Chapter 4

Gandalf turned around lowered his staff, while Saruman laughed. Zefron's eyes started to get a red tinge to them because he was quite mad at Grima and himself for letting that evil man get a hold of his dagger in the first place. Then he had an idea; all he needed now was to get his staff. Legolas, Aragorn and Gimli didn't move from their spots as Grima still held Naurrîn in his grasp.

"I knew they would do anything to protect you." Grima hissed into Naurrîn's pointed ear. She growled low in her throat but didn't move. Zefron closed his eyes in concentration as he held his right hand out as if he was already holding his staff. His bow, which was on the other side of the room, started to move slightly causing all eyes in the room to look at it. Suddenly it flew into Zefron's outstretched and was quickly changed into a staff.

"Did you forget about me already Saruman?" Zefron asked turning to the throne before glaring at Grima who turned pale and tightened his grip on both Naurrîn and the dagger at her throat.

"I thought you were dead." Grima said, fear looming in his eyes. Zefron laughed and held his staff out.

"You did not think that you could get rid of me that easily did you?" he replied muttering a large teleporting spell and soon Naurrîn was beside him looking a bit frazzled.

"Well that was a rather revolting experience." She said brushing herself off in disgust. Grima dropped the dagger and fell to the ground where Gimli grabbed his ax and pointed it at him.

"I would stay still if I were you." Gimli said. Gandalf turned around to face Saruman/Theoden who was laughing.

"You still have no power here… Gandalf the Gray." He said. Gandalf threw back his gray cloak to reveal white robes and Theoden was thrown back in his chair by an invisible force.

"I will draw you Saruman as poison is drawn from a wound." Gandalf stated advancing on him. Eowyn ran into the room and tried to get to her uncle when Aragorn stopped her.

"Wait," he said holding her back.

"If I go, Theoden dies." Saruman said trying to resist Gandalf's magic. Gandalf strengthened his hold throwing him back again.

"You did not kill me. You will not kill him." He stated.

"Rohan is mine." Saruman stated resisting his magic more. Gandalf threw him back into his chair.

"Be gone." Gandalf said. Saruman gave a cry and lunged towards Gandalf but he was thrown back as Gandalf hit him on the head, causing Saruman, the one at Isenguard, to fall backwards. In doing so, releasing his hold on Theoden. As the real Theoden started to fall forward, Eowyn rushed to his side and held him up. With Saruman's evil magic gone, he slowly regained his youth and returned to his normal appearance.

"I know your face." Theoden said looking at his niece. "Eowyn, Eowyn." She smiled at her uncle. Gandalf took a few steps backwards.

"Gandalf?" Theoden asked in disbelief.

"Breath the free air again, my friend." Gandalf said. Theoden stood up from his chair with the help of Eowyn.

"Dark I've been my dreams of late." He said looking down at his hands.

"Your fingers would remember their own strength better, if they grasped your sword." Gandalf said. The first guard brought up Theoden's sword and watched with an eager eye as Theoden touched the handle and slowly unsheathed it. Grima tried to get away from Gimli's grasp but failed. Zefron smiled at the powerful wizard's work but his smile diminished as he saw the look Theoden was giving Grima.

"Relieve my halls from his sight." Theoden said motioning to his guards. Gimli was more than happy to hand over Wormtongue to the two guards. Everyone followed Grima out of the halls and even more did when he was thrown down the stairs. When he reached the bottom he cried out in pain, but when he saw Theoden walking towards him with his sword at his side he quickly started to crawl backwards down the stairs to try and get away.

"I've only ever served you my lord." Grima said still crawling. Theoden continued to step down the stairs towards Grima.

"Your leach craft, would have had me crawling on all fours like a beast." Theoden said with much hatred in his voice.

"Send me not from your sight." Grima said as Theoden's form loomed over him. Theoden paid no heed to his begging as he raised his sword to end Grima's life when Aragorn interfered.

"No my lord!" he called as he caught a hold of Theoden's hands. "No my lord. Let him go. Enough blood has been spilt on his account." Theoden looked at Aragorn then back at Grima and he lowered his sword slightly. Grima took that chance to jump up and run towards the barn while pushing the crowd out of his way.

"Get out of my way!" he cried trying to get to the barn.

"Hail Theoden, King!" called Aragorn. Everyone quickly bowed before the king of Rohan. Theoden looked over to Aragorn who slowly got to his knees too.

"Where is Théodred?" asked Theoden turning around to face his court. "Where is my son?"

