AN: Edited 10/06 for typos
Chapter 2 - Waning Night, Waxing Dark
"Her name is Angren Sir, Eomer and I found her while we were on watch." Legolas was speaking to King Theoden, somewhat awkwardly since Angren was playing with his hair. As she stood quietly behind LEgolas, she carefully plaited the blonde strands into many braids. Had he not been trying to maintain his dignity as he spoke, Legolas would have shaken her off. "She has said nothing else." He didn't mention that Eomer had tried to bring Angren to Theoden, but the girl had firmly latched on to Legolas' arm and had refused to let go.
Theoden observed the girl, then looked at Legolas, trying not to smile as he observed the elf's put upon expression. What an odd woman, he thought, she seems almost completely oblivious to us. As if she were an infant too young to understand what we were saying and yet… she does not look a child…still, even so, what could she be doing here? And how was she able to come into our midsts without being noticed? "Is she elven?" Theoden finally asked.
"I'm not certain," nearing the end of his patience, Legolas paused to disentangle the girl from his hair, accepting this, Angren put her arms to her sides and sank gracefully down so as to sit on the floor. "I've never seen an elven – or a half elven – girl look so human." He cast a glance down to Angren who, lacking occupation, seemed to be counting the cracks in the ceiling above her. "She certainly behaves as if she were a child… perhaps her mind is not as aged as her appearance indicates? She looks like a grown human woman… but in an elven life span… she would be no more than a small child." This seemed to catch Angren's attention, she lowered her eyes from the ceiling and looked directly at Legolas. In an instant, her previously amused expression became one of troubled seriousness. As she had done on the staircase, she tilted her head slightly to one side.
"I am not a child." She spoke softly but forcefully, her voice barely carrying to Theoden, who looked at her with surprise. Her voice was startling, almost as much so as the fact that she had spoken. Unfortunately, he did not have long to ponder this thought. Just as Angren finished speakng, Aragorn strode through the door.
Before either Theoden or Legolas could greet the new arrival Angren had risen and began walking toward Aragorn. Not knowing who she was, Aragorn looked at Angren somewhat surprisedly. Assuming that she had come with Haladir's elves, he greeted her politely in elvish.
Angren did not immediately reply. Instead, she continued to walk languidly toward him until she stood directly in front from him. For a few short seconds, silence reigned. When she broke the silence, it was not with the same soft voice she had used before. " Aaye, Poikaer," spoke Angren towards the Evenstar around Aragorn's neck
"Mae govannen mellon en mellonamin," Boomed back into the minds of all within the room as the Evenstar began to shine with an unbearable white light…
~ ~ ~
"Isengard has fallen," Whispered Treebeard to Merry and Pippin as he trugded slowly back towards his forest, with a hobbit on either gaunt shoulder "what once was, is no more. We have done what needs to be done."
"But Saruman's still alive! We should go after him!" Exclaimed Merry, so excited that he nearly lost his balance. "Put an end to it once and for all!"
"Aye!" Put in Pippin as support for his friend. He too, experienced the euphoria of feeling alive and well after being on the winning side of a decisive battle.
"That is not our duty small one. We are the protectors of the forests… and it is the forests that now need tending to." And it was true. The two hobbits looked around at what had once been Sarumon's fortress, at the weary Ents, the muddy waters, and the black charred earth. This was a dead place, but beyond the death there was the forest of Fangor, flowing throught it was water that could yet bring life. Life that might yet take hold again upon the barren land. "The Ents agreed to NOT go to war. We fought one battle only because it was battle that needed to be fought."
As if thinking the same thoughts as the hobbits, Treebeard continued "You do not understand how fragile the balance is little ones, but the Ents do. We are the only ones here to hold the balance. We cannot peruse Saruman as you ask us to. That is not our duty."
The hobbits held their peace for once, knowing full well that Treebeard was right, still neither could help thinking that their path should go in a different direction.
~
Gandalf was woken by the surge of magic that shuddered its way through Helms Deep, ending in an explosion that touched everything and yet nothing, without a thought, he rose and ran for the chamber Theoden had taken for his command room, his hand tightly grasping his staff. I have not felt such a pure power in at least a thousand years, he thought idly as he ran, who here would dare to use such power? When Gandolf arrived in front of Theoden's command room, he found it in a state of calm confusion. The surge had done no damage, but many had felt it. Eowyn, who had apparently just awakened, stood at the door in her nightgown turning away confused soldiers and frightened peasants who had rushed here for much the same reason as Gandalf. Sparing him only a nod, she let Gandalf pass and returned to calming the people around her.
