Chapter Ten.

The real Wormtongue who doesn't have a worm for a tongue, Gandalf's secret job and the long feared war.

The group entered the Golden Hall, following the lead of Háma, who escorted the group to the King. The king looked lethargic, slumping in his chair. A gothic-looking man stalked at his left side, bending down next to the chair and whispering slyly to him.

"My lord," the man muttered. "Gandalf the Grey is coming," he announced as the door to the hall began to slowly shut behind them.

"Looks like your hall isn't made of gold," Steph smirked to Dave, who frowned, disappointed.

"It's okay, maybe they keep gold in here somewhere," Mac muttered, sympathetically.

"Don't encourage him," said Sarah, rolling her eyes as the group made their way closer to the king.

"He's a herald of woe," Grima sneered into Théoden's ear, hovering next to him.

"What is he saying to him?" Ally muttered, wondering what the evil-looking-gothic-man was saying.

"The courtesy of your hall has somewhat lessened of late, Théoden King," said Gandalf, his voice booming in the hall.

"These people don't look very friendly," Angela said, scrunching her nose up in disgust as the group, minus Gandalf, came to a halt in the middle of the hall. Many of the servants in the hall gathered around, curious as to what was happening.

"He's not welcome," Grima sneered into the King's ear.

"I think he's saying he doesn't like you," Steph whispered to David, who frowned. Steph yelped when she received a whack to the arm from Mac, defending her boyfriend.

"Why should I welcome you, Gandalf Stormcrow?" sneered Théoden sneered, his voice full of hatred towards the wizard.

"He's not very nice, is he?" remarked Ally, glaring at Grima.

"A just question my liege," Grima sneered, turning his attention to the group that stood before him, and starting to walk towards them. "Late is the hour this conjuror chooses to appear. Lots spell I name him, ill news is an ill guest,"

"None of us are ill," Sarah muttered to herself.

"No, he means not good," Angela whispered to her friend, rolling her eyes at the elf's act of ignorance.

"Be silent," Gandalf snapped at Grima. "Keep your forked tongue behind your teeth. I have not passed through fire and death to bandy crude words with a witless worm,"

"I don't think he has a worm tongue," said Mac, frowning.

"But Gandalf called him a worm, so it must mean something," said Dave, nodding.

Grima looked horrified when he noticed the staff in Gandalf's possession.

"His staff," Grima shrieked, panicking. "I told you to take the wizard's staff," he continued, backing away.

"If I had my stick, I could bop him on the head," sulked Ally, sighing.

Suddenly soldiers came rushing forward towards the group.

"Eep!" Sarah cried, rushing over towards Legolas, who punched an oncoming soldier in the face. Aragorn, Gimli and Angela rushed forward to help keep back the soldiers.

"Now do you regret them taking my stick off me?" Ally glared at Steph, Mac and Dave, who all shrugged, as a group of soldiers encircled them, pointing random spears at them.

"Well, that looks pointy," said Steph, muttering as she eyed the spears.

"And sharp," nodded Dave, also commenting.

"Yay! Go Legolas," cheered Sarah, who is suddenly pushed into her friends. "Thanks for softening my landing, guys," she shrugged, looking at her friends who were displeased with this.

"Théoden, son of Thengel," Gandalf's voice began, Sarah peeping her head to see what was happening as the wizard slowly strides forward, as if the all-in-brawl wasn't taking place around him , "Too long have you sat in the shadows,"

"Get off me!" Ally sulked, pushing Sarah off the group, who, for some random reason, went sliding across the floor and kept going.

"It's harder for hobbits when they're squished," Steph huffed, getting up and staring at Gandalf, who looked like he was ready to cast a spell or something.

Grima slowly stepped backwards, trying to make a get away. He didn't notice Sarah, who for some reason just kept sliding around on the floor, tripping over the elf.

"I would stay there if I were you," Gimli growled at Grima, placing his foot on the chest of the human who had been swept off his feet, landing on the floor. Gimli wiggled his eyebrows at Ally, who huffed and rolled her eyes.

"Harken to me," Gandalf muttered, raising his hand as Théoden grimaced and let out a growl at the wizard, who reluctantly continued his chant. "I release you from your spell," he continued, shutting his eyes, concentrating.

Théoden began to laugh.

"That doesn't sound good," Angela nodded to herself staring at the really scary looking king.

"Yeah," said Mac, agreeing. "He sounds like Sarah when she laughs evilly about something,"

"I heard that," huffed Sarah, who stopped sliding across the floor, landing in front of the King's feet, who grinned evilly down at her. She rolled her eyes. "Of all the places to stop, it has to be now," the elf sighed. The King suddenly let out a growl at her.

