Take the Hidden Paths (5/5)
See Part 1 for warnings and more information.
Part 5: Here at Journey's End
Morgana heard singing. Bad, horrible singing from a voice she knew quite well. “Merlin, stop it. You know you can't sing.”
A clatter finally made her open her eyes. And she remembered.
She looked around the tent she lay in, Gwen in a bed next to her, empty of anyone else except her cousin. “Where are we? What happened? I thought we were dying.”
“You would have, but Gandalf--”
“Gandalf's dead.”
“No, I'm not.”
Morgana sat up and stared at the wizard dressed in white who had just entered the tent, carrying a mug. “How?”
“Wizards aren't mortal, at least not how you consider it. My work here was unfinished, so I returned.”
“Fine. That doesn't explain how Gwen and I survived.” Over Gandalf's shoulder, she saw Merlin slip through the tent's flap. She turned her attention back to the wizard.
“The Eagles-- you do remember the ones from Gorlois' stories-- they carried you out of Mordor. It was a near thing. You were starved, dehydrated, exhausted beyond belief, and poisoned from the fumes of the eruption. You were lucky you weren't burned. Aragorn put you both in a healing sleep.”
“Gwen--”
“Woke up two hours ago, drank some broth, and fell back to sleep. Which is precisely what you are going to do.” He turned slightly to face Arthur and Merlin, who had come into the tent. “They can talk to you later.” He handed her the mug, which she sipped.
The next day, though, both were able to stay awake, and they finally heard from Merlin and Arthur what they had been up to.
“So, what happened the day we left?”
Merlin said, “The camp was attacked by orcs. Boromir came after us, and died trying to save us. We were taken--”
“Why didn't you use magic?” Gwen said.
“I couldn't. They'd knocked my head. Good thing my skull's thick.”
Arthur snorted. “As if it could be anything else. We were captive for two days, and when Éomer attacked the band of orcs, we managed to escape into the forest. It was strange, very strange.”
“What's strange is that both of you are taller than you should be,” Morgana said acerbically.
“Entdraught! Wonderful stuff. And before you ask, we met an Ent shortly after our escape.”
“He didn't know what to make of us at first, but then we didn't know what to make of a walking, talking tree,” Merlin said with a wicked grin. “He'd never heard of Hobbits, but then, it seems as if no one has outside of the North.”
“It saved us,” Gwen said. “If Sauron had known where to look, he would have found the Ring, and none of this would have happened.”
“But he didn't. But back to Treebeard. We managed to convince him to help us, so all the Ents attacked Nimueh. She's trapped in Isengard,” Merlin said.
“That isn't all. Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas tracked us to the forest-- they'd met Éomer, who gave them horses-- and met Gandalf! He led them to Edoras, the capital of Rohan, where they managed to kill Nimueh's puppet Wormtongue, and restore King Théoden's mind. But then they had to battle Nimueh's army of orcs at Helm's Deep. They won, but it was a near thing. And they came to meet us at Isengard.”
“Which is where Arthur and I separated. I did something really stupid.”
Gwen lay a hand on Merlin's arm, but Morgana laughed. “Isn't that normal?”
“It turned out good in the end. What happened is that I found something, a palantír, and looked into it. Sauron saw me, but he didn't recognize me or learn anything. I saw a white tree burning, though. After that, I couldn't stay with everyone. Gandalf took me to Minas Tirith, the white city with the white tree. I swore myself to Gondor.” Merlin half-smiled. “No one knows what to make of me. I saved Faramir from being burned alive- I used my magic to put out the torches-- but his father the steward was mad. He burned himself rather than face what he saw as certain defeat.”
“Your magic?”
“I've kept it secret. I mean, there are people who know, but few need to. I mean, the nobility recognize that my being with Gandalf means I can be trusted, and I'm not an ally of Sauron's, but Aragorn doesn't want to risk my life more than necessary.” His face twisted. "It's not like I don't know what it is to live with others' fear. I wish I didn't."
“You saved Faramir's life when no one else could. And you proved beyond all doubt that your magic is beneficial. Everyone in the Shire knows you have it, so why don't you use it?" While Merlin stared flabbergasted at Arthur, the latter continued. "None of us will be staying long, either,” Arthur said. “We're just waiting for the coronation-- which was delayed because of the final battle and everyone who needed healing-- and the wedding. Then we'll go home.”
“Good,” Morgana said. “We've been away too long. Now, back to Isengard. Arthur, what happened to you?”
