Chapter Nine
By the time the boat had reached the shore, almost all of the visiting knights and warriors had arrived. They all watched tensely as the two occupants of the boat stepped out. Silence descended onto them as the stranger regarded each person's face. His eyes lingered the longest on Sheik, Yasha, and Kage, making them all uneasy.
"I swear by Din, Farore, and Nayru that I didn't do anything!" Kage suddenly blurted, causing everyone to jump and look at him.
"Kage?!" Mizuu shouted, as her ruby-eyed charge blushed uncontrollably. This got a chuckle from the stranger.
"I see now that you mean no harm, even though you are what you are." The man said, then looked away to scan the crowd that had gathered.
"Then why are you here?" Zelgadis asked, curiously.
"I am looking for two wayward adventurers that go by the names of Legolas and Gimli. They had the gall to leave the Undying Lands and not tell me." The stranger said, sounding a little put off with the elf and dwarf.
"I am sorry, Gandalf. I was in such a rush to start my quest that I had neglected to inform you. But much has happened since we arrived here." Legolas explained, as he approached and kneeled before the bearded, white clothed man.
"Is that so? Would you mind explaining what has happened that is now troubling the land and its people?" Gandalf asked, seeming to be appeased by Legolas' coming forward.
"The Nine have been revived, Gandalf-sama." Sheik said, his voice laden with grief and foreboding. Gandalf stiffened and gave Sheik a look that most men would have taken to be surprise.
"How do you know this?" Gandalf asked, now a little suspicious of the Sheikah.
"He has seen them through dreams, sir. And, before we arrived here, the Nine attacked the king of this land and took the sword known as SoulCrusher from him. His soul has been damaged as a result." Link said, as he approached the great wizard and kneeled.
"I see. Take me to the king." Gandalf ordered, as he motioned for his horse to remain where it was.
Shiroi sighed as he gazed down on the stricken king.
"Would that the sons of Isildur still had the power that had made Aragorn great. The Witch King has dealt us a grievous blow indeed." Shiroi thought, then turned when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"We have done all we could, Shiroi." Rain said, sadly.
"But it wasn't enough. All we have done is bought him time. Yet how will it avail him? There is nothing in this world that can save him now." Shiroi said, with despair in his voice.
"Nothing, you say? Surely you despair too soon." A voice said, as the owner entered the room. Immediately, all in the room who were at Ashram's side now stared in awe at the white-clad wizard. In a gesture of respect and trust, Rain, Teim, and Shiroi laid their staffs before him, as knights would lay their swords before their kings.
"As in the days of old, you come in the darkest of hours, to give at least a small light of hope. Long has it been since you last traveled in these lands and longer still, it seems, since the end of the Age of the Great Kings." Shiroi murmured, as the great wizard gazed at him, then at the still form of the fallen king on the bed. In silence, Gandalf looked upon the stricken king's face. The face was peaceful, even though the king was in terrible spiritual pain. And it was also deathly pale; as pale as it had been when Parn had first met Ashram on the battlefield.
"Can you help him, Sir Wizard?" a small voice asked. Startled, Gandalf looked down and saw Maar standing there.
"That depends. What he needs now is a new soul sword. A sword wrought of mithril would do the trick, but I have left Glamdring behind in the Undying Lands. Now, what manner of person are you? You are neither hobbit nor dwarf, as far as I can tell." Gandalf said, not unkindly.
"I'm a grassrunner, a type of elf, so to speak. My name's Maar and I have just recently been named esquire by the king of Marmo." Maar replied, looking away when he heard Lina, Link, Parn, Legolas, Gimli and Spark enter the room.
"I see. So that is why you remain by the king's side?" Gandalf asked.
"Yes. I am to report to the queen the moment his condition changes, for good or ill. Right now she's trying to reassure the people, but I don't know how long she can reassure herself of her husband's survival. Things look somewhat bleak right now." Maar said, with some sadness in his own voice.
"Sir Wizard, if I may ask, where are the Undying Lands? Maybe a few of us can go and retrieve the sword the king so desperately needs." Link suggested.
"Perhaps you can, though usually only elves of the untainted variety can set foot there. Legolas will go as a guide. It is his choice of whom he wants to accompany him." Gandalf said, calmly.
"If you are referring to Kage as being tainted, then you are sorely mistaken. Sure, he complains a lot, and argues with people when irked, but he has saved my life countless times in the past. And together we defeated a great evil in our homeland. Certainly those deeds have been enough to earn redemption, or at least a reprieve from being called accursed!" Link said, angrily. In the tense silence that followed, Legolas and Gimli looked anxiously over at Gandalf, waiting for a fierce show of temper. But, before that could happen, Kage himself stepped into the room and placed a placating hand on his friend's shoulder.
"Don't worry about it, Link. I'm not insulted. If you're chosen to go, it's the fact that I will be left behind that will bother me. Yet I will endure and hold the fort till you return. Just be sure to tell me how beautiful it is over there when you get back, okay?" Kage said, calmly. Link sighed and let his shoulders droop.
"Besides, somebody's got to remain behind in case someone from Hyrule comes looking for us." Mizuu said, as she flitted between them, then settled down on Gandalf's shoulder.
"Traitor." Kage muttered, giving Mizuu a deadpan look. Mizuu giggled.
"Well, you never stand still long enough for me to sit on your shoulder." Mizuu retorted.
"Have you decided on who you want to take with you, Legolas?" Spark asked, speaking up for the first time since they had arrived.
"I have. I'll take just Link and Cecil with me. I'll leave Gimli here so he can help keep an eye on the king." Legolas replied.
"Then we'd best get going. It doesn't look like the king can hold out much longer." Link said, grimly.
"Right." Legolas agreed, before the two of them hurried out of the room.
"What can the rest of us do? I sure as hell don't want to sit and wait for them." Lina said, impertinently.
"Do you know where the palantir is?" Gandalf asked.
"The Seeing Stone? As far as I know it was moved to the temple of Marfa after the War of Heroes. Why do you ask?" Lina asked, now curious.
"That 'stone' is all that stands between us and the Witch King achieving his goals. I want you and your group to ride to the temple and keep it out of his reach." Gandalf said, getting a grin and a nod from Lina.
"You got it! I'll be back as soon as I can!" Lina said, as she also left the room. Now only Parn, Spark, Kage and Maar were left in the room with Gandalf.
"What will you have us do, Sir Wizard?" Parn asked.
"Prepare the castle guard for anything. Kage, remain by the king's side. Spark, you head down to the towns and begin evacuating the people from them and into the castle keep. Knowing the Witch King, he will begin to step up his plans." Gandalf said, getting an immediate response from the remaining men in the room.
"Thus it begins…………………..again……………….." Gandalf thought, as he gazed to the west at the setting sun.