Chapter 6:

"You love, love, love

When you know I can't love

You love, love, love

When you know I can't love you"

Of Monsters and Men, Love Love Love


I sat atop what remained of the Deeping Wall, my feet dangling from the paraphet. Men milled about below me, working hard to pile the bodies of the Uruk-hai. Already, two great mounds had been built up in the field, and beneath the earth lay the men who had died. Háma too had fallen, and had been laid to rest in a grave of his own before the Hornburg. To my surprise, not all of the enemies had fled into the forest. A large number of the Wildmen had surrendered as the orcs had fled, and had been put to work by the Rohirrim.

Théoden, Éomer, and all of my companions save Gandalf had returned to the Hornburg to rest. It had been decided that we would be leaving for Isengard this evening, and I looked forward to being away from the shadow of the mountains. Haldir had returned inside also, to have his arm cleaned and bandaged properly. While I should have been with my companions finding any sleep that I could, I knew that it would be in vain. It almost felt counterproductive, trying to rest beneath the rocks. The fresh air was rejuvinating, and I welcomed it as the day warmed.

I found myself humming quietly as I swung my feet lazily back and forth. The clouds had cleared and the sun was shimmering over top of the hills. It would be another uncharacteristically warm spring day, I could already tell. As I watched the men work in the bloodstained field below me, I tried again to process what had happened the night before.

Things had deviated, and I knew I was to blame. It was now with bated breath that I hoped Haldir's arrival last night would have no consequences on the rest of the story. I couldn't imagine how it could; surely there was nothing so drastically bad that his being here could cause. As worried as I was, my stomach fluttered at the thought of him coming just for me. He had traveled all this way to save me, and the thought made me smile. You wouldn't have needed saving, I reminded myself. There would have been no reason for me to leave the caves, and everything would have passed uneventfully. I couldn't help but feel giddy though, and shrugged my thoughts off with a smile.

Soft footsteps behind me pulled me from my thoughts and I turned to see Legolas climbing the stairs to the top of the wall. I smiled sheepishly as he noticed me and waved.

"You should be resting," he commented as he sat down on the wall next to me.

"So should you," I chuckled, arching my brow teasingly.

"You need it more than I," he replied, turning to stare out over the fields.

"I know I wouldn't be able to get any rest inside," I said honestly, seeing no point in lying to him. "It's too restricting. I prefer it out here, in the fresh air."

Turning to face me, he smiled thoughtfully. "It is the same for me. I do not care for the rock," he replied. I nodded my head slowly, wondering if our mutual dislike of the caves was maybe an elf thing. We sat in a peaceful silence for a few moments, each of us content to sit quietly and watch the work going on at our feet.

"How did you know?"

I turned to face Legolas, confused. "Know what?" I asked, raising an eyebrow quizically.

"Aragorn tells me that you saved Haldir." I nodded at his words while my mind scrambled to come up with an excuse. "You were in hysterics when he arrived last evening. It seems to me now that you knew of his death and intended to prevent it."

"I saw it," I said after a short moment. It wasn't really a lie; I had seen his character die in the movies. Besides, it was the first thing that came to mind, and probably the most believable. "In Lady Galadriel's mirror. I saw his death before I left Lothlórien."

Legolas' eyes widened in amazement as I talked, and I was relieved. He believed me. "I didn't think that he was going to arrive, but when he did, I did not know what to do. So I decided that I was going to fight and do everything that I could to protect him. I had to assume that he would die in the same way as he had in the vision, so I was able to anticipate the attack. Thankfully, I arrived just in time. I cannot bear to think about if I had been wrong…" I trailed off, realising that I had begun to choke up. Swallowing the lump that had risen in my throat, I laughed awkwardly and bit my lip.

"You care for him greatly," Legolas said as I sniffled. I nodded, smiling sadly. "And he cares for you." He paused then, as if debating whether or not to say more. "Why did you leave Lothlórien?" He asked softly, still looking at me.

"I left because I had to," I said slowly, unable to hold his gaze while I thought about what to say next. "As much as it felt like home to me, Lothlórien is not where I belong. Haldir may have loved me, but," I swallowed as the words came tumbling out. "I could not love him. He knows this, but I know that he still wishes to make it work. I cannot stay in Middle Earth; I want nothing more than to return to my home. Perhaps, if I did not desire to leave, we could have been together. I am not sure, even of that, however. Lady Galadriel told me that our love was not real. I'm sorry," I said suddenly, stopping my rambling as I realised the things that I was saying. "I'm sure you really don't care to hear every detail."

