Aragorn had said that Lothlorien was not far off but to you the road felt like it would go on forever. You relied heavily upon Legolas as you walked and you felt bad about burdening him but it was unavoidable and he assured you that he didn't mind helping you. In fact he seemed to enjoy taking care of you. Or perhaps it just took his mind off of the horrors that had befallen in Moria.

Gradually as you traveled, the terrain became more and more beautiful. There were birch trees, thin and pale, adorned with golden leaves. It was the golden wood, of course. You heard Gimli warn the hobbits of a terrible elf witch of great power. You smirked at Gimli's warning and you felt Legolas tense up beside you. Obviously he had heard the warning too. He wasn't fond of the dwarf to begin with and his slander against the elves of Lorien was not about to help the strained relationship.

After some time, you began to grow more and more weary. You felt sick. You even stopped paying attention to the scenery and had to be lead along. Instead your attention was on your feet, and continuing to place one ahead of the other. You took notice of nothing until the party came to a sudden halt, being held at arrow point by a couple elves.

The elves spoke but their words sounded like nonsense. Eventually they lowered their bows. You leaned against Legolas for support, taking comfort in his embrace as he wrapped one arm around your waist to keep you steady. You were starting to find it hard to keep your eyes open. One of the elves gestured at you, obviously they were talking about you. You were only able to comprehend a few words, though you could not tell who was saying them. "She doesn't look well." "Poison." "Goblins." Those were the words you understood.

You leaned harder into Legolas until you heard and saw no more...

Slowly, you open your eyes. There was a dark silvery light all around you. You could make out someone standing nearby, their back towards you as they look out over the lands below.

"I never knew Baraddur could look so fair," you whisper. The figure stiffens as you speak. "A trick of moonlight on obsidian, I suppose. It is very nice, Annatar."

"I am not Annatar nor are you in Baraddur," a feminine voice answers back. The figure slowly turns around to face you. It is a beautiful elleth, with long golden hair and a timeless face. She looks vaguely familiar, you feel as though you had known her in the past before your memory got wiped, a memory that was just out of reach. "I am Galadriel, Lady of the Golden Wood. It is seldom that people speak of such evil places in this realm. What know you of the fortress of doom?"

Galadriel studies your face closely, making you feel uncomfortable as though she is reading you like an ancient scroll in an obsolete tongue.

"Very little with certainty, I assure you," you reply weakly. You hold eye contact with the elf.

"Your dreams are... disturbed." Galadriel pauses for a moment. "You were brought here poisoned and I have been informed that you were inflicted a wound from a fell blade of the enemy. You are rather lucky to be alive, though I sense there is far more to you than what meets the eye." She gives you a look, one that says she definitely knows something about you or read something in your face.

"Admittedly, since I was wounded by the servants of Sauron," you start off slowly, "I have had dreams... dreams of being prisoner in the cells of Baraddur." Now you look away from her, as though the memories are painful to bare. "They say I had faded significantly when they found me," you continue, speaking softer. "Elrond doubted that I could be recalled..."

You don't know if Galadriel bought that as being the whole truth but she does not press you further on the subject.

"Your friends, they are resting. I will summon a servant to take you to them."

While you waited for the servant to arrive, you surveyed your surroundings. You were up high in what you could only describe as a house in a tree, but much more elegant. In the dark, everything seemed to give off a cool silver glow, reminiscent of a full moon shining on the pure snow in winter. Looking over the railing, you felt like you would very much like to live here but you knew it was impossible. You would never fit in.

Finally another elf came and escorted you to where the fellowship was quartered. They were very relieved to see you, even Sam, Merry, and Pippin whom you had barely spoken with. Frodo was so relieved that he actually hugged you. Though perhaps this was in part due to the concerns you had expressed to him while you were injured.

"I was worried you would never rejoin us," he says.

You hug Frodo back.

"How do you feel?" asks Aragorn, placing a hand on your shoulder.

"A little worse for wear but I'll be fine. The elves here must be excellent healers."

Being in Lothlorien, an elvish stronghold, it was decided that there would be no need for anyone to stand guard. You found that you could not sleep, or perhaps it is that you don't need sleep, so you found a cozy little area where you could keep watch over everyone and everything.

While you were sitting there, gazing out over your surroundings, Legolas and Aragorn both approach you, looking serious. You look at them quizzically.

"We wanted to speak with you without others overhearing," Aragorn says.

"What happened? What's wrong?" you ask, your heart rate increasing. You would be lying if you said you weren't worried.

"Let's go a little further away from the camp."

Aragorn leads you into the golden wood until you came to a small patio space. It was rather private, surrounded by trees and bushes. There were even a couple benches there made out of stone and logs.

"What happened?" you ask again, feeling fear further taking root in you.

"Aiweneth," Legolas says softly, taking both of your hands in his, "we want to know who you have been speaking to in your visions."

"What?"

"Its no use denying it," Aragorn says, his tone neutral. "After you fainted along the road, you kept muttering as though you were in conversation with someone."

This was news to you, you couldn't even recall having had a vision since before you entered Moria. Could Sauron have been speaking with you and then interfering with your memory, making you forget that it ever happened? If so, it could prove to be hazardous to yourself and the fellowship and the mission and everyone who ever trusted you. Perhaps now is the time to come clean. That elf, Galadriel, probably tipped them off anyway.

"Okay. I'll be completely honest with you." You look down at your feet and pull your hands out of Legolas's gentle hold. Shame was beginning to overcome you. "I've been speaking with Sauron." You feet a tear leak from your eye and run down your cheek as you admit it.

Both Legolas and Aragorn stiffened.

"I haven't told him anything. He keeps offering me my memory back in exchange for my allegiance. I keep rejecting him. I think he's growing impatient. But he seems to know me somehow. He's hinted at things in the past. Even the nazgul appeared to know me," the words came pouring out. "They've both said I'm too stubborn," you chuckle coldly at the last statement.

There's a long pause where no one says anything.

"If you want to exile me from the fellowship, I understand. Perhaps it would even be for the best. I only ask that you do not have me executed, I don't know who I am but certainly know that I am not the same person that I was in the past."

You glance up at duo, expecting to see anger but instead they look concerned.

"Mellon, why didn't you tell us before?" Legolas asks softly. Could it be that he is hurt that you didn't trust him with this information?

"I- I was ashamed and I didn't think you'd understand. I'm sorry, I should have trusted you," you reply. "Both of you. And I swear to you, next time I speak with the dark lord, I will tell you."

After these revelations, you tell Legolas and Aragorn about every encounter you've had with Sauron. They seem rather impressed that you are able to withstand Sauron's influence and defy him to his very face. Perhaps there really is much more to you than what meets the eye. Once there is no more left to tell, the three of you head back to camp. You have given Legolas and Aragorn much to think about and in return, they have given you much reassurance that they care deeply about you and want to help you in any way they can.