Chapter 18; The White Rider
"It will begin in Rohan…too long have these peasants stood against you, but no more." A cruel, elderly voice said. I was thrust into a swirl of color and light; I finally saw an end from which I heard voices calling. "Mama!" I heard a small child shout and moments later I stood on hard, rocky ground. All around me I saw people stampeding, mobbing away from a quaint little village on a hillside. I soon saw why they ran; a horde of Orcs and Uruks swarmed over the hilltop like a black mass. "Èothan, Èothan! You take your sister. You'll go faster with just two." I heard a frightened voice say. I looked south from the hilltop and saw a woman placing two children on a large dark mare. The mother lifted a little girl into the saddle in front of a little boy. "But Papa says that Èothan must not ride Garulf! She's too big for him!" I walked oward the woman and her children as she replied, "Listen to me! You must ride to Edoras and raise the alarm. Do you understand me?" "Yes mama!" the little boy answered bravely, but the little girl reached out and grabbed desperately for her mother. "I don't want to leave. I don't wanna go." She cried. I looked over my shulder and saw the Uruks Running through the village. I called to them, "You must go! They are coming!" but they did not seem to hear. "Listen to me, I will find you there, go quickly!" the mother said swiftly yet softly and I watched as she saw her children ride away; the mother then grabbed a bag and ran from the village. I turned around and saw that the swarm of creatures were now only a hut or two away; I glanced at the two children then moved towards the swarm. "Rohan, my lord, is ready to fall." I heard the elderly voice say once more; this time I recognized that voice, it was Saruman speaking to Sauron. My eyebrows scrunched together in anger and the first Orcs were now only feet in front of me; I shouted angrily as I raised my sword to strike the first Orc, "Rohan will not fall you soulless bastard," I brought my sword upon the Orcs head…
My body jerked to consciousness as my 'sword' connected with the Orc's neck. I did not see the vile thing die, nor how the battle fared; I only saw the fire before my feet and an extra blanket laid upon me as I lay on the skirt of Fangorn. Beside me was Gimli, huddled up in his blanket once more and a ways away from us stood Aragorn and Legolas looking out over the plains and speaking inaudible words.
"Good morning young Laura." I heard Gimli say congenially as I sat up. "It is good to see you awake. I have had no company this morning because Aragorn and the Elf have been consorting for the whole of it!" My dream faded as I heard Gimli speak. "I see that your 'man' fire lasted the night." Gimli added, "Well, I must say that I am impressed."
"Oh you should be." I replied with a yawn. "It took years of girl scouts to learn how to do that!" Gimli made a skeptical 'Harumph!' as he replied.
"Girl scouts eh? I know not what these "girl scouts" are, and I am not sure if I wish to know." I laughed as I shifted my weight and stood. "'Girl scouts'…Harumph! I still know many other Dwarvish survival secrets!"
"I'm sure you do! And while you think of all those precious secrets, I am going to take care of some 'girl business'." I answered with a smile and Gimli let out a hearty laugh. I took a water canteen by the fireside and walked a while away from Gimli and the campsite. I swished the water in my mouth for a long while, hopefully as an alternative to brushing my teeth, and then splashed a little water on my swollen and tired eyes. With the cool water still on my face, I looked over the fields of Rohan at the golden sunrise.
"It will begin in Rohan…too long have these peasants stood against you, but no more. Rohan, my lord, is ready to fall." I heard Saruman's voice say in my head. I slowly wiped the water off my face and the cool, forgiving breeze blew past my newly washed skin temporarily taking my cares and woes away with it. With a new day I was given a new breath and new chance at looking at the world. I rubbed my eyes and yawned once more before I walked back to the campsite. When I returned, Legolas and Aragorn had returned to the fire and Gimli was on his feet.
"I do not know which daunts me more: Fangorn, or the thought of the long road through Rohan on foot." Gimli said with a sigh. I looked to Aragorn, who looked back with a determined face as he said to me,
"Today we go into Fangorn. Legolas and I have searched the ground over and looked for alternative routes they may have taken but we found nothing. Our only other option is to go into the forest, for we may yet find them alive."