"Do not apologize," Legolas replied, laying a gentle hand on my shoulder. "If it helps to talk about such things, I will be here to listen."

His response brought a smile to my face and I leaned into his touch, grateful for his company. "Thank you, Legolas," I said, looking over at him. He smiled back for a moment, before he removed his hand and stood from the wall.

"We will be leaving after supper," he reminded me. "Don't be late," he added with a coy smile.

"I won't be late," I laughed. "I'll see you later. Thanks again," I added, making sure he knew how grateful I was to have him to talk to. When he had disappeared down the stairs, I leaned back on my hands, looking up at the sky.

So many conflicting emotions were battering me at the same time, and I didn't know what to make of it all. In my heart I knew that I had done the right thing in leaving Haldir behind; I had known that now for some time. But had I moved on from him? I didn't know the answer to that. I had been so scared, so shocked when I had seen him standing in the courtyard, but was it because I loved him? Or was it simply because I cared for him and was not willing to let him die when I had the chance to save him?

Lowering my eyes from the brightness of the sky, I held my head in my hands and sighed deeply. Soon I knew that I would be needing to say goodbye to Haldir again, and this time it would likely be for good. And perhaps it would be for the best to have him off of my mind again.


The stables beneath of the mountains were surprisingly sophisticated. Though the lack of sunlight and a breeze left me feeling suffocated, the smell of hay and horses helped to lift my spirits. Théoden had called for us and the men that he had appointed to accompany him to Isengard to begin preparing for the evening's journey, and now I was searching each stall for my familiar pinto boy. Thankfully, it didn't take long for me to find him, and he greeted me with a soft nicker. I smiled and pulled a small piece of apple from my tunic, offering it to the stalliong discreetly.

"I stole that from lunch," I whispered to him with a giggle. He bobbed his head as he munched on the treat, and then playfully nudged me for more. "Sorry, bud. That's all I brought."

"Christa." I recognised Aragorn's voice and turned to look as he made his way towards me.

"Yes, Aragorn?" I asked as he stopped in front of Eclipse's stall. Leaning up against the door, I tilted my head as Eclipse lipped at my hair.

"Haldir is looking for you," he said simply. My heart dropped a little bit, already knowing what he wanted to say to me. "He was outside of the Hornburg, the last time that I saw him. You had better be quick."

"Thank you, Aragorn," I said with a quick smile, though the expression didn't reach my eyes. He offered me an understanding smile in return before continuing on his way. Giving Eclipse one last pat, I turned and strode towards the exit of the stables.

The trek back to the outside world was a long and difficult one, and I got it over with as quickly as I could, despite my reluctance to say goodbye. By the time I reached the light of day, I wasn't sure if I felt better or worse than I had beneath the dark rock of the mountain. Sighing heavily, I looked around for any sign of Haldir, before making my way up the winding ramp towards the Hornburg.

It wasn't hard to spot him amongst the sandy-haired people of Rohan. His silver hair shone brightly in the afternoon sun, and though he had his back to me, he was esily distinguishable by the bandage on his arm. Slowly, I walked up the rest of the ramp, running through what I was going to say to him in my head. Before I could come to a decision of any kind, I had reached him. Instead of speaking, I wrapped my arms around him and clung to him tightly.

His laugh was what I had been needing to hear, and I found myself smiling sadly as I released him and he turned around to face me.

"Come, let's go somewhere a bit quieter," he suggested. I nodded, swallowing a lump that was rising in my throat. One goodbye had been difficult enough to get through. How was I going to hold up through another one?

I followed Haldir up through the narrow street and then upa set of stairs that led to the terrace before the Hornburg. Here, he took a seat on the wall and I joined him, leaning up against him. Neither of us said anything for the longest time, both unsure of what to say. But finally, Haldir broke the silence, knowing that we couldn't sit here forever.

"I will be leaving tonight, while your company journies to Isengard," he said quietly, glancing down at me. I nodded.

"I had guessed that you would be leaving this evening," I replied, meeting his gaze briefly, before I had to drop my eyes. I couldn't bare to see the love that shone in them.

"I know that it is selfish of me to ask this of you," Haldir spoke up again, and my heart dropped. I knew what he was going to say, and already I felt the tears threatening to break from my eyes. "You would not return to Lothlórien with me, would you, Christa?"

