Disclaimer: See previous chapter

Author Note: It's been a long journey for Eonwe, Kim and the others, but here is the chapter I often thought I wouldn't see – the Epilogue to the tale of their meeting. It is also the herald of the next portion of their story entitled 'Dark Power Arising' which will be coming soon. As soon as I outline an arrival of new evil in Middle-earth that doesn't sound old and done to death!

"Heroes know that things must happen when it is time for them to happen. A quest may not simply be abandoned; unicorns may go un-rescued for a long time, but not forever; a happy ending cannot come in the middle of the story." - Peter S Beadle

Chapter 68– Epilogue

North West coast of Wales, circa present day

"I never thought to stand here again...for the third time."

His companion, a tall, slim young man with long dark hair loose about his shoulders glanced at him with dark eyebrows raised in query. "Yet you still volunteered." He said mildly.

"As did you, and where else would I be other than following those who I was pleased to serve here before, no matter how foolhardy their quest? " Countered the other. "The Valar did say we would be met, obviously our contact has no sense of time whatsoever."

Erestor laughed softly. "Nay...let us rather say that those here have a much more developed sense of time than those in the uttermost West."

Glorfindel grunted in reluctant assent and grinned at his companion. "I suppose so."

He glanced around at the rocky shoreline. In the gathering gloom of North Western England's autumn twilight figures could be seen unloading boxes from a small craft under the direction of a tall dark-haired elf while just at the edge of the water with the small waves lapping around her feet stood another cloaked and hooded figure, obviously female.

"What I cannot comprehend." He said thoughtfully. "Is why Elrond and Celebrian wished to come here again, to the site of many old and still raw wounds. It is many millennia from the end of Elessar and Arwen's line. Surely he cannot think that he will find any of their descendants here now? You would think that he and Celebrian would have wanted to remain in peace in Valinor. I can only assume that Elladan came to keep an eye on them being the only twin who has not as yet espoused himself !"

Erestor laughed softly and shrugged. "Elladan was always a lover of the Secondborn, so I am not surprised he offered to return. Not for nothing was he named 'Elf-man' As for Elrond and Celebrian, who knows what was in their minds? Some sort of closure I imagine. The Herald was clear enough in the facts of the matter when he asked for people to come back. I do believe that Elrond felt as though he was stagnating, as did many others. Celeborn came back to Valinor but has not been the same since, I am surprised that he did not wish to come back as well."

"He did." Glorfindel grinned widely. "I think Galadriel put her foot down with a firm hand!"

Erestor snorted with laughter. "I hope the chains she bound him with are strong." He said wickely. "The Lady of Light has a strong will, but so does her Lord."

"I see bright lights moving across the dunes."

They were joined by the solid figure of Haldir, who had, in Middle-earth served Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel in the land of Laurelindorenan, or Lothlorien as it had come to be known. He had joined the venture at the request of his Lord and Lady in order to protect both their daughter Lady Celebrian and her lord.

All three turned their gaze inland, just as a pair of headlights bored their way through the gloom and lit up the immediate area in stark relief. Now, any spectators on that part of the coast, who, except for fishermen, would have been unusual at that time of year could have plainly seen the elegant lines of a silver Swan Ship. They might even have seen that the figures milling around the scenes of disembarkation emanated a faint glow.

"Friend or foe do you think?" Glorfindel said softly.

"Friend." Erestor said firmly. "I doubt that enemies would come with such a show of light!"

Haldir said nothing. He had immediately taken up a defensive stance, just in case of accidents, as had another dark haired elf, Elladan, one of the twin sons of Elrond, who joined them. The lights that all could see and were gaping at, came to a sudden stop and the sensitive nostrils of the Eldar were assailed with the very unfamiliar and astringent odour of petrol. They all took a step back as a door in the vehicle, not any kind carriage or cart they were familiar with, swung open with a sharp click and a tall figure unwound himself and his long legs from the driver's side.

Those on the shore sensed no ill will from the figure, who was bundled up in some sort of bulky dark jacket. He also wore some sort of cap and a long scarf wound many times around his neck. On his feet he wore heavy boots for the night was cold and the evening breeze from the sea was sparkling with beads of wet.

The figure stood for a moment contemplating the scene before him and a moment later was joined by another figure from another vehicle behind, who took no measures to hide his identity in muffled clothing. His only sop to the cold weather was a snug fitting black leather jacket, blue denim jeans and a pair of desert boots. His long red shining hair tumbled around his shoulders and his eyes showed a green gleam.

Elrond could not stop the gasp that escaped him.

"Maedhros." He said in a whisper and Celebrian, who had never actually met Feanor's eldest son, stared in interest as the two tall figures made their way down the sand dunes among the coarse thick clumps of grass and onto the beach. Even Galdor who had volunteered to bring his ship over on this venture at the request of King Olwe and Lord Cirdan, and his Teleri sailors stopped their unloading and came to the edge of the rail to stare at the infamous Noldor kinslayer, not seen since his theft of the Silmarils from the tent of Eonwe, Herald of Manwe after the War of Wrath.

"Halloooo the ship." A very well-known voice boomed out and Maedhros' companion pulled off the cap allowing bright golden hair to bounce loose. "We can't get the vehicles any closer, so that stuff will have to be carried up them." The voice held unmistakable tones of command.

He came to a halt in front of Glorfindel, Erestor and Haldir. "What, no effusive welcome? No 'hello Thranduil, we had no idea you were still alive and kicking'?" He put a mocking hand over his heart. "Surely you cannot have forgotten me? You wound me. Don't tell me, I bet that miserable old Sindar sod from Doriath didn't even mention that I was still alive!"

