Disclaimer: I don't own anybody in this story except for Adariel and minor
character associated with her, i.e. Maids and other people like that…….. I
also made up the King and Lakewood.
Echoes of the Narbeleth
Spirit Star
Chapter 4: In which the Mirror of Galadriel speaks.
"Nnnnnnneeeeeeebbbbbrreee?" a nose was thrust in front of her. She reached blindly back, groping the ground. "Stay back!" she cried.
Starliss snorted. Adariel stirred once more. "Starliss?" she murmured, gazing up at the mare. The sound of running footsteps came from behind the gates. Slowly, Adariel picked herself up and dusted her knees.
"We ride." She said wearily.
They rode until they were covered in the thickest of leaves and sheltered well beyond seeing distance. Here she stopped and looked around. They were on rocky hills where grass grew in cracks in the stacking stones that built these grounds. Gentle streams ran around the cracks in the white rock under her feet. Starliss lowered her head and ate the sweet grass that grew there.
"Ai! Laurie lantar lassi surienen, yeni unotime ve ramar aldaron!" she breathed. It was long since she had heard descriptions of these places. They were merely childhood tales when they sat upon the grass close to the smoothness of the glassy lake by the waterfall listening to stories that the old ones had. She had listened from her window looking down. Such as it was for her.
"Lothlorien," she whispered.
Shadows now rushed out of the tunnels, and Adariel could see that they now reacted like she had, in grief for a felled one. "But no," said a voice in her mind, "You are a cold unfeeling creature. You wished him dead!"
"No!!!! That is not so!" cried Adariel, her scream shattering the echoing mountains beyond them. There was a clinking of metal and a sound of a bow. Adariel was alarmed. Her cry had pierced the sky and reached the years of the Fellowship now sitting in silence, each wrapped up in their own thought. They were drawing closer to where she was.
"Ride to your homeplace Starliss!" she whispered urgently. "noro lim!"
The mare reared. Adariel remembered once that her father had said that the mare's heart lay in Lothlorien when it was bred and brought up. "She was a gift," he had said. Now, Starliss plunged through the trees and down, splashing through the stream. All that could be seen was a burst of speed and something white and green screaming down the hillside. Up on the hill, the Fellowship started.
"Ringwraith!" gasped Gimli, and to Legolas, "What stays your hand? Shoot!" But Legolas stayed his hand, and lowered his bow. The others looked at him in astonishment.
"Why did you not shoot?" cried Merry, dismayed that he would do something so disastrous to their cause. Aragorn studied him and Boromir opened his mouth in surprise. Legalos spoke up. "It was not a Ringwraith."
"Well of course it was!" Pippin exclaimed, pointing down to the direction of the woods. "Dark cloak? White horse?………Wait! A white horse!"
Legalos nodded. Aragorn spoke up, "He is right. It was not a Ringwraith. It rode a white steed, and was heading for Lothlorien woods. No Ringwraith would venture into so pure a place, and certainly they would not carry white steeds!"
"Then who was it?" frowned Samwise, ever the careful one.
"I think that was our 'Friend'" replied Aragorn. "Come along, Gandalf would not want us to abandon our cause, although how we are to go on without him. I dishearten to think about it!"
One by one, they picked up their packs and stood, stretching and looked back at the Gate of Moria where the darkest ones sleep and Gandalf the Grey lay deep in the deepest place. "Ahead are Lothlorien woods," said Legalos, first to turn his face away from the dreaded place. "That is the fairest of all the dwellings of my people. There are no trees of that in the land, for in autumn, their leaves fall not, but turn gold. Not until spring comes and the new green leaves open do they fall. And then the boughs are laden with yellow flowers; and the floor of the wood is golden and golden is the roof and its pillars are of silver, for the bark of the trees is smooth and grey."
His eyes shining, Legalos led his companions slowly to Lothlorien woods, each rapt up in their own thoughts. Legalos was still thinking of the mysterious rider that flew out of the bushes (what he was thinking is yet to come), Gimli was thinking of Balin, son of Fundin and the fate that befell the Dwarves, Samwise was thinking of Bill the pony, Merry and Pippin were lost in thoughts of home, Boromir's thoughts were with Gandalf, Aragorn was lost in wandering memories of Lothlorien and Lady Arwen Evenstar and Frodo was ever thinking of Bilbo and the Ring.
So it came to be that Adariel, Maiden of Lakewood, made her way to the edge of the wood unpursued. She gazed in wonder at the trees and her heart was glad, for she had heard many songs of Lothlorien. Starliss neighed that she was home at last, and Adariel gave her free reign to wander around the pathways that she once knew so well.
Adariel ventured to touch one of the golden tipped trees, and behold! Not words but images poured from its mind, whispering its greetings with many a picture of sunlight and warmth. Adariel drew back. She knew not how to talk with these trees, and gently touched her hand to the trunk of one and returned its images. Then she, Adariel, Maiden of Lakewood, walked down the path of the Golden Trees.
Starliss was growing uneasy. Adariel began to feel the presence of eyes upon her and felt suddenly tense. She slid of Starliss and began to walk cautiously. As she reached a bend, a halting, commanding voice cried, "Daro!" in Elvish tongue. Startled, Adariel stopped as did Starliss, who was brought up with words such as these. The mare rolled her eyes in indignation.
"Lower your hood, Sir," came the same voice from above a treetop. "Do not move!"
"Really!" replied Adariel, unafraid. "If I cannot move, how may I lower my hood, pray tell!"
The voice was startled, and a soft laugh was choked back. "We welcome our kindred ones to Lothlorien. Remove your hood and go on freely, Sir!" An Elf appeared out of the thick leaves of the tree, bow lowered by his side.
