Chapter Twenty Two: Talking Trees and General Confusion
Brief Recap: Boromir died, Adonnenniel got captured by Orcs along with the hobbits, and Estela is running after her with Legolas, Gimli, and Aragorn.
Random Quote:"Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak." ~Author Unknown
Adonnenniel screamed. She was being picked up by a tree. A tree! In the tree's other hand were Merry and Pippin.
"WHAT THE HELL? What the hell is going on? What…what…what are you doing?" she screeched. "You're a tree! A tree! Why are you walking?"
"Little Orcs," the tree said in a deep and rumbling voice, staring at Merry and Pippin.
"It's talking," Merry whispered. "The tree, it's talking!"
"Now it's talking? This is so unnatural," Adonnenniel whined. "Even in Harry freaking Potter the trees don't talk."
Adonnenniel was bordering on hysteria. They had just fought off a single Orc who has disbanded from the fight that had broken out amongst their captors, and now a flippin' talking tree was walking through the forest, holding them. Last time she checked, trees did not walk or talk or hold anything. Or have any cognitive or physical abilities save for photosynthesis. Or was that plants? Or do trees count as plants? Whatever, she thought. I flunked biology anyway. Who cares where trees fall under the animal kingdom. Adonnenniel felt like her mind was going slowly insane. This was just too weird.
"Tree?" mused the tree. "I am no tree. I am an Ent!" he said indignantly.
He spoke unbearably slow. Adonnenniel had never heard anyone speak so sluggishly before.
"He's a tree-herder," Merry said in wonder, "A shepherd of the forest."
Adonnenniel shot a confused look at Merry. "What is that supposed to mean? You just made him sound like a freaking sheep dog or something. It doesn't exactly clear up why he's talking." Adonnenniel recklessly addressed the tree. "Excuse me for asking," she said slowly, "But what the hell are you?"
"Guys!" Pippin chided. "Don't talk to it! You'll only encourage it."
"Treebeard, they call me," replied the Ent. "And you, you are little Orcs." If it was possible for a tree to sound angry, Treebeard certainly did. Adonnenniel's mind was slowly wrapping itself around this new phenomenon. A talking, walking, angry tree. Well, she thought, I've accepted the existence of Elves, Dwarves, hobbits, and a Ring that has the power to destroy a whole flippin' planet. How's this any weirder?
"We're not Orcs!" Merry said. "We're hobbits!"
Adonnenniel noticed with a jolt that the tree had tightened its grip on them. She squirmed, but to no avail.
"Never heard of a hobbit before. Sounds like Orc mischief to me! They come with fire. They come with axes. Curse them!" the tree rumbled fiercely, his grip on them tightening to the point where Adonnenniel was struggling to breathe. The pain in her knee resurfaced and intensified. A strange thought suddenly occurred to her. She had survived a wizard induced avalanche, gotten through Moria unscathed, and lived through the dinner conversations in Lothlorien. And now she was going to die at the hands of a talking tree.
"Okay, look here, buddy," Adonnenniel snapped. "I didn't come all this way to get squeezed to death by a talking tree. I don't care if you're an Ent or what but we are so not Orcs. Look at us! Do we look like smelly monsters? You need to get your eyesight checked and chillax a bit." She paused. "Actually, I take that back. Don't chillax. You need some caffeine. Maybe then you'll talk faster. I mean really, you talk like you're half asleep or like you're drugged up on something."
"I will take you…" The tree paused for what seemed like a full minute. "To the…."
"Oh my God! Could you talk any slower? This is getting ridiculous. In the movies this must have been an extended scene. Or maybe a time-lapse."
"You are a strange little Orc," the Ent commented.
"I'm not an Orc!" she screeched. "If I'm an Orc then you're a flippin' goblin."
"We're hobbits!" Pippin insisted. "Please believe us."
"Maybe you are…" Twenty second pause. "And maybe you aren't." Thirty second pause. "The White Wizard will know."
"Saruman," Merry whispered in fear.
Adonnenniel looked up, and saw a blinding white light coming toward them. She bit back a scream.
And then the light receded, revealing the White Wizard. For a moment, all the hobbits and Adonnenniel could do was to stare in stunned silence. Gandalf was standing in front of them, a kind smile lighting his face.
"Gandalf!" Merry said in pure shock.
"You're alive!" Pippin said joyfully.
"Thank God," Adonnenniel huffed. "I thought I might have been going crazy when I thought you came back in the next movie for some reason."
