Authors Note : Thanks again for all the reviews. I know a lot of you are looking forward to her reunion with Galadriel and we are finally here. Also it probably is a little out of character for Haldir to argue with her, but I could'nt have it too smooth a sailing! Enjoy!
Chapter 16 - Galadriel
The shoulder strap of her tan satchel had begun to dig deeply into the skin where her neck met her collarbone. It was chaffing it red raw but it was too heavy to carry on one shoulder so it had to be worn across her this way. She could have asked one of the guards to carry it for her and she knew that they would without a second thought. But somewhere deep down her pride would not allow it.
They had finally come to the bottom of the main structure, A gargantuan tree that dwarfed all others surrounding it. Among the glittering lights overhead and the elves that walked slowly around the glade she at last felt some sort of security, some safety where she could let her guard slip just a little. The inhabitants studied her group curiously, staying well back and whispering in hushed tones. This was far from the greeting that she usually received when she traveled here with her brothers Elladan and Elrohir.
Still leading the group in a steady pace behind Haldir, they ascended yet more stairs to the plateau where she knew that her grandparents would be awaiting them. It was where they came to greet all new visitors and guests in their domain.
Still the stairs spiraled onward, up through the boughs which were shimmering brightly from the glow of the moon far above. The chill seemed to have gone from this place even though there were no walls to keep it out. Some kind of witchcraft, Gimli would no doubt put it down to.
Glancing back down on the rest of them as she turned on the bend, she could see how downhearted they truly were. They looked like they were being led to the slaughter and she could not blame them for it. They had not exactly been treated or welcomed in the way that they should have or the way that she had expected. They were clearly not wanted here, but she had to make the other elves see that although their land lie untouched at the moment. The darkness would eventually reach them. By helping them, feeding them, allowing them rest they were as a result saving their own lands from this peril.
Stepping up on the platform signaled the end of their journey for now. So she released the clasp on her cape and lifted her bag over her head, dropping it to the floor in a heap over near one of the silvery wooden chairs that stood around the edge. Her back already felt better, being able to stretch up to full height, and she lent her neck from side to side to try and make it feel looser.
Haldir went to stand over to the left hand of the plateau looking towards a shining archway that she knew led to her grandparents antechamber. Casually striding over to the bottom of the few steps she waited there impatiently. They were not already here, that was another bad sign. The others came up behind her with Aragorn and Legolas striding up on either side.
" Something does not seem right" Legolas spoke quietly beside her, his eyes still fixed on the archway.
" They are just cautious, we cannot hold them accountable for that, any land would be the same" Aragorn said still staring in a daze straight ahead.
From the stairs above two pairs of feet came into view, descending each step with such grace that it was almost as if time itself were slowed. As the figures were fully revealed she heard Gimli gasp behind her. Was he enchanted by her Grandmothers beauty or was he still frightened for the spells that she would cast over him? Surely upon seeing her, with her golden locks and pure white gown of silk laced with the sprinkling of jewels, he could not still hold those suspicions.
Beside her Legolas bowed and Aragorn touched his hand to his head in signs of respect for the Lord and Lady.
She however stayed up straight searching their faces for any sign of their discontent. It was Galadriel that caught her eye first and she gave her the smallest hint of a smile. But in that tiny twitching of her grandmothers lips she felt her spirits lift, they were going to be okay.
"Welcome Granddaughter" She heard Galadriel say to her through her mind, her eyes burying deep into hers before returning to rest of the others in the company.
It was Lord Celeborn in fact who addressed the others " The enemy knows that you have entered here. What hope you had in secrecy is now gone" he said to them matter of factly, echoing what Haldir had explained to them earlier. "Nine there are here, yet ten there were set out from Rivendell, tell me where is Gandalf? For I much desire to speak with him" Her Grandfather questioned them his face showing no sign of emotion. But none of them spoke up, to utter the words that he was dead to those who were not there, who could never know the pain of watching him fall after battling through so much seemed impossible.
Luckily Galadriels eyes flicked back to hers and they did not need to find the words, for she looked within her and found the answer that they seeked.
"Gandalf the Grey did not pass the borders of this land, he has fallen into shadow" Galadriel spoke solemnly, lowering her head in a sort of prayer to his soul.
"He was taken by both shadow and flame" Legolas told them , his head too dipped in the memory " For we needlessly went into the net of Moria" he continued.
'Needlessly' was not how she would have put it, they had good reason for entering the mine, however if she knew what she knew now she would have gladly faced the perils of Caladrahlas two fold, an she was sure the others would have all agreed.
"Needless were none of the deeds of Gandalf in life. We do not yet know his whole purpose" Galadriel told him her sadness breaking away to reveal a piece of hope. Her Grandmother had been fond of Gandalf, she had told her many tales of his adventures and accomplishments over the years. From the dwarfs journey to retake Erebor, how she had hoped that he would lead the white council be he had refused her. He, like her was a guardian of Middleearth and their companionship and trust for one another ran deep. She would be just as affected by the news of his death as they were.
"Do not let the great emptiness of Khazad-dum fill you heart, Gimli, son of Gloin" She addressed the Dwarf, although he had not spoken of his woes and was now no doubt sure of her witchcraft as she had the ability to read the minds hidden thoughts.
