Author's Note: PLEASE FORGIVE ME!!!!!!  I promised that this next chapter would be out sooner.  I'm really sorry it's late.  My only excuse is that it's hard to get inspired since my muse found herself a boyfriend. *sigh* Add the fact that my beta is currently touring Europe and I think it's a decent enough excuse.  Again I'm really sorry about the lateness of this chapter.

This chapter skips around quite a bit since there's a lot going on.  Answers are finally revealed…at least a few…

Jedi Knight 666: All I can say is wait and see. Heh…heh…heh…

Chapter 3

"Treebeard!"

"Yes, my little friends.  It is I.  And I am glad to see both of you again," The eldest of the Ents rumbled in his deep voice. "I am also glad to see that I could aid you against your pursuer."

Merry sighed in relief, as though a great burden had been lifted off of his shoulders. "And for that, you have our thanks, Treebeard.  I didn't think we would be able to escape from him much longer.  It's wonderful to see you again."

Treebeard lifted the two hobbits up higher; placing them carefully on his shoulders and began to walk deeper into Fangorn Forest.  As the great Ent lumbered along, the two hobbits leaned back and shared a secret smile behind his head.  They had once told Frodo and Sam that, though they claimed out loud it was uncomfortable riding on Treebeard's shoulders, they had secretly enjoyed it.  After looking up at their non-hobbit friends for so long, it was very refreshing to be in a position much higher than even the tallest of men and elves.  Pippin was especially disappointed that Aragorn and Legolas were never present when they did ride atop the Ent and he could never gloat about having the best vantage point.

Treebeard began to speak again in his rumbling voice, catching both of their attentions again. "Strange times these have become, little hobbits.  When first we met, you were escaping from orcs.  In this new meeting, you were escaping from a human, and a strange human at that.  Dark were his thoughts, and full of anger.  The trees could sense his ill intent."

"What's so strange about that?  There are lots of Men with ill intentions out there," Pippin piped up.

The Ent shook his great head, nearly knocking both hobbits off their perches. "Not ill like this one, Master Pippin.  The trees could feel pure darkness emanating from the very core of his being.  Men as evil as that one were once rare in this world.  Hrum, yes, they were very rare indeed."

Pippin leaned over so that he was looking into one giant brown eye. "You mean that they're not rare anymore?  Why is that? What is going on around here?"

"Now, do not be hasty, Master Pippin," Treebeard chided the elder hobbit like one would a small child.  "How can such a small creature ask so many questions at one time?  We Ents are still pondering many answers to the riddles of this world."

Knowing them, it'll already be the Fifth Age before they figure out any answers to those questions.  Merry rolled his eyes.  Suddenly, he was struck with a very important question.

"Treebeard," Merry said with a very serious tone. "I thought you and the Ents were guarding Isengard.  Why are you here in the forest and not there?"

Treebeard abruptly stopped dead in his tracks.  The flash of green fire within his eyes dulled slightly as his features sagged in defeat.  He turned his head so that one eye could focus on Merry.

"Forgive me, my friends," He replied sorrowfully. "But we have failed.  Evil has come once again to Isengard and the fires of its caverns have been rekindled."

"What?!" Merry and Pippin cried out in unison.

"But how?" Pippin yelled in one of his ears.

"And why?" Merry yelled into the other. 

"Hobbits are indeed the hastiest of all folk," Treebeard huffed indignantly. "You assume that we failed because we were not vigilant enough or that we did not fight our hardest.  I can hear it in your voices.  Know this, little hobbits; we Ents did all that we could to stop darkness from returning to Isengard.  But despite our efforts, we were overwhelmed.  There was nothing we could do to stop it.  We had no choice but to return to the forest before any more of us were destroyed."

"I'm sorry, Treebeard," Merry sighed. "Neither of us meant to accuse you and the other Ents of not doing your job.  I guess we're just shocked that Isengard is no longer under your protection."

From his position on the opposite shoulder, Pippin was strangely quiet with a somber expression on his face.  In a deadly serious voice, he questioned his old friend. "Treebeard, tell us what exactly happened when darkness returned to Isengard."

"It is a long story," Treebeard said as he resumed walking. "But since you are such hasty folk, I shall try and make it as short as possible.  Now, where shall I begin…"

*          *          *

"So, Legolas, are you going to tell me exactly why you are on your way to Minas Tirith?"

The elven prince turned in Arod's saddle and shot Faramir an all-too-innocent smile. 

"Is paying a friendly visit to our beloved king not a reasonable enough excuse for you, Prince Faramir?  Or would you prefer that I stay with the excuse of simply wishing to spend some 'male bonding' time, as your kind say, with you?"

