The Search for Galadriel

by Gramayre

Arya, Eragon, Saphira, and Firnen appear inexpilcably in the Undying Lands, seemingly without a rhyme or reason. But, when they discover that Galadriel disappeared around the same time as their arrival, the four must team up with Legolas and Gimli to find out where she went. Meanwhile, the new-comers are thought to be responsible for the very mystery they're trying to solve.

1. Prologue

Silently the shadows shifted between the tall, white buildings of Tirion. In their midst, the Eldar Ilyea prowled the streets. It was not uncommon for elves to be out at night; they were a people of starlight and, as such, often stargaze on clear nights.

This specific Eldar, however, was special in that she had an evil mission bestowed upon her by an anonymous (at least to us) Maiar who had been tainted by the evil of Sauron in Middle Earth. Ilyea wasn't just the mindless pawn of a powerful being, however; she had other reasons for committing this act that would surely destroy her soul, had she believed in such things.

The tower Mindon and the Galathilion in its courtyard stood out starkly against the night sky, both giving off a silver glow. The Galathilion was a gigantic tree with bark the color of moonlight and leaves the color of the sun; in fact, it was from one of the Galathilion's ancestors that the moon and sun were created out of.

Ilyea was hoping that the same sort of power could be gleaned from its branches now.

The Eldar waved to others as she passed by, getting ever closer to her destinations. She wound up the path to the tower, and as she passed by the Galathilion, she scratched her long nails down its trunk inconspicuously, gathering some of its bark in the process. She hurried along, anxious now. Elves' vision was sharp, and Ilyea worried that she had been seen.

The she-elf padded softly into the Mindon, and her eyes unconsciously searched its several stories for a hint of long, golden hair that glinted like gold. Galadriel, the Eldar thought, the name inflicting a hint of regret. Solemnly, Ilyea pushed the feeling aside and continued on, fingering the precious ring that she held on a chain around her neck.

Tirion: The capital of the Deep Elves (what Galadriel is) in the Undying Lands (where the elves went to after the events of Lord of the Rings)

Mindon: The tower on the top of the hill that Tirion is on

Galathilion: The sacred tree of the elves

Maiar: The second-most powerful beings in the world of Middle Earth, next only to the Valar, which are roughly the equivalent of gods

QUESTION: I'm not sure if the silver lamp in Mindon was destroyed or not by the Third Age. If you know, PM me so that I can know, too!