Airesiwe felt her closed eyes open to a squint. Already, the light blinded
her, and she closed them once more. 'This is it,' she thought to herself,
'this is Valinor.' She opened her eyes a little more and saw that she was
actually in a forest. She opened her eyes wide at this point and looked
around. Her back was up against a nearby tree, and sunlight poured into the
think and dense forest, making it have a heavily look to it. Every now an
then, golden leaves would fall slowly to the ground, covering it more and
more with different types of leaves. She tried to stand up, but fell back
down. She noticed that her broken arm was wrapped in a type of cloth, as so
were her stomach, and one of her legs. She still had most of her armor on,
which she was thankful for. Her back was ever so sore from the evil whip,
and she wished that was bandaged too. But she did not complain. Instead,
she managed to get up and wobble around for a bit. There was a fountain of
water nearby, and she was quite thirsty. She didn't have anything to drink
since the orcs took her hostage. She hobbled over towards it, but was
shocked to hear a long, loud moaning sound echoing throughout the forest.
Startled by this, Airesiwe tripped and fell in a file of leaves.
"Peregrin, Meriadoc, if I told you once I told you at least a thousand times, stay out of the Entwash!" the loud moaning continued. Airesiwe hid under her pile of leaves and saw the same large tree emerge from the forest to the small clearing that Airesiwe was in. The tree was quite tall, and had odd, shiny bark. His lips were ruddy and what looked like hair on its back was a greenish-gray. Still frightened by this colossal tree and stranger, Airesiwe stayed hidden. But it did not fool the tree, for it stomped over towards the file and used its long stick-like fingers to pick her up out of the pile.
"I do believe you as well are being influenced by them," the giant tree said while laughing. Airesiwe said nothing. Instead she shook with fear and pleaded with her expression to be put down. "Oh my! I'm quite sorry dear stranger, for I've forgotten my manners. My name is Bregalad, I am one of the young ents in these parts of the woods."
Airesiwe just hung limp in the tree's grasp. She had question on her face like never before. She no longer had as much fear though, and was starting to think that this tree had a good reason for trying to kill her.
Bregalad laughed, and when doing so it was high, not like the other low pitches that Airesiwe heard before. "Oh dear stranger, I do believe you are new to these parts of the woods, or maybe even to just this wood. Ents are tree herders, as you could probably tell, we are much taller that trees, and yes, we are alive as well. But don't fear us. We enjoy people staying here, just as long as you come and leave us in peace." The tree smiled, and Airesiwe felt safer than never before. She was let down to the ground and stood on one leg, balancing.
"My name is Airesiwe," she stuttered. She bickered to herself for a split- second on whether to tell the tree more, but she felt it would be best. "I'm from...Rivendell, I am a warrior there."
The trees eyes widened at the sound of Rivendell, and it seemed pleased to hear that she was an elf. "AN ELF! Oh my! This forest hasn't had an elf walk here for ages, and I must say I missed the days when they did. They wandered our forests, and even that Saruman would walk without doing any harm."
Airesiwe suddenly remembered how close she was to Isengard, she also remembered something else. "You said Pip and Merry were here? Did you not?" her heart jumped with excitement as she hoped that they were.
"Hmm...oh yes! The two hobbits! Yes they came into our forest not more than a few weeks ago. They are still dwelling here in our Ent-houses. They are the ones who told me about you. Ah...the stories they told about you. They do not deny that you are a skilled warrior. They are also the ones that found you in the pile of orcs I crushed. One thought you were dead, and was dreadfully sad for a day or two. The other, however, suggested wrapping you up in bandages with special medicine Treebeard gave me. Frankly I was quite surprised you made it, being so small and all, I almost mistaken you for a hobbit lass." Bregalad laughed after finishing, and Airesiwe was glad she was found.
~*~
After Airesiwe and Bregalad talked for a little while longer, Airesiwe heard shouts coming from the inside of the forest. Pippin and Merry soon emerged, and when they saw Airesiwe, they shouted with joy and ran to hug her. It was more like they jumped on her, for she fell back into the pile of leaves.
