Hello people around the world!

Until now we have met in the plot to two mutants: Kitty and Marrow, but now a new one will appear. What will be his role during this War? It'll be seen since this chapter and so on.

As well as the new plot that develops in Isengard will start to happen.

Before starting I want to thank Celridel for her immense help and invite you, guys, to leave your reviews!

Chapter 25: Preparing for a siege

Avalanche reread the message with great attention.

Several months before the problem arose, when Gandalf had found the One Ring in the Shire, Avalanche had spent much of his time in Barad-Dûr, the tower of Sauron, where the fallen Maia dwelt and plotted, shrouded in fear and shadow.

The mutant did not particularly like being there. The eternal darkness of the sky, the reek of sulphur and death were not his favorite, but one thing pleased him. Mordor was almost entirely stone, and he could use his powers easily.

He looked down again at the message. It was from Marrow, written a thin, smooth stone, and the words were scratched into it with the help of one of her sharpest spines. She had recounted, briefly, the mission assigned to her by Saruman, the ambush of the Fellowship with the consequent result, and her own mission and its somewhat successful conclusion, and that she deceive Gollum to lead the hobbits to Mordor, and the thorn she had given him. Avalanche smiled at that detail. Once he got the information out to Gollum, he could kill him without a problem.

But something struck him. No mutant could touch the one Ring with severe agony. Marrow and Shadowcat had proven that for him.

Avalanche clenched his fist tightly as he read the name of 'Shadowcat'. He hated that girl, he hated her with all his heart! He had been in love with her, he had protected her several times, he had tried to change…and she had abandoned him, even fought against him.

He hated her, with all the passion he had loved her, and he delighted that she would be taken prisoner to Isengard, and only regretted he would not be there to see her torment.

Something else that caught his attention. Marrow vehemently advised him to trust no one, not even their ally. He would have to be careful because he was in the lion's den.

With a shock wave of his power, he shattered the stone, and watched it fly in jagged shards. He would wait here for Marrow.

'Poor Marrow!' He thought. 'Saruman is far too controlling.'

But then he thought it over. The fact that Saruman was thus did not mean that Marrow could not turn the play over to him.

Kitty looked out over the great fields of grey-green grass. Before the dawn rose, they would be trampled and black with corpses, of friend as well as foe.

Ten thousand Uruk-Hai! Ten thousand! Kitty shook her head. The X-Men had never faced with a force as numerous as that! And all the people of Rohan gathered together to fight were only three hundred. This would be a massacre!

If only a few of their X-Men friends had been with them, then the tides might have changed in their favor. She pulled her eyes away from the fields before and went down the stairs. The King had ordered her into the caves with the rest of the women-folk.

A sudden twisted knot of fear arose in her, not only for herself, but the Fellowship…for those she valued as friends. Where did their deaths lie? In the near future it seemed, like all.

And she only wished they could die together, fighting side by side.

Avalanche walked resolutely towards the gate of the tower of Barad-Dûr. Marrow's message had arrived with Saruman's explanation of the origin of the mutants, not to mention the little experience she had had before the Wildmen ambush.

Avalanche realized that if Saruman had tried to get rid of Marrow, there was nothing to stop the wizard from trying to do the same thing to him later. The traitor Istar had realized that Marrow was already well aware that the real reason why Saruman had hidden the truth all this time. It was fear, fear that both mutants would rise against him. And why not? Avalanche was sure that between the two they could beat Saruman, but they were strategically separated.

Through her dispatch, Marrow had let him know that the two mutants together could take Saruman out of the way. As for Sauron? The Dark Lord of Mordor was far more powerful than the traitor wizard, he was of a higher power, though he did not have all his strength, and would not till he held the One Ring.

Avalanche had thought very seriously about the possibility that Sauron would kill them once he had gained power. By then, not even Magneto could defeat him, though he was an Omega-type mutant.

Marrow had advised him to act with caution. Her idea was to take Saruman out of the way and make him pay for his betrayal, and she had assured him that she would take care of it. The one that remained was Sauron. What to do? Marrow had told him that it was up to him, but she promised to come to his aid soon.

The first thing to do was make sure Sauron was unsuspecting of anything. The next was to find the Ring and keep it for himself.

What would they do then? There were two options: one, to force Sauron to fulfill his deal even after he took possession of that jewel; Or two, was to overthrow him and rule Middle Earth.

The latter one suited, obviously, but there were terrible rumors of a being for more ancient and dreadful, of whom Sauron was only a servant.

