Categories > Books > Lord of the Rings > The Lord of the Jewels
I took some AU liberties in describing Tol Eressea as it may have appeared to new arrivals.
~~~
The Isle of Tol Eressea lay just off the shoreline of the mainland of Valinor itself. The party of five, Gandalf, Galadriel, Elrond, Bilbo and Frodo, disembarked from the white ship. They were planning to spend some time on the Island to see the sights of the Lonely Isle of legend, which was now a thriving place devoted to, among others, recreational pursuits of art and athletics. They would, after a time, be settling there permanently. Gandalf wanted to take the hobbits to see all of the Undying Lands eventually, which included the lands of Valinor and Eldamar, as well as Tol Eressea itself. It was of particular importance that Frodo's injuries should be examined by Irmo and Este of the Valar.
The party crossed from the ship to a docking area, which afforded a view of emerald-green lawns, sloping away toward stands of golden trees. Frodo thought they were mallorns, such as he remembered in Lothlorien. Galadriel confirmed that they were, indeed, mallorns. " In these Lands, you will see many trees and plants that you have never seen before", she told him.
The smooth green lawns were edged with tall, glittering white rocks of granite, which separated the lawns from the shoreline. The beach was of pure white sand, fine, soft and warm on the feet. Here and there were bridge structures fashioned out of a strange grey wood, dotting the shoreline, with one end of the bridge standing on the shore, and the other footing standing in the water. These structures reminded Bilbo of those of Lake-town, near the Lonely Mountain where he had had his great adventure. He sighed at the memory. One could walk on the bridges and look out over the sea, or walk across the place where they spanned the tall rocks, to the grassy slopes beyond. Frodo looked up to see a tall tower of pure white, sparkling in the golden sunlight.
"That tower is called Avallone. It is the watchtower of the Teleri elves who originally settled here", said Gandalf. Frodo saw that there were some elves, clad in curiously scanty clothing, who were standing on the lawns to greet the party as they disembarked, and who were speaking to Galadriel with what appeared to be great cordiality. He looked around and saw that here and there were several large tents, fashioned out of a white, silky material, that, when they billowed in the light breeze, looked very much like the rippling sails of their great white ship. One of the elves had now approached them and was speaking with Gandalf.
"Welcome again to Tol Eressea, Mithrandir", he said. "Welcome, also to you, Masters Elrond, Bilbo and Frodo. My name is Sandor. Please come into my tent and avail yourselves of some refreshments, and rest as long as you like. My brother Sindor and I are at your service."
Frodo looked around the tent as Sandor led the group inside. He saw an elf who looked exactly like Sandor pouring some wine into silver goblets at a long, elegantly set table at one end of the very large tent. This elf then brought two goblets over to Bilbo and Frodo, and handed them one each. "Welcome, Master Hobbits", he said, beaming. "My name is Sindor. Welcome to the Undying Lands of Tol Eressea. I have been hearing the most fascinating stories about you both, and about your adventures on Middle-earth from the Lady Galadriel. You must tell me all the details!" With that, he led the hobbits to the opposite end of the tent where several comfortable-looking benches and lounging chairs were arranged in a cozy grouping. The hobbits each picked out a comfortable chair and arranged themselves on it to their liking. Sindor continued, "We have all the time in the world!" He chuckled at his own joke. "My brother and I will bring you food and ale, or wine if you prefer, and we will eat, drink and talk together. Please do let us know if you wish for anything else at all, and we will bring it. Later, we will take you on a tour of our small area of Tol Eressea. Now, if you will excuse me, I will bring you some food. Are you both hungry?"
Frodo nodded. "The voyage seems to have given me quite a hunger, such as I have not felt in a long time".
"Then, plenty of food you shall have", said Sindor, and he went in search of something appropriate for the hobbits to eat.
Frodo could not help but stare at the twin elves. They looked identical, with hair so lightly colored that it was almost white, worn long about their shoulders and intricately braided in the elvish style. They both wore scanty, white tunics, clasped at the shoulders with brooches made of icy-looking greenish-blue jewels, and held together around the waist with silvery rope. Frodo suddenly felt very warm and removed his cloak from his shoulders. "Is it always so warm here?" he asked.
"Yes, the weather here is always the same temperature, more or less", answered Sandor. "However, you will find that today there is a light breeze coming off the sea, and occasionally we have a light rain as well, which washes everything down and keeps it clean. Sindor and I like the rain because we do not care too much for cleaning. We would rather play games than scrub and sweep".
Frodo laughed, and looked more closely at the two twin elves, and saw that they looked very young in their features and in their spirit. "Do you work here all of the time?" he asked.
