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A few days later...
To Faroth, it had only been a few days since he came into Lothlorien. Haldir had gone back to guard the northern borders, so the two Elves that he had met in the woods took care of him (although they still fought over which of their names would suit Faroth better). But he spent most of his time with the Fellowship, especially the Halflings (for they paid him the most attention).
One night, Faroth was walking with Frodo and Sam, around midnight. The moon shone brightly, the night air was fresh, and the faint singing from the Elves seemed clearer than ever before. Faroth was trotting happily beside them, when he heard Sam say something that troubled him. "... I've often wanted to see a bit of magic like what it tells of in Old tales, but I've never heard of a better land than this. It's like being at home and on a holiday at the same time, if you understand me. I don't want to leave. All the same, I'm beginning to feel that if we've got to go on, then we'd best get it over," Sam said. Faroth started to get a feeling of dread. Were they really planning on leaving such a perfect place? And what was a Holiday anyways?
"'It's the job that's never started as takes longest to finish', as my old gaffer used to say," Sam continued. "And I don't reckon that these folk can do much more to help us, magic or no. It's when we leave this land that we shall miss Gandalf worse, I'm thinking."
Help us? Faroth felt his stomach lurch. Gorluk had been right!
"I am afraid that's only too true, Sam," Frodo said. "Yet I hope very much that before we leave we shall see the lady of the Elves again."
Faroth began to wonder who this 'lady of the Elves' was, when the answer appeared right in front of them. Approaching them from beneath the trees, Faroth saw a she-elf, clad all in white with golden hair that flowed from her head like a river (Or that's at least how Faroth liked to put it). As she came closer, he realized that she was just about as tall has Haldir, if not taller!
She spoke no word, but beckoned for them to follow. Frodo and Sam instantly followed her, with Faroth right at their heels. She lead them onto a small path, and past a high green hedge they walked right into an enclosed garden. No trees grew there, which made the garden exposed to the sky. Faroth wanted to stop and admire the place, but yet he had a feeling that the Lady wanted him to follow her too. Down a flight of stairs they followed her, into a deep green hollow, where there was a stream that came from a fountain up the hill. at the bottom of the stream, upon a pedestal carved like a tree, was a basin of silver which the Lady filled with water from the stream to the brim.
"Here is the mirror of Galadriel," she said, and Faroth was surprised that she had a deep voice. "I have brought you here so that you may look in it, if you will."
The three of them just stood in stunned silence, but finally Frodo asked, "What shall we look for, and what shall we see?"
"Many things I can command the mirror to reveal," she answered, "and to some I can show what they desire to see. But the Mirror will also show things unbidden, and those are often stranger and more profitable than things which we wish to behold. What you will see, if you leave the Mirror free to work, I cannot tell. For it shows things that were, and things that are, and things that yet may be. But which it is that he sees, even the wisest cannot tell. Do you wish to look?"
Frodo did not answer, but Sam stepped forward to look. Faroth never knew what Sam saw, nor did Sam ever tell anybody, but after he was done looking, he sat on the ground and put his head on his hands in silence. Faroth sat down next to Sam and watched as Frodo agreed to look into the mirror. Faroth studied Frodo's face as he peered into the water, sometimes turning sad, afraid, and even terrified of what he saw. But most of the time Frodo squinted his eyes, as if he couldn't understand what he was seeing.
But then, Frodo began to lean over closer towards the mirror. Faroth could see the water starting to turn red, and what horrified him more was Frodo's face, which seem locked in a silent scream. As he leaned closer and closer towards the mirror, Faroth saw what appeared to be a ring that was hanging from Frodo's neck on a chain, and he instantly became afraid. Without thinking, Faroth dashed as fast as he could towards Frodo's leg and grabbed hold of his pants with his teeth, and yanked him towards the ground.
Frodo stayed on the ground and stared straight up at the sky, his whole body trembling. Faroth quickly stood up and saw the redness in the water begin to fade, to his relief.
All the while, the Lady stood there and said nothing, but smiled down at Faroth. She stepped forward and helped Frodo to his feet.
"I know what it was that you last saw," she said to Frodo, "for that is also in my mind. Do not be afraid! But I say to you Frodo, that even as I speak to you, I perceive the Dark Lord and know his mind, or all of his mind that concerns the Elves. And he gropes ever to see me and my thought. But still the door is closed!"
She raised her arms and spread out her hands toward the east, as a gesture of rejection and denial.
"You are wise and fearless and fair, Lady Galadriel," Frodo spoke up, "I will give you the one Ring, if you ask for it. It is too great a matter for me."
Faroth's jaw dropped. The One Ring! Frodo had the One Ring! he had heard about the Ring in old tales! And right now a little Hobbit was holding it in the palm of his hand!
Amidst his shock, he heard Galadriel laugh. "I do not deny that my heart has greatly desired to ask what you offer. For many long years I had pondered what I might do, should the Great Ring come into my hands, and behold! it was brought within my grasp. The evil that was devised long ago works on in many ways, whether Sauron himself stands or falls. Would not that have been a noble deed to set to the credit of his Ring, if I had taken it by force or fear from my guest? And now at last it comes. You will give me the Ring freely! And in place of the Dark Lord you will set up a queen. I shall not be dark but beautiful and terrible as the morning and the night! Fair as the sea and the sun, and the snow upon the mountain! Dreadful as the storm and the lightning! Stronger than the foundations of the earth! All shall love me and despair!"
