A/N: I am so so so so so sooo sorry this took so long!! I was sick all of March and then I had to catch up on school and stuff, so I am very sorry everyone! Here is the next chapter, hopefully everyone behaves... and if Treebeard seems a little out of character, I'm sorry, I tried! Okay, that's all, here's the next chapter...

Chapter 34: Discussions

Alagos stopped just outside the gate of Orthanc. An eerie silence hung on the air, nothing moved. Elwing looked about her, swallowing a sense of fear. She could not shake the feeling she was being watched.
There's nothing to fear, it's just the Ents, she reassured herself. It did not help. Gathering her courage, Elwing let out a shout. "Treebeard!"
She was beginning to consider shouting again when a shadow detached itself from the wall.
"Hroom, hroom, Lady Elwing! I was not expecting to see you again so soon. What brings you back?" the Ent asked.
"You said you would like to talk to me," Elwing explained, "and I would be grateful for some advice."
"Hoom, would you now," Treebeard mused, watching her with his keen eyes. "Well, follow me, I'll take you somewhere we can talk in peace."
Elwing slipped from Alagos' back and followed the Ent into nearby Fangorn Forest. They had walked in silence for some time when Treebeard stopped at last. They stood in a small clearing that had a waterfall at one end. The moon lit up the glade, and for a moment Elwing forgot her troubles.
Treebeard went and stood beside the waterfall. "Hroom, well, you said you needed my advice?"
Elwing sighed. "I suppose you know of the Fate of Sunstars?" Treebeard nodded. "Well, I used to think I could avoid it. After all, Sauron's doom is nigh, so it seemed possible I could escape the curse. But now I know that I cannot flee from Fate. I will go to the black tower, and I will fall."
"Hoom, don't be hasty now!" Treebeard said slowly. "You may not fall."
Elwing frowned. "How is that possible?"
Treebeard looked at her closely. "You'll find out soon enough."
Elwing sighed and sat beside the small pool below the waterfall. Treebeard knew she had more to talk about, but he was not about to rush her. At last she took a deep breath.
"There is something else," she began haltingly. Unsure of how to say it, and risking being called hasty, she blurted out, "I love Erestor."
Surprise appeared in Treebeard's eyes, though whether it was because of her haste or her words she could not tell. "Hoom, hoom, don't be hasty!" he said, seemingly at a loss for words. "Hroom, you, hoom, love Erestor?" Elwing nodded. "That is a very serious statement. Are you, hoom, sure you mean it?" Elwing nodded sadly. Treebeard paused. "You do not believe he loves you?"
"Well, I don't know if he loves me, and I don't know if I want him to love me," she answered miserably.
"And why not?" the Ent asked.
"I cannot escape my Fate, I know that now," she sighed. "I do not fear death, but what if he loves me? What will happen to him when I...?"
"Hroom, I see your problem," Treebeard muttered.
"And so what do I do?" Elwing asked in despair. "I cannot tell him, for if he does not love me I do not want him to feel guiltly. But what if he loves me? Should I make him hate me so he does not miss me when I am gone?"
"No! No, do not make him hate you," Treebeard replied, so quickly it was almost hasty. "That will not solve anything. Hoom, hoom, you have a problem with no easy solution."
Elwing turned and looked at her reflection in the water, a tear running down her face. "How did I get into this mess?" she murmured. "Look at me, I'm still a kid! I'm not even sixteen! How did I get stuck bearing the Fate of the Sunstars? Everyone seems to think I'm going to overthrow Sauron with my bare hands and destroy all the Orcs myself. I'm a kid, what can I do?"
"What you have been doing all along," Treebeard replied. "You are not perfect, but no leader is. You are there for your friends, and you are willing to give your life to save another. Hroom, you are young, even by the standards of Men, hoom, but that does not mean you cannot be great. Do not think that because you are young it is impossible to make a difference. You have a great destiny, but you must have faith in yourself to fulfill it."
