Chapter 6 - Lothlórien

The Fellowship came upon the spring that the river Silverlode starts from. They would follow the river to…"There lie the woods of Lothlórien!" Legolas exclaimed happily.

"But Leggo, I thought that your home was in Lurkwood?" Shysa asked.

"Mirkwood," the elf prince corrected. "Yes I do come from Mirkwood and my name is…"

"NEO!" Shysa interrupted giggling maniacally.

"My name is Legolas. Not Leggo, not Neo, it is Legolas. And Lothlórien is fairest of all the dwellings of my people. There are no trees like the trees of that land. For in autumn the leaves fall not, but turn to gold. Not till spring comes and the new green opens 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. So still or songs of Mirkwood say. My heart would be glad if I were beneath the eaves of that wood, and it were springtime!"

Something stirred in the back of Shysa's memory but as soon as she reached for it, it was gone.

"My heart will be glad even in the winter," said Aragorn. "But it lies many miles away. Let us hasten!"

The fellowship ran south again in the morning after a quick breakfast. They were running all day but by late afternoon Frodo and Sam were falling behind. Legolas noticed and called to Aragorn. Shysa was at Frodo and Sam's side faster then Aragorn and Boromir were. "I am sorry Frodo." Aragorn said to the hobbit. "I have forgotten that you were hurt; and Sam too. But we must go a little further still. Come Boromir, we will carry them."

"No." Shysa spoke up. "I'll carry Frodo and Sam. I have far more strength then either of you two. The Force is flowing through me and I can carry on for many for days before physically tiring."

"I thought you said you weren't an elf?" Legolas called to her.

"I'm not an elf. I have access to a power that is beyond you and what you fight. I can carry them."

"We don't have time to argue Shysa. Boromir carry Sam, Shysa may carry Frodo."

After a short while they came upon a stream that joined with the Silverlode. They came to the edge of the wood at the bottom of the falls and rested there.

Aragorn and Shysa examined their injured hobbits. Sam's wound looked bad but was not deep. "Good luck Sam!" Aragorn congratulated the hobbit. "Many have received worse than this in payment for the slaying of their first orc. The cut is not poisoned. It should heal well when I have tended it."

Meanwhile Shysa was trying to get Frodo to let her examine the place he had been hit. Finally Aragorn made him take off his shirt. Underneath there was another shirt of mail.

"A Mithril-coat!" Gimli exclaimed in awe.

Shysa examined the bruise on the right and the left that had been scorched and bruised from his being hurled against a wall. Shysa and Aragorn examined the marks.

"I can heal these Aragorn." Shysa said.

"With what?"

"With my powers. I can heal minor wounds, burns and bruises but not much more. These are within my ability."

"Alright Shysa, but I will watch you as you work," Aragorn stated.

Shysa shrugged her shoulders and called on the force. Placing her hands over the worst areas on each side she started healing the flesh and burst veins inside the hobbit. Her eyes were closed as she worked. If she were watching, she would notice the bruises disappear and the burns fade.

Aragorn was satisfied that Shysa wasn't harming Frodo and tended to Sam.

Frodo put the shirt of Mithril on under his regular shirt and everyone ate supper. Then afterwards they hid the traces of their brief encampment and journeyed on for nearly three hours. It was dark. Soon Legolas could see the eaves of the Golden Wood. Aragorn decided they would go in a short way then turn from the path to seek a place to rest in.

"Is there no other way?" Boromir whined.

"Is Boromir a chicken? Bawk bawk." Shysa goaded.

"What other fairer way would you desire?" Aragorn asked.

"A plain road though it leads through a hedge of swords; especially if we send Shysa into it first to be rid of her."

"HEY!"

Finally Boromir agreed to go into Lothlórien. "But it is perilous."

"Perilous indeed," said Aragorn, "fair and perilous; but only evil need fear it, or those who bring some evil with them. Follow me!"

"Um, Aragorn?" Shysa started to say, "Can I talk to you quietly first?"

"Now who is the chicken?" Boromir asked withdrawing to the rest of the fellowship.

"What is it Shysa?"

"Do you remember what I told you about the Sith Lady I killed?"

"Yes, but what does this have to do with Lothlórien?"

"Well the Sith are considered evil and well…I should have told you before but…that Sith Lady was me, four years ago. I may still be considered evil to some though I gave up those ways."

"You killed yourself? How is that possible?"

"I destroyed and buried a part of my heart and mind four years ago to get rid of the evil within me."

"I still do not understand Shysa. But you have only shown yourself to be irritating but most certainly not evil. I have faith you are not evil and I will speak for you if need be."

Shysa bowed. "Thank you Aragorn."

"Now let us enter the Golden Wood of Lórien."

Shysa pulled her cloak out from her backpack put it on and then pulled the hood down over her face as she followed them.

A mile into the forest they came to a stream which flowed over some falls to the right of the fellowship. Legolas called it the Nimrodel and had them wade across it to the other side. The water was cold but refreshing and not very deep for the hobbits.

Once on the other side they sat and rested eating a little food. Then Legolas sang a song about the Nimrodel. Shysa decided to walk back over to the stream while Legolas sang for his companions.

Shysa stretched out with the force to feel her surroundings. In the water was a power she thought she had felt before but it was only for a fleeting moment. Shysa directed her awareness to the trees around them. There were many presences not to far away it felt as if they were watching her and the others. One was…familiar. The gift saber at her side began to hum in her conscience but not aloud. Shysa went back and was going to tell Aragorn about what she sensed but then heard Legolas speaking.

"It is told that she (Nimrodel the elf maiden) had a house built in the branches of a tree that grew near the falls; for that was the custom of the Elves of Lórien, to dwell in the trees, and maybe it is so still. Therefore they were called the Galadrim, the Tree people. Deep in their forest the trees are very great. The people of the woods did not delve in the ground like Dwarves, nor build strong places of stone before the shadow came."

"And even in these latter days dwelling in the trees might be thought safer than sitting on the ground," Gimli said.

The Fellowship set out again turning off of the path. Not far from the falls they came upon a cluster of trees. The trunks of the trees were very wide and their hight could not be guessed.

"I will climb up," said Legolas. "I am at home among trees."

He leapt up to grab a high branch swinging there. As he did a commanding voice called out. "Daro!"

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