Disclaimer: Why won't they give it to me as a birthday present? If they did I wouldn't even mind never receiving another present for the next ten years of my life.

Author's notes: Well, as promised - here's chapter 9 of Wolflight! Hee - you all get to celebrate along with me...

Uh, so, since some of you have shown interest in the contest thing, then here's the deal. The person who posts the 230th review will get the chance to create a character who will be inserted into this fic. One word reviews that are pointless and just for the sake of the contest will be ignored, so no posting stuff like: "I win!!" or "bump" or "!! Here's my character info, she's a MS with attitude...etc". Don't worry about the contest, just focus on giving your comments and concrit as usual - I'll do the counting, and later I'll contact the winner and discuss the character details with them. I only ask that you don't ask me to write an overly perfect Mary-Sue... nor too challenging a character for my current level of skill, lol. So deal? :)

And I know that I might be asking for a lot, but we've hit 208 reviews already - I'm sure we can hit 230... can't we?

Review responses: Thanks to Temeti, Meekah-Greenleaf, Kage-Fuschichou, Starset, BadWolf-Phoenix, Black Wolf-Dog, Silvara713, Potcfanforever, CheshireMax, Inspired.Butterfly, Simone Lecrae, Yellow-Fluffy-Monster and Claire. And especially thanks to those who gave me birthday wishes and cookies! (munches cyber-cookie)

Alix-Jesusfreak - Woot! Happy birthday(belated?)! October babies are the best! Consider this your birthday present - this chapter is dedicated to ya!

Kaisaan - You're back! What an awesome birthday present! (hugs) Did you use a thesaurus, lol?

I have only revealed Lady's real name to one person - not even my beta knows. It's kinda a spoiler, yes? Hm... email me or something and I'll tell ya, haha! But really, I'll reveal it in the end. You could always wait... ages... patiently...?

I missed ya! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

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Chapter 9

The sky was dark this morning, and there was a thickness in the air that spoke of an approaching storm, coming suspiciously from the south where Isengard lay. I gave the clouds a wary glance, but kept running alongside Shadowfax. Gandalf and I were near the front of the group of about two thousand Riders of Rohan, alongside Éomer and Erkenbrand, and several other Marshals who had been exiled along with Éomer for being loyal to Rohan and their King. I admired them for this – even after the injustice done to them, they were willing to forgive and forget because of this loyalty that ran within them, and it humbled me, not to mention reminded me rather sharply of how my friends had done the very same thing for me. I realized with a start that this might be part of the reason why Théoden-King had been so strangely silent that day about my attacking his niece – perhaps he had been thinking about how his men and people had forgiven him for his wrongs the same way my friends had, and so understood how I felt, and had forgiven me in that very same spirit of understanding? I did not know – maybe I was reading too much into things that weren't there.

I sighed a little. Thinking of my friends had reminded me how much I was missing them now. I hadn't realized how used I'd gotten to having them around, having their unique scents and presences to comfort me and make me feel….whole. True, I had Gandalf, but still…

The Wizard sent me a thoughtful look from behind slightly frowning eyebrows, and I hastily refocused on my path, schooling my expression into a calm and peaceful one as opposed to my melancholy sadness at the lack of a certain Man, Elf and Dwarf… and several cheerful, irrepressible hobbits. Wherever they were, whatever they were doing, I just hoped they were safe.

My wolf senses were suddenly flaring, on full alert. Stopping short, I turned my head, and then had to leap aside, narrowly missing being trampled by the horses that had been behind me. I wove through the racing horses, a deep sense of urgency within me even after I broke through the side of the mass of thundering hoofs and Riders. I raised my head to sniff the air. Besides the heat and smells of the coming storm, I could scent something else too…

Orc-scent!

Gandalf! I raised my muzzle, opening it to release a howl of warning.

Gandalf and Shadowfax were at my side within seconds. The Wizard looked down at me.

"What is it, Lady?" he asked, sharply.

