During the night, he woke refreshed and at peace. Beside him, Shadow was
still asleep and Connor wondered what had awoken him. Hearing soft
rustlings, he stood up slowly and saw the Lady Galadriel, tall, white and
fair, walking through the trees.
Feeling a compelling urge to follow, he obeyed his instincts. She finally came to an enclosed garden and went down a flight of steps. The hollow contained no trees and was lit by the bright stars. A silver stream ran murmuring from a fountain on the hill of Caras Galadhon. A wide, shallow, silver basin stood upon a low pedestal. Galadriel picked up a silver ewer and filled the basin with water from the stream.
When the water was still, she spoke in her gentle, musical voice. "Here is the Mirror of Galadriel. I have brought you here so that you may look in it, for I know you wish very much to see your family once more."
"Will I see them?" Connor felt strangely calm, but awed by the Elf-lady.
Galadriel smiled slowly. "The Mirror shows many things, some of which I can command and to some I can show what they desire to see. What you will see, I cannot always tell. It shows things that were, and things that are, and others that yet may be. But which you see, even the wisest cannot always tell. Will you look?" Connor nodded. She continued. "Look and see what you may, but do not touch the water!"
Connor stepped onto the foot of the pedestal and looked. The hard, dark water reflected only the stars above him. He glanced up again at the Lady. She smiled, knowing his mind. "Look again, little one."
The stars in the water went out and the Mirror grew grey and then clear. "Mother!" Connor exclaimed quietly, for his mother could be seen in the water. Tears were pouring down her fair cheeks as she sat in his own private chamber, clutching a shirt that he had worn the day before running away.
Biting his lip, Connor could not take his eyes off his mother. Then the Mirror changed. Aragorn stood near the weeping Arwen and spoke gently to her. Connor could hear his father's words as though his father were beside him. Speaking softly in the Common Speech, Aragorn told his Elf-wife of the quarrel he had had with Connor, before Connor's disappearance. "I blame myself, Evenstar. I quarrelled with our son and he ran for I would not let him do his will."
Arwen held Aragorn's hand and kissed it. "It was not only you, Elfstone. I too forbid him to become a Ranger and for that, he left."
"No, Mother." Connor whispered. "It is not your fault and neither is it, Father. Oh, Mother." He reached his hand towards his parents.
"Do not touch the water." Galadriel spoke gently and as she spoke, the picture in the water changed once more.
An Elf-girl in a wood clearing was crying. "Alatariel Lossëhelim, why are you crying?" Connor asked out loud.
"She believes you are dead, little one, and she is crying for the loss of her love." Galadriel said quietly.
Connor gazed mesmerized into the water and then up at Galadriel. As the picture in the water dissolved, he fell out of his trance. His eyes were wide with shock and his guilt spread across his face. He leapt off the pedestal and muttered. "I must away to my home. My parents believe they drove me away by forbidding me to become a Ranger and Alatariel is crying for she thinks I am dead. O, Lady, I must go home."
"Indeed, you must if you wish so, little one, but tarry a while. The night is not yet over and Celeborn wishes to speak with you upon the morrow."
Reluctantly, but obeying the Lady, Connor bowed, thanked her in Sindarin and left the dell for his sleeping place.
* * *
The next day, the Lord and Lady of the Wood wished Connor farewell and he thanked them for their hospitality. Haldir brought Connor food for the journey and together they filled his pack with very thin cakes made of a meal that was baked a light brown on the outside and the colour of cream on the inside. Connor smiled as he recognised the Elvish version of cram such as the Dale-men made for long journeys, lembas or waybread. The lembas were wrapped in leaves and would remain unbroken and sweet for many days.
Celeborn told Connor the way home to Minas Tirith. "As you go down the water, you will do well to leave the Great River above Rauros and cross the Entwash before it finds the marshes. I know you are Ent-friend, so if you wish to be entangled in the Forest of Fangorn, that is your choice." Connor smiled, as he remembered the Elves' previous warning of the Forest. "Hence I need say no more, for you know the Great West Road will lead you to your home. Farewell little one. Haldir will go with you for a while."
The Prince and Haldir bowed and went to prepare the boat. Shadow sat in the bows with Connor's pack, watching the trees go by and as Haldir and Connor paddled the grey boat through the water, they could hear the Lady of the Wood singing in the ancient tongue of the Elves beyond the Sea. Connor understood only a few of the words and, as the small swift boat passed the Lady's boat, he called, "Namárië mellon." (Farewell friend)
She smiled after him and soon the fleet grey boat slipped from even her Elvish sight.