"Okay." I answered with a sigh. "I'll get my stuff together." Aragorn nodded as he said,
"Let us clear camp and then we will go." I packed what little possessions I brought with me and smothered the fire with dirt; we threw away the stones that we used as a fire ring and once we were done we traveled back to where we last saw Merry and Pippin's hobbit tracks. "Come," Aragorn said as he walked into the forest through a mossy break in the trees. I looked to Legolas who surprisingly was looking back at me; but our eyes never connected, I suppose when he saw my head turn towards him he looked away. He soon followed Aragorn through the opening and I followed after. The moment I stepped into that darkened world of ancient trees, I knew that I was no longer in the lands of Rohan; I was under the watch and mercy of Fangorn. I had only moved a few feet from the outside world to inside the forest but I felt as if I had traveled hundreds of miles; it seemed the climate itself had changed for the air was thick and humid. As Gimli stumbled in behind me I felt a sudden shiver up my spine; the forest knew that we were here, it was sad, irate, and vulnerable all at once.
"Let us move." Legolas said quickly. Aragorn agreed and we moved ahead; most of the time I stayed by Gimli's side.
"I am uncomfortable in these woods; they are not at all like the woods of Lórien where the Lady of Galadhrim be. The air is so close in here." Gimli said.
"This forest is old, very old. So much that I feel young again as I have not felt since I have journeyed with you children." He said generally as not to offend anyone. Gimli left my side as Legolas finished, "It is full of memory…and anger." Suddenly I heard Gimli spit and curse as he said in a disgusted voice,
"Orc blood!" Aragorn then crouched on the bare, dry ground and said as he traced something with his fingers,
"These are strange tracks." I walked behind them; watching and feeling my heart go out to the trees. They had seen and felt so much harm that I almost sympathized with them. I walked to a nearby tree and placed my hand on its smooth bark. When I did I heard a low groan that seemed to echo out into the forest from the earth and the core of the forest and was answered by all the other bass voices of the trees.
"The trees are speaking to each other." Legolas said quickly and turned to look at me; his eyes were full of concern. We stared at each other as the trees groaned sadly in the background, I felt as if he was talking to me with his eyes although I did not understand what he said; I dropped my hand.
"Gimli! Lower your axe." Aragorn whispered.
"Huh? Oh!" Gimli answered and slowly let his axe fall. Suddenly Legolas' eyes fell to the forest floor; I looked back to the tree and dropped my hand. He quickly turned to Aragorn and I heard him whisper in Elvish.
"Aragorn, nad no ennas." Aragorn quickly stood and asked,
"Man cenich?" I did not know what they were speaking of, but I instantly became worried as to what Legolas was suddenly worried about. I turned my back to them and simply observed everything my eyes could take in. Legolas answered him once more but I did not listen. My mind began to wonder if it was such a mistake to join the fellowship. 'I should have stayed in Lórien' my mind formulated, 'I should have never said yes to Elrond.' "Laura…" I heard Aragorn's voice command me quietly. I began to face him but he said, "Get out of the woods now. Do not look back." I was confused by what he told me. I began to face him again but he said once more. "No, go hide. Go now." I slowly walked behind the tree I stood next to and once I did I heard Aragorn say to Gimli and Legolas, "Do not let him speak, he will put a spell on us."
"What?" I asked myself when I heard this.
"We must be quick." Aragorn said one last time before I heard the sharp twang of Legolas' bow. I peered out from behind the tree to see what was going on but I saw nothing. A bright light illuminated the darkness of Fangorn so quickly that my eyes had not adjusted. The light was so bright that the forest not touched by it was blackened; I heard Gimli cry out and Aragorn's sword fall to the leafy floor. At this I put my hand on my sword, drew it, and came out from behind the tree; the light was so dense that I felt as if I had to fight against it to keep my balance. Even with my arm shielding my eyes I could not see well. "No! Get back!" Aragorn shouted to me, he must have heard my footsteps in the dried leaves.
"You are tracking the footprints of two young hobbits." I heard a solemn voice say. The voice rang in my head, touching every bit of my body. At this moment I dropped my sword, I knew this voice, I knew it well.
"Where are they?" Aragorn asked sternly.
"Gandalf…" I whispered. I ran forward through the dried leaves and to the spot from where the light emanated.
