THE FORGOTTEN

Welcome to Lothlórien

Disclaimer: Lord of the Rings? Not mine.

Authors note: The chapter in which – Legolas tells some stories and the strange lady wakes up at the worst possible moment. So for anyone revisiting this story – last chapter had a bit of a twist, didn't it? For any new readers – sincerely hope you are enjoying this so far. Once again, I shall be using dialogue from the book. Any elvish will be in italics.

Night had come when they finally reached the edge of Lothlórien. Some time ago it was decided that they would change off who was carrying the strange woman every so often, just to make things easier on everyone. At the moment, Boromir had her. As they went along, Lothril periodically tried reaching Galadriel and was not successful until she was under the edge of the trees that marked her realm. Lothril paid little heed to the others as they entered the wood. She had seen her fair share of forests and wilderness, but this seemed more wholesome and unspoiled. As when they had entered the valley of Rivendell, she could feel the magic that helped protect the place. It felt different from Rivendell and the Woodland Realm though she could not put her finger on how they each felt different, just that they did. As soon as she had felt the border, she was able to reach her and she introduced herself and explained what was going on as briefly as she could for she was uncertain how long she could manage.

"Lothlórien! Lothlórien! We have come to the eaves of the Golden Wood. Alas it is winter!" Legolas cried.

As soon as she finished speaking with the lady she looked around and realized everyone else was falling back in line and preparing to move on. Boromir, it seemed, was not thrilled with the prospect of Lothlórien, but she was. She looked around and finally observed the scenery and saw the living fallow golden roof above them and the grey pillars upholding it. What fairer place could anyone ask for? What work of evil was ever so fair and wholesome feeling as this? And just how superstitious was Boromir that he could see such beauty and feel such wholesomeness and be fearful? She couldn't reckon it. She was so absorbed in her own thoughts that she did not notice at first that everyone had moved on until Legolas used ósanwe to get her attention.

They went a mile or so further when they came upon a stream flowing down from the forested slopes that climbed back westward towards the mountains. Somewhere off to their right, a waterfall could be heard. There had been a stream when they entered, and she wondered briefly what that one was, as she remembered this must be the Nimrodel.

A moment later when they reached the edge of the steep bank they could see it. Legolas told them it was the Nimrodel and that the Silvan Elves in the North still sing of it and the rainbow on its falls and golden flowers in its foam. "All is dark now and the Bridge of Nimrodel is broken down. I will bathe my feet, for it is said that the water is healing to the weary. Come with me Lothril," he said, holding out his hand to her.

She hadn't been expecting the invitation and was a little surprised by it, but quickly took his hand and slipped off her shoes before they climbed down the steep bank and stepped into the stream. She had been slightly dubious about the healing claim and reckoned it was probably due more to the water being clean, cold, and flowing than anything else. After all, she had gone wading in more than a couple rivers back home, and after a long hike cool water felt nice on hot and tired feet. She stepped in and gasped. It wasn't just cool and clean feeling, it truly felt more wholesome and healing than any stream, river, or lake she had ever been in before. She hadn't realized how tired her feet were until they were no longer weary.

"What is it?" Legolas asked upon hearing her gasp as they waded across the shallow river.

"Nothing, really, I just honestly did not expect this river to actually feel healing."

He glanced at her with a puzzled look and asked, "Why not? Mind that large rock there in front of you."

"Thank you. Well, it sounds a little far-fetched, I mean…"

He paused and looked at her with an arched brow.

"Point taken," she replied.

They were now half over halfway through and it was evident it wasn't going to get much deeper than mid-calf and that the hobbits wouldn't have any problem at all, so Legolas turned towards the others and called back, "Follow me! The water is not deep. Let us wade across! On the further bank we can rest, and the sound of the falling water may bring us sleep and forgetfulness of grief."

