Chapter 2

Their arrival at Edoras seemed to have been greatly anticipated. The moment they'd all dismounted, Arianna and Marina were grabbed by Èowyn and dragged to her rooms. There, they all got ready with the help of a few servants. Marina's dress had to be pinned and finished before she could even put it on, seeing as they didn't have any hobbit sized dresses readily available. In the meantime, Arianna worked on her hair making it extra pretty for the upcoming party. They took their time getting ready, spending their time in Èowyn's rooms and having a grand time with girl talk. Erynion happily spent time with ladies, loving the way they cooed over him. It was something the males would certainly never do! Only when the party was soon to begin did they head out to the main rooms.

It was a tradition of sorts there, that for great feasts the men would sit and the women would enter later. It was a tradition Arianna hadn't appreciated until now. She was looking forward to the look on Legolas's face when she emerged from the hallway. She knew Marina was hoping to impress Pippin and Èowyn was going to be watching Aragorn's face for a reaction. Arianna was happy for Marina, but only felt remorseful for the inevitable rejection awaiting Èowyn. Aragorn was still head over heels in love with Arwen, and wouldn't give that up for anyone. Arianna was sure Èowyn would find someone of her very own though. She was a good, kind and strong woman; she deserved a man who'd appreciate that.

As the men took their seats, Erynion flew from her shoulder, going to land on Legolas's. She smiled down at Marina who grinned back.

"Oh how I've missed celebrations!" the hobbit girl said happily. Arianna had to admit it was nice to have something to celebrate again. The past few weeks had been too hectic to really have a night of fun. Marina pulled nervously at her dress; it was different to the kind she'd usually wear. It was deep blue, lined with rabbit fur around the wide collar and the hems of the sleeves and bottom of the dress. A belt of woven gold chains wrapped around her waist, tiny sapphires set into the metal. Her hair was down for the most part, only the front sections braided and pulled together at the back of her head with a blue ribbon. The rest hung in soft curls to her waist. "Ugh, these sleeves will drive me insane by the end of the night." Marina groaned, tugging on the draping sleeves which almost reached the floor. Arianna chuckled.

"You'll get used to them. Just be careful when you're eating not to drag them through your food." She suggested. "I learned that the hard way." Marina giggled and Arianna grinned. Finally they could go in, and she gave Marina a little nudge. The hobbit went first, and Arianna noticed Pippin's face go slack for a second before he beamed at her and waved for her to come sit next to him. Arianna smiled and entered the room herself, loving how Legolas's normally expressionless face shone with happiness at the sight of her. Her dress was cream, with a red sleeveless overdress. Silver cord edged the fabric and silver embroidery swirled across the red fabric. Her hair had been brushed until it shown, and pinned up on the crown of her head and around her circlet which was now silver swirls. Èowyn had pulled a few pieces loose to frame her face.

"You look lovely." Legolas said in her ear as she sat beside him, and she smiled at him gratefully. He wore an outfit similar to the one he'd had back in Lothlórian, an ice blue tunic and blue breeches. They made his blue eyes seem even bluer to her. Legolas was thinking something similar about her. The red of her dress only enhanced the green of her eyes. They were lost in each other's eyes for a moment, only coming back to the present when the room went silent.

Èowyn was taking the king's cup to him, handing the golden goblet to him as she bowed. Théoden took it with a small smile and raised the goblet into the air. Aragorn stood, and everyone followed suit, raising their own drinks into the air.

"Tonight, we remember those who gave their blood to defend this country. Hail the victorious dead!" The king said.

"Hail!" Arianna said along with the rest of the crowd. She however only took a small tip of the rich ale while most others drained their mugs. She'd prefer to keep a clear head, even on a night of celebration such as this.

Soon after the initial toast, the hall had become filed with joyful chaos. Everyone was drinking, shouting, singing and dancing. It was almost impossible to not be having a good time. Legolas had actually been roped into a drinking contest. Something Arianna wasn't going to miss no matter what. Erynion seemed to agree. He sat on her shoulder hooting merrily, and it sounded like laughter to her ears.

"No pauses, no spills." Èomer was saying to the elf and Gimli.

"And no regurgitation." Gimli said with a grin as Arianna grimaced. If the game came to that, she'd be out of there faster than smoke from a fire.

"So, it's a drinking game?" Legolas asked, though it was more a statement than a question.

