++++++ HELLO STONEHENGE! Nah just kidding! I am so, so, so, so, so, so, so sorry about the incredibly long absence with this story but I lost my muse and had absolutely no energy cause my little fella was taking all of it to grow. I know, I know, excuses mean nothing but I didn't abandone this because I will be finishing the trilogy, I assure you! Standard disclaimer, please enjoy! You faithful, loyal readers you ++++++

Three

It didn't take us long to find the burning pile of bodies and the remains of the orc camp. I dismounted the horse and took a deep breath as I studied the area. The entire site was one huge, wreck.

"I can't believe it," Breya whispered. "Eomer doesn't usually kill everything in sight."

"And you would know," I muttered. Breya shot a glare at me as I walked away from her, searching for signs of the hobbits.

Gimli knelt down and picked up a small sword belt. "It's one of their wee belts…"

I took the belt off Gimli and held it out for Ghost to sniff, the black dog sniffed the belt several times before he took off towards the forest. Aragorn shouted out in anger and kicked helmet before he fell to the ground.

"All is not lost," I whispered to Breya. "I don't, for a second, believe that they're dead…they're small and slight of hand…I think they're alive. I feel it."

"As do I," Breya answered. She opened her mouth to speak but stopped when she noticed Aragorn was studying something. "Hang on…"

"A hobbit lay here," he announced, checking the ground. "And the other…they crawled…" The ranger started walking, following tracks he could see. "Their hands were bound…" He paused, picking up some cut rope. "Their bounds were cut…they ran over here…they were followed."

Breya and I glanced at each other before we started following him.

"The tracks lead away from the battle…" Aragorn continued, "into Fangorn Forest."

"Right where Ghost went," Breya whispered. She pinched her nose. "The trees are talking, Falathiel…they haven't spoken in a long time but I can hear them…they're waking up."

I placed a hand against one of the tree trunks and closed my eyes. "It reminds me of Mirkwood," I grinned.

Breya snorted as we followed her into the woods. If I had faith in anyone leading us into the middle of a forest such as Fangorn, it was certainly going to be Breya. The four of us apart from Gimli were all oddly silent as we went through the forest, searching for any signs of the hobbits until eventually Aragorn found some rather strange looking tracks.

"Ent tracks," Breya whispered in my ear.

"And how can you possibly tell that they're Ent tracks?" I asked her with a raised eyebrow. "Have you seen a live Ent in the sixty years you've been alive?"

"I've read about them," she replied. "The trees are speaking to each other, Falathiel. I know you can hear it too."

"Memory and anger," I answered. "That's what I can hear…Legolas can hear it too."

Breya and I looked at the Elven Prince, he seemed worried about something. When I turned to look around I was suddenly overtaken by the feeling that something was watching us.

"Aragorn, something's out there," Legolas warned the ranger hastily.

Ghost growled, he raised his hackles and his ears were flattened against his head. He growled a warning before shooting off into the trees. Seconds later I heard him whimper in pain, it echoed throughout the forest. "Ghost!" I shouted, before I took off after him. I ran through the trees before anyone could stop me and hit something that threw me backwards, into a tree with an almighty thump.

"Falathiel!" Breya shouted. She came over to me, gripping her staff tightly. "Show yourself!" she demanded, putting power behind her words that made the trees shake.

I picked myself up unsteadily and drew my bow, notching an arrow in the string.

Simultaneously we all attacked at once only to have our attacks repelled followed by a bright, white light.

"You are tracking the footsteps of two young hobbits," the attacker spoke.

"Where are they?" Aragorn shouted.

"They passed this way, day before yesterday. They met someone they did not expect. Does that comfort you?"

"Who are you?" Aragorn demanded to know. "Show yourself."

My eyes widened when I saw Ghost come up beside our attacker and then when I saw who it was I almost died. "Mithrandir?" I gasped, it came out in a strangled whisper. That's the only sound I could make.

"We mistook you for Saruman," Breya whispered. She was trembling slightly.

"I am Saruman," Gandalf explained as we all tried to wrap our heads around this miracle. "Or rather, Saruman as he should have been."

"You fell," Aragorn whispered.

"Through fire, and water," he assured us. "On the lowest dungeon, on the highest peak. I fought him, the Barlog of Morgoth. Until at last I thre down my enemy and smote his ruin upon the mountainside. Darkness took me and I strayed out of thought and time. The stars field of end, and every day was as long as a life age on the earth. But it was not the end. I felt life in me again. I've been sent back, until my task is done."

"So…you're Gandalf the White now?" Breya asked him, gripping her staff so tightly that her knuckles were turning white.

"I am Gandalf the White," he assured her. "And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide."

"So where are we going?" I asked him. "If the hobbits are safe, we must be going somewhere."

Gandalf nodded as we started to make our way back out of the forest. "One stage of your journey is over, another begins. War has come to Rohan. We must ride to Edoras with all spead."

"Edoras?" Gimli frowned. "That is no short distance."

"We hear of trouble in Rohan," Aragorn spoke. "It goes ill with the king."

"He has banished Eomer!" Breya growled. "I bet is was that blastard snake, Wormtongue."

I shot Breya a look when we came out of the forest. "How are we to get there?" I asked. "We have four horses and there is six of us."

Gandalf smiled at me, that same smile full of riddles and intrigue. So I just watched and waited as he let out a whistle, followed seconds later by the sounds of a horse neighing…no wait…two horses?

A white horse came running over the plain towards them followed by a second horse…that black mane and tail I would recognise anywhere. "Cedric," I grinned.

"And that is one of the mearas," Legolas spoke, "unless my eyes a cheated by some spell."

"Shadowfax," Gandalf smiled. "He's the lord of all horses and has been my friend through many dangers."

I rushed over to Cedric and gripped his long face in my hands, nuzzling up against him. By the Valar I missed this horse…how he managed to make his way here from Rivendell, I would never now…until I found a piece of yellow ribbon tied to his leg. "Tom…" I chuckled. "You knew? Tom, Tom, Tom, Tom, Tom…you knew didn't you?"

"This will make travelling easier," Breya smirked. "But you have no saddle or bridle," she pointed out.

"I don't need it," I replied, mounting my trusted stallion bareback. "I never have…"

Breya turned to look back over the forest. "I wish we could stay…the Ents are waking."

"You will see them soon enough," Gandalf assured her. "Now come, we must get to Edoras with swift wings."

I clutched a handful of Cedric's mane and shot off after Shadowfax…I could only wonder what was happening in Edoras that had not only Gandalf and Breya worried. I closed my eyes for a split second before releasing some of my shadows across the plain.

Soon, we would know everything.