“Not much. I swore myself to Rohan, but I disobeyed an order to remain behind. I stuck with Éowyn-- Éomer's sister-- who'd disguised herself as a man so she could fight. She killed the Witchking-- the head of the Wraiths! I helped a bit, stabbed it in the knee. But she's the one who killed it, but too late to save Théoden. There was a huge battle, and it was due to Aragorn bringing an army of the dead and the Rohirrim that we won.”
“And then what happened?” Gwen asked.
“We didn't know what you two were doing,” Arthur said. “So we decided that we had to distract Sauron.”
“You were stuck in the Houses of Healing,” Merlin said.
Morgana laughed at the look on Arthur's face. “So what really happened?”
“All the captains decided that a showdown at the Black Gate would distract Sauron, and maybe bring him to think that we had the Ring and were going to openly use it against him. It worked, but not before he let us know that'd he'd captured Morgana.”
“What?” she said quietly.
“His herald came out to falsely treat with us. He had the mithril coat.”
“Neither Aragorn nor Gandalf believed he had the Ring. Sauron would never have been so cautious otherwise. So we hoped that Gwen was still continuing the quest. Sauron's and our armies fought, and then Mount Doom exploded. The Black Tower crumbled and his armies scattered. And here we are.”
“I'm a bit confused,” Gwen said. “Aragorn brought an army of the dead?”
“They were oathbreakers, back in the days of the Last Alliance. Their ghosts were bound here until Aragorn released them after they helped defeat Sauron's army. Aragorn thinks they marched from Minas Morgul.”
Gwen and Morgana looked at each other. Morgana said, “He's likely right. We saw an army pass us when we were near there.”
Arthur nodded. “Any other questions about what we did before you tell your stories?”
“No,” Gwen said, and began their story.
* * * * *
The first of May dawned, and Aragorn was crowned king. Morgana and Gwen met Éowyn, and managed to convince her that even though her marriage to Faramir (now that was a surprise, given the short length of time they knew each other) meant she had to adjust to a different culture, there was no reason she had to give up her sword even if she wanted to be a healer. After all, if women could carry the Ring to Mount Doom, there was no reason they couldn't fight. Aragorn, too, put in his support for the idea. After all, he was both a healer and a warrior.
But the day everyone was anxiously awaiting finally came. Arwen specifically sought out Gwen and Morgana's help in dressing for her wedding. They had a wonderful talk, in which Morgana and Gwen decided that they were no longer going to hide their relationship when they returned to the Shire. They had simply been through too much together to feel comfortable lying about it now, especially when they hadn't hidden it since they left the Shire. They had dealt with both positive and negative reactions from strangers and people they had come to consider friends. They could handle the Shire's reactions.
It was a gorgeous wedding, mixing both Elven and Mannish customs. The vows were similar, but there were additional ones for Arwen, given she was becoming queen. The newly-wed couple slipped off early, and when Morgana and Gwen noticed, they followed suit.
In mid-August, the royal party and all their guests left Minas Tirith. They stopped in Edoras to bury Théoden, and then many of them traveled to Isengard, where they received unwelcome news. Nimueh still had enough of her powers to effect an escape. None of the Ents knew where she had gone. Gandalf simply shook his head, looking a bit tired, and Morgana felt sorry for this one last task he had to perform. Isengard was where they left Aragorn, and the Elves from Rivendell and Lothlórien traveled together for three weeks before they, too, split off. They returned to Rivendell on the eve of Morgana's birthday.
Gorlois was ecstatic to see Morgana, even though he now looked and felt every inch his advanced age. The four of them had to recount all their adventures for him. Two weeks later, though, they left him in Rivendell. He was too old to travel, and he was happy in Rivendell. Gandalf went with them as far as Bree, but said he had to find Nimueh before he could return to Valinor. The unsettling thing was that the innkeeper warned them that not all was right in the Shire. And the next night, looking at the gate across the Brandywine Bridge barring their entry, she knew he was right.
Arthur raised a ruckus, and a crowd of hobbits came out of their houses and stood at the other end of the Bridge. “Are you going to let us in?”
“We can't! It isn't allowed,” one of the hobbit said.
“Says who?” Morgana asked crossly. “It's raining, and we need shelter.”
“The Chief at Bag End.”
Morgana rolled her eyes. “Chief or no chief, we're coming in. Merlin?”
