The day was a long one, but we reached Lothlorien before the sun set.
Neither the twins nor Aragorn had said anything to me throughout the whole
rest of the journey, leaving me to ponder. There were so many things that
I did not understand; so many things that I could not muster up the courage
to. All that I knew was that I had the power to kill and to kill without
warning or mercy. And I feared it, feared for my brother's safety and for
my own.
A maid showed me to one of the guest rooms that night and then I was left alone. It had been a long time since I had ever felt like such an outsider. Aragorn could even sense it; for I put up no signs of protest after he left to visit with Arwen and his grandmother. Instead I allowed sleep to take me, praying that if anything happened to me, my death would be quick.
Yet I awoke the next morning with a fresh sense of hope. I still had no desire to see or speak with anyone, so I instead decided to take a short walk in Lorien. The whole forest was new to me and my heart sought to explore it. So I wrapped myself in a clean cloak and set out into the morning air, promising that I would try to enjoy myself as much as possible.
The path that I chose to stroll upon was well worn but still beautiful, at least in my eyes. I could hear the quiet song of the Lorien birds echoing gracefully through the trees as I gently lowered myself down upon a small stone bench that lay in a clearing. There was not another soul anywhere to be seen, so I simply enjoyed being on my own.
Small stabs of pain suddenly flashed through my head as I remembered the events of the night before last. A laugh threatened to burst from my throat as I realized how angry Aragorn might be if he were to find me out of my bed. Though I still held a little bit of anger towards him, most of it had greatly diminished through a good night's rest.
"Are you sure that you should be wandering, Lady Kaurea?" A light voice called to me from behind. I immediately spun around, only to find my eyes falling upon a hooded she-elf with long, blond curls. She had a regal feel about her, but I was still unsure.
"That is indeed a good question, yet I have two for you. How is it that you know my name and how did you know I was here?" The lady seemed to find some sort of humor in my words, for she chuckled and beckoned for me to come closer. I obeyed, but warily.
"I know most things about you. I know that you are the niece of Lord Elrond of Rivendell. And I know that you are troubled by things that few can understand." I frown only a little as she gently guides me over to the edge of a small basin of water, still a little more suspicious than I really had the right to be. "Gaze into the mirror. It may help you; or it may still cause you more harm."
It was now that things began to sink in. The basin of water was the mirror of Galadriel, which would mean that the lady allowing me to look into it would have to be none other that the Lady of the Woods herself. I gave a hesitant glance back as her before leaning over the basin and allowing the pictures to flow into my mind.
At first I could see nothing but light, which quickly gave way to the sight of a ship sailing away into the west as the sun set. This picture alone did not trouble me, but the feeling that Ada was on it did. The visions and bits of time that I saw after that showed me things that I never wish to repeat, horrible things and dangerous things. I watched the city of Minas Tirth burn and the leaves of Lothlorien fade. The last haunting image was that of a single, golden ring lying quietly in the bottom of a desk drawer, pulsing with power. It was then that I pulled away.
"Middle Earth will fall." I mumbled, feeling that could be the only explanation for the horrible things I had witnessed. Galadriel just smiled and slowly led me away from the mirror and back to the bench where I had been sitting before.
"Perhaps. Not any one person or elf can tell which path fate will turn down. All that I know is that you will be needed and must not give into grief. The gift that you have is powerful and deadly, that is true. Yet as long as you use it for only good, nothing but good can come from it." Her words were wise and they soothed what little hurt was still in my heart.
"Go back and seek Aragorn. Then as soon as he is ready to depart, go with him. For no good can come of you not trusting your own soul." These were the lady's last words for me, for I then began to cry and I fled back to the main hall where I knew I would find my brother.
A maid showed me to one of the guest rooms that night and then I was left alone. It had been a long time since I had ever felt like such an outsider. Aragorn could even sense it; for I put up no signs of protest after he left to visit with Arwen and his grandmother. Instead I allowed sleep to take me, praying that if anything happened to me, my death would be quick.
Yet I awoke the next morning with a fresh sense of hope. I still had no desire to see or speak with anyone, so I instead decided to take a short walk in Lorien. The whole forest was new to me and my heart sought to explore it. So I wrapped myself in a clean cloak and set out into the morning air, promising that I would try to enjoy myself as much as possible.
The path that I chose to stroll upon was well worn but still beautiful, at least in my eyes. I could hear the quiet song of the Lorien birds echoing gracefully through the trees as I gently lowered myself down upon a small stone bench that lay in a clearing. There was not another soul anywhere to be seen, so I simply enjoyed being on my own.
Small stabs of pain suddenly flashed through my head as I remembered the events of the night before last. A laugh threatened to burst from my throat as I realized how angry Aragorn might be if he were to find me out of my bed. Though I still held a little bit of anger towards him, most of it had greatly diminished through a good night's rest.
"Are you sure that you should be wandering, Lady Kaurea?" A light voice called to me from behind. I immediately spun around, only to find my eyes falling upon a hooded she-elf with long, blond curls. She had a regal feel about her, but I was still unsure.
"That is indeed a good question, yet I have two for you. How is it that you know my name and how did you know I was here?" The lady seemed to find some sort of humor in my words, for she chuckled and beckoned for me to come closer. I obeyed, but warily.
"I know most things about you. I know that you are the niece of Lord Elrond of Rivendell. And I know that you are troubled by things that few can understand." I frown only a little as she gently guides me over to the edge of a small basin of water, still a little more suspicious than I really had the right to be. "Gaze into the mirror. It may help you; or it may still cause you more harm."
It was now that things began to sink in. The basin of water was the mirror of Galadriel, which would mean that the lady allowing me to look into it would have to be none other that the Lady of the Woods herself. I gave a hesitant glance back as her before leaning over the basin and allowing the pictures to flow into my mind.
At first I could see nothing but light, which quickly gave way to the sight of a ship sailing away into the west as the sun set. This picture alone did not trouble me, but the feeling that Ada was on it did. The visions and bits of time that I saw after that showed me things that I never wish to repeat, horrible things and dangerous things. I watched the city of Minas Tirth burn and the leaves of Lothlorien fade. The last haunting image was that of a single, golden ring lying quietly in the bottom of a desk drawer, pulsing with power. It was then that I pulled away.
"Middle Earth will fall." I mumbled, feeling that could be the only explanation for the horrible things I had witnessed. Galadriel just smiled and slowly led me away from the mirror and back to the bench where I had been sitting before.
"Perhaps. Not any one person or elf can tell which path fate will turn down. All that I know is that you will be needed and must not give into grief. The gift that you have is powerful and deadly, that is true. Yet as long as you use it for only good, nothing but good can come from it." Her words were wise and they soothed what little hurt was still in my heart.
"Go back and seek Aragorn. Then as soon as he is ready to depart, go with him. For no good can come of you not trusting your own soul." These were the lady's last words for me, for I then began to cry and I fled back to the main hall where I knew I would find my brother.