An Acceptance

After the next few minutes, while Legolas busied himself with readying Raina’s horse, Aragorn and Gimli came down to the stables, although they would not be riding on their way to the Grey Havens.

“He is all ready,” Legolas said, leading an old horse out of the stables.

Aragorn helped Raina stand from where she had been leaning against the stables.

“I don’t have to ride, you know,” she grumbled as Legolas lifted her onto the horse “I’m not due for another three months.” She hated getting special attention.

“Nope. You are riding,” Aragorn said firmly, leading the horse and Raina out of Minas Tirith.

“Is that an order from the King?” Raina joked, and Aragorn scowled at her. It would have been intimidating if he and everyone else were not laughing.

“We’d be goin’ against our word if we let you do anythin’ less than the safes’ thin’ for you and the babe,” Gimli growled cheerfully.

Raina sighed, giving up. She would do the safest thing for little Frodo-lad as well, so she went along with their demands.

**

The weeks walking to the Grey Havens were long, but very refreshing. It was just like it used to be, and even though it had been filled with fear and uncertainty, Raina missed the old days of the Fellowship. It was really the only time she felt like she belonged. And here, wandering through Middle Earth with her friends again, it made her feel at home again. They could now speak freely, and not have to care about the politeness and properness that went along with being part of the court. Seeing everyone dressed the way they used to and feeling so free was amazing, and Raina wanted to savor the days they had like this.

At nights they would fall asleep in the middle of talking to one another, and for Raina, that meant she usually fell asleep against Legolas’s chest, just like it used to be. Except back then, Legolas wouldn’t have to hold Raina’s hair every day at dawn because of her morning sickness.

It took them about three weeks to walk from Minas Tirith to the Shore, and still got there before the Hobbits and Gandalf.

Legolas nudged Raina as they led her horse to the docks, and she sat up, blinking herself awake.

The Grey Havens were more beautiful than she could have imagined. They resembled Rivendell a lot, almost making Raina’s heart ache. She wished she could go back to Rivendell, but by now it was very much deserted, and it wouldn’t have the same magic to it without the Elves.

In the water was a small ship, just big enough to carry the few who were going, and in front of that stood Elrond, Celeborn, and Galadriel. They all smiled at the new arrivals, but before either party could speak, Gandalf’s carriage rode into the harbor.

Raina was helped off her horse as the Hobbits piled out of the carriage, followed lastly by Bilbo, who Raina had not seen since his eleventy-first birthday.

Raina smiled, almost not believing that she was finally seeing Frodo again. Her brother.

Slowly, she walked over to the Hobbits, but she only paid attention to one of them. Frodo’s eyes were locked on hers as well as he walked over to her. I’m not going to weep… not now…

With a cry of happiness, she wrapped her arms around him, biting her lip so she didn’t cry. But, being pregnant and whatnot, that promise didn’t last long.

Neither had to say anything at first, until Merry joined in on their hug, followed by an enthusiastic Pippin, then Sam. Aragorn and Gandalf laughed, and hugged all of them, followed by Legolas and Gimli.

Raina looked all around her from inside the group hug, and all she could see was her family’s laughing faces. She could practically feel her heart growing to encompass all of them as she smiled.

Eventually they all had to break apart, and everyone from the two parties started speaking at once to one another.

Raina greeted Sam next, still thanking him for looking after Frodo, and then spoke to Merry and Pippin, who she has just seen a few months ago as they passed through. Then she ran over to Bilbo, who she talked to for a long time, telling him about Faramir, her daughter, and about what life was like being part of the court of Gondor.

Finally, she found herself talking to Frodo once more.

She took his hands and with a small smile, rested them on her rounded belly. As soon as she did, the baby kicked. Frodo jumped a little, a grin spreading on his face.

“His name’s Frodo,” Raina whispered, a shy smile on her face.

Frodo’s eyes widened in shock, but before he could say anything, Sam spoke up.

“Oi! And how do you know that it’s a boy?” he accused lightheartedly.

Raina looked up and nodded over to Elrond, smiling triumphantly. The Lord of the Elves nodded back, a hidden smile in his eyes.

Sam grinned and padded over to Raina, shaking her hand.

“Well, congratulations,” he said, and Raina laughed at his seriousness. She had really missed her Shire friends.

**

Eventually they all had to congregate back together, for it was time for the Grey Ship to be sailing on its way to the West.

Gandalf stood in front of the Fellowship once more, tears glistening in his eyes.

“Farewell… my brave friends. My work is now finished.”

Raina pursed her lips, tears misting her eyes over.

“Here at last, on the shores of the sea, comes an end to our Fellowship.”

Now everyone in the Fellowship was getting a little emotional, especially the Shire folk.

“I will not say, do not weep, for not all tears are an evil.”

Raina looked around at everyone, trying to copy this image of everyone together, for the last time, in her mind forever.

Gandalf slowly turned around, his white robes billowing out behind him as he glided to the ship. Everyone watched with curious gazes as he turned around, his eyes on Frodo.

“It is time, Frodo.”

Raina’s eyes widened as she turned to face the Hobbit standing right beside her.

“He doesn’t mean-?” she started, but the solemn look in his eyes told her he did. This would be the last time she would see her brother.

“What does he mean?” Sam asked, but from the tears gliding down his cheeks, Raina could tell that he already knew as well.

“We set out to save the Shire, Sam,” Frodo said softly. “And it has been saved. But not for me.”

Raina stood, staring at him, shocked. It felt like the last time she had thought she had lost him. Her brain just wouldn’t function.

“You don’t mean that! You can’t leave!” Sam cried.

Frodo took the Red Book from out of his cloak, the one that he had gotten with the Fellowship in Lothlorien.

“The last pages are for you, Sam,” he said, handing it to him.

Reluctantly, Sam took the book in his small, Hobbit hands.

Frodo hugged everyone in turn, taking quite a while with the Hobbits, and kissed Sam on the forehead, before turning to face Raina.

Her lip trembling, she sank to the stone floor of the harbor, and pulled Frodo in, grasping his cloak as tight as she could, as if it were up to her to hold him to Middle Earth. But she knew she could not argue with him going. She had remembered something, something from long, long ago.

She looked up at Galadriel trough tear-filled eyes.

“This is what you meant,” she whispered, knowing that the Elf could hear her from across the docks. “What you said to me before we left.”

Raina remembered the words as if it had been only a single moon ago.

“When the Ring-bearer leaves… yes, Frodo, you’re adopted brother. When he leaves, remember this: You must let him go. You cannot follow where this Hobbit is going. At least, not yet.”

Galadriel nodded with a sad smile, before turning to board the ship.

Raina turned to Frodo, her eyes scanning his face one last, long time.

“This isn’t the end,” she whispered only loud enough for him to hear, before turning him around and sending him on his way. “Goodbye, my dear Frodo.”

Frodo padded over to Gandalf, who led him up to the deck. The Hobbit turned around and waved to everyone, a smile on is face that said that he was finally at peace, after all these years.

Raina waved back, trying to smile though her tears. She had not bothered to stand up yet, for she knew that her legs were too weak to hold her up from the shock.

As the ship started sailing away, most of the Fellowship started to turn and walk out of the Havens, but Raina sat and watched. Her hair billowed around her face, but she had not the energy to brush it away. All she did was watch, until even her Elvish eyes could not see the ship any longer.

It was then did she let Legolas help her up and back onto her horse, and out of the Havens. Raina felt like part of her soul was being left here, and she knew that it would take many years to forget that feeling.