The Elves crossed the river and picked a nice grassy place to sit and rest and wait for the others who were now all down the bank and sloshing through the water. Once everyone was over and seated and the poor unconscious woman laid down with a blanket folded under her head, they ate a little and Legolas began telling them tales of Lothlórien that the Mirkwood Elves still told, and Lothril found herself wondering if some of these were tales his mother told him. He had said she had family here…

Silence fell after a while and slowly Lothril thought she could hear a voice mingled with the sound of the water. She looked over towards the river and noticed Frodo did too.

"Do you hear the voice of Nimrodel?" Legolas asked them.

She and Frodo both nodded and Legolas gave Lothril a brief look she couldn't quite place, but she didn't think long about it because he started to sing. At the end he faltered and he continued briefly telling the tale of how the voices of Nimrodel and Amroth can be heard at times and how Nimrodel had a house built in the trees and that is why the Galadhrim are called the Tree People.

It was nice to hear Gimli agree that being in the trees might be safer than the ground, and with those words, Aragorn said he reckoned they had stayed there longer than it was wise and so they all got up, this time with Aragorn carrying the unconscious woman, and they headed westward along the stream towards the falls where there was a cluster of trees and the shadows were darker.

Lothril had never seen such huge trees in all her life and she wondered briefly how these compared to giant sequoias, but as she had never been out to California, she could only guess from pictures. She reckoned some of them had to be at least that big around, but she really couldn't be sure.

"I will climb up," said Legolas. "I am at home among trees, by root or bough, though these trees are of a kind strange to me, save as a name in song." He told them their name and a very little about them and that he would climb up and see their shape and way of growth.

"Whatever it may be," said Pippin, "they will be marvelous trees indeed if they can offer any rest at night, except to birds. I cannot sleep on a perch!"

"Never fear, Pippin, I will climb up and lower a rope for you then you can climb up and I will tie you onto a branch so you do not fall off," Lothril replied.

"That is most kind of you to offer Lothril, but I think I prefer the ground."

"Then dig a hole," said Legolas, "if that is more after the fashion of your kind. But you must dig swift and deep, if you wish to hide from Orcs."

Lothril looked at Pippin and said, "I will lower a rope."

Meanwhile, Legolas jumped up lightly and caught a branch high above his head, but before he could pull himself up someone above him command, "Daro!" Lothril's head snapped up and she tried to see if she could spot the Elves up in the trees. They were very well hidden.

Legolas dropped to the ground and pressed himself against the bole of the tree and whispered to the others to stand still and not move or speak.

Above them came soft laughter and another voice spoke and Lothril frowned because she could only understand it in fragments, then she realized it must be Silvan not Sindarin. She could hear where they shared some of the same words, but as Legolas and Elrond had mostly worried about teaching her Sindarin, she wasn't picking up on much. She glanced over at Frodo who was listening with knit brows. Apparently he wasn't understanding very much of it either.

"Who are they and what do they say?" Merry asked.

"They're Elves," said Sam. "Can't you hear their voices?"

"Yes, they are Elves," said Legolas; "and they say that you breathe so loud that they could shoot you in the dark. But they say also that you need have no fear. They have been aware of us for a long while. They heard my voice across the Nimrodel, and knew that I was one of their Northern kindred, and therefore they did not hinder our crossing; and afterwards they heard my song. Now they bid me climb up with Frodo and Lothril; for they seem to have had some tidings of him and of our journey. The others they ask to wait a little, and to keep watch at the foot of the tree, until they have decided what is to be done."

From somewhere above their heads came down a silvery grey rope ladder. Legolas ran lightly up, then Lothril, then Frodo followed by Sam. At the top was a talan, and when Lothril climbed up through the hole in the center of it, she saw Legolas sitting down beside three other elves. Quickly she crawled up and sat down beside Legolas. When the Frodo and Sam finally got up to the top a minute later, they found Legolas and Lothril sitting next to three other elves. The Elf Haldir welcomed them and explained that the Lady had received word of their coming.

"We know the number and kind of each member of your Fellowship," Haldir said.

