Eglagaladiel (Gala) Gala was born in Lorien around the year 3000 of the Second Age. Her mother, Sindadaliel, was a seamstress, and her father was a soldier in the Lorien guard. They both were descended from Laiquendi, and had fled the fall of Gondolin some years before. Gala had a relatively happy childhood and spent a great deal of time exploring and climbing the great mallorn trees. She wished to fight in the Last Alliance, but she was less than 450 years old at the time, and she was deemed too young and inexperienced. However, her father fought alongside Elrond and Gil-Galad in the famed Battle of Dagorlad, but did not survive, which caused her mother to become overwhelmed with grief and sail West. Her two sisters, Mantauriel and Gayadilien, sailed West also. Thus, from a relatively young age, Gala was forced to fend for herself. With no reason to stay in Lorien, she journeyed alone to the refuge of Imladris at the beginning of the Third Age. When she arrived in Imladris, she was kindly welcomed and felt an instant kinship with those elves, so she decided to stay and start a new life for herself. She gained employment as a cook in the House of Elrond, and was provided with shelter and basic necessities in return, so she was content. In fact, she was working as a cook when Elrond and Celebrian were wed in year 109 of the Third Age. This was the first time that Gala met Elrond face to face, but not under the best of circumstances. As is elven custom, a great feast was held to celebrate the union of two such prominent elves. Gala helped to prepare the dishes and also to carry them to the feast. Carrying a large platter of pheasant, Gala tripped on a heavy carpet, sending the platter flying, pheasant and all. She felt so humiliated that she cleaned up the mess as quickly as she could and then ran from the feast visibly upset. After the feast, Elrond sought out Gala in the kitchens to reassure her that he was not angry and that she would not be dismissed from the household as a result of her mistake. From then on, Gala was always very loyal to Elrond and felt forever in his debt. Finally, when she reached the age of 1000, Gala was permitted to join the Host of Imladris. Thus, she never really left the service of Elrond, she merely began to serve him in a different way. As the attacks of the orcs became more numerous and more brazen, she was away from the Valley more and more often, even though her usual duty was as a border guard. Throughout the Third Age, Imladris continued to be a hub of activity. As a result of her dedication to the Host and her skill with the bow, Gala rose through the ranks, eventually becoming an officer. Gala’s service to the Host was interrupted when Elrond selected her to be his Herald. Although Gala missed the adventure of the Host, she could not possibly refuse such an offer. She was thrilled to be able to serve Elrond in a new way, and she carried out his orders faithfully. This was also an exciting time in her life for another reason: meeting her husband, Eriol Rion! After a rather short courtship, they were married in late summer in the gardens of Oakley Cottage, where they lived with their great-nieces, Arwil and Tinessael. However, spending her time in Elrond’s study and library eventually left Gala feeling restless and weary. After resigning from his service, she returned to Oakley Cottage for a time, but found that her weariness ran much deeper than that. After Elrond sailed West in the early Fourth Age, Gala could not bear to stay in the Valley, so she and Eriol sailed West also, where they lived together until the end of their days. Back to the top Return to the front page of the book