"Eep," the elf muttered, looking at the King, whose attention turned back to Gandalf.

"You have no power here, Gandalf the Grey," the king hissed from his chair.

"Um, excuse me," muttered Sarah, afraid to address the evil looking grumpy king-man. She got his attention, the white eyed-king glaring at her. "Could you push me that way?" she asked, as the king gave her a nudge with his foot, the elf sliding back to her friends.

"Well, that was an interesting adventure on the floor," Angela said, nodding to Sarah in greeting her sliding arrival back to her friends.

"I probably have a white mark on my arse or something," Sarah fidgeted on the ground.

"Hahaha," laughed Steph, who glared at Sarah. "I think that's the least of your problems,"

Théoden began laughing again. Gandalf looked infuriated at this, taking off his gray cloak, revealing his white cloak.

"Ahhh it burns!" screeched Dave, covering his eyes in pain, crumpling to the floor.

"Talk about being melodramatic," Ally said, rolling her eyes as Mac comforted Dave, who wasn't the only one screaming. Théoden let out a distorted scream, it sounding whispery and crackly.

"I will draw you Saruman as poison is drawn from a wound," Gandalf sneered.

"How is poison drawn from a wound?" Sarah asked, confused.

"I'm not sure..." nodded Angela, as her attention snapped back to Théoden, whose whole body slammed back against the thrown as Gandalf stalked towards the king, pointing his staff at him. A Rohan maiden comes running in, almost leaping forward, stopped by Aragorn on her attempt to spring forth and save the king.

"Wait!" Aragorn exclaimed, grabbing the girl and holding her back.

"I smell love triangle," Steph smiled, nodding to herself.

"If I go, Théoden dies," the King snarled.

"I get it!!" Sarah yelled at the top of her lungs, the whole room stopping and glaring at the elf.

"You're not really Théoden are you?" she enquired, standing up and brushing herself down. The whole room looked at the elf, wondering if she was really as ignorant as she let on.

"Of all the fan girls..." Legolas rolled his eyes, staring at the other elf.

"Excuse her," Ally said, rolling her eyes in announcement to the people in the hall.

"She's having a...Jessica Simpson moment is it?" Angela asked, learning some new terms off of her Australian friends' friends.

"Yep," nodded Ally.

Gandalf shook his head, and returned his attention to Théoden, holding his staff out which threw the King back into the throne again.

"Well, excuseeeeee me," Sarah huffed, plonking herself on the ground again.

"You could not kill me, you will not kill him," Gandalf growled, once again leering towards the king.

"Is this like an exorcism?" asked Dave.

"Again with the questions!" Ally huffed, sending a glare at Dave. Ally then got a glare off Mac for glaring at Dave. Steph joined in on the glaring, also glaring at Ally.

"Why are you glaring at me for?!" Ally asked in a rush.

"I felt left out," Steph pouted.

"There, there," Mac said, comforting Steph.

"Rohan is mine," the King sneered, interrupting the girl's conversation, the three of them jumping at the evil tone in the King's voice.

"Ooh, that sounded evillish," Angela frowned, not liking whoever it was that had taken of King Théoden.

Gandalf threw Théoden against the throne again.

"Talk about anger management," Sarah huffed, rolling her eyes.

"Be gone!" the wizard yelled, Sarah glaring at him as if he were referring to her.

"Fine, fine," the elf muttered. "It was getting boring here anyway," she said, getting up from her seat and going to leave, only to be stopped by Legolas.

"He didn't mean you," the elf whispered to Sarah, who glared into his eyes.

"Wow, you have nice eyes," the elf smiled, staring at them. The elf suddenly jumped when the King let out an ear-piercing scream, Sarah falling into Legolas' arms for protection, Ally rolling her eyes at the elf.

Théoden lunged at the wizard which stood before him. Gandalf retaliated by hitting the king with his staff, the king moaning and sliding down the chair, only to be caught by the Rohan maiden who earlier ran into the room.

"You killed him!!!" said Ally, glaring at the wizard, who glared back.

"He didn't kill him" said Angela, reassuring Ally. "He just got rid of whoever it was that had taken over the King's body,"

Théoden's features began to change form. The old, ugly, scary looking King which momentarily sat before the group, slowly melted away into a younger looking King.

"I know your face," the King muttered to the woman in front of him. "Éowyn. Éowyn. Gandalf?" the king's attention slowly turning to the wizard.