"You do?" Legolas asked. "How?"

"A message was sent to us earlier this evening. There was a messenger from Elrond who came through on his way home up the Dimrill Stair not long ago, but then another message came swiftly to us from the Lady just this evening that spoke of the number and kind of each and that you bear one that is sick or wounded. That is all I know," Haldir said.

"I cannot begin to guess how that could be unless," Legolas looked at Lothril. "You?" Legolas asked.

"When the strange lady was found, I decided it would be best to get help as soon as possible, so I reached out to the Lady Galadriel. Once we reach Caras Galadhon, they will help look after her until it can be decided what is to be done. Haldir, how are we going to get the woman up here?"

"We shall use the screen we have for the wind. It ought to be strong enough," Haldir answered. "But we must now get everyone on a talan. We have been keeping watch on the rivers, ever since we saw a great troop of Orcs going north toward Moria, along the skirts of the mountains, many days ago. Wolves are howling on the wood's borders. If you have indeed come from Moria, the peril cannot be far behind. Tomorrow early you must go on. The four hobbits shall climb up here and stay with us – we do not fear them! There is another talan in the next tree. There the others must take refuge. You, Legolas, must answer to us for them. Call us, if anything is amiss."

Legolas at once went down the ladder to tell the others of the arrangements and Haldir told Lothril if she wanted, she could simply climb up onto the branch above them, walk over and drop down onto the talan. Sam looked alarmed at this, but before he could say anything, she had jumped up and pulled herself up onto the branch and jogged over to the next tree as easily as if she were on the ground.

"Elves really are remarkable, Mr. Frodo," Sam said.

Frodo, who had also watched her leave nodded and said, "I doubt even your Uncle Andy would try that."

Sam laughed, "Not for any money! Not leastways unless that was a log on the ground."

In the end, everyone was in a talan, the hobbits in one, and everyone else, including the stranger, in the other. Lothril knew what would happen with the orcs, and knew that nothing would happen, so she went to sleep and did not wake up until morning.

Legolas however did not fall asleep right away. His mind was whirling with a myriad of thoughts. He had family here he had not seen in a very long time by anyone's reckoning, he was in the Golden Wood which he had heard many songs about and had greatly wished to see for many years, and then of course there was why they were there at all and why he had accepted Elrond's invitation to go on this quest. He sat up and looked at his companions and they were all asleep, including Lothril. Her eyes were open as she slept. He looked upon her and his heart stirred within him. Perhaps he had been wrong to remain silent in Rivendell, but perhaps not. He had been so unsure of her feelings towards him. In some ways he still was. She was so open in her manner but so very guarded with her true feelings. It was easy to tell her preferences, likes, and dislikes; she was open with those, but she never let on to how much she preferred this over that or liked this or disliked that unless it was trivial. In the odd event where she did let the true depth of her feelings slip, she understated it in both word and attitude. She had let it slip to him one day that she regarded Elrond as a father, but the way she said it was so offhanded and casual that it sounded like it was nearly trivial to her. Her proclamation he had adopted had certainly come off as such. After that though, he began to pay attention and noticed that though her attitude had been light when she said it, the feelings were very deep and poignant. It had taken him weeks to realize it but once he did, he was staggered by it, especially when he began to realize the feelings went both ways and Elrond was concealing his fatherly affection towards her in public because she was so careful to do so.

His train of thought however was interrupted by a very disquieting feeling. Yrch! Suddenly Haldir appeared running lightly as a squirrel between the branches of two of the trees.

"Yrch!" he whispered. "They have tracked you. We are luring them in deeper where our guards will take care of them, worry not."

Legolas nodded. "How many?"

"A hundred, but our guards will handle them," Haldir answered.

They both froze as the orcs began passing under the tree. They had barely passed by when suddenly the strange woman stirred and sat up.

"Hey, where am I?! Who are you all? What's going on?" she demanded.

"No dín!" Haldir hissed.

