When the day came that she would leave, Celebrian woke early and left her
husbands arms to wander about Imladris. She took the time to say farewell
to all the elves she met upon her way. Finally reaching her destination,
the garden, she slowed her pace and walked about it with no great speed,
taking in every sight of her fair garden. She recalled certain places where
she had watched her young boys play at fighting with wooden swords as their
father instructed them on how to perform certain swiped and jabs. Certain
places where she herself had taught their daughter and sons how to use a
bow. Certain places where Elrond had sat with them and told countless
stories of old concerning Morgoth, Luthien and the Valar. She remembered
these things and sighed sadly.
Elrond had awoken somewhat after his wife, but his waking was not as peaceful for when he found Celebrian was not next to him, he panicked. Throwing on robes hastily, Elrond ran out of his room seeking her. When going through a corridor that looked out upon the garden, he saw her standing at a place their children referred to fondly as the story ground.
"Celebrian." She turned to see her husband, short of breath coming from the house.
"What is the matter?" She asked, going to him. Elrond rose a brow in exasperation before he replied.
"You.....you were not there when I woke and...." Still breathing heavily a slight smile crossed his lips and he laughed a little when he continued. "And I feared you had gone and I...I panicked." A beautiful sound was heard in that garden when Celebrian giggled at her husband.
"I would never do such a thing. But it is good that you are awake, we have to prepare." Celebrian said, standing in front of him and removing a strand of hair from hanging over his face.
Much to the surprise of all, not a single tear was shed that day but it was easy to see that no one was in a light mood. An large number of escorts had been assembled to bare the important elves to the shipyard and when all the farewells had been said everything needed had been packed, Celebrian along with her parents, her husband and their children, set out.
It was took many days of journeying to reach the Grey Havens and as it became clear to the family, their hearts sunk for the time was drawing near when large parts of their lives would be ripped from them.
When they arrived they were greeted by Cirdan who told them that the boat that would bare Celebrian was well prepared. Few slept that night.
That night on the beaches, a couple of great age looked out over the water.
"Do you truly believe that the Blessed realm will fully heal our daughter?"
"It is a great land and I think it will save her." Galadriel said quietly to her husband as the moon was slowly covered in a deep blanket of cloud.
"I wish just wish it was not at such cost." Celeborn whispered half to himself.
"We will see mother again, won't we?" Arwen asked her brothers as they sat in her room, the dying light of a candle half lighting the three faces.
"I believe so, sister"
"Elladan! Of course we will sister, let there never be question as to weather we will see our mother again or not." Elrohir said with slight anger, not willing to think that he would never again see his mother.
In the room prepared for the couple of Imladris, no words had been spoken since they had gone to bed. Elrond had pushed all thought from his mind knowing that any thoughts would contain his wife and an unbearable pain. Celebrian was in her husbands arms, her ear to his chest, listening to his heart this time. Unlike Elrond, one clear thought was in her mind.
"Elrond?" He strained his head downward to look at his love. "I love you."
"and I, You, my love." He whispered, afraid of his voice cracking. The thought that entered his mind was that he might never again hear her say those words to him. He might never again get the chance to say those words to her. He was petrified of being without her.
"My love-"
"I'm afraid too." She stated simply and sadly. Elrond felt a tear slide onto his chest. He pulled Celebrian closer to him and stroked her silver hair gently. After a short while, memory came to him, of a man he had known as a father and loved as one. Words he spoke to him as a boy that soothed his troubled soul.
"Gil-Galad once told me something when I was young and yearned for my mother and father." He whispered to her. " The only thing that ever remains constant in this world is change. So one cannot live in bliss for all their life as bliss is a state with clear boundaries that one outlines for ones self and as change is constant, those boundaries can never be maintained forever. But time will eventually bring you another period of happiness because as blissfulness can never remain forever so neither can sadness." Elrond smiled in memory of his king and once more took comfort in his words.
Celebrian turned and looked him in his eyes. "Then separation can never be forever?" Elrond nodded and wiped from her face the pathways of her tears. They kissed deeply and once more retreated to the comfort of each others arms until the day broke through.
When finally the couple made their way to the dock where the boat was being loaded, they found parents and children alike waiting for them.
Galadriel was holding the hand of her husband tightly as tears silently slipped down her face. Celeborn did not cry but such sorrow was in his eyes that it aged him in that moment somehow. Elladan, Elrohir and Arwen all shed tears as they held each other.
First to take Celebrian in her arms was Galadriel who whispered words of comfort and strength to her daughter ere she released her to her father.