"Laura no! It is Saruman! Stop!" Aragorn yelled and tried to grasp my arm but missed.
"She must be under his spell! It is too late!" I heard Gimli's exclaim. I ran into the light's very source and with every step I felt as if it was pushing and forcing me back with the others. Finally, I ran into something and I threw my arms around it; it was another body, and it had to be Gandalf, I knew it, how could I have forgotten that here we would meet him again? I closed my eyes hoping and praying that I was right when suddenly I felt a pair of welcoming arms grasp me tightly; as they did they crushed all doubt and hopelessness inside of me.
"Laura, Laura, Laura." I heard a gently, smiling voice say and the bright white light dimmed. I opened my eyes and saw white cloth, and a white beard. I heard the crushing and rustling of leaves and Aragorn say with surprise and shock,
"It cannot be…you fell…" the arms squeezed me ever tighter, I was happy that my friend and father was back. I then heard Legolas' voice say,
"Forgive me. I mistook you for Saruman." The arms let go of me and I looked at the body's face; there was the strong and friendly face of my friend, with hair and beard of white.
"Through fire and water, from the lowest dungeon to the highest peak I fought him the Balrog of Morgoth." I listened intently to his story, unable to take my eyes off the very same man who I failed to save and saw fall in the blackness of Moria. "Until at last I threw down my enemy and smote his ruin on the mountainside. Darkness took me and I strayed out of thought and time. Stars wheeled overhead and everyday was as long as a life age on this earth. But it was not the end, I felt light in me yet again." Gandalf moved his arm and I saw his staff, no longer carried the twisted stick of coarse wood but a smooth white staff. "I have been sent back until my task is done." He then looked down at me and I felt as if my smile traveled all the way down to my heart.
"Gandalf it's so wonderful to see you!" I exclaimed as I jumped on him and gave him a large hug and he laughed as he hugged back.
"Gandalf." I heard Aragorn say in an emotional voice. Gandalf let go and said with a smile as he looked at Aragorn.
"Gandalf…oh yes, that's what they used to call me, Gandalf the Grey. That was my name." He replied in a childish yet merry voice.
"Gandalf!" Gimli then said happily as if suddenly relieved.
"I am Gandalf the White. And I have come back to you now at the turn of the tide." I smiled greatly as did Aragorn. He then looked down to me and his eyes had changed from openness to seriousness. "Laura," he said, "Your presence is known…I must speak to you, privately."
We emerged from the darkness of Fangorn in good spirits and moral with Gandalf leading us once more. When we returned to the fields of Rohan he said to us,
"One stage of your journey is over and another begins. War has begun in Rohan. We must ride to Edoras. With all speed." I stood quietly, looking out on the plains with a new sense of responsibility and seriousness. That moment Gandalf began to whistle a simple tune that resonated out into the many fields. A high-spirited neigh answered the whistle and soon a magnificent white stallion with a glistening coat and a flowing mane cantered into sight. This stallion was like no other I had ever seen before; his gait was smooth and his body flowed like liquid when he cantered; behind this god were our horses.
"Look! There is Brego! And beside him Hasufel and Arod!" So came our horses running gallantly behind the white stallion that came to Gandalf.
"Shadowfax," Gandalf said, "The lord of horses and my friend through many dangers." The other three horses stood side by side as if awaiting orders. Gandalf said gravely to Shadowfax and the other horses, "We go at once to Meduseld, the hall of Théoden. Brego shall bear Aragorn, Arod Legolas, and Hasufel Laura. I will take Gimli before me and by his leave Shadowfax shall bear us both. Time presses so soon we must ride." The horses seemed to bow their heads and almost instantly Hasufel came to my side so that I may mount him. I patted his neck once seated in his soft saddle and watched as Legolas, Aragorn and Gandalf mounted their horses. "We ride!" Gandalf said and at once the horses ran towards Meduseld with haste.
As we ran I was silent and only listened to the pounding of hooves; I remembered what Gandalf told me in private in Fangorn: "Laura, I fear that you are known by many of the foul creatures that here walk and many of Sauron's spies are searching for you since the messengers Saruman, sent to first waylay the company, have failed for they brought them no woman, nor hobbits, nor ring. I tarried in Caras Gladhon where I was clothed and shared counsel. To you the Lady Galadriel sent this word: Laura, Laura, A'maelamin; many things you have felt and so much you have seen, and how the road has wound with a loss heart and voice, and only to be rewarded with a choice. Thy heart lies here and in a place less fair, and so much thy heart longs to be, thy paths shall be dark and beware; you must stay far from the sea."
