Ch. 16
The small party found a measure of peace in Lothlórien. They managed to keep busy without being hurried or getting bored. Beth spent a lot of time with the musicians, learning the music of Middle Earth, and even memorizing many of the songs and tales of the Elves. Mark worked with the Elves on swordfighting, and Randy and Pete became passable archers. All of them learned to ride, if not well, at least better than before. Kim learned Elvish embroidery, and spent a lot of time working on it. Mattie and Mark spent a lot of time together, and soon the rest of the group was placing bets on how long it would take them to get engaged, and how long it would take Randy and Kim to get together. This was complicated by the fact that counting time was very difficult in Lothlórien, but weeks passed, and Pete's prediction of only a couple days for Mattie and Mark quickly fell flat.
Their tranquil existence was soon disturbed by travelers. The Fellowship of the Ring had arrived in Lothlórien. The young travelers stayed out of the way for the first couple days. Beth had picked up a little Sindarin, and she caught a few words of the lament for Mithrandir. Amy found them and explained what she'd learned from Galadriel about the Fellowship. They still had a residual familiarity with the races and histories involved, but the news of Elrond's council and the Fellowship's adventures was unfamiliar to them. Once again, as happened in Rivendell, events proceeded quickly around them, but the humans understood little of it.
Amy understood more, but she, too, mostly stayed out of the way, meeting the fellowship, but interacting very little with them. The news of Gandalf's death was a shock to her, and she withdrew into herself. She had known the Maia in Valinor, before the forming of the Istari, and considered him one of her closest friends. Was this war unwinable? Mithrandir had died in a dark mine, defeated by an ancient demon! Saruman had betrayed them. She had brought six humans here, unaware of the evil that was gaining power in this world. It had seemed a good decision at the time. She couldn't remember her thought process. That was strange.
Stifling her grief, Amy sought out Aragorn. He told her of their adventures, starting even back in Bree. Hearing his stories of Rivendell and the Council, her thoughts returned to Elrond. He must be bearing this strain at least as heavily as she. While she had been close to Gandalf, so was he, and he was forced to make decisions and take responsibility for others despite his own pain. Aragorn saw Elrond as strong, but Amy had doubts. Elrond had been a father to the Man. It is always difficult to perceive your father's weakness.
After the fellowship left Lothlórien, Amy sought out Galadriel. Galadriel smiled as she approached. "How have you been, Almare?"
"I am well. Mithrandir's loss has shaken me. If he could fall, what of the rest of us?"
"I understand what you are feeling. Nevertheless, do not give up hope. The Fellowship may yet succeed."
"I hope so, for all our sakes."
"Yes. I do not relish the thought of Sauron regaining the ring. Boromir thinks it foolishness to take the Ring to Mordor, but, like Elrond, I see no other way."
"Men live such short lives. It's often difficult for them to see beyond their short spans."
"Yes, and they desire power. It was that lust for power than kept Isildur from destroying the Ring after the victory of the Last Alliance, and now that same lust threatens to overwhelm Boromir. The son of Arathorn has fared better against the Ring's temptation, but Aragorn too fears the its lure."
"Do you think they can succeed? Can they really destroy the Ring?"
"Not as they are now. The Fellowship is doomed, but its mission may continue."
"But will the mission succeed?"
"It would take a miracle."
"We've lived through our share of miracles."
"Yes, we have. Still, I cannot see the end to this conflict."
"Then we'll just have to watch and see what happens. What more can you tell me of this last age?"
"There is not much more to be said. Life has continued on for Men and Elves. The last King of Gondor was killed some thousand years ago, and Stewards have ruled in Minas Tirith since. The line of Kings has continued, but Aragorn is the last. Even among the Dúnedain, the blood of Nümenor has waned, and their life spans have lessened. Only the Elves retain any of the Rings of Power, and they are closely guarded. Only a few years ago, Bilbo the Hobbit went adventuring with Mithrandir and a fellowship of Dwarves, and it was there that Bilbo found the Ring, which he would later pass on to his nephew, Frodo, who now bears it to Mordor.