"Yes", said Sindor. "My brother and I are in charge of the welcoming tents, and we greet the guests as they arrive here on the ships. We prepare all the food and drinks ourselves, and make sure that the tents are in good condition. There are also other of our kinsmen who help us, although they have not been needed much as late, since the once steady stream of elves arriving from Middle-earth has now dwindled to only a few every now and again. You will see that all over this island and on the mainland, most of the elves have specific work that they do. We are all free peoples, however, and we work only because we want to, and it is our desire to keep everything running smoothly, and to keep everyone happy. This is possible only if we all work together to achieve it. It is our elvish way, for most of us". Sandor nodded in agreement with his twin brother.
After the hobbits finished their meal, during which time the elven twins regaled them with stories about some of their more amusing friends and their escapades, and begged the hobbits to tell them stories about Middle-earth, the elves suggested that they all go for a walk. "We can walk off our meal as we show you some of the local scenery", said Sandor. Bilbo got up a little reluctantly, as he had dearly hoped that the elves would have brought some pipeweed and pipes for an after-dinner smoke. However, he did not wish to appear ungrateful or greedy, so he said nothing, and got up from his chair.
Frodo noticed then that Gandalf, Elrond and Galadriel were not in the tent with them. "Do you know where our friends have gone?" he asked.
"Do not worry, Master Frodo", replied Sindor. "They felt no need nor wish of food, and this is not the first time that two of them have been here. Mithrandir and Galadriel are familiar with our lands though it has been long since they have dwelt here, and therefore had no need of orientation. They are showing Master Elrond about. We will walk, and they will join us in a little while when we stop to rest."
As they walked, Frodo noticed how everything seemed to be arranged to encourage the pursuit of art and sports. He saw an area where a huge pink shell structure had been built alongside and in front of a stand of tall trees. There were comfortable chairs in front of it, and also placed in front was a platform of wood, upon which sat a trio of elves playing stringed musical instruments, and singing lovely, lilting melodies. The sound of light music wafted over the hobbits as they walked. The grass was soft and lush on their bare feet. In other areas, people were painting or drawing while sitting on the lawns with tablets resting on their knees. There was a pond where some elves were swimming. Frodo was a bit shocked to see that they were completely naked, but it somehow looked very natural. The elves' bodies were all very beautifully shaped, and for the most part, were nearly hairless.
"Great hairy hobbits!" he thought to himself. "Sam would surely have something to say about this!" He glanced toward Bilbo, who was smiling and nodding with wide open eyes, and who had temporarily forgotten about his pipeweed.
They passed a group of elves who were playing a game using long, wooden sticks with small discs of metal attached to the bottoms, to hit small white balls up into the air. Once the balls landed on the grass, the elves used the sticks to push them into small holes in the ground.
"What are these elves doing?" asked Frodo.
"They are playing a game called "Golif", replied Sandor.
"But I know this game!" cried Bilbo. "I thought that it had been invented by hobbits when old Bandobras Took chopped off an orc's head with his sword and it flew into a hole in the ground! It gave the hobbits who saw it the idea for a new game."
Sandor shrugged. "Yes, it is quite possible that the idea for the game was brought here by an elf from Middle-earth who had known of it. It seems that some of the best ideas and inventions are inadvertently claimed by people who did not initiate them. Ah, I see Gandalf sitting nearby. Let us go and join him, and you can have a bit of a rest."
The two hobbits and their companions walked over to Gandalf, who was sitting on a bench, smoking his long pipe. He smiled at them lovingly as they sat on the grass at his feet.
"My dear Bilbo and Frodo", he said. "Have you had enough to eat and drink? How do you like your hosts, Sindor and Sandor?"
"They have been wonderful. Very kind, and amusing", expressed the hobbits.
Bilbo fidgeted slightly. "Er, Gandalf", he said. "May I ask, where did you get the pipeweed?" He licked his lips.
Gandalf laughed uproariously. "My dear Bilbo! You have not lost your ability to make me laugh! I am sorry that you have been kept on tenterhooks. Please, you are welcome to try some of Tol Eressea's finest pipeweed. It is called Santolinto, and is not as rich and rugged as Old Toby, but I promise you that it is very smooth and satisfying."
With that said, Gandalf handed each hobbit a long-stemmed pipe and produced some matches. "Now, let us have a long talk. I wish to make you both aware of some facts about myself, and clear up some mysteries for you. Come and make yourselves comfortable before I start. It is rather a long story."
Sandor and Sindor left to find some cushions, and soon brought back armfuls of them, putting them on the lawn for the hobbits to sit upon. They then took their leave, promising to come back in a short while to take their guests to their sleeping quarters for the night. Once Bilbo and Frodo had settled themselves on the cushions, and were happily lounging and smoking their pipes, then Gandalf began his story.
