Gandalf lead the company through Fangorn Forest back to Edoras and
Meduseld. With the people of Rohan back safely in their homes King Theoden,
Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Anarrima, Gimli, and the other men made their
way back to Rohan. The forest seemed friendlier than it did before, which
gave Gimli much comfort. Legolas and Anarrima laughed and talked with each
other, enjoying the company of long time friends and new found love between
them both.
As the company emerged from the woods, Isengard stood before them, and two small hobbits were sitting atop the wall, smoking and carrying on without a care it seemed in the world.
"Welcome, my lords, to Isengard." Merry stood up and greeted them with his pipe held high in the air.
Typical hobbit... smoking and feasting when they desperately fought for their lives just hours before at Helm's Deep.
"We are under orders! From Treebeard, who's taken over management of Isengard." Merry smiled and Pippin blew a smoke ring in agreement.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They began riding to Orthanc through the flooded ruins of Isengard, Merry riding with Aragorn and Pippin now riding with Gandalf.
A large Ent stepped forward and greeted Gandalf. "Young master, Gandalf. I'm glad you've come. Wood and water, stock and stone I can master, but there's a wizard to manage here; locked in his tower."
Ana looked up in wonder. She heard tales of the great shepards of the forest but never before had she seen one with her own eyes. All around Isengard they stomped and rummaged through, clearing out its evils. "They're amazing."
"Yes they are," Legolas said, watching them at work. This, too, was his first sight of an ent. He then turned his gaze back to the wizard who was wrapping something in his cloak, it looked like a large round stone. Gandalf turned and began to ride away, everyone following in foot.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She was lying on a cold, hard floor in a dark chamber. She slowly opened her eyes and blinked, but nothing came into focus. Torches were lit all along the walls, giving off barely enough light to discern anything in the room. Anarrima rose to her feet slowly and searched around. There on the wall was a large mirror, shattered by seemingly and iron fist in a fit of rage. In her reflection she saw she wore that hideous black dress. Her long black hair was in tangles and the ring that hung around her neck was gone. Then suddenly she spotted a form sitting limp in a corner of the chamber. She turned around and walked quietly and curiously to the form and knelt down beside it, removing the good of his cloak from his face. Legolas.
Her eyes widened and she wanted to scream, but nothing escaped her throat but a harsh gasp. His eyes were open, but they were pale... looking straight through her! The color in his face was completely gone and his skin was as if touching ice. Lying in his lifeless hands was her necklace and the ring. Ana cried as she tried to revive him, calling his name but he didn't answer, he just stared into her eyes as if she wasn't even there.
Behind her she could see light begin to pour into the room from the open door. She gave Legolas a soft kiss and then one last look before she headed toward the doorway. She stepped out of the chamber and the light began to fade and a long, dark bridge appeared over an endless dark chasm. Then the ground beneath her began to quake and crumble under her feet. Anarrima had no choice but to escape across the narrow bridge. It went on forever with no end in sight. She ran and ran then the floor fell out from under her and she fell. Anarrima tried desperately to pull herself up, but her arms were too weak. Down below in the chasm she could see a great eye wreathed in flame. Her fingers lost their grip and the darkness began to consume her. She screamed as she fell forever, a voice repeated... "I see you Anarrima. You cannot escape me. The elf cannot protect you in your dreams...."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anarrima's eyes shot open, her forehead beaded with sweat and she was shaking all over. Her heart pounded as she stared up at the ceiling of the Halls of Edoras. Beside her Legolas lay resting peacefully, his arms wrapped protectively around her. She reached out and unsteady hand and grazed her fingertips across his lips, comforted by the warmth of his skin and the feel of his breath. Replaying the image of him in her dream brought her to tears so she pulled the blanket off her and quietly stood up from their bed on the floor. All around the Great Hall men slept, even the two young hobbits lay sleeping, smiles upon their faces. Ana stepped lightly over all the sleeping forms and walked outside the Golden Hall. With her cloak wrapped around her she looked out in the distance to Mordor.
Legolas had felt her trembling fingertips upon his lips and then leave his embrace. He went to go after her but Gandalf gave him a soft look that told him to give her time. The wizard was sitting upon a bench smoking his pipe. He had seen Anarrima when she was startled from her sleep, by what her could surely guess. Legolas walked softly to where Gandalf sat and took a seat beside him.
"Her nightmares are becoming more frequent," Legolas began, staring at the doors of the hall. He could still feel her touch, it was so uncertain and unsteady as if she was trying to convince herself that he was really there.
Gandalf blew a ring of smoke into the air and nodded. "Sauron knows that each day brings Anarrima closer to Mordor. As he grows stronger, her dreams become more vulnerable and Sauron takes a hold of them. Daedeloth is their link."
How can we stop him then?" Legolas looked at Gandalf, pleading for an answer to save Ana.
"The Ring must be destroyed. Sauron must be defeated, and Daedeloth must be brought back from the service of the Dark Lord... or killed by one of his own blood. But as long as his eye is fixed upon us, he stays blind to Frodo and the Ring. But also... Anarrima needs to know you stand beside her, or she will succumb to her nightmares."
The elf smiled softly and left Gandalf to take some rest before sunrise. He walked out to where Ana stood atop the steps, looking out at the stars. He felt there was nothing her could do to help her... he couldn't protect her in her dreams. He put his hood over his head and stood beside her, watching the sky above.
"The stars are veiled. Something stirs in the East... a sleepless malice." He turned his gaze to her and beheld her silver eyes. "But never fear that malice Ana. Know that even if our path leads us into the black lands of Mordor itself... I will always be beside you."