"May Ulmo watch your journey with kind eyes." Celeborn said to her as he hugged her tightly. "Keep safe, little one and find peace wherever you go." He released her and kissed her forehead.
Next Celebrian turned to her children and took Elladan in her arms first. No longer having the strength to hold back what would come, her son sobbed into his mothers shoulder as she, much as her parents had done gave him kind words. She kissed the side of his head ere she turned to Elrohir who did much the same as his twin. Arwen stopped her tears when her mother turned to her and smiled.
"Elrohir says we will meet again and I believe this to be true so I will say no goodbye to you mother, I will say hello when we are reunited." Celebrian admired her daughter and she too smiled as she hugged her.
When next she turned, Celebrian came face to face with her husband. His deep blue eyes met hers and held them as he slipped his arms about her waist and she wrapped hers around his shoulders.
"I wish I had the optimism of our daughter, but all I can do is hope." He whispered to her.
"It has been often said that hope breeds courage and courage breeds strength. If this is true, then you will endure my absence until we are together once more." She whispered into his neck. Celebrian then raised her hand to his neck and pulled him to her lips. Their kiss was long, tender even as it hungered for more and when they broke it, Celebrian cast her eyes downward as she stroked her husbands cheek with her hand that lingered a second longer ere she turned from him and made her way to the great ship. Though she did not see it, her husbands hand reached out after her but did not linger, knowing that what he pleaded for he would not receive.
When Celebrian had made her way to the main deck various shouts came up from the deck from her family as they wished her well and waved. All did this save Elrond who merely stood there and with a told all that he could not say. And as she waved to the rest of her family, Celebrian whispered to him alone, I love you forever. She was uncertain if he heard it though as the ship sailed from the gaze of her loved ones.
A deep weariness crept over Elrond as he saw the ship go over the horizon and as it got caught in the suns rich gold, disappear. The rest of the family turned to leave but Elrond did not move. Arwen placed a hand on her fathers shoulder ere she followed her brothers and grandparents into the halls of dining.
It is not known how long he stood upon that dock but Elrond did not return to his quarters that night and even as a new dawn crept over the Grey Havens, he was looking out over the ocean.
(Sobs) I know I had to end it and sadly so. I'm not as pleased with this one though as I was with the others but never the less tell me whatcha think.
I liked the suggestion about a Gil-Galad fic but I just don't know enough about him to write a good one! But you, never know.
I hope to start writing another one soon but I'm drained creatively at the moment(which I think is part of the reason this one didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped) so I plan to take a little brake. I'll Be Back.
Thank you again to all who review(ed.)
Elrond had awoken somewhat after his wife, but his waking was not as peaceful for when he found Celebrian was not next to him, he panicked. Throwing on robes hastily, Elrond ran out of his room seeking her. When going through a corridor that looked out upon the garden, he saw her standing at a place their children referred to fondly as the story ground.
"Celebrian." She turned to see her husband, short of breath coming from the house.
"What is the matter?" She asked, going to him. Elrond rose a brow in exasperation before he replied.
"You.....you were not there when I woke and...." Still breathing heavily a slight smile crossed his lips and he laughed a little when he continued. "And I feared you had gone and I...I panicked." A beautiful sound was heard in that garden when Celebrian giggled at her husband.
"I would never do such a thing. But it is good that you are awake, we have to prepare." Celebrian said, standing in front of him and removing a strand of hair from hanging over his face.
Much to the surprise of all, not a single tear was shed that day but it was easy to see that no one was in a light mood. An large number of escorts had been assembled to bare the important elves to the shipyard and when all the farewells had been said everything needed had been packed, Celebrian along with her parents, her husband and their children, set out.
It was took many days of journeying to reach the Grey Havens and as it became clear to the family, their hearts sunk for the time was drawing near when large parts of their lives would be ripped from them.
When they arrived they were greeted by Cirdan who told them that the boat that would bare Celebrian was well prepared. Few slept that night.
That night on the beaches, a couple of great age looked out over the water.
"Do you truly believe that the Blessed realm will fully heal our daughter?"
"It is a great land and I think it will save her." Galadriel said quietly to her husband as the moon was slowly covered in a deep blanket of cloud.
"I wish just wish it was not at such cost." Celeborn whispered half to himself.
"We will see mother again, won't we?" Arwen asked her brothers as they sat in her room, the dying light of a candle half lighting the three faces.
"I believe so, sister"
"Elladan! Of course we will sister, let there never be question as to weather we will see our mother again or not." Elrohir said with slight anger, not willing to think that he would never again see his mother.
