Here is the actual chapter. lol. Sorry for taking long to update, I'm unfortunately back to being busy with school work. lol. But, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and I'll back soon with the next. :)
Chapter 32: Lady of Light
Ezra was quiet when the Fellowship left Moria and journeyed into the land beyond. His face was expressionless, making it impossible for anyone to read it. They would've asked what was wrong, but they had a feeling they knew the answer. They were all still grieving over the loss of Gandalf.
With the wizard gone, there was now the fact that a new leader was needed to lead the Fellowship to Mordor. But obviously, Aragorn fitted that description. And the ranger had already taken up that position as soon as Gandalf had fallen into the chasms of Moria. The crew of the Ghost had to smirk at that. Their guide from Bree was now giving them orders once again.
But Aragorn seemed a bit different now than when they first met him. In The Prancing Pony, he had been nothing more than a scruffy and untrustworthy ranger. Yet now, after everything they had been through, Aragorn appeared to have evolved into a wise and courageous leader. No wonder he was destined to be king of Gondor.
The Fellowship soon came upon a very shallow stream, which the ranger ran across and then stopped, looking at the forest that was only a couple miles ahead of them. The others, however, were more interested in sinking their tired feet into the water for a few minutes before joining him. Zeb and the hobbits, having no shoes, seemed to enjoy it the best.
Ezra didn't pay the water any mind, though. He just slowly walked across it, kicking any loose rocks into the stream. Hera noticed his odd behavior and frowned behind his back. She glanced at Kanan, wondering if he knew what was wrong with his apprentice.
Kanan placed a hand on the Twi'lek's shoulder, "He'll tell us. When he's ready."
"I'm worried about him, Kanan," Hera said concerned, "He hasn't said a word ever since we came out of those mines."
Kanan glanced back at his apprentice with pity. Hera was right. He had been awfully quiet since Gandalf's death. But he wasn't the only one. Kanan also noticed that a certain Ring Bearer was quiet as well. The tears were gone, but the soul was torn apart. The Jedi Knight could feel that in both the hobbit and his pupil.
"Neither has Frodo," Kanan muttered, nodding back at the Halfling, "I think I know what they both are thinking."
Hera nodded, although her jaw tightened when her mind thought about that. She too was a bit broken up by what she saw back in Moria. That was unexpected because, being a General, Hera didn't let personal things get to her. But the truth was written all over the Twi'lek's face, as was for the entire Fellowship.
Her next words came out all of a sudden, "What was Gandalf thinking, Kanan?! Why did he have to fight that creature?! Why did he put us through this?! Why did-?!"
Hera found herself unable to say anything else. There was a lot more of those questions she was wanting to ask, but she figured her Jedi friend got the picture.
Kanan sighed sadly, "He did what he had to do, Hera. He saved us all. If it wasn't for him, you can bet that a majority of us wouldn't have made it out of Moria in one piece." He crossed his arms and then spoke firmly, "What we can do though is make sure Gandalf's sacrifice wasn't in vein. He died so we could be one step closer to reaching Mordor and finally destroying the ring."
That was what Gandalf would want them to do. Kanan and Hera knew that as well as Aragorn. Yes, it would be difficult without their dear friend to guide them, but the Fellowship's main priority was Sauron. They couldn't be looking beyond the big picture here, no matter how deep the grief and sorrow was.
Hera had handled such problems before. She remembered Kanan's unexpected capture four years ago. How she was ordered by Ahsoka to let the Jedi Knight go and not lose her focus on the bigger picture of rebellion. If it weren't for Ezra and the rest of her crew, Hera had a feeling that she would've regretfully followed her orders. She had honestly been happy to disobey instructions and rescue Kanan.
She just wished she didn't have to be in that set of mind again. Gandalf knew the risks of the Fellowship, though. If only he hadn't paid the price for it. Nevertheless, Hera would always be grateful to the wizard for sacrificing himself. His death helped all of them live to fight another day.
And it thus allowed the Fellowship to reach the Woods of Lothlorian. When the company had finished cooling off their feet, Aragorn pressed forward. So much as to make all of them sprint towards the forest. Hera understood that Orcs would be on Moria's hills by nightfall, but was a sprint really necessary? Although, she thought it wise not to question their new leader. Aragorn had saved her and her crew once before from those black riders. No point in doubting him now.
When they entered the woods, the crew of the Ghost as well as the hobbits noticed how...different it seemed compared to other forests. Most had a muggy swampy look about them, yet this place had a strange beauty to it. Even Ezra perked up at seeing the sight of it. Chopper, no surprise, grumbled that it wasn't a good idea to go through. Fortunately, Aragorn did not understand nor speak 'Droid.'
Kanan sensed a strange power within these woods. It wasn't dark, he definitely knew that. But it did feel a bit odd to him. He sensed both peace and conflict. Where was it coming from, the Jedi had no clue.
Gimli turned around and quickly beckoned the four Halflings, "Stay close, young hobbits! They say there's a great sorceress that lives in these woods. An Elf-witch of terrible power."
Rex, who had removed his helmet, looked at the dwarf with a raised brow, "A witch? Are you certain?"
"Aye," Gimli nodded in fear, "And a terrifying one at that. Heard so many stories about this place, I did. This witch is said to be one of the most powerful of her kind."
That sparked the clone captain's interest, "Is that so? I'd very much like to meet this witch."
The dwarf abruptly shook his head and grabbed Rex's arm, "Oh no! You be not wanting to do that, lad! This Elf-witch is not to be trifled with. They say that all who look upon her fall under her spell and are never seen again!"
Suddenly, Frodo, who was in front of Sam and Kanan, jerked his head to the right, as if hearing something. The Jedi and the hobbit followed his gaze, but saw nothing. Frodo then fearfully looked to the left, but there was still nothing. Kanan frowned worriedly at the hobbit, as did Sam.
