Chapter VII
Eruanna walked out of the room and looked down, where she saw Galadriel walking. The Princess walked down to where Galadriel was. She hid behind a pillar as she saw Galadriel and Frodo, Bilbo's nephew, standing on opposite sides of Galadriel's magical mirror. The two of them were clearly communicating through their minds and Frodo offered Galadriel the One Ring. Eruanna gasped softly and her heart pounded furiously.
"You offer it to me freely", spoke Lady Galadriel in a soft voice, reaching out to touch the ring, walking towards Frodo. "I do not deny that my heart has greatly desired to ask what you offer", she said. From Nenya, her ring of power, came a great, dark light. Energy filled the room, frightening both Frodo and Eruanna.
"In place of the dark lord, you will have a Queen!", Galadriel boomed as her form became dark and in that moment, she seemed to take on Sauron's shadow. Her arms spread and her power radiated as she contemplated, rather loudly. "Not dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Dawn. Treacherous as the sea! Stronger than the foundations of the Earth! All shall love me and despair!"
After a few long seconds, Galadriel returned to normal, still a tall elf woman clad in white. She stumbled away from the terrified hobbit, breathing heavily, as if she'd terrified herself. "I passed the test", she murmured. "I will diminish and go into the West and remain Galadriel."
"I cannot do this alone", said the hobbit.
"You are the ring-bearer Frodo. To bear a ring of power is to be alone", said Galadriel.
"To bear any such power is to be alone", Eruanna thought, haunted by the destruction of the Battle of the Five Armies.
"This is Nenya", Galadriel showed her ring of power to Frodo. "The Ring of Adamant. And I am its keeper. This task was appointed to you, and if you do not find a way, no one will."
"Then I know what I must do. It's just... I am afraid to do it", confessed Frodo. Galadriel kneeled down to his height, staring at him intently. "Even the smallest person can change the course of the future", she said.
As Eruanna watched the hobbit nod and turn away. She felt several emotions raging in her mind and heart. "The hobbit was tempting her with the ring", her anger spoke. "Had Lady Galadriel been corrupted, you would have essentially lost your great-grandmother and her ring is the only hope for the protection of you and your people."
"The hobbit is desperate", her pity sang. "He doesn't know who to turn to. He is afraid."
"You were not afraid to dive headfirst into a war sixty years ago, where we flipped allegiances so quickly even Eru would be startled", her anger argued back, fiercely. "What the hobbit did was reckless!"
"What you did was reckless. Galadriel did not get corrupted. The fire that burned inside her since youth is more controlled now. She will not fall victim to Sauron and his dark magic", her subconcious came in between the two.
"Úlumiel?", Galadriel's soft, concerned voice pulled her from her thoughts.
Eruanna backed away from her great-grandmother, startled. "Child", Galadriel reached out to her. Princess Eruanna backed away and Lady Galadriel felt hurt. Her heart ached at the thought of her great-granddaughter being afraid of her. Yet, she understood. For a moment, when Frodo had offered her the ring, she had been a shadow version of herself, a far cry from the woman who told Eruanna stories about Valinor and sang her to sleep.
"What happened to you?", Eruanna asked, shakily.
"I resisted the temptation of the Ring", Galadriel responded, trying to soothe her. "Such power can bring great destruction."
"Like my dragons did at the Battle of the Five Armies", Eruanna said, bitterly. Galadriel looked at her. "I know I should be happy they got rid of so many orcs", Eruanna continued. "But there was so much fire and ash..."
"You are traumatized", Galadriel said. "That is understandable. You saw your dragons in battle for the first time. But they're still the dragons you raised."
"They are dragons, not horses. They won't be obedient like a horse. They may act upon their own will and kill someone. I don't want blood on my hands, needlessly."
"Dragons are intelligent. Elemental dragons more so", Galadriel said. "They won't do such things. They were made by the Valar and they know good from bad. You were gifted a great power, Eruanna. And if you cannot accept the power you have, you cannot accept yourself."
Galadriel smiled at Eruanna and the Dragoness returned it. The Lady of Lothlórien and Eruanna soon found herself in the company of Legolas and Aragorn, who had noticed her. "Iell nin!", Legolas embraced his daughter. "How are you?"
"I am well", she smiled at her father. She then smiled at Aragorn and embraced him. "I am glad to see you both alive", she said with a smile. "Mayhaps there is hope for the Fellowship."
Upon receiving her words, both males looked down in sadness. Eruanna frowned. "One of you is not here", she garnered.
"Mithrandir", Aragorn whispered.
"Gandalf!?!", Eruanna was stunned. "What happened?"
"We went into Moria, as Gimli had insisted", Legolas said. "Yet we awoke the Balrog of Morgoth which resides there. Gandalf sacrificed himself to save us."
