Chapter 23
Elizabeth's head bounced rhythmically against Gandalf's chest as Shadowfax galloped towards Rohan with the rest of the travelers. The White Wizard glanced down at her every so often to make sure she was sleeping peacefully even with all the bouncing.
Suddenly the bouncing stopped. Gandalf knew that Elizabeth had awoken. He glanced down at her and saw her looking at the open plains around her. Rohan was not far off and could be seen with the human eye.
"How much longer, Gandalf?" she asked groggily.
"Not half an hour." Gandalf replied honestly. "There will be a feast tonight to honor those who passed in the battle at Helm's Deep. You will stay close to me or someone I give you permission to be with at all times."
"Why?" Elizabeth asked. Shadowfax galloped slightly slower as the gates of Rohan drew nearer.
"There will be adult practices during the feast. You are not old enough to see them. In fact, you should probably stay with Haldir since he will not be attending the feast at all." Gandalf said. "He will find you some food and you will eat with him."
Elizabeth didn't answer. She had returned to gazing upon the bare plains and fields around them. Shadowfax galloped through the gate.
"Is that all right, Elizabeth?" Gandalf asked.
"Yep,"
"Haldir?"
"Yes, Elizabeth?"
"How old are you?"
Haldir spat out the food in his mouth. "What!"
"How old are you?"
"Why?" Haldir asked in response.
"Because."
"Because why?" Haldir asked.
"Because, because."
"Because, because why?"
"Because, because, because."
"Because, because, because—by the Valar,what am I doing? Just tell me why you want to know my age!" Haldir retorted, sending Elizabeth into giggles.
"Because I want to know how much older than me you are. A little sister has to know how old her big brother is." Elizabeth said.
"What!"
"You're my new big brother. Didn't you know?" Elizabeth asked.
"I cannot read minds as you can, Elizabeth."
Elizabeth's eyes went wide. "You can't? But I thought all elves could read minds."
"Obviously you thought wrong."
"Oh. Now how old are you?"
Haldir rolled his eyes. "I am the same age as Prince Legolas."
"How old is Legolas?"
Haldir sighed. He'd hoped that Elizabeth would have taken his first answer.
"Prince Legolas is two thousand, three hundred and eighty-one years old."
"No really, how old is he?" Elizabeth asked.
"I already told you. Legolas and I are both two thousand, three hundred and eighty-one years old." Haldir repeated.
"No way,"
"Yes way,"
"So how oldare you when you die?"
"It varies, depending on the chance that we die in battle or our hearts break," Haldir said. "Lord Elrond, for example, is practically twice my age. He is about four or five thousand years old. Lady Galadriel, on the other hand is about eight thousand or more years old. No one really knows how old she is save Lord Celeborn."
Elizabeth's eyes were wide. "Wow…"
"What is 'wow'?" a voice asked. It was Legolas.
"We were discussing elven ages." Haldir said simply.
"Really. Did you tell her how oldyou are?" Legolas asked.
"Aye, I did." Haldir answered with a nod.
"No he didn't!" Elizabeth squealed. "He told me that you and him were the same age and then he told me how old you were, Legolas."
"Shh!" Haldir shushed Elizabeth, pretending that it had been a secret. Haldir glanced at Legolas with a mischievous smile and saw the Prince's eyebrows arched.
"Did he now?" Legolas asked, sending a questioning look over to Haldir.
"Yep and he told me how old Elrond and Galadriel are too."
"He didn't tell you how old my father is, did he?" Legolas asked.
"Nope. He doesn't even know who your father is." Elizabeth said.
"And how would a mere child like you know what I do or do not know?" Haldir asked.
"Because I can read minds, remember?" Elizabeth asked.
"Oh yes," Haldir said dully. "I remember now."
"So," Elizabeth said, settling herself in front of Legolas. "How old is your dad?"
"My father is five thousand and five years old." Legolas answered.
"And now it is our turn. How old is your father, Elizabeth?"
"My dad is forty-five years old and my mom is thirty-six." Elizabeth said. "Why are your dads so old? How can live for so long? Are they really wrinkly?"
"Our fathers are old because they have lived for a long time. And they live for so long because elves are immortal. They cannot die unless you slay them or their heart breaks." Legolas said.
"I already knew that, though." Elizabeth said.
"Than you should know that since they are immortal, they do not grow old after a certain period of time. They simply gain more wisdom." Haldir cut in.
