Chapter 16: The Ancient Forest of Elves
The elves took them further into the forest. They lowered their bows once it was made clear none of them were going to resist, but they moved in formation around their group, preventing any chance of escape.
They walked until nightfall. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a silvery rope ladder descended, and the elf in charge gestured for them to climb up. The ladder led to a platform of gray wood, where a few other elves were waiting.
Toven looked around, curious—he hadn't thought that elves actually lived in trees.
The rest of the Fellowship gathered near the edge of the platform, and the leader of the party of elves stood and addressed them.
"Mae govannen, Legolas Thranduilion," he said, extending a hand to Legolas in greeting.
"Govannas vîn gwennen le, Haldir o Lórien," Legolas replied.
"A Aragorn in Dúnedain istannen le ammen." The elf, apparently named Haldir, turned to Aragorn next.
Aragorn returned the gesture of greeting.
"So much for the legendary courtesy of the elves," Gimli said. "Speak words we can all understand!"
Toven glanced at the dwarf. His Sindarin was rusty enough that he was having a little trouble keeping up, but as far as he could tell, they were only exchanging greetings.
Haldir looked down at Gimli, his lip curling slightly. "We have not had dealings with the dwarves since the Dark Days."
"And you know what this dwarf says to that?" Gimli said. "Îsh kakhfê ai'd dur-rugnul."
Toven suppressed a sigh. He knew Gimli was still grieving over what had happened in Moria, but that didn't mean he could say such vulgar things to strangers.
Quinn put a hand on Gimli's shoulder. "That's Khuzdul for, 'I'm really glad to be here, and I hope you have a good evening.' Right, Gimli?"
He merely grumbled and brushed her hand off.
Haldir arched an eyebrow, but he said nothing more on the matter as his eyes swept across the rest of their group. His gaze lingered on Frodo, who was standing near the back. "You bring great evil with you." He turned to Aragorn. "You can go no further."
With that, he turned on his heel and went to confer with his companions. Aragorn muttered something under his breath and followed him. The two of them began arguing in Sindarin, their voices low enough that Toven could only catch a few words.
The others began to settle down, weary from their journey. Toven sat at the edge of the platform, his legs dangling over the edge. He didn't know what the elves planned to do with them, but he hoped they would at least afford their Fellowship a full night of rest.
The wood creaked slightly as Quinn sat next to him. "Hey."
He nodded to her. His anger was mostly embers now, but it still stung every time he remembered Moria.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"Okay as I can be," he replied, scratching the bandage on his arm.
Quinn let out a short sigh. "Look, if I hadn't gone after that Balrog, it would have cornered us and killed us. I wasn't about to let that happen."
"So you decided to run off and get yourself killed," he said, glaring out at the shimmering leaves.
"No. I was just distracting it so I could buy you all some time. I-I had it under control."
Toven reached over and grabbed her arm, holding up the burned flesh. "Was this under control? You saw what that thing did to Gandalf."
"Technically, he fell of a bridge."
Anger and exasperation flared with his breath. "You could have fallen, too. You could have been burned to ash, and we never would have known. You would have me look out for my own safety while you have so little regard for your own."
His voice was nearly at a shout, and he realized the platform had fallen silent. The others were staring at them, including some of the elves.
"Oh, yeah, why don't we get the audience's opinion?" Quinn glared at them. "You guys have anything to add?"
Everyone hastily turned away.
Quinn turned back to him and lowered her voice. "I've been trying to tell you this. It's not the same for you and me. I'm going to be gone soon, but you have so much more life to live. If it comes down to a choice between me and you, I'm going to choose you."
There was a fear and desperation in her eyes that he hadn't seen in a long time, and it unnerved him. So often, she spent her energy smiling and cracking jokes, and it was easy to forget about the burdens and worries she carried.
"I just can't lose you." After a moment's hesitation, Quinn leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him.
Toven leaned his head against her shoulder and shut his eyes. There was more to be said between them, but now didn't seem like the right moment. For now, it was enough that they were both safe.