He grinned-- having decided to openly use his magic after several long talks with Gandalf, Elrond, and others-- and raised his hand. The hobbits standing on the other side scurried away, leaving a wide semicircle in front of it. With a flash and bang, the gate flew off its hinges and landed clattering in the dirt. The four travelers crossed the bridge and looked around. Gwen said, “What happened to the inn?"
“There's a guardhouse,” the hobbit who had spoke before said. “But we can't feed you, or even take you in.”
“That's right,” a Man said nastily, coming from inside one of the houses. “You're all under arrest.”
The four of them laughed. Morgana couldn't help it. One Man, against four armed hobbits. This was ridiculous. “I don't care who you are, but you'd better leave the Shire. Now.”
The Man opened his mouth to say something, and then spotted the crumpled gate laying in the road. Even in the torchlight, his face noticeably paled. “You won't last. None of you will.”
But he did cross the bridge. Arthur turned to the crowd. “Now who will give us shelter for the night? We have food, so no need to worry about that. And we'd appreciate it if someone could tell us what happened here.”
They ended up in the guardhouse for the night. In the morning, they headed straight for Hobbiton, though it was forty miles away and was two days away. It looked as if their work was unfinished. And in the Shire of all places. Even that was touched by the War. They ended up “arrested” at the halfway point, the village of Frogmorton, and spent the night in the Shirriff-house. Of course, they left unescorted in the morning. None of them were willing to put up with a bunch of nonsense rules. When they reached Hobbiton, they were greeted by several uncouth-looking Men.
“She's not going to like this,” one of them said. “Where are the Shirriffs?”
“Coming. They couldn't keep up with us,” Gwen said. “Now, who's the Chief?”
They snickered and Morgana drew Sting, while Arthur drew his sword. “Leave. Or answer our questions.”
They left, but not before they raised the alarm. Gwen rolled her eyes and drew her own sword. “Looks like we may have a fight on our hands.”
“Not just our hands,” Merlin said. “We need to raise the Shire. We'll group at the Cottons.”
Arthur blew the horn he'd received as a gift from Éowyn and the four of them hurried to the Cottons' farm. Rosie was surprised and joyful to see Gwen, but shocked at the state she was in, filthy from the road and in trousers. Still, there was more to do than gossip. They had a country to take back. Within a couple hours, the village of Bywater had been roused, and they were ready to start. Merlin left shortly, with Arthur, to rouse the Tooks. They'd been fighting from the beginning, and were at a stalemate, with no one entering or leaving. Then the hobbits who had been sent out to scout came back with news that a group of Men were coming from Hobbiton. They trapped them, Morgana making it quite clear that they were to surrender or die. The leader died. And finally, Cotton told them what happened.
“It started with Lotho Baggins, who bought a lot of property, and then when people realized it was too much, with money from no one knew where, they began complaining. And Lotho brought Men in, a lot of them. That was bad enough, but then Nimueh came. She's nasty, and the one in charge now. The Men listen to her.”
“Well, that settles it,” Gwen said. “We're going to see her come morning.”
Morgana nodded, wishing there was a way she could contact Gandalf.
Before they could leave however, Arthur returned with news the Merlin was leading those Tooks as could be spared-- spared from chasing the Men in other areas of the Shire out of it. The Shire was finally rising up, and Merlin was helping to lead it. Maybe he'd gain a bit of respect now, not fear. Morgana could only hope.
The battle between the hobbits and the Men joined shortly before noon. Arthur had plenty of time to prepare, and to lay a trap. It worked, though nineteen hobbits were killed and over thirty wounded. The Men only had a dozen survivors. It was time to confront the fallen wizard.
Morgana was glad Merlin was with them. She knew they'd need him before day's end. But Arthur and Gwen were comforts as well. With everything they had done, they could handle her.
When they reached Bag End, Morgana called, “Nimueh, come out. We know you're in there.”
“Of course you do. It's a pity Gandalf didn't. But then, he's off on a wild goose chase. Always too thick to see what was under his nose.” She looked down at them. “So now you have to face me. You thought you could come home to safety. But I had a better idea. I just needed a little more time.”
She raised her hand and a fireball appeared above it. Merlin shoved them out of the way-- without touching them-- and raised a shield at the same moment. The fireball splashed and disappeared. “You don't have to be a wizard to do magic,” he said softly. “We don't need Gandalf. Your power was broken in Isengard, Nimueh. If you fight me--”
Nimueh laughed and advanced on him, leaving the safety of Bag End. Arthur snuck around her and closed the door so she couldn't escape. Gwen helped Morgana stand, and they looked at the crowd of hobbits that had gathered. None of them looked surprised to see Merlin facing her, and many of them looked grateful. Morgana could only guess they'd finally seen how useful Merlin could be.
