Through the Ent Woods We Go
It was on that bright morning, after a miraculous victory, that Gandalf the White, Théoden King, and several other important men (and Elf), finally met to discuss their great matters, such as Gandalf's unexpected arrival and the trees.
From the Dike had come those that had been driven back into the caves; with those came Gimli, and Eomer, and Gamling the Old. Gimli had a bandaged scrape on his head, but otherwise seemed to be fine. Lita sighed and grinned in relief upon seeing this.
"Forty-two, Master Legolas!" Gimli declared. "Alas! My axe is notched. How is it with you?"
"You have passed my score by one," Legolas answered. ""But I do not grudge you your game, so glad am I to see you!"
"I'm glad to see you alive, too, Gimli," Lita said, "because if you had died, I would have killed you for it!"
While the friends finished talking, Gandalf announced that he would be going to Isengard. The king agreed to go with him. Lita was surprised at all of this. Had the old man not had enough fighting?
"Let all who are to ride with me rest now," Gandalf said to them. "We will journey under the shadow of evening. But do not command many men to go with you, Théoden. We go to a parley not a fight." Lita was glad to hear that this would not be a fight after all.
The king sent off messengers to bring the news of victory to everyone in Rohan and to summon all men to come quickly to Edoras, where he would later hold an assembly. After the departure of the messengers, they all went back into the Deep to get some of that much needed rest.
"I must say that it was a pleasure to meet you," Aragorn said to Lita when they had all gone inside.
"I hope that we will cross paths again one day, after all this is over," Gimli added sincerely.
Lita looked back and forth between them. They all obviously thought that she intended to go back to Edoras now that this battle was over. Shaking her head, Lita said to them, "You don't understand, I have no intention of going back."
"You don't?" Aragorn asked, confused. "But where will you go then?"
"I was hoping to come with you all to Isengard, for now."
"But is that not for your king to choose?" Legolas asked.
"That's my point, Legolas. When I came here with everyone, I didn't mean to just help fight the battle and go, I meant to leave completely. My stay in Rohan was just that, a long stay, and now it's over."
"I am sorry, but you cannot come with us, Ayelita," Aragorn said from his spot beside Gimli, whose wound he was tending.
"Why not?" she demanded. Lita knew that she sounded childish right now, but it was a perfectly valid question.
"It is already a wonder how you were not killed," said Aragorn. "You just do not have enough experience yet. Besides, this is your home; this is where your life is."
Anger and frustration began to stir inside her. "How do you expect me to gain any experience by just sitting around where it's nice and safe?" Lita snapped. "And let me be the judge of where I belong!"
"She's right, you know." Lita started to hear Legolas speak. He'd been so quiet that she had forgotten that he was even there. Now, she was glad for his unexpected support.
Lita wasn't the only one that had been surprised. Aragorn looked astonished to see that Legolas was taking her side. "I've seen Lita fight;" Legolas told Aragorn, "she can do so very well for someone who has seen so little warfare. She could quickly learn to take care of herself."
"Whether she goes is still up to either Théoden or Gandalf," Aragorn told them.
"Then let us go ask," Lita said, standing up to go do so. Legolas went with her. Recognizing his defeat, Aragorn followed. Gimli huffed, having been left all alone.
It was afternoon when the company that would be going with Gandalf and the King made ready to depart. Ayelita was part of that company, after having had a surprisingly easy time of convincing Gandalf to let her come. He seemed to think that there was nothing wrong or unusual with her going.
"Would you like to ride with us?" a familiar voice behind her offered as she was getting on her horse. Lita turned around to see Legolas sitting on his horse, Arod, with Gimli perched behind him. He rode bareback, which probably made having a second person on the horse easier.
"Sure," Lita replied lightly, coming over to ride beside them near the front of the company.
After a short while, the Riders reached the forest and paused. Both the men and horses were apprehensive of entering the menacing wood. Lita did not know why they were so cautious; she found the forest to be more intriguing than frightening. Gandalf, being of the same mind as her, lead the company forward.
"Come on, Redundant," Lita affectionately muttered to her horse, who was stealthily backing away.
Inside the forest, while the afternoon sun shone above the clear road, the trees on either side were wrapped in dusk and shadows. Among the trees there was a murmur of wordless voices. Beside Lita, Gimli cautiously eyed the wood. She carefully hid her smirk when she saw Gimli clutch onto Legolas a little tighter in fear. Legolas rode closer to Gandalf for the sake of Gimli's nerves. Lita was not so afraid of the woods, though whether due to bravery or stupidity she did not know.
"It is hot in here," Legolas said.
