Author's Note: Sorry I didn't end up getting this up over the weekend - my
family was hogging the computer, so I didn't get much of a chance to write.
I just wanted to thank KinDoragon, Mitsukai, Madeline and Celine for their
reviews - I really appreciate it. As with the previous chapter, I am
dedicating this chapter to my reviewers! Thanks again!
Mandatory Disclaimer: I don't own Middle Earth or any of the characters recognized from the LotR texts - they were created by JRR Tolkien and are owned by his family and Mifflin-Houghton Publishing Company. Sarah and Alex are characters that came from my overactive imagination. Please don't sue - although the story is following the books (in an attempt to keep to Tolkien's vision), some slight changes were necessary to prevent plagiarism (as well as to fit my characters in).
Chapter 16: Many Meetings
Alex's POV (still)
It was starting to grow dark as we headed into Fangorn Forest, so it wasn't long before Aragorn suggested we take a short break until sunrise. I wasn't complaining - I could almost swear the treeroots were trying to trip us all up, especially me.
Almost as soon as Aragorn had suggested stopping, we came upon a small clearing. Legolas, Haldir and Gimli went in search of sticks and twigs that we could use as fuel for a fire, leaving Aragorn and I to try and set up blankets and take the Lembas out of the travel bags ready for supper.
"Why don't I see if I can find some drinking water to have with dinner; I'm sure everyone is thirsty," Aragorn said, standing up for a stretch.
"But it's really dark now. Are you sure you'll be able to see alright?" I asked.
Aragorn merely chuckled to himself. "I still have some blood of Numenor flowing through my veins, Alex. My senses may not be quite as sharp as an elf's, but it is still better than a full-blooded human."
I looked down at the ground, suddenly feeling somewhat ashamed at being a 'full-blooded human.' I wished I possessed the hightened awareness of an elf - at least then I wouldn't live in dread of one day needing glasses like Mom and Dad.
Mom and Dad. It was the first time I had thought about them in what seemed like ages. Then again, my mind had been on other things, like making sure Sarah was alright.
"Are you alright, master human?" Gimli asked.
I nearly jumped out of my skin, since my mind had been elsewhere. I looked around, trying to spot the dwarf that I knew was nearby - no light seemed able to penetrate the canopy of trees, so I almost felt blind. Luckily, I heard the distinctive crackle of dry leaves underfoot which at least gave me a clue as to which direction to look.
"I am sorry if I startled you, Alex," Gimli said with a chuckle. "I guess having lived most of my life in a mine gives me better sight in this dim light. Here, let's get this fire started." The dwarf took out a piece of flint and used it to help light a fire in the center of the circle of blankets Aragorn and I had created earlier. Soon, a roaring fire blazed through the darkness, and I didn't feel quite so blind anymore.
"Where did Aragorn go," Legolas said, coming up silently behind me, making me jump again. I had been uneasy since Gimli had almost refused to enter Fangorn earlier, and now it seemed like everyone was trying to play a game called 'Let's see how many times we can make Alex jump in fright.'
"He went to see if he could find some water to have with dinner," I answered, trying desperately to hide the flush of embarassment that I could feel starting to burn on my face as both Legolas and Gimli looked at eachother in amusement.
Once everyone had returned, we all sat around the campfire to eat dinner, and I started feeling a little less on-edge. With everyone talking and sharing stories, I could almost ignore the deadly quiet of the woods surrounding us. Soon, all that was left of the fire were the last glowing embers, and everyone started turning in for the night (except for Haldir, who had agreed to take the first watch).
It seemed just moments before Haldir was shaking me awake. "Alex, wake up!" Haldir whispered urgently.
"Huh? Wha?" I asked groggily, slowly blinking my eyes open. "Just give me five more minutes Mom."
Haldir must have lost patience with me, because I was suddenly poked in the ribs and startled into a fully awake state. "Ow! What'd you do that for?" I said, rubbing my side.
