Ch. 19
That evening, Amy found the six humans and told them the plans.
"Guys, it's probably no news, but things around here aren't necessarily perfect, either. Lórien is protected by power so strong Sauron would have to attack himself to take it, but just to the east, in Dol Guldur, there's a major enemy stronghold. Sauron himself occupied it for hundreds of years, leaving it only recently, but there are still enemy forces there, and Galadriel and Celeborn feel the need to retake it. They will be leaving pretty soon, and I'll be going with them. You will be safe here, and I'll be back as soon as possible."
"You know, we aren't incapable of taking care of ourselves." Pete had a glint in his eye.
"I know, but I don't want to take you into battle. We'll be facing orcs, goblins…"
"It can't be any worse than bullets. I fought in Vietnam. At least you have a chance to see an arrow coming. I've learned to fight with a sword and a bow pretty well."
"Against poisoned arrows? The enemy poisons arrows and blades."
"I've faced more chemicals than I want to think about. I'm not scared of poison. Besides, you just don't get hit."
"It isn't that simple. Facing one opponent is one thing, but a mêlée is another thing entirely." Pete scoffed, not convinced. "You probably could handle it, but it really isn't necessary. We'll be bringing the best of the Elvish warriors."
"Believe it or not, I can beat most of them at swordfighting." Mark spoke quietly. "I've even fought mock battles before. There may not have been poison, but I do know how to fight. Don't tell us you don't want us to come simply because we're not Elves. I'm sick of taking second place in everything just because I'm human and not an Elf."
"OK. So the two of you might be able to handle it. I'd still rather have you stay here with the other four."
"Nope." Kim spoke up. "We're in this together, and we're all going to go with you."
"That's crazy, Kim. Mark and Pete have at least fought before."
"They're not the only ones who have been training. We can all hold our own, even against the Elves."
"Guys, no! No, no, no! This is insane. I am not taking you into battle."
"And what more are you going to shield us from?" Randy spoke quietly. "You're not the only one who has lived through tough times. We came here with you, and we're going to stand by you, like it or not."
"I think we all need some time to think about this. Let's sleep on it and discuss it in the morning."
The others reluctantly agreed, and everyone went to bed, everyone, that is, except Mattie. She threw on a cloak and left the talan. She wandered for a few minutes, and soon found herself at the Mirror. She leaned over the fountain there, enjoying the starlight reflecting off the water.
"Do you wish to look into the Mirror?" Mattie jumped at Galadriel's voice.
"I don't want to impose. I was just wandering…"
"Yet your feet brought you here. The impending battle for Dol Guldur disturbs you, and you seek guidance."
Mattie nodded. Galadriel stepped past here and drew water from the fountain, then poured it into the basin. "Do not touch the water."
Mattie nodded again, then nervously leaned over the water. The starlight reflected there faded, to be replaced by images of a tower filled with evil beings. She recognized the Orcs and goblins after a moment. A bright, shining force approached. As they came closer, Mattie could recognize Elves. Galadriel and Celeborn came in the lead, Amy beside them. Orcs rushed out of the tower, and the Elves began to fight. Orcs fell everywhere. Here and there, an Elf received a wound, but none were serious. Amy fought like a whirlwind. The Orcs couldn't touch her. Suddenly, an arrow came out of the tower. An especially ugly Orc was standing in a window. The arrow flew straight to Amy and struck her square in the back. She fell to her knees, trying to block blows from the Orc she had been fighting, but it was too late. Elven arrows felled the Orcs that were attacking her, and the battle was quickly over. Galadriel rushed to Amy's side, but only to hold her as she breathed her last. Mattie looked up at the living Galadriel, but the Lady only motioned back to the Mirror. Taking a deep breath, Mattie looked down again.
She saw the same battle begin. The Elves slew Orcs in droves. She saw the big Orc in the window, drawing its bow. Mattie wanted to scream a warning, but she stared, transfixed. Just as the Orc took aim, an arrow landed in its thigh. The Orc's arrow went high, landing harmlessly on bare ground. The view shifted, and she saw herself holding a bow. Pete and Mark were nearby, hacking with swords, and Beth and Kim had climbed trees nearby, shooting arrows down into the battle. The battle went on for a couple minutes, then it was over—without casualties. The Mirror went dark.
Galadriel spoke. "I had counseled Almare not to bring you, but only you may decide what this message means. Now go rest, Madeline."
Mattie nodded, not trusting her voice. She smiled weakly at Galadriel, then headed back for the talan. She found Amy sitting up.
"Weren't tired?"
Mattie shook her head. "What's wrong, Mattie?"
"I went to the Mirror, and Galadriel had me look in it. I don't really want to talk about what I saw, but I know you have to take us with you to that battle. If you don't, someone will die." She couldn't quite bring herself to describe what she'd seen.
"All right. You're right—I didn't want to bring you, but I'll trust your judgment here. When you say someone, you mean me, don't you?" Mattie nodded. Amy got up and hugged her. "It'll be all right, Mattie. I don't think I've come this far to die now. You guys will come with us. Now go lay down and rest."
"I don't think I'll be able to."
"Yes, you will." Amy smiled softly and touched a finger to Mattie's forehead. "Go, rest, kid." Mattie fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
In the morning, Amy said nothing more than that she'd had a change of mind concerning them. "I changed my mind—woman's prerogative. I'm not going to give you any more answer than that." She grinned at them. "Yes, I'm being mysterious. Deal with it."
