Chance Encounter
Disclaimer: I don't own anything that you recognize. I'm just borrowing them without permission but with every intention of returning them to their rightful owners.
Chapter 20: In a Dank, Dark, Tree-infestedForest
The forest was gloomy and damp. Balian felt as if he was suffocating beneath the thick green canopy of leaves. The air smelled of water vapour tinged with the scent of rotting forest litter. Sounds seemed muffled in this closed space. There were no birds or insects to be heard. "This forest is old," he heard Legolas say "very old. Full of memory, and anger…" Every now and then, strange wooden groans could be heard. In front of him, Gimli whipped around, startled by the sounds. He heldhis axe tightly, ready to defend himself against an unseen foe. "The trees are speaking to each other!" cried the elf, whether it was in terror or in delight, Balian could not tell.
Although there was no wind, the trees waved their branches as if in response to Gimli's movements. The groans grew louder and multiplied until they were coming from every direction. Guy's hand flew to the hilt of his sword, eyes wide with terror. Balian looked around wildly, searching for the source of the noise. Despite what Merry had told Pippin and Legolas' words, he refused to believe that the trees were groaning and moving of their own accord. His refusal to believe in such things might have been due to the fact that he did not want to know what moving and talking trees would do to a man who cut them down for their wood. Later on in his life, he would not be able to remember the reason why he would not believe it but he would never forget the fear that he felt at that moment.
"Gimli!" hissed Aragorn, making a gesture with his hand. "Lower your axe!"
Slowly, the dwarf lowered his weapon, although he was as tense as ever.
"They have feelings, my friend," said Legolas quietly. "The elves began it; waking up the trees, teaching them to speak…" The elf's face bore an awestruck expression as if he was seeing a vision from heaven.
"Talking trees," snorted Gimli. "What do trees have to talk about, hmm? Except for the consistency of squirrel droppings."
The rest of them ignored the dwarf's tirade and ventured deeper into the forest. Balian glanced back at Guy. His archrival's face was pale from fear and he gripped his hilt so tightly that his knuckles were white. Balian decided not to mention that some things in Middle Earth could not be defeated by swords. It would only frighten the former noblemen more. Let him believe that his blade would keep him safe. Guy had a lot to learn and Balian felt inclined to let him learn it the hard way.
Legolas called out to Aragorn urgently in a foreign tongue. Balian deemed it to be Legolas' native speech. Aragorn ran up to the elf and said something in the same language.
"The White Wizard approaches," the elf said in common tongue so that all could understand him. Guy was visibly startled at the word 'wizard'. He had never encountered a wizard before and in his mindset, wizards were servants of Satan, priests of Hell.
Even Aragorn seemed shaken by this revelation. "Do not let him speak," whispered the ranger. "He will put a spell on us. We must be quick."
Balian did not know who the White Wizard was. He only knew one wizard and he was certain that weapons made of mere metal and wood would not stop any wizard who could inspire fear in people he so admired as courageous and fearless warriors. Still, he had no other choice but to draw his sword and be ready to defend those whom he held dear.
Aragorn whipped around with a roar, brandishing his blade at the shining white figure. Gimli threw his axes, but they shattered as the wizard hit them with his staff. The same thing happened to Legolas' arrows. The hilts of the swords grew hot and began to glow red. Aragorn, Balian and Guy were forced to drop their weapons. The light which surrounded the wizard intensified until they could not look directly at him. Guy fell to his knees, babbling in fright. He was so sure that this was the Angel of Vengeance coming to take him to Hell or wherever he deserved to go.
From within the light, a rich resonating voice sounded. "You are tracking the footsteps of two young hobbits," said the wizard.
"Where are they?" demanded Aragorn.
"They passed this way, sometime early this morning," replied the wizard. "They met someone that they did not expect."
"Who are you?" asked Aragorn. "Show yourself!"
The light faded and soon they could make out a kind face lined with age. The wizard's clothes and hair were as white as light from heaven and he wore a benevolent smile.
"It cannot be…" whispered Aragorn.
"Forgive me," said Legolas, falling onto one knee and bowing his head. "I mistook you for Saruman."
"I am Saruman, or Saruman as he should have been."
Balian was more confused than ever. He had watched Gandalf fall into that dark abyss. No one could have survived this fall and yet here was Gandalf, standing before them and looking perfectly hale.
"What is going on?" he asked with a perplexed look on his face. "Are you an apparition?"
"Ah, young blacksmith," said Gandalf. "I am not just an apparition. I have been sent back by the Valar."
Balian looked and felt no less confused. Sent back? Was it possible to come back from the dead? "You fell," he said to Gandalf.
