Chapter Two

The horses dare not go into the forest, they remained on the outskirts, and no doubt they would come when they were called. To be honest I didn't blame them, the forest was spooky looking. There was an aura on this wood, something was here, dark and angry it felt.

"I do not like the look of this Fanghorn. I wish the chase had led anywhere else!" Gimli said bitterly.

Legolas stood under the eaves of the forest, he stooped forwards as if he was listening to a conversation. I watched him curious.

"I do not think the wood feels evil, no matter what the tales may say of it." Legolas said softly.

He was quiet for a moment, peering into the woods with wide eyes, no doubt doing a sweep of the area.

"No, it is not evil; or whatever evil there is, it is far from us. I catch only the faintest echoes of dark places where the hearts of the trees are black. There is no malice near us; but there is watchfulness, and anger."

Part of me was relieved that there was no evil near us, yet we were being watched, and they were none too happy with visitors in their midst. Not that I blamed them, if I had a neighbor like Isengard I wouldn't be too happy either.

"Well, it has no cause to be angry with me, I have done it no harm." Gimli stated looking up at the trees.

I peered around in the darkness, I feel something, the leaves that crunched beneath my boot the very air…

"The wood has suffered harm. There is something happening here…or going to happen. Do you feel it? It takes my breath," I murmured.

I rubbed my arms up and down trying to lose the tingling sensation on my arms. I was not cold, yet I could not find warmth. Legolas placed a hand on my shoulder.

"I feel the air is stuffy," Gimli stated. "The wood is lighter than Mirkwood, but it is musty and shabby."

I had to agree with him, Fanghorn was not as dense and thick as Mirkwood in terms of the trees, yet there was a heaviness in the air that took on its own personality than Mirkwood.

"It is old, very old." Legolas said softly looking around. "So old that I almost feel young again, as I have not felt since I journeyed with you children. It is old and full of memory. I could have been happy here, if I had come in days of peace."

He nearly sound reminiscent, I was interesting to see. I hadn't seen him so engrossed somewhere aside from patrols back in Mirkwood. I wanted to stick my tongue out at him for the 'children' comment, yet I knew it was to be accurate. He was far older than any of us here, we must be children in his eyes. Although we all aged slower than humans…the thought made me frown.

"I dare say you could," Gimli snorted after a moment. "You are a wood-elf. Yet you comfort me. Where you go, I will go. But keep your bow ready to hand and I will keep my axe loose at my belt. Not for use on trees," he added hastily.

We continued forward, I had to smile softly to myself at Gimli's comment, if his father could see him now. We continued though the forest and I helped Aragorn track where he could not, although I had no elf-eyes, I had far keener senses than any of them. As we walked we heard deep groaning.

"The trees are speaking with to each other," Legolas said softly.

"Gimli! Lower your axe!" Aragorn called to the dwarf.

Unknowingly had raised his axe to the sound of the groaning. He quickly lowered it.

"They have feelings, my friend. The elves began it. Waking up the trees, teaching them to talk."

I heard Gimli snort.

"Talking trees. What do trees have to talk about? Except the consistency of squirrel droppings."

I took a deep breath and walked past Aragorn.

"Aragorn, nad no ennas," (Something's out there) I said quietly.

Legolas spun around to face me and Aragorn approached me.

"Man cenich?" (What do you see?) He asks.

I gestured to the road ahead of us.

"The White Wizard approaches," I said simply.

Aragorn swallows thickly.

"Do not let him speak. He will put a spell on us."

Aragorn grips his sword, Gimli tightens his hands on his axe and Legolas loads an arrow in his bow. I have my throwing knives within reach.

"We must be quick," Aragorn whispers.

Unspoken we all spin around, Gimli throws his axe with deadly accuracy to be deflected by a blinding white light. I instantly look away, but I was already having spotty vision, I heard the hiss of Legolas's arrow being loose but also a hiss of it disintegrating. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Aragorn's sword turn red hot and he drops it to the forest floor. I heard ringing in my ears that caused me to collapse to the ground in pain. The light was still quite bright that no form could be seen and the pain in my ears was causing me to cry, Legolas crouches beside me trying to remove my hands but I refused.

"You are tracking the footsteps of two young Hobbits," the voice says.

It sounds like Saruman but the voice is off, I couldn't place it.

"Where are they?" Aragorn demanded.

"They passed this way the day before yesterday. They met someone they did not expect. Does that comfort you?"

The ringing lessened but was still quite painful.

"Who are you? Show yourself!" Aragorn cried out.

