One Flesh, One Soul. Part 2 by FellFireFan  

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The Last Melody

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The crystal waters of the gentle stream flowed softly at the feet of the young half-elf, their tranquil murmurs enveloping him in a soothing symphony. Astaldanor's ebony locks, thick and wavy, framed his delicate features, a visage that bore the striking resemblance of his father, while his dark eyes and gentle countenance mirrored the kindly spirit of his mother.

As he sat in quiet meditation, the youth found himself lost in the play of sunlight upon the stream's surface, its gentle sparkling capturing his gaze. A pensive sigh escaped his lips, his heart filled with a yearning for adventure and the unknown beyond the confines of his sheltered home.

Suddenly, his heightened senses detected the distant approach of a steed, the rhythmic footfalls drawing ever nearer. Astaldanor stiffened, the tension palpable, until a tall figure dismounted and settled beside him. Though they exchanged no words, the mere presence of his father was a comfort.

"I know you are disappointed in me," Astaldanor spoke, his youthful voice soft and laden with remorse.

"Nay, ion nín, not in you. I am disappointed in the manner in which you fled your mother's presence, your heart filled with harsh words, forsaking who it was that gave you life," Aegnor replied, his tone measured and wise. "When the fire of your spirit compels you to speak, you must temper it with the counsel of your mind."

Astaldanor's brow furrowed, a conflicted expression crossing his features. "How can I find my own path if I am forever bound to the safety of our home? You have known adventures that I can scarcely imagine, dangers that lie beyond these sheltered walls. I long for such experiences to forge my own legend!"

Aegnor's lips curved in a gentle smile, his weathered hand coming to rest upon his son's shoulder. "It is true, ion nín, that I have walked roads fraught with peril, and I bear the scars of those burdens to this day. Yet, I would not wish that burden on you."

The youth's gaze fell, his youthful spirit still yearning for the unknown. "Then how shall I ever learn for myself if I am forever confined here?"

"Valour is not pursued, " Aegnor said, his voice soft yet unyielding. "It lies in the wisdom, to know when to wield one's tongue and when to sheathe it." He clasped Astaldanor's hand, his expression beseeching. "Your mother's tears are not a plea for your captivity, but a to consider the weight of your choices, for the path you seek is shrouded in uncertainty, and the risks are grave."

Astaldanor's eyes rose to meet his father's, the weight of those words settling upon his heart. Aegnor continued, his tone imploring. "Remain here, where you are loved and protected. In time, when the call grows too fierce to ignore, then you may venture forth and claim what you desire. But that day is not this day."

The youth nodded, his youthful spirit tempered by the counsel of one who had walked the paths he now yearned to tread. Aegnor smiled, reaching out to ruffle Astaldanor's dark locks affectionately. "Come, your mother awaits us," he said, rising to his feet.

With a renewed sense of understanding, Astaldanor rose, the gentle trickle of the stream accompanying their steps as they returned to the welcoming embrace of their home.

"Did you procure for us a deer atar? I am close to famished!" Astaldanor asked, his hungry eyes sparkling with hope,

"As my hunt was cut short, by the frantic cries of your mother, no, I did not manage to catch anything for our meal, my son," Aegnor replied

"Then, what shall we eat tonight?" Astaldanor cried, his voice curt with disappointment as he pulled himself upon Sorna, behind his father.

"We shall spear fish," Aegnor chirped, pulling on Sorna's reigns. The aged steed turned and merrily trotted away, Astaldanor's breathy voice echoing as they went.

"Hah! Then I shall catch the largest one and you tge smallest!" He laughed.

"You may certainly try, my son!" Aegnor scoffed. Their laughter echoed into the distance as their aged yet strong, loyal Sorna carried them away.

 

As many winters and summers came to pass, Aegnor and Andreth raised Astaldanor, and he grew ever stronger and wiser, excelling in music and poetry. He came to be a great singer and songwriter. He grew to be very beautiful with the likeness and strength of his father and the compassion and wisdom of his mother choosing to remain as an elf, joining his father's immortal lineage.

