Disclaimer: I don't own LOTR.

Into Mordor

As he said it, the three of them heard a great groaning noise moving among the trees. Laura made a strange face. "Are.are they talking?"

Legolas looked back at her. "Yes. These trees have feelings. They are full of memory and anger. They can indeed talk to each other; the Elves begin it," he got that dreamy look across his face that made him look less than manly to her. She looked around. She wondered what trees said to each other.

As they made their way deeper into the forest, Laura saw a white figure moving among the trees. "Hey!" she whispered.

"What are the trees saying?" Aragorn asked.

Legolas moved his eyes in the direction of the figure, hinting to them. "The White Wizard approaches," he said as they got their weapons ready.

"But-" Laura tried to tell them.

"Do not let him speak, or else he will put a spell on us," Aragorn warned them.

Laura's hands dropped to her sides and she turned around, covering her eyes. A bright light was emanating from him, and she had to squint. Legolas shot an arrow at him, but it bounced right off. Aragorn's sword began getting hot, so he had to drop it.

"Two Hobbits came this way, the day before yesterday," he said. "They met someone they did not expect," he finished in a deep, resonating voice. It made her think twice about who it was. But she was sure of it. She had felt Gandalf's presence.

"Who are you?" Aragorn demanded, shielding his eyes. As the staff passed in front of the wizard's face, the light faded somewhat and they could all see that it was Gandalf.

"I was right!" she said triumphantly as she ran into his arms. He was almost twice as tall as her and nearly concealed her in his white robes when he held her.

"Hello, my child!" he chuckled gaily. When she touched him, her clothes turned white. She didn't think much of this, she was just glad to have her friend back.

Legolas bowed. "Forgive me. I mistook you for Saruman," he apologized. Aragorn stepped up to him.

"It cannot be," he said. "Gandalf."

"Gandalf?" Gandalf said, as if it wasn't his name. Then a light went on in his head. "Yes. That was what they used to call me, Gandalf the Grey. I am Gandalf the White." And he was. He was a very bright white, his power being felt strongly by the three companions that stood around him. His old twisted staff was a new white one with a little white stone in the top. His hair was long and white, along with his beard, eyebrows, etc. Everything, white. "I was sent through fire and stone." he began the story of how he had defeated the Balrog, and then died. Then he felt life flow back into him, and had been sent back to them to finish what needed to be done. "I am Saruman as he should have been," he finished.

"Gandalf, I am so glad to see you again," she said, not letting go of him. She was also glad to know that the Hobbits were alive, and with someone named Treebeard.

All of a sudden the trees began groaning again. It didn't sound too friendly to her, but she wasn't the only one. Their horses also were becoming uneasy. They ran away, and she started after them. "I'll get them back," she said as she ran after them. Legolas started forward, but Gandalf held him back and winked at him.

She made her way through the dense trees, wondering how the horses could move so easily through it when she was having such a hard time on two legs. Finally, she was able to find them. They were at a dead end and starting to panic.

"Epona, Hasufel, Arod, there's nothing to worry about in here," she said soothingly in Elvish. She took Epona's reins. "Follow me." The other two horses followed her out.

All of a sudden, the trees again began groaning. Epona whinnied nervously as she put a hand on her to hush her and looked back at Arod and Hasufel. Then she got dizzy. She shook her head, trying to clear it. But the trees were looking funnier than usual. She fell to her knees, beginning to feel dazed as Epona tried to nudge her to get on her feet.

"No, we cannot build a campfire in here. The trees wouldn't take kindly to that," Gandalf was telling Aragorn when the horses showed up again. Aragorn smiled.

"I am glad she decided to press on with us. She is indeed useful," he said proudly. But Legolas stood up. She was not with them, and Epona was neighing.

"Epona, where is she?" he asked in Elvish. He ran after her as Aragorn sat up, worried. He looked at Gandalf, who looked just a concerned. In about ten minutes, Legolas returned carrying Laura in his arms. He gently laid her down in front of Gandalf.

"She has fallen into some sort of fever; I could not wake her," Legolas explained.

"Hello?" Laura called. "Hey! Can somebody hear me! Help!" she cried. She could see nothing but a pitched black sky above her. She looked around. "Gandalf? Aragorn? Legolas? Epona?"

All of a sudden she was standing in the middle of a field, looking at the remains of what had been a city. There were Nazgul flying around it. They now had these horrible looking flying snakelike creatures. They were still shrieking. Then she realized she was surrounded by Orcs and Uruk Hai. They were headed towards the city.

Then she found herself at the foot of some mountains. There was a huge gate beyond her, and it was shut. It looked like the biggest, sturdiest steel gate she had ever seen. "The Black Gate?" she wondered. Then she kicked something. She looked down and cried out in horror. She was standing among a pile of dead bodies. She knelt down beside the one she had accidentally kicked. "Sorry," she apologized to no one. Wait a minute. The ring on his finger had a little black gem in it.

"Aragorn?" she asked in disbelief. Her throat felt dry. Where was she now? A white body lay next to Aragorn, and two smaller bodies next to that. She closed her eyes, but opened them again to focus on Legolas' body half covered by a dead troll. She began feeling hysterical. She looked up painfully as she heard the great gate creak open slowly. She could see something red inside.