Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this story apart from the plot and Galwyn. All the rest is Tolkien's of course.
A/N: Thanks to those who have reviewed!
When Galwyn awoke the next morning, it took her several minutes for her to realise where she was, and then with a jolt it all came back to her. She looked around herself, but all she could see was the space of the platform on which she was sitting, in a small space among the branches and leaves. Someone had left some clean clothes and a plate of fruit and bread next to her on the floor, and looking at the food she realised that she was in fact very hungry. She ate most of what was on the plate before examining what she found to be a gown. She looked at it rather critically because she had never worn dresses and never seen one until she came to Lòrien, in Fangorn it was just her and Radagast, and she had no cause to look particularly nice, and she just preferred to be comfortable, and her usual attire was a tunic drawn in at the waist with a belt, and some leggings. She preferred to blend in with her surroundings rather than stand out, and her clothes were usually green, brown or grey. This gown was white, but with a hint of cream, giving it a hue that she had no name for. It was fitted around the chest, and had a slightly fuller skirt. It was sewn all over with crystal like beads, and the stitching was in a pale gold thread. Galwyn was not sure about it, but then she looked at her travel worn clothes and remembered how beautifully attired the elves were, and a desire not to embarrass herself led her to pull it on over her head. The skirt felt strange and airy, but the sensation of the silky material against her skin was not unpleasant and she enjoyed the sound of the skirt swishing against her legs. She had no mirror, but if she had, she would have seen how effectively the off-white colour of the gown set off her tanned skin, jet-black hair and violet eyes. She looked rather more than the fourteen years that she was. She saw that someone had left some soft, blue shoes for her and she slid her feet into them, marvelling at how comfortable they were. She quickly ran her fingers through her hair to remove at least some of the tangles, and then began to descend the ladder to the ground. When she reached the bottom, she looked around, unsure of where to go. Suddenly she felt a presence behind her and found the elf-maiden from the previous night standing close by her, smiling.
"That gown is very becoming on you, my dear. I thought it would be." Galwyn blushed and replied shyly,
"It was you that put it there then? Thank you, it is lovely. But not exactly what I am accustomed to." She gave an embarrassed smile, and the elf-maiden nodded;
"Yes, I saw that you arrived wearing attire that was more in the style of what the male elves of Lòrien wear. But perhaps it is a good time for a change, for you are not as young as you once were." Galwyn was not quite sure what she was getting at, but her tone was warm and friendly, and she knew she meant no offence. It bothered her slightly that she didn't know her name, so she introduced herself properly.
"It displeases me that I have not properly made you acquaintance. My name is Galwyn. I have no second name, for I don't know who my parents are, and all I have is Radagast." The maiden's expression held something of pity and understanding in it when she replied, extending her hand to Galwyn.
"My name is Ralia Tirileuthil Bright-gem. I am handmaiden to the Lady Galadriel. I also am without parents, for the passed into the west a long time ago." Now that Galwyn realised she would not be judged for her lack of identity, she felt much more comfortable. She spent the morning with Ralia and found that they got on very well. Ralia told her about her all about Lòrien and its ways and customs, and Galwyn learnt that the beautiful golden trees were called 'mallorns', and the platforms in them were called 'talans'. She even managed to persuade her to teach her some more elven phrases and words. She thought the elven language was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard, and loved the way that just speaking it made it sound like you were speaking poetry or singing a song. When the sun was high in the sky and the morning was drawing to a close, Ralia told Galwyn that it was time for her to meet with the Lady of the Wood. She immediately felt the tug of nerves on her stomach, but it quickly subsided when she remembered the gentle voice of the Lady inside her head, soft and warm. She nodded and they made their way to the large tree that she had visited the previous night. Ralia left her at the bottom, going off in another direction with a wave to Galwyn, who began to climb the winding staircase to the platform, brushing the fingers of her right hand against the smooth bark as she ascended. Soon she reached the platform and as she stood facing the Lady she dropped a graceful curtsey. The Lady beckoned her to sit on a seat next to her and she went over timidly.
"Be at peace child. You need not trouble yourself, there is no judgement here." Galwyn looked at her in shock, how had she known what she was thinking? But the Lady just smiled and continued in her soft, melodious voice:
"Radagast tells me you have a special gift, Galwyn. I am most interested in finding out whether all is as he suspects. Would you mind performing the same feat that you did when you… changed form as it were?" Closing her eyes obligingly, Galwyn carefully lowered her mind into the same state as she had before, concentrating her mind on a small, brown bird that had alighted on a branch nearby. After a while, she opened her eyes to find herself in the same predicament as before, only this time she was in the form of the bird. She then closed her eyes again and broke off the concentration, returning to her normal form. She looked expectantly at Galadriel who was looking at her thoughtfully.