"There is someone there," the elf said, pointing towards my left. "An old man was hunched over a staff. Aragorn believes it might be Saruman, so he wants us all to be on our guard for the next little while. That means *you* have to wake up."
"Alright already, I'm awake, I'm awake," I said grumpily.
We waited anxiously for any sign of the old man to reappear, but nothing else came for the rest of the night. I dropped off a couple of times, but I guess Haldir was given the duty of keeping me awake because he'd always poke and prod me whenever my head started to droop too much. He was really starting to get on my nerves.
At last a few of the sun's rays managed to make their way through the leaves and we started to pack camp. As we started to walk forward again, I wished I had the ability to sleep while standing up, or better yet, while walking.
Luckily it wasn't long before Aragorn called us to a halt. I half wondered if he had found another clue that Sarah and the Hobbits had been this way, but instead he drew his sword. 'Uh-oh,' I thought, 'I guess this means that there's trouble ahead.' The others seemed to think the same thing, as Haldir and Legolas each prepared to fire an arrow and Gimli gave an imaginary foe in front of him a few swings with his axe. I was too tired to think straight, let alone try and use a sword, so I just sat down against a nearby tree for a few moments.
Even before I'd managed to go back to the land of Nod, I saw a bright white light flash before my eyes. A moment later, an old man clad in white robes stood before us.
The light, as if serving to wake me up once and for all, gave me the strength to stand up again and walk towards the others. It was then that I noticed the look of shock and utter disbelief on their faces.
"MITHRANDIR!" Legolas and Haldir shouted as one before taking his hand and bowing low. "We thought you were dead."
Mithrandir smiled at each of us. "It takes more than a Balrog to get rid of Gandalf, my friends. But it seems you have added a couple of new companions since I left you, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli. Haldir I know, but I do not know you." he said, turning at last to me.
"Gandalf, this is Alex," Aragorn replied. "We have much to tell to tell you, as I'm sure you have much to share with us."
Gandalf laughed, and I could tell that I liked him straight away. He had a certain twinkle in his eyes that made him seem so full of life, and yet he almost seemed the grandfatherly type.
Sarah's POV.
Although it took ages for me to fall asleep on Treebeard's bed, it seemed like only moments had passed before the sun was streaming in through the window right onto my face. I sat up with a yawn and a stretch before turning to face the Hobbits.
"I'm glad you've finally woken up," Merry said with a grin. "We thought you'd be sleeping the day away, and you might miss breakfast."
I laughed - count on the Hobbits to be thinking about their stomachs. Still, I couldn't really blame them - my stomach was growling like a timber wolf by the time I'd washed up and entered Treebeard's dining area.
"Hoom. Hroom." Treebeard greeted us. "Did you manage to sleep alright?"
"Very well thank you," Pippin replied as he climbed up onto one of Treebeard's oversized chairs.
As we ate and drank our breakfast, we relayed to Treebeard how Saruman had betrayed the Free People's and was currently creating an Orc army to help Sauron in his plot for Middle-Earth domination, and Treebeard told us the sad story of the Ent-wives and their disappearance from Fangorn long ago.
It was finally decided that Treebeard would call a meeting of the Ents later that day in which they would decide what was to be done about Saruman and his allies. "Oom. We cannot be too hasty - that is my motto, after all - but I do not like the idea of Saruman hurting my kind merely to fuel the fires to heat his metals to make weapons to defeat us all."
I nodded. "Do you think it will take long to reach a decision?" I asked.
"Some of us, namely the younger ones, are hastier than I and so will help to speed the decision along. However, you do not have to stay here alone, if that is what you are afraid of Sarah - I can take you to my meeting too, and you can meet the other Ents of Fangorn."
Each of us nodded eagerly - especially as none of us liked the idea of possibly being left out of the action. Before long it was time to take off again, and we once again were lifted into the crooks of Treebeard's arms so we wouldn't slow him down.