Finally leaving his parents and the comforts of their cherished home to traverse and explore the world around him, encountering many adventures of his own. Returning to his parents often for many happy visits and long rides with them along the beautiful beach and hunting game in the forest, reliving the happy memories of his childhood in their care. Andreth, under her husbands tutoring, became to be exceptional in the art of hunting, fulfilling her dreams to be a huntress and spend many long years with Aegnor, riding at his side even in her sadness at their sons absence her love for her husband grew ever stronger. Her equal companion and fierce lover.

 

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Aegnor watched as Andreth brushed her hair on a polished silver mirror, his eyes soft as his heart filled with love. Slowly, he stood up and came to her, standing behind her seated form. Taking the brush in her hand, he gently pulled it through the length of her hair. A favourite pass time that had come to be his. The veil of long, pure white hair covered her head like a crown of glory. Each strand, a reminder of her passing days, spent in the cherished memories in her lover's embrace. Although her face bore very little signs of age, say for small lines on her eyes, her body, though still beautiful and slender, moved not as swiftly as once before.

She was not ashamed of growing old, for Aegnors boundless, unconditional love kept the life flowing within her. Andreth smiled and closed her eyes, unwinding completely in her husband's delicate fingers. Soon, he set the brush down, pulling her hair behind her back. He placed his fingertips upon her neck. She sighed contentedly.

"Do you know what my thoughts lingered upon today, my love," Aegnor smiled

"I dread to think," she smiled softly

Bending down, his head hovering beside her as his lips came to her ear "How beautiful you looked as you tended to the flowers," his fingers slid going the length of her arm and over the soft skin of her hand.  "Caressing those stems with your fingers," he whispered playfully

She tittered loudly and pushed him away in a playful manner, laughing with bashful splendour.

"Aegnor! I may be old, but do not think I am dull to your devious tricks! Be gone with you!" She giggled, Aegnor broke into bellows of laughter as he returned to his former task of sowing her a new dress "I am too old to indulge in those pleasures with you now," she sighed, her smile hiding her sadness in its truth. Slowly, she stood up and turned to face him. A sad gaze lingered in her eyes. "Aegnor, I am not the young woman you once knew. Each passing day age takes its toll upon me, and I grow weaker by its curse. While my son and my husband remain unchanged over time, alas, what can I do," She smiled sadly.

Aegnor came to her and embraced his cherished wife. He held her with such tenderness. Wrapped in Aegnors love, Andreth grieved the loss of her youthful body. At times where she could walk forever in her husband's arms as they explored the forest together. Now, only a journey to the ocean's front is all she could do, and although Aegnor remained by her side, the burden she felt on him greatly depressed her.

"No matter the time that has passed, Andreth, know that I shall forever remain yours, your own silly elf," he whispered with tender affection. With such loving words, Andreths sadness melted away and was replaced with warm love as she remembered what such a sentiment meant to her.

"Oh, Aegnor..." she sighed softly. "I do not regret the fading of my youth, for I have borne a son and have lived long enough to watch him grow." Her hands slid underneath his clothes and onto the smooth warm skin of his chest. "I have caressed your beautiful body and made a nest in your heart. I have weathered the storms with you and lived my life to the fullest at your side." She looked up at Aegnor, and he stroked his fingers through her hair as he gazed gently down as her. His fingers equally as gentle, caressing her cheek, "Make love to me, Aegnor, one last time. One last cherished memory of sensual pleasures...while my body still desires yours," she whispered.

Aegnor kissed her willingly. The taste of his lips melted her heart into gentle embers of desire. With his arm curled beneath her knees, he lifted her, carrying her to their shared bed of many intimate nights and warm memories. Sinking beside her, he gazed down lovingly into her eyes. He beheld the same youthful sparkle in them that she had had since her childhood. He smiled as he held back an emotional tear, for his love for her was greater than his will to live. Taking a moment, he caressed her face and kissed her once more. With all the dignity and tenderness befitting their love, Aegnor made love to Andreth. All their cares and worries laid bare, leaving them for one last night of passion. When it had reached its end, Andreth fell asleep wrapped in his arms, fully comforted and cherished in his warm embrace.

Aegnor, after checking she was in deep in the depths of a peaceful sleep, slowly rose from her side, with one last look at her sleeping form, he left the pavilion and journeyed to the beach but a short walk away, desiring a private moment to himself. There, standing alone, clad in a thin fabric made into a house coat, its gossamer material fluttered gracefully in the furious wind. His head bowed in a moment of inner reflection. His beauty utterly breath-taking stood in regal poise. The open spray of the dark crashing waves, echoing their rhythmic song in his ears. Aegnor broke from his stoic facąde. He wept bitterly into the wind. His cries were stifled by the gentle roar of the sea.

