4

Arinya wasn't sure when she fell asleep. Her entire body felt drained and exhausted from the constant pain of her wound. She had just drifted away, content as she listened to the dwarf boy's footsteps and lost herself in the steady swing of his movements as he walked. She wasn't mindful of how long her eyes were closed. She was only aware of the ever present darkness in her vision. The elf girl half-wondered to herself if she was dead.

Then, she saw a light. At first, it was nothing more than a tiny pinprick in an ocean of darkness. But it began to grow larger and larger, threatening to overpower the darkness. Slowly, Arinya began to realize that the light was coming towards her. She brought up her hands to shield her eyes from the blinding light as it neared her.

Suddenly, the light flared brightly and Arinya squeezed her eyes shut to protect them. When she opened them again, she realized she was no longer adrift in the darkness.

She was in a forest, unlike the one that surrounded her home. The trees soared high into the skies at breathtaking heights. Magnificent white stairways wrapped themselves around their trunks and disappeared into the canopy. It was autumn, the trees turning beautiful and wondrous shades of orange, yellow, and red. The fallen leaves covered the green grass like a second skin. Songbirds perched upon branches and bushes, singing sweet symphonies to all who cared to listen.

Arinya took a stunned step forward, staring at the wonder of the place in which she was, her footsteps crunching loudly on the fallen leaves. Was this the afterlife? Had she died from her wounds?

The sound of footsteps coming from behind the elf girl caused her to turn about. Immediately, she felt her breath taken away.

Before her stood a beautiful elf woman. Long, golden locks fell down about her like a gilded waterfall. A long white gown clung to her thin frame, giving her an almost ghostly appearance. The woman's face was pale and still, like a statue chiseled from the purest white marble. Hard blue eyes regarded her silently, their depths filled with limitless fathoms of knowledge and experience. Clearly this elf woman was much older than she appeared. Set lightly upon her head was a finely crafted tiara wrought of the best silver metal. Sitting upon one elegant finger was a brilliant ring that seemed to a sort of glow.

The woman held her hands clasped in front of her as she looked at Arinya. The elf girl couldn't help but feel uncomfortable under her gaze. It felt as if every secret, every memory she had, was now laid bare before her.

"Welcome, daughter of Leyandril." Her voice was slow and elegant, as if every word had a profound meaning behind it. When she spoke it was in elvish. Luckily, Arinya's father had schooled in her native language since she was very young. So she was able to very quickly grasp what the elf woman had said and form a reply in elvish in kind.

"How do you know me?" she asked.

The woman smiled softly, lessening the hard appearance of her face as her eyes lit up to accompany her expression. "I have known of you for many years now," she answered.

Arinya shifted on her feet, making the fallen leaves crunch loudly in protest. "Who are you?"

"I go by many names. The Storm Queen, Lady of Light, and the Lady of the Galadrim being foremost among them. Do you know me now?" she asked, the smile still on her face.

The brunette blinked in surprise. She had heard her father talk of this woman, of the elf witch who resided deep within the woods of Lothlorien. When she spoke her name, it was filled with recognition and respect. "You are Lady Galadriel," she stated with no small amount of awe and surprise. She inclined her head in esteem.

Galadriel's smile broadened ever so slightly.

"What would you ask of me that you sought to bring me here?" Arinya asked, knowing that the elf witch was behind her sudden entrance into this forested land. She could only assume that the autumn wood she was in was the forested region of Lothlorien.

"A power has awakened within you a mere day ago, is this correct?"

Arinya nodded. "Yes, my lady, but how did you come to know of this?"

"I have both foreseen and felt your power's awakening. It is substantial and continues to grow even now. If given enough time, it may prove harmful not just to you but to those around you as well," Galadriel told her in a somber tone.

The brunette girl tightened her hand into a fist at her side. "But, what is this power? I have never experienced it before. Why has it decided to awaken now?" she asked, barely containing her fear. She couldn't deny that this new power had haunted her thoughts of late. She had wondered what it meant and where it came from. Even how it would affect her life in the future. Now it seems she was finally going to get some answers to the questions that had been plaguing her mind.

"It is not written why magic chooses to awaken when it does. I cannot say why your power chose to awaken when it did," the majestic elf woman explained in her steadily smooth voice.

Arinya straightened as she looked at Galadriel. "You said magic. That is what I have? Magic?" Galadriel inclined her head slightly as if to nod. The elf girl let out a breath of air that she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "How did I come to possess magic?" she asked.

"This I cannot say for certain. Magic runs in some families bloodlines, unnoticed, until it surfaces in a particular generation and then becomes dormant once again. Magic is powerful, and it is also unpredictable."

"Unpredictable? Then how am I supposed to control it if it is continuing to grow as you say it is?" Arinya asked, folding her arms across her chest. Everything felt as if it was moving so fast. She was taking in so much information at once. She felt as if she needed to steady herself.

Breaking her statuesque pose, Galadriel walked a few steps closer to the elf girl. For the first time, Arinya noticed that the elven witch was walking barefoot. Her pale feet made barely any noise as they stepped onto the fallen leaves coating the forest floor, unlike Arinya who made loud crunching noises anytime she moved. Ever so gently, Galadriel extended a hand and set it lightly upon Arinya's shoulder. "You will come to Lothlorien. I will train you to control your powers so that they do not overwhelm you in the future," Galadriel told her, blue eyes looking directly into Arinya's own green ones.

"Come to Lothlorien? But what about my family? My home? I cannot simply leave all of that behind," the elf girl said, her voice filled with sadness and a type of pleading.

"You must. It cannot be avoided. You must come to Lothlorien before your power grows too strong and becomes out of control. For their safety and your own you must come," the elf witch said firmly.

"But…It's so far," Arinya said quietly. Her eyes darted down to looking at her boots. She watched as she nervously and incisively kicked at the dried leaves. She watched with only a mild amusement as they showered before her in a rain of yellows, oranges, and reds.

"To follow one path, you must give up all others." Arinya looked up at her in surprise. Galadriel had not said that out loud. The words had been spoken within her own mind. "But," the golden haired elf removed her hand from her shoulder, "the choice remains yours."

Arinya gazed at the witch for a long time, torn with indecision. She was silent for a long moment before she asked, "Will I ever return home and see my family?"

"That is up to you. Once you have had more training, you may go to see them any time you wish. They may travel to see you as well, if they so desire. It will be many years before you return. Are you prepared for that reality?" Galadriel asked.

Arinya was silent for another long moment. She had to go to Lothlorien, lest she risk harming someone with her inexperienced and uncontrolled use of magic. It had happened only once and Arinya had used it to save her life, in addition to the dwarf boy's, when they had been confronted with the wolves. She had even used it on the bear, but it hadn't worked the way she had wished. Galadriel had said her power was growing and that, if left unchecked, it could harm her or someone close to her. She never wanted that to happen. She had so few people in her life she was close to and she couldn't bear the thought of causing them any harm. Her father, mother, Arandil, and even the dwarf boy. All of them were dear to her. And if the only way she could help them and herself was to leave, then she would do it. She couldn't deny that she would miss them and her home, though.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, Arinya looked the golden haired elf squarely in the eye. "I will do it. I will come to Lothlorien and begin my training," she said with as much strength as she could muster. "But, I'm not sure if I will make it there. At the moment, I have a grievous wound and may not even make it to a doctor in time," she told her.

Galadriel held up her hand. "Worry not. I will slow the wound's toll on your body and preserve it with enough time for you to reach a doctor."

Arinya inclined her head gratefully. "Thank you, my lady." She straightened and looked at the elf witch curiously. "How am I supposed to get back?"

Galadriel smiled. "You wait."