I had begun to shake my head before he had even finished his question, unable to look at him for fear of seeing the disappointment that would be written on his face. I took a shaky breath and blinked back the tears. "No, Haldir. I can't go back with you. I have already told you why, and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry—"

"It is not your fault, Christa," Haldir interrupted me, pulling me close. "I know how hard this must be for you, and I'm sorry that I am only making it worse. I never intended to make your time here difficult. I only ever wanted to make you feel welcome, and I wish that I could have avoided hurting you. I hope that you will forgive me for causing you so much anguish." He paused, but quickly continued. "I wish that I could have accompanied you. I should have—"

"Haldir," I stopped him, desperately. "Please do not regret anything. You did nothing wrong. Nothing at all." I sniffed as the tears began to stream down my cheeks. Reaching up, Haldir wiped them away gently with his thumb, which only made me cry harder. "You were only ever wonderful to me, Haldir." I choked through the tears. "When I got to Lothlórien, I was lost and afraid. And I hated myself, and because of you I don't anymore. I feel appreciated… I feel loved."

"You are loved," Haldir said softly, cupping my face in his palm. "I love you."

Slowly, I pulled away from his hand. As much as it hurt, I knew that I was doing the right thing. "I don't believe that you do," I replied, my voice barely a whisper. Before he could reply, I reached out and tucked a strand of loose hair behind his ear. "I hope that you don't. There is someone else out there for you, Haldir. You just need to let me go."

He sat there, dazed, as I pulled my hand away. I had nothing else to say, but I couldn't stand to look at him. Leaning forward, I collapsed into his chest, breathing in his familiar forest scent. I would never smell it ever again. I would never be in his arms ever again. I would never hear his voice ever again.

"Please say something," I begged quietly in the Common Tongue, breathing into his tunic. The silence stretched on until I finally felt him take a deep breath.

"I do love you," Haldir replied simply, his warm breath tickling me as it rustled my hair. "I wish that you would see that." His words ripped my heart in half, but I wasn't going to argue with him. It wasn't supposed to be like this, but it was. I stayed in his embrace until the sun had set below the mountains in the West, and we had no choice but to go.


I was late arriving back at the stables, and was immensly relieved to find that someone had brushed and saddled Eclipse for me. The stallion was eating his hay standing quietly with his saddle on when I reached his stall. Out of breath from running, I stopped and leaned on the stall door, looking around for whoever I needed to thank.

"You're most welcome," Legolas startled me as he popped out from the stall next to Eclipse's. "Aragorn informed me that you would most likely be late. I did not think that you would enjoy being left behind," he smiled.

"No, you're right about that. Thanks Legolas," I laughed. He ducked back into Arod's stall and I opened the door to Eclipse's. "How long until we leave?" I called through the wooden wall.

"Not long. I am about to head out, and I think that Aragorn is just about ready as well," Legolas answered, his voice muffled by the straw and the wall.

Grabbing Eclipse's bridle from the wall outside of his stall, I quickly slipped the bit into his mouth and did up the buckles, making sure that nothing would rub or pinch him.

When I heard Arod's door creak open, I gave Eclipse a kiss and a pat, before leading him from his stall. Aragorn already had Hasufel saddled and was waiting in the aisle with Legolas. Unsurprisingly, Arod was tackless and stood quietly beside the elf, who's hand was resting gently on the stallion's shoulder. With a nod I followed them down the long hall to the exit.

I sound of the horses' shod feet on the stone helped to calm my mind, but could do nothing to dull the ache in my heart. The night at the end of the hall was approaching too fast, despite my urge to be bathed in its freshness, but there was nothing I could do to slow our approach. If I turned back now, it would solve nothing. I wouldn't have to say my goodbyes, but it would also mean never seeing Haldir again. I felt my head begin to throb from my thoughts running rampant, and reached up with my empty hand to massage my temple slowly.

I could smell the fresh air before we even left the tunnel, and a part of me felt relief at leaving behind the mountains forever. I hoped that I would never have need to venture beneath the rock again. Drinking in the fresh air, my mind cleared and my headache disappeared, but the ache in my heart did not. Sighing, I followed Aragorn and Legolas downwards and out through the main gate. From the causeway I could see dozens of mounted figures, their faces shining in the light from their torches. The elves of Lothlórien were set to depart for their homeland, and Théoden and his men were ready to march to Isengard. As we approached, I saw Haldir and Théoden speaking and swallowed my emotions.

The farewells were short and courteous. I stood alongside my companions as Théoden gave us all he run-down on our journey to come. Haldir stood with the remaining elves, and I could feel his eyes on me as I listened to Théoden. Picking my eyes up from the ground, I met his gaze, my breath quaking.

