Chapter Three: Road Trip

"Are we there yet? How much longer will it be?" Arwen squirmed impatiently inside the rattling coach, wishing that she could have walked through the cool forest like an elf instead of traveling in the way of mortal men and women. She was hot and tired and thirsty, and the dusty road seemed endless.

"Patience, Arwen my pet. Why not take a nap? Give those lovely blue eyes a rest." The Lady Galadriel was looking very cool and calm and fresh, in spite of the heat and dust of the long journey.

"I don't want to take a nap," Arwen insisted, covering up a huge yawn and struggling to sit up tall and straight like her poised and graceful guardian. "I thought that searching for the lost jewels of Mira-Mira meant going on an adventure!"

Galadriel laughed. "The jewels have been missing for years," she pointed out, passing her companion a delicate silver drinking flask. "The last place they were seen was the sacred mineral baths at Emerald Springs, and that is where we are going now. Carola and Claudia are very old friends of mine, and they are . . ."

"They are very wise rulers, and they are anxious to meet me!" Arwen had been hearing about the two wise sisters for days. She drank deeply from the silver flask, grateful for the way the cool water instantly slaked her thirst. "Do people bathe in the springs, or do they just take away bottles of the sacred water?"

"The answer is both, Arwen. Some journey many miles just to drink. There are always travelers there, and it is a good place to seek for information. But Carola and Claudia are the main reason for our visit. They are old and wise, and they know all the secrets of the sparkling waters, the soothing waters . . ."

While Galadriel talked on and on about the soothing waters, Arwen looked out the window and wondered where her journey would lead. Perhaps she would have to fight a dragon to recapture the jewels! Would she be brave enough to do battle with a fire-breathing dragon? Arwen could picture herself all in armor, swinging a sword, fighting bravely and finding the treasure. She closed her eyes, imagining herself inside the dragon's lair. And inside his lair there were diamonds, rubies, emeralds . . .

"Emerald Springs," said the Lady Galadriel. Her soft voice repeated the words as she gently shook her companion awake. "Arwen, my dearest love, wake up. Welcome to Emerald Springs!"

"Huh?" Arwen had forgotten all about the jewels and her quest. She'd been asleep for hours, and she'd been dreaming that Aragorn was calling to her from deep in the forest. But when she sat up at last and began rubbing her eyes, she realized that she was far from the forest, and from Aragorn. It was late at night now, and very dark. Servants were bowing low before the Lady Galadriel as the two of them stepped down from the coach.

"Carola and Claudia are old, and they go to bed early," Galadriel told her, taking Arwen's arm and guiding her down a long torch-lit corridor to their very secluded sleeping quarters. "Otherwise they would have stayed up to greet you. But I'll meet with them tomorrow, first thing in the morning, and tell them what we seek."

"Won't they want to see me in the morning too?" Arwen frowned as a couple of smiling servants bowed low and opened the door to her chamber. There was a warm fire glowing in the hearth and the plush bed was ready, the covers already turned down for her.

"No, dearest, that would be rude." Lady Galadriel laughed softly as she patted Arwen's cheek. "We'll see you in the baths later in the afternoon. Everyone will be dying to get a good look at you!"