The next day, Frodo returned the books borrowed from the library and thanked Ullathor for his assistance. He told the librarian what deductions he had made from the information they'd discovered, with some delicate glossing over of the relationships between the two Elves and King Ciryaher and Aigande. During the course of the day, he would repeat his story to Beregond and Erlotibin, who would also want to know how the Elf's body had come to be placed in the tunnel, and by whom.
None were shocked to hear Lord Aiglemerth named as the one responsible for the murder of the Elf and concealment of his body. The steward was only a dim historical figure to them, with no living descendants to be disgraced by his actions. Beregond wrote a note in his daily log that the mystery of the skeleton found in the old tunnel had been solved, and Erlotibin announced his intentions of writing an account of the true history of the event, if Frodo would be so kind to give his assistance. Aragorn ordered a plaque to be engraved for the Elf's tomb.
In spite of Frodo's hopes that this would be the end of the matter, he had another of his dreams that night. An Elf stood at foot of bed, regarding him silently. Which one? Frodo wasn't sure; the hood of the gray cloak was drawn over the face, and he could only see an ivory chin and eyes that sparkled in the darkness. But, for the first time, he felt as if those shining eyes were truly fixed on him, seeing him and not the memory of another time.
"You're not at rest," he said. "Why? What else am I meant to do?"
He heard no words in reply, but felt the answer as an echo within his head, See it home.
"See what?"
There was no answer. The Elf was gone.
Frodo sat upright and tried to scramble to the foot of the bed to follow it, when he was abruptly tugged back by the cord about his wrist, and Merry yelped, "Ow! Frodo, stop! What're you doing?"
Frodo stopped and turned to look back over his shoulder. Behind him, his cousin was sitting up in bed and rubbing his own wrist, which the other end of the cord was tied to. "I'm sorry," he said. "I was dreaming." Or had he been awake all this time?
"Sleepwalking again?" asked Merry. "I thought that was all over and done with."
"It isn't. He was here, Merry, in this room. It isn't finished. There's something more I have to do... only I don't understand what it is he wants. I'm supposed to 'see something home.'"
"Didn't he tell you what? No, of course not. That'd be too easy." Merry began to crawl toward him, then stopped suddenly, staring. "Here, Frodo--what's that?"
Frodo looked to see what his cousin was referring to. The bed was enormous, with tall posts at each corner, heavy brocade curtains that could be drawn around it, but which Frodo normally kept tied back, and set so high off the floor that a small set of wooden steps or a good leap were required to climb up into it every night. Merry claimed that at least eight hobbits could sleep on it comfortably without crowding each other. The mattress extended for more than four feet beyond their toes, and on that smooth expanse of quilt beyond the point where Frodo sat lay a small, round object.
Merry crawled to the bedside table to find and light a candle. When he brought it closer to examine the object, it caught the flickering light and glittered green and silver. Both hobbits recognized it instantly.
It was the brooch, which Aragorn had left on the Elf's tomb the day before.
"It couldn't have been taken from the tomb by mortal hands," said Aragorn after he had heard the story. The hobbits had gone up to the citadel first thing that morning, bringing the brooch with them. The problem had been under investigation and much discussion during the day. It was evening now, the hour before dinner, and the brooch sat on a table in the royal chambers, with an extremely puzzled party gathered around it. "The porter has let no one pass the gates since we went in, not even the caretakers. Beregond has questioned the guardsmen on night patrol, and they saw no one near the entrance to the Rath Dinen this past night or the night before, nor any sign of robbery."
"None would dare touch any token, no matter how valuable, left in the Silent Street," added Faramir. "It would be the greatest sacrilege to steal from the dead."
"It's just as I've been saying!" cried Merry. "The ghost brought it. If it can untie knots and open secret doors, a little thing like that would be no trouble to carry down the street to give to Frodo."
"But what does it want of him?" Eowyn wondered. "What more can be done? Surely Frodo's done everything he can."
"Nevertheless, there is something more here, undone." Gandalf came to stand beside the hobbit, who sat by the table on which the brooch lay. "What did this ghost say to you, Frodo, exactly? Perhaps we can work out the riddle of its words."
"It didn't say anything, but I understood what it wanted of me." Frodo had not taken his eyes from the brooch. "I am to take this 'home,' although I haven't the least idea where that is. And what am I do with it once I've taken it there? Could it be Thranduil's Hall in Mirkwood?" He looked up at Arwen. "If you're right, my lady, the King made a gift of this gem to Elspar. Perhaps he wants it returned and his story told, so that the mission that brought him here will be completed at last. Or could it be Rivendell, which was Elspar's home?"
"Perhaps you are meant to bring the tale to my father," answered Arwen. "He must have wondered at the fate of the Far Seer more than I."
"I think we ought to go to Mirkwood first, before we try Rivendell," said Merry. "We've never been there before, have we, Frodo? If you'll take us, Gandalf, and introduce us to the King, Frodo can speak to him about Elspar, and see if that settles the poor ghost to rest. And maybe we can take in Dale while we're in the neighborhood?"
There was some discussion of this idea over the next few days. Mirkwood was a long way to go for the sake of seeing a ghost to rest, but the hobbits were both keen to visit the places Bilbo had visited during his adventures, and in the end Gandalf agreed that it was the best course to take. They planned to depart at the end of the month.
The ghost did not reappear.
One evening, when they were all gathered again in the royal chambers, a page came in and announced that a traveler had arrived to see the King. A moment later, Pippin entered, bringing the sad news that Merry's father Saradoc had died and he must return to the Shire as soon as possible if he wanted to be Master of Buckland.
All their plans were immediately changed. Frodo ceased to think of ghosts and murders that had occurred two thousand years ago; he had another death closer to his own heart to consider, and the grief that the news had brought to his cousin. He also had to think of how Pippin's arrival would affect the new relationship he and Merry had embarked upon these last few months.
The hobbits packed their bags that evening, and left the next day to return to the Shire by way of Rivendell. Gandalf would accompany them as far as Rivendell, since he also had business there. Frodo decided to take the brooch with him to give to Elrond, and tell him the tale of Elspar's death, as Arwen had suggested. If this was not what Elspar wished, then Gandalf agreed to carry the gem to Thranduil for him. Frodo would not make the journey to Mirkwood; he had to accompany Merry back to Buckland and, after being away so long, he was ready to go home.
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