Part 1: Flee of the Fallen

Chpater 19: Dawn of Her Path

Rae stood in her chamber, meticulously packing her belongings, which had increased since she last arrived in Rivendell. A map of Middle-earth, meticulously drawn at Elrond's request. A piece of Lembas bread and a few fresh apples, sufficient sustenance for the two-day journey ahead, according to the map. A small pouch of healing herbs, which Arwen reminded her daily to apply to her wound to enhance the stitches, as it had not fully healed yet. In fact, a wound from such a foul creature named Nazgul would never fully heal. But what's a little gut pain to a Na'vi warrior?

It was still early in the morning, considering Rivendell's late sunrise. No one was up at this hour except Rae. She had initially planned to stay for breakfast with the hobbits, but she knew it would certainly cause a scene, especially after last night's banquet. Slipping to the courtyard, she found Lizard already waiting for her, head buried in a large bowl.

"What're you eating?"Rae asked, puzzled. She didn't remember setting a bowl here or requesting one.

"Rrrraaabes,"came the muffled reply.

"Huh?"

"Grapes."The Ikran finally looked up at her. Rae almost doubled over in laughter at the hilarious sight. Lizard, named after its earthly-yellow scales, was now covered in dark purple grape juice from chin to nose.

Rae frowned. "How on Earth did you get grapes and manage to peel off the skin, then put them in a bowl?"

"Well, I did not. This small bowl of grapes was just lying there on the ground with all the skins peeled off,"Lizard chirped.

"Small bowl of grapes?"Rae asked incredulously.

"Yup, very small."The Ikran nodded, letting out a very loud burp.

"Indeed, very small,"she snorted, working to attach her weapons under its wings.

"That's a sign of my stomach not being content!"Lizard argued, letting out another burp.

"Yes, yes."Rae mounted and connected her neural queue to the Ikran's. "To Lothlórien."

Just as Lizard launched into the air, she spotted a flash of golden-silver hair around the corner, vanishing as the swift wind carried them away.

"Setting heading to 120 degrees. Maintain altitude."

"We've been flying for five hours. Can't we get a rest?"Lizard protested.

"No, we shall rest after nightfall,"Rae said, polishing her bow.

"But I'm hungry!"Lizard whined.

"You had a large bowl of grapes. How could anyone be hungry?"Rae exclaimed.

"Well, that was breakfast, but I need lunch!"Rolling her eyes, she rummaged through the bag and dug out an apple.

At night, they did not risk flying in the dark, though Na'vi eyes could see well enough. They resided on the backside of a small hill and started a small fire to roast the pigeon Rae had caught.

"I still don't understand why Nataya doesn't force you to learn how to cook,"Lizard said, making a face as it sniffed the bird leg Rae had torn down. At home, cooking was never her specialty or favorite thing to do. Even when they went camping or traveling, Nataya would always take up the chores.

"He did, actually, before Elara was born,"Rae said thoughtfully, recalling the time her twin brother almost puked his guts out when he tasted her cooking.

"Climb to an altitude of 500 feet."They were hovering over the same mountain they had crossed last time. Misty Mountain, labeled on the map.

Rae hadn't forgotten the shadows of Nazguls and their fallen beast, as the wound still stung.

"I wanna grapes!"The Ikran suddenly yelled, startling its rider.

"Shhh, someone might hear you."Rae shushed, hands ever alert on her bow.

"But I wanna grapes!"Lizard stage-whispered.

"Yes, yes. I'll find you a bowl once we reach Lothlórien."She rolled her eyes.

"A cart!"

"Yes, yes, a cart."

"With the skin peeled off!"

"Yes, yes, peeled."

"One cart per day!"Lizard insisted.

"Yes, yes, everyday."Rae sighed.

"Purple and green!"

"Yes, yes, all the colors you like."

Finally, the Ikran ceased its talk about grapes. Rae sighed with relief at the welcome silence.

"GRAPES! GRAPES! GRAPES! A CART PER DAY OF GREEN AND PURPLE SKIN PEELED OFF!"

It was precisely sunset when they saw Lothlórien. The sight that greeted them was nothing short of breathtaking. The Golden Wood, as it was famously known, stretched out below them like a sea of gold and green, shimmering in the fading light. The majestic mellyrn trees towered high, their golden leaves glowing with an ethereal light as the sun dipped below the horizon. The last rays of sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, casting long, enchanting shadows on the forest floor below.

"Wow, so this is the Golden Wood,"Lizard murmured, finally abandoning the grape chant.

Rae observed the grounds. "Cleared to land, on alert."

