II
He'd gone up to the tower and back down again, through the kitchen, circling near the throne room to take a peek and find that Aragorn was not there, nor even Arwen, and finally he made it to the white tree that stood tall and blooming. Peregrin Took sighed deeply and took a seat on the ground next to the grand symbol of Gondor. "Where are they?" he murmured.
"Where are who?"
Pippin spun around, a surprised look on his features and jumped up. "Merry! I've been looking all over!"
"Not very hard then," his friend answered with a grin. "Stop off in the kitchen?"
"Well… yes."
"That would be why you didn't find anyone as I know you had your head stuck in the cupboards. "
Pippin grinned, avoiding an answer. "Where is everyone, Merry? I started out looking for you, went on to look for Aragorn or Frodo or Sam or anybody for that matter! Everyone's disappeared…"
"We're all about. Gandalf is the only one gone."
"Gandalf gone?"
"You didn't know?"
"I'm always the last to know everything!"
"He left with the sun's rays," Legolas said from behind the two Hobbits. "Towards the South, but he would not say to where he would be going."
"Why'd he leave without telling anyone?" Pippin demanded.
"Seems like you mighta been the only one he didn't tell," Gimli chuckled, a smirk on his lips at the Hobbit's indignant look.
"Why's that?"
"Oh I don't know, Pip… Because the entire city would have known within the hour, I suppose," Merry said with a shrug and a smile. "He'll be back."
"First Faramir and then Gandalf… Why does everyone keep leaving?"
"Something has been troubling him," Legolas murmured thoughtfully. "I dare not speculate what, but there is something. Aragorn said that he saw him up late the last several nights. Shifting through old books and scrolls."
"But for what?" Gimli questioned.
"I bet we could find out," Merry said quickly, a twinkle in his eye that told the others to be wary.
"How?" Pippin asked.
"Well, there's bound to be some book he didn't put back or something. Let's take a looksee, what do you say?"
Pippin beamed at the idea and the two Hobbits were off instantly, leaving the Elf and the Dwarf standing by the tree. Legolas looked down and Gimli up.
"You think we should go after them?" Gimli asked.
"Well… They could get themselves into trouble. They're quite good at it."
"I'd say we should tag along… Just to keep them out of trouble of course."
"Of course," the Elf agreed. Their eyes met briefly, each seeing the mirth in the other's and they were off after the two Halflings faster than one might have thought possible.
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Gandalf had left that morning just before sunrise and as the sun was setting towards the West now, he found himself nearing his destination. He'd tried to time it perfectly. If all went as planned, he would return within a day of Faramir, meeting him and everyone else with a surprise that could make whole what had been broken.
The White Wizard neared what to any other man might have looked like a dark passage through low-slung trees, but not to the keen eye. The keen eye would have seen if not felt the eyes that watched from the darkness' depths. One that knew this forest would know it was what nightmares might be made of.
"You've journeyed very far, Mithrandir."
Gandalf paused, hushing Shadowfax's nervousness by stroking the animal's mane. He slid from the horse's back and bowed to the golden haired figure before him. "My Lady Galadriel. I had thought you to leave Middle Earth."
"My time here grows short, my old friend, but I still linger. As do many who do not wish to leave these shores. As do many down the path you wish to go tonight. Truly you must know that it is folly."
"Folly?" Gandalf echoed. "To bring them together once more?"
"What is done is done and is meant to be. It is not for us to decide."
"Then I shall bare the consequences."
Galadriel, with her head raised high, looked upon the old Wizard. "I shall only warn you once. This is not your place. You have not let your love for these Men and Hobbits cloud your judgement so before. He is not to return."
"And you will stop him? I fear, My Lady, that I did not come here for counsel with you. I came to fulfill something long overdue. There has been much suffering since the War. Too much."
"You wish to see them smile again."
"I do."
"And you decided this now?"
"At last, yes."
The Elvish woman stepped aside. "I cannot detour you, Mithrandir, but heed my warning if you will: You will not do this deed without more coming about. It shall not turn out the way you wish it, I know. I have seen it. I know it."
"Then it shall turn the way it turns," Gandalf replied as he moved past her and onto the dark trail, leaving the Lady of Light behind. She could not venture there, he knew. Few could and have hope to return.
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"I've got something!" Pippin announced, holding up an old book that he'd uncovered.
"How do you know that is what we're looking for, laddie?"
"Well it's the only one that doesn't have any dust on it," Pippin responded, quite proud of his accomplishment.
"I don't think this is what we're looking for, Pip," Merry said as he flipped through the book. "Nope, can't be."
"What's it about?"
"Soul's Trail," the other Hobbit answered. "It's an old fairy tale. Haven't you heard it?"
"No."
"They say that there is a trail hidden amongst the darkest trees," Legolas began. "Only the cleverest of Men and other creatures found their ways out. Many a person has been lost to it, but no one has talked of it as anything other than a story for children in… well before your time, certainly."
"What does it do?" Merry asked, intrigued.
