Hello to all my readers! I'm back again! Here is the next chapter, dedicated to Omara Eldu! Thanks for the review! That rhymed! Ok, There is a little bit of Elvish in here, hope it is well done!
Chapter Two
Nothing happened. Then, slowly, a vision formed. A woman, a beautiful woman, ran amid a mighty forest. Orcs were everywhere. The woman's long golden hair was tangled, and her flowing dress was tattered. In her arms, she carried the one thing that she seemed to worry about. It was a little bundle.
The scenery changed, but the characters stated the same. Yrch surrounded the poor woman. The case was almost hopeless. But then, she ran into another forest. This one was familiar to Ailysa. Golden trees with silver bark. Tiny flowers littered the ground. Here the woman rested, finally safe in Lorien.
The scene changed. There was the woman again, but this time, she was within the city of Lorien. She spoke to none other than Galadriel. Ailysa couldn't hear what they were saying, but she suddenly knew that this was Galadriel's daughter. Not the one whom she had heard so much of, the one who had birthed Arwen Evenstar, but the one who was the mother of none other than Ailysa herself.
The woman handed the bundle to Galadriel, and then turned to leave. Galadriel took the bundle and turned up to the mirror. Ailysa could see what the bundle was now. It was a tiny baby.
The scene changed again. Ailysa saw the woman wandering through many forests and landscapes, crying something out. Ailysa wished with all her might that she could hear as well as see what was happening.
Suddenly, she saw a beautiful castle. It had a city surrounding it, bustling with life. She could not see what sort of things that were living there. The castle and city were shimmered with the colours of the rainbow. Gold light surrounded it.
Another picture came into view. This was of a man's face. Ailysa could not see anything else of him. He was dark haired, and had a merry face. His eyes were crystal blue, and his black hair curled.
The mirror went dark. There were no more pictures. Ailysa breathed in relief. Nothing had harmed her. She was fine. Only confused.
Galadriel stood on the other side of the pedestal watching her granddaughter.
"Did you see what I saw?" Ailysa asked.
Galadriel shook her head and replied, "'Twas only in your own mind that the pictures form. I have never seen the mirror's images when someone else is gazing. Only you know what you should do based on the information given by the mirror. However, I will give you a hint, sometimes, the last vision seen, is the most important."
Ailysa pondered this answer carefully. What did that man mean to her? She already knew the answer. In the visions, she had glimpsed her mother, giving a child, herself, to Galadriel. Her mother then went on elsewhere, searching for something...or someone. No doubt she was searching for the man who lived in that city. No doubt she was searching for Ailysa's father.
In that case, Ailysa would do that too.
"Could you tell me how to reach the city with the colours of the rainbow? That is what I need to do," Ailysa asked nervously. Was she really going to take off now, and search for someone whom she didn't even know? But he was her father. She had to find him.
"The city of rainbows," Galadriel said with a reminiscing smile, "is where Lillith always wanted to go. She said that someday, she would fly away and land on the rainbow. I now realize what she meant in her last words to me, 'mother, I've done it." I didn't understand.
Well, I believe that you most travel to Valimar. If I am correct, there is a mighty cliff there called Ninniach Orod, or Rainbow Mountain. Perhaps, once you get there, there will be the answer for you."
Ailysa nodded. She would do it then. She would travel to Ninniach Orod and find her father.
"I will set out in two weeks time. Could I have a map or something to help me find my way? I'm afraid I don't even know where Valimar is, much less, Ninniach Orod," here, Lysa faltered, her doubts overtaking her again. "I...I don't know if I can do this, I...I'm afraid," she admitted.
Galadriel smiled and said soothingly, "Of course you are my dear. Anyone would be, and you, so isolated from everyone else. But think, you'll now know why that is. Why you are different. All of your puzzles will be solved.
As for being able to do it, of course you can. You are the daughter of Lillith, and you are just as headstrong as she is.
