Chapter 3

Holly trudged along through the forest, following 'captors' (or so she had mentally dubbed them, despite their protestations to the contrary). She made no attempt to make conversation, knowing full well that only Haldir spoke her language and she had very little desire to listen to his surliness at the moment. Perhaps he did not think she had heard his earlier comment about how long she took to get down from the tree, but she had. She may be an elf, and she knew very little about what that meant, but she could see that elves clearly had no problem jumping off a flimsy wooden platform thirty feet in the air. She grumbled to herself as they walked. They had been walking for several hours at this point, and though Holly felt like she ought to be tiring, she was not. She noted with no small amount of smugness that she had been keeping up with Haldir's speedy pace quite well.

Gradually, Holly felt herself relax. Despite the fact that she had really no idea where she was, what had happened to her or how to get back, this forest had a wonderfully soothing effect on her. Holly had always loved the forest. She loved the knowledge that the trees had been there long before her and would outlive her. She loved thinking about whose feet had followed these worn paths before her, and who would follow her steps someday. There was something immortal about the forest, and this forest was no exception. Impulsively, she spoke,

"Does this forest have a name?" she inquired softly, almost to herself. Haldir turned to look back at her quizzically.

"Lothlórien." he answered simply.

Lothlórien. The sound of it permeated her mind, repeating itself over and over, familiarizing her brain with the name.

"That's lovely. Does it mean something in your language?" she asked. Haldir stopped abruptly, and turned to face her. She expected him to sigh in frustration at a second interruption of their progress, but instead his face softened as he answered,

"Yes," he glanced around him as though contemplating its meaning himself, "It means 'Dreamflower'".

Holly smiled. That seemed a fitting name, she thought. She certainly felt as though she was in a dream world, and the forest floor was littered with white flowers and sprawling ferns. They walked a little while longer and Holly could gradually make out the sound of a slow-flowing river. She was looking forward to refilling the small water skin that Taurnil (the name of the other elf, as she had learned along their journey) had handed to her some hours ago.

She thought they were approaching the river quickly, but it was only after another twenty or so minutes of walking at a steady pace that they came across it. The river was narrow here, small enough to cross by foot, but down the stream she could see it widen, miles in the distance. Haldir stopped at the river bank and bent over to fill his water skin. Holly followed suit, filling it to the brim and shutting it tightly. She cupped her hands in the cool, clear water and let the crystalline stream fill them. She brought her hands to her lips and drank deeply. The water was pure and cool. Holly felt quite refreshed. Beside her, Haldir did the same. She observed him as he drank. His hair was long and still pulled back behind his ears. She stared at his ears and absentmindedly felt her own. He was tall, she remarked, very tall. She was not such a good judge of height, but he must have been well over six feet. Holly herself was no pixie at five-foot-eight-inches, but Haldir had towered over her earlier. He was well muscled, she noticed. His face was noble and defined. His eyes were grey, perhaps grey-green but she could nto tell from this distance, and his brow was furrowed in a serious expression. He always seemed so serious. She wondered what he looked like when he smiled.

Holly was shaken out of her observational state by a sharp intake of breath and a quiet hiss from Haldir. He clutched his arm in pain and Holly again noticed the blood seeping through the arm of his tunic.

"Are you alright?" she asked him simply, eyes flicking to his wound and back to his face. He nodded,

"Yes, it is a small wound. I shall have it attended to when we reach the city." his words were restrained and she could see that the cut pained him more than he would likely admit.

Typical, she thought.

"What happened?" Holly asked, walking closer to him to get a better look at the cut. She reached out a hand to inspect it, but Haldir moved away from her touch quickly.

"A glancing orc arrow. Fortunately, it was not poisoned. It rather stings, however." his lips formed a grim line as he cocked his head to look at his own arm. He brought his other hand up to pull at the fabric around the open wound and, though Holly thought it impossible, furrowed his brows even further.

"Do you have anything to bind it?" she looked to Taurnil and Rúmil, neither of which seemed to be carrying supplies. Haldir shook his head,

"No, we were not expecting any enemies. We were out checking the outer posts when we ran into a small band of orcs. We finished them quickly, but this arrow seemed to come from nowhere," he lamented, as though disappointed in himself, "It is no matter, I shall live."

Was that almost a joke? She thought to ask what orcs were, but decided that they did not sound pleasant.

Holly looked at the ground and at all the various flowers growing by the riverbank. She spotted the dainty white flower with its bright yellow centre and jagged petals easily. Feverfew!

She bent down and plucked the flower from the ground. Haldir looked at her, puzzled. She then looked down at her thin cotton top. The sleeves loosened at the elbow and flowed down to her wrists. She grabbed a fistful of fabric and tore the bottom part of her sleeve off at the seam. "Sit."

Haldir raised an arched eyebrow at her command. He was not used to being ordered around. Holly rolled her eyes and proffered her hands, one containing the little white flower and the other containing the remnants of her sleeve, "Please? I will clean and treat it." he did not seem convinced, "This plant is feverfew, it will combat the inflammation."

