Dawnstar and Friend

Eleanor’s POV
We got back to the South just in time of the birth of Lothiriel’s baby, not to mention Imrahil’s explosion.
He was not in the slightest bit happy about our changed travel plans.
I took him aside very quickly.
“I doubt you have anything to say to me that will make this total disregard for my commands, my grandchild’s health, and her own mother’s health any better, Princess Caladhiel.” He says grumpily before I can even start.
“Well I don’t doubt it so shut up and listen, you impossible man.” I seem to have this talent for making the guy gape at me.
“Ginny has just lost her entire family for the second time in her life and she is grieving. Coming back here and especially to you and your overly imperial manner was the last thing she needed just then.
Do you really think that I do not have the best interests of my best friend at heart when I do something; and have you forgotten that she is a healer, whereas you are not, and so is rather better qualified to know what is in the best interests of her own health?”
His expression shows that he realises that I have a point.
“Imrahil, we do have a nice safe house in Eriador, we were hardly camping out all the time, and we all made sure that both Ginny and the baby were fine. She and Amrothos got back in time for the important things so there is nothing really to fuss over.” He nods and accepts it.
He becomes more reasonable after that, I understand that he was just worried, but he can be so trying at times.
***
Over the next few years, the world changes, but the most interesting changes happen either in the birthing rooms of our human friends or in the Shire.
In the 6th year of the Fourth Age (you have no idea how weird it is to be referring to the year 6), Aragorn makes the Shire a free land under the protection of Gondor though he does use different words than that. He also forbids men to enter.
***
Seven years later Aragorn makes the Thain, the Master of Buckland, and the Mayor of Michael Delvin Councillors of the Northern Kingdoms. I wonder if that has anything to do with him knowing them.
We do not visit very often in this time because Ginny has two more sons in the intervening time and we cannot really go until they are slightly bigger.
***
Two years after him making some Hobbits become Councillors, Aragorn goes up to Eriador or Annuminas as it is now called.
We obviously follow him and find that dropping by his northern capital very weird, especially as royals.
While there, he decides to bunk off being King for a little while and those that have ridden out with him before the War of the Ring join him.
Various nobles want to follow, believing it improper for their King to wander off into the wilderness.
We put our foot down and point out that this is where he spent 70 years or so running around the wild before becoming King of Gondor.
Forewarned of our arrival, the new captain of the Dunedan, a man called Belegar who Aragorn selected to basically steward the northern Rangers now he cannot do it and Halbarad is occupied as one of his Councillors in the South, comes to the northern capital.
When we were running round with them, we met Belegar, but never knew him all that well, though from what I do know he is well suited for the job.
He also brings a contingent of the Grey Company, suited and booted as the saying goes.
The look on the assorted noble faces when, once the formalities are dealt with, the men all greet us girls joyfully and like lost friends (we are really) is just comical.
But, when one of them gets too close to referring to Ginny’s real age she gets this mysterious attack of clumsiness which results in her elbow hitting his stomach rather hard.
Shortly after their arrival they ask Aragorn if he would like them to escort him on a tour of the Angle, his original base of command.
We also get invited along for the party and we each take our spouse with us, not to mention Elladan, Amrothos’ brothers (who don’t want to miss out on the fun this time), and Ginny’s children.
Imrahil also insists on following, probably because he knows we will be stopping by our little property in the North, which is now being looked after by our neighbours who understand that we cannot visit as much as we would like.
It is very strange going there now, as well as running through the wilderness again.
Imrahil does not even flicker an eyebrow at us all electing to change into leggings and tunics the moment we have left ‘civilisation’.
Good boy, we will train you yet.
When we get to the village, we find that Aragorn’s house has been cleared out so those who are not the terrible trio (Ginny, Miriel, and I), our husbands, or Ginny’s children stay there.
Thankfully when we made the beds, we made them big enough for two. The children are put up on straw mattresses in the attic.
While we are there we send the men-folk up the wall as Ginny and I do all the cooking.
I also note that Imrahil does not comment at all if he can’t say something very nice about the place.
He is learning.
The little monsters that are Ginny’s children take great pleasure in joining the youngest groups of children learning to fight.
Imrahil wisely does not object to Ginny’s daughter joining in, though his frown says he is not too impressed with this.
After what seems like far too short a time we have to go back home.
***
Six years later we all decamp to Gondor proper because Sam is visiting with his wife and daughter.
We have never met female Hobbits before and are immediately taken in by them.
Sam’s daughter takes to me immediately because we have the same name, though spelt differently.
With a certain amount of sophistry, we manage to justify us escorting the Hobbits back to the Shire and therefore wangle another trip to the Angle.
By this time, Miriel and the Twins have moved back to Rivendell where they have taken over rule, mostly at the hands of Elladan as he is the elder son.
That thought still gives me nightmares.
