Author's Note: Thanks to Anna, Jenny Baggins, Mitsukai, and Madeline for
their reviews - they are truly appreciated. (I'd probably have given up
writing this story before now if I wasn't getting reviews to keep me going,
so I owe this chapter, and any subsequent ones, to my reviewers. Thanks
again, and keep reviewing!!!)
Mandatory Disclaimer: JRR Tolkien created Middle Earth, Mifflin-Houghton published Tolkien's works, and Peter Jackson and his coworkers helped to bring Middle Earth to life on the screen. I own neither Middle Earth nor its' inhabitants (with the exception of Sarah and Alex), although I admit to wishing I did. This story is meant for amusement purposes only, so please don't sue.
Chapter 15 (Phew!): Fangorn
Sarah's POV.
It was amazing how fast we seemed to travel once we were tucked in the crook of Treebeard's arms. (Okay, so being as tall as a tree he *would* be able to walk in *really* long strides, and I admit, I think I may have dozed off for a minute or two at the rocking of his gait, but still.) Before I knew it, we had arrived at what I presumed was his home.
As Treebeard put us back down on the ground, I looked around me in awe. The Ent had a beautiful garden in front of his abode - it was almost impossible to believe that this could be the case remembering how stifling the air had seemed before Merry, Pippin and I met Treebeard. There were two rows of trees trimmed neatly on either side of the pathway leading to his entrance, and a few flowers could be seen with blossoms trying to bud.
"Wow! This place looks great!" I said once I realized my mouth had been agape for at least the last couple of minutes.
"Hroom, Hum. Thank you, young human. That is most kind," Treebeard replied. "But I am sure you are still tired, even with that short nap you had."
I blushed. "How did you know I had a nap?" I asked.
At this, Treebeard and the Hobbits looked at one another before looking back at me with a chuckle. "We heard you snoring," Merry said with a wink. The mischievous look on his and Pippin's faces told me that I wouldn't hear the end of this for a while. They'd probably torment me with having fallen asleep and missed out on most of the journey through the forest for the next fortnight at least. They'd probably turn it into something more than it really was, just to arouse a response - 'Imagine Sarah falling asleep in Treebeard's arms.' or something like that.
The look of humiliation must have shown clearly on my face because Pippin sidled up to me and whispered, "I wouldn't worry about it, Sarah. Merry fell asleep too, and his snores were drowning out yours for a while there until I couldn't stand it any longer and gave him a poke." I laughed.
By now Treebeard had entered his cave and was busying himself preparing for company. As Merry, Pip, and I walked in, he smiled and handed us something to drink. I smiled in thanks before taking a sip - it seemed like ages since I'd had anything to drink and my throat was parched. The drink tasted funny, but I decided I was too thirsty to care and downed the drink as quickly as I could.
The drink was amazing! I could feel myself growing warm all over and the exhaustion that had plagued me earlier disappeared. It evidently had a similar effect on the Hobbits as I saw their cheeks turn a rosy red and they became much more lively with their chatter.
I gave a stretch. "Well, I know I might not physically feel the need to rest, but I think my mind would welcome a catnap or two," I said, not wanting to seem rude but at the same time wanting to lie down for a while to think.
"Ohm, of course, young human, how rude of me not to ask if you would prefer a rest first," Treebeard said appologetically. "I just knew that I needed a drink, and thought you might want something to drink too."
"Oh I'm sorry, Treebeard, I didn't mean it like that. I was really thirsty, we all were. And you've been a really great host. I just think I could do with some more sleep," I answered.
Treebeard nodded. "You can all sleep on my bed - it should be more than big enough for all of you, and quite comfortable too, Oom. I will sleep here tonight, so I don't roll over and squash all of you into jelly. Yes, I think that would be best, Hoom."
"Thank you, Treebeard, that's awfully kind," Pippin said. "Are you sure you don't mind? I'm sure Merry and I could find a small corner to curl up in if you'd rather, and Sarah could probably sleep on the table here."
Treebeard laughed jollily, grabbing his sides. When he had calmed down enough to talk, he said, "Not to worry, little Pippin. If it was an imposition, I would not have suggested it in the first place, Hroom, Oom. And tomorrow, we can discuss the reason for your coming through Fangorn Woods."
At that, we (the Hobbits and I) nodded solemnly and were led into the bedroom. Sunlight from the window shone on a pile of pine needles and leaves stacked high in one corner - Treebeard's 'bed' I guessed. Resisting the urge to jump into the 'bed' and through the leaves around like a little kid, I yawned and stretched, wishing Merry and Pippin pleasant dreams before dragging my feet to the bed and lying down.
