She dreams of Golden Hope

Courage and Hope

„It matters not how strait the gate, how charged with punishments the scroll. I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul." Invictus- William Ernest Henley

„Tell me, Gandalf... Did you think these plans and schemes of yours would go unnoticed?", asked Saruman, as he confronted the grey wizard.

The two wizards were sat opposite each other, on an oval table, and while Saruman sat fully erect on his chair and almost seemed to glare down the weathered wizard of his order, the latter, in turn, had his head buried in his hands in exasperation at his superior's questioning. The two elves, Lady Galadriel and Lord Elrond, stood in the chamber and circled the two wizards, as they conversed.

The guardians of Middle Earth had been called to the Valley of Imlandris to discuss the fate of Middle Earth, now that the threat of the dragon Smaug was once more rampant, due to Thorin Oakenshield's quest.

In the Shire, the merchants were currently on their wooden wagons transporting their fresh ware of fruits and vegetable to the market of Hobbiton, where, later, the hobbit women would purchase them. In Gondor, the young children were still buried deep under the blankets, their lashes weighed down by sleep's weight, until they would rise and dispell the incantation and proceed with their daily routine. The bakers were warming their ovens. The bladesmiths were polishing their hammers. The fishermen were laying their nets out to go to sea. For all the inhabitants of Middle earth, the day had started as any other would. Little did they know that on an elevated, lofty platform in the elven settlement of Rivendell, the White Council was currently discussing their fates.

„No, I'm simply doing what I think is right.", Gandalf tried to justify his actions and his allegiance to the dwarves' quest.

„The dragon has long been on your mind.", declared Galadriel, the Lady of Lorien in a sonorous, melodic voice. She slowly turned to Gandalf, as she addressed him, the wind played with the golden strands of her hair and her white, flowing gown billowing behind her. She looked at the grey wizard with her silvery gaze and Gandalf straightened in near reverence, as the Lady Galadriel addressed him.

„It is true, my lady.", Gandalf stated gravely with a nod, before shifting his body slightly and once more laying his attentions on Saruman. „Smaug owes allegiance to no one. But if he should side with the enemy the dragon could be used to terrible effect." It was not possible to oversee the alarm that coated Saruman's weathered, yet aquiline features at Gandalf's words. How his eyes had widened and his strong brows had risen in response to what Gandalf said to him. „What enemy?" he wanted to know, wishing to know of any existing or forecoming threat on Middle Earth. "Gandalf, the enemy is defeated. Sauron is vanquished. He can never again regain his full strength.", Saruman declared, no small amount of pride coating his words as he remembered Sauron's downfall and their victory over the Dark Lord of Morgor.

"Gandalf, for four hundred years we have lived in peace. A hard-won, watchful peace.", the Lord Elrond said for the first time during this assembly, supporting Saruman's words, wishing to dissuade his friend off the dwarves' quest, which he believed would only destroy this peace that had been so hard achieved, that'd had such a great adversary in the Dark Power.

"Are we? Are we at peace?", Gandalf asked slightly outraged and glared at the two men. "Trolls have come down from the mountain. They are raiding villages and destroying farms. Orcs have attacked us on the road." The Lord Elrond moved slowly, but purposefully toward the oval table in the centre of the chamber and his gait contained a grace that was almost intimidating when regarded. "Hardly a prelude to war.", the elven lord addressed his friend. "Always you must meddle, looking for trouble were none exists.", Saruman accused the wizard before him with disapproval.