They rode the whole day, the horses became tired after five or six hours
but they kept on going. After the sun had set completely they stopped to
rest. They would set out again as soon as the sun rose. Elrond fed and
watered the horses while Gandalf gathered wood to build a fire. Gandalf
soon got it started and sat for a while just gazing into it.
Elrond joined him shortly after he was finished. "What are you thinking of now?" Elrond asked as he sat down across from Gandalf.
"I am trying to figure the whereabouts of Lilia. Do you have any ideas of where she may be?" Gandalf asked looking up at Elrond under his thick, gray eyebrows.
"No, I do not. I haven't done as much map searching as you have," he said in return. "We are in Hithaeglir, correct?"
"Yes, we are in the Misty Mountains right now, I believe it will take us about five days to pass into the Gladden Fields, from there we will follow the Anduin River south to Lothlórien. I will tell Celeborn and Galadrial of our errand and hope that they will let us pass and maybe help us. From then on I do not know what we will do. I believe, if we ride as we did today that we will make it to Lórien in a month." With that Gandalf took his hat off and laid down on the grass and fell asleep, Elrond soon did the same.
The days passed slowly. Gandalf and Elrond did not encounter many problems in the mountains except for a few snow storms that delayed them a few days. They finally passed out of the mountains on January, the twenty second. They followed the Anduin River south for two weeks. The land was flat and wet in some places but caused to major problems.
Elrond was enjoying every bit of the trip while he could. It had been a long time since he had traveled like this, and Gandalf was wonderful company. He never told Elrond anything straight out; it was always in a riddle unless what he was saying was very important. Some times these riddles would keep Elrond up at night trying his hardest to figure them out.
One night when Elrond and Gandalf had stopped after a long days ride Gandalf said, "I think we are falling behind Master Elrond. We must pick up pace and get to Lothlórien as soon as we can. We have to start traveling by night now with less sleep. The peril is growing stronger every day."
Elrond had often felt this too. He was beginning to worry that they may not make it in time to save Lilia. Time was a big issue right now. That night they set out before the sun rose and rode long into the next night.
The next day they finally reached the Gladden River which they had to cross. The sun was high and it was an unusually hot day for winter. Gandalf got off his horse and walked to the river. He cupped his hands and splashed some of the water on his face.
While Gandalf was busy washing his face Elrond stood looking to the south. He could see nothing but bright blue sky. After a few minutes of this Elrond walked to Gandalf's side, "How do you suppose we are to get across the River Gandalf? It is much too deep to cross here." Elrond said looking down at the water and he saw swirls of green and blue in it.
"That is true, but I believe that down a ways it gets shallower and we should be able to cross there into the Gladden Fields and ride quickly to Lothlórien." Elrond agreed to this and he walked back to the horses. The air was fresh and light and it seemed that nothing could go wrong that day, but the beautiful day was deceiving.
While Elrond was tending the horses he heard a sound as if someone was choking. He wiped around and saw Gandalf kneeling over the river holding his neck. Elrond ran over to Gandalf but he could not figure out what was happening to his companion. Then in one instant Gandalf stopped, his hands dropped to his side and he fell back into Elrond's arms.
Elrond didn't know what to do. He searched Gandalf's face for answers to what had caused all this. He only saw a few drops of water next to Gandalf's lips. Elrond looked down at the water that he figured Gandalf must have drunken from and still the swirls of green and blue were flowing through it. "Poison," he thought.
There was no time to find anything to slow the poison, if Elrond did not act quickly this would most likely be the end of the old wizard. Elrond carefully lifted Gandalf and carried him quickly to the horses, and then he put him on his horse and jumped on its back and rode down the rivers side.
Gandalf's horse followed without being told. Elrond rode quick and swift to find the shallowest part of the River. It wasn't long before he found what he was looking for, he rode across. Now Lórien wasn't far, but still Elrond's horse was burdened with the weight of himself and now the wizard which slowed the horse a bit.
Still Elrond pressed on making the horse go ever faster. He rode all day and Gandalf grew cold. Elrond could do nothing for him while riding. The sun set and still he rode, Elrond's horse began to grow weary, and Gandalf's horse still following, but he refused to stop.
A few hours later Elrond began to hear noises and he knew that he had to be on the borders of Lórien by now. He slowed to a trot and listened hard, he could barely hear the soft foot steps in the woods that he had entered a little earlier. He then stopped to listen closer. He turned his head to where the noise was coming from and saw a tall figure standing next to a tree.
Blond hair he could make out from where he was. The figure spoke and said, "What business do you have passing into the woods of Lothlórien?" then all was silent.
"I am an Elf such as yourselves, I have ridden from Rivendell with a companion by my side on a very important errand, but now he has fallen ill, for he drank from a River where poison flows, and I have come to Lothlórien to seek help from the Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadrial," Elrond finished and listened for a reply.
The figure now came from next to the tree and walked towards Elrond, "If this is so, what is this errand that you speak of and what are the names of you and your companion?" the figure asked and more appeared next to him and bows with arrows fitted came into view.
"I am Elrond, Lord of Imladiras and my companion is Gandalf the Grey, but there is no time to tell of my errand, for Gandalf is on the verge of death," Elrond finished and the bows were lowered. The figure now came into clear view, "Why did you not speak of your names before? It certainly would have saved much time!" The face of the Elf that spoke was none other then Haldir, Guardian of the Golden Wood. A long friend was Haldir to Elrond; they had met long ago when Haldir brought a message to Rivendell from Lothlórien. "This news that you bring of Gandalf is ill and we must get to Lord Celeborn quick and he has been awaiting your arrival for many days now," Haldir continued now walking to the side of Elrond. "Long has it been since I last saw you Haldir my friend," Elrond said while dismounting his horse and holding Gandalf. "Yes it has, but we will talk later we must be going now." After that was said they set off for Lothlórien.
