A much calmer Ellie returned to the campsite just before dawn. The others were asleep,
but Legolas was not. He was sitting perfectly still, as if frozen, with his head bent back
against the rock wall and his long legs stretched before him. She went and stood by his
side, and because she couldn�t stop herself, she softly traced his chiseled jaw with one
finger. The Elf closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then turned his head to meet her
eyes. For a long moment, the two of them studied each other in silence. Then he smiled
tenderly at her.
Ellie was relieved. �You are not angry with me anymore?� she whispered, as she sat
down next to him.
The Elf shook his head. �I had no right to get angry with you in the first place. The truth
is, I was not angry for long. You were honest with me, Ellie, and I appreciate that. And I
respect you for holding true to your beliefs, even if I cannot agree with them.�
Ellie smiled sadly. Never before had her �beliefs� weighed so heavily on her heart. But
she had sworn after her mother had died that she would remain faithful to her Ilissan
heritage, and she would not break that vow�not for Legolas, not even for Jamie if and
when the time came for them to part. And then, because she felt she owed him this much,
she said, �I want you to know, Legolas, that I understand what you were trying to tell me.
I understand.� She laid her hand on his arm and looked up at him, �And I thank you for
understanding me.�
As Legolas looked down at her solemn face, he silently vowed that he would never allow
himself to be alone with Ellie again. For he knew that he would not be able to resist
making her his, whatever the consequences.
The journey of the Fellowship became even more perilous in the days that followed. For
just as they were about to set out that morning, a flock of crebain spies darkened the sky.
Gandalf now knew that their planned route was being watched. So he decided to lead the
travelers over the frozen mountain pass on Caradhras instead.
The climb to the pass was a difficult one. Ellie and Legolas were unaffected by the cold,
but the others in the group were not so fortunate. The hobbits and Jamie in particular
were in real danger of freezing to death. Ellie did what she could to radiate her heat into
the young boy�s body as she held him closely, but even with the Elf at her side trying to
help, she could do nothing to prevent them from sinking into the deep snow with every
step they took. For although she was as light on her feet as Legolas, she was unable to
carry the boy, and the Elf alone could not keep Jamie warm enough. Finally, after an
avalanche buried them all before they were able to reach the pass, Gandalf admitted
defeat and the Fellowship turned back. They decided to try to go through the Mines of
Moria next.
The Fellowship did not arrive at the outer walls of Moria until after dusk. It was a bleak,
forbidding place, and a strong sense of foreboding began to invade Ellie�s mind as they
made their approach around a large, murky lake. There was great danger here�both
inside the mines and in the water. Ellie could feel it.
�Legolas�� she began fearfully.
�I know, little one, I feel it too.�
She grabbed hold of Jamie�s hand and moved them both closer to the Elf�s side. When
Aragorn set Bill the pony free, Ellie couldn�t help wishing that she could leave this place
with him.
Her fears were well founded, for no sooner had they stepped inside the mines than they
found the floor littered with the remains of dozens of dwarves. Then, just as they began to
back out, a beast from the lake attacked Frodo, and they were forced back into the
dreadful mines again, only to be trapped there by a rock-slide. They had no choice now
but to travel through the dark heart of Moria, and Ellie�s spirits plummeted. Legolas
found a couple of short swords amid the dwarven remains and handed them to her. �For
you and the boy, should the need arise.� Something told her that it would.
Later that night they made camp at the top of a long, steep flight of stairs. As Jamie
settled his head on Ellie�s lap, he asked her to sing him to sleep�something he hadn�t
done since he was a very young boy. Ellie�s feelings were bittersweet as she recalled
those nights of long ago, and cradling his head tenderly, she began to sing in a clear, but
soft voice that would not carry far. She sang of a mother�s love and the innocence of
childhood, of friendship shared and simple joys. And as she sang and lulled the boy to
sleep, her heart and soul were bared for all to see.
When she fell silent, Gandalf spoke for everyone, �That was beautiful, Ellie.�
She raised wistful eyes to his. �My mother used to sing those songs to me when I was a
child.�
�You must have been very lonely after she passed away,� the wizard replied.
