Chapter Twenty Three

The Second Great Music

When the wave of light had swept away the army of the Forbidden Vaults, Legolas found his thoughts turning to Aaron.

If all of Sauron’s evil works were being destroyed as it appeared he had been, then the last remnant of it surely had to be the dark fortress from which Bryan had leapt to his fate. It stood to reason that if Bryan had been brought to the tower upon his surrender, then it was more than likely that Aaron, Fred and possibly Eve had accompanied him too. Leaving Miranda with the command to ensure everyone cleared the field; the former Prince of Mirkwood left his current fellowship and made haste to the tower entrance.

Much to his chagrin, he could not convince Ariel to leave with the others as she insisted on joining him. She was mindful of the wound he had sustained battling the Nazgul and was not about to let him out of her sight in such condition. Legolas could not fault her for that sentiment and he had to admit, it was exciting seeing this side of her. It reminded him of the adventure that he and Melia had shared together in the Fourth Age. While he was not foolish enough to make the same mistake of seeing Ariel as substitute, it did please him that before the end of things, their love for each other was stronger than ever.

“How much time do you think we have?” Ariel inquired they stepped through the foreboding stone doorway and stared up the spine of the spiral stairs that led to the top of the fortress. It seemed to go on forever. As if was, the light was little. Even with the clouds gone, the twilight sky allowed only a little illumination to pour through the open windows. She was suddenly grateful for elven sight that would allow them to navigate the darkness. What a terrible thing to be trapped in this place, she thought. It had been built for no other reason than to provoke the fear of impending doom.

“Not long,” Legolas answered breathlessly, seeing no reason to hide the truth, as they both hurried up the staircase, matching each other stride for stride as they scaled the height of the sinister place. There was little doubt in his mind that if Sauron would have kept his prisoners in the more inaccessible place he could imagine to prevent rescue. “When Sauron was destroyed in the Third Age, his tower was brought down with him at the same time. Gandalf always said it happened within moments of the One Ring entering the fires of Mount Doom. What troubles me is that I do not know what power vanquished Sauron this time but if he was indeed been destroyed, then this place will not stand long in his departure.”

The reasoning was sound and upon agreeing with her husband, wasted no time in treading lightly. Without warning, she started calling out on top of her lungs, “Aaron! Can you hear us! Aaron! It is Ariel! I am here with Legolas!"

Legolas jumped a little at the sound but found himself giving her an appreciative smile as he hadn't thought beyond getting to the top of the tower and searching. Joining her, he added his voice to hers. After all two voices were better than one. "Aaron! Eve! Can you hear us?"

They continued to run up the winding steps that seemed to go on forever, taxing their strength as well as patience. All the while calling after the friends that Legolas prayed were still in the land of living. At the same time, Legolas cursed Sauron silently for his preferences for lofty residences. Even in the Third Age, Sauron had built Bara-dur not only as the seat of his power but to ensure that his enemies knew that they could not rid himself of him. His presence, dark and ominous, sat atop the tower casting his malevolent gaze over all of Middle Earth and its people.

He was still ruminating on all this when he felt Ariel's hand grip his arm and silenced his thoughts. Her expression became one of focus, her lovely, shaped brows furrowing with concentration. "Prince," she spoke seriously, "Do you hear that?"

They were both breathless from their exertions but Legolas quietened his breathing and listened closely to the seemingly overwhelming silence for what it was that she believed she heard. For a few moments, he heard nothing until ringing the sound pierced the air and there was no denying what it was.

The cry of a child.

Somewhere above them, a babe was crying. Before they had parted company, Legolas remembered that Fred had told Aaron that Eve had given birth to their child. With renewed energy, Legolas launched himself further up the stairs, leaving Ariel behind a few paces as he called out again.

"AARON!"

Trailing a few steps behind, Ariel kept up with her husband as they followed the curve of the staircase for another dozen steps before they both heard a voice calling back to them.

"LEGOLAS! We're up here!" Aaron's unmistakable voice called back in turn.

Legolas looked up and caught sight of Aaron's head leaning over the edge of the staircase to look down at the gap that ran down the middle of the spiral staircase. "Legolas! Get up here! We need help!"

