"...can we not have peace; you and I?"
She was there but not there. It was the strangest feeling. She could see the King, Aragorn, Gandalf, Legolas, Gimli...she could see them all arranged around the base of the dark tower of Isengard; and above - high above, speaking from the very highest point of that selfsame tower was the wizard Saruman. He did not look dangerous but she felt his evil intent in her very bones.
"We will have peace when you answer for the burning of the Westfold and the children that lie dead there!" replied Théoden, fire in his voice and his eyes blazing with anger. Lianna smiled. The King was formidable indeed. "We shall have peace when the lives of the soldiers whose bodies were hewn even as they lay dead against the gates of Hornburg are avenged!"
Theoden drove his horse a pace or two closer to the tower and finished his speech in a voice filled with pure anger and hate, "When you hang from a gibbet for the sport of your own crows we shall have peace."
"Gibbets and crows," spat Saruman, "Dotard! What do you want Gandalf Greyhame? Let me guess...the key of Orthanc? Or perhaps the keys of Barad-dûr itself? Along with the crowns of the seven Kings and the rods of the Five Wizards?"
"Your treachery," replied Gandalf, "Has already cost many lives. Thousands more are now at risk...but you can save them Saruman. You were deep in the enemy's counsel."
"So you have come here for information." Saruman did not ask a question with his words – he knew precisely why Gandalf was there. Lianna knew, with all the conviction within her, that the Wizard was too rooted in evil now to think of helping those of the side of good. He would yield nothing.
"I have some for you." He reached out and in his bony hand was held and orb. The sight of it made Lianna's temples begin to ache and her heart to pound twice as fast in her chest. The fact that she was not truly there made no difference. She felt pain as if it were real and fear as if it were imminent.
"Something festers at the heart of Middle Earth...something you have failed to see." Spat Saruman. "But the Great Eye has seen it. Even now he presses his advantage. His attack will come soon...you're all going to die." She looked to the others and saw the Hobbits' fear. Her anger immediately began to build. They would not die. She would not allow it.
"But you know this Gandalf. You cannot think that a Ranger will ever sit upon the throne of Gondor. This exile crept from the shadows will never be crowned King...Gandalf does not hesitate to sacrifice those closest to him...even now the Lady Seer lies dying and yet Gandalf does not fell me to save her. He lets me live and he allows her to fade into darkness..." She frowned. That was wrong. Gandalf would not let that happen. Yet then...why did he not kill Saruman to help her? Unless...
"...those he professes to love are the first to fall. Tell me, what words of comfort did you give to the Halfling before you sent him to his doom? The path that you have set him on can only lead to death..."
"I've heard enough!" called Gimli, he leaned round to Legolas and said, "Shoot him!"
"NO!" cried Gandalf as Legolas reached for an arrow, "Come down Saruman and your life will be spared..."
"Save your pity and your mercy. I have no use for it!" He then, in an instant, thrust forward his staff sending a bolt of lightning straight towards the group. It became a fireball which engulfed Gandalf...only to go out leaving the man unharmed. She smiled to see Saruman truly puzzled by his failure.
"Saruman...your staff is broken." cried Gandalf. Immediately the aforementioned staff broke in Saruman's hands. She saw Grima Wormtongue appear at the top of the tower next to the now powerless Wizard and heard Théoden call,
"Grima, you need not follow him. You were not always as you are now. You were once a man of Rohan. Come down..." Grima bowed to his King and began to turn before Saruman murmured,
"A man of Rohan...what is the house of Rohan but a thatched barn where brigands drink in the reek and their brats roll on the floor with the dogs? The victory at Helm's Deep does not belong to you; Théoden, Horse-master, you are a lesser son of greater sires." Wormtongue looked down at his former master and King with sorrow in his eyes.
"Grima," called Théoden, "Come down. Be free of him..."
"FREE?" cried Saruman, "He will never be free!"
"No..." whispered Wormtongue. Lianna felt the man's intention and wished she could stop it. Yet she knew what must be done – what the poor misled servant of Rohan who loved his King and country still – despite everything – must do.
"Get down – CUR!" Saruman struck Wormtongue upon the face, causing the other man to fall backwards onto the ground atop the tower.
"Saruman." called Gandalf, "You were deep in the enemy's counsel. Tell us what you know!"
"You withdraw your guard and I will tell you where your doom will be decided." replied Saruman. "I will not be held prisoner..."