Avalanche shrugged. There would be time to make those decisions, for the moment what was important was to find those two hobbits and Gollum, or at least know their whereabouts. He beckoned a small squad of Orcs to him.

Aragorn slowly buckled his breastplate, his hands aching, nearly sick with the slaughter that loomed inevitably before them.

Suddenly, the ancient hilt of Anduril was placed in his hand. Aragorn raised his gaze and saw that it was Legolas.

"We have trusted you this far and you have not led us astray. Forgive me, I was wrong to despair." the Elf said softly.

Aragorn smiled. He knew his friend , and he always had known that Legolas never had distrusted of him, "There's nothing to forgive, Legolas."

The Elf smiled in return, and clasped the Dúnadan's shoulder. There were soft steps and Kitty stood in the doorway. Legolas approached the woman. "Kitty, you should be in the caves. The King ordered you to be."

Kitty snorted, annoyed. "As if!"

"Please Kitty." said the Prince softly, taking her hand gently.

"But I know how to fight!" she exclaimed impatiently. "I've been an X-Man since I was one. I'm not new to battle."

"Kitty, I cannot fight and protect you." said Legolas firmly.

"I don't need your protection." said Kitty stubbornly. "I can take care of myself."

Kitty sighed moodily. "Fine." She looked at the Elf. His blue gaze was pleading. "Well, anyways, I was coming to talk to Aragorn. After that I'm leaving for the caves." she added sullenly.

Aragorn looked at her. "Yes?"

But before Kitty could speak, the echo of a horn came to them, clarion-silver and ringing free. The four moved swiftly to the gates, and stopped short in hope unlooked for. An Elven army leaded by Haldir, the March Warden of Lothlórien, had arrived.

"How is this possible?" asked Théoden in disbelief.

The March warden smiled grimly. "I bring word from Elrond of Rivendell: an alliance once existed between Elves and Men, long ago we fought and died together. We come to honor that allegiance"

"Mae Govannen, Haldir!" greeted Aragorn, shouldering his way through the ranks to seize Haldir in a friend's embrace. Haldir returned the gesture with a smile. Legolas gladly greeted his brother in race, though Gimli stayed aside. Kitty followed and delightedly hugged the Elf. "It is good to see again!" she exclaimed.

Haldir nodded. "So it is. It is a pleasure to find you well."

Kitty smiled while King Théoden watched in surprised. So the Elves trusted her.

Haldir advanced with his army. Aragorn and the King showed them the fortress, and the position they must take during the siege. Kitty followed, closely interested in the position of the newcomers and the distribution of forces, but Legolas pulled her aside. "Kitty, please go to the caves." he asked softly.

Kitty rolled her eyes. "Legolas, didn't Gandalf say that I had come to Middle-Earth because the Válar had considered that I should help you?"

The Elven-Prince nodded.

"So how am I supposed to help you if you force me into hiding?"

Legolas opened his mouth, but Kitty continued. "I can fight, and my mutant abilities help me. Didn't I survive a fall of more than 30 feet?"

"Yes, that is true. But these are the Uruk-Hai, they are not like anything else. Boromir asked me as his last breath to protect you!"

"Well then, I'll fight by you, so if problem that comes up, you'll come to my rescue,"

Legolas shook his head. "No," he said impatiently. "You do not understand Kitty. I cannot fight, I will not be able to fight if I know that you are here, if I sense your presence."

"Sense?" Kitty frowned again, confused. "Are you like Lady Galadriel?"

The Elf drew a deep breath, and took her firmly by her shoulders. "Kitty, I ask you to go to the caves." he said "Do it for your sake and for mine."

Kitty tilted her head ever more confused. Would it be something like Lady Galadriel or as he mutant type among Elves? And why would it be for his sake. With a sigh, she shifted tactics. "Okay. Let me talk to Aragorn and I'll go into the caves."

Legolas nodded and accompanied her to where the Ranger was speaking with the King and Haldir.

Théoden turned to her. "If I remember aright, you were sent down to the caves."

Kitty clenched her fists. "Yes, I know, but I wanted to speak to the Lord Aragorn before I obeyed you."

"You surprise me, Kitty," Aragorn told her, once they were alone "Why so much urgency to talk to me?"

Kitty looked at him. She realized that the Ranger was not upset that she wanted to talk to him, but rather was surprised. "Don't feel special. I'm surprised too."