As the Ikran's massive claws gripped the forest ground, Rae's grip on her pair of short knives tightened. "I want a nice thick branch, a good-quality stream, a cart of green and purple gra—"

"Something's coming our way,"Rae hushed the Ikran, standing in a fighting pose.

"Show yourself, or I'll throw,"she threatened loudly at the bush, a dagger in hand.

There was a pause, then a group of elves emerged from the leaves, all of them heavily armed. A male with silver hair, which framed his strong jawline and chiseled shoulders, stepped forward.

"Welcome to Lothlórien, milady," he said. "I am Haldir, Marchwarden of Lothlórien. The Lady has been expecting you." He must be talking about Lady Galadriel Elrond mentioned, she realized.

"And I am Oropher."

"And I am Rúmil. Haldir always forgets to introduce us as well." Two almost identical males poked their heads out from behind a tree. They looked almost exactly like Haldir, though both were slightly shorter.

"Enough, you two,"the Marchwarden snapped, then turned to Rae. "Milady, Lady Galadriel awaits your presence. Please, come with us. She wishes to meet you and extend her hospitality."

"Certainly, but my Ikran comes with me as well,"Rae said, watching the expressions of the other elves. She was glad that Lizard had put on its best attitude; usually, it was always far too eager to meet new people than the other party would prefer.

Haldir hesitated for a second, clearly wary of the sheer size of the strange creature. "That would be our honor, milady. Follow me."

"So, what is its name?"one of the identical "Haldirs" asked.

"Lizard, named after its scales,"Rae explained.

The male jumped in front of the Ikran, who had been ruffling its massive wings against the bark of the tree as a massage. "Hello Lizard, I am Rúmil."

"Liar,"Rae narrowed her eyes at him. "You're Oropher."

The two stared up at her in awe. "No one, not even Haldir, got past that. How did you do that?"

She chuckled. "It's actually Lizard here who told me you're lying."

"It can communicate with you telepathically?"Now they had gained the attention of all the elves who formed a protective circle around them.

"In a way, yes. We share a rider's bond, which allows us to talk, feel each other's emotions when I'm on its back, and locate each other,"Rae explained.

"But that would mean no privacy with someone other than your bond mate,"one of the blunt guards said.

Rae chuckled, giving Lizard a stroke on the neck. "We learn to block the bond over time when we don't want each other to feel our emotions. But most Ikrans grow up with their riders, so we're considered brothers and sisters."

"So Lizard here is a boy?"Rúmil asked.

"Yeah, male Ikrans are much more colorful than female ones."

Then came the protest of Lizard through their bond. "I'm not a boy! I'm full grown!"The Ikran tried to stand taller.

"Barely,"Rae rolled her eyes.

"Did he just communicate with you?"Oropher asked, watching the exchange with interest.

Lizard gave a nod of its own, as the group stared in surprise.

The path they took was lined with ancient mellyrn trees, their golden leaves shimmering in the soft light. Soon, staircases began to emerge from the trees, each ending with a house on top. As they approached the grandest of them that seemed to weave into the tree, Haldir gestured for her to ascend the winding staircase, but the rest remained below.

At the top, they halted on a wide platform, where Lady Galadriel stood with ethereal grace. Her golden hair cascaded down her shoulders like a radiant waterfall, and her piercing eyes, filled with ancient wisdom and deep compassion, seemed to look into Rae's very soul.

Haldir bowed deeply and began to speak in the melodious language Rae had often heard spoken by the folk of Rivendell.

"Welcome, Ra'evani," Galadriel greeted her with a warm smile. "You are safe here. Come, let us find you a place to rest. Lord Elrond has informed me of your preference to rest in nature, so I had this woven as a welcome gift."

She unveiled the most exquisite hammock Rae had ever seen. Woven from the finest silken threads, it shimmered with an iridescent glow, capturing the soft light of Lothlórien's golden leaves. The delicate patterns intricately depicted the flora and fauna of the Golden Wood, with vines gracefully entwining along the edges and leaves cascading down like a gentle waterfall.

"I believe there is a thick branch just outside the third stage," Lady Galadriel said with a wink, bidding her goodnight.

Rae took her time searching for the perfect branch, finally settling on one just outside the third stage. She fastened the hammock to the sturdy wood with a traditional Na'vi knot and settled in, feeling the gentle sway of the branch beneath her.

Just as she was about to enter the land of dreams, Lady Galadriel's voice resonated softly in her mind, soothing and reassuring: "The answers you seek will be shown to you in time. Trust in the journey, and all will become clear. For now, rest, my dear."

Rae did not respond, for she knew that she no longer had to flee from what had fallen.