A/N: WOW this chapter ended up ridiculously long somehow? Whoops? Sorry, haha, but I hope you guys enjoy this update anyway! Lots of talking and sitting, but I promise things will actually start happening soon. Bear with me!

To Whatever End: Chapter Two

-Erin-

As we passed through what remained of Isengard, I was slightly impressed, looking around and observing the damage. Everything was flooded and in ruins, with a number of Ents patrolling the entire field, watching us with careful wariness. It was an oddly reassuring sight. Pippin had certainly proven himself by still convincing the Ents to attack Saruman without any help. Maybe Merry's death was nothing major to worry about after all. But then again, I knew better than to underestimate Pippin anyway. I glanced up at the back of his head from his seat behind Aragorn. He'll surprise many others by the time this story is over, I thought.

But then a deep, rumbling voice like thunder came from ahead, my gaze turning upwards as we approached our host. "Hoommm... young Master Gandalf! I'm, hmm... glad you've come." I felt a sense of awe as I looked up to Treebeard, the wise old Ent towering over us all and looking every bit as ancient as he was. Wise amber eyes surveyed each member of our company as we came to a stop, and he continued on in his slow drawl. "Wood and water, stock and stone I can master, but there's a wizard to manage here... locked in his tower."

There was a beat of silence before I heard Aragorn's hissing whisper from in front of us. "...Show yourself..."

"Be careful," Gandalf warned. "Even in defeat, Saruman is dangerous."

"Then let's just have his head and be done with it!" Gimli huffed.

"I'd be fine with that," Kaia grumbled under her breath.

But Gandalf shook his head. "No! We need him alive... We need him to talk."

Another moment of silence, and I stared up at the peak of the black tower, waiting for the traitorous wizard to show his face. My gaze hardened into a glare at the first sign of movement, a small white form appearing above us at the tower's edge. From so far away, Saruman's face was all but indistinguishable, and yet the voice sounded like it was right in my ear as he spoke in a rich, low timbre. "You have fought many wars and slain many men, Théoden King, and made peace afterwards." He leaned heavily on his staff as if to appear crippled, but I knew it was all a façade. "Can we not take counsel together as we once did, my old friend? Can we not have peace, you and I?" The words felt sickeningly sweet in my ears, an unnatural echo in my head as I recoiled from the enchantment of his voice. Threads of whispers in my mind beckoned me to see the realism in the wizard's pleas, but I forced myself to shut them out. I would not be ensnared by his silver tongue so easily.

"We shall have peace," came the king's first response. Although he began softly, his anger betrayed him the moment he looked up at Saruman, eyes filled with a blazing anger as he went on to snarl at the wizard. "We shall have peace when you answer for the burning of the Westfold, and the children that lie dead there! We shall have peace when the lives of the soldiers, whose bodies were hewn even as they lay dead against the gates of the Hornburg, are avenged! When you hang from a gibbet... for the sport of your own crows!" Venom laced Théoden's every word. "We shall have peace!"

It was then that Saruman's own enchantments began to fall away as he sneered back down at the king. "Gibbets and crows? Dotard!" he spat. His hateful gaze then turned to the wizard at our side. "And what do you want, Gandalf Greyhame? Let me guess. The key of Orthanc, or perhaps the keys of Barad-Dûr itself? Along with the crowns of the seven kings and the rods of the five wizards?!" I felt his dark gaze shift towards Kaia and I. "Or have you come to serve your justice and punish me for my crimes against you?" I felt Kaia stiffen at my back.

Gandalf, however, had not come just to hear Saruman rant. "Consequences have come naturally to you," he said, "for your treachery has already cost many lives. Thousands more are now at risk. But you could save them, Saruman! You were deep in the Enemy's counsel."

Now Saruman seemed to understand. "So you have come here for information?" But now there was a biting smirk in his voice, almost cocky. "I have some for you." From within his robes he suddenly drew forth none other than the palantír of Orthanc, holding it up for all to see. Even from here, I could feel the distant radiation of its power.

Kaia shifted nervously at the sight of it, and I glanced back in concern. "You okay?" I quietly asked.

Her gaze was fixed intently on the palantír, but with a deeply rooted fear in her eyes I'd never seen before. "Fine," she answered shortly. Clearly its presence bothered her, though I knew now wasn't the time to ask questions, so I simply nodded and turned forward again.

"Something festers in the heart of Middle-Earth," Saruman's voice boomed. "Something that even the so-called wisest of you have failed to see." My frown deepened. What does that mean? "But the Great Eye has seen it. Even now he presses his advantage." He returned the palantír to a hidden place within his robes, continuing to profess doom and darkness even as Gandalf nudged Shadowfax forward a few feet. "His attack will come soon. You are all going to die."

Before I could stop her, Kaia began shouting angrily up at the wizard. "Why don't you stop spewing bullshit in an attempt to scare us?" she snapped. "You don't know anything! You're a liar and a coward!"

Saruman turned to Kaia, though he seemed more amused than angered by her words. "Your professed braveries mean nothing. You know what suffering lies in wait for those you hold most dear, do you not? Have you not seen the horrors for yourself?"

