All eyes focused on Galadriel. She was an image of light and beauty yet one could clearly see the sorrow she possessed. For a moment she did not speak, but seemed to become briefly lost in her thoughts. Finally, she began to speak.
'It began long ago when the Elves, the First Children of Ilúvatar, awoke beneath the stars in Middle-earth. Many of the Eldar then traveled across the Sea to dwell in the Blessed Realm in the Light of the Trees. The first host of Elves to make this journey, called the Vanyar, was led by Ingwë, the High Elven King. He and his wife bore a daughter, one of the first Elves to be born in Aman. Her name was Tasarë, which means "willow maiden" in the Quenya tongue.
'Of all the Elves her appearance was most singular. She was not fair, like many born in Aman: her hair was dark and crimson like the setting Sun and her eyes as green as the Spring's new leaves. She was beautiful and proud. Many have said she looked very much like Yavanna, one of the Valar, who often appeared so when she walked in Middle-earth.
'Tasarë possessed a great love for the beauty of Aman and all that Yavanna had created of the earth. Because of this, Yavanna highly favored her above all the Elves and bestowed upon her power over the wonders of the earth. Often she traveled to Eldamar and created the gardens in the city of Tirion and those in Alqualondë as well. She was also greatly loved by the Eldar, and while I dwelt there we were good friends.
'After the rebellion of Fëanor against the Valar, many of the Elves left for Beleriand, the northern land of Middle-earth now lost beneath the Sea. Tasarë did not follow, but also wished to depart for Beleriand out of curiosity. Yet she would not do so unless she had the blessing of Yavanna and the other Valar.
'Many years passed before she sought permission from the Valar to leave the Blessed Realm. When she did, the Valar allowed Tasarë to depart with their blessing. She was given the gift of foresight, greater than any among the other Eldar who possessed it, for the Valar knew of the troubled times to come. The Valar also gave Tasarë the most powerful thing of all: Valya, the Ring of the Valar, the first ring ever to be forged in Arda.
'When Tasarë arrived in Beleriand she used the power of Valya to aid the Eldar against the evil of Morgoth. She also formed many marvels from the land so that Beleriand resembled the Blessed Realm as a comfort to those who yearned for Aman's light. She soon became a leader among the Elves and was greatly loved and respected by all. It was she who sent Eärendil to Valinor to plead with the Valar for aid against Morgoth in the War of Wrath. When Morgoth was at least defeated and Beleriand sunk beneath the Sea, the Valar summoned the Elves to Aman to pardon them. Many refused and remained in Middle-earth. Tasarë also stayed, for she perceived a lingering Darkness hidden in Middle-earth.
'For some time she dwelt with me in Lindon and later in Eregion. As time passed she grew more powerful and she sensed Sauron's presence when his Shadow arose in Mirkwood. Like Gil-galad and I, she was not deceived by his beautiful guise as Annatar and tried to expose him, but the Elves of Eregion did not heed our warnings. Later, Tasarë told me that Sauron recognized her from Aman and the wars of Beleriand. He had felt her great power and the power of Valya and tried to seduce her to his will.'
Lady Galadriel faltered for a moment, as if suddenly overcome with the pain of her memories, yet she continued her tale.
'She readily agreed to travel with me to Lórien and remained there for some time, helping to care for the daughter I had bore: Celebrían. She seemed to be at peace in the forests Lórien, but I soon I noticed that her mind was greatly troubled. I questioned her, and the answer she gave alarmed me greatly.
'She told me of a vision that kept recurring in her dreams of late. She foresaw that a great Evil would befall Middle-earth and shroud the land in Darkness. She foresaw that the Dark Lord Sauron would rise to great power, and in her attempts to battle him, she would fall into Darkness herself. She told me she would betray the Eldar and all of Middle-earth. I tried to convince her otherwise, that she would never betray us, but she only gave me a sad smile and replied, "Try as we might, we all become pawns of Fate."
'At that time I did not believe she would succumb to the vision she had foreseen. I believed that she would fight against the Darkness of Sauron and overcome it. For some time she did. When Sauron forged the Rings of Power and the One Ring, the Eldar knew who he was and immediately hid the Rings. Yet we still felt his Evil when he was in possession of the One Ring as he tried to corrupt us. I did not know this until some time after, but even Tasarë battled with the Dark Lord in her mind, for he was able to reach her through the power of Valya with the One Ring.'
'How could he do that,' Pippin interjected, 'if Valya was made by the Valar?'
