When El woke up the next morning she found herself in a four poster bed
with wooden figures engraved around the posts. Her torn dress had been
changed and birds were singing outside. She sat up to get a good look
around herself when she saw a lady dressed in white talking to Legolas and
Elladan, her long strawberry gold hair glittering in the cold morning
light. They turned to look at El.
"You are awake. I trust you slept well?" she said cheerfully to El. "I am the Lady Galadriel of Lothlorien. My husband, Celeborn, and I were the ones who sent Gwaihir" El leapt quickly out of bed and curtsied.
Galadriel smiled. "We shall meet for lunch in the dinning hall and then the next morning. Gwaihir will take you to the old forest road at the edge of Mirkwood, as there are no places to land inside the boundaries," she said to all three and then turned and left.
They had a small breakfast as it was very close to lunch, and afterwards Legolas volunteered to show El around. He took her to a small lake where they sat for a while.
"So what was your dream about?" he questioned, concerned about her disturbed night before.
"I dreamt I was in a dense wood in the dark, and worried people were calling a name, my name. Then these Haradrim twins walked towards me, mocking their voices of the others. I was hurt and the only reason I could see them was because there was a tiny firefly flying around my hand. The male one came closer to me, too close, and then he killed the firefly and told me that they will come for me." El shuddered and Legolas took hold of her hand, "It didn't feel like a dream, more like something that had happened in the past or even in the future." She paused, and changed the subject. "What is it everyone is looking for?"
"We are trying to find spring." Legolas answered.
"You speak of it as if it were a person." El said.
"She is, Spring is a person fairer even than spring itself." Legolas said sadly. "In fact," he added, turning towards El, "you remind me very much of her. You have the same eyes." He stopped, now looking deeply into them as if puzzled by their past. "Although," he said as he turned away, "you do not have her green hair." They laughed.
"Legolas?" A female voice called. "LEGOLAS!" It came again, now sounding slightly frustrated.
A tall young woman entered through the trees, her flaming red hair waving in a nonexistent breeze. She stopped when she saw El, and then smiled as she walked towards them.
"So this is young El from Harad. You were right Legolas, she does bear some resemblance." Her eyes glittered as she held out a gold-tanned hand to El. "My name is Iavas, though Ivy may be easier to pronounce." El shook the hand. "I am what they would call Autumn, as my true name suggests. I have a feeling we will become great friends." She took El's hand and pulled her to her feet. As the two women started walking, El shot Legolas a pleading look. He just grinned with amusement.
" Lunch is ready." Ivy stopped and then started walking again. "Is it true you do not know from whence you came?"
"Sadly, yes." El replied. "Although Legolas assures me that I will remember soon enough."
Soon they reached the dinning hall of Galadriel and sat down for lunch. Ivy sat down next to El and began to eat; El noticed that her hair was still waving slightly. El looked around the table; there were only her, Ivy, Elrohir, and Legolas as well as the silver haired elf she knew to be Haldir, of course, and Galadriel and Celeborn.
"Ivy is a Dryad." Elladan said, appearing suddenly from behind, and seating himself on El's other side. "That is why she has weird hair." Ivy, hearing this, gave him a dirty look, making him laugh.
" At least my hair looks better than yours, thank you very much!" she said as she flicked a pea into his brown hair with a fork. Elladan looked hurt as he tried to remove it. He tried to throw it back at her, but it landed in her drink. Ivy, who was not at all pleased with this, concentrated on the pea floating on the top of the water, and to El's surprise it levitated up in the air for a moment, then flashed red in a blaze of fire and disappeared before their eyes.
"That is unfair!" Elladan cried, pushing his chair from the table, "You used magic!" Ivy giggled and poked out her tongue. The whole table was now watching the dispute with amusement. Ivy had won.
After their light lunch, Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn took them down a long passageway to a large room, filled with comfortable silver chairs. Galadriel beckoned [for] El to sit in front. El placed herself down warily.
Celeborn looked around the room, "I gather you all know the seriousness of the position we are now in," he said, looking at each one of them in turn, but avoiding El's gaze. "I am sure you know also that we only have a short time left before the damage that is done to this land becomes immeasurable."
"Gathiel," a voice said in her head, interrupting Celeborn's speech. El's eyes immediately darted to the Lady, who had been sitting silent before; she was gazing intently at El. El shivered, remembering her dark dream.
"You have heard that name before." Her voice rang out in El's head. "You are more useful to them than they think," she said aloud, as she got up from her chair and walked through the door. Everyone else had stopped talking, and watched the Lady walk from the room.
Celeborn looked at El, and by the look on his face, El knew he could tell whom Galadriel thought she was. El's eyes flashed red in frustration over her ignorance, and she ran swiftly out of the room.
She heard names calling her back but she kept running until she reached a large golden tree, and climbed it steadily to the top. She put her head in her hands and wept. The voices were still calling her name down below. She lifted her head suddenly, hearing a new voice "Gathiel," the evil male voice mocked. "Gathiel," the feminine one replied. Then a shrill laugh erupted around her, chilling her to the bone. Her sight darkened as she began to feel frozen and weak. The bough shook next to her and she slid backwards, wind rushing through her hair.
"EL!" cried Legolas' familiar voice as he grasped her wrist, and pulled her back onto the golden bough. The cold passed and she opened her eyes, looking into the worried face above her.
"Legolas," she whispered. "They are here."