"About time it's warm enough somewhere," said Lita. She'd been born in the summer and had lived her childhood in the south; she loved warmth and heat. To Lita, these mountains had always seemed to be too cold.
After a while, Legolas said, "These are the strangest trees that I ever saw, and I have seen many an oak grow from acorn to ruinous age." Lita found this thought to be slightly disconcerting. Despite knowing in her mind that Legolas was many times older than any Man; due to his youthful appearance, it was difficult for Lita to believe him to be any more than a couple of years older than her. Legolas continued, "I wish that there was leisure now to walk among them: they have voices, and in time I might come to understand their thought."
"No, no!" Gimli panicked. "Let us leave them! I guess their thought already: hatred of all that go on two legs; and their speech is of crushing and strangling."
Lita gave a cough that sounded strangely like 'wussy.' Legolas grinned. Gimli, being too concerned about the trees, didn't even notice, and wondered at what they found so funny. This made them both crack up all the more. As they were both smiling, Lita watched Legolas and came to the conclusion that smiling suited him. It was an expression that he too rarely showed, however, so she decided to cheer him up at any time that the opportunity arose.
When Lita put her mind back to the conversation, she heard Gimli describing the caves back at Helm's Deep. Apparently he had been impressed, fore about the caves he talked; and talked; and then talked some more. "Gimli, if you love those caves so much, why don't you just marry them?" Lita finally said.
Gimli blinked. He did not know how to take that suggestion. Legolas stepped in to his rescue by offering, "Let us make this bargain- if we all return safe out of the perils that await us, we will journey for a while together. You shall visit Fangorn forest with me, and then I will come with you to see Helm's Deep."
"I would be glad to go, too," Lita said to them. "How about as well as going to Fangorn and Helm's Deep, we stop by the sea. I've always loved the sea, but have not been able to see it since coming to Rohan."
Legolas looked disappointed at this. "I cannot go to the sea. I have been warned that if I do, I shall forever long for it."
"Damn," Lita said under her breath. She'd wanted to show him how amazing and fun the sea could be.
"How about we stay with the plan, except that I will accompany you to the sea whenever we get the chance, while Legolas may say behind for the time?" Gimli offered.
"Deal," Lita said.
"Deal," Legolas agreed.
After he said this, they came to the end of the wood. As the company passed out of the trees, they saw that they had reached the bottom of the Coomb, where the road branched, one way going east to Edoras and the other going north to the fords of Isen. They turned towards the north road. As they left the trees behind, Legolas looked back and suddenly gave a small scream of surprise.
Ayelita whipped her head around. There, staring out of the trees, was a strange pair of eyes. Legolas started to ride back towards them. "Stay, Legolas Greenleaf!" Gandalf sternly commanded. "Do not go back into the wood, not yet! Now is not your time."
Before he even finished saying this, three tall, weird shapes walked out of the woods. Lita looked like a startled bush baby as she stared, wide-eyed, at the large creatures. The first thing that came to her mind was that they looked rather like walking trees. The creatures raised their long hands to their mouths and made loud, ringing calls; clear and musical, with a woodwind sound to them. The calls were answered and more of the creatures came striding from the north. This frightened many of the riders. Lita just continued to stare in wonder.
"What are those?" she at last demanded.
"These are but herdsmen," Gandalf replied.
"Herdsmen!" Théoden exclaimed, confused. "Where are their flocks? What are they?"
"They are the shepherds of the trees," Gandalf told them. "Is it so long since you listened to tales by the fireside? There are children in your land who, out of the twisted threads of story, could pick the answer-"
"Ents!" Ayelita burst out, suddenly remembering some of those stories.
"Right you are," Gandalf said. "See, Théoden? These are the Ents out of Fangorn Forest, which you call the Entwood. Did you think that the name was given only in idle fancy? Nay, Théoden, it is otherwise: to them you are but the passing tale; all of your people's years here are of little count to them."
The king thought and pondered aloud about Ents and Men. Lita did so too in her head, marveling at how old the Ents must be. They had to be much older than even the Elves. What is it like to have so much memory? This question had always held special meaning and importance for Lita because she herself would have a lifespan many times that of an ordinary Man (if not killed); or she may even turn out to be immortal as the Elves. Being quarter-elven could be so confusing.
"Come now!" Gandalf said briskly, breaking into Lita's trail of thought. "Let us now go on with the journey we have begun!"
A.N.: This chapter and the next one were initially going to be one, but it got too long and I decided to make them two separate chappies. So, Ch.4 should be up in a week or so. Your own pet Ent for anyone who reviews!