Old friends

The warmth of dawn couldn't come fast enough. When the others had eaten as best a breakfast as we could manage, we were off.

We walked the hundred or so meters to the edge of the forest. It's shadow chilled the bones, and Gimli shivered. "I do not like the look of this forest, and we were warned against it. I wish the chase led elsewhere!" He exclaimed. "I do not think it is evil, whatever the tales say," Legolas replied to him. He took a cautious step forward under the eaves. "The only evil is far off. But there is watchfulness and anger." Once again, Legolas surprised me with his observations. Only one who could sense the trees could figure that out. "Legolas is right," I said backing him up. "The forest is a good place. I spend much of my time here." Gimli began to mutter. "And I thought the elf was crazy!" That earned him a cuff on the back of the head. "It you are with me, nothing in this forest will harm you." I told them. "I know it well." With that we entered the cool shade of the trees.

When we had entered but a few meters, a foreboding sense fell upon us. Gimli spit out something he had tasted, and complained about the air quality. The trees groaned, warning us that we were unwelcome. The trees no longer recognised me as they once did. "Gimli, lower your axe." Aragorn muttered. He let out a small 'oh.' "They have feelings my friend. The elves began it. Waking up the trees, and teaching them to speak." Legolas sounded as if he was in his happy place. Gimli muttered to himself again. He had a habit of doing that. 'Talking trees. What do trees have to talk about? Except the consistency of squirrel droppings?' I rolled my eyes as he said that.

Soon we entered the deeper woods. After politely declining the offers of Aragorn and Legolas to guide me, I was stumbling over every rock and tree root. 'Usually' I thought to myself 'I am above the trees.' Finally I could take it no more, when genius struck. "Gimli, lend me your axe." I said. "What for?" he asked suspiciously, no doubt remembering the flying incident. "To chop stuff." I told him. Cautiously he handed it to me. The others kept following the hobbit trail.

The trees groaned the minute the axe was in my palm. Stumbling, I walked a little away from the company. I then took off my glove and laid my palm on the nearest tree. Its bark was rough and tough, filled with grooves. Moss and lichen covered it. I felt slight vibrations through my hand as miniature bugs crawled around the tree. I could tell that is was brown, green and a little grey from the amount of heat radiating out of the colors. "Randi, noe partation aft. El jan lei-mon at halafay."(My friend, please remember me. I stay above you, usually)I muttered to the tree, hoping she remembered. She slowly creaked. I remember. I breathed a sigh of relief. "I must ask you a favour."

Ask what you need.

"Eek of at mathes, tapir um girth of ran came wod tapir ran box." (One of your branches, about the width of my wrist and about my height). The tree paused for a second, considering the axe I held loosely in my other hand. Something clattered down in front of me. "Niser"(Thankyou) I murmured. "Indor, noe op wodolese pel."(also, please stop shadowing us)

Why? Asked the tree.

"Fobak cal caz fif at." (Because we can help you.) A breeze ran through the whole forest, and many trees began to groan. I picked up the branch and made my way back to my friends.

Gimli was relieved that his axe was unharmed, and Legolas was relieved I hadn't harmed the tree. I had never planned to anyway. I swept the branch in front of me, telling me were obstructions were, before I was about to trip on them. It worked well, and I was able to concentrate on finding signs of the two hobbits.

Within a a few hours, we had reached a hill belonging to my oldest friend. Aragorn was certain that the hobbits had been here around two days ago. I could also faintly smell their traces. The warmth of sun peeked through the clouds, making us feel more cheerful. The trees had also stopped shadowing us, for that I was grateful. We climbed up rough steps on top of the hill, and felt the free air. This place was well known to me, and I had been here often. "The hobbits have certainly been up here." Aragorn told us. "But something else, leaving strange marks I do not understand. I am worried." "Are the marks large and roundish?" I asked him. He replied with a yes. "Then we are safe." "Then what is it!" Gimli burst out. "That is not for me to say." I told him.

"Aragorn, nad no ennas!" (somethings out there) Legolas whispered urgently. "What do you see!" He replied alarmed. "Hush, speak softly!" Legolas hissed. "Down in the wood, on the way we just came. The white wizard approaches." A slow heartbeat faintly reached my ears from about a hundred meters away, accompanied by steady deep breaths. Gimli gazed as the figure drew nearer. Finally, unable to contain his fear longer he burst our in hissing whispers "Your bow Legolas! Get ready! Darke, ready your darts, it is Saruman!" He was cut off by Aragorns hand. "Do not let him speak, he will cast a spell on us." Aragorn whispered calmly. I drew a dart and held it loosely in my hand. The person did not sound like Saruman. Gimli was itching to move. "I don't believe its him" I told them. At that moment the man quickened his pace.

