...

~ Return to Isengard ~

Onward they rode to the Wizard's Vale. As they went Elraen gazed forward, looking pensive and, after the dreadful and wearisome battle, somehow rather at ease. She thought of Frodo, and where he may be, how close to the dark land, and his burdens. Without words, spoken or no, she sensed that Gandalf worried so over him, not just the quest but the poor hobbit himself and his welfare. And so she bent her thoughts upon the burdened young hobbit, to bless his thoughts and dreams with her own mood, which had grown in both power and peacefulness, to try and bestow some little strength and comfort.

As they made their way northward Gandalf for his part seemed unaffected by the worried speculations of their comrades. After the surprises that had turned up this day, Elraen suspected the wizard had some idea of what lay ahead and that it was not dangerous.

Upon reaching the broad, cobbled approach to the walls, Sunstreak continued to trot along breezily behind Shadowfax. For herself Elraen was not unmoved by the gloom but had no fear of Saruman, but could never have guessed to see what they found: the utter destruction and drowning of Isengard.

Elraen dismounted with the three hunters to join Merry and Pippin while the others went on into the circle. Up in the guard room she shared the elf's preference for the wine over the ale, and his disinterest in smoking. She sat quietly, her cloak pulled back over her elven finery, as the hobbits and the dwarf made their small talk.

Eventually they all found themselves outside to hear the hobbits' tale, and at length she gave a brief account of hers, as much as discretion among the Wise would allow. She confessed to having waited by the little beach at Parth Galen in hopes of watching over the last leg of the Quest herself, but then heading toward the sound of the growing commotion only to find Boromir mortally wounded. Elraen continued with her story with when she helped to lean him against a tree, giving him her dagger when she saw his sword was broken. "Then I jumped up to continue the fight, and tallied a good number of felled Orcs if I may say so myself, but suddenly I felt a sting at my neck, and remembered no more until I woke up in the tower."

They asked if she discovered what the wizard wanted with her, and what sort of offer he made.

"He wanted my help," she said, "knowing enough about my ancestry, and my connection to Gandalf and the hobbits and their journey. He offered me the throne of Gondor," she added, with a nod toward Aragorn. "But that role, I knew, would be more of a steward or captain, as the real ruler would of course be Saruman himself.

"Unfortunately for him, such offers hold little allure for me, so I said I already knew too much about him for that to work. But I did offer to help him, just not in the way he hoped. I offered to help him out of the mess that he had created for himself, if he called off his attack.

"He glared at me, as though struggling to contain his temper. But he lost that struggle, and scoffed, scolding my ingratitude. Then he asked if I had aught else to say, if there was naught of use I would do.

"I did," she told them. "I told him he would pay for the death of Boromir. Then I declared I was leaving.

"He was still for a moment, and quiet, but then he gave a stiff little bow, as if conceding defeat in the negotiation with grudging reluctance, feigned most likely, and gestured toward the door, so I left."

"Why did Saruman let me go?" she said, responding to their questions. "Who can say for sure? I didn't want to stay and find out, but I would guess he then calculated some other benefit to himself by doing so. What that was I cannot say. Perhaps Gandalf could venture an accurate guess."

Aragorn and Legolas looked at her thoughtfully. The Dunedan had wondered from the start, scarce less than she had, what her purpose in all this might be. He thought back to Rivendell when they first met, when she had said she wanted to help him. For a while he thought maybe the surfacing of another heir, weaker though her claim may be, could have something to do with helping to restore the kingdom. But after all he'd learned about her since then it seemed clear that she was meant to help Gandalf, and her part had little to do with the Royal Houses of the Kingdoms in Exile, aside from helping the wizard to deliver both its king and its freedom from the Enemy.

"It's not hard to think why, lass!" replied Gimli. "Though I imagine he had more in mind you distracting the Orcs of Moria and Mordor rather than his."

"Perhaps," she said quietly with a smile.

At last they proceeded to the doors of Orthanc Tower. She remained behind at the bottom of the steps, seated upon Sunstreak aside Shadowfax and Theoden's captains.

"Nay, I will stay down here," she said to Aragorn in response to a look he gave that seemed to ask if she would join them. "I tried my hand at this game already, and could persuade him no further than to release me. But in Gandalf I have more hope; he has greater skill than I."

And so there she sat, listening to Saruman's final pleas, in which he started with a declaration of his dim hope for Gandalf or 'his princess' as he called her.

The defeated wizard turned his attention and exerted his final efforts on Gandalf. At one point during Saruman's exultant flattery the hobbit Merry in his fear and worry looked up at Elraen who at that moment had her gaze downward and not up, her eyes looking casually at nothing in particular, and her eyelids sat heavy as though they would soon close. He marveled, nudging Pippin to look, for it seemed that unlike most there, it was a greater struggle for her to listen to the wizard's bewitching voice and enchanting words than to not listen. He wondered if she was tired or just bored. Regardless, the sight calmed and cheered him, and also reminded him somewhat of merry old Tom Bombadil. "She can at times seem a bit hobbit-like, don't you think?" Pippin later remarked to Merry on the memory of the odd sight before the tower. "Yes, and a bit wizard-like at times, too," Merry replied.

Saruman reached his conclusion to Gandalf, expressing regret at losing patience both with him and with her. "Our illustrious Princess here could not be persuaded to wisdom, but perhaps you still might? Will you not come up?"

And the captains nearby glanced over at Elraen in new wonder, for those who had been at Edoras when she arrived alone days earlier understood that their foe was referring to her, and that all she had claimed in the hall of the king indeed was but too true.

At last it all ended and they headed back out the gate. When Gandalf introduced them all to Treebeard he came to Elraen. He looked at her for a long time, and it seemed to those standing near that the wind whistled peculiarly through the trees, almost as if playing a tune with the leaves and grass and water. Treebeard squinted his eyes, as if it were a tune that stirred some deep buried memory. Legolas looked around in wonder, for he perceived some sudden cheer from grass and stone and tree. The Ents together remembered a vision of an ancient forest under the light of the stars, their vast old forest in a forgotten time beyond the measure of years. Treebeard looked at her long in curiosity. "Hrmmm, hroom, Princess, it is my honor to meet you," he said slowly and thoughtfully, and gave a bow. "I do indeed hope you shall visit us again, as soon as you may." She bowed her head in reply, with wishes to oblige when she could.

*.*.*

Later came Pippin's incident with the palantir. Elraen thought to pick it up and hold it safe for Gandalf, and stooped down to reach for it. Suddenly she yanked her hand away from it, as though some strong heat or cold were around it. For she could feel the enemy's power through it, his energy lingering though the ball had gone dark, before even grasping it. So she stood over the covered globe where it lay until Gandalf turned his attention back to it. He paused and looked at her inquisitively. "I dare not touch it," she said to him, as she stepped away from it. "He would sense me I think."

The wizard looked at her gravely, then bent down to retrieve it. "The evil has passed, I think," he said to her before handing it to Aragorn, "or at least I cannot sense it from here."

Suddenly she felt a fell and remote chill creep up on her from afar. She clasped Gandalf's arm in alarm and looked to the sky, as he was speaking with Theoden. The Enemy servant came flying overhead. Gandalf roused everyone to keep moving.

He turned to her. "I think you had better come with me this time," he said quietly before he went to get Pippin. "Where Aragorn must go your presence may be of use when Men's hearts quiver, but less so for what he needs to do. Follow after me, but do not stop at Edoras. Continue ahead of me eastward and keep to the road toward Minas Tirith," he said to her. "I must try to first stop at the king's hall, then I will catch up to you. Rest off the side of the road by day!"