But it was a pitched battle between them, the broken wizard and the mortal magic-user. At least, until Merlin called lightening down. Nimueh didn't have a chance. When the bolt disappeared, she lay on the ground, dead. Merlin sat down suddenly, completely white. Arthur ran to him and helped him stand.
“I… I need to rest. And food. Food would be good.”
Gwen opened the door and helped the two inside. Morgana walked over to Nimueh and stared at her. She finally covered her face with a shawl someone handed to her and went inside to check on Merlin.
She sipped a cup of tea Gwen handed her, and looked around her former home. It wasn't relief she felt. No, she was empty, drained. The Shire was broken, like the world was broken. It would never be the same. She should have known that, but she had held the hope of a Shire that hadn't changed for months. It was what she had fought for. Now that it was gone, what was she supposed to do? No, she knew what she must do. She would leave, as Gandalf had told her she could shortly before they'd seperated at Bree. She would go to Valinor.
Epilogue
It was three years from the destruction of the Ring to the time Morgana left the Shire to sail to Valinor. It wasn't an easy time, by any stretch of the imagination. Everyone worked hard to repair the damage done by Lotho, Nimueh, and their Men. And yet, Gwen knew the problems here were nothing compared to the devastation Outside. It didn't bear thinking about, for there was nothing she could do to help. Her main focus was replanting the Shire. Galadriel's gift of soil from Lórien and a mallorn seed went a long way toward that end.
But it wasn't enough for Morgana, and she had known that ever since Minas Tirith. Morgana was tired, mortally so. The Ring had drawn on every reserve she had, and she had yet to recover. She didn't even dream of the future anymore, save one repeating dream of a gray rain curtain falling away to a green country. But even that only came twice a year, on the day the Wraith had stabbed her and the day the Ring was destroyed. They at least brought her some small comfort.
Well, so did the family they had started. They kept the promise they had made to each other, and to Arwen. They no longer denied their relationship. It wasn't easy, and Gwen's father was barely speaking to them, though Lancelot was delighted. Half the Shire seemed determined to ignore it, while most of the other half either openly despised them or welcomed them. Within a month of their coming out, half a dozen other couples did the same. But that wasn't the best part: they had adopted an orphaned infant girl they named Elanor. She was a gorgeous blonde, and had a sunny personality. Morgana couldn't help but smile every time she saw her, so Gwen made sure that Elanor was always near her.
But that autumn saw a change. Morgana sat down with Gwen and while their conversation was tearful, it was necessary. Gwen never thought once about leaving her, or regretted loving her. She would do everything in her power to help Morgana, and if that meant staying behind, so be it.
So one day in early autumn, they left Gwen’s father watching Elanor, and they rode off, meeting a large group of Elves on the way to the Grey Havens. Gorlois traveled with Elrond. Gwen was relieved that Morgana wouldn't be alone among strangers. When they reached the shore, only to find Gandalf waiting with Arthur and Merlin, the four of them said their farewells as the Elves boarded the ship. At last, the men drew away and left the two lovers in semi-privacy.
“I'm going to miss you,” Gwen said.
“I know. But I will see you again. You're a Ringbearer, Gwen. You can sail.”
“When I'm ready, I will.”
They kissed farewell, and Morgana boarded the ship, looking more at peace than she had in years. Arthur and Merlin moved to either side of Gwen and each took a hand. They waited at the end of the dock until the sun set and they could no longer see the ship. Only then did they return home.
Years passed, and while Gwen adopted several more children, she never took another lover. Finally, though, she was ready. Elanor had given her their first grandchild early in the spring, and now it was autumn. She was an old woman now, and grateful that Merlin and Arthur were still alive. They traveled with her to the Grey Havens. They said good-bye and when Gwen boarded the ship, she went straight to the prow and didn't look back. She stayed there the entire voyage, not flinching when they left the water for the Straight Road. But when the gray rain curtain disappeared, revealing a green country, she grinned.
It seemed to take forever until the ship docked. She had eyes only for the gray-haired hobbit waiting on the quay. Finally, she was able to leave the ship and ran straight to Morgana. They kissed and when Gwen pulled back to breathe, Morgana smiled, finally looking at peace. “Welcome home, Gwen. Welcome home.”