Inside, Legolas and Theoden hovered near Aragorn who seemed to be holding large amounts of white cloth. "What has passed?" Gandalf inquired of them.
Theoden turned to the wizard and greeted him heartily if somewhat distractedly, with a pat on a back. "Perhaps NOW someone can finally figure out what the blazes is going on." None the more enlightened by this greeting, Gandalf walked forward until he saw that the white cloth which had seemed to be flowing from Aragorn's arms was actually part of a dress that a woman with pale skin and dark red hair was wearing. By the looks of it, she had fainted and Aragorn had caught her.
"Did she cause that surge of magic?" He questioned the ranger.
"We are uncertain, she walked up to me and spoke a greeting to this." Quickly, Argorn removed the Evenstar and dropped it into Gandolf's free hand. "That's when the light began… I… we think it spoke back to her. After that…" Aragorn shrugged and indicated her sleeping form.
That shouldn't be possible, thought Gandalf, I have seen this pendant before. There is no enchantment within it that could have caused what I felt earlier. Outwardly he said, "Who is she? I have not seen her here before." Legolas quickly explained what had transpired that night, relaying both the strange circumstances of her appearance and about her strange behavioral shifts between woman and child. Suddenly, Gandalf noticed something that the others did not seem to think important.
Her clothing, he thought, I have not seen elves, or people, wear clothing of such fashion in many hundred years… not since Arwen was a child… Stowing these thoughts for later, he took command of the situation, realizing that they could not do much of anything until the girl was awake. "Perhaps we should carry her to sleeping quarters… preferably isolated ones. Have someone keep watch over her. It would not do for us to mistreat her until we discovered her purpose." Quite suddenly, it dawned upon the three other men in the room that in the many minutes since Angren had fainted none of them had bothered to consider that the stone floor was perhaps not the best place for her to be laying.
"I will carry her," Legolas surprised himself by offering to help with the girl. Earlier, he had found her annoyingly clinging and child like, an impression that still persisted. Taking her from Aragorn's arms, he did not look the ranger in the eye and said only "You seem tired." Watching Legolas tend to the girl, the king of men hid a smile.
~
I am here. The words came from nowhere and everywhere. It streamed through the trees like the dappled sunlight, blowing full force at Gollum like the wind. Causing a breeze so strong it nearly put out the cooking fire Frodo had dared start a few meters away.
"YOU!" Hissed Gollum with a tone akin to awe. "You have come… you helpsss Gollum get Preciousssss?"
I am here, it replied, I have awoken and I have come to guide Precious… will you help me Gollum? It cajoled him, soft and warming.
"Gollum helpssss. Gollum helpsssss!" He was empathetic in his answer, nodding his head up and down. Oblivious to everything and everyone around him.
Than come, come and speak to me. Blindly, Gollum followed the voice away from Frodo and into the woods where nearby there lay a stream. Not being careful to move quietly, Gollum attracted the attention of Sam whose mind had been woolgathering.
Without a word, Sam rose and followed at a distance, hearing only one half of Gollum's conversation.
"Gollum takesss preccciousss from hobbitsss?" It asked the water it was looking into.
No Gollum, the water answered, Protect the hobbits for now. Do what you have promised them. When the time is right - I will tell you.
"Gollum takesss caresss of silly hobbitsss?" Gollum drew his neck back and scratched his head in some confusion. "Gollum no takesss precciouss?"
Not yet, came his reply, NOT YET! The force of the words put their meaning firmly into his mind.
"Gollum takesss caresss of hobbitsss!" It answered dutifully. "Gollum no takes Precciousss!" Backing away from the river, Gollum quickly ran towards where Frodo was preparing food, leaving a confused Sam to wander what had just happened.
Somehow, Sam thought, I don't think all the learnin' in the world ain't enough to understand that one. Slowly, and taking an alternate route from the path Gollum had chose, Sam too walked back towards Frodo. Quietly, he wandered what had reaffirmed Gollum's devotion to them.
End Chapter 2
AN: Hi Everyone, first off translations:
Aaye, Poikaerea - hail, pure one
Mae govannen mellon en mellonamin, - well met friend of my friend.
Now - I think I overstated things a bit in my last chapter. I am NOT rewriting the third movie/book I'm only manipulating part of the story line. The part that I don't cover, you're going to have to assume happens like it does in ROTK… at least that's what I'm thinking for now. I don't nearly pretend to be as competent (or as good a writer) as JRR Tolkien or as able as Peter Jackson to round out a story. I'm just a little fanfic author who's trying to write her story despite a disappointing lack of reviews. *hint hint*