The Perils of Fangorn
by SkyFire
For disclaimer, see part 1.
Warning: If you haven't read the Two Towers, this might not make much sense in places.
Sorry, it can't be helped. Suffice to say, Merry and Pippin managed to get away from the
orcs on their own, wandered into Fangorn and met up with the Ent, Treebeard.
Please review! Feedback is my friend!
***
The Perils of Fangorn
by SkyFire
Part 3
It was now early afternoon, and they'd been following hobbit-tracks for hours. The
closeness of the wood, the sense of *age* that surrounded them was stifling and stuffy,
and they found themselves somewhat short of breath as the time went on. It was with some
relief, therefore, that they found that the tracks led them to Treebeard's Hill and up the
rough steps to a flat shelf where they could rest in the freer air and sunlight.
As they rested, they looked around from their high vantage point, trying to see if there
was any indication of where the hobbits may have gone next, as Aragorn had told them that
the tracks only went up the steps, not back down again.
It was Legolas who saw him first; the old man in grey rags that they had seen before. He
was walking swiftly through the wood, and the elf could see that he would reach the bottom
of the steps before they could.
"Look!" the elf said to her companions, pointing. "It's that old grey-cloaked man, coming
swiftly through the wood to the stair."
"Where?" asked Gimli, then he, too, saw the stranger. His face flushed an angry red as he
pulled out his axe. "Let him come! My axe will get answers from him! I'll put a dent in
him that he won't soon forget!"
The old man, meanwhile, had reached the stairs and started to climb.
Seeing that, the elf slowly strung her bow, but then only watched, arrow in hand, feeling
a strange reluctance to attack. Aragorn also drew Anduril, though she kept it lowered
unthreateningly, feeling the same reluctance as the elf.
They saw a flash of white robes from beneath the shabby grey cloak, and readied their
weapons despite their lethargy, as the only old man that they knew of who wore white robes
and walked with a tall staff was the wizard, Saruman.
Still, they didn't attack.
The stranger finally reached the shelf where they stood armed and waiting. He lifted his
face to them as he leaned on his staff and studied each in turn from under thick, bushy
brows. He frowned.
The three stared at him with shocked recognition, weapons falling to the ground from
suddenly limp hands, arms hanging loose at their sides, unable to fully grasp the reality
of what they were seeing, let alone form the words to say it.
"I'm sorry, ladies," the old man said. "But I was supposed to meet three friends here,
and it seems they're not... Legolas? Is that you? Gimli? Aragorn?" The old man's mouth
twitched, looking suspiciously like a barely restrained smlie, his eyes twinkled with
suppressed laughter. "What have you gotten yourselves into this time?"
"Mithrandir!" Legolas was the first to regain the power of speech, and called out his
friend's Elven name, a smile on his face.
"Well met," agreed the other.
"Gandalf?" Aragorn exclaimed. "But you fell into shadow - in Moria! The Balrog-"
"Yes, I fell, and climbed, and through many hardships I am here again. Now, how is it that
you've all become female?"
Aragorn quickly told the tale, beginning with the Fellowship's escape from Moria.
When he was done, Gandalf looked at them and shook his head. "Didn't Celeborn or Galadriel
warn you of Fangorn? Well, there's naught we can do about this now. Now, we must be
leaving for Edoras in Rohan to meet with king Theoden-"
"But what of the hobbits, Merry and Pippin?" asked the dwarf. "We've come too far after
them to abandon the chase now!"
"They are safe with Treebeard the Ent. They met him here two days ago and went with him to
his Enthouse. They are not now in danger, and are no longer our concern. Don't worry, for
we shall see them again before the end, I suspect. Be patient. Shall we go now?"
The three nodded and walked down the stairs, Legolas first, then Gimli, Aragorn, and Gandalf
last.
Aragorn made a small hop of surprise just before starting down, feeling a hand collide with
her rear. She looked behind her, but Gandalf wore an expression of blank innocence, though
the mouth-twitch and eye-twinkle were even worse than before. Shaking her head, Aragorn
followed her companions down the stair, then straight out of Fangorn, where they were
reunighted with their strayed horses.
And so with Gandalf upon Shadowfax, Aragorn upon Hasufel, and Legolas and Gimli once again
sharing Arod, they rode with all haste to Edoras.
TBC...
