Title: The Seeker of the Lost
Fandom: The Silmarillion
Rating: K
Length: 483 words
Content notes: N/A
Author notes: N/A
Summary: Olwë and Celeborn parted long before the sun first rose in the sky, as one leaves for Valinor and the other searches for Elu. They meet again ages later.



“Will you please think about what you’re saying? There’s no point in staying here and looking for Elu anymore. He’s gone! He’s been gone for years, and our people grow more desperate all the time. We can go to Valinor and be safe,” Olwë said.

“I can’t,” Elmo said back. “I can’t leave my oldest brother here without knowing where he is. Why can’t you be loyal to our family for once?” With that, Elmo stormed away, leaving Olwë and Celeborn behind.

“Celeborn – please – you’re my nephew. Will you please talk some sense into your grandfather?”

Celeborn paused and then shook his head. “I can’t. I’m sorry, but you’ve made your choice. Maybe it’s the right one and everyone who stays here is a fool, but Grandfather has made up his mind and I have too. You can take whoever wants to go with you to Valinor, but I have to stay until he’s found.”

“Please, I can’t lose the rest of my family as well.”

“You already have,” Celeborn said. “Take whoever wishes to go with you and depart. I’m sure you’ll find someone and make a new family in Valinor.”

~

Celeborn stepped off the boat and onto the deserted shore. He had perhaps delayed too long, until the Valar had brought all the other elves to Valinor itself, closer to them. But he had stayed behind to ensure that everyone else came first, only leaving when it was clear there was no other elf left behind.

“I see you finally decided to come to these shores.” White hair glistened in the sun, and Celeborn thought that Olwë looked older. Perhaps that was merely his imagination, projecting the years in Middle-earth upon his uncle.

“I did” Celeborn said.

“Why?”

“Because there was nobody left there.”

“You always were too invested in making sure that everyone else was accounted for. I feared more than once you would be the lost one,” Olwë replied.

Celeborn smiled, unable to stop himself. “Because I married your granddaughter?”

“Even before that," Olwë’s face was set in a frown. "Have you forgotten that you are my great-nephew?”

Celeborn shook his head. “We parted on bad terms. I was not sure that you still thought of me as such, especially when Galadriel mentioned that you only ever talked about your brothers.”

Olwë reached out, unable to stop himself, and pulled Celeborn closer. “Or perhaps I was simply too afraid that you’d never stop searching for the lost until you had found everyone, but been forsaken yourself in the process.”

They stood there for a moment. Then running feet came down the hill. Galadriel was there, and Thingol, and his grandfather, the rest of the family crowding around them to try and get to him.

Olwë looked at it and smiled, before turning to leave once Celeborn nodded at him.

There would be time to talk later.