The latter tapped his friend on the shoulder, "Mr. Frodo?"
Frodo seemed to have broken out of whatever trance he was in and glanced back at Sam before walking on.
"See?!" Zeb suddenly blurted out to the rear of the group, "What did I tell you?! These Elves are not to be trusted!"
Legolas looked at the Lasat, offended, "I beg your pardon?"
Zeb rose an apologetic hand, "Um, no offense, Legolas. I'm not referring to you. You're one of the normal ones." He pointed around the forest, "The paler ones, however, send a shiver up my spine."
Hera groaned, "Oh Zeb, you're overreacting! You don't even know what these Elves look like!"
"I don't have to," the Lasat replied, pointing at Gimli, "Shorty, here, is the one who said there was a bloody witch in this forest!"
The dwarf grumbled angrily at that comment. He wasn't really fond of being called 'shorty.'
"So? What does that prove?" Hera questioned, "That she's dangerous?"
Zeb looked at her in disbelief and pointed at Gimli again, "What part of 'all who look upon her fall under her spell' did you not understand?! Is that not proof enough?!"
"But perhaps she can be reasoned with," Kanan pointed out, "We're not here to pick a fight with anybody."
Aragorn nodded in agreement, "Kanan is right. There is nothing to fear here. We can seek sanctuary with the Elves of Lorien."
If the ranger did not fear the forest, then that was enough to set most of the Fellowship's minds at ease. They had already escaped a balrog, and the last thing they wanted to deal with was a witch. Zeb, however, was still not convinced.
He whispered to Kanan and Hera, "If I get the slightest feeling that I'm being put under a trance, I'm getting out of here!"
The Twi'lek glared at the Lasat and elbowed him in the rib. Zeb didn't pay attention, though, and just continued walking.
Gimli gave a confident smirk, "Well, here's one dwarf she won't ensnare so easily! I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox!"
But when the dwarf stopped his boasting, he all of a sudden found his face merely a couple inches away from the tip of an arrow, pointing straight at him. He stared at it, wide eyed and gulped. Nobody else had time to react because suddenly a host of individuals emerged from behind the trees. They were equipped with bows and had their arrows at the ready.
Legolas quickly took out his bow and pointed it at the newcomers. But he couldn't shoot due to basically being surrounded. The crew of the Ghost made an attempt to take out their weapons, resulting in arrows being moved closer to their necks.
"Nice work, fox," Zeb mumbled sarcastically to Gimli.
Nobody paid attention to the Lasat's comment. They just glared darkly at their captors and held their hands up in the air, surrendering. Hera noticed Aragorn, though, didn't look bothered. The Twi'lek took a closer look at the newcomers and saw that they had pointy ears. She realized they were Elves.
That made a whole lot more sense now. And when the rest of the Fellowship realized it too, they looked slightly relieved. Except for Gimli, of course. They lowered their hands, and when one of the Elves stepped forward, he had the rest of his people put down their weapons.
The Elf, who was apparently the leader of the group, glanced at all the members of the company with a raised brow. His gaze stayed the longest on Zeb and Hera. The Twi'lek and the Lasat met his gaze evenly, though their fists clenched tighter the longer he stared at them.
Finally, the Elf looked down at Gimli and spoke in a mocking tone, "The dwarf breaths so loud, we could've shot him in the dark."
Gimli glared at him and growled in anger. The crew of the Ghost glanced at each other and slightly smirked.
Quite a welcome this was.
The Fellowship, surrounded by the party of Elves, were escorted deeper into the forest of Lothlorian. Though they didn't see the company as a threat, Sabine and Ezra noticed that they had their bows by their side. Neither of the two knew if they did so in case Orcs showed up, or if they didn't really trust them.
Nevertheless, the company moved along quietly, not wanting any trouble from the Elves. It wasn't hard for Sabine to notice how much Gimli didn't like them. The dwarf just continued grumbling to himself and shot dirty looks at the Elf soldiers beside him. They paid him no mind, however, and it almost seemed like they were ignoring him on purpose. Their heads were slightly raised up and they had a look of pride on their faces.
Sabine just sighed. She would never understand why the Dwarves and Elves hated each other so much. It was bad enough that Gimli and Legolas had argued a lot ever since they started this journey, but now with even more Elves in the mix, the Mandalorian had a feeling they would have one heck of a time here in these woods.
They soon came to a group of tall trees that went up a good ways. Sabine noticed that on said trees were tons of large platforms that were cleverly concealed by the leaves and branches on top. The Elf leader waved his hand up to one of the platforms, and immediately a rope was tossed down. He then told the Fellowship to follow him up, to which they obeyed without hesitation.
The crew of the Ghost had no problem climbing up the rope. Unfortunately, Zeb was the slowest out of all of them because he had to carry Chopper on his back. The Elves didn't know what the metal object was, but they didn't trust it to climb up alone. And none of the other members of the Fellowship could hoist him up, so the Lasat got the short end of the stick.
When they finally reached the platform, Zeb purposely dropped Chopper on his side. The astromech got up and beeped a ton of insults at him, but the Lasat's only response was slapping him on the dome.
The company then sat down and relaxed while Aragorn and Legolas negotiated with the Elf leader. Nobody understood what they were saying, though, because they were speaking in Elvish. All they could make out was that the leader's name was Haldir. All three of them seemed to be on friendly terms.
Haldir nodded at Legolas with a smile and said in Elvish, "Welcome Legolas, son of Thranduil."
The latter smiled and answered back, "Our Fellowship stands in your debt, Haldir of Lorien."
Haldir then looked at the ranger and exclaimed with a slight bow, "Ah, Aragorn of the Dunedian, you are known to us."
Aragorn bowed back, "Haldir."
Gimli, who was growing tired of not understanding what they were saying, spoke up in a rather rude tone of voice.