Legolas and Ariel flashed each other happy smiles of relief before they made short work of closing the distance between themselves and their friends. It took but a few minutes before they were standing before Aaron, Eve, their babe and Fred. While Aaron remained unchanged from the last time Legolas had seen him, he wore a broad grin upon seeing Legolas and only the child in his arms kept the elf from hugging him in grateful greeting.

Ariel, who had last seen Eve when Sauron had come to take her captive, was rather shocked at Eve's condition. She was used to seeing the woman, strong and vital. Eve had always been to her, a warrior, afraid of nothing. Yet the friend stood before her now appeared exhausted, pale and ready to drop. She seemed so frail; Ariel thought and tried to force the shock away from her face. The toll of being Sauron's prisoner showed in Ariel's eyes, even as she cradled the child in her arms, trying to comfort the babe when it was she who needed soothing.

"I've never been so grateful to see you two," Aaron exclaimed with his emotions naked on his face. "We don't have time to talk but Eru says that we need to leave right now, before this whole place goes." He ran a sweeping gaze over the ceiling to make his point.

"Eru Ilúvatar?" Legolas stared at Aaron in shock. Of course it was Eru, he realised in retrospect. Only Ilúvatar would be untouched by Sauron's spell and only he, could call Sauron to account after he had usurped Morgoth's power.

"He was the one possessing Fred," Aaron explained hastily, painfully aware of how little time they had to clear this place. "Here," he stepped forward and handed the unconscious little girl to Legolas. Fred was blissfully unaware of what had happened and Aaron felt his heart suddenly grow heavier at the thought that he was going to have to tell her about Bryan when she woke. A problem for later, he decided.

"She's okay," he assured Legolas. “She’s sleeping. Playing host to God took a lot out of her."

In full agreement that no further explanations were needed, Legolas took Fred from Aaron. Besides, knowing that Ilúvatar himself had a hand at what transpired today, gave the elf some measure of comfort.

Ariel had approached Eve slowly. There was still a look of fear and panic in the woman's eyes that Ariel attributed to the fact that Eve was still uncertain that they were indeed safe.

"Your babe is so beautiful Eve," Ariel spoke sincerely. And he was, Ariel thought. He bore Eve's eyes but his strong chin and the shape of his face was his father's, even if it was sheathed in a child's plump flesh.

"Thank you," Eve answered her voice nowhere as steady as it used to be and sounded as if it could shatter like the waves against the rocks at any time. Even though she had promised Aaron and assured him she was fine, Eve was from it. She was so exhausted that every step forward threatened to sweep her legs from beneath her.

"Can I hold your son Eve?" Ariel asked, afraid that Eve would collapse if she were not aided right this moment. "Please?"

Eve's first instinct was to protest because she remembered how Saeran had just taken him when she had been to weak to fight him. She met Ariel's kind eyes with fear and hesitation, immediately feeling shame for it. This was her friend and Eve, being practical, wasn't blind to what kind of shape she was in. Fighting powerful maternal instincts, she nodded and kissed her baby's forehead before handing him to Ariel.

“I shall remain right next to you,” Ariel promised her seeing the pain in her eyes at the realisation that she was faltering to the limitations of her body. "You have my word; he will not leave your sight."

"Thank you," Eva answered, thankful that Ariel was sparing her the indignity of admitting she was to weak to hold her own baby. The humiliation of it almost choked the words in her throat but Eve wrestled her errant emotions and regained her composure.

Seeing her pain made Aaron's own heart ache and he wanted nothing but to hold her so that she could forget the horror of what she'd gone through in this place. Instead, he settled for bending over so that he could scoop her up. The doctor in him was clinically assessing her physical state, aware that it had been less than 24 hours since she'd delivered their son. Alone. He grit his teeth in outrage at that. He had so wanted to be there with her, to help bring their child into the world.

"No arguments Eve," he looked at her firmly. "I'm carrying you out of here."

Eve neither protested not wished to fight him on the matter. She knew what kind of shape she was in. Instead, she wrapped around her arms around his neck and rested her head against his chest.

"You're such a romantic," she smiled happily and allowed herself to be carried as they began the long trek down.

*****

When they finally reached the ground, Aaron was somewhat shocked by how empty the place had become.

