It did not take them long to reach Rohan.  Nori soon found herself in familiar country, and as her excitement increased, so did their speed.  Within six days the horns blew in Edoras, signaling their arrival.

Nori had not expected King Eomer to greet them at the gate, but was completely surprised by the greeting they did receive.  As they dismounted and saw their horses to the stables, they were approached by three Dwarves.  Nori had never seen a dwarf before.  She remembered Cal telling her of the remarkable friendship between Legolas and the dwarf Gimli, and supposed one of these must be Gimli himself.

"We meet again, Master Elf," said the middle dwarf.  "It has been many months!  I suppose they have been keeping you as busy in Ithilien as I have been at Helm's Deep."

"Gimli!," Legolas exclaimed with surprise.  "I did not expect to see you here!  I had planned to ride to Helm's Deep and surprise you.  But it is good to see you again, and sooner that I expected!"

"It is good to see you as well.  But come!  King Eomer is waiting for!"

They were soon with the King and his wife Lothiriel.  Nori knew them both already, but had seen neither of them for many years.  In fact, she had not seen Eomer since she had left Rohan for Dol Amroth, when she had been ten and he twenty years old.  Lothiriel welcomed her kindly, eager for news of Dol Amroth and her father, Prince Imrahil.

They spent two days in Rohan.  Nori formed a fast friendship with Gimli and his fellow dwarves, brothers Grond and Rond.  She admired their stout hearts, and found their occasional gruffness very amusing.

Gimli tried everything in his power to persuade the three travelers into coming to Helm's Deep for a few days.  He finally got Legolas alone and told him of all the work that had been done in the Glittering Caves.

"I remember how impressed you were when you saw them so many years ago.  If you could see them now!  I think once you saw them you would not want to leave again, and I'm sure Norusell and Glamren would feel the same way."

"This is not the argument you should have chosen Gimli, for I must go to Mirkwood.  My father would be very angry if I shirked my duty to live in a cave in Rohan, no matter how beautiful!  But I am afraid we cannot spare even a few days for you.  We are expected in Mirkwood within a month, and I am determined to visit Fangorn in that time."

"You would choose Fangorn Forest over the Glittering Caves?  I do not think I will ever understand the ways of Elves!"

"It is not for my sake alone that we go to Fangorn," said Legolas, laughing.  "Nori spent much of her time there as a child, and longs to see it again.  I think the Ents must have been the first friends she ever had!"

Gimli looked at his friend in wonder, then shook his head.

"That girl is full of surprises.  Well, I suppose it must be so, if her wish is as strong as you say.  But I must say, Lady Norusell is nearly as strange as any Elf I ever met!"



So it was on to the wonders of Fangorn Forest.  Nori was so happy to be going she felt she could fly across the rolling plains of Rohan, if she only tried hard enough.  Glamren had never been to Fangorn, and Nori gladly told him all she knew of the place and its inhabitants, the Ents.  Legolas occasionally joined in with his own knowledge of the place, but was happy mainly to listen.

They had left Rohan at an early hour, and were able to reach Fangorn in the early afternoon.  Pausing a few minutes at the top of a hill to take in the landscape, they then ran at a full gallop to where the trees began.  They entered the forest single file, Nori leading.  Soon they came upon the River Entwash and began to follow it west.  Nori remembered everything, the stuffiness of the air and every bend of the river, as if it had been but a day since she'd last been there.  Time seemed to pass for Fangorn as slowly as it did for the Elves.

They were headed for Wellinghall, the home of Treebeard at the foot of the Nan Curunir mountains.  It began to grow dark long before they reached it, so they made camp under a large pine on the bank of the river.  Nori lay awake long into the night, listening to the whispering of the trees.

'They know there is a stranger in the forest,' she thought.  'But only one.  They remember Legolas - and they remember me.'  She closed her eyes and drifted into sleep, where many dreams awaited.



They set out early the next day.  Nori began the last stage of the journey with a heavy heart; not all of her dreams had been happy.  But as the day progressed the dreams faded, and all of her happiness returned.  By the time they came within sight of the Nan Curunir her heart was as light as a feather.

As they approached Wellinghall they slowed their pace, and Legolas took the lead.  When they reached the gate of trees that marked the opening and stopped, they saw Treebeard coming forward as if he had been expecting them.

"So, you are here at last.  Welcome, welcome!  My old friend Norusell, it is very good to see you again, and so well grown!  And Legolas of Mirkwood, it is an honor to have you in Fangorn again.  The trees told me you had brought a fellow Elf with you, and here he is, I see.  Well, you and I shall have to have a long talk together," said Treebeard, looking carefully at Glamren.

The Elf answered with a low bow.

"Hm, hoom!," continued the Ent.  "Yes, we shall all have to have a good long talk.  But I am forgetting myself!  The distance from the edge of the forest is not much for an Ent, but you are probably tired.  Come inside and rest!  There will be time enough for talk after a little refreshment."