As we walked along, Merry and Pippin amused Treebeard in animatedly describing the Shire to him, making me wish even more fervently that I would get the chance to see Hobbiton before going home - it seemed like such an idyllic place, even if I knew it would not be that way when the Hobbit's first returned from their journey.
The time seemed to fly by, and before I knew it, it was midday and Treebeard was putting us back down on the ground. Even having read Tolkien's books couldn't have prepared me for what I saw - I had imagined all the Ents to look pretty much like Treebeard, but that turned out to be anything *but* the case. It looked like there were Ents belonging to every breed of tree out there - maples, pines, birches, oaks, etc. - and they all looked of varying ages too (although none of them were as ancient as Treebeard, nor were they saplings). They were all talking among themselves, but stopped when they saw us.
"It is alright, Entfolk," Treebeard said to those assembled there. "These small folk are Hobbits by the names of Merry and Pippin, and the human is Sarah. They can speak to the topic we have come to discuss today."
With that, we were pushed forward into the center of the circle, and Treebeard nodded for us to speak, telling all of them about how Saruman had betrayed the Free Peoples and how we were all fighting to rid Middle Earth of Orcs, Goblins, and other evil beings.
Then, the long-winded discussion started. It wasn't long before I could tell Merry and Pippin were growing bored, so I walked up to Treebeard and whispered a plea for his permission to wander and explore a little.
Treebeard called another Ent (whom Treebeard called Bregalad) to him and asked the Ent to keep an eye on us. Bregalad nodded, and all of us wandered up into a nearby field where I taught the Hobbits and Ent to play leapfrog. (There was a slight variation, of course - we had Bregalad lay on his side so we could still leap over him. He didn't seem to mind, and before long we'd circled the field twice.) We then walked over to sit by some nearby trees, and asked our new companion questions about Ent history.
Author's Note: Sorry for stopping here again -- I'm writing this at school, so I have to stop sooner than I necessarily want to if I want to get stuff up before going to class. I'll start working on another chapter tomorrow, so hopefully (knock on wood) it'll be up soon. In the meantime, please review to let me know what you think of this (or any other) chapter. ;) Thanks!
Mandatory Disclaimer: I don't own Middle Earth or any of the characters recognized from the LotR texts - they were created by JRR Tolkien and are owned by his family and Mifflin-Houghton Publishing Company. Sarah and Alex are characters that came from my overactive imagination. Please don't sue - although the story is following the books (in an attempt to keep to Tolkien's vision), some slight changes were necessary to prevent plagiarism (as well as to fit my characters in).
Chapter 16: Many Meetings
Alex's POV (still)
It was starting to grow dark as we headed into Fangorn Forest, so it wasn't long before Aragorn suggested we take a short break until sunrise. I wasn't complaining - I could almost swear the treeroots were trying to trip us all up, especially me.
Almost as soon as Aragorn had suggested stopping, we came upon a small clearing. Legolas, Haldir and Gimli went in search of sticks and twigs that we could use as fuel for a fire, leaving Aragorn and I to try and set up blankets and take the Lembas out of the travel bags ready for supper.
"Why don't I see if I can find some drinking water to have with dinner; I'm sure everyone is thirsty," Aragorn said, standing up for a stretch.
"But it's really dark now. Are you sure you'll be able to see alright?" I asked.
Aragorn merely chuckled to himself. "I still have some blood of Numenor flowing through my veins, Alex. My senses may not be quite as sharp as an elf's, but it is still better than a full-blooded human."
I looked down at the ground, suddenly feeling somewhat ashamed at being a 'full-blooded human.' I wished I possessed the hightened awareness of an elf - at least then I wouldn't live in dread of one day needing glasses like Mom and Dad.
Mom and Dad. It was the first time I had thought about them in what seemed like ages. Then again, my mind had been on other things, like making sure Sarah was alright.
"Are you alright, master human?" Gimli asked.