"I thank you again, Lord Haldir, for your aid," Théoden turned to the Marchwarden. Haldir's eyes left mine and he nodded curtly.

"No furthur thanks is needed, King Théoden," Haldir replied, with as much of a smile as he could manage. "I would fight alongside of you again, if the need should arise. It was an honour, and I am happy to say that we together fought to protect your people from the Darkness."

"I wish you all safe travel back to Lothlórien," Théoden replied with a nod.

"I hope that you find the answers that you seek at Isengard," Haldir replied gratefully, eyes flicking between Théoden and our Company. The two then turned away from each other and back to their own men.

"You all have battled through a night of horrors," Théoden started as he mounted his horse. "But I ask you all to find whatever strength may yet be in you to join me on this journey to Isengard. The traitor Saruman must answer for the lives that he has taken. We march to his justice. All who will follow me, come now!"

As the rest of the King's company mounted their horses, I swung lightly up into Eclipse's saddle and turned to Legolas.

"I'll catch up," I said quickly, not waiting for a reply before trotting off towards where Haldir stood with his elves.

"Haldir," I called as I approached. He was speaking with one of the elves, but turned at the sound of my voice. Motioning for a moment alone, he walked towards me as I dismounted.

"I only have a minute," I started, not wanting to be left too far behind. Haldir nodded and without giving me a chance to react, he pressed his lips to mine. Shocked, I stood frozen as he kissed me slowly. I kissed him back, willing my lips with move with his, but there was no passion in the action. My eyes, open wide, traced over his features as he held my head close, his fingers tangled in my hair. Shock changed to despair as I struggled to feel something, anything for him, but my heart lay quiet as he caressed me.

When he slowly pulled away, tears were streaming down my cheeks, and he reached up to wipe them away. Trembling, I reached up to take his hand and held it to my lips. With my eyes closed, I kissed it gently.

"Goodbye, Christa," he whispered as I opened my eyes. His words hit me hard. This really was goodbye, even he knew it. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I gently dropped his hand and bowed my head, hand to my heart.

"Goodbye, Haldir," I said through the tears. "Take care of yourself."

I couldn't bear to look at him after those last words. With my chin still tucked to my chest, I turned and climbed back onto Eclipse and cantered off after Théoden's host. I didn't look back.

The host was not traveling with much speed, and I caught up to them fairly easily. Eclipse cantered on light feet, head held high. He was anxious to be back with his buddies, and I didn't hold him back. He whinnied loudly as we neared the others, and Arod answered jubilantly, glad to see his friend.

"Christa?" Legolas called me over as I rejoined the host. I looked up briefly, unashamed of my tears. Gimli sat behind the elf, but his snores quickly told me that he was asleep. "Are you all right?" he asked me, nudging Arod closer to Eclipse. I shook my head.

"No," I replied sullenly, fiddling with the reins. "But I won't bore you with the details," I laughed dryly.

"Haven't I already told you that talking helps?" Legolas asked me, tilting his head to look at me.

"He loves me," I said simply, with a sniffle. "And I fear that it will break him."

"You do not love him, then?" he asked me gently. I swallowed and shook my head as I thought about our last kiss. What had changed so quickly? I had felt so empty, so incomplete.

"I do not love him; I know now that I never did. It's just… I don't understand why I feel so differently now than I did back in Lothlórien. I really believed to I did love him…"

"Love has a way of playing with our hearts," Legolas said thoughtfully, looking out ahead of us as we rode. I glanced over at him, curious but not wanting to press. He didn't say anything more on the matter, but instead looked back at me with a soft smile. "Your heart will heal, and his will too. Lady Galadriel knows far more than you or I could ever hope to. Believe in her word," he said, laying a hand on my shoulder.

Managing a weak smile, I looked over at my friend. "Thank you, Legolas."

"Do not hesitate to talk to me, like I said before," Legolas smiled. I nodded, putting my hand on top of his as he squeezed my shoulder.


Before long we came upon the trees that had gathered at the edge of the Valley. Halting, we stared up at the trees in wonder, and in fear. Standing up in my stirrups, I peered over the riders in front of me to look into the darkness, trying to imagine just what it was like beneath their grey boughs. The road disappeared into the dark shadows, but Gandalf led us onwards. Unphased, Shadowfax strode forward into the trees.

