They had not wished Gloin to accompany them. His health, while not fragile, was such that they feared he wouldn't make the long journey. But, as ever with his kind, he was persistent in his wishes. The journey was long and hard as they feared, but Gloin suffered greatly for it. It was the final journey of the great dwarf.
Gimli at last met with Gloin's old companion - Bilbo the Hobbit. He met also with the few elves with which Gloin spoke with any respect. Elrond and the other elves of Imladris. Aside from the dwarves, the only person Gimli had met before was Gandalf, and it was heartening to see his old friend again.
Two days following their arrival, Gloin succumbed to the ravages and trials of their journey.
Before they could ask for assistance in funeral arrangements, a message was sent to them that a pyre had been prepared. Gimli then learned that Bilbo's memoirs had been thorough, and his unpublished notes had been even more so. He had recorded a detailed account of Thorin's funeral some sixty years past. Never intending to publicize the notes, Bilbo had merely wished to clearly remember the details that so often leak from the finest of minds over time. It was from this account that Elrond had planned Gloin's funeral, sparing Gimli and the dwarves the unpleasant task.
The funeral was somber, Dwarven voices raised in sad remembrance. Bilbo was invited, against strict tradition but to the agreement of all present. He was an old friend of Gloin's, and already knew the sacred songs and had shown he could be trusted.
For his part of remembering Gloin, Bilbo rose and recited a passage from his book, recounting several memories of Gloin.
It was during this that Gimli's eyes wandered towards the darkened trees. A movement drew his attention further, and to his surprise, he saw an elf amongst the great trunks. While his sight was not so keen as an elf's, he could make out the glint of a silver circlet on the brow of the figure in the darkness. The head turned, and Elrond met Gimli's eyes, both sad, and Gimli recognized this, acknowledging it with a slight nod.
Bilbo's song ended, the final note fading into the darkness as the dwarves fell silent for a moment. Gimli heard a whisper to his side and turned once again to Elrond. The elf's lips were moving, and Gimli realized he must be reciting some Elven lament. Finishing, Elrond met Gimli's eyes once again, and bowed slightly before vanishing into the darkness.