I glanced back at the woman behind me, confused by the exchange as her fists clenched. "I saw nothing," she hissed. "It was a lie. All of it; it was all a filthy lie!" She held her icy glare, but there was also an edge of fear in her voice that I didn't understand.

"So it is truth that you seek, then?" Saruman asked. "Honesty? Then surely it would please both you and your friends to know this..." As he paused, I looked back to the wizard, and I swore I could almost see a twisted smile on his face as his next words made my blood run cold.

"One of you will not survive this war."

I felt the color drain from my face in an instant, and I froze. What? My eyes locked onto the wizard, staring him down, scouring for even the slightest twitch to indicate he was lying, but there was nothing. Saruman's gaze flicked back and forth between the two of us for a moment, lingering on me last as my heart dropped into my stomach. ...No. No, he's a liar. He's lying, he has to be! Saruman soon returned his attention to Gandalf and went on with his ranting, but I wasn't listening now. I felt eyes on me and turned to meet Legolas' gaze, slightly surprised by his concerned expression. He stared at me for a moment, as if to speak, but then dropped his gaze and looked forward again without a word. Somewhere in the back of my mind I wondered if he might've reached out to grab my hand or offer words of comfort in another time. But then Kaia's shout drew my attention to the present again, and I blinked, forcing the thought away.

I was jerked out of my thoughts as a ball of fire suddenly shot down from the peak of Orthanc, aimed directly at Gandalf and consuming him and Shadowfax instantly. The heat was so strong, I had to turn my face away, and I heard Kaia cry Gandalf's name in fear. But then, as soon as it had come, the heat was gone, and I looked back to see Gandalf emerging from the blazing inferno completely unharmed. "Saruman!" the Istari shouted. "Your staff is broken!" There was a sound like a rushing wind, and then a flash of light as the staff of the corrupted wizard cracked and shattered, the pieces dissolving into smoke. Saruman himself seemed to freeze up, completely shocked by such a display of power on Gandalf's behalf as he stared at his now empty hand.

Knowing how the scene typically played out, I expected to then see Gríma come slinking up beside his broken and defeated master. But he didn't. Again, I frowned, looking back over my shoulder at my best friend. "Where's Gríma?"

Kaia's eyes narrowed a bit. "Dead," came her short, clipped answer.

I blinked. "What? But..." I looked back to the wizard. Gríma's the one who's supposed to kill Saruman! What do we do now if that's not going to happen?

Saruman, meanwhile, was still going at it, even without his staff. "You send your twisted, corrupted forces of nature to belittle me and torture me within my own halls, and for what? To humble me? To take me as your prisoner; a great victory for the Men of the West?!"

Still, I stared up at him, mind racing to come up with a solution. Should we just let him live? No, that can't happen. He's too dangerous. If we let him go, he could come back and bite us in the ass later when we're not expecting it. Additionally, there was the palantír to consider as well. There's no way we're getting our hands on that while he's alive, and we need it. I glanced around, beginning to panic. Think, Erin, think! You've got to do something!

Just then, however, a certain dwarf sitting not too far ahead of me shifted and began to grumble. "I've heard enough!" He nudged Legolas with his axe, jerking his chin towards the tower. "Shoot him! Stick an arrow in his gob!"

The elf turned his head slightly, though still keeping eyes on Saruman. "I do not think it would be wise, Gimli."

"Wisdom be damned!" Gimli cursed. "He'll go on 'til Durin's Day like that if we let him!

I watched as Legolas continued to stare at the wizard; saw the slightest twitch of his fingers - he wanted to, I could tell. This was going nowhere fast, and someone needed to intervene. "...Legolas." His eyes found mine in half a second, and I looked at him seriously. "We need the palantír," I whispered. "He's not going to give it up willingly." Again, he glanced back to the top of the tower, weighing his options before finally looking at me again, an unspoken question in his eyes which I answered with a nod. "Trust me."

After one last moment of hesitation, he finally nodded, quietly reaching for his bow and drawing and arrow from his quiver. I looked back to Saruman in an effort to keep the attention focused on him, though still seeing Legolas fit his arrow to the string out of the corner of my eye.

Saruman was still rambling on. "There is no knowledge nor power in the east or west that can defeat the Dark Lord! Every man, woman and child will be brought down by his strength! The fate of Middle-Earth is-" His words turned to an ugly gasp as a green arrow with golden fletching abruptly cut him off, finding its mark as it pierced his heart. He fell back, and all eyes turned to Legolas, who resorted to glancing back at me.

When their gazes turned in my direction, I shrugged. "Well, we had to speed things up somehow." This resulted in several raised eyebrows and skeptical looks, which I ignored (though I did catch Éomer fighting back a smile).

Gandalf still held a somber expression despite my lighthearted comment, returning us to the serious issues at hand. "We must send word to all our allies, and to every corner of Middle-Earth that still stands free. The Enemy moves against us - we need to know where he will strike!" He smoothly dismounted Shadowfax and turned towards Orthanc. "I will go and retrieve the palantír. Better to keep it in safe hands than risk it falling into fouler ones. Wait here for my return." With that, the white wizard left us to head for the stairs and slip inside Orthanc, gone from view within thirty seconds.