�Lonely for my own kind, yes. There were no other Ilissans in Ravenwood. But I was
never alone. I have had good friends.� She looked down at the sleeping boy and her
wistful eyes became sadder. �It is a difficult thing, watching people you care about grow
old and die.�
Legolas spoke up, �In Lothlorien you will be among your own kind too�and Elves don�t
die.�
Ellie turned to him, a surprised look on her face, as his words reminded her that she was
probably half-Elven. She nodded slowly. �Yes�that is so��
�You are almost certain to meet your father, if he is a Lothlorien Elf,� he continued.
�And it was your mother who sent you there,� he added with a pointed look.
The girl�s eyes grew wide at his implication that her mother would deliberately have sent
her to her father. That thought had simply not occurred to her before. �He may not
remember my mother,� she finally whispered. �It was so long ago.�
Legolas snorted in a most un-Elflike way. �If she was anything like you, he�ll
remember.� The others chuckled.
The next few days passed without incident, as the wary travelers quietly walked and
climbed through the dark corridors of Moria and remained undetected by the foul
creatures that inhabited its cavernous depths. But on the fourth day they were viciously
attacked.
Trapped inside Balin�s Tomb in the great dwarf city, the eleven companions had to face
an army of bloodthirsty Orcs and one enraged cave troll. Ellie and Jamie had never been
this close to living Orcs before, let alone a troll, and they were both disgusted and terribly
frightened by the ugly, putrid-smelling creatures. But Jamie, as a young prince, had been
taught to wield a sword and Ellie, although untrained, was quick on her feet and had
excellent reflexes. Gandalf had ordered them to hide near some columns at the back of
the room, and there they effectively fought off the handful of attackers who were able to
reach them�until Ellie came face-to-face with an Orc with pierced ears. Up until that
moment, she had believed that only Ilissans pierced themselves, and to see something so
unique to her family being practiced by such a hideous creature was an abomination to
her. Caught off guard, Ellie faltered, and the Orc�s blade sliced across her right shoulder.
He might have killed her�for Ellie was unable to maintain her grip on her sword�if
Legolas had not shot him dead with an arrow from somewhere across the room.
By the time the battle was over, the eleven companions were bloody and bruised. But
Ellie was unable to heal anyone, for no sooner had the fighting stopped, than they heard
another troop of Orcs approach. The Fellowship fled into the Great Hall, and as she ran,
Ellie pressed one healing hand on her shoulder to stem the bleeding from her wound. But
no matter how fast they ran, they could not get away from the horde of screeching Orcs
that descended upon them. Within minutes they were completely surrounded�and there
was no hope for escape. A horrified Ellie recalled the tales she had heard about the fate of
women and children captured by Orcs, and her heart despaired for the young boy beside
her. But then she saw Legolas exchange a look with Aragorn, and she knew that they
would never allow her and Jamie to be taken alive. She hugged the boy fiercely and
pressed his face to her chest, as the grim Elf met her eyes and reached back for his long
knife, and the dark-haired man took a step toward them, sword in hand.
At the last moment Ellie�s courage failed her and she shut her eyes. A terrible roaring
filled her ears, and she thought she might actually swoon before the merciful deed was
done. But instead of a cold blade and Death, she felt Legolas� strong arms wrap tightly
around her and Jamie, and his warm lips press against her temple. �They�re fleeing,
Ellie!� she thought she heard him say. And the girl opened incredulous eyes to find that
this was true.
But their respite was short-lived. For the Orcs had fled from something even more evil
and terrible than they�a Balrog, an ancient demon of fire and shadow. Ellie had never
heard of such a creature before, but Gandalf and Legolas had. And the sudden elation she
had felt at finding herself still alive quickly dissipated as she sensed the growing terror
inside of the wizard and the Elf.
The companions were on the run again, the evil Balrog in pursuit. Through many
corridors, down countless stairs, they ran toward the narrow bridge that offered their only
means of escape from the Mines of Moria. All the while, Orcs kept shooting arrows from
ledges up above them, with Legolas� and Aragorn�s bows providing their only defense.
