Thank you all for your reviews. I'm glad you liked the last chapter. Here's the lasted installment, sorry if there are a few errors. I didn't have time to proof this chapter, but I think I did okay on it. I hope you like it, even though there's no Haldir.
Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with Lord of the Rings.
Chapter 31: Meeting a Wizard
Ana held tightly onto Aragorn as they trotted through the dark forest. "I don't like the feeling this place gives off," Ana whispered to Aragorn and the man nodded.
"Aye, but there is not cause to fear," Aragorn said softly. Ana sighed and looked behind her at Legolas and Gimli. She gave them both a small smile before she turned her eyes ahead; she just hoped that whatever laid ahead of her, she would be prepared for it.
As they began to make their way out of the forest, familiar voices met Ana's ears. She frowned in confusion, and then remembered Aragorn telling her of Boromir's passing, and the breaking of their group. Frodo and Sam going of on their own to finish their quest, and Merry and Pippin being taken, and the laugh that met her ears only confirmed her suspicions and a smile lit her face as the sun light fell upon her and they rode out of the trees.
"Welcome, my lords, to Isengard!" Merry said happily and Ana arched an eyebrow as she peered over Aragorn's shoulder.
"No greeting for the female of the party?" she asked and Pippin and Merry's eyes widened with delight and laughter escaped their lips.
"Welcome, Lady Ana," Merry said with a bow and she smiled.
"You young rascals!" Gimli exclaimed and Ana looked to the dwarf. "A merry hunt you've lead us on, and now we find you feasting and . . . and smoking!" Ana smiled and looked back to the small hobbits that even in the walls of Lothlorien never looked as happy as they did that moment. However, she had a feeling it was more or less because of what they were smoking in their pipes.
"We are sitting on the field of victory, enjoying a few well-earned comforts," Pippin said and Merry blew out a huff of smoke in agreement. "The salted pork is particularly good." Ana heard Gimli lick his lips and she smiled.
"Salted pork?" he asked and Ana giggled quietly before she cleared her throat and looked at the hobbits when Gandalf looked her way.
"Hobbits," she heard Gandalf utter when he turned ahead.
"We're under orders! From Treebeard, who's taken over management of Isengard," Merry said as he pointed to the flooded area before them and Ana's eyes slowly moved of the tall, black tower and seriously hoped she didn't have to enter that place.
Soon, Merry was riding behind Éomer, the nephew to the blonde man Ana learned to be Theoden, King of Rohan. Pippin rode behind the other Rohan man that rode with the small party, Gamling, she knew his name to be. As they rode towards the dark tower, Ana saw a very tall and very much alive tree walking about. "Holy cow," Ana said under breath, and Aragorn looked over his shoulder at her. "What in the world is that?" she asked. Aragorn smiled.
"That is Treebeard, he is an Ent, a tree herder," Aragorn said before he looked ahead once more. Ana just nodded and looked at Treebeard with wide eyes as they slowly approached him.
"Young master, Gandalf. I'm glad you've come. Wood and water, stock and stone I can master, but there's a wizard to manage here; locked in his tower," Treebeard said.
"Show yourself," Aragorn whispered and Ana's eyes scanned the high tower and the various windows that dotted it, looking for a glimpse of Saruman.
"Be careful," Gandalf said. "Even in defeat, Saruman is dangerous."
"Well, let's just have his head and be done with it," Gimli said in his gruff voice and Ana looked at him. She would not have traveled all this way if all they were going to do was slay Saruman, the man she was supposed to seek her answers from. Before she could speak, Gandalf beat her to it.
"No. We need him alive. We need him to talk," Gandalf said and Ana nodded.
"Hopefully, he has something to share worth hearing," Ana whispered to herself, but Aragorn heard her and glanced at her before his eyes turned to the tower once more.
"You have fought many wars and slain many men, Theoden King, and made peace afterwards," a new voice said, one that was almost distant but very near at the same time. Ana looked up and followed the direction of the voice and was surprised to see a man dressed in white robes that held a long black staff looking down upon them from the top of the tall tower. "Can we not take counsel together as we once did, my old friend? Can we not have peace, you and I?" he asked.
"We shall have peace," Theoden said as he looked down and then his eyes slowly moved up to where the man stood. Aragorn and Ana both looked to Theoden, to hear what he had to say. "We shall have peace when you answer for the burning of the Westfold and the children that lie dead there!" Ana saw anger fill the man's blue eyes and she was thankful she was not on the other end of that glare. "We shall have peace when the lives of soldiers whose bodies were hewn even as they lay dead against the gates of the Hornburg are avenged!" Theoden yelled and Ana couldn't help but feel her heart swell, knowing that many of her friends had fallen and suffered the same fate as Theoden's men so she also took his words for those elves that she marched with and that fell at the hands of the Urks. "When you have from a gibbet for the sport of your own crows, we shall have peace." Ana along with the others looked back to Saruman and waited for his reply.
"Gibbets and crows?" Saruman asked anger clear in his voice. "Dotard!" he snapped. "What do you want, Gandalf Greyhame? Let me guess. The key of Orthanc? Or perhaps the keys of Barad-dur itself, along with crowns of the seven kings and the rods of the Five Wizards!"
"Your treachery has already costs many lives. Thousands more are now at risk," Gandalf said. "But you could save them, Saruman. You were deep in the enemy's counsel."
"So you have come here for information," Saruman said matter of factly. "I have some for you." He reached into his cloak and pulled out a globe that seemed to have a fire burning on the inside of it. Gandalf frowned.