As Gandalf disappeared, I was suddenly reminded of something I'd all but forgotten up until that very moment, and I gasped. "Oh!" Quickly, I reached for my travel bag slung over Fréa's side as I glanced back to Kaia. "I've got something to return to you, by the way." After digging around in my bag for a moment, I felt them, and soon enough had pulled out a familiar belt carrying twin black blades. "These are yours, I believe."

Kaia's eyes went wide as I held them up, and she took them back eagerly. "Oh my God! I thought I'd lost them forever!" She grinned as she stared at them for a moment, then moved to hook them back into place at her hips. "How did you find these?"

"Éomer gave them to me," I replied. "He said he found them after they slaughtered the Uruks that captured you. I hung on to them, because I..." I paused. "...It gave me hope that I hadn't fully lost you."

Her dark eyes met mine, and she smiled. "Well, you haven't. I'm pretty hard to get rid of, apparently."

I gave a short laugh. "Apparently so." The two of us continued on with our light banter until Gandalf returned several minutes later, carrying a small bundle wrapped up in heavy cloth. For a moment, I'd been enjoying myself, but it fell silent again as soon as the wizard came forward with the palantír in his arms. Our group quickly returned to no-nonsense mode as we said our polite goodbyes to Treebeard and then set off once more. I tried to keep at least some kind of conversation going with Kaia, but even she somehow seemed off as we reentered Fangorn, and I was no different. One of you will not survive this war. The statement smothered my heart in fear and stuck at the forefront of my thoughts, and I felt a growing terror already taking root that Saruman could actually be right. No, that's stupid. He can't be right. He was just being dumb. He's a liar. There's no way that's actually true... is it? Maybe it was just the palantír giving off a negative air or something, but I couldn't shake the foreboding feeling creeping up my spine, which bothered me. And so a new bullet was added to my seemingly endless list of worries as we started heading back to Edoras, Saruman's prophetic warning still ringing in my mind.

-Kaia-

The smile fell from my face as we slipped beneath the trees of Fangorn, and I took a deep breath, trying to push away the buzzing static that seemed to appear out of nowhere and cloud my mind. I knew exactly what it was, but I also knew there was nothing I could do to stop it, so I resigned myself to just having to wait it out and try not to focus on it too much. Still, I could feel its pull, and it took all my efforts to not let my gaze drift towards what was now delicately cradled in Gandalf's lap as we rode. I hadn't forgotten the last time I'd been so close to the palantír... the visions, and the screams, and all the blood and dead people and the Eye -

I blinked, biting back a gasp as I snapped out of it and tore my eyes away from Gandalf's back. Saruman's words haunted me as well as I desperately tried to push the images away. You know what suffering lies in wait for those you hold most dear... Have you not seen the horrors for yourself? I stared blankly at Erin's back, not only thinking of the things I'd seen in the palantír, but in Galadriel's mirror as well. I wondered if Saruman somehow knew about those glimpses of the future, too. I had seen the horrors firsthand. Saruman was right. I knew what would happen soon enough, and I knew it would be ugly for all of us. Not for the first time, I was reminded of my own fate, and wished there was a way out of it. That there could somehow be an alternate reality where everyone made it out alive and got to be happy. No wars, no death, no suffering... but it would only ever be a dream. Nothing more.

Again, I caught myself glancing ahead in Gandalf's direction, and a distant fear clawed at my chest. I hated how close it was. I knew it had to come back to Edoras with us for the story to progress, but I hated it. It was painful reminder of the hell I'd been through in Orthanc; a silent threat being carried along with us which made the darkness of that tower feel inescapable. I felt like Sauron was following me like a shadow; like he could still see me somehow. I could still see his eye in my mind and feel it piercing me down to the darkest depths of my soul. He can't know, I thought. He can't know my fate. If he finds out, it's over. I'll have failed my mission. I forced myself to look away again, suppressing a shudder and knowing I would get no sleep tonight.

No one can know.

-Kathryn-

I stared up at the ceiling rafters as I laid on my bed, eyes tracing over the various nicks and gashes in the old wood and trying to count them all to pass the time. I'd returned to Edoras three days ago, surprised to discover all the others hadn't made it back before I had. After asking around, I'd been told they'd taken a detour to Isengard to confront Saruman after defeating him at Helm's Deep, and was reassured they'd all be back soon. Until then, though... I was ridiculously bored. Éowyn was the only one to keep me company since literally everyone else had gone to Isengard, and while I was relieved to find my best friend had made it back unharmed, she'd been busy getting everyone moved back into the city and basically running it in her uncle's stead. I certainly didn't envy her job - she'd been running around Meduseld like crazy the past few days with hardly any time for us to sit down and catch up. And so that left me with no one to keep me entertained, which resulted in lots of time staring blankly into space and completely zoning out like I was doing that very moment. That is, until the door suddenly flew open and hit the wall with a loud bang.

I nearly jumped out of my skin, lurching upwards with a gasp. "Oh, fuck!" I looked over to see who'd startled me, my eyes narrowing into a glare at the man in the doorway. "Éomer! I've told you at least a million times not to do that!"

He laughed as I swung my legs over the side of the bed and got up, walking over to him. "But it's such fun to scare you, Kathryn."