~~~
The Isle of Tol Eressea lay just off the shoreline of the mainland of Valinor itself. The party of five, Gandalf, Galadriel, Elrond, Bilbo and Frodo, disembarked from the white ship. They were planning to spend some time on the Island to see the sights of the Lonely Isle of legend, which was now a thriving place devoted to, among others, recreational pursuits of art and athletics. They would, after a time, be settling there permanently. Gandalf wanted to take the hobbits to see all of the Undying Lands eventually, which included the lands of Valinor and Eldamar, as well as Tol Eressea itself. It was of particular importance that Frodo's injuries should be examined by Irmo and Este of the Valar.
The party crossed from the ship to a docking area, which afforded a view of emerald-green lawns, sloping away toward stands of golden trees. Frodo thought they were mallorns, such as he remembered in Lothlorien. Galadriel confirmed that they were, indeed, mallorns. " In these Lands, you will see many trees and plants that you have never seen before", she told him.
The smooth green lawns were edged with tall, glittering white rocks of granite, which separated the lawns from the shoreline. The beach was of pure white sand, fine, soft and warm on the feet. Here and there were bridge structures fashioned out of a strange grey wood, dotting the shoreline, with one end of the bridge standing on the shore, and the other footing standing in the water. These structures reminded Bilbo of those of Lake-town, near the Lonely Mountain where he had had his great adventure. He sighed at the memory. One could walk on the bridges and look out over the sea, or walk across the place where they spanned the tall rocks, to the grassy slopes beyond. Frodo looked up to see a tall tower of pure white, sparkling in the golden sunlight.
"That tower is called Avallone. It is the watchtower of the Teleri elves who originally settled here", said Gandalf. Frodo saw that there were some elves, clad in curiously scanty clothing, who were standing on the lawns to greet the party as they disembarked, and who were speaking to Galadriel with what appeared to be great cordiality. He looked around and saw that here and there were several large tents, fashioned out of a white, silky material, that, when they billowed in the light breeze, looked very much like the rippling sails of their great white ship. One of the elves had now approached them and was speaking with Gandalf.
"Welcome again to Tol Eressea, Mithrandir", he said. "Welcome, also to you, Masters Elrond, Bilbo and Frodo. My name is Sandor. Please come into my tent and avail yourselves of some refreshments, and rest as long as you like. My brother Sindor and I are at your service."
Frodo looked around the tent as Sandor led the group inside. He saw an elf who looked exactly like Sandor pouring some wine into silver goblets at a long, elegantly set table at one end of the very large tent. This elf then brought two goblets over to Bilbo and Frodo, and handed them one each. "Welcome, Master Hobbits", he said, beaming. "My name is Sindor. Welcome to the Undying Lands of Tol Eressea. I have been hearing the most fascinating stories about you both, and about your adventures on Middle-earth from the Lady Galadriel. You must tell me all the details!" With that, he led the hobbits to the opposite end of the tent where several comfortable-looking benches and lounging chairs were arranged in a cozy grouping. The hobbits each picked out a comfortable chair and arranged themselves on it to their liking. Sindor continued, "We have all the time in the world!" He chuckled at his own joke. "My brother and I will bring you food and ale, or wine if you prefer, and we will eat, drink and talk together. Please do let us know if you wish for anything else at all, and we will bring it. Later, we will take you on a tour of our small area of Tol Eressea. Now, if you will excuse me, I will bring you some food. Are you both hungry?"
Frodo nodded. "The voyage seems to have given me quite a hunger, such as I have not felt in a long time".
"Then, plenty of food you shall have", said Sindor, and he went in search of something appropriate for the hobbits to eat.
Frodo could not help but stare at the twin elves. They looked identical, with hair so lightly colored that it was almost white, worn long about their shoulders and intricately braided in the elvish style. They both wore scanty, white tunics, clasped at the shoulders with brooches made of icy-looking greenish-blue jewels, and held together around the waist with silvery rope. Frodo suddenly felt very warm and removed his cloak from his shoulders. "Is it always so warm here?" he asked.
"Yes, the weather here is always the same temperature, more or less", answered Sandor. "However, you will find that today there is a light breeze coming off the sea, and occasionally we have a light rain as well, which washes everything down and keeps it clean. Sindor and I like the rain because we do not care too much for cleaning. We would rather play games than scrub and sweep".
Frodo laughed, and looked more closely at the two twin elves, and saw that they looked very young in their features and in their spirit. "Do you work here all of the time?" he asked.
