Chapter 3

Buffy watched Legolas pace back and forth as Aragorn and Gimli slept. He was always restless and rarely slept. But then again, so was she. After a long moment, Buffy stood and walked over to him.

"You should sleep." He said without turning.

"Never was one for sleeping when you've always got a demon looking to kill you." She retorted.

"What's it like where you come from?"

"A WHOLE lot different from this place." Buffy looked around. "There's lots of buildings and people and lights. I almost forgot what stars look like."

"Why?"

"Pollution and smog block it out."

"What are….."

"Bad side effect of evolution." She smiled. "I was born in the wrong era."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I for one enjoy nature a lot more than being in a bustling city where you can't see the stars."

"What about your friends? Won't they be looking for you?"

She snorted. "They're so wrapped up in their own lives….. I think they've forgotten me."

"I doubt that." He looked at her. "You seem like a hard person to forget."

She smiled. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"Their pace has quickened. They must have caught our scent." Aragorn said. "Hurry!"

Buffy and Legolas ran up the rocky hill after Aragorn. Legolas looked back. "Come on Gimli!"

"I should have been a track star instead of a cheerleader." Buffy said as she continued to run. "What was I thinking?"

They ran down into a gully and Aragorn stopped to inspect something on the ground. It was a leaf pin that the Fellowship wore. "They may yet be alive." Legolas said.

"Less than a day ahead of us." Aragorn ran ahead.

Legolas encouraged Buffy on as he called back to Gimli, "Come Gimli! We are gaining on them." They reached the top and Legolas mounted a tall rock.

"Rohan." Aragorn said.

"What's that?" Buffy asked.

"Home of the Horse Lords." He looked at the vast plain. "There's something strange at work here. Come evil gives speed to these creatures. Sets its will against us."

Without another thought, Buffy dropped down the small cliff and moved forward. Legolas followed. He paused. "What do you see?" Buffy asked.

"The Uruks turned Northeast." Legolas looked up at Aragorn. "They're taking the hobbits to Isenguard!"

"Saruman, I'm guessing."

"Yes.

"Then why are we just standing here? I'm not out of breath." Buffy smiled playfully at Legolas and took off running again. After a while, she dropped back next to Gimli and said, "Keep breathing. The key is to keep breathing."

"I don't need a woman's help. The Elf probably sent you back here." Gimli said, obviously out of breath.

Buffy just smiled and caught up to Aragorn. "You ok?"

"What?" Aragorn asked.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm alive. And you?"

"At the moment." She ran ahead and caught back up to Legolas.

"You do not tire?" He asked.

"Please! I was built for this."

The next morning, Aragorn stopped and looked at the ground. He motioned for them to get behind a large boulder as a thundering roar caught up to them. It was a large group of men on horses riding by. Aragorn moved out and yelled, "Riders of Rohan!"

Legolas helped Buffy to her feet as the riders all turned around. "This can't be too good." Buffy said the riders surrounded them and pointed their spears.

The apparent leader rode up. "What business does an Elf, a woman, a man, and a dwarf have in the Ridimark? Speak quickly."

"Give me your name, horsemaster, and I shall give you mine." Gimli retorted.

The leader jumped off his horse. "I would cut off your head, dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground."

Legolas drew an arrow and pointed it at the man. "You would die before your stroke fell." All spears were now pointed at Legolas.

"Legolas!" Buffy moved the arrow down and looked at Aragorn.

"I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. This is Gimli, son of Gloin, Legolas of the woodland realm, and Buffy, the Slayer who is not of our world. We are friends of Rohan and of Theodan, your king."

"Theodan no longer recognizes friend from foe." The leader removed his helmet. "Not even his own kin." The spears were withdrawn. "Saruman has poisoned the mind of the king and claimed lordship over his lands. My company are those loyal to Rohan and for that we were banished. The White Wizard is cunning. He walked here and there they say. There's an old man, hooded and cloaked, and everywhere his spies passed our nets."

"We are not spies. We track a body of Uruk-hai westward across the plain and they've taken two of our friends captive."

