A/N: J-Chan: Hey all, sorry about not posting this sooner than this but reality kinda set in. I did have a note posted, but I got reported from someone who doesn't like MS's. (snickers Every time I see that I think Mobile Suits...ignore me, just had a Gundam Wing moment.) Anyhoo, I'm getting sorely tired to the people who flame this story. Don't get me wrong, I'm not angry. I just think it's stupid and I laugh at the stupidity. I mean, honestly people. When you find out it's a MS, why do you keep on reading it? Why finish reading what I have posted and then flame me. Shenaux and I laugh our asses off at those people... oh and to the person who reported me....if you're even reading this. Hell this is to all the flamers out there. If you're going to call names, try getting your facts straight. One, we're not teenies. Shenaux is 21 and I'm 21, and number two. Just because you're a freakin purist, doesn't mean you're better than everyone out there. I know Tolkein wouldn't have wanted his story bastardised like this, but I'm writing this for FUN. Do you know what that means? Fun? What are fanfics for if you can't have fun with the characters? This is just a stupid little story that I was writing for Shenaux to cheer her up while she was away at college. And if you don't like that, you can go suck a lemon. No matter how many freakin flames I get, I'm still going to write and post this story, for every one flame I get, I have thirty other reviews WANTING me to finish this. You think I care about what you say about my writing? If you can come up with something that I haven't said about it already, then maybe I'll take it into consideration, but I'm not making any promises.

Now, I think I'm finished with my rant so I'll just explain what's happened if you haven't read the note. First thing, my hard drive crashed on my computer. I got that fixed quickly, but before I could even think of typing more to the story, the motherboard died leaving me with no computer. I finally went out and bought a new computer, but now I'm working overtime at work just to pay for the damned thing. So updates aren't going to be as frequent as they used to be, once upon a time. It also doesn't help matters that Shenaux found a full time position and I'm working two jobs and looking for a third and considering what I can take at college. So I apologise now for the inconvenience this will be to all of the people reading this fanfic. So with that said, unless Shenaux has something to say, on with the next instalment of the story. A birthday present from J-chan to all of you. Enjoy!

Shenaux: I gotta laugh at how non-bright people can be. We posted right at the start that this was a Mary-Sue. So I just wanna say to the person who reported us, to get a life!!

The three horses covered the distance to the site where the uruks were burned rather quickly and the five of them dismounted.

Aragorn and Legolas looked to the ground, while Gimli started to sort through the burned bodies with his axe and Sinn and Shenaux stared at the forest with a sad, lost look on their faces. A feeling of dread came upon them and all went quiet for a long, long moment.

"It's one of their wee belts." Gimli whispered as he held up a piece of burnt leather. The dwarf quickly choked back a sob.

Sinn walked over to Legolas and stood close to him. Just knowing he was there calmed her. She was shocked out of her mind when he hugged her.

"May they find peace after death." He spoke in Elvish as he bowed his head.

In a rage, Aragorn let out a shout of pure anger and he kicked an orc helmet that was close by before he collapsed onto his knees and lowered his head.

'Bet that hurt.' Shenaux sent the thought to Sinn, making her smile softly.

Gimli looked extremely sad. "We failed them." He whispered.

Sinn blinked back tears and Legolas hugged her tighter to his chest. Shenaux came to stand by Gimli to offer some sort of comfort.

"A hobbit lay here... and the other." Aragorn said suddenly, making everyone look up at him. The King-to-be was looking down at the ground with a frown. Aragorn was ignoring them. He was too busy with his tracking. "They crawled. Their hands were bound." He walked a bit further. "Their bonds were cut." He picked up the ropes.

Sinn looked over at Shenaux happily. The Hobbits were alive. Their friends weren't killed after all. There was still hope yet.

Aragorn was walking again and the small group followed their leader.

"They ran over here. They were followed. The tracks lead away from the battle, into Fangorn Forest." Aragorn told them.

Gimli blinked. "Fangorn Forest, what madness drove them in there?" He questioned.

"Oh, I don't know, what would you do if you were hobbits?" Shenaux asked. "Let's see, face orcs in a dangerous battle with Rohan warriors with no weapons or a seemingly harmless forest that could give them cover? Hmm. What to choose?"

"Oh! I know! I know! The battle with no weapons!!! Am I right!?" Sinn said as she raised her hand, jumping up and down feigning delight.

Legolas smiled gently at her while Gimli glared at the two. The two women heard snickers in their head and knew right away that Oxana and Giz both loved their sarcasm.

"Shall we?" Shenaux asked as she looked meaningfully at the forest that hovered over them.