'Valya was forged by the Vala Aulë, who Sauron served in Aman before he was corrupted by Morgoth,' Galadriel explained. 'Because Sauron knew many of the skills of Aulë, he was able to perceive the power of Valya, but only if he had the One Ring.
'Tasarë left Lórien to aid the forces of Gil-galad and Minastir of the Númenóreans against Sauron as he attacked Eregion and then Rivendell and Lindon. When Sauron was successfully defeated, she journeyed to Rivendell and dwelt there.'
Galadriel now turned to Elrond, as if her part of the tale was finished.
'She came to Rivendell seeking refuge from Sauron,' Elrond continued, his tone solemn. 'We had met in Eregion and it was there I saw her true display of power as we battled Sauron's forces. We became close friends and she confessed to me her struggles against the darkness. Rivendell seemed to offer her solitude and peace for some time while Sauron's forces were kept at bay. Yet when we heard his deceit had corrupted the Númenóreans our apprehension grew. I sensed in Tasarë a growing darkness; she became increasingly troubled and agitated.
'I tried to speak to her but she refused at first. Finally, she admitted to me that she had committed a horrible deed. During the battle of Eregion she had yielded to Sauron's power, allowing him to destroy the land and prevail against our forces. She begged for my forgiveness; she begged for me to help her…but I was so overcome with anger that I cast her away from Rivendell.
'Several weeks later, I heard news that she had been captured by Orcs in the Misty Mountains. I immediately regretted my actions and feared the worst. My fears were not unwarranted, either, for years later when Sauron attacked Minas Ithil and destroyed the White Tree, it was told that a woman with crimson hair accompanied the Dark Lord's armies.
'I came to despise her for her betrayal, and through my hate I sought to drive back Sauron, no matter how vain it seemed. The corrupted power of Valya gave Sauron unbelievable strength and he prevailed against our armies. Sauron's triumph over Middle-earth appeared to be inevitable.
'Yet not long after the Last Alliance was formed, Tasarë disappeared, and Sauron's armies grew weaker. Sauron was overthrown, the One Ring was lost, and many believed Evil had been destroyed. The mysterious woman that had sided with the Dark Lord was forgotten; very few still knew of Tasarë, for many of the Eldar had either fallen in battle or departed West across the Sea. I came to believe that perhaps she had been killed.
'In the year 1000 of the Third Age, the Wizards came to Middle-earth. Lady Galadriel and I were told that Sauron still survived and so did Tasarë. The Valar demanded that Tasarë be found and judged for her crimes.
'She was found in Mirkwood and brought before the Wizards and the last of the Elven lords who knew her. No longer was she the proud, beautiful Elf-woman I had known. Her spirit was broken and her body wasted. I denied all the pity that formed in my heart, refusing to let go of my hatred.
'She did not speak, but kept her eyes downcast. It was announced that the Valar had passed their judgment upon Tasarë: she was to be condemned to the Aramarth, the Outside Doom. It is a powerful spell that casts the victim from the realm of Arda into the Void, forever to be punished.
'Even then, Tasarë remained silent, as if she had resigned herself to her doom. I watched as the Wizards began the incantation. The words were of an ancient tongue that I had never heard spoken before. Tasarë's body began to glow with a fiery aura and she began to scream. Yet suddenly, she stopped, and she spoke loud and clearly her last prophecy in this world.
'She foresaw a time when Darkness would rise again in Middle-earth, a Darkness that could only be stopped through her doing. The Valar would call forth the one bearing their blessing and she would be summoned from the Void.'
'At that moment, she disappeared, banished into the Void. It was not until later when I was told the full extent of her crimes.' Elrond stopped for a moment, as if to regain his composure. 'The "Darkness" she spoke of was not Sauron, but his Heir—the son that she bore to the Dark Lord.'
'What of the Ring?' Elessar asked. 'What became of Valya?'
'It was never found,' Gandalf spoke. 'We can only assume that it was hidden by Tasarë, where only she can retrieve it.'
'What about the one who bears the Valar's Blessing?' asked Faramir. 'Where are we to find him?'
Suddenly Legolas recalled the entirety of his vision and reached for his arm, where she had touched him, revealing the strange rune mark. His arm began to burn.
You are Blessed by the Valar…you are the one I foresaw so long ago…
He looked to Elrond, who returned his gaze.
'It is you, Legolas,' Elrond whispered.
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Post-It Note: This chapter was more difficult to write than I anticipated. It was a pain keeping all the details straight according to the timeline (which, if you're interested, you can access via Wikipedia by searching "timeline of Arda").
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. If you're confused and have any questions, just let me know.
--Lady Galadriel
