Home's Tale by Haeron

Chapter 18

And so now we come to the present.

Celebrían adores our garden and has brought some clippings and seeds from her own roses bushes and fruit trees for us to plant. I accept them humbly and she kisses my cheek, remarking for my ears alone how brightly I shine. I thank her, and return to her very much the same sentiment before lifting the conversation to lighter topics, begging her help with the re-potting of certain laughable vegetables I have been trying to grow.

Glorfindel and Elrond sit together and talk over a bottle of light, sparkling wine in the kitchen. Elrond lifts a glass to us when he sees his wife and I nattering about compost and such, not topics I can claim any kind of mastery in, no, but the archaic studies of runes and registers do not often come to daily use in Valinor, I am afraid.

But I have kept all my old books.

‘You look well!’ Elrond calls and his voice comes loud and merry from the open door.

‘It’s been some years, old friend, so I should certainly hope so!’ I call back and he smirks and knocks his glass together with Glorfindel’s, a private toast to whatever they might have been discussing beforehand.

Celebrían glows at my side and shares a private glance with her husband. They have attained their own happiness in the time since we all landed here, in Valinor, and the pains each of us might have bore to the Undying Lands have dimmed and ebbed away somewhat; Elladan and Elrohir do their parents proud, we four know it, and Arwen, ah, we speak of her often and laughter is ever in our voices. And love, always love for our lonely queen, our wayward star, but then is such not the nature of stars; to wander?

I do not voice this thought.

Glorfindel has found peace, at last, and my heart is gladdened each time I spy him with a smile or laughter brightening his face; and often can one hear such sounds, like clear bells ringing out from our modest house. It is strange to see him so relaxed at times, without the constant burden of duty and vigilance to maintain, and if truth be told he is a creature of sunshine and lazy days. We walk often, hand in hand, along the boundaries of our land looking each way and wondering aloud what might lie behind that mountain or along that stream.

But it may be a while before we undertake any more adventures.

However, we do often visit New Gondolin (and return with more apple ale and tarts than one could ever possibly need), we visit the new settlements similar to our own along the beaches and forests, we visit the wooded kingdoms and Lindir, too, wherever he might roam along the roads through Valinor that only a minstrel might know. Ecthelion oft comes to visit us! And he greets me as friend and I him. All is well.

His lady bears his children now, do you know? Twins it seems! Good grief...

And Ecthelion has already named Glorfindel and I as guardians, an honour we accepted before almost he had finished the question. Things have healed between us and I shall regale the children of his and his lady’s with the tales of their warrior family; though not all warriors prove their worth in battle, mind you.

When Elrond calls us to the kitchen we each take a seat, the four of us gathered in new happiness and fresh hope, and one cannot help but think that yes, this was the Valinor that was promised to us. The Lord of the Last Homely House raises his glass in toast, to me and Glorfindel and to himself and Celebrían.

Our four glasses sing together. When Glorfindel kisses me softly, the others coo.

And when, on the nights we share together where the stars are out and the winds are low, he moves in me and we lie tangled and spent, we lie in our bed and watch through the window all that we might see. The trees dance for us, slowly.

And it is home, at last.

We are home.