In the room prepared for the couple of Imladris, no words had been spoken since they had gone to bed. Elrond had pushed all thought from his mind knowing that any thoughts would contain his wife and an unbearable pain. Celebrian was in her husbands arms, her ear to his chest, listening to his heart this time. Unlike Elrond, one clear thought was in her mind.
"Elrond?" He strained his head downward to look at his love. "I love you."
"and I, You, my love." He whispered, afraid of his voice cracking. The thought that entered his mind was that he might never again hear her say those words to him. He might never again get the chance to say those words to her. He was petrified of being without her.
"My love-"
"I'm afraid too." She stated simply and sadly. Elrond felt a tear slide onto his chest. He pulled Celebrian closer to him and stroked her silver hair gently. After a short while, memory came to him, of a man he had known as a father and loved as one. Words he spoke to him as a boy that soothed his troubled soul.
"Gil-Galad once told me something when I was young and yearned for my mother and father." He whispered to her. " The only thing that ever remains constant in this world is change. So one cannot live in bliss for all their life as bliss is a state with clear boundaries that one outlines for ones self and as change is constant, those boundaries can never be maintained forever. But time will eventually bring you another period of happiness because as blissfulness can never remain forever so neither can sadness." Elrond smiled in memory of his king and once more took comfort in his words.
Celebrian turned and looked him in his eyes. "Then separation can never be forever?" Elrond nodded and wiped from her face the pathways of her tears. They kissed deeply and once more retreated to the comfort of each others arms until the day broke through.
When finally the couple made their way to the dock where the boat was being loaded, they found parents and children alike waiting for them.
Galadriel was holding the hand of her husband tightly as tears silently slipped down her face. Celeborn did not cry but such sorrow was in his eyes that it aged him in that moment somehow. Elladan, Elrohir and Arwen all shed tears as they held each other.
First to take Celebrian in her arms was Galadriel who whispered words of comfort and strength to her daughter ere she released her to her father.
"May Ulmo watch your journey with kind eyes." Celeborn said to her as he hugged her tightly. "Keep safe, little one and find peace wherever you go." He released her and kissed her forehead.
Next Celebrian turned to her children and took Elladan in her arms first. No longer having the strength to hold back what would come, her son sobbed into his mothers shoulder as she, much as her parents had done gave him kind words. She kissed the side of his head ere she turned to Elrohir who did much the same as his twin. Arwen stopped her tears when her mother turned to her and smiled.
"Elrohir says we will meet again and I believe this to be true so I will say no goodbye to you mother, I will say hello when we are reunited." Celebrian admired her daughter and she too smiled as she hugged her.
When next she turned, Celebrian came face to face with her husband. His deep blue eyes met hers and held them as he slipped his arms about her waist and she wrapped hers around his shoulders.
"I wish I had the optimism of our daughter, but all I can do is hope." He whispered to her.
"It has been often said that hope breeds courage and courage breeds strength. If this is true, then you will endure my absence until we are together once more." She whispered into his neck. Celebrian then raised her hand to his neck and pulled him to her lips. Their kiss was long, tender even as it hungered for more and when they broke it, Celebrian cast her eyes downward as she stroked her husbands cheek with her hand that lingered a second longer ere she turned from him and made her way to the great ship. Though she did not see it, her husbands hand reached out after her but did not linger, knowing that what he pleaded for he would not receive.
When Celebrian had made her way to the main deck various shouts came up from the deck from her family as they wished her well and waved. All did this save Elrond who merely stood there and with a told all that he could not say. And as she waved to the rest of her family, Celebrian whispered to him alone, I love you forever. She was uncertain if he heard it though as the ship sailed from the gaze of her loved ones.
A deep weariness crept over Elrond as he saw the ship go over the horizon and as it got caught in the suns rich gold, disappear. The rest of the family turned to leave but Elrond did not move. Arwen placed a hand on her fathers shoulder ere she followed her brothers and grandparents into the halls of dining.
It is not known how long he stood upon that dock but Elrond did not return to his quarters that night and even as a new dawn crept over the Grey Havens, he was looking out over the ocean.
(Sobs) I know I had to end it and sadly so. I'm not as pleased with this one though as I was with the others but never the less tell me whatcha think.
I liked the suggestion about a Gil-Galad fic but I just don't know enough about him to write a good one! But you, never know.
I hope to start writing another one soon but I'm drained creatively at the moment(which I think is part of the reason this one didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped) so I plan to take a little brake. I'll Be Back.
Thank you again to all who review(ed.)