"The Uruks have been destroyed. We slaughtered them during the night."

"But there were two hobbits. Did you see two hobbits with them?" Gimli asked.

"They would be small." Aragorn said. "Only children to your eyes."

"We left none alive." The leader said. "We piled the carcasses and burned them."

"Dead?" Gimli asked.

"I am sorry."

Buffy laid her forehead on Legolas's shoulder and he touched her back, hanging his head.

The leader whistled and called over three horses. "May there horses bring you to better fortune than they did to their masters. Farewell. The Riders started to slowly depart. "Look for your friends, but do not trust a hope. It is forsaken in these lands. We ride north!"

Aragorn looked at Buffy. "Can you ride?"

The Slayer hopped on with ease and grace. "Since I was six." She didn't wait for the others as she guided the horse to the smoking pile of Uruk bodies. "Merry! Pippin!" There was no answer. She called a few more times as Gimli sorted through the burned bodies.

Buffy dismounted and stood next to Legolas as Gimli held up a burnt and charred….. Thing. "It's one of their wee belts." He said. Legolas murmured something in Elvish and Aragorn kicked a helmet, letting out a scream of frustration and dropping to his knees. "We failed them."

"No, I don't think we did." Buffy said, spotting a glimmer of hope. She picked up a cut piece of rope. "Look!"

"She is right." Aragorn said, staring at the ground. "A hobbit lay here. They crawled, their hands were bound….." Aragorn moved over to Buffy. "Their bonds were cut….."

The Slayer looked around and spotted foot prints. "They ran over here." Buffy closed her eyes and whispered a spell that Willow had taught her. It allowed her to see the recent memories of a place. "Something grabbed them. It took one of their belts and they ran away from the battle….." She opened her eyesand turned. "Into that forest! They escaped into that forest."

"Fanghorn Forest." Aragorn said, moving to the edge of the trees.

"What madness drove them in there?" Gimli asked.

"Let's go!" Buffy started to go in, but Aragorn and Legolas grabbed her.

"No." Aragorn said.

"What's wrong?"

"These woods are perilous. Not like Loth lorien. The White Wizard roams these woods."

Buffy looked at them. "It's Merry and Pippin. We can't just leave them to rot in there."

"And we won't." Legolas said. "Let us go." With that, he led the way in. He looked at Buffy. "Do you sense anything?"

Buffy sniffed the air and allowed her super keen senses go on overdrive. A certain tang was in the air. A familiar tang. "Here." She pointed to a small bush.

Gimli touched a leaf and tasted. "Uck! Uruk blood."

Aragorn moved ahead, apparently following hobbit tracks. He stopped. "These are strange tracks."

"Is it just me, or is the air alive?" Buffy asked.

"This forest is old. Very old." Legolas said. "Full of memory….. and anger."

There was a loud groan and Gimli drew his ax as Buffy prepared to grab her scythe. "What….."

"The trees are speaking to each other."

"Trees can do that?"

"Gimli." Aragorn yelled in a whisper. "Lower your ax."

"They have feelings my friend." Legolas said.

"Explain that to me." Buffy said.

"The Elves began it. Waking up the trees, teaching them to speak."

"Talking trees?" Buffy smiled. "This place is way better than home."

"What do trees have to talk about?" Gimli asked. "Except the consistency of squirrel droppings."

"The sun….. and the moon….. and the stars." Buffy said. "I bet they like being able to see the stars."

Legolas moved up next to her and said something in Elvish in her ear. When she looked at him, confused, he just smiled playfully and moved ahead. Buffy noticed Aragorn smiling. "What? What did he say?"

"He said 'your eyes are more star filled than a galaxy, your skin's glow rivals the moon's, and your hair is more radiant than the sun's golden light.'" Aragorn patted her arm. "I think you have bewitched Legolas."

"Not me! Willow's the one that does the….. Oh. You meant he likes me." She paused. "He likes me?" Buffy noticed Legolas slightly looking over his shoulder at her with a smirk.

"Indeed."

