Disclaimer: don't own, you should know that by now

A/N: And thank you to...

lexi: uh, okay...you like or not?

Insane Elven Rock Baby: yes, we are finally getting to Legolas! There should be many Legolas scenes from now on. I'm obsessed with lego and orli too. Srry bout spelling. I do have spellcheck but sometimes I type a word that I don't mean to, but it's actually a word. So it stinks. Lemme know if you find any misspells, if ya could! -

sweetazzhoney: lol, yes, here's another mention for you! Wow, 6 oreos...::drool:: lol, srry, here's ur chap

Lunawolf: no, you didn't review b4, but that's ok! Yes, at some point it WILL have to be revealed...maybe soon...

myri: ::blushes:: wow, thx! That means a lot to me!

Carmen Johanna Creevy (a.k.a. KrystynAngelofLight): thx! Ya, who else? Lolzy.

Magsluvsaragorn: lol, I'm sorry...I'll try to get more chapters up. No, I wasn't too clear in explaining that, was I? to tell you the truth...I'm not quite sure of it meself. What do you think? Yes or no? LOL JERRY SPRINGER! HEHEEHEHEHEHHE...okay I'm done, sorry, but that was really funny!

orlandos-gurl13: yea, I know it was...but that story was, like, my second fanfic. So I wasn't quite sure how to go bout it. I don't know why legy proposed so soon...I might go back and change a couple words so it doesn't seem rushed. Thx and no hard feelings whatsoever! Only warm, nice, friendly ones!

gandalf: o really? Well, mister, your review shall be removed for use of foul language. Kthxbai.

PippinsSweetDiamond: thx, girl. Beware of her evil ferret Glorfindel!

To Everyone—I AM SO SORRY IT HAS TAKEN ME SO LONG TO WRITE THIS CHAPTER! TT I've been working on other chapters of this story. Okay, the beginning of this chapter is going to be incredibly lame and boring...because I wrote it while struggling over the walls of a Writer's Block. Later chapters will be better, I promise.

Part III: The Return of the King

Gwyn urged Beauty to ride as fast as she could. She couldn't wait to see Legolas! Even though she couldn't show open emotion for him in front of everyone else, she could still hug him...as long as she hugged the others as well. Finally, they came into view. All were standing on land that was NOT covered in water. Still riding at lighting speed, she jumped off her horse and onto her father, embracing him, though they had both been knocked to the ground. Laughing, she hugged him tightly. 'That was a rather warm greeting,' Aragorn commented, hugging his daughter back. 'Warmer than I would have expected.'

Gwyn sat back. 'Things...change,' she said quietly.

Aragorn looked at her with question in his eyes, but she did not elaborate.

After they both stood again, Gwyn turned to Legolas and Gimli, both of whom she hugged tightly. She whispered in Legolas' ear something, so quiet that only they could hear. 'I have missed you greatly, meleth-nin (my love).'

When she bent down and hugged Gimli, she whispered, 'Sorry to have led you on such a chase, Master Dwarf.'

But with the three were others that Gwyn did not know. She nodded respectfully to them, and they nodded back.

Presently, Gandalf and King Théoden returned with Treebeard. 'Young masters,' Treebeard greeted them, 'I am glad you have come. As I was telling Gandalf, I can master wood and water, rock and stone. But there is a Wizard to manage here. Look to his tower.'

They looked. Saruman's white robes whipped around the corner and back into Orthanc. They mounted their horses, riding up to the front of Isengard Tower. Treebeard followed them.

'And there Saruman must remain,' Gandalf then said. 'Under your guard, Treebeard.'

Gimli was not of that opinion, however. 'Well, let's just have his head and be done with it!'

'No,' Gandalf said. 'He has no power anymore.'

'The filth of Saruman is washing away,' Treebeard said. 'Trees will come back to live here. Young trees, wild trees.'

Pippin, who was sitting on the back of Aragorn's horse, had jumped off, and was now wading in the water. He reached down and brought up from the dirty water a large, glass ball.

'Bless my bark!' Treebeard exclaimed.

Gwyn searched her mind for where she had seen that type of ball before. It finally hit her: the large ball was a Palantír...one of the Seeing Stones. Gwyn had read about them when she was a child.

'Peregrin Took!' Gandalf warned sternly.

Pippin had been staring intently at the Palantír. He started and looked up at Gandalf.

'I'll take that my lad. Quickly now.'

Reluctantly, Pippin handed it to Gandalf, who quickly wrapped it in his cloak.

As Gandalf told them, their job was finished in Isengard, and they were no longer needed there. They would journey to Édoras, where King Théoden and his nephew (one of the riders that had stood with Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli upon Gwyn's arrival), Éomer lived.

