"Why Peregrin," Gandalf smiled warmly at him. "I would have thought that your knighthood would leave you hoping for a chance to prove yourself."
"I've already proved myself." Pippin said, then stopped and looked up to Aragorn, a little self-consciously. "Right?"
"Indeed." Aragorn nodded and smiled down at Pippin. Pippin nodded and looked back toward Gandalf, and nodded toward him.
"You wouldn't tell us on the way here." Gimli spoke up. "Please Gandalf. What is going on? Why are we needed to save Middle Earth?"
"Are we going to be in any songs this time?" Pippin asked. Gandalf sent him a sharp look. Pippin put his hands up in the air innocently. "Just asking."
"Gather around, friends." Gandalf said, easing himself into a plush chair by the window. "It is now time to hear the tale of the three crystals."
"Sounds exciting." Pippin said enthusiastically, pulling up a chair next to Aragorn. Legolas and Gimli turned their attention toward Gandalf, while keeping the same spot. "Anyone have any popcorn?"
Gandalf glanced over at the young hobbit, and then seemed to look off into space as he recounted the tale of how the crystals came into being. "Many years ago, when Middle Earth was newer then the spring leaves, a dark power rested in the air."
"Sauron?" Legolas asked, eyes wide fearing the dark lord was back.
"No." Gandalf replied. "An evil that has been around longer then the destroyed ring itself. The evil possessed three crystals that gave it lifetimes of life, enough to live forever if all three crystals were still in It's grasp. It gave the power of a sorcerer, and undeniable knowledge in battle. But also…an unquenchable thirst for evil. The crystals stayed with this evil for 10,000 years, until five occupants of Middle Earth would take it no more, and stood up to the evil."
"Well that's good news." Pippin interrupted, and started to chew on a hunk of bread.
"They were all slain for their effort."
"Oh." He stopped mid-chew.
"Who are these mythical creatures?" Aragorn asked to Gandalf. "In all of my years I've never heard of such a story. Not in verse or in book."
"I bet one of them was a mighty dwarf." Gimli boomed. "And was the last one to die bravely!"
"One of them was a dwarf." Gandalf nodded at Gimli. "As was one an elf." He looked toward Legolas. "There was a single hobbit." He smiled at Pippin. "And there were two humans." His gaze stayed at Aragorn. Aragorn could stare down even the strongest or biggest of men, but not Gandalf. Within moments Aragorn shifted his gaze from the wizard's stare. "The evil awoke from It's dark slumber nearly 10,000 years ago…waiting 10,000 more years to awake again to get His crystals back. So he can once again govern Middle Earth in his evil ways."
"Perfect." Legolas said quietly. "An evil force with the power for waking up to display more evil forces."
"Just what we need." Aragorn agreed.
"Why are you telling us all of this?" Pippin asked, taking a long draught of wine from a goblet near-by.
"You are needed to thwart the evil." Gandalf supplied to the hobbit. Then looked around the huge room. "You must leave tonight. You need to find the second crystal protector. She is the other human foretold."
"She?" Was said at once by a dwarf, elf, human and hobbit.
"Yes. She. One of the humans was her ancestor. They have passed the crystal down in her family line generation from generation. There was not always a man to protect the crystal, so the women were trained to fight, and to safeguard the crystal for when the men were few at hand. For two generations now the crystal has been guarded by women." His gaze leveled at all of them in a condescending way. "You do not want to mess with these females." His gaze lightened and he addressed them all again. "I suggest you pack at once." Gandalf said, shifting the staff in his hands. His left hand once again subconsciously flew to his neck, and stroked something beneath the folds of his tunic. "You have a long journey ahead of you."
"Yes!" Aragorn laughed. Everyone turned to look at him, and he smiled a bit nervously. He had meant to keep that 'yes' to himself.
"Things must have really been slow around here." Legolas commented with a nod, and a smirk.
