Chapter 7 - GALADRIEL'S MIRROR
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"Will you look into the Mirror?" Galadriel's voice drifted towards Taelyra as though from a dream.
Taelyra startled slightly, she had not seen the Lady standing within the trees.
"What will I see?" Taelyra asked.
"The Mirror shows many things," said Galadriel as she calmly walked towards the small waterfall. "Things that were."
"Things that are," Galadriel filled the elegant silver pitcher from the pool and turned towards the great bowl, "and some things..That have not yet come to pass."
Galadriel emptied the pitcher into the wide basin and quietly waited for Taelyra's response.
Apprehensively, Taelyra placed her hands on the stone edges of the Mirror and stepped forward to peer into the calm surface of the water. She saw nothing but her own reflection at first.
She tried to calm her nerves, breathing deeply, smelling the cleaness of the water and trying to focus her mind. The surface shimmered slightly and then she saw something.
Gradually images began to surface on the water. She saw her brothers' faces, her father proudly smiling, as he did when he looked upon his children. She saw her King's noble face; his crown glimmered warmly with its golden beauty.
Artanis appeared, shining whitely against a backdrop of roiling black clouds. Clouds filled the entire mirror, they rolled ominously towards her and her heart felt like a cold hand had wrapped around it. Her chest pounded and she heard thunder within the encroaching clouds. She had felt like this when the Dark Lord's forces had amassed against her people and forced them from their lands. They had fought bravely but were far out- numbered by the evil army and in the end knew their only hope lay in re- uniting with their Elven kindred to fight as one force against the masses of Mordor.
Taelyra's breathing was ragged and her fingers turned white as she clenched the sides of the stone base. She shut her eyes against the terrifying images and tears trickled out, falling into the great silver bowl. As her tears hit the water's surface, the images disappeared with the ripples created.
She stepped back away from the Mirror, gasping for air. Even as a child, she couldn't remember ever feeling this frightened. She hated the feeling and wished she could somehow warm her heart. Her eyes were wide and full of fear as she looked at Galadriel. Somehow she found her voice.
"There is a great evil coming," Taelyra warned.
"I have seen it also," Galadriel replied.
"It threatens to cover all the lands of Middle Earth. Days will no longer dawn and all life will fall under its shadow," Taelyra's voice shook.
Galadriel stepped forth to grasp both Taelyra's trembling hands, she looked deeply into Taelyra's eyes and finally the girl-Elf felt some warmth in her heart again.
"There is still hope," Galadriel said earnestly. She willed the girl to believe it.
Taelyra felt somewhat reassured but was still reeling from the disturbing images she'd just seen.
"Go and rest now," Galadriel advised,"you are weary from grief and much toil."
Galadriel called to Haldir who was waiting just outside the clearing. He quickly came to Taelyra's side and gently took her arm from Galadriel.
"Please take her back to her chambers," Galadriel bade him.
Haldir led the pale and trembling Taelyra back to her room. He guided her inside and sat her upon the bed.
"Would you like some tea?" he asked.
Taelyra looked dazed, Haldir began to fear she might be going into some kind of shock.
"Taelyra?" he spoke softly.
Her gaze slowly came to rest upon him.
"No thank you," she finally replied. "Haldir, you need not look after me. I know it is the Lady's wish but your other duties are far more pressing."
Haldir hesitated slightly; he was stunned by her rebuttal but did not wish to remain where he was not wanted. Clearly she did not desire his company now. He left her room but asked one of Galadriel's women-in-waiting to look in on her throughout the day.
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"Will you look into the Mirror?" Galadriel's voice drifted towards Taelyra as though from a dream.
Taelyra startled slightly, she had not seen the Lady standing within the trees.
"What will I see?" Taelyra asked.
"The Mirror shows many things," said Galadriel as she calmly walked towards the small waterfall. "Things that were."
"Things that are," Galadriel filled the elegant silver pitcher from the pool and turned towards the great bowl, "and some things..That have not yet come to pass."
Galadriel emptied the pitcher into the wide basin and quietly waited for Taelyra's response.
Apprehensively, Taelyra placed her hands on the stone edges of the Mirror and stepped forward to peer into the calm surface of the water. She saw nothing but her own reflection at first.
She tried to calm her nerves, breathing deeply, smelling the cleaness of the water and trying to focus her mind. The surface shimmered slightly and then she saw something.
Gradually images began to surface on the water. She saw her brothers' faces, her father proudly smiling, as he did when he looked upon his children. She saw her King's noble face; his crown glimmered warmly with its golden beauty.
Artanis appeared, shining whitely against a backdrop of roiling black clouds. Clouds filled the entire mirror, they rolled ominously towards her and her heart felt like a cold hand had wrapped around it. Her chest pounded and she heard thunder within the encroaching clouds. She had felt like this when the Dark Lord's forces had amassed against her people and forced them from their lands. They had fought bravely but were far out- numbered by the evil army and in the end knew their only hope lay in re- uniting with their Elven kindred to fight as one force against the masses of Mordor.
Taelyra's breathing was ragged and her fingers turned white as she clenched the sides of the stone base. She shut her eyes against the terrifying images and tears trickled out, falling into the great silver bowl. As her tears hit the water's surface, the images disappeared with the ripples created.
She stepped back away from the Mirror, gasping for air. Even as a child, she couldn't remember ever feeling this frightened. She hated the feeling and wished she could somehow warm her heart. Her eyes were wide and full of fear as she looked at Galadriel. Somehow she found her voice.
"There is a great evil coming," Taelyra warned.
"I have seen it also," Galadriel replied.
"It threatens to cover all the lands of Middle Earth. Days will no longer dawn and all life will fall under its shadow," Taelyra's voice shook.
Galadriel stepped forth to grasp both Taelyra's trembling hands, she looked deeply into Taelyra's eyes and finally the girl-Elf felt some warmth in her heart again.
"There is still hope," Galadriel said earnestly. She willed the girl to believe it.
Taelyra felt somewhat reassured but was still reeling from the disturbing images she'd just seen.
"Go and rest now," Galadriel advised,"you are weary from grief and much toil."
Galadriel called to Haldir who was waiting just outside the clearing. He quickly came to Taelyra's side and gently took her arm from Galadriel.
"Please take her back to her chambers," Galadriel bade him.
Haldir led the pale and trembling Taelyra back to her room. He guided her inside and sat her upon the bed.
"Would you like some tea?" he asked.
Taelyra looked dazed, Haldir began to fear she might be going into some kind of shock.
"Taelyra?" he spoke softly.
Her gaze slowly came to rest upon him.
"No thank you," she finally replied. "Haldir, you need not look after me. I know it is the Lady's wish but your other duties are far more pressing."
Haldir hesitated slightly; he was stunned by her rebuttal but did not wish to remain where he was not wanted. Clearly she did not desire his company now. He left her room but asked one of Galadriel's women-in-waiting to look in on her throughout the day.