"So much for the legendary courtesy of the Elves! Speak words we can all understand!" he grumbled.
Haldir looked over at him in disgust, and answered biterly, "We have not had dealings with the Dwarves since the dark days."
Gimli didn't seem to care about how he talked to him, and replied just as biterly, "And you know what this dwarf says to that? Ishkhaqwi ai durugnul!"
Haldir stepped back, looking both shocked and angry by what he just said. Zeb looked between the two, confused.
He then leaned over to Legolas and whispered, "What did he say?"
The Elf looked just as offended by what Gimli said. But when he finally got over it, he whispered into the Lasat's ear and translated. When he was done, Zeb's jaw dropped in bewilderment and he glanced at Gimli, wide eyed. Aragorn turned around and slapped his hand on the dwarf's shoulder.
"That was not so courteous!" the ranger snapped at him.
The crew of the Ghost had never been rude to Gimli, but if he said one more word, they all would no doubt tell him to shut up. This was not the time nor place to start picking fights with people, especially the Elves. Fortunately, Gimli kept his mouth shut after Aragorn scolded him.
Haldir then noticed the four hobbits that were standing behind the Fellowship. His eyes went from Sam, to Merry, to Pippin, and finally Frodo. When he gazed upon him, Sabine had a feeling that he knew the Halfling carried the ring. His next words confirmed her suspicions.
"You bring great evil with you," Haldir said sternly, and slightly fearfully. He then looked at Aragorn, "You can go no further."
The Elf then walked off, but Aragorn immediately walked after him. All of the Fellowship looked at Frodo, not sure what to say. Haldir wasn't wrong. Frodo indeed carried great evil with him. But now that the Elves were basically preventing them from leaving because of said evil, they didn't know what to do.
As Aragorn and Haldir stood away from them, having a quiet argument in Elvish, they all spread out along the platform and just sat in silence. Some of them were by themselves, others just quietly talked to each other.
The Ghost crew sat together. Although, they didn't have too much to say. So many thoughts were running through their heads, and it was honestly a bit overwhelming. None of them had ever imagined this journey to be quite as hard and dangerous as it had been. So much pain and suffering all because they were trying to take this little ring to Mordor and cast it into the fires of Mount Doom.
The crew found themselves glancing over at Frodo quite often. And they weren't the only ones. Sam, Merry, Pippin, Gimli, and Legolas looked over at him as well. But when Frodo met their gaze, they immediately turned away. Boromir sat across from the hobbit in silence.
However, Sabine then saw the Gondorian say something to him, although she couldn't make out what it was. For some reason, the Mandalorian then found herself looking down at one of the bags she had been carrying. Well, not exactly the bag itself. She was actually staring at the stormtrooper helmet she had stolen and put in the bag.
Sabine frowned at it and picked it up, examining it for no particular reason. She, like the rest of her friends, was still a bit shocked about learning that the Empire was in Middle Earth. And she didn't get how they could be. It didn't make sense. There were pieces missing to this puzzle that needed to be solved as soon as possible.
Zeb noticed the Mandalorian holding the helmet and rose a brow, "Why did you steal that thing, anyways?"
Sabine flipped it upside down and replied, "To get answers."
Kanan frowned, "What do you mean?"
The Mandalorian tapped her finger on the helmet, "Every stormtrooper helmet is equipped with a transmitter. It's protocol to keep every single transmission on record in case any soldier defected from the Empire."
Zeb shrugged, not getting it, "So what does that have to do with anything?"
Rex's eyes widened and he snapped his fingers, "You think you can listen to their past transmissions!"
Sabine nodded, "It requires a lot of work, but I think, with Chopper's help, I can start listening to everything that's happened in the past who knows how many years."
Kanan smiled, impressed, "Finally! Some good news! Maybe this'll help us learn how the Empire got here."
"That might have to wait, for now," Hera replied, nodding over to Aragorn and Haldir, "I have a feeling that when those two finish their chat, we'll be on the move again."
Zeb snorted and leaned back, "Of course."
To everyone's surprise, Ezra made no comment to anything they had been saying. Sabine studied the young apprentice, and saw him just staring off into space, lost in thought. She exchanged glances with Rex, to which the clone just shook his head in pity. None of them had any idea of how to cheer him up.
Ezra then winced in pain and clutched his injured arm.
Hera placed a hand on the young Jedi's shoulder and forced a smile, "Ezra, why don't you let Sabine take a look at that. It could probably use some bandages."
Ezra blinked and looked at the Twi'lek, "Huh?" When he finally processed what she had said, he slowly nodded, "Oh yeah, sure."
Sabine shot Hera a questionable look. Why did she have to patch him up? The Twi'lek captain just gave her a small nod, and then the Mandalorian understood what she was doing. Whatever was bothering Ezra, the crew knew he wasn't going to tell them. But ever since they had been in Middle-Earth, Sabine had developed a deep bond with the apprentice. If there was anyone who could get through to him right now, it'd probably be her.
Sabine stood up, grabbed a med-pack, and lightly smiled at Ezra, "We can do this away from the group, if you'd like."
Ezra nodded and then stood up, walking off to a lone corner of the platform. Once he sat down, Sabine rolled back his sleeve and examined the wound. The Goblin arrow had really got the Jedi good. Most of his arm had healed, but it still needed medical attention. Sabine took out a couple bandages, and began to carefully wrap it around Ezra's arm. He flinched a couple times, but the blank expression on his face didn't change.
Kanan had definitely taught him well in disguising his emotions. That was one Jedi way Sabine would never fully understand. Ezra had picked that trait up almost too quickly. In the Mandalorian's point of view, however, emotions should be expressed. Her family were no strangers to expressing how they felt. That had been both a good thing and bad thing at the same time.