Legolas felt a smile tug at his lips. "It is said to be a trail that leads to Soul's Forest, naturally. Where the souls of those not ready to pass on go. The ones who did not leave us in peace. Who feel a connection to this place."
"Why would Gandalf read a story book?" Pippin asked, his mind working hard.
"He didn't," Gimli huffed. "Just moved it to get to something else! Now hurry it up, you two!"
"No one said you had to help," Merry answered, frowning a bit and fingering the book Pippin had found. "Legolas, you said it was a place for those who did not leave this world in peace?"
"Yes."
"Like those that died in war?"
"Yes, I should say so. And those that died with a burden."
Merry nodded, eyes following the page he had turned to. He jumped at the sound of the voice at the door. "I think, Merry, after you are finished, I should very much like to read it."
The small group in the tallest tower of the library turned to see Frodo at the door. He'd approached so silently that no one had heard, not even the Elf. Merry grinned at this and handed it to his friend. "I've never been much for sitting down and reading anyway," he said with a wave of his hand. "Tell me how it is."
"I will," Frodo promised.
"Were you looking for us?" Pippin asked.
The former Ring-barer nodded. "Yes, Lady Arwen said dinner will be served shortly and that perhaps you would all care to-" He was cut off as Merry and Pippin ran on either side of him, gabbing him along the way, and scooted down the stairs hollering this and that about dinner and a good smoke after. Their jolly voices and Frodo's rare laughter echoed as Legolas and Gimli watched them disappear.
"So should we be off?" the Elf asked.
"For dinner? Certainly."
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The next thing he knew was the cold. Icy cold that stung every inch of his exposed skin. Ice water drenched his hair, what was left of his tunic, and through the rest of his clothes, and he knew fromwhere it cameHe shivered and his grey eyes open. Faramir found himself face to face with the creature that had been with him the longest.
It was the first time he'd seen its face. It was orc-like, though with Human features and eyes of bright gold. It sneered at him and hissed, "What are you looking at, Human Not what you expected?"
"The majority of orcs were wiped out with their master nearly a year ago."
"I am no orc, though not far from it, I suppose. Have they finally been taken out? We found ourselves far from our kin. Much as you now."
The creature took hold of Faramir by his shoulder, hauling him up roughly and pressed him against the rigid wall of the cave. The Steward did all he could not to cry out as he felt wounds break open again and his entire body shudder from the maltreatment.
"You want to go home, Steward of Gondor?"
"I will tell you nothing of what you wish to know," Faramir growled. "Do what you will to me, but I shall not speak a word of our secrets."
The creature backhanded him roughly and he felt his knees give way and sagged back. It was the calloused hand on his throat that kept him from falling. "We've found new uses for you."
"And what might those be?"
"Your death. I will show King Elessar that we are not to be troubled by his crown. He will pull his Rangers out of our territory."
"You kill me and he'll hunt you down. My death will not stop them from finishing the job they set out to do."
"Is that so? Your men would not mourn? They would not be troubled?"
Faramir managed to hold his head high in defiance of his captor. "What they do they will do for Gondor. They will not falter."
The creature smiled. It was a sickening movement as half-decayed yellow teeth were shown from behind malformed lips and several of the sharper ones caught the Steward's eye. He couldn't help but turn away. "Look at me, Human," the creature commanded and jerked Faramir's head back so that he was looking. He found himself facing a jagged knife. "It is a two day ride to Minas Tirith, when stopping for rest, is it not? Of course it is. You'll live just that long, I'd say. Perhaps long enough for them to see how much you suffer..."
Faramir felt a knot form in his stomach just as the orc-like creature pulled back its blade. The next thing he knew he was gasping from the pain just below his ribs. His captor sneered at him and he felt himself sinking into darkness. "No no," the dark voice murmured into his ear, twisting the knife harshly. "You won't be sleeping on us." The pain jerked him back suddenly and he struggled.
"Don't move so much, Human, or the poison will run quickly."
Faramir froze where he was. "Poison?"
"They will mourn you, or rather, what you had to do just to die and be rid of the pain you will suffer." That said, the creature ripped the knife from the Steward and let him fall to the rough floor and lie there. Faramir was only slightly aware of the feet shuffling off and then shuffling back moments later. Two of the creatures lifted him up, none to gently, and draped him over a horse. It was then that he knew no more as he sank into darkness surrounded by fiery pain.
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A/N: I can't give away too much, though you might have already guessed what Gandalf's doing, but I'd like to give credit where credit is deserved. So just know that Anna Maxwell helped me out with thinking up where Gandalf is going. It should be explained in the next chapter, so no worries :P
Lindahoyland: Haha! My terrible spelling strikes again… I ASKED Anna if I had any blaring mistakes when she read it lol. Oh well, I suppose she missed it too. But thank you very much for pointing that out :) Yes, I feel sorry for him too, but I do tend to torture my favorite characters… Faramir is who I've been focusing on as of late, so poor guy… :)
Sarah: I'll try not to leave cliffhangers too soon. I don't plan for this to be overly long… hopefully, therefore perhaps I'll finish it lol! Who knows? I'm perfectly horrible with finishing stories…. But I'll try.