After the incident at Edoras, Éomer had told no one else of Connor's
identity and so Connor and Shadow were left in peace to roam the lands of
Middle-Earth. They proceeded to Lórien as Connor longed to see the Lady of
the Wood once more. They travelled through Fangorn Forest on their way,
Connor having met some of the Ents after the War of the Ring so he was
unafraid of the dark forest that many Men would avoid.
"Hrum, Hoom. Do I know you? You remind me of someone I cannot remember." A deep voice came from behind Connor, Shadow yelped and darted in front of Connor, almost tripping the boy up.
Recognising the voice, Connor spun round. "Treebeard, do you not know me? I am Callum."
"Hrum, Hoom." The deep voice muttered again as the sturdy, fourteen foot high Ent gazed down at the boy. The Ent's arms were smooth and brown and the bushy grey beard, thin and mossy at the ends, covered the lower part of the long face. The grave, but piercing eyes of the Ent were brown with a green light in them. "Hrum, Hoom. Man the mortal, master of horses. Callum, the son of Aragorn? You have grown, boy."
Grinning and remembering the Ent's slow way of speech and action, Connor said, "Treebeard, it has been a long time since our last meeting. It is more than eight years since."
"Eight years may be a long time to a Man, but not long to an Ent, but you always were hasty, Callum."
"I and my wolf are travelling to Lórien. Do we have your permission to travel through your forest?"
"A friend of the wizard Gandalf need not ask to travel through my forest, young man. Lórien, Hrum, Hoom. Why do you wish to go to Lórien?"
As Connor answered, the Ent picked up the boy and the terrified wolf and began to tread with long deliberate strides through the trees. Connor talked for a long time, telling the Ent all of the news of the outside world since their last meeting, the Ent occasionally interrupting to ask a question about a past event. Sitting comfortably in the Ent's arm, Connor felt safe and he noticed that as the peculiar journey went on, Shadow relaxed too, secure in the grasp of the Ent.
By the time Connor and Treebeard had exhausted all their news and sung the old Elvish songs about Ents, they had reached the other end of Fangorn Forest. They wished each other farewell and the Ent went to his home whilst the boy and wolf walked toward the distant woods of Lórien.
* * *
Reaching Lórien, they splashed through a stream, whose waters strengthened and invigorated the weary travellers. Hungry, they sat and ate food from the almost empty pack, which Éomer's people had re-filled with food at Edoras.
Harking back to the days of the Fellowship, Connor was reminded of a song Legolas had sung of the maiden Nimrodel. To cheer himself, he sung the song softly as he and Shadow walked through the woods of Lórien. Wondering once more at the height of the trees, Connor abandoned his pack to the ground, instructed Shadow to stay and swung himself up into the trees, but even as he did so, a commanding voice spoke. "Daro!"
In fear, Connor dropped to the ground and crouched by the frightened wolf. One Elf, clad in shadowy-grey, landed lightly beside them and three others emerged from the surrounding trees, arrows at the ready. Glad of his knowledge of the elven-tongue, Sindarin, Connor spoke quickly and explained his coming.
Answering the boy in the same tongue, the first Elf asked how he knew Sindarin. "My mother is an Elf, but my father a mortal Man." Connor relapsed into the Common Speech, knowing few of the Lórien elves understood such a tongue.
"You must be brought before the Lord and the Lady. You cannot cross the rivers again." Connor nodded thus he and Shadow were led to the Lord and the Lady of the Wood.
The Lady Galadriel spoke no words but looked long upon his face. The Lord Celeborn, however, addressed him. "Welcome Connor son of Aragorn. It is nine years of the world outside since you came to this land."
Connor smiled and they conversed for a while. Suddenly the Lady Galadriel spoke. "Your quest is known to me, young one." Once more, she gazed searchingly at him. Connor lifted his head and fixed his eyes on her, enduring her gaze for longer than many mortals would.
"Go now!" Celeborn advised. "You are worn with sorrow and much toil. Now you shall rest, and we will not speak of your further road until the morrow."
Connor bowed courteously and followed Haldir, an Elf friend of the Fellowship, to the same glade where the Fellowship had slept some nine years before. For a while, the Elf and boy spoke of tidings Connor had brought with him from the outside world.
When the Elf had left him, Connor sat leaning against a tree, Shadow asleep by his side. He felt as though the Lady of the Wood had offered him a choice between darkness and light. His heart told him one thing, but his pride another. Sighing, he questioned his purpose and speculated what the morrow would bring.