Part 4
Part 5: Here at Journey's End
Morgana heard singing. Bad, horrible singing from a voice she knew quite well. “Merlin, stop it. You know you can't sing.”
A clatter finally made her open her eyes. And she remembered.
She looked around the tent she lay in, Gwen in a bed next to her, empty of anyone else except her cousin. “Where are we? What happened? I thought we were dying.”
“You would have, but Gandalf--”
“Gandalf's dead.”
“No, I'm not.”
Morgana sat up and stared at the wizard dressed in white who had just entered the tent, carrying a mug. “How?”
“Wizards aren't mortal, at least not how you consider it. My work here was unfinished, so I returned.”
“Fine. That doesn't explain how Gwen and I survived.” Over Gandalf's shoulder, she saw Merlin slip through the tent's flap. She turned her attention back to the wizard.
“The Eagles-- you do remember the ones from Gorlois' stories-- they carried you out of Mordor. It was a near thing. You were starved, dehydrated, exhausted beyond belief, and poisoned from the fumes of the eruption. You were lucky you weren't burned. Aragorn put you both in a healing sleep.”
“Gwen--”
“Woke up two hours ago, drank some broth, and fell back to sleep. Which is precisely what you are going to do.” He turned slightly to face Arthur and Merlin, who had come into the tent. “They can talk to you later.” He handed her the mug, which she sipped.
The next day, though, both were able to stay awake, and they finally heard from Merlin and Arthur what they had been up to.
“So, what happened the day we left?”
Merlin said, “The camp was attacked by orcs. Boromir came after us, and died trying to save us. We were taken--”
“Why didn't you use magic?” Gwen said.
“I couldn't. They'd knocked my head. Good thing my skull's thick.”
Arthur snorted. “As if it could be anything else. We were captive for two days, and when Éomer attacked the band of orcs, we managed to escape into the forest. It was strange, very strange.”
“What's strange is that both of you are taller than you should be,” Morgana said acerbically.
“Entdraught! Wonderful stuff. And before you ask, we met an Ent shortly after our escape.”
“He didn't know what to make of us at first, but then we didn't know what to make of a walking, talking tree,” Merlin said with a wicked grin. “He'd never heard of Hobbits, but then, it seems as if no one has outside of the North.”
“It saved us,” Gwen said. “If Sauron had known where to look, he would have found the Ring, and none of this would have happened.”
“But he didn't. But back to Treebeard. We managed to convince him to help us, so all the Ents attacked Nimueh. She's trapped in Isengard,” Merlin said.
“That isn't all. Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas tracked us to the forest-- they'd met Éomer, who gave them horses-- and met Gandalf! He led them to Edoras, the capital of Rohan, where they managed to kill Nimueh's puppet Wormtongue, and restore King Théoden's mind. But then they had to battle Nimueh's army of orcs at Helm's Deep. They won, but it was a near thing. And they came to meet us at Isengard.”
“Which is where Arthur and I separated. I did something really stupid.”
Gwen lay a hand on Merlin's arm, but Morgana laughed. “Isn't that normal?”
“It turned out good in the end. What happened is that I found something, a palantír, and looked into it. Sauron saw me, but he didn't recognize me or learn anything. I saw a white tree burning, though. After that, I couldn't stay with everyone. Gandalf took me to Minas Tirith, the white city with the white tree. I swore myself to Gondor.” Merlin half-smiled. “No one knows what to make of me. I saved Faramir from being burned alive- I used my magic to put out the torches-- but his father the steward was mad. He burned himself rather than face what he saw as certain defeat.”
“Your magic?”
“I've kept it secret. I mean, there are people who know, but few need to. I mean, the nobility recognize that my being with Gandalf means I can be trusted, and I'm not an ally of Sauron's, but Aragorn doesn't want to risk my life more than necessary.” His face twisted. "It's not like I don't know what it is to live with others' fear. I wish I didn't."
“You saved Faramir's life when no one else could. And you proved beyond all doubt that your magic is beneficial. Everyone in the Shire knows you have it, so why don't you use it?" While Merlin stared flabbergasted at Arthur, the latter continued. "None of us will be staying long, either,” Arthur said. “We're just waiting for the coronation-- which was delayed because of the final battle and everyone who needed healing-- and the wedding. Then we'll go home.”
“Good,” Morgana said. “We've been away too long. Now, back to Isengard. Arthur, what happened to you?”
