No one could ever fully describe the true beauty of what we saw next with words. When Mallor and I entered Caras Galadhon with our elvish guides, we were struck dumb with awe by the vision before us. The whole of L�rien was illuminated by this ethereal glow, like nothing else I had ever seen. The leaves of the mallorn trees were even more golden than the ones elsewhere in the forest and lights streamed down from above. There were stairs that ran up the trunks of the mallorn trees and they too glowed. It was just so incredibly awesome.
Upon following Haldir and Company up what seemed to be a nearly endless flight of stairs, we came to this gigantic platform. The elves called them talans, and after being up on one I think I more or less established the fact that the ground was my friend. I�m not afraid of heights or anything; I just was slightly insecure about Middle-earth�s lack of handrails. The last thing I needed was to accidentally trip and fall off one of these things and plummet to my death. At least not before I got some answers, anyway.
Haldir had told us that the Lady of the Golden Wood was sure to be aware of our presence already, but that he would inform her that we sought an audience with her. I figured as much and so I reassured Mallor that everything would be fine when he became antsy, and then we waited patiently. We had been standing there for a relatively good period of time when Galadriel showed up.
I was never much of a Galadriel fan, but I will admit that the great shininess or her appearance made that slight dislike waver for several moments. I can�t help it; it�s one of those blonde things.
�Welcome,� she said. Her voice was really quite melodic and it almost drifted right to your ears. That was pretty cool too. Then I heard her voice in my head, and that was of the utmost ridiculousness. I should have been ready for it but it also scared the crap out of me.
It was a fool�s errand to come here, child.
Fool�s errand my butt. I hadn�t traveled all the way from Minas Tirith, practiced for hours with a glaive, learned to ride a horse, and have been thrown into a river to be told it was a fool�s errand. That seriously peeved me off.
�We have come here seeking answers, my lady,� I said, trying to restrain myself from letting her have it. I just wanted to walk up to her and whack her. But I was a good girl and I kept my temper down.
�I know of you, child. Your arrival at Minas Morgul was revealed unto me,� she said mysteriously. I guessed that to mean she had probably used her mirror or something. �I know not how you came to be of this world. I can give you none of the answers you came here seeking.�
Those were the words I had dreaded to hear. I had come all this way, with Mallor always by my side, just find out that the wisest person on these shores was equally as clueless as I was. That was not a reassuring thought.
�If you have no answers for us, then what are we to do, Lady?� asked Mallor. He was clearly upset that he had helped me get all this way with hopes of finding answers only for us both to be let down.
�It is in Rhosgobel that your answers dwell. Only there shall you find what you seek. I can tell you nothing more,� said Galadriel in a mysterious tone.
�Where is this Rhosgobel?� I asked, having no idea what she was talking about.
�I cannot tell you anything more. Good day to you,� she said and turned to depart.
�Can you not or will you not?� asked Mallor, who was clearly becoming angered at all of this riddling. He was the kind of man who wanted answers when asked for and he wasn�t up for any more mystery than I had already presented him with.
�Both and neither,� she replied softly before leaving us.
Mallor and I were left in an even worse state of confusion than we had arrived in. I ran my fingers through my hair and yelled in frustration. Mallor seemed equally as aggravated as I; the look in his eyes said that well enough.
�What are we to do now? I know nothing of this Rhosgobel, and neither do you! We could get lost in the wilderness seeking it!� exclaimed Mallor.
I thought for a moment. There were elves in L�rien that we could question. That could take days and we probably would find nothing. We didn�t speak elvish, these elves didn�t speak the Common Tongue, and hardly a one of them had ever left their own borders. Then I thought that maybe we could try using Galadriel�s Mirror without her knowing it, but I realized that would never happen. Then an idea struck me.
�I have it!� I said.
�What are you up to?� queried Mallor.
�Mallor, when I was younger and I asked something of one of my parents and they said I could not do or have what I wished, I would ask the other in turn, hoping for a different answer,� I said. It was a sneaky idea and we didn�t stand a very good chance of succeeding. But, if what I was planning worked out, we would have answers shortly.
Mallor smirked at me, knowing what I was getting at.
Perhaps we would succeed like we had planned after all.
