The woods were dark, and even with his eyesight Legolas found that the gloom hindered his view. The ancient trees groaned as they moved in the wind, and strange birds called out from the mists. Legolas, as an elf, had grown and lived among trees for over a millennia, but these particular woods...
"This forest is old", he whispered to himself and the spirits that were listening. "Very old."
He could feel it. Their anger, their memories, all of it coursing through his blood and through his mind. He could feel this forest, and he could understand it's words.
"Aragorn, this forest is angry", he called up ahead.
Aragorn looked back swiftly, and signaled to Gimli.
"Lower your axe", he instructed.
The dwarf followed these instructions uncertainly, but gripped the handle firmly in his pudgy fist.
He did not trust such a place where the sun could not shine down on him, or where strange noises and voices followed him. No, he did not trust this place at all.
Legolas peered around them anxiously, looking for something, anything unusual... He felt his breath catch as he noticed a faint glimmer of light up ahead. Fear and anger gripped him. Saruman.
"Legolas?", asked Aragorn quietly.
"The white wizard approaches...", Legolas snarled.
Aragorn sighed, and turned to them briefly.
"Do not let him speak", he ordered, "He will put a spell on us".
Legolas pulled his bow, and fingered the feather on his arrow impatiently. They must move quietly and quickly, as shadows. His silent feet gliding soundlessly on the leave covered ground, Legolas held his breath. They were almost there.
A blinding beam of light, and his arrow flew. Quickly and easily, the wizard deflected it with his staff. One of Gimli's throwing axes shattered on contact, and Aragorn's sword burned the flesh on his palm.
"You are tracing the steps of two young hobbits", the deep voice boomed out to them. "They came this way, the day before yesterday. They met someone they, did not expect..."
Legolas was blinded. What good were his elvish eyes when this brilliant light drowned them within it? It was Aragorn who found his voice.
"Who are you? Show yourself!"
The light faded slowly, and Legolas still could utter no word.
"It can not be", Aragorn whispered to the wind.
Legolas and Gimli fell to their knees, as Gandalf the White looked down at them, smiling.
"I have been sent back", Gandalf finished, "Until my task is done".
Once more assembled together, Gandalf had told them everything. Not a single detail forgotten,
the wizard had fully recounted to them his death and rebirth. The sun had almost set and even Legolas could not see the golden sphere. The smell of the wind, the feel of the leaves in his fingers, all these things told him dusk was not far away.
He made his way closer to where Gandalf, Aragorn and Gimli still stood assembled,
listening to Mithrandir's tale. Aragorn stood in rapt attention as Gandalf described once more his battle with the Balrog, but Gimli looked over as Legolas called out to them.
"Gandalf, the sun is almost set. These woods will be crawling with orcs once the dark has fallen."
Gandalf and Aragorn looked at each other, and Aragorn turned away. Gandalf stood silently for a moment, before turning back to the elf. He smiled kindly at him, and walked over to the prince. Patting him squarely on the shoulder, Gandalf spoke to him.
"You are absolutely right, Legolas", Gandalf announced. " It would not be wise to simply wait for the orcs to trap us here."
"What do you suggest wizard?", Gimli pressed, impatient.
Aragorn, who still stood facing the west, called back to them.
"We move on to Rohan."
Gandalf smiled, and nodded feverishly. He stepped up to Aragorn, and the two began moving out of the forest. Sighing, Legolas followed. He was tired of feeling so unimportant. Did neither Aragorn or the wizard think he counted for anything? Did his voice not matter? Was his advice so unsought?
But Legolas was wise, and old past counting. Well, to a mortal perhaps. But the elvish prince knew he was still inexperienced as compared to the ranger when it came to the art of war.
He shook his head of such childish thoughts. His moment would come.
"Rohan?", whined Gimli, a little too loudly perhaps. " The country of the Horse-Lords?"
"The very same", answered Gandalf.
"But, we ran into them today", Gimli exclaimed. " Ruddy biased lot. Didn't take to the elf too well."
Legolas looked down at Gimli in surprise. He did not think that the dwarf had noticed the particularly venomous looks that Eomer, the horse captain, had shot at him. Perhaps the little axe wielder knew more than he let on. Shaking his head, Legolas patted Gimli's back encouragingly.
" And yourself, my friend. I'm sure he would have cut off your head if it stood but a little higher from the ground", he laughed, quoting the earlier words.