“Not much. I swore myself to Rohan, but I disobeyed an order to remain behind. I stuck with Éowyn-- Éomer's sister-- who'd disguised herself as a man so she could fight. She killed the Witchking-- the head of the Wraiths! I helped a bit, stabbed it in the knee. But she's the one who killed it, but too late to save Théoden. There was a huge battle, and it was due to Aragorn bringing an army of the dead and the Rohirrim that we won.”
“And then what happened?” Gwen asked.
“We didn't know what you two were doing,” Arthur said. “So we decided that we had to distract Sauron.”
“You were stuck in the Houses of Healing,” Merlin said.
Morgana laughed at the look on Arthur's face. “So what really happened?”
“All the captains decided that a showdown at the Black Gate would distract Sauron, and maybe bring him to think that we had the Ring and were going to openly use it against him. It worked, but not before he let us know that'd he'd captured Morgana.”
“What?” she said quietly.
“His herald came out to falsely treat with us. He had the mithril coat.”
“Neither Aragorn nor Gandalf believed he had the Ring. Sauron would never have been so cautious otherwise. So we hoped that Gwen was still continuing the quest. Sauron's and our armies fought, and then Mount Doom exploded. The Black Tower crumbled and his armies scattered. And here we are.”
“I'm a bit confused,” Gwen said. “Aragorn brought an army of the dead?”
“They were oathbreakers, back in the days of the Last Alliance. Their ghosts were bound here until Aragorn released them after they helped defeat Sauron's army. Aragorn thinks they marched from Minas Morgul.”
Gwen and Morgana looked at each other. Morgana said, “He's likely right. We saw an army pass us when we were near there.”
Arthur nodded. “Any other questions about what we did before you tell your stories?”
“No,” Gwen said, and began their story.
* * * * *
The first of May dawned, and Aragorn was crowned king. Morgana and Gwen met Éowyn, and managed to convince her that even though her marriage to Faramir (now that was a surprise, given the short length of time they knew each other) meant she had to adjust to a different culture, there was no reason she had to give up her sword even if she wanted to be a healer. After all, if women could carry the Ring to Mount Doom, there was no reason they couldn't fight. Aragorn, too, put in his support for the idea. After all, he was both a healer and a warrior.
But the day everyone was anxiously awaiting finally came. Arwen specifically sought out Gwen and Morgana's help in dressing for her wedding. They had a wonderful talk, in which Morgana and Gwen decided that they were no longer going to hide their relationship when they returned to the Shire. They had simply been through too much together to feel comfortable lying about it now, especially when they hadn't hidden it since they left the Shire. They had dealt with both positive and negative reactions from strangers and people they had come to consider friends. They could handle the Shire's reactions.
It was a gorgeous wedding, mixing both Elven and Mannish customs. The vows were similar, but there were additional ones for Arwen, given she was becoming queen. The newly-wed couple slipped off early, and when Morgana and Gwen noticed, they followed suit.
In mid-August, the royal party and all their guests left Minas Tirith. They stopped in Edoras to bury Théoden, and then many of them traveled to Isengard, where they received unwelcome news. Nimueh still had enough of her powers to effect an escape. None of the Ents knew where she had gone. Gandalf simply shook his head, looking a bit tired, and Morgana felt sorry for this one last task he had to perform. Isengard was where they left Aragorn, and the Elves from Rivendell and Lothlórien traveled together for three weeks before they, too, split off. They returned to Rivendell on the eve of Morgana's birthday.
Gorlois was ecstatic to see Morgana, even though he now looked and felt every inch his advanced age. The four of them had to recount all their adventures for him. Two weeks later, though, they left him in Rivendell. He was too old to travel, and he was happy in Rivendell. Gandalf went with them as far as Bree, but said he had to find Nimueh before he could return to Valinor. The unsettling thing was that the innkeeper warned them that not all was right in the Shire. And the next night, looking at the gate across the Brandywine Bridge barring their entry, she knew he was right.
Arthur raised a ruckus, and a crowd of hobbits came out of their houses and stood at the other end of the Bridge. “Are you going to let us in?”
“We can't! It isn't allowed,” one of the hobbit said.
“Says who?” Morgana asked crossly. “It's raining, and we need shelter.”
“The Chief at Bag End.”
Morgana rolled her eyes. “Chief or no chief, we're coming in. Merlin?”