Aragorn nodded quietly, and sat down on one of the stone steps as Kitty paced nervously in front of him with her arms folded over her chest. Finally she turned to meet his patient grey gaze.

"Um….I wish to talk to you, because considering the situation ahead, I think it would be best to die on good terms. And it's not that I think you're going to die or I want you to die," Kitty hastened to add. "I mean, I hope you don't, because my heroic feat would be for nothing then."

Aragorn smiled slightly.

"But thigns look bad. So, it is better to be on good terms, don't you think?"

Aragorn rose, stopping her in the middle of her walk. "So you think defeat is inevitable?"

Kitty shrugged, avoiding the question. "I wish the X-Men were here, then we would have a chance. Then these children won't have to die!"

"And which of your friends do you think would help us the most?" He asked.

Kitty looked up. "I do not know. Storm….Iceman….Jean…..all, any of them would be such a great help." She sighed. "But they aren't here, and soon I won't be here either. The King and Legolas insist that I go to the caves. Théoden does not trust me, and Legolas says something about feeling my presence, and how it would distract him. Who knows what goes through the head of an Elf!"

She turned her gaze to Aragorn who had listened with great attention. "Why do you think he said that?"

Aragorn shook his head. How did he explain to Kitty that when an Elf sensed the presence of a person it was because the Elf was in love. Fortunately, Kitty shrugged and continued. "Anyway, this talk wasn't supposed to be about Legolas, but to tell you it would be nice to be on good terms." she said, offering her hand.

Aragorn smiled and took her hand. "We're on good terms," he said.

They both knew they had misjudged each other, and both knew they would never say it to each other.

Marrow had finished eating. After running nonstop for days, then fighting the Wildmen…it was something exhausting even for a mutant with a stamina like hers. She was leaning on the balustrade, watching the sky. It was not the most beautiful, grey and lowering. She had seen the sunrise on the banks of Anduin by the falls of Rauros, and there she had appreciated its beauty.

But compared to Avalanche, she was in a paradise.

A footstep made her draw a spine and she turned to see a man, cringing.

Marrow tilted her head in surprise to see who it was. "Gríma Wormtongue." she said slowly "What are you doing here?"

"I'm not coming to hurt you," he said, trembling.

"I hope not!" she scoffed. "But you seem like a person that I can trust." Marrow continued sweetly. "Come, you want to keep me company?"

Gríma hesitated, and then approached to her side.

Marrow returned to staring at the sky. "Well Gríma ... how have you been?" She asked after a moment.

When there was no answer, Marrow turned to him and smiled gently, however, Grima did not trust her. "Do not be afraid, Gríma." she said kindly, "If you do not come to hurt me by Saruman's orders, you have nothing to fear."

"No, I do not. He does not even know I am here." replied the man fawningly.

Marrow smirked to herself. "I knew that you had a bad experience with Théoden, thanks to that old fool Gandalf." she said casually.

Grima frowned.

"Do not be angry, Gríma." she replied with a false kindness that managed to deceive Wormtongue. "I just asked, because after all, you see that Saruman has a habit of killing those who fail him in their missions."

Gríma stared. Would Saruman kill him?

"I tell you because I've heard it." Marrow went on, still looking out towards the clouds. "I must confess something to you, Gríma. I no longer trust Saruman. He tried to kill me, by means of an ambush. And it seems unfair."

Gríma nodded. So that was why Saruman wanted the Wild men.

Grima was surprised. So that's why Saruman wanted to talk to the Wildmen?

"I learned from one of the Wildmen who attacked that Saruman considered me useless now. Tell me, Gríma, what do you call a person who uses you for your plans and then tries to kill you?"

"But ... but ... but he told me he has another mission for me," Grima ventured to say after a moment.

Marrow chuckled and turned to face him. "Do you really think so?" she said, as she pulled out a spike from her armor, the size of a knife and as sharp as a fresh forged sword. "Mark my words, Gríma. Saruman will have no qualms throwing you away." She paused" If I were you, I would take good care of my." She added, giving him the thorn.

"Mark my words well, Gríma." she repeated and left. Grima watched her disappear inside the tower, saw the thorn that had left him and then into the sky. The seed of suspicion and distrust was well planted

So... what's Marrow plan? And what will Avalanche decide regarding Sauron? And finally... Aragorn and Kitty are in good terms! As well as again, Legolas senses Kitty. What does that mean?

Waiting for your reviews, guys! They're the food of this story.