Harry Potter and the Ring of Doom

The next night the Company was summoned to the chamber of Celeborn, where they were greeted with fair words. At length, Celeborn spoke of their departure. "Now is the time when those who wish to continue the Quest must harden their hearts to leave this land. Those who no longer wish to go forward may stay for a time longer. But no longer can any be assured of peace, for we are come to the edge of doom. Those who wish may await the oncoming of the hour when either the ways of the world open once again or you are summoned for the last need of Lorien. Then they may return to their own lands, or else go to the long home of those who fall in battle."

There was a long silence. "They are resolved to go forward," Galadriel said, looking into their eyes.

"As for me, my way home lies onward, not behind," said Boromir.

"That is true," said Celeborn, "but is all this Company going with you to Minas Tirith?"

"We have not decided our course," said Aragorn. "Beyond Lothlorien I do not know what intentions Gandalf had. Indeed, I doubt that even he had a clear purpose."

"Mayhaps not," said Celeborn, "yet when you leave this land, you can no longer forget the Great River. As some of you know well, it cannot be crossed by travellers with baggage between Lorien and Gondor, save by boat. And are not the bridges of Osgiliath broken down and all landings now held by the Enemy? On which side shall you journey? The way to Minas Tirith lies upon this side, upon the west; but the straight road of the Quest lies on the eastern shores. Which will you take?"

"If my advice is heeded," spoke Boromir, "it will be the western shore, and the way to Minas Tirith. But I do not lead this Company." His eyes went to Aragorn, who looked troubled and silent. The others remained silent.

"I see that you do not yet know your course," Celeborn said. "It is not my part to choose for you, nor would I; but I will help as I may. There are some among you who can handle boats: Legolas, whose folk know the swift Forest River, Boromir of Gondor, and Aragorn."

Hermione cleared her throat. "Me too. My folks like to do interesting things during the summers, and boating is a favorite of Mom's."

"That is well," Celeborn replied, smiling. "I shall furnish the Company with boats. They must be small and light, for if you go far by water, there are places where you must exit the water and carry them. You will come to the rapids of Sarn Gebir, and maybe at last to the great falls of Rauros where the River thunders down from Nen Hithoel; and there are other perils. Boats may make your way easier for a time, but in the end they cannot give counsel; in the end you must leave the River and turn west - or east."

Aragorn thanked Celeborn many times. The gift of boats comforted him much, not the least because he now had more time in which to make the final decision as to course. The others looked more hopeful as well; whatever perils lay ahead, it seemed better to float down the broad tide of the Anduin to meet them than to plod forward with bent backs.

"All shall be prepared for you and await you at the haven before noon tomorrow," said Celeborn. "I will send my people to you in the morning to help you make ready for the journey. Now we will wish you all a fair night and untroubled sleep."

"Good night, my friends!" said Galadriel. "Sleep in peace!" Her eyes twinkled as they slid across Ron's, and he blushed to his toes. "Do not trouble your hearts much with thoughts of the road. Maybe the paths you will tread are already laid for you, though you do not see them. Good night!" Her eyes met Harry's for a moment, and the nod was imperceptible to any but him.

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The Company returned to Draco's tent after taking their leave of Celeborn and Galadriel. "Why'd you blush?" Hermione asked Ron in a voice that said that she knew exactly why, as they headed down the ladder. She was handling the steps much more easily than she had when they had arrived.

"Jeez, 'Mione! Don't mess with me right now," he laughed. "I know I'm hopeless." He got a sly look in his eyes as he said, "Hoping you look that good when you're her age?"

Hermione snorted. "If I get to one-tenth her age it'll be a miracle. You know how old she is, don't you?"

"From what I could piece together based on comments in Rivendell, I'd guess well over five thousand," Ron smiled, "and I'm betting adding half again would be a start for hitting the right age." He snorted, sticking out his tongue. "I do read some things not related to Quidditch," he laughed.

"You're probably right about her age, considering her granddaughter is over twenty-five hundred years old," she replied, chuckling. "Arwen told me her age when she was teaching me sword."

Ron shook his head and whistled. "Hope I don't offend anyone by saying that both those ladies are dead sexy." Harry could hear Aragorn snort up ahead, trying not to laugh.

Back in the tent the Company, joined by Legolas, began to hash out the possibilities of their further travels, debating heading straight to Mordor, as opposed to making for Gondor, or Rohan. It was plain that most wished to go to Minas Tirith, and to escape for a while the terror of the Enemy. They would follow a leader over the River and into the shadow of Mordor, but Harry said nothing, choosing to help Hermione with the cooking (and a little snogging, truth be told), and Aragorn was still of two minds on the subject.