Sabine had never seen any problem with her family expressing their emotions when trying to ensure peace between other clans. But when they did it to her, on the very day when they turned against her, it had torn her apart. Sabine wished that day had turned out differently, but things never worked out the way people wanted them to. It was a shame, really.
The longer Ezra remained silent, the more uncomfortable Sabine felt. She wanted to say something, but she didn't know what. She needed to get through to him somehow, but she was slightly afraid of how he'd react. But maybe Hera was right. She might be the only one he'd talk to right now.
Sabine cleared her throat as she finished with the bandages, "Well, that should do it." She then lightly punched him in the other arm, "You'll be back to yourself before you know it."
Ezra didn't respond. He just stared at the forest before him. Sabine looked down and muttered something under her breath. This wasn't going to be easy.
Sabine then chuckled and said, "Have you heard Gimli's babbling? He actually thinks there's a witch in this forest. But this place hasn't seemed that bad, despite the earlier escort."
Still, Ezra didn't say anything. This was really getting awkward.
"Whoever's in charge, I don't think it's a witch, as he claims," the Mandalorian pointed out, with a shake of her head.
To no surprise, the young apprentice still didn't respond. Sabine knew cheering him up was now out of the question. It was time to get to the heart of the matter.
Sabine placed her hand on top of his, "Ezra, please talk to me. You know we are all here for you. We're a family."
Finally, Ezra quietly spoke, "How many more times, Sabine?"
She blinked, "What?"
Ezra looked at her, sadness in his eyes, "How many more times will someone that I look up to die?"
Sabine sighed and looked back down. She knew that had to be one of the questions. The last time she had seen Ezra this upset was when he and Kanan had returned from Malachor.
Now it was Moria.
"Ezra," she comfortingly said, "you can't think like that."
"Can't I?!" Ezra asked, burying his face in his hands, "It's the truth! There have been so many people in my life. So many that I had considered a mentor. And they all have died."
Sabine shook her head, "Ezra Bridger, that is not true and you know it. Hera's still alive and so is Kanan. They have always been your friends and mentors since the beginning. And they're not dead, are they?"
"Yet," Ezra mumbled, "But what about my parents? What about Ahsoka? They're gone! And now Gandalf too!"
The apprentice clenched his fists and tried to hold back his tears. Sabine couldn't help but feel for him. He had a point. Almost every single mentor he had had died at the most unexpected of times. She remembered Ezra telling her of how his parents had spoke out against the Empire through secret messages. They had been trying to teach their son to stand up for what was right, just like what they were doing. But then the Imperials had discovered them, taking them away before Ezra ever had the chance to say goodbye.
Ahsoka Tano, one of Ezra's close mentors, had tried to teach both him and Kanan the ways of the Force, although she was no longer a Jedi. When a problem arose, involving the Empire's Inquisitors hunting them across the galaxy, the three Jedi had decided to find a way to destroy the Sith. Their answers led to Malachor, where Dark-Side wielders like Darth Maul and Darth Vader awaited. A duel broke out between Vader and Ahsoka, resulting in the Torgruta's apparent death. The entire rebellion had grieved over her death, especially Ezra.
Sabine had never thought she'd see the day when he got over Ahsoka's death. And she had hoped beyond hope that he would never have to lose another mentor again.
How cruel fate was.
The Mandalorian wrapped her arm around Ezra, "I know. And we all feel the same pain you're feeling. I miss Gandalf too, as well as Ahsoka. Death is not an easy thing to get over." Her expression darkened as she thought back to her past. "Trust me, I know what that feels like."
Ezra looked at her and found it easy to read her mind, "From your days at the Imperial Academy?"
Sabine nodded, biting her lip, "And even beyond that. Specifically during my days fighting alongside Ketsu."
Living two lives had been hard for the Mandalorian at first. She had gone from being an Imperial, then to a bounty hunter seeking to be part of the Black Sun Clan. But when she finally became a rebel, she had found her past to be shameful. So she had spent every day since then to become better. To achieve something that was actually meaningful. She wanted to be the warrior that her family would never expect her to be.
Ezra tilted his head, "How did you get over all of that?"
Sabine shrugged and confessed, "Honestly, some of it, I haven't gotten over yet. But I try to keep it in the deepest darkest corner of my mind. I'd rather fight the good fight than dwell on my past failures."
Ezra nodded, and sighed, "I hope you know that you are a good person, Sabine. You are not who you used to be, I can promise you that." He then slightly grinned, "When I first saw you, there was nothing about you that felt wrong. You are one of the bravest and most honorable fighter I have ever met."
The Mandalorian looked at him a bit baffled. She found herself once again touched by the young Jedi's words. And strangely, it actually made her feel good inside.
She laughed in disbelief and punched him in the shoulder again, "I can't believe this! I come over here to try and cheer you up, and you end up being the one to cheer me up."
"Naturally," Ezra remarked teasingly.
Sabine then smiled at him, "You're a good person too, Ezra. I'm sure your parents would be proud of the man you've become."
Ezra smiled back at her, "Thanks. That really means a lot."
They would've continued their conversation, but just then, they noticed that the rest of the Fellowship had rose to their feet. The Jedi and Mandlorian followed suite and looked over to see Haldir looking at all of them.
"You will follow me," he said.
The company found this escort to be not as hostile. Aragorn and Legolas's negotiations with Haldir had paid off. Ezra could see that the Elves didn't look so stiff and solemn anymore like when they first escorted them through the forest.
The apprentice wondered where they were going. He guessed that they were probably going to see the supposed "witch leader" of Lorien, but why the long travel? All he had seen was trees and more trees. What else could be waiting for them within these woods? Haldir wasn't much of a conversationalist, unfortunately. Despite this, Ezra found himself enjoying the fresh air once again. He loved the feeling of the sun on his skin and the smell of fresh leaves and grass filling his nostrils. It was a far better feeling than the dark, cold, dirty smell of Moria.
