The Golden Wood:


      The group rode in the night, fleeing across the bridge once more and passing into a piece of land from which they looked back down into Rivendell. The Last Homely House burned an angry red in the darkness of night and still, echoing throughout the land, was the shrill shriek of Ringwraiths left behind. 
      “They won’t leave us alone, will they?” asked Pippin softly and Jei did not reply, gazing down at the place that she would have given so much to call home. It burned now, silently, and a soft breeze brought the smell of a burnt salvation, whisking her hair about her face. She stared dully, feeling horribly empty inside. And they merely watched Rivendell burn, watched the flames envelop all of Elrond’s former home and sweep throughout the entire elven refuge.
      They wouldn’t be coming back. Her shoulders fell limply as she realized that. Even if the elves of Rivendell did somehow return from the Undying Lands, they would have no home to return to.  The other elves still on Middle Earth would not come to this burned place. She stood watching Rivendell die, knowing that people would remember the elven refuge but no one would ever remember what it had actually looked like. No one would see the porches that had once brought friends together again, the porch that had given birth to the Fellowship of the Ring. The Hall of Fire would forever rest in pillar and ash, hidden away and forgotten, like the race of elves would soon be. Never again would anyone gaze up through the dome of elven figures and see the rising of the sun and the brilliance of the moon.
      And no one would have been witness to one small moment that she had shared with Legolas. It would be buried away, in her thoughts as well as the stone and dust.
      And suddenly she realized that Rivendell burned because of her. Her eyes widened for a moment as she stared at the smoke rising into the night sky and she understood that had she not come to Rivendell the Last Homely House would stand still and all of Rivendell would have still been partially preserved for other elves who came in search of a refuge. But no, now Rivendell was gone because she had wanted so desperately to see people, elves, and not worry about a Black Rider for a while.
      It was her fault.
      “Let us be off,” Legolas murmured then, and he sat upon a restless Arod, Gimli clutching him from behind. He turned to look toward the hobbits and finally to Jei who sat silently upon Stormrider.
      “How are we going about this?” asked Pippin from behind Merry.
      The elf frowned thoughtfully, eyes straying back to the dying Rivendell. “Nothing has changed. We go back toward the Ford and turn southwards. We will keep west of the mountains and it will be a long ride but it is necessary.”
      Jei shook her head at his words but she did not say anything as she bowed her head and followed as Legolas led them toward the Ford.



      The journey was long, in the time it took to get close to the mountains. After two weeks’ time the mountains seemed to be getting closer although the hobbits complained that every day they awoke to the same sight.
      Jei caught them all shivering at one point or another and she questioned the weather for while there was a cold breeze coming from the mountains, they were all dressed warmly enough to fend it off. But she caught snippets of conversation now and then, bits that broke off as she drew near. How under the three tallest mountains looming above them lay Khazad-dum.
      Khazad-dum…
      That was where Gandalf the Grey had perished and given birth to Gandalf the White. But as she stared into the mountains she knew Khazad-dum another way. A yawning chasm of blackness, the same that she had toppled into when she had been attacked by the Black Rider. And somehow, she suddenly realized that she hadn’t given thought to the whole attack. She lifted a hand to her neck, lagging behind absentmindedly, and she felt the tender flesh but she did not understand why she was still a part of the company when she had, for a small amount of time, been dead.
      I was dead…
      And Isildur above, laughing at her. Laughing.
      She suddenly couldn’t breathe, hunching over Stormrider weakly. Her breath came in gasps and her lips burned, the small marks burning with memory. But she couldn’t grasp what that memory was and she didn’t want to, not if it caused such fear in her to rise. Upon her chest her chain burned suddenly.
      “The Dimrill Dale…” came Legolas’ voice and he rode ahead, motioning. Behind him sat Gimli looking very strangely excited, and her vision swayed, blurring. The hobbits were also moving a bit faster although her sense of time slowed, all of their motions dimly unhurried. “Nanduhirion…”
      Under her Stormrider felt alive almost, her hard flesh crawling under her seat, her mane like thick whips as the wind blew it about. Jei recoiled slightly, blinking to correct her vision, correct her sense of flowing time, but their voices ahead were also muffled sluggishly.
      “…climb Redhorn Gate…Caradhras…”
      “…last time…snow, Legolas! Remember?”
      “…Saruman…no longer…”
      The world lurched suddenly and even seated upon Stormrider she felt as if she was not rooted to the earth anymore. She blinked her suddenly whitening vision, felt all of her old wounds as if they had just been inflicted upon her. Looking down in dense confusion she saw the slice of her robe where she had been cut.
      But above that slice was another rip and the material was wet. She lifted her hand to it, slowly, not understanding and not trusting her senses in this strange plane of vertigo, and her fingers reached into the hole to her clothes underneath. Her fingertips came away bloody and she stared dumbly, trembling. What was happening…?
      “…Mirrormere…the River Silverlode…”
      Gritting her teeth she went for the chain about her neck, taking hold of it and clutching it tightly in her palm, to calm the sudden flaming heat of it against her chest. And though it began to sear her palm like living flame, her senses suddenly came into clear clarity, feeling the sudden comfort of the icy wind from the mountains. Her eyes widened firmly and she inhaled deeply, straining to compose herself. The air cooled her, blew her hair about her face to sooth her burning face and neck. And the air she took in revived her, cleared her head for a moment to see the rest of her company several feet ahead, still going on as if nothing had happened.
      “Do you remember Lothlorien? Why, it was beautiful, all the silver trees and the golden leaves. Will we be there for that again, Legolas? Or are we too late?” That was Pippin, chatting excitedly, Merry looking forward to it as well.
      “No, we will be right on time for that, Pippin. It is their autumn season. If we are not on time then I fear we are early,” answered Legolas.
      “T’is a shame the fair Galadriel has gone, “ said Gimli and he sounded strangely melancholic. “The fairest beauty in all the land now gone. I would have liked to have seen her again..”
      Jei dropped the chain then, hesitant. But the dizziness did not return, squelched for the moment. Underneath her, Stormrider rode still, trotting along comfortably. She raised her eyes to her company but did not say anything to them, content to believe the episode over for the time being.


