Journey's End
Pairings: There are book pairings.
Events: This fiction is one that follows the path of Rohan through the end of the War of the Ring. Beyond the end of the story, there are chapters concerning the first few years of the Fourth Age, after the passing of the Ringbearers into the West.
Disclaimer: J.R.R. Tolkien owns 'The Lord of the Rings' book series. Joss Whedon controls the world of Buffy. Peter Jackson and company own "The Lord of the Rings' films. We only own a part of the plot.
Summary: Buffy is summoned to fulfill an oath before she can rest in peace.
Chapter Summary: Buffy meets two creatures smaller than she is… not to mention she gets to talk to trees.
Chapter Warning: This is a chapter that is a mix between my own imagination, the film and the book. I have read the book far too many times to not use what you will read ahead. As for the film, it just draws the images for me.
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Chapter 10
A Tale of Two Hobbits
By Alyson Kay
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When dawn came, it was less pleasant than the beautiful dawn they had seen yesterday. It was very foggy and Buffy couldn't see her hand (or, in any case, a Rider, horse or pack) until she was stumbling over it.
Night had brought with it one final surprise; the river had suddenly come to life. In the middle of the night, Buffy had been staring dully into nothing when a great roar came and she'd gasped and scrambled up the banks, much to the amusement of the men, who gazed at her fondly; a sort of entertainment in such a dark hour.
Bending down, she washed her arms and face in the cold waters and smiled at her foggy reflection. She had healed from her battle wounds for the most part, except that her cheek was still cut and she touched it with a damp finger. It would heal in time, she decided as she rose. The best part was, she still looked good despite the fact she'd just been through a major battle less than twenty four hours before.
The riders set out slowly. Buffy rode with Gandalf at the front of the column, taking in the bleary sights around them. While the river had returned and gurgled happily as ever, the scenes before them opened another depressing encore. Twisted shards of what had once been part of the forest now rested in what Gandalf had called a pretty section of the Fords.
Buffy scoffed at this and stared at the desolate scene, trying desperately not to sigh. Oh, well. She could imagine it a pretty sight, but face the darkness and gloom as the others that rode behind were.
Gandalf quietly explained their surroundings in a fashion only Gandalf could do. "This was once a stunning arena for Saruman, and there were at one time orchards and many green things. In the latter years of the Wizard, all has fallen ill, as you can see."
She saw every depressing inch of it. "I see it," she muttered, staring distractedly at the twisted ruins of what had once been the edge of the forest. "Looks like one of those zoning projects from where I come from."
"There are houses along there," Gandalf continued, pointing at the walls. "There dwelled all of the workers, servants, warriors and slaves. There are tunnels in the mountains, and many run under the Ring of Isengard. There Saruman has kept his treasures and his mill."
Buffy could see this, sort of. There was an underground mine, maybe. By mill, she automatically assumed a paper one, yet why would a dark Wizard have need for that? She turned and asked him, "What was the mill for?"
"To create and breed his own army," Gandalf replied in his heavy tone. "There he put forth the flames of industry, cutting down the forest to serve his own self-seeking desires. He created weapons. You know them. You fought them. Of his army, he bred goblins and the Orc to create the Uruk-hai, which you have also fought."
"Yeah," Buffy replied. "You don't forget them easily."
"And in the mists, in the center of the Circle, where all the roads lead, is one tower, Orthanc. A peak and isle of rock it was, this citadel. Yet it carries two meanings, for in Elvish-speech, it is known as 'Mount Fang' and in the language in the Mark of old, the 'cunning mind'."
Buffy saw the base of the tower in the distance through all of the thick fog, yet her eyes had fallen on a pillar standing before them. It was a white hand. Éomer and Éowyn had both spoken of this white hand. The hand no longer appeared to be white, but red, as though stained with blood. Shivering slightly, Buffy followed Gandalf past the pillar.
They were riding through water now, their horses splashing through what appeared to be a flood. The water filled the hollows and trickled down the stones.