"Oh," Elizabeth said. She turned her gaze upon a figure that had joined them. Legolas grew silent and looked out at the stars. "Aragorn!"
Aragorn smiled as he let Elizabeth jump into his arms and embrace him. "What are you doing up so late, Elizabeth?"
"Talking about elves."
Aragorn raised an eyebrow, impressed. "Really?"
Elizabeth nodded emphatically. Aragorn kneeled down so that he was eye level with the little girl.
"Then you should know that elves enjoy children going to bed early." Aragorn said with a soft smile. "Isn't that so, Haldir?"
Haldir nodded. "Aye, 'tis true. And some of us enjoy going to bed early ourselves. Come Elizabeth, this is our cue to take some rest."
"Aww…" Elizabeth whined as Haldir scooped her up and carried her inside.
Aragorn watched Elizabeth's disappointed, but tired eyes as she was carried into the Golden Hall by Haldir. He turned his head and watched the stars as Legolas seemed to be doing.
"The stars are veiled." Legolas said after a moment of silence. "Something stirs in the east. A sleepless malice."
Aragorn and Legolas glanced at each other. They both knew what he was speaking of. That's why they'd sent Elizabeth inside. She wouldn't have understood. She would've asked too many questions.
"The Eye of the Enemy is moving." Legolas finished.
Pippin could hear low whispers in the room where he was sleeping. All the men of the army of Rohan and Rohirrim and the elves slept in the same room. Eowyn slept in the Hall, alone and the king slept in his bedchamber. Grima slept in a watched room that was constantly guarded by night watch guards.
"Now go to sleep," an elven voice whispered. "I will return shortly. I must speak with Legolas and Aragorn."
"But why?" Elizabeth asked in a whisper also.
"Just go to sleep, please." Haldir said. "I will return shortly."
"Fine," Elizabeth said and pouted in her bed. Pippin watched as Haldir planted a brotherly kiss on her forehead and ruffled her hair.
His thoughts went back to the strange sphere that Gandalf had taken from him earlier that day. Because of it, Pippin couldn't seem to fall asleep. Pippin finally made up his mind, threw off his blankets and headed towards the bed Gandalf slept in.
"What are you doing?" Merry asked from behind him. Pippin spun around and just looked at his friend for a moment but then concentrated on the sphere in Gandalf's sleeping arms. He stopped dead in his tracks.
Gandalf was staring up at him, sword in hand, the sphere in his arms. From the corner across the walkway, Elizabeth sat up and watched Pippin. She threw off her blankets and stood behind Pippin curiously.
"Gandalf said not to touch it, Pippin. You're not gonna, are you?" Elizabeth asked.
Pippin said nothing and waved his hands in front of Gandalf's eyes. The wizard didn't blink. Pippin looked around and picked up a nearby vase on the ground. He picked up the vase, took the sphere from Gandalf's arms and replaced it with the vase. The foolish hobbit brought the sphere (otherwise known as the Palantir, but Pippin doesn't know that) over to the end of Merry's bed where he began unwrapping it from the cloth Gandalf had wrapped it in.
Elizabeth stood over him, watching. "He said not to touch it, Pippin."
"I'm not going to touch it. I just want to look at it. Just one more time." Pippin said. He finished his task of unwrapping the sphere and looked down at it.
"Put it back!" Merry whispered. But Pippin wouldn't listen. He smiled down at the sphere and placed his hands on it. "Pippin!"
Suddenly, the darkness of the sphere was replaced with the Great Eye, an all too familiar enemy that haunted Elizabeth's dreams. Pippin's smile faded to a look of sheer pain and confusion. He couldn't seem to remove his hands. He tried to look away but could not. It was if the Eye were trying to control him.
Pippin closed his eyes and tried to wake up from his horrible dream. But this was reality and he couldn't escape from reality. Elizabeth knew this was her only chance. She would take the sphere from Pippin put it back and scold him for not listening to Gandalf.
Pippin began writhing with the sphere in his hands. His mouth was contorted into a shape that it would be in had Pippin been screaming, but no noise emitted from Pippin.
"Help! Gandalf, help!" Merry cried.
But it was too late. Elizabeth grabbed the sphere from Pippin just as Gandalf sprung from his bed and collapsed to the ground. Her eyes rolled up and her body convulsed even more violently than Pippin's had. The sphere was in her hands; she'd only wanted to give it back to Gandalf, but now it focused on her.