"Let's." Sinn nodded and the two women headed into the forest, leaving no choice for the other three of the group.

They walked for a short while before they heard Gimli spit and growl. The two looked behind them to find the dwarf standing by a branch that had a black substance on the leaves. When they saw the same stuff on his fingers they put two and two together and both gagged.

"Orc blood." The dwarf snarled.

"That must have tasted lovely." Shenaux said making a face

"That is just disgusting." Sinn told him.

Gimli shrugged. "Then don't do it."

"Enough children." Aragorn told them, ignoring the three glares. "We have a mission to do. Don't forget about Merry and Pippin."

"You're aiming for a slap if you even insinuate that we would forget about the little hobbitses." Sinn told him with a tiny sniff.

Shenaux raised an eyebrow at her best friend about her choice of words and in reply she got a shrug.

Legolas chuckled. "You may as well stop Aragorn. The two are aiming for an argument with you. They have yet to forgive you about pushing them so hard."

With a sigh, Aragorn walked ahead of the group following the tracks that it seemed only him and Legolas could see. It was a few minutes later when Aragorn voiced his thoughts.

"These are strange tracks." He announced with a frown.

"The air is so close in here." Gimli shuddered as he clenched his fists tighter on his axe handle.

"The forest is old. Very old. Full of memory and anger." Legolas said as he looked around at the tall trees.

Sinn and Shenaux looked at their travelling companions with a frown. They seemed tense, but the girls were totally relaxed.

What's wrong with them Giz? Sinn sent the thought to her familiar.

I think they are nervous. Giz told her.

The trees don't like men...or dwarves. Dwarves carry axes and don't like forests. Men cut trees down to expand. Oxana told them.

So they feel threatened by trees? Shenaux asked. But why aren't we feeling threatened?

Because the trees feel they could trust you. You have two animals with you. Who knows why the trees don't want to hurt you. Or maybe they think that you can't hurt them Giz said

So why is Legolas nervous? He's an Elf. He likes trees. Sinn said. He even talks with them. He admitted it.

He's nervous about something else. Oxana told her.

Oh.

The trees groaned and Gimli raised his axe and looked around with nervous, anxious jerks and twitches.

"The trees are speaking to each other." Legolas said in warning.

"Gimli. Lower your axe!" Aragorn said as he looked around with nervous movements.

"Oh." Gimli said bashfully as he put the axe away.

"Aragorn, something's out there." Legolas said in Elvish.

"What do you see?" Aragorn responded in Elvish as well.

The Elf looked at his friend from the corner of his eye. "The White Wizard approaches." He said softly as Gimli joined them. The two women stood off to the side looking amused.

"Do not let him speak, he will put a spell on us." Aragorn said as he drew his sword. "We must be quick."

As if on a secret signal that only they knew, the three turned to attack. Gimli threw his axe, which was knocked to the side by the wizard's staff. Legolas let loose an arrow, which was also knocked to the side. Aragorn's sword turned orange with heat and he dropped it to the ground. The white light was so intense that they had to shield their eyes with their hands.

"Well met, I say again!" said the old man, coming towards them. When he was a few feet away, he stood, stooping over his staff, with his head thrust forward, peering at them from under his hood. "And what may you be doing in these parts? An Elf, a Man, and a Dwarf, all clad in elvish fashion. No doubt there is a tale worth hearing behind it all. Such things are not often seen here." (Quoted II, pg. 111)

"Again, we're ignored." Shenaux muttered to Sinn. "What do we have to do to get acknowledged around here? Dance around in circles naked?"

Sinn coughed back a fit of laughter at the picture of the two women doing that and the looks on the guys' faces. She seriously doubted that she would ever forget that thought.

"You speak as one that knows Fangorn well," said Aragorn. "Is that so?"

"Not well," said the old man: "that would be the study of many lives. But I come here now and again."

"Might we know your name, and then hear what it is you have to say to us?" said Aragorn. "The morning passes, and we have an errand that will not wait."

"As for what I wished to say, I have said it: What may you be doing, and what tale can you tell of yourselves? As for my name!" He broke off, laughing long and softly. Aragorn felt a shudder run through him at the sound, a strange cold thrill; and yet it was not fear or terror that he felt: rather it was like the sudden bite of keen air, or the slap of cold rain that wakes an uneasy sleeper.

"My name!" said the old man again. "Have you not guess it already? You have heard it before, I think. Yes, you have heard it before. But come now, what of your tale?"

The three companions stood silent and made no answer.