Privately, where no one could see, Aegnor grieved with a heart heavier than the weight of a world of burdens. He knew what drew every night, and once more, she would be taken from him, and he was powerless to prevent it. He had paid a high price for his love. Now, his despair threatened to consume him. Angrod was gone, Finrod was gone, and there was no one left to comfort him.

 

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"Andreth? Your son wishes to give his greetings," Aegnor whispered, his voice barely audible amidst the stillness that enveloped the bed chamber. Andreth lay motionless in her bed, her fragile form resembling a tranquil pool, her breath rising and falling with rhythmic grace. Aegnor leaned in, his lips tenderly pressing against her warm forehead, a gesture of his burning love that has never quelled.

Astaldanor stood behind his father, awaiting his turn. His sorrowful gaze fixed upon her ever fading presence. His tall, robust frame mirrored Aegnor's own, emanating a quiet strength that seeped from his being. His long ebony locks cascaded down his back, akin to the darkness of a starless night, a reflection of his mother's ethereal beauty. A lump formed in his throat, an ache of grief that he struggled to contain. Aegnor stepped away, and slowly, Astaldanor approached his mother. The woman who had carried him into this world. His heart was heavy with grief and foreboding farewell. He gently placed a tender kiss upon her soft cheek.

"Mother..." he whispered, his voice deep and breathy, trembling with restrained anguish. "I have come to see you." His breathy voice caught with a trembling ache.

Yet, Andreth remained still, undisturbed by her son's presence. Astaldanor, with aching reluctance, gently squeezed her fragile hand before straightening his sleek, powerful form. Mother and child reunited once more. Aegnor could not bear to look anymore. He turned and left in a swift, graceful swirl. Astaldanor gently released his mother's warm hand and followed his father out of the pavillion.

"Atar!" Astaldanor called softly, his voice carrying a note of trembling concern. Aegnor stopped and slowly turned, his eyes flickering with an intensity that Astaldanor had never witnessed before. In that moment, without uttering a single word, Astaldanor threw himself into his embrace, their strong bodies colliding with a resounding thud. Matching Aegnor in height, Astaldanor held his father tightly as though the stars would fall from the very skies. Astaldanor's wet tears finding solace of Aegnor's broad shoulder.

"We knew the sun would rise on this day.., it is not wrong to grieve for her." Astaldanor murmured, his voice laced with pain. Aegnor, adamant in his resolve to not let a tear fall, had long prepared himself for this inevitable moment. Carefully, he drew his son away, his hands framing Astaldanor's tearful countenance, seeking his son's watery gaze.

In the depths of his soul, Aegnor grappled with the threat of a terrifying intensity. He battled to keep it hidden from his son. Buoyed by the love he held for his wife and son, guided by the memory of Andreth's unwavering love and the promise he had made to her.

"Astaldanor, I implore you to make me a solemn promise, for there exists for me, no anguish more profound than the loss of the woman I love. I beg you never permit it to destroy you as it has me, regardless of what lies before you forevermore, I beseech you, from the fathoms of your heart, promise me!" Aegnor pleaded, his voice strong with raw conviction and his eyes unwavering from his son's

"I will try, Atar, I will try," Astaldanor responded, his attention captured by the urgency in his father's voice. As their gazes locked, Aegnor exhaled a heavy sigh, his lips curving into a tender smile that carried a bittersweet blend of emotions.

"You have her eyes..." Aegnor smiled weakly, through the tears streamed forth. "I came so far for this single blessing, to have you, my son." His voice weakening to a fragile broken whisper as he felt his walls begin to collapse. "You were my only dream..." Aegnors tender hand held his sons face "Know that I am proud of you, my son. You will endure on, and you will not linger here long. Do you understand?"

Astaldanor could not hold the floodgates of his grief any longer. His heart heavy, he bubbled into sobs

"Bregolas?" A sweet, weary voice whispered faintly from the depths of the pavilion. Aegnor and Astaldanor swiftly made their way inside, their steps echoing with a sense of urgency in the place that had long been their cherished abode. With tender haste, they approached Andreth's side, where she stirred drowsily from her slumber. Stretching out a trembling hand, she gently caressed Astaldanor's face, her touch imbued with a lifetime of love and longing.