I squinted and lightly smacked him in the head. "Yeah, well one day I'm gonna die from a heart attack because of you, and then you'll be sorry. I'll come back as a ghost and haunt you every single day."

"I do not doubt that," he said, still smiling. "That truly would be torturous."

I rolled my eyes, but then gave him a quizzical look as he fell silent a moment later, just standing there at my door. "...Well, sir? Is there anything you were planning on doing besides scaring the shit out of me?"

"Actually, yes," he replied. "I came to tell you that we've returned." A teasing smirk stretched across his face then, and he shook his head slightly. "Though one would think you'd have figured that out already seeing as I'm standing right in front of you."

As soon as he said it, the realization dawned on me, and my eyes widened as I drew back in shock. "Oh my God, wait! You're back!" I gasped, immediately leaping forward to hug him tightly. "And you're not dead!"

Éomer laughed, returning the hug. "Thankfully not. I'm glad you see you've returned to Edoras safely as well, Kathryn." We released each other, and he stepped back to look at me curiously. "They tell me you journeyed east to Ithilien."

"I did," I said with a nod. "I had some business to take care of over there. And I heard you swept into Helm's Deep to save everyone's asses at the last minute."

He chuckled. "I suppose we did. Though it feels better to be here in these halls again, now that the evil has left them. He glanced up and around him for a moment, but then looked back to me as something sparked in his dark eyes. "Have you seen Éowyn? Is she well?"

I smiled. "Yeah, she's good. She's done a great job running everything here by herself while you guys were gone. I think she's in the council room talking to some of the noblemen, if you want to go see her."

Éomer nodded, already stepping back into the hall. "And you should come to the great hall, if you can. Your friends are looking for you."

At the mere mention of them, I felt my heart swell, and my grin widened. "Really? Oh my God, yes! I'll see you around, Éomer!" Without waiting another second, I ducked past him and ran out of the room, tearing through the hallways as I headed straight for the main room of the Golden Hall. As soon as I passed through the back doors, I skidded to a stop, eyes eagerly roaming back and forth until I spotted Erin off to the left, talking to someone else whose back was to me. I nearly fell over when I realized who it was. ...What? No way! "Kaia!" I shouted, breaking into a sprint again.

She turned at my shout, and her face lit up instantly when she saw me. "Holy - Kathryn!" We collided a moment later as I pulled her into a fierce hug, practically at a loss for words. "Oh my God, you're here! I haven't seen you in - "

"-almost six months," I finished for her, totally shocked as I pulled back and stared at her in disbelief. "How are you... I thought you were dead!"

Kaia laughed at that, shaking her head. "You would not believe how many people have said that to me in the past two weeks." She glanced back over her shoulder at Erin, who gave a knowing smile.

"But where the hell were you?" I asked. "We didn't see you in Fangorn, so we had no idea where you could possibly be..." I trailed off.

At my question, though, her mood seemed to sober. "Isengard," she answered after a moment. At my frown, she sighed. "It's a long story." She stepped back again so all three of us stood in a triangle, looking from me to Erin again. "I think we all have long stories to tell each other, actually."

Erin nodded. "Yeah, for sure. I definitely have a lot to catch you two up on."

"Same here," I added, glancing at the two of them. There was a somewhat uncomfortable pause, and after a few seconds of weird silence, I cleared my throat to break it. "Should we, uh, just go back to my room? We've got all day to talk."

"Yeah, that sounds good," Kaia spoke up. "I think I'd like to get cleaned up first, though; I don't even want to think about how bad I smell right now."

I laughed, although my eyes did skim over her with concern at the joke. Despite her lighthearted tone, I'd noticed how beat up she looked when I'd first spotted her. And hearing she'd come from Isengard did nothing to ease my worries. "Don't worry, I won't hold it against you. Come on," I said, gesturing for them to follow as I led them away. "Let's get you two some baths and clean clothes, and then we'll talk."

"...and then I met Kaia at Isengard," Erin finished solemnly. "You know the rest from there."

The room was dead silent. I stared at her from my position on the bed, shocked, hardly able to believe the things she'd just told me. "...You're serious?"

Erin's gaze shamefully fell to the stone beneath her as she sat on the floor and nodded. "...I'm sorry," she said quietly, a slight tremble to her voice that it sounded like she was fighting.

Kaia also stared at her like she couldn't believe her ears. Finally, she swallowed. "...Wow." The word came out low and flat, and at first, there was another beat of silence. "I... really don't know what to say right now." I could only continue to stare, shocked and angry and... just completely at a loss. Somehow this girl I'd known as my best, possibly closest friend had ruined so many people's lives... I could barely even process it. What... what the hell? How could she?

Erin closed her eyes for a moment, letting out a breath as if she'd been expecting such a reaction. "I know," she said. "It's horrible, and-"

"Horrible?" I suddenly cut in. "Erin, you - you killed someone!" It felt unnatural to even say it out loud, and I felt anger spark in my chest. "You fucking watched Elladan bleed out and did nothing!"

She flinched at my words. "I know what I did," she said, still speaking softly. "And I... trust me, I regret it more than you know." She opened her eyes again, raising her head to look at me. "I wish I could take it back. More than anything." Again, her voice wavered, and she paused. "...I don't know why I did it."