Biting back the urge to strangle the Elf with his own bowstring, Faramir sighed and began to slow his horse down.  Since the moment they had left together, Faramir had been trying to find out the real reason why Legolas and Gimli had suddenly shown up at his home and wished to accompany him.  So far, Legolas had come up with at least ten fake reasons ranging from a simple visit to stealing Anduril in order to give Gimli's beard a trim.  As they halted the horses and prepared to bed down for the night, Faramir felt he would go completely mad if the Elf did not start explaining.   

"I suggest that you heed my advice and simply give up, Faramir," Gimli chuckled when he saw Faramir glaring daggers in Legolas' direction. "I have learned much about this Elf in the time we have spent together.  One of the most important things I learned was that if Legolas has something he does not wish to share, he'll keep his mouth shut until the end of time.  There is nothing in this world short of the Valar themselves that will ever drag it out of him.  If you want to know what he is hiding, than all you can do is wait until he decides the appropriate time has come."

Legolas laughed softly. "There are many secrets of mine that Gimli is still waiting to learn about.  I have decided that he will hear the majority of them on his deathbed, when I know he will not be able to share them with anyone."

"And by doing this, you will assure that none but your Dwarven friend's corpse will ever know of any embarrassing childhood secrets?" Faramir chuckled.

Legolas sent a glare of his own in the Prince of Ithilien's direction. "I have no secrets that could ever be classified as embarrassing."

"What about that little incident you told me about involving two kegs of ale, your father's favorite crown and a spider web spreading across the armory doorway?" Gimli snickered.

Legolas bit back any retort.  After all, there was nothing he could say that could possibly pull him out of the hole Gimli had just dug for him.  So, ignoring Faramir's attempt to stifle a laugh, the elven prince let his usual look of perfect nobility mask his emotions and turned around, effectively smacking the dwarf in the back of the head with his bow. 

Faramir could no longer keep his mirth at bay.  Peals of laughter burst forth as he clutched his aching sides.  It took several moments before his laughter subsided.  Taking a deep breath to calm himself again, Faramir turned to speak with Legolas.

"So be it.  Keep your secrets my lord until you deem the proper time to reveal them," Faramir chuckled softly as he fell into his bedroll. "I shall be patient in waiting for that time.  However, you must promise me one thing."

"I will make that promise if it seems appropriate," The Elf solemnly nodded.

Faramir flashed him a devilish grin. "You will elaborate on this childhood story that Gimli has partially revealed to me.  And you will do this long before I am on my deathbed."

Fighting back the urge to plunge one of his knives into the dwarf's skull, Legolas reluctantly nodded. "I will keep that promise.  Now, my lord, it would be wise for all of us to rest."

"I agree.  Goodnight," Faramir suppressed a smile of triumph and closed his eyes.

*          *          *

Faramir was unsure as to what had woken him up.  The fire was still crackling away, indicating that he had only been asleep for an hour or two.  From where he lay, Faramir could see and hear Gimli snoring away on his own bedroll.  Whatever had awoken the Man had obviously not had the same effect on the Dwarf.  Faramir closed his eyes and attempted to block out the sounds of the fire and Gimli's snores.  It was then that he heard another noise that was only slightly softer than any other sounds.  It was the sound of someone singing.  More important, that song was sung in Sindarin.  Opening his eyes again, Faramir scanned the campsite for the only one who could possibly be singing at such an ungodly hour.

He spotted Legolas perched among the low branches of a beech tree.  It occurred to Faramir that Gimli must have learned to tune out the Elf's nightly songs during their numerous travels together.  The Elven prince's eyes were focused on the thousands of stars in the heavens as he sang.  With his own limited knowledge of the elven languages, Faramir was able to piece together most of the song's lyrics.  The Elf was singing of his sorrow and confusion caused by something the Prince of Ithilien could not translate.

"There is a great deal in this world that causes sorrow and confusion for me as well," Faramir spoke up from where he lay.

Legolas immediately stopped his song and turned his gaze down to the Man. "I had hoped that the stars might give me some answers.  Forgive me for waking you."

"My thoughts have been racing so fast lately that I believe almost any noise could easily wake me.  I doubt that I will get a full night's sleep again until I find some answers," Faramir smiled. "Why are you still awake?  I know that Elves may go longer than a Man without rest, but there is no danger for miles and so there is no reason for you to neglect any chance to rest."

"I too will not find any decent rest until I find answers as well," The Elf sighed as he gracefully leapt from the tree and landed in a crouch beside Faramir. "I can only hope that some of those answers will be found in Minas Tirith."