"Tell me," Ana shouted and the men around her looked at her. Saruman's eyes moved from the globe down to Ana with slight surprise. "Tell me, Saruman, what your master's desire for me was?" she asked him and his arm lowered as he looked at her. The globe was tucked away and Ana met his eyes, her elvin sight giving her the advantage of being able to see his face clearly. "Why was I brought here and the stone created?" Saruman laughed and the sound of his laughter chilled her.
"Well, Anastasia," he said and Ana stiffened behind Aragorn. "From the looks of you, there is little doubt in my mind that you drew from an elf, why you would chose one of the Eldar is beyond me." Ana glared at him. "However, you did not draw fully did you? As your name depicts you reclaimed your life, but you see that did not go as planned. But, you are no longer a desire for him. He has seen his greatest desire and he knows that it is within his reach." Ana licked her lips before she took a deep breath.
"What was your plan for me then Saruman? I know that you did not intend for me to enter through the woods of Lothlorien, and that it was a mistake, but tell me for I desire to know what your plan was," she said more confidently then she actually felt.
"You truly wish to know?" he asked with a smile and she glared as she nodded. "You were to be thrown into the great eye, along with the stone and you were to draw just enough, just enough so that when you were killed after being pulled from eye you would awaken hours later, not as yourself, but as Sauron." His laughter once again filled the air and Ana shivered slightly. "However, your appearance would have remained."
"The face of an innocent the soul of a monster?" she asked and Saruman nodded.
"Is that all you wish to know?" he asked and she opened her mouth to continue questioning him when Gandalf once again beat her to it.
"Tell us, Saruman, tell us what is next," Gandalf said. Ana felt Aragorn's hand cover hers that rested on his stomach and he rubbed the back of her hands as Saruman turned his attention from Ana to Gandalf. He once again pulled out the globe and the fire seemed to twirl deep inside.
"Something festers in the heart of Middle Earth," Saruman said. "Something that you have failed to see. But the great eye has seen it. Even now he presses his advantage. His attack will come soon." Gandalf moved closer to the tower as he looked up at him and Ana closed her eyes and rested her forehead against Aragorn's back. She thought over what Saruman had told her. If she had arrived at her intended place, she would have long ago become a dark soul. She would be dead and the ultimate evil would be using her form to destroy everything. Those around her would more then likely all be dead and it would have been at her hands. She grasped tightly at Aragorn's tunic and he just strengthened his grip on her hands as he watched even more unfold before them.
"You're all going to die," Saruman said evilly and Ana shook her head.
"Not if I can help it," she thought to herself and looked up at him with a glare.
"But you know this, don't you, Gandalf?" Saruman asked. "You cannot think that this Ranger will ever sit upon the throne of Gondor." Ana heard Aragorn's breath become heavier and she could feel the anger radiate off of him. "This exile, crept from the shadows, will never be crowned king. Gandalf does not hesitate to sacrifice those closest to him, those he professes to love. Tell me, what words of comfort did you give the Halfling before you sent him to his doom?" Saruman asked and Ana watched as Gandalf lowered his head. She knew Saruman was using words to fight, and he was winning. "The path that you have set him on can only lead to death."
"I've heard enough!" Gimli exclaimed, his own thoughts consumed for worry of his two other hobbit friends. "Shoot him. Stick an arrow in his gob," Gimli said to Legolas. Legolas reached for his bow and an arrow. Ana was ready to do the same when Gandalf called out.
"No," Gandalf said firmly. "Come down, Saruman, and your life will be spared."
"Save your pity and your mercy," Saruman hissed. "I have no use for it!" he exclaimed before he lifted his staff and shot a beam of fire down upon Gandalf. Ana gasped as Brego moved back slightly and she covered her face from the heat. As the heat dissipated no one was more surprised to see Gandalf alive and well then Saruman.
"Saruman," Gandalf said firmly, "your staff is broken." Suddenly, Saruman's staff lit up and shattered in his hand. Another man suddenly appeared behind Saruman, a man Ana did not recognize.
"Grima," Theoden said and Ana looked to the King, "you need not follow him. You were not always as you are now. You were once a Man of Rohan. Come down."
"A Man of Rohan?" Saruman asked. "What is the house of Rohan but a thatched barn where brigands drink in the reek and their brats roll on the floor with the dogs? The victory at Helm's Deep does not belong to you, Theoden Horse-master. You are a lesser son of greater sires." Saruman said and Ana glared. Her hand was itching to strike him down. What she had seen of Theoden, proved nothing to what Saruman was saying. He was a good leader, and proud man who thought first of his people.
"Grima," Theoden said once more, "come down. Be free of him."
"Free? He will never be free," Saruman said. Grima shook his head.
"No," Grima said. Saruman turned to him and glared.
"Get down, cur!" he exclaimed before he hit Grima hard and the man fell to the floor.
"Saruman!" Gandalf exclaimed and Saruman looked back to him. "You were deep in the enemy's counsel. Tell us what you know!" Gandalf exclaimed.
"You withdraw your guard, and I will tell you where your doom will be decided," Saruman said. "I will not be held prisoner here." Suddenly, Ana saw Grima rush up and Saruman gasped. From the motions Grima was making it was all to clear that Grima was stabbing Saruman in the back. Ana gasped and let go of Aragorn and put her hands on her stomach as phantom pains shot through her.
Legolas fired an arrow shooting Grima. The man fell to the floor of the tower with a cry of pain. Saruman gasped and fell from the tower his body spinning as it fell only to be speared by steak on a wheel. Ana looked on with wide eyes, not believing the sight before her. So much had happened in the last fifteen minutes she could barely wrap her mind around it, but one thing she did know is that something was about to happen, and she was going to be a part of it.