A/N- Sorry!  This was not supposed to take this long.  School was eeeeeeevil, and I just haven't had the time.  Besides, I had to pull my ego out of the stratosphere from all the lovely reviews I've gotten.

Just wanted to say something minor here.  I just received a comment on something from my first author's note, to the effect of "canon is more or less a minor concern." AArgh! Just wanted to clarify that I said that to cover any major glaring errors I make in plot / time lines and because our beloved Tolkein never put his characters through the wonderful things I have.

One more thing and I'll shut up, honest.  I decided that it would make sense for scouts to have a system of hand signals that they could use to communicate silently.  Since Legolas would have been a scout at some point, and Aragorn's a Ranger, I decided they both know them.  Just assume Gandalf knows everything ;) and Gimli's a fast learner.

:hand signs:

          Legolas kept his watch from the sturdy branches of his tree.  The calm whispers of the forest soothed him, allowing some of the strain of the day's encounters to bleed away.  Here he was safe, here he could keep track of those who might harm him.

          The encounter with the Riders had shaken him more than he wanted to admit, even to himself.  While intellectually he knew that asking for news from local informants was simply good sense, his heart would have been content to simply melt away into the tall grasses until the Men had passed.  Being surrounded by warriors who had the advantages of numbers and knowledge of the plains was not something he would ever wish to experience again.

          His mind had shifted away from the current situation, trying to convince itself that these Men were not necessarily anything like those he had traveled with.  He had half convinced himself by this point that the influence of the Ring had driven his longtime friend to commit those terrible acts; this knowledge, however, did not allow for forgiveness, at least not yet.  Aragorn had not come near him since treating him the night before.  On the rare occasion that their eyes met, Legolas thought he saw a hint of fear in the Man's face, mixed with regret and pain.  It meant nothing to him; the soul that felt that regret should never have caused the situation to begin with.

          His thoughts had been interrupted by sudden movement on the plains.  Almost before he was fully conscious of his actions, he found his bow drawn and strung, an arrow inches from the lead Rider's throat.  As the faceoff continued he became aware that he had acted to protect Gimli, and that the other Riders were directing their spears at him alone.  Aragorn's interference calmed the situation, and he lowered his bow to hide the shaking of his hands.  He lay one hand on the dwarf's shoulder, as if restraining him from irritating the Men again; that contact gave him enough security in his mind to keep it from snapping, though as the discussions went on it became a close thing.

          A change in the whispers of the forest saved him from his introspection.  He listened for long moments, both to the voices of the trees and for any sound of the intruder they spoke of.  A brief glimpse of a white robe showed him what he sought, and he leapt lightly down the tree to wake his companions, tamping down fear.  Fear was only a hazard in battle; it must be understood, acknowledged, and overcome.  His fear of the Man sleeping below him was weighed against the unknown being he had seen, and found to be less threatening.  The dwarf woke as he landed, and he hushed any questions before they started, before stepping lightly over to the lightly dozing Ranger.

          Aragorn found himself woken almost obscenely early the next morning, even by his standards.  He looked up in surprise to see the elf so near him voluntarily, but said nothing as Legolas indicated he should remain silent.

          :There is someone/thing out there: the elf hand-signed. 

          Aragorn rose to his feet silently.  :Who/where?:

          :The white wizard:

          Aragorn cursed mentally, noticing with minor relief that Gimli had already been woken and was as well prepared as possible in this situation.  :Do not let him speak, he will trap/hurt you:  Legolas nodded shortly; Gimli tightened his grip on his axe.  The trio gathered back to back at the center of the clearing.

          Legolas never could remember the exact sequence of events that followed, only the moment of realization.  Mithrandir he whispered in disbelief, falling to his knees as the shock drained his strength.  The wizard's face went vacant for a moment, as if trying to recall something difficult. 

          "Yes, that was one of my names, wasn't it?" the wizard murmured thoughtfully, and smiled.  "I was Mithrandir, and Gandalf."