"She said this? She did not say so much when last I was in Lórien, Gandalf." I shook my head and paused before I said quietly, "This is no good news."
"Ill news though it may be, Laura, I fear that I am the giver of choice."
"How so Gandalf?"
The grasses of the fields soon became tall and I felt as if the only work that had to be done by me was holding on and riding smoothly, for the horses were following Shadowfax who lead the straightest course to Edoras and King Théoden.
"In bringing you to Middle Earth, Saruman could have upset the balance between our Earths; when toying with the natural fabrics of life and existence there are always great risks that can tremendously alter the fabrics of both planes. So, in order to keep that crucial balance he had to replace you."
"Replace me? What do you mean when you say that Gandalf? I don't understand."
"Think of a set of scales; one side is Middle Earth and the other side is Earth. If Saruman had taken you from your side of the scale then the scale would be off balance, so in order to take you from the Earth side, he also had to take some thing from the Middle Earth side."
"Then what did he replace me with? What did I switch with Gandalf?"
"He could not simply take something small and insignificant like an animal and replace you, it could never possibly work like that; the process is so complex that I can only give you the most indefinite details. He had to replace you with something equal and opposite Laura." I became fearful as I asked slowly,
"What then did he replace me with Gandalf?"
"Something equal yet opposite Laura, Sauron's will to have you in Middle Earth was great for you were of great worth to him, therefore he had to give up something of great worth to him. And since you are of a good race and are indeed pure and untouched, Saruman had to replace you with something evil and black and infinitely impure."
"What is it Gandalf…what was sent to my home and to my family? You still have not answered me."
"A Nazgûl, Ringwraith, a bane of men."
"Gandalf, this cannot be true, how can you be certain? There is a black rider on earth?"
"Yes, of this I am certain, although it does not take the shape of a black rider, for that would be too prominent. And why should it? You know what form it took…" I could only stare at the forest floor out of the gravity of what Gandalf had just told me. At this time he pulled out of his robes a neatly folded piece of paper. "I came upon this, it is with out a doubt in relation to you; I have read it as was the request of the Lady Galadriel who gave it to me." He handed it to me and I unfolded it slowly; I immediately recognized the cursive that scrawled across the paper, it was Janine's writing. It seemed to be a journal entry of some sort; although she was never religious or constant in keeping her journals, her entries were always real and heartfelt. It read:
Dearest Journal,
I'm so worn down and achy right now that I feel that locking myself in my room is my only hope. I was just in the hospital and now I'm home as of, like, two nights ago. I was in the hospital…because of Laura. At this I stopped reading briefly to re-read the line. There were tear marks in random spots on the page and I could tell by the slight smearing of the ink. I still don't understand what happened, it was a week and a half or so ago when we were both supposed to go home when she began to hyperventilate or whatever in the park. She just got off the ground and ran away. I chased after her of course but she yelled at me saying not to follow her and that she wasn't worth my time. I followed her to her house where she went nuts and said things like, "You are worthless…" and million and a half other things. I tried to reason with her when suddenly she went to he kitchen. I tried to talk to her but she didn't listen she was looking for something I guess; then she found it; a knife. She then held out her wrist and ran the knife along it, as if she was playing around or something! I ran to her and yanked her arm away before she could hurt herself and I yelled, "What the hell do you think you doing Laura?" she looked up at me and suddenly I was scared, really really freaked out. She wasn't herself, she was like on some sort of horrible drug trip and I was terrified. Then, she just whipped out and scratched my face. She was really close to getting my eye and I was glad she didn't because if she scratched my eye as deep as she scratched the rest of my face, I could be blind. Then she did some thing terrible, something so awful I think I'm going to be terrified for the ret of my life. When I was in the hospital I had nightmares about it and woke up screaming. I held onto my face and I never could have seen her swing the knife. At this point I looked away from the letter and put my hand over my mouth. I couldn't