"What?" she asked, looking and sounding very confused.

"No dín Yrch!" he whispered again, forgetting how to put it in the Common Tongue.

"I don't understand what you're saying," she said, sounding fearful.

This was too dangerous for courtesy. Haldir clapped his hand over her mouth and began to very quickly and quietly chant something and suddenly her eyes closed and she was limp in his arms. He laid her very gently back down and looked over the edge of the flet where Legolas was looking.

"They did not hear her," Legolas whispered. "I think we are safe."

Haldir took a deep breath and gave a very quiet sigh of relief. "That was too close for my comfort. I shall go check on the halflings. Take charge of the others and if the woman awakes, explain things and give her my apologies."

Legolas nodded and with that Haldir disappeared from whence he came.

In the morning when everyone climbed down, except the still unconscious woman who was lowered in the same net she had been lifted in. The elves decided the easiest way for her to be carried would be between two of them, so they took two long branches and a cloak and some rope and made a stretcher for her and laid her on it and so carried her. The river crossing was a bit difficult, and Haldir and his brother Rúmil had to carry her across. Lothril was glad the woman remained unconscious the whole time or else it probably would have ended horribly. Haldir led them on through many paths deeper into Lothlórien as Rúmil and Aragorn carried the woman on the stretcher.

As Haldir had received word from the Lady the night before, everyone was able to walk freely, including Gimli. Some conversation was had on and off but Lothril heeded very little of it as her thoughts were consumed with the scenery around her and a strange feeling she couldn't quite place. In Rivendell everyone knew who and what she was, and for as much as everyone was very accepting of her they also went out of their way to explain things and make sure she understood things. Haldir and Rúmil though had treated her exactly as they did Legolas and seemed to take her as an Elf at face value, and one of the Northern Elves at that. At one point Haldir said something to her in Silvan and she only caught part of it and had to explain she didn't actually know more than a few words or phrases in Silvan, but spoke Sindarin very well. He had been surprised to learn that and apologized for making such an assumption and he didn't repeat his comment in Sindarin. She didn't really understand what he was talking about when he apologized for making an assumption and Legolas didn't look inclined to translate so she was left to puzzle.

That night Lothril fell asleep with her eyes open like an elf. Legolas noted this. It seemed every day she was gaining a little more elvenness to her, but the way she slept was perhaps the most obvious indicator of just how changed she was. In Moria, it had been too dark to see, but it seemed in weeks prior, she had slept as a human when she was very tired, but otherwise she slept as an elf, and even at that, it was more elven than not, though she often had fallen asleep with her eyes shut.

The next morning, they continued on, and since everyone could see and carrying the unconscious woman on the stretcher was far easier than in their arms, they were making excellent time and reached Cerin Amroth around late-morning. As they filed into the clearing, Lothril felt like she was stepping into a dream. Was this not the very sort of place she used to dream about and pretend to be in as a little girl? She stood mesmerized with the world before her. For the first time she found herself truly regretting not being born in Middle-earth as the realization of what she would never know began to dawn upon her, but then she realized here was an opportunity before her to see the world unstained and she determined not to spoil it by feeling sorry about what she couldn't control. The grass was green and thick, the flowers glowing brightly gold, silver, and pale green. With a smile she cast herself upon the ground and listened to every sound as she closed her eyes and breathed in the scented air. Legolas lay himself down next to her. She did not see him, but she felt him and said to him, "This place is – it is every place I ever dreamed about as a little girl. I never dreamed there could be such beauty beneath the sun. It is perfect!"

"Yes, it is," he quietly replied.

For a moment they were in silence, listening to all the sweet noises around them. Slowly, a feeling of contentment and closeness enfolded her, realizing she now had something she had been missing; that she had been missing being at ease with Legolas. It had been about a month of misery on the road and being at ease at his side again just seemed comfortable and natural. She gave a deep, contented sigh and opened her eyes.