When he, Bryan and Fred had been marched into the tower, the surrounding area had been bustling with activity. Saeran’s dark army were fastidiously preparing themselves for the impending battle. Now, there was no sign of anyone. Legolas had told him that Eru had somehow swept away all the creatures Saeran had released from the Forbidden Vaults but he was taken back by just how devoid of life it really was. Even the combined forces of the Alliance was nowhere in sight. With only himself, Eve, Legolas, Ariel and the children about, Saeran’s empty kingdom seemed more desolate than ever.

“Where is everyone?” Aaron asked trying to see through the darkness. The twilight sky had descended upon them and as he looked up, he saw the sky was alive with movement. It looked as if the stars had become fireflies, swarming together in a glitter of iridescent beauty. He liked to think that this was Eru’s work that the deity was putting right what damage Saeran had caused since escaping Valinor.

“I instructed Eve to make everyone go,” Legolas explained, moving across the wreckage of the battle. Even though the fighting had ceased, the scattered remnants of ruined fortifications, burnt out vehicles and discarded weapons lay across the land like uncovered graves. “I remembered what took place when Sauron was last destroyed. The whole of Mordor sank into the ground.”

Suddenly the air began to fill with the sound of great wings flapping above their heads. Aaron looked up to see a dark shape over their heads. For an instant, he thought that it was a dragon. It was certainly big enough, easily matching a jet. However, he soon realised that this was no fire breather. The grace and beauty of the creature made him realised that this was an eagle of Valinor. Aaron had only ever seen them from the ground in Tirion and the distance had not done them justice.

“Is that one of the eagles?” Aaron asked, awed as he gaped at the thing.

“Yes,” Legolas replied, a grin splitting his face. “It is. They came to help up fight the Nazgul and the dragons.”

Jogging up to the eagle, he thought it might have been Telrir and them realised it was a much larger wind lord. No, this wasn’t Telrir but his leader, Grimnir, who usually took his instructions from Manwe himself. Telrir's absence made Legolas hope that nothing had happened to the eagle that had borne him and Ariel during their fight with the Nazgul.

Greetings, the son of Thranduil, Grimnir greeted as they approached. The son of Eärendil asked me to fetch all of you. Time grows short.

It took a moment for Aaron realised that Grimnir spoke telepathically. Of course, he told himself, how else was an eagle without vocal chords supposed to communicate?

"Grows short for what? “He blurted out without thinking.

For the music.

************

They were in flight when the dark tower met its end.

Looking over his shoulder, Aaron saw Saeran’s fortress explode like glass. The dark obsidian tower that looked like tear in the fabric of the world shattered suddenly. Fragments of black scattered in all directions like as it slowly tumbled to the ground. A cloud of dust expanded outward when it collapsed, rolling outward over the plain that had was previously filled with orcs, wargs, spiders and the like. However, like Sauron, it became stretched thin as it spread out further until finally, the cloud disappeared into nothingness and it was as if nothing had ever stood there at all.

The destruction of the tower was incidental however, to what was continuing to take place in the sky. Even if he did not know this yet, the entire world was captivated by the incredible display in the skies tonight and no one who saw what was happening could remain unmoved. Aaron held Eve in his arms, marvelling at the fact he was riding a giant eagle with the wind blowing through his hair, watching the stars performing a dance across the sky the like of which the world had never seen.

Two of the stars that had been the Silmarils seemed to shine brighter than all others tonight. They were pulsing as if they were waiting impatiently for the missing member of their triad to appear in the night sky to join them. They did not have long to wait because the third Silmarils made its appearance thought from where, Aaron could not say. It seemed to be rising from the Earth, like a phoenix rising and as they became trinity, the light they produced together seemed almost holy.

"It is the last Silmarils! The one from the sea!" Legolas exclaimed in excitement, his eyes bright with a child's wonder. "The gem that was lost with Maglor!"

"So what happens now?" Eve asked weakly.

Legolas didn't answer because upon convergence, the burst of light that filled the sky was so brilliant that it was seen across the globe, in every corner of the world. Like fireworks, the sky became the canvas upon which the world so the fabric of the cosmos being rewritten. It was a dazzling display that made it seem as if the stars were streaking across the sky like a swarm of fireflies. Even the stars that did not move seemed to shine a little brighter. The beauty of it capture the attention of all and left them to gape in awe and wonder.

