I gasped in fresh air and sat bolt upright, unaware of my surroundings. I didn’t know where I was but I knew that I was free.

“You are alright now, young one” I bright, warm voice sounded from beside me. I whirled around in reaction to the sound. In the back of my mind I realised that the voice perfectly matched the bright light that saved me from the dark abyss of my mind. She had a very gentle yet at the same time strong aura about her. Delicate, golden wisps of curls framed her face and cascaded down her shoulders and back. A beautifully entwined tiara curled over her forehead and her pure blue eyes inspected me without a hint of uncertainty. Then I heard the voice again but this time she spoke in my mind.

“Do not worry child, you have endured so much over the last two weeks,” my eyes widened. I had been in that state for two weeks. She continued “calm yourself, all will be explained soon, you will attend the council with me, Caladhiel” I wasn't surprised that she knew my name. I had remembered who she was; Lady Galadriel of Lothlorien had saved me from my own mind. I stood up from the bed I had been on and started to follow her up the paths of Rivendell.

***

I could hear Gandalf’s voice fade into existence as he neared “...with or without our help, these dwarves will march on the mountain. They are determined to reclaim their homeland. I do not believe Thorin Oakenshield feels that he’s answerable to anyone. Nor for that matter am I.” He protested indignantly.

Then I heard a familiar voice answer him “It is not me you must answer to.” Elrond referred to Galadriel and I who were waiting for them as they entered the pavilion.

I watched Galadriel turn slowly, and expectantly, toward where Gandalf and Elrond stood.

“Lady Galadriel.” Gandalf greeted her, mesmerised then he turned to me and bowed his head in polite acknowledgement. I bowed my head back, returning the gesture.

Galadriel replied fondly, “Mithrandir. It has been a long time.”

“Nae nin gwistant infanneth, mal ú-eichia i Chíril Lorien.”  Gandalf replied with warmth.

{‘Age may have changed me, but not so the Lady of Lorien.’

Galadriel smiled at the compliment graciously.

“I had no idea Lord Elrond had sent for you.” Gandalf continued.

A voice sounded out of the darkness, “He didn’t. I did.” I had not realised that Saruman was also here but it made enough sense to me. I quickly felt out of place and tremendously underdressed in the presence of the white council.

Gandalf turned to see Saruman the White and upon recognition, bowed to him. I could tell that Gandalf was not exactly happy about Saruman’s appearance.

“Saruman.” Gandalf greeted warily.

Saruman replied in a warning tone as if subtly scolding the man, “You’ve been busy of late, my friend.”

***

Once the formalities were over, Gandalf, Saruman and I sat at the stone table in the middle of the room while Elrond and Galadriel stood and sometimes paced about. The sun’s radiance was just peeking over the horizon, splashing the sky in beautiful violets and blues of early morning.

Saruman began, “Tell me, Gandalf, did you think these plans and schemes of yours would go unnoticed?” the scolding tone in his voice was less concealed his time.

Gandalf attempted to justify his actions, “Unnoticed? No, I’m simply doing what I feel to be right.” But I sensed that he would not make any progress with Saruman.

“The dragon has long been on your mind.” Galadriel stated.

I knew little of the dragon, but after hearing Galadriel's words I suddenly understood what the dwarves had set out to achieve. The conversation carried on.

“This is true, my lady. Smaug owes allegiance to no one. But if he should side with the enemy, a dragon could be used to terrible effect.” Gandalf explained, trying to emphasise the urgency of his quest to the mountain.

Saruman protested, “What enemy? Gandalf, the enemy is defeated. Sauron is vanquished. He can never regain his full strength.”

Then and there I realised what Radagast and Gandalf were discussing when I first met the dwarves. Sauron was trying to return. The darkness I was succumbing to in my injured state must have been his doing. I felt a shiver crawl up my spine like a spider. I felt deathly cold as I let the subject sink in and register in my head. If Gandalf was right. We were all in danger.

Elrond had sided with Saruman, “Gandalf, for four hundred years, we have lived in peace. A hard-won, watchful peace.” It was obvious to me that Gandalf was right; I had experienced first hand the horrors that Sauron had in store for us and I knew that he was capable of more than just sickening a forest. With that thought I swallowed down a lump in my throat. My thoughts began to tangle up and I drifted out of focus. There were so many things to consider now but the biggest question in my mind was by far the hardest. Should I help Radagast or aid the dwarves?

I regained my attention to hear Saruman insult my mentor, “It’s not that. It’s his excessive consumption of mushrooms. They’ve addled his brain and yellowed his teeth. I warned him, it is unbefitting of the Istari to be wander in the woods...”

Anger flared up within me but before I could act or speak up, I noticed the expression that Gandalf wore was equal to Galadriel's. I knew at that moment that they were conversing privately. Then Gandalf set a cloth covered object onto the stone table in front of him.

“What is that?” Elrond enquired.

Galadriel’s voice drifted through the air, “A relic of Mordor.”

Elrond hesitated, but unwrapped the relic nonetheless and everyone, including myself, stared at it in shock.

“A Morgul blade.” Elrond spoke warily.

Galadriel continued to explain, “Made for the Witch-king of Angmar, and buried with him. When Angmar fell, men of the North took his body and all that he possessed and sealed it within the High-Fells of Rhudaur. Deep within the rock they buried them…”

Galadriel’s voice faded out and in its place I could hear the dark voice from before had filled my head; Sauron. He tried to entice me into allowing the darkness inside my heart to consume me. He promised power and a great deal of other things. I struggled to resist. Not because of his promises; I cared little for those. I was simply too weak to hold him off. I tried desperately to block the darkness as the conversation continued. I felt like I was underwater again or behind a layer of glass. Unable hear anything except my own mind. Galadriel was too absorbed in the discussion to notice my predicament. I would have to learn to fight this on my own.

Behind my mental barrier, I saw an elf appear in the archway and bow, clearly baring news.

It somehow cut through my shrouded hearing and I heard the news he had arrived to share.

“My Lord Elrond; the dwarves, they’ve gone.”

  ⁓*⁓

~low-key lost all my readers~

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