"For the world has grown full of peril. And in all lands, love is mingled with grief" she spoke to them all. Arwen looked towards Aragorn at this, studying the side of his profile as he continued to stare ahead. The amount of love that she felt for him was unfathomable, if she were to lose him through this she would surely follow him through her heartbreak into the next life. Feeling the weight of her stare he turned towards her and his blue eyes questioned if she was alright although he never uttered a word.
"What now becomes of this fellowship? Without Gandalf all hope is lost" Celeborn asked them coldly and then waited for an answer.
"There is still hope Grandfather" Arwen spoke, walking closer to her grandparents and away from the fellowship.
"Grandfather!" she heard Pippin exclaim behind her, she never had got the chance to tell him what her relationship to Galadriel was before they were interrupted by the stalker in the woods. In a way she wish that she had told him, all of them before now as it seemed like she had been deceiving them but for some reason no time had seemed like the right time. Besides Legolas and Aragorn had known and they had not deemed it relevant to disclose either.
"Gandalf may have fallen, but our hope did not fall with him. With or without him our quest still stands, we will take the ring to Mordor. An although it may have been easier with Gandalf by our side, his absence does not make this journey anymore impossible than it already was when we set out from Rivendell" she continued, pleading with her grandparents for them to see their worth.
"The quest stands on the edge of a knife, stray but a little and it will fail to the ruin of all" Galadriel warned them.
From feeling relatively warm yet a few moments earlier, a chill seemed to blast across her exposed skin causing goosebumps to form there. Middeleearth was relying on them, that she knew but the words seemed to add more weight to their already hefty burden.
"Yet hope remains while the company is true" her grandmother continued on a lighter note her gaze becoming softer and a wide smile spreading across her porcelain features. " Do not let your hearts be troubled. Go now and rest for you are weary with sorrow and much toil, tonight you will sleep in peace" she finished gesturing to the realm around them.
The rest of the fellowship had been given temporary accommodation on the ground floor. But Arwen headed up towards the room that she used whenever she visited Lothlorien, her home away from home. As she entered she breathed in deeply, a sweet smell lingered in the air, emanating from a vase of freshly cut flowers that had been placed here on notice of her arrival no doubt. In fact the vase was the only thing that was different from the last time she had resided here. Her silken nightdress still hung on the back of the door to a large white wooden armoire, and the red leather-bound book that she had been reading still sat on the edge of the dresser, not that she could remember what it was about. If felt strange to be on her own, she had not had such a luxury since they left Rivendell and was not sure if she liked it or not. The silence was somewhat eerie and she found herself wondering how the others were doing? did they have everything that they required? what were there thoughts on Lothlorien? but there would be enough time later to find out. Aragorn had told her that he would get them all settled in before coming to see her later. But that would not be for a while yet.
Putting her bag down on the wooden floor she looked up to find her reflection staring back at her from the nearby floor length mirror. The last time she had glimpsed her appearance had been in the water and now on this still surface it looked even harsher, the water had softened it. A bath was what was called for, to wash away the ground in dirt and to ease her aching bones and muscles. Walking through into the next room she was relieved to see that the sunken marble bath was already filled with steaming water. It looked so inviting that she removed her tattered travelling clothes right there and then, discarding them in a pile on the floor. It was the first time she had seen her body as a whole and she found it covered with angry looking cuts and some sickeningly coloured bruises that spanned across her rib-cage, the width of her shoulders and a patchwork effect on her legs.
Easing herself down into the water slowly she winced as the water lapped at unhealed wounds and put pressure on the tender areas of grazed skin. Settling down on the bottom at last she sat motionless, not even able to conjure the energy to reach the wash cloth and begin scrubbing at the dirt which by now was melded to her as closely as a second skin. Instead she just stared ahead without really seeing. Reliving what had happened to them in Moria in her mind, the monster outside the entrance-way , it grabbing Frodo and ripping him away from them, but they had got him back. Gimli crying in grief at the sight of his fallen kin and the drums echoing in the deep. Frodo being skewered by the cave troll but coming back to them when they thought all was lost. Gandalf falling down into the fiery pit being dragged by the beast.
A water droplet fell down to land on her chest which broke her out of her thoughts, it was only then that she realized that she had been sobbing and it was a tear that had fallen from the bottom of her chin. Although she had cried for Gandalf, she had not been able to grieve for him, there had been too many perils for her to worry about. But now in this safe haven she let her emotions take her and she brought her knees up to meet her face and wept into them for as long as she needed.
She was not sure how long she stayed like that but by the time she had finished, the water had lost most of its heat and had soaked through the layers of grime so that she could wipe it easily away. Picking up a hair lotion from the side of the marble surround she began working it into her scalp and long locks, removing every last spec of dirt from their journey as she physically could . On the floor at the side of the bath stood a silver jug still filled with water, so she used that to rinse it from her instead of using the now murky looking water from the tub. She felt better in herself not only from being clean, but also by letting all the stored up emotions and tears free, lighter somehow.
Drying herself with a clean white towel that awaited her on the back of an ornate silver chair she walked back through into her room lifting the nightdress from the back of the door and pulling it down over her head. Her hair still hung lank with the damp down her back but it would not take too long to dry.
She had only been sitting for a matter of minutes trying to figure out what she would do before there was a soft knocking at her door. Butterflies began to rise in her stomach at the thought of Aragorn on the other side. She had to laugh at herself, after all they had been through together and he could still make her behave like a lovestruck fool. She hurried over to the door and unhooked the latch. Her face must have looked a combination of shock and puzzlement as she came face to face with her Grandmother.