Later after Théodred's funeral…

"They had no warning. They were unarmed. Now the wild men are running through the West Fold burning as they go. Every Rick, cot and tree." Eowyn stated tending to two small children whom Theoden and Gandalf had just brought in from outside, they had just brought them quite bad news about one of the sections of the kingdom.

"Where is mama?" the little girl asked. Eowyn put a blanket around her shoulders and shushed her. Naurrîn looked at the little girl with a sad expression on her face.

"This is but a taste of the terror Saruman will unleash. All the more potent now for he is driven out of fear out of Sauron." Gandalf stated from his spot beside Theoden's throne. Theoden looked at the hand Gandalf had placed on the arm of his chair. "Go out and meet him head on. Draw him away from your woman and children. You must fight!"

"What's wrong with women fighting?" Naurrîn whispered to Zefron who was standing beside her as they watched the scene in front of them. Zefron let out a small laugh and tried to cover it up with a fake cough.

"You have two thousand good men riding north as we speak." Aragorn stated taking the pipe out of his mouth. "Eomer is loyal to you. His men will return fight for their king…"

"They will be three thousand leagues from here by now!" interrupted Theoden getting up from his throne. "Eomer can not help us." Gandalf got up and started to follow Theoden.

"I know what it is you want from me! But I will not bring further death to my people. I will not risk open war." Theoden stated cutting Gandalf short.

"Open war is upon you. Whether you would risk it or not." Aragorn stated taking the pipe out of his mouth again.

"When last I looked, Theoden not Aragorn was king of Rohan." Theoden stated turning to the Ranger.

"Then what is the kings decision?" asked Gandalf. Theoden turned to him.

"We must make for Helm's Deep." The king said. Naurrîn gave an exasperated cry of defeat and went storming towards the room Eowyn said she could stay in.

"Please forgive her King Theoden. She is just over tired from our journey." Zefron said. Theoden nodded and turned to the black robed elf.

"Why do you hide yourself from others?" asked Theoden. "Are you a spy for the enemy?" Zefron's eyes started to get a red tinge to them again.

"I would never serve evil if I could will it." Zefron replied before walking out of the room and after Naurrîn.

Naurrîn's room…

By the time Zefron arrived at Naurrîn's room she had already changed into one of Eowyn's travelling dresses. It was simple, nothing at all like the dresses made by an elf. It was dark blue and quite formfitting.

"I still can not believe Aragorn made Theoden let that disgusting evil creature of Saruman get away!" Naurrîn stated putting her daggers back onto her belt. "He tried to kill me for Eru's sake! And to top off the worst day ever, we are going to Helm's Deep!"

"'Tis not our place to judge others Naurrîn. Although I too would have had him dead…" started Zefron as he was strapping his quiver of arrows onto his back which he had grabbed on his way there, when he suddenly stopped and his eyes began to get a red tinge to them.

"Zef?" Naurrîn started walking over to her elven friend. Zefron came out of his trance and growled low in his throat.

"He must not make it to Isenguard alive." Zefron quietly stated grabbing his daggers and staff before running to the great hall where the others had just arrived.

"Zef! Where ever you are going I am coming." Naurrîn said, nearly tripping over the hem of her own dress while she was slipping on her boots.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" Aragorn asked the two elves as they came over. Gandalf and Theoden also came over.

"I must make haste and depart for Isenguard." Zefron said even though he knew it would make Aragorn and the others find him even untrustworthy.

"Why must you do that?" asked Legolas looking at him oddly.

"If I take the time to answer your insignificant questions the lives of many men and elves will be forfeit!" Zefron yelled at the prince of Mirkwood before running out of the palace. "And you are to stay here Naurrîn!" the young elleth cried out in exasperation again before storming away while muttering to herself.

"Never lets me do anything! Nothing at all! Just sit back and let the wizard to it!" Aragorn started to go after Zefron but Gandalf stopped him.

"Leave him be Aragorn. He has a good intention for going there." Gandalf said causing a very confused look from Aragorn to go his way.

"Tell the people of Edoras to make ready to depart for Helm's Deep." Theoden ordered his head guard, which the others had found out his Hama. Eowyn left the room to see if she could find Naurrîn and see how she was.

"Why? Why must wizards always take matters into their own hands?" Eowyn heard Naurrîn talking to herself outside. She was watching Zefron's quickly disappearing form as he followed Grima's tracks.

"Are you alright Lady Naurrîn?" Eowyn asked walking up beside the elleth. Naurrîn tapped her foot and crossed her arms angrily as Zefron disappeared from even her elven sight.

