Aragorn looked up. From out of the shadows other figures were emerging. The wraiths were silent, their heads bowed with pain, eyes weak and movements feeble. But still they came, and stopped in a cluster before him. Then, almost like the shudder of a breath, the first lowered his form. Not much, a simple bend at the waist, a sign of acknowledgement, of respect. Then another, and another, the robes folded and the forms knelt, till all were before him. Level with him on one knee, and heads bowed until in perfect unison they raised and all eyes met his. Aragorn was stunned into silence for a moment, then, in understanding, lowered his head. There came a hiss of approval, the wraiths relaxed their forms. We will go… where you go… we remember you… king of Gondor… we remember… how our lord dreaded your coming… betrayed, abandoned, we turn from him… The faces bellow the hoods remained locked on his, and Aragorn sat silent. We offer our assistance… for your group is coming here, we know… and so does the black one… Aragorn lowered his head again. "I accept your offer, kings of old. We come to assist you, and will gladly receive your arms."

Khamul was still silent, and in the skies Indur watched the world pass below him with a feeling of contentment, though his mind was troubled. The fields were giving way to forest, and it was growing increasingly difficult to pass through the dense brush. Gandalf had taken to whacking branches out of his path with his staff. To no ones surprise it held up against the abuse quite well. But for the others the only option was to hack ones way through. Legolas stopped his steps yet again to free his hair, an annoyed sigh turning into an Elvin curse when freeing his hair led to loosing his cloak. Faramir fared not much better, dismounted and trying to pull his horses tail free without getting kicked. And, hopelessly entangled, Gimli watched his horse move on without him as the branches trapped him by his beard. "You see now why woods are no place for a dwarf!! Confound it! Someone pass me my ax!!" Legolas turned from freeing his cloak, trapped his hair, and gave the branch several choice words in elvish.

Gandalf laughed and freed Gimli, the laugh was cut off when the branches seemed to suddenly spring upon him, and his beard became hopelessly entangled. "…This, is no good." Faramir laughed, "I was just waiting for you to get caught!" Legolas shook his head, and then curse as it entangled his newly freed hair. "Confound this undergrowth! Never have I seen so much of it condensed into such a small space! And do not laugh steward; I fear we may never free Mithrandir now!" Faramir laughed regardless and moved to help free them both.

Farther up the trail the hobbits wondered what held back the others. Their smaller size had allowed them to avoid much of the vicious foliage. Sam sighed, "Do you all think we should go back and see what's kept them?" Pippin laughed, "Oh we know what's kept them! Gandalf and Gimli's beards!" all chuckled. From above the dragon roared, searching between the treetops for the group, unable to find them he landed in a small clearing, and slid a surprised Nazgul from his back. "The trees are too thick, go find them, and bring them here." Indur turned as if to protest, but stopped,

(…It's like looking at the sun, looking into those eyes…) the fire in the dragons eyes flashed, the creature's warm breath blew his grey robes against him. (There were dragons… in my youth… they lived in the mountains… but I was never close enough to touch them, it was my fascination with these creatures… that opened me to Sauron.)

…I go for now, but I take orders from none. Forget this not… the great head lowered until they were eye to eye, and the dragon humped deep in its craw, but it nodded before raising its neck again. The matter settled to his satisfaction, for he had not expected the proud creature to humble itself, the Ringwraith moved of through the trees, and was almost instantly caught. He hissed, and the area around him frosted, twigs snapping from the sudden cold. Now unhindered, he move deeper in.

Khamul hissed in annoyance, the steed bellow shivering from the feel of the wraiths displeasure. (Those fools… they've caught themselves fast, and are blocking my path!) He spurred the beast forward, stopping just behind the wizard and company, a stray though filtered threw his mind, and emerged in a question he had no desire to utter. Where are the Halflings…? Gimli grumbled, "Probably far ahead of this mess by now, Faramir! Hold still!! The trees eating your bum!!" Faramir shot Gimli a look of deep disturbance as he continued to try to free himself. Elvish cursing was heard farther up the path. Khamul shook, confused, but above this was worry… deep spreading dread… Gimli blinked, noting the light shaking of the Wraiths form. "Well, what's gotten into you?"