At that moment, Aragorn, Legolas and Haldir rushed in. Aragorn rushed to Elizabeth's side and grabbed the Palantir from her hands, but instead of helping, he harmed himself. Aragorn's eyes rolled up and he collapsed to the ground, sending the Palantir rolling across the floor. Legolas began helping Aragorn to his feet and Haldir went to Elizabeth's side while Gandalf covered the Palantir with a cloth.
"Fool of a Took!" he yelled, but stopped. Pippin was laying on the ground, staring up at the ceiling and not moving.
Gandalf rushed to Pippin's side and held the hobbit's hand in his own. When nothing happened, Gandalf put his other hand on Pippin's forehead and muttered a few words under his breath. Than he let his hand travel to the side of Pippin's head where, he cupped his hand over Pippin's cheek.
Pippin came alive all of a sudden and gasped for a few moments.
"Look at me," Gandalf said.
"Gandalf," Pippin said breathlessly. "Forgive me."
He began to close his eyes again.
"Look at me," Gandalf said again, this time louder. "What did you see?"
Pippin closed his eyes and tried to remember. "A tree. There was a white tree in a courtyard of stone. It was dead. The city was burning."
"Minas Tirith? Is that what you saw?" Gandalf asked.
"I saw…I saw Him." Pippin whimpered. "I could hear his voice in my head."
"And what did you tell him?" Gandalf asked. "Speak!"
"He asked me my name. I didn't answer." Pippin said. "He hurt me."
"What did you tell him of Frodo and the Ring?" Gandalf asked.
"Nothing, I didn't have time to. He disappeared." Pippin answered.
Gandalf searched Pippin's eyes for lies, for any clue that meant he was not telling the truth. But there was none, thankfully,
"Mithrandir," Haldir called. Gandalf looked up from the hobbit and saw Haldir kneeling next to Elizabeth's small body. He held her little hand in his own but she would not wake.
Gandalf turned back to Pippin. "Did she touch it?"
"I-I don't know, everything just went black and—"
"Did she touch it?" Gandalf asked, a little harsher than he meant to.
"Yes," Aragorn answered from behind Gandalf. "I took it from her."
"And did you see anything, Aragorn?" Gandalf asked.
Aragorn shook his head. "Nothing save a vision of the Great Eye." Aragorn answered truthfully. Gandalf did not need to look for a lie in the eyes of Aragorn, son of Arathorn.
Gandalf hurried over to Elizabeth's side and tried the same magic on her that he'd used on Pippin. But she did not wake. Her eyes were closed, unlike Pippin's and she was breathing.
"It is as if she sleeps through a nightmare." Haldir said softly. "Her body jerks every so often."
Gandalf watched as Elizabeth did indeed jerk her head to one side as her face continued to portray one single look: a look of sheer terror. Gandalf picked up the small girl and placed her in his own bed.
"Leave us in peace, get your rest. This will take awhile." Gandalf said.
Morning came quickly and as soon as Théoden heard about the events of the previous night, he called a meeting in the Golden Hall.
"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 and unfortunate. 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 Elendil 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." Gandalf said. "If the beacons of Gondor are lit, Rohan must be ready for war."
"Tell me," Théoden said calmly. "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, looking at Théoden defiantly.
"No!" Gandalf said.
"They must be warned." Aragorn argued.
"They will be." Gandalf said. He walked to Aragorn's side and whispered in his ear. "You must come to Minas Tirith by another road. Follow the river. Look to the black ships.
"Understand this: Things are now in motion that cannot be undone." Gandalf said, after turning around to face everyone in the hall. "I ride for Minas Tirith and I won't be going alone."
Everyone looked at Pippin.
"Did you not say that we have also been unfortunate, Gandalf?" Théoden asked. "Would you care to explain how we have been unfortunate?"
"Yes, that'd be a good idea," Merry said loudly. "Why don't you tell everyone what you're actions did to an innocent?"
Pippin looked at his shoes and said nothing.
"Elizabeth took the Palantir from Pippin to stop him. Her intentions were innocent, but she was most likely caught up in the moment. I have not been able to wake her." Gandalf said, answering for Pippin. "Elizabeth and Pippin will be accompanying me to Minas Tirith whether or not she wakes."
"My lords?" a soft voice asked. Everyone turned and saw Eowyn standing at the door to her own personal chambers. "It is the child. She has awoken, but she will not calm herself. She keeps saying Gandalf's name."
"She knows she must tell me what she saw," Gandalf said as he hurried towards the room. "Leave us be until I say."