He grinned-- having decided to openly use his magic after several long talks with Gandalf, Elrond, and others-- and raised his hand. The hobbits standing on the other side scurried away, leaving a wide semicircle in front of it. With a flash and bang, the gate flew off its hinges and landed clattering in the dirt. The four travelers crossed the bridge and looked around. Gwen said, “What happened to the inn?"
“There's a guardhouse,” the hobbit who had spoke before said. “But we can't feed you, or even take you in.”
“That's right,” a Man said nastily, coming from inside one of the houses. “You're all under arrest.”
The four of them laughed. Morgana couldn't help it. One Man, against four armed hobbits. This was ridiculous. “I don't care who you are, but you'd better leave the Shire. Now.”
The Man opened his mouth to say something, and then spotted the crumpled gate laying in the road. Even in the torchlight, his face noticeably paled. “You won't last. None of you will.”
But he did cross the bridge. Arthur turned to the crowd. “Now who will give us shelter for the night? We have food, so no need to worry about that. And we'd appreciate it if someone could tell us what happened here.”
They ended up in the guardhouse for the night. In the morning, they headed straight for Hobbiton, though it was forty miles away and was two days away. It looked as if their work was unfinished. And in the Shire of all places. Even that was touched by the War. They ended up “arrested” at the halfway point, the village of Frogmorton, and spent the night in the Shirriff-house. Of course, they left unescorted in the morning. None of them were willing to put up with a bunch of nonsense rules. When they reached Hobbiton, they were greeted by several uncouth-looking Men.
“She's not going to like this,” one of them said. “Where are the Shirriffs?”
“Coming. They couldn't keep up with us,” Gwen said. “Now, who's the Chief?”
They snickered and Morgana drew Sting, while Arthur drew his sword. “Leave. Or answer our questions.”
They left, but not before they raised the alarm. Gwen rolled her eyes and drew her own sword. “Looks like we may have a fight on our hands.”
“Not just our hands,” Merlin said. “We need to raise the Shire. We'll group at the Cottons.”
Arthur blew the horn he'd received as a gift from Éowyn and the four of them hurried to the Cottons' farm. Rosie was surprised and joyful to see Gwen, but shocked at the state she was in, filthy from the road and in trousers. Still, there was more to do than gossip. They had a country to take back. Within a couple hours, the village of Bywater had been roused, and they were ready to start. Merlin left shortly, with Arthur, to rouse the Tooks. They'd been fighting from the beginning, and were at a stalemate, with no one entering or leaving. Then the hobbits who had been sent out to scout came back with news that a group of Men were coming from Hobbiton. They trapped them, Morgana making it quite clear that they were to surrender or die. The leader died. And finally, Cotton told them what happened.
“It started with Lotho Baggins, who bought a lot of property, and then when people realized it was too much, with money from no one knew where, they began complaining. And Lotho brought Men in, a lot of them. That was bad enough, but then Nimueh came. She's nasty, and the one in charge now. The Men listen to her.”
“Well, that settles it,” Gwen said. “We're going to see her come morning.”
Morgana nodded, wishing there was a way she could contact Gandalf.
Before they could leave however, Arthur returned with news the Merlin was leading those Tooks as could be spared-- spared from chasing the Men in other areas of the Shire out of it. The Shire was finally rising up, and Merlin was helping to lead it. Maybe he'd gain a bit of respect now, not fear. Morgana could only hope.
The battle between the hobbits and the Men joined shortly before noon. Arthur had plenty of time to prepare, and to lay a trap. It worked, though nineteen hobbits were killed and over thirty wounded. The Men only had a dozen survivors. It was time to confront the fallen wizard.
Morgana was glad Merlin was with them. She knew they'd need him before day's end. But Arthur and Gwen were comforts as well. With everything they had done, they could handle her.
When they reached Bag End, Morgana called, “Nimueh, come out. We know you're in there.”
“Of course you do. It's a pity Gandalf didn't. But then, he's off on a wild goose chase. Always too thick to see what was under his nose.” She looked down at them. “So now you have to face me. You thought you could come home to safety. But I had a better idea. I just needed a little more time.”
She raised her hand and a fireball appeared above it. Merlin shoved them out of the way-- without touching them-- and raised a shield at the same moment. The fireball splashed and disappeared. “You don't have to be a wizard to do magic,” he said softly. “We don't need Gandalf. Your power was broken in Isengard, Nimueh. If you fight me--”
Nimueh laughed and advanced on him, leaving the safety of Bag End. Arthur snuck around her and closed the door so she couldn't escape. Gwen helped Morgana stand, and they looked at the crowd of hobbits that had gathered. None of them looked surprised to see Merlin facing her, and many of them looked grateful. Morgana could only guess they'd finally seen how useful Merlin could be.
