Chapter 8

Buffy walked into the Great Hall with Pippin where Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Willow, Theoden were waiting. "Poor thing's scared to death, but he'll be ok." She sat Pippin down with Merry and joined Legolas. "What'd I miss?"

"There was no lie in Pippin's eyes." Gandalf said. "A fool, but an honest fool he remains. He told Sauron nothing of Frodo and the Ring. We've been strangely fortunate. Pippin saw in the palantir a glimpse of the enemy's plan. Sauron moves to strike the city of Minas Tirith. His defeat at Helm's Deep showed our enemy one thing. He knows the heir of Elendid has come forth. Men are not as weak as he supposed. There is courage still, strength enough perhaps to challenge him. Sauron fears this. He will not risk the peoples of Middle-Earth uniting under one banner. He will raze Minas Tirith to the ground before he sees a king return to the throne of Men. If the beacons of Gondor are lit, Rohan must be ready for war."

"Tell me," Theoden said. "Why should we ride to the aid of those who did not come to ours? What do we owe Gondor?"

"I will go." Aragorn said.

"No." Gandalf ordered.

"They must be warned."

"They will be. You must come to Minas Tirith by another road. Follow the river and look to the black ships. Understand this: Things are now in motion that cannot be undone. I ride for Minas Tirith and I won't be going alone." Gandalf looked at Pippin.

"Sauron thinks Pippin has the Ring?" Buffy asked.

"And Pippin shall go with me to Gondor."

Buffy watched from the top of the steps of the Great Hall as Gandalf rode away with Pippin. Merry was so sad that his friend was gone. Buffy wondered if that's what her friends had felt when they found out she was gone. Obviously they hadn't thought she was dead. Willow had done spells to find her. At least, that's what Gandalf had said.

Aragorn walked up the stairs. "You look troubled."

"I do?" Buffy looked over at him as he came to stand next to her.

"You don't have to return."

"What?"

"After this war is over, you don't have to return to where you came from. You seem to belong here. You became quite comfortable quickly in the first few days here. And it was not just our friend Legolas."

"You want me to stay too."

"I cannot deny that. You've become somewhat of a sister to me."

Buffy sighed and looked out of the beautiful horizon. "I love it here, but I can't stay."

"And what holds you to your world?"

"My duty. My calling."

"Forgive me, but I seem to remember you telling me about a spell that created more like you. You are not the only one anymore."

"But see, I created them, so they're my responsibility. I have to train them and guide them. I'm their teacher. I can't just abandon them. And then there's my sister to think about."

"How old is she?"

"She'll be twenty soon. And I know where you're going with this, but you're wrong. It's different where I come from. She's just starting out. She hasn't finished school yet and she needs me."

"And what of Legolas? What of the family you've built here over the past months?" Buffy was silent. "If you don't fully believe in the thrall this world holds over you, then why do you not leave it? Willow has the power to take you back."

"I'm part of this now. I can't leave until it's finished."

Aragorn stared hard into her eyes. "But you said this isn't where you belong. Why do you care so much about the ending of it?" Before she could answer, he turned and walked inside the Hall.

Buffy hadn't realized it before, but he was right about the sister thing. He was pushing her buttons like only an older brother could. Unfortunately he was right about the rest of it too. She just didn't have the guts to admit it. But it was more complicated than that. She had friends, a sister, Slayers to take care of. They needed her, didn't they?

A few days later, Buffy stood with Legolas and Willow in the Great Hall when Aragorn ran in. "The Beacons of Minas Tirith! The beacons are lit! Gondor calls for aid."

"And Rohan will answer." Theoden said. "Master the Rohirim."

A few hours passed and the Slayer was back in her fighting dress and arming herself. "Buffy….." Willow started.

"Will, this is the big one. It's too dangerous."

"But my magick….."

"Won't even come close to being enough. Not this time."

"And where will I go? I won't stay here."

"You can go to the encampment, but that's where you get off this little wagon to war. I can't risk you. Somebody has to make it back home to let the others know….."

"Don't. Don't say you're going to die. Not here."

"Didn't say I was going to die. You know the way home. If you died, I'd be….." Buffy paused and looked away. "I'd be stuck here."