Elrond joined him shortly after he was finished. "What are you thinking of now?" Elrond asked as he sat down across from Gandalf.
"I am trying to figure the whereabouts of Lilia. Do you have any ideas of where she may be?" Gandalf asked looking up at Elrond under his thick, gray eyebrows.
"No, I do not. I haven't done as much map searching as you have," he said in return. "We are in Hithaeglir, correct?"
"Yes, we are in the Misty Mountains right now, I believe it will take us about five days to pass into the Gladden Fields, from there we will follow the Anduin River south to Lothlórien. I will tell Celeborn and Galadrial of our errand and hope that they will let us pass and maybe help us. From then on I do not know what we will do. I believe, if we ride as we did today that we will make it to Lórien in a month." With that Gandalf took his hat off and laid down on the grass and fell asleep, Elrond soon did the same.
The days passed slowly. Gandalf and Elrond did not encounter many problems in the mountains except for a few snow storms that delayed them a few days. They finally passed out of the mountains on January, the twenty second. They followed the Anduin River south for two weeks. The land was flat and wet in some places but caused to major problems.
Elrond was enjoying every bit of the trip while he could. It had been a long time since he had traveled like this, and Gandalf was wonderful company. He never told Elrond anything straight out; it was always in a riddle unless what he was saying was very important. Some times these riddles would keep Elrond up at night trying his hardest to figure them out.
One night when Elrond and Gandalf had stopped after a long days ride Gandalf said, "I think we are falling behind Master Elrond. We must pick up pace and get to Lothlórien as soon as we can. We have to start traveling by night now with less sleep. The peril is growing stronger every day."
Elrond had often felt this too. He was beginning to worry that they may not make it in time to save Lilia. Time was a big issue right now. That night they set out before the sun rose and rode long into the next night.
The next day they finally reached the Gladden River which they had to cross. The sun was high and it was an unusually hot day for winter. Gandalf got off his horse and walked to the river. He cupped his hands and splashed some of the water on his face.
While Gandalf was busy washing his face Elrond stood looking to the south. He could see nothing but bright blue sky. After a few minutes of this Elrond walked to Gandalf's side, "How do you suppose we are to get across the River Gandalf? It is much too deep to cross here." Elrond said looking down at the water and he saw swirls of green and blue in it.
"That is true, but I believe that down a ways it gets shallower and we should be able to cross there into the Gladden Fields and ride quickly to Lothlórien." Elrond agreed to this and he walked back to the horses. The air was fresh and light and it seemed that nothing could go wrong that day, but the beautiful day was deceiving.
While Elrond was tending the horses he heard a sound as if someone was choking. He wiped around and saw Gandalf kneeling over the river holding his neck. Elrond ran over to Gandalf but he could not figure out what was happening to his companion. Then in one instant Gandalf stopped, his hands dropped to his side and he fell back into Elrond's arms.
Elrond didn't know what to do. He searched Gandalf's face for answers to what had caused all this. He only saw a few drops of water next to Gandalf's lips. Elrond looked down at the water that he figured Gandalf must have drunken from and still the swirls of green and blue were flowing through it. "Poison," he thought.
There was no time to find anything to slow the poison, if Elrond did not act quickly this would most likely be the end of the old wizard. Elrond carefully lifted Gandalf and carried him quickly to the horses, and then he put him on his horse and jumped on its back and rode down the rivers side.
Gandalf's horse followed without being told. Elrond rode quick and swift to find the shallowest part of the River. It wasn't long before he found what he was looking for, he rode across. Now Lórien wasn't far, but still Elrond's horse was burdened with the weight of himself and now the wizard which slowed the horse a bit.
Still Elrond pressed on making the horse go ever faster. He rode all day and Gandalf grew cold. Elrond could do nothing for him while riding. The sun set and still he rode, Elrond's horse began to grow weary, and Gandalf's horse still following, but he refused to stop.
A few hours later Elrond began to hear noises and he knew that he had to be on the borders of Lórien by now. He slowed to a trot and listened hard, he could barely hear the soft foot steps in the woods that he had entered a little earlier. He then stopped to listen closer. He turned his head to where the noise was coming from and saw a tall figure standing next to a tree.
Blond hair he could make out from where he was. The figure spoke and said, "What business do you have passing into the woods of Lothlórien?" then all was silent.
"I am an Elf such as yourselves, I have ridden from Rivendell with a companion by my side on a very important errand, but now he has fallen ill, for he drank from a River where poison flows, and I have come to Lothlórien to seek help from the Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadrial," Elrond finished and listened for a reply.
The figure now came from next to the tree and walked towards Elrond, "If this is so, what is this errand that you speak of and what are the names of you and your companion?" the figure asked and more appeared next to him and bows with arrows fitted came into view.
"I am Elrond, Lord of Imladiras and my companion is Gandalf the Grey, but there is no time to tell of my errand, for Gandalf is on the verge of death," Elrond finished and the bows were lowered. The figure now came into clear view, "Why did you not speak of your names before? It certainly would have saved much time!" The face of the Elf that spoke was none other then Haldir, Guardian of the Golden Wood. A long friend was Haldir to Elrond; they had met long ago when Haldir brought a message to Rivendell from Lothlórien. "This news that you bring of Gandalf is ill and we must get to Lord Celeborn quick and he has been awaiting your arrival for many days now," Haldir continued now walking to the side of Elrond. "Long has it been since I last saw you Haldir my friend," Elrond said while dismounting his horse and holding Gandalf. "Yes it has, but we will talk later we must be going now." After that was said they set off for Lothlórien.