A Stranger In The Woods

Chapter 27: Talk with the Lady/ Lembas

On her fifth trip back to the boats, Galadriel approached her.

"Walk with me," she said smiling.

Katie put the pack she was carrying down and followed the lady into the woods. After they were a good distance away from the others, Galadriel stopped walking and turned to her.

"I wanted to apologize about the last time we talked," the lady said quietly. "I understand that I overwhelmed you with too much information at once."

Katie felt her eyes widen with surprise. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting but it wasn't an apology.

"That's okay," she muttered. "I was wrong to get so upset."

Galadriel studied her curiously. "Do you now believe what I told you?" she asked softly.

Katie sighed. She had been thinking a lot about the lady's words and had decided she was telling the truth. There were too many signs indicating she was an elf to prove otherwise.

"Yes, I believe you," she whispered.

"Have you noticed any changes since you've come to Middle Earth?" Galadriel asked, practically reading her mind.

"Yes…" Katie admitted reluctantly.

She thought about all the changes that had taken place. Her hair was straighter and longer, her skin smoother. The scars on her body had all but disappeared. Her hearing was better and she noticed her eyesight was improving.

All little signs she was slowly becoming an elf.

"The longer you are in Middle Earth, the more changes you will notice," Galadriel stated, reading her thoughts. "In less than a few months you will become a complete elf. Until then you can get hurt and die as a human," She warned.

Galadriel was quiet for a minute, as if lost in thought.

Finally, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small vile attached to a necklace.

"Keep this with you," Galadriel whispered, slipping it over her head. "Drink the liquid inside if you find yourself in a dire situation. I must warn you," she continued quietly, "that by drinking this you will turn completely into an elf almost immediately."

"Only do this if you must," she finished, after a long pause.

Katie smiled and thanked the woman politely.

"We should get back to the others," Galadriel said with a sudden smile.

Katie followed alongside the woman, thinking of what she had said. 'This means I will have to tell people I am an elf,' she realized with a frown. 'I'll wait as long as possible,' she decided.

"Will you come back to Lothlórien?" Galadriel asked, breaking her thoughts.

"I'd love to," Katie said truthfully. 'If I live through this,' she thought with a sigh.

"Never give up hope," Galadriel whispered as they neared the others.

Katie turned to look as her, their eyes meeting for a moment.

The lady's words echoed in her mind – 'Never give up hope. Never give up hope.'

Galadriel just smiled a knowing smile and walked away. Katie stood there a moment, staring after her in amazement.

Finally, she picked up her bag and took it over to the canoes. She saw Pippin sitting in one of the boats eating something.

"What do you have there?" she asked curiously.

Pippin looked up guiltily at her, his mouth stuffed with food.

"Some kind of cake," he answered once he swallowed. "Want one?" he asked, handing her a square, flat bread looking thing.

Katie shrugged and took a small bite. A sweet buttery taste filled her mouth.

"Mmm," she moaned as she stuffed the rest in her mouth. "That was delicious," she muttered as Merry walked over and joined them.

"What are you two doing?" he asked curiously.

Katie smiled. "Taking a break," she said innocently.

Just then, Legolas walked up to their canoe carrying several small packs. He shot them a curious look as he stepped half way into their boat and began loading the bags.

Katie watched as he pulled one of the little cakes from a pack and held it up to inspect.

"Lembas," he declared. "Elfish whey bread."

He raised the cake to his mouth and took a little bite. "One small bite could fill the stomach of a grown man," he stated with a smile.

Katie sat there silently, feeling mortified.

Both hobbits smiled and nodded but didn't comment.

Legolas loaded the last of the bags into the canoe and shot her a devilish little grin before walking away.

'He knows we ate the lembas,' Katie realized as she watched him leave.

Merry moved up next to Pippin. "How many did you eat?" he asked curiously.

"Four," Pippin admitted, suddenly looking very full.

Katie chuckled softly. At least she had only eaten one and she already felt stuffed. 'Imagine eating four!' she thought with a laugh.

She stood up and went back to work, leaving the hobbits sitting in the canoe.