"So it is indeed as Radagast expected. You do indeed have a very special, and very rare gift, child. But I must explain the relevance of your powers. There is, at any one point in time in Middle Earth, a single being that has been blessed by the Valar as a part of their supreme plan with rare powers. The nature of these powers is the ability to change form, or 'shape-shift' as it is referred to among those who are aware of this occurrence. The possession of these powers makes the being that possesses them very important in the course of steering the path of events that they come across. And it is you, Galwyn, who is that chosen being. You are the shape-shifter." Galadriel's words had been running through Galwyn's mind as she spoke, and the meaning of them had grown ever clearer as she had realised just what the Lady was driving at. Galadriel watched the young one's face as she saw the impact of her words had sunk in. Galwyn's face had turned white and her hands were shaking slightly.
"You wish to know why you were chosen?" She asked gently, and as Galwyn nodded, she stood up with an ease of movement that suggested she was not made of flesh and bones. "I knew the last shape-shifter, a man named Daroden. He was killed around 14 years ago. Until now, we had no knowledge of the identity of the new shape-shifter, for as you yourself had not discovered your powers, we could not detect them either. You must have been born at the exact moment that Daroden was killed, and in that instant, the Valar transferred his powers to you." Galwyn nodded again, more slowly. Galadriel smiled gently. "You also wish to know about your parents?" Without waiting for an answer, as none was necessary, she extended her hand to the young mortal and together they descended the staircase and went down a pathway that Galwyn had not yet travelled. It ended in a clearing that was empty except for a short stone pedestal with a silver basin on top. One side of the clearing was made from a wall of rock that curved round until it was only a few feet high. The level of the ground on the other side of the wall followed the height of the wall and a small stream descended down it, finishing in a small waterfall dropping into a round clear, sparkling pool. Galadriel picked up a small silver jug that stood near the waterfall and filled it up from the cascading water. Then going over to the pedestal she emptied the water into the basin and gestured for Galwyn to come over to it.
"Will you look into the mirror?"
"What will I see?"
"Even the wisest cannot tell. For the mirror shows many things. Things that were, things that are, and some things that have not yet come to pass." With some trepidation, Galwyn stepped up the pedestal and looked into the water of the mirror. For a moment she saw nothing except her reflection and she looked up expectantly at Galadriel who held her gaze then directed it back to the surface. Suddenly the texture of the water began to change and she saw herself, only a bit older, still in Lòrien, and listening intently to Galadriel. She then saw herself again, still older, in another place that was every bit as beautiful as Lòrien, but was strange and foreign to her. She saw a strange dark-haired, noble looking elf, and then the vision flashed back to her, she was looking at someone, her eyes filled with an unknown emotion, and then another figure drifted into view. It was another dark-haired elf that bore similar features to the previous one. She was embracing him, and they were speaking to each other. Suddenly she saw flashes of strange faces, some elven, and some human, and the others were all new and odd. They were going somewhere. Suddenly the vision altered and she saw terrible things, causing her to cry out in distress: there was death and cruelty and pain. Finally she saw a couple running through a forest, a blond haired human woman and a dark haired male elf, they had fear in their eyes and the elf was carrying a bundle as though it was very precious. She saw them hide the bundle and run on, and saw the onslaught of what followed them. Unable to watch what she knew was coming; she tore her gaze away from the mirror with a strangled cry. And sat heavily down, silent tears coursing down her cheeks. She buried her face in her hands, her shoulders shaking with her sobs. Her parents! The realisation that they were dead was hard for her to bear, she had always held a hope that they were still alive and she would see them, but it would never be. She was alone. After a few moments, her sobs began to subside and she looked up to see the Lady looking down at her. She rapidly wiped her face and stood up. The calm voice came again, once more in her head.
"I know what it is you saw, for it is also in my mind. They were visions of your future and past. You are to stay here for a while, Galwyn, and learn the control of your gift, for it cannot be used lightly and it is not without its negative effects. It will cause you to be weary if you leave your true for long periods of time. I will teach you." Her face softened slightly, "I am sorry for your parents, child. But at least I can enlighten you on the reason for their terrible fate. Your mother was the daughter of a man from Ithilien, a realm of Gondor. He was an important man, a spy, who made alliances with the men who supported the dark powers. But he was discovered, and killed, and forces were sent to kill all his family to set an example to other would-be spies. That included your mother and your father, an elf of the realm of Imladris. But before all was lost, they were able to save you."
"So I am not a mortal after all?"
"No child, you are mortal as you do not have the gift of the Valar. You have a half-elven heritage, but it is a mortal life that has been chosen for you, as the shape-shifter, for they are nearly always mortal. But I do not doubt you will possess some of the elven traits."