"The time of the Elves is ending. Most have already left. We who stay do so to combat Sauron. Whether the ring is destroyed or not, our people will leave these shores. If the ring is destroyed, Men will rise and their time will begin. If the quest should fail, they will be the only ones left to fight the Dark Lord." Galadriel paused. "What will you do?"
"Whatever will happen, it seems like it will happen within the lifetimes of the young ones. I hesitate to leave them alone. I brought them here, and they are alone in a strange world, not even among their own kind. I suppose it might be reasonable to take them to Gondor or Rohan, but in these dark days, I'm not sure I want any of us to be there."
"Those places are not necessarily safe for any of us. The young ones are foreigners, and Men distrust the Elves. Come. Let us consult the Mirror. Its messages have been dark and strange of late, but it may reveal something."
The two Elves walked to the Mirror, and after wandering the garden for a moment, Galadriel took water in a silver ewer. Filling the basin, she motioned Amy to the Mirror. Amy looked into the mirror, drawing a deep breath. The evening sky faded from view, and she saw Elrond sitting in his study, staring vacantly into space. After a moment, he clenched his fist, only to relax it again. Suddenly he turned and looked up, as if seeing her watching. He turned, wiping at his eyes, and left the room. The view faded, and she saw a younger Aragorn talking to Elrond. Both were upset. Few words came clearly, but Amy caught the name Arwen. The view changed again, and she saw Elrond sitting beside a bed, a pale Elf lying in the bed. Her features weren't clear, but silver hair shone in the candlelight. Elrond was holding a newborn child. The twins, Elladan and Elrohir, walked into the room, smiling at their mother, and leaning over to catch a glimpse of their new sister. The view shifted subtly. Celebrían, her features clear this time, was laying in the same bed. Her wounds were bandaged, but still bleeding. Elrond was sitting beside the bed, his head was bowed with grief.
The Mirror's view changed again. It left Rivendell, now showing a pair of Hobbits discovering a shiny ring when they were swimming. Amy watched as Sméagol became Gollum, then lost the Ring to Bilbo, who then handed it over to Frodo. She watched the Dúnedain guard the Shire for years, often unnoticed and distrusted by the ones they protected. She saw a child born to their Chief's wife, then watched that Chief fall in battle, and the wife flee to Rivendell. Just when she thought she might get another glimpse of Elrond, the view faded again, now showing Saruman in Isengard, conversing with the Dark Lord through a palantír, and breeding an army of Orcs. The view shifted to confused images of several battles, then three small forms working their way through a wasteland. The Mirror held this image for a moment, then grew dark.
Amy looked up, meeting Galadriel's eyes. Galadriel paused for a moment before speaking. "This message is a confusing one, as many of late. The Mirror has shown you much of what you have missed, and some that may be. Saruman's treachery is truth, but of the later images, I can tell you nothing. Make of the message what you will."
The two of them wandered back to where the others were staying. It was dark, but it wasn't late yet, and no one was asleep yet. Pete, Beth, Mark, and Mattie were sitting, talking. A couple of the Hobbits were with them. Galadriel went her way, and Amy made small talk for a couple minutes, but then headed off, too. The young people were enjoying their conversation with the Hobbits, but the conversation had dried up as soon as she came in. It wasn't surprising. The Hobbits were in awe of Elves. She wandered through Caras Galadon, and soon ran across Kim and the human called Boromir. They were standing close to each other, talking. Amy slipped back into the shadows, not ready to be noticed.
"Tell me about your home, Boromir. I'm new to everything here."
"Minas Tirith is quite beautiful. We call it the White City. Stewards have ruled the city for many generations…" They continued to talk. After a moment, Amy saw Randy approach, as silently as a human could. Kim and Boromir didn't detect him. She laughed brightly at something Boromir had said, and a look of pain crossed Randy's face. Amy saw Galadriel slip up silently beside Randy, then wait for him to notice her. He jumped a little when he did, but managed to remain unnoticed. Galadriel took his arm and drew him away silently.
