Chapter 31: The Mirror of Hayley

The Fellowship was asleep. Shining with soft white light, a figure in a flowing dress walked by them. Ethan woke up with a start as though by some invisible sign…

He saw Hayley, gliding past Elven statues among the trees, frozen amid their merriment in the dark night; she looked neither to the right or left nor made any apparent sign.

Ethan proceeded to follow her, as though beckoned…

As Ethan continued to walk away from the sleeping Fellowship, being beckoned by Hayley,

Hayley continued to glide softly, past Elven statues among the trees, and walked down a set of steps, descending to her garden in a glade. Ethan slowly followed her down to the garden.

At Hayley's glade, Hayley slowly filled a silver ewer with water from a trickling stream. Hayley turned to Ethan as she stood before an ornate stand with a shallow silver basin upon it.

"I see that you have come Ethan," said Hayley.

Ethan nodded in response.

"Will you look into the mirror, Ethan?" asked Hayley.

Ethan proceeded towards Hayley as he asked, "what will I see?"

Hayley stepped up to the basin as she answers, "even the wisest cannot tell. For the mirror… shows many things…"

She began pouring the water slowly into the basin…

"…Things that were…

"…Things that are…

"…And some things… "

Hayley emptied the water from the ewer into the basin and slowly stepped away…

"…That have not yet come to pass," Hayley finished.

Ethan, out of reluctant curiosity, slowly stepped up onto a low platform below the mirror to take a look. Ethan was the only one whom Hayley welcomed to look into her mirror…

Ethan began peering down… but saw nothing but his reflection. The Hobbit looked up at Hayley for a moment. The She-Elf nodded her assurance to Ethan. Then, Ethan peered down into the mirror again.

The mirror cleared… and showed visions of Dustin… Merry and Blake… and Conner, whom were all watching Ethan with reproachful expressions on their faces…

Then, the vision changed…

And the Green Dragon Inn appeared in the ripples, green and cheery as it ever had been…

Then… fires belched up, flaming from windows and doors, as Orcs were chasing… and killing Hobbits for sport and pleasure.

This vision alone… has made Ethan gasp in great fear and horror with wide, fearful eyes…

The vision became more horrifying… as grey skies and many dark hills were shouldered with machinery and industry throughout the Shire…

An Orc's whip lashed very roughly and painfully onto one of the Hobbits… as a line of Hobbits were driven into a mill to work by slave-masterly Orcs…

Everything Ethan knew to be great, green and good in the world… was reduced to a barren wasteland that was just as barren as Mordor and Isengard…

Suddenly…

The Eye of Sauron filled the mirror, closing menacingly in on Ethan…

The ring, hanging from Ethan's neck, pulled him closer to the water… towards Sauron…

Steam began to curl up from the basin as Sauron spoke to Ethan in his dark, ghastly tongue…

The ring hanged in the pit of blackness within the fires of the Eye, as it continued pulling itself, along with Ethan… towards the fiery eye…

Terrified, Ethan quickly grabbed the ring… and jerked back, throwing himself off the step and landing on his back on the Grass.

Hayley spoke to Ethan, "…I know what it is you saw."

Ethan gasped, hearing Hayley's statement. The Hobbit picked himself off of the ground, facing her.

"…For it is also in my mind," Hayley added.

"…Destruction," replied Hayley, "…and death."

Hayley went on, communicating her thoughts, "Ethan's apocalyptic vision is but a mere example of what will befall your world as it will befall in this world."

"…It is what will come to pass," Hayley continued further, "…if you should fail. The Fellowship is breaking. It has already begun. He will try to take the ring. You know of whom I speak…

"…You should also be wary… of your other companions' desires for the ring… as well as your own desires for the ring yourselves…

"…One by one… it will destroy you all," Hayley concluded.

Ethan completely and unconditionally agreed with Hayley's warnings. The frightened Hobbit slowly proceeded toward Hayley…

"…If you ask it of me," thought Ethan to Hayley, as he held out his hand, showing the ring to her, "…I will give you the One Ring."

Ethan was actually offering the ring to her.

Ethan waited for Hayley's next move as her hand was nearly over his open hand that has the ring in it…

But then…

Hayley's image began to change, "…in place of a dark lord, you would have a QUEEN!"

Hayley suddenly towered over Ethan, her cloak running ragged in a sudden wind, her eyes like dark hollows, arms flung high, and her hair billowed around her. As though underwater, the glade became murky and green.

Hayley ominously added… "NOT DARK, BUT BEAUTIFUL AND TERRIBLE AS THE DAWN! TREACHEROUS AS THE SEA…! "

Ethan backed away in fright.

"…STRONGER THAN THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE EARTH! ALL SHALL LOVE ME AND DESPAIR…!"

Then…

Hayley let her arms slowly fall, as the great, dark, murky light faded… and the pitilessness of her image disappeared. Ethan, as Well.

Hayley backed away from the ring. But for a moment… she looked old, and it seemed to bring her no joy to have done the right thing.

Breathing heavily, Hayley turned away from Ethan and smiled saying, "I passed the test. I will diminish, and go into the west, and remain Hayley."

"I cannot do this alone," said a troubled Ethan.

Hayley turned back toward Ethan.

"You are a ringbearer, Ethan," Hayley stated, "to bear a ring of power… is to be alone."

Hayley lifted her hand to show Ethan and the others… an adorned silver-lined ring on her finger

"This is Nenya, the ring of Adamant," she announced to them, "and I am its keeper."

Hayley then turned back to Ethan as she went on, "this task… was appointed to you. And if you do not find a way…

"…No one will," she concluded fatefully.

"Then I know what I must do," resolved Ethan.

Ethan look at Hayley once more.

"…I'm afraid to do it," he finished

Hayley crouched down to meet Ethan at eye-level.

"…Even the smallest person can change the course of the future," Hayley assured the uncertain Hobbit.

With that, Ethan tightly re-clutched the ring into his hand.