Even Kaia was angry, I could tell. "He was Elrond's son, Erin. You really thought it was okay to leave him for dead like that?"

She shook her head. "No, I know it wasn't, I know it wasn't."

"Then why did you?" I asked, my anger growing. "Because he said something that pissed you off? You don't fucking kill people for something like that!"

Erin said nothing at first, only stared at me. It was clear she was pretty torn up about it, but that wasn't enough for me. Not when someone was legitimately dead as a result of her actions. "...I'm sorry," she finally said again.

I nearly scoffed at her. "Sorry isn't going to fix anything."

"I know," she said. "I know I can't fix it. I know I was wrong. I'm not trying to make excuses, I just..." She looked down at her hands. "I fucked up. I have massively fucked up. And I hate myself for it." Another stretch of silence until she looked back up at us. "...Do you hate me for this?"

Again, I stared at her, genuinely unsure of how to answer. "...I don't know. I guess I just didn't think someone I called my best friend could be capable of cold-blooded murder." My tone was cold and biting, and Erin returned her gaze to the floor.

"Okay, Kathryn," Kaia suddenly cut in from the side. "Relax. It wasn't cold-blooded murder."

"Well, it was damn close," I shot back, turning to glare at her also. "What are you, defending her?"

"No," Kaia retorted, "I'm not. Because yes, what Erin did was incredibly shitty, and very fucked up, and definitely not something you're off the hook for." She cast an accusing glance in Erin's direction. "But we also don't need to call it murder when it wasn't. The Uruk stabbed him, not Erin." Then her dark glare turned on me, her voice becoming dangerously low. "Let's not forget the time you nearly slit her throat a few months back." My jaw tightened, and I held her gaze for a moment longer before finally giving up and looking away. We all fell silent for a minute or two before Kaia spoke up again. "So... what do we do now?"

More silence until Erin finally looked back at us with uncertainty. "I don't know." Her voice was dull, as was her expression. "We keep going, I guess."

Now I did scoff. "Easier said then done," I muttered.

Kaia shot me a silencing glare before turning back to Erin. "What's going to happen next?"

Again, she sighed, running a hand through her short hair. "Um... Pippin will look into the palantír at some point, and then he and Gandalf will go off to Minas Tirith. They light the beacons to call for help, and... I guess then we're off to war."

Kaia nodded, leaning back slightly. "Okay. So I guess we're just going to be hanging out here in Edoras for awhile."

"Yeah," Erin replied. Another stretch of tense silence, and I was about to just get up and leave out of frustration when she suddenly spoke again, frowning. "...There's something else," she began quietly. "Something I wanted to talk with both of you about." Her gaze flicked between Kaia and I before she continued with an underlying sense of fear in her voice. "When we confronted Saruman in Isengard, he... he said something to Kaia and I. He said that... one of us-" Here she gestured to our trio members "-isn't going to survive the war."

At that, Kaia rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Oh, come on. You don't seriously believe him, do you? Erin, this is Saruman we're talking about. A servant of Sauron's. He'll do anything to mess with your mind and scare you." She shifted her weight, leaning back a bit. "Believe me, I speak from experience," she mumbled as an afterthought.

"I know, I know, but... either way, it worries me," Erin replied. "He could've seen something in the palantír, and we all know that the battle at Minas Tirith is going to be absolute hell..." She trailed off and looked down.

"Erin, listen to me," Kaia said. "You don't need to worry about this stupid false prophecy of Saruman's. It's not worth losing sleep over." I frowned ever so slightly, confused by her almost urgent tone. Then again, we both know Erin probably will lose sleep over it if she lets it get to her. I dismissed my initial suspicion as Erin spoke up again. Kaia's probably right.

"Whether he was being truthful or not, it won't hurt us to at least be a bit more careful," Erin said. She cast another slightly fearful glance at each of us. "I know right now things are... tense... but no matter what happens, when the time for battle comes around, we should stick together. Watch out for each other." Our eyes met for half a second, but I quickly looked away.

Kaia shrugged. "Sure, that works. Let's just try to not get so paranoid about this whole thing."

Both their gazes turned expectantly to me, and I gave a short nod. "I'm fine with that."

Erin nodded back, though again, her expression fell back into a guilty one a moment later. "...Okay. Then I should probably go. It's late."

Kaia also sat up at her suggestion. "Yeah, it is. I'll... I'll go with you, I guess." I didn't miss the lingering disappointment in her eyes as she looked back to Erin. At first, she didn't move as the brunette got up and started to head for the door, thinking. "...Hey Erin?" Erin stopped, turning around to look back at her. "I think I'm going to need some space for a few days," she said, looking pointedly at the shorter woman as she stood. "To think about all this."

Erin's face fell, but she nodded all the same. "I understand," she said quietly, then turning to me. "You?"

I still felt angry as I looked back at her. "Same. A lot of space."

There was a flash of hurt in her eyes at the jab, but still, she accepted it and nodded without any defense. "That's fine. You both deserve that, at the very least." She paused again one last time before turning back to the door. "Good night." And then she was gone, disappearing out into the hall without another word.