Even if the dance had begun first, it did not diminish anything when the music began to play.

Aaron heard the Great Music once before in New York when the Valar had come together to destroy John Malcolm but this was nothing like that.

This was a song of joyous celebration not the vanquishment of a hated enemy. As the opening chords began, the song affected every person on Earth the way one would be if they were watching rainbows coming through the clouds after a storm or the breaking of dawn following a long dark night. Slow and gradual, the music built up its momentum, moving through the soul and breaking down barriers as it chased down foolish fears, swept away doubt and hesitation. It was like enlightenment, opening the hearts and mind of all so completely that they were willing to have their coda rewritten for something greater than themselves.

What moved through the world and then through the universe was a song of creation and rebirth. It transformed the idea of God as a monotheistic being full of vengeful and wrath, smiting if his demands were not met. Instead, it revealed him as he truly was; the keeper of light that was found in all living things. The light that was personified by the Silmarils.

With three gems in convergence, the new tree sprung into being that was neither Telperion or Laurelin in its likeness. The tree grew with the intent of realising the plan for Ea before it had come to ruin by of Melkor and Ungoliant's act of savagery in the First Age. The tree grew fast across the cosmos, hastened by Eru’s power and design, each branch stretching across the vastness of the universe until the whole of creation knew its renewing light.

Summoned by Eru, the Valar took their places in the heavens once again and joined their chords to sing the new song of creation, a thing that had not been done since the formation of Ea. The Second Great Music would be uncorrupted by Melkor’s malice and even Sauron would sing his chord to achieve the perfection he had caused so much mischief to correct. Both Valar and Maia would form the chords and create the themes for the Second Great Music to be greater than the first.

As the song began, life exploded across Ea as it had never done before. The corruption of Melkor had halted its progress but now with a new song, it was allowed the freedom to change every corner of the universe with its sweet melody. It swept through the cosmos, to the far reaches of space and seeded worlds that were millennia away from discovery or even thought. Where there was no life, it sprouted from the previously dead earth and bubbled across empty seas. As it had been in Arda, these worlds would waken, no longer left in darkness and silence. They would add new themes to the Great Music and have voices on their own.

Perhaps someday, all of Ilúvatar’s Children would know each other to create their own music.

Arda too was healed. The air that was so ruined by Man had been cleansed and invigorated. The music gave life to the barren deserts of the Earth and new flow to rivers that had run their course. Oceans nearing exhaustion became filled and new forests sprung where rampant lumbering had left it a wasteland. The thoughtlessness of Man was erased as Yavanna and Utmo returned Arda to a semblance of its former splendour. It was Eru’s gift to Arda who had been the First World, the one from whom all others would follow.

Others such as the worlds that shared Arda’s sun.

No longer a lonely child, Arda’s siblings became living, breathing worlds full of teeming oceans and lands that were lush and plentiful. The song gave life to the barren Marsian landscape. It melted the frozen oceans covering the moons of Europa, Ganymede and Titan. Once again, Utmo gave lease to cold, empty oceans while Yavanna warmed barren plains of ice and Manwë change the air so that it was as sweet as any to be found on Arda or Aman. Life rushed across the land like laughing children and waited patiently for the arrival of its inheritors.

And when the Second Great Music came to a close, the race of Man at last knew that the starlight had finally returned to their world.

******

No one could speak after the music ended.

They felt its movements profoundly and no one could speak for a few moments after it had stopped.

The world had changed and they knew it but how marked those changes were still a mystery. The stars had now returned its usual nightly glitter and though the memory of what had been lingered, it all seemed sedate compared to what they had just seen. Still some stars, Aaron noticed, shone brighter than others and he wondered that meant. Aaron suspected that it was probably up to Elrond or Galadriel to truly explain the scope of what had happened and that was good enough for him at present.

They were safe and that was the only thing that mattered now.

