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Three Blind Men Begin to See
"Edoras and the Golden Hall of Meduseld," Gandalf introduced as the group reached an overlook in view of Edoras. The city was of a medium size on a hill in the middle of a plain. Drifter, who was sitting behind Gandalf, didn't even try to look around his mass to attempt to gaze upon the town of Edoras, for she had seen it before, as he continued, "There dwells Théoden, King of Rohan, whose mind is overthrown. Saruman's hold over King Théoden is now very strong. Be careful what you say. Do not look for welcome here."
Drifter looked up towards the Hall as a flag of Rohan landed on the ground beside them. A woman was standing in exactly the same place as she once stood during her days in Rohan. She soon disappeared, however.
"You'll find more cheer in a graveyard," Gimli grumbled while the darkly clothed people glumly stared at them.
"It has changed much, indeed," the girl whispered.
As the group neared the top of the stairs, they were stopped by Háma, a man Drifter had been slightly familiar with the last time.
"I cannot allow you before Théoden-King so armed, Gandalf Greyhame. By order of… Gríma Wormtongue."
In response to Gandalf's nod, the travelers disarmed themselves. Both Drifter and Aragorn made Háma swear to keep their swords safe. The woman mentally laughed as she got away with keeping her three hidden daggers.
"Your staff," the man insisted to Gandalf.
"Oh," the old wizard replied. No could tell that he was the White wizard with a grey cloak. "You would not part an old man from his walking stick?" They all shared a small smile as Gandalf was allowed to pass.
"The courtesy of your hall is somewhat lessened of late, Théoden King," he called to a wizened old man on the throne.
"Why should I…welcome you, Gandalf…Stormcrow?" was the frail reply before the king looked to the pale, black-haired man beside him.
"A just question, my liege," Gríma said before turning to the newcomers. Drifter stopped in her tracks halfway through the Hall, hissing Wormtongue's name. "Late is the hour in which this conjurer chooses to appear. Lathspell spell I name him. Ill news is an ill guest."
"Be silent! Keep your forked tongue behind your teeth. I have not passed through fire and death to bandy crooked words with a witless worm!" Gandalf growled, revealing his staff. Drifter had moved away to the side, but began edging away as Gríma neared her.
"His staff! I told you to take the wizard's staff!" While Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli fought off the guards and Gandalf approached the king, Wormtongue's eye found the woman. She was leaning against the wall, her eyes wide as she controlled her fear and anger. Wormtongue was one of the reasons she had left Rohan for Lorien. Then, he had just been promoted to the position Théoden's advisor...before he had turned out to be hunched and white. Drifter would have probably stayed longer in Rohan, but Gríma had taken to following her around.
Suddenly, her face became impassive once more as she lashed out with her sleeve dagger, sliced Gríma's perfect overcoat, and pinned him to the floor before one of the guards grabbed her from behind, forcing her to fight back. At the end of the fray, Drifter was glad to see that Gimli had the creepy wretch pinned to the ground. Meanwhile, Gandalf threw back his grey cloak to uncover his white garb, causing Théoden to be thrown against his seat.
"I will draw you, Saruman, as poison is drawn from a wound."
No one noticed the woman who had formerly been seen on the Hall stairs until she rushed to aid Théoden. She was, however, held back by Aragorn.
"If I go," a voice coming from the king, but clearly not his, said, "…Théoden dies."
"You did not kill me, you will not kill him."
"Rohan is mine!"
"Be gone!" With one more toss, the king leaned forward, moaning and Aragorn allowed the other woman to aid him.
"I know your face," Théoden wondered. "Éowyn…Éowyn. Gandalf?"
"Breathe the free air again, my friend."
"Dark have been my dreams of late," the king continued, looking at his still trembling hands.
"Your fingers would remember their old strength better…if they grasped your sword."
Háma faithfully raced to place his leader's sword in his hand. As his fingers touched the weapon, Drifter recognized the fire which returned to Théoden's eyes. She also gladly grabbed her sword and put it to Gríma's throat. He somehow managed to read the inscription and began trying to crawl away, though he was held by Gimli.
"The Dawn of Men…" he was muttering. The worm was soon taken away and thrown out the door, followed by most of the people in the Hall. Drifter stood just behind Aragorn as he stopped Théoden from killing Wormtongue.
"No, my lord! No, my lord. Let him go. Enough blood has been spilt on his account."
Though the Man kindly offered his hand to help Gríma stand, the creature spit upon the hand prior to running off.