      They reached Caradhras several days later and the road went twisting, large stones on all sides. Stones and rocks that had fallen. The mere sight of it worried Jei as she scanned ahead warily. The last thing they needed was for a large rock to fall from the sky or roll down the path and squash them. And while it was cold along the pass there was no snow and they trudged along cautiously, ever watchful of the sky.
      “What was it Aragorn once said?” Merry brought up one day as the path wound under a sheer wall of cliffs on their left. On the right was a drop into a chasm, just as dark as Jei imagined Khazad-dum. “’There are many evil and unfriendly things in the world that have little love for those that go on two legs-“’
      “’And yet are not in league with Sauron,’” Legolas finished for him and he frowned thoughtfully about himself.
      “As if you needed to worry, Master Elf,” Gimli said in a grudging tone. “I do recall you flitting about on snow as if it were earth...”
      Legolas smiled faintly.
      Behind them still, Jei asked, “Why did your Fellowship decide to brave the gloom of Moria as opposed to Caradhras the Cruel?” She raised her eyes as she asked, bothered by it.
      “Oh, there was a large snowstorm about that journey. We could not go on, seeing as how we hobbits were buried underneath mounds of the snow. We backtracked and ended up going through Moria,” Pippin answered.
      Jei nodded and quiet down once more, following behind.