I nearly jumped out of my skin, since my mind had been elsewhere. I looked around, trying to spot the dwarf that I knew was nearby - no light seemed able to penetrate the canopy of trees, so I almost felt blind. Luckily, I heard the distinctive crackle of dry leaves underfoot which at least gave me a clue as to which direction to look.
"I am sorry if I startled you, Alex," Gimli said with a chuckle. "I guess having lived most of my life in a mine gives me better sight in this dim light. Here, let's get this fire started." The dwarf took out a piece of flint and used it to help light a fire in the center of the circle of blankets Aragorn and I had created earlier. Soon, a roaring fire blazed through the darkness, and I didn't feel quite so blind anymore.
"Where did Aragorn go," Legolas said, coming up silently behind me, making me jump again. I had been uneasy since Gimli had almost refused to enter Fangorn earlier, and now it seemed like everyone was trying to play a game called 'Let's see how many times we can make Alex jump in fright.'
"He went to see if he could find some water to have with dinner," I answered, trying desperately to hide the flush of embarassment that I could feel starting to burn on my face as both Legolas and Gimli looked at eachother in amusement.
Once everyone had returned, we all sat around the campfire to eat dinner, and I started feeling a little less on-edge. With everyone talking and sharing stories, I could almost ignore the deadly quiet of the woods surrounding us. Soon, all that was left of the fire were the last glowing embers, and everyone started turning in for the night (except for Haldir, who had agreed to take the first watch).
It seemed just moments before Haldir was shaking me awake. "Alex, wake up!" Haldir whispered urgently.
"Huh? Wha?" I asked groggily, slowly blinking my eyes open. "Just give me five more minutes Mom."
Haldir must have lost patience with me, because I was suddenly poked in the ribs and startled into a fully awake state. "Ow! What'd you do that for?" I said, rubbing my side.
"There is someone there," the elf said, pointing towards my left. "An old man was hunched over a staff. Aragorn believes it might be Saruman, so he wants us all to be on our guard for the next little while. That means *you* have to wake up."
"Alright already, I'm awake, I'm awake," I said grumpily.
We waited anxiously for any sign of the old man to reappear, but nothing else came for the rest of the night. I dropped off a couple of times, but I guess Haldir was given the duty of keeping me awake because he'd always poke and prod me whenever my head started to droop too much. He was really starting to get on my nerves.
At last a few of the sun's rays managed to make their way through the leaves and we started to pack camp. As we started to walk forward again, I wished I had the ability to sleep while standing up, or better yet, while walking.
Luckily it wasn't long before Aragorn called us to a halt. I half wondered if he had found another clue that Sarah and the Hobbits had been this way, but instead he drew his sword. 'Uh-oh,' I thought, 'I guess this means that there's trouble ahead.' The others seemed to think the same thing, as Haldir and Legolas each prepared to fire an arrow and Gimli gave an imaginary foe in front of him a few swings with his axe. I was too tired to think straight, let alone try and use a sword, so I just sat down against a nearby tree for a few moments.
Even before I'd managed to go back to the land of Nod, I saw a bright white light flash before my eyes. A moment later, an old man clad in white robes stood before us.
The light, as if serving to wake me up once and for all, gave me the strength to stand up again and walk towards the others. It was then that I noticed the look of shock and utter disbelief on their faces.
"MITHRANDIR!" Legolas and Haldir shouted as one before taking his hand and bowing low. "We thought you were dead."
Mithrandir smiled at each of us. "It takes more than a Balrog to get rid of Gandalf, my friends. But it seems you have added a couple of new companions since I left you, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli. Haldir I know, but I do not know you." he said, turning at last to me.
"Gandalf, this is Alex," Aragorn replied. "We have much to tell to tell you, as I'm sure you have much to share with us."
Gandalf laughed, and I could tell that I liked him straight away. He had a certain twinkle in his eyes that made him seem so full of life, and yet he almost seemed the grandfatherly type.
Sarah's POV.