Khamul gave no answer, but his feet spurred the horse backwards, and his breath came in frightened pants. Gimli turned around and stared. "…Oh, me and my big mouth…"

"GanDaLF!!!!!" the wizard whirled and nearly dropped his staff at the sight that met him. Faramir, Gimli and Khamul were nearly half way up the tree by now! and the branches wove tighter about them as they carried them higher. "Dammit Gandalf!! Get us down!!!" Gimli hacked at a branch that was twining in his beard. Faramir seemed to be biting a vine that had wandered into his mouth. Gandalf rushed forward, but the wraiths shout froze him. Leave us!! We will free ourselves!!! The hobbits!! And the king of Gondor! Go to them!!! Frost wove its way about the branches, crackling as it froze them in their tracks. Gandalf said nothing but was instantly running the other way, (Yes, they will manage! I only hope the woods are tamer where Frodo and the others are!)

Unfortunately it appeared that was not the case. Frodo and Sam were wound back to back as the tree curled its branches about them. Legolas was raising a bit of a racked, having taken to slicing the branches with his blades and cursing under his breath in elvish as his arrows proved worthless.

Merry and pippin were barely holding their own against a very pissy thorn bush. At the almost comic appearance of the threat Gandalf paused again, but whacked the branch that came creeping towards him sharply with his staff. "Is everyone all right!? Where are Bilbo and Aragorn?!"

Bilbo whistled lightly to himself, "I've never seen anything quite like this before…" the horse bellow him tossed its head, and Aragorn's charger snorted its displeasure at being so close to such a thing. The trees gave way before them to a clearing, and in the heart of that clearing lay a pond, frozen over though it was spring all around it. The ice was a dull black, and gave off a soft fog that smelled of blood, and roses frozen by an early frost... Cautiously, the hobbit urged the steed forward. It planted its feet firmly, fretting at its bit and tossing its head. "All right, all right, steady old girl, there's a good horse. I suppose I cannot blame you, part of me doesn't really want to go near it either."

A soft moan turned the hobbits head, Aragorn stirred lightly, his head turning to the side before falling limp once more. Bilbo waited to see if anything else was to happen, but it soon became evident that the King would not be waking. Once more the hobbit turned his eyes to the pond. (We ought to return to the others I suppose; Gandalf will surely know more of what to make of this than I… that's settled then. Ah, it makes me remember my old adventuring days… well; the smell was a tad worse back then. Old Smaug had the worst breath…) Bilbo turned the horses back to the forest, and froze. (Ents? I think not! These trees are simply moving on their own!!) a branch snapped out and grabbed a hold of his foot, pulling the hobbit from the saddle with an exclamation of surprise. The branch drew him higher, and Bilbo's eyes grew wide as part of the trunk opened to reveal a gaping maw. "Oh of all things! To be eaten by a tree! This is just ridiculoooouuussssseee!!!!!" the branch had splintered, dropping the hobbit to the ground where he bounced once, and rolled several times before encountering Ji Indur's boot.

…Are you sound… Bilbo looked up. "Oh yes, I'm fine thank you, where is the king? Ah, I see." Aragorn was thrown over the wraiths shoulder; he seemed not to mind the cold, for he lay still. "…So then, shall we find the others?"

Finally, the forest seemed to forgive the travelers within it, for the branches ceased their trashing around nightfall. The fellowship sat huddled together under the dragon's wings, keeping the fire as strong as they could against the wind. Khamul and Indur were separate, preferring the darkness and wind to bearing each others company. Bilbo shook his head, "They are a strange pair, those two." Faramir shook his head. "Not so, I've seen stranger I dare say. Stranger, and more pleasant." Gimli quaffed, "Stranger than those two? Who would you be thinking of now?" Faramir smiled. "Perchance you and Legolas are one pair, what say you that?" Gimli's beard bristled, but he laughed all the same. Gandalf was silent, his eyes regarding the forest with distrust… (The hobbits were nearly slain this day… and Aragorn could have been killed as well had Indur not intervened… yet, we might also have come to misfortune had it not been for Khamul's warning…) His eyes turned to regard the ghostly forms in the shadows. Both braced silent and unmoving against the wind, their eyes aglow. (They knew before I, that there was danger here. And that is a puzzlement as well, I sense no dark presence from this forest… just a deep calm.

Perhaps… perhaps these woods are protecting something? Old forests can sometimes behave in strange ways… and what we witnessed today was nothing less than abnormal. It is best if I say nothing, at least, until I am myself sure of what I think… these woods… it would only fright the others.) Gandalf shook his head…

(" Leave us!! We will free ourselves!!! The hobbits!! And the king of Gondor! Go to them!! … … …")

(But in that same vein, are the wraiths… protecting us?)