"He's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same." —Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights

Chapter 12

Now, with sight restored, the fellowship walked with their elven guides and after a while came to a large open clearing of grass and many flowers. In the centre of the grass slopes were two large rings of trees; the inner ring were mallorn trees, with silver boughs and golden canopies, as grew only in Lothlorien.

They were lead across the fields of flowers towards the trees. When they entered the wooded area, they saw that many platforms and buildings were built around and high in the trees. Golden and silver lights were lit all around, giving the place an unearthly glow that was both beautiful and strange to behold.

They walked through the city, many fair elves turning to see them come. They came to the very centre, where the tallest and most ancient mallorn tree stood. A ladder from its base climbed up to a platform on which there was a further ladder leading up, repeating many times until it led high into the tree canopy.

Haldir told them that should they climb to the top, they would find the lord and Lady of the Land. He gestured for Frodo to begin, and the company followed him, climbing many times until the hobbits and dwarf were weary and far down they would fall if they did not hold on.

They passed many platforms which lead in different directions, but continued going as straight up as they could until, finally, coming through a hole in a wide platform high in the tree, they found themselves standing in front of a large golden hall that was built as if part of the living tree.

There they entered a large oval shaped room inside the building. Once inside, they could see that the trunk of the great tree grew through the middle of it, giving the place the feel of being outside, in the forest. At the base of the tree sat two tall elves, the Lord and Lady of Lothlorien. They were both tall and fair, surrounded by many elves who sat, turned to the strangers in greeting.

Haldir stepped forward and bowed, gesturing for Frodo to stand before them. He introduced him and the Lord and Lady smiled in welcome. Next stepped Aragorn, who was greeted as an old friend, having visited them before, and was soon to be their kin. When Legolas took his turn, Celeborn knew of him, "Welcome son of Thranduil" he said, and Legolas bowed his head, honoured to be in the presence of so great a Lord and Lady.

Amber stepped forward at her turn, seeming to show both awe and caution in her face, not venturing too close to their hosts. Galadriel smiled, "Welcome, Lady of the Beornings, and kin to our own" she said, her voice deep and unlike any Amber had before heard. She looked into the Lady's eyes, not seeing any emotion that she could decipher, and bowed her head again. She retreated as soon as was polite, joining the others where they stood.

Legolas noted the exchange with both pride and trepidation. He was glad to see her welcomed as near kin by the Lady Galadriel, but feared for the looks of theother elves, who seemed to find her strange. He stood slightly in front of her when she came to join them, as if he could shield her from the curious looks.

Gimli, Boromir and the other hobbits followed. Gimli was also greeted directly by the Lady, honouring him with words of the ancient dwarven tongue, until Gimli gazed upon her as if stricken by her kindness and beauty.

Once all had been introduced, the Lord Celeborn asked them about their number, having heard news from Rivendell that there were to be ten companions on their quest. Legolas' heart was filled with sorrow, unsure of how to tell them of the passing of Gandalf. Before he could speak of it, Galadriel told the room that Gandalf had set out with the quest, but he was now as if clouded in shadow in her mind. She looked to the fellowship, wishing to know what had happened to him.

Aragorn told them the story, his voice grave. All of the elves in the hall cried out at his words, in shock and grief. Legolas, his mind filled again with visions of the dark creature that had taken him told them, "It was a Balrog of Morgoth" his despair clear even to his own ears. Horror filled the faces of all who heard him.

Galadriel, placing a calming hand on her Lord's arm, spoke words of comfort to the company. Celeborn, over the initial shock, said that they would aid the fellowship as much as they could. They spoke for a while more, speaking of the quest and their roles within it.

Galadriel looked then into each of their hearts. When she turned to Legolas, he heard her voice in his mind, "Long has it been that your father alone has stood on the throne of your people. For many hundreds of years it has been his deepest wish that you should be wed and find the happiness that he once had with your mother. What would you choose if the chance for such happiness was before you?" At these words, unbidden, Legolas saw Amber's face in his mind's eye, crowned with a woven ring of flowers, as if she were a princess of his realm. "Would you choose to take her hand and step away from the path of the quest? Should you choose to do so, your father would be overjoyed and happiness such as you have never known would be yours" her voice in his head painted this as if a picture of his future. He felt his heartbeat quicken, the idea more than he could hope for. "What would you choose?" her voice pressed him.

He thought then of Frodo, of the quest that they had yet before them and the perils that this would bring. He imagined the Beorning woman, face still and cold as death as if slain upon the battlefield. Then the image transformed, his own face a death mask. The vision shifted so that he could not guess whether these were his own thoughts or placed inside his mind by the Lady who now spoke inside it. He saw then the image of Amber on her wedding day, clothed in white and hair braided with many flowers. A strange man stood beside her, smiling with clear joy. the man leaned forward to kiss her and suddenly Legolas felt a burst of rage fill him at the sight. He wished for her to belong to him! He could not see her with another. Slowly, the rage passed and again he saw her clothed as an elven Princess, now standing beside the throne of his father. In his father's place sat Legolas, wearing the crown of his people. Again, the voice, now only a whisper, spoke inside his head, "What will you choose?"