Grimnir set them down in a field not far from the camp that had been created following the order to retreat. It was situated at the base of the mountain and was a collection of tents, surrounded by vehicles and was that a tank? Aaron wondered as he saw the familiar silhouette. The camp was illuminated by a mixture of amber lights from campfires and the piercing stare of battery operated lamps. Even from here, he could detect the faint whiff of antiseptic and immediately guessed that there was a triage tent amongst the others to treat the wounded. There were no sounds of well-deserved celebration however and Aaron suspected that everyone was still trying to gather their thoughts after hearing great music.

They were making their way across the field when suddenly the shadowy silhouette of someone appeared in the distance and approached them with an all too familiar walk. When he was close enough, the cloaked figure stepped out of the darkness by illuminating the top of his tall staff, revealing his face to them.

“Gandalf!” Legolas exclaimed, thrilled to see Maiar again. If they needed proof that everything had indeed been returned to normal after Sauron’s machinations, it was the presence of the wizard who had undoubtedly been released from the Blessed Realm when the dark lord was at last vanquished.

No less happy to see him, Aaron was a little more subdued in his greeting and instead remarked with a tone of mock sarcasm, “It’s about time you got here Moses. Do you have any idea what we’ve been through?”

Gandalf chuckled, recalling the designation that Aaron had given him when they had first met in that mental ward a lifetime ago. Or at least it seemed that way. They’d been through so much since then. Leaning closer to Legolas as the elf approached, he gave Fred a look of concern and only turned away when he was confident she was just sleeping. Then he shifted his eyes towards Ariel and saw the baby in her arms. The child was quiet but awake and its eyes were fixed on the stars above.

“Some idea,” Gandalf finally answered Aaron. “You seemed to have come out of it well enough.”

“Not all of us,” Aaron said quietly, giving Eve a quick glimpse and thinking about Bryan. The guilt that the MI6 man might have sacrificed himself to save Aaron still ate him. “Gandalf, what does this mean now? Now that the Great Music has come and gone.”

“It means the world is going to change,” Gandalf explained. “Quite significantly. Dagor Dagorath is over and the Second Great Music did right many of the wrongs that had been introduced when Melkor tainted the first chorus. Arda has been made stronger and new worlds have been seeded not just around this sun but across the universe.”

“New worlds?” Ariel asked, her eyes widening at the possibilities. “What does that mean?”

“It means that there all the races will have new choices to make. Eru is given everyone the opportunity to make journeys to the new lands. New worlds await its inheritors Aaron and Eru will allow those who wish to seed them the chance to start again. There will be new ships built and this time the seas we cross will take us to a new world. That is if you choose to go.”

“Leave Arda?” Aaron was trying to wrap his mind around the concept that boats would be able to take them through space to another planet. “You mean Earth?”

“That is correct,” the wizard nodded. “Eru has opened the path between worlds and with the help of the elves to build the ship, man and dwarves can leave Arda. All will be able to go to the new lands and create new destinies for themselves. The time of isolation is ended. It is time for all the races to know each other and there is space a plenty for them to do it properly.”

“And what about Saeran...I mean Sauron,” Aaron asked, his tone a little darker after Gandalf’s optimistic pitch. “What happened to him? Did Eru lock his ass in a metaphysical dungeon somewhere?”

“It is not Eru’s way to punish what can be salvaged Aaron,” Gandalf sighed, aware that after what had happened to Bryan, Tory and Jason, Aaron may not be so forgiving of the dark lord. “Sauron’s chord was part of the music you just heard and he sang it without any hatred or taint. He always fought against chaos and with Eru’s tutelage, perhaps he can be redeemed. If not, his fate will end him in the Abyss.”

Aaron frowned, trying not to show that he wished Sauron was made to pay horribly for what he ha done to Eve and all his friends. However, he had remembered how Eru whist in Fred’s body had tried to talk Sauron off the proverbial ledge. As a psychiatrist, he hated to think anyone was beyond help but supposed that if Eru was taking direct charge of Sauron, he was beyond troubling them further, Aaron decided to be satisfied with that. His wife and son were safe and that was enough for him.

“We lost Bryan, Tory and Jason,” Ariel spoke for Aaron when it didn’t appear he was going to answer Gandalf. Sauron had almost killed her, had killed Tory and Eve’s condition was because of his treatment. While she would not question Eru’s judgment, she spoke for Aaron because she knew it was painful for him to say what was on his mind at this time. “It is not easy to forgive when one things of that,” she reminded the wizard.