"Very well, as you wish," replied Adariel as she slid the hood down to uncover her face. Strands of golden hair glittered in the sunlight. They were a mess! Such black dust no Elf could have ever seen, for the darkness of the tunnels of Moria had many hidden dusts that scattered at their own wills.
"A black haired Elven one!" said the Elf, climbing down. I have not seen one in a while! Dark haired, yes. Black haired, no!" Adariel was just about to open her mouth when she caught the glitter in his eye. He was speaking in jest.
"Come now," he said, "I will take you into Lothlorien, such as our custom. We were not expecting you, but another group of travelers." Adariel didn't doubt that he talked of the Fellowship of the Ring.
"You are kind, Sir" she said bowing. "Who may you be?"
"I am Elbesth, brother of Haldir. It is getting late, and we must hurry. When we get there, you shall have to see the Lady of these woods, as all visitors to these places must. And I shall introduce you as…..?"
Here Adariel started. "As one who seeks counsel, if you please."
"Indeed?" the Elf looked startled, but said no more of it.
They walked until they were at a wide river, which Adariel knew to be Celebrant. "Celebrant is really a strong stream, and it runs both swift and deep, and it is very cold. We do not walk in it unless we must." So saying, he whistled and an Elf appeared out of the thicket. Elbesth cast a rope across the stream and the other caught it skillfully, securing it across the girth of a tree. Elbesth secured the other end.
"Follow me!" He said as he ran lightly along the length of rope, over the river and off, waiting for Adariel. She hesitated. Growing up inside a room, shielded from the freedom of the trees and the singing of the grass, Adariel did not know what skills she possessed, and nobody had ever told her for fear of offending her by suggestions of stupidness. Once upon a time, she would have ordered them imprisoned, but not so, and she felt great shame at not knowing.
Elbesth waited still, looking curiously at her and talking to the Elf standing beside him. Adariel set her mind. She gracefully clambered onto the rope, and to her surprise, she found it easy to stand on, and she put one foot forward. Going swiftly across, she found that it was as if her feet knew where to land, and before she knew it, she was on the other side. Both Elves raised an eyebrow.
"Come along now, One who seeks Counsel," said Elbesth shortly after the rope had been packed again. "We go forth into Lothlorien." He became quite delighted at the thought.
So they walked briskly, with Elbesth stopping to check the skies every now and then. It grew dark, and night fell in the woods of Lothlorien. Adariel walked on, resting her mind in dreams upon Elven ways even as her eyes were open, as she had been accustomed to. Onwards they marched into the next day, and arrived in the city of the Galadhrim by dusk.
Adariel had never seen anything like it. It was so…pure. Her eyes lit up with the light that shone in the city of Galadhrim. Elbesth saw this and smiled. "You will be tended to and you will dine with us to-night. I will be waiting for you!"
Two Elves led her away, and up vine ladders and onto platforms until they came to a secluded lake. "This is where the men bathe themselves. Call for us if you are in need," and they made to turn away. Adariel grew white.
"Wait! You are mistaken, I fear. I am not man! Indeed, I'm quite the opposite," she said aghast. The two Elves looked at each other and bowed low.
"It is indeed as you say!" one cried, embarrassed. Apologizing, they led her to yet another pool where she bathed. The pool was next to a small stream where water rushed. Thick leaves and scented flowers surrounded it, hiding it from view. Flowers from the trees drifted down onto the water, disturbing it.
Adariel washed away days of feeling around blindly in the mines, she washed away all the blood that she thought would never go away from her hands, and the layers of black soot covering her hair. She dived about under the water until it turned thick with dark dust, and then washed out towards the sea. When she emerged, her hair shone, still bound, her skin glistened, and her spirits renewed once more by the peace that surrounded Lothlorien.
There near the bank lay a beautiful night blue that seemed to be sewn with twinkling sapphires that shone here and there. It reminded her of the stars at home out her window, the only happy memories she had. She slipped it on. It fitted perfectly as all Elven made clothing did to the wearer. It sat tightly about her, and she found it both warm and comforting. The neckline was low, and the wide hanging sleeves flowed about her and ended near her knees.
There was a comb next to the gown, and she unbound her hair to brush it. It flowed out like a tumbling cascade of light that smoothed her back. She had long sideburns, like all Elven folk did, and braided it in a long, thin plait that ended around her waistline. The rest of her flowed bout her wherever she moved, ending around the small of her back. It was slightly wavy, like it should be.
Next to the comb, there was her necklace with the symbol of Lakewood on it. Adariel froze. Many thoughts floated through her mind, chief amongst them was the question of identity. Plucking the necklace up, she quickly tugged it around her neck once more and hid it out of view under her dress. Then was the glitter of jewels, and Adariel saw that the Elves had left her a studded Star-stone necklace, which hung tightly to her neck. Obviously, someone wanted her to be presentable to the Lady Galadriel.
A rustle in the bushes startled her, but she was relieved to see the two Elves who had tended to her had returned. She turned her head away and pretended to be watching some creatures. There was silence, and then, "By Elbereth!"
"What's wrong?" Adariel said, turning around. Her mind was still weary of danger after her journey through the mines.
"Nothing's wrong, Lady." Said the other. "If something is amiss, it would be your beauty that deserves words beyond speech!"
Adariel both paled and reddened at the same time (if it were possible, but I think she just went pale and THEN red.) She nodded in acceptance of their bows, and allowed herself to be led away by them both. 'Beauty is indeed a curse' she said to herself. She had not wanted to draw attention and to slip away after the Fellowship as soon as possible. It seems her plans had been foiled again.
