And so it ends.
The younger brother rides into Celondim.
The younger brother watches as Damlan boards a ship, embracing an elf, as if the elf was his father, but the brother knows it is not so. Damlans father lies in a grave near Edunas.
He calls out, and both elf and man turn to him.
Shock appears on Damlans face, and he leaps from the boat into the water, closely followed by the Elf. The sails are lowered and the boat stops, waiting for its passengers to return.
Damlan pulls himself from the water, shaking more from the sudden appearance of his brother than cold. They stand together for a while, staring at one another.
"I found you." the younger man says.
then they laugh, and it is a glorious moment. No tension, no worries.
Damlan was going to leave for Valinor with the elf, Amraes Sarrell, who turns out to be his foster father.
was going to.
Now he remembers what he is leaving.
A brother.
Friends.
He steps away from the docks, and stands beside his younger brother.
Amraes nods, smiling. Understanding. He shakes Damlans hand one last time and returns to the ship.
The two brothers leave Celondim together. There will be plenty of time on the road home to catch up.
Plenty of time.
Plenty.