"Would it be that bad?"

Buffy's eyes snapped back to Willow. "What?"

"You're barely there back home. No one hears from you unless we call you. And now you've got Legolas….."

"That's none of your business." Buffy hefted her sword and glared at Willow. "And don't talk to me about not being there. How many times do any of you actually call me? We've all got our own lives to live."

Legolas walked in. "It's time to go."

Buffy nodded at him and then turned to Willow, sheathing her sword. "I'll deal with my life and you deal with yours." She turned and walked out with Legolas. A few minutes later, they were riding out of Edoras.

The encampment was larger than Buffy had imagined it would be. Not even the Renaissance Fair had been like this. Of course, there were no evil warlocks, witches, banshees, or guys made of dirt here that she knew of. Just guys covered in dirt ogeling the blonde warrior girl as she passed. The king's people made their way up the mountainside to a smaller, separate encampment.

A knight led Buffy to her huge tent. It wasn't her caza in Italy, but at least she had a nice bed instead of a few blankets on the ground like all the other times she'd camped out. Eowyn walked in behind the Slayer. "Oh, hi."

Eowyn smiled. "King Theoden wanted to find a way to thank you, but….."

"Thank me for what?"

"For helping his men in battle and being honest with him when everyone else bit their tongues."

"Oh. He could've just said thank you."

"He wanted you to have a tent as comfortable as circumstances would allow."

"It was nice of him." Buffy smiled. "Oh, and thank you too…. You know, for helping me out with my hair and clothes."

"It was my pleasure. After all, you are a heroine of great magnitude. It was the least I could do."

"Thanks." Buffy sighed and looked around. "Hey, you wouldn't happen to know where Willow is, would you?"

"She is staying in my tent."

"Good. She'll enjoy the company while I'm gone."

Eowyn nodded and left. Buffy thought about taking off the long, hooded cloak, but decided the air was too chilly for that.

There was a commotion outside and the Slayer walked out to investigate. A horse at the back of the encampment was freaking out and his rider was trying to get control of him. She spotted Legolas and Gimli walking by the horses and went to catch up.

"The horses are restless and the men are quiet." Legolas said.

"They grow nervous in the shadow of the mountain." Eomer said.

"That road there," Gimli asked. "Where does that lead?"

"It is the road to the Dimholt, the door under the mountain." Legolas said.

"None who venture there ever return." Eomer said. "That mountain is evil." He walked away.

"Doesn't look too evil." Buffy said. "Looks like a regular old creepy mountain pass to me."

Legolas smiled at her. "Shall we take a walk?"

"In there?"

"No."

"Ok. Good."

Gimli walked away to find Aragorn while Buffy and Legolas walked around the encampment. Eventually they made it back to her tent and she invited him in. They sat down on the chairs that were in the tent and looked at each other.

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened at Edoras?" Legolas asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Between you and Willow. You looked angry…. And you were holding a sword in her direction…."

"Oh, she was just throwing some stupid stuff at me. It's water under the bridge and over the dam…. Or however that saying goes."

"I don't mean to pry, but….."

"But you just have to know. Did any one ever tell you that curiosity killed the cat?"

"No. Forgive me. I am sorry, I did not mean to make you angry."

"You didn't. And I was joking." Buffy sighed and rubbed her temples for a second. "Willow was angry that I won't let her go to Minas Tirith and help us. She threw something in my face that really upset me."

"What was it?"

"You. Us."

Legolas started to get up. "I do not want to cause friction between friends."

Buffy stopped him. "You're not. Really, you're not. Friction was already there, we were just ignoring it. She was just looking at excuses to make me feel guilty about not going back with her. She really has a knack for picking sensitive subjects to fire away at."

"You're not going back?"

Buffy sighed sadly. Of course not! I love you and I'm staying with you forever. Is what Buffy was dying to say, but instead she said, "I have to. I have responsibilities back there that I wish I could ignore, but I can't. I started something that I need to….." She shook her head. "No, you know what, let's not talk about that. We'll deal with it when it's time." She stood and slid onto Legolas's lap, laying her head on his shoulder and breathing in his scent. "Let's just enjoy the time we have right now." He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead, neither wanting the moment to end.