"Yes I do believe I am fine. Save for the fact that everyone has either abandoned me or thinks that I am a nuisance!" Naurrîn replied pacing now. "Templa and Zef left to go do something that has to do with Zef's bloody vision, the men think I am weak and to top it all off I was nearly killed by a man Aragorn set free!"

"You should calm down milady." Eowyn said putting a reassuring hand on Naurrîn's shoulder. Naurrîn calmed down a bit.

"You are right. I must go and hit something." Naurrîn walked off with her fists clenched. Eowyn sighed and went into the palace to pack up.

On the way to Isenguard…

Zefron jumped off of Templa and searched the ground for any sign on Grima.

"Grima was here, not ten minutes ago. We are gaining on him Templa." Zefron said standing up when a dagger was thrown out of nowhere and hit him in the shoulder sending him falling back, with none of his elven grace retained. Templa crouched down low and let out a shrill neigh that sounded almost like a Nazgul screaming. Zefron stood up slowly and winced as he took out the dagger and threw it back at the sender.

"You can not kill me Grima. You knew of that." Zefron stated walking over to Grima's fallen form.

"You lie young wizard. Saruman knows your secret and so do I." Grima said backing up slowly from the hooded wizard as he drew closer.

"You will not live long enough to tell a soul Grima. For I have seen what you are going to tell Saruman and because of that your life will end this hour." Zefron said taking out a long dagger with a blue handle and slitting Grima's throat without another thought.

"Come Templa, Naurrîn will have a fit if we are missed any longer." Zefron said wiping his dagger clean on his robe. Templa nodded her great black head. Zefron was about to get into Templa's saddle when he felt a searing pain in his left shoulder. He stepped back and hissed in pain.

"It will not heal Templa. He poisoned it." Zefron said in a painic. He reached into his pack with his good arm and taking out a small pouch of healing herbs. But before he could even open it up, he passed out as the poison spread throughout his entire body.

On the way to Helm's Deep: Day 1…

Aragorn looked up ahead at Naurrîn and Eowyn who seemed to become fast friends within the day that they had known each other.

"Do you know where Zefron is?" Legolas asked his ranger friend. Aragorn shook his head.

"I am not sure, Gandalf said to trust him but I have little faith in him. I do not think he will return and fight for the side of men." Aragorn said then getting hit in the back of the head by something. He turned around to see Naurrîn walking over with only one shoe on.

"You should not doubt those who you do not know much about Aragorn." She said bending down and picking up her other shoe, which she had thrown at Aragorn when she had heard him say that about Zefron. Aragorn wondered how she had gotten behind him within a few seconds.

"Why in the name of the Valar did you do that Lady Naurrîn?" asked Eowyn looking at the elleth in shock.

"I felt like it and if Zefron is not here to defend himself then it is up to I to do it for him." Naurrîn replied putting her shoe back on while still walking.

"Where is Lord Zefron?" Naurrîn looked her straight in the eye.

"I am not sure but I know Zef will come back. Zef always does this, leaves me alone to paddle my own boat or ride my own horse while Zef goes and saves someone or something from a vision he had." Naurrîn said emphasizing on he for a reason Eowyn did not know.

"I am sure he shall return soon Naurrîn but it will be dark soon and we will have to make camp for the night." Eowyn said glancing at the setting sun. That was the last straw for Naurrîn.

"That is it! I am going after Zef whether Aragorn and Legolas like it or not. May I borrow your horse Eowyn?" Naurrîn asked tightening her belt strap and the sword sheath on her back.

"Yes, you may milady and please do be careful." Eowyn replied handing the young elleth the reigns to her horse.

"I shall try to Eowyn and if Aragorn, Legolas or Gimli ask where I have gone tell them I am riding up ahead more. Farewell mellon-nîn." (My friend) Naurrîn said before spurring the horse into a gallop and heading to where she thought Zefron was.

"Zef and Templa are so dead when I find them." Naurrîn stated riding swiftly into the on coming darkness. Eowyn watched the determined elleth with a small smile on her face.

"We must make camp here for the night!" Theoden called out to his people. Suddenly off in the distance Legolas heard Naurrîn scream and a horse's shrill neigh. He quickly ran over a small hill and used his keen eyes to search for her but all he found was a horse running back without a rider. Although something flying in the sky far off in the distance caught his eyes, it was a large, black creature and from what he could tell… it was holding something in its arms.

Yeh for me! I updated faster than normal! Happy now? You'd best be, well please review and another update shall be sent your way!