It was the ring that woke me.

I had forgotten what it was like to be warm - every inch of me was painfully icy, down to the bone. I shivered and wrapped my cloak tightly around me, listening to the sounds of the night. I thought I saw something dodge through the trees, and my heart skipped a beat. Was it the stranger?

But no one came near, and I was growing restless. I stood, shakily, and began to walk out of the campsite. Shannon, sleeping in the crook of Legolas' arm, stirred and tried to sit up. Legolas opened his eyes. "Naa rashwe?"

"Mellonamin," Shannon murmured. "Manke naa re autien?" (Where is she going?)

"Amin n'sinta." (I don't know) Legolas shifted and sat up, reaching for his bow. "Do you want me to follow her?"

"N'uma," (No) Shannon said, tugging on his sleeve. "I will go."

"No," Legolas said firmly, gently. "Stay here and rest. I will follow her."

"No, you stupid elf, I'll - " Shannon started, but Legolas interrupted, kissing her cheek. Shannon lay back, glowing. "Okay..." she said, sounding a little spaced.

Legolas pulled his bow close, stood, and slid through the bushes to follow.



Galadriel was standing there, not making a sound but glowing a brilliant white. One glance at her eyes and I knew to follow, follow without question or comment. She led me down a mossy staircase, to a circular clearing. In the middle was a gray podium, and a silvery bowl. I knew what it was - the Mirror of Galadriel.

Galadriel smiled slightly, and filled a silver pitcher with water in the fountain behind her. I gulped as she poured the sparkling water into the bowl, then stepped back. She didn't say anything - she could read in my mind that I already knew what I could see... or would see... or might see?

I gulped again. "Sh-should I look?" I whispered.

"I am not here to council you," Galadriel said softly, "Yet I will say this - have you not yet learned of your strength? You are here for a reason."

I took a deep breath and took a step closer to the mirror. Biting my lip, I leaned over the edge and peered in.

At first I saw only a reflection of starlight, and of a raggedy, nervous looking girl. Then the mirror changed and -

- Legolas was handing something to Shannon. Her eyes widened and she shook her head, mouthing in elvish. Legolas closed her fingers over it and said something, softly. Shannon stopped shaking her head and they stared at each other -

- Ann was crying, kneeling on the ground, both hands over her face and -

- Veronica struggled against ropes, fraying the cords on her hands and -

-Peter turned to look at me, then narrowed his eyes and slammed a door and -

- I saw myself standing in forest next to Dan. He put a hand on my shoulder and I flinched as his fingers tightened and -

- Shannon broke a kiss with Legolas, then ran, stumbling through the forest debris. Legolas yelled her name, and she looked back, slowing for a moment, then wrenched her eyes away and -

- flame erupted in front of me and something tackled me from behind and -

- Legolas high-fived a dirty but elated Frances and -

- Ann raised a shining elf sword over her head, screaming and -

- Veronica and Molly sat on stone steps and put their chins in their hands and -

- Aragorn and -

- Gandalf? and -

- Shannon and -

- Frances -

- and me. Suddenly it was only me, me clinging to rock and watching something rise from the darkness. A great, lidless eye, shaped like a cat's but burning red. Every inch of me was cold and enflamed, alive but dead, thinking only of the pain -

The ring around my neck began to shake, and it slipped from beneath my shirt, drawn towards the water. I heard wicked laughter and I fought to pull myself away...

With a sickening "whump!" I managed to fall back from the mirror, clutching at the freezing ring and gasping for breath. After a few seconds I calmed, and looked up at Galadriel.

I unfastened the chain around my neck, stumbling to my feet. My hands shook as I put the one ring in my palm.

"If you ask me," I said, panting. "I will give it to you."

Galadriel put one shaking hand out over the ring. "I do not deny that my heart has greatly desired to ask what you offer, child," she said. "For many long years I had pondered what I might do, should the Great Ring come into my hands." The lady of the wood seemed to grow taller, darker as she spoke. "You will give me the Ring freely? In place of the Dark Lord you will set up a Queen. And I shall not be dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Morning and the Night!" She threw her arms up and began to glow with a supernatural darkness. "All shall love me and despair!"