As for a map, I've got better. You shall have a guide. Someone who has been to many distant realms. You shall also have a guard. He will be someone you trust. 'Twill be three elves, a girl, her guide, and her guard. They say after all, three is company."
Lysa nodded again, this time, more relaxed. She wasn't going to undertake this journey alone. She would have experienced people with her.
She already knew whom she would pick for her guard. No one but Calen would do. But as for the guide, she would have to leave that to Galadriel.
Galadriel did not tell her granddaughter whom she had chosen, for she doubted that Ailysa would be honoured. Instead, she waited until the day of departure.
The guide was waiting peacefully under the trees at the edge of the wood. He was examining a leaf when Ailysa rode up alongside Galadriel and Celeborn. Calen rode a little way behind the trio.
When Ailysa saw her guide, she almost dropped her jaw in shock. She turned to her grandmother and murmured to her, "Is that not the march-warden Haldir?" Galadriel nodded. "Calen told me that he was one of the greatest elves in Lorien!" she exclaimed quietly. Galadriel nodded.
Ailysa shook her head in wonder. Not only would she be traveling far from her own home, she would be traveling with Haldir. At least Calen would still be there, to hold her ego down. Otherwise, Lysa was afraid that it would run away from her.
The march-warden finally looked up from the oh-so-captivating-leaf.
"Re man Hiril Galadriel, Heru Celeborn, a Hiril Ailysa! Nayes a calith re quent an le alta ararim (Good day Lady Galadriel, Lord Celeborn, and Lady Ailysa! It is a shining day to speak to your radiant nobles)," he said when he saw them. Ailysa blushed.
"Good day to you Haldir. I trust that you are in good health?" Galadriel asked. Haldir nodded.
"Well then, we shall sit here and eat ere you leave," she declared. Ailysa nodded along with the rest of the company.
The lunch was merry. The excitement of the trip had finally caught up with Ailysa, and she was quite delighted. Soon she would be far away. She wouldn't have to deal with the differences anymore. True, she would miss Cuthalion and Rayon, but she could do without them. Besides, she would have Calen. And, she suspected that the two wanted to spend more time with each other than with her or Calen.
Joy coursed through Ailysa. She wondered if either of the other two felt the same way. She looked at them both.
Calen was obviously excited, but not as excited as she was. Then again, Calen was a bit older than she was, and he had left Lorien before.
As for the other elf, Haldir, Ailysa couldn't tell anything. Normally she could read people very naturally. She didn't like it when she met someone whom she couldn't read. Therefore, she didn't like Haldir. He was unreadable. Not only was he unreadable, he was trying to be unreadable. How rude!
Ailysa turned her attention back to the lady of the wood. It was strange, in all of her life, the equivalent to a human's twenty-three summers, she would have never dreamed of approaching Galadriel, but now, at the end of her life here, she was suddenly close friends with the woman. Just like a grandmother and her granddaughter were supposed to be!
All to soon, Galadriel rose. She spoke to the three.
"All who leave my wood on such a quest as this one receive gifts from me. They always have, and they always will, until I pass into the West. Now, it is time that I bestowed upon you such gifts."
And with that, she gave each in turn something. She began with Calen, who sat nearest to her.
"To you I give this sword. Use it to protect your lady, and yourself. Use it naught for other purposes. It will defend you well if you do as I say." Calen accepted the seemingly simple sword gratefully.
Then the elf-woman turned to Ailysa. "I give to you a lock of you mother's hair. It may come in use at some point down the road," she said as she handed her granddaughter a lock of golden hair.
Finally, Galadriel turned to Haldir. He sat upon the ground, almost indifferent to the gift.
"Now for my faithful warrior. I will to you a stone of Lorien. Perhaps 'twill remind you of home and keep you from wandering too much." Haldir accepted the gift graciously, to Ailysa's surprise, and slipped it in his pocket.
"Now, I fear it is time for me to release you from my company. Farewell daughter's-daughter. I hope I shall see you again. Return safely my friends. Farewell." And the company rose, and set out.