The Daughter of the Moon Volume I

Chapter 26 : Sailing and Accidents

Frodo took the bottle, and, as it glittered for a moment between them, he saw her again with her port of a queen, great and beautiful, but no more terrible. He bowed without finding a word to say.

Then the Lady stood up, and Celeborn took them back to the pier. The midday light stretched yellow over the green grass of the Tongue, and the water glittered with silver. At last everything was ready. The Company took its place in the boats as before.

The Elves of Lorien shouted farewell, and pushed them with their long poles into the current of the river, and the rippling waters slowly carried them away. The travellers sat without moving or speaking. On the green bank at the very tip of the Tongue, Lady Galadriel stood upright, alone and silent.

As they walked away from the Lady, they heard the clear song of her bewitching voice. She was singing in High Elven.

Ai! Laurië lantar fassi sûrinen,

Yéni unotimë ve râmar aldaron!

Yéni ve lintë yuldar avânier mioromardi lisse-miruvtireva Andûnë pella

Vardo tellumar nu luini yassen tintilar i eleni ômaryo airetari-lirinen.

Si man i yulma nin enquantuva?

An si Tintallë Varda Oiolossëo va fanyar mâryat

Elentâri ortanë ar ilyë fier undulkvë lumbulë, ar sindandriello calta mornië i falmalinnar imbë met, ar hisië untûpa

Calaciryo mlri oialë. Si vanwa nâ, Rômello vanwa, Valimar!

Namârië! Nai hiruvalyë Valimar. Nay elyë hiriva. Namârië!

"Ah, as gold falls the leaves in the wind, long and innumerable years like the wings of trees!

The long years have passed like swift gulps of sweet mead in the high halls beyond the West, under the blue vaults of Varda, where the stars tremble in the song of her voice, holy and royal.

Who will now fill the cup for me?

For now the Incitator, Varda, the Queen of Stars, of Mount Ever White, has raised her hands like clouds and all the paths are drowned in deep shadow, and from a grey country the darkness spreads over the foaming waves, and the mist covers the jewels of Caiacirya forever.

Now lost, lost to those of the East is Valimar! Farewell! Perhaps you will find Valimar. Maybe you will find her. Farewell!"

Suddenly, the river curved, the banks rose on either side, and the light of the Lorien was hidden. In this beautiful land, Frodo was never to return.

The Companions then turned to their journey, the sun was in front of them and dazzled them, for all eyes were filled with tears.

Gimli wept openly.

-My last look was for what was most beautiful," he said to his companion Legolas. From now on I will no longer call anything beautiful except his gift.

He put his hand to his chest.

-Tell me, Legolas, why did I join this Quest? I hardly knew where the main danger lay! Elrond was telling the truth when he said that we could not predict what we would find on our way. The danger I feared was torment in the darkness, and he didn't hold me back. But I would not have come if I had known that of light and joy. I have now received my worst wound in this departure, having even had to go straight to the Dark Lord that night. Alas for Gimli son of Gloin!

-No! said Legolas. Alas for us all! And for all those who run the world in the days to come. For so it goes: one finds and one loses, as it seems to those whose boat sails along the waters.

But I consider you happy, Gimli son of Gloin, because you have lost your life of your own free will and you could have made another choice. But you have not abandoned your companions, and the least reward you will have will be that the memory of Lothlorien will remain forever clear and unblemished in your heart, and it will never fade or grow old.

-Perhaps, says Gimli, and I thank you for these words. True words, no doubt, but such comfort is cold. Memory is not what the heart desires. It is only a mirror, even if it is as clear as the Kheled-zâram. At least that is what the heart of Gimli the Dwarf says.

Elves can see things differently. In truth, I have heard it said that for them memory is more like the world that awakens than the dream. It is not the same for Dwarves. But let's not talk about that anymore. We have to take care of the boat! It's sinking too hard with all this baggage, and the Great River is fast. I have no desire to drown my sorrows in cold water.

He grabbed a paddle and steered towards the west bank, following the boat of Aragorn which was in the lead and had already left the middle of the river.

Elenwë, touched by the farewell to the Lady of Lorién, had finally dozed off.

When she woke up, she saw that Gimli, who was also sleeping, was bent over the water too much.

-NO! she shouted.

Gimli slipped completely out of the boat and sank into the water, swept away by the weight of his eternal rib of mesh.

Without further thought, Elenwë took off her belt, boots and cape and plunged elegantly into the Anduin.

From the other boats, their companions watched, petrified.

Aragorn was the first to come to his senses.

-Legolas, it seems to me that elves don't like water!

-Can Elenwë swim?

-I'm almost certain she can't.

-But what does she do?

Elenwë sank deeper and deeper to catch up with Gimli. Strangely enough, she felt so good in the water!

When she reached the level of the dwarf who was trying to swim without success, she asked the water to surround him and bring him to the surface.

The water obeyed and Elenwë was about to come up when she noticed a silver sheen thirty metres below.

Gimli's axe! Now that's annoying!

While she was wondering how she could go after it, she suddenly realised that she hadn't breathed since her dive. To be more exact, she had been breathing underwater for two minutes now!

Astonished at her ability, she swam deeper to get the weapon.

At the surface, Gimli had just emerged.

Boromir hoisted him into the boat and everyone looked fearfully at the water's surface.

Where was Elenwë?

Legolas, completely panicked - which is quite rare for an elf - mechanically removed his weapons, shoes, cape and tunic and dived in too.

-But what a fool! I'm sure he can't swim! Aragorn shouted.

But it's not true!

Aragorn, in his turn, took off a few layers of clothing and jumped.