So we visit them there, but do not stay long, we all can see the Last Homely House fading and becoming less homely and it seems not quite right without all those elves we knew there.
In fact, there are very few elves there as they have been slowly trickling off to the Grey Havens and sailing.
***
Much time passes and in the year 61, we go to the Grey Havens to see Sam off as he sails with another small group of elves leaving Middle Earth, it is very depressing, especially for Ginny.
We no longer take Ginny’s children on these trips as they are grown and have moved off and married. How strange.
***
Two years later, Merry and Pippin move to the South and they no longer seem half as lively as they were when we knew them before.
These changes, like the aging of my best friend and the much more significant aging of her family, are what make me really begin to realise why they call immortality the curse of the elves.
We get to watch everything around us fade while we stay exactly the same.
When you have a human friend you truly begin to understand why they call it a curse, not a gift.
In the autumn of that year, Eomer dies and three years later, so does Ginny’s brother-in-law, who replaced Imrahil when he died several years ago.
In the year 82, Faramir dies, leaving everything to his son and then, finally in 120 of the Fourth Age, Aragorn passes away.
It seems that our last years were marked only by death as another of those names I did not mention was Amrothos. That was simply too terrible a blow to our little trio, especially Ginny, for me to write about.
When Arwen leaves for Lorien, we follow her at a discreet distance.
We being Ginny, Legolas, Ginny’s children, and I.
Like we did so many years ago, Ginny and I creep through the trees, cats left with the others, and watch the final moments of the life of one of my kin.
No one else is around anymore as the tiny numbers of elves left in Lorien have decamped to either the increasingly insular Eryn Lasgalen, or Mirkwood as I still think of it, or Rivendell.
We then travel on to Rivendell, then go through to the Angle, and say a final goodbye to our friends in the Angle though their numbers are waning and very few of the original still survive, every single one there we have known since they were born.
Eventually we get on to the Grey Havens.
When there, Legolas helps the few remaining members of Cirdan the Shipwright’s people build us a boat.
Once it is finished, we say farewell to our friends.
I hug Ginny senseless and bid her the fondest farewell, but do not let on about my plan; I do not want to raise her hopes in case I cannot make them real.
Boarding the boat with Legolas and Gimli is the hardest thing I have very done.
I have made Miriel and the Twins promise to sail as soon as possible and said every kind of goodbye I can think of to give my human friend, but it still seems not enough.
There are no words to describe how horrible I feel at leaving the person who has been with me longer than any other and who I may well not ever see again.
I only hope the Valar fall in with my plan as without them, nothing can happen and all hope is lost.
That plan is all that allows me to get on the ship and not run to her and refuse to leave.
Ginny’s POV
I’m kept rather busy – metaphorically speaking – over the next few years as I have a grand total of four sons.
Imrahil is ecstatic, especially since all his other grandchildren are female (save for Alphros). Amrothos is just as happy, but I think his favourite is Rosetta – he seems to enjoy seeing his two girls (as he calls us) getting ready for parties and such like.
I still haven’t told him about how much older than him I really am – the subject has never really surfaced, but I think he may be getting slightly suspicious as I still look as young as I did when we first met, whilst he shows his true age.
Not that he ever mentions it – it seems that someone may have hinted that it’s not very polite to ask a lady’s age.
***
About three years later, just shy of my fourth son’s third birthday, my whole family (including my brothers-in-law) join Ellie, Legolas, the Twins, and Miriel on their trip northwards to visit Aragorn at Annuminas.
Imrahil also joins us – can’t think why though. After five children, I hardly expect him to doubt my maternal instincts. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Rosetta, even at 16, is already growing into a very poised and beautiful young lady – many boys in Dol Amroth are in love with her.
Her grandfather evidently thinks she needs protecting – he’s convinced she’s as every bit as ladylike as her cousins; good job he doesn’t know about the training sessions I’ve started to give her. Well, I’m not having my daughter growing up not knowing how to defend herself; Imrahil can hardly complain that she won’t find a suitable husband as I’ve already proven him far wrong on that score.
I think everyone in Annuminas is rather overwhelmed by the sudden in-flow of royalty, especially when the royal party includes Miriel, Ellie, and I. Now, I don’t want to brag, but, due to the amount of different songs and tales circulating about the War of the Ring, our fame in Middle Earth has spread far and wide.
I rather think the nobles of Annuminas are even more stunned when Aragorn suddenly decides to abandon his kingly duties in order to resume his old life of wandering around the wilderness. I wonder who put that idea into his head...
However, they can hardly gainsay the King of Gondor and Arnor, even if they do purse their lips slightly when Belegar arrives with some of the Grey Company, all of whom greet Aragorn and us girls with much (and informal) eagerness.
The abandonment of kingly duties includes a tour of the Angle – it’s a rather pointless exercise now, but why should we care?