He looked then inside his own heart, searching for his answer. From the corner of his eye, he saw Amber, standing resolute with whatever choice she had been asked to make, for he knew that this was not a test chosen solely for he. His heart was resolved. 'I choose the quest, and will have my fate be what it may' he thought, answering Galadriel, his eyes returning to hers. She seemed to smile, eyes shining with what he guessed to be pride, as that is what filled his heart at his own response.

Aragon, too, seemed to endure her gaze for a long time. Legolas thought he could guess at what the man saw, recalling the lady Arwen's evident love for the man when he had seen them together, in Imladris.

It seemed that the company all chose well, the Lady Galadriel smiling at them as she finished her look with the last. She told them then that they should rest, and so the company were taken down the tree to a place on the ground where they could camp; an open pavilion, with soft couches in a clearing near a bubbling fountain.

They were given the choice to bathe, which many of them accepted gratefully. Amber was taken alone of the company to a private bathing chamber, where an elf maiden laid out soap and a floral smelling oil. She was also given a change of clothing, her travelling gear now well soiled and taken to be cleaned.

Long she bathed, not usually taken to washing overlong, but here, after their long, weary journey; she found herself soaking her sore muscles in the hot water, even after all the grime had been scrubbed away. Once finished with bathing, she dried herself and pulled on the silver elven clothing, a long dress with soft slippers, like the elves of Lorien wore. It had been many months since she had last worn such a garment, forgoing the offered clothing in Rivendell as she had preferred the scent of her home and kin that her travelling clothes had carried.

The elf maiden then returned and offered in halting westron speech, to braid Amber's hair. She had not had it so for a long while, since her mother had last done it, before her family's flight from their lands. She had never has the knack for it herself, and so now allowed the elf to manipulate it into their custom style. It took some time, Amber's hair being curly and very unlike the silken texture that elves' hair seemed to hold. By the time the patient maiden had finished with it, the sun had long gone down and her locks were almost dry, the dark colour of wetted hair lightening into her usual orange.

"Vanima!" the elf said, smiling at Amber. She smiled back, not knowing what had been said, but grateful for the effort on her usually untamed hair. The maiden then led her back to the pavilion, though Amber was sure she could have found it by smell alone, as Gimli had yet not chosen to bathe.

As she entered the clearing, the elf departed and she found herself alone again with her now familiar companions. Aragorn was already sleeping, Gimli and the hobbits speaking animatedly together of their time with the Lord and Lady, all having bathed besides the dwarf.

Boromir sat apart, on the edge of the clearing, facing away from the rest. Legolas, stood upon a tree root and looking out into the soft glow of the city lights, turned at her approach. He was clothed now in a silver tunic made with fine embroidery. His legs were clad in white cloth which seemed to enhance his natural elven radiance. He wore soft silver slippers, similar to hers, and either he or an elf maiden had rebraided his hair. She felt a pang of something akin to jealousy at the thought that a beautiful elven woman might have touched him, innocent though it would certainly have been.

She was not the only one who stared as their eyes met. He seemed to be captured by her face, bright with fresh scrubbing and the thin layer of oil giving her a glow that he had not seen on her skin before now. He seemed as if he could not help himself, his eyes travelling down her body while the silver gown curved inwards at her waist and flared at her hips, falling elegantly to forest floor. He saw her, as if a mirror of his vision in the hall far above; as an elven princess, even her hair having been braided into their fashion. He reached out, Before he thought for too long of who might see them, and touched the side of her face where the braids began, holding back sides of her hair so that her face could be better seen. She was beautiful, far more so than even his yearning heart had told him.

Her golden eyes, so well matched to the colour of the golden tree canopies above them that it seemed fated, looked into his, wonder and hope written clearly in her gaze. He smiled at her, not knowing how to speak the words from inside his heart.

"What does 'Vanima' mean?" she asked him, speaking the elvish word that was even then on the tip of his tongue.

He laughed, causing her to frown in confusion. "Yes, you are" he replied, causing her to frown more deeply, "Although perhaps I should warn you, I may not be kind to any suitors who call you beautiful in my stead"

Her eyes widened at his words, and he could not help but smile wider at her surprise of his boldness. Something about the test of Galadriel had allayed his fears and resolved him against all doubt. He would offer her anything that she would accept from him, be it friendship or love, for she already had both.

She smiled, suddenly shy, flushing at the implication of his words. "It was the maiden who braided my hair. Although I cannot promise that she did not mean it as you fear" she teased, a wicked grin crossing her face. He laughed at this, feeling that he could take her teasing forever, should he be so lucky to remain by her side until the end of his long life.

He sobered then, thinking again of her own lifespan. Would she have the blessed long life of their shared kin? He realised that he did not even know of her age. She tipped her head in curiosity at his change of demeanour, so joyous he had been just moments before.

"Will you walk with me?" he asked, deciding then that he did not wish to speak so openly in front of the company. She nodded, following him to the exit of their camp, where he led her down a white path into the trees and away from the sound of the fountain.

They walked side by side, arms brushing occasionally, while the evening finally gave over to the night.