He considered her offer for a moment before quickly pulling off his tunic and sitting down on a large boulder by the river's edge. He wore another shirt underneath, a thin linen chemise, open at the neck with loosened laces. He pulled the shoulder of the chemise down to reveal the angry, red wound on his upper arm. Holly tore up the pieces of feverfew and wet them with water from the river. She wished for her mortar and pestle, a little bit of vitamin E ointment, honey and some calendula, which would make a very effective antiseptic, anti-inflammatory salve, but her crude paste of feverfew and river water would have to do for now. Holly opened her water skin and poured some of the water over Haldir's wound. He winced, but he did not move.

"Sorry." she muttered, letting the water wash over his cut until the liquid ran clear. The wound, looking sufficiently clean, could now be bound. Holly knelt in front of him and leaned in closer to apply the paste to his arm. Careful not to press too hard and hurt him, she softly patted the mixture in with her fingertips. Haldir could barely feel her feather-light touch.

She pressed the last of the paste in softly and prepared the strip of fabric that was once her sleeve. She moistened it in the river. Best to keep the paste wet, she thought. Haldir raised his arm obligingly and Holly wrapped the damp fabric around his upper arm. She leaned across his chest to tie the material in a tight knot at the back of his arm. She could feel his muscles tighten underneath her touch. Holly looked over her work one last time before getting up from her knees and brushing off her pants.

"There, good as new." she said matter-of-factly. Haldir eyed the bandage with a look of approval. He had not heard of this plant being used for medicinal purposes before.

"This is well-done." he stated, nodding slightly, "Thank you. But now, we must continue. Once we cross the river Celebrant we are but a mile from Caras Galadhon."

Holly nodded and washed her hands in the river and refilled her water skin. Rúmil came to her and touched her arm lightly. She turned around to face him and he was smiling brightly.

Man, these elves were handsome when they smiled.

"Le hannon." he said, but she could not understand. Holly looked at Haldir for a translation,

"He says 'thank you'," Haldir offered. "Rúmil is my brother. He was needlessly concerned about my arm."

Well, that would explain the striking, handsome resemblance.

Holly smiled at Rúmil, "You're welcome, Rúmil."

He seemed to understand and he bowed his head at her with a smile, before continuing off to follow his brother. Rúmil chatted away at Haldir as they walked. Taurnil remained silent and watchful behind her. Still, Holly could sense that they had relaxed somewhat as they approached their home.

And maybe I earned a bit of their trust?

Suddenly, Holly could see a great golden gate before them. It was surrounded by trees and branches grew into and intertwined with the bars. Haldir stood in front of their group and the gates opened for him. As they entered, Holly was awed by the beauty of the city. It was unlike any city she had ever seen. The buildings were built high into the trees, not unlike the small guard post she had awaken in, and made accessible by an intricate network of winding staircases. It was growing dark and the sun was low on the horizon, but the city was illuminated by the light of hundreds of lanterns of green, gold and silver light.

Holly was awestruck by its beauty. Haldir glanced back at her to see her expression. Visitors to the Golden Wood were rare; he was proud of his homeland and enjoyed the look of amazement on her face. Rúmil and Taurnil parted ways, then, and Haldir turned to speak to her,

"The Lady Galadriel informs me that she has arranged for a guest talan to be prepared for you." Haldir gestured to some small, dwelling-like buildings behind him. "I will take you there. You will have time to change and bathe before I collect you for your audience with the Lady."

Holly nodded and followed him down a warmly-lit path through the forest. After a moment, Haldir stopped in front of a large tree. Thankfully, there was no rope to climb, but a sturdy staircase wound itself up the tree's trunk and up to a large round cottage. This was a talan, Holly surmised. Haldir began to climb the stairs and Holly followed him. He opened the front door with a key, which he then handed to her. Holly felt grateful for the key. Somehow the familiar piece of metal signified protection, privacy and safety in this unknown land. They had keys, too, back where she came from.

Holly stepped into the talan after Haldir. The room was simply appointed. There was a large bed covered by white blankets and bed linens. There was a small wooden trunk, carved with leaves and vines, at its foot. On the opposite wall was a small desk and chair. In the corner beside her was a small wash basin on a little table. A small shelf under the table held a pile of linen towels, presumably for cleaning herself. There was no kitchen, she noticed. There was a door on the back wall of the talan,

"What's there?" she asked, pointing to the door. In four long strides, Haldir walked over to the door and pushed it open to reveal a steaming bath,

"That is your bathing room. The Lady has had a bath prepared for you. I hope you will be comfortable here." he gestured into the room and Holly saw more linen towels, and small bench, and a large soaker-sized tub of warm water. She sighed contentedly. "I will come collect you in an hour."

With that, he turned on his heel and walked out of the room, shutting the front door behind him. Holly could hear his footsteps down the stairs, on the path, and away from her talan. Holly stripped off her clothes hurriedly. She couldn't wait to clean herself. The grime of the day's hike stuck to every inch of her. Sleeping on the forest floor the night before had not helped one bit. There was twigs and leaves in her hair, dirt on her face and under her fingernails. She lowered herself into the warm bath and relished the feeling of the perfumed water on her skin. On a small shelf beside the tub she found some glass jars and vials of what appeared to be oils and soaps. Holly washed her face first, then her hair. She scrubbed every inch of her body with the washcloth that had been left for her.