As they sat around the table eating, Boromir made his mind clear to the others. "I shall go to Minas Tirith, alone if need be, for that is my duty." He fell silent, and his eyes fell on Harry, and he stared as if to divine the Ring-bearer's thought. At length, he spoke again, quietly, as if debating with himself. "If you wish only to destroy the Ring, then there is little use in war and weapons, and the men of Minas Tirith cannot help. But if you wish to destroy the armed might of the Dark Lord, then it is folly to go without force into his domain, and folly to throw away." He paused, as if suddenly aware that he had been speaking his thought, and ended, "It would be folly to throw lives away, I mean. It is a choice between defending a strong place and walking openly into the arms of waiting death. That is how I see it, at least."

Harry caught something in Boromir's'eyes, and looked hard at him. Folly to throw what away? The Ring? I thought that was settled at the Council of Elrond. He looked longer at Boromir. Apparently not.

The Company drifted to bedrooms to sleep, and it seemed to Harry that there was a note of exuberance to Hermione's lovemaking that night; even more than usual. As she lay against his shoulder, snoring cutely in his ear, his thoughts wandered. I don't like this; I'm learning not to trust Boromir. He wants this thing around my neck, and I'm wondering if he'll do just about anything to get it. I'm thinking that bringing the Company into Mordor would be suicide, though. Eight of us, especially an Elf and a Dwarf, not to mention someone about whom a large number of Prophecies have been written? We'd stick out worse than Ginny's infatuation for me her first year, or Ron's for Galadriel. No, it needs to be the four of us. But I think I'm going to have to tell my friends, and not Aragorn. He'd follow us, I know he would. That's how we'll work it, then; the four of us, and we break away when the chance arrives. The decision made, he slept easily that night.

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In the morning, as they packed, Elves that could speak the Common tongue of Men came to them, bringing packages of food and of clothing for their journey. The food was mostly in the form of very thin cakes, made of a meal that was baked a light brown on the outside, and inside was a creamy white. They called it lembas and told them that it would keep a traveller on his feet for a long day of labour. Each member of the Company next was given a hood and cloak, light yet warm, of the same material that the Galadhrim wore. It could not be said what colour they wore, for it changed as the light struck it differently. "You are indeed high in the favour of the Lady!" they were told, "for these cloaks were woven and made by the Lady herself, and her maidens. Never before have we clad strangers in the garb of our own folk."

After morning meal they said farewell to the lawn by the fountain, which had begun to feel as a home away from home to them. As they stood for a moment looking at the water in the sunlight, Haldir approached from over the green grass of the glade, and Harry greeted him happily.

"I have just returned from the Northern Fences," Haldir said, "and I am sent now to be your guide again. The Dimrill Dale is full of smoke and vapours, and the mountains are troubled. If you had thought to return northwards towards your homes, you would not have been able to pass that way. But come! Your path now leads south."

As they walked the city, they were silent, but once again heard voices murmuring and singing in the trees above them, even though the green ways were empty. They came to the southern gate again, and passed from the city. Turning from the path, they went through a deep thicket of mallorn trees, winding through rolling woods of silver shadow, toward the shores of the River, ever southward and eastward.

They had gone some ten miles and noon was nigh when they came upon a high green wall; passing through it brought them to a long lawn sprinkled liberally with golden elanor. They walked to a landing where boats were moored. Four small grey ones had been prepared for them, and the Elves placed their goods in them. In each of them were three coils of rope, of what appeared to be the same material as their cloaks. Harry picked one up that lay on the grass and began working with it, and whistled. "Nice! It's strong and light. This will come in very handy, I'm sure." He carefully and skilfully rewound the rope and made to place it back on the ground, but one of the Elves smiled and motioned to him that he could keep it with his pack, if he chose. He wound the end so that it would not unravel unexpectedly, and cast "Reducio!" on the rope, then put the much tinier coil in his pack with a grin.

It was decided that the boats would be manned: Boromir and Draco; Aragorn and Harry; Hermione and Ron; and Legolas and Gimli, who had become fast friends during their time in Lothlorien. They left the landing and began their way down the River. After a sharp bend in the river, they saw a swan of great size, and soon realized that it was a ship. Two Elves clad in white steered it with black paddles; and in the midst of the vessel sat Celeborn, with Galadriel standing behind him, a circlet of golden flowers in her hair and a harp in her hands. She was singing an achingly sad and sweet Elven song that Harry wished he could understand. She finished her song and greeted them. "We have come to bid our last farewell, and to speed you with blessings from our land."

"Though you have been our guests, you have not yet eaten with us, and we bid you therefore, to a parting feast, here between the flowing waters that will bear you far from Lorien," Celeborn said. The swan led them to a landing area, where they disembarked for the parting feast.

After the feast was done, and Celeborn had warned them of the possible dangers of the Forest of Fangorn, Galadriel rose from the grass where they all had been seated, took a cup from one of her servants, filled it with white mead, and handed it to Celeborn. "Now it is time to drink the cup of farewell. Drink, Lord of the Galadhrim, and let not your heart be sad, though night must follow noon, and already our evening draweth nigh." She then brought the cup to each of the Company, and bade them drink and farewell. But when they had drunk, she commanded them to sit again, and two chairs were brought for the Lord and Lady. For a time she looked upon her guests, and then spoke again.