Anarrima smiled and took his hand. She knew he would always be there for her... it was Sauron's doing that her minded drifted into such dreams. Suddenly she felt a weight upon her mind. "The eye of the enemy is moving." Her eyes searched the horizon of Mordor.
Legolas turned to Anarrima in alarm. "He is here."
As the company emerged from the woods, Isengard stood before them, and two small hobbits were sitting atop the wall, smoking and carrying on without a care it seemed in the world.
"Welcome, my lords, to Isengard." Merry stood up and greeted them with his pipe held high in the air.
Typical hobbit... smoking and feasting when they desperately fought for their lives just hours before at Helm's Deep.
"We are under orders! From Treebeard, who's taken over management of Isengard." Merry smiled and Pippin blew a smoke ring in agreement.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
They began riding to Orthanc through the flooded ruins of Isengard, Merry riding with Aragorn and Pippin now riding with Gandalf.
A large Ent stepped forward and greeted Gandalf. "Young master, Gandalf. I'm glad you've come. Wood and water, stock and stone I can master, but there's a wizard to manage here; locked in his tower."
Ana looked up in wonder. She heard tales of the great shepards of the forest but never before had she seen one with her own eyes. All around Isengard they stomped and rummaged through, clearing out its evils. "They're amazing."
"Yes they are," Legolas said, watching them at work. This, too, was his first sight of an ent. He then turned his gaze back to the wizard who was wrapping something in his cloak, it looked like a large round stone. Gandalf turned and began to ride away, everyone following in foot.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She was lying on a cold, hard floor in a dark chamber. She slowly opened her eyes and blinked, but nothing came into focus. Torches were lit all along the walls, giving off barely enough light to discern anything in the room. Anarrima rose to her feet slowly and searched around. There on the wall was a large mirror, shattered by seemingly and iron fist in a fit of rage. In her reflection she saw she wore that hideous black dress. Her long black hair was in tangles and the ring that hung around her neck was gone. Then suddenly she spotted a form sitting limp in a corner of the chamber. She turned around and walked quietly and curiously to the form and knelt down beside it, removing the good of his cloak from his face. Legolas.
Her eyes widened and she wanted to scream, but nothing escaped her throat but a harsh gasp. His eyes were open, but they were pale... looking straight through her! The color in his face was completely gone and his skin was as if touching ice. Lying in his lifeless hands was her necklace and the ring. Ana cried as she tried to revive him, calling his name but he didn't answer, he just stared into her eyes as if she wasn't even there.
Behind her she could see light begin to pour into the room from the open door. She gave Legolas a soft kiss and then one last look before she headed toward the doorway. She stepped out of the chamber and the light began to fade and a long, dark bridge appeared over an endless dark chasm. Then the ground beneath her began to quake and crumble under her feet. Anarrima had no choice but to escape across the narrow bridge. It went on forever with no end in sight. She ran and ran then the floor fell out from under her and she fell. Anarrima tried desperately to pull herself up, but her arms were too weak. Down below in the chasm she could see a great eye wreathed in flame. Her fingers lost their grip and the darkness began to consume her. She screamed as she fell forever, a voice repeated... "I see you Anarrima. You cannot escape me. The elf cannot protect you in your dreams...."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Anarrima's eyes shot open, her forehead beaded with sweat and she was shaking all over. Her heart pounded as she stared up at the ceiling of the Halls of Edoras. Beside her Legolas lay resting peacefully, his arms wrapped protectively around her. She reached out and unsteady hand and grazed her fingertips across his lips, comforted by the warmth of his skin and the feel of his breath. Replaying the image of him in her dream brought her to tears so she pulled the blanket off her and quietly stood up from their bed on the floor. All around the Great Hall men slept, even the two young hobbits lay sleeping, smiles upon their faces. Ana stepped lightly over all the sleeping forms and walked outside the Golden Hall. With her cloak wrapped around her she looked out in the distance to Mordor.
Legolas had felt her trembling fingertips upon his lips and then leave his embrace. He went to go after her but Gandalf gave him a soft look that told him to give her time. The wizard was sitting upon a bench smoking his pipe. He had seen Anarrima when she was startled from her sleep, by what her could surely guess. Legolas walked softly to where Gandalf sat and took a seat beside him.
"Her nightmares are becoming more frequent," Legolas began, staring at the doors of the hall. He could still feel her touch, it was so uncertain and unsteady as if she was trying to convince herself that he was really there.
Gandalf blew a ring of smoke into the air and nodded. "Sauron knows that each day brings Anarrima closer to Mordor. As he grows stronger, her dreams become more vulnerable and Sauron takes a hold of them. Daedeloth is their link."
How can we stop him then?" Legolas looked at Gandalf, pleading for an answer to save Ana.
"The Ring must be destroyed. Sauron must be defeated, and Daedeloth must be brought back from the service of the Dark Lord... or killed by one of his own blood. But as long as his eye is fixed upon us, he stays blind to Frodo and the Ring. But also... Anarrima needs to know you stand beside her, or she will succumb to her nightmares."
The elf smiled softly and left Gandalf to take some rest before sunrise. He walked out to where Ana stood atop the steps, looking out at the stars. He felt there was nothing her could do to help her... he couldn't protect her in her dreams. He put his hood over his head and stood beside her, watching the sky above.
"The stars are veiled. Something stirs in the East... a sleepless malice." He turned his gaze to her and beheld her silver eyes. "But never fear that malice Ana. Know that even if our path leads us into the black lands of Mordor itself... I will always be beside you."
Anarrima smiled and took his hand. She knew he would always be there for her... it was Sauron's doing that her minded drifted into such dreams. Suddenly she felt a weight upon her mind. "The eye of the enemy is moving." Her eyes searched the horizon of Mordor.
Legolas turned to Anarrima in alarm. "He is here."
