They were the famed company of heroes,
representing the races of all the free peoples of Middle-earth. Nine companions set against
the nine ringwraiths of the enemy. However, every tale, and every life, has an ending…
Today on Nerd of the Rings, we cover the lives of the Fellowship after the War of the Ring.
Now of course in covering this topic, we must first acknowledge that one of the
Fellowship does not live to see the quest fulfilled and the days renewed. Boromir,
after attempting to take the ring from Frodo, would valiantly defend Merry and
Pippin from the orcs, at the cost of his own life. Thus, Boromir, heir of Denethor,
Lord of the Tower of Guard, dies on February 26, 3019 at Amon Hen at the age of 41. The
river Anduin would bear his body out to its final resting place - the great sea.
After the destruction of the ring, all the remaining Fellowship would
be on hand just over a month later for Elessar’s coronation,
the wedding of Aragorn & Arwen, and after spending a further 5 months in Gondor,
they would travel to Rohan for the burial and funeral of King Theoden. Riding north from
Edoras, they would stop at Helm’s Deep where Legolas visits the Glittering Caves with Gimli.
On August 22, 3019 they arrive at Isengard, where the Fellowship would formally disband…
But all save Legolas said that they must now take their leave and depart either south
or west. ‘Come, Gimli!’ said Legolas. ‘Now by Fangorn’s leave I will visit the deep places of
the Entwood and see such trees as are nowhere else to be found in Middle-earth. You shall come with
me and keep your word; and thus we will journey on together to our own lands in Mirkwood and beyond.’
To this Gimli agreed, though with no great delight, it seemed.
‘Here then at last comes the ending of the Fellowship of the Ring,’ said Aragorn. ‘Yet
I hope that ere long you will return to my land with the help that you promised.’
‘We will come, if our own lords allow it,’ said Gimli. ‘Well, farewell,
my hobbits! You should come safe to your own homes now, and I shall not be kept awake for
fear of your peril. We will send word when we may, and some of us may yet meet at times;
but I fear that we shall not all be gathered together ever again.’
This moment would indeed be the final time all eight surviving members of
the Fellowship would be together in one place.
So as Gimli and Legolas head to Fangorn, and Aragorn back to Gondor, Gandalf accompanies
the hobbits North toward Rivendell. Now, I’ve made an entire video covering the coming weeks
for the hobbits in The Scouring of the Shire, so we’ll pick up with our heroes in their final days.
The next companions to have their stories come to an end are Frodo and Gandalf. Prior
to sailing west, Gandalf had spent the past two years visiting Tom Bombadil. What the
two great beings conversed about, we can only guess. Needless to say,
a conversation between Tom, oldest and fatherless, and Gandalf the White,
who was resurrected by Eru himself, would be incredibly interesting.
As for Frodo, he would serve as the Mayor of Michel Delving for a period of at least
a few months until Will Whitfoot is restored to the role. He would also return to live in
Bag End and see the first efforts of reviving the Shire from Saruman’s scouring. However,
he would fall ill every March 13 and October 6 - the anniversaries
of being poisoned by Shelob and being stabbed by the Witch-king respectively.
After suffering from the lasting effects of his wounds for these two years,
Frodo sets out to the Grey Havens on September 21, 3021. There,
Frodo would bid farewell to his fellow hobbits before joining Gandalf on the White Ship…
Well, here at last, dear friends, on the shores of the Sea comes the end of our fellowship in
Middle-earth. Go in peace! I will not say: do not weep; for not all tears are an evil.’ Then Frodo
kissed Merry and Pippin, and last of all Sam, and went aboard; and the sails were drawn up, and the
wind blew, and slowly the ship slipped away down the long grey firth; and the light of the glass
of Galadriel that Frodo bore glimmered and was lost. And the ship went out into the High Sea and
passed on into the West, until at last on a night of rain Frodo smelled a sweet fragrance on the air
and heard the sound of singing that came over the water. And then it seemed to him that as
in his dream in the house of Bombadil, the grey rain-curtain turned all to silver glass and was
rolled back, and he beheld white shores and beyond them a far green country under a swift sunrise.
Thus, on September 29, 3021, Frodo and Gandalf sail into the West. Frodo is said to have
lived the rest of his mortal days in a period of reflection and peace on the isle of Tol Eressea.