That ancient Dwarf Kingdom was not pleasant. Gimli's descriptions of it had not lived up to its actual appearance. Now it was a Goblin/Orc infested pit. And it was one of the places Ezra swore he'd never visit again. Too much bad things happened down there during their four day journey. Even though he was starting to feel a little better, Gandalf's death still bothered him. And it would continue to bother him for a great majority of this journey.
Ezra couldn't remember how many times he had reminded himself never to let his friends get hurt again. Yet, it always happened. Every death he witnessed made him feel like he was breaking his promise. That was probably one of the reasons why he had been so hard on himself for the past few hours. He had almost lost hope that he could protect people who were closest to him. But thanks to Sabine, he felt better about himself. Hopefully that could keep him going until they finally destroyed that blasted ring.
Ezra then reminded himself to not dwell on the past for now. His friends needed him in the present. And the deeper the Fellowship went into the forest, the more they noticed things around them were slowly starting to change. Ezra all of a sudden felt a slight change in the Force. He thought he could sense a very powerful magic getting closer. It was still far off, but every step the apprentice took made him feel like he was getting closer to the source of this power.
The company thought that the trees couldn't get more beautiful, but they were wrong. They could've sworn that the trees they were walking through now looked far more stunning than the trees at the entrance of the forest. Ezra was starting to get the feeling that Elves would inhabit any beautiful place they could find. Were there any more Elven Kingdoms, he wondered? No doubt. Only time would tell if he'd ever actually lay his eyes upon them.
It was by sunset when the Fellowship finally reached the middle of Lothlorian. Haldir stopped on top of a hill and gazed at the horizon. The others joined him and followed his gaze. They saw a wide, treeless space that went on for a good long ways, except for the very middle. At the center of this treeless gap were trees that were even more higher than what they had seen beforehand. And the sight of them was stunning! Ezra could see that the branches on these trees were lit with gold, silver, green, and blue lamps that shined dimly in the sunset light. It was, without a doubt, beautiful.
Even Gimli's eyes widened in awe at the sight of it. The young Jedi guessed the dwarf was having a difficult time believing that the Elves lived in such a fantastic place.
"Caras Galadhon," Haldir announced proudly, beaming at the kingdom, "the heart of Elvendom on earth. Home of the Lord Celeborn, and of Galadriel, Lady of Light."
Now that they had seen this place from a distance, most of the Fellowship was eager to see the inside of it. After Haldir had said those words, he began to descend the hill, heading towards Caras Galadhon. Everybody eagerly followed. Gimli, however, still stood on the hill in deep shock. Ezra noticed him still standing up there and walked back to him. He smirked at the dwarf and patted him on the shoulder.
"You know," the young apprentice whispered, "I listened to him talking and...I don't think I heard anything about a witch."
Gimli gave him an annoyed look and simply huffed before following the others down the hill. Ezra did the same, although quietly chuckling.
They reached Caras Galadhon by nightfall. And when they finally entered the kingdom, they found themselves enchanted with it. There was a silvery glow to this place. It cast a unique, yet amazing, light on the trees. It almost felt like Rivendell, except more peaceful. Ezra could hear the sound of running water, and it made him just want to close his eyes and smile. What a relief it was to finally come across a beautiful place again. Dealing with the bitter coldness of Caradhras and the dark creepiness of Moria had been more than enough for the Fellowship to handle so far. They deserved a rest.
Haldir then led them to the tallest tree within the forest. A glimmering staircase went around the tree and up to the highest and largest talan in Lothlorien. Slowly, the company, led by Haldir, treaded up said stairs. The beauty around them was a lot to process. They welcomed the warm peaceful feeling in their hearts when they gazed upon it.
Ezra traced his hand along the tree, and just felt his fingertips go along the smooth bark. All of his sadness had been put away at the moment. His heart had been taken by the kingdom. It had made him calm and focused. Zeb, who had earlier claimed to not fall under any enchantment within the forest, seemed less tense now as well. The Lasat had his hand on his bo-rifle for most of the walk, but he had now moved his hand away and just looked around him. A small smile came to his lips and he exhaled, letting all the tightness in his muscles soften.
After a few minutes, the Fellowship finally reached the top. Haldir halted and pointed up at a smaller staircase. They all looked up, but found their eyes to be blinded by a bright white light. Ezra squinted his eyes and tried to see what was going on. He thought he could make out two figures descending the stairs, hand in hand. The longer the Jedi looked, the more he could see their attire. They were dressed in beautiful robes that went all the way to the ground. Ezra could also see that one figure was a man, and the other a woman. Well, to be more specific, an Elf-man and Elf-woman.
Merry and Pippin bowed their heads in respect, as did Legolas and Aragorn. Everybody else just stared, wide-eyed. The light finally dimmed, and Ezra could see the faces of the two figures. The Elf-man had a serious, yet kind face. He had the look of a powerful and wise leader. Ezra figured that he was the Lord Celeborn that Haldir had mentioned earlier. The Elf-maiden was very beautiful. Soft blonde hair hung behind her back. She was dressed in a bright white robe. Her eyes were soft and kind, yet had the same look of wisdom and seriousness. And her face was a face that Ezra would never forget. This was the Lady Galadriel.
When the crew of the Ghost and the rest of the company snapped back into reality, they remembered their manners and bowed before the two Elves. Ezra had his eyes closed, but he could feel Galadriel's eyes look at each of them. Her gaze first went to all of the residents of Middle Earth, but then her eyes rested upon the young Jedi and his friends. The rest of the crew seemed to have felt it too and they all had a urge to look up at her. They did so, and when they gazed into her eyes, she smiled warmly at them.
"Welcome, strangers from beyond the stars," Galadriel said in a kind voice. She then surprisingly said their names as she looked at them, "Sabine Wren, Garezeb Orrilious, Hera Syndulla, Rex, Ezra Bridger, Chopper, and Kanan Jarrus."
