Unsatisfied with the Wizards' work, the Valar send another Istar to Middle-earth, Nerwen the Green, with the specific task to find the Ents, apparently vanished form the face of the world. During her mission, Nerwen will meet old friends and acquain...
(This chapter has not been edited yet, pls forgive oddities & mistakes)
Chapter XVIII: The Golden Wood
The second day since they had left Rhosgobel, they reached a swampy area covered in canes and iris flowers, not difficult to cross; nonetheless, they preferred to bypass it, and Elladan explained to Nerwen that this place, called the Gladden Fields, had seen Isildur's killing by the hands of the Orcs, and it was the place where the One Ring was lost, which Isildur had cut off from Sauron's hand. Nerwen felt a cold shiver creeping down her spine and was glad they had decided to go around it instead of going through: this place held nefarious memories.
OOO
Three days later, in the early afternoon, the small company that had set off from Rivendell came into view of the northern border of Galadriel's and Celeborn's realm. Calad, who was flying high above them but not much ahead, swooped to approach Nerwen, who hastily put on her falconry glove to allow her to perch on it.
Sooner or later she'll crash to the ground, Thilgiloth commented amused, but also a little worried: the two kelvar had become close friends, exactly like Nerwen had hoped, and they cared for each other. Nerwen sent a reassuring thought to the Chargeress: flight swiftness was a characteristic of the birds of prey, and particularly of calë hawks.
I've never seen such huge trees! Calad cried, marvelled, transmitting her the image her sharp eyes had seen. Even if in Aman existed massive trees, taller than 150 metres and thousands of years old – actually in her garden grew two of them – Nerwen was impressed: these were only a little smaller, both in height and in circumference.
Getting nearer, she recognised the kind: they were mallorn trees, with their smooth silvery bark, similar to the birch, and peculiar leaves, green on the upper side and silvery on the lower one.
The vast forest, home to the Galadhrim or People of the Trees, was located in the corner formed by the confluence of the Celebrant into the Anduin; the capital, Caras Galadhon, was built on a high hill at about fifteen kilometres from the encounter of the two rivers, well inside the tree cover, and was the site of the biggest trees in the whole wood.
Elrohir signalled to the commander of the armed group, who unfolded the banner of Rivendell, a blue standard with a large silver star (*). When they arrived near enough from the first mellyrn they halted, and only the standard bearer advanced for some dozens metres.
"The sons of Lord Elrond, Lord of Imladris, salute the Galadhrim!" he cried in a strong and clear voice.
From behind the silvery trunks suddenly appeared two dozens of Elves, dressed in a silver-grey colour with green shades, perfectly blending into the forest colours. Most had raven-black hair, claiming manifestly their descent from the ancient Teleri who undertook the long journey from Cuiviénen to the Undying Lands, but who stopped along the way, becoming the Nandor, the Silvan Elves. In the group there were also some brown-haired Elves, surely of Noldorin lineage; only one showed blond hair, declaring ancestors among the Vanyar. It was he who signalled to them all to lower their large bows of yew wood, bent with arrows notched to the strings and aiming to the strangers, this way revealing him as the patrol leader.
The twins recognised him and smiled, spurring their horses to approach him.
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