They spent the night on the platform, in the middle of swaying boughs, and in the morning, Haldir and the other elves brought them further into the forest. Whatever Aragorn had said on their behalf, it seemed to have worked.
After about a day's travel, as the sun was beginning to set, they reached a ridge overlooking a wide dip between two hills. At the center was a small hill covered in tall green trees. Even in the orange light, the trees looked full and old.
Quinn nodded in appreciation. She'd gone with some friends to see the redwoods up in northern California (and had subsequently been banned from the park), and the trees here kind of reminded her of the ones back home.
"Caras Galadhon. The heart of Elvendom on Earth," Haldir said. "Realm of the Lord Celeborn and of Galadriel, Lady of Light."
He led them down the ridge, and by nightfall, they'd reached the hill. Quinn realized the trees were a lot bigger up close, some of them twenty or thirty feet in diameter. Their strong gray roots spread far beneath their trunks, but there were several stone and wood paths that wound between them.
"This is amazing." Quinn tilted her head back to look at the gold-tinted leaves high above. Every elven realm she visited had something new to surprise her. She moved up next to Haldir, who was walking at the front of the procession. Once they'd entered Caras Galadhon, most of the other elves had dispersed to other parts of the forest. "So, do you live in the trees here?"
Haldir glanced at her. "We make our homes within the trees and on the forest floor."
"So, how do you get around? Seems like a lot of climbing."
"We have stairs and bridges that connect the talan." Haldir gestured upwards.
As Quinn looked around, she could see stairs lit by lanterns winding around the massive trunks. "Have you considered zip lines?"
He tilted his head. "What are zip lines?"
She grinned at him. "I'm about to change your life, my friend."
Haldir gave her a sidelong glance, like he was sizing her up. "Where do you hail from? I have never seen armor such as yours before."
"I'm from a place out west." She shrugged. "You probably haven't heard of it."
"And what of your…companion?" His gaze flickered to the ghostly form of Belekur, who was walking alongside them with silent footsteps.
Quinn had almost forgotten that elves could see them. "Oh, Belekur? That's my identical twin who I absorbed in the womb, and now they follow me around as a ghost."
Haldir gave one of the slowest blinks she'd ever seen. "I don't…"
She nudged his shoulder. "I'm just messing with you. The truth is actually way weirder."
Blinking rapidly, Haldir turned to face the front for a moment. Then he swiveled to face the rest of the group, gesturing to the huge gray tree ahead of them. "Here dwell Celeborn and Galadriel. It is their wish that you should ascend and speak with them." He started towards the base of the stairs that wrapped around the trunk.
Quinn let herself fall behind. Whoops. I think I scared him a little.
It was a long climb up the stairs, which spiraled upwards until the boughs of the surrounding trees completely obscured the ground. Quinn glanced nervously over the edge. She wondered why they hadn't invested in some handrails yet—one drunken misstep at this height would basically mean falling to your death.
Eventually, they reached an open-air building not unlike the ones at Rivendell, though this one was made entirely of gray wood and glistened with several lanterns. Haldir led them to a wide room with a tree trunk growing through the center and large leaves scattered about the floor. Directly in front of them was a set of stairs, and Haldir gestured for them to stop and wait.
The room began to grow brighter as two elves descended the stairs. At first, Quinn thought one of them was holding a lantern or something, but then she realized the one on the right was literally glowing.
She was stunning. Her hair fell in soft golden waves down her shoulders, framing a face that seemed wise and timeless, but at the same time showed no sign of aging. All elves had some form of unnatural beauty, but this one looked like a goddess. Quinn realized her mouth was open, and snapped it shut.
"The enemy knows you have entered here," said the other elf, his voice grave and deep. Quinn assumed this was Celeborn, and the other was Galadriel. "What hope you had in secrecy is now gone." His eyes swept over their group. "Ten there are here, yet eleven 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."
A weight settled in her chest, bringing her back to reality. Most of the people she'd met had at least heard of Gandalf. And no one outside of their group knew that he was gone.