The crew was a bit bewildered. How had she known their names?! This Elf-woman must be one of great power if she knew such things. Chopper, though, seemed happy to be included for once. Droids were usually ignored.
Celeborn then spoke to the entire Fellowship, although his voice seemed more sad and worried, "The enemy knows you have entered here. What hope you have had in secrecy is now gone."
That lowered everybody's spirits, and they looked down in dread. Ezra had suspected that Sauron and Saruman would expect them to enter Lothlorien, but he had hoped they wouldn't have discovered it so soon. Were they safe then? Yes, probably so. Ezra figured those two wouldn't attack such a powerful place as this. Well, at least he hoped they wouldn't.
Celeborn then looked around in confusion, "15 there are here, yet 16 there were that set out from Rivendell. Tell me, where is Gandalf? For I much desire to speak with him. I can no longer see him from afar."
Aragorn's expression darkened and his eyes went back down to the ground. He did not wish to speak of Gandalf's whereabouts, for he didn't anybody else to suffer the same grief the entire company was suffering. However, when Galadriel looked at the ranger, she had already seemed to figure out what the answer was. Her eyes went wide and her expression saddened.
"Gandalf the Grey did not pass the borders of this land. He has fallen into shadow," she said aloud.
Ezra's eyes narrowed in curiosity. It seemed like she had read Aragorn's mind. But that was impossible, though...wasn't it? The Fellowship knew that they couldn't keep the truth from them. Legolas stepped forward and spoke for all of them.
"He was taken by both shadow and flame," the Elf said gravely, "A balrog of Morgoth, for we went needlessly into the net of Moria."
Gimli lowered his head in grief at the mention of his cousin's home. The memories of all those dead bodies filled his mind, the worst being the tomb of Balin. The dwarf leaned forward on his axe and sighed. Galadriel and Celeborn looked shocked at hearing of Gandalf's death, though they still appeared calm. The Lady of Lorien closed her eyes, processing what she had heard.
She finally opened her eyes again and shook her head, "Needless were none of the deeds of Gandalf in life. We do not yet know his full purpose." Her eyes then fell upon the sad dwarf and she smiled with pity, "Do not let the great emptiness of Khazad-dum fill your heart, Gimli, son of Gloin." He looked up at her as she continued. "For the world has grown full of peril, and in all lands love is now mingled with grief."
When Galadriel finished saying those words, she looked over at Boromir. The Gondorian suddenly lifted up his head and stared into her eyes. Ezra rose a brow at him. It seemed like he was struggling. But..why? The young Jedi saw tears begin to roll down Boromir's face. The man then began to weep and immediately turned his head away from the Elf. Ezra exchanged glances with Sabine, wondering what that had been about. The Mandalorian shrugged, but looked at Boromir, worriedly.
"What now becomes of this Fellowship?" Celeborn asked the company, "Without Gandalf, hope is lost."
No, Ezra refused to believe that. From his experience with the crew of the Ghost, there was always hope. Heck, rebellions were built on hope! If they had managed to fight the Empire on Lothal for so long, then they could surely take down Sauron.
"The Quest stands upon the edge of a knife," said Galadriel said solemnly, "Stray but a little and it will fail to the ruin of all."
Those words grabbed Ezra's attention all of a sudden. He frowned up at the woman. What she had said sounded...familiar. It wasn't those exact words, but the apprentice felt like he had been warned of that before. Wait. That was the same thing Yoda had said to him in his vision! Surly that couldn't have been a coincidence.
Galadriel's expression lightened and she slowly looked at all of the Fellowship, "Yet, hope remains, while the company is true." She smiled, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Go now and rest, for you are weary with sorrow and much toil. Tonight, you will sleep in peace."
That indeed put their minds at ease. For a peaceful rest was what they all needed right now. Ezra was certain that the arrangements would be to their liking. He didn't care where he slept because he felt safe here. Before they left, however, he noticed that Galadriel was staring at some of the members of the company for a good while.
Finally, after the brief pause, the company was dismissed, tired and ready for a good sleep.
The crew of the Ghost found the sleeping arrangements different, but still welcome. They were given a nice spot on the soft grass beneath one of the large trees. Normally, people like Zeb and Sam would object to such things, but none of them complained. This forest was very different, and they found it a pleasure to sleep under. The Fellowship made camp right below the tree. The four hobbits took out their soft mats and blankets and sprawled them out on the ground. Gimli didn't care how he set up his own bed. He just abruptly threw down a mat and collapsed on it, closing his tired eyes.
While the dwarf instantly fell asleep, the rest of the Fellowship took their time to take out their belongings. Aragorn sharpened his sword while Zeb, Hera, and Rex attended to their weapons. Kanan and Legolas walked along the open grass, thinking to themselves. Ezra did nothing and just leaned back, looking up at the trees. Chopper, who didn't want to help out with anything, purposely shut himself down. Nobody could wake him up, much to Hera's aggravation. Fortunately, Sabine had gotten the astromech's help in accessing the stormtrooper helmet beforehand. She had been sitting down for a couple hours since then, listening to Imperial transmissions. Boromir, meanwhile, walked far off to another tree and just sat there alone.
Kanan had a lot on his mind. Everything that had transpired over the past few days had a big impact on him. The ruin of Moria. The Empire surprisingly being here. The balrog. Gandalf's death. Lothlorien. All of it had not been easy for him. Loss and confusion all rolled into one. Kanan was confused mainly by the Lady Galadriel. A fair woman, to be sure, but a mysterious one too. There was something about her that gave the Jedi Knight mixed feelings. He couldn't put his finger on it. The Force sent so many messages to his mind.
But it wasn't just the Force.