Gandalf paused then, and Buffy drew Sador to a halt. He was beckoning them forward now, as most of the faces staring back at them were apprehensive, especially those of the Riders. Buffy offered them a small smile, one which not one of them returned. Beyond the mists a pale sun shone, and it had finally come to noon. Buffy was eagerly willing to trot forward to the gates, but Gandalf held her back. As one party, they approached, and found something else they didn't expect.
The doors were lying hurled and broken on the ground. And all about, stone was cracked and splintered into countless, scattered shards. Large piles were heaped ruinously. The great arch over the doorway still stood, but it looked as though the walls and towers around it had been ripped and beaten. It looked as though some great storm had blown through and swept everything aside.
The ring beyond was filled with water, in which there floated a wreckage of beams, spars and other broken gear. Splintered towers reared leaning stems above the flood, but the road around them was underwater. Far off in the distance, the only island amidst all of the flooding was the tower, dark and tall, a haven above the disastrous waste laid in the waters below.
The King and all of his company sat silent on their horses, staring at the waste around them in wonder, perceiving that the power of Saruman had been at last overthrown. Now they turned their eyes towards the archway and the broken gates. There they saw, among other bits of debris, plates, bottles and bowls. There were two figures lying on top of a stack of broken rock, one was soundly asleep and the other was on his back, resting, blowing small circles of bright blue smoke towards the misty sky.
For a moment, not one of them moved. But Buffy swore she saw Gandalf's beard twitch with silent mirth. The figure blowing through his pipe suddenly became aware of those staring at him and leapt to his feet, tottering precariously on the rubble he stood on. He didn't seem to see any of his friends, but saw King Théoden and Éomer instead. To them, he spoke.
"Welcome, my lords, to Isengard!" he said, making a grand gesture to the ruin that lay beyond his arm. "We are the door-wardens! Meriadoc is my name, and this is Peregrin of the house of Took."
"What?" Buffy laughed in disbelief. This short figure was bobbing on the rocks and talking with a pipe sticking out of his mouth. She couldn't help but laugh; the guy reminded her of Dawn, of all people! Even though, she reminded herself with a wrinkling of her nose, Dawn didn't smoke a pipe. Or smoke anything else, for that matter.
"The Lord Saruman is within," Meriadoc continued cheerfully. "He is unavailable at the moment or doubtless he would be here to welcome such guests!"
"Doubtless he would!" Gandalf laughed. "And is it on Saruman's orders that you guard his damaged doors?"
"No, my lord!" said Meriadoc in that same grand, gusto tone. "Our orders come from Treebeard, who has taken over the management of Isengard! He commanded us to welcome the Lord of Rohan with fitting words. I have done my best."
"You rascals!" Gimli spluttered behind Legolas, looking downright outraged. "A fine hunt you've led us on! Two hundred leagues we've traveled to rescue you! And here we find you feasting and idling and… smoking? Smoking! Where did you come by the weed? Ai, I am so torn between rage and joy that if I do not burst it will be a marvel!"
"You speak for me, as well, Gimli," Legolas replied, also laughing. "Though I would rather sooner learn how they came by the wine."
"There's wine?" Buffy asked from behind Gandalf in her undertone.
"There is one thing you have not found in your hunting, and that's brighter wits," said Peregrin, opening one eye. "You have found us sitting on a field of victory and enjoying a few well-earned comforts."
"Well-earned?" Gilmi scoffed. "I cannot believe that!"
The King laughed, and with him the Riders. Buffy was so torn between awe and amazement that she just let her mouth dangle open a few moments before closing it, her cheeks turning slightly pink.
"So, these are the lost ones of your company, Gandalf?" Théoden inquired, gazing at both Meriadoc and Peregrin now, as they continued to puff on their pipes and gaze earnestly at the strangers.
"Hobbits, if you please," Peregrin replied, bowing again.
This led to an explanation of what Hobbits were and why no one had any clear stories from them. Buffy found herself even more confused than by Galadriel's tale of events. These were Merry and Pippin quite obviously.
"You do not know your danger, Théoden," Gandalf interrupted them gently. "These hobbits will sit on the edge of ruin and discuss such things in great detail if you encourage them with patience. Some other time will be fit for this. Merry, where is Treebeard?"