"Aye, the last one standing wins." Gimli said jovially.

"My money's on Legolas." Arianna stated. Her bet was taken up on by three others right away, all of whom she happily accepted. She'd lived around the elves long enough to know that their alcohol tolerance was far beyond both dwarves and humans. She'd be making a nice pocketful of money when this was over.

Only about ten minutes later, both Gimli and Legolas had gone through at least 15 mugs of ale each. Legolas's pile was neat and orderly, while Gimli had just tossed his mugs onto the table willy nilly.

"Here here! It's the dwarves that go swimming with little hairy women!" Gimli said, before downing another mug, the foam covering his beard. Legolas stopped for a second, looking worried. He examined his hands.

"I feel something…a slight tingling in my fingers. I think it's affecting me." he said. Èomer raised an eyebrow, looking between the elf and his large pile of empty mugs.

"What'd I shay?" Gimli said, slurring. "He can't hold hish liquor!" his eyes crossed and he fell backwards, hitting the floor with a thump that rattled the table. Legolas turned to Èomer with a smug grin.

"Game over." He said nonchalantly with a shrug. Arianna smiled and turned to those she'd bet against, holding out her hand for her winnings. Marina and Pippin, who'd come to watch, both cheered and grabbed mugs of their own. They then wandered off to see what else was going on in the huge hall.

"I can't see anything." Marina said, feeling small amongst all the Big Folk.

"I think I see Gandalf." Pippin said, grabbing her hand and leading her towards the wizard. Marina followed, concentrating on making the sudden blush fade from her cheeks rather than where she was going.

"Why hello young hobbits, having a good time?" Gandalf asked as they popped out of the crowd.

"A grand time." Marina corrected with a smile. "The ale here is almost as good as it was at the Green Dragon!"

"The Green Dragon?" a new voice asked. It was Gamling, the king's second in command. Pippin nodded, happy to educate the Rohirrim people about the best ale house anywhere.

"Yes sir, the Green Dragon!" he said.

"It's an Inn in the Shire." Marina explained.

"And it has the best ale in all of Middle Earth." Pippin summed up proudly.

"Better than this? I doubt that greatly." Gamling said with a smile, raising his own mug to his lips. Pippin knew Gamling was teasing, at least Marina did, but Pippin still looked offended.

"Much much better." Pippin said. "We've been perfecting our ale for countless generations." He said, sticking out his chest.

"Is it worth singing about?" the man asked and Pippin nodded. "A song then lad!" Gamling said loudly. Men around them cheered and Pippin hopped up onto the table where he started a song about the Green Dragon itself. Marina laughed at his antics when he waved for her to join him. She smiled and hitched up her dress, climbing up to join him on the table top. Once there, they preformed the song they had sung so many times before, dance moves and all. Finally they reached the final verse.

"Oh, you can search far and wide
You can drink the whole town dry
But you'll never find a beer so brown
As the one we drink in our home town.

You can keep your fancy ales.
You can drink em by the flagon
But the only brew for the brave and true…"

Oddly, Pippin stopped mid-line, staring at Gandalf for a moment. "Pippin!" She called, getting his attention once more. He shook off whatever he'd been thinking about and turned back, ready to conclude the song.

"…But the only brew for the brave and true
Comes from the Green Dragon!"

She and Pippin clanked their mugs together and drank their individual drinks right down as the crowd about them cheered. "I win!" Pippin said happily as they hopped down.

"You? You stopped mid-song, I think I win!" she said with a laugh.

"I was done with my drink first though."

"Doesn't matter, you couldn't even sing the song straight through. I win no matter what."

"So you say, but that's changing the rules. Whoever finished their drinks first wins the game."

"But that game comes after we sing the song. If you can't sing the song, then the game changes entirely." Pippin opened his mouth, closed it and nodded.

"That actually makes sense."

"Of course it does, I thought of it." Marina said smugly, skipping over to the dance floor and beckoning for Pippin to follow.

As the night wore on people left in bunches. Some were heading to bed and some to other nightly activities. All were very loud and happy though. Marina and Pippin spent their time chatting with all sorts of people, Marina in particular spent a lot of time talking with Èowyn and the other shield maidens. Arianna spent her time with Legolas for the most part, others joining them and leaving as they pleased. As the party finally dwindled down though, Legolas went outside in search un-smoky air, and Arianna sat on the lone couch near the fire, waiting with Èowyn for everyone to leave. As the lady of the Hall, it was dictated that she not leave until the last guest was gone.