"Through fire, and water," replied the wizard. His eyes became vacant as he remembered his trials and tribulations. "From the lowest dungeon to the highest peak I fought him, the Balrog of Morgoth." Bit by bit, he told them his story.
"…but now I have been sent back until my task is done," finished Gandalf.
"Gandalf," said Gimli, his eyes full of joy.
"Gandalf?" said the wizard, furrowing his brow. Then he remembered. "Yes, that was what they used to call me." He smiled. "Gandalf the Grey; that was my name. I am Gandalf the White, and I come back to you now at the turn of the tide."
He turned to them. "Come now, tell me what has taken place since Moria. I want to know what has happened to the Fellowship."
They sat down on some fallen logs and Aragorn began to tell Gandalf their tale, with constant additions made by Gimli and Legolas. "…we were scouting the area when we came across a stranger dressed in foreign garb," Aragorn was saying. He looked at Guy. "It was him, Guy. We could not just leave him there so we took him with us."
Gandalf pondered this. Two men from another world were in Middle Earth. They were archrivals. From Aragorn's retelling of Balian's story and the other things about Guy that the ranger had told him about, the new arrival boded ill for them, especially the young blacksmith. Gandalf still could not get his head around the fact that Balian was in fact a nobleman. He was observing Balian and Guy when Aragorn finished his narrative.
"It is ill-news about Boromir," he said. "I heard of his death from the Lady Galadriel. After I returned to the world of the living, I bid Gwaihir, the King of Eagles to bear me to Lothlorien where I could discover the fate of the quest after I fell. Lady Galadriel told me of Boromir's last stand, and she also gave me messages to deliver to you. To Aragorn I was bidden to say this:
Where now are the Dúnedain, Elessar, Elessar?
Why do they kinsfolk wander afar?
Near is the hour when the Lost should come forth,
And the Grey Company ride from the North.
But dark is the path appointed for thee:
The Dead watch the road that leads to the Sea.
To Legolas she sent these words:
Legolas Greenleaf long under tree
In joy thou hast lived. Beware of the Sea!
If thou hearest the cry of the gull on the shore,
Thy heart shall then rest in the forest no more."
The recipients of the messages pondered the Lady's words. They were troubled by them.
"Were there no messages for myself and Balian then?" asked Gimli with distress.
"Indeed, she did bid me tell you this, Gimli," said Gandalf. "She said: To Gimli son of Glóin give his Lady's greeting. Lock-bearer, wherever thou goest my thought goes with thee. But have care to lay thine axe to the right tree!"
Gimli chuckled. Balian looked at Gandalf expectantly. The wizard turned his attention to him. His eyes were grave. "Your message, Balian, comes not from the Lady," said Gandalf "but from the Valar. You were chosen from the hour of your birth to travel through different worlds, to bring justice and to keep it. They have granted you the gift of immortality, not because you wanted it but because it allows you to fulfil your purpose."
"Immortality?" asked Balian. "My purpose? I know not of what you speak. I am but a simple blacksmith."
"That is the will of Iluvatar and of the Valar, not mine," said Gandalf. "I am as perplexed as you. The ways of the One are mysterious and beyond my understanding."
Guy stared at Balian. Immortal? How could it be? Was he not a man? Men were doomed to fade and die. Why was this blacksmith any different?
"Come now, let us not dwell on these morose thoughts," said Aragorn. "Merry and Pippin have yet to be found."
"Your task now is not to find Merry and Pippin," said Gandalf. "The first stage of your journey is over. Another stage begins. We must make for Edoras with all haste."
"Edoras?" said Gimli "That is no short distance. Have we come all this way for nothing? Are we to leave those poor hobbits in this dank, dark, tree-infested—"
The trees began to groan and wave their branches angrily.
"—I mean charming," finished Gimli "…quite charming forest."
"The coming of Merry and Pippin will be like the falling of small stones that starts an avalanche on the mountainside," said Gandalf. 'If anyone can cause an avalanche, it's those two,' thought the wizard. "The Ents are going to wake up, and find that they are strong."
"Strong?!" cried Gimli. "Oh, that's good. Very good…"
"Stop your fretting, Master Dwarf," scolded Gandalf. "Merry and Pippin are quite safe. In fact they are much safer than you are about to be." With that, the wizard strode off. The others followed behind him in a single file, with Gimli bringing up the rear.
"This Gandalf is grumpier than the old one," grumbled the dwarf.
A/N: Once again, this chapter is a bit short but I have an English essay due really soon and I really need to finish it. Once all the tests and assignments are over, I'll make up for it. Till the next update :)