"Treebeard went away on the north side, I believe," Merry replied. "Ents are with him, still busy at their work." He pointed to a spot in the distance, and even there they could hear a distant rumbling and rattling.
"It is past noon," said Gandalf, "and we have not eaten since early morning. Yet I wish to see Treebeard as soon as I may. Did he leave me no message?"
"He left a message," Merry replied, "but I was distracted by the other questions. I was coming to it. I was to say that if the Lord of the Mark and Gandalf will ride to the northern wall, they will find Treebeard there and he will welcome them."
"Well, Théoden, will you ride with me to find Treebeard?" Gandalf asked, turning his head to gaze at the King. "We must go around, but it is not far."
"I will come with you," said Théoden.
"I may add that you will find food of the best there," Pippin replied with another bow, teetering on his own stack of rubble. "It was discovered and selected by your humble servants!"
"Great," Buffy muttered under her breath. She had finally caught the attention of both Hobbits and they gazed at her questioningly, until Gandalf called her forward.
"Let us go and meet with Treebeard, as you have seen him once before, fifteen nights hence," Gandalf said quietly to her, as Théoden was talking to the hobbits.
"May we meet again in my house," Théoden said to them. "There you shall sit beside me and tell me all the tales your hearts desire. Until we merry meet, farewell!"
Gandalf and the King's company rode away then, but Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli chose to remain behind. The others set off across the gates and towards the north, taking the long route outside the walls. They could all see the holes that had been punched through and the tunnels that had once been beneath them were little more than streaming rivers of black filth and debris.
When they reached the northern wall at last, they rode through a gap that had been broken through and arrived at last before the tallest of the walking trees, the one she had seen before. There were many others, slowly pulling apart the towers and the wall of rock.
"Hi," Buffy said with a nervous chuckle as she rode up on Gandalf's left side. Théoden rode up to the King's right. The rest of the men, Éomer included, gathered behind them in a semi-circle.
"Gandalf the White!" Treebeard called in his slow, deep voice. "You have brought with you the Lord of Rohan and… bless my bark… the Slayer has returned!" As he said this, many pairs of eyes turned to look at her, wondering how this great Ent knew of this woman who'd just happened to fall in league with them a mere week before.
Buffy gave him a brief half-smile, but noticed his yellow eyes were on the battle axe she held readily in her hand. Quickly clearing her throat, she placed the axe out of sight.
"We have come a long way, Treebeard, and these men are hungry. We will sit and rest while we discuss what we must."
Buffy secretly liked Gandalf's plan, and soon there were twenty-two horses set out beyond the far wall to scrounge for grass that had to exist somewhere. Treebeard led them to a small shack, which had once been a storeroom for Saruman's private armaments. Beautiful axes and shields hung from the walls and Buffy let out a moan of longing as she reached out to grasp one shining arrow…
"Touch not," Gandalf said, pushing her hand aside. "They will bring you poison and death far faster than an Orc-blade would carry."
Sniffling a little bit at being deceived by such pretty things, Buffy set her hand aside with a sigh. Once inside a larger room, they saw a table that sat under the pale sunlight laden with dishes and platters. Buffy sat down and grasped her plate hungrily, gazing from bowl to bowl.
Once everyone had dished themselves up, the Ents towered in the circle of light above them, the conversation became light and hearty. Buffy hadn't had this much fun eating around a large group of men ever and found herself enjoying the company of the King, who spoke to her often and asked her questions of her life at home.
"What is the land like where you come from?" He asked, lifting a goblet of water to his lips.
"Oh," Buffy said, waving her fork impatiently, "it was very… brown. I lived in a sort of desert-like area where it was always sunny, it never rained, and the air was so full of chemicals that it was dangerous to breathe it. You know, it was home!"
"What sort of work did women do?" another one of the men asked, openly curious. "I hardly imagine they were allowed to grasp weaponry and fight in battles of men."
"I think this sort of warfare went dead with the invention of the tank," Buffy replied truthfully. "About a million years from now, you're finally going to look down from wherever you go after you die and smile at the fact that you're no longer defending a fort from an evil band of thugs. You're hurling bombs at them… it's a lot more fire and a lot less personal."
"War in your time must be terrible," the man replied sympathetically.