Èowyn was soon nodding off to sleep though and Arianna smiled, lifting her friend's feet onto the couch where she'd been sitting and covering the girl with a robe she'd discarded earlier. She stretched, watching as the last of the party goers headed home. She followed them out the door, looking out at the surrounding lands.

The night was beautiful, and for once not very windy. The air was still…so still it made the hair on the back of her neck prickle. She shivered, though she wasn't cold, and noticed Legolas standing to her left. She went to stand beside him.

Legolas knew the moment she'd come outside. He could sense her shiver in the too-still air. He didn't even have to look to know it was her that stood now beside him. Her presence was so familiar, so comforting, that it was difficult to be away from for long. Almost without thinking he took her hand in his own, and her left hand came up to hold onto his arm as her head came to rest on his shoulder.

"Something isn't right." She muttered. Her senses had always been high for a human, Dúnidain or not. He nodded.

"Saruman is restless tonight." he told her. She sighed, sounding weary. He released her hand as he sat down at the edge of the stone platform supporting the golden hall, and she sat beside him, being careful with her dress. He wrapped his cloak about her, hugging her close. Together they sat, watching the empty expanse. Soon Arianna fell asleep, and Legolas smiled at her peaceful face. He chuckled quietly as Erynion flew outside to join them, looking half asleep himself. He settled in Arianna's lap, covering his head with a wing and puffing up to a ball of feathers. It passed from the late night to early morning as they sat. About an hour before dawn, Aragorn came to join them, sitting on Legolas's other side. He noticed his sleeping twin and made sure to stay quiet.

"The stars are veiled." Legolas said softly. "Something stirs in the east. A sleepless malice. The Eye of the enemy is moving." Arianna stirred and awoke, sitting with a yawn. She blinked a few times then her eyes narrowed.

"Something is coming." She said darkly.

Inside, Marina was half asleep, kept partially awake by Pippin's tossing and turning. Finally she came fully awake, propping herself up on one elbow. She placed a hand on Pippin's arm and he calmed a bit, taking a deep breath as he settled. She smiled, watching him sleep for a moment, and lay back down. She was just drifting off again when she heard him gasp awake and sit up. Maybe he'd been having a nightmare? But rather than rolling over and going back to sleep, she felt him get up. She opened her eyes and propped herself up once more.

"Pippin? Whatever are you doing?" she asked. He jumped and spun at the sound her voice, making her eyes narrow in suspicion. "What's going on?" Pippin didn't answer, simply waved for her to be quiet and she sat up the rest of the way. "Pippin?" he still didn't answer, simply turned to Gandalf.

The wizard had his arm wrapped around the cloth covered Palantír, the glass orb they'd gotten from Saruman earlier that day. More frightening was the wizard's eyes, which were open despite being asleep. Pippin saw them and jumped, then waved his hand over the Gandalf's face to make sure he was really asleep. Then, of all the odd things to do, Pippin grabbed a chamber pot, which was hopefully empty, and replaced the Palantír with it in Gandalf's arms. It was roughly the same size and shape, and Gandalf didn't seem to even stir. Marina however was now frightened.

"Pippin, are you mad?" she asked in a fearful whisper. He brought the bundle to the foot of her bedroll and started pulling apart the layers of the cloth covering.

"I just want to look at it! Just one more time…" Marina's breath caught in her throat at that. The One Ring came to her mind, and the way it made people want it for themselves. And now the orb was doing the same thing to Pippin!

"Put it back!" she ordered, still whispering. He was transfixed though. "Pippin!" she whispered again, then she gasped in fear as he reached out both hands to touch the frightful Palantír. "No! Pippin, please don't do this!" she exclaimed.

Outside, Arianna, Legolas and Aragorn still stood, feeling the unnaturalness of the air with every pore of their skin. Legolas looked up in fright.

"He is here."

"The orb…Pippin!" Arianna said, scrambling to her feet and dashing towards the door, leaving a miffed Erynion to follow behind her.

Inside, Pippin laid his hands on the orb, and it started to glow like fire. His hands latched on, and he couldn't seem to let go. And worst of all, Pippin's eyes closed as if he was in terrible pain but unable to make a sound.