“I know,” Gandalf replied, feeling the loss of the three as much as those present. “But they will not be forgotten and neither will their sacrifice.”

“It won’t,” Aaron said firmly, knowing precisely how he was going to honour one of the dead.

Gandalf nodded in understanding, perhaps having some insight into what Aaron intended.

*******

He found Lori in the medical tent.

After catching with Frank and Miranda, Eric learned that Lori and the kids had safely sat out the battle in one of the dwarves subterranean vehicles. Worms, they called it. After the fighting was done, Barra had delivered Lori to the human doctors setting up triage tents to deal with the wounded. At least, she’d survived, he thought. After losing Jason, Eric was able to sympathize with the grief Frank felt at losing Bryan.

It was just like the crazy bastard, Eric thought, to do something selfless like sacrificing himself.

It wasn’t hard to locate her once he’d asked one of the British doctors where she was. Aside being the only American soldier in the tent, Lori was also the only woman other than Miranda, in the battle. A rather irate doctor had relented to Eric’s demands to be taken to Lori and left him next to her cot before scurrying away to attend other patients. Judging by the blood and fluids that were being emptied into her body by IVs and blood bags, Eric guessed that Lori had gotten medical help just in time to save her life.

“Hey Jet,” Eric greeted her as he lowered himself next to her cot. She appeared conscious but he couldn’t say for certain if she was lucid.

Lori herself answered that question when she turned her groggy head in his direction when she had heard a familiar voice next to her. Opening her eyelids, her eyes widened in surprise to see him looking down at her. “Well look what the cat dragged in,” her pale lips curled into a smile. “How you doing Aussie?”

“Still here,” Eric replied, glad to see that she was able to speak. It bode well for her condition. After losing Jason and now Bryan too, he didn’t think he could take one more person dying today. As it was, he was trying not to think about what may have happened to Aaron, Eve and their new baby.

“Yeah but you look like crap,” she pointed out with a frown. “You’re much to pretty to be messed up.”

She was obviously on painkillers, he thought before adding, “You should talk,” he said brushing a strand of dark hair out of her eyes. “ You look pretty crook yourself.”

“And here I thought you were a charmer,” Lori sighed, her voice becoming weaker.

She looked exhausted and under the influence of sedatives if her fluttering eyelids were any indicator. Nevertheless, he ought to let her sleep though he wasn’t that eager to leave her side. After watching how hard she’d fought to land the chopper safely even though she’d been cut to ribbons by the dragon’s attack, Eric admired her courage. Even more so, when she’d told them to leave her behind and go after Sauron. Doing so had nearly torn him apart, with a piece of him left with her when he went off with the others and left her with Frank.

Now, with the attention of the doctors focussed entirely on the new wounded being brought in, Eric was reluctant to leave her alone. Although secretly, he did wonder if his vigil was for her sake or his.

“I’ve been slipping lately,” he admitted after a moment. “These days I’m more interested in defeating dark lords and rescuing cute girl pilots.” He winked at her.

“Girl pilots?” A brow arched as she crooked one eye open and stared at him pointedly. “You need some work on your Sir Galahad routine, Aussie.” She teased before laying her head back down again, allowing the drugs to do their work and coax her into a gentle slumber.

“Actually,” Eric said with a smirk, “back in the Fourth Age, Legolas tells me I was a king. King of the Riddermark.”

“Like I haven’t heard that line before,” Lori breathed her answer even though she appeared to be fading fast.

“I got a few more lines up my sleeve, don’t you worry,” Eric returned even though he wasn’t sure that she’d heard him. Staring into her lovely face, he saw that she’d drifted off again. Eric leaned forward and planted a tender kiss on her forehead. “But you get some rest now. I’ll try them on you later.”

******

“I’m not sure we should let her do this,” Frank Miller staid to his wife the next morning as the three of them stood outside the tent where the dead had been taken in the aftermath of the battle.

A temporary camp had been set up in the foothills of the Carpathians after Miranda had passed on Legolas’ call for retreat. With the sudden disappearance of all of the enemy’s forces and the impending destruction of Saeran’s tower, there had been general agreement that they gain minimum safe distance. Afterwards however, the end of the immediate crisis left everyone with the uncertainty of what to do next. There was talk of a conference with the United Nations, so the dwarves and the elves would be formally introduced to the world stage but that seemed so distant.

