Disclaimer: I don't own LOTR.
Past vs. Future
Galadriel nodded. "We only wanted to protect you from all the shame you would grow up with. Your mother loved you, make no mistake of that. And so did Elrond, for he thought you were his own child. He was devastated to find out that the two of them had been taken advantage of."
"So I'm the result of an accidental affair? That's the great story of my past?" she asked, disappointed.
"My child, it was not your fault. You cannot be blamed for it. But a difficult choice does lie ahead of you."
"What do you mean? You mean as I go with Frodo to." she stopped. "Oh no."
Galadriel nodded, not making eye contact for the first time during the conversation.
"No. Don't tell me I have to choose between."
"Between the past and future. Not only that, but between your own kinsman."
"Between being Elf or Jedi? And going or staying? I must go with Frodo!"
"You are not safe in the Fellowship. You have been away for many years, and now you have the chance to learn about your people, to embrace the Elvish ways."
"This is what I have been looking for my whole life. And now I've got it, but I don't have time," she clenched her teeth as Galadriel got up.
"I know, child. I am sorry to burden you with this. But it must be known, and a choice must be made."
Laura looked down at her hands placed in her lap. "I know."
She got up slowly from the white room, making her way slowly down the staircase, still looking up at the lit trees which surrounded her. She saw Legolas standing by that fountain amidst all the trees. He didn't have his green apparel on that he usually wore. He was wearing some sort of silvery outfit as he stood out by the fountain in the darkness. (It was night now.) He looked up for a moment and met her eyes. Immediately she looked down. Sensing that something was wrong, he let her pass without a word.
She sat down against the trunk of one of those huge trees, wondering what her path would be. She was still new to this, yet there was no doubt in her mind that she wanted exactly this. It was just the wrong time for it all. Not just the wrong time, the most inopportune moment for it all to come together. But what was she doing here anyway, going to Mordor with men and Hobbits and an Elf? Besides, Gandalf had said that she would come along with them so she could find someplace safe to stay. And wasn't this safe enough, being the woods protected by the magic of her own family?
She rested her elbows on her knees, holding her chin in her hands. Elf or Jedi? She had to choose between growing up to be the Queen of Lorien or the Jedi Queen. She barely even knew either of her parents, so she had absolutely nothing to base the decision on. The only thing she did know was that she loved Elves. They were so awesome, and she wanted to be as good an archer as Legolas.
Pippin peeked his head out from behind the trunk of the tree. There was a small gap in the tops of the trees so that the stars could be seen. He looked up.
"They're so beautiful," he said happily. She could see that the Hobbits were rolling out their sleeping bags not too far from where she sat.
"Yeah. But even looking at the stars I feel different," she said glumly.
He looked at her, confused. "How so? Everybody sees stars, no matter where they're from."
She laughed. "It's not the same set of them. I can't see any familiar constellations."
"What are those?"
"They're pictures in the stars. Before I was born.way before I was born, people in my world would make up stories about the pictures that stars could make. Like a crown would stand for a queen, and a throne for a king, and dragons, bears, archers. And then everyone would have a constellation for the month and day they were born. It supposedly characterized your personality."
"I think I understand. So every one of your people had a set of stars named after them?"
She smiled. He was trying so hard to understand, and he was doing a pretty good job. And right now, she was glad to have somebody to talk to. "Yes, exactly."
"Which symbol belonged to you?" Merry asked, who had wandered up sometime during the conversation.
"Mine was Saggitarius, the archer."
"Oh, you mean like Legolas!" Pippin exclaimed. She sat up straight. That's right, Legolas was an archer. Unknowingly, the Hobbit had just made a very keen observation. Legolas did watch over her, just like the stars. Or maybe she was just reading way too much into things as she always did.
"Just like Legolas," she said quietly as she sat back.
"Well.those stars kind of look like one," Merry pointed out a group of stars to the left. "You see? There is his arrow, and the bow, and those right there even look like a set of Elf ears."
She laughed. "It does, you're right! But what's that?"
"Why that's his sword, of course. He's got to have a sword by his side," Pippin interjected. Then he looked very serious.
"Laura, what did the Lady Galadriel say to you?" he asked.
She sighed. "She said I'm her granddaughter. Which means I'm half Elvish." And she told the two of them the whole story about her father disguising himself.
"So you're staying here?" Merry asked understandingly.
Pippin looked shocked. "No, she's not. She's coming with us. Right?"
She brought her knees up to her chest and looked at the sky again. "I don't know," she said slowly. "They think that I was never very safe at all traveling with the Fellowship, and that I should learn about my own people and stay here."
"But you can't be serious? You're not staying with us? Not even for Frodo?" Pippin asked desperately.
"Pippin!" Merry lowered his voice. "Can't you see it's hard enough for her as it is? The Shire is where we belong, and you miss it, don't you?"