Leaping away from Gimli's swinging fists, Legolas laughed merrily for the first time in weeks. Gandalf joined him, his ringing baritone laugh mixing with Legolas's rich tenor. Even Aragorn could not repress the smile that played upon his lips.
Eowyn shivered in the chilly night air, and hugged her fur cape closer to her thin shoulders. Her slippers clicked solemnly on the stone floors of the palace, and her long white gown swirled around her ankles. Walking slowly, Eowyn made her way over to the main doors. The heavy oak groaned loudly as she pushed the heavy slabs open. A cold breeze made her long, pale hair fly away from her face and Eowyn kept her head down.
Although the cold was bitter and bit her soft flesh through the airy fabric of her skirts,
Eowyn sighed happily in the fresh night air. The atmosphere in Meduseld, her uncle's castle,
was stifling, and she grew weary of looking at the same stone walls. She had lived there since she could remember. Her father, Eomund had been killed in battle, and her mother had shortly followed him. Little Eowyn, now orphaned along with brother Eomer, were sent away to live in the home of her paternal uncle. Théoden had always been kind, and generous to both her and her brother. Eomer had received his first horse at the tender age of eleven and Eowyn had been heaped with jewels and gowns. Even as a little child, Eowyn had not cared for the fineries and luxuries that came from being raised amongst royalty. As Eomer grew older and spent more and more time away, Eowyn had grown lonely and miserable.
Seeing his niece's depressed state, Théoden had given his blessing that she be instructed in swordplay and archery. Although women of Gondor or other neighboring countries had never even touched a weapon, the women of Rohan had learned long ago that those without swords could still die upon them.
Eowyn had quickly fallen in love with her lessons, and even Théoden could see how gifted she was with a blade. Although her brother far surpassed her in his riding skills, the captain had more than once been knocked to the ground by a quick parry or slash masterfully delivered by his sister. Eowyn had grown tough, her long, lean body developing muscle and stamina, and was frowned upon secretly by the ladies of court, who thought that no ounce of muscle should touch a woman's body. As she walked on along the edge of the huge balcony that ran along the front of the castle,
Eowyn's eyes flew out, taking in every moving tree, every guard on patrol. She was so restless. How she would have loved to join her brother in battle. But she was a woman, and although she was a Shield Maiden, she had never experienced the heat of battle. It just wasn't seemly.
Uncaring of the guards stunned expressions, Eowyn raised her skirts to her knees and tore down the stone steps two at time. Jumping two from the bottom, she flew out and landed gracefully, spinning and blocking an imaginary enemy's blow. Running across the dusty ground,
Eowyn's hair blew in the wind, flying out behind her and coming back to cover her eyes. She ran blindly, stopping only at the huge wooden gates that marked the entrance to the court yard. Taking in a deep breath of air, Eowyn let out her deadliest war-cry. As the air in her lungs emptied, she simply grew quiet, letting the bloodcurdling scream carry in the night winds.
"Gandalf! Gandalf is here.
"Open the doors."
"The doors!"
She flew back in surprise as guards suddenly rushed forward to open the immense gate. Quickly sprinting back into the shadows of some oak trees, Eowyn watched in wonder as three horses galloped past her, and up the road to where Meduseld awaited them.
Legolas felt his heart flutter in excitement and worry as his horse galloped past the immense wooden gates of Meduseld. The large castle loomed up ahead, imposing and eerie in the night. The moonlight shone down on the stone, and the wind blew the mighty flags into a frenzy.
A small collection of peasants stared incredulously at Legolas and his companions. The silence was so loud that even Legolas's sensitive ears heard only the wind and the rustle of leaves. Deep eyes and small faces looked up at him, gazes of curiosity and complete distrust.
"You'd find more cheer in a grave yard", Gimli grumbled under his breath.
Since the proud dwarf's legs would not be long enough to grip the saddle of his own horse, he rode double with Legolas, gripping tightly to the elf's strong back. Although Legolas knew Gimli, would never admit it, he knew the dwarf was terrified of riding alone.
As they galloped by, taking the road that led up to the castle, Legolas caught a shadow in the corner of his eye. A white form went running behind some trees, leaving no sign that it had ever even been there. Legolas shook his head, and gazed straight ahead.