Gandalf would finally return to Valinor over 3000 years after leaving - his mission fulfilled,
for he had supported, and kindled the hearts of, the free peoples to overcome the evil of Sauron.
The three hobbits return to the Shire,
Sam notably upon his trusty pony Bill. Sam would be instrumental in the restoration of the Shire,
having already put the Lorien soil given by the lady Galadriel to great use. He had also by this
time, been married to Rosie Cotton for nearly a year and a half - and together they had had their
first child, Elanor born on the 2nd anniversary of the destruction of the ring. Sam and Rosie would
go on to have a total of 13 children: Elanor, Frodo, Rose, Merry, Pippin, Goldilocks, Hamfast,
Daisy, Primrose, Bilbo, Ruby, Robin, and Tolman. And their family would be known not by the name
Gamgee, but by the name Gardner - in honor of their father’s efforts in restoring the Shire.
Their family would live many long years together in Bag End, as Frodo had made Samwise his heir.
After Whil Whitfoot resigned his post as Mayor of Michel Delving in the year 6 FoA,
Sam would be elected to the role. In fact, he would go on to serve seven consecutive
seven-year terms. In the year following his first election, Sam’s father, Gaffer Gamgee,
would pass away at the age of 102. 9 years into his eventual 49-year service, Sam along with Merry
and Pippin would meet King Elessar and Queen Arwen on the Brandywine Bridge, at which time Aragorn
awards Sam with the Star of the Dunedain. His role of Mayor is also appointed to be a
Counsellor of the North-kingdom, and his daughter Elanor is made a maid of honor to Queen Arwen.
We are told that in 41 FoA, Sam and Elanor would make the long journey south, spending a year in
Gondor. 20 years later, in 61 FoA, Rosie would die at the age of 98 years old. Later that year,
on September 22 (Bilbo and Frodo’s birthday) Sam would leave Bag End for the final time. He leaves
Elanor at the Tower Hills, entrusting to her The Red Book of Westmarch, in which Bilbo and Frodo
had documented their adventures. Sam would make his way to the Grey Havens at the age of 102,
and 61 years after bidding farewell, he would be reunited with his friend Frodo Baggins.
Merry and Pippin would also have many long years remaining in the Shire after the turn
of the Fourth Age. Pippin marries Diamond of Long Cleeve in the year 6 FoA and three years
later they would have their only child - Faramir. In 13 FoA, Pippin succeeds his father and becomes
the 32nd Thain of the Shire - another role made a Counsellor of the North-kingdom by
King Elessar. In 42 FoA, Pippin’s son Faramir would marry Sam’s daughter Goldilocks Gardner.
During his years as Thain, Pippin would collect a library of historical accounts within the
great Took family residence in Tuckborough. He particularly collects information relating to
Numenor and the heirs of Elendil. It is through Pippin’s efforts, with the help of Merry,
that we get The Tale of Years, otherwise known as Appendix B of The Lord of the Rings.
As for Merry, he would not only assist with Pippin’s historical accounts, but also write
several scholarly works of his own including: Herblore of the Shire, The Reckoning of Years,
and Old Words and Names in the Shire. It is said that Merry visited Rivendell several times during
the course of his later life, which was no doubt helpful in helping Pippin with the Tale of Years.
Like Pippin, Merry would succeed his father in a prominent role of Shire leadership,
becoming the 8th Master of Buckland in 11 FoA. Like Sam and Pippin,
Merry’s role was also made a Counsellor of the North-kingdom by King Elessar in 13 FoA.
Merry would marry Fatty Bolger’s sister Estella, and together they would have at least one son.
Like so much of their lives, the waning days of Merry and Pippin are tied together. In
the 63rd year of the Fourth Age, Merry receives an invitation from King Eomer,
who wished to see him once more before the end of his life. Merry and Pippin leave
their possessions and their titles to their children, leaving the Shire for the last time.
The friends make their way to Rohan, where they would stay with Eomer until the King’s death
that very year at the age of 93. From there, they travel on to Minas Tirith, spending their
remaining days with Aragorn in Gondor. While it is believed Eowyn may have already died by this
time, it’s possible that Pippin was able to see an elderly Faramir before his end.
Merry and Pippin would live out their remaining days in Gondor,
and upon their deaths, their bodies would be laid to rest in
Rath Dinen - the Hallows where the Kings and Stewards of Gondor were entombed.