That evening, Amy found the six humans and told them the plans.
"Guys, it's probably no news, but things around here aren't necessarily perfect, either. Lórien is protected by power so strong Sauron would have to attack himself to take it, but just to the east, in Dol Guldur, there's a major enemy stronghold. Sauron himself occupied it for hundreds of years, leaving it only recently, but there are still enemy forces there, and Galadriel and Celeborn feel the need to retake it. They will be leaving pretty soon, and I'll be going with them. You will be safe here, and I'll be back as soon as possible."
"You know, we aren't incapable of taking care of ourselves." Pete had a glint in his eye.
"I know, but I don't want to take you into battle. We'll be facing orcs, goblins…"
"It can't be any worse than bullets. I fought in Vietnam. At least you have a chance to see an arrow coming. I've learned to fight with a sword and a bow pretty well."
"Against poisoned arrows? The enemy poisons arrows and blades."
"I've faced more chemicals than I want to think about. I'm not scared of poison. Besides, you just don't get hit."
"It isn't that simple. Facing one opponent is one thing, but a mêlée is another thing entirely." Pete scoffed, not convinced. "You probably could handle it, but it really isn't necessary. We'll be bringing the best of the Elvish warriors."
"Believe it or not, I can beat most of them at swordfighting." Mark spoke quietly. "I've even fought mock battles before. There may not have been poison, but I do know how to fight. Don't tell us you don't want us to come simply because we're not Elves. I'm sick of taking second place in everything just because I'm human and not an Elf."
"OK. So the two of you might be able to handle it. I'd still rather have you stay here with the other four."
"Nope." Kim spoke up. "We're in this together, and we're all going to go with you."
"That's crazy, Kim. Mark and Pete have at least fought before."
"They're not the only ones who have been training. We can all hold our own, even against the Elves."
"Guys, no! No, no, no! This is insane. I am not taking you into battle."
"And what more are you going to shield us from?" Randy spoke quietly. "You're not the only one who has lived through tough times. We came here with you, and we're going to stand by you, like it or not."
"I think we all need some time to think about this. Let's sleep on it and discuss it in the morning."
The others reluctantly agreed, and everyone went to bed, everyone, that is, except Mattie. She threw on a cloak and left the talan. She wandered for a few minutes, and soon found herself at the Mirror. She leaned over the fountain there, enjoying the starlight reflecting off the water.
"Do you wish to look into the Mirror?" Mattie jumped at Galadriel's voice.
"I don't want to impose. I was just wandering…"
"Yet your feet brought you here. The impending battle for Dol Guldur disturbs you, and you seek guidance."
Mattie nodded. Galadriel stepped past here and drew water from the fountain, then poured it into the basin. "Do not touch the water."
Mattie nodded again, then nervously leaned over the water. The starlight reflected there faded, to be replaced by images of a tower filled with evil beings. She recognized the Orcs and goblins after a moment. A bright, shining force approached. As they came closer, Mattie could recognize Elves. Galadriel and Celeborn came in the lead, Amy beside them. Orcs rushed out of the tower, and the Elves began to fight. Orcs fell everywhere. Here and there, an Elf received a wound, but none were serious. Amy fought like a whirlwind. The Orcs couldn't touch her. Suddenly, an arrow came out of the tower. An especially ugly Orc was standing in a window. The arrow flew straight to Amy and struck her square in the back. She fell to her knees, trying to block blows from the Orc she had been fighting, but it was too late. Elven arrows felled the Orcs that were attacking her, and the battle was quickly over. Galadriel rushed to Amy's side, but only to hold her as she breathed her last. Mattie looked up at the living Galadriel, but the Lady only motioned back to the Mirror. Taking a deep breath, Mattie looked down again.
She saw the same battle begin. The Elves slew Orcs in droves. She saw the big Orc in the window, drawing its bow. Mattie wanted to scream a warning, but she stared, transfixed. Just as the Orc took aim, an arrow landed in its thigh. The Orc's arrow went high, landing harmlessly on bare ground. The view shifted, and she saw herself holding a bow. Pete and Mark were nearby, hacking with swords, and Beth and Kim had climbed trees nearby, shooting arrows down into the battle. The battle went on for a couple minutes, then it was over—without casualties. The Mirror went dark.
Galadriel spoke. "I had counseled Almare not to bring you, but only you may decide what this message means. Now go rest, Madeline."
Mattie nodded, not trusting her voice. She smiled weakly at Galadriel, then headed back for the talan. She found Amy sitting up.
"Weren't tired?"
Mattie shook her head. "What's wrong, Mattie?"
"I went to the Mirror, and Galadriel had me look in it. I don't really want to talk about what I saw, but I know you have to take us with you to that battle. If you don't, someone will die." She couldn't quite bring herself to describe what she'd seen.
"All right. You're right—I didn't want to bring you, but I'll trust your judgment here. When you say someone, you mean me, don't you?" Mattie nodded. Amy got up and hugged her. "It'll be all right, Mattie. I don't think I've come this far to die now. You guys will come with us. Now go lay down and rest."
"I don't think I'll be able to."
"Yes, you will." Amy smiled softly and touched a finger to Mattie's forehead. "Go, rest, kid." Mattie fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
In the morning, Amy said nothing more than that she'd had a change of mind concerning them. "I changed my mind—woman's prerogative. I'm not going to give you any more answer than that." She grinned at them. "Yes, I'm being mysterious. Deal with it."