It didn't take long before Merry and Pippin were asleep, and I envied them. I knew I was mentally tired, but thoughts and fears kept circling around in my head. The life I had had with my family and friends in Canada was now starting to feel like a distant dream, and I was becoming scared that I might eventually forget my past altogether. To make matters worse, I had no idea whether the presence of Alex and I on Middle Earth might somehow alter the storyline so that Frodo would not succeed in his quest to rid the world of the ring of power. I wondered where Alex was right now, and prayed he wasn't being held prisoner by the Orcs.
Alex's POV.
Meeting with Eomer had made me feel uneasy, and I prayed that Sarah and the Hobbits had managed to escape unharmed. We rode hard, so that Haldir's long blonde hair was whipping in my face. I didn't complain, though - at this point, every second might mean the difference between life and death for Merry, Pippin, or Sarah, especially if they had been inadvertantly mistaken for Orcs and were hurt. I just prayed we got there in time.
As we neared the pile of Orc bodies, Haldir turned his head to face me. "I don't see them yet, if that is any consolation, Alex." I nodded - a lump of fear was lodged in my throat making it impossible for me to utter a word.
Aragorn reached the pile of bodies first, followed closely by Legolas and Gimli, and then by Haldir and myself. We all leapt off the horses. It took a moment for me to unclench my hands from where they were wound around Haldir's waist, and even when I did manage to pry them loose, the knuckles stayed white for a few more seconds. Haldir smiled in my direction before running off to search the bodies.
'I've got to search for Sarah,' I thought to myself, but I couldn't get my legs to move - it was as if I was paralyzed by fear, with my feet rooted to the spot. Aragorn, noticing my lack of movement, clapped me gently on the shoulder. "Are you alright, Alex?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," I answered tersely. 'Pull yourself together Alex,' I thought, 'Sarah might need you. You can't just stand here all day.' I managed to get my head to move and slowly the rest of my body decided to follow suit.
"They're not here," Aragorn said an hour later. We had searched the battlefield twice (the second time at my insistance), but had come up empty- handed.
"They can't have just disappeared off the face of the Earth," I said, more to myself than the others.
"I don't think they have," Aragorn answered. "I saw a couple of small footprints embedded into the soil over there by the trees. I think they ran for cover there."
"But that is the Fangorn Wood," Gimli said. "It's haunted. We can't go in there."
I set my jaw. "Haunted or no, I'm going in," I said. Haldir then said he'd join, and then Legolas and Aragorn stated they would come.
"Oh, all right, I'll go. But don't blame me if we don't come out alive - I warned you." Gimli muttered.
Author's Note: I'm sorry to leave it here, but I have to get to class. I'll try and get another chapter up this weekend if I can to make up for it, okay? In the meantime, you know what to do! Click on the "review" button and let me know what you think. :)
Mandatory Disclaimer: JRR Tolkien created Middle Earth, Mifflin-Houghton published Tolkien's works, and Peter Jackson and his coworkers helped to bring Middle Earth to life on the screen. I own neither Middle Earth nor its' inhabitants (with the exception of Sarah and Alex), although I admit to wishing I did. This story is meant for amusement purposes only, so please don't sue.
Chapter 15 (Phew!): Fangorn
Sarah's POV.
It was amazing how fast we seemed to travel once we were tucked in the crook of Treebeard's arms. (Okay, so being as tall as a tree he *would* be able to walk in *really* long strides, and I admit, I think I may have dozed off for a minute or two at the rocking of his gait, but still.) Before I knew it, we had arrived at what I presumed was his home.
As Treebeard put us back down on the ground, I looked around me in awe. The Ent had a beautiful garden in front of his abode - it was almost impossible to believe that this could be the case remembering how stifling the air had seemed before Merry, Pippin and I met Treebeard. There were two rows of trees trimmed neatly on either side of the pathway leading to his entrance, and a few flowers could be seen with blossoms trying to bud.
"Wow! This place looks great!" I said once I realized my mouth had been agape for at least the last couple of minutes.
"Hroom, Hum. Thank you, young human. That is most kind," Treebeard replied. "But I am sure you are still tired, even with that short nap you had."
I blushed. "How did you know I had a nap?" I asked.
At this, Treebeard and the Hobbits looked at one another before looking back at me with a chuckle. "We heard you snoring," Merry said with a wink. The mischievous look on his and Pippin's faces told me that I wouldn't hear the end of this for a while. They'd probably torment me with having fallen asleep and missed out on most of the journey through the forest for the next fortnight at least. They'd probably turn it into something more than it really was, just to arouse a response - 'Imagine Sarah falling asleep in Treebeard's arms.' or something like that.
The look of humiliation must have shown clearly on my face because Pippin sidled up to me and whispered, "I wouldn't worry about it, Sarah. Merry fell asleep too, and his snores were drowning out yours for a while there until I couldn't stand it any longer and gave him a poke." I laughed.