He shut the door behind him once Haldir, Aragorn and Legolas had entered the room also. Pippin dared not follow. He couldn't face Elizabeth's innocence, her forgiving nature. Not after what his actions has caused her. But he knew that by staying, he was allowing Merry the very chance he needed to scold him some more.
Elizabeth had backed herself into a dark corner when Gandalf, Legolas, Aragorn and Haldir entered the room. Gandalf motioned for the other to stay where they were while he approached Elizabeth.
"Elizabeth?"
"Gandalf, Gandalf, Gandalf…" she whispered continuously.
"I'm here, Elizabeth," Gandalf said gently. He held out an arm to Elizabeth and she ran to him. Gandalf held her in his arms as a father would and then withdrew. He rubbed his hands up and down on her arms.
"Can you tell me what you saw?" Gandalf asked.
Elizabeth nodded vigorously.
"Speak, child." Gandalf ordered gently. He didn't want to rush her.
"A talking eye. He asked me what my name was. And I said I couldn't tell him, cuz mommy said I couldn't talk to strangers. So, he told me his name and then asked me what my name was. And I told him that just cuz I knew his name, that didn't mean that he wasn't a stranger to me. I know the Queen's name but she's still a stranger." Elizabeth said. "So then he got real mad and told me he would hurt me if I didn't tell him my name."
"Did you tell him your name?" Gandalf asked. It didn't really matter if she had or had not. Hopefully, Sauron wouldn't have an interest in her at all.
"No," Elizabeth said sadly, shaking her head. "But I should've."
"Why?" Gandalf asked gently.
"Cuz it hurt real bad." Elizabeth said. "I wanted to die and I don't want to die. So if I wanted to die, than it hurt real, real bad."
"What happened next?" Gandalf asked, making sure that Elizabeth kept eye contact.
"He asked me if I knew you, Gandalf. I said yes, cuz mommy told me not to lie even if it's to strangers." Elizabeth answered. "And then he asked me where I came from and I said that I couldn't tell strangers where I lived cuz it's against the law. He asked me what laws I was abiding to and I asked him what 'abiding' meant. Then he got real mad and hurt me again. He asked me how to hurt you, Gandalf and I got scared."
Tears started forming in Elizabeth's eyes. Gandalf pulled Elizabeth into a hug and rocked her back and forth.
"I don't want him to hurt you, Gandalf," Elizabeth sobbed into Gandalf's robes.
"I know you don't, Elizabeth." Gandalf said. He pulled away from Elizabeth. "What did you tell him?"
"I told him that he was real mean and naughty just like all those dumb orcs that hurt innocent people." Elizabeth said, her tears stopping. "He tried to hurt me again, but then something stopped him and he concentrated on something else. And then I saw it."
Gandalf searched Elizabeth's eyes, but found only trust, truth and fear.
"What is it? What did you see?" Gandalf asked.
"My mommy and daddy. That's what he showed me. They miss me. They found some other little girl's body and buried her under my name. They think I'm dead. And He'll hurt them if I tell you what else I saw." Elizabeth said, looking to her shoes. She felt Gandalf's strong hands directing her face so he could look into her eyes.
"He has no way of reaching your family to harm them, Elizabeth. He was bluffing." Gandalf said. "Now tell me, what did you see?"
"I saw you. You were lying on the ground. A big dragon was standing above you with a man on his back. The man had lots and lots of armor. The dragon had your staff in his mouth and bit it in half. The dragon and the big man couldn't see me. So I ran over to you to try and wake you up so you could kill the dragon and the big man, but you…you…" Elizabeth began sobbing again. She just couldn't say it. It was too hard.
"I was what?" Gandalf asked gently.
"……you were DEAD!" Elizabeth wailed and continued her sobbing in Gandalf's robes. He pulled her into a tight hug. Had Elizabeth truly foreseen his death? Or was this another bluff to incur fear and doubt through all Men and their allies?
No one said anything. They were all too stunned to say anything.
((WOW, it's been a while since I updated. I have changed my plot though. There will now be a sequel and a sequel to that sequel! The third sequel is when Elizabeth returns to Middle Earth...so I need a little bit of help from reviewers...
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY IDEAS ON WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN WHEN ELIZABETH RETURNS TO MIDDLE EARTH, MORE SPECIFICALLY TO THE UNDYING LANDS AT THE AGE OF 15? I need ideas! Please send them to me!
Thanks,
Silent Watcher))