We passed under the branches and through an arched gate of leaves, and there we found the road. Beside us ran the Deeping Stream, clear as ever. Looking upwards, I saw that, between the gaps in the leaves, the sky shone golden. On either side of the road, night stretched on farther than any of us could ever hope to see, and in the darkness I could hear the creaking and groaning on the trees. I began to feel sweat beading on my brow, and reached up to wipe it away. The deeper in we rode, the stuffier it became. I could almost feel myself being crushed by the heaviness of the air.

Beside me, Gimli had woken up and I could see him clinging to Legolas' tunic, wide eyes peering out into the darkness. For the dwarf's sake, Legolas urged Arod forward to Gandalf's side, and I followed behind them, not wanting to ride alone anymore than Gimli did.

"It is hot in here," Legolas spoke to Gandalf as Arod strode up beside Shadowfax. "I feel a great wrath about me. Do you not feel the air throb in your ears?"

"Yes," Gandalf nodded slowly.

"What has become of the miserable orcs?" Legolas asked the same question that I had been wondering since this morning.

"That, I think, no one will ever know," Gandalf replied geniunely. This was not one of his riddles; he truly did not know.

I pondered the thought for a little while longer as we rode on in silence. Had the orcs been ripped apart and thrown to the wind? Or pulled under beneath the trees, tangled and crushed by their roots? I shivered at the thought.

After some time, Legolas broke the silence again. "These are the strangest trees that ever I saw," he said, staring up into the branches; "and I have seen many an oak grow from acorn to ruinous age. I wish that there were leisure now to walk among them: they have voices, and in time I might come to understand their thought."

"No, no!" Gimli cried as Legolas finished. "Let us leave them! I guess their thought already: hatred of all that go on two legs; and their speech is of crushing and strangling." I couldn't resist a small smile at the dwarf's fear of the trees.

"If they wished to crush and strangle us, they would have done so already," I teased, watching Gimli squirm.

"It is Orcs that they hate," Legolas added with a chuckle. "For they do not belong here and know little of Elves and Men. Far away are the valleys where they sprang. From the deep dales of Fangorn, Gimli, that is whence they come, I guess."

"Then that is the most perilous wood in Middle-earth," Gimli whispered harshly. "I should be grateful for the part they have played, but I do not love them. You may think them wonderful, but I have seen a greater wonder in this land, more beautiful than any grove or glade that ever grew: my heart is still full of it.

"Strange are the ways of Men, Legolas! Here they have one of the marvels of the Northern World, and what do they say of it? Caves, they say! Caves! Holes to fly to in time of war, to store fodder in! My good Legolas, do you know that the caverns of Helm's Deep are vast and beautiful? There would be an endless pilgrimage of Dwarves, merely to gaze at them, if such things were known to be. Aye indeed, they would pay pure gold for a brief glance!"

"And I would give gold to be excused," Legolas said quickly, finally looking away from the trees and back at Gimli; "and double to be let out, if I strayed in!"

"You have not seen, so I forgive your jest," said Gimli. "But you speak like a fool. Do you think those halls are fair, where your King dwells under the hill in Mirkwood, and Dwarves helped in their making long ago? They are but hovels compared with the caverns I have seen here: immeasurable halls, filled with an everlasting music of water that tinkles into pools, as fair as Kheled-zaˆram in the starlight."

As Gimli spoke, I watched the fear of the woods fade from his eyes. In its place I saw a love and wonder deeper than I had ever seen in Gimli's eyes before.

"And, Legolas," he continued, "when the torches are kindled and men walk on the sandy floors under the echoing domes, ah! then, Legolas, gems and crystals and veins of precious ore glint in the polished walls; and the light glows through folded marbles, shell-like, translucent as the living hands of Queen Galadriel. There are columns of white and saffron and dawn-rose, Legolas, fluted and twisted into dreamlike forms; they spring up from many-coloured floors to meet the glistening pendants of the roof: wings, ropes, curtains fine as frozen clouds; spears, banners, pinnacles of suspended palaces! Still lakes mirror them: a glimmering world looks up from dark pools covered with clear glass; cities, such as the mind of Durin could scarce have imagined in his sleep, stretch on through avenues and pillared courts, on into the dark recesses where no light can come. And plink! a silver drop falls, and the round wrinkles in the glass make all the towers bend and waver like weeds and corals in a grotto of the sea. Then evening comes: they fade and twinkle out; the torches pass on into another chamber and another dream. There is chamber after chamber, Legolas; hall opening out of hall, dome after dome, stair beyond stair; and still the winding paths lead on into the mountains' heart. Caves! The Caverns of Helm's Deep! Happy was the chance that drove me there! It makes me weep to leave them."