"We have drunk the cup of parting, and the shadows fall between us. But before you go, I have brought in my ship gifts which the Lord and Lady of the Galadhrim now offer you in memory of Lothlorien." She reached first for a sheath and said, "Here is the gift of Celeborn and Galadriel to the leader of your Company." It was overlaid with a tracery of flowers and leaves wrought of silver and gold, and on it were set in Elven-runes formed of many gems, the name Anduril and the lineage of the sword. "The blade that is drawn from this sheath shall not be stained or broken even in defeat. Is there aught else that you desire of me at our parting?"

"Lady," he answered, "you know all my desire, and long held in keeping the only treasure I seek. Yet it is not yours to give me, even if you would; and only through darkness shall I come to it."

"Yet maybe this will lighten your heart," Galadriel replied, "for it was left in my care to be given to you, should you pass through this land." She lifted from her lap a great stone of clear green, set in a silver brooch wrought in the likeness of an eagle with outspread wings. "This I gave to Celebrian my daughter, and she to hers, and now it comes to you as a token of hope. In this hour take the name that was foretold for you, Elessar, the Elfstone of the house of Elendil!"

He pinned the brooch on his breast, and the Company wondered; for they had not marked before how tall and kingly he stood, and it seemed as if many years of toil had fallen from his shoulders. "For the gifts you that you have given me I thank you, O Lady of Lorien of whom were sprung Celebrian and Arwen Undomiel. What praise can I say more?"

Galadriel bowed her head, and turned then to Boromir, giving him a belt of gold; and to Draco and Hermione belts of silver, each with a clasp wrought like a golden flower. Legolas received a bow of the style that the Galadhrim used, longer and stouter than the bows of Mirkwood, and strung with Elf-hair. With it came a quiver of arrows.

Ron she bade hold his arms out to her, palms down. Over his arms she slid leather bracers, each emblazoned with an image of the great mallorn of Caras Galadhon. The trunk was silver, and the leaves almost seemed to move; golden they were. "Ever you have been the Protector, the Defender, Lord Ronald Weasley, so accept these as our recognition of this role you have chosen. They have upon them a virtue of protection that will serve you well in the days ahead." Ron responded wordlessly by kneeling on one knee, bowing before the Lady of the Gladhrim, and crossing the bracers in salute.

Turning to Gimli she asked, "What gift would a Dwarf ask of the Elves?"

"None, Lady," answered Gimli, "for it is enough for me to have seen the Lady of the Galadhrim, and to have heard her gentle words."

"Hear all ye Elves!" she cried to those about her. "Let none say again that Dwarves are grasping and ungracious! Yet surely, Gimli son of Gloin, you desire something that I could give? Name it, I bid you! You shall not be the only guest without a gift."

"There is nothing, Lady Galadriel," he replied, bowing low and stammering. "Nothing, unless it might be - unless it is permitted to ask, nay, to name a single strand of your hair, which surpasses the gold of the earth as the stars surpass the gems of the mine. I do not ask for such a gift. But you commanded me to name my desire."

The Elves stirred and murmured with astonishment, and Celeborn stared at him in wonder, but the Lady smiled. "It is said that the skill of the Dwarves is in their hands rather than in their tongues," she said, "yet that is not true of Gimli. For none have ever made to me so bold a request, and yet so courteous. And how shall I refuse, since I commanded him to speak? But tell me, what would you do with such a gift?"

"Treasure it, Lady," he replied, "in memory of the words you spoke to me at our first meeting. And if I ever return to the smithies of my home, it shall be set in imperishable crystal to be an heirloom of my house, and a pledge of good will between the Mountain and the Wood until the end of days."

Galadriel then unbraided one of her long tresses, and cut off three golden hairs, and laid them in Gimli's hand. "These words shall go with the gift," she said. "I do not foretell, for all foretelling is now in vain: on one hand lies darkness, and on the other only hope. But if hope should not fail, then I say to you, Gimli son of Gloin, that your hands shall flow with gold, but over you gold shall have no dominion."

"And you, Ring-bearer," she said, turning at last to Harry. "I come last to you who are not last in my thoughts. For you I have prepared this." She held up a small crystal phial: it glittered as she moved it, and rays of white light sprang from her hand. "In this phial is caught the light of Earendil's star, set amidst the waters of my fountain. It will shine still brighter when night is about you. May it be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out. Remember Galadriel and her Mirror!"

She rose finally, and Celeborn led them back to their boats. It was noon, and the water glittered silver. At last, all was ready. The Company took their places in their boats again, and amidst the cries of farewell from the Elves, were pushed out into the flowing stream, where the waters began to bear them away. They sat unmoving and unspeaking in their boats. On a green bank of a small jetty Galdriel stood alone and silent, and as the Company passed her, they turned and their eyes watched her slowly floating away from them: for so it seemed to them - that Lorien was slowly slipping away, sailing to forgotten shores, while they sat helpless upon the margin of the grey and leafless world. Suddenly the River swept round a bend, and the banks rose upon either side. Lothlorien was behind them.