He half turned his head and looked over at her and stirred as if he was going to say something, but instead settled back into the grass and said nothing. There were many things he wanted to say, and had wanted to say for a while, but he thought this wasn't the time and certain things should be said aloud in private. Especially to her. He wondered how long they might stay and if an opportunity to speak with her privately might arise. He hoped so. The long weeks traveling through the mountains had given him copious time to think and he decided there were a few things he wanted to say to her before she left the Fellowship and headed towards Minas Tirith, but now wasn't the time. Too many others about, and the loss of Mithrandir still raw and fresh in their minds. No, not yet.

Eventually, their reveries were broken by Haldir telling them that they had to continue on. Legolas stood up and held out a hand to Lothril. She gladly accepted it and with his help stood. As they left that place she gave a small farewell, with a promise to return if ever she could.

It was dusk under the trees when they finally came to the gate of Caras Galadhon. The road had been walking on was paved with white stone and almost glowed in the twilight, and lights were seen upon the hill and on the wall, making it look like it was all strewn with stars. Haldir spoke a password at the gates, and they silently swung open. They passed in the gates and found themselves in a deep lane between the sections of the wall and then they entered the city. They couldn't see anyone about, but they could hear voices everywhere and after a minute Lothril began to realize the layout of the city and just how high up even the lowest levels of the city were. They climbed up the great hill of the city a good long while until they finally reached the trunk of the largest tree. Some more Elves arrived to take the unconscious woman to the healers and then they approached the white ladder. There were three guards clad in grey mail and white cloaks at the foot of the tree who sounded a horn that was answered three times above them. They were informed the Lord and Lady wished to speak with them. The initial third of the climb up the ladder was the longest and most nerve wracking part for most of them, as it was very much a ladder and it was thirty or forty feet tall if it was inch. However, once they reached the first platform, they were able to climb on stairs the other two thirds of the way. At length they reached the large talan with a house upon it in which the Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel dwelt. First went Frodo, then Legolas, then Lothril, Merry, Pippin, Aragorn, Sam, Gimli, and Boromir.

The Lord and Lady stood, and everyone was greeted. As Celeborn questioned, and Aragorn explained what he could as best as he could, Lothril looked about. The Lady Galadriel was looking at each person in turn. When it was Lothril's turn for the silent questioning, she found herself a little surprised.

"Elrond has informed me you are my new granddaughter," the Lady said.

"I suppose I am," Lothril replied, very unsure how Galadriel was going to feel about this.

"Welcome granddaughter. We are delighted to meet you," she replied.

Lothril was surprised. She honestly had not expected Elrond to say anything, let alone have Galadriel view her as such. There was a riot of conflicting feelings that ran through her mind and the lady could sense them.

"You are uncomfortable with this?"

"I honestly do not know how to feel. I am honored that you are so willing to view me as such, but I never expected Elrond to even mention this to you. I thought I would come here and be no more than a visitor. I am honored and flattered, but I have no idea what to do with it or how to respond to you. This is all new," Lothril replied, trying to convey her very scrambled feelings.

"You need not respond at all. Know that you are welcome and we are quite happy to accept you as a grandchild, but we shall certainly not demand any relationship or feelings you are not prepared to give. We would, however, like to get to know you better and discuss your coming here at all. We also would like to hear your thoughts on why this woman has appeared."

"Thank you, milady."

"You may call me simply Galadriel and him Celeborn if you wish."

"Thank you, Galadriel."

"As the sole female traveling with the Fellowship, would you like to separate accommodations or would you like to stay with the Fellowship?"

"I would hate to imposition you."

"It is no imposition, and you may invite him to visit with you as much as you like."

If she wasn't sure how to respond to being so readily accepted as a granddaughter to Galadriel and Celeborn, she certainly wasn't sure how to respond to that last statement. She did not have much of a chance to respond though, for as soon as she said it, Galadriel turned her gaze to someone else.