Kanan didn't know whether he should say anything or not, but he had heard a voice inside his head when they had entered Caras Galadhon. Galadriel's voice. He didn't know how, but she had somehow spoke to him in his mind. He wasn't imagining anything, he knew that. Besides, Jedi did not suffer from hallucinations unless it was a test or the work of the Dark Side. Kanan definitely doubted Galadriel was a Sith, though. But still, the voice in his head troubled him. She had surprisingly known so much about him, and he hadn't even met her before!
"I know who you are, Caleb Dume," she had said to him back on the talan. He had reacted with shock, but she then laughed in his head, "Do not be alarmed. You will find no trouble with me. Your story and secrets are safe with me. You have travelled far, Master Jedi."
Kanan had then responded back through his mind, "Forgive me, but I do not go by the title of Master."
Galadriel had smiled at him, "I think we both know that's not true."
Kanan knew that there was nothing that he could hide from her. She knew everything. She knew his past, his mistakes, and his deepest darkest secrets. And yet she still looked upon him with kindness.
"Why are you telling me all this?" he had then asked her.
Galadriel gave him a hard look and said, "Who you were does not matter anymore. What does matter is who you are now. You made a wise decision in helping the Ring Bearer in his Quest. Only a true leader would be brave enough to do such a dangerous thing." She smiled again, although slightly sad, "You may not admit it, but you, like the rest of your companions, still grieve over the loss of Gandalf. Believe me, Caleb Dume, I too mourn for him in my heart. But do not let his passing change your mind about helping this Fellowship. They, as well as your friends, still need that brave leader. They need Kanan Jarrus."
She was right. Kanan knew that what she had said was true. Jedi had been trained to bury their emotions, for the fear of loss was a path to the Dark Side. But that didn't mean that the emotion wasn't there. Kanan had tried so hard to accept Gandalf's passing, but in reality, with the wizard gone, he had been wondering how they could go on in the Quest. Aragorn was the new leader, but that didn't mean he couldn't have help.
Galadriel had not said anything else to him after that, but her words had still lingered in Kanan's mind all this time.
Just then, the Jedi was taken out of his train of thought when a beautiful melody filled the air. Legolas stopped too, and looked up. Those were Elves singing, alright. And it was coming from the top of the trees. The others heard it too, and just listened for a few minutes without any comment.
Legolas finally recognized what it was, "A lament to Gandalf."
Merry rose a curious brow, "What do they say about him?"
"I have not the heart to tell you," Legolas replied sadly, "for me the grief is still too near."
The hobbit didn't bother to press the question. He too agreed with the Elf, as did every member of the Fellowship. The Elves were kind enough to give this lament to Gandalf, and it was very nice to listen to.
"Bet they don't mention his fireworks," Sam remarked as he finished setting his bed, "They should do verses about them."
That brought Kanan memories of when they first came to Middle Earth. When they had arrived at Hobbiton, the first thing they ever saw was Gandalf's fireworks shooting into the air.
"I remember those," Rex commented, adjusting one of his twin blasters, "They were indeed very impressive from what I saw of them." He then chuckled, "I also remember Zeb ducking for cover at the sight of them."
The Lasat, who was putting down his bo-rifle, sighed annoyingly, "Oh, you just had to bring that up, didn't you?"
Ezra joined in the laugh, "That was hilarious. Zeb, you should've seen the look on your face when they burst and you realized what they actually were."
Zeb clenched his fist and showed it to the young Jedi, "I'll burst you if you don't shut up!"
Rex and Ezra just laughed, not looking the least bit threatened. However, after a few minutes, the laughter died down and things became quiet again.
"Actually," Sam suddenly said, "That's not a bad line." He then stood up and began to say a verse that he made up at the top of his head, "The finest rockets ever seen. They burst into stars of blue and green-"
Everybody heard snoring come out of nowhere, and they looked back and saw it was Gimli. Aragorn frowned disappointedly at him and slapped him awake.
"And after that," Sam continued, "silver showers...came falling like a...ray of flowers." He then sat down and shook his head, "Oh that doesn't do any justice at all."
Hera smiled at the hobbit and nodded her head, "Actually, I think it does, Sam. That was very beautiful."
Sam looked at her and smiled back, although a bit shyly, "Thank you, Miss Hera."
After putting down his sword, Aragorn then stood up and took a walk around the area. None of the others asked where he was going, and instead began to relax. Sleep was starting to come over them. However, Hera noticed that Kanan was still walking about as well. The Jedi Knight had his hands folded behind his back, and his head was lowered in thought. The Twi'lek got up and walked beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"You should get some rest, love," she said quietly, "We've all earned it."
Kanan shrugged, "Eh, maybe later. I think I might just need some time to myself."
Hera frowned and crossed her arms over her chest, "Uh oh."
Kanan turned around and faced her, "Uh oh what?"
The Twi'lek rose a brow and tilted her head, "When you ask for alone time, that usually means something's bothering you."
Kanan sighed. At least Hera was no mind reader like Galadriel. Although, if she were in the Elf's place, she'd probably be ten times better at the job. Hera knew him too well, and it was as impossible to keep secrets from her as it was with Galadriel. And Kanan knew he could tell her anything. That was one of the reasons why they were such a great team.
"Nothing's necessarily bugging me," he finally said, "I'm just thinking about what Galadriel said to me."
Hera looked confused, "What do you mean? She didn't say anything to you. I was there, I saw everything."
Kanan held up a hand and let out a slight laugh, "Okay, this might sound a little crazy, but somehow, someway, she was able to speak to me in my head. And she knew a lot of things about me."
Both of Hera's brows raised when she heard that, "Wait, seriously? What all did she know?"
Kanan shrugged, "Basically the same amount of stuff that you already know." He then made a passive wave with his hand, "But that all doesn't matter now. She's put me back on track and everything's fine."
Now it was Hera's turn to hold up her hand, "Wait a minute. What do you mean by 'back on track?'"