"Where is Théodred? Where is my son?" the king suddenly asked.
An hour later, everyone was outside the city for Théodred's funeral. Drifter stood behind everyone else. She had never really known Théodred, but she still felt a certain amount of sadness for Théoden and his people. Following the gloomy event, everyone went inside the city except for Gandalf, Théoden, and Drifter.
"Simbelmynë," the king thought out loud, fingering a white flower. "Ever has it grown on the tombs of my forebearers. Now it shall cover the grave of my son. Alas, that these evil days should be mine. The young perish and the old linger. That I should live to see the last days of my house."
"Théodred's death was not of your making," the wizard consoled.
"No parent should have to bury their child."
"He was strong in life. His spirit will find its way to the halls of your fathers. Westu hál. Ferðu, Théodred, Ferðu. (Be-thou well. Go-thou, Théodred, go-thou.)"
As the woman turned to go with Gandalf, Théoden stopped her, through tears of sorrow.
"You seem well, Falathiel."
"You have my condolences," she responded, taking the ring of Rohan off of its chord and offering it to the king. "I believe this belongs to you. I have no need of it, seeing as everything is once again whole in Rohan. You were wise, though, giving it to me as a precaution against your own men somehow hurting me after I told you of the possible evil."
"Thank you."
All of sudden, a horse came into view and one of two children fell off it. Drifter raced to their aid while Théoden called for help. Bending down to the boy on the ground, she discovered that he was simply unconscious. The girl, she brought down from the faithful steed. The poor child weakly clung to Drifter, asking,
"Where is mama?" Thankfully, people came from the city to take care of the children, although the woman almost reluctantly let go of the girl. If had not been for Legolas and her wanderings, she could have been settled down with a family. Boromir would have made a wonderful father and husband, which brought to mind that he would have never died if…
-What am I thinking?! I would still be bound by my promise to Arathorn and I can't escape who and what I am-
(Gandalf)
As the old wizard ascended the Hall's stairs to where Aragorn was standing, they heard Théoden calling for aid. Gandalf and his friend were not needed, it seemed, as the people raced out the gates to a horse a short ways outside the city. Falathiel was standing next to the animal holding a small child. Unexpectedly, Aragorn asked,
"Who is she, Gandalf? Every time I think that I can understand her, she always does something unexpected."
"Falathiel's life-story is just as long and complicated as yours, if not more so, Aragorn."
"At least tell me something that explains some of what she does or knows."
Gandalf tried to decipher what he could tell the Man without completely giving away the secretive woman's identity.
"Let me see…She is one quarter elf. That may explain a few things."
"That was how she was able to walk on top of the snow in the mountains…and why she covers her ears."
"Yes, now you're beginning to understand the maze which is Falathiel. The only other thing I can reveal without her being angry with me for the next decade and yet risking it is that she was once engaged to Legolas." If Aragorn ever looked shocked, it was then.
"But he acted as if he had never seen her before in Rivendell."
"That is what he thinks. I will not tell you how it came to be, but, after Falathiel began wandering, Legolas taught himself to forget."
"If they were engaged…is she immortal?"
"Are you immortal, Aragorn?" Silence reigned between the two friends as two children were brought into the Hall, followed by the king and a few people of Rohan. Falathiel was the last to come. When she approached the two men, she seemed deep in thought.
"How old are you, Drifter?" Aragorn suddenly asked. Gandalf prepared himself for an outburst, but all he received was glare.
"You should know not ask a woman her age, Aragorn," was the answer. "Now, I don't know how you feel, but I need a bath. Now…if you'll excuse me."
(Aragorn)
Half an hour later, Théoden, Éowyn, the children, and the remaining Fellowship, except Drifter, were in the Hall.
"They had no warning," Éowyn explained while the children ate. "They were unarmed. Now the wildmen are moving through the Westfold, burning as they go…rick, cot, and tree."
"Where's mama?" the little girl queried.
"Shh…"
"This is but a taste of the terror that Saruman will unleash," Gandalf told the king while smoking his pipe. "All the more potent for he is driven now by fear of Sauron. Ride out and meet him head on. Draw him away from your women and children. You must fight."
"You have two thousand good men riding north as we speak. Éomer is loyal to you. His men will return and fight for their king."
"They will be three hundred leagues from here by now," Théoden despaired. "Éomer cannot help us. I know what it is that you want of me. But I will not bring further death to my people. I will not risk open war."
"Open war is upon you," Aragorn argued, "whether you would risk it or not."
"When last I looked, Théoden, not Aragorn, was king of Rohan."
