𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬

𝘛𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸

Days on horseback and among the trees, and sleepless nights followed. Everyone was within Galadriel's reach, who, after the sighting of the trolls, had been thrust back into an obsessive whirlwind aimed at defeating evil; Lasgalen had never seen her like this before.

"When we found you, it was as if her anger had subsided a little. We were relieved, but now she seems to have returned exactly as before" Elrond had told her while they spoke during a break on a thick branch of a tree that had kindly hosted them.

"And what does Gil-Galad think about it?" the redhead asked thoughtfully. The brunette smiled before looking at her.

"You are the stepdaughter; you should tell me" he said jokingly, receiving a smile and a head shake from the elf. In truth, knowing that Gil-Galad would always be there for her gave her a comforting sense of protection, which reassured her during the toughest moments. It felt as though he were an extension of her father.

"Jokes aside, the King is troubled. He doesn't see these events as alarming as Galadriel does. She is convinced that Sauron himself is roaming these lands unseen, merely planning his new rise. The King believes that evil is defeated. Of course, rooting out any trace of it may take time, but Galadriel never rests" Elrond said, becoming more serious, looking at the dagger in his hand, wiping a stain off with his finger.

"Galadriel is the oldest among us soldiers. She saw the great war of the First Age with all its horrors, and I fear she cannot shake it off" he concluded, looking towards the horizon.

Lasgalen was thoughtful, as well as saddened that the elf was going through such a period with equally dark emotions.

"Do you think there's anything we can do to make her feel better?"

The brunette shrugged, uncertain.

"I believe only Galadriel can heal herself."

The days kept passing, turning into months, even years, in the persistent sifting through the forests of all of Lindon. The troll pack that had attacked the two brothers seemed to be the only one to have awakened, as they found nothing else in their path.

"I don't understand, the Valar are mocking me" Galadriel grumbled, pacing back and forth on the ground scattered with reddish leaves.

"Galadriel, I think we have fulfilled our duty. You have. You have led us better than anyone else, and there is not a corner of the forest that we haven't checked" Lasgalen tried to reassure her, resting on the trunk of a tree.

"Do you really think it was just coincidence?" the blonde snapped, walking toward Lasgalen with an angry and frustrated tone. Lasgalen remained calm, aware that Galadriel would be one of the last people to want to harm her.

"I'm just saying there's no trace of evil in our lands."

"And if it spreads?"

"It is the duty of all the inhabitants of Middle-earth to ensure such evil does not rise again. It is a common interest to all. No one who lived through that time, I believe, wants to see a second one."

The blonde laughed hysterically.
"Oh, that's exactly the point. Those who fought in that time from all the races of this land are dead. Those who aren't have minds prone to easy forgetfulness, and us elves are the only ones with such caution on this matter" she said, then resumed pacing back and forth on the ground.
Lasgalen detached herself from the trunk and took a few steps forward.

"I often think of my father and what he would have wanted for me, the path he would have preferred I take. I would never dare pass judgment on such matters, but something tells me your brother wouldn't have wanted to see you consumed by the terrible need to destroy something that cannot be seen" the redhead said, as Galadriel stopped and turned her back to her. They stood like that for a moment before Lasgalen spoke again.