By this time, Faroth had crawled over to Sam again, who was now holding on to him in fear. They were huddled together while Frodo still had The Ring in the palm of his hand, hoping that Galadriel would take it. The she-elf had now grown tall beyond measurement, and looked beautiful, terrible, and worshipful. But then she lowered her hands and laughed again, and the light faded, and she was back to an Elf Lady, with a voice that was soft and sad.
"I pass the test," she said, "I will diminish, and go into the west, and remain Galadriel."
For a while they all stood in silence, until she said, "Let us return! In the morning you must depart, for now we have chosen, and the tides of fate are flowing."
Frodo and Sam quickly climbed up the steps and disappeared. Faroth was about to follow them, when Galadriel called from behind, "But what about you, Faroth? Do you wish to look into the mirror of Galadriel?"
Faroth froze in his tracks. How did she know his name? Slowly, he turned around and faced the Elf Lady. "Why are you asking me to look into the mirror?" he asked, the first time he ever said anything to an Elf. Galadriel smiled and said "You'll know why if you look into its waters."
Faroth thought hard about it and slumped his shoulders. "Fiiiine."
He trotted towards the basin and got up on his hind legs, leaning his front paws over the rim. At first he couldn't see much, just a night sky with dim stars, but after a few moments he started to see many landscapes. In the distance he saw the misty mountains, but he could see two Wargs running gaily beneath the trees, one male and the other female. He tried to peer closer at them, but he couldn't see the Male Warg's face. But then the scene changed, and he saw the same female Warg hiding in the bushes with a newborn pup, while in the distance he could hear the sound of many Wargs fighting. To Faroth's grief, he knew instantly who the newborn pup was. But then Faroth could see flames engulf the entire mirror, and he saw the pup running through the burning trees, right as a burning branch fell on his nose. Faroth had to do everything in his power to not look away. To his relief, the flames disapeared and he began to see lands that he had never seen before, rolling hills, swamps, and river valleys. But then he saw a dark land, where even the sky and the stones are black. He saw Gorluk in a tower, telling him, "get them out! this place is going to FALL!..."
And all at once the Mirror turns dark, and the dim stars appear once more.
Faroth stared silently into the mirror, but then looked up at Galadriel. She stood before him silently, but he could see a look of pity on her face. "Do you know who the Newborn Warg was?" she asked in a calm voice. Faroth looked away and put his front paws back onto the ground. "It... That was me... I think," he mumbled.
Galadriel walked over and gently patted him on the head. "And the Orc... Was he the same one whom you spoke to a few days ago?"
Faroth spun around in alarm, but Galadriel said, "You have no need to worry. I'm the only one who knows about him."
Faroth felt hesitant to give her too much information, but he told her anyway, "He's my friend. His name is Gorluk. Now even though he's an Orc, he's not who you think! He has a good heart and-"
"Yes Faroth, I have sensed his heart," Galadriel interrupted. "I promise you that I won't do anything to hurt him."
That seemed to calm Faroth down a little bit. But he still felt as though he couldn't trust her. "What do you want anyways?" Faroth asked the she-elf in a hostile tone.
The lady looked down at him and smiled. "I have looked upon my mirror myself many times, Faroth, and within it I see many things. But out of those things, I see you and your friend, which I think is the most peculiar. If my foresight does not deceive me, I would say that you and your friend's destinies will intertwine with that of the Fellowship's. And that is what I wanted to talk to you about. Why do you want to stay in Lothlorien?"
Faroth was alarmed. She had been listening to his last conversation with Gorluk? For a moment he wondered just how powerful Galadriel was. Were all Elves like this?!
"I-i-i…" he stuttered, "It's just… This is the most perfect place I have ever seen. Here I feel accepted, appreciated, and even loved by the young Elflings… I never had any of that in my old life. In my old life everyone thought I was useless, and didn't want to have anything to do with me. Here… this is the only place where I can get away from that, and forget. And this place can never be harmed by evil… right?"
"Do not think that only by singing amid the trees, nor even by the slender arrows of elven-bows, is this land of Lothlorien maintained and defended against its enemy", Galadriel said calmly. "But remember this: the world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater. That Faroth, is what you must fight for."
Faroth looked into Galadriel's eyes; and it seemed to him that he looked suddenly into the heart of an enemy and saw there love and understanding. He thought about what she said. He imagined Lothlorien being destroyed and taken over by the great eye, and every wonderful place turning dark. If that was to happen, why should he cower back and do nothing? At that moment, he understood what he had to do. He had to protect what he loved.
He stood in front of her and looked up at her attentively. "What must I do then?" he asked.
Galadriel bent down and whispered into his ear everything that had to be done. Afterwards, he promised her that he would keep it all a secret until the time came for it to be known.
Thirty minutes later….
"Gorluk!" Faroth called from across the stream. There was a muffled sob, and Gorluk emerged from the reeds. "Faroth? Is that you?" he sniffed (Gorluk never admitted this, but he had been crying for days since Faroth had left him).
"Of course it's me!" Faroth exclaimed. "And pack up your things! We leave here in the morning to follow the fellowship!"
Gorluk gasped. "Really? You're not going to leave me and stay here with the Elves?"
"Of course not!" Faroth said. "Not when there's so much we have to protect! And besides, you're my best friend."
Gorluk's eyes watered with tears of happiness as he jumped forward and squeezed Faroth. After a few moments, Faroth laughed, "Ok Gorluk, you can let go of me now…. Gorluk? I mean it, I can hardly breath… Gorluk? GORLUK!"
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Well, I guess that was one of my best chapters. I won't be updating very often because I'm back in High School, so I hardly have much time for it…. But I will promise you this: my goal is to finish this story in ONE YEAR. So if by September of next year this story isn't finished, you have every right to rub it in my face…
~Tatharwen