Then she shuddered, and the darkness faded, and Legolas hidden in the trees behind me relaxed his bow.

"I pass the test," she said, quietly. "I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain Galadriel."



Days passed. Bruises faded, cuts healed over, tears dried up. Shannon could walk and run again, though sometimes she would stop, put a hand over her stomach, and wince.

But I couldn't stand to be up past sunset anymore - the ring would bite through me at nightfall, and it was all I could do to keep from crying aloud.

Veronica was watching me once, when it happened. "Awre 'oo ohkay?" she asked around a mouthful of bread. The cooking fire was dying low, and Ann and Molly bickered over the last slice of a kind of elvish bacon.

"I'm fine!" I snapped, and Veronica's eyes widened a bit. I turned my back, hissing against the cold. Peter started towards me, but Veronica put a hand out to stop him.

I slumped to the ground and fell fitfully asleep, and I spent my last night in Lothlorien dreaming of a great eye...





That morning Galadriel called us all together, one last time. She took a cup from a servant girl, and filled it with wine. "Let us drink the cup of parting," she said, and sipped. She handed the cup to Aragorn, who drank. He handed it to Legolas, Legolas to Peter, Peter to Dan, Dan to me. I put the cool chalice to my lips and then drank. The wine was heavy, bitterly sweat, and oddly sorrowful. I handed the cup to Ann.

She looked over the rim, looked doubtful, took a deep breath and swallowed. Whether she tried to drink too much or the wine was just too strong, I don't know. Ann's eyes bugged out, she snorted, then hacked, and it took several firm whacks on the back from Veronica before she could regain her composure.

Coughing, Ann handed the cup to Veronica. But Veronica was suddenly overcome with a fit of giggles and practically snorted the wine out her nose. Aragorn looked at her sternly, and Veronica wiped at her face. "Sorry, sorry, sorry..."

Frances rolled her eyes and shook her head, snatching the cup from Veronica. She tipped her back and drank swiftly, then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and passed the cup to Molly.

Molly sniffed the cup, gulped the wine down, and then passed it in a hurry to Shannon. Shannon turned the empty cup upside down, looking disappointed. Just to be fair, though, she ran her finger around in the inside and licked that.

Aragorn was glaring angrily, but Legolas was looking at the ground, his shoulders were shaking with suppressed laughter.

We all were given new, beautiful gray cloaks with leaf-shaped fastenings. Legolas and Shannon got new bows and arrows, Molly and Veronica golden belts, Aragorn an odd green stone, Frances a helmet inlaid with silver and elvish runes, Peter and Dan new shields of gold, and I got a beautiful crystal phial that shown. "May it be a light to you in a place where all other lights go out," Galadriel whispered, and kissed the top of my head.

I held the phial tightly. "Thank you."

Last of all, Galadriel turned to Ann. "As for you, little Ann-girl, wield this well." She handed Ann a sword, sheathed in gold and sparkling in the sunlight. Ann stared, astonished, and drew the blade. The metal rang out, and the elvish runes set along the cool steel blazed. With shaking hands she sheathed it, and buckled it at her waist.

"But why for m-" Ann started, but Galadriel silenced her with a wave of her hand.

"All will be revealed with time." Galadriel sighed. "Namaarie, melloneamin."







"Molly?" Veronica put her hands on her hips. "Get. In. The boat."

"B-bu-but guys? I get really seasick. Really truly. I'm serious!" Molly widened her eyes and shifted nervously from foot to foot. Ann crossed her arms and looked annoyed. Then she glanced at Veronica. Their eyes met. They smiled.

'One,' mouthed Veronica. 'Two, Three!' They grabbed Molly, who gave a terrified squawk! and dumped her on top of the bundles of clothing.

"Is everything ready?" Aragorn asked, glancing around.

"Almost!" Ann said gleefully, grabbing one last pack from the shore. She threw the bundle of food on top of Molly, and it muffled the swearing.

Silently, I crept into a boat. Aragorn sat behind me, and I curled up at the front. The sound of lapping water lulled me to sleep. The sun shone on my face, a cool breeze tugged at wisps of my hair, and a weighted sigh escaped my lips.

But even in my dreams, I was troubled.


Something was drawing near - and I could feel it.