She met Elbesth near the clearing where they had parted. The two Elves left, and she was alone. Elbesth said nothing, and made no motion as to move. He stood staring at her, which made her uncomfortable. Then he looked away and paced, leaning on a tree. Adariel grew impatient. What could he be waiting for?
"I bet your pardon, Sir, but do tell why you are waiting here!" cried she, raising her eyebrows.
Elbesth looked startled. "I am waiting for a man to come so that I may accompany him to the feast of Galadriel. He was sent to bathe before, but it seems that he is not returning." Elbesth looked slightly annoyed. Adariel had a look of surprise, and then laughed.
"What then, Beautiful Lady, are you laughing about?" he said, rather put off.
"You are looking at he!" she said, and bowed.
Elbesth was astonished! "Alas! Alas! My most humble apologies, Lady! How wrong I was! I do beg of you to forgive me, in the light that you………I mean that………." Adariel only smiled, and they walked out of the clearing in silence, embarrassed on Elbesth's part, and amused on Adariel's.
'I must have looked terrible,' thought Adariel, 'for everybody to be so convinced!'
Presently, they came to a clearing patch between the trees where the light of the sunset shone. There sat the Lady Galadriel on her seat at the table, and next to her, the Lord. There were others seated there, obviously of importance. She was unsure what to do.
"Welcome, One who seeks Counsel," came a voice that echoed of a thousand bells and tinkling dew drops. Adariel looked up to see the Lady Galadriel addressing her. She was startled to notice that all the eyes in the hall were trained upon her. She found herself blushing under all the attention, something she had never done before. They were all looking at her like Elven folk would do when they saw something beautiful. And that was saying something because many considered Elven things to be the fairest in the world.
"We are moved by your beauty," noted the Lady of the Woods with an amused smile upon her face, then "Come sit by me, Stranger, and we shall talk." She clapped her hands, and an Elf led Adariel to her place by the Lady's hand. "Now, eat and be merry, for I fear darker times are upon us soon!"
Whatever surprise or admiration the Elves had for the newcomer, it was exceeded by their love of Galadriel, and they turned to cheer her, and she smiled like the light of a thousand stars in the sky. Adariel felt awed. Beauty is one thing, but Inner Beauty is another!
Afterwards, she was summoned before the Lady alone, and Elbesth showed her to another clearing where there were stairs, and a mirror-like pan on an alter. There sat the Lady Galadriel upon a rock, her feet in the stream. "May Elen sila lumenn' omentielvo" said Elbeth, "A star shines on the hour of our meeting," and he left her and went about his way, back to the entrance of the woods of Lothlorien.
The Lady turned. "Welcome, One who Seeks Counsel. Fear not! You are at peace here………Adariel of Lakewood."
For a moment, Adariel stood horrified, then grim as she tensed, listening for the sound of guards running. But there were none. She turned back to Lady Galadriel, who was looking at her with amusement. An echoing voice sounded in her mind, not her own. "I know many things about you Adariel of Lakewood, and I wonder why you fear the title."
Adariel's mind betrayed her as it quickly thought back to the saying, "Beware the Adariel of Lakewood, Beware the maiden of Lakewood, She whose heart has frozen will have yours taken too.
The Lady of the Woods laughed out loud. "Come now Daughter! That is just stuck into the heads of Children! It matters not in Lothlorien what your reputation is, but only your heart!" She stopped, and studied Adariel a moment before adding, "and your heart is the most pure of all," more to herself than to Adariel.
She found her courage again, and spoke up. "If it were just a tale, then why do travelers not come into Lakewood? Why do people not have dealings with my father and myself?"
The Lady's face darkened. "That is not your doing, but whose it is I cannot reveal just yet. It has been many a year that I have traveled into Lakewood." she said.
"Then it is fortunate that I came here!" said Adariel, smiling for the first time. "It is beautiful here!"
"That can be said of you too, if you were a place, little one." And the Lady looked away down the paths of golden trees. "There is more to beauty than meets the eye!" Galadriel gestured for Adariel to sit beside her, patting another flat stone. Adariel sat.
"Yes, beauty is a curse!" said she, with utmost conviction.
Galadriel seemed surprised, "You, of all, should not say that! It is said that the Maiden of Lakewood is the fairest of Elven kind!"
"It may be said, but I do not feel it is so. I know that I must be different, because I cause creatures that are already in love to gaze upon me in admiration. But I do not feel it inside. Indeed, I feel quite the contrary!"
"After being shut out of the free meadows and inside most of your life, I am not surprised," Galadriel remarked, gazing back at Adariel. "There is more to you than meets the eye, Little one. You may not know it, but your beauty goes deeper than looks. Your heart is pure."
Adariel gasped again. "How did you know that I had been shut in?"
"My power does not lie with healing, as yours does, but with things of the mind. I can read yours." Galadriel said, but the last part "yours" was an echoed inside Adariel's mind. She understood.
"And what I see both amuses me and astounds me," Galadriel continued.
Adariel frowned. "How so?" she inquired.
"It seems that your heart, deemed to be so cold, has been taken!" she said finally, looking her straight in the eye.
"You must be mistaken!" cried Adariel, aghast! "As sure as I love to run and dance among the forests, I certainly did not give my heart away willingly!"
"Perhaps not," said The Lady of the Woods, "But it is taken, nonetheless. Do you know by whom?"
"I confess that I do not!" said Adariel, shaking for some reason unknown. "But know that whoever this is, I would simply crush them like I crush all the others!"
Galadriel stopped smiling. "If this is why you refuse to let yourself go, then the influences have run deeper than I thought. I must send someone to Lakewood for a visit soon. As for you, fear not. It seems that you do not know the depths of your own heart! Let yourself go!"
