As soon as they were back in the keep, Leila ran to meet Legolas. She leapt into his arms and wrapped her legs around his waist. How he caught her, she did not know or care, she just smiled as she nuzzled into his shoulder. "I cannot believe we survived. I feel as if I am in a dream," she whispered to him.
"Me too," he whispered back, and she felt him squeeze her closer. Then he began to laugh.
"What is it?" she asked, looking at him.
He looked her in the eyes, and then looked at her clothes. "You look terrible."
Leila smirked. "Now you do too," she told him, signaling with her eyes that he needed to look at his own tunic.
"Oh, you are too smart for your own good," he said, giving her a sly smile. He cupped her face, and leaned in. Leila felt the same way she did in Edoras, and as their lips nearly met once again, Gimli's voice halted them both.
"We are headed down now to see the women and children!" he called to them, and Leila sighed heavily.
"He has impeccable timing, does he not?" she asked, and Legolas chuckled as he released his grip on her thighs, and she had her feet on the ground once more as they followed Gimli into the caves.
When Leila saw Soriel, she was shocked to see her up and walking, and taking with Eomer. This did not stop her from throwing her arms around her friend in excitement, nearly knocking Soriel to the floor. "Can you believe it?! We're alive!" she exclaimed.
"Hardly!" Soriel replied with a giggle.
"Do not forget, our friend is injured," Legolas gently reminded Leila, causing her to quickly release Soriel.
"Oh, yes, sorry," Leila said, now feeling very guilty. "I hope I didn't hurt you."
"Not at all," Soriel reassured her. "I'm so happy you are all here now."
For the next couple of hours Leila told Soriel about what had happened during the battle, and Soriel told Leila what had gone on with the women and children. Apparently, Soriel had the people of Rohan quite won-over. Soriel led them in song and brought them great comfort in their need. Leila was very impressed with her friend. That night, Leila had never slept so well.
Over the next several days, Aragorn helped with the treatment of the sick and wounded, including himself, Soriel, and the King. Although Eowyn would be leading the people back to Edoras, the members of the fellowship, now including Théoden and Eomer, would be accompanying Gandalf to Isengard to confront Saruman. Gandalf informed the company that Isengard had been overrun by the Ents from Fanghorn, and now that Saruman had been defeated, he may give up information about Sauron.
Leila was shining her swords, when Soriel approached her. "Still cleaning them?" she asked.
"It will be days yet before they are completely clean again," Leila told her, as she met her gaze. "And how are you?"
"Conflicted," Soriel admitted. "I seek your friendly wisdom."
This made Leila very curious, and she patted the seat next to her. "Take a seat near me, pupil, and tell me of your woes," she joked.
Soriel chuckled. "Well, I suppose I should start by saying Eomer kissed me earlier," she said.
"How did you like it?" Leila asked, not skipping a beat.
"I put a stop to it," Soriel informed her.
"Was it so awful?" Leila teased, grinning at her friend.
"No!" Soriel cried. "It was very nice. I like him a lot, but that has come with a cloud over it. A cloud of guilt."
"Guilt for Boromir?" Leila pressed.
"I feel it is a dishonor to him, and our child," Soriel continued.
"Soriel, if I had as many feelings as you, I would be the same as that wall out there," Leila said, earning her a confused look from her friend. "In pieces," she explained. "Blown up."
"I feel as if I am nearly there," Soriel said with sigh.
"You know what will help?" Leila asked her. Soriel shook her head, and Leila put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Get out of you head for one moment and start looking in your heart. There is no rush to make any decision, so just take time and listen to it. Allow what is going to happen, to just happen."
Leila looked Soriel deep in her eyes when she advised this. Leila felt as if she could have shaken her. Even though she knew she was not always thinking things all the way through, she was glad that nothing ever held her back from something she truly wanted. Soriel smiled and nodded in agreement, and Leila hoped that this man of Rohan would help her friend heal.
Several days later, the company made it to a flooded Isengard. It was here that Leila heard the familiar laughter of Hobbits as Merry and Pippin came into view. Merry rose to his feet and greeted them.
"Welcome, lords and ladies, to Isengard!" he said with a grin.
Leila didn't even wait for her horse to stop before she leapt from it and took the two of them into her embrace. They laughed as she held them. Leila could feel her affections for them all the way up to her chest and her heart felt very full now that she could keep them safe once more. She would never forget that they were the first to make her laugh since she left that mountain. She was so happy to see them again she felt as if her heart might actually burst.
"You young rascals!" called Gimli from his horse, and they went back and forth with him about the way things were now running at Isengard.
"You two are the greatest," she told them, squeezing them closer to her.
With that, Merry joined Eomer on his horse, and Pippin joined Aragorn on his. They made their way to the bottom of the tower, Orthanc, where Saruman was supposed to be trapped. The Ent, Treebeard greeted them, and Leila was in awe of him. Leila was quite young for an elf, so she had never seen an Ent before. She absolutely loved them, as she shared their connection to the forest and the trees.
They waited at the bottom of the tower for Saruman to appear. "Show yourself," whispered Aragorn.
"Be careful. Even in defeat, Saruman is dangerous," warned Gandalf.
Leila was holding her breath when Gimli chimed in. "Well, let's just have his head and be done with it," he said.
