Haldir led the group through the forests, towards the central city of Caras Galadhon. Haldir spoke much in elvish to both Aragorn and Legolas, which peeved Gimli off to no end. Thankfully, Frodo spoke a little Sindarin himself, so he filled in the Jedi and the dwarf on what was happening.
"They're taking us to see Galadriel, the Elven queen. She waits for us with her husband, Celeborn, in the city of Caras Galadhon. There we will find if she will help us in our quest or not." Jacen passed this information on to his parents, as Aragorn was spending too much time talking to Haldir to explain things to the others. As the line of travelers neared the elven capital, they began to see great houses in the treetops. Chewie moaned in longing, and spoke to Lowbacca in low growling tones. Haldir, seeing that everyone was interested in the tree-houses, came back to explain.
"Those are the talan of the Lorien elves. The great mallorn trees alone can hold the weight of these vast houses, and most of the cities in this forest are built up there. Caras Galadhon itself is a many-tiered fortress in trees." Haldir sighed at the thought of again being amongst his fellow elves, instead of in the company of teenagers and the non-bathing Aragorn. Not to mention the Dwarf, and the odd Gondorian who waved a metallic thing about madly.
That night, they were taken up into one of the sentry talan on the border of Caras Galadhon. The Jedi managed the slim ladder into the treehouse with ease, using the force to balance. Tenel Ka, who Jacen thought might have problems with ladder climbing with only one arm, made it up faster than he did. The hobbits, however, had to be helped up. In the end, Anakin and Tahiri lifted each hobbit up into the house with the force, as the elves could not find a way to lift them. Gimli was another problem. He refused to climb up, saying that dwarves did not sleep in trees like the girly elves, and that he would curl on the ground to sleep. Legolas tried to cajole him, and Boromir threatened him with bodily harm, but in the end, Zekk told everyone to leave him, and when the dwarf slept, he was lifted into the tree. Zekk and Jaina, both grinning, did the honors.
That night, Aragorn and Haldir talked late, mostly of what the queen's idea would be of him arriving without Gandalf, and with many more people than was expected, with some of these people having odd talents, weapons or body hair. Aragorn even agreed to bathe himself in a river before arriving to meet Galadriel, if it would help dampen her feelings towards his companions.
In the morning, they ate light elven food and continued on without much incidence, except when Gimli awoke and rolled off the side of the talan; since he was unaware he was in the tree. The unfortunate-ness of a pile of mashed dwarf on the ground was only stopped by the quick force-catch of Tenel Ka and Tahiri. Still, the forest rang with dwarven curses all morning. Aragorn's bath in a passing river was uneventful, save for the river turning a strange black-ish color around the Ranger, and dead plants and fish surfacing in a ten-foot radius.
The group arrived in the late afternoon to Caras Galadhon. Jacen told Talon to fly up and scout out the area. Not that it was needed, but because Haldir had expressed concern over one of the Crebain being in Lorien, and Jacen didn't want trouble with the queen. Elven escorts came for the fellowship at the base of one large mallorn, and Haldir took his leave. The path up the tree wasn't a ladder, as before, but a finely carved and sculpted staircase that twirled around the trunk. Leia expressed great awe for the carve-work, and was speechless as they ascended higher and the neighboring talan could be seen. Each talan was made as though from dreams: swirling woodwork, metal leaves that adorned the houses, most of which made the dwellings look as if they had been grown onto the tree, instead of being built.
Finally, the fellowship mounted a crest in the staircase, and stood on a wide platform. Before them was a great throne, and seated upon that throne, Galadriel, lady of light. She stood. Aragorn bowed deeply, waving to the others to do so. Galadriel merely nodded, then spoke.
"Eighteen there are here, yet nine there were, set out from Rivendell. Yet where is Gandalf? For I much desire to speak with him..."