The smoke rose in a languid spiral, tracing thick spidery lines of charcoal black across the clear blue sky. As they approached the pile of burnt carcasses, Estela felt grief hanging in the air. It was palpable and contagious, and although she knew what was about to happen, the others' sadness made her feel as if her sister and the hobbits were actually dead. Thoughts of the Prophecy suddenly entered her mind, and she thought of how sometime in the future she may actually grieve for her sister's death. The feeling felt so real, so tangible and so much a part of her.
"It's one of their wee belts," Gimli said, fingering an object he had picked up from the edges of the heap. His voice sounded close to tears. "We have failed them."
Legolas knelt on the ground and bowed his head in sorrow. "Hiro hyn hîdh ab 'wanath," he said softly. Estela placed a hand lightly on his shoulder. He reached up, and held her hand in his. She knew it was ridiculous and irrational, but she felt herself beginning to tear up.
(May they find peace in death)
Every moment that passed felt like a century to Estela as she waited intently for the moment when Aragorn would see the trail leading to Fangorn forest. That horribly familiar feeling of not being able to relieve them of their grief was pulsing through her, even stronger than it had been after Gandalf's 'death'. She watched as Aragorn kicked an Orc helmet in anger and let out a despondent and rage-filled cry. Legolas closed his eyes, his face stone-like and sad.
And then, at long last, Aragorn spied something on the ground.
"A hobbit lay there," he said suddenly. "And the other there."
Estela saw hope flicker in the others' eyes, and let out a faint sigh of relief. Legolas stood, following Aragorn as he tracked the trail.
"The tracks lead into Fangorn Forest," Aragorn said in shock.
"What madness drove them in there?" Gimli wondered.
Fangorn Forest was downright creepy. The air itself seemed heavy and fraught with whispers. There was a palpable eerie aura surrounding the trees in a haze. Anger as old as time itself seemed to simmer beneath the treetops. Estela listened idly as the others conversed, waiting for the moment when Gandalf would appear. At long last, she heard the cue line from Legolas.
"The White Wizard approaches," he said.
"Do not let him speak. He will put a spell on us," Aragorn said calmly, drawing his sword. Gimli wielded his axe, preparing to throw it, and Legolas swiftly drew an arrow and sidestepped Gimli so he was in front of Estela. She mentally groaned, resisting the urge to shove him aside so she could see the ensuing appearance of Gandalf.
"Stay behind me," he whispered to her.
"No need," Estela mumbled, just as the blinding white light appeared and deftly deflected the others' attack. When Gandalf appeared, she heard Legolas gasp. She listened to the ensuing conversation, as Gandalf explained the whereabouts of Merry, Pippin, and Adonnenniel, and told them what had happened to him after he had fallen.
"One stage of our journey is over," Gandalf said at last. "Another begins. We must travel to Edoras with speed."
The others started walking away from the clearing, making for the outskirts of the forest. Estela remained where she stood, refusing to move.
"Wait!" she said suddenly. "Are we seriously just leaving? I want to see my sister."
Gandalf exchanged a brief look with Aragorn, who shrugged.
"Stay here. I will return swiftly. Estela, you must decide if you wish to remain here with your sister or to accompany us to Rohan." Gandalf said.
"Can't Adonnenniel come with us?" Estela protested.
"That is her decision. Yet you know that dangers lie ahead. Do you wish for her to experience them?" Gandalf stared at her intently. And then without another word, he walked away and vanished into the recesses of the forest.
Estela put a hand to her forehead. She was so, so tired, and it was too much to decide in such a short amount of time. Her muscles ached and it felt as if a fire was pulsing up through her neck and into her head. She tried to ignore the physical and mental pain induced by running for three days nonstop, and focused on the current dilemma.
On one hand, she wanted to keep Adonnenniel close to her so she could protect her. But her sister would be safer here…
"I'm going to tell Adonnenniel I want her to stay here," Estela decided. She looked at the others, and Legolas nodded at her as if he approved.
"So," Gimli said gruffly, "You knew the whole time that the hobbits were not actually dead? And you concealed this from us?"
Estela glared at him. "Yes, Dopey, I concealed it. If I hadn't, then we wouldn't have reached Fangorn when we did, or met Eomer and found out about what's going on in Rohan."
"Estela, calm yourself," Aragorn said.
"I am calm!" she said shrilly. "I'm just really tired, and I want…I want…" Estela felt suddenly light headed. She swayed slightly.
Legolas walked over to her in a swift motion and steadied her. "What do you want?" he asked quietly after a moment.
"I want a warm bath and a good night's sleep. And I wouldn't mind some hot chocolate." She sat down on the forest floor, leaning heavily against a tree. She errantly hoped that she wasn't leaning against an Ent or something. "In fact, I think a bath is what I want most right now. I'm all sweaty and gross." She glanced at Legolas. "You know, after three days of running, no one should be allowed to still look like a shampoo model," she grumbled. "You're making me feel like one of the 'before' pictures in a hair product commercial."