"I know not what you mean, Lady, but know that nobody knows me like I know myself," said Adariel, a familiar coldness returning around her heart. Galadriel made no reply.
"Come Child," she said gently after a silence. "Come gaze in the Mirror of Galadriel and tell me what you see,"
"What should I see?" Adariel asked, coming upon the reflection of the water
"That I cannot tell, for the mirror shows not the same thing to all. For each, it shows many things that is in their heart. It may show you something that has passed, something that is passing, or something that has not gone to pass. Now look in, Child. Careful not to touch the water."
Adariel blinked and leaned in. The mirror was still, and she could see her reflection in it. Then slowly, the waters stirred as ripples swirled outwards, and the colors mingled together to form a new picture.
It was dark. There were shadows cast across walls that wavered in the water. And suddenly, she found herself staring at a young Elf cast in pale light. She turned slowly, and Adariel found herself staring at eyes the color of ice………white. White, yet strangely familiar. The figure opened her mouth slightly, and smiled. A cold, cruel smile that made Adariel shudder. The elf pointed, and Adariel saw that the finger drew to her. It smiled again. The image changed.
She was in Lakewood, where there were Elves dressed as rags, kneeling at the feet of the same strange lady, in fear. They were in the process of becoming Orcs**, bent and haggard. Adariel cried out at the sight of her people down in the dirt, groveling before the feet of the lady. Again, the lady turned and looked at Adariel again. She smiled again, and pointed. The image changed
There in the water, lay the body of a man lying on a stone alter. The image shifted until Adariel could see the face of the body. It was covered with cloth. The lady came in. This time, she seemed not to notice Adariel, and she walked towards the body. There was silence. The ripples of the water had died down, and the image was clear. The lady spoke, her eyes softening for the first time as she came upon the figure.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "You were not good enough. It was for your own good." And slowly, a breeze swirled through. The cloth began to shift starting from the bottom of the foot of the motionless figure. From the feet, Adariel could tell it was an Elven man. Still the cloth blew, until it was up to the neck. The lady moved, and choked it off. A knife appeared in her hand. Her eyes hardened.
"I'm sorry………beloved," she whispered. Her arm dropped. The knife cut. The blood flowed. Slowly, the cloth began to slip off the face. It revealed strands of golden hair, straight and silken.
"No!" cried Adariel, leaning back from the mirror. "I don't want…………I don't want to see any more!"
"I know exactly what you saw, for I can see it in your eyes." Galadriel remarked, walking towards Adariel.
"Who was that lady that I saw?" gasped Adariel, backing up against a tree. The branches waved, and were silent.
"These trees are wise," Galadriel remarked, "They can see things that we cannot. When we are gone from these woods, they will fade. They know the future for all,"
"But that tells me not of who that lady was!" said Adariel.
Galadriel turned. "There are things about yourself that not even you know, although you have said that you know your heart better than any being that walks this earth." She said slowly. "Look inside your heart of hearts, and you will know who that lady was. And whom was lying on the alter under that cloth." She looked at Adariel once more, and then up at the stars. "Elbereth shines brightly tonight," she said, and left, leaving Adariel leaning against the tree, mortified.
"I will rest myself," she said to nobody in particular, and curled up, against the tree, forgetting that she was in Lothlorien and not the wilderness. As soon as her lashes touched her cheek, and her eyelids tumbled down, she slept. And what a troubled sleep it was.
Many images passed her mind in her dreams. The lady appeared, smiling. Her dream showed her face again and again. There was something familiar about her. The last thing Adariel remembered thinking was 'she certainly is very beautiful'. Then she awoke.
It was still dark, and none of the inhabitants were stirring. There was a chill in the air, clouds had covered the moon's light. There were eerie shadows that danced upon the trees where the Elven folk rested. The chilled breeze blew by again. Adariel wondered whether it was the cold that woke her, or her thought.
"She certainly was very beautiful" she murmured to herself. It sounded familiar, as if she had heard it from some other tongue. "She certainly was very beautiful,"
Then suddenly, echoes of words rushed into her mind.
"Look Mother! There goes that beautiful lady again!"
"It is rumoured that she is most beautiful of the Elven folk"
"Beauty is a curse"
"She certainly is beautiful"
Adariel's eyes widened. "No." she said. "No! It can't be!" She drew her knees towards her, and buried her head in her hands. "It can't be! It can't be! It can't be…………………………me?" The last part was a question, although she said it as if she could question her knowledge, even though she knew she could not.
She gasped. Again and again. Then she ran. Down past the clearings and then along the path. All night she gathered her skirts and fled, until she came to Celebrant with its waters rushing high. The place where she had crossed by rope was downstream, she knew. She couldn't possibly stand being seen in this state. By then, it was already early morning. She knelt by the water's edge and gathered some in her hands. Elbesth was right. It was cold, like ice. Heedless, Adariel splashed some on her face. Her tears mingled with the water, and they were swept with the current of the stream.
She stood up, and the wind dried her tears. Blindly, she stared into the river, listening to the sounds of the water. The sun was high, and the clouds were few. Nearby, birds chirped in high voices. The trees whispered amongst each other. Suddenly, all was silent. Too silent.
Adariel froze, motionless. Slowly, slowly, she could feel movement coming from behind her. No Elf would be as rough. Her head was jumbled from the images that the nearby trees sent her, and she shook her head. It was a bad idea. The movement stopped, and all was still again. Adariel's breathing became labored. She carried no weapon, and she was defenseless. Suddenly, the movement started again, faster. She half turned, before a blinding pain came to her head, and things started fading in. The last image she received from her beloved trees was one of an Orc. Then she closed her eyes, and her body flopped forward into the rushing waters of the river Celebrant.