I stared at the door even after she left, my mind spinning even as Kaia let out a breath beside me and also strode towards the doorway. "Jesus. That was not at all something I expected out of her." She also paused in the doorway to cast a glance back in my direction. "I'll see you tomorrow, Kathryn."

I nodded. "Yeah, see you." And then Kaia left, leaving me alone in my room once again to contemplate everything that'd just gone down between the three of us. It felt unreal, and part of me still didn't want to believe it, but... my friend had killed someone. Erin killed someone. I stared at the stones on the floor, a deep frown etched onto my face as I sat there, the reality of it settling in. Can I even call her my friend if that's what she's turned into? What the hell happens now? After some time, I groaned, flopping back until I was laid flat on my bed, staring blankly up at the rafters once more. How do we even begin to deal with this?

-Legolas-

Long, even strides carried me through the quiet halls of Meduseld with purpose, though I paid hardly any attention to the other men I passed by as I walked. It had been little more than a week since our return to the esteemed capital of Rohan, and yet already most of its inhabitants were rushing about in a frenzied panic again. The air was thick with anxiety and uncertainty amongst the great lords and noblemen of Edoras, for none now knew where to turn following the miraculous victory at Helm's Deep. Rohan had been on the brink of extinction, barely escaping it, and now all minds turned to the threat of Sauron in the east, growing stronger with each passing day. War would be upon us again soon. Every man, woman, and child was aware of it. A war we did not know how to prepare for in the slightest.

This, in part, was what brought me to my current destination as I reached the heavy wooden door and gently pushed to open it further from where it stood slightly ajar. I stepped into the large room the king had provided us to use during our time in Edoras, a maze of cots and old, worn mattresses scattered across the floor. In total, there were sixteen of us who occupied the space, but currently it was deserted, save for myself and the two others who had called for our meeting. I looked to both Aragorn and Erin who sat in the center of the room, the former acknowledging my entrance with a nod. They were silent as I ensured the door was shut behind me and came forward to take a seat on the edge of a mattress, glancing to both of them expectantly. "Shall we begin?"

Aragorn shifted to rest one arm atop his knee, speaking first. "There is much to be discussed regarding the palantír that was stolen from its place in Elostirion some years ago," he began, gesturing to Erin and I. "You both pursued it, for a time, but believed its whereabouts to be untraceable." His gaze then settled on Erin. "But now you believe you have guessed who has taken it and why."

My own eyes also turned to Erin, brow creased in curiosity. We had spoken little since Helm's Deep, and she had said nothing to me then of any recent developments regarding our missing palantír. She looked up at the man, her expression calm as she nodded. "When Legolas and I were tracking it through Eriador, we were attacked by an Easterling assassin. We realized he'd been sent to keep us from discovering what had happened to the palantír, but at the time, neither of us understood why this particular assassin had been a man from the east." She glanced at me briefly as she spoke, recalling the events of the past. "And then there was this guy who attacked us during the Warg fight on the way to Helm's Deep." She paused for a moment, as if not wanting to remember it at all. "When I was... At one point during the battle, he pinned me out of nowhere, and would've killed me if not for another soldier seeing me struggle and giving me an opening to get out." A slight frown pulled at the corners of my mouth. "I got a clear look at him, and I remember his face... he was covered in colored war paints and piercings, and there was gold woven into his hair." My face fell slightly as she spoke, describing the same foreign man I had encountered that day. "He was one of the Haradrim," she said, now turning to me fully. "And he attacked you too, didn't he? He was the one who poisoned you."

I nodded, shocked by this new information. "This man fought me in the midst of battle also. I could not place where he came from; only that he did not belong in a pack of Orcs and Wargs." I looked to Aragorn. "You told me the poison was of the south when I woke."

"It was unknown to Théoden's healers," he agreed, "which explains why none of them knew how to treat you. I almost did not recognize it myself."

"And he was hired by Saruman," Erin added. "While she was a prisoner in Orthanc, Kaia told me she overheard Saruman give an order to have an assassin from the south come after all three of us. He sent this man out with the Wargs that attacked the Rohirrim."

"A man from the east, and a man from the south..." My frown deepened, still failing to understand. "Why? What alliance did Saruman have with them?"

Erin's expression grew solemn, and she took a deep breath. "An alliance for war," she answered, again looking to both of us as she spoke. "One of the things I know about the future of this world is how, when, and where Sauron will unleash his armies and wage war on the people of Middle-Earth." She paused, her gaze falling to the floor as her voice grew quiet. "I know what his army will be comprised of."

Aragorn sat upright, his gaze fixed on her as he realized her intentions. "Erin," he warned, "do not tell us something we are not meant to hear."

At first she remained unmoving, but then slowly shook her head, her next words entirely unexpected. "It doesn't matter," she all but whispered. "Not now."

What? I blinked, taken aback by her statement, as was Aragorn. Keeping her knowledge of Middle-Earth's future safe and in secret had been Erin's utmost priority since the day I had first met her. Where had this sudden change of heart come from? "You are not under any obligation to tell us anything, Erin," I assured her, unsure of how else to respond. "You know that."