Elwing looked up at Treebeard, tears still bright in her eyes. He looked so wise standing there in the moonlight. He radiated peace and tranquility, and Elwing believed his words. Rubbing a hand across her eyes, Elwing rose to her feet.
"Thank you, Treebeard. I will remember your words."
The old Ent smiled. "You have nothing to fear, remember that. And do not worry about Erestor. I think he may do much to help you before this is all over."
With one more thanks, Elwing whistled and waited for Alagos. Treebeard bid her farewell and returned to his watch on Isengard.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Erestor sat with his back to a tree, just outside the forest of Fangorn. Iceriver grazed nearby, but no other living creature was in sight. Erestor sighed and closed his eyes. What am I going to do? I can't let Elwing die, but what can I do? I'm just one kid!
Frowning, he tried to find a more comfortable position. Just then, a movement caught his eye. A shadow was coming closer, but he could not see what it was. His hand moved towards his sword, but a growl stopped him. Turning he saw a large wolf standing beside him. It had silver fur and a black diamond over its right eye.
"What are you doing here, boy?" the wolf snarled.
Erestor stared at the wolf. "Did you just... talk?"
Another wolf, the shadow Erestor had first seen, came trotting up. It too had silver fur and a black diamond.
"MoonStreak, Draug's gone. We watched him until he reached the mountains."
"Thank you, Silvertongue," the first wolf replied. "Dismissed."
The second wolf, Silvertongue, bowed his head and sped off. He gives orders like a general, Erestor mused.
"I repeat, boy, what are you doing here?" MoonStreak growled.
Erestor swallowed. "I'm waiting for Elwing."
The wolf's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You know the Sunstar?"
Oh great, now he's going to eat me, Erestor thought. "Yes, I know her. What is it to you?"
The wolf's snarl broke into a friendly grin. "A friend of the Sunstar is a friend of mine."
"Um, okay, but who are you? And how can you talk?" Erestor asked, still confused.
Sitting down in front of Erestor, MoonStreak told him the history of the StarWolves. When he was done, he asked, "And what is your story, boy?"
"First of all, my name isn't 'boy'," Erestor said. "It is Erestor. I came to Middle-Earth with Elwing, and I've been trying to keep her out of trouble ever since."
MoonStreak made an odd noise that Erestor recognized as laughter. "Yes, the Sunstars always have been a bit impulsive," he chuckled. "You said you are waiting for Elwing, where is she?"
"I think she's talking to Treebeard. I lost her a little while ago, but I know she has to come back this way," Erestor replied with a shrug.
As they spoke, another wolf came trotting up. He was smoky gray but bore the trademark diamond. He sat down a few feet away, but said nothing.
"Who's that?" Erestor asked, nodding towards the other wolf.
"Um, well, he doesn't have a name in the Common Speech," MoonStreak explained. "He's mute. He can growl, but nothing else."
Erestor frowned. "But isn't he a StarWolf?"
"Yes, he is one of us, but for some unknown reason he does not have the gift of speech," MoonStreak replied.
Erestor looked at the other wolf for a moment. "Well, he can't go without a name. I think he should be called... Spruce."
MoonStreak looked at him incredulously. "Spruce?"
Erestor shrugged. "Sure, why not?"
The other wolf ran over and licked Erestor's cheek. MoonStreak laughed. "I think he is happy with his name."
Erestor grinned and ruffled Spruce's fur. "I think he is too."
Spruce lay down next to Erestor with a contented yawn. MoonStreak smiled and shook his head. "I always knew he would get attached to a human one day." He looked up, but Erestor was not listening. He was looking towards Orthanc, a far away look in his eye. "Erestor?"
Erestor jerked his head back towards MoonStreak. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"
The wolf did not reply right away, but sat looking at him closely. "You like her," he announced at last.
"W-what?" Erestor asked, startled.