As he finished, I found myself wishing that I had not spent my brief span of time in the caves grieving over my failures. Not once had I had the chance to admire the beauty of the Glimmering Caves, but then again I had had deeper concerns on my mind. Beneath the rock I had felt small and suppressed, and yet still a small part of me wished now to journey back and take in all that Gimli had just discribed.

"Then I will wish you this fortune for your comfort, Gimli," Legolas said, turning back again to face Gimli with a smile, "that you may come safe from war and return to see them again. But do not tell all your kindred! There seems little left for them to do, from your account. Maybe the men of this land are wise to say little: one family of busy dwarves with hammer and chisel might mar more than they made."

"No, you do not understand," The dwarf replied. "No dwarf could be unmoved by such loveliness. None of Durin's race would mine those caves for stones or ore, not if diamonds and gold could be got there. Do you cut down groves of blossoming trees in the springtime for firewood? We would tend these glades of flowering stone, not quarry them. With cautious skill, tap by tap – a small chip of rock and no more, perhaps, in a whole anxious day – so we could work, and as the years went by, we should open up new ways, and display far chambers that are still dark, glimpsed only as a void beyond fissures in the rock. And lights, Legolas! We should make lights, such lamps as once shone in Khazad-duˆm; and when we wished we would drive away the night that has lain there since the hills were made; and when we desired rest, we would let the night return."

When he finished, I found myself looking at him in amazement. Legolas seemed to be sharing my awe as he sat silently for a brief moment.

"You move me, Gimli," he said. "I have never heard you speak like this before. Almost you make me regret that I have not seen these caves. Come! Let us make this bargain – if we both return safe out of the perils that await us, we will journey for a while together. You shall visit Fangorn with me, and then I will come with you to see Helm's Deep," he finished, turning around to look down at his friend. I smiled as Gimli looked up at Legolas.

"That would not be the way of return that I should choose," Gimli replied, slowly. "But I will endure Fangorn, if I have your promise to come back to the caves and share their wonder with me."

"You have my promise," Legolas said with a grin. I felt myself smiling too as I watched their exchange. Looking ahead once again, Legolas raised his brows. "But alas! Now we must leave behind both cave and wood for a while. See! We are coming to the end of the trees. How far is it to Isengard, Gandalf?"

"About fifteen leagues, as the crows of Saruman make it," Gandalf replied without glancing sideways: "five from the mouth of Deeping-coomb to the Fords; and ten more from there to the gates of Isengard. But we shall not ride all the way this night."

"And when we come there, what shall we see?" Gimli asked. "You may know, but I cannot guess."

"I do not know myself for certain," Gandalf answered. "I was there at nightfall yesterday, but much may have happened since. Yet I think that you will not say that the journey was in vain – not though the Glittering Caves of Aglarond be left behind."

By the time we finally reached the edge of the trees, night had nearly fallen. Though the sky to the west was still a deep magenta, the moon shone high and clear in the sky, and there were few clouds to hide its face. The road stretched out before us, branching east in the direction of Edoras, and north to Isengard. Here Legolas halted Arod and looked back wistfully at the trees, before his expression changed dramatically and he cried out.

"There are eyes!"

Pulling up with the rest of the company, I turned around as Legolas stared into the trees. Gimli sat still as stone behind him, not daring to poke his head around the elf to look.

"Eyes looking out from the shadows of the boughs!" Legolas continued. "I never saw such eyes before." Swinging Arod's hindquarters around, Legolas urged the stallion back towards the trees.

"No, no!" Gimli cried desperately as he bounced atop Arod. "Do as you please in your madness, but let me first get down from this horse! I wish to see no eyes!"

"Stay, Legolas Greenleaf!" Gandalf called to the elf. "Do not go back into the wood, not yet! Now is not your time." As he spoke, movement in the trees caught my eye and I watched in shock as the eyes blinked and three figures stepped from the shadows. These must be the Ents! I thought in excitement as the tree-like people strode past Legolas and looked past our host. I jumped as suddenly the air was pierced by their calls and turned to follow their solemn gaze as their calls were answered across the plains. Many other Ents were striding across the grass in our direction. The men around us all began to worry aloud, reaching for their swords as they watched the creatures approach.

"You need no weapons," Gandalf said above the clamour. "These are but herdsmen. They are not enemies; indeed, they are not concerned with us at all."

Just as quickly as they had appeared along the horizon, the creatures had vanished into the woods behind us. I could hear their heavy footsteps as walked amongst the trees.