Eowyn ran silently. Her slippers had made too much noise, rasping against the dirt and the plants. Although she was trained to fight and flee while making no sound, doing so was much harder whilst wearing the satiny shoes the palace women wore. Taking both shoes in her hand, Eowyn continued to run barefoot. Keeping to the shadows, Eowyn ran not to the front entrance where she knew those strange visitors must be headed, but for the eastern wall.
She had hid a ladder there, and she could use said ladder to climb up unto the ledge below her balcony. Finally reaching the eastern wall, Eowyn dove quickly through some rose bushes growing along the bottom. Cutting her hands as she groped crazily through the blossoms, her fingers finally brushed the ancient wooden ladder. Pulling it out as quickly as she could, Eowyn dragged it to the wall, propping it up against the stone. Taking a moment to slip on her shoes, Eowyn shivered in excitement. Though her uncle would frown upon it, she would not miss so important a meeting that she was sure was about to take place in the Great Hall. She might be just a woman, but Eowyn refused to let her gender decide her life.
Wincing as small wooden splinters stuck in her hands, Eowyn began to climb nimbly up the ladder to her balcony. The wood was old and some of the steps had rotted from rain. The wood creaked wearily under her weight, but Eowyn continued her climb. As she reached the small ledge under her balcony she pushed the ladder down and sent it tumbling into the bushes below.
Smiling a little to herself, she reached up and grabbed the edge of the balustrade that ran around her balcony. Pulling herself up gingerly, she winced slightly at the pain in her hands. She had managed to start pulling herself up and had nearly scaled the balustrade when a strong hand grabbed her forearm.
Another hand quickly stifled her screams by covering her mouth, and Eowyn felt herself be pulled up roughly. Angrily pushing away her captive, Eowyn found her self looking up into the face of her brother. Eomer's eyes sparked in fury and his right hand reached out once more and grabbed her wrist.
"Eowyn! What did you think you were doing?"
Eowyn tried to take away his hand, but her brother was much stronger than him. Shaking back her long hair from her face, Eowyn glared back just as furiously.
"You are a man with two good eyes! What did it look like I was doing"
" The sun has long since set! What possessed you to leave your quarters after dark,
Eomer demanded, sounding exasperated. "I know you think yourself all powerful, but you could have been hurt, or worse, kidnaped!"
Eowyn pulled against him but to no avail. Who was he to think he could order her about, and keep her from doing the things he himself enjoyed? He was her brother, not her master!
"Let me go Eomer", she snarled at him, refusing to let him see how much his grip hurt her arm. " Let us talk as civilized people. We should not be fighting amongst ourselves. We are alone if we do."
Eomer let go of her arm, looking slightly ashamed of himself.
" I am sorry, sister", he grumbled in apology. " I forgot myself. Tell me, does you wrist grieve you much?"
Refusing to look down at her throbbing arm, Eowyn shook her head and rewarded her brother with a slight smile.
"I am alright, you great brute", she said playfully. "But I do not enjoy fighting with you brother."
"Nor do I", Eomer responded quickly.
Nodding her head at him, Eowyn walked past him into her rooms. Quickly moving to her immense wardrobe, she threw open the doors and began scurrying through the contents. Finally settling on a long, green gown, Eowyn spun around and darted behind her changing screen. As she pulled her dress off, Eowyn heard her brother call out to her.
"Eowyn? What are you doing? Why change you your gown?"
Laughing to herself as she tried to tie her own corset, Eowyn answered him honestly.
"I can't very well greet our guests wearing a stained dress, can I brother? It would reflect poorly on our uncle."
"You can't truly expect to be granted admission to such a serious reunion, sister."
"I can and I will be", Eowyn answered hotly. She walked out from behind her screen, clad only in her undergarments and the thin dress she wore under her gown. Walking up to her brother and presenting her back, she held out the corset.
"Eomer brother, so you mind? I can not tie the laces myself...Damn those infernal contraptions. And yes, brother, as shall attend that meeting."
"Eowyn, please, try to understand. It is nothing personal, it's just that women have no place in politics", Eomer spoke soothingly to her as his fingers struggled with the corset's ties.
Eowyn spun around to face him. She sighed as she looked into his bewildered face. Her brother would never be able to understand the grueling task it was to live as a woman in this man's world. Quickly tying the corset strings herself, Eowyn swept out through the doors, and was quickly followed by the captain.