Folks, the battle for Dol Guldur doesn't start in this chapter—sorry! (Ducks warg bones being thrown at her head) I had to reintroduce Haldir and his brothers, plus I seized the opportunity to have Galadriel and Mithrandir spar a bit over whether Anomen should return to Mirkwood disguised or not. I will get the army positioned for the battle in the next installment. If I don't quite reach the battle in the next chapter, I swear that it will be in the one after that. These characters have a history now and can't help but tease and reminisce whenever they get together.
Great was the relief of the Elves when they reached Lothlórien. Glorfindel had promised that once they were in that blesséd land, discipline would be lifted for a few days. The Rohirrim, however, could not be enticed into entering Celeborn and Galadriel's realm. Politely but firmly, they insisted on camping to the east of that land. Some Elves said that the Rohirrim believed that Galadriel was a sorceress who would enchant anyone who looked upon her.
"What an idea!" exclaimed Elrohir indignantly, and for once Elladan was just as offended as his brother. Galadriel was their grandmother, after all. It was long before either Elf could look upon a horsemaster without scowling.
Curiously enough, the other Men, the Rangers, suffered from no such trepidation. They entered Lórien as confidently as any Elf.
"I have heard," said Taurmeldir when Anomen asked him about this, "that Elven blood runs in the veins of those exiles. They are at home equally in the lands of Men and of Elves."
That seemed plausible enough. Elrond himself was known as Peredhil, the Half-elven, for his father was Eärendil the Mariner, whose lineage could be traced back to the royal house of the Noldor, whilst his mother was Elwing, a descendant of the House of Bëor. Anomen knew that there had been other such alliances between Men and Elf, although there had been none such during the Third Age.
Once in Lórien, Anomen and Thoron were anxious to introduce Elrohir and Elladan to Haldir and his brothers. They headed straight for the shelter that Haldir, Rúmil, and Orophin shared with their patrol. They congratulated themselves upon arriving when they realized that they were just in time for supper. They had had more than enough of trail food.
"Anomen, Thoron, I had wondered if you two would be included in the riding!" exclaimed Haldir when he caught sight of his two friends. "Rúmil, Orophin, look who has shown up in time to do the dishes!"
"Oh, no," protested Anomen. "We are guests. We mean to do nothing but eat. You can do the dishes."
The clearing rang with the laughter of exuberant young Elves who could forget for a time that they were soon to go into battle.
"Who are your new friends?" asked Rúmil.
Quickly Anomen introduced everyone. "This is Haldir, Rúmil, and Orophin. And this is Elladan and Elrohir."
"How do you tell them apart?" asked Orophin.
"Oh, it's easy for anyone who spends time with them. But sometimes we have fun playing tricks on visitors newly arrived in Rivendell."
"No tricks on us," warned Haldir.
"Why ever would you think that we would play tricks on you, Haldir," said Anomen, with the straightest face that he could muster.
Rúmil and Orophin collapsed in laughter at that. Haldir glared at them.
"You two haven't any right to laugh. If I remember correctly—"
Orophin hastily interrupted. "Let's all go over to Haldir's talan and sing and carouse the night away. We are not leaving for a few days, for Glorfindel, Mithrandir, Celeborn, and Galadriel will have much to discuss. That means that we can sleep late tomorrow and mayhap even the day after."
This plan was agreeable to all. After they had all ascended to Haldir's flet, Rúmil couldn't resist teasing Haldir just a bit more.
"Haldir," he said in a stage whisper, gesturing toward Anomen, "don't you think that you should pull up the ladder and hide it?"
Elladan and Elrohir had heard from Anomen of his two escapes from Haldir's talan.
"Oh," grinned Elladan. "Hiding the ladder won't do any good. At home Anomen climbs down the trellis, and I am sure he could find a way down this tree with no trouble at all."
"Yes," agreed Elrohir. "But I have heard that Glorfindel once planned to fasten a mithril collar around Anomen's neck and hang a troll-bell from it! That way he could no longer escape undetected."
"An excellent idea," crowed Haldir. "I think I have a collar that might do, as well as a bell." His eyes gleamed as he made as if he were going to tackle Anomen. Just then a voice was heard from the base of the tree. Celeborn and Galadriel had sent a messenger summoning Anomen to their talan.
"Oh, no," groaned Anomen. "Am I to be interrogated again!"
"Better interrogated than tricked, as is always my fate," gibed Haldir.
More laughter ensued, and amidst the farewells of his friends, Anomen descended from the flet and accompanied the messenger to the talan of the Lord and Lady.
When he entered the talan, he saw that only the Lady was there, but Mithrandir arrived soon after. Galadriel invited them both to sit down and offered them refreshments.
"Anomen," she observed, "I see that you have once again dyed your hair."
"Yes, my Lady. As I am going to Mirkwood, I thought it would be wise."
"Mirkwood?"
"Mirkwood," Mithrandir interjected, "is Anomen's name for Greenwood. I think you will find that the Imladris Elves have generally adopted that term as the preferred name for Thranduil's realm."
"It does seem a far more fitting name in these times than does Greenwood," mused the Lady. "Sometimes a change of names is appropriate. And sometimes other changes are appropriate—or not. Anomen, speaking of that, perhaps you would like some assistance in returning to your former hair color. I have a potion that I think will remove the dye."
"No, thank you, Lady," replied a very puzzled Anomen. "In fact, I am going to dye it again just before the army departs from Lothlórien. The lighter color is growing in again."
"So you do not wish to enter Mirkwood under your own hair—or under your own name?"
Anomen professed to be confused. "I do not understand, Lady."
Galadriel smiled. "You may have outwitted the wizard of Isengard, but it is much harder to fool a sorceress—oh, yes, I know what the Rohirrim say of me, and you may tell Elladan and Elrohir that they need not be so indignant on my behalf!"
Anomen began to protest, but Mithrandir raised his hand to silence him.
"Galadriel, I understand no more than does Anomen your purpose in summoning him here."
"Do you not, Mithrandir?"
"Surely you must know that your purposes have ever been clear only to you alone. You are, as always, Galadriel—gracious but enigmatic."
"In this matter you are choosing to be enigmatic yourself, Mithrandir."
"I will take that as a compliment, my Lady. We both know that it is sometimes useful to be mysterious—and let us apply that observation to our young friend here. Let him parade under false colors for the time being."
"False colors indeed," laughed Galadriel. "Are you now a riddler as well as a wizard?"
"I am myself a riddle, my Lady."
"Oh, yes, I can well believe that! A riddle wrapped in an enigma—that is what you are!"
"Very eloquently put, my Lady. I shall have to remember that phrase." The wizard arose. "And now, if you will excuse us, I will see to it that Anomen returns safely to Haldir's talan, with no detours, such as, oh, to Rohan or to Dunland or to Eregion."
Anomen blushed, and both Galadriel and Mithrandir laughed. Their laughter, however, was gentle, and Anomen quickly recovered once he found himself striding by the side of the wizard.
"Thank you, Mithrandir."
"Oh, and for what?"
"For standing up for me."
"I hardly think that I was 'standing up' for you. You make it sound as if I were defending you from an assailant. Galadriel is not your foe. She was merely trying to push you in the right direction. For my part, knowing your predilection for, ah, journeying, I am confident that, given enough time, you will wander toward the correct destination. Not without cause did Thoron dub you 'Durrandîr'. And, so, my 'Dark Wanderer', I hope to see you arrive at the right place in the end!"
"I think I am in the right place now, Mithrandir."
"Well, well, let us agree that you are in the right place for the time being."
Anomen wasn't quite satisfied with the outcome of this conversation, but it would have to do for now.