Legolas looked confused. "You have not slept in many days, Estela," he said delicately.
"No kidding," she muttered. "You know, you have a weird habit of stating the obvious."
He looked slightly affronted. Estela turned away from the others, trying to ignore a sudden pain that shot through her leg muscles. The effect on her body from running for three days nonstop with no rest was making itself severely and painfully present. The bruise on her arm was slowly healing, but it still throbbed immoderately at times.
Aragorn broke the silence. "What's hot chocolate?" His voice sounded curious with an underlying tone of wariness, as if he thought she might snap at him.
Estela looked dreamily into the distance. "It's a delicious cup of heaven with floating fluffy clouds."
"It sounds surreal," Gimli grunted.
Just then, Estela heard a shuffling in the forest, and stood up. A moment later she saw Merry, Pippin, and Adonnenniel emerge from the forest.
"Estela!" Adonnenniel shrieked excitedly.
"Aragorn!" Merry and Pippin ran forward and hugged Aragorn around his legs. He laughed and greeted them happily.
Adonnenniel rushed forward and embraced her sister warmly. "I was so worried about you."
"Me too," Estela said, closing her eyes tightly and holding her sister close.
Adonnenniel looked up at the others. "Hey guys," she said cheerfully.
"Hello," Aragorn nodded.
"What a second," Adonnenniel said in confusion. "You're missing the depressed one."
"Pardon?" Aragorn asked.
"You know…Big shield, mood swings, kind of tallish…"
"She means Boromir," Estela translated.
"Ah." Aragorn looked suddenly grim. "He fell."
"Umm….Okay then. Where'd he fall?" Adonnenniel asked bewilderedly.
"On the shores of the Anduin during the battle with the Uruk-hai," Legolas told her.
"Wow, you just used a lot of prepositional phrases there, buddy," Adonnenniel laughed. "So…did you just leave him there? Why didn't you just help him up? Where is he?" She looked at the others, and saw that Estela looked mortified, while Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli seemed confused and slightly angry.
Aragorn looked at her levelly. "We placed his body on a small boat and set it afloat the River."
"What?" Adonnenniel shrieked.
"Adonnenniel," Estela said softly. "When they say that he fell, they mean that he died."
"Oh." Adonnenniel's smile fell right off her face. "How did that happen?"
"He was pierced by many arrows," Gimli said.
Adonnenniel seemed to be utterly stunned. "But…but…" she sputtered. She rounded on Estela. "What…how?"
"Why are you so shocked?" Estela asked her.
"Because…I…I just…How could…Die?" Adonnenniel stumbled over her words. She seemed completely shell shocked.
Estela sighed. "You see, this is why you can't come with us, Adonnenniel. You're too soft hearted. You'll get yourself killed because you won't be expecting it." The second the words were out of her mouth, Estela regretted them. Bringing up her decision to leave Adonnenniel behind in the context of Boromir's death was probably not the best way to go about it.
But it didn't matter, because Adonnenniel appeared not to have heard her. "But…but…He'll come back, won't he?" she said shrilly, sounding as if she were nearing hysterics. "Like…like Gandalf. Won't he?"
When Estela did not reply, Adonnenniel seemed to internally collapse. "I don't get it!" she shrieked. "How could someone actually die here? I mean, sure, we came close in Moria a few times, but I always figured that was just for dramatic suspense in the movies. How could he actually die?" Her voice sunk to a whisper. "I don't understand."
When she stopped speaking, everything went deadly still and quiet.
Estela inhaled deeply, and then broke the silence. "Do you honestly think that we're safe here, Adonnenniel? That it's not real? That bad things can't happen?" Estela shook her head. "It's just not like that. And if you come with us for the rest of our journey, then you will be directly putting yourself at risk."
Adonnenniel just stared at her, wide eyed and vulnerable looking.
Remembering something, Estela fingered the hilt of her sisters' sword that hung from her waist. She unsheathed the sword and handed it to Adonnenniel. She motioned to its blood stained tip. "Look. I used it to kill an Orc. It was the most terrifying moment of my life, and it was by pure luck that I survived. After I slew it, another one nearly killed me. I was this close to being dead, Adonnenniel. And so were you every second you were captive. I don't want you to ever be confronted with another potentially lethal situation."
Adonnenniel's bottom lip quivered, and tears rose in her eyes. "Stop using big words and just say it. You don't want me to come with you." She said it not as a question but as a statement.