"Herdsmen!" Théoden exclaimed. "Where are their flocks? What are they, Gandalf? For it is plain that to you, at any rate, they are not strange."

"They are the shepherds of the trees," Gandalf answered. "Is it so long since you listened to tales by the fireside? There are children in your land who, out of the twisted threads of story, could pick the answer to your question. You have seen Ents, O King, Ents out of Fangorn Forest, which in your tongue you call the Entwood. Did you think that the name was given only in idle fancy? Nay, Théoden, it is otherwise: to them you are but the passing tale; all the years from Eorl the Young to Théoden the Old are of little count to them; and all the deeds of your house but a small matter."

"Ents!" Théoden exclaimed again after a long silence. His eyes were still wide in disbelief, as if he believed to be imagining the whole thing. "For however the fortune of war shall go, may it not so end that much that was fair and wonderful shall pass for ever out of Middle-earth?"

"It may," Gandalf said, brows furrowing. "The evil of Sauron cannot be wholly cured, nor made as if it had not been. But to such days we are doomed. Let us now go on with the journey we have begun!"

As the rest of the rest of the host picked up a trot again, I hung behind with Legolas and Gimli. The elf was reluctant to leave behind the trees and the mysterious Ents, but the promise of a visit to Fangorn gave him hope to one day see the magnificant creatures again. Gimli was eager to go, on the other hand, and with his nagging the elf turned and we followed behind the host.

Night settled around as quickly, and soon all the land was bathed in the silver light of the moon. We rode through the night for a long while, the horses swimming through the grey grass sea that swelled at our boots. After a few hours, I could hear the Fords bubbling at the edge of the tall grass. Soon we were looking down long slopes to the river. Wolves howled in the distance, and yet to me they seemed too close for comfort.

As we walked, the river seemed to dwindle until all that was left was a dry, cracked bed. A slow trickle of water ran along the middle of the bed, and the riders looked down at it, troubled.

"This is become a dreary place," I heard Éomer say from the front of the company. "What sickness has befallen the river? Many fair things Saruman has destroyed: has he devoured the springs of Isen too?"

"So it would seem," Gandalf replied, brows furrowed.

We didn't linger long, and crossed through the dry riverbed easily. The howling of the wolves had grown louder now, and I clutched the reins nervously. Eclipse tensed beneath me as well, but I quickly calmed him. I could hear Gandalf discussing the wolves with Théoden, telling him that they were of no threat to us. Sure enough, as we climbed up onto the small island, the howling ceased and the wolves quickly slunk back into the bushes along the side of the road.

The wolves had been enjoying quite the feast, it seemed, and though I tried, the rotting bodies of the orcs that had fallen here were hard to ignore. I was thankful to see no bodies of the men who had died along the Ford, and soon found out why. Gandalf pointed to a tall mound as we passed by it. Spears and stones decorated it and it stood proudly at the centre of the islet.

Descending back down into the riverbed, we crossed quickly and climbed back up the other bank to find the road again. We had not ridden far when the wolves resumed their feast, their mournful howls filling the air.

It was nearly midnight by the time we halted for a rest. At the foot of the Misty Mountains we set up our night camp, ground tying the horses next to our bedrolls. Set up was swift, and within the hour nearly all of the men were fast asleep. The night was quiet, aside from the chirping of the frogs that were living along the banks of the river, and I lay in my bedroll staring up at the stars. It felt like I was experiencing my first night camping under the stars all over again, except without any fear of being slaughtered in my sleep. I felt safe surrounded by the Rohirrim, and being away from the Ring helped as well.

The thought caught me off guard, and I realised sheepishly that I had not once thought of poor Frodo and Sam since we had parted ways at Amon Hen. I supposed that I had an excuse, really, knowing exactly how their side of the story was going to play out. I wasn't worried for the two little hobbits. Though sleep was not on my mind as I gazed at the stars, I soon drifted off as I wondered just where Frodo and Sam were in that moment.


I started awake to the call of the men who were on watch duty. Around me the other riders had risen from their beds and were looking about in a sleepy state of panic, hands making for their weapons.

"Stay where you are!" Gandalf called to them, jumping to his feet at the commotion. "Draw no weapons! Wait! and it will pass you by!"

Dazed and a bit afraid, I sat up up in my bed and stared around me. Reaching for my bow despite Gandalf's caution, I watched in growing confusion as a shadow crept across the ground, so black that it seemed to swallow the earth beneath it. As it rolled closer, I stood from my bed and took a few weary steps backwards, reluctant to let it swallow me too.