"So I am to stay here and learn from you?"
"Yes, child. That is how it is to be."
"And Radagast? Will he stay here too?"
"No, he has other business to attend to. He must help to look after Fangorn for a little more time, and then he will travel to the other great forests and make sure they are cared for sufficiently. Maybe soon he will journey back again to Lòrien."
"Has he left yet?"
"No, he wanted to say good bye to you first. Come, child, let us make our way back, for he wishes to leave soon." Galwyn followed her slowly back to the big tree which housed the main talan. Radagast stood beneath it, his horse ready and saddled. He gave her a small, slightly pained smile as she approached. There was a slightly tense silence before Galwyn threw herself at him, the man who had raised her like a father from birth. They stood, locked in a heartfelt embrace for a few moments before Radagast gently disengaged her arms and kissed her lightly on the forehead. He looked at Galadriel with a serious look on his face,
"Lle maliuva ten're ten'amin, Arwenamin?" You will care for her for me, my Lady? Galadriel easily perceived the depth of emotion that was running through the wizard's mind, they had been acquainted for many years and she was particularly fond of him. But she knew he was not one to show his emotions and so his behaviour was strange and touching. She smiled and replied gently,
"Amin umuva ta. N'gorguva." I will do it. Do not fear. He returned her smile and accepted her promise; she was one of the only people he would entrust to look after Galwyn as carefully as he would. Without another word he mounted his horse and held up his hand in a gesture of farewell.
"Namaarie hinamin." Farewell, my child. And with that, he was gone, speeding off back to Fangorn, her home. She felt a lone tear run slowly down her cheek before she brushed it away. She would see him soon, she thought hopefully. Lòrien was her home now. Galadriel watched the young girl, still so young but being forced to grow up before her time. She placed a gentle hand on Galwyn's cheek,
"I hope you will learn to be happy here, Galwyn, and we will endeavour to be to you what Radagast was." Looking in the beautiful, wise, kind face of the Lady, Galwyn knew that she would, and that Galadriel would not break her word. She smiled, and it was a true smile, shining through her sadness. With linked hands, Galadriel took her all around Lòrien, showing her what she had not yet seen. Finally, she took her to her talan where the Lord of Lòrien was waiting for them. Celeborn was the embodiment of nobility; his ageless face showed a wisdom equal to that of Galadriel's, and his immensely fair face was also kind and gentle. Galadriel left them alone for a while, and Celeborn told Galwyn the answers to every question that she had, and there were many. They spoke for a long time, not noticing the fall of dusk and the faint glimmer of the stars, until Galadriel returned and told them that it was time to eat. They stood up, and Galwyn marvelled once more at the ease of movement he possessed, although she now knew that it was merely an elven trait. She was feeling rather overwhelmed by the day that had gone by, a lot had happened for her young mind to take in, and much of it had caused her pain and hurt. But despite her age, she had a resolute attitude to tasks appointed to her, and she realised the importance of her powers, and was ready to go into Galadriel's teaching with her whole heart. She was still, despite all of her kindness and obvious wisdom, slightly wary of Galadriel, for she could sense that an immensely potent power lay in her possession, lying dormant until she chose to use it, and Galwyn found this slightly intimidating. She felt much more comfortable with Celeborn, as she was far more used to the company of men, and though his wisdom and knowledge was equal to that of Galadriel, she felt that she could relate to him more, and he to her; the company of the Lady often made her feel insignificant and humble.
At the meal she was remarkably silent, and the gaze of the Lady was often upon her, making sure she was all right. Galadriel had noticed how well Galwyn had got on with Ralia, and had instructed her to be the young mortal's companion until she was more settled. Ralia had accepted happily, and after the meal the two excused themselves in order to go for a short walk before retiring. The young elf-maiden noticed Galwyn's silence but did not pry, she understood how she must be feeling, so she kept the conversation light. After she had shown Galwyn to her new talan, which was situated nearer to that of the Lord and Lady, and though she was unaware of it, guarded closely at all times when she was in it, Ralia gave the girl some comforting words:
"I know your heart is heavy, my friend, but soon I hope the beauty of Lòrien and the company of its inhabitants will lighten your grief. I, for my part, will do all I can to ensure it. Quel du, mellonamin." Good night, my friend.
"Quel du." Galwyn replied, smiling gratefully at her kind words. She was greatly touched when Ralia gently embraced her, then kissed her on the cheek. It was comforting to have someone to rely on, and it was with a lighter heart that she ascended the ladder to her talan.
A/N: So what do you think? Please review, as it's nice to get some feedback! This is not my first story, but the first one I've posted on FF.net, so please don't flame me too badly if that's what you want to do!