"It was," Buffy admitted. "Hundreds of thousands of people died because they were fighting for something they believed in. I always thought war was stupid and pointless and people only go to war because they want to die. I think that now after being here and being through your battle… things change for the better, you know? Where I come from, there are great powers that have a lot of weapons and technology to do a lot of damage, even destroy the world and nothing has the power to stop it, except more bombs, more weapons and more technology. There's something worth fighting for here, and it isn't just a lack of human-induced pollution."
She glanced down at her hands to see the small cuts and scrapes that remained from her fight the day before. "I fight because I was chosen to. You fight because you have to. It really isn't all that different." She paused. "As for what women do in my world, they can do exactly what men do. They can go to war, they can wrestle and play professional sports, although I certainly wouldn't recommend some of them… hell, they can even run and hold political offices. History has evolved, trust me. We're no longer the sit-by-the-hearth-and-knit-tea-cozies kind of women anymore. We're enlightened and we know how to hold our own."
She felt a shadow pass her eyes and glanced up to see the Ents staring curiously down at her.
"Oh, and we know how to take care of our trees and plants," she assured them. "Even with all of the smog and stuff, we have gardens and conservatories and everything."
The King glanced at her, his brow furrowing. "I wonder what will become of this world, if it will ever evolve to the point where peace exists and there is no more war and no more despair."
"I wish I could tell you," Buffy said honestly. "I wish I could say that everyone lives happily ever after and when people go to war, they come home unscathed and unchanged. I'm not going to lie to you. Who knows what's going to happen? The Elves have this gift of foresight, which is both a blessing and a curse."
"The Valar who created Arda do not even know what is to come," Gandalf agreed. "What we have now is to decide what to do with the time given to us. We do not have much of it left, considering this great war is about to begin, and the allies of men lie scattered."
"The old alliances are dead," Théoden said darkly. "We are not so lucky in our alliances as you have been."
"You know what?" Buffy asked, glancing up from where she was pushing a bit of ham around on her plate. "Does it really matter if you fight alone? Does it really matter you face such great odds? I have been fighting alone since the beginning and I can tell you that even alone you can do a lot of damage. So when you say you have no alliances, look around you. These men are loyal to you and will follow you to death if they have to. You are fighting for something here, remember that. Or else every single person I saw die… I watched them die… would have died in vain. War is stupid enough without adding thousands of pointless deaths." She looked away, stabbing down at her ham with her knife.
Éomer was staring hard at her. "You seem to know a little about death," he said quietly.
She nodded. "Been there, done that," she added moodily. "It really isn't uncommon for someone like me to die in my world and be brought back only to face the next worst thing."
"You have spoken of your own battles and your own war," he continued, his eyebrows lifting in curiosity. "For some reason, I cannot see you wielding great technologies that can kill many at once."
"You're right," she said. "I don't use the big things. I like the sharp, pointy things. Those are what I'm good at."
"You have proven to be adept at such weaponry," Éomer replied, giving her a rare show of respect. "It would be a shame to see such talents go to waste."
"That's why I'm on your side," she reminded him, pushing her plate aside. "Not your side specifically but it's part of the reason why I'm here." She reached for her goblet before she completely babbled herself out, but she knew that the others were still looking at her rather curiously. Considering that they'd spent most of their luncheon asking her questions about where she'd come from and what she did, their speech turned back to their mission.
Realizing that it was a bit out of her league, she rose and went outside, dropping down on one of the drier rocks and tipping her face to the weak sunlight above her, glistening over the black waters. It wasn't very warm, but the light was comforting nonetheless.
They were vulnerable, no matter how many battles they won, she decided. Buffy remembered what Andrew had said only a few months ago. It's a story of ultimate triumph tainted with the bitterness for what's been lost in the struggle. Struggles she had endured, triumph she had had. And now, none of it seemed to matter. This world was headed for a serious fall, and Buffy had just survived the first hurdle.