1.1 End of Chapter 5
Reviews please! NO FLAMES but constructive criticism is very welcome! –Spirit Star
Echoes of the Narbeleth
Spirit Star
Chapter 4: In which the Mirror of Galadriel speaks.
"Nnnnnnneeeeeeebbbbbrreee?" a nose was thrust in front of her. She reached blindly back, groping the ground. "Stay back!" she cried.
Starliss snorted. Adariel stirred once more. "Starliss?" she murmured, gazing up at the mare. The sound of running footsteps came from behind the gates. Slowly, Adariel picked herself up and dusted her knees.
"We ride." She said wearily.
They rode until they were covered in the thickest of leaves and sheltered well beyond seeing distance. Here she stopped and looked around. They were on rocky hills where grass grew in cracks in the stacking stones that built these grounds. Gentle streams ran around the cracks in the white rock under her feet. Starliss lowered her head and ate the sweet grass that grew there.
"Ai! Laurie lantar lassi surienen, yeni unotime ve ramar aldaron!" she breathed. It was long since she had heard descriptions of these places. They were merely childhood tales when they sat upon the grass close to the smoothness of the glassy lake by the waterfall listening to stories that the old ones had. She had listened from her window looking down. Such as it was for her.
"Lothlorien," she whispered.
Shadows now rushed out of the tunnels, and Adariel could see that they now reacted like she had, in grief for a felled one. "But no," said a voice in her mind, "You are a cold unfeeling creature. You wished him dead!"
"No!!!! That is not so!" cried Adariel, her scream shattering the echoing mountains beyond them. There was a clinking of metal and a sound of a bow. Adariel was alarmed. Her cry had pierced the sky and reached the years of the Fellowship now sitting in silence, each wrapped up in their own thought. They were drawing closer to where she was.
"Ride to your homeplace Starliss!" she whispered urgently. "noro lim!"
The mare reared. Adariel remembered once that her father had said that the mare's heart lay in Lothlorien when it was bred and brought up. "She was a gift," he had said. Now, Starliss plunged through the trees and down, splashing through the stream. All that could be seen was a burst of speed and something white and green screaming down the hillside. Up on the hill, the Fellowship started.
"Ringwraith!" gasped Gimli, and to Legolas, "What stays your hand? Shoot!" But Legolas stayed his hand, and lowered his bow. The others looked at him in astonishment.
"Why did you not shoot?" cried Merry, dismayed that he would do something so disastrous to their cause. Aragorn studied him and Boromir opened his mouth in surprise. Legalos spoke up. "It was not a Ringwraith."
"Well of course it was!" Pippin exclaimed, pointing down to the direction of the woods. "Dark cloak? White horse?………Wait! A white horse!"
Legalos nodded. Aragorn spoke up, "He is right. It was not a Ringwraith. It rode a white steed, and was heading for Lothlorien woods. No Ringwraith would venture into so pure a place, and certainly they would not carry white steeds!"
"Then who was it?" frowned Samwise, ever the careful one.
"I think that was our 'Friend'" replied Aragorn. "Come along, Gandalf would not want us to abandon our cause, although how we are to go on without him. I dishearten to think about it!"
One by one, they picked up their packs and stood, stretching and looked back at the Gate of Moria where the darkest ones sleep and Gandalf the Grey lay deep in the deepest place. "Ahead are Lothlorien woods," said Legalos, first to turn his face away from the dreaded place. "That is the fairest of all the dwellings of my people. There are no trees of that in the land, for in autumn, their leaves fall not, but turn gold. Not until spring comes and the new green leaves open do they fall. And then the boughs are laden with yellow flowers; and the floor of the wood is golden and golden is the roof and its pillars are of silver, for the bark of the trees is smooth and grey."
His eyes shining, Legalos led his companions slowly to Lothlorien woods, each rapt up in their own thoughts. Legalos was still thinking of the mysterious rider that flew out of the bushes (what he was thinking is yet to come), Gimli was thinking of Balin, son of Fundin and the fate that befell the Dwarves, Samwise was thinking of Bill the pony, Merry and Pippin were lost in thoughts of home, Boromir's thoughts were with Gandalf, Aragorn was lost in wandering memories of Lothlorien and Lady Arwen Evenstar and Frodo was ever thinking of Bilbo and the Ring.
So it came to be that Adariel, Maiden of Lakewood, made her way to the edge of the wood unpursued. She gazed in wonder at the trees and her heart was glad, for she had heard many songs of Lothlorien. Starliss neighed that she was home at last, and Adariel gave her free reign to wander around the pathways that she once knew so well.
Adariel ventured to touch one of the golden tipped trees, and behold! Not words but images poured from its mind, whispering its greetings with many a picture of sunlight and warmth. Adariel drew back. She knew not how to talk with these trees, and gently touched her hand to the trunk of one and returned its images. Then she, Adariel, Maiden of Lakewood, walked down the path of the Golden Trees.
Starliss was growing uneasy. Adariel began to feel the presence of eyes upon her and felt suddenly tense. She slid of Starliss and began to walk cautiously. As she reached a bend, a halting, commanding voice cried, "Daro!" in Elvish tongue. Startled, Adariel stopped as did Starliss, who was brought up with words such as these. The mare rolled her eyes in indignation.
"Lower your hood, Sir," came the same voice from above a treetop. "Do not move!"
"Really!" replied Adariel, unafraid. "If I cannot move, how may I lower my hood, pray tell!"
The voice was startled, and a soft laugh was choked back. "We welcome our kindred ones to Lothlorien. Remove your hood and go on freely, Sir!" An Elf appeared out of the thick leaves of the tree, bow lowered by his side.