"There are some who would begin to doubt whether your errand is fit to tell," said the old man. "Happily I know something of it. You are tracking the footsteps of two young Hobbits, I believe. Yes Hobbits. Don't stare, as if you had never heard the strange name before. You have, and so have I. Well, they climbed up here the day before yesterday; and they met someone that they did not expect. Does that comfort you? And now you would like to know where they were taken? Well, well, maybe I can give you some news about that. But why are we standing? Your errand, you see, is no longer as urgent as you thought. Let us sit down and be more at ease." (Quoted II, pg. 111-112)

"Who are you? Show yourself!" Aragorn demanded as the Elf and Dwarf stood closer to the man and the two women stood a little further away from them all. They were content to stand by and watch it all unfold.

Slowly the light fades and the old man is clearly seen and it left all of the companions blinking trying to get their eyesight back.

"Mithrandir!" Legolas cried. "Mithrandir!"

"Well met, I say to you again, Legolas!" said the old man.

They all gazed at him. His hair was white as snow in sunshine; and gleaming white was his robe; the eyes under his deep brows were bright, piercing as the rays of the sun; power was in his hand. Between wonder, joy, and fear they stood and found no words to say.

At last Aragorn stirred. (Quoted II, pg. 112) "It cannot be." He whispered in a mix of shock and amazement.

Legolas and Gimli both bowed low before Gandalf while Aragorn continued speaking with a look of confusion on his face.

"You fell." He whispered.

Gandalf nodded his head slowly. "Through fire, and water. On the lowest dungeon, on the highest peak I fought him, the Balrog of Morgoth." The old wizard looked deep in thought, as if he was thinking of his battle. "Until at last I threw down my enemy and smote his ruin upon the mountainside. Darkness took me and I strayed out of thought and time. The stars field of end and everyday was as long as a life age on the earth. But it was not the end. I felt life in me again, I've been sent back until my task is done."

"Gandalf." Aragorn repeated.

"Gandalf? Yes, that was what they used to call me. Gandalf the Grey. That was my name." The wizard said more to himself than to anyone else really.

"Gandalf." Gimli said happily, almost with tears in his eyes.

"For gods sake!" Sinn muttered. "How many times are they going to repeat his frickin' name?!"

"Calmly." Shenaux muttered back to her friend. "They have to get over their shock at finding a long time friend that they thought dead is indeed still alive."

"How 'bout I go and slap them upside their heads?" Sinn queried. "That'll get them out of their shock quickly."

"Me-ow." Shenaux said. "What's with the viciousness all of a sudden?"

"Just antsy about getting along with the journey." Sinn sighed. "Sorry."

The girls turned back to the conversation their travelling companions were having in time to hear Gandalf speak. "I am Gandalf the White, and I come back to you now at the turn of the tide."

"Good, now that we have that all over and done with, shall we get a move on?" Sinn suggested as she walked forward as she and Shenaux joined the group of men.

"Ah, I see you two are still with us." Gandalf greeted the two women.

"That we are. It's gonna take more than some little ol' orcs to get rid of us." Shenaux told him with a grin as she hugged the old wizard.

"It's good to see you again Gandalf." Sinn said smiling as she too hugged him.

Gandalf eyed the two in speculation. He then narrowed his eyes. "Something happened to you two. Something was told to you."

Sinn and Shenaux' eyes widened and darted around the clearing.

"No, no. We weren't told anything." Sinn said.

"Yeah, you're just imagining things." Shenaux told him. "You're going senile in that old age of yours."

Gandalf sputtered. "I am not senile." He told them in a defensive tone, which got the girls to snickering. The wizard glared at the two now giggling women and walked away from them in a huff and stopped in front of the other three companions.

"But come now, tell me of yourselves! I have passed through fire and deep water, since we parted. I have forgotten much that I thought I knew, and learned again much that I had forgotten. I can see many things far off, but many things that are close at hand I cannot see. Tell me of yourselves!"(Quoted II, pg 113)

"We can talk and walk at the same time." Sinn said. "Our tale is long... really long. What do you want to hear first? What mischief Shenaux and I have been up to or all the boring stuff Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli are going to tell you?"

"Sinn." Legolas admonished as walked up to stand beside her.

"What?" She said in defence of herself. "It's true. Shenaux and I have been having a grand time while you three were having a boring time." She smiled up at him.

"Legolas, you won't win. If you had Haldir here with you then maybe, but at the moment..." Shenaux trailed off.

"What do you wish to know?" said Aragorn. "All that has happened since we parted on the bridge would be a long tale. Will you not first give us news of the hobbits? Did you find them, and are they safe?"

P.S. God, real life sucks big baboon arse some days. Later! We're currently going through all of the chapter and correcting all of my freakin little mistakes... grammatical and spelling.