Yet she knew one thing was clear: she still didn't want to die. She was willing to live until she was twenty-four, and then the year after that and so on. She had much she wanted to do. See this world, for one. They had demons and everything; all she had to do was look. She had to fulfill this 'request' first, however, and she was willing to see it through to the end. She just wondered how many more battles there would be before the end came. How many people were going to die that she knew and had become entangled with? Her life was basically in their hands, considering her small victory at Helm's Deep wouldn't have happened without the support of the troops she'd managed to get through the battle. She had been a General for many years as the only Slayer. Even when the others prepared for the final showdown battle with the First, she'd been the Alpha woman.
Oh, how her role had changed. She was surrounded by men who fought wars for survival. She was surrounded by an Elf that was rather amusing to watch. The dwarf was just plain hilarious and she found him to be a kindred soul; spontaneous, robust and determined. And then there was Gandalf, a Wizard that seemed to trust Buffy more than she trusted herself at times. Sure, she was getting used to this world. But she didn't know where anything was. She didn't know who anyone was. If she saw Saruman, she doubted she would know who he was. She'd be the perfect guard dog, she thought wryly as she slipped her arms behind her head, grinning at the light above her.
Gandalf trusted her, though. He'd seen a part of her life. She was the champion the Powers had chosen to actually wing this world out. She was strong enough to do it, of course, but that didn't mean she was invulnerable. She was still a Slayer, a mere mortal and a human being. And, she decided as she watched the men emerge from the room, deep in conversation; she was still surrounded by far too many men. She wished that Éowyn was with them, because Éowyn was the only woman Buffy could trust out here. She'd seen some of the other Rohirric women. She almost laughed at the thought of them at Helm's Deep fighting off the Uruk-hai.
A shadow passed over her face and she turned away from it, opening one eye. The men were now breaking apart and taking in the dreadful landscape. Standing over her was Éomer, his gaze towards the horizon.
"Would you mind?" she asked, lifting her hand to shield her eyes as she stared at the male towering over her, not paying the least bit of attention to the woman on the ground.
"It would depend on what I should be minding," he replied, glancing down, surprised to see her lying there.
"I'm not invisible, you know," Buffy said coolly as she propped herself up on her elbows. "Some of us women do value sunlight instead of hours cooped up the fires."
"I see you took offense to that," Éomer said, taking a step back to allow the sunlight to fall back across her fair features.
"No kidding," Buffy said, her tone cool. "See, where I come from, women have a lot of power. They're not weak and they're sure as hell not knitting anything. My grandmother never knit anything."
"I apologize," he said. She stopped mid-rant and glanced at him, this time her gaze was befuddled.
"Wow," she said under her breath. "Never knew you had it in you."
"Not all of us men are full of arrogance and ignorance," Éomer replied. "You forget I have a sister."
"I have one, too," Buffy said, smiling fondly. "Her name is Dawn."
"You have never spoken of your sister," Éomer said quietly.
"That one hobbit reminds me of her," Buffy said, smiling fondly. "You know, addled in the brains but big on heart? That's my Dawnie. She always got into trouble. There are so many baby skeletons in my closet I could tell you about besides her." Her gaze turned sad again and she looked away.
"Did she survive your final battle?" he asked.
"I saw her," Buffy replied, seeing with eyes that looked upon a bus speeding away ahead of a disaster. "She was riding with others I knew to safety. I'm sure she's alive. I feel it. But she's gonna have it tough. She's lost her whole family now."
"Will you not see her again?" Éomer asked.
"No," Buffy said, sitting up and wrapping her arms around her legs. "It's one of those things, you know? You live, you fight, you die, and you just know everything else is all right. I asked the Powers to watch over her. I didn't see it being settled with logic, so I settled for yet another Buffy-death of mayhem, despair and agony. Did I mention how much dying hurts?"
"I have seen many things of wonder as of late," he said, casting a glance at the trees still in talks with Gandalf and his Uncle. "But to see a woman walk again after death…"
"Yeah, I'm pretty spry for a corpse," Buffy said, stretching slightly. She looked at him then, really looked at him. "You have a sister, too."
"You two have been acquainted, that much I saw before my imprisonment," Éomer replied darkly.
"I like her," Buffy said with a smile. "She reminds me of me, sort of. After all, I'm just a kind of supergirl chosen to fight demons and save the world. She's more like the supergirl who leads her friends to safety kind of girl."