The light reduced and the ringing stopped. My eyes must have been the size of dinner plates at the sight before me. We all gazed at him dumfounded. His hair was white as snow in the sunshine; and gleaming white was his robe; the eyes under his deep dark brow were bright, piercing as the rays of the sun. I think we were all dumbfounded, wonder, joy, fear…there were no words to say, even the animals inside me were still as night.

"It cannot be…"Aragorn whispered.

Gandalf stepped down to us a gentle smile on his face.

"Gandalf, yes that was my name. Gandalf the Grey…"

He pulled a grey cloak, grey like a cloud and wrapped it around his body hiding the white cloak.

"No blame to any of you, and no harm done to me. Indeed my friends, none of you have any weapon that could hurt me. Be merry! We meet again. At the turn of the tide. The great storm is coming, but the tide is turning."

His old voice returned and my heart didn't dare believe it. What sorcery was this? He came down and touched my head and I felt the same spark, Gandalf's old spark. I lunged forward and hugged him. He chuckled and hugged me close.

"Gandalf! But you are all in white!" I cried.

He pulled me away at arm's length and nodded.

"I am white now. I am indeed Saurman, one might say, Saurman as he should have been."

I let that sink in, Gandalf had raised a rank the wizarding order. He was probably one of the strongest wizards in Middle Earth.

"But come now, tell me of yourselves. I have passed through fire and deep water, since we parted. I have forgotten much that I thought I knew, and learned again so much I thought I forgotten. Tell me of yourselves!"

Aragorn looked at him warily.

"What do you wish to know? All that has happened since we parted on the bridge would be a long tale."

Gandalf nodded.

"Do you know of Frodo?" Gimli asked.

"I cannot say, he was saved from grave peril, but many lie before him still. He resolved to go alone to Mordor, and he set out: that is all I can say."

"Not alone," Legolas responded.

"We think that Sam has gone with him." I added.

Gandalf smiled and there was a gleam on his face.

"Did he? Did he indeed? It is news to me, yet it does not surprise me. Good! Very Good! You lighten my heart! You must tell me more, come sit with me and tell me the tale."

This Gandalf seemed to be a bit more talkative than the other. We sat at the ground in a circle and Aragorn spun the tale. For a long time Gandalf said nothing, he asked no questions, he sat similar to a statue. His hands were spread upon his knees and his eyes were closed. At last when Aragorn spoke of the death of Boromir and his last journey, the old wizard sighed.

"Poor Boromir! I could not see what happened to him. It was a sore trial for such a man: a warrior, and a lord of men. Galadriel had told me that he was in peril. But he escaped in the end. I am glad. It was not in vain that the young hobbits came with us, if only for Boromir's sake. But that is not the only par they have to play. They were brought to Fanghorn, and their coming was like the falling of small stones that start an avalanche in the mountains."

Aragorn shook his head.

"In one thing you have not change, dear friends. You still speak in riddles."

I grinned at this and even Gandalf laughed lightly, the sound was warm and kindly as a gleam of sunshine warming me.

"Then is not Saruman a traitor?" Gimli asked.

Gandalf nodded.

"Yes. He has grown very strong. He threatens the Men of Rohan and draws off their help from Minas Tirith. If Minas Tirith falls, it will go ill with Saruman."

Something was bothering me, something that I had felt in our travels.

"What ails you Braelyn, you are quiet." Gandalf asked.

"I feel a coldness among the wind. Something ill and fell," I said quietly.

Realization reached his eyes.

"You feel the Nazgul, one of the nine, they now ride on winged steeds. They have not been allowed to cross the river and Saruman is not aware of their new forms."

I shivered and a pass of silence was over all of us. For the Nazgul to have new forms, winged ones at that…I shivered at the harm they can do.

"But the Hobbits! We have come far to seek them, you seem to know where they are, where are they now?" Legolas asked.

"With Treebeard and the Ents," Gandalf said calmly.

I blinked in surprise.

"The Guardian of the Forest?" I asked curiously.

Gandalf nodded.

"The Ents? Are there still Ents in the world? I thought they were memories of ancient days," Aragorn stated.

"Nay, every elf in Wilderland has sung songs of the old Onodrim and their long sorrow. Yet even to us they are only a memory. Who is Treebeard?" Legolas asked.

Gandalf looked at me.

"Treebeard is Fanghorn. He's the guardian of the forest; he is the eldest of the Ents. And possibly the oldest living thing that still walks on Middle Earth." I said whispered.

I saw Gimli's jaw drop in surprise.

