Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings.
A/N: Sorry for the long wait. Also, for anyone interested, I revised chapters one and two. I'll admit that this notice is late, as is the chapter, but better late than never. Anyways, here's the long awaited chapter ten. Once again, sorry for the ridiculously long wait. I hope you enjoy it!
Chapter 10 – Lothlorien
Once they were finally outside of Moria, the full impact of what had just happened hit the fellowship. Gandalf was gone, seemingly never to return.
As grief took hold, each member of the fellowship handled his sorrow in various ways. Sam sat alone, sobbing with his head in his hands. Merry sat with Pippin lying on his lap, comforting him as they, too, cried. Legolas, being immortal, stared off into the distance, not understanding that someone can be there one second and then gone the next. Boromir held on to Gimli, as Gimli mourned. Frodo had walked away from everyone else. Grieving alone.
Tammy felt detached from her emotions. She was truly sad, though no one would know by looking at her. She had learned to control her emotions. Ithad beenher safe guard… the only way her secret could have been kept in the world she came from...a world that does not undersand anything out of the ordinary and fears what is not understandable.
She knew that she could have saved him, but she had just stood there. She knew she did what she had to do, but that didn't make it any easier. She never thought that her gift could be as much of a burden as it was now…that it could ever get worse than it was now…
Vaguely, Tammy heard Aragorn tell Boromir to get everyone up.
"Give them a moment for pity's sake!" Boromir yelled, feeling it unfair to force everyone to move on then.
"By nightfall these hills will be swarming with orcs. We must reach Lothlorien," Aragorn reasoned.
Everyone then got up and continued on, feeling as though they were no longer a part of what was going on…that they were merely observing from afar.
The fellowship trudged on through the forest, making their way to Lothlorien as swiftly as possible.
Suddenly, Tammy noticed that there was an arrow pointing at her. Looking around, she realized that the fellowship was surrounded. There was a small company of elves, greater in number than the fellowship, that circled around them with bow and arrows drawn and ready to fire at any second.
She looked to what she assumed to be the leader, a stern elf with long blond hair, as he began to speak.
"The dwarf breaths so loud, we could have shot him in the dark," he declared in disgust. After pausing a few moments, he continued. "Come. She is waiting."
The fellowship continued on, following the leader, whom they later found out was an elf named Haldir, as he led them through the forest all the way to the city within. He left them once they reached an immense tree that had a winding staircase leading up to a building within the tree.
Two regal elves with long golden hair were awaiting them when they reached the top.
"The enemy knows you have entered here. What hope you had in secrecy is now lost. Nine there are here, yet ten set out from Rivendell. Where is Gandalf?" the male elf inquired. "For I much desire to speak with him."
"He has fallen into shadow," the female elf surmised, looking at Legolas directly in the eye.
"He was taken by both shadow and flame," Legolas explained. "A balrog of Morgoth, for we needlessly traveled through Moria."
"Needless were none of the deeds of Gandalf. We still do not know his full purpose. This quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and you will fail, to the ruin of all. Yet hope remains while the company is true. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Go now and rest for you are weary with much sorrow and turmoil. Tonight, you shall sleep in peace."
Much time passed in Lorien while the fellowship recovered from their loss as best they could. They would be moving on with the quest by the end of that week, for too much time had already passed.
Tammy followed Galadriel after having been summoned.
"I have much looked forward to our meeting," Galadriel spoke once they had reached their destination. It was a treeless area with a round podium in the center. On the podium there was a silver bowl.
"You have many questions tithen pen. Some I will answer, others are better left unexplained.
"Many ages ago, a shift occurred…a shift in the greater order of things. This shift caused a small tear in destiny's design, allowing things to come that were never meant to be. This small tear steadily grew into a great chasm. Unless something was done, everything would be thrown off course, causing much chaos.
"Thus, some select few were chosen to have a new, much greater, destiny. This group, each member working separately, was charged with the duty of making sure that destiny did not stray off its course. They had visions in their sleep, very much like dreams, only more powerful and real. These dreams revealed events that either had to be stopped or had to take place. This group of people became known as the dreamers."
"So why was a I sent here then?" Tammy questioned. "Aren't there any Dreamers here?"
"There was never a need for any Dreamers in this world before, for there had not been nearly as much damage to the timeline here as there had been in your world. Now, however, due to the perils of this time, the tear has grown in size here as well. This war decides the fate of us all. It is imperative that things remain as they were meant to. If you succeed in keeping things in order, there may never be a need for any Dreamers to come into existence here.
"I know that at times it may be difficult for you to do what you need to do. However, you must never allow anything to change. You must make sure everything happens according to destiny's plan. If you would change even the smallest detail, who knows what the consequences may be? It could be the ruin of us all."
Taking in everything that she had just been told, Tammy made her way back to the camp. Before she had left, she declined the offer to look in the mirror. If there were something she would need to know, she would see it in her dreams.
The fellowship was getting ready to depart from Lorien. The boats that had been provided were already packed. They were now being bid farewell.
Galadriel was offering gifts to each of the members of the fellowship. In addition to the gray elven cloaks and green leaf broaches that all received, each was also granted one personalized gift.
Aragorn was given a sheath for his sword. It was said that whoever bore that sheath, their sword would not be broken.
Legolas was granted a new bow of the Galadhrim and a quiver of arrows.
Gimli requested a single strand of golden hair from Galadriel's head. He received three.
To Boromir, she gave a golden belt.
Merry and Pippin each received a dagger.
Sam was given elven rope.
Frodo was granted the light of Elendil to 'serve as a light when all other lights went out.'
Tammy received a necklace. It had a golden chain and contained a tiny gem that resembled a diamond.
"If and when the time is right, you will know what to do," Galadriel told her cryptically as she presented Tammy with the necklace.
A/N: That's it for chapter ten. I hope you liked it!