It took every ounce of control within Faramir to keep from asking the Elf's reasons for traveling to Minas Tirith again.  Unfortunately, Legolas easily caught the question in the Man's eyes.  Smirking, Legolas sat down on the ground and bid Faramir to rise from where he lay.  The Prince of Ithilien sat up and fixed the Elf with a calculating glance.  What was the Elf prince up to this time?  Legolas passed scrutinizing eyes over Faramir for a moment.  An uncomfortable silence fell between them as the Elf searched for something unknown on the Man's face.  The Elf's eyes suddenly lit up with triumph and he sat back.

"I told you that I would speak of my reasons for joining you when I deemed the time to be right, Faramir.  Now is that time."

Faramir could not help his sigh of relief.  He had been at the point where he would have throttled Legolas if the Elf delayed any more.  Legolas chuckled at the Man's reaction before turning somber once more.

"My dreams have been very troubling as of late," The lowered his voice so Gimli would not be disturbed. "I have seen horrific visions of the caverns of Isengard where thousands of tortured and mutilated Men are chained up.  Orcs rise up from the mud like insects.  The sounds of pain and torment are overwhelming.  The tower of Orthanc itself glows red in the light of the fires within those caverns.  I fear that something has or will happen in Isengard that the Ents can not stop."

"And so you are going to Minas Tirith to see if King Elessar has heard of any strange happenings in Isengard lately?" Faramir interjected.

"Partially," Legolas nodded gravely. "But there is more.  I fear that Minas Tirith may also be in danger.  In some of my dreams, I see the White City being attacked by an army cloaked in shadow.  It is strange, though.  The attack does little to damage the Tower of Ecthelien.  The building that seems to take the most damage is the House of Stewards."

"Most strange.  I could understand visions of the House of Kings being ransacked, for those are the most valuable tombs.  But why would anyone attack the House of Stewards?" Faramir pondered out loud.

Legolas nodded in agreement. "That is exactly what I mean to ask Aragorn.  There may be something hidden within the House of Stewards of great value that we do not know of."

"The only things of great value within those hallowed halls are the remains of the Stewards and their families…including my brother," The Prince of Ithilien shuddered as he remembered the vision of his Boromir's spirit. 

"It would appear that I am not the only one who is disturbed by visions," Legolas said when he saw the Man's shoulders shake. "You react to the description of my visions as though you know exactly what kind of horrors I have seen."

Faramir lowered his head and spoke in scarcely more than a whisper. "Indeed I have had visions of my own, Legolas, though they were not as graphic as yours." He paused a moment before continuing. "The spirit of my brother came to me in my dreams last night.  He warned me of an army of darkness and asked me to protect something important.  Unfortunately, I have no idea what he wants me to protect.  I did not get the chance to ask him, for he was dragged away by ghostly chains.  There was nothing I could do to stop him from being taken away."

Legolas contemplated the Man's words for a moment. "It would appear that we travel to Minas Tirith on common purpose, then.  I suspect that you are going to ask Aragorn if he can unravel the mysteries of your vision.  Am I right?"

Faramir nodded.

"Then it is fortunate our paths have crossed.  Alone, the unanswered questions from our dreams would surely drive us mad.  Together, we may be able to help each other.  I have a strong feeling that our visions connect in some way.  Boromir wants you to protect something of great importance and I have seen the House of Stewards being ransacked.  My suspicions may be correct.  There may be something important hidden within the House of Stewards that only Boromir knew about.  We shall have to question Aragorn about this."

Faramir nodded again. "Indeed, we shall.  Though I can not think of any item hidden within those halls that Boromir knew of and I did not.  This puzzle keeps getting more complicated by the day."   

Placing a hand on the Man's shoulder, Legolas smiled. "Perhaps it will be easier solved if Aragorn can aid both of us in finding answers.  Together, we will work through this."

"You two will not be able to work through anything in a moment," Growled Gimli on the other side of the camp fire. "I have half a mind to sink my axe into both of you for waking me with your talking."

"Only half a mind?" Legolas laughed. "Are you finally admitting to the higher intelligence of other races in comparison to the Dwarves?"

The Prince's answer was a throwing axe neatly embedded in the ground only inches from his thigh. 

Legolas cocked an eyebrow at the thrown weapon and smirked. "An Elf would have been able to land your axe far closer to me without causing damage."

Gimli simply growled again and rolled over as sleep claimed him again.  When the Dwarf's snores returned, Legolas turned back to Faramir.

"It is a pity that he is not so clever in his words when he first wakes up.  Some heated banter would have done wonders to lift my spirits."

Faramir shook his head in disbelief before fixing the Elf with his own scrutinizing gaze. "There is still one question you have yet to answer, my dear Elf prince."

