A Secret Revealed - Chapter 18

The quest was long and hard on everybody. We had all changed, become a lot more serious, and love grew ever stronger between Aragorn and I.

We had faced many foes, many challenges and injuries. But we were better for it.

I smiled at Aragorn, who was riding beside me.

The quest had been completed, and we had returned to Rivendell. But then, we realised, we needed our own home; we could not impose upon Lord Elrond's hospitality forever.

So we found ourselves on the road to Gondor, hopeful to find a nice house in which we could live out our lives in peace.

We rode in a comfortable silence, and in my mind I turned over the things that happened upon the quest.

Though at first I had had doubts about Gimli son of Gloin, I found myself warming to him, and we became good friends. It seemed strange at first, to be an elf that had befriended a dwarf, as for years elves and dwarves did not associate with each other. But though stubborn and quick to anger, Gimli was a kind and understanding dwarf; one of the first in the fellowship to find out about Aragorn's love and mine. We bonded a little into our journey, and are great friends even now.

The hobbits amazed me; they seemed so small and childlike, but at times they were stronger in heart and mind than I had ever felt.

I felt strange when Boromir died. He lay on the ground, with the arrows of the Uruk Hai buried in his chest.

I had not seen him die. Aragorn was with him when death claimed him; Gimli and I fought our way through our foul enemies too late to witness his last words.

Aragorn had recounted what he said once we were alone. That the Uruk Hai had taken the hobbits. Boromir told Aragorn that he regretted that he had deceived us those many months ago; that his previous banishment from Rivendell and the quest had caused him to think about his actions, and that he was ashamed of the frightful things he had done. With his last breath, he apologised.

And at last I found it in my heart to forgive him.

His death caused me to think; maybe we had been too hard on him? Maybe we should have forgiven him his faults long ago, then his death would not have come to pass, and he would still be alive.

Though he had caused pain in both Aragorn's life and mine, he had always been on the side of good. His heart was not pure, but he fought against the lure of the ring as hard as he could. But his will was not strong enough. In an attempt to redeem his wrongdoing, he had fought bravely and single-handedly against a large group of Uruk Hai, in attempt to rescue two of the hobbits from their clutches. But it had been in vain, and there were too many of the evil creatures. He had died a hero's death, and despite the bad things he had done, he deserved to be remembered in such a way: a hero.

He would not be forgotten, for the hobbit, Frodo, compiled the story of the quest into a book, like his uncle had done before him when recounting his adventure with the dragon. But that is his tale to tell.

Aragorn and I drew close to the gates of Gondor. The moment we rode through the gates, the happenings of the past became almost insignificant. For the only time was now, and I was here, with my love, about to start a new chapter in our lives.

After a few days of searching, we came upon the perfect house. My heart leapt when I saw it, and I knew it was for us. It sat on cliffs overlooking the sea, the blossomed trees outside blowing in the breeze and dropping pink petals over the path. The house was only small, but it was all we needed.

It belonged to an old farmer, who readily exchanged it for a reasonable quantity of gold. The house was ours, and I knew I would be happy here.

Our first night in our new house, long after Aragorn and I had confessed our love for each other, we made love for the first time, in our cosy bedroom, candles burning on the table, and the moon shining brightly through the window. It was more beautiful than any other time I had known such pleasure before I knew it with Aragorn, I felt as if our union filled a part of me that had been empty for most of my life. As we lay side by side afterwards, arms around each other, I watched him sleep and my heart swelled with happiness. I had long ago abandoned the idea of ever returning to Mirkwood, I did not need to return, for all I needed was here. Aragorn was my life, I was his, and that was the way it would stay. It could be the end of the world, but as long as Aragorn and I were together, everything would be all right.

More content with my life than I had ever been, I slept, losing myself in the warmth of my lover's arms.