Legolas paused and then moved up a small hill. "Aragorn." He said something in Elvish again.

"He's not talking about me again, is he?" Buffy asked.

"Legolas said something is coming." Aragorn said as he and Buffy followed. He started to speak to Legolas in Elvish, but stopped and said it in English for Buffy. "What do see?"

"The White Wizard approaches." Legolas motioned over his shoulder.

Buffy's hand gripped the hilt of her sword as she and the others prepared to attack. "Do not let him speak." Aragorn said. "He will put a spell on us. We must be quick." Buffy and Aragorn drew their swords, Legolas pulled back the arrow in his bow, and Gimli hefted his ax as they turned. Gimli threw his ax, but the bright light deflected it. Legolas shot his arrow, but the light parried it too. Buffy and Aragorn dropped their swords because they were becoming white hot in their grips.

"You are tracking the footsteps of two young hobbits." The light said.

"Where are they?" Aragorn yelled.

"They passed this way, the day before yesterday. They met someone they did not expect. Does that comfort you?"

"Who are you? Show yourself!" The bright light diminished around the wizard and revealed an old man in flowing white robes, a white beard, and long white hair. "It cannot be."

"Forgive me." Legolas said, dropping to one knee. "I mistook you for Saruman."

"I am Saruman." The wizard said. "Saruman as he should be."

"You fell." Aragorn said.

"Through fire and water….. From the lowest dungeon to the highest peak I fought with Balrog of Morgoth until at last I threw down my enemy and smote his ruin upon the mountainside. Darkness took me and I strayed out of thought and time. The stars weaved overhead and everyday was a strong life age of the earth, but it was not the end. I felt life in me again. I've been sent back until my task is done."

Aragorn moved forward. "Gandulf….."

Buffy looked at Legolas. "That's Gandulf?" He nodded.

"Gandulf?" The wizard asked. "Oh, yes. That was what they used to call me. Gandulf the Gray. That was my name. I am Gandulf the White. And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.

"Now I get it!" Buffy said. "A trade must be made. I thought it was you for me, but it was….." She noticed Gandulf staring at her. "Oh, hi!" She gave him a small wave.

"Your friends are searching for you."

"What? You….. You saw them?"

"The witch….. I saw her spells and I heard her cries. Her call for you is powerful. It echoes across dimensions and time."

"They're looking for me?"

"Buffy?" Gandulf moved aside to reveal the red headed witch who was Buffy's best friend. "Oh Buffy!" The two friends embraced tightly. "Dawn said you weren't picking up your phone and no one had seen you for weeks! I did spell after spell, but I couldn't find you! Then a voice told me where you were and I found a way to get here where this guy, I think he was the voice, said he knew how to find you….. Are you ok?"

"I'm ok. How's Dawnie?"

"She's worried sick." For the first time, Willow noticed the three guys with Buffy. "What's going on? Who are these people? Are they people?"

"Sort of. Willow, this is Aragorn. He's a human. This is Gimli. He's a dwarf. And this….. This is Legolas. He's an Elf. Guys, this is Willow. She's a really powerful witch."

"What's happened? How'd you end up here? You know better than to jump into random portals."

"Actually, I was called here for help. The Elven queen called me to help get this ring destroyed that carries all the evil on Middle Earth. We kinda got separated, and this is all that's left."

"I'm not totally clear on all of this, but can we just go home now? I know a spell to get us back and….."

Buffy shook her head and moved back next to Legolas. "I'm not leaving."

"What?"

"I can't just leave now. Not when I'm still needed here."

"Are you sure?" The Slayer nodded. After a moment, Willow sighed. "Well, I'm not leaving without you, so I guess I'm going with you."

Buffy stared at Willow's resolve face. "Ok, and on that note….." Buffy looked at Aragorn.

"The lady may ride with me." He said. "But we must keep going. Uruks are still on our trail."

Willow looked at Buffy, but the Slayer held up her hand. "Big uglies. Lots of armor and weapons. Lots of grunting. I'll explain everything later."

"Where're we going?" Willow asked.