"Very well, as you wish," replied Adariel as she slid the hood down to uncover her face. Strands of golden hair glittered in the sunlight. They were a mess! Such black dust no Elf could have ever seen, for the darkness of the tunnels of Moria had many hidden dusts that scattered at their own wills.
"A black haired Elven one!" said the Elf, climbing down. I have not seen one in a while! Dark haired, yes. Black haired, no!" Adariel was just about to open her mouth when she caught the glitter in his eye. He was speaking in jest.
"Come now," he said, "I will take you into Lothlorien, such as our custom. We were not expecting you, but another group of travelers." Adariel didn't doubt that he talked of the Fellowship of the Ring.
"You are kind, Sir" she said bowing. "Who may you be?"
"I am Elbesth, brother of Haldir. It is getting late, and we must hurry. When we get there, you shall have to see the Lady of these woods, as all visitors to these places must. And I shall introduce you as…..?"
Here Adariel started. "As one who seeks counsel, if you please."
"Indeed?" the Elf looked startled, but said no more of it.
They walked until they were at a wide river, which Adariel knew to be Celebrant. "Celebrant is really a strong stream, and it runs both swift and deep, and it is very cold. We do not walk in it unless we must." So saying, he whistled and an Elf appeared out of the thicket. Elbesth cast a rope across the stream and the other caught it skillfully, securing it across the girth of a tree. Elbesth secured the other end.
"Follow me!" He said as he ran lightly along the length of rope, over the river and off, waiting for Adariel. She hesitated. Growing up inside a room, shielded from the freedom of the trees and the singing of the grass, Adariel did not know what skills she possessed, and nobody had ever told her for fear of offending her by suggestions of stupidness. Once upon a time, she would have ordered them imprisoned, but not so, and she felt great shame at not knowing.
Elbesth waited still, looking curiously at her and talking to the Elf standing beside him. Adariel set her mind. She gracefully clambered onto the rope, and to her surprise, she found it easy to stand on, and she put one foot forward. Going swiftly across, she found that it was as if her feet knew where to land, and before she knew it, she was on the other side. Both Elves raised an eyebrow.
"Come along now, One who seeks Counsel," said Elbesth shortly after the rope had been packed again. "We go forth into Lothlorien." He became quite delighted at the thought.
So they walked briskly, with Elbesth stopping to check the skies every now and then. It grew dark, and night fell in the woods of Lothlorien. Adariel walked on, resting her mind in dreams upon Elven ways even as her eyes were open, as she had been accustomed to. Onwards they marched into the next day, and arrived in the city of the Galadhrim by dusk.
Adariel had never seen anything like it. It was so…pure. Her eyes lit up with the light that shone in the city of Galadhrim. Elbesth saw this and smiled. "You will be tended to and you will dine with us to-night. I will be waiting for you!"
Two Elves led her away, and up vine ladders and onto platforms until they came to a secluded lake. "This is where the men bathe themselves. Call for us if you are in need," and they made to turn away. Adariel grew white.
"Wait! You are mistaken, I fear. I am not man! Indeed, I'm quite the opposite," she said aghast. The two Elves looked at each other and bowed low.
"It is indeed as you say!" one cried, embarrassed. Apologizing, they led her to yet another pool where she bathed. The pool was next to a small stream where water rushed. Thick leaves and scented flowers surrounded it, hiding it from view. Flowers from the trees drifted down onto the water, disturbing it.
Adariel washed away days of feeling around blindly in the mines, she washed away all the blood that she thought would never go away from her hands, and the layers of black soot covering her hair. She dived about under the water until it turned thick with dark dust, and then washed out towards the sea. When she emerged, her hair shone, still bound, her skin glistened, and her spirits renewed once more by the peace that surrounded Lothlorien.
There near the bank lay a beautiful night blue that seemed to be sewn with twinkling sapphires that shone here and there. It reminded her of the stars at home out her window, the only happy memories she had. She slipped it on. It fitted perfectly as all Elven made clothing did to the wearer. It sat tightly about her, and she found it both warm and comforting. The neckline was low, and the wide hanging sleeves flowed about her and ended near her knees.
There was a comb next to the gown, and she unbound her hair to brush it. It flowed out like a tumbling cascade of light that smoothed her back. She had long sideburns, like all Elven folk did, and braided it in a long, thin plait that ended around her waistline. The rest of her flowed bout her wherever she moved, ending around the small of her back. It was slightly wavy, like it should be.
Next to the comb, there was her necklace with the symbol of Lakewood on it. Adariel froze. Many thoughts floated through her mind, chief amongst them was the question of identity. Plucking the necklace up, she quickly tugged it around her neck once more and hid it out of view under her dress. Then was the glitter of jewels, and Adariel saw that the Elves had left her a studded Star-stone necklace, which hung tightly to her neck. Obviously, someone wanted her to be presentable to the Lady Galadriel.
A rustle in the bushes startled her, but she was relieved to see the two Elves who had tended to her had returned. She turned her head away and pretended to be watching some creatures. There was silence, and then, "By Elbereth!"
"What's wrong?" Adariel said, turning around. Her mind was still weary of danger after her journey through the mines.
"Nothing's wrong, Lady." Said the other. "If something is amiss, it would be your beauty that deserves words beyond speech!"
Adariel both paled and reddened at the same time (if it were possible, but I think she just went pale and THEN red.) She nodded in acceptance of their bows, and allowed herself to be led away by them both. 'Beauty is indeed a curse' she said to herself. She had not wanted to draw attention and to slip away after the Fellowship as soon as possible. It seems her plans had been foiled again.
She met Elbesth near the clearing where they had parted. The two Elves left, and she was alone. Elbesth said nothing, and made no motion as to move. He stood staring at her, which made her uncomfortable. Then he looked away and paced, leaning on a tree. Adariel grew impatient. What could he be waiting for?