"No," Gandalf argued. "We need him alive. We need him to talk."
Without warning, a voice boomed from the top of the tower. "You have fought many wars and slain many men, Théoden King," it said, and to the edge of the tower came Saruman himself. His presence made Leila shiver. "And made peace afterwards. May we not take counsel together as we once did, my old friend? Can we not have peace?"
Théoden was practically shaking with anger. "We shall have peace," he began. "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, we shall have peace!"
Leila felt as she should applaud the King for his words, but Saruman replied, "Gibbets and crows! Dotard! What do you want Gandalf Greyheme? Let me guess… the key of Orthanc? Or perhaps the keys of Barad-dur itself? Along with the crowns of the seven kings and the rods of the five wizards!"
"Your treachery has already cost many lives," Gandalf said. "Thousands more are now at risk. But you can save them, Saruman. You were deep in the enemy's counsel."
"So you have come here for information?" Saruman asked. "I have some for you."
From what Leila could see, Saruman pulled out some sort of black orb, which was now alit with flame in the middle. "Something festers in the heart of Middle Earth," Saruman continued. "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. You are all going to die." Leila felt a chill run through her. "But you know this, don't you, Gandalf? You cannot think that this ranger will ever sit upon the throne of Gondor! This exile crept from the shadows will never be crowned king." Now Saruman seemed to address the others that were present. "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? The path you have sent him on can only lead to death."
"I've heard enough," Gimli grumbled, then turned to Legolas. "Shoot him! Stick an arrow in his gob!" Legolas reached back, but Gandalf stopped him.
Gandalf did not address the comment about Frodo, but offered Saruman one last chance to surrender, causing Saruman to cry out in anger, and shoot a ball of flame at Gandalf. Leila gasped and started towards him, but Aragorn halted her with a look. Even though Gandalf had been completely immersed in flame, it died down and he was unburnt.
"Saruman," Gandalf said. "Your staff is broken." Just as he finished the words, it came to be. Saruman's staff was split, then shattered into several pieces. This surprised everyone, including Saruman, but before another word was spoken, Grima appeared behind the wizard.
"Grima," called Théoden. "You need not follow him. You were not always as you are now. You were once a man of Rohan! Come down!"
"No!" cried Leila and Soriel in unison. Through their many days with Eowyn, she had expressed to the elves how much Grima had truly frightened her. Had Eomer not stuck around, she did not know what might have happened to her. Théoden looked at them, clearly shocked at their objection.
"A man of Rohan?" mocked Saruman. "What is the house of Rohan but a thatched barn where brigands drink and reek and the brats roll on the floor with the dogs?! Victory at Helm's Deep does not belong to you, Théoden Horsemaster. You are a lessor son of greater sires."
Leila felt herself burning with anger at those words. Despite having only known the people of Rohan for a short time, she had come to respect them very much. They did not make her feel so watched as the men of Gondor did, but Théoden ignored Saruman's taunting.
"Grima," he continued. "Come down. Be free of him."
Now Leila was even more angry with the king. "My lord, no!" she protested, earning her a look from Aragorn and Legolas.
"Think of your niece!" added Soriel. This comment captured the attention of Eomer, and he might have said something, had Saruman not continued.
"Free? He will never be free!" Saruman said. Grima tried to respond, but Saruman struck him.
"Saruman!" called Gandalf. "You are deep in the enemy's counsel. Tell us what you know."
"You withdraw your guard and I will tell you where your doom will be decided!" spat Saruman. "I will not be held prisoner here!" It seemed he would have said more, but Grima was stabbing him in the back. Leila could hardly watch. Now Legolas grabbed an arrow and shot it upwards, hitting Grima to stop him. This did little for Saruman, who fell forwards off of Orthanc. He flipped several times in the air before landing with an appalling sound on a spike on the water wheel. Out of his sleeve, fell the orb he had been holding. Pippin retrieved it and handed it to Gandalf, who now commanded them to head back to Edoras.
Shortly after leaving Isengard, Eomer slowed down to ride next to Leila and Soriel. "What did you men, just then?" he asked them. "About Grima and Eowyn."
"That man terrified your sister," Leila told him. "You must have noticed."
"I thought he annoyed her, yes, and that his attention was unwanted. But I did not know he truly scared her," Eomer admitted. Leila was slightly irritated at this comment. Men could be so oblivious sometimes.
"She told us she did not want you to worry when other things were more important," Soriel explained. "She also had faith you would be there to protect her if he ever got out of line."
"I should have been more careful," Eomer said, and Leila had to admit that she agreed with him. "I should have watched more closely. Perhaps I could have had him gone before he ever poisoned my uncle's mind."
"Do not trouble yourself with what has passed," Soriel said, comforting him. Leila felt as if Soriel was being a little too forgiving, but decided she would say nothing. "Be there for her now," she finished.
Eomer nodded, then caught up with his uncle, Aragorn, and Gandalf at the front. Leila contemplated this for a long time on the ride. Although she knew Eomer and Théoden loved Eowyn very much, they did not seem to even notice when she was feeling an emotion. It was probably why Eowyn was so good at hiding her emotions now. She thought she might never understand how men never thought about anything other than war and battles, and the state of the world, when the state of their own lives was not in balance.