The Whispers of Valinor

Shattered

The journey through the forests of Eregion had been an endless stretch of quiet contemplation, but tonight, there was something different in the air. A sense of unease that clung to Althaea, making it impossible to ignore. It had been hours since they had left the camp, and though the group walked together Frodo, Sam, Legolas, Aragorn, Gimli, and
Galadriel
Althaea could feel the distance between her and the others.

Thru the journey to the forest of Eregion
Althaea meets her closest friend, Galadriel
The one that have been with her since she was a child, her mother's best friend.

POV: Galadriel

"Since you left for this journey I thought you needed some friend with you my dear"
Galadriel says, caring Althaea hair gently.

"We were waiting for you"
Aurèlia jumps and hugs you, so does ithara

And there was althaea watching from a distance and smiling softly.

Thru the journey
The day had been filled with laughter and shared stories a lighthearted break
in their otherwise grim journey.
But Althaea could not shake the feeling that something was wrong. And it wasn't just the burden of the mission that weighed on her there was something deeper, more personal, gnawing at her heart.

Flashback:

The scene shifted in Althaea's mind, the familiar faces of her childhood rushing back to her. She was only a teenager in Elven terms, yet her bond with Galadriel was so strong, it felt like they had known each other for lifetimes. They had played together in the lush gardens of Valinor, where every moment had seemed carefree, every word full of innocence.

One memory stood out above the rest: the evening when Althaea, still feeling the sting of her parents' death, had sought solace in the company of Galadriel, the Lady of Light. Althaea had always been close to her, though she had never considered Galadriel a typical mentor. To her, Galadriel was like a second mother gentle, wise, and warm with a love that Althaea had sorely missed since her own mother passed.

"Althaea," Galadriel had said to her once, as she stood with her under the glowing trees, "You are stronger than you think. You carry more than just your own burdens."

Althaea remembered how Galadriel had held her hands, her touch light as air, but the weight of her words had stayed with her.
Galadriel had always been the one to guide her when things seemed darkest.
It was Galadriel who had taken Althaea in when she was lost, both physically and emotionally, and it was Galadriel who had whispered wisdom to her as she walked the difficult path of leadership in her kingdom.

Back to the Present:

Galadriel voice broke through Althaea's reverie. "Althaea, can we speak in private?" Her tone was quiet, almost hesitant, something Althaea had never heard from her friend before.

The group continued ahead, and Althaea nodded, her mind still racing.
They walked a little ways away from the others, into a small clearing where the trees hung low, their branches swaying softly in the breeze.

Galadriel turned to Althaea, her expression troubled, as though the words she was about to speak weighed heavily on her. "Althaea, there's something I need to confess. Something that I should have told you long ago."

Althaea frowned, a knot of anxiety forming in her stomach. "What is it?"

Galadriel took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. "I've been working with Saruman. I didn't want to, but... it seemed like the only way to save us, to save you. He promised he could help us defeat Sauron, but I've been playing his game... for too long."