When she lifted her eyes to meet mine, however, there was an unwavering finality in them I knew would not be swayed. She had made her decision long before ever entering this room, that much was clear. "I am if it will save the lives of thousands," she answered firmly. Her hazel eyes bored into mine with an unexpected intensity, dissuading any argument.

Aragorn still bore a confused frown, though now he tensed slightly at her blunt statement. "And this will?"

"It might," she corrected herself, finally breaking eye contact with me to address the ranger. But still, I stared at Erin, wondering where in all of Arda this sudden boldness had come from. My gaze narrowed slightly, now skeptical of the woman before me, but I said nothing as she continued on. "But either way, it will help you, so you deserve to know." She opened her mouth, as if trying to find the proper words before rolling her eyes and settling for a more straightforward approach. "Sauron is rallying the Easterlings and the Haradrim to his cause. They're the ones that stole the palantír; that's how he's been communicating with them to draw them in. He'll have their armies for the war."

Instantly, an unwelcome chill washed down my spine, and I found myself suddenly rooted to the spot as a stunned silence swept the room. Erin's words hung in the air before us, motionless, a horrible weight to them that struck us hard. "...You are certain of this?" I asked, knowing what her answer would be but not wanting to believe it nonetheless. It cannot be. I... I had never even considered...

Erin's lips were pressed into a solemn line as she turned her head, and I could tell even she did not want to confirm it as truth. "It's how the story is written," she said. "I've seen it in the films time and time again. When he attacks, Sauron strikes with his own forces first, and he strikes hard. Our armies do retaliate, managing to get the Orcs under control and gain the upper hand, but then just when everyone thinks the battle is won..."

"...The forces of the east and south close in from behind," Aragorn finished for her, stunned and horrified as the realization came to him. He stared forward at nothing, slowly processing it all. "The Easterlings possess one of the largest and deadliest armies known to Men, and the Haradrim are no less formidable. If what you say is true, then... we will unquestionably be outnumbered, and vastly so."

"There's still hope," Erin tried. "Even with those odds, the battle isn't an entirely lost cause. Or at least, it shouldn't be. So far nothing's happened that will greatly impact the outcome of the fight; not as far as I know."

"But you are right," I said. "This could mean the death of thousands more than expected." And then, from the furthest depths of my mind, a thought came to me that seemed to still my blood and breath. Prophetic words from Gandalf I had nearly forgotten faintly rang in my ears, stirring a once dormant fear in my heart as I swallowed, my eyes meeting Erin's once again. "And I imagine the sheer size of the Easterling forces would allow them to bring war to the lands in the north as well."

I saw her make the connection, and my fear doubled when I caught the flash of pity across her face. "That I don't know," she answered honestly. "But it is possible."

War beneath the trees. I could not hold her gaze, I could not. My heartbeat quickened as I thought of my father, half a world away without even the slightest knowledge of such a threat. Gandalf was right. Sauron means to attack us in the south and lay siege to the north in the same breath. He is... they are all in danger. I felt a dull pain in my chest I had not felt in ages.

"Something must be done," came Aragorn's sharp command, drawing me back to the conversation at hand. "Théoden must be made aware of this alliance."

Erin nodded. "And Gandalf, and even Denethor down in Minas Tirith, too. They all need to be warned so they can prepare."

But there was another realization beginning to form in my mind as well, and I looked to the short-haired woman in question. "And how do you intend to explain it to them?"

At first, Erin frowned, looking at me as if the answer was obvious. "What do you mean? I'm going to walk in there and tell them to prepare for an army three times the size they're expecting."

She did not understand. I shook my head, making my point more clearly known. "With what proof? We have none, Erin. Nothing to convince them this is a serious, actual threat."

I watched her face fall as I spoke, and she stumbled over her words, trying to come up with a response. "...I... I mean, we can - I can... No, there has to be! There must be some way!"

But now I could see Aragorn shift as well, closing his eyes and letting out a pained sigh. "Legolas is right, Erin. We have no proof that they have taken the palantír, and no evidence to raise suspicion against them. We would be convincing them on your word alone, and that means nothing to them, especially given your recent actions."

If I had not been watching her, I would have missed her flinch at the remark, pain filling her eyes before she quickly blinked and pushed it away. "...What if I just told them?" she asked. "About me, about Earth, about everyth-"

"No." Aragorn snapped, his voice suddenly harsh and rigid. "Absolutely not. You cannot speak a word of your knowledge or origins to anyone else; not when the Enemy knows of your existence and is hunting you. It would put you in grave danger and we certainly cannot risk that now."

Her expression darkened, a deep frown marring her face as hazel eyes sparked with a sudden, desperate anger. "Then what?" she shot back. "We condemn tens of thousands of innocent people to death?"

Aragorn's jaw clenched, but he said nothing, a stony silence settling between them as they stared each other down. It was not what he wanted - it was not what any of us wanted - yet it was the bitter truth. We would not convince political and military leaders of this threat on word alone, and there was simply no way for us to obtain any evidence to prove the claim. My gaze flicked between the two of them as they soundlessly fought one another, though even now I could see Erin's hardened expression waver as she realized there was no other way. Several seconds ticked by until Aragorn finally stood, knowing there was nothing more to be said, and abruptly left the room without another word. Erin continued to stare blankly ahead at his now vacant spot, even as the door fell shut behind him. "...There has to be a way..." she whispered to herself, lost in thought as she anxiously began twisting the rings on her fingers. "There has to be something..."