*~*~*
"Where is the crystal?!" An orc screamed at a figure chained to the wall. The small figure just stared back him defiantly, refusing to answer. "You do know what to provoke my anger, girl." Marilyn had been awake for four hours now since they had brought her here. If anything, this was hell on earth. She'd been beaten and tortured, but she hadn't given the whereabouts to the crystal. She'd given a few snide comments back to them, but that only made them hit harder.
"Leave her be a bit." A deep booming voice stopped the orc who was about to backhand her yet again. Marilyn looked all around but she couldn't find the source of the voice. "Be it this night or the next…she will talk. Let us not disable her enough to not be able to speak."
The orc laughed directly in her face. "You are saved now, girl. But I'll be back. And then we'll finish what we've started!" He left her then, and she slumped to the ground, still not willing to cry defeat. She'd been raised rough and tough to fight, and to be able to withstand such torture, but she never imagined she'd be put to the test. Her mother and grandfather had always told her that the evil would not resurface for a long, long time. Why did the responsibility of the crystal have to fall onto her back? Marilyn willed herself not to cry; if they released her from these chains she would show them something else. She glanced to the table near the wall and saw her sword. She would need that when she made her escape. Slipping to her knees, her arms drawn up high above her head, because of the chain, she closed her eyes. "Grant me strength to endure." She whispered to herself. "Grant me help when it is needed the most." Her voice grew fainter as she slipped into unconsciousness. "Grant…me…stren…"
*~*~*
"You're leaving now?!" Joshua groaned to Pippin, as Pippin gathered up his belongings he hadn't yet unpacked. "You only just got here!"
"I'm sorry, Josh." Pippin gave his friend a pitiful look. They really were great friends. They wrote each other constantly while Pippin was back at the Shire. Joshua and Pippin always looked forward to the month where Pippin would stay at Gondor. Joshua always swore that when he was a little bit older, someday he would accompany Pippin back to the Shire. "But Aragorn…King Aragorn," He added. "And I and a couple of friends must depart for…" He paused; Gandalf had bid them to not tell anybody about their quest. "a while." He shrugged at his friend. "But we shall be back before you know it!" Pippin laughed merrily. "Then we'll have those good times, and this year, you can come back with me to the Shire! Would you like that?"
Joshua nodded slowly, feeling a bit betrayed and jealous that his friend had the King's undivided attention. "Sure, Pip. Whatever you say." He left, his head hanging down. Pippin had to fight the urge to go after his friend. He stared at his back sorrowfully, wishing Josh could come too.
***
"Gandalf?" Aragorn asked to his friend as they still sat in the Throne room. All others had departed and it was just the two of them.
"Hmm?" Gandalf asked, deep in thought himself. They had sat there for no less then five minutes. Aragorn bid someone to pack his things for a journey, so he could have some time alone with his friend.
"There is more to this then you're telling us, isn't there?" Aragorn asked, staring at the wizard's relaxed form.
Gandalf looked up, and met the eyes of the King of Gondor. "Yes." He said simply.
Aragorn waited…and waited some more. Gandalf didn't say anything else, and closed his eyes briefly. Aragorn sighed and rolled his eyes. "Would you like to tell me?"
Gandalf paused, and opened his again. "I mentioned the three crystals."
"Yes…" Aragorn prodded.
"Two were thought lost. The elves knew of the whereabouts of the one crystal; the one that the young girl carries now. I knew about the other two, but I was bid to not tell anyone…ever." His gaze leveled at Aragorn. Aragorn almost shivered under the direct look. "But I know I can confide in you, Aragorn." Aragorn grinned. "Right?"
Aragorn's grinned faltered. "Of course!"
Gandalf sighed, glanced around and quickly launched into a brief explanation. "The evil has one of the crystals, and that alone gives it incredible insight and power. The other crystal…" He paused and reached up toward his neck. "Has been with me for quite some time now." He pulled the string out from around his neck.
Aragorn gasped quietly seeing the crystal. Though the room was bathed with the afternoon light, the crystal alone seemed to exhibit it's own bright light, coming from deep inside it. "You possess one?"
Gandalf nodded slowly, and quickly drew the crystal back under his tunic. "For many years now."
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