By now Treebeard had entered his cave and was busying himself preparing for company. As Merry, Pip, and I walked in, he smiled and handed us something to drink. I smiled in thanks before taking a sip - it seemed like ages since I'd had anything to drink and my throat was parched. The drink tasted funny, but I decided I was too thirsty to care and downed the drink as quickly as I could.
The drink was amazing! I could feel myself growing warm all over and the exhaustion that had plagued me earlier disappeared. It evidently had a similar effect on the Hobbits as I saw their cheeks turn a rosy red and they became much more lively with their chatter.
I gave a stretch. "Well, I know I might not physically feel the need to rest, but I think my mind would welcome a catnap or two," I said, not wanting to seem rude but at the same time wanting to lie down for a while to think.
"Ohm, of course, young human, how rude of me not to ask if you would prefer a rest first," Treebeard said appologetically. "I just knew that I needed a drink, and thought you might want something to drink too."
"Oh I'm sorry, Treebeard, I didn't mean it like that. I was really thirsty, we all were. And you've been a really great host. I just think I could do with some more sleep," I answered.
Treebeard nodded. "You can all sleep on my bed - it should be more than big enough for all of you, and quite comfortable too, Oom. I will sleep here tonight, so I don't roll over and squash all of you into jelly. Yes, I think that would be best, Hoom."
"Thank you, Treebeard, that's awfully kind," Pippin said. "Are you sure you don't mind? I'm sure Merry and I could find a small corner to curl up in if you'd rather, and Sarah could probably sleep on the table here."
Treebeard laughed jollily, grabbing his sides. When he had calmed down enough to talk, he said, "Not to worry, little Pippin. If it was an imposition, I would not have suggested it in the first place, Hroom, Oom. And tomorrow, we can discuss the reason for your coming through Fangorn Woods."
At that, we (the Hobbits and I) nodded solemnly and were led into the bedroom. Sunlight from the window shone on a pile of pine needles and leaves stacked high in one corner - Treebeard's 'bed' I guessed. Resisting the urge to jump into the 'bed' and through the leaves around like a little kid, I yawned and stretched, wishing Merry and Pippin pleasant dreams before dragging my feet to the bed and lying down.
It didn't take long before Merry and Pippin were asleep, and I envied them. I knew I was mentally tired, but thoughts and fears kept circling around in my head. The life I had had with my family and friends in Canada was now starting to feel like a distant dream, and I was becoming scared that I might eventually forget my past altogether. To make matters worse, I had no idea whether the presence of Alex and I on Middle Earth might somehow alter the storyline so that Frodo would not succeed in his quest to rid the world of the ring of power. I wondered where Alex was right now, and prayed he wasn't being held prisoner by the Orcs.
Alex's POV.
Meeting with Eomer had made me feel uneasy, and I prayed that Sarah and the Hobbits had managed to escape unharmed. We rode hard, so that Haldir's long blonde hair was whipping in my face. I didn't complain, though - at this point, every second might mean the difference between life and death for Merry, Pippin, or Sarah, especially if they had been inadvertantly mistaken for Orcs and were hurt. I just prayed we got there in time.
As we neared the pile of Orc bodies, Haldir turned his head to face me. "I don't see them yet, if that is any consolation, Alex." I nodded - a lump of fear was lodged in my throat making it impossible for me to utter a word.
Aragorn reached the pile of bodies first, followed closely by Legolas and Gimli, and then by Haldir and myself. We all leapt off the horses. It took a moment for me to unclench my hands from where they were wound around Haldir's waist, and even when I did manage to pry them loose, the knuckles stayed white for a few more seconds. Haldir smiled in my direction before running off to search the bodies.
'I've got to search for Sarah,' I thought to myself, but I couldn't get my legs to move - it was as if I was paralyzed by fear, with my feet rooted to the spot. Aragorn, noticing my lack of movement, clapped me gently on the shoulder. "Are you alright, Alex?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," I answered tersely. 'Pull yourself together Alex,' I thought, 'Sarah might need you. You can't just stand here all day.' I managed to get my head to move and slowly the rest of my body decided to follow suit.
"They're not here," Aragorn said an hour later. We had searched the battlefield twice (the second time at my insistance), but had come up empty- handed.
"They can't have just disappeared off the face of the Earth," I said, more to myself than the others.
"I don't think they have," Aragorn answered. "I saw a couple of small footprints embedded into the soil over there by the trees. I think they ran for cover there."
"But that is the Fangorn Wood," Gimli said. "It's haunted. We can't go in there."
I set my jaw. "Haunted or no, I'm going in," I said. Haldir then said he'd join, and then Legolas and Aragorn stated they would come.
"Oh, all right, I'll go. But don't blame me if we don't come out alive - I warned you." Gimli muttered.
Author's Note: I'm sorry to leave it here, but I have to get to class. I'll try and get another chapter up this weekend if I can to make up for it, okay? In the meantime, you know what to do! Click on the "review" button and let me know what you think. :)