He fell asleep to the sound of melodious Elvish songs sung in Sindarin.
"Hrum, Hoom. Do I know you? You remind me of someone I cannot remember." A deep voice came from behind Connor, Shadow yelped and darted in front of Connor, almost tripping the boy up.
Recognising the voice, Connor spun round. "Treebeard, do you not know me? I am Callum."
"Hrum, Hoom." The deep voice muttered again as the sturdy, fourteen foot high Ent gazed down at the boy. The Ent's arms were smooth and brown and the bushy grey beard, thin and mossy at the ends, covered the lower part of the long face. The grave, but piercing eyes of the Ent were brown with a green light in them. "Hrum, Hoom. Man the mortal, master of horses. Callum, the son of Aragorn? You have grown, boy."
Grinning and remembering the Ent's slow way of speech and action, Connor said, "Treebeard, it has been a long time since our last meeting. It is more than eight years since."
"Eight years may be a long time to a Man, but not long to an Ent, but you always were hasty, Callum."
"I and my wolf are travelling to Lórien. Do we have your permission to travel through your forest?"
"A friend of the wizard Gandalf need not ask to travel through my forest, young man. Lórien, Hrum, Hoom. Why do you wish to go to Lórien?"
As Connor answered, the Ent picked up the boy and the terrified wolf and began to tread with long deliberate strides through the trees. Connor talked for a long time, telling the Ent all of the news of the outside world since their last meeting, the Ent occasionally interrupting to ask a question about a past event. Sitting comfortably in the Ent's arm, Connor felt safe and he noticed that as the peculiar journey went on, Shadow relaxed too, secure in the grasp of the Ent.
By the time Connor and Treebeard had exhausted all their news and sung the old Elvish songs about Ents, they had reached the other end of Fangorn Forest. They wished each other farewell and the Ent went to his home whilst the boy and wolf walked toward the distant woods of Lórien.
* * *
Reaching Lórien, they splashed through a stream, whose waters strengthened and invigorated the weary travellers. Hungry, they sat and ate food from the almost empty pack, which Éomer's people had re-filled with food at Edoras.
Harking back to the days of the Fellowship, Connor was reminded of a song Legolas had sung of the maiden Nimrodel. To cheer himself, he sung the song softly as he and Shadow walked through the woods of Lórien. Wondering once more at the height of the trees, Connor abandoned his pack to the ground, instructed Shadow to stay and swung himself up into the trees, but even as he did so, a commanding voice spoke. "Daro!"
In fear, Connor dropped to the ground and crouched by the frightened wolf. One Elf, clad in shadowy-grey, landed lightly beside them and three others emerged from the surrounding trees, arrows at the ready. Glad of his knowledge of the elven-tongue, Sindarin, Connor spoke quickly and explained his coming.
Answering the boy in the same tongue, the first Elf asked how he knew Sindarin. "My mother is an Elf, but my father a mortal Man." Connor relapsed into the Common Speech, knowing few of the Lórien elves understood such a tongue.
"You must be brought before the Lord and the Lady. You cannot cross the rivers again." Connor nodded thus he and Shadow were led to the Lord and the Lady of the Wood.
The Lady Galadriel spoke no words but looked long upon his face. The Lord Celeborn, however, addressed him. "Welcome Connor son of Aragorn. It is nine years of the world outside since you came to this land."
Connor smiled and they conversed for a while. Suddenly the Lady Galadriel spoke. "Your quest is known to me, young one." Once more, she gazed searchingly at him. Connor lifted his head and fixed his eyes on her, enduring her gaze for longer than many mortals would.
"Go now!" Celeborn advised. "You are worn with sorrow and much toil. Now you shall rest, and we will not speak of your further road until the morrow."
Connor bowed courteously and followed Haldir, an Elf friend of the Fellowship, to the same glade where the Fellowship had slept some nine years before. For a while, the Elf and boy spoke of tidings Connor had brought with him from the outside world.
When the Elf had left him, Connor sat leaning against a tree, Shadow asleep by his side. He felt as though the Lady of the Wood had offered him a choice between darkness and light. His heart told him one thing, but his pride another. Sighing, he questioned his purpose and speculated what the morrow would bring.
He fell asleep to the sound of melodious Elvish songs sung in Sindarin.