Gandalf knew they could not outrun the Balrog. He ordered the others across the bridge,
but did not follow them. At first his companions did not realize that he meant to take a
stand against the demon. By the time they did, it was too late. The Balrog was mere yards
away from the old wizard. And seconds later, both fell down a seemingly endless chasm.
Frodo�s anguished scream echoed through the corridors as the remaining ten companions
sped out of the mines. Once outside, they were overwhelmed with shock and grief. Frodo
walked aimlessly away with tears trailing down his face. Jamie and the other hobbits sank
to the ground and sobbed. Gimli tried to run back inside to continue fighting but was
stopped by a grief-stricken Boromir. And Legolas held a badly shaken Ellie closely, his
sorrow at Gandalf�s loss compounded by the horror he still felt at having almost taken the
girl�s life. Only Aragorn maintained his composure and, assuming control of the
Fellowship, he urged his companions to move on.
But then something extraordinary happened. As her initial shock started to wear off, Ellie
listened to her heart and instead of the silence she expected to find where Gandalf�s heart
had been, she felt a strong, steady heartbeat.
�He�s alive!� she yelled, her eyes suddenly wild, as she pushed away from Legolas and
turned toward the mines. But before she could take another step, the Elf grabbed her by
the shoulders and looked at her, a puzzled frown on his face.
�Legolas, Gandalf is alive! His heart is beating strong inside of mine!� she exclaimed,
and when he would not let go of her, �We need to go back for him!�
�Ellie, we can�t,� he said quietly, �it is too dangerous. We would not be able to reach
him.�
But Ellie was not listening. She was desperate to go back for Gandalf�frantic not to lose
his heartbeat as she had lost so many others. And when Legolas still would not let go of
her, she began to struggle in earnest, pummeling his chest with her fists and trying to
push away from him. He tightened his grip on her shoulders and then pulled her hard
against his body, trapping her hands between them.
�Ellie, stop it! I don�t want to hurt you.� But Ellie did not stop.
Aragorn approached them, and the girl now turned her face toward the dark-haired man
and pleaded with him, even as she continued to struggle with Legolas, �He is alive,
Aragorn, he is ALIVE. We must rescue him!� The others gathered around and stared at
Ellie, hope rekindling in their hearts.
But Aragorn shook his head sadly and, understanding the reason for her anguish, gently
said, �Legolas is right, Ellie. We would never be able to reach Gandalf, not where he has
fallen. It would be folly to try. Nor would he want us to. This place will soon be crawling
with Orcs. We cannot remain here.� And then he reminded them all, �We must see Frodo
and the ring safely to Mordor. That is our mission.�
At last Ellie went still in Legolas� arms, for she realized that what Aragorn had said was
true. �I�m sorry,� she whispered to the Elf, and he tenderly kissed the top of her head.
Aragorn announced that they would be reaching the woods of Lothlorien before nightfall.
And as he walked passed Frodo, he squeezed the hobbit�s shoulder in reassurance. �Don�t
lose hope, Frodo. Gandalf is a great wizard and may yet find a way out.�
CHAPTER EIGHT: A Lothlorien Elf
The woods of Lothlorien were lovely and deep, and painted in hues of gold and orange in
the late afternoon when the Fellowship arrived. Jamie was brimming over with
excitement; and, despite some apprehension at what might await her, Ellie too found her
spirits rising as she beheld the beauty and majesty of the ancient forest. Legolas walked
silently beside her, reverently studying the stately trees.
The travelers did not immediately encounter any Elves, but Ellie could sense watchful
eyes follow their every move inside the woods. And then, without warning, the
Fellowship was surrounded by Elven archers, bows drawn and arrows ready. Ellie was
too struck by their ethereal beauty to be afraid. For they were fair and tall like Legolas,
with a proud bearing and a languid grace. The girl stared at them in awe.
