Silverhelm: A Tale of Two Enemies

A Hundred Wafers Of Lembas On The Wall

I woke early the next morning. The sun's rays filtered through the leaves, casting a green glow over the forest. The birds were singing their morning songs in perfect harmony. Recalling what Galadriel had said to Frodo the night before, this would be the day of our departure.

Putting on a clean set of clothes and brushing out the tangles of my hair and painstakingly removing the leaves as Galadriel had chided the night before, I looked around me. The forest was peaceful, as is the peace that is found only in the early morning. Once all the twigs and leaves were out, actually brushing my hair was harder. When all the tangles had been undone, I braided my hair in an Elvish hairstyle that would keep it out of my face no matter how hard the wind was.

On the downstairs talan, everyone was still asleep. I knew this because I could hear Sam and Aragorn snoring loudly (poor Arwen...) and Merry talking in his sleep about... mushrooms... and... maggots? Lightly running down the taut rope, I nudged the closets person with my foot, it was Boromir.

"Get up, sleepyheads!" I said. "It's a beautiful morning, and no self-respecting person would be asleep at this hour."

"What's so beautiful about it? No self-respecting person would be awake at this hour," Legolas grumbled, opening an eye.

"Oh, stop complaining. I don't know how you all are asleep, thanks to Sam and Aragorn's snoring."

At this, Sam sat up, rubbing his eyes. "I snore?" he asked. I smothered a laugh.

"Like a Balrog with chest congestion, yes. Now, get up, all of you! Today is the day we leave fair Lorien."

At that, they all sat up. Except for Merry, who kept talking about mushrooms, cabbages, and maggots. Frodo shook him by the shoulders, and he also woke up. Gimli snickered.

"Who's this Maggot?" he asked. So Maggot was a person. What a strange name. Then again, hobbits.

Merry turned red. "No one," he muttered. Pippin hurriedly changed the subject.

"So we're leaving?" he asked. I nodded.

"Someone left this near the ladder," I said, holding up a scroll. I unrolled it so everyone could see.

"Of course it's in Elvish. You elves and your fancy everything," Gimli grumbled. And indeed, it was written in the beautiful flowing Tengwar. Squinting to read it, I turned to everyone.

"It's in very flowery language that some of us might be a little too dull-witted to understand" - I directed this last bit at Legolas - "but the gist of the message is that our presence is required at the swan dock."

"The swan dock?" asked Boromir.

"I'll show you, come on." I descended the ladder. They all followed, and I led them through the forest. We had to stop quite a few times when Boromir, unused to traveling through a forest, got caught in brambles. On purpose, I was leading them through a place where there was no path.

"Are we lost?" Legolas finally asked from beside me.

"I don't get lost. I have spent a long time exploring these woods," I responded.

"Is there no path to the swan dock?" Boromir asked from behind.

"There is," I said. Indignant outrage from the entire, except for Aragorn who knew me well by now. "But this way is quicker."

I led on. Gimli was still grumbling, sinking deep into the loamy earth with each footfall while Legolas and I walked without a trace, and the hobbits made hardly any tracks.

Soon the trees began to thin, and the hanging vines disappeared. Ahead, I could see the backs of Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel facing the path - the way we should've come. I held a finger to my lips, and silently pushed aside the brush in front of me. Stepping onto the flagstones, I tapped Haldir's shoulder, who stood beside them.