Chapter 5: An Old Friend

Reina awakes to the cry of Legolas. "The horses are gone! The horses are gone!"

Leaping up she sees that indeed the horses had run off. Startling the men she ran up behind then and asked. "What has happened? How have they escaped?"

Turning quickly to look at her, they among the three of them were able to recount what had happened shortly before.

"Gimli was at his watch when he saw an old man...."
"Hooded and cloaked he was I saw him in she shadow of the fire..."
"We called out to him but he disappeared and that's when I realized that the horses were missing."

"Was it Saruman?" asked Reina.
"I don't know" said Aragorn "But I think we should be moving on just incase. We must find Merry and Pippin. So there is little choice we must go into the forest."

"Of course," They all agreed.

They packed up the camp, put out the fire, and headed toward the forest to pick up the trail of the hobbits.

"Reina, I have no choice but to take you with us. Don't wander off." Legolas said.
"Yes. I'm aware of that. I will not go anywhere." Reina said in a slightly annoyed tone that she was sure even her brother could pick up on.

Yeah, I'll stay until you get on my last nerve and I decided it isn't worth staying with you. I still will fight and not even you dear brother will stop me from doing so.

As they walk through the woods they come across an old man in a grey cloak.

"Don't let him speak... it is surely Saruman in hiding... we can not let him overtake our minds" Legolas said fingering and arrow that was fitted nicely in his bow.

They turned around weapons at the ready. Reina ran to embrace the wizard as he was reveled much to the surprise of her companions.

"No! Reina! Comeback!" Legolas said trying to catch her arm.

He could not stop her though. So he tried to shoot the wizard before she got to him as apparently she had lost her wits. His arrow lit fire and fell to the ground just as Reina got to the man.

"Gandalf it is good to see you again!" they heard Reina call.

Just as she said his name he was reveled to then and to their shock Gandalf was standing there in a white garb with a bleach white beard, but the same gentle face they had come to know and love.

"Yes it is good to be back again. I have come through many dark and dangerous paths and now I return to you now at the turn of the tide. We must be off now." Gandalf said striding off to the edge of the wood.