"I bet your pardon, Sir, but do tell why you are waiting here!" cried she, raising her eyebrows.
Elbesth looked startled. "I am waiting for a man to come so that I may accompany him to the feast of Galadriel. He was sent to bathe before, but it seems that he is not returning." Elbesth looked slightly annoyed. Adariel had a look of surprise, and then laughed.
"What then, Beautiful Lady, are you laughing about?" he said, rather put off.
"You are looking at he!" she said, and bowed.
Elbesth was astonished! "Alas! Alas! My most humble apologies, Lady! How wrong I was! I do beg of you to forgive me, in the light that you………I mean that………." Adariel only smiled, and they walked out of the clearing in silence, embarrassed on Elbesth's part, and amused on Adariel's.
'I must have looked terrible,' thought Adariel, 'for everybody to be so convinced!'
Presently, they came to a clearing patch between the trees where the light of the sunset shone. There sat the Lady Galadriel on her seat at the table, and next to her, the Lord. There were others seated there, obviously of importance. She was unsure what to do.
"Welcome, One who seeks Counsel," came a voice that echoed of a thousand bells and tinkling dew drops. Adariel looked up to see the Lady Galadriel addressing her. She was startled to notice that all the eyes in the hall were trained upon her. She found herself blushing under all the attention, something she had never done before. They were all looking at her like Elven folk would do when they saw something beautiful. And that was saying something because many considered Elven things to be the fairest in the world.
"We are moved by your beauty," noted the Lady of the Woods with an amused smile upon her face, then "Come sit by me, Stranger, and we shall talk." She clapped her hands, and an Elf led Adariel to her place by the Lady's hand. "Now, eat and be merry, for I fear darker times are upon us soon!"
Whatever surprise or admiration the Elves had for the newcomer, it was exceeded by their love of Galadriel, and they turned to cheer her, and she smiled like the light of a thousand stars in the sky. Adariel felt awed. Beauty is one thing, but Inner Beauty is another!
Afterwards, she was summoned before the Lady alone, and Elbesth showed her to another clearing where there were stairs, and a mirror-like pan on an alter. There sat the Lady Galadriel upon a rock, her feet in the stream. "May Elen sila lumenn' omentielvo" said Elbeth, "A star shines on the hour of our meeting," and he left her and went about his way, back to the entrance of the woods of Lothlorien.
The Lady turned. "Welcome, One who Seeks Counsel. Fear not! You are at peace here………Adariel of Lakewood."
For a moment, Adariel stood horrified, then grim as she tensed, listening for the sound of guards running. But there were none. She turned back to Lady Galadriel, who was looking at her with amusement. An echoing voice sounded in her mind, not her own. "I know many things about you Adariel of Lakewood, and I wonder why you fear the title."
Adariel's mind betrayed her as it quickly thought back to the saying, "Beware the Adariel of Lakewood, Beware the maiden of Lakewood, She whose heart has frozen will have yours taken too.
The Lady of the Woods laughed out loud. "Come now Daughter! That is just stuck into the heads of Children! It matters not in Lothlorien what your reputation is, but only your heart!" She stopped, and studied Adariel a moment before adding, "and your heart is the most pure of all," more to herself than to Adariel.
She found her courage again, and spoke up. "If it were just a tale, then why do travelers not come into Lakewood? Why do people not have dealings with my father and myself?"
The Lady's face darkened. "That is not your doing, but whose it is I cannot reveal just yet. It has been many a year that I have traveled into Lakewood." she said.
"Then it is fortunate that I came here!" said Adariel, smiling for the first time. "It is beautiful here!"
"That can be said of you too, if you were a place, little one." And the Lady looked away down the paths of golden trees. "There is more to beauty than meets the eye!" Galadriel gestured for Adariel to sit beside her, patting another flat stone. Adariel sat.
"Yes, beauty is a curse!" said she, with utmost conviction.
Galadriel seemed surprised, "You, of all, should not say that! It is said that the Maiden of Lakewood is the fairest of Elven kind!"
"It may be said, but I do not feel it is so. I know that I must be different, because I cause creatures that are already in love to gaze upon me in admiration. But I do not feel it inside. Indeed, I feel quite the contrary!"
"After being shut out of the free meadows and inside most of your life, I am not surprised," Galadriel remarked, gazing back at Adariel. "There is more to you than meets the eye, Little one. You may not know it, but your beauty goes deeper than looks. Your heart is pure."
Adariel gasped again. "How did you know that I had been shut in?"
"My power does not lie with healing, as yours does, but with things of the mind. I can read yours." Galadriel said, but the last part "yours" was an echoed inside Adariel's mind. She understood.
"And what I see both amuses me and astounds me," Galadriel continued.
Adariel frowned. "How so?" she inquired.
"It seems that your heart, deemed to be so cold, has been taken!" she said finally, looking her straight in the eye.
"You must be mistaken!" cried Adariel, aghast! "As sure as I love to run and dance among the forests, I certainly did not give my heart away willingly!"
"Perhaps not," said The Lady of the Woods, "But it is taken, nonetheless. Do you know by whom?"
"I confess that I do not!" said Adariel, shaking for some reason unknown. "But know that whoever this is, I would simply crush them like I crush all the others!"
Galadriel stopped smiling. "If this is why you refuse to let yourself go, then the influences have run deeper than I thought. I must send someone to Lakewood for a visit soon. As for you, fear not. It seems that you do not know the depths of your own heart! Let yourself go!"
"I know not what you mean, Lady, but know that nobody knows me like I know myself," said Adariel, a familiar coldness returning around her heart. Galadriel made no reply.