The éored made a quick turn as Éomer made his way back to us. "What is it?" he asked, repeating Gandalf's words, looking from the Wizard to me.

I growled, my gaze jerking to the trees, a small forest we'd passed but mere moments ago.

They were coming! There were roars and bellows in the distance, and Gandalf's expression darkened.

Erkenbrand reached us and swore. "Orcs," he spat. "This must be that band of scouts and mischief-rabble that we were tracking a day or so ago, Lord Éomer."

"Then they'll have some spare warg riders with them also," Éomer said, and I could practically see him thinking through possible strategies of attack or defense. I didn't envy him his position as leader of this group of Riders – I would never be able to make the decisions he did. "But compared to us, they are not as many – why would they be attacking us?"

"A distraction," Gandalf inserted grimly. "They intend to try and keep us from reaching Helm's Deep in time."

Éomer's face darkened. "Well, they will not succeed. Erkenbrand! Take everyone but the twins, Brethain, Coenred, Eanfrid, Swidhelm and Thrydwulf, and ride on to the halfway point we agreed upon earlier. If we do not join you by nightfall, leave for the Keep without us and we will join you there as soon as we can. Gandalf, would you -"

Before he could finish his sentence, Gandalf brought out Glamdring, his sword, and answered: "I believe that Erkenbrand can manage without me to lead the way, so I shall assist you in this minor battle, Éomer. Lady will stay and fight with me as well." I nodded, and sent another growl towards the trees. Erkenbrand did not hesitate, and he turned his horse to the rest of the group, calling out orders in the Rohirric tongue. The men surged forward and rode after him, except for a few whom I assumed were the men Éomer had named, who drew their swords and turned their horses to face the trees, ready for battle. There were ten of us altogether, but if we were merely facing a scouting party then we were more than enough.

The glistening glint of the tip of an Orc-poisoned arrow drew my attention, peeking out from the bushes, easily noticed by the wolf who was extra-sensitive to movement and danger. Whirling on one paw, I leapt up and crashed down with the Orc who had been aiming the arrow at Éomer and his men, sending the arrow flying wildly into the sky to miss its target. Battle was joined, and as one the Riders all surged forward to face the foul black creatures who were now pouring from the trees.

There were thirty-odd Orcs altogether, and they had three warg riders with them. I dispatched of the surprise archer quickly, and leapt off his body to attack another one. I did not have the Stone of Courage with me, but I was somehow furious and ready to battle with everything I had. Maybe it was because the Orcs had spoiled my good run? Maybe it was because they served the Enemy? Maybe it was that they threatened me and Gandalf and the Riders now… I didn't know. But I was angry and my blood sang for battle, and now they would all pay.

I took down Orc after Orc with a fervor that surprised even me. Reminded sharply of the wolf in her rage, it was a sudden memory of myself attacking Aragorn that pulled me back, out of the throes of battle-fury and back to myself. Slightly dazed, I took a look around. The men were handling themselves well, as was Gandalf. A loud creaking noise came from behind me, and I turned to see an Orc hacking at a nearby tree with mighty blows from his axe. Confused, I didn't understand why he would stop fighting to try and bring down a tree – until I looked closer and saw the winded Rider who had fallen off his horse and was lying helplessly beneath it.

You guessed it – it was Éomer.

My body tensed and coiled, then unleashed like a spring, and I hurled myself over to the Orc. He spun, meeting me with his axe, but I dodged and knocked it from his hand with a headbutt to his wrist, where it slid over the ground and slipped into a hole between the tree's roots. Slicing my fangs into his throat, I gagged as vile black blood rushed into my mouth, and pulled back to retch a little, turning away from the now-still carcass that fell beside me.

The tree groaned, swayed and started its descent. I turned, but there was no way a wolf could hold back a falling tree. Panic set in – Éomer was still lying there!