Right now, it seemed more prudent to remain in place and deal with the present state of things. In the aftermath of the battle, there were more grounded realities to face as medics and elven healers attended the wounded while the seriously injured were kept comfortable until they could be transported to proper medical facilities. Those who hadn’t survived long enough for either were stored away until proper burials arrangements could be made.

The nondescript military tent that Miranda, Frank and Fred were standing in front of, had the distinction of being of the first of its type to hold the honoured dead of three different species. Man, elf and dwarf. Bryan’s body had been kept here when Frank had left Saeran’s fortress. He wanted Bryan returned to Valinor so that it could be laid to rest next to Tory’s. At the very least, they could spend the afterlife together.

Miranda shared Frank’s reservations but she had a feeling that this had to be done. Still, her maternal instincts wanted to protect Fred and she dropped to her knees so she could look Fred in the eyes. “Sweetheart,” she asked brushing a strand of hair out of the girl’s eyes, “Are you sure you want to do this?"

Fred nodded sadly, saying nothing. Her eyes held a world of sorrow and it broke Miranda’s heart to look into. All traces of Eru’s self-possessed calm was gone from her face. Now there was the only child, lost and alone.

"Alright," Miranda replied, fighting her wish to take Fred away from the heartache waiting for her inside the tent. “I’ll take her.” She told Frank.

Frank nodded and drifted away. He didn't want to see Bryan again, not until they were ready to bury him. He wanted nothing to sully the memories he had of Bryan alive. He didn’t need to see the shell that was left in his place. Miranda understood and she supposed it was the fact that she was more comfortable with seeing comrades in death after her years in the service that made her more capable of facing Bryan’s body than Frank right now.

Still, Miranda was conflicted about allowing Fred to do this. Unfortunately, Miranda suspected denying her would be even worse. Taking Fred's small hand in hers, they stepped through the tent flap and entered the tent with its thick antiseptic smell. They were immediately confronted by a rows of dark body bags, lined up neatly, sparing them the sight of the bodies within. The names of the dead written on duct tape across the plastic and Miranda hated how impersonal that was. It felt like walking past specimens in a laboratory.

Fred didn't appear to register the other bodies as Miranda led her to where Bryan had been placed. Her dark eyes faced front, almost glassy and she said nothing. It didn't take long for them find him. Bryan was situated at the end of the row and the body bag he was in was lay against a tarpaulin on the ground. Miranda gestured wordlessly at Fred to stay put while she stepped forward and knelt down next to the body.

Pulling the zipper down, Miranda saw that whomever had placed Bryan in the bag had taken care to clean him up. Thank God for that, she thought. Still the lack of blood did little to hide the violence done to his body. His skin was discoloured and the bruises had turned vivid. His eyes were closed and for a moment Miranda thought he might be sleeping it off after getting into a brawl in some Yorkshire tavern. Seeing him made brought Miranda's own tears to fore and she fought back a gasp of sorrow when she realised that Fred was kneeling down next to her.

For a few seconds, Fred said nothing. She merely stared at Bryan’s face, her breathe escaping her in little wisps. Then she leaned forward and kissed softly Bryan on the cheek. The gesture, so small and quick, near broke Miranda's heart and when Fred straightened up, Miranda saw the tears that had fallen on his cold skin when Fred had kissed him. When Fred turned around, Miranda saw the mask of stoicism shattered and she started shaking with a child’s grief.

“Oh Fred,” Miranda said opening her arms to the girl and before she knew it, Fred had ran into them, burying her face in Miranda's golden hair and sobbing.

"Its okay baby," Miranda picked her up, stroking her back and holding her close and whispering the reassurance that only mothers knew how to give. "You're not alone. You'll never be alone again. You're ours now and we'll never let anything hurt you. I promise you that."

As Fred wept against her shoulder, Miranda reiterated the promise to Bryan that she'd protect the child he'd died to save. Bryan had saved her when he brought Frank into her life and proved that after great pain, life could yield such wonder that it was scarcely too much to believe. Miranda wanted that very much for Fred. She wanted the girl to grow up happy as part of her family and be forever loved.

