A/N: Thanks for the reviews. Ely Sinar, I checked chapter 10
on two different computers and it came up all right. It also looks
OK on my enhanced stats list, so I'm not sure why you had trouble. If
you can't get it up, let me know and I'll email the text of the chapter to
you.
Ch. 13
Early in the morning, Amy pulled her young companions out of bed. Legolas got the guys up, but only Pete was willing. Pete and Legolas ended up pouring trickles of cold water on Randy and Mark's heads. That got them up, but not without complaint. Mattie managed to soothe Mark's annoyance, but the hour was too early for all of them save Pete, and most of them were still hurting from yesterday's rides. As they were getting ready, Elrond pulled Amy aside for a kiss and a quiet goodbye. They held each other for several minutes, then Amy wordlessly mounted her horse and the small party moved out. There were five Elven guards to accompany the seven of them.
Once the students woke up fully, they enjoyed the ride, despite their soreness. The first couple days seemed long, but after that, the time seemed to fly and soon they passed through the Gap of Rohan and on the borders of the Golden Wood. The Elven horses followed their leaders without requiring guidance, which was fortunate for the gaping mortals. If not, they would have probably gotten lost. They were soon stopped by Lothlórien guards.
A blond Elf stepped forward and greeted Amy. "It is good to see you, Almare. The Lady asked us to watch for your arrival."
Amy smiled. "Likewise, Haldir. I am glad to see you once again. If it is agreeable to you, we are ready to take a break and have our noon meal."
"Of course." He turned to the Rivendell guards. "Will you take your rest with us for a few days, or do you wish to return immediately?"
The leader of the guards replied. "Thank you for the offer, but we will stop only long enough to share the meal with you, then we will return to Rivendell."
"Of course. The Lady has sent a meal to break the monotony of trail rations. Please, share it with us with her compliments." Haldir motioned to his companions, and they brought out a basket of roast meat, fresh bread, and fresh fruit. The rest of the Lothlórien Elves materialized out of the woods. With Haldir, there were seven, and they all sat on the ground beside the Nimrodel and shared the meal, a welcome change from the preserved meals they'd been eating since they left Rivendell. They drank from the stream and were refreshed by its waters.
After the meal, the Rivendell Elves left them, and Haldir and his companions led them through the woods. They made good time, and reached Caras Galadon just as darkness fell. Elves took their horses, and the guards slipped away, leaving Haldir to guide them through the elegant stairways to the throne room where Galadriel and Celeborn awaited them. The room was oval, built around the trunk of a great mallorn tree. When the small party reached the room, the Lord and Lady rose and walked down the steps to greet them. Galadriel walked forward and embraced Amy, then locked eyes with her for a long time. The humans looked at them and at each other, confused, but Haldir whispered to them, "Do not worry. All is well."
Eventually, the Elven women stepped apart, and Galadriel walked over to the humans. They were all a little overwhelmed, but the Lady's gaze seemed to comfort them. "Welcome, travelers from another world. You have accompanied my friend on a perilous journey, leaving home, family, and friends behind, and for that I thank you—Elizabeth, Peter, Madeline, Randy, Kim, Mark." As she spoke each name, Galadriel turned to look at each one, and the humans heard her voice in their minds. "Be welcome in Lórien, and take your rest here. You will be welcome here for as long as you wish to stay. You have traveled far and are weary. Go now, and rest, and we will speak more when you have rested."
Several Elves stepped forward from the sides of the room and guided the small party to talans low and near to the ground, elegantly furnished and comfortable. Each one had a separate sleeping room, separated from a central chamber by curtains and carved screens that let the forest breeze flow through. The women shared one such talan, and the men had another.
Before going to bed, the entire group gathered in the women's talan. Kim spoke up. "When she greeted us, Lady Galadriel said something about a perilous journey. What did that mean?"
"The passage between the worlds is not lightly undertaken. It isn't just the length that keeps from being traveled often. We were fortunate not to have any trouble, but it is a dangerous journey, all the same."
"How?" Mark asked.
"The details don't matter." Mark didn't look satisfied at Amy's answer. "You don't want to know. Trust me. Let's just say that my return here was much easier than when I went there in the first place. None of you were in much danger. If you had been, I probably wouldn't have brought you, but there was danger."
"To you?" Beth asked.
"Yes. It doesn't matter now. What do you think of Lothlórien so far?"
"It's great!" Mattie was enthusiastic.
"I'm glad you think so. I hope you'll all enjoy exploring. It's not often that mortals are welcomed here. You are honored guests for my sake."
"You seem to know the Lady, yes?" Pete asked.
"Yes. She is barely younger than me. I was her handmaiden for many years. We spent much of the first and second ages together. I was with her when she wed Celeborn, and when her daughter Celebrían was born. Celebrían and I were never close, but her loss does pain me. There is a certain awkwardness for me now with the relationship I've begun with Elrond. He is not the only one still mourning Celbrían's loss." Amy trailed off.
"Were you and Galadriel having some sort of discussion while you were staring at each other?" Mattie asked, changing the subject.
"Yes. Galadriel has the skill to speak to minds, as I think you all experienced. You needn't tell what she said to each of you, unless you wish to. She and I will have to spend a lot of time catching up yet. You'll find that time means very little here, even less than it did in Rivendell. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm ready to sleep in a real bed again. If there's anything you're dying to know, ask away, but I imagine most of it can wait for morning." That met with approval, and all of them went their separate ways. Baths had been prepared, and they were able to wash off the dust before slipping into soft robes and comfortable beds.