"You like Lady Elwing," MoonStreak said simply.
Erestor blushed. "Is it that obvious?"
MoonStreak grinned his wolf-grin. "Perhaps not to a human, but to a wolf it is."
Erestor sighed. "It's hopeless though. She probably doesn't like me back, and besides that, a war is not the best time to develop a crush."
"Not to mention her Fate," MoonStreak muttered under his breath.
"What?" Erestor asked sharply.
"Um, nothing," MoonStreak lied.
"Oh come on, you don't really believe she can't escape her Fate, do you?" No reply. "MoonStreak?"
The wolf sighed. "Erestor, the StarWolves have had to watch Sunstars go to their Fate for many years. None of them escaped. Elwing is much stronger than her ancestors, but it will take outside help to save her from her Fate."
"Outside help, like an army or something?"
MoonStreak snorted. "An army will not stop the will of Sauron. No, she will go to Barad-Dûr, but she will need help while she is there if she wishes to survive."
Erestor frowned. "You're not making any sense..." The rest of his words were drowned out by the sound of approaching hoofbeats. Looking up, Erestor saw Elwing ride out of the forest. "Well, it's about time," he said sarcastically. "Did you and Treebeard have a nice talk?"
"How did you know I was talking to Treebeard?" Elwing asked, slightly surprised.
Erestor shrugged. "Lucky guess."
"Welcome back, Sunstar," MoonStreak said, bowing his head.
"Hey, MoonStreak. I hope Erestor here didn't bore you." Erestor stuck his tongue out at her as she jumped off of Alagos' back.
"No, milady, we were just... talking," MoonStreak replied.
Elwing sat down on the other side of Spruce. "Who is this?" she asked, stroking the wolf's fur.
"Well, he technically doesn't have a name, so I named him Spruce," Erestor explained. "He didn't seem to mind." Spruce grinned and rested his head on Erestor's lap. Elwing laughed.
"He acts more like a pet dog than a wolf!"
"Yea, he's a great wolf," Erestor grinned, patting his new friend on the back.
"Well, if you will excuse me, I must see to some things," MoonStreak said, rising to his paws. "Farewell."
"Bye, Moonstreak," Elwing and Erestor chorused.
"Owe me a Coke," Elwing said, winking at Erestor.
"You silly, there isn't any Coke in Middle-Earth!" Erestor laughed.
"Oh yeah," Elwing said with a sheepish grin. They fell silent, nothing disturbing the still night. "Erestor," Elwing murmured. "Do you miss home?"
Erestor sighed. "I miss it a lot. I miss my family, my friends... though I can't say I miss our world. What about you?"
Elwing swallowed, fighting back tears. "I miss my family... especially my brother. He's always there for me, protecting me, fighting for me." She paused. "Erestor, I want to go home."
Erestor looked at her and saw that she was crying. "I want to go home too, but I don't know how," he said with a sympathetic shrug.
"Erestor, I don't want to die," Elwing said, her voice breaking. She could hold back the tears no more and began to weep shamelessly. Erestor quickly moved around Spruce and put a comforting arm about Elwing.
"You're not going to die," he said gently. "You're too stubborn to die." Elwing managed one laugh amidst her sobs. "Elwing, listen to me, you're not going to die, I won't let you."
Elwing lifted her tear-stained face to him, hope in her eyes. "Promise?"
Erestor nodded. "I promise."
Elwing put her arms about his neck and cried onto his shoulder. Erestor held her as he had in Lothlorien when the pain and fear had become to great. I promise Elwing, I will not let you die. I love you, and I will do all I can to save you. Erestor closed his eyes, wishing he could tell Elwing what he felt.


End Chapter 34.

Yea, it's short, I'm sorry. I hope to have more up soon. Don't worry, we're getting to another battle very soon! Enough sappy stuff, more action! heh heh, sorry, just had to say that. Thank you for reading! Please review! **ArwenStar**