Pippin nodded meekly.
Past vs. Future
Galadriel nodded. "We only wanted to protect you from all the shame you would grow up with. Your mother loved you, make no mistake of that. And so did Elrond, for he thought you were his own child. He was devastated to find out that the two of them had been taken advantage of."
"So I'm the result of an accidental affair? That's the great story of my past?" she asked, disappointed.
"My child, it was not your fault. You cannot be blamed for it. But a difficult choice does lie ahead of you."
"What do you mean? You mean as I go with Frodo to." she stopped. "Oh no."
Galadriel nodded, not making eye contact for the first time during the conversation.
"No. Don't tell me I have to choose between."
"Between the past and future. Not only that, but between your own kinsman."
"Between being Elf or Jedi? And going or staying? I must go with Frodo!"
"You are not safe in the Fellowship. You have been away for many years, and now you have the chance to learn about your people, to embrace the Elvish ways."
"This is what I have been looking for my whole life. And now I've got it, but I don't have time," she clenched her teeth as Galadriel got up.
"I know, child. I am sorry to burden you with this. But it must be known, and a choice must be made."
Laura looked down at her hands placed in her lap. "I know."
She got up slowly from the white room, making her way slowly down the staircase, still looking up at the lit trees which surrounded her. She saw Legolas standing by that fountain amidst all the trees. He didn't have his green apparel on that he usually wore. He was wearing some sort of silvery outfit as he stood out by the fountain in the darkness. (It was night now.) He looked up for a moment and met her eyes. Immediately she looked down. Sensing that something was wrong, he let her pass without a word.
She sat down against the trunk of one of those huge trees, wondering what her path would be. She was still new to this, yet there was no doubt in her mind that she wanted exactly this. It was just the wrong time for it all. Not just the wrong time, the most inopportune moment for it all to come together. But what was she doing here anyway, going to Mordor with men and Hobbits and an Elf? Besides, Gandalf had said that she would come along with them so she could find someplace safe to stay. And wasn't this safe enough, being the woods protected by the magic of her own family?
She rested her elbows on her knees, holding her chin in her hands. Elf or Jedi? She had to choose between growing up to be the Queen of Lorien or the Jedi Queen. She barely even knew either of her parents, so she had absolutely nothing to base the decision on. The only thing she did know was that she loved Elves. They were so awesome, and she wanted to be as good an archer as Legolas.
Pippin peeked his head out from behind the trunk of the tree. There was a small gap in the tops of the trees so that the stars could be seen. He looked up.
"They're so beautiful," he said happily. She could see that the Hobbits were rolling out their sleeping bags not too far from where she sat.
"Yeah. But even looking at the stars I feel different," she said glumly.
He looked at her, confused. "How so? Everybody sees stars, no matter where they're from."
She laughed. "It's not the same set of them. I can't see any familiar constellations."
"What are those?"
"They're pictures in the stars. Before I was born.way before I was born, people in my world would make up stories about the pictures that stars could make. Like a crown would stand for a queen, and a throne for a king, and dragons, bears, archers. And then everyone would have a constellation for the month and day they were born. It supposedly characterized your personality."
"I think I understand. So every one of your people had a set of stars named after them?"
She smiled. He was trying so hard to understand, and he was doing a pretty good job. And right now, she was glad to have somebody to talk to. "Yes, exactly."
"Which symbol belonged to you?" Merry asked, who had wandered up sometime during the conversation.
"Mine was Saggitarius, the archer."
"Oh, you mean like Legolas!" Pippin exclaimed. She sat up straight. That's right, Legolas was an archer. Unknowingly, the Hobbit had just made a very keen observation. Legolas did watch over her, just like the stars. Or maybe she was just reading way too much into things as she always did.
"Just like Legolas," she said quietly as she sat back.
"Well.those stars kind of look like one," Merry pointed out a group of stars to the left. "You see? There is his arrow, and the bow, and those right there even look like a set of Elf ears."
She laughed. "It does, you're right! But what's that?"
"Why that's his sword, of course. He's got to have a sword by his side," Pippin interjected. Then he looked very serious.
"Laura, what did the Lady Galadriel say to you?" he asked.
She sighed. "She said I'm her granddaughter. Which means I'm half Elvish." And she told the two of them the whole story about her father disguising himself.
"So you're staying here?" Merry asked understandingly.
Pippin looked shocked. "No, she's not. She's coming with us. Right?"
She brought her knees up to her chest and looked at the sky again. "I don't know," she said slowly. "They think that I was never very safe at all traveling with the Fellowship, and that I should learn about my own people and stay here."
"But you can't be serious? You're not staying with us? Not even for Frodo?" Pippin asked desperately.
"Pippin!" Merry lowered his voice. "Can't you see it's hard enough for her as it is? The Shire is where we belong, and you miss it, don't you?"
Pippin nodded meekly.