"Lady – my leg is trapped!" Éomer gritted out, and looking down, I saw that this was true – he was caught under one of the roots near the bottom of the tree. Not really thinking anymore, I rushed over and began to tug at his pants leg with my teeth. Time seemed to slow down, and it seemed to take an age before my head jerked backwards, and with it came Éomer's foot, slipping free of his boot with an audible scraping noise, a rough drag of skin on leather. I gripped the shoulder of his coat between my teeth and yanked, and he took my hint to stand up and run. Even then, I didn't think we were going to make it, for suddenly the tree seemed to speed up and it hurtled towards the ground - and us - with a loud creaking scream. It hit the dirt where we had been with a resounding thud, and I was just starting to be grateful that it had missed us by a hair when something slammed into my head and a sharp pain shot through my tail. My forward-movement stopped, my body jerked back, and I realized that I was trapped, my tail caught pitifully under the tree, my head having been hit by a large branch that stuck out on the side of the trunk.

Éomer, realizing that I wasn't with him, now turned back. Seeing my predicament, he returned to my side, limping over the twigs and undergrowth with only one boot on, and the other foot bare. He tried to lift the tree off me, but it had been around for several winters now and was too heavy for one man to lift – or even ten. This required more men, with ropes and pulleys, and my heart sank as I realized that we couldn't possibly have the equipment here.

The Third Marshal jerked his head up all of a sudden, and his sword flashed out quickly, just in time to sink into the belly of an Orc who had snuck up on us, killing it instantly and heaving the stinking carcass aside. Then I scented Gandalf, and the men who had stayed to fight, and suddenly the Wizard was kneeling beside me, examining my head and tail. I didn't like the worried expression on his face, and tried to allay it, nuzzle-licking his hand as it passed my muzzle.

"I'm sorry, Lady. We don't have any axes, so we cannot even cut away the part of the trunk that is holding down your tail. We have knives, but the trunk is sturdy and young and thick, and the knives we have are not strong enough to cut through it. You will have to suffer yourself to be pulled free, and we shall just have to hope that your tail survives this."

I sighed, but nodded, bracing myself. Gandalf placed a hand on my tail – I don't think any of the men were willing to try yanking on a wolf's tail just yet – and pulled sharply. I gave a yelping cry of pain, but suddenly my tail shot free, hurting like it had been yanked in two. I twisted my head in a hurry, instinctively licking the sore appendage, but thankfully I'd lost only fur. I couldn't say the same for my pride, for my tail was now a horrifyingly ugly, stumpy, skin-covered ropy-thing that resembled a rat's tail more than a wolf's, having lost its crowning glory. Gazing at it in dismay, I couldn't help but whimper in horror.

Gandalf's tone was amused, but not unsympathetic. "It will grow back, Lady. Be grateful you and Éomer are both unharmed and alive."

Unharmed? He hadn't had the fur scraped off half his tail! I felt strangely like crying, though that was probably more due to the pain in my head than my tail… Startled, I looked up as Éomer approached me slowly, scrutinizing me with his observant gray gaze.

"She has a head injury, Mithrandir," he pointed out to Gandalf, who nodded. "I fear a concussion – can she run still?"

"I think she will be all right – she does not show signs of a concussion, but it is better to be safe than sorry… She will ride with me on Shadowfax, and I know he will bear her willingly. She cannot run in this condition, and I would not ask her to," the Wizard responded to Éomer's concern, and I found myself being gently lifted into Gandalf's arms. The Wizard carried me like a precious thing to where his noble horse waited. I was placed carefully on the front, just behind Shadowfax's strong neck, and the Wizard swung himself up behind me, and I was reassured by his strong hand which held me steady. I felt rather shell-shocked still, and buried my muzzle in Shadowfax's shoulders, closing my eyes as I gave in to the urge to sleep.

