Part 11
The great hall was silent with suspense when the wizard and five travelers entered it. All eyes were now on the king and his advisor waiting for their response to the wizard's greeting.
Wormtongue whispers in the king's ear and then turns to Gandalf, "What brings you here, Gandalf the grey?"
"Theoden, son of Thengel too long have you sat in shadow." Gandalf booms as he begins to lift his staff.
Grima stands, whirls and yells at the nearby guards, "I told you to take his staff."
With no one noticing Buffy makes her way through the crowd to stand close to Wormtongue.
Grima turns back to Gandalf, "Late is the hour that he chooses to appear. Ill news is an ill guest."
"Silence! I have not survived fire and death to bandy crooked words with a witless worm."
Buffy grabs Wormtongue on the shoulder turns him around and punches him in the face. Wormtongue drops to the floor and Buffy steps over him.
"See, the direct approach is best. If you'd have punched him to begin with there would have been no bandying."
Gimli smiled and turned to Aragorn, "I LIKE this girl."
Gandalf lifts his staff higher, "I will release you from this spell!"
Theoden coughs and begins to laugh, "You have no power here, Gandalf the Grey."
"I shall draw you Saruman, like poison is drawn from a wound."
A slim blonde woman pushed her way through the crowd to get to the front. As she tries to get past Aragorn he grabs her arm to stop her. "Wait, he is trying to help your king."
Theoden's voice becomes Saruman's, "If I go, Theoden will die."
Willow rolls her eyes and grabs onto Gandalf's hand. He smiles down at Willow and begins to draw some of her power, "You did not kill me and you won't kill him."
"Rohan is mine."
Gandalf booms, "Be GONE!"
Saruman is flung from Theoden's body. As soon as he is free from the spell, the king's body is transformed from an old stooped man to a king tall and proud. He looks around the great hall in confusion until he sees the blonde woman standing by Aragorn.
"I know you. Eowyn? Eowyn!"
Eowyn rushes to her uncle and embraces him. Gandalf clasps him on the shoulder, "Welcome back, old friend."
Wormtongue came to just in time to see Theoden return to his former self. Trying to be as unobtrusive as possible he slowly began to slink through the crowd.
Buffy watched as the slimy Wormtongue tried to make his escape. She smiled in anticipation and made her way over to block his path. "Going somewhere?"
Grima held up his arm as if to block a blow. Realizing that the petite girl wasn't going to hit him again he slowly lowered his arm. "I have always only served my king."
Buffy grabbed him by his neck and forcefully walked him toward the others. "Why is it that the bad guys always think I'm stupid? Is it because I'm blonde? Cause gotta tell you that's about as lame an excuse as I've ever heard. Believe me I've come up with pretty lame excuses to explain myself."
Wormtongue listened in confusion at this strange, STRONG woman. He didn't understand what she was saying but it seemed that she was intent on taking him to Gandalf and Theoden.
Buffy shoved Wormtongue so that he fell at Theoden's feet. "He was trying to leave before the party even got started."
Theoden quirked an eyebrow at Gandalf.
Willow giggled at the confused expressions on their faces. She was sure that by the time they left Buffy would have the people of this reality speaking in slang.
Theoden reaches for his sword and holds it at Wormtongue.
"Ah! I have only served you, my lord."
The guards grab him by the shoulders and throw him out of the hall and down the stairs.
Buffy laughs down at Wormtongue, "I TOLD you it was a lame excuse."
Theoden rushes down the stairs and raises his sword as if to kill Wormtongue.
Aragorn puts his hand on Theoden's raised arm, "Let him go. Enough blood has been spilled on his account."
Theoden seems to consider his words and then nods his head, "Go! Be gone from my sight."
Wormtongue scrambles to his feet and flees from them. He runs through the village, avoiding those that throw rotting food and stones at him. He breathes a sigh of relief as he escapes unharmed through the large black gates of Rohan.
He turns his attention toward Orthanc, the home of Saruman. He had information that will be of use to the wizard in his battle for Rohan. Smirking, he begins his journey west.
The others followed Theoden back into the hall after watching Wormtongue flee the keep.
Theoden waited until the hall was cleared of onlookers before turning to Eowyn, "What has Saruman done since I was bespelled?"
Eowyn turned sad eyes to her uncle, "Our villages have been attacked. They had no warning and were unarmed. Now the army is moving, burning as they go."
Gandalf sadly shakes his head, "This is but a taste of what is to come with the war against Saruman and Sauron. You must ride out and meet him head on, you must fight."
"I will not risk open war with my people. They have been through enough already."
"War will come whether you wish it or not."
Willow interrupted before Theoden could respond to Aragorn, "He's right. I understand that you feel the need to protect your people but the worst thing you can do is ignore the darkness."
Buffy continued, "Willow and I have fought the forces of darkness for seven years and if there is one thing that I've learned is that you need to take the fight to them. They are easier to fight when they are defending not when they are the ones attacking."
Theoden drew himself up to his full regal height and looked around the room, "The last time I looked I was king of Rohan, not you."
"Yeah and look how well that turned out." Buffy mumbled.
Legolas' lips quirked when his Elvish hearing picked up the Slayer's mumblings. She was right but Theoden was king and the people would follow his orders and not words from strangers.
Gandalf asked, "Then what is the king's decision?"
"We go to Helm's Deep."