"Gandalf the Gray did not pass the borders of this land," Galadriel spoke. Her voice was soft, yet resonated with power. "He has fallen into Shadow."
Celeborn glanced at her, but Galadriel's gaze was far off, as though she was looking at something several miles away.
"He was taken by both Shadow and Flame," Legolas said. "A Balrog of Morgoth. For we went needlessly into the net of Moria."
"Needless were none of the deeds of Gandalf in life. We do not yet know his full purpose." She turned to Gimli. "Do not let the great emptiness of Khazad-dûm fill your heart, Gimli, son of Glóin." A small, kind smile lit up her face. "For the world has grown full of peril, and in all lands, love is now mingled with grief." She shifted her gaze to Boromir, who turned pale.
Is she a mind reader or something? Quinn shifted, feeling strangely vulnerable. I didn't know elves could do that.
She looked up, meeting Galadriel's piercing blue gaze, and she swore if her heart was still working, it would have skipped a beat. She heard Galadriel's voice, but this time it echoed within her head, as if coming from an invisible pair of headphones.
You have come to this land from far away, young warrior. From a world very different to our own.
Yeah, she thought back, trying not to get weirded out. This wasn't the first time she'd spoken to a voice in her head, after all. Wait, can you read my thoughts? Like, all of them?
Quinn swore she could feel her face heating up as she tried to run interference in her own head. She definitely wasn't thinking any inappropriate thoughts about any elves in the room. She was obviously thinking of something else. Now she just had to think of something else to think about.
"Uh, I like your dress."
She didn't realize she'd spoken out loud until everyone turned to look at her. Galadriel smiled gently but said nothing, not even telepathically. There was a moment of silence, in which Quinn considered jumping off the edge of the platform.
"What now becomes of this Fellowship?" Celeborn asked, finally breaking the silence. "Without Gandalf, hope is lost."
"The quest stands upon the edge of a knife," Galadriel said. "Stray but a little, and it will fail, to the ruin of all. Yet hope remains while the Company is true. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Go now and rest, for you are weary with much sorrow and toil. Tonight, you will sleep."
Legolas and Aragorn nodded in thanks, and Haldir led them out of the room and back down the stairs.
Toven caught up to her as they walked. "Did Galadriel speak to you? Like, inside your mind?"
Quinn suppressed a groan and shook her head. "I don't wanna talk about it."
They were given a spot to rest on the forest floor, much to the relief of Gimli and the hobbits. It was partially sheltered by large tree roots and a couple of canopies, but still open enough that they could see some of the walkways and lanterns above.
As they all settled down for the night, a haunting chorus of voices filtered through the trees.
Quinn sat up from where she was leaning against one of the roots. "What is that?"
"A lament for Gandalf," Legolas said. He was standing at the edge of their camp, staring up into the trees.
"What do they say about him?" Merry asked.
"I have not the heart to tell you," Legolas said softly. "For me, the grief is still too near."
It didn't show on his face. He'd been calm and composed the entire time since they'd left Moria. But Quinn guessed elves felt things differently, or at least expressed their emotions differently.
"I bet they don't mention his fireworks," Sam said as he finished setting up his bedroll. "Should be a verse about them." He rose to his feet and turned to the rest of them. "The finest rockets ever seen, they burst in stars of blue and green. Or, after thunder, silver showers came falling like a…rain of flowers. Oh, that doesn't do them justice by a long road." He sat down again.
Quinn nudged his foot. "I thought it was good. You should write it down."
He gave her a small, grateful smile.
She leaned her head back against the root. She knew the others needed time to rest and recover, but sitting here after weeks of traveling was making her strangely restless. This place felt like some timeless fairy land, so different from the dark desolation of Moria.
And she couldn't stop thinking about her dead friends.
"I'm gonna take a walk." Quinn pushed herself to her feet. "If I don't come back in a couple hours, I probably got lost."
Toven waved goodbye. "See you in a week."
She smiled to herself as she walked away. At least the two of them were on speaking terms again.
