Authors Note: I do not OWN Lord of the Rings. I never have and never will. This is just a borrowing of Tolkien's masterful characters.

Herendil ran swiftly along the imperceptible path, his red and gold armour glittering in the first rays of the sun. Ever since he had been promoted to Captain of the Golden Wood, his responsibilities had increased. He had just gotten a report from a border scout and was taking the report to the Lord and Lady. He arrived at the gates of Caras Galadhon and they opened soundlessly as he approached. He slowed down as the towering mallorn trees, with their sprawling roots, could easily trip him up. And this was not a message that could wait.

As he reached the base of the mallorn that housed his Lord and Lady, he took a quick breather lest he faint upon the almost never-ending staircase that wound it's way around the almighty mallorn. As he started climbing, he could hear the population of Caras Galadhon awakening and beginning their day. He could hear the waterfalls of Varda roaring when he was on one side of the tree and could hear singing from the Elves below on the other side. Eventually, he reached the start of the roofed section of the staircase, indicating that he was nearing the pinnacle of the mallorn.

He reached the end of the staircase and paused for a few seconds. He hastily readjusted his tunic and armour then took several breaths. He thought briefly "That staircase is extremely difficult work." He stepped up onto the platform of the royal talan and announced himself to one of Lord Celeborn's aides. "I wish to see the Lord and Lady. It concerns urgent news from a border scout." The aide bowed and said, "I shall inform the Lord and Lady. Please, move into the audience chamber." The aide then left Herendil in the entrance to the Royal dwellings.

Herendil stood momentarily, adjusting to the brightness of the rooms. After the sporadic rays of light in the forest and upon the mallorn, this light was quite intense. He walked to a door on the left of the platform, adorned in a trailing pattern of a vine. The vine had gold leaves on a silver vine, a dual connection to the light of the Two Trees of Valinor, Laurelin and Telperion. He turned the unadorned handle and walked through. As he entered, he realised that no matter how many times he saw this room, he would always be amazed by it. It was an expansive room. There was room to seat a hundred comfortably at least. The roof was designed out of wood that interlocked in intricate curls. The sunlight poured through and struck the walls, which had been adorned in the same design as the door. The two thrones dominated the far end of the hall.

Herendil strode towards the thrones but halted about 15 metres away. He waited for Lord Celeborn's aide to return and busied himself studying the thrones. These were thrones, which were luxurious & elegant, that emitted an aura of power. The platform they stood upon towered above the rest of the audience chamber. They were constructed out of the finest mallorn timber ever found. It had been salvaged from a mallorn that had been struck by a boulder falling from the Misty Mountains. At least, that's what Herendil had always been told. The arms and seats were dyed with a bright white and edged with silver. The thrones had been constructed so that the top of them caught the light of sun, moon or stars. At this moment, the gold on the chairs stood out most prominently. Herendil had only been here at night once before and the silver had twinkled with the light of the moon and stars.

As he mused upon this, Lord Celeborn's aide returned through a door on the floor and to the right of the thrones. He bowed to Herendil and announced in a clear voice, "The Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel." He stepped aside as two figures walked through the open doorway. The figures were emitting a faint glow, as if they had the ability to not only absorb light, but to give out light as well. Herendil averted his eyes and bowed momentarily before straightening up. He cleared his throat and said, "My Lord and Lady, I have some disturbing news that has recently arrived from a border scout."

Lady Galadriel spoke in the soft, but imperative, voice she had, "Well, what is the news that brings our Captain to our chambers so early?"

"This news concerns the Eastern side of the river." Herendil said. "We have reports of a massive army, numbering several thousands at the very least. This army is bearing the banner of Sauron the Deceiver."

Celeborn and Galadriel, standing as still as stone, made no movement. Celeborn asked Herendil, "How old is this information?"

"Half a night at most. It was passed along through the scouts to me. They say that the army has not yet entered our borders but if they do, they must first cross the Anduin to launch a proper invasion. So we have a bit of time on our hands."

Celeborn glanced at his wife and said, "Herendil, surely you are exhausted by your journey. Take the morning refreshment with us and we will discuss the matters further. Please take off your armour and leave it in the care of Silyavan." He indicated the elf that served as his aide. "Join us as soon as you are ready." Celeborn bowed out of the way for Galadriel as she passed behind the thrones and through an opening. Celeborn followed his wife out through the gap, leaving Herendil with Silyavan.

Herendil seemed slightly shocked by their unperturbed reaction to this distressing news. He took his sword from his side and handed it to Silyavan. He took his knife out of its sheath and passed that. He took his arm greaves and leg greaves off and also gave them over. He relished the freedom of breathing to his legs and his arms. Silyavan took his armour away through another door where it would presumably be cleaned, not that it needed it much. He stretched his arms and followed his Lord and Lady through the doorway they had passed.

He found himself out on the wide balcony of the royal talan. At the moment, the sun was streaking through the foliage of the trees and lighting up Caras Galadhon like an inner light. Herendil could see down to the forest floor where fellow Elves were going around their various occupations. He saw his Lord and Lady seated at a large table off to the side of the balcony. He walked over, bowed, and then took a seat. "Once again, the Elves of Lothlorien show their fascination with mallorn trees" Herendil thought as he felt the soft texture of the chair he had chosen.

Lady Galadriel was the first to speak after Herendil had taken his seat. She leaned forward; fingers interlaced, and asked Herendil, "About this army. Where are they currently camped?"

Herendil thought about it, and then replied with, "They are, or were, just arriving on the edge of the River Anduin where the Celebrant and Nimrodel join with the Anduin. For them to cross the Anduin, they must craft a large fleet of boats and be able to successfully journey across the Anduin. As we all know, the Anduin is not a slow river, especially where the waters of the Celebrant and Nimrodel join the Anduin. It is a particularly dangerous area for boating."

Lord Celeborn now spoke, "If the numbers are correct, which knowing our border scouts they would be, they would have to wait for the boats to be crafted. Did the scout make any mention of their carrying boats?"

Herendil said, "None that could be seen. However, they had brought axes and crude saws. Their intent of invasion is obvious. They had been seen thoughtlessly uprooting trees as well as setting alight to them. The fires were quelled because obviously the commanders didn't want to lose all their men to sheer stupidity." Herendil rolled his eyes, "Not that the commanders are much smarter than the rabble."

"This is indeed distressing news" Celeborn said. He pondered silently and then spoke again. "Herendil, take the most stealthy Rangers to the harbour and take several boats. Go across the river and see what damage you may do. We will decide further on this as new reports reach us. Fare thee well Herendil." Celeborn inclined his head slightly to Herendil.

Galadriel looked at Herendil in that most penetrating of gazes, and Herendil heard her voice inside his head, "Go with the goodwill of Galadriel, Lady of Light, and of all Elves in Lorien". Herendil bowed to both his Lord and Lady, turned out of the room and walked to gather his armour.

As he walked down the talan steps, he mused on the strategies he had been taught in long years gone by. He thought, "I only hope, that their commanders are as stupid as the men. If so, we may just have a chance of doing some damage."