CHAPTER NINE-
I followed the rest of the party up two short flights of marble that was as smooth as glass. "Please," Elrond motioned for us to sit, "Take a seat and enjoy your meal." "Thank you Lord Elrond," Gandalf managed to temporarily placate the irritated looking elf-lord.
Our party sat on cushions at low-slung, Japanese-style tables. Before us was a magnificent spread. Fruits, vegetables, breads, cheeses, wines, and ales were spread across the table. The dwarves dove straight for the ale and wine. I couldn't help but laugh at Ori's reaction to the salads. "I don't like green food," the youngest dwarf complained.
The cheese was the finest quality I had ever had! It was like provolone, extra sharp cheddar, muenster, and baby swiss on steroids! The salads, nuts, vegetables, and elvish bread were very filling. I was sitting back, finishing off my glass of wine a party from Eryn Lasgalen had brought not one month past when Galadriel's voice touched my mind once again, "Come young one. It is time that we speak face to face. Do not fear getting lost. I will guide you to me."
Standing, I excused myself and said that I was going for a short walk. "Hurry back," Thorin snapped, "We have much to discuss when this meal is over." Gandalf gave me a knowing smile and whispered something in Thorin's ear. Thorin nodded at me and went back to his hushed conversation with the wizard.
"Walk across the bridge and walk down the steps to your right," the female's voice told me. I kept walking as fireflies lit up around me and the soft perfume of flowers filled my nose.
"Follow the path as far as it goes and make your way through the vines where it ends," the ethereal voice echoed in my head. "This seems like a set up. I don't know if I want to do this," I said out loud. "You will do it if you wish to get answers to your questions," it tried to sooth me.
The voice was calm enough, but I still had misgivings. After ten minutes of walking along this path I came to a thick veil of ivy hanging from a tree. I pushed my way through and found myself in a hidden and overgrown garden. Since there was no one there I roamed around and looked at what I imagined was once a magnificent and beautiful place.
A feeling of melancholy and bitter sweetness filled the air. I caught sight of a moss encrusted statuette and decided that I wanted to see what was underneath the lichen. Working quickly, I pulled and scraped the moss off. I was trying to cause as little damage as possible to the stone figure.
The woman beneath the moss was beautiful! Her eyes held a great pain as she looked down at a small infant in her arms. It didn't take me that long to realize that this was Gilreaen, mother to the future king of Gondor!
"Your son will become a great man and one day step from the shadows to light the world of men with hope milady," I whispered. I picked some white flowers that were growing nearby and placed them with one of the daggers I had found next to the sleeping infant in her arms and stepped back.
Just as I began to wonder where Galadriel was I heard a voice say, "Aragorn will be forever grateful to you for what you have done here tonight." My head snapped in the direction of the voice and I saw her!
Galadriel was more beautiful than I could have imagined! A soft, golden light seemed to emanate from her as she glided toward me. "So you are the 'Other Worlder' that I have been given visions of," she smiled. "I guess that makes you the Lady Galadriel," I managed to say. "That I am young one. Now I have a message to pass on to you. Eru has given me a message to relay to you. In order for you to return to your home you must assist the dwarves in their task. Once you have completed the tasks he has set for you, Eru will return you to your home," she informed me.
"How will I know when I have..." "He did not say, and it is not our way to question Eru. Just do your best to remain secure in the fact that you WILL make it home to your wife and unborn child," she smiled as she placed a small kiss on my forehead.
Reeling from the short conversation I had had with the most respected elleth in Middle Earth, I walked next to her in silence. The stars were coming out by the time that we had made it back to the courtyard where everyone was still dining. Gloin's jaw dropped when he saw me walking with Galadriel.
"Christoph," Elrond's voice had a tone that dared me to defy him, "Accompany Thorin and Gandalf to my study." I followed the elf-lord and other two members of our party as they led the way to his study.