"Éowyn has taken a liking to you as well," Éomer replied, his eyes narrowing as he studied her face. When she glanced at him in full, her hazel eyes were full of sheepish innocence, while her smile denied the truth of the pain underneath. "Although why she has, I cannot begin to fathom."
Her response was to take a handful of pebbles at her side and throw them at the arm of his armor. He glanced down at his armor and then glared up at her, feeling his anger subside as she laughed, her bright eyes glistening. When she smiled this way, he saw what she truly was: a warrior alone standing before many foes. A wind blew her hair from her shoulders then and her eyes blinked as she gazed at him.
"You're okay," she said, patting his shoulder. Rising, she stretched and glanced around. He rose behind her, and at his motion, the other nineteen stood, looking around in some confusion. "It's okay. You don't have to stand up on my account… the guy over there with the crown on his head gets that. I'm just a messenger or a passenger or… something."
"A messenger you may call yourself, but a fighter is what I see," Éomer replied.
"Oh, so you see a fighter now?" she asked, her eyebrows lifting in surprise. "And here I thought you saw someone who actually enjoying knitting."
"Have you heard what the others have spoken of you?" Éomer asked quietly.
"So I know how to fire a few flame-y arrows and I can point the sharp end of the sword into a bad guy," Buffy said, crossing her arms. "A lot of people can do it."
"A lot of people do not have the capacity to lead a group of distrustful men safely through a battle without killing a great many off," Éomer replied. "I have misjudged you and your strength, for it seems are rather tough."
"Of course I'm tough," Buffy sighed. "I've only been doing this, what, eight years now? If I wasn't strong, I'd have stayed dead."
"You will get your chance again before the end comes," Éomer said. "You will have your strength tested, as many of us already have had. You will have your leadership questioned, as all of us have had. And before the end you will be needed, so it is with great fortune you have come to us now."
She looked at him, astounded. "You just have to keep surprising me, don't you?" she asked.
"This has nothing to do with surprises," he replied.
"You say that now," she added, stretching her arms over her head, her armor clanking around her. Spying Treebeard with both Théoden and Gandalf in the distance, she turned her attention towards the black Tower of Orthanc in the distance. "What do you suppose is actually there?" she asked, pointing to the Tower.
"Saruman, for one," Éomer growled. "Many have also spoken of Gríma's presence in his witch-lord as well."
"Wormtongue?" Buffy asked, freezing as she placed her arms back at her sides. "Oh, the next time I see him, that pathetic little snake-man is dead."
"I can see why my men would have a reason to fear you," Éomer said.
"I hope that was just supposed to be sarcasm," Buffy replied. "I would hate to have to kick your ass."
"It was meant to be sincere," he replied, frowning. "I can see it was not taken as such."
"It was taken as such by me to be sarcasm," Buffy said, feeling her words jumble before shaking her head impatiently. "Oh, the stories I could tell… you'd be old and grey by the time I got through them all."
"Perhaps when the war is over and all of the darkness is gone, you will tell me all of these… stories?" he asked lightly as he started moving downwards, extending his hand towards her. "You have become a good acquaintance, Merilin."
"Thanks," she replied, taking his hand as she hopped down from her position. "And please, call me Buffy. That's what I was named in my own world. It's what I'm used to."
He tried the name. "Buff-ee," he said slowly. "I suppose it is quite better than Merilin, a name that the Elf-kind might give to you."
"The Lady of the Golden Wood gave it to me," Buffy said with a maddening smile. "You know, the one you didn't like and still don't?"
"I may have to alter my opinion on such things," he replied, straightening since both Gandalf and Théoden were drawing nearer.
"Merilin," Gandalf said when they had arrived. "We have much to discuss. Come!"
Leaving the King and his men behind, Buffy walked with Gandalf for some distance before he turned back to her. "I know that you have the strength to do as I had hoped you would, and for this I am most grateful. I have called for others to come, but many may not. There are those who can hear your wishes in the deep, and some of those have been answered. There are Rangers from the North riding with the sons of Elrond. They will come upon us in two days hence. I have spoken with Treebeard, and Théoden has concurred. The Ents and the forest will do what they will on this side of the border. The Rohirrim will ride to the aid of Gondor for even at this hour their need is the most great.
