We came to the forest of Lothlorien. Legolas looked around as if he was coming home. My reaction was of the opposite. 

"Ah, Lothlorien. The fairest of all the dwellings of my people. There are no trees like the trees of this land, for in autumn the leaves fall not, but turn gold. Not till spring comes and the new greens open do they fall, and then the boughs are laden with yellow flowers; and the floor of the wood is golden, and golden is the roof, and it's pillars are of silver, for the bark of the trees are smooth and grey. So still our songs in Mirkwood say. Have you ever been to Lothlorien, Arietta?" 

"No," I lied to Legolas. I saw Gimli look around nervously in front of me. 

"Stay close young hobbits. They say a great sorceress lives in these woods. An Elf-witch of terrible power. All who look upon her fall under her spell." I snickered. 

"That sorceress is-" I was about to say Lady Galadriel when I tripped over a tree root. Legolas caught me before I fell and Gimli started chuckling. 

"Aren't elves supposed to be light on their feet and flawless?" I glared at him. 

"Yeah, but I'm part dwarf." Legolas laughed at my small dwarf insult. 

"I do not trip. I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox!" Suddenly, a female elf had her bow in my face, the tip of the arrow only a few inches from my face. 

"Get any closer and I'll burn your bow so fast that your arms will be scorched. They'll send you off to Mordor because you'll fit right in with the orcs," I said in elvish tongue. I looked ahead as an elf stepped out. Not just any elf, though. Haldir, the elvish captain that tried to marry me twenty years ago. Well, isn't this just lovely. 

He walked up in front of me with a smile on his face. 

"Well, hello, Arietta. I haven't seen your pretty face in quite a while." He lightly caressed my face and I took a step back. This was all because of my grandmother's meddling in personal lives. Haldir turned and started to lead us. 

* 

It was now dusk and Haldir was speaking to Legolas and me. 

"Welcome Legolas, son of Thranduil." Haldir said in the elvish language. 

"Our fellowship stands in your debt, Haldir of Lorien," Legolas said and Haldir turned to Aragorn. 

"Oh, Aragorn of the Dunedain, you are known to us." 

"Haldir," Aragorn said in acknowledgement. 

"So much for the legendary courtesy of the elves! Speak words we can all understand." Gimli said in a frustrated tone. 

"We have not had dealings with the dwarves since the Dark Days." 

"And you know what this dwarf says to that? Ishkhaqwi ai durugnul!" Which meant: I spit on your grave! 

I gasped a little as Aragorn grabbed Gimli and scolded him. Haldir moved on to Frodo. 

"You bring great evil with you. You can go no further." Haldir walked away. 

*

Aragorn began pleading with Haldir to let us stay. Haldir was firm and denied him. Then I did the unexpected. I walked up to Haldir and began running my fingers up and down his arm. I leaned in and whispered in elvish softly, 

"Remember that kiss that we shared before I left? I might do it again if you let us in." I knew that I was being low but we needed in and if using my feminine side got us in there, then so be it. 

"Very well. Here we will stay awhile and come to the city of Galadhrim on the morrow." 

*

We began walking and Legolas and I were in the back. 

"Are you and Haldir together?" Legolas asked in a strained voice. I could hear jealousy as well. 

"Is little Greenleaf jealous?" I asked as if speaking to a child. 

"I am not jealous!" He said too quickly, causing me to laugh. 

"Legolas, I'm not taken by anyone and I don't plan on it," I reassured him. We continued walking in silence until we came to a chamber. Lord Celeborn, Lady Galadriel, and my mother, Lady Adalia, stood in front of us. 

"I see you are still alive, Arietta," my mother said to me. 

"Yeah, wouldn't it be too bad if there was no one you were ashamed of?" My mother slightly smiled at my comment since she probably expected a sarcastic reply. Then Lord Celeborn began speaking. 

"The enemy knows you have entered here. What hope you had in secrecy is now gone. Nine there are here, yet ten were set out from Rivendell. Tell me, where is Gandalf? For I much desire to speak with him. I can no longer see him from afar." My hair fell in front of my face as I bowed my head, not letting anyone see the tears that started to stream down my face. Legolas told them what happened. 

