The Twelve continued on, towards Lothlorien. When they stopped for the night, everyone was still quiet, but Fayre showed Saige how to conjure up a light like she had used in Moria. Kadira and Layla were practising their sword fighting, but they were exhausted and soon stopped.
Fayre went and sat by Legolas, leaving Saige to practise. "Brother," she said quietly, but he shifted himself so he was further away from her. "What is it?"
"Nothing, sister," Legolas said tersely, not looking at her.
"Legolas – "
"Fine," he snapped, turning to face her. "If you hadn't been here, Gandalf wouldn't have died!"
"What?" Fayre cried. "How can you say that?"
"You should have never come along, Fayre. I told you that at the start, and now look what's happened!"
"Legolas!" Aragorn moved over to where the siblings were arguing. "Stop that. Your sister is not to blame for what happened, and arguing will get us nowhere." He pulled Fayre gently to her feet. "Come on."
Fayre and Aragorn sat down together, away from Legolas. Fayre stared into the fire, and tears began to swell up in her bright blue eyes. "I can't believe he's gone," she whispered, and Aragorn again put a comforting arm around her slim shoulders.
"I know," he said, stroking her hair gently. "But we must keep going, for the sake of Middle earth."
"For Middle earth," she repeated, remembering again the warnings that Elrond had given her, about the magic seeping into the world.
They were both silent for some time, each lost in their own thoughts as they gazed into the fire. Fayre shifted slightly, turning to look at Aragorn. He's handsome, she thought with some surprise.
"What's Lothlorien like?" she asked.
He smiled at her. "There are trees of great beauty there, and the elves have made homes in them. It's not like your Mirkwood, exactly – it's brighter, and more peaceful. No evil can stay within its borders."
"Tell me more," she said, and they talked well into the night.
The next day they continued on, and reached the woods of Lothlorien. Gimli was reluctant to go in, but they convinced him in the end. Legolas was still avoiding Fayre, and he was lurking at the back of the group.
As they were walking, Fayre heard a faint rustling in the bushes nearby, but before she could say anything, a group of elves stepped out and surrounded the group. Aragorn recognised them and began to talk to them in elvish, and Fayre translated for the three girls.
"They're going to take us to their city, where the Lady Galadriel is," she whispered, ignoring the curious looks that she was given by the Lothlorien elves.
The Twelve and their escort of elves continued travelling, reaching the city at dusk. They were escorted up to where the Lady Galadriel was, and Fayre looked around in wonder. The city was filled with trees – trees that were almost as tall as the trees back in her Mirkwood, but these trees seemed to glow faintly in the light of sunset, and their leaves shimmered like gold.
"Welcome to Lothlorien," said Galdriel, as she walked down the stairs to greet them. She looked them all in the eye, and she seemed to stare right into their souls. She and Aragorn talked for a while, before the Twelve were sent to where they would be staying.
"This place is beautiful," Layla whispered, watching as the elves around them seemed to drift past.
Fayre smiled at her. "Different from Mirkwood, but still beautiful."
"Are you going to talk to the Lady Galadriel?" Kadira asked.
"When the time is right," Fayre said quietly. "These things cannot be rushed."
That night, Fayre stared at the ceiling of where they were staying, unable to sleep. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Galadriel pass by, and Frodo following after her. She waited for a while, until Frodo came back, then she rose to her feet. She woke up the three other girls, and told them to follow her.
She didn't quite know where she was going, but something inside her told her which way to go. Eventually the four found where Galadriel was, standing in front of a basin.
"You must look into Galadriel's mirror," she said solemnly. "Only then will you understand the truth."
Fayre pushed Kadira gently towards the basin. "You can go first."
"But – " she protested.
"Just look."
Kadira stepped over to the basin, and glanced back at Fayre, before staring into the water. After a few minutes, she pulled away, tears in her eyes.
"We won," she mumbled. "Kat's alive, the Capitol's fallen. We won."
Layla went next, and she too saw her own world. "They're happy, and safe," she choked out.
Saige stared into the water for a long time. "They won, as well." She turned to Galadriel. "Is this really true?"
"The mirror shows many things, but yes, those are images from your home worlds." Galadriel gestured to Fayre. "Now it is your turn."
Fayre stepped up to the basin and look in. She saw many images – strange places that she did not recognise, and familiar places that were warped almost beyond recognition. She saw cities and forests burning, and orcs running through places that she had once lived.
"No!" she shouted, pulling away. "I can't let that happen."
"That is what will happen, if your Quest fails." Galadriel reached out and took Fayre's hand. "You must not let that happen."
"I swear it on my life."
Galadriel nodded, and turned to the other three. "The elves of Lothlorien have been told of your plight, and all have tried to seek answers, but with little success. All we know is that there is a rift in the very fabric of this world, and magic is seeping through it."
"We must close this rift, then," Saige said.
Galadriel looked sad. "The rift might be the only way to take you back to your own worlds – but as long as it remains open, the magic will spill into this world. I fear that Sauron is planning to use it to further his own ends."
"Then what should we do?" Fayre asked.
"Continue with this Quest," Galadriel said. "And maybe it will give you the answers you seek. But remember, if the Sauron gets the Ring, he will be powerful – and if the rift is not closed, he could use it to get to other worlds as well."
Fayre thought about what Galadriel had said in the next few days. The girls were busy – Saige and Fayre studying magic, and Layla and Kadira practising their fighting skills. Eventually Aragorn deemed their sword-fighting "passable", which they were both thrilled about.
Soon it was time for them to leave Lothlorien. The Twelve each got an elven-cloak, which would help to camouflage them from unfriendly eyes, and then each got their own gift. Kadira received an elven bow, which she was delighted with, and Layla got a pair of elven boots, enchanted to help her move faster. Saige was given a spell-book, and Fayre was given a golden necklace from Galadriel.
"You can draw energy from it," Galadriel said quietly, so only Fayre could hear. "But use it wisely – it only holds so much."
"Thank you, Lady Galadriel," Fayre whispered.
The Fellowship said their last goodbyes and loaded themselves into four boats – Saige, Fayre and Layla were together in one boat, while Kadira was with Legolas and Gimli.
With one last look at Lothlorien, they pushed off from the shore and headed downstream – towards Mordor.
A/N: Special thanks to Narnia and Harry Potter 4 EVER for reviewing! There's more on the way - AND SOME PLOT TWISTS!