"You speak of him as a friend. I thought Fanghorn was dangerous,"

"Dangerous!" Gandalf cried. "And so I am, very dangerous: more dangerous than anything you will ever meet unless you are brought alive before the seat of the Dark Lord. Aragorn is danger, and Legolas is dangerous. Braelyn is certainly dangerous and you Gimli son of Gloin are dangerous yourself in your own fashion. Certainly the forest of perilous, not least to those who are too ready with their axes. Fanghorn himself is perilous too, but he is wise and kindly. But now his long and slow wrath is brimming over, and the forest is filled with it."

Of that I didn't doubt. So the anger and ill-will we feel is Treebeard.

"The coming of the Hobbits and the tidings they have brought have spilled it over: it will soon be running like a flood; but the tide is turned on Saruman and the axes of Isengard. A thing is about to happen which has not happened since the Elder Days: the Ents are going to wake up and find that they are strong."

Legolas looked at Gandalf with wide eyes, as I'm sure all of us where. He looked very young here, like a child. It was a curious sight.

"What will they do?" He asked.

Gandalf's brow furrowed.

"I do not know. I do not think they know themselves. I wonder." He mused.

"You fell," Aragorn stated.

A dark look passed over Gandalf's face.

"Through fire…and water. From the lowest dungeon to the highest peak…I fought with the Balrog of Morgoth. Until at last I threw down my enemy…and smote his ruin upon the mountainside."

I winced, that was no easy feat for anyone. A Balrog was a terribly strong demon of the netherworld, for Gandalf to have taken him down, it must have been quite the battle.

"Stars wheeled overhead…and every day was as long as a life age of the Earth. But it was not the end. I felt life in me again. I've been sent back…until my task is done." Gandalf mused.

We began to trek through the forest, close on Gandalf's heels.

"One stage of your journey is over. Another begins. We must travel to Edoras with all speed." Gandalf stated

"Edoras? That is no short distance!" Gimli exclaimed.

"We hear of trouble in Rohan. It goes ill with the king." Aragorn said to Gandalf.

"Yes, and it will not be easily cured." Gandalf responded.

"Then we have run all this way for nothing? Are we to leave those poor Hobbits here…in this horrid, dark, dank tree infested…?" Gimli began.

We heard the trees groaning again throughout the forest.

"I mean, charming…quite charming forest." Gimli added.

Gandalf shook his head and looked at Gimli.

"It was more than mere chance that brought Merry and Pippin to Fanghorn. A great power has been sleeping here for many long years. The Ents are going to wake up and find that they are strong." Gandalf responded.

"Strong! Oh that's good." Gimli said a little nervously.

Gandalf looked at the trees around us.

"So stop your fretting, Master Dwarf. Merry and Pippin are quite safe. In fact, they are far safer than you are about to be."

We continued towards the end of the forest.

"This new Gandalf is grumpier than the old one."

I laughed at his words. Once we were outside the forest edge. The horses were missing.

"They have gone, it will be a weary walk." Legolas said.

"I shall not walk. Time presses." Gandalf stated firmly.

Then lifting up his head he gave a long whistle. So clear and piercing was the note, in return we heard the whinny of the horse. We waiting a while, before long I could feel the tremor of the hoofbeats.

"There is more than one horse coming," I said softly.

"There are three," Legolas stated gazing over the plain. "I see Hasufel and Arod…and there is another. A very great horse, I have not seen his like before."

"Nor will you," Gandalf stated. "This is Shadowfax,"

I grinned broadly, I had not seen Shadowfax in ages.

"He is the chief of the Mearas, lord of horses. And he's been my friend through many dangers..." Gandalf continued.

As the old wizard spoke the great horse came striding up the slope, his coat was breathtaking and his mane was flowing in the wind. He trotted gently forward when he saw us both and stooped his head bypassing Gandalf and thrust his muzzle straight into my chest and lifted me off the ground slightly. Chuckling I hugged the horse around his head, I heard Gandalf snort but it was not of displeasure.

"He also has not lost his fondness for my apprentice," Gandalf said lowly.

Kissing the grand horse on the muzzle the other horses stood nearby as if awaiting orders.

"We go to Meduseld, the hall of your master, Theoden." Gandalf said, addressing the horses gravely.

The horses bowed their heads in acknowledgement.

"Time presses, so with your leave my friends, we will ride. We beg that you use all the speed you can. Hasufel shall bear Aragorn, Arod shall bear Legolas and Braelyn. By Shadowfax's leave he shall bear both Gimli and I."

We paused a while to let the horses get a drink of water near the river, everyone saddled up. Giving Shadowfax another hug, I touched foreheads with Arod before Legolas aided me up on the saddle. Legolas sprung up behind me. And so we headed off towards Edoras. What lay there…I did not know. Something did not sit well with me, something was going on in Rohan that was ill.

We would find what it was.