[Galadel Vinorel]

Good, thought Galadel to herself, Keep him fooled for the moment, my kinswoman. The man is up to more than you have yet to even realize. The elf woman stood away from the small group taking caring of a man with a burned back, yet all the while she watched them out of the corner of her eye. As she did this she was probing each of their minds, as only the women of her family were able to do.

The man, Snaveling's, mind was filled with thoughts of gold, lies and deceit, yet beneath all of this she sensed a kind of longing and despair for something that he had lost long ago.

In the mind of the other hobbt, Galadel fond many confusing images and thoughts that were a mixture of good and evil. Lies were combined with thoughts of helping people. What a confusing life this hobbit must lead, Galadel thought.

The next mind that she probed was the young man's. Wthin his seh found courage, pride, adn many other good emotions. Yet, she found a lot of anger there as well, especially for one person in particular. Other than that the boy seemed to be allright.

Galadel then looked full at the woman sitting not far away. Her mind would be difficult to search without her knowing, yet Galadel had to know all to be able to judge the situation accordingly. Gathering her strength, Galadel genlty made her way inot the mind of her kinswoman. Partly through it, the elf met a hard, blank wall, which sent her reeling backwards. Sharply the ranger looked up into the Lothlorien elf's eyes. For a while they stared at one another.

"I apologize, my kinswoman, Galadel said to the other woman through her mind, "Yet, I must know what is in everyone's thoughts, so that I might judge what is truly going on here, for I do not trust these two hobbits at all."

Roa looked at the elf full on and then responded to her through her own mind, "I understand, my lady. I was just a bit taken back, for I was not expecting you ot search my mind. I would very much appreciate if you would discontinue your search, though i do not have anything to hide."

Galadel smiled at the ranger, and turned back to her work. In her mind she answered, "Yes, I truly understand, my lady, and I will stopping searching your mind, for I already know now that you do not lie about this matter. I will be with you all shortly."

After finishing treating the burn victim, the healer elf instructed one of her female aids to watch over the wounded for a few moments, while she would have some words with some "friends" of hers. Then Galadel walked calmly over to where Roa and the others were gathered. Bowing and smiling broadly to them all, she introduced herself, "Greetings, I am Galadel of Lothlorien, the Woodlen Realm. Would you all mind if I joined you all for a few minutes while I rest?"

Turning to the ranger woman as she stood above them all, Galadel said, "May I see your arm for a moment mam? I just need to see how it is healing." Bending down on the wet earth, the elf gently took the woman's arm in her hands. She then took a herb wrap that she was holding and placed it against the burned arm and began to wrap that up with some torn clothes. The ranger winced slightly as a stinging sensation shot through her arm, adn th eelf looked up at her quickly. "Does it sting?" she asked concered. Roa nodded, biting her tongue to keep back the tears. Gently Galadel rubbed the arm with the wrap on it, and the pain began to grow less. The elf started to sing a gentle song as she did this, one about the dawning of the world. The woman looked down at her, suprised, for she had heard that tune before.

"I know that tune," Roa said, startled, "I have heard King Elessar sing that before."

Galadel smiled up at her, "Yes," she said softly, barely pausing in her singing, "I taught him that song once, when he was a boy. It is good to hear that he still sings it." The ranger woman looked down at her in surprise, yet the elf's face was now hidden in shadow as she sang, remembering times when things were much different in Middle Earth, when evil still roamed the world, unhindered except for the Dunedain.