"And what would that be?"

"How is it that you happened to show up on my doorstep the moment I was ready to leave for Minas Tirith?  Did you know that I was going?"

"I did not," Legolas replied with a slight grin. "Gimli and I were simply passing through on our way to Minas Tirith and thought it would be courteous to stop by and see if there was any news in your realm that might aid my search for answers.  It was by complete coincidence that I happened upon you as you were preparing to leave."

The Prince of Ithilien rolled his eyes. "No more excuses, Legolas.  I want the real story."

"But that is the real story," The Elf was the perfect picture of innocence.

"Really?"

"Absolutely."

"Oh…" Faramir looked away and lay back down.  He was just drifting off to sleep when he heard Legolas reply.

"Actually, I had been watching you for several hours and appeared just as you were leaving to lead you away from Éowyn.  Gimli secretly fancies her and owes me a favor for luring you away long enough for him to woo her.  I am afraid your wife's heart lies only with the Dwarf that seduced her now.  But you must not let this news trouble you.  Gimli shall make a fine adopted father to your child."

Legolas easily caught the rock that was thrown at his head.

*          *          *

Aragorn had a headache.  Not one of those little annoying headaches that made a person feel sluggish and fatigued.  No, this headache was bordering on a full blown migraine.  He had dispatched a messenger at first light to ride to Rohan and inquire about the present condition of Isengard.  That was two days ago.  Normally, the king was a very patient person.  He could sit unmoving in a hole in the ground for days while waiting for the perfect opportunity to ambush a band of orcs, yet he could not find the patience to wait until the messenger returned with news.  His dream had unsettled him greatly and he found himself jumping at any sudden noises or movements.  Aragorn was disgusted with himself for acting so paranoid.  He had received unsettling dreams in his life before, but none of those ever affected him this much.  Arwen had tried to calm him several times, but her efforts were in vain.  Aragorn's fears could not be placated.  And so she left him alone in the library to try and relax.  Unfortunately, Aragorn's attempts to relax resulted in this killer headache that was driving him completely mad.

Aragorn wondered if it would be easier to simply bang his head against the nearest bookshelf until he was knocked unconscious.  He almost succeeded in doing so when a guard burst into the library. 

"My liege, you have visitors."

In his mind, Aragorn groaned and considered knocking the guard out before knocking himself out.  He had no desire to see any visitors while his head was exploding like Mount Doom.  Still, being a king meant he had to see to others before he could render himself unconscious. 

"Who are they?" He asked the guard with as much poise and dignity as he could muster at that moment.

"It is Prince Faramir and Prince Legolas along with Lord Gimli, my liege."

Aragorn perked up. "Oh really?  Very well then.  Send them in."
The guard bowed and hurried off to fetch the king's guests.  Meanwhile, Aragorn was beaming.  Legolas would surely be kind enough to knock him out for a while.  After all, that was what friends are for. 

A few minutes later, an Elf, a Man, and a Dwarf stepped into the king's library.  Aragorn's smile fell when he saw how solemn they all looked.  Frowning, the King of Gondor gestured for them to sit on the couches that lined the room.

"What troubles you, my friends?" Aragon inquired.

"I could say the same to you, Aragorn," Legolas replied.

Gimli nodded. "He's right, Aragorn.  The bags under your eyes clearly show that you have not slept well for a while."

Aragorn sighed. "I was hoping no one would notice.  But why are all of you here?  I get the distinct feeling that this is not a simple visit."

"Elessar," Faramir jumped right to the point. "We have come to ask for your advice and guidance.  Legolas and I have received disturbing dreams two nights ago.  We believe they are visions of a coming evil."

Aragorn's head snapped up.  His own vision had been two nights ago. "Go on."

Legolas picked up where Faramir left off. "My vision was of terrible happenings in the caverns of Isengard and an attack on the Hall of Stewards here in Minas Tirith."

"And in my vision, my brother Boromir appeared and warned me of a growing darkness," Faramir added.

Aragorn frowned.  Legolas had seen Isengard and Faramir had seen Boromir.  The king thought back to his own dream when he saw both. 

"Gentlemen," The king's voice was deathly serious. "I believe we have a great deal to discuss."

A/N: Before anyone attacks me about getting my information wrong, let me explain.  I know that, in the books, Boromir's body is not in the Hall of Stewards.  For this story, I thought it would be better for people to have actually seen his body in the elven boat (instead of Faramir simply having a vision of it) and brought it back to Minas Tirith, rather than letting it float out to sea.  It just seems to be the more intelligent thing to do.  Don't forget to send reviews.  They encourage me to work faster in the absence of my love-struck muse.