All my children find the whole running about the wilderness thing very exciting; even though I’ve told them all about my life before Dol Amroth, they’ve really only ever seen me as a princess. I think they (Rosetta especially) find it rather liberating to see their mother change from a preened and pampered royal to a self-sufficient Ranger.
It’s probably this that helps give them so much encouragement and enthusiasm for when they play-fight with the children in the Angle.
No one, not even Imrahil, bats an eyelid when Rosetta joins in – they can obviously see how much like her mother she is, especially when she starts arguing with one of the boys from the village. He made a very foolish comment about her being too much of a princess to be able to fight properly – pillock.
Having said that, Imrahil does narrow his eyes and frown when he sees just how good at weaponry Rosetta actually is – oops. Not that he even bothers trying to say anything; after nearly twenty years with me as his daughter-in-law he has learnt that he won’t get anywhere by arguing.
***
The years begin to flow by and, as they do, our little band of friends and relations gets gradually smaller.
The year 61 is a very sad one for, after the death of Rosie, Sam sails to the Undying Lands. I try not to show it, but I’m really rather affected by this, not only because I liked Rosie ever so much, but also because Sam’s sailing only serves to remind me that both Ellie and Miriel will eventually sail as so many of their kin have been doing recently.
Even going back to Dol Amroth doesn’t help to life my spirits like it used to as my children have all married and moved away and Amrothos is aging faster than ever. I have aged myself, but Amrothos has done so at a much faster rate.
***
Fourteen years later my whole world comes crashing down around me.
Amrothos is dying – he’s been ill for a while, but the harsh winter really laid him low.
I nurse him until the end; my two best friends and my children come to help.
Even now, I have to smile slightly. Anyone who didn’t know us would think I was just the eldest of Amrothos’ children; while he looks like a tired and broken old man, I barely look middle-aged.
In the end it was a quick and painless death – he died in his sleep. I was sleeping beside him; generally I wouldn’t sleep in the same room as I would stay with him throughout the day and then someone else would stay during the night, but this night, the last night, he wanted me to stay.
I suppose I should have realised that the end was near; maybe I did, but just didn’t want to think about it.
I awake the next morning on my side, Amrothos is behind me, his hand laid gently over my stomach.
But, it’s not the night after our wedding this time; this time Amrothos is cold and still; this time he’s dead.
I don’t know how long I lie there, my mind has gone blank, my body numb. I only stir when someone enters the room and comes over to the bed.
It’s Ellie; I look into her eyes and she knows immediately what has happened.
Amrothos’ body is to lie in state for the next few days so everyone can pay their final respects.
I suppose grief is different for everyone, some people cry, some just give up and retire from life. I, on the other hand, keep busy – I have to be doing something, I can’t just sit still. I have no idea what people think about my behaviour, maybe they find it odd that I don’t show any outward sign of grief. But they don’t know what goes on during the night when I have nothing to distract me from the terrible pain and loneliness...
***
60 years later we receive word that Aragorn has died. We all travel up to Gondor for the funeral. Ellie and Miriel try to comfort Arwen, but they really don’t and could never understand what it is like to lose a husband.
When Arwen leaves for Lorien, Ellie, Miriel, Legolas, my children, and I follow. I know we probably shouldn’t, but Lorien is virtually deserted now and we couldn’t let Arwen make her final journey alone, even if she didn’t realise we were there.
Only Ellie and I follow Arwen when she goes to Cerin Amroth. All is silence; I don’t cry, neither does Ellie.
As we watch, I take Ellie’s hand – being human, I know what it is like to lose all those around me. I know Ellie has been just as affected by everyone’s passing as I have, but this is one of the few times that we’ve met death in an elf.
After Arwen’s passing, we all join Ellie, Legolas, and Gimli on their final journey around Middle Earth.
First we go to Rivendell, then the Angle, and finally, we arrive at the Grey Havens.
We wait while Legolas helps to finish building the boat and then the time that I’ve been dreading comes.
It’s time for Ellie to leave along with her husband and Gimli.
“Well, here we are – the end of all our adventures!” I say as Ellie and I turn to each other.
We hug each other senseless. I try to keep the tears from flowing,
“We’ve had some pretty amazing times. I never imagined that my life would turn out in quite the same way. I know it hasn’t always been rosy, but I wouldn’t change a thing – I’ve enjoyed my life, Ellie, now you go and enjoy yours.” Ellie nods, her eyes moist. “Send my love to everyone.”
“I will.”
We share one last, long hug, before we release each other.
“I never liked long goodbyes,” I say cheerily, “Go one, off you go before we break down completely.”
Ellie nods and finally joins Legolas and Gimli upon their boat.
I smile and wave as the moorings are cast and the boat begins to move off, but my heart is heavy for I know that I shall never see Ellie – the one person who has been with me longer than any other – ever again.