"My son," she murmured, her voice a delicate melody. "You have returned to me."

Tears welled in Astaldanor's eyes, glistening like shimmering dewdrops on a fragile leaf. He whispered, his voice filled with a mixture of joy and sorrow, "I love you, Mother."

Andreth's gaze then turned to her husband, who knelt beside her on the other side. His eyes, tender and steadfast, met hers as the weight of their shared history hung in the air. A wistful smile graced her lips, a testament to the enduring spirit of her youth.      "I know your face...my silly, silly elf," she smiled, her voice carrying the tenderness of a thousand bittersweet memories.

"We are together again, the three of us, just as I had prayed," she breathed, her words carrying a sense of profound peace. She pulled the blanket closer to her chest, her delicate hands embracing the frailty of her form. "My time has come," she whispered, her voice content. "I have reached the inevitable end, and I can go no further."

Her gaze shifted to Aegnor, her eyes filled with a depth of gratitude that words could not fully express. "My love, my precious love... You gave everything you had for this... this one chance," she whispered, her voice carrying the weight of a lifetime's worth of devotion. "I regret... not a single day. We have been on... quite a journey... my sweet."

Tears streamed down Aegnor's face, his countenance a mask of stoic resolve, desperately suppressing the tempest of emotions that threatened to consume him. With every fibre of his being, he fought to maintain composure to honour the quiet strength that had defined their love. Slowly, Andreth's eyes fluttered closed, her serene visage adorned with a gentle smile.

"Promise me..." she whispered, her voice a fragile thread. "Promise that you will find solace in this life and continue on this path for my sake. Though I may no longer be with you. Wherever you may go, know that my heart and my love go with you both, always." With a final gentle breath, Andreth's life slipped away, a gentle smile of tranquil peace upon her face.

Sobs of despair bubbled from Astaldanor as he mourned his mother. Aegnor, his gaze cast down, his face vacant of all emotion. Soon, Aegnor rose and left. As he stepped out of the pavilion, a pain within his heart burst forth as Andreth's feä being pulled from him. The fierce agony crippled him mercilessly as it tore at his feä and his hroä,

("Nay! You will not take her!") He screamed in elvish with all his might toward the heavens as Erú had come to claim his debt. He roared with all the strength in his lungs. ("SHE BELONGS TO ME!")

Rage and grief consumed him as he willingly warred with a god, who was taking the last part of Andreth he had. The strength of their bond pulled to a single remaining stand, the last chord that connected her to him pulled and strained as it threatened to rip him apart. It finally broke, snapping into two pieces, and suddenly, he felt her presence no more.

The pain it caused him was unbearable, her feä, carried away westward and forever separated from him. Aegnor collapsed to his knees, wails of grief, mixed with cries of anguish split the skies, the godly voice of Aegnors cry chased away storms as he screamed for his beloved return, but his cries went unanswered. He clenched the sand, raking it in his white knuckles, rocking back and forth, his mind fracturing and breaking, screaming with every ounce of strength he had. Astaldanor burst forth from the pavilion. He wrapped his arms around his father's body. Holding him as he wailed and sobbed. A protective sheild, a blanket of comfort. This was the price he paid for love.

Astaldanor remained by his father's side from that moment on. Offering him comfort and assistance in the months that followed, for he was greatly pained from life. He watched his father's strength slowly diminish, his will to live fade ever further away. For his fire had been snuffed out eternally, and none could bring it back.

 

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On a day, crisp with the bright morning sun, the tranquil forest seemed a haven of piece and beauty as the birds sang their beautiful melody echoing a haunting symphony of eerie beauty that lingered through the sunbeams in the trees and the gentle flow of streams. It was on this day that Aegnor expressed his desire for Astaldanor to accompany him on a ride. For he wished to visit the river, near the grave of his love, Astaldanor was excited for it was the first time his father had expressed an interest in riding and brimming with delight, Astaldanor left the pavilion, their homely dwelling of many memories with his father and together, mounted their steeds.

