Merisuwyniel stepped up to the Salad Bowl as the first of the Fellow/Galship. “I will look,” she said bravely. “But what shall I see? Things that were, or things that are, or things that yet may be?”
“Even the wisest cannot tell,” Saladriel answered. “It may be that you will see something of each.”
She gazed into the Bowl and saw at first only leafy greens speckled with croutons as if they were stars upon a verdant sky. Then the shapes changed, light reflected on the salad dressing, and she beheld a forest. Therein strode an Ent, vigorous and strong, only to be attacked by a horde of orcs. She saw a person giving signs to hew the Ent down and peered more closely. The figure looked familiar and yet strange, but turned away before she could see its face.
The image faded, and another face appeared only to disappear again. I wish it wouldn’t appear and vanish so suddenly, Merisuwyniel thought, it makes me quite giddy! Slowly, a sharp-toothed grin became visible, a grin without a face, a sight that was considerably stranger than a face without a grin. She shuddered, yet looked fascinated into the pair of burning eyes that appeared, feeling strangely attracted and repulsed at the same time. Her compassionate heart was touched by the haunted look in those eyes, though her sensitivity for beauty caused her to recoil from the uncouth features.
Then the face slowly vanished, ending with the grin, which remained some time after the rest of it had gone. A great darkness took its place and the black outline of a tower loomed large before her eyes. She seemed to be flying closer till she could look into an open window. There stood a woman, both beautiful and terrible to behold. Fair as the Sea and the Sun and the Snow upon the Mountain and dreadful as the Storm and the Lightning she appeared. She was tall beyond measurement and beautiful beyond enduring, terrible and worshipful. Merisuwyniel could not decide whether to love her or despair. Her head drew closer to the surface; Saladriel warned, “Do not touch the dressing!” Then the image diminished, and she saw only salad greens again.
“I know who it is that you last saw,” Saladriel said, “for she is also in my mind. It is not permitted to speak of her, yet perhaps you shall know more anon.”
Dazed and bewildered by the images she had seen, the Elven maiden withdrew from the rest of the company to ponder the purport of the vision.
[ February 03, 2003: Message edited by: Estelyn Telcontar ]
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'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth.. .'
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