Kanan wanted to kick himself, but he knew he couldn't turn back now. He had already said too much. He had to tell the truth to somebody.
The Jedi Knight knelt on the ground, and Hera followed suite. But she kept on staring at him, waiting for a response. She wasn't going to stop asking until he started talking. Kanan reassured himself that he needed to do this, so he finally said it.
"After Gandalf fell, I was starting to lose faith in this Quest," he said regretfully, "Well, more than that, actually. I was beginning to lose faith in keeping all of you safe. You're the only family I've got, and when I saw the wizard fall into the abyss, I felt afraid. I felt like..."
He paused, not sure why he couldn't bring himself to say the next words.
"Like what, Kanan?" Hera asked softly.
Kanan closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "I felt like the coward I was when I abandoned my master and the rest of the Jedi Order. I lost hope. And I was wanting to run. Run from this Quest. Run from this planet. Run from everything. I wanted to get all of you as far away from this as possible."
He felt ashamed to admit it. Hera could tell that he felt guilty over that. But despite hearing what he had said, it didn't change her opinion of him. He was still the greatest friend she had ever known. And it was touching that he could actually be honest with her about how he felt. Without saying a word at first, Hera pulled Kanan into a tight embrace. The Jedi just held her there in his arms and couldn't say anything.
"Kanan," Hera said reassuringly, "It's human to be afraid. There is absolutely nothing to feel ashamed about. I understand how you feel. When I saw Gandalf die, I even questioned the purpose of this journey too." She then pulled back and ran her hand along his cheek, "But you know what changed my mind?" She pointed around her, "Our friends and their homes. I thought about what would happen to them if we didn't try to finish this. I thought about how their homes would burn and their families be slaughtered by the evil of Mordor. That's when I remembered who I was. A rebel. A rebel fighting for the people. Fighting for what was right. For freedom. Like you told me, Gandalf's death won't be in vein. We will destroy the ring. We will return to our home. We will save these people."
They both looked at each other for a few seconds. But finally, Kanan nodded and smiled at her. They couldn't say anything else, but no more words needed to be said. Then, they both heard somebody running. They looked to their right and saw Sabine rushing up to them.
"Hey," the Mandalorian said, pointing back, "I found something that I think you might want to listen to."
Kanan and Hera glanced at each other before jumping to their feet and following her back. Sabine had already taken the liberty of getting Zeb, Ezra, Rex, and Chopper up. None of them looked the least bit thrilled of being dragged out of bed, especially since they just got in it. Sabine led the crew behind the large tree and made sure that the rest of the Fellowship couldn't hear them.
Then, when she was positive the coast was clear, the Mandalorian plugged Chopper into the stormtrooper helmet.
Zeb crossed his arms and scowled, "This better be important since you're depriving me of my precious sleep."
"Oh it's important," Sabine instantly nodded reassuringly, "What I've found is big."
Hera tilted her head, "Okay, what is it?"
Sabine turned to them and began to speak, "Okay, so I was thinking that since the bucketheads we encountered in Moria seemed to know the place inside out, then it could only mean one thing: They must've been here for years. So instead of listening to the Empire's most recent transmissions, I decided to go back at least four years."
She then tapped something on the side of Chopper's head. The astromech immediately twitched in response and then showed a hologram of the Imperial symbol.
"Listen to this," Sabine said, crossing her arms.
An Imperial officer's voice suddenly started speaking on the hologram, "All units man your stations and await further orders. We have a prisoner transfer heading to the Star Destroyer, Sovereign. A possible rescue is probable.."
There was sudden static on the transmission and the hologram suddenly fizzled out.
Ezra frowned and narrowed his eyes, "The Star Destroyer, Sovereign? That ship sounds strangely familiar."
Sabine nodded, and jerked her finger at the empty hologram, "It should. That's Governor Tarkin's Star Destroyer!"
Hera shook her head, confusedly, "I don't follow. We blew up Tarkin's Star Destroyer when we rescued Kanan from Mustafar."
Sabine held up a finger, "Exactly. Remember, this was four years ago. And who do you think that prisoner was that they were talking about?"
Kanan's eyes widened in realization, "It's me!"
The Jedi Knight was beginning to suspect what the Mandalorian was already suspecting.
"We know Tarkin had escaped the system via shuttle," Sabine said with a shocked expression, "but guys, I know this might sound crazy, but I think these stormtroopers were from the fleet over Mustafar!"
"What?!" Rex exclaimed in shock. "But how?!"
Hera snapped her fingers and nodded, "It makes sense. Moria was crawling with Imperials. And they seemed to be working with Sauron and Saruman. But there has to be more than from where that came from. Maybe there are more troops stationed both at Isengard and Mordor."
Kanan nodded, "Most likely."
Ezra whistled and wiped his hand across his forehead, "Well...this is a lot to take in."
Sabine cleared her throat and then spoke again, "There is actually some good news to all of this."
Zeb looked at the Mandalorian in disbelief, "How can there be good news?!"
A small hopeful smile came to Sabine's face, surprising everyone, "If this is the fleet from Mustafar, then you can expect that they came here the same way we did. That means, that somewhere in Middle Earth, most likely in Mordor, there is a bunch of crashed Star Destroyers. They might not be flyable, but I'm pretty sure that there are some functional parts within the ships that could be useful to us, which means-"
Hera's eyes went wide, "We can fix the Ghost!"
That news immediately raised the crew's hopes. They couldn't believe it! Could they actually repair the ship and get home?! This was the best news they have had in days!
Zeb stumbled back against the tree and grinned, "Okay, that is some good news."
For so long, the crew of the Ghost had begun to believe that they would never get home. But this newfound information restored those hopes. And they couldn't be more happier. As they returned to bed that night, they did so finding that they had another purpose for the Quest.
Their way home lied waiting in Mordor.