Chapter 9: In the "City Of Trees"

The Company entered Caras Galadhon at sundown. As usual Captain John Price, Captain John Mactavish and Sergeant Nikolai were at the rear with their hands on their rifles that hung on their slings. The three men wondered at the unusual place they were in. Nikolai just muttered as he followed the company,

"These are trees? I've never seen anything like this! This beats those skyscrapers!"

Mactavish was also amazed and asked Haldir,

"Hey, Haldir does your people live in these trees? And where are we going?"

Haldir answered as they walked,

"Yes our people lived here that is why we are called the Galadhrim, the tree dwellers. To answer your second question, you are all going to the dwelling of Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel."

Mactavish nodded and muttered,

"So we are in a city of tree houses and tree condominiums and tree buildings and tree dwelling people."

Mactavish slightly grinned and continued to gaze at the unusual scenery as they climbed to the dwelling of the rulers of Lothlorien.

The three men were the last of the company to enter a great hall. Many elves were seated around them but the most important looking of the elves present was sitting beside Frodo it was a couple: a blond woman and a silver haired man and those two are the ones that Captain Price, Captain Mactavish and Sergeant Nikolai have their attention at. Price whispered to Nikolai and Mactavish as Galadriel and Celeborn spoke to them,

"So these two are Lord and Lady of Lothlorien. Keep your eyes open."

"Captain look! the Lady is looking at us! Did she found out our act?"

Whispered Nikolai nervously as his hand was slowly reaching his M9 pistol. Then Galadriel started to look at their eyes Nikolai sat bolt upright and looked at her sharply but Nikolai swallowed as he had his hand on the grip of his M9 Beretta as he held the elf lady's eyes with his but he could not withstand her stare and it made him move his eye downward as Nikolai released his right hand from his pistol and placed it in his knee and looked backed at her. Price and Mactavish however tried to withstand her stare looking at her straight in her eyes as if the two of them were staring at a superior officer. The Company sighed when they were finally relieved by the elf lord and lady and were allowed to rest in Lothlorien.

When the company moved into a pavilion prepared by the elves, Price, Mactavish and Nikolai talked about the Lady Galadriel. Price said as he sat on a couch,

"I think it looks like that this Lady Galadriel was extracting additional intelligence from us or made us report about the death of Gandalf. She knew old man and she is really sorry for him. But what is strange is what she did to us a while ago. What was that for? And it looked strange and I did not like it."

Mactavish said,

"Whatever it is it looked like this: she might be looking for a traitor in us. Remember what she said about the Company's integrity "Yet hope remains while the company is true." And she seemed to offer something to us that are deeply personal I guess like a bribe."

Nikolai broke,

"Like a hundred million rubles, a beautiful, respected and loving wife and a grand dacha like those of the Soviet elite had in the countryside in the outskirts of Moscow My friend?"

"Something like what you said. And do not forget to ask for a lot of vodka and glasses for us to drink until we forget our problems."

Replied Mactavish and he laughed. Price then said,

"Then the day after we will suffer hangover and had no idea of what happened and find ourselves in different parts of Lothlorien."

The three chuckled and when it died down Nikolai said,

"Well that won't happen why? Because I am a loyalist and Russia is under the Ultranationalist party. And she has no idea what I am talking about and come on, we won't give up on this company, we promised the elf at Rivendell to help them."

Boromir also had the same deduction of the Lady like Mactavish and suspected her as he shared his thoughts to the three men but Aragorn told them that she could be trusted and is not hostile. With that the company dozed off.

The Company stayed long in Lorien. Price, Mactavish and Nikolai spent the period with the company bringing only their side arms when they walked around and they often spoke of Gandalf and they often heard Elves singing in their language in mourning of his death. This Price took no notice. They have to carry on the mission that they were tasked. Mactavish and Nikolai knew that they have to move on. The three of them waited for any developments, they understood that their companions have to recover from the loss of Gandalf. The company were once again recalled by the Lord and Lady. It was night and only Nikolai was drowsy but finally the company will now continue the journey Price knew that most of his companions were sad to leave but for him at least they will make some progress so he sat and listened on the next plan of the company.

The plan along with the advice of Lord Celeborn is to travel south using the Anduin river by boat that will be provided by the elves but the company was not yet sure of the next plan whether they will go to Minas Tirith to join the conflict against Mordor with Boromir or to go straight to Mordor with the rest of the Company for Boromir will go back to Minas Tirith in which he was the son of the ruling steward there. Nikolai and Mactavish were silent. Price thought,

"If we are going to Minas Tirith for the war then we might need more firepower... Could the lady Galadriel provide what the three of us needed like more ammunition more guns? Additional men might be good. And if to Mordor, then it will be about stealth. But I have no intel about the land and ten of us sneaking there is quite noticeable. But the ring must be with the bearer. And if one of us is captured we are screwed. And if the ring is destroyed there are no extraction force get us out of Mordor and that means either sneaking our way out of there or fighting it out. I'm sure that there will be stragglers even if a great power of it will be gone... Bollocks... I cant even decide in this"

Price was surprised when Galadriel smiled spoke to him,

"You are in deep thought Captain John Price. Be at ease and rest peacefully tonight."

Price silently nodded and tipped his boonie hat and left with the company.

Back at their pavilion, Price listened to his companions as they planned their course of action. Most of them wanted to go to Minas Tirith but they have not yet decided on what to do next. Price then said to them,

"Alright, most of us have plans to go to Gondor and then to Mordor, that is a good plan I suppose... Because if we go straight to Mordor then it will be a gamble... We have no knowledge about the whole land. And we will infiltrate this realm full of enemies thus we will use stealth to go to mount Doom, that at least and the dark tower are the known landmarks inside Mordor itself and there are only two entry points to get in there: the Black Gate and the Minas Morgul and in our situation, these points are heavily guarded... and we will have a hard time to get in, destroy the ring and get out of Mordor if we are to do it on just our own but our advantage is of course the enemy have no idea that we are in Mordor and we are about to destroy his ring and we will have a big problem if we are discovered. It is not impossible but it will cost a lot and it will be very dangerous and all of us will have to have fight that at least we all experienced."

his companions all nodded in agreement but it did not even help in making their decision and. And the one who will decide in the end is the ring bearer and their leader, Aragorn who is now thinking about their next plan after travelling in Anduin. The company had no clear plan decided to sleep on it since it is their last night in Lorien. Tommorow, the Company will leave tomorrow and continue the rest of the journey.