In Imladris the Elves were preparing to leave Middle Earth and sail to Valinor.
“Come my daughter,” said Elrond, “we are ready.”
Arwen, the beautiful evenstar of her people, was torn in two. She did not want to disobey her father or her kin, nor did she want to abandon her love Aragorn. She sat crying on her bed, her heart feeling heavy and lonely.
“Arwen, we must go now, we cannot delay,” spoke Elrond, more sternly than before. “I know why it is you weep, but you are needlessly in despair.”
He walked over to her and placed his hand on her shoulder.
“In the Undying Lands we can dwell in peace and happiness forever, and escape all this war and destruction. Aragorn is a mortal, he will die. And you my daughter, you are destined to be immortal, to live forever, it is your fate, your path, and you must follow it. Aragorn is only one of many, you will find someone else in Valinor, one of your kind, and it will be best that way.”
“Yes, you are right,” said Arwen, finally making up her mind. “I am sorry for doubting you, but now it is clear to me. I will come.”
He led her down to her noble horse, where all the other Elves were waiting.
“Lady Arwen, you are ready?” asked Glorfindel. She nodded and mounted her horse. Lord Elrond was to ride next to her in the lead, with Glorfindel and the rest shortly behind.
As they began to depart, Arwen turned around and got a last look at her home.
“Namarie Imladris,” she whispered. “Sweet Rivendell, the last homely house.” With that she turned around and never walked in Imladris again.
Although her mind was set, her heart was not, and her thought often turned to Aragorn. As she took her last ride through the forests and fields of Middle Earth, she remembered when they had first met, and how she was intrigued by the mysteriousness and strange appearance of him.
“Here we are,” announced Elrond after a while. As she came through the clearing, she beheld the majestic sea, in it’s full glory, for the first time in her life.
“The sea, the sea!” cried out many Elves, unable to hide their excitement. For the sea was a praised and wonderful thing, told of in many tales and stories, and there were very few left in Middle Earth who had actually seen it.
“The ships are ready my Lord,” reported Glorfindel to Elrond. “Shall we begin boarding?”
“Yes, give word to prepare to leave,” replied Elrond. “Arwen and I will come last.”
“As you wish.”
Elrond and Arwen stood in silence, staring back at the way they had come, their last glimpse of Middle Earth. They thought of all their long years spent here, all they places they had been and seen – Rivendell, Lothlorien, Rohan, Gondor, Mirkwood – of all the great and wonderful people they had met and known – other Elves, Men, Women, Hobbits, Wizards, and even sometimes Dwarves.
It all seemed so surreal to Arwen, that she would never see any of these people or places ever again. She couldn’t believe that she was actually leaving it all.
While Elrond on the other hand, had a much greater knowledge of what was going on, and accepted it. Even though he knew he was going to miss Middle Earth, he knew it was for the best and that there was no other choice. The age of the Elves was over.
Arwen’s life flashed before eyes. She was seeing her childhood, times spent with her mother and Galadriel, her grandmother, and last of all, those special moment with Aragorn, her mortal love whom she could never have.
“Navaer En Coe,” she spoke gently, and walked onto the ship. Elrond followed her, and they set sail to Valinor. She never looked back, and neither Elrond, nor Arwen, nor any of the Rivendell Elves were ever seen in Middle Earth again.