"Oh, please don't cry," Estela pleaded. She made to move towards her, but Adonnenniel flinched and backed away. The sword slid out of her hands and fell to the ground.
"You don't want me to come with you," Adonnenniel repeated blandly. "You don't think I'm mature enough."
When Estela didn't reply, Adonnenniel spoke again. "I'm coming with you, Estela. You realize that, right? Gandalf told me it was ultimately my decision. I won't be separated from you again."
Estela stared at Adonnenniel fiercely. "No. If you come with us, I…I might not be able to protect you. Here, you will be safe," she said firmly. "It's not a matter of your maturity or of me not wanting you to come. It's a matter of safety."
"Why would you need to protect me?" Adonnenniel asked bewilderedly.
Estela's thoughts turned to the Prophecy. She would have to tell her sister eventually…
"Either I'm coming with you, or you're staying here," Adonnenniel insisted.
"Adonnenniel please. We both know that I'm more stubborn than you. You're staying here and I'm going with the others. Don't argue." Estela knew she sounded harsh, but she had to somehow convince her sister without telling her about the Prophecy. Estela told herself that it just wasn't the right time still. "Please," she pleaded. "Just take my word for it. Trust me. You cannot come with us. And I won't stay here. I'm sorry."
Adonnenniel calmed down imperceptibly. "Oh," she said suddenly, "I see. You want to be with him." She motioned toward Legolas.
"It's not just that," Estela shook her head. "I need to be with all of them. I need to be there when the events unfold. Don't you think that's why we came here?"
Adonnenniel bit her lip. "Fine. You're probably right, as usual. Just promise me you'll be alright."
Estela thought of how she had promised Boromir the same thing about his fate.
"I can't promise you anything," she whispered. "You have to be strong, Adonnenniel."
"Okay, you're starting to sound really sappy," Adonnenniel said, a faint hint of laughter evident in her voice. "Just leave before I change my mind and make you stay."
Estela smiled, and hugged her sister once more before walking away with the others. She turned around briefly, in time to see that her sister had sunk to the forest floor and was crying softly. Merry and Pippin were huddled around her, placing comforting hands on her shoulders. Estela willed herself to turn around and keep walking, and to not regret her decision. If Adonnenniel came with them and then something happened to her, Estela would never forgive herself. She willed herself not to look back as she walked out of the forest with the others.
"Are you alright?" asked a sudden voice from behind her.
Estela nearly jumped. She had been so caught up in her own thoughts, she hadn't noticed that Legolas had been trailing behind her at a short distance.
"I'm fine," she said stiffly.
Without warning, he grasped her by the wrist and Estela found herself being whirled around to face him directly. He stopped walking. "No, you're not," he said quietly.
"I will be," she said in an equally placating tone. "Leaving Adonnenniel is the right decision. I'm certain of it."
He raised his eyebrows. "As certain as you are regarding your decision to not tell her of the Prophecy?"
"Yes," she said, looking at him directly.
"As you wish," he conceded. "I agree that perhaps having your sister remain in the safety of Fangorn is less risky than having her accompany us."
Estela closed her eyes. "Then why do I still feel like I can't keep her safe?"
"Because her safety is an uncertainly regardless of her physical location. Her safety is compromised simply by being in Middle Earth amidst a war. We all have much to fear during these times."
He stopped speaking, and their gazes locked. Estela placed her hands on his arms, and in a way that seemed almost involuntary, he moved closer to her. Overcome by a sudden impulse spiked with a strange sense of urgency, she locked both hands around his neck, leaned forward, and touched his lips with hers—not a kiss really, just a brush of lips against each other. Though it was enough…Before he pulled away she felt her pulse quicken and her cheeks redden.
"Ah-hem," said a sudden voice, followed by a very indiscreet cough.
Estela whirled around, and saw Aragorn standing some feet away. He was watching them with an amused expression. "We must make haste to Edoras," he said, raising his eyebrows in a way that clearly said now's not the time.
"Yes, Edoras," Estela said, flustered. "Let's go." Her voice sounded too high pitched, and she felt a bit unbalanced. If he had this affect on her every time they touched, it might prove to be a problem.
Having obviously figured out the reason for her flustered behavior, Aragorn exchanged an amused look with Legolas. Estela rolled her eyes and willed herself to regain control of her pulse as they walked briskly to catch up with the others.
Coming Up Next!
-Lots of female hormones!
-A history lesson about Alexander the Great!
-Some tension (romantic and angry) between Legolas and Estela!
Author's Note: The Hobbit trailer! EEEK! I have a newfound appreciation for singing dwarves.