Thick mist rose up from the ground, so thick that I could feel it smothering me as I breathed in. Trembling fingers clutched my bow, though I wasn't sure how exactly it would help me in this situation. Then, from within the shadowy fog, mumblings and groans could be heard. The noises shook the earth, and the ground trembled beneath my feet. Wide awake now, I took a few more steps backwards, bumping into someone in my panic. Turning, I saw Legolas.

"What is—"

"Stay still and quiet," he whispered, silencing me with a protective hand on my shoulder. We all stood still and quiet as death while the shadow passed us by, each second feeling like it could be our last. When at last the noises faded into the darkness and the mists rolled away, we were left standing in the quiet of the night, shocked and confused.

I don't think anyone got another wink of sleep that night. Gandalf couldn't explain to us what had happened, and to me that was scarier than the experience in itself. I kept close to my companions for the rest of the night, though none of us were eager to talk about the phenomenon. It seemed that the blackness had left us all in a suspended state of gloom, and not even the company of my friends could calm the uneasiness that had settled in my heart.

As I lay in my bedroll, fiddling with the feathers on one of my arrows, a rushing sound far in the distance caught my attention. Sitting up slowly, I turned towards the river and looked upstream where the noise was coming from. Legolas had heard the noise as well, and had ceased his slow pacing to stand quietly, eyes following mine.

Quickly the sound grew louder, and within moments the whole camp was watching the river as the sound pounded down the mountain's gentle slopes. Suddenly, with a great roar, a wall of water came rushing down the dried riverbed, splashing up over the banks of the river and casting a thick spray up into the night air. As hurridly as it had arrived, the wave was past and the river bubbled and washed over the rocks.

While most of the men were too weary of the night's strange events to investigate until the sun had risen, a few of the Rohirrim walked the short distance to the riverbank and stared into it, pondering what had happened to stem the river's flow in the first place. I, myself, had figured it out by the time the water had settled, remembering the Ents as they had broken the dam near Isengard. The river's reappearance wasn't troubling me in the slightest; but the shadow was still weighing heavy on my nerves.

Never before had I anticipated sunrise so eagerly. I watched, wide awake, as the day broke. It was not picturesque, but beautiful in that it swallowed the darkness of the night and replaced it with light. Though the light was grey, veiled by a thick, cold fog, I was thankful for the beginning of the new day, and hoped to leave nehind the night's strange terrors.

We made ready to depart straight away and were back on our horses within a half an hour. I nibbled on a wafer of Lembas as we set out from our camp, following the wide road that ran alongside the River Isen. We rode slowly through the cold mist, and I could see around me that we had passed into a valley. The Mountains on the left stretched high into the clouds above.

Quickly the landscape took a drastic turn, as we left behind the green grasses of the plains for a wild mess of brambles and thorns. Weeds grew along the riverbank and wound their way up the stumps of trees that had been hacked down. The grass beneath our feet was brown and dry, and the air would have been thick with dust had it not already been so damp out. It was cold, and dreary, and my heart felt heavy as we rode through the dead valley.

As we rode on into the valley, the gravel road beneath our horses' hooves changed to wide stones. On either side of the road were dug deep ditches that were filled with water. Looking up from the ground, my eyes met a pillar of black stone. Set upon it was a rock that had on it painted a white hand, pointing northwards. As we rode past it, I noticed with a shiver that its nails were painted blood red. As Gandalf rode on, so did we. We passed the pillar and carried on down the road.

In stark contrast to the dryness that we had just ridden through, the land on either side of the road quickly became a soggy mess. Large pools of water flooded the once green land. As we rode on, the floods grew deeper and wider.

At last Gandalf halted the company and called back to us. Peering ahead past the riders in front of me, I watched as the mists parted and the sun shone down through them. On the road ahead lay the Doors to Isengard. Or at least, what was left of them. The iron bars lay twisted and broken amidst the rubble of the wall. We had reached the Gates of Isengard.


Hey! So first off, sorry for the insanely long wait for this update! Life has been a bit crazy lately. This isn't where I had planned on breaking for a chapter, but it was going to be way too long if I had kept on writing haha. I will try to update again very soon!

I really recommend the song that I have at the beginning of the chapter. It's just so perfect for this chapter and it makes me have major feels...

Please drop me a review and if you haven't yet, a favourite and a follow! I love hearing from my readers, so let me know what you think so far!

Also, happy Canada Day (yesterday) for my fellow Canadians, and happy 4th of July tomorrow for my American readers!

-Eru