          Legolas shook his head repeatedly in denial.  "No, you can't be, you died, I saw you.  You fell in Moria."  His hands fluttered helplessly, repeating his expressions in the hand-sign he was now so accustomed to.

          Gandalf's expression saddened, and he went to the stricken elf, crouching down beside him.  Legolas shied away, and the wizard made no move to stop him.  "Yes, Legolas, I fell, but it is indeed me here with you now.  I battled the balrog and emerged mostly alive.  Gwaihir, the Eagle Lord, carried me from the mountain, and I forged this new life from the ashes of my old one.  And now I am here with you," he repeated, placing a solid hand on the elf's shoulder.  He was shocked when Legolas pulled away violently, leaping to his feet in a defensive posture.

          :No: he signed decisively.  :You are/were dead.  I saw.  I know:

          The wizard stood helplessly, uncertain what to do.  "Legolas, I know what you saw, what you think you saw.  It is true, any other would have perished in that fall.  But I had my magic to aid me, and a journey to fulfill.  I could not die when I am still needed."
          Legolas finally met his eyes, then raised a shaking hand to touch the wizard's face.  Gandalf held still, not certain what would set off the elf's fears again.  Satisfied with the firm reality, Legolas began to sob silently, falling to his knees.  Gandalf sat beside him, whispering gently soothing words.

Whether it was the strength of his emotions or some work of the wizard Legolas fell quickly into dreaming.

          Aragorn and Gimli had watched in silence, each pondering their own thoughts.  Now they spoke quietly with their returned friend, sharing what had transpired since Moria.  The wizard listened intently, but Aragorn thought more than once that Gandalf knew more about their travels than he let on.  His thoughts were more or less confirmed a moment later.

          "You need not seek for the Hobbits now, they are safe in the forest.  Your company will be put to better use in Edoras.  The influence of Saruman is strong upon King Theoden, and if we are to succeed it is likely we will require his aid.  It is very early yet," the wizard said, suddenly looking to the slowly lightening sky.  "Take rest, and we will leave when you have woken."

          Both Ranger and dwarf knew it was useless to argue the point, and truthfully, after the stressful night before neither cared to.  They slid back into their respective sleeping areas, and for the first time in days rested peacefully.

          Legolas drifted in a strange twirl of reality, dream and memory.  He faintly heard the voices of his companions planning their further journey, but the portion of his mind that ruled conscious thought decided it was not vital at this time.  His body rested as his inner mind flew.  Gandalf- how could the wizard have returned?  Certainly this was devilry of Saruman, or the Dark Lord; else perhaps he was simply losing his mind.  But Aragorn and Gimli believed, and while Aragorn clearly was a foul judge of some things, he was certainly capable of identifying the one who had taught him so much of his herb lore.  Unless Aragorn was just trying to trick him-

          'No,' he told himself.  'I cannot continuously doubt what I see and feel.  Mithrandir seems true to me, I must believe something.  And Gimli has never betrayed me; he would not play along to any plot to harm me.  So Gandalf truly it alive, then.  '

          He puzzled over this bit of information, before deciding that the wizard was probably powerful enough to pry himself from death's clutches.  But- and here his heart stopped.

          Gandalf was powerful, true, but alone even he was no match for the power Sauron commanded.  The Dark Lord had controlled his Ring for ages, and likely had influenced the Men in their assaults upon him.  If Gandalf could rise from the dead, with his limited abilities, what was to stop another from doing it as well?  Certainly Sauron had essentially done so before, and even now was gathering power.  What was to stop him from resurrecting his servants, and setting them back upon their courses?  What was to stop the creature from returning Boromir to life?

          That thought sent him rocketing towards wakefulness, gasping.  His sudden movement caught the attention of the others, who seemed to have been talking quietly over Lembas.  Their eyes felt heavy on him, and he cringed away almost imperceptibly as he rose.  Bracing himself inwardly, annoyed at his weakness, he made to ask about the day's plans, but found himself unable to speak.  Sighing in frustration, hoping it was once again a temporary loss, he gathered himself and asked, :Plans?:

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