Although it took ages for me to fall asleep on Treebeard's bed, it seemed like only moments had passed before the sun was streaming in through the window right onto my face. I sat up with a yawn and a stretch before turning to face the Hobbits.
"I'm glad you've finally woken up," Merry said with a grin. "We thought you'd be sleeping the day away, and you might miss breakfast."
I laughed - count on the Hobbits to be thinking about their stomachs. Still, I couldn't really blame them - my stomach was growling like a timber wolf by the time I'd washed up and entered Treebeard's dining area.
"Hoom. Hroom." Treebeard greeted us. "Did you manage to sleep alright?"
"Very well thank you," Pippin replied as he climbed up onto one of Treebeard's oversized chairs.
As we ate and drank our breakfast, we relayed to Treebeard how Saruman had betrayed the Free People's and was currently creating an Orc army to help Sauron in his plot for Middle-Earth domination, and Treebeard told us the sad story of the Ent-wives and their disappearance from Fangorn long ago.
It was finally decided that Treebeard would call a meeting of the Ents later that day in which they would decide what was to be done about Saruman and his allies. "Oom. We cannot be too hasty - that is my motto, after all - but I do not like the idea of Saruman hurting my kind merely to fuel the fires to heat his metals to make weapons to defeat us all."
I nodded. "Do you think it will take long to reach a decision?" I asked.
"Some of us, namely the younger ones, are hastier than I and so will help to speed the decision along. However, you do not have to stay here alone, if that is what you are afraid of Sarah - I can take you to my meeting too, and you can meet the other Ents of Fangorn."
Each of us nodded eagerly - especially as none of us liked the idea of possibly being left out of the action. Before long it was time to take off again, and we once again were lifted into the crooks of Treebeard's arms so we wouldn't slow him down.
As we walked along, Merry and Pippin amused Treebeard in animatedly describing the Shire to him, making me wish even more fervently that I would get the chance to see Hobbiton before going home - it seemed like such an idyllic place, even if I knew it would not be that way when the Hobbit's first returned from their journey.
The time seemed to fly by, and before I knew it, it was midday and Treebeard was putting us back down on the ground. Even having read Tolkien's books couldn't have prepared me for what I saw - I had imagined all the Ents to look pretty much like Treebeard, but that turned out to be anything *but* the case. It looked like there were Ents belonging to every breed of tree out there - maples, pines, birches, oaks, etc. - and they all looked of varying ages too (although none of them were as ancient as Treebeard, nor were they saplings). They were all talking among themselves, but stopped when they saw us.
"It is alright, Entfolk," Treebeard said to those assembled there. "These small folk are Hobbits by the names of Merry and Pippin, and the human is Sarah. They can speak to the topic we have come to discuss today."
With that, we were pushed forward into the center of the circle, and Treebeard nodded for us to speak, telling all of them about how Saruman had betrayed the Free Peoples and how we were all fighting to rid Middle Earth of Orcs, Goblins, and other evil beings.
Then, the long-winded discussion started. It wasn't long before I could tell Merry and Pippin were growing bored, so I walked up to Treebeard and whispered a plea for his permission to wander and explore a little.
Treebeard called another Ent (whom Treebeard called Bregalad) to him and asked the Ent to keep an eye on us. Bregalad nodded, and all of us wandered up into a nearby field where I taught the Hobbits and Ent to play leapfrog. (There was a slight variation, of course - we had Bregalad lay on his side so we could still leap over him. He didn't seem to mind, and before long we'd circled the field twice.) We then walked over to sit by some nearby trees, and asked our new companion questions about Ent history.
Author's Note: Sorry for stopping here again -- I'm writing this at school, so I have to stop sooner than I necessarily want to if I want to get stuff up before going to class. I'll start working on another chapter tomorrow, so hopefully (knock on wood) it'll be up soon. In the meantime, please review to let me know what you think of this (or any other) chapter. ;) Thanks!