Part 145 – Namaarie
Still dark as the sun had not even set its beams of light on the horizon yet, the three started their journey further east. Not wanting to waste any time, they quickly got to their horses and left before any but the half-asleep sentries were awake. With their quickened paces, the three travelers reached the last bridge in only an hour as Theomin looked upon the last bridge again and remembered his journey up to Eriador.
He remembered the star that meant so much to him as it was shown on the carvings on the bridge. He also remembered the small camp he had next to the river on the other side of the bridge. As he passed it, his thoughts drifted to all the things he did up in Eriador after the bridge. The adventures he went on and the good people he met. He remembered the friendships he forged and the companions he kept as he looked at Aches. The Last Bridge was the last time he would be able to see off west so clearly. Sad, but exciting at the same time that he would be soon heading south, and away from the last sights of the north.
It took most of the day to wind around the many twists and turns of the Trollshaws. The tall trees with their large canopies 
obscured the sky, yet they could still tell it was daylight because of the light filtering through the leaves of the trees.
Throughout the day, they were almost able to track the path of the sun through the trees and by the time it descended on the eastern horizon, they were approaching the ruins of the outpost of Echad Candelleth. There, Sylderan went to greet Candelleth who was still at her outpost watching out on the tall cliff, keeping her razer sharp elf gaze on the valley where the Bruinen flowed through. Sylderan soon returned to the two other travelers.
“It looks as though it is okay to remain here for the night,” Sylderan informed them. “If you would like, I can have a special meal prepared for you.”
Being hungry because of the lack of food from Ost Guruth, Theomin and Eleswith were starved. They said yes to anything the elves were to offer. So they had their meals on the second level of the ruins. It was mostly greens and some bread the elves baked up from Rivendell and brought over the day before. It was a quiet meal as Eleswith and Theomin were so hungry they stuffed the food in their mouths. The elves who watched from nearby shook their heads in the way only an elf would do. As if they were saying with their gestures, “Typical of man.”
Soon, another elf came to Theomin, “The lady Candelleth would like to speak with you, Theomin. Please, come with me.”
Uncertain as to why the lady wanted to speak with Theomin, he looked at Eleswith confused. He did so anyway and followed behind the elf who led him to the cliff overseeing the valley. She continued to look out on the revene below as she began to speak with Theomin.
“It has been long since you traveled here through our outpost,” the lady elf said. “I hear much of what you have done. None more-so than what you have voluntarily given up. The jewel that was so precious to us as elves has finally returned to us. I wanted to personally thank you for that. Yet I am confused. Why did you give it up so freely?”
“Because my path was complete,” Theomin said. “I saw no need to bare it as I wanted nothing more than to leave.”
“Then you did what centuries of men and elves and dwarves could not,” Candelleth said. “You brought the two purposes of the Amar Calad together. It was a gift to the elves from Celebrambor along with the other two jewels for men and dwarves. They were then taken by Isildur and used as badges to give to the Marshalls of Annuminas. As great of a gesture as that was for his men, those were jewels that were only meant as gifts to the three races to show their friendship and kinship they shared with one another. With your wisdom and selflessness, you brought the two uses of the Amar Calad together. Again, thank you for what you have done for my people. It may seem like a small gesture of good faith on your part, but it means much more than to us elves.”
“I knew not that it meant so much to you,” Theomin said. “I am glad to have made the right decision.”
She turned to look at Theomin, “For my part, all I can do is in turn give a gift to you for the generous gift you gave my people,” Candelleth said. “A small shard of a much larger geode that was found along with the gems of the Amar Calad and given to us by Lord Celebrambor. Its properties are great and yet seems a purely insignificant rock. But I promise you, this geode I am giving you is special and that is all I will tell you. The rest you will figure out on your own.” The elf lady turned to again watch the gorge. “You may return to your friends. That is all I have for you.”
“Thank you, my lady,” Theomin said. He turned to head back to his friends but turned to look at her. But she was not there, she had disappeared. All the elves that were occupying the ruins had also disappeared. It was empty.
Theomin, confused as to what had just happened, turned to go to his mates who were still gleefully eating their food. “Do you know what just happened?” Theomin had to ask.
“What are you speaking of?” Elesiwith asked. “We have been eating here while you disappeared.”
“All the elves have gone,” Theomin told his friends. “What happened to them, Sylderan?”
“All the elves?” Sylderan asked. “There have been none here.”
“But what of Candalleth and her elves?” Theomin asked.
“What elves? They have gone long ago,” Sylderan said.
“Are you feeling fine, Theomin?” Eleswith asked. “Are you becoming delirious?”
Theomin looked around. He could not have been dreaming the whole thing. He looked in his hand and there was the small shard of the geode that was given to him by Candelleth. “See here?” Theomin held out his hand. “This is a shard that was given to me from the lady Candelleth. You cannot say it was all a dream because it is not.”