"Pippin!" she exclaimed, no longer trying to be quiet, but trying to wake the others up. "Help! Gandalf, someone, please!" Gandalf awoke at the same time Arianna, Legolas and Aragorn rushed into the room. The others in the room woke as well, scrambling to get out of the way. Marina didn't notice, her eyes were fixed on Pippin who was now writhing in pain, his mouth open in a silent scream. She was sobbing though she hadn't noticed it yet, calling out his name over and over.

Aragorn was the first to reach the hobbit, and he grabbed the orb from his grasp. He seemed to faint for a moment, his limbs going limp like a doll's. Legolas and Arianna hurried forward to catch him, and the orb rolled from his hand. Gandalf grabbed the cloth it had been wrapped in before, and tossed it over the Palantír, hiding it from sight.

"Fool of a Took!" he exclaimed, not for the first time, as he turned. Marina sobbed still, looking at her best friend, who lay on the floor as if dead.

"Pippin?" she whispered through her tears. He wasn't breathing, and she collapsed to her knees in fear. Gandalf rushed to his side, putting one large hand on his head and the other taking the hobbit's hand. Finally Pippin gasped for air again and Marina let out another sob, this time of relief. Arianna's hand gripped her shoulder, making she didn't fall over herself. Pippin struggled a bit, looking around in fear.

"Look at me." Gandalf ordered. Pippin did so, though he still looked terrified. Marina wrapped her arms about herself, trying to calm the fear she'd felt the moment before.

"Gandalf…forgive me!" Pippin said.

"Look at me." the wizard ordered again. "What did you see?"

"A…a tree. I saw a white tree. In a courtyard of stone…it was dead. The city was burning!"

"Minas Tirith? Is that what you saw?" Gandalf asked, hoping for clarification.

"I saw…I saw Him!" Pippin said, terror filling every syllable. Marina shivered once more. "I could hear his voice inside my head!"

"And what did you tell him? Speak!" Gandalf ordered, his sharp tone making the already frightened Pippin jump where he lay.

"He asked me my name…I didn't answer." His eyes went distant and fearful once more. "He hurt me!" Marina's shivers came back yet again, and she was grateful she was already on the ground. She would have collapsed otherwise.

"What did you tell him about Frodo and the Ring?" Gandalf demanded. Pippin stared at him, looking guilty for a moment, but it faded as he shook his head.

"Nothing. I didn't say anything else." He whispered. Gandalf sighed and pulled back, going back to his cot in the corner, where he sat and placed his chin in his hand, thinking. Marina crawled forward, and touched Pippin's knee lightly. He still lay on the floor and only now did he look at her.

Pippin was terrified. He'd never heard anything as horrible and painful as his voice. All feelings of joy and happiness had left his mind, leaving only the worst of his memories. A light and shaking touch on his knee made him look over, only to see Marina. Her hair was still mussed from sleep, and she wore only her nightdress. But what drew his attention was her over bright eyes and tearstained face. She gave him a shaky smile as he looked at her but it was forced, he could tell. Without a second thought he sat up and drew her close to him, not wanting to let go. She buried her face in his shoulder, wrapping her arms about his waist tightly. He felt her take a deep uneven breath, and he could feel fresh tears seep through his own shirt. He watched as Gandalf stood and dressed, Arianna helped Aragorn to his feet and Legolas left the room, Gandalf following him. Soon Legolas was back, whispering in Arianna's ear. She nodded and came towards him.

Marina looked up to see Arianna and pulled away from Pippin, wiping her eyes. She stood and grabbed her clothing, leaving to get dressed in Èowyn's room as Arianna nodded at her. Pippin was told to get dressed as well, and she sighed. It had been a wonderful party, but it seemed it was time to get back to the dark reality of their lives.

-----------------------------------------------

Hello hello everyone! I realized the other day that I didn't actually put my author's note thingie on the first chapter, silly me ^^; Anyways, hiya! I'm alive! And posting! It's a miracle!!!! I haven't posted anything on here for ages, something which really needs to be remedied. I need to stop making new stories and finish some of the ones i'm alrady in the middle of, that'd probably be a good start, eh? Lol.

Anyways, I hope you're enjoying the story so far, and please review! It means so much to know what people think! Thank you everyone for all the story favorites so far, but reviews really do mean the world to an author :D And it makes my day so very very happy! Which I need right now, being a junior in college is really starting to take it's toll...

So please review, thank you!

Your Humble Authoress,

Whisperwings