"Needless were none of the deeds of Gandalf in life. We do not yet know his full purpose," Lady Galadriel said. I looked up and her eyes were on me. 

"Arietta, little song, for the many losses has brought you grief, but happiness will find a way in. It always does." I began to sob quietly in front of the fellowship. Lady Galadriel began to talk again but I did not hear a word that she said for the death of Gandalf had finally sunk in. Soon, I felt myself being pulled into a tent. 

* 

I pulled out of my misery and sat on the bed Legolas had made for me. Legolas was outside listening to the sad songs of the elves that I couldn't even repeat. 

"A lament for Gandalf," Legolas said sadly. 

"What do they say about him?" 

"I have not the heart to tell you. For me, the grief is still too near," Legolas replied to Merry and then sat down beside me. 

"I bet they don't mention his fireworks. There should be a verse about them," Sam said, standing up. 

The finest rockets ever seen 

They burst in stars of blue and green 

Or after thunder, silver showers 

Come falling like a rain of flowers. 

"Oh, that doesn't do them justice by a long road." Sam sat back down, frustrated and disappointed in himself. Boromir turned towards me. 

"How about you sing? Doesn't your name mean 'Little Song'?" he asked. 

"I was given that name because my father sang songs." 

"So you don't sing?" I sighed quietly. 

"I do but right now it wouldn't be anything joyful." The fellowship looked at me expectantly. I cleared my throat and began singing. 

Float on,  

to the painted skies. 

Where dreams will be unified,  

As I,  

Slip inside.

Multiply humanity,  

Harmonize insanity. 

Shedding light of remedy,  

pulling tight of clarity. 

Shattered glass, 

In flower beds. 

Humanize, 

Inhuman ends.

It's all the same for the Dreamers, 

It's all the same, 

For us.

Float on, 

To the painted skies. 

Where dreams will be unified. 

As I'm swept inside, 

Were butterflies-

Utilize surrendering, 

When silence forced, 

To you it seems. 

Sterilize your mentality, 

Compromise your reality. 

Restful mind, 

And peaceful eyes. 

When sound is gone, 

Than you will find-

It's all the same for the Dreamers, 

It's all the same, 

For us, 

For us.

Float on, 

To the painted sky. 

Where dreams will be unified, 

As I'm swept inside. 

Hold on, 

To the painted sky. 

Where we will be unified, 

As I stand inside.

Where butterflies, 

Never die. 

Will never die 

Where butterflies never die.

No one said anything for a few minutes. Finally Pippin spoke up. 

"That was the most beautiful thing that I have ever heard." The fellowship murmured in agreement as Aragorn added, 

"Thorin would have been proud." I smiled at him sadly as I laid my head on Legolas's chest. 

The Dream

copyright 2011 by jon gutmacher

She was sleeping
deeply
dreaming dreams of things
so long ago
things that were
and never were
and those that could have been
for she was old now
and while there were those who loved her
many had passed
and others were too far away
and so she was alone

A mirror appeared
and she looked in it
what she saw was not unpleasing
yes, older
but kind
and good
and despite all these years
there was an inner and outer beauty
that shone thru and burned bright
but also there was a sadness
for something was missing

Suddenly the mist of time appeared
swirling around her
until so thick that nothing could be seen
or heard
or even imagined
and then the mist cleared
and she found herself in a hallway that went on
forever
and she did not know what to do
and for the first time
she was afraid
for she was alone
in a place so strange
that it seemed without end

And then she felt a hand in hers
and a soothing voice spoke to her
and she felt immediately calm
and warm
and good
and safe
and knew
for the first time
that she was not alone, and never would be
but still – she could not see him
for he was hidden

And she called to him saying
"Who are you , and how did you get here?"
And he laughed softly
with a gentleness that warmed her soul
and said: "Do not fear, my love, for I am always with thee"
"None can do you harm, for I watch over you "

And with that
she awoke
alone
in her bed
Wishing
she were back
in the dream