She wandered aimlessly, sticking to the stone paths that wound beneath the trees. This place was definitely bigger than Rivendell, the spaces between the trees stretching out into a gentle, dark fog. There was something undeniably magical about this place—she wasn't sure if it was the lanterns glowing above or the strange color of the trees, but it felt strangely dream-like.
"Quinn?"
She turned around, and her face broke into a grin. "Tauriel!"
"What are you—" Tauriel broke off with a surprised laugh as Quinn sprinted to her and lifted her into a hug. "It's good to see you, too."
"Man, I am so glad to see you." Quinn put her down, but held onto her for a moment longer before releasing her. "What are you doing here?"
"I was about to ask you the same." Tauriel smiled and offered her arm to Quinn. "Come on."
They started down one of the forest paths, arms linked.
"Is Kíli here?" Quinn asked.
"No. He remains in Erebor. I came here to seek counsel from the Lady Galadriel."
"Why?" Quinn stopped walking. "Is everything okay?"
Tauriel shook her head, her expression somber. "My scouts have reported movement in Dol Guldur. We fear the orcs are gathering their forces there, preparing to launch another attack."
"Man." Quinn shook her head. "I thought we cleared that place out."
"The orcs are rallying, and the clouds above Mordor grow darker." Her brow furrowed. "After the Battle of the Five Armies, the forces of Mirkwood were weakened. I fear we may not be able to withstand another assault, even with Erebor's assistance."
"Shit." Quinn ran a hand through her hair. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize this was happening, I just—"
"What happened to your arm?" Tauriel grasped her right hand, pulling it closer. Quinn had taken off her bracer once they'd made camp, and the burns were clearly visible beneath the tattered fabric of her sleeve.
"Oh, that?" Quinn laughed nervously. "You should see the other guy."
Tauriel ran her fingers over the burn. It didn't hurt anymore, but her skin felt strangely stiff. "I thought your body didn't sustain wounds for long."
"Usually it doesn't, but this thing was bad news." Quinn let her hand drop back to her side as Tauriel released it. "A Balrog. That was the thing that…that killed Gandalf."
Tauriel's eyes widened a fraction. "So it is true. You lost the wizard in Moria."
They'd lost more than the wizard. Quinn turned away as a pang cracked across her chest. "We wouldn't have made it out without him." She shook her head, trying to think of something else. "Oh, by the way, Legolas is here. Have you seen him yet?"
"I have not."
"Yeah, we're with a few other people—and Toven. You remember him, right?"
Tauriel nodded with a smile, and they started walking again.
"You should come meet everyone." Quinn took her arm again. "I think they'd be happy to see you."
"And what is it that brings you to Lothlórien?"
"Uh…" She hesitated. Aragorn had made it very clear to her that they weren't supposed to tell anyone about the true purpose of their mission, or what Frodo carried. "It's kind of a secret. I wish I could tell you, but—"
"I understand," Tauriel said. "And I'm impressed you have the strength to hold your tongue."
"Oh, haha." Quinn bumped her with her shoulder. "But seriously, if we manage to go through with this, it's going to make a lot of things easier for everyone else."
"Then we will engage the enemy until that may come to pass."
The image of the darkened tomb flashed in her mind's eye again, and Quinn frowned. "I could help you. If Mirkwood needs more fighters, I could come back with you."
"No." Tauriel took her hand and squeezed it. "If the purpose of your company is as important as you say, then your place is with them. We will be able to endure without you."
"Are you sure?" A lump grew in her throat as she imagined the rest of her friends—Fíli, Kíli, Nori—lying dead beneath the Lonely Mountain. "If you think you're going to get overwhelmed, then…"
"We will fight, as we always have." Green fire flashed in her eyes. "I will not allow King Thranduil to run from another battle, and I know Erebor will stand with me."
"I believe you." She sighed. "I just wish there was some way I could be in two places at once."
Tauriel smirked. "Then all of Middle-earth would fear you."
"You better believe they would." Quinn tugged on Tauriel's hand, leading her back the way she'd come. "Come on, let me introduce you to the rest of the gang. We have four hobbits now."