Feeling a compelling urge to follow, he obeyed his instincts. She finally came to an enclosed garden and went down a flight of steps. The hollow contained no trees and was lit by the bright stars. A silver stream ran murmuring from a fountain on the hill of Caras Galadhon. A wide, shallow, silver basin stood upon a low pedestal. Galadriel picked up a silver ewer and filled the basin with water from the stream.
When the water was still, she spoke in her gentle, musical voice. "Here is the Mirror of Galadriel. I have brought you here so that you may look in it, for I know you wish very much to see your family once more."
"Will I see them?" Connor felt strangely calm, but awed by the Elf-lady.
Galadriel smiled slowly. "The Mirror shows many things, some of which I can command and to some I can show what they desire to see. What you will see, I cannot always tell. It shows things that were, and things that are, and others that yet may be. But which you see, even the wisest cannot always tell. Will you look?" Connor nodded. She continued. "Look and see what you may, but do not touch the water!"
Connor stepped onto the foot of the pedestal and looked. The hard, dark water reflected only the stars above him. He glanced up again at the Lady. She smiled, knowing his mind. "Look again, little one."
The stars in the water went out and the Mirror grew grey and then clear. "Mother!" Connor exclaimed quietly, for his mother could be seen in the water. Tears were pouring down her fair cheeks as she sat in his own private chamber, clutching a shirt that he had worn the day before running away.
Biting his lip, Connor could not take his eyes off his mother. Then the Mirror changed. Aragorn stood near the weeping Arwen and spoke gently to her. Connor could hear his father's words as though his father were beside him. Speaking softly in the Common Speech, Aragorn told his Elf-wife of the quarrel he had had with Connor, before Connor's disappearance. "I blame myself, Evenstar. I quarrelled with our son and he ran for I would not let him do his will."
Arwen held Aragorn's hand and kissed it. "It was not only you, Elfstone. I too forbid him to become a Ranger and for that, he left."
"No, Mother." Connor whispered. "It is not your fault and neither is it, Father. Oh, Mother." He reached his hand towards his parents.
"Do not touch the water." Galadriel spoke gently and as she spoke, the picture in the water changed once more.
An Elf-girl in a wood clearing was crying. "Alatariel Lossëhelim, why are you crying?" Connor asked out loud.
"She believes you are dead, little one, and she is crying for the loss of her love." Galadriel said quietly.
Connor gazed mesmerized into the water and then up at Galadriel. As the picture in the water dissolved, he fell out of his trance. His eyes were wide with shock and his guilt spread across his face. He leapt off the pedestal and muttered. "I must away to my home. My parents believe they drove me away by forbidding me to become a Ranger and Alatariel is crying for she thinks I am dead. O, Lady, I must go home."
"Indeed, you must if you wish so, little one, but tarry a while. The night is not yet over and Celeborn wishes to speak with you upon the morrow."
Reluctantly, but obeying the Lady, Connor bowed, thanked her in Sindarin and left the dell for his sleeping place.
* * *
The next day, the Lord and Lady of the Wood wished Connor farewell and he thanked them for their hospitality. Haldir brought Connor food for the journey and together they filled his pack with very thin cakes made of a meal that was baked a light brown on the outside and the colour of cream on the inside. Connor smiled as he recognised the Elvish version of cram such as the Dale-men made for long journeys, lembas or waybread. The lembas were wrapped in leaves and would remain unbroken and sweet for many days.
Celeborn told Connor the way home to Minas Tirith. "As you go down the water, you will do well to leave the Great River above Rauros and cross the Entwash before it finds the marshes. I know you are Ent-friend, so if you wish to be entangled in the Forest of Fangorn, that is your choice." Connor smiled, as he remembered the Elves' previous warning of the Forest. "Hence I need say no more, for you know the Great West Road will lead you to your home. Farewell little one. Haldir will go with you for a while."
The Prince and Haldir bowed and went to prepare the boat. Shadow sat in the bows with Connor's pack, watching the trees go by and as Haldir and Connor paddled the grey boat through the water, they could hear the Lady of the Wood singing in the ancient tongue of the Elves beyond the Sea. Connor understood only a few of the words and, as the small swift boat passed the Lady's boat, he called, "Namárië mellon." (Farewell friend)
She smiled after him and soon the fleet grey boat slipped from even her Elvish sight.