Here is where Kindred's Strife and Talisman's Folly separate for a while, but eventually they will meet again.

*.*.*

Lórien Elves, One-Shot

Darkness surrounded Gizzard's vision. As he regained consciousness, the black cat felt gentle lithe arms carrying him around. But where? In an instant, his sense of smell improved. He smelt fresh flower fragrance, dewy green grass and slippery green and dry fall leaves. The songbirds' songs chirped with an ethereal hopefulness. These new changes in his sight and hearing reminded the cat of his parrot friend Clockwise. Did he escape Jessica and Teresa Nytch's house? He hardly knew, but the hours ticked by.

Opening his eyes, Gizzard found he was wrapped and engulfed by golden-brown dust. Was that the cause of his improvements in sight and sound? It was the only part of this journey that made sense. And yet, he was still caressed by human hands.

At last, the golden-brown dust left his body and surroundings. Peering up, Gizzard was met by the gaze of a fair man with pointed ears. He was confused and with good reason, since he wasn't too familiar with tall people with pointed ears. And yet, these humans seemed to be a part of nature and the trees. Gizzard's gaze now turned to the landscape before him. He was inside a forest with massive trees, covered in green, gold and silver leaves. For certain, he must have been inside a forest, but how on earth did he come by this place? A surprise to himself, he missed the barn, the farm, his parents and his siblings.

Gizzard's litter could have been anywhere by now.

"Do not fear, dear cat. You are safe here," said the gentle, elegant yet masculine voice. In one lunge, Gizzard flew out of the man's hands. Then he remembered: he wasn't in any familiar landscape. Turning around, Gizzard faced the fair man, who spoke further to him, "It is good to see you are awake and alive. You must have many questions, but first an introduction. My name is Haldir, and this is Lothlórien, the Golden Wood and another Elven Realm of Middle-earth."

"Middle-earth!" cried Gizzard aloud.

Haldir shushed him. "Yes, Middle-earth is where you are now. You do not yet understand, but most animals do not speak aloud. It would be safer for you, once you have trained yourself, to speak in thought. You will adjust to this manner with time."

"Sir – Haldir, I have always talked in this manner for years," protested Gizzard.

"That may be, but now you need to speak in the tongues of the free peoples of Middle-earth, dear cat." Haldir looked Gizzard up and down with his eyes. He said, a little dazed, "Strange, you seem familiar. Are you that black cat, Mr. Cuddle-Muffin?"

"No!" Gizzard spoke with clarity as best he could. However, bows and arrows pointed straight at him. He answered further, "I mean, Mr. Cuddle-Muffin, or Mortar, is my brother –"

Haldir shushed him again. "We shall not speak of that name here…"

Just then, a silver Abyssinian cat interrupted the Elven archer, "No, let him speak, Haldir! We may need him in the eventual dark days of this world." Facing Gizzard, the silver Abyssinian cat replied in a calmer voice, "Don't mind the Lórien Elves. They worry about the fate of the world and whenever they see a new enemy enter Middle-earth, they have good reasons to fear." He then asked Gizzard, "What is your name, son?"

"My name is Ester," Gizzard said, recalling his birth name, "but where I came from my other name was Gizzard, after the bird's gizzard."

"That's strange. Where then did you come from and how did you enter Middle-earth?" asked the silver Abyssinian cat, curiously.

"Shouldn't we discuss this more alone? Besides, who are you?" asked Gizzard, warily.

"I am sorry I didn't give you a proper introduction. My name is Algar," said Algar, before he faced Haldir and told him, "I will take Ester from here, Haldir. Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel have been meaning to speak with him, since his macaw friend, Clockwise, spoke of him and his brother Mortar."

"Wait, you knew – know who Mortar is?" asked Gizzard, out of curiosity.

"No," Algar said, facing the black cat, "we have never met. Your brother does not like to travel in Elven Realms, Ester. Now come. We have much to discuss with the Lord and Lady."

Onwards, Gizzard chased Algar straight to the gates of Caras Galadhon. Gizzard learned the name from Algar and as they approached the gates, which were tall and gold. The black cat was amazed by the gates elegant details, but more so once he and the Abyssinian cat were inside the elven city. Up above were tree houses and more massive trees. He felt like he had entered a dream, and it certainly seemed like it, with all the silver lanterns and various elves walking to and fro about the place.

After a flight of winding stairs, Gizzard plopped down on the platform. He was not used to all this running and walking. Algar said nothing to him as he approached the Lord and Lady of the wooded realm. That was when Gizzard looked up, doing his best to stand at attention, in spite of being so hot and sweaty.

"Ester," Algar said, getting the black cat's attention, "this is Lord Celeborn on your left, while on your right is Lady Galadriel. As you can see, they have been expecting you. Celeborn, Galadriel, this is Ester. He's the black cat that Clockwise so heartedly told us so much about."

"Has – Clockwise already flown through this area?" asked Gizzard, curious and concerned.

"Your friend Clockwise is on errands now with the Wizard, Gandalf the Grey," said Galadriel in a deep, resounding voice.

"Can I see him?" Gizzard asked, growing further concerned.

"That will depend on when your friend returns to Rivendell with Gandalf at his side," said Celeborn. "You must remain patient, or you will become your brother."

"What trouble has he caused?" Gizzard asked, in great concern.

"I am afraid that your brother has become seduced by the One Ring, Sauron's Ring of Power. Clockwise has learned much about this malice. That is the reason Gandalf chose him to accompany him on his tasks. He has proven a good friend and comrade, but lately he has become… daft and optimistic," Galadriel explained.

Gizzard nodded. "I should have known he would have taken my advice."

"You made him daftly?" asked Algar, shocked.

"Algar, calm yourself," Celeborn said in a calm tone.

"Celeborn, Galadriel, what if this cat becomes an image of his eldest brother, Mortar. We cannot let them both become wicked. Do you remember what happened to Silvanus? We could not stop him from becoming the very evil we feared he would be? And what of the Tonkinese brown cat that keeps stalking the mountains and forests at night, as well as during the daylight hours?" Algar asked, protesting aloud.

Celeborn raised a hand to silence him. "We shall not speak more of this tonight, Algar. Please show our new guest around the City of the Trees. He may not become his brother…"

"Which I hope I won't become, if he has in fact turned wicked and savage," Gizzard admitted, firmly.

"Very well," Celeborn said, nodding, "but I wish for Algar to show you the City. You may stay in Lórien for as long as you need, but once you leave this forest and head northwards, you will not be allowed to return for some time, not unless one of our own grants you access. Algar may do so under his own guard."

"This way Ester. There is much you need to see," Algar said, taking off with Gizzard back down the winding staircase.