"Why does the book do that? HOW does the book do that?" once closed and now turned to a page, Paige starred down at the phenomena that lead the Charmed Ones up stairs and too the image of…"Galadriel, the High Lady of Loiren, it says she's an elf, depart from earth millennia's ago to the Undying land, a place of eternity,"
Phoebes finger touched the face of the image, the tips gliding down the cheeks, she could almost feel her soft skin untouched by mortality. Phoebes skin ran with a cold chill, her body seized frozen as images appeared before her closed eyes, a hazy screen of mist as the sea was disturbed, the cold darkness of the pier of San Francisco. Paddle delicately brushed against the surface of the water bringing forth a barge to dock.
"Guess what I saw on Phoebe TV?"
"Premonition?" asked Piper, she stood as close to her as Paige yet neither of them noticed the 'cold water down the back' action she does when receiving one. Phoebe paused to catcher her breathe, these visions of her were more physically demanding without rest, swallowing a lump in the throat, she thought back to watch she saw, cleared the blurred images into focus.
"It was night by the pier, there's a boat coming in,"
"Friendly or foe?" Paige would always ask this, whenever it involved walking into the unknown she'd rather be prepared to meet demons than take any chances of the passivism.
"Don't know,"
They both looked to Piper, the eldest, the leader "Load up the potions"
-x-
The bitter ice dawned with the darkness of night, a western breeze brought the Pacific chill to the Piers, a dead lifeless dock for ships, empty of any person. As far as the eye could see was littered with fishing nets, the remains of the fish they caught and other tools of the sort, crates forged from wood piled high as walls, a valley with only the sea and path to land.
"It's cold," winged Paige, wrapped up tight in her jacket thick as bears skin that dropped to her ankles, nothing short of a robe couldn't kept her warm, she paced back and forth hoping that heat would arise from within her but would only disperse to the air. Piper and Phoebe decided to stay close huddled together shoulder to shoulder side by side. "I wanna go home!"
"We wait" commanded Piper contempt on standing their ground on what could be a neutral battlefield,
"Come'on we've been waiting here for 7 hours!" continuing to whine innocently like a child,
"Piper," her name was all that was needed to symbolise who Phoebe was siding with, "If they were going to come they would have by now, my Premonition was in the dark and its almost dawn,"
A deep sigh, she knew when she has been cornered by both of her sisters, this was probably one of the few upsides to being within a group of three, they could be no ties within the vote, tilting her head backwards to untie the knots formed, rolling her eyes back to where they could see only black, she sighed, "Paige, one lift back home please," when her eyes opened they saw Phoebe lingering towards the edge of the pier, close to the verge of falling among the marine life.
"Phoebe," a harsh cautionary tone, Piper was frozen with fear and confusion over the her movements, she stopped in her path, eyes fixed to the horizon hidden in fog,
"Do you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
"I don't hear anything, lets go home!"
They remained immobile and silent for only a few seconds ignoring Paige's continuous attempt to return to the warmth of her duvet, but there was frail voice within the dense murk, calling out from the top of their voice to be heard by the sky, "LIGHT OF ARNO AVAIL ME" a spectre of white blinded the sight of the three witches, flooding the wharf with radiance of summer sunlight, the pier glowed a pale beacon in the mist of San Francisco. Soon it died down, and the night returned to darkness as soon as the barge had safe meet the platform. The Charmed Ones faced the barge, potions ready in hand from Paige and Phoebe, and Piper with her arms lead forward and the freeze on standby.
"Legolas by dear Elf I doubt anyone could of asked for a calmer journey," came a gentle yet gravel voice from the boat, their sight still too hazed to focus on the image but what could be seen was a white robed figure. "Ah these must be the ones,"
"Hold it right there," Gandalf froze in his steps, curious to what reason would a welcome hold such anger and aggression, "make one more move and it's a gazillion pieces with you,"
"My dear" came that voice once again, "If that where the case would you dare harm an ally?"
"Ally? Eager to make friends aren't we?" Piper said, she held the line that separated the passengers from the shore and yet wasn't threatened by what now appeared to be an aging man,
"Oh but we are friends, you see our friend has befriended your sister as a friend hence now we are your friends, and this my friends who also is now your friend," he said ushering the sisters view to the blonde-haired archer standing at the end of the boat.
"Nice try, but if a friend was to greet a friend as a friend wouldn't that friend inform their friend that they were friends in the FIRST FREAKIN' PLACE?!" a silence dawned on the crowd as they all stood their for only a few seconds until more appeared from the boat, although Phoebe and Paige grew concerned at the sudden number Piper still held her ground. The elf remained standing on the boat, on the rise above everyone else his piercing eyes gazing at everyone. A dwarf like being waddling below and in front of him. What appeared to be a couple, human and she- elf, in gowns stunning enough to belong to royalty, and lastly a women with a mix of warrior and elegance.
"A good point," he man in white replies, he didn't seem to be angered by her offensive tactics, the potions still concealed where still on standby, all she needed was a simple reason to attack, he knew this he could sense it within her but still didn't fear. "I am Gandalf the White Wizard,
"King Aragorn of Gondor, this is my bride Arwen,"
"Lady Eowen Shield Maiden of the Riders of Rohan,"
"Prince Legolas Greenleaf of the Mirkwood Elves,"
"Lord Gimli of the Caverns of Moria, and what be your names young lassies" he asked in that growling gravel voice,
"Piper Halliwell,"
"Paige,"
"Phoebe,"
"Phoebe?" asked Gandalf he attention suddenly draws to her, "excellent our gracious Lady of the Woods has brought us forth to you my dear here to serve as you would see fit,"
A nervous laugh interrupted him, "me?" how could she lead, Piper was always the leader in these situation, Phoebe had taken for a while and does have some experience but what would she do with such a large group of people, "Why me?"
"Because you are the one with the gift of seeing, that which has been, that which is, that which has not yet come to pass, and that which is coming,"
"The great eye," said Phoebe, a sudden weight fell on her heart as now she had understood the words that kept her awake at night, those left her sleepless for days where nothing but the words of warning would be heard with eyes wide open and mind so weak, "A lidless eye wreathed in flame," Piper grew concerned what information did this Gandalf know that she didn't what power has he have over her,
"You know of what I speak?"
"Phoebe?"
"We need to go get them back to the Manor," she asked Piper desperation and fear in her voice, Piper had no time to answer in words but only stutter then comply,
"Leo! Chris!" a spectre of light appeared and in there place the guardians of witches, "Mass orb out grab somebody and lets move, NOW!"