A/N: Many, many thanks to those select few (or not so few) people who
share my **coff**artistic dream, and have reviewed my story. I shall try
to fulfil the request to do a chapter on Lothlórien. Now to get on with
it.
Disclaimer: Ok, now I actually need one. I've changed the lines of some of the characters. Don't sue me. I'm broke, and insane.
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Legolas was starting to get incredibly angry, until at last someone took off his blindfold. He looked about him. They were all standing in the woods still, with the trees towering above their heads. He stared in awe at them, the great Mallorn trees of which the songs of old told him of. Golden were their blooms, and yet silver were their branches. A great harmony flitted through the Silvan elf as he gazed lovingly at the Wood.
Haldir lead them on through this path, and to the place where they should meet the Lord and Lady.
Each of them were greeted cheerfully by name, and Celeborn bade Frodo to sit by him, for when all was said, he should like to hold council with the hobbit. Before this, Celeborn looked about at them all.
"Eight there are here, but nine it was that left Rivendell, according to the messengers we have. Yet perhaps something has changed?"
For the first time, Galadriel spoke. "Where is Gandalf? I knew he set out from Rivendell, but his ways are cloudy to me. I did not see him pass these borders.
Legolas bowed his head in memory of the wizard. He heard Aragorn explaining beside him what had happened.
"Alas! Gandalf the Grey has fallen into shadow! He did not pass through Moria."
The news seemed to shock the Lord and Lady, and a great cry of greif swept through the hall in which they sat. Celeborn turned to Haldir, and asked him in the Elvish tongue, "why has no news of this come to us sooner?"
Legolas spoke to him quietly. "We were weary with greif and toil, and did not speak of it to them. After last night, we seemed to have forgotten much of our greif for a time while we walked through your faif land." Aragorn went on to tell the tale of what passed on Caradhras, and in the following days. He spoke distinctly of the Balrog which took Gandalf, their friend and guide, with it into the shadowy chasm.
Legolas spoke of it with severe contemtp. "A Balrog of Morgoth," he said bitterly, "one of the most dangerous elf-banes of our time." Legolas' heart wept as he said this, yet no tear fell from his eye. He would not let his misery overcome him. And perhaps now that they were in Lothlórien he would quickly pass it. This was, after all, the land of healing and rest.
Celeborn was angry at Gandalf's folly for going into the mines. "Alas! He fell from wisdom into foolishness going ino the net of Moria needlessly. Had I known that you had awoken the evil that lies in the mines under Caradhras, I shan't have let you pass into my realm."
"Do not repent of your welcome to the dwarf," Galadriel said to her husband, "for even Celeborn the Wise could not have prevented him from doing this deed, and the followers are not to be blamed for this." She looked down at Gimli.
He in turn stood, and spoke sincerely to her. "Yet fair is the lib=ving land of Lórien, and the Lady Galadriel is above all jewels that lie beneath the earth."
Celeborn slowly relaxed, and forgot his earlier anger. "Let the dwarf now forget my words, for trouble lies now in my heart. Come, you all shall rest here until your toils and burdens be lightened, and we shall do what we can to aid you."
The Lady Galadriel, through all of this, had held them with her eyes. None could endure her glance long, save Aragorn and Legolas. But she quickly stopped, and bade them all to rest.
The company was made a pavillion on the ground, much to the hobbit's relief, and soft couches were placed there for them, and there they rested. Long the night seemed to them, and Legolas lay awake for a long while, as his mind was still racing with images.
He thought of Gandalf. He certainly would have loved to come and see this with us, he thought. He was greatly troubled by the loss of a friend, yet he was put at ease that he and his companions would be safe here for many days, ere they set to the road once more. His gaze swept over the roof of three boughs above them, and smiled to himself through his pains. The beautiful Lothlórien was his to behold, and long he had wanted to see its magnificent trees. After thinking in this fashion for a long while, he soon fell to sleep in peace.
Disclaimer: Ok, now I actually need one. I've changed the lines of some of the characters. Don't sue me. I'm broke, and insane.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Legolas was starting to get incredibly angry, until at last someone took off his blindfold. He looked about him. They were all standing in the woods still, with the trees towering above their heads. He stared in awe at them, the great Mallorn trees of which the songs of old told him of. Golden were their blooms, and yet silver were their branches. A great harmony flitted through the Silvan elf as he gazed lovingly at the Wood.
Haldir lead them on through this path, and to the place where they should meet the Lord and Lady.
Each of them were greeted cheerfully by name, and Celeborn bade Frodo to sit by him, for when all was said, he should like to hold council with the hobbit. Before this, Celeborn looked about at them all.
"Eight there are here, but nine it was that left Rivendell, according to the messengers we have. Yet perhaps something has changed?"
For the first time, Galadriel spoke. "Where is Gandalf? I knew he set out from Rivendell, but his ways are cloudy to me. I did not see him pass these borders.
Legolas bowed his head in memory of the wizard. He heard Aragorn explaining beside him what had happened.
"Alas! Gandalf the Grey has fallen into shadow! He did not pass through Moria."
The news seemed to shock the Lord and Lady, and a great cry of greif swept through the hall in which they sat. Celeborn turned to Haldir, and asked him in the Elvish tongue, "why has no news of this come to us sooner?"
Legolas spoke to him quietly. "We were weary with greif and toil, and did not speak of it to them. After last night, we seemed to have forgotten much of our greif for a time while we walked through your faif land." Aragorn went on to tell the tale of what passed on Caradhras, and in the following days. He spoke distinctly of the Balrog which took Gandalf, their friend and guide, with it into the shadowy chasm.
Legolas spoke of it with severe contemtp. "A Balrog of Morgoth," he said bitterly, "one of the most dangerous elf-banes of our time." Legolas' heart wept as he said this, yet no tear fell from his eye. He would not let his misery overcome him. And perhaps now that they were in Lothlórien he would quickly pass it. This was, after all, the land of healing and rest.
Celeborn was angry at Gandalf's folly for going into the mines. "Alas! He fell from wisdom into foolishness going ino the net of Moria needlessly. Had I known that you had awoken the evil that lies in the mines under Caradhras, I shan't have let you pass into my realm."
"Do not repent of your welcome to the dwarf," Galadriel said to her husband, "for even Celeborn the Wise could not have prevented him from doing this deed, and the followers are not to be blamed for this." She looked down at Gimli.
He in turn stood, and spoke sincerely to her. "Yet fair is the lib=ving land of Lórien, and the Lady Galadriel is above all jewels that lie beneath the earth."
Celeborn slowly relaxed, and forgot his earlier anger. "Let the dwarf now forget my words, for trouble lies now in my heart. Come, you all shall rest here until your toils and burdens be lightened, and we shall do what we can to aid you."
The Lady Galadriel, through all of this, had held them with her eyes. None could endure her glance long, save Aragorn and Legolas. But she quickly stopped, and bade them all to rest.
The company was made a pavillion on the ground, much to the hobbit's relief, and soft couches were placed there for them, and there they rested. Long the night seemed to them, and Legolas lay awake for a long while, as his mind was still racing with images.
He thought of Gandalf. He certainly would have loved to come and see this with us, he thought. He was greatly troubled by the loss of a friend, yet he was put at ease that he and his companions would be safe here for many days, ere they set to the road once more. His gaze swept over the roof of three boughs above them, and smiled to himself through his pains. The beautiful Lothlórien was his to behold, and long he had wanted to see its magnificent trees. After thinking in this fashion for a long while, he soon fell to sleep in peace.