The Shadow Walker

Epilogue

"Eda?"

The familiar voice drew me from the depths of nothingness, and I opened my eyes. My eyelashes brushed something, and fabric covered my eyes and most of my nose. That would explain why everything was still dark. "...Legolas?"

The bed I apparently lay on tilted, and his warm, smooth fingers wound into mine. "Yes melleth."

"Where are we?" I strained to listen. A hum of many muffled voices rewarded my effort, but told me nothing.

"Gondor." He cleared his throat.

I frowned. "What happened? Did we win? Was the R—" Something twinged deep in my chest. A void where something heavy had been torn out of my mind.

"Yes." His tone was reserved, almost wary. "The dragon carried the Ring into the lava."

Imrid. I gasped. "The dragon, what happened to her?"

"She tried to escape when the Ring melted, but..." I felt him shudder. "She's dead."

My stomach knotted. If a regular person fell in, it would at least be a quick death. I couldn't imagine what it would be like for a dragon to burn to death. I shook my head, trying to dislodge the image from my mind. "What about Frodo? And Samwise?"

"They're both fine." His tone lightened, as though he were smiling a little. "And we also rescued the creature Gollum. He was my responsibility at one time...I'm going to try and help him." His pitch changed to something uncomfortable.

I squeezed his hand. "That's wonderful, Legolas. So what's wrong?"

Legolas sighed, and he drew my hand upwards. His warm lips pressed to my knuckles. "The burns on your face are significant, melleth. I'm afraid...you're blind."

Blind?

"No...I can't be...how can you possibly know without me trying to see anything?" I struggled to sit up, heart thudding. I could see light through the bandage...couldn't I?

I couldn't.

He sniffed, then let out a shuddering breath. "There is a chance...just a chance that your vision will improve with time. But it's not much to hope for."

I clung to his hand like a lifeline. Would I ever see my husband again? A clear winter sunset over the LonelyMountain? Strangled sunlight trickling past the haunting branches of Mirkwood? Lothlòrien's beautiful, chilling midnight glow? Rainbows cast by Rivendell's crashing waterfall?

A sob shook my entire body. I pulled my knees up and hugged my legs. Every breath rasped against my throat.

Legolas wrapped an arm around my shoulders and held me tight. He trembled also. "I know," he whispered into my ear. He burrowed his nose in my hair. "But we still have each other, remember? Sauron is defeated, his army has been slaughtered, and we're entering an era of peace...you and I have all the time we could ever want."

I put my arms around him. Here in his embrace, I could endure anything. We would be okay. I couldn't think of one thing we couldn't face together. "I love you, Legolas," I whispered.

He held me a little tighter. "And I love you, Eda."

***Author's Note***

The end!

Actually...it isn't.

If you just want a single book to read, and you wanted TSW to be that book, then this is where  we disembark.

But here's the deal...TSW turned into a series. It's not even the first book, chronologically. There will be a book after it, and at least two books before. Because there is a story about a family that I could not ignore.