“Perhaps you will need rest,” Sylderan said. “The journey has been long and the pains of hunger has been taking your thoughts.”
“But it was not a hallucination,” Theomin protested. “I witnessed all of this take place. She thanked me for returning the Amar Calad to the elves. I could not have imagined it.”
“Then if it was her,” Sylderan said, “remember that elves work in mysterious ways. Perhaps it was her and if it was, you are lucky to have set eyes on her once more. It is very special and it should remain in your heart.”
“Then I am not becoming crazy,” Theomin wanted to acknowledge.
“No, Theomin,” Sylderan said. “You are not.”
Morning had not yet come when the three decided to set off south. They left the abandoned ruins in the Trollshaws and descended the steep slope toward the Bruinen and crossed the river. They soon ascended the slope up and across the path up toward the lands of Eregion. Finally, they were on Sylderan’s final leg with Theomin and Eleswith.
Through the day, the three traveled the warn paths of Eregion as they led through the forest of Holly trees in High Hollin as the light of the sun burned red through the red buds of the Holly leaf. It cast a reddish tinge on the ground as the three made their way toward Low Hollin. But soon, as the midday sun rose to its peak, they had already left the small forest of Holly Trees and were making their way to the ruins of Echad Eregion and Barad Morlas, the elven ruins south of Echad Eregion.
“Do you remember this place?” Theomin asked Sylderan.
“I do indeed,” Sylderan said. “This place I saved you from the half-orcs. It was a banner day for us indeed as we had left the Mines of Moria not long before that.”
He told Eleswith the story of how he came about meeting Sylderan and how they saved Theomin from the half-orcs in Barad Morlas. He told how he was ambushed by them and felt he feared death and would have died had it not been for Sylderan and the Twilight Company.
By the time Theomin was finished with his tale, they had left the trail that seemed to fade off into nothing but still headed south. By late afternoon, they met up with another trail that headed off Eastward.
“This is the trail that leads to the gate of Hollin and the elf outpost of Echad Dunann,” Sylderan said with apparent wonder in his voice.
The three continued eastward toward nearby mountains. They shined bright red in the diminishing sun as it lowered its descent yet again in the west. The trail continued up into the foothills of the Misty Mountains and finally the elf outpost of Echad Dunann was in sight.
The outpost was quite small, with only a small set of ruins surrounded by trees and were being occupied by elves nearby a small hill. Some of the elves came to the tree travelers, one coming to Sylderan, “Mae Govannen,” one of the elves said to him. He then looked at the other two companions and said to them, “Welcome to the elf outpost of Echad Dunann. If you are traveling through Moria, I would like to advise you against it. There are still many dark things that dwell in those deep caves.”
“They will not be traveling through Moria, Thandelen,” Sylderan said to the elf who greeted them. “They will continue south, but I wanted to part here so I may see Corurien one last time.”
“Ah, she has missed you and spoke of you much since the last she saw you,” Thandelen said. “But I am afraid she has taken supplies to the Durin’s Threshold at the mouth of Moria.”
Sylderan then turned to Theomin and Eleswith. “If I want to go to her before sun down, we must part then.”
“So soon?” Theomin said. “I hoped to at least have a final meal together to show my gratitude to your aid. You saved me two times from danger. I just wanted to thank you for that.”
“But Theomin,” Sylderan said as he placed a hand on Theomin’s shoulder, “You saved me from the brink of death. That gesture was more than enough to me. If it had not been for you, my final resting place would have been in Dunland at the base of that tower on the hill. Now I know I have many more days ahead of me. It is you who should be thanked.” Thandelen placed a hand on Sylderan’s shoulder. He then spoke in his elvish language to Sylderan. “Thank you, melon.” He looked at Theomin. “It is time. Thank you for friendship. You have been a true friend.”
The two embraced and he then gave Eleswith a hug. He then knelt down and patted little Aches on the furry head. “And you have a good time with your master. Please, stay out of trouble.” The elf then stood up and began to leave.
“Sylderan,” Theomin called out. “Can you do one more thing for me?”
“Yes, Theomin,” Sylderan said.
“Can you remove your face mask,” Theomin requested. “I have not yet seen you without it.”
The elf gave a chuckle. But he did so and removed his mask. He looked much like any other elf Theomin had seen. His pale smooth skin looked soft like a well-made 
purl. His brown hair flowed like silk along his head and came down at the tip of his shoulder. “Is this what you pictured?”
Theomin also gave a chuckle. “Actually, I expected a monster. Thank you for proving me wrong.”
Sylderan smiled at the humorous wit of Theomin. With that, Sylderan mounted his horse and turned, “Namaarie,” he said as he turned and rode off to the gate of Moria. Swiftly he rode off until they could not see him anymore. That was the last he was to see the elf, Sylderan.
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