frodo,” replied the wizard, echoing the phrase that came so often to the lips of the Fellowship in other days. He was anxiously silent a moment as if trying to reassure himself as he reiterated, “Yes, hang on to your hope, my friend.”

Figwit was suddenly at their sides as he murmured, “He is out there. We are being stalked, my friends.”

“Perhaps we should split up,” suggested Frodo quietly. “He cannot follow two parties at once.”

“That idea has some merit, my friend,” Elrond replied. “However, he will most likely follow you, Frodo.”

Dangerously, the halfling growled, “I have no problem with that.”

“Then you must leave the other party to rescue Cara,” he stated, his tone brooking no compromise.

A protest died on the hobbit’s lips almost as quickly as it came to them. “What should we do then?” he finally asked.

Secretively Elrond motioned them to draw near, “Come closer, my friends, and I will tell you what I have in mind.”


-end of Chapter Twenty-three-


Van’alda – Fair Tree
Lothalda – Blossom Tree
Eregalda – Thorn Tree