What do you think? Leave a review and let me know!
by SkyFire
For disclaimer, see part 1.
Warning: If you haven't read the Two Towers, this might not make much sense in places.
Sorry, it can't be helped. Suffice to say, Merry and Pippin managed to get away from the
orcs on their own, wandered into Fangorn and met up with the Ent, Treebeard.
Please review! Feedback is my friend!
***
The Perils of Fangorn
by SkyFire
Part 3
It was now early afternoon, and they'd been following hobbit-tracks for hours. The
closeness of the wood, the sense of *age* that surrounded them was stifling and stuffy,
and they found themselves somewhat short of breath as the time went on. It was with some
relief, therefore, that they found that the tracks led them to Treebeard's Hill and up the
rough steps to a flat shelf where they could rest in the freer air and sunlight.
As they rested, they looked around from their high vantage point, trying to see if there
was any indication of where the hobbits may have gone next, as Aragorn had told them that
the tracks only went up the steps, not back down again.
It was Legolas who saw him first; the old man in grey rags that they had seen before. He
was walking swiftly through the wood, and the elf could see that he would reach the bottom
of the steps before they could.
"Look!" the elf said to her companions, pointing. "It's that old grey-cloaked man, coming
swiftly through the wood to the stair."
"Where?" asked Gimli, then he, too, saw the stranger. His face flushed an angry red as he
pulled out his axe. "Let him come! My axe will get answers from him! I'll put a dent in
him that he won't soon forget!"
The old man, meanwhile, had reached the stairs and started to climb.
Seeing that, the elf slowly strung her bow, but then only watched, arrow in hand, feeling
a strange reluctance to attack. Aragorn also drew Anduril, though she kept it lowered
unthreateningly, feeling the same reluctance as the elf.
They saw a flash of white robes from beneath the shabby grey cloak, and readied their
weapons despite their lethargy, as the only old man that they knew of who wore white robes
and walked with a tall staff was the wizard, Saruman.
Still, they didn't attack.
The stranger finally reached the shelf where they stood armed and waiting. He lifted his
face to them as he leaned on his staff and studied each in turn from under thick, bushy
brows. He frowned.
The three stared at him with shocked recognition, weapons falling to the ground from
suddenly limp hands, arms hanging loose at their sides, unable to fully grasp the reality
of what they were seeing, let alone form the words to say it.
"I'm sorry, ladies," the old man said. "But I was supposed to meet three friends here,
and it seems they're not... Legolas? Is that you? Gimli? Aragorn?" The old man's mouth
twitched, looking suspiciously like a barely restrained smlie, his eyes twinkled with
suppressed laughter. "What have you gotten yourselves into this time?"
"Mithrandir!" Legolas was the first to regain the power of speech, and called out his
friend's Elven name, a smile on his face.
"Well met," agreed the other.
"Gandalf?" Aragorn exclaimed. "But you fell into shadow - in Moria! The Balrog-"
"Yes, I fell, and climbed, and through many hardships I am here again. Now, how is it that
you've all become female?"
Aragorn quickly told the tale, beginning with the Fellowship's escape from Moria.
When he was done, Gandalf looked at them and shook his head. "Didn't Celeborn or Galadriel
warn you of Fangorn? Well, there's naught we can do about this now. Now, we must be
leaving for Edoras in Rohan to meet with king Theoden-"
"But what of the hobbits, Merry and Pippin?" asked the dwarf. "We've come too far after
them to abandon the chase now!"
"They are safe with Treebeard the Ent. They met him here two days ago and went with him to
his Enthouse. They are not now in danger, and are no longer our concern. Don't worry, for
we shall see them again before the end, I suspect. Be patient. Shall we go now?"
The three nodded and walked down the stairs, Legolas first, then Gimli, Aragorn, and Gandalf
last.
Aragorn made a small hop of surprise just before starting down, feeling a hand collide with
her rear. She looked behind her, but Gandalf wore an expression of blank innocence, though
the mouth-twitch and eye-twinkle were even worse than before. Shaking her head, Aragorn
followed her companions down the stair, then straight out of Fangorn, where they were
reunighted with their strayed horses.
And so with Gandalf upon Shadowfax, Aragorn upon Hasufel, and Legolas and Gimli once again
sharing Arod, they rode with all haste to Edoras.
TBC...
What do you think? Leave a review and let me know!