As for the King himself, Aragorn would reign for 122 years after the defeat of Sauron. In the early
days of his rule, he would set to reordering his kingdom. One of his first actions is to pardon
all the Easterlings who had given themselves up, sending them away free. He would also make peace
with the peoples of Harad. As for the heart of Sauron’s evil kingdom, Aragorn frees the
mannish slaves of Mordor and gave to them all the lands about Lake Nurnen to be their own.
Before the fellowship disbanded at Orthanc,
he would order its restoration - during which the long lost Elendilmir,
an heirloom lost with Isildur would be found in Saruman’s old fortress - along with many other
treasures. Aragorn takes the Elendilmir as he establishes his full kingship of not only Gondor,
but the northern kingdom of Arnor. Aragorn reigns as the King of the Reunited Kingdom.
As for Orthanc, he turns the realm over to the ents to rule - renaming
it the Treegarth of Orthanc. He would also declare the Druadan Forest to belong to the
Druedain as a protected enclave of his kingdom - and that no one should enter
it without the permission of the druedain. He would likewise declare the same of the
Shire - that no one should enter the land of the halflings without the hobbits permission.
As for his own realm, he would make Faramir not only his Steward,
but also Prince of Ithilien. It is also said that Aragorn would order Minas Morgul to be
utterly destroyed - for no one could dwell in that evil place for many long years.
As for Rohan, King Elessar and King Eomer would renew the Oaths of Cirion and Eorl - pledging
to come to one another's aid in everlasting friendship. It is said in the early fourth age,
Eomer would often fulfil his oath - riding with Aragorn to both the
east and south - for while Sauron had been defeated, there were still those
loyal to him that would need to be subdued before the White Tree could grow in peace.
While we are told of battles in both the East and at the haven of
Umbar - home of the corsairs, we learn that Haradrim embassies would travel to Aragorn’s
court, and we are told his reign would largely be one of peace with the south.
King Elessar would live to 210 years old, and like the great kings of Numenor of old, he would wait
not for the decay of time, but give up his life willingly - embracing the gift of men. In one
of Tolkien’s most beautiful and heartbreaking writings, Aragorn’s life ends with a discussion
of mortality with his wife Arwen. The Queen would lay down her own life the following year.
Aragorn is laid to rest in Rath Dinen upon his death on March 1, 120 FoA. And at this time,
Merry and Pippin are moved to their final resting place, alongside Aragorn.
Aragorn and Arwen are survived by their son Eldarion and at least two daughters.
Eldarion becomes the Second High King of the Reunited Kingdom as heir of the Royal
House of Telcontar…Telcontar being the Quenya translation of Strider.
The final two members of the Fellowship - the unlikely friends Gimli and Legolas,
would likewise leave the mortal lands together. After their journey in Fangorn Forest,
Gimli would return to Erebor, and Legolas to his father’s Woodland Realm in Mirkwood.
They both return to find that war had marched upon their homes of the north - and both would
come to make their way back to the south. Gimli takes a group of dwarves to dwell in
the Glittering Caves behind Helm’s Deep with the permission of King Eomer. These great craftsmen
would help King Elessar to rebuild the gates of Minas Tirith with both steel and mithril.
It is said the dwarves would accomplish great works in both Gondor and Rohan,
aiding their mannish friends. Gimli would share much of his peoples history with
his friends Merry, Pippin, and Aragorn - contributing the history of Durin’s Folk
to the Red Book (also known as Appendix A) and the genealogical tree of the Dwarves of
Erebor. For the coming decades, Gimli would be known as Lord of the Glittering Caves and
presumably, he would make good on his promise to Galadriel, setting the three strands of her
hair in crystal as a pledge of goodwill between the mountain and the wood until the end of days.
For his part, Legolas would bring a group of his own people out of
the north. Travelling from Greenwood, they would come to dwell in Ithilien,
helping it to once again become the fairest country in all the westlands and alongside
Gimli’s dwarves and the King Elessar, rebuilding and improving Minas Tirith.
After Aragorn’s death in 120 FoA, Legolas would come to the coast
of Middle-earth with his friend Gimli, now aged 262. Together,
they would sail into the west - Legolas finally answering the call of the sea upon his heart,
and Gimli becoming the first and only dwarf ever to make the voyage. Legolas
and Gimli pass beyond the mortal lands, the last surviving members of the Fellowship of the Ring.
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