14. Abiding (Legolas)
– They mourn for you the way they can. (Mark Strand)
Was Lady Nerdanel the last who understood? Often she visited you, lifting the tools of the forge, exchanging the secrets of smithcraft. It lightened her loneliness. And when the tools were laid away, and the fire went out, she and I shared our grief. Silently together, while outside there was song, union and reunion.
So many years. And finally she, too, is gone from here; her love has been returned to her. For the Eldar, there is an end to durance in the shades, however long they must wait. And now alone here I continue not to wait for you.
This is a work of fan fiction, written because the author has an abiding love for the works of J R R Tolkien. The characters, settings, places, and languages used in this work are the property of the Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and possibly New Line Cinema, except for certain original characters who belong to the author of the said work. The author will not receive any money or other remuneration for presenting the work on this archive site. The work is the intellectual property of the author, is available solely for the enjoyment of Henneth Annûn Story Archive readers, and may not be copied or redistributed by any means without the explicit written consent of the author.