Ellie heard Aragorn address someone named Haldir, whom he obviously knew, but she
could not see that Elf from where she was standing. When Haldir replied, however, a
chill went up Ellie�s spine and her body startled. The sound of his voice touched a chord
deep inside of her and ignited a spark of recognition in her heart and soul; she felt an
instant affinity with this unseen Elf. Disregarding the arrow pointed at her breast, the girl
stepped forward slowly. And at the same moment Ellie saw the Elf for the first time,
Haldir noticed her. His fair face lost what little color it had, and the bow and arrow he
held fell unheeded to the ground. On legs that suddenly felt too weak to sustain him,
Haldir of Lorien moved toward the small girl.
�Naia,� he whispered, shock and disbelief in his handsome face.
For a moment Ellie could not react, as she stared back at the Elf who she now
instinctively knew to be her father. Then she shook her head. �I am not Naia. I am
Elanae, her daughter.�
�Her daughter?� he asked, confused, still reeling from his initial shock.
Ellie nodded. And then, because she felt he should know, she quietly told him, �My
mother passed away almost 200 years ago.�
Haldir closed his eyes briefly, and then said, more to himself than to her, �Of course. She
was mortal after all.� Then he started, as he realized that Naia�s daughter must be
impossibly old by human standards. That could only mean that she was part-Elven. And
the thought suddenly came to him that she might be his.
�How old are you?� he asked, his attention riveted once again on the girl, his eyes
intense.
Ellie hesitated for just a moment. �I am 285.�
His daughter. Haldir could scarcely believe it even as his heart recognized the truth, for
he too felt the same affinity toward Ellie that she felt toward him�a strong pull that had
nothing to do with Naia, and everything to do with the blood they shared. As he led the
Fellowship deeper into Lothlorien, he was aware of her every step behind him, of her
every breath. And whenever he glanced over his shoulder, he would find her dark,
enigmatic eyes studying him. Did she suspect the truth?
When Naia had left him without a word all those years ago, Haldir had not known she
was with child. Nor did he know where she went, for she left behind no traces, her
disappearance from Lothlorien as much a mystery as her arrival had been. He never knew
she was Ilissan, although there were others among the Elves who did. All Haldir knew
was that he had loved her more than he had ever loved, and would ever love, another
being and she had betrayed that love, abandoning him and shattering his heart. And now,
Naia�s daughter�his daughter�walked but a few feet behind him through the woods of
Lothlorien. He wanted to cry out his pain; he wanted to sing out his joy. He wanted to
embrace the girl and never let go of her. There was so much he wanted to tell her, so
much he needed to know�But now was not the time.
Ellie could sense the intense emotions roiling inside the Elf, for in many ways his
emotions mirrored her own. Despite Legolas� warning a few nights before, she had been
unprepared for this encounter, and she found herself at a total loss. Ellie was surprised
and bewildered by the depth of her feelings for Haldir, having only just met him. And she
did not know what to do, what to say to him, now that she was sure that the Elf knew she
was his daughter. As an Ilissan, she had been destined never to know her father. Indeed,
she had not missed having a father, never had yearned for one, and she had not thought to
ask her mother questions about his identity�even when it became clear to her that she
was more than a mortal human. When Naia told Ellie to seek refuge in Lothlorien, she
must have known that this meeting might take place. The girl felt a sudden surge of anger
against her mother for never having warned her.
Ellie looked at Legolas walking beside her and met his sympathetic gaze. He too had
guessed that Haldir was her father. And he, more than anyone else, understood what she
was going through. She could not help but recall the words he had spoken that morning
after their lovemaking, ��you ask too much of me, Ellie. You expect me to give you a
child�my child�and then walk away and have nothing more to do with you or her. My
daughter would never know me, would not even know my name.� Ellie�s heart filled with
compassion for Haldir the Elf, and all the faceless, nameless others who had fathered
Ilissan daughters.
They arrived at the woodland city of Caras Galadhon the following day. That evening,
after a brief meeting with the Fellowship, the Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn
welcomed Ellie and Jamie to Lothlorien. The Elven couple remembered Naia well, and
had known of her Ilissan heritage when they had offered her sanctuary almost three
centuries earlier. Now they were pleased to have her gifted, half-Elven daughter make her
home among her relatives in the Golden Wood.