The small party found a measure of peace in Lothlórien. They managed to keep busy without being hurried or getting bored. Beth spent a lot of time with the musicians, learning the music of Middle Earth, and even memorizing many of the songs and tales of the Elves. Mark worked with the Elves on swordfighting, and Randy and Pete became passable archers. All of them learned to ride, if not well, at least better than before. Kim learned Elvish embroidery, and spent a lot of time working on it. Mattie and Mark spent a lot of time together, and soon the rest of the group was placing bets on how long it would take them to get engaged, and how long it would take Randy and Kim to get together. This was complicated by the fact that counting time was very difficult in Lothlórien, but weeks passed, and Pete's prediction of only a couple days for Mattie and Mark quickly fell flat.
Their tranquil existence was soon disturbed by travelers. The Fellowship of the Ring had arrived in Lothlórien. The young travelers stayed out of the way for the first couple days. Beth had picked up a little Sindarin, and she caught a few words of the lament for Mithrandir. Amy found them and explained what she'd learned from Galadriel about the Fellowship. They still had a residual familiarity with the races and histories involved, but the news of Elrond's council and the Fellowship's adventures was unfamiliar to them. Once again, as happened in Rivendell, events proceeded quickly around them, but the humans understood little of it.
Amy understood more, but she, too, mostly stayed out of the way, meeting the fellowship, but interacting very little with them. The news of Gandalf's death was a shock to her, and she withdrew into herself. She had known the Maia in Valinor, before the forming of the Istari, and considered him one of her closest friends. Was this war unwinable? Mithrandir had died in a dark mine, defeated by an ancient demon! Saruman had betrayed them. She had brought six humans here, unaware of the evil that was gaining power in this world. It had seemed a good decision at the time. She couldn't remember her thought process. That was strange.
Stifling her grief, Amy sought out Aragorn. He told her of their adventures, starting even back in Bree. Hearing his stories of Rivendell and the Council, her thoughts returned to Elrond. He must be bearing this strain at least as heavily as she. While she had been close to Gandalf, so was he, and he was forced to make decisions and take responsibility for others despite his own pain. Aragorn saw Elrond as strong, but Amy had doubts. Elrond had been a father to the Man. It is always difficult to perceive your father's weakness.
After the fellowship left Lothlórien, Amy sought out Galadriel. Galadriel smiled as she approached. "How have you been, Almare?"
"I am well. Mithrandir's loss has shaken me. If he could fall, what of the rest of us?"
"I understand what you are feeling. Nevertheless, do not give up hope. The Fellowship may yet succeed."
"I hope so, for all our sakes."
"Yes. I do not relish the thought of Sauron regaining the ring. Boromir thinks it foolishness to take the Ring to Mordor, but, like Elrond, I see no other way."
"Men live such short lives. It's often difficult for them to see beyond their short spans."
"Yes, and they desire power. It was that lust for power than kept Isildur from destroying the Ring after the victory of the Last Alliance, and now that same lust threatens to overwhelm Boromir. The son of Arathorn has fared better against the Ring's temptation, but Aragorn too fears the its lure."
"Do you think they can succeed? Can they really destroy the Ring?"
"Not as they are now. The Fellowship is doomed, but its mission may continue."
"But will the mission succeed?"
"It would take a miracle."
"We've lived through our share of miracles."
"Yes, we have. Still, I cannot see the end to this conflict."
"Then we'll just have to watch and see what happens. What more can you tell me of this last age?"
"There is not much more to be said. Life has continued on for Men and Elves. The last King of Gondor was killed some thousand years ago, and Stewards have ruled in Minas Tirith since. The line of Kings has continued, but Aragorn is the last. Even among the Dúnedain, the blood of Nümenor has waned, and their life spans have lessened. Only the Elves retain any of the Rings of Power, and they are closely guarded. Only a few years ago, Bilbo the Hobbit went adventuring with Mithrandir and a fellowship of Dwarves, and it was there that Bilbo found the Ring, which he would later pass on to his nephew, Frodo, who now bears it to Mordor.
