"There was no lie in Pippin's eyes," Gandalf told the King early the next morning. "A fool. But an honest fool he remains. He told Sauron nothing of Frodo and the Ring." Everyone was here. Claire and I stood with Merry and Pippin off to the side, while Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas stood in the center of the room with Theoden and Gandalf. "We've been strangely fortunate," he continued. "Pippin saw in the pilantir a glimpse of the enemy's plan. Sauron moves to strike the city of Minas Tirith. His defeat at Helm's Deep has shown the enemy one thing: the heir of Elendil has come forth. Men are not as weak as he supposed. There is courage still. Strength, perhaps enough to challenge him. Sauron fears this. He will not risk the peoples of Middle-earth uniting under one banner. He will raze Minas Tirith to the ground before he sees a king return he the Throne of Men. If the beacons of Gondor are lit, Rohan must be ready for war."

"Tell me," Theoden said. "Why should we ride to the aid of those who did not come to ours? What do we owe Gondor?"

"I will go," Aragorn said.

"No!" Gandalf cried.

"They must be warned."

Gandalf walked closer to him. "They will be." Then he started whispering to Aragorn. "Understand this," Gandalf said to the group when he finished his secret. "Things are now in motion that cannot be undone. I ride for Minas Tirith, but I won't be going alone."

He turned to my small group, separate from his. "Pippin will accompany me, as will Claire and Rachel. Gondor is where we are needed now."

My jaw dropped. What was he doing? I didn't want to go to Gondor! At least not yet. I started to protest, but Gandalf turned with a sweep of his robes. "We leave in an hour. Make haste," he called.

I ran towards him, out of Meduseld. "Gandalf, wait!" I called.

"My dear, we do not have time. Pack your things, be at the stables."

"Stop!" I yelled. That got his attention. He turned with an angry look in his eye. I guess no one ever really spoke to Gandalf that way. "I'm not going," I said.

"My dear, you must. This is something that has to be done. Pippin saw visions of you, Claire, and a third girl he did not recognize. I assume it was Kristen. I told Pippin to keep this a secret and I did not wish to tell the King, but if Sauron plans to use you and your friends, you are best left with me."

"Gandalf," I said. "You've known all along Sauron had plans for us—,"

"This is untrue. I thought he had merely brought you here to change the story in his favor. Since you cannot do this for him, he has changed his plans."

"You told me last night that I had to be free to make my own choices," I argued. "Whatever Sauron has planned for me and my friends, we can fight against it. This is my choice, Gandalf. I'm not going to Minas Tirith. I'm staying with the people of Rohan."

The old Wizard smiled at me, his eyes no longer angry. "You seem to have found a home here, haven't you?"

"I don't know about that," I said. "But I've definitely found a side I believe in."

He nodded his head. "Very well, my dear. If this is what you truly want."

Someone was yelling my name, disrupting my conversation with Gandalf. "Lady Rachel," he called. It was one of the Riders of Rohan. "King Theoden requests your presence in one of the stables."

"What for?" I asked.

"I know not. I was simply asked to find you."

"Okay," I said, turning back to Gandalf. "Thank you for trusting me. I don't know what I did to deserve it."

"You have shown your quality," he said. "And I believe the King will agree with me." With that, he started walking again, leaving me with the Rider.

"Which stable?" I asked.

"Follow me, my lady."

He started leading me down the hill to the many stables of Edoras. "What's your name?" I asked him.

"Erkenbrand," he answered simply.

"How long have you been a Rider of Rohan?"

"Twenty-eight years this winter, my lady. Why do you ask?"

"I'm just curious about how this whole esquire thing works. I never really looked into it."

"Oh, I am no longer an esquire," he said. "Riders of Rohan are above esquires."

"Oh," I said. I was going to ask more, but we had reached the stable.

I walked inside and Theoden was waiting for me with Eomer and a magnificent looking grey horse. I recognized her immediately. Windfola, Eowyn's Meara horse. "My lord," I said, making my presence known.

I noticed Eomer looking rather annoyed. He was still…I don't think 'mad' is the word, but he wasn't happy with me. I thought telling him my secret would bring us closer. Everyone had been forgiving me for Eowyn's death. I guess I underestimated what it would mean to the person she was closest to.

"Rachel," Theoden said. "Thank you for coming."

"What are you doing with Windfola?" I asked.