Realizing that she had no way of telling when an hour had passed and not wishing for Haldir to find her still in the bath, she got out quickly and dried herself off. She applied a luxurious oil that smell fresh and sweet and floral. She did not know the scent, but it was lovely.

She eyed the pile of dirty clothes on the floor in front of the bath. She was not looking forward to putting those back on. She wrapped the towel around herself and walked over the mirror on the wall. On the bench in front of it was a wooden comb. Beside that, there seemed to be a folded pile of clothing. It was a light dress, a pale green colour. The sleeves were fitted and the neckline modest, scooping down but stopping just under her collar-bone. The skirt was long and flowing, just the sort of thing you want to don after a nice bath. Holly began to comb out her hair and gazed out the window of the bathing room. It was very dark out, and from this window she could not see any of the bright lanterns that lined the pathways of Caras Galadhon. She hoped this meant that no one could see her.

She looked at herself in the mirror and could not help but feel that she looked different. Holly took this opportunity to see her ears with her own eyes. They were softly pointed at the tip, much like Haldir and Rúmil's had been. Despite knowing better, she tugged them to see if they were prosthetic. The pinching on the tip of her ear hurt and she winced. She analyzed the rest of her face, looking for changes. Her eyes remained largely unchanged. They were large and hazel, a light brown-green encircling a ring of blue around her pupil. Thick lashes framed them, and Holly could not help but feel like they were longer than she remembered. Her skin seemed to do well in the temperate climate of the forest. After her bath she seemed to glow in the dim light of the night.

With her hair combed out and the simple dress on, she walked back to the bed chamber and began patting her hair dry and squeezing the dampness out of it. It was while she was doing this that she heard a soft knock on the door,

"Holly?" a deep voice asked from the other side of the door. Holly sprang up and opened it. Haldir stood there, also tidier than when she had last seen him, and sporting a clean tunic, no less. Holly looked him up and down, admiring the figure he cut.

"You clean up well. You look much less menacing without all that dirt on you." she commented, not knowing where her playful tone was coming from. Haldir averted his eyes and looked down to his clothes. Holly thought, for a brief moment, that she saw the faintest tinge of pink on the tips of his ears.

"It would not be appropriate to visit the Lady in such a state." he answered stiffly. Holly bit her lip to stop from laughing at him. He looked at her expectantly and waited for her to exit the talan. Holly looked around for something to put on her feet but it seemed to be the only thing that had been neglected. She walked over to the bed and sat down, pulling her soft leather boots back on. They didn't exactly suit her dress, but the gown was long and mostly covered her legs anyway.

She followed Haldir out of the talan and down the stairs. As they walked, Haldir pointed out various buildings that Holly was sure she would have no use for,

"Over here is the smith, and beside him the fletcher." he pointed to the building, some of the few that were built directly on the forest floor. "Down that way is the bathing springs. Only guest telain have their own baths. Inhabitants of the city usually bathe at the springs."

Holly nodded along and commented every so often. Finally, he pointed out a large hall, illuminated from the ceiling by sparking lanterns. Its roof seemed to be formed from the leaves and boughs of the two enormous trees that towered over it. It was spacious and bright, it was the dining hall, he said.

"After our audience with the Lady, if you are not tired, you may go there and join the evening meal."

After a few more moments on Holly's expertly guided tour of Caras Galadhon, Haldir informed her that they were approaching the Lady Galadriel's palace. It was, like many of the other structures in the city, built into a massive tree. Holly could not tell where the tree ended and the structure began. She imagined that the tree had grown itself around its inhabitants, to protect and shield them. She also imagine that its inhabitants grew the tree, pushing its branches out and fanning its leaves like arms outstretched to the world. Haldir led her up the wide staircase that opened to a vast room. Sitting in the centre of the room, as though awaiting her arrival, was a man and a woman, only they could not be described as such.

While she had previously thought that Haldir had a soft glow about him, a pale light reverberating off him as they walked in the dusky light of the early evening, the Lady Galadriel and her consort glowed with a bright, shimmering light. Her long, silver hair cascaded down her back and sparkled in the lantern-light. She was dressed in long, flowing white robes. She wore no shoes or slippers, she noticed, as the Lady glided toward her in greeting. Beside her stood an elven man, equally powerful in appearance and just as ethereal as his lady.

"Welcome, Ercassiel, to Lothlórien.", the lady spoke, her voice like crystals ringing in a soft breeze, "Or, as I ought to say, welcome back. We have much to discuss."

The Lady extended an elegant hand toward Holly and gestured for Haldir to follow with the other.

A/N: I wonder what Galadriel has to tell Holly. I wonder why she's calling her Ercassiel! I wonder what's going on with Heather and her not-so-mysterious guest?! I guess you will find out soon :) Please review.