"The King of Gondor rides with us; this is Aragorn. In his place is the Steward, a care-taker for the throne. This war has already claimed his heir and first-born. I will not allow this war to claim his second. The Steward, the lord Denethor, does not have the strength to repel the numbers I fear Mordor will send. Rohan must ride and aid. I have sent for others, and many are on their way to Edoras and then Dunharrow now. I trust that Éowyn remains in Dunharrow with all of her people. Tonight we will ride for Helm's Deep and tomorrow we will continue towards Dunharrow and then ride to Gondor and war.
"I must ask that you remain with Théoden, since it is in his trust that you will surely be of best use. I could use you in Minas Tirith, the city of Kings of Gondor, but with Rohan does your loyalty lie. I will not deceive you. I know the conditions of this oath you have taken, and this battle may surely end all hopes of escaping with your life. Do not grow weary, for these men need your counsel more than ever. They have seen you fight and in your courage, they will place your faith. If the company should split, I must ask that you remain with the King, although I know that this is where your promise lies. I have seen your friendship with the King's men grow, and they trust you. You have never given them any reason to doubt this.
"I must complete one last task before we leave Isengard and it is not one I look to wholly. I must speak with Saruman, and you will see for the first time your enemy, your first enemy. He is likened to the hell-god you defeated on Earth, and you will see that he will deceive you as she had. I would ask you to go with me if I knew your strength would be unchallenged."
"I had Evil telling me what to do, but I didn't listen to it then," Buffy said with a small smile. "But this isn't the time for me to go around ignoring people. I'll stay behind and watch over the Riders. You can never leave a man to do a lady's work, or so my Mom used to say."
"Your speech is most beguiling, young Dagnir," Gandalf said, blinking at her. "Yet, you are wiser than I thought perhaps beyond your years."
"I've been dead before, Gandalf," she said. "Death is what Slayers dream about. I can't fear it anymore. I've died too many damned times as it is. If this war is to come, I'll go into battle tonight with this sword and the pointy axe and be perfectly content to see the end of the world come and go."
He saw the longing in her eyes then. "I don't want to die," she said quietly. "I'm not ready for it yet. Maybe someday, when I'm old and grey and tired of living in a world like this… maybe then I'll want to dream it again. But not today."
He gazed into her eyes a moment longer before clasping her shoulder. "Let us go and ride to Orthanc. It would be better if you did not accompany us to visit Saruman, as Gríma Wormtongue also dwells here."
"I may have misjudged that then," she said with a snarl, her fists clenching at her sides. "He's a no-good, rotten piece of—"
"Nonetheless, you have made the wise decision to remain behind," Gandalf told her gently. "Come, let us get our horses. We will speak with Saruman, and then we shall be on our way."
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In the next part, Saruman and Gandalf's final confrontation begins at Orthanc. I will more than likely post the next section after that, and it deals with the seeing stones and the return to Helm's Deep.
After many, many months of deliberation, I believe I am finally happy with how this fiction has turned out. Of course, not every chapter will be action-packed, but after writing the scenes for Pelennor, I was really happy at the way they turned out. An action writer, I am not. I have never been one to write more than prose or romance, but I have been learning action throughout my journey in the wonderful world of the crossover. I know this chapter has slightly slowed down the story, but there is little I could do. There needed to be some more character development. Buffy needs to come into her own, and she needs to get in league with these men who have heard stories yet still do not have the essential trust. It is also a little reprieve from the story in the books, so it did come out of nowhere.
I will update I Capture the Sun by Friday, and have also updated my one-timer tonight with another part, considering I have been fretting about it for so long that I decided to just do it. It has become a series, much to my horror. I have another story I am ready to start posting as well, and may by Friday. I might hold off until next week, though. I am still in my home-state, spending time with my brother and his girlfriend. And, considering my last few weeks have been rather jumbled lately, I was finally able to spend about three hours watching a part of the Return of the King Extended version tonight. I was also able to see a viewing of The Aviator at the brand new theatre in this tiny town!
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