Ch. 13
Early in the morning, Amy pulled her young companions out of bed. Legolas got the guys up, but only Pete was willing. Pete and Legolas ended up pouring trickles of cold water on Randy and Mark's heads. That got them up, but not without complaint. Mattie managed to soothe Mark's annoyance, but the hour was too early for all of them save Pete, and most of them were still hurting from yesterday's rides. As they were getting ready, Elrond pulled Amy aside for a kiss and a quiet goodbye. They held each other for several minutes, then Amy wordlessly mounted her horse and the small party moved out. There were five Elven guards to accompany the seven of them.
Once the students woke up fully, they enjoyed the ride, despite their soreness. The first couple days seemed long, but after that, the time seemed to fly and soon they passed through the Gap of Rohan and on the borders of the Golden Wood. The Elven horses followed their leaders without requiring guidance, which was fortunate for the gaping mortals. If not, they would have probably gotten lost. They were soon stopped by Lothlórien guards.
A blond Elf stepped forward and greeted Amy. "It is good to see you, Almare. The Lady asked us to watch for your arrival."
Amy smiled. "Likewise, Haldir. I am glad to see you once again. If it is agreeable to you, we are ready to take a break and have our noon meal."
"Of course." He turned to the Rivendell guards. "Will you take your rest with us for a few days, or do you wish to return immediately?"
The leader of the guards replied. "Thank you for the offer, but we will stop only long enough to share the meal with you, then we will return to Rivendell."
"Of course. The Lady has sent a meal to break the monotony of trail rations. Please, share it with us with her compliments." Haldir motioned to his companions, and they brought out a basket of roast meat, fresh bread, and fresh fruit. The rest of the Lothlórien Elves materialized out of the woods. With Haldir, there were seven, and they all sat on the ground beside the Nimrodel and shared the meal, a welcome change from the preserved meals they'd been eating since they left Rivendell. They drank from the stream and were refreshed by its waters.
After the meal, the Rivendell Elves left them, and Haldir and his companions led them through the woods. They made good time, and reached Caras Galadon just as darkness fell. Elves took their horses, and the guards slipped away, leaving Haldir to guide them through the elegant stairways to the throne room where Galadriel and Celeborn awaited them. The room was oval, built around the trunk of a great mallorn tree. When the small party reached the room, the Lord and Lady rose and walked down the steps to greet them. Galadriel walked forward and embraced Amy, then locked eyes with her for a long time. The humans looked at them and at each other, confused, but Haldir whispered to them, "Do not worry. All is well."
Eventually, the Elven women stepped apart, and Galadriel walked over to the humans. They were all a little overwhelmed, but the Lady's gaze seemed to comfort them. "Welcome, travelers from another world. You have accompanied my friend on a perilous journey, leaving home, family, and friends behind, and for that I thank you—Elizabeth, Peter, Madeline, Randy, Kim, Mark." As she spoke each name, Galadriel turned to look at each one, and the humans heard her voice in their minds. "Be welcome in Lórien, and take your rest here. You will be welcome here for as long as you wish to stay. You have traveled far and are weary. Go now, and rest, and we will speak more when you have rested."
Several Elves stepped forward from the sides of the room and guided the small party to talans low and near to the ground, elegantly furnished and comfortable. Each one had a separate sleeping room, separated from a central chamber by curtains and carved screens that let the forest breeze flow through. The women shared one such talan, and the men had another.
Before going to bed, the entire group gathered in the women's talan. Kim spoke up. "When she greeted us, Lady Galadriel said something about a perilous journey. What did that mean?"
"The passage between the worlds is not lightly undertaken. It isn't just the length that keeps from being traveled often. We were fortunate not to have any trouble, but it is a dangerous journey, all the same."
"How?" Mark asked.
"The details don't matter." Mark didn't look satisfied at Amy's answer. "You don't want to know. Trust me. Let's just say that my return here was much easier than when I went there in the first place. None of you were in much danger. If you had been, I probably wouldn't have brought you, but there was danger."
"To you?" Beth asked.
"Yes. It doesn't matter now. What do you think of Lothlórien so far?"
"It's great!" Mattie was enthusiastic.
"I'm glad you think so. I hope you'll all enjoy exploring. It's not often that mortals are welcomed here. You are honored guests for my sake."
"You seem to know the Lady, yes?" Pete asked.
"Yes. She is barely younger than me. I was her handmaiden for many years. We spent much of the first and second ages together. I was with her when she wed Celeborn, and when her daughter Celebrían was born. Celebrían and I were never close, but her loss does pain me. There is a certain awkwardness for me now with the relationship I've begun with Elrond. He is not the only one still mourning Celbrían's loss." Amy trailed off.
"Were you and Galadriel having some sort of discussion while you were staring at each other?" Mattie asked, changing the subject.
"Yes. Galadriel has the skill to speak to minds, as I think you all experienced. You needn't tell what she said to each of you, unless you wish to. She and I will have to spend a lot of time catching up yet. You'll find that time means very little here, even less than it did in Rivendell. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm ready to sleep in a real bed again. If there's anything you're dying to know, ask away, but I imagine most of it can wait for morning." That met with approval, and all of them went their separate ways. Baths had been prepared, and they were able to wash off the dust before slipping into soft robes and comfortable beds.