We all turned to attack, just as I realised who it was. But it should have been impossible! Just as I yelled stop! Gimli threw his axe, which was knocked aside. Legolas's arrow spun away, his bow also falling to the ground. I felt heat emmitting from Aragorns sword, which he promptly dropped. A faint heat came from the wizard in front of us.

I couldn't believe my ears when he spoke. It should have been impossible but I felt like I had known it all along. "You are tracking the footsteps of two young hobbits." Gandalf said. "They passed this way, the day before yesterday. They met someone they did not expect. Does this comfort you?" Aragorns heat signature went up, telling me he was angry. "Who are you? Show yourself!" He yelled. "Aragorn.." I warned him, but the heat coming from Gandalf faded away. "It cannot be.." He said in amazement. I just smiled my usual half smile, but this time it was genuine. For the first time in a long time, I was truly happy. Gandalf was really back! I then began mentally scolding myself for not having recognised him sooner. Legolas was kneeling on the ground. "Forgive me" He said, "I mistook you for Saruman." Gandalf had not changed the way that he spoke in riddles. "I am Saruman." He told us. "Or Saruman as he should have been." We were all still standing in awe at him. "You fell." Aragorn whispered as if to a ghost. But he was no ghost. "Through fire and water." Replied Gandalf. "On lowest dungeon, and on highest peak, I fought him, Balrog of Morgoth." I shivered at the very words balrog and morgoth. "Until at last I threw down my enemy and smote him on the mountain side." Eyes widened. "Gandalf" Gimli muttered happily. "Yes, Gandalf. That is what they used to call me. Gandalf the grey. I am Gandalf the white, and I come back to turn the tide. But tell me of yourselves, for Gwaihir, the windlord has not been able to tell me everything." Old friends were popping up all over the place.

For a while we sat around, while Aragorn recounted the tale since he had fallen. He laughed a lot when he told of how I almost killed poor Legolas, and both our ears heated up like a fire. I flicked my hood up and ignored him. Finally the tale was finished up until the current moment. We rose from our various perches on rocks and logs. Gandalf led us back out of the forest. "One stage of your journey is complete, and another begins. We must ride to Edoras with all speed!" Edoras was no short distance, but alone I could have made it in an hour. "We heard news of Rohan." Aragorn informed Gandalf. "It goes ill with the king."

"Yes" Gandalf replied grimly. "And it will not be easily cured."
"Then we have run all this way for nothing! And we are to leave the hobbits in this horrid, dark dank, tree- infested.." I cuffed him on the head just as the trees began to groan in anger. "This is practically my home." I told him coolly. "I mean charming, quite charming forest."

Gandalf forged on ahead. "It was fate that brought Merry and Pippin here. A great power has been sleeping for many long years. The coming of the hobbits will be like small stones that start an avalanche."

"In one thing you have not changed dear friend." Aragorn said. "You still speak in riddles!" They shared a laugh.

"Wait a minute!" Gimli exclaimed as a thought came to him. "There is one thing I would like to know. Was it you Gandalf, or Saruman that we saw last night?"

"You certainly did not see me" answered Gandalf " therefore I must guess that you saw Saruman. Evidently, we look so much alike that your desire to make a incurable dint in my hat must be excused!"

That made everyone laugh.
"Though," Legolas began "It also means that you missed seeing Darke hang from a tree like a bat!" Everyone began to laugh again.

"And you must have noticed after that she now needs a walking stick!" Gimli burst. I kept my cool facade on. "Why does everyone laugh when I look silly but not when they do?" I asked Gandalf. "Because my dear, you need to show some emotion! Believe it or not seeing you casually hanging from a tree, or stuttering an apology is funny to the rest of us. If you didn't look serious all the time people wouldn't take things as seriously!"

I finished raising my eyebrow, and rolled my eyes. "You have changed" I told him dryly. Gandalf kept up a chatter of how the ents were going to rise again as we made our way out of the forest. I ignored them and let my mind wander until we emerged from the forest.