After everything the child had been through, she deserved that much.

*******

The world changes.

The fallout from Sauron’s war against Arda continued to be felt. With everything that had taken place in Europe, there was no denying the fact that an ancient evil had come out of nowhere and changed the way mankind saw itself in the world. Even the staunchest sceptics found their arguments hard to justify when they'd seen dragons take to the skies and beast men burning several major cities. Even where Sauron's army hadn't been, there was no doubt of his reach. In America two Nazgul agents had almost caused the inadvertent launch of nuclear weapons. A General named Dennis Etherton, who until this incident, been a loyal and upstanding soldier for decades was now sharing the same padded cell with the last man under Sauron’s influence.

Now that Aman was safe and hidden once more behind the curtain of the Blessed Realm, some of elves were eager to return to the home once again. However, there others wanted to remain in Arda. Now that it was no longer necessary to hide themselves, they were eager to explore the rest of the modern world not to mention the underground kingdoms of the dwarves. Furthermore it wasn’t just the elves and dwarves who wanted to see Arda but mankind had questions about its past and were eager to know what had come before.

To the surprise of the both older races, the race of men seemed more open to the idea of them than either had originally believed. Their existence had challenged all facets of human knowledge, scientific, religious and historical and yet there was a sense of wonder in the acceptance. Perhaps it was something in Eru's design of man or maybe, like all of Ilúvatar's children they had heard the Great Music and were changed by it, no one could say but for most part Man accepted the Eldar and Aule's folk with open but cautious arms. And they wanted to learn everything; they wanted to know about the great dragons they'd seen, the history of the Middle Earth, the many languages spoken and the obviously masterful craftsmanship of the dwarves.

With the healing of the world by Great Music, there was also greater appreciation of the land and in understanding that it was by Eru's hand, mankind was in a better mood to listen to the wisdom of treating his works with reverence. Indeed, the Secretary of the United Nations had invited both Elrond and the dwarf leaders to attend the council with the hopes of maintaining the new relationship and to recognise the sovereignty of the two ancient races. As a result, Elrond had chosen to remain in Arda for the time being since among all the elves, it was he with the most experience in dealing with Eru’s young children.

Only Gandalf and a few of the Maiar remained in Arda after the Great Music was concluded. The others were travelling across the cosmos, shepherding the worlds that had been seeded when the Great Tree was spreading its branches through the whole of Ea. Acting on Eru's behalf, it was Gandalf who brought the invitation of seeding new worlds to all of the races. Arda had grown to small for all of them and it was time to be dispersed across Ea. In the days to come, Eru had no doubt that the industry of both men and elves that Mairon had so wanted to see reach flower, would allow them to make these journeys themselves. However, for now, Eru would give them passage to the new worlds. The worlds that were known to the elves as Carnil, the children of Aiwenórë and Lumbar were more familiar to Man as Mars, Ganymede, Europa and Titan respectively.

Thus the elves were charged with building new Grey ships that would take travellers through Eru's passage. The Teleri, led by Cirdan the master shipwright, threw themselves into the duty with the excitement of giddy children. For the first time in too long, there would be new seas to sail, new lands to chart. While modern thinking could not even begin to grasp how ships constructed by the elves alone could make a space voyage, there was no doubting Eru's word that these worlds awaited them. Through the Hubble Telescope, the scientific community saw that the surface of Mars, famously known as the red planet was now a lush, green world with oceans that looked not unlike Earth itself. Furthermore, NASA confirmed similar findings on Europa, Ganymede and Titan through transmissions from their Juno and Cassini probes.

The elves left it to the leaders of men to decide who should go and should remain behind. While many viewed the journey to a new world with some trepidation, particularly when they were so accustomed to their creature comforts, there were many who bore the pioneering spirit and were eager to traverse the lands of an alien world to build a new life. Some did not have to travel that far to achieve the same end. The healing of Arda had opened up new areas of previously uninhabitable terrain and like the migratory shift of birds, the people of those once barren lands were taking advantage of it.

And so it was that the great upheaval that would be known in the years to come as the Age of Reawakening had begun.

EPILOGUE