      In several days time they came down by the Dimrill Stair. On the side was a torrent of water flowing down powerfully over shorter falls and mist hung about them and in the air at the feet of the mountains. It was a beautiful sight, enchanted, and Jei found herself wishing she had traveled more instead of always trudging along with Palin from town to town. They had always strangely kept close to the west, further passed the Shire, even as close as the Grey Havens. That was where she had been found by Palin, wandering lost but knowing she needed to go west, further west. Always west. Upon meeting Palin the urge to continue west had died away and she had followed him about wherever he had decided to go. Now, as she looked upon the Dimrill Stair, at the water cascading loudly with its own melodic music, she was awestruck by all the magic she had never known about, hidden here so far away.
      They continued on for about a mile and coming out into a small clearing they saw the Mirrormere below, long and oval-shaped. From there, the company’s spirits seemed to rise for Gimli cried, “Durin’s Stone,” and pointed off and Pippin was saying, “Now we are on the right track! I worried for a while for we had not come by this way previously.”
      They came upon a small flow of water that ran into a stream whispering. And pointing further down, Legolas said simply, “The woods of Lothlorien,” and Jei took a step passed him to see where he pointed. The stream became wider as it went off into the valley and below lay a sudden rise of gold and silver. She stared for a moment for it was indeed Lothlorien, exactly as the stories Palin had told her many nights long ago. The trees had a silver bark which she could see even from where she stood, and golden leaves hung from the branches, shimmering in the light of the sun. Her lips parted as a sigh of happiness floated from her and she looked back at Legolas, who smiled.
      A bit more and they came across another river that joined with the Silverlode and the group together took on wistful expressions, baffling Jei. “We rested here for a few hours,” Pippin confided to her, for no one else said anything to her. His young face was solemn but yearning as well as he said softly, “We so wanted to see Lothlorien, especially Frodo and Sam, and at the time all I wanted was a nice, warm meal and blankets to sleep under. But I see now,” he murmured. “I see there is more to comforts.”
      Jei gazed at him gently.
      “There was magic here,” Pippin finished in a whisper and he bowed his head and said no more.
      A few more hours and they had reached the eaves of the Golden Wood. A stream soon cut across the path they had taken to and joined the Silverlode and Legolas motioned for them to cross through the waters. They went deeper into the forest, away from the Silverlode, Legolas leading assuredly and Jei understood once more that they had all been here before.
      “It is getting late,” Legolas said quietly and he stopped his horse then, looking over his shoulder toward the group.
      Jei looked at him and then at the rest of the group as they all stopped as well. “Then we will rest here?” she asked, motioning to the soft ground.
      Wordlessly, but with a small smile, Legolas pointed heavenward.
      Jei looked up and was startled to see hard wood platforms along the tops of the trees. There were quite a few of them, spread out throughout the trees. She swallowed a bit and slowly lowered her gaze to the group. “And if I fall and hit my head?” he asked. “For it would indeed be a long drop…”
      Gimli made a small approving sound.
      “Can’t we continue on?” Pippin asked. “I would very much like to see some of the Galadrim again…”
      Legolas looked at him wordlessly and Jei understood the look. She lifted her head to the darkening sky once more, all strength leaving her. There were no more of the Tree People. They had gone as well. Were there no elves at all left on Middle Earth, then? After a moment Pippin also got the hint and he nodded that he understood.
      “Let us continue,” Jei said, causing the group to look at her. “At least a bit further. I wish to reach the city of the Galadrim and then rest, knowing that, if nothing else, I am protected by magic.” She turned her look on Gimli who grunted in answer and beside her Pippin lifted his head once more eagerly.
      Legolas glanced at Gimli who shrugged wordlessly. And he nodded. “Onward then.”


      They went along the west side of the Silverlode, following it southward for quite a bit. And after some time they reached the bank of a river, rushing powerfully. Legolas studied it critically and Jei noticed three ropes cast across the river, fastened on both sides. She glanced at Legolas but he shook his head. They wouldn’t be using those, not when they had horses. “It is by far a powerful stream but we must pass,” he called to her and he leaned forward and whispered soothingly to Arod. Gimli was a paler shade behind him but he kept quiet.
      The hobbits seemed ready for it and so she also murmured to Stormrider, calming the mare.
      And then, carefully, they began to cross, the horses and the pony pushing forward as the stream rushed by them and around them with strong hands, pulling at them. The water was cold and Jei regretted forcing Stormrider but the mare proved firm and together they followed, crossing over slowly.
      Once across, Merry laughed loudly, looking as if he had just completed an ardent task. “That was amazing!” he cried and he was wet from the thighs up, Pippin just as carefree behind him. The pony looked downright miserable and Jei had half a mind to laugh but feel sorry at the same time.
      Legolas was elsewhere as he took a step forward on Arod, gazing about. “The Naith of Lothlorien…” he murmured and his heart was jubilant. “The last time we came we were blindfolded but now it would seem we are free to wander with our eyes uncovered.” He looked at Jei, and his smile made her heart soar. “Come, Jei. Become acquainted with the Golden Wood the way I could not when first I came.”
      And with that they plunged into the thicket, their horses suddenly alive, as if refreshed by the cold water of the Celebrant. It seemed, strangely enough, as if they were coming home after such a long time and after several moments of cheerful galloping they slowed, for the first time around they had been blindfolded. And for Jei, it was her first time experiencing heaven on earth.
All images and works done/altered by ShiNoFuriko and TasogareBan. Please do not steal and always give credit to where it is due.
The Pendulum