"Gentlemen, you sound like squabbling chickens!" Drifter suddenly exclaimed, stepping from behind a pillar. Aragorn hadn't realized how dirty she had been. Though worry was clearly etched upon her face, the woman glowed. The Man noticed her elvish traits more since he knew what she was, though who she was still gnawed at him. For the most part, she seemed completely human, but the way she walked and held herself spoke differently. Normally, it seemed, she hunched her shoulders slightly; however, the somewhat low neckline of the plum-colored, floor-length dress of Rohan with flowing sleeves seemed to make her stand as straight as a queen. Not only that, but she clearly did not like it as she would occasionally shrug her shoulders. As he finished his study of her, Drifter continued.
"If you plan on doing anything, you must do it soon, for war is at your very doorstep, Théoden. As your friend and a ranger of experience, I must advise you to listen to Gandalf. If you run and hide, Saruman will hunt you down. And since you allowed Wormtongue to escape, your enemy will soon have detailed intelligence of your abilities and strategy…if he does not already have it. If you want to surprise Saruman, stay here and defend your people."
"Do you think that I have not thought of that, Falathiel?" the king snapped, although he seemed to be more respectful to a lady. "If we stay here and Saruman's forces come, we will be instantly overrun!"
"Then what is the king's decision?" Gandalf interrupted.
"We go to Helm's Deep."
After Théoden and Gandalf had walked out, arguing, soon followed by Éowyn and the children, Drifter approached Aragorn.
"What did he tell you?" she impassively queried. Knowing that the girl wished to be secretive still, he replied,
"He told me of what you are and of your former relationship," with just as much inexpressiveness. The woman simply rolled her eyes before stalking away.
"What was that about?" Legolas questioned. Gimli's only evidence of interest was his looking over the edge of his wine-filled mug.
"Perhaps I should have even more vague." Aragorn was silent until he realized that he was not going to get out of the situation. "Drifter is a quarter elf." Gimli choked down the remainder of his drink, but the elf continued staring at the Man beside him, clearly not believing that Aragorn had revealed all. "Fine, Legolas, but you may not believe me…" Legolas continued to stare. "Drifter used to be your fiancé…Gandalf's words, not mine."
At that, Gimli began choking on the piece of bread in his mouth.
"You could have at least waited until I had swallowed," the dwarf grumbled. Meanwhile, the elf looked away, his eyes squinting as he tried to comprehend what had been said.
"Drifter?"
"You will have to ask her about it if you want to know more…and you didn't hear it from me."
(Drifter)
The woman collapsed onto the large, fur-covered bed in the room she had been assigned to. Aragorn knew what she was, which meant that it was only a matter of time before others found out. It worried her. If they knew what she was...
Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door.
"My lady?" a maid questioned as she entered the large room, carrying a bundle of clothes. "I took the liberty of cleaning your things. I hope you don't mind."
"Not at all…please call me Falathiel," Drifter replied rising to simply sit on the fluffy bed-cover.
"Yes…Falathiel. Anyway, here are your things."
"Thank you."
"Of course, Miss…I mean Falathiel," the young woman replied, exiting the room.
"Théoden, you've become a fool," Drifter muttered to herself, once alone.
--
The next morning, Drifter was in the stables, talking to Shadowfax.
"When is this all going to stop, old friend? I'm tired of hiding and keeping secrets, yet I have no choice but to do so." Suddenly she heard Gandalf as he entered the stables with Aragorn. She did not notice Legolas at the entrance until she turned to see the wizard.
"There is no way out of that ravine. Théoden is walking into a trap. He thinks he's leading them to safety. What they will get is a massacre. Théoden has a strong will, but I fear for him. I fear for the survival of Rohan. He will need you before the end, Aragorn. The people of Rohan will need you…and Falathiel. The defenses HAVE to hold."
"They will hold," Aragorn assured the wizard as Drifter stepped to the side.
"The Grey Pilgrim…that's what they used to call me. Three hundred lives of men I've walked this earth and now I have no time. With luck, my search will not be in vain. Look to my coming at first light on the fifth day. At dawn, look to the East."
"Go." The wizard was soon out the door and gone from sight on the grand steed. The woman glared at Aragorn after seeing Legolas' intent stare directed at her. Heading out the doorway, she hissed to the elf,
"I betrayed you…and I'm not sorry for it." If she wanted him to not feel sorry for her or his forgetfulness, she figured that that was the best way to do it. She headed straight for her quarters to change back into casual gear.
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