"Young hobbits, young hobbits...I still believe the child is hurt," Bregalad said. As soon as that statement was made the hobbits backed away. Merry extended a hand and helped her back up. Airesiwe soon realized that her wounded areas no longer hurt.
"I think I'm fine, I really do. The bandages don't hurt anymore."
"Aye, Airesiwe they don't. The medicine is working," the tree said, "leave them on for a day more and you should be back on your feet."
Airesiwe couldn't be more happy, she was united with her friends again, and in lovely company with ents. She hoped secretly in her mind that they wouldn't have to leave, for this place was a dream come true.
"Come Airesiwe! We must show you the Ent-houses!" Pippin exclaimed as he grabbed her hand and led her to Treebeard house. "Oh this truly is a wonderful place don't you think?"
Airesiwe laughed. "I've only been here for but an hour, I still have the rest of the forest to explore, or at least the one surrounding me. You never did tell me where I was anyway."
Merry looked at Airesiwe with a shocked expression. "Why, you are in the presence of Fangorn Forest."
"Fangorn?! But I've heard horrible stories about this place! It's quiet hard to believe they are true now that I'm actually here!"
"I guess people feared the trees," Pippin butted it. Airesiwe laughed along with Merry and tried to follow Pippin. He looked taller to her, but she knew it must have been her imagination. After all, she had not seen them in so long. All thoughts about Frodo and Sam vanished from her memory as she ran to catch up with the two new hobbits she followed.
~*~
Finally, she reached Treebeard's house. It was basically just a plain, mossy stone set upon turves under a large, grassy green bank. It wasn't quite what Airesiwe expected, but still, it wasn't bad for a house built for a tree. There were trees built in a circle around this structure, as well as water bubbling up from a nearby bank. She, as well as the hobbits went inside and talked about their adventures so far. Airesiwe's tale interested the hobbits the most, and every time she stopped to take a breath, they pleaded to hear more. They especially loved the part about the orcs and how they took her captive. She however, did not tell them about her encounter with Frodo at the lake. That was for only her and him to know. Ironically, she didn't miss him as much as she thought she would, but that was probably because she was so overwhelmed with what was going on. She was glad to hear that they had supplies for her, and much food to eat. She restocked on bows and arrows, and even took a few small daggers with her as well. They talked while they ate, and Airesiwe began to feel tired. She laid down on a small bed that was nearby two other, and without thinking, fell fast asleep.
"Peregrin, Meriadoc, if I told you once I told you at least a thousand times, stay out of the Entwash!" the loud moaning continued. Airesiwe hid under her pile of leaves and saw the same large tree emerge from the forest to the small clearing that Airesiwe was in. The tree was quite tall, and had odd, shiny bark. His lips were ruddy and what looked like hair on its back was a greenish-gray. Still frightened by this colossal tree and stranger, Airesiwe stayed hidden. But it did not fool the tree, for it stomped over towards the file and used its long stick-like fingers to pick her up out of the pile.
"I do believe you as well are being influenced by them," the giant tree said while laughing. Airesiwe said nothing. Instead she shook with fear and pleaded with her expression to be put down. "Oh my! I'm quite sorry dear stranger, for I've forgotten my manners. My name is Bregalad, I am one of the young ents in these parts of the woods."
Airesiwe just hung limp in the tree's grasp. She had question on her face like never before. She no longer had as much fear though, and was starting to think that this tree had a good reason for trying to kill her.
Bregalad laughed, and when doing so it was high, not like the other low pitches that Airesiwe heard before. "Oh dear stranger, I do believe you are new to these parts of the woods, or maybe even to just this wood. Ents are tree herders, as you could probably tell, we are much taller that trees, and yes, we are alive as well. But don't fear us. We enjoy people staying here, just as long as you come and leave us in peace." The tree smiled, and Airesiwe felt safer than never before. She was let down to the ground and stood on one leg, balancing.