"Yes", said Sindor. "My brother and I are in charge of the welcoming tents, and we greet the guests as they arrive here on the ships. We prepare all the food and drinks ourselves, and make sure that the tents are in good condition. There are also other of our kinsmen who help us, although they have not been needed much as late, since the once steady stream of elves arriving from Middle-earth has now dwindled to only a few every now and again. You will see that all over this island and on the mainland, most of the elves have specific work that they do. We are all free peoples, however, and we work only because we want to, and it is our desire to keep everything running smoothly, and to keep everyone happy. This is possible only if we all work together to achieve it. It is our elvish way, for most of us". Sandor nodded in agreement with his twin brother.
After the hobbits finished their meal, during which time the elven twins regaled them with stories about some of their more amusing friends and their escapades, and begged the hobbits to tell them stories about Middle-earth, the elves suggested that they all go for a walk. "We can walk off our meal as we show you some of the local scenery", said Sandor. Bilbo got up a little reluctantly, as he had dearly hoped that the elves would have brought some pipeweed and pipes for an after-dinner smoke. However, he did not wish to appear ungrateful or greedy, so he said nothing, and got up from his chair.
Frodo noticed then that Gandalf, Elrond and Galadriel were not in the tent with them. "Do you know where our friends have gone?" he asked.
"Do not worry, Master Frodo", replied Sindor. "They felt no need nor wish of food, and this is not the first time that two of them have been here. Mithrandir and Galadriel are familiar with our lands though it has been long since they have dwelt here, and therefore had no need of orientation. They are showing Master Elrond about. We will walk, and they will join us in a little while when we stop to rest."
As they walked, Frodo noticed how everything seemed to be arranged to encourage the pursuit of art and sports. He saw an area where a huge pink shell structure had been built alongside and in front of a stand of tall trees. There were comfortable chairs in front of it, and also placed in front was a platform of wood, upon which sat a trio of elves playing stringed musical instruments, and singing lovely, lilting melodies. The sound of light music wafted over the hobbits as they walked. The grass was soft and lush on their bare feet. In other areas, people were painting or drawing while sitting on the lawns with tablets resting on their knees. There was a pond where some elves were swimming. Frodo was a bit shocked to see that they were completely naked, but it somehow looked very natural. The elves' bodies were all very beautifully shaped, and for the most part, were nearly hairless.
"Great hairy hobbits!" he thought to himself. "Sam would surely have something to say about this!" He glanced toward Bilbo, who was smiling and nodding with wide open eyes, and who had temporarily forgotten about his pipeweed.
They passed a group of elves who were playing a game using long, wooden sticks with small discs of metal attached to the bottoms, to hit small white balls up into the air. Once the balls landed on the grass, the elves used the sticks to push them into small holes in the ground.
"What are these elves doing?" asked Frodo.
"They are playing a game called "Golif", replied Sandor.
"But I know this game!" cried Bilbo. "I thought that it had been invented by hobbits when old Bandobras Took chopped off an orc's head with his sword and it flew into a hole in the ground! It gave the hobbits who saw it the idea for a new game."
Sandor shrugged. "Yes, it is quite possible that the idea for the game was brought here by an elf from Middle-earth who had known of it. It seems that some of the best ideas and inventions are inadvertently claimed by people who did not initiate them. Ah, I see Gandalf sitting nearby. Let us go and join him, and you can have a bit of a rest."
The two hobbits and their companions walked over to Gandalf, who was sitting on a bench, smoking his long pipe. He smiled at them lovingly as they sat on the grass at his feet.
"My dear Bilbo and Frodo", he said. "Have you had enough to eat and drink? How do you like your hosts, Sindor and Sandor?"
"They have been wonderful. Very kind, and amusing", expressed the hobbits.
Bilbo fidgeted slightly. "Er, Gandalf", he said. "May I ask, where did you get the pipeweed?" He licked his lips.
Gandalf laughed uproariously. "My dear Bilbo! You have not lost your ability to make me laugh! I am sorry that you have been kept on tenterhooks. Please, you are welcome to try some of Tol Eressea's finest pipeweed. It is called Santolinto, and is not as rich and rugged as Old Toby, but I promise you that it is very smooth and satisfying."
With that said, Gandalf handed each hobbit a long-stemmed pipe and produced some matches. "Now, let us have a long talk. I wish to make you both aware of some facts about myself, and clear up some mysteries for you. Come and make yourselves comfortable before I start. It is rather a long story."
Sandor and Sindor left to find some cushions, and soon brought back armfuls of them, putting them on the lawn for the hobbits to sit upon. They then took their leave, promising to come back in a short while to take their guests to their sleeping quarters for the night. Once Bilbo and Frodo had settled themselves on the cushions, and were happily lounging and smoking their pipes, then Gandalf began his story.
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