But it was a pitched battle between them, the broken wizard and the mortal magic-user. At least, until Merlin called lightening down. Nimueh didn't have a chance. When the bolt disappeared, she lay on the ground, dead. Merlin sat down suddenly, completely white. Arthur ran to him and helped him stand.
“I… I need to rest. And food. Food would be good.”
Gwen opened the door and helped the two inside. Morgana walked over to Nimueh and stared at her. She finally covered her face with a shawl someone handed to her and went inside to check on Merlin.
She sipped a cup of tea Gwen handed her, and looked around her former home. It wasn't relief she felt. No, she was empty, drained. The Shire was broken, like the world was broken. It would never be the same. She should have known that, but she had held the hope of a Shire that hadn't changed for months. It was what she had fought for. Now that it was gone, what was she supposed to do? No, she knew what she must do. She would leave, as Gandalf had told her she could shortly before they'd seperated at Bree. She would go to Valinor.
Epilogue
It was three years from the destruction of the Ring to the time Morgana left the Shire to sail to Valinor. It wasn't an easy time, by any stretch of the imagination. Everyone worked hard to repair the damage done by Lotho, Nimueh, and their Men. And yet, Gwen knew the problems here were nothing compared to the devastation Outside. It didn't bear thinking about, for there was nothing she could do to help. Her main focus was replanting the Shire. Galadriel's gift of soil from Lórien and a mallorn seed went a long way toward that end.
But it wasn't enough for Morgana, and she had known that ever since Minas Tirith. Morgana was tired, mortally so. The Ring had drawn on every reserve she had, and she had yet to recover. She didn't even dream of the future anymore, save one repeating dream of a gray rain curtain falling away to a green country. But even that only came twice a year, on the day the Wraith had stabbed her and the day the Ring was destroyed. They at least brought her some small comfort.
Well, so did the family they had started. They kept the promise they had made to each other, and to Arwen. They no longer denied their relationship. It wasn't easy, and Gwen's father was barely speaking to them, though Lancelot was delighted. Half the Shire seemed determined to ignore it, while most of the other half either openly despised them or welcomed them. Within a month of their coming out, half a dozen other couples did the same. But that wasn't the best part: they had adopted an orphaned infant girl they named Elanor. She was a gorgeous blonde, and had a sunny personality. Morgana couldn't help but smile every time she saw her, so Gwen made sure that Elanor was always near her.
But that autumn saw a change. Morgana sat down with Gwen and while their conversation was tearful, it was necessary. Gwen never thought once about leaving her, or regretted loving her. She would do everything in her power to help Morgana, and if that meant staying behind, so be it.
So one day in early autumn, they left Gwen’s father watching Elanor, and they rode off, meeting a large group of Elves on the way to the Grey Havens. Gorlois traveled with Elrond. Gwen was relieved that Morgana wouldn't be alone among strangers. When they reached the shore, only to find Gandalf waiting with Arthur and Merlin, the four of them said their farewells as the Elves boarded the ship. At last, the men drew away and left the two lovers in semi-privacy.
“I'm going to miss you,” Gwen said.
“I know. But I will see you again. You're a Ringbearer, Gwen. You can sail.”
“When I'm ready, I will.”
They kissed farewell, and Morgana boarded the ship, looking more at peace than she had in years. Arthur and Merlin moved to either side of Gwen and each took a hand. They waited at the end of the dock until the sun set and they could no longer see the ship. Only then did they return home.
Years passed, and while Gwen adopted several more children, she never took another lover. Finally, though, she was ready. Elanor had given her their first grandchild early in the spring, and now it was autumn. She was an old woman now, and grateful that Merlin and Arthur were still alive. They traveled with her to the Grey Havens. They said good-bye and when Gwen boarded the ship, she went straight to the prow and didn't look back. She stayed there the entire voyage, not flinching when they left the water for the Straight Road. But when the gray rain curtain disappeared, revealing a green country, she grinned.
It seemed to take forever until the ship docked. She had eyes only for the gray-haired hobbit waiting on the quay. Finally, she was able to leave the ship and ran straight to Morgana. They kissed and when Gwen pulled back to breathe, Morgana smiled, finally looking at peace. “Welcome home, Gwen. Welcome home.”
Part 4