Minutes passed as we sat, the only sound in the room Erin's continuous mutterings under her breath, speaking to herself as if she had completely forgotten my presence. At first I was compelled to leave her in peace, but as I sat watching her, I could not bring myself to move. There was a deep, wild fear in her eyes I saw plainly now as she drew a hand to her face, looking truly panicked as her mind raced to think up some impossible solution. And I did not understand why. "Erin." She did not so much as blink, giving no indication she had even heard me as she stared off into space. "Erin," I tried again, more forcefully.

This time, her head snapped in my direction, and for a fraction of a second, I felt like I was staring into the eyes of a lost child. Frightened, alone... and so, so very vulnerable. But then she blinked, and it was gone, a flat, emotionless mask sliding into place as she acknowledged me. "What?"

I hesitated at first, feeling as though I had seen something I was not meant to. "...Why did you tell us this?"

Her lips pressed into a thin line. "You deserved to know," she answered, echoing her own earlier words.

But they were hollow, and not the true answer I sought. "Why?" I pressed her further.

She held my gaze for a moment, and then her eyes softened, turning away and staring down at the floor as she spoke. "I've hurt so many people," she whispered. "Their lives have been destroyed because of me, and I - I've manipulated people, and I've lied to them, and I've killed people..." Her voice trembled, words trailing off into a shaky breath as her gaze became distant, no longer focused on the flagstones at her feet. "...All I ever wanted was to help people. I don't know what happened, I... I don't know what to do."

I continued to watch her, though no longer with scrutiny. I had yet to come to terms with all that had happened in the past weeks, yet part of me felt compelled to reach out to her in comfort regardless. I remained still, however, only watching from a distance. "What do you want to do?"

She frowned slightly, as if the thought had never crossed her mind. "I... I don't know," she said, defeat lacing her words. "Just... to make things right, somehow... but I don't think I can." A pause. "I know I can't."

There was another stretch of silence, and I shifted uncomfortably. Somehow, despite a thousand words and phrases coming to mind, I found myself struggling to say anything at all. It was a natural impulse to offer her advice, and yet I felt severely out of place doing so. My gaze fell to the floor, almost out of embarrassment as we sat there, unmoving, both at a loss for words. To think there had been a time in which we almost never stopped talking to each other seemed unbelievable. But then, finally, I swallowed, my thoughts shifting as I glanced up at her once more. "...How have you been?" It felt entirely unnatural to ask her such a question, but I could not stand the silence and had wanted to confront her about this for some time.

As I expected, she glanced back at me only briefly, her deceptively calm mask returning to her. "Fine."

Although I had known that would be her answer, I was still annoyed by it. "Are you?" I asked, fixing my gaze on her again intently. She gave no further response, and I felt my frown deepen. "You know I have seen you, Erin. Ever since we set out for Isengard, you've hardly slept, and eaten far less than usual." Surely she must've known I would notice these things. How could she have thought otherwise?

She closed her eyes, expelling a breath. "I'm fine, Legolas," she said again. "It's not your job to worry about me anymore."

I felt myself bristle, though truthfully I knew she had not meant the words to sting. "Are we not still allies in this war? Is it so wrong of me to have some concern for your health, especially now that a threat has been made upon your life?"

"They were empty words, Legolas. Saruman's threat means nothing."

"How do you know?" Even now, I felt a twinge of fear as the wizard's foreboding words echoed in my head. I worried over them far more than I wished to admit. "We are in the midst of a war, Erin. Starving yourself will solve nothing; it will only weaken you and make it easier for an enemy to strike you down-"

"I know that, Legolas."

"Then why are you doing this to yourself?"

"Why do you care!?" she snapped, suddenly turning on me with an icy stare.

I opened my mouth, but no words emerged as I stared back, suddenly unable to speak once again. There was another cold silence as I tried to think. ...Why do I care? She is right. We are not as we once were, and it is no longer my responsibility to protect her and care for her. I have plenty of other concerns of my own, many of which should take precedent over her well being. So why do I still care? Why do I fear she will be the one to fall from Saruman's prophecy? She does not deserve my concern or attention after all she's done... and yet I still care anyway. Again, we both fell silent, holding each other's gaze for what felt like ages without a word. I had no answer to give her. I could say nothing.

Finally, after what could have been an eternity, Erin broke it, returning her gaze to the empty space before her. "You should go."

The words were soft, and for a moment I thought I glimpsed the vulnerable, pained expression cross her face again, but it passed too quickly for me to tell. Slowly, I nodded. "...Yes. I suppose I should. It is late." It was a transparent excuse, as I knew both myself and others would likely be returning to retire for the night within an hour, but I stood anyway. She did not look at me again as I turned to leave the room. I paused when I reached the door, glancing over my shoulder to where she sat with her back to me. "...Good night, Erin." I lingered for a moment, waiting, but she remained silent. And so I left Erin to her thoughts, exiting the room as an unwelcome melancholy seemed to darken the halls of Meduseld in a haze.