They did not rush to Édoras, and along the way, Legolas and Gimli told Gwyn about their search, and of the large battle at Helm's Deep, a stronghold for the people of Rohan. Gwyn listened intently to them. She tensed when they told her of Aragorn death when they were battling the Wargs. They described what she had seen in the mirror exactly. This made Gwyn feel as though she had made the right choice, by following the hobbits. So, Galadriel's gift had led her wisely...

She found the game between Legolas and Gimli amusing. Apparently, the two had had a contest to see who could kill the most Orcs. 'What was the final count?' she asked, laughter in her voice.

'Forty-three to forty-two, in my favor,' Gimli stated proudly.

'Shown up by a dwarf?' Gwyn teased Legolas, who laughed good-naturedly.

'I still say he was twitching,' he shot at Gimli.

Gimli paid no attention to that comment, but instead said to Gwyn,' We have told you of our tale, lassie. Now you must tell us yours.'

Gwyn smiled, and she told them about the Urûks, the Ents, their encounter with Gandalf, the Entmoot, and finally, the attack they unleashed upon Isengard.

'You are lucky,' Legolas said when she was done. 'For I would have loved to stay with the Ents.' He looked up at her and did a double take. 'Your hair!' he observed, just noticing its length. 'How did it grow so much in such a short amount of time?'

'You, I am sure, have heard of the myths of the Ent Draught, have you not, my lord?' she asked.

Legolas nodded.

'Now the myths have been proved true.' She smiled one last time before steering her horse towards her father. He acknowledged her presence with a small nod.

'Why did you come after us?' she asked quietly.

Aragorn looked slightly stunned. 'You didn't seem to care back in Isengard,' he answered.

'That does not answer my question,' Gwyn replied evenly. 'Why did you follow?'

'Were we to abandon you to torture and death?'

Gwyn remained silent for a moment, and it seemed as though Aragorn had won the argument, but Gwyn countered, 'You did not trust, then, that I was capable of keeping the hobbits safe?' She glared at him for a moment, but then looked away. 'I am sorry,' she said softly. 'I do not mean to seem ungrateful.' Treebeard's voice had just passed through her head. 'Don't be hasty...'

Aragorn stared at her. Had she just apologized? He had only ever heard those words from her four times...and that was when she was a child. 'Why the sudden change of heart?' he asked.

'I told you,' Gwyn responded. 'Things change.' With that, she turned Beauty back to Legolas and Gimli, leaving a very confused Aragorn behind her.

In three days' time they reached the capitol of Rohan. It was as majestic as Legolas and Gimli had described it. She looked and saw a fair, blonde-haired maiden standing on a high tower. 'Who is that?' Gwyn inquired of Legolas.

'She is the Lady Éowyn, niece to King Théoden and sister of Lord Éomer.' He smiled at Gwyn. 'She is much like you.'

'And what's that supposed to mean?' asked Gwyn, in a mock-hurt tone.

'She is tired of being shielded all her life,' Legolas told her. 'She wishes to fight, and not to be protected with the other women and the children.

'If that is the case, then I trust we will get along very well,' Gwyn said happily.

Legolas laughed.

That night there was a large banquet to honor those who died in the battle of Helm's Deep.

'Tonight,' said Théoden, 'we remember those who gave their blood to defend this country. Hail the victorious dead!' He lifted his mug in a toast.

'Hail!' repeated the crowd that was gathered in the Golden Hall around the tables, lifting their goblets as well, then taking a deep drink.

Later, while the victory celebration was still going on, Merry and Pippin entertained a large group of men by dancing and singing on a table. They sang:

'Oh you can search far and wide,
You can drink the whole town dry,
But you'll never find a beer so brown,
As the one we drink in our hometown.
You can keep your fancy ales,
You can drink them by they flagon,
But the only brew for the brave and true,
Comes from the Green Dragon!'

The crowd laughed, cheered, and clapped, Gwyn and Gandalf among them.

Aragorn came up behind them. He said quietly (though Gwyn could hear) to Gandalf, 'No news of Frodo?'

'No word,' Gandalf said dejectedly. 'Nothing.'

'We have time,' Aragorn said. 'Every day Frodo moves closer to Mordor.'

'How do we know that?' Gandalf said lifelessly.

'What does your heart tell you?'

What does your heart tell you...Why did that saying make Gwyn's heart hurt? Was her heart trying to tell her something?

'That Frodo is alive,' Gandalf said, a new light in his eyes. 'Yes. Yes, he's alive.'

A/N: There ya'll go! I know it's not as long as Nine, but for my birthday, I'm going to put up an EXTRA long chapter for ya'll! R&R!