"You awoke a demon of shadow and flame from a bygone age?", Eruanna processed the information. That, along with news of Gandalf's demise, was too much for her to process.
"It was a foolish action, I admit", Aragorn said. "Yet we will not give up, Eruanna. We'll see the darkness defeated."
"It may just be your confidence that carries the journey", Eruanna smiled.
"I have my doubts", Aragorn admitted. "I am descended from the very man who allowed the One Ring to endure. Isildur..."
"You are not him. You will pull through and reclaim your throne. I know it", Eruanna smiled. "You know your limits. Isildur did not."
"You sound like Arwen", Aragorn responded.
"Well, she is my aunt."
The Fellowship departed after some time once they had adequate rest. The elves of Lothlórien cloaked them and helped them pack for their journey. Galadriel bestowed upon the Fellowship gifts of her own. For the hobbits, she gave elven daggers to Merry and Pippin whilst to Sam, she gave elven rope. For Legolas, she gave him a bow of the Galadhrim. Then Galadriel stopped in front of Gimli, the dwarf.
"And what gift would a dwarf ask of the elves?", Galadriel asked him.
"Nothing. Except to look upon the Lady of the Galadhrim one last time. For she is more fair than all the jewels beneath the Earth", Gimli said. During his time in Lothlórien, he'd become besotted over Galadriel and this made the Lady chuckle.
"Hear all elves", said Galadriel, gaining the attention of everyone. "Let none say again that dwarves are greedy and ungracious. Yet there is something you desire, Gimli, son of Gloin, that I could give. Name it, I bid you. You shall not be the only guest without a gift."
The dwarf briefly turned around in embarrassment before looking upon her again. "My only desire would be a strand of your silver-golden hair, my lady", the dwarf stammered. "I would use it to craft a gem to hold it as a symbol of peace between the wood and the caves until the end of time."
Eruanna smiled upon hearing the dwarf's request. Perhaps Gandalf had been right in some regard. Maybe a blood feud between elves and dwarves could yet be repaired.
Galadriel smiled and gave him three strands. Eruanna's eyes widened as she recalled Galadriel telling her a story about Fëanor, who had thrice asked her for a strand of her hair, for it was said that her hair captured the light of the two trees of Valinor who had stood long before the Sun and Moon. Yet, Galadriel saw the darkness in his heart and refused him each time. Yet, she did not refuse the dwarf, who graciously asked her for just one strand.
A warmth kindled in the Dragoness's heart for the first time in a long time.
Eruanna embraced her father one last time before turning to Aragorn. "I saw my great-grandmother speaking with you", she said with a smile.
"She worries for your aunt, Arwen. Should Arwen stay here, out of love for me, her grace will diminish. I would have her sail for Valinor than rot away because of me", Aragorn's voice was laced with guilt. In his eyes, he held a great love for Arwen. It was said that their love mirrored that of Beren and Lúthien in the Elder days.
As one of the Peredhel, both Arwen and Eruanna could choose between a mortal life or an immortal life. Should Arwen be with Aragorn, she would forsake her immortal life and die like all men.
"I would rather my aunt spend a century happy with you than all of eternity in sadness with us", Eruanna said with a smile. "I will tell her that you are well. She could use some good news in these dark times. And so can I", Eruanna turned to her father and smiled. "Keep yourself from Mandos's Halls", she said.
Legolas smiled and kissed her forehead. "I will, dearest. Stay safe."
As Eruanna and Galadriel watched the Fellowship leave, Eruanna turned to her great-grandmother. "Surely you gave the ring bearer something?", she asked.
"I gave to him my phial, which contains the light of Eärendil, your other maternal great-grandfather", was the response. "It was his star that shined the brightest on the day of your birth."
"Dearadar Elrond seldom speaks of his own adar but sometimes, we used to talk to his star together in Rivendell. I thought he would be able to hear us and I wanted to test the theory", Eruanna giggled.
"Just remember, Eruanna. You carry his light within you."
Eruanna sighed and Galadriel looked at her. "You are thinking of something", she said.
"You know about my nightmares and my dreams. In every single one of them, an elf appears. He radiates with a light of his own. He has the most beautiful golden hair I've ever seen and starlit grey eyes. He's so familiar yet so distant at the same time."
"He is in your dreams as well", Galadriel mused. "Irmo, the Valar responsible for our dreams, may be sending these visions to you when Sauron is not interfering with your mind. As you know, nightmares are the only way the Dark Lord can get to you."
"Sauron said I'll never see the ellon in my dreams. If I don't...", Eruanna trailed off. "I may not have a love like that of Aragorn and Arwen. My inner child will be devastated."
Galadriel knew this would be true, thanks to her foresight.
"You will survive Úlumiel", Galadriel murmured. "I have faith in you. You will survive."
Elvish:
Iell nin: My daughter