Unable to stop for their grief because they know that orcs will soon pursue them, the remaining members of the Fellowship race away from Moria. Only pausing long enough to tend the injuries of Frodo and Sam, they reach the elven woods of Lothlórien that night. Although the elves of Lothlórien are mistrustful, especially of the dwarf, they admit the Fellowship into their protected land. Word of Gandalf's fall deeply troubles the Lord and Lady of the Wood. Lady Galadriel observes that the quest hangs in the balance, but it may still succeed if the remaining eight remain faithful. Her gaze affects them all deeply, and she seems to offer each a choice to abandon the quest in exchange for their heart's desire. Frodo and Boromir seem most affected, but neither will explain what she offered him.
The elves offer shelter, healing, and advice to the Fellowship, and they linger in the timeless beauty of the elven realm. When Frodo becomes restless, he and Sam encounter Galadriel. She offers them a vision from her mirror, which can show the past, the present, or the uncertain future. When Sam looks, he first sees Frodo lying pale and lifeless, then he sees the felling of trees in the Shire and the destruction of his own home. Galadriel warns him that his vision was of the future, and any attempt to prevent it might actually bring it to pass. Frodo's vision shows first a man like Gandalf, then Bilbo, and then a series of unexplained images. Suddenly the mirror goes dark, and he sees the Eye of Sauron searching for him. He looks away just in time. Impressed by Galadriel's power, Frodo offers to give her the Ring. Sorely tempted, she resists and accepts that her fate will be to diminish and leave Middle-earth.