"Come Child," she said gently after a silence. "Come gaze in the Mirror of Galadriel and tell me what you see,"
"What should I see?" Adariel asked, coming upon the reflection of the water
"That I cannot tell, for the mirror shows not the same thing to all. For each, it shows many things that is in their heart. It may show you something that has passed, something that is passing, or something that has not gone to pass. Now look in, Child. Careful not to touch the water."
Adariel blinked and leaned in. The mirror was still, and she could see her reflection in it. Then slowly, the waters stirred as ripples swirled outwards, and the colors mingled together to form a new picture.
It was dark. There were shadows cast across walls that wavered in the water. And suddenly, she found herself staring at a young Elf cast in pale light. She turned slowly, and Adariel found herself staring at eyes the color of ice………white. White, yet strangely familiar. The figure opened her mouth slightly, and smiled. A cold, cruel smile that made Adariel shudder. The elf pointed, and Adariel saw that the finger drew to her. It smiled again. The image changed.
She was in Lakewood, where there were Elves dressed as rags, kneeling at the feet of the same strange lady, in fear. They were in the process of becoming Orcs**, bent and haggard. Adariel cried out at the sight of her people down in the dirt, groveling before the feet of the lady. Again, the lady turned and looked at Adariel again. She smiled again, and pointed. The image changed
There in the water, lay the body of a man lying on a stone alter. The image shifted until Adariel could see the face of the body. It was covered with cloth. The lady came in. This time, she seemed not to notice Adariel, and she walked towards the body. There was silence. The ripples of the water had died down, and the image was clear. The lady spoke, her eyes softening for the first time as she came upon the figure.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "You were not good enough. It was for your own good." And slowly, a breeze swirled through. The cloth began to shift starting from the bottom of the foot of the motionless figure. From the feet, Adariel could tell it was an Elven man. Still the cloth blew, until it was up to the neck. The lady moved, and choked it off. A knife appeared in her hand. Her eyes hardened.
"I'm sorry………beloved," she whispered. Her arm dropped. The knife cut. The blood flowed. Slowly, the cloth began to slip off the face. It revealed strands of golden hair, straight and silken.
"No!" cried Adariel, leaning back from the mirror. "I don't want…………I don't want to see any more!"
"I know exactly what you saw, for I can see it in your eyes." Galadriel remarked, walking towards Adariel.
"Who was that lady that I saw?" gasped Adariel, backing up against a tree. The branches waved, and were silent.
"These trees are wise," Galadriel remarked, "They can see things that we cannot. When we are gone from these woods, they will fade. They know the future for all,"
"But that tells me not of who that lady was!" said Adariel.
Galadriel turned. "There are things about yourself that not even you know, although you have said that you know your heart better than any being that walks this earth." She said slowly. "Look inside your heart of hearts, and you will know who that lady was. And whom was lying on the alter under that cloth." She looked at Adariel once more, and then up at the stars. "Elbereth shines brightly tonight," she said, and left, leaving Adariel leaning against the tree, mortified.
"I will rest myself," she said to nobody in particular, and curled up, against the tree, forgetting that she was in Lothlorien and not the wilderness. As soon as her lashes touched her cheek, and her eyelids tumbled down, she slept. And what a troubled sleep it was.
Many images passed her mind in her dreams. The lady appeared, smiling. Her dream showed her face again and again. There was something familiar about her. The last thing Adariel remembered thinking was 'she certainly is very beautiful'. Then she awoke.
It was still dark, and none of the inhabitants were stirring. There was a chill in the air, clouds had covered the moon's light. There were eerie shadows that danced upon the trees where the Elven folk rested. The chilled breeze blew by again. Adariel wondered whether it was the cold that woke her, or her thought.
"She certainly was very beautiful" she murmured to herself. It sounded familiar, as if she had heard it from some other tongue. "She certainly was very beautiful,"
Then suddenly, echoes of words rushed into her mind.
"Look Mother! There goes that beautiful lady again!"
"It is rumoured that she is most beautiful of the Elven folk"
"Beauty is a curse"
"She certainly is beautiful"
Adariel's eyes widened. "No." she said. "No! It can't be!" She drew her knees towards her, and buried her head in her hands. "It can't be! It can't be! It can't be…………………………me?" The last part was a question, although she said it as if she could question her knowledge, even though she knew she could not.
She gasped. Again and again. Then she ran. Down past the clearings and then along the path. All night she gathered her skirts and fled, until she came to Celebrant with its waters rushing high. The place where she had crossed by rope was downstream, she knew. She couldn't possibly stand being seen in this state. By then, it was already early morning. She knelt by the water's edge and gathered some in her hands. Elbesth was right. It was cold, like ice. Heedless, Adariel splashed some on her face. Her tears mingled with the water, and they were swept with the current of the stream.
She stood up, and the wind dried her tears. Blindly, she stared into the river, listening to the sounds of the water. The sun was high, and the clouds were few. Nearby, birds chirped in high voices. The trees whispered amongst each other. Suddenly, all was silent. Too silent.
Adariel froze, motionless. Slowly, slowly, she could feel movement coming from behind her. No Elf would be as rough. Her head was jumbled from the images that the nearby trees sent her, and she shook her head. It was a bad idea. The movement stopped, and all was still again. Adariel's breathing became labored. She carried no weapon, and she was defenseless. Suddenly, the movement started again, faster. She half turned, before a blinding pain came to her head, and things started fading in. The last image she received from her beloved trees was one of an Orc. Then she closed her eyes, and her body flopped forward into the rushing waters of the river Celebrant.
1.1 End of Chapter 5
Reviews please! NO FLAMES but constructive criticism is very welcome! –Spirit Star