The sun was bright as it shined through the trees, almost blessing their journey together. They made good conversation along the way. The life in his fathers eyes seemed to have slowly returned, and Astaldanor could not be happier, for he missed these rides with him. As they approached the tranquil river, the flowing rush sang its melody into their ears. The chirping songs of the birds fluttered in the trees around them. It was a most beautiful day for a ride, and Astaldanor wanted to soak in its every moment. As their horses drank, Aegnor and Astaldanor stood by the bank, taking in the site.

"Our love began with a river, your mother's and mine," Aegnor spoke, his voice a soft murmur laced with the weight of countless memories. "A morning amidst the mighty mountains of Dorthonion, I stumbled upon a small silver broach belonging to a child, gleaming at the bed. Little did I know then, that fateful hesitation would alter my course for all eternity," he continued, his gaze shifting to Astaldanor, who smiled through the veil of bittersweetness.

"Through every hardship and pain I have endured in every fibre of my being, there always remained a glimmer of light within me, but that light is fading fast," Aegnor confessed, his voice carrying the echoes of a lifetime of trials "and I no longer desire the light, for mine was taken from me."

Turning away, Aegnor gracefully sought solace beneath the sheltering branches of a nearby tree, leaning against its large trunk and drawing his cloak around him like a comforting blanket. Astaldanor, sensing his father's tiredness, sank down beside him, reaching into his satchel and retrieved his precious wooden flute. Opening his heavy eyes, Aegnor beheld the instrument cradled in his son's hands, and a weak smile pulled at the corner of his lips.

"Astaldanor, play for me a single melody. Something to lull my troubled mind into a realm of tranquillity, for I am weary, and I must rest now," Aegnor whispered, his eyes closing once more as he surrendered his sences to the air once more, hoping to find relief.

And from Astaldanor's flute, a symphony of beauty blossomed forth. With deft fingers and a soulful touch, he wove a tapestry of enchanting notes that danced upon the air, carrying Aegnor's beleaguered spirit to a place of profound respite. He played until the very breath within him ceased and his throat became dry, and as the final strains of the melody faded into the ether, Astaldanor exhaled a lingering sigh, allowing the moment of serenity to seep into his every pore.

"Do you wish to linger here or shall we press on for a spell?" Astaldanor inquired eventually, but Aegnor did not answer.

"Father?" Astaldanor repeated, His eyes searched his fathers face intensely. His head rested back against the tree, his eyes closed and his face vacant of life. Casting his cherished flute aside, Astaldanor stumbled to Aegnor's side.

"Father!" He cried. Clasping Aegnor's face, he gently turned it to him. His eyes welling with tears, his voice cracking into silent sobbing "atar?" A whisoer was all he coukd someone. A tender, desperate plee from a son to his father, but there was no comfort, there was no breath, and no tender glance. He was dead.

Astaldanor, his burst with wet tears, buried himself in grief. He pressed his tear-stained face into his father's shoulder and wailed, his sobs echoing through the desolate stillness and crackling the air with its might. That day, the flowers bore witness to his despair. For this world was all he had ever known and suddenly, he was utterly alone. He wailed and he screamed and he wept, but it could not bring Aegnor back. In that moment, he wanted to cut out his own heart and throw it away. His red, swollen eyes resting on Aegnor's own knife, for love was a force to heart-breaking to endure. In that moment, he did remember. He remembered what his father had told him and the promise he swore to keep. Aegnor had prepared him for this very moment for all this time. He had fulfilled his final duty and now, it was time for him to go.

"You knew!" Astaldanor cried, his dark head burrowed into his chest, sobbing. "You knew all along..." he raked at the sand in the similar fashion to his father "please don't leave me atar! Please!" Astaldanor begged, "I need you,"

Unbeknownst to him, ad he wept before the corpse of his father, a mysterious, distant light shimmered  gradually drawing closer, taking on the form of a majestic being. Radiant and ethereal, a tall and slender figure soon took form, materializing from the light as he glided towards them. His glorious, silvery golden locks cascaded down like strands of liquid sunlight framed a countenance so exquisitely beautiful the stars themselves retreat in shame. Within his other worldly beauty, he bore a look of profound sadness, casting a delicate melancholy over his flawless visage. Atop its head, a crown of supreme light emitted a captivating glow, illuminating the surrounding trees. Graceful as a mid-flight swan, every movement embodied elegance.