Hi again, hoped you all liked chapter four, you may have noticed how absolutely wonderfully it was grammaritized, and also how now the sentences run definitely more smoothly! And that is all thanks to my beta newmoon who did a great job! Thanks sooo much!
"You are awake. I trust you slept well?" she said cheerfully to El. "I am the Lady Galadriel of Lothlorien. My husband, Celeborn, and I were the ones who sent Gwaihir" El leapt quickly out of bed and curtsied.
Galadriel smiled. "We shall meet for lunch in the dinning hall and then the next morning. Gwaihir will take you to the old forest road at the edge of Mirkwood, as there are no places to land inside the boundaries," she said to all three and then turned and left.
They had a small breakfast as it was very close to lunch, and afterwards Legolas volunteered to show El around. He took her to a small lake where they sat for a while.
"So what was your dream about?" he questioned, concerned about her disturbed night before.
"I dreamt I was in a dense wood in the dark, and worried people were calling a name, my name. Then these Haradrim twins walked towards me, mocking their voices of the others. I was hurt and the only reason I could see them was because there was a tiny firefly flying around my hand. The male one came closer to me, too close, and then he killed the firefly and told me that they will come for me." El shuddered and Legolas took hold of her hand, "It didn't feel like a dream, more like something that had happened in the past or even in the future." She paused, and changed the subject. "What is it everyone is looking for?"
"We are trying to find spring." Legolas answered.
"You speak of it as if it were a person." El said.
"She is, Spring is a person fairer even than spring itself." Legolas said sadly. "In fact," he added, turning towards El, "you remind me very much of her. You have the same eyes." He stopped, now looking deeply into them as if puzzled by their past. "Although," he said as he turned away, "you do not have her green hair." They laughed.
"Legolas?" A female voice called. "LEGOLAS!" It came again, now sounding slightly frustrated.
A tall young woman entered through the trees, her flaming red hair waving in a nonexistent breeze. She stopped when she saw El, and then smiled as she walked towards them.
"So this is young El from Harad. You were right Legolas, she does bear some resemblance." Her eyes glittered as she held out a gold-tanned hand to El. "My name is Iavas, though Ivy may be easier to pronounce." El shook the hand. "I am what they would call Autumn, as my true name suggests. I have a feeling we will become great friends." She took El's hand and pulled her to her feet. As the two women started walking, El shot Legolas a pleading look. He just grinned with amusement.
" Lunch is ready." Ivy stopped and then started walking again. "Is it true you do not know from whence you came?"
"Sadly, yes." El replied. "Although Legolas assures me that I will remember soon enough."
Soon they reached the dinning hall of Galadriel and sat down for lunch. Ivy sat down next to El and began to eat; El noticed that her hair was still waving slightly. El looked around the table; there were only her, Ivy, Elrohir, and Legolas as well as the silver haired elf she knew to be Haldir, of course, and Galadriel and Celeborn.
"Ivy is a Dryad." Elladan said, appearing suddenly from behind, and seating himself on El's other side. "That is why she has weird hair." Ivy, hearing this, gave him a dirty look, making him laugh.
" At least my hair looks better than yours, thank you very much!" she said as she flicked a pea into his brown hair with a fork. Elladan looked hurt as he tried to remove it. He tried to throw it back at her, but it landed in her drink. Ivy, who was not at all pleased with this, concentrated on the pea floating on the top of the water, and to El's surprise it levitated up in the air for a moment, then flashed red in a blaze of fire and disappeared before their eyes.
"That is unfair!" Elladan cried, pushing his chair from the table, "You used magic!" Ivy giggled and poked out her tongue. The whole table was now watching the dispute with amusement. Ivy had won.
After their light lunch, Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn took them down a long passageway to a large room, filled with comfortable silver chairs. Galadriel beckoned [for] El to sit in front. El placed herself down warily.
Celeborn looked around the room, "I gather you all know the seriousness of the position we are now in," he said, looking at each one of them in turn, but avoiding El's gaze. "I am sure you know also that we only have a short time left before the damage that is done to this land becomes immeasurable."
"Gathiel," a voice said in her head, interrupting Celeborn's speech. El's eyes immediately darted to the Lady, who had been sitting silent before; she was gazing intently at El. El shivered, remembering her dark dream.
"You have heard that name before." Her voice rang out in El's head. "You are more useful to them than they think," she said aloud, as she got up from her chair and walked through the door. Everyone else had stopped talking, and watched the Lady walk from the room.
Celeborn looked at El, and by the look on his face, El knew he could tell whom Galadriel thought she was. El's eyes flashed red in frustration over her ignorance, and she ran swiftly out of the room.
She heard names calling her back but she kept running until she reached a large golden tree, and climbed it steadily to the top. She put her head in her hands and wept. The voices were still calling her name down below. She lifted her head suddenly, hearing a new voice "Gathiel," the evil male voice mocked. "Gathiel," the feminine one replied. Then a shrill laugh erupted around her, chilling her to the bone. Her sight darkened as she began to feel frozen and weak. The bough shook next to her and she slid backwards, wind rushing through her hair.
"EL!" cried Legolas' familiar voice as he grasped her wrist, and pulled her back onto the golden bough. The cold passed and she opened her eyes, looking into the worried face above her.
"Legolas," she whispered. "They are here."
Hi again, hoped you all liked chapter four, you may have noticed how absolutely wonderfully it was grammaritized, and also how now the sentences run definitely more smoothly! And that is all thanks to my beta newmoon who did a great job! Thanks sooo much!