The other eight companions were taken to guest tents that had been set up at the base of a
great mallorn tree. Ellie and Jamie had been offered a room of their own high among the
branches, but instead they chose to remain with their friends, who would be staying only
one more day in Lothlorien.
The two, however, did not decline the offer of a bath and new clothes. After more than
three months in the wilderness, wearing the same ragged dress, with few opportunities to
wash, Ellie was ecstatic at the thought of being clean again. An Elf maiden led them to a
secluded bathing pool. And with her help, Ellie unwove her many braids and slipped out
of her dress.
�Thank you. You can burn this!� she laughed, as she handed over the filthy garment. And
then she hurried to join Jamie in the warm, spring-fed pool, where the boy was merrily
splashing away.
�Ellie, you look like a noble Lady again!� exclaimed Jamie when the girl was finally
dressed and groomed. Indeed, she felt like one. For she smelled clean and fresh like
spring rain. And she wore a fine silk gown of iridescent white that clung becomingly to
her soft curves and made her pale skin shine even brighter. The Elf maiden had tied the
hair around her face with a ribbon, but the rest of it hung thick and wet down her back. It
would curl once it began to dry, but for now it was as smooth as a raven�s wing,
shimmering blue in the moonlight. Ellie had never looked more beautiful.
It was this lovely vision of his daughter that filled Haldir�s eyes when the girl and boy
finally appeared. The Elf had been standing amid the darkling trees, waiting for a chance
to speak with her. But he found himself unable to utter a word when he beheld her
beauty�at once pale and dark�and so heartbreakingly similar to Naia�s. Although she
could not see him, Ellie sensed his presence and paused, facing the hidden copse where
he stood. Giving himself a mental shake, Haldir the Elf stepped out of the shadows.
�Elanae�Ellie�may I walk you back?�
The girl nodded. �Yes Haldir. I would like that.� And she told Jamie to go on ahead
without her.
The Elf approached her and for a moment the two of them stood face to face, without
saying a word. Then he asked, �Do you know who I am?�
�Yes,� she replied, then walked to his side and tentatively placed her arm in his. The Elf
gasped at the heat that surged through his body at her touch. His daughter�s skin burned
just like her mother�s! But now he knew the reason, for earlier that evening the Lady
Galadriel had told him the truth about Naia.
�I loved your mother very much, Ellie. And I want you to know that of all the gifts Naia
could have left me, the gift of a child is the greatest one of all. You cannot imagine what I
feel, knowing who you are and having you here with me.�
Ellie was deeply moved by Haldir�s words, and she didn�t have the heart to tell him that,
as an Ilissan, Naia had had no intentions of leaving her daughter to him. But then the girl
remembered that her mother had, in fact, done just that when she bade her to go to
Lothlorien to seek refuge.
Ellie was puzzled. Why had her mother broken her vows?�The surprising answer came
to her as she looked up at the handsome Elf who was her father. Because she had loved
him. She was sure of it now. And Naia must have known that, sooner or later, her
daughter would be compelled to go.
As they slowly made their way back to the others, sometimes stopping along the way,
Haldir answered Ellie�s questions about his life in Lothlorien and about her Elven family.
He spoke of Naia and the time they had spent together. And since he was curious to know
everything about Ellie, she told him about growing up in Ravenwood with her mother,
and about her life after Naia�s passing. She spoke of her closeness to Jamie and their
escape into the wilderness. Finally, she told him about their journey with the Fellowship
and, although she did not mention her feelings for Legolas, her eyes and her voice
nevertheless betrayed her love for the Elven prince whenever she spoke of him. Haldir
smiled to himself as the girl continued with her tale.
��And that is how we came to be here, Haldir,� Ellie concluded.
The Elf suddenly stopped and turned to face his daughter, cupping her chin with one
hand. �I am your father, Ellie. Will you not address me as such?� he asked her.
Ellie stared at him, her throat constricting as she saw the tenderness and longing in his
eyes. She owed him so much, this Elf who was her father, for it was from him that she
had received some of her greatest gifts. And the two of them shared one more thing�an
all-important thing to Ellie�and that was their love for Naia.
�Yes, Father,� she whispered, and hugged him.