Astaldanor, finally lifting his gaze, beheld the figure approaching them and stopping directly in front, looming over him. Astaldanor was stunned and frightened into silence. He had never seen this stranger before who held the exact likeness of his father, though his poise was stiff, tall and his eyes kind and soft.

"W-who are you?" He trembled before this majestic being.

The stranger did not answer him. Only, with a slow motion of his head, he beheld the lifeless body of Aegnor and Astaldanor witnessed a deep shadow cloud his countenance. His gaze lingered silently upon him before once more, his focus shifting back to Astaldanor, revealing glistening eyes of shed tears that ran down his chiselled, flawless cheeks. For a moment, he had thought he was the feä of his father, returning to offer his comfort in his grief.

"Are you the feä of my father, returning to offer me solace upon this dark hour?" Astaldanor croaked through his tears. He beheld Astaldanor, his eyes twinkling with unshed tears.

"Do not be afraid," he replied, his gentle voice like the song of soft rain. "I am not what you claim me to be. For it is out of my love for my son that I have come."

"I don't understand," Astaldanor whimpered, wiping the tears from his face.

"My son Aegnor, has been lost to me for a very long time. I have come to bring him home. I am Finarfin, king of the blessed realm,"

With those words, he knelt beside the body of Aegnor. Astaldonor watched stunned as Finarfin placed his hand upon Aegnor's head. Closing his eyes, Finarfin wept quietly. His beloved son was truly no more.

Scooping him up in his arms, Finarfin lifted Aegnors lifeless body effortlessly from the ground, and his gaze shifted to Astaldanor. He stopped, gazing down at him with tear stained eyes "Please," he begged, his calm voice a balm to his racing thoughts, "Tell me where I may bury my son, a place where he would find eternal rest,"

"Next to my mother," Astaldanor croaked, rising to his feet. "On the gentle rise of the hill, not far from this sacred ground, we laid her to rest," he continued, his stature rising with a newfound strength. "I shall guide you to the hallowed place where my mother is, for he yearns to be reunited with her." Finarfin stared at him with gentle silence. Astaldanor continued. "I am of the noble lineage of the Edain, known to my mother as Bregolas. And to Aegnor, I was known as Astaldanor, gifting unto me all his Eldar lineage for I am his sire," he proclaimed, his voice resonating with unwavering pride. Finarfin nodded gently in recognition of his kin.

With a grace befitting their solemn purpose, Astaldanor led Finarfin, his revered grandfather, to the hill where the earthly remains of Andreth lay. Every step they took was imbued with dignity and reverence as if the very ground beneath their feet recognized the significance of their presence.

Upon reaching the crest of the hill, a panoramic vista unfolded before them sublime and beautiful beyond words. Astaldanor's voice, with steady grace and infused with deep respect, broke the silence that enveloped them.

"Here, upon this gentle rise, we laid my mother to her eternal slumber," he spoke, his words carrying a profound sense of reverence. "In this sacred place, beside her, we shall lay my father, his heart forever entwined with the one he cherished beyond all measure." As he voiced these sentiments, a bittersweet ache reverberated in his tone, an eloquent tribute to the love that had defined their lives. With tenderness and dignity befitting the final act of love, Astaldanor and Finarfin gently lowered Aegnor's lifeless body into the waiting earth. Their hands moved in perfect unity, guided by a sacred, unspoken understanding of the bond that had united their family.

As the soil embraced Aegnor's body, a profound stillness settled over the hilltop as if the very land held its breath. A gentle breeze, like a tender caress, whispered through the surrounding landscape, carrying with it a whispered secret of eternal devotion and fulfilled love. The legacy of Andreth and Aegnor, woven with threads of sacrifice and unwavering devotion, would forever echo through the expanse of time.

 

The sun dipped below the horizon, casting its final golden rays upon the hill as if bidding a gentle farewell to the union fulfilled in eternal love. That very night, stars above wielded their glorious light across the vast celestial expanse. Mourning in unison. Among them, one star shined brighter than all. Reborn in the ebony darkness. Together, at last, were the feäs of Aegnor and Andreth. Never again to be separated.

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Chapter End Notes

Thank you to everyone who has followed this journey. I hope you enjoyed this story and I want to give all credit to Tolkien l who was a great inspiration for me and this fanfiction. Please feel free to comment and share this with others. 

I really appreciate your feedback 🙏