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Darkness greeted me, but even as I prepared for healing sleep, light broke through from above, and I was pulled gently into the dreamscape, where I found a silent forest and a strangely barren garden. I sighed. I really didn't feel in the mood…

- I am sorry about your tail, little one. I know that you loved its beauty and the strength and balance it gives you. But look at the silver lining in this cloud – for you live still. You could have been crushed by that tree because of your foolhardy actions today - and yet it was that very recklessness that saved the nephew of the King of Rohan. The Third Marshal of the Riddermark is a worthy son of Eorl, and he will not forget what you have done for him. And besides, you did not lose it entirely…merely some fur. Count your blessings, little one. -

I raised an eyebrow, but stopped to stare in surprise as something walked gracefully into my line of vision.

There was a soft, vaguely regretful laugh. - I decided that it was time that I revealed myself to you, little one. -

Before me stood a nymph-like creature whose hair seemed made of soft, new spring leaves, and whose cloudy white eyes made me think of looking into the murky depths of a puddle. It took me a moment to realize that she was blind, and for some reason the poetic description of blindness slipped into my mind: "Eyes that see the wind, and more besides"…

Her body was lithe and slim, but plain, and adorned only with the flowers of springtime. A stem of simbelmynë decorated one shoulder, and vines fell around her, a cloak for this Nature Spirit who was finally within my sights.

A smile graced the Voice's face, and she spoke again, though her mouth did not move.

- My name, little one, is Ethyliss – not 'the Voice'. Long have I existed in this world, though now I walk in Arda no longer but in this forest of dreams. It is barren now, and I will have to start work at replanting it, for much of my power was taken from here to help you fight the wolf in Edoras. It was my own doing that caused this need for the destruction of my beloved forest, and I lay blame at no one's feet but my own. For I forgot one of the fundamental rules of asking a favor of someone, and that was to provide you with the knowledge you would need in order to handle the Stones and become who you were meant to be. - She paused, then continued. - Yes, I did not tell you that the Stones would cause you to be connected to Sam, who now bears the Stone of Reliability, nor did I mention that through Friendship you would also be connected to little Merry and Pippin – for you saw Fangorn through their eyes in your dreams. You were far from prepared for the devastating effect of these dreams on your unsuspecting mind, and that is how you came to fear that which you did not understand. And I did not see it. In my overconfidence, I forgot about the light which in itself is power. -

The light which in itself was power? My eyebrows shot straight up again, without pause this time.

The Voice – no, Ethyliss, though I could not think of her as anything but the Voice just yet – solemnly raised one long finger, a long slender digit that seemed to be like grass fronds. From the long rush-like digits dangled a rich purple Stone.

- Please accept my humble apologies, little one, and accept this new Stone. I had forgotten about it, and was going to give it to you last of all. It has been a while since I used it, and so I had forgotten its importance – and now, many are paying the price. - She smiled suddenly, and moved to gently place it on my collar. - I give to you the light of Knowledge. May it guide you on your way, and help you to choose the right paths. With it you will never get lost again. -

Knowing what was expected of me; I bowed my head to her and touched a gentle, reverent paw to the Stone. Deep purple light flared from it, and I saw the strange symbol of two connected circles, one larger, one slightly smaller, with more circles within each. It looked like a sideways version of the number '8' in the Common script of Men, really, and if it was, then what I was looking at was a rendered version of the infinity symbol. It fit, for was knowledge not infinite and forever sought-after?

Looking up, I found that the Voice – Ethyliss – had gone. Above me the familiar light started, and I looked up at it, resigned and ready to leave.

- I will return you now to your sleep. You deserve some rest before you have to awaken. There is a battle soon to come, and you should be ready to help your friends. -

The light grew, the circle widening, and I closed my eyes as I was pulled through it and into restful dreams.

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"Ignorance may be bliss, but it certainly is not freedom, except in the minds of those who prefer darkness to light and chains to liberty. The more true information we can acquire, the better for our enfranchisement."

- Robert Hugh Benson, "Intellectual Slavery"

"The good life is inspired by love and guided by knowledge."

- Bertrand Russell

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Just for your information... I actually planned to have Lady lose her tail entire, but changed my mind because it actually became painful to write. (nods) Comments, anyone? (points to pretty purple button)

RK9.