believe this, there was no way I could have. I looked to Gandalf and then went back to the journal entry. She stabbed me in my side Journal, my best friend stabbed me with a steak knife! I remember looking up at her from the floor she said, "Nothing is going to stand in my way, no man, warrior, or child." Her eyes were so scary, she seemed as if she wanted to kill me! She still had the knife in her hand and it was covered in my blood. And this, this I will never forget; she made a noise, a noise so strange and terrifying that I still hear it. It was almost like an animal! A screechy deadly sound like she was inhaling and had a whistle caught in her throat. She was going to stab me one more time, but her mom came home not even a few seconds later. She screamed like a mad woman! I've never heard anyone scream like that! Then the cops and the meds showed up and I went to the hospital. Now that I'm out, I'm better and only a little shaken up, but Laura…she…she went insane. They had to put her in an asylum; I went to visit her the other day and she was in a straight jacket. Her hair is a mess her face scratched and her eyes, lord her eyes are so horrible that I can't even look at them. The doctors are scared to go near her now and when I went to see her she tried to attack me, again! God I don't know what happened to her, I don't know what the fuck went wrong here, but I only want my best friend back! I bawled my eyes out seeing her in that straight jacket, and when I did, I wondered if that meant I needed one too. I want everything better again Journal, and that's all I'm asking for. Janine
At this is, I dropped the piece of paper to the floor and looked at Gandalf for any sort of hope.
"It was not you who did this but the wraith."
"No," I replied, "The letter said it was I, it was I who did this! Gandalf how can this be when I am here?" Suddenly a thought hit me, "Wait, but Gandalf, maybe, maybe when I came here, it…it was just my soul or something…not my body! So when I left-"
"No, Laura. You are here in flesh and bone-"
"No, Gandalf!" I interrupted, "It isn't possible that I am two places at once! I cannot be, even in this place it is not done!" Gandalf said nothing as he stared at me compassionately. Suddenly my brain began to pound as I looked at the letter. I stabbed Janine and I was in Moria and in Lothlórien. "I…I-" I stuttered in disbelief as Gandalf said,
"Yes Laura." I fell against a tree trunk as I stared terrified at Janine's slapdash scrawl. "There are two now, thanks to the work of Saruman and his book." I could not believe it. This was becoming like some terrible science fiction plot. "You bled onto the pages, did you not? When the page sliced your finger? How could it be not simple for Saruman to utilize that?"
"That's ridiculous." I said angrily as I rejected the idea.
"Is it so ridiculous, Laura?" I paused as I realized it wasn't; it made perfect sense that to get me here, an equal vessel had to be created on both planes, and what is more equal to myself than myself? And of course, what is more opposite of my soul than a Nazgûl? "I will not burden you further with the letter but I must with this choice. Having read this, the lady has asked me to offer this to you. She gives you the chance of returning Laura." I sank slowly so that I sat on a raised tree root and I stared blankly at the ground. "If you return to Lothlórien then the Lord and Lady will be able to send you home. It would be risky though, to expel the living Nazgûl from your previous living body, there are many complications but it could be done." I was silent for a while and I answered,
"Truly Gandalf you cannot ask this of me now, I am too burdened. I could never answer you now."
"Now I need the answer though, I am afraid that now is the time that you must decide…"
"Edoras and the Golden Hall of Meduseld. There dwells Théoden, King of Rohan, whose mind is overthrown. Saruman's hold over King Théoden is now very strong." Gandalf said as we approached the walls of a large city. It was a great city showing the virtue of age and was seated upon a hill overlooking the mountains. It was here that my journey would fully begin, here that I would finally take hold of my life and my future. "Be careful what you say. Do not look for welcome here." And so we rode forward to the walls of the city.
Chapter 17 Review RepliesTriGemini: Actually, I find it amazing that she hasn't lost her sense of humor yet. In fact, I'm really surprised she hasn't lost herself yet. Boy…it certainly took her while to settle in didn't it?
Ms. Unknown: Well, from here on out you are REALLY going to start seeing those differences. Yep, this is maybe 75 percentnew chapter and 25 percentold. Thanks for the review!
Arami: Well, the bag does belong to her, she left it in Orthanc remember? Thanks for the Review!