Undeterred by the stunned silence that greeted him, he flung his arms around the three startled Elves and drew them into a bear hug.

Glorfindel was the first to extricate himself from being suffocated. "I might have known you would never fade."

He tried to sound exasperated but there was a catch in his voice and a tear in his eyes that betrayed his nonchalance.

Thranduil released the other two and beamed at them. "And of course you do remember Maedhros." He jerked a jumb back at the red-haired elf who was standing quietly, not willing to push himself forward in case of rejection.

Strangely enough it was Elrond, who by this time had walked up the beach, with Celebrian hovering not far behind, and who was the first to move forward in greeting. He held his arms out to Maedhros who moved wordlessly into them. They stood for a moment in an embrace.

"I did not think to be welcome and I did not think to see you here again." Maedhros said softly. "Maglor would have come, but he stays with Alun Davies and his family. You remember Alun?"

Elrond's eyes glistened with unshed tears. "Of course I remember him, and Kim. Are they well?"

"Quite well and looking forward to seeing you all." He hesitated. "Although Alun and his family were much affected by this growing darkness, things have much improved. We should not speak of these things here though, the Herald will explain matters when we see him. Kim and Lord Eonwe...er Gary, now have a baby daughter, she is almost three years old now."

Elrond let him go and greeted Thranduil who was standing by with a self-satisfied smirk on his face. They grasped each other by the forearms before embracing. "It is good to see you safe and alive my old friend." Elrond said softly. "And your people?"

Thranduil shrugged. "Meh...I haven't had 'people' as you call them for at least a thousand years. Some did indeed fade, not many though. I sent the rest across the straight road. Mostly I have wandered Middle-earth by myself, but for the last few hundred years I have had no contact with those of our kind except for Maglor who also stubbornly resisted sailing, for more obvious reasons of course and in more recent times Maedhros." His look turned from bored nonchalance to slightly pleading. "My son? I did not think he would come here of course, the sea-longing became too strong and overtook him at the end. He struggled to withstand it and managed until the departure of the Undomiel for Cerin Amroth. But he is well?"

Celebrian's voice broke in and Thranduil turned to envelop her in another bear hug. "He is well and I have many missives from him. " She returned the hug with a fierce one of her own. "And this is just the first of many hugs that he and his wife and family send to you."

Thranduil's eyes grew misty. "Wife and family is it? Well I never. Then I completely understand why he is not here."

Celebrian chuckled. "You have two fine grandsons and a granddaughter and they are married with children and grandchildren in their turn. Legolas wanted to come, but pressing family responsibilities now stop him from gadding about. Or so he said." Her eyes held laughter.

"It didn't stop either of you!" Thranduil's eyes twinkled merrily. "But then your reasons for returning are a little more personal I suspect."

The expression in her silvery blue eyes suddenly turned hopeful. "Have you...has anyone..." She stumbled over her words and Elrond gently gripped her elbow in support.

Thranduil smiled at her. "That is a tale too long in the telling for standing around here in the mists of the Welsh coasts, so you must wait a little longer, however I will say that my news is not bad. However we must get you all up to where the Herald awaits you and before the Coastguard sight what could be construed as a vessel landing illegal immigrants. I would hate to have to explain the presence of so many elves to the arresting authorities." He lifted Celebrian's slim white hand to his lips. "But let us get you into the vehicle at least while we load up, the fog on this part of the coast can be quite chilly and you will get soaked standing here."

She managed a tremulous smile at Elrond and allowed herself to be drawn up to the sand dunes where the strange metal carriages were. The tall figure of Maedhros could already been seen directing the lifting of the baggage up the beach and into the vehicle. Elrond, Elladan, Glorfindel, Haldir and Erestor had joined him.

Celebrian was settled into the back seat of one of the vehicles while Thranduil jumped in the front and started up the engine. She shrank back with trepidation into the plush leather seats as the vehicle purred into action as if by some kind of sorcery.

Thranduil threw her a grin over his shoulder. "Let's just get some heat on." He fiddled with some strange dials in the front and the next thing the radio blared into action on a classical music channel, currently playing a nice piece by Chopin, and a welcome blast of heat filled the interior. "Want me to leave the radio on?" He asked cheerily.

She leant forward in puzzlement. "Where..." She cleared her throat nervously. "Where are the minstrels who play this music? It is quite lovely."

Thranduil chuckled. "It's something the mortals call a recording. There aren't really little minstrels hiding in the dashboard. It's a radio, music that is broadcast all over the country. Many people in mortal homes all over this kingdom will be listening to this at the same time that we are listening. The piece is by a mortal composer called Frederic Chopin, Etude Opus. 10, No. 2 I believe. Lovely piece, one of my personal favourites. You just stay here in the warm and listen, take a nap even while we sort out the luggage. We can be on our way then."

He jumped out of the vehicle and shut the door with a snap, leaving Celebrian to sink back in the seat and let the warmth and the music flow over her. For the first time in days she felt relaxed and as if the decision she and Elrond had made to come in person and try to find any descendants of the line of Elessar Telcontar and Arwen Undomiel was not some sort of lunatic venture as many back on Valinor had declared.

The assorted elves who were staying on in modern Middle-earth stood quietly on the shoreline watching as the tall silver ship glided away from them, ghostly and elegant. They watched until she was swallowed up in the fine mist. Moments later, with Thranduil expertly driving one Range Rover and Maedhros the other, they were heading for the Welsh North coast road which would eventually meet up with the M62 and onwards to where their new home and new destinies awaited them.

~ FIN ~

ooOoo

Note: Sequel to A Singular Honour, called Dark Power Arising soon to come.