"Breathe the free air again my friend," said Gandalf, his tone friendly towards the king.

"Yes, air is good," said Dave, nodding. He took in a few deep breaths, before receiving a whack to the chest from Ally.

"Knock it off," she growled at him.

"Eep," coughed Dave, sliding to Mac for protection.

"I think everyone is tired, and cranky," stated Angela, calmly.

"How can you be so calm?" asked Steph.

"I don't know," said Angela, shrugging in response.

"Dark have been my dreams of late," muttered Théoden, holding his hands out in front of him, observing them.

"My dreams involve me being chased by FEDs," said Dave, not sure whether to comment, glancing at Ally, who seemed to be preoccupied with a conversation with Angela about lip glosses.

"I like the pink ones the best," said Ally, nodding.

"I dream of popcorn," nodded Mac. "Mmm...popcorn,"

"I dream of..." started Sarah, looking at Legolas and blinking, "Nevermind," she continued, growing quiet.

Gandalf looked at the group, and shook his head. He turned his attention back to the King.

"Your fingers would remember their old strength better if they grasped your sword," nodded Gandalf, solemnly, the King receiving his sword from Háma, who stepped to the side of the king, dignified and glad that his majesty was back to his normal self. The king took the sword, glancing up and down the blade, thoughts and memories of life he once had control of came flooding back into his memory.

"AHHH!" cried Dave, crumpling to the floor again.

"What's wrong with him?" asked Sarah, looking over to her friends.

"I think the light reflecting on the sword hit his eyes," Mac said, worried about Dave.

"I'm okay," grinned Dave, sitting back up.

"Where's my stick..." grumbled Ally, trying to find the soldier who took it. Everyone's attention soon turned to Grima, who sat on the floor, cowering at the King, who glared at him. The human attempted to scramble to his feet, only to be thrown out of the hall and down the stairs, everyone rushing out to watch the King turn Grima into worm-chowder.

"Looks like he's getting turned into worm chowder," nodded Mac, eagerly watching.

"Where did you get that saying from?" asked Ally, curiously.

"The narrator person said it," nodded Mac again.

"I've only ever served you my lord," stammered Grima, continuing you cower on the ground.

"Your witchcraft would have had me crawling on all fours like a beast," growled Théoden.

"Send me not from your sight," Grima pleaded, begging to the King.

"No, give him to me to snap," nodded Sarah, grinning, her facial features turning to anguish when she spotted the king raising his sword in an attempt to do it himself. Aragorn rushed forward to stop him.

"No, my lord. No, my lord," Aragorn pleaded, grabbing hold of the King's hands and lowering the sword. "Let him go. Enough blood as been spilt on his account,"

"Yes, like my paper cut," sulked Sarah, receiving a sympathetic look off Angela. "See Legolas, see?" the elf continued, showing Legolas the cut who nodded lamentably to the other elf.

Grima finally scrambled to his feet, running through the crowd of people which had gathered.

"He's getting away!" Steph announced.

"I'll stop him!" Dave said, rushing forward, only to stack it on a step and fall down. Mac rushed to his side to help him up.

"And I thought Sarah was accident-prone," Angela muttered to Ally, who laughed.

"Never fear, Mac is here!" stated Mac, rushing forward, and in the same fashion, falling down next to Dave.

"What the heck...AIIEEEE!!!" Sarah shrieked, Grima looking mortified as the elf ran towards her. She was stopped, pulling by the arm from Legolas who shook his head.

"Okay, I won't" grinned Sarah.

"Get out of my way!" Grima sneered, running to a horse and riding out of Edoras.

"Hail, Théoden King!" Aragorn stated honorably, the crowd bowing towards their king. Théoden turned around, and looked at the people from the hall.

"Where is Théodred? Where is my son?" he asked, looking around anxiously.

"Théodred?" Dave asked.

"Maybe you should check your shoe," nodded Sarah, glancing at the King. "Whenever I lose something, sometimes it turns up in my shoe.

Both Mac and Dave reached down to take off their shoes, only to realize because they're hobbits they're not exactly wearing shoes. Ally looked down at her feet and saw she still had shoes on, so she took them off, tipped them upside-down and shook them. A rock suddenly plummeted to the ground, bouncing and rebounding, hitting Gimli in the head. The dwarf growling, wondering if the hobbit named Ryan was hiding somewhere.

"WHAT IS THIS DEVILRY!?" Gimli shrieked, quite disturbed by this attack.

"What the..." Steph trailed off, shaking her head.