"She has grown rather lonely without her mistress, I'm afraid. Mearas are the most intelligent and strongest of horses, and so loss effects them a hundredfold more than the average beast." He led Windfola out of her stall. "Before the battle, we had our disagreements. But after the feast last night, seeing the faces of all the children you saved, I realize now that you had been wise all along." He handed me Windfola's reins. "I wish for you to have this horse. Eowyn would want her with a friend. I can't think of anyone better deserving."

Eomer's face was stone cold. I could tell he was trying to hide his disagreement. "Thank you, my lord," I said. "But I can't accept this. I have a horse that I love very much. He is a good companion."

"I must see that you accept," The King said. "Eowyn would have wanted this. I ignored her requests in life too often to ignore them again in death."

Seeing the pain in the old man's eyes, I knew I couldn't say no again. "Thank you, my lord."

"Very good. Now, I have taken too much of your time. You have a trip to prepare for."

"Oh, I'm not going," I said. "I wish to stay with the Rohirim, if it's alright with you."

Theoden smiled. "I would like nothing more."

Eomer's face was still as stone.

Claire was in another stable, her few possessions on her back in a purse. "Where's your stuff?" she asked. "And what's with the new horse. I thought we'd take Theybrush."

"Claire, I'm not going."

She looked at me, dumbstruck. "What are you talking about?"

I took a deep breath, sitting down on a bench. "I can't leave these people. Not yet. What I did, I need to fix it."

"No, you don't!" she said. "You are not fighting the Witch-king! I don't care what you did. It's not your fight. Who says he has to die for us to win the war?"

"I didn't say I was gonna fight the Witch-king. If I have anything to say about it, I won't be the only woman on Pelenor Fields. I didn't say I was gonna do it. But that doesn't mean I'm abandoning these people who've done nothing but give me a home."

"Rachel," she said, sitting beside me. "I just got you back. I've got no clue where Kristen is. How can you just let me leave?"

"I have to. In fact, we're probably safer split apart, if Sauron wants the three of us together. Go to Minas Tirith, see if you can find Kristen. If she was with Frodo and Sam, then she met Faramir. If you do find her, tell her I'm safe and I miss her, okay?"

Claire nodded. I grabbed her shoulders and hugged her as tight as my ribs would allow. I stood, grabbing Windfola's reins and handing them to Claire. "This is Windfola, Eowyn's horse. She's a Meara, like Shadowfax and will be able to keep up with him and Gandalf. You also don't need to know how to ride to ride her. She's smart enough to know the way."

Claire patted Windfola's nose. "Promise me one thing," she said. "If it's between life or death, you better pick the closest path to life. If you or Kirsten didn't make it out of this, I don't know what I'd do."

"The same goes for you," I said.

Gandalf, Merry, and Pippin came through the door. Gandalf picked Pippin up and put him on Shadowfax's back. "How far is it to Minas Tirith?" Pippin asked.

"Three days ride as the Nazgul flies," Gandalf answered. "And you better hope we don't have one of those on our tail."

Merry walked up to him, handing him a small package. "The last of the Longbottom Leaf," Pippin said, surprised.

"I know you've run out. You smoke too much, Pip," Merry joked.

"But we'll see each other soon, won't we?"

Merry didn't answer as Gandalf climbed onto his horse's back. Claire climbed onto Windfola's. "Ride, Shadowfax. Show us the meaning of haste."

And soon, they were off, Windfola following Shadowfax with just as much speed. I could hear Pippin call for Merry. Merry ran from the stables and I followed him, all the way up to the top of a Rohan watchtower. We watched together as our friends rode off into the rolling hills.

"He's always followed me," Merry said. "Everywhere I went. I would get him into the worst sort of trouble."

I smiled. "I've known Claire since we were twelve. Just over nine years. I know that's nowhere close to you and Pippin, but she's one of my best friends. It kills me that I just got her back and now she's leaving."

"Why didn't you go with her?"

I looked down below at the people of Rohan walking about the capital. "Somethings are more important than my greed to be with my friend."

"Is it true what you did?" he asked. "Getting all those women to fight?"

"Half true," I said. "They always wanted to fight. It took no persuasion from me. I just convinced the king it was the right thing to do."

"Do you think he would let me fight for him even though I'm a Hobbit?"

I thought back to the movie, how Theoden named him an esquire, then forced him to stay in Dunharrow. Eowyn was the one who allowed him to fight. But I had changed his mind on some things. Opened up new possibilities. Maybe now, he would be more willing.

A/N: Wowza, what was with this last week. First the traffic stats stopped, then I couldn't log onto my account and update...Glad everything is fixed now (knock on wood). As always, press your clicker on that white box below and leave me your thoughts! Big stuff happening in the next chapter! Keep reading!