Whatever happened in the outside world, the beauty of Caras Galadhon seemed untouched. At night in particular, the graceful music, the fair Elves, and the silver lamps that shone like stars soothed Allen's anxiety over his impending encounter with Saruman.
The Galadhrim's food was still far too vegetarian, though, consisting mostly of fruit and crops. In that respect, they fell short of their kin in Mirkwood. The Elves of the Woodland Realm had their own distinctive approach to roasting meat, and hunting was part of their daily lives.
Overall, however, the meals here were slightly better than those in Rivendell. At least there were some dairy products and a little meat. The Noldor Elves in the valley, who mostly grew vegetables and tended fruit trees, were the ones who took vegetarianism all the way. Allen had experienced that firsthand during his time with the Company.
It was already evening when the Galadhrim guided Allen into Caras Galadhon. All his followers remained on the outskirts of Lothlórien, having been denied permission to enter its heart. Even Hollimion and the others were no exception. This was the law of Lothlórien, and without permission from Galadriel and Celeborn, everyone had to obey it.
Even the outskirts were under the protection of Elven scouts. Allen's several hundred followers could rest well there without worrying about the Half-orcs entrenched in Moria. Now that he had entered Lady Galadriel's domain, his own safety was also reasonably assured, so whether his men accompanied him no longer mattered much.
As the hosts, Celeborn and Galadriel welcomed Allen to their palace atop the Mallorn trees after learning that their neighbor had accepted their invitation. Following a brief exchange, they arranged for a member of the White Council, Allen's old friend Gandalf the Grey, to join him for dinner.
Gandalf