The knife flashed in the air and suddenly Wormtongue was stabbing Saruman again and again, passion and hatred in every stroke of the blade. Legolas drew his bow and Lianna shouted,
"NO!" as Saruman fell to the ground from his tower, into the water, and Legolas' arrow pierced Wormtongue's flesh, causing him to fall the other way – back out of sight. She watched Saruman's body falling, turning and rolling as it went, until it seemed apparent where it would land. The spiked waterwheel was almost upon it and as the body impaled itself upon one of the terrible, deadly spikes...
Lianna drew in a deep breath, sitting up quickly and instantly regretting it. She felt burning hot and there was sweat coating her entire body. She was wearing no shirt – simply the bandages across her breasts which she had worn for the hard riding. She saw Boromir was a little way away from her – he looked as if he had backed away quickly.
"You were glowing," he whispered, coming near again now she was looking at him, "You were glowing a radiant silver colour. Then, suddenly as the light came, it left you and you awoke." She nodded and looked down to her stomach. Now there was but a scar – no longer open and bleeding but healed as well as it could. It looked as though she had borne the mark all her life.
"The wizard Saruman, along with Grima Wormtongue, is dead. With his passing his hold over my life left." Boromir reached out a hand and she took it in her own.
"You have been asleep for hours – none could wake you." She smiled.
"I may have been asleep in body but my mind was free – I saw Gandalf speaking with Saruman, I saw him try to reason with him..."
"Reason with him?" Boromir asked incredulously, "Why not simply kill him and save you in one stroke?" Lianna bit her lip a moment before replying,
"I fear with Gandalf one observation made by Saruman is true...those whom he loves are the ones to suffer the greatest burden of all. Yet do not look as you do, Boromir, do not hate Gandalf for it. This is merely true because he loves those who are strong. He only tests us as far as he knows we are able to go. Now, help me up, I am quite recovered and I have lain unmoving too long I think." She took the tunic he gave her and then pulled on a jerkin before allowing him to help her stand. Just as she was about to head towards where she knew Gandalf and the others would be she turned and murmured quietly to him,
"Boromir, I shall never leave you."
She came into view of the company as Saruman's body dropped out of sight upon the turning waterwheel. Yet still something dark lingered there and she knew she needed to warn Gandalf to hide the Orb Saruman had possessed from sight. It would See all and they could not afford the enemy to have such an advantage. She waved as Legolas caught sight of her and called her name. However in a moment her attention was distracted by the sight of one of the little Hobbits jumping from their horse and making their way to a light in the water.
"Pippin?" shouted Aragorn. Lianna watched as the Hobbit got nearer and nearer to the light. She frowned...it could not be...
"DON'T TOUCH IT!" she shrieked, breaking into a run, which was difficult due to the water, and reaching the Hobbit just as he drew it from the water. She instantly staggered back, feeling the Eye of the enemy upon them.
"I'll take that." said Gandalf, reaching out with his cloak. Pippin placed it in the cloak and Gandalf wrapped it up – blocking its sight.
"Never play with things of such darkness Pippin," she murmured, falling to her knees and reaching out to hug the Hobbit. His little arms went round her neck and he murmured,
"I'm glad you're well again." The pattering of feet in the water and more arms around her back indicated that Merry had joined the hug.
"As am I, my friends, as am I." She stood as the Hobbits released her and looked to Gandalf. "As you can see with Saruman's passing my health returned...yet you knew that would be so – did you not Gandalf?" He looked at her without shame in his eyes yet she knew she was right.
"I did..." he began.
"You did what had to be done. Do not fret, Gandalf, I do not blame you for it. This world is more important than you or I or any one single person. Yet I doubt Boromir shall be feeling so benevolent." She smiled as the Wizard looked around furtively to see whether the Captain of Gondor was near.
"I must speak with you...all of you I think," she murmured, looking from Aragorn to Théoden and then on to Gimli and Legolas with her vision finally resting on Gandalf once again. "Gondor weakens and its Steward falls into madness. He must be stopped."
"What must be done?" asked a voice behind her. She turned to see the speaker was Boromir. He did not seem angry at her words...simply determined to right the wrongs of his father. She smiled to him before returning her sight to the rest of the company and continuing,
"We must either make him see sense or we must remove him from his post. Yet first," she walked over to Théoden and bowed low before him, "To Edoras. You have won a great victory, my King, and I think that you and your people deserve to celebrate it in the appropriate manner." She felt a hand upon her shoulder and looked to see it was the King's. He was smiling kindly at her.
"You are too gracious, Lady Seer, the victory was not mine alone."
"No indeed," she replied, "And your willingness to admit that is why you are such a just and noble ruler...and why your name shall never be forgotten."