"My name is Airesiwe," she stuttered. She bickered to herself for a split- second on whether to tell the tree more, but she felt it would be best. "I'm from...Rivendell, I am a warrior there."
The trees eyes widened at the sound of Rivendell, and it seemed pleased to hear that she was an elf. "AN ELF! Oh my! This forest hasn't had an elf walk here for ages, and I must say I missed the days when they did. They wandered our forests, and even that Saruman would walk without doing any harm."
Airesiwe suddenly remembered how close she was to Isengard, she also remembered something else. "You said Pip and Merry were here? Did you not?" her heart jumped with excitement as she hoped that they were.
"Hmm...oh yes! The two hobbits! Yes they came into our forest not more than a few weeks ago. They are still dwelling here in our Ent-houses. They are the ones who told me about you. Ah...the stories they told about you. They do not deny that you are a skilled warrior. They are also the ones that found you in the pile of orcs I crushed. One thought you were dead, and was dreadfully sad for a day or two. The other, however, suggested wrapping you up in bandages with special medicine Treebeard gave me. Frankly I was quite surprised you made it, being so small and all, I almost mistaken you for a hobbit lass." Bregalad laughed after finishing, and Airesiwe was glad she was found.
~*~
After Airesiwe and Bregalad talked for a little while longer, Airesiwe heard shouts coming from the inside of the forest. Pippin and Merry soon emerged, and when they saw Airesiwe, they shouted with joy and ran to hug her. It was more like they jumped on her, for she fell back into the pile of leaves.
"Young hobbits, young hobbits...I still believe the child is hurt," Bregalad said. As soon as that statement was made the hobbits backed away. Merry extended a hand and helped her back up. Airesiwe soon realized that her wounded areas no longer hurt.
"I think I'm fine, I really do. The bandages don't hurt anymore."
"Aye, Airesiwe they don't. The medicine is working," the tree said, "leave them on for a day more and you should be back on your feet."
Airesiwe couldn't be more happy, she was united with her friends again, and in lovely company with ents. She hoped secretly in her mind that they wouldn't have to leave, for this place was a dream come true.
"Come Airesiwe! We must show you the Ent-houses!" Pippin exclaimed as he grabbed her hand and led her to Treebeard house. "Oh this truly is a wonderful place don't you think?"
Airesiwe laughed. "I've only been here for but an hour, I still have the rest of the forest to explore, or at least the one surrounding me. You never did tell me where I was anyway."
Merry looked at Airesiwe with a shocked expression. "Why, you are in the presence of Fangorn Forest."
"Fangorn?! But I've heard horrible stories about this place! It's quiet hard to believe they are true now that I'm actually here!"
"I guess people feared the trees," Pippin butted it. Airesiwe laughed along with Merry and tried to follow Pippin. He looked taller to her, but she knew it must have been her imagination. After all, she had not seen them in so long. All thoughts about Frodo and Sam vanished from her memory as she ran to catch up with the two new hobbits she followed.
~*~
Finally, she reached Treebeard's house. It was basically just a plain, mossy stone set upon turves under a large, grassy green bank. It wasn't quite what Airesiwe expected, but still, it wasn't bad for a house built for a tree. There were trees built in a circle around this structure, as well as water bubbling up from a nearby bank. She, as well as the hobbits went inside and talked about their adventures so far. Airesiwe's tale interested the hobbits the most, and every time she stopped to take a breath, they pleaded to hear more. They especially loved the part about the orcs and how they took her captive. She however, did not tell them about her encounter with Frodo at the lake. That was for only her and him to know. Ironically, she didn't miss him as much as she thought she would, but that was probably because she was so overwhelmed with what was going on. She was glad to hear that they had supplies for her, and much food to eat. She restocked on bows and arrows, and even took a few small daggers with her as well. They talked while they ate, and Airesiwe began to feel tired. She laid down on a small bed that was nearby two other, and without thinking, fell fast asleep.