"The time of the Elves is ending. Most have already left. We who stay do so to combat Sauron. Whether the ring is destroyed or not, our people will leave these shores. If the ring is destroyed, Men will rise and their time will begin. If the quest should fail, they will be the only ones left to fight the Dark Lord." Galadriel paused. "What will you do?"
"Whatever will happen, it seems like it will happen within the lifetimes of the young ones. I hesitate to leave them alone. I brought them here, and they are alone in a strange world, not even among their own kind. I suppose it might be reasonable to take them to Gondor or Rohan, but in these dark days, I'm not sure I want any of us to be there."
"Those places are not necessarily safe for any of us. The young ones are foreigners, and Men distrust the Elves. Come. Let us consult the Mirror. Its messages have been dark and strange of late, but it may reveal something."
The two Elves walked to the Mirror, and after wandering the garden for a moment, Galadriel took water in a silver ewer. Filling the basin, she motioned Amy to the Mirror. Amy looked into the mirror, drawing a deep breath. The evening sky faded from view, and she saw Elrond sitting in his study, staring vacantly into space. After a moment, he clenched his fist, only to relax it again. Suddenly he turned and looked up, as if seeing her watching. He turned, wiping at his eyes, and left the room. The view faded, and she saw a younger Aragorn talking to Elrond. Both were upset. Few words came clearly, but Amy caught the name Arwen. The view changed again, and she saw Elrond sitting beside a bed, a pale Elf lying in the bed. Her features weren't clear, but silver hair shone in the candlelight. Elrond was holding a newborn child. The twins, Elladan and Elrohir, walked into the room, smiling at their mother, and leaning over to catch a glimpse of their new sister. The view shifted subtly. Celebrían, her features clear this time, was laying in the same bed. Her wounds were bandaged, but still bleeding. Elrond was sitting beside the bed, his head was bowed with grief.
The Mirror's view changed again. It left Rivendell, now showing a pair of Hobbits discovering a shiny ring when they were swimming. Amy watched as Sméagol became Gollum, then lost the Ring to Bilbo, who then handed it over to Frodo. She watched the Dúnedain guard the Shire for years, often unnoticed and distrusted by the ones they protected. She saw a child born to their Chief's wife, then watched that Chief fall in battle, and the wife flee to Rivendell. Just when she thought she might get another glimpse of Elrond, the view faded again, now showing Saruman in Isengard, conversing with the Dark Lord through a palantír, and breeding an army of Orcs. The view shifted to confused images of several battles, then three small forms working their way through a wasteland. The Mirror held this image for a moment, then grew dark.
Amy looked up, meeting Galadriel's eyes. Galadriel paused for a moment before speaking. "This message is a confusing one, as many of late. The Mirror has shown you much of what you have missed, and some that may be. Saruman's treachery is truth, but of the later images, I can tell you nothing. Make of the message what you will."
The two of them wandered back to where the others were staying. It was dark, but it wasn't late yet, and no one was asleep yet. Pete, Beth, Mark, and Mattie were sitting, talking. A couple of the Hobbits were with them. Galadriel went her way, and Amy made small talk for a couple minutes, but then headed off, too. The young people were enjoying their conversation with the Hobbits, but the conversation had dried up as soon as she came in. It wasn't surprising. The Hobbits were in awe of Elves. She wandered through Caras Galadon, and soon ran across Kim and the human called Boromir. They were standing close to each other, talking. Amy slipped back into the shadows, not ready to be noticed.
"Tell me about your home, Boromir. I'm new to everything here."
"Minas Tirith is quite beautiful. We call it the White City. Stewards have ruled the city for many generations…" They continued to talk. After a moment, Amy saw Randy approach, as silently as a human could. Kim and Boromir didn't detect him. She laughed brightly at something Boromir had said, and a look of pain crossed Randy's face. Amy saw Galadriel slip up silently beside Randy, then wait for him to notice her. He jumped a little when he did, but managed to remain unnoticed. Galadriel took his arm and drew him away silently.