Celeborn told them to go and rest, and the Fellowship began to leave. Lothril was last to go and as she turned, she found she could not move! Everything was growing dark! She could feel consciousness slipping away from her. She wanted to cry out for help, but all she could do was whisper, "Legolas!" then the world went black, and she knew no more.

Legolas had heard that distressed whisper and rushed back to her. He caught her just before she fell to the ground. Lord Celeborn commanded someone to fetch the healer for her and in the meantime bring something to lay her on. The Fellowship saw Legolas dash back and turned and saw Lothril. They all would have rushed about her if Boromir hadn't had wits enough to say, "Stay back! Let her have air!" Aragorn went flying on however and soon a very worried Elf and Ranger were on either side of her.

The Elves came with a stretcher. Aragorn held her in a sitting position as Legolas undid the strap that held her quiver in place. Once her weapons were on the ground, she was laid down upon it. They looked at her face, it was very pale. Legolas placed his hand upon her brow.

"She is burning with a fever!" he cried with a look of dismay. She indeed had a high fever. The head Elven healer arrived moments later and quickly assessed her then commanded her to be taken away as Galadriel told Aragorn and the rest of the Fellowship to go down and rest while the healer took care of her and that they would keep them informed of what was happening.

"Lady Galadriel, please do not make me go! I feel responsible for her. I beg you to let me stay!" Legolas pleaded.

"Very well, but you alone shall stay." The Lady replied. She knew his heart. The remainder of the worried Fellowship went down the stairs and to a pavilion that was set up for them.

Legolas turned and quickly followed the healer. The healing house was not very far at all. Within a few minutes of her falling, she was being transferred to a bed in a suite of rooms. He kneeled beside her, not even bothering to drag over the chair and held her hand. Even that was burning up. Her whole being felt like it was on fire. Her breathing was shallow. He had not much experience with sickness in his years, but he knew that such a high fever and shallow breathing was a very bad thing.

Meanwhile, the Fellowship reached the ground.

"What's wrong with her, Strider?" Sam asked.

"I do not know. I have never seen anyone get a fever so quickly and for no reason." Aragorn gravely replied, "The Elves are not prone to sickness."

The Fellowship had indeed grown quite fond of Lothril. They all felt responsible for her in one way or another. It seemed that the Fellowship of the Ring had become Lothril's Fellowship of Eight Brothers. They threw down their gear in the pavilion and were silent, their thoughts on their friend up in the trees.

Legolas was up in the treetops with Lothril. Every Elf in the place was concerned for her. All night Legolas stayed by her side and did not sleep. The healer, Aranor, had tended her for hours and eventually said, "Whatever is wrong with her, it is beyond my skill to ascertain. She is in the hands of the Valar." Aranor turned his attention to his other patient who was still lying in another adjacent room. After a quick examination he concluded her worst injury was a large bump on her head but otherwise she was fine, just unconscious and would come around in her own time.

"Lothril! Lothril!" Legolas gently said to her, "You must not leave us! You must not leave me! You must not!" Over and over all night he spoke softly to her. The fever did not lessen for two- and one-half days.

The Fellowship each day waited for news from an elf. It never changed. halfway through the morning on the third day her fever began rising! It rose for half an hour then suddenly her temperature dropped. Usually that is a good thing, but it was not today. The moment her fever dropped, Legolas felt relieved, for only a few moments. Suddenly her shallow breathing stopped. Her temperature plummeted and she became cold. Aranor had been watching her reached over and felt her brow. Legolas was holding her hand. He felt no pulse. In disbelief Legolas pressed his ear to her chest. He heard nothing.

"She is dead," Aranor said, himself sounding surprised and shocked.

Legolas was in shock. No! It could not be!

"No! No!" the elven prince cried. Tears streamed down his face. "It cannot be! A Elbereth! Why? Why!" he sobbed. He was still holding her lifeless hand in his. He fell on his knees, his head bowing low to her lifeless body. His precious, glass like tears falling onto her blanket.