Chapter 30: Elentari
The orcs blinked with confusion. Was not this the man who would be King of Gondor? Yet he was riding in their own ships!
"Who are you?"
"Aragorn, son of Arathorn, and my comrads, Legolas of the Woodland Realm and Gimli son of Gloin. I am the heir of Isiuldur."
Withi that, the Orcs knew that these were the enemy and ran to attack Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli, but instantaneously, a mass of ghosts swarmed and overpowered them. Again, the Orcs were confused.
Legolas and Gimli played another round of their favorite game while Aragorn fought alongside them and Gandalf.
Just as one wolf was about to attack Gandalf, he made a motion to kill it. The wolf stopped growling and backed down, whimpering. It sounded like it was trying to speak.
Gandalf lowered his staff, staring into the wolf's eyes. It whimpered again. Then again. Finally, Gandalf understood.
Harry? Harry? Is that you? Is that really your scar?
"Professor Lupin?"
Not anymore. Hermione's orcs did this to me.
"My God! Professor!"
"Gandalf! We need some help!" Aragorn shouted. He was fighting back to back with Eomer and they were surrounded. Instantly, Lupin bounded after the group of Orcs that surrounded Aragorn and Eomer. The two of them stared at the hound, bewildered.
"Don't mind him, he is a werewolf, shanghaied into Sauron's service. He was once my teacher."
Aragorn and Eomer shrugged it off and rejoined the fray.
As the battle went on, The wolf that joined the light tore at any enemy that came it's way and eventually began to look more human than before.
Gandalf fought along side the wolf until the rise of the sun and the Orcs died one by one.
Finally the Orcs either were dead, or fell back. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli approached Gandalf with curiosity as too why the wolf joined them.
"Professor, are you alright?"
Though he still had the face and build of a wolf, the creature stood on its hind legs and a tail swep the ground.
"I'm fine," the wolf paused, before looking at him. "Gandalf, I believe is what you go by now."
"That is true, Professor Lu—"
"Actually, Gandalf, my name is Elentári, now."
"I suppose you wolf-man wouldn't know what Sauron would be planning," Gimli accused, still distrustful of Lupin.
"You have no need to fear me, Master Dwarf. I have been a friend of Gandalf's for ages. I was first a friend of his father's, then I watched after him when his godfather died. But I understand your doubts. I have been under Sauron's control for many years by force."
"What race are you, certainly not one of Middle Earth," Eomer stated.
Elentári, or Lupin, smiled. "I am a wizard. And a Lycanthrope."
"A creature of the old world. He was my Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor in my third year at school," Gandalf explained. "They were more commonly known as Werewolves: half man, half wolf."
"That explains a lot. Master Wolf," Aragorn said. "Thank you for your help."
"I suggest you go to the House of Healing, Aragorn, son of Arathorn. There lies friends who are in need of a Ranger's knowledge."
Elentári headed towards the castle, taking a cloak from a dead soldier and wrapping it about himself, despite the shaggy brown fur covering his body.
"Gandalf," Legolas addressed. "Can we trust him? I mean, he did work for Sauron."
Gandalf smiled. "We can trust him with our lives, Legolas. Gandalf headed after Elentári, followed by the rest of the group, to the House of Healing.
Eowyn, Faramir, and Merry were still looking deathly pale when they got there, due to their injuries.
Gandalf spoke to the head healer about the process.
"At the rate is is going, Mithrandir, they'll die. The little one's arm might have to be amputated. It's gotten rather purple. And the other two are dying."
"Is there anything else that you can do?"
"Not by my knowledge, sir."
"Do you have healing herbs?" Aragorn called.
The Healer nodded. "Not enough for all the wounded here, though. I don't know where to find more because they are hard to come by with fires and blocked roads. And the market is several days away! Even so we do our best here.
"I'll know what you mean when I see it. If you have time to talk, then you have time to heal. Do you have Athelas?
"I think so…but not under that name."
"It's also called Kingsfoil."
"Oh, well…no. We don't have Kingsfoil."
"If that is the case, than stop talking and go find some!"
"If it isn't in the city, I'll go with her to Lossarnach. From there the woods without her fellow healers. And Shadowfax will show her the meaning of haste," Gandalf said, evitably irked.
That said, the Healer ran off and Aragorn checked Faramir. "He is dying. But not from the wound, but by how much energy his body is using trying to heal it. It isn't a Nazgul blade…more a Southron arrow. Who took it out? Is it still here?"
"I took it out," said another healer. "But I did not keep it. There is too much to do. What do you think is the problem?"
"Weariness, greif for his father's mood, a wound, and over all the Black Breath," Aragorn said grimly. "He has a strong will. Slowly as the dark must have crept on him, even as he fought and strove to hold his outpost. If only I was here sooner!"
"Excuse me, sir, you asked for Kingsfoil, or Athelas, or Valinorean—"
"Yes, but I have no time to listen to your list of other names of Athelas. Do you have some?"
"No, I don't. We don't find any use of it here. Unless you know the old rhyme:
When the black breath blows
And the death shadow grows
And all lights pass
Come athalas! Come athelas!
Life to the dying
In the king's hand lying!
"But its stupid if you ask me. Some of the elders here in the city might have some to cure headaches."
"THEN WHAT IN THE NAME OF MERLIN ARE YOU STILL DOING HERE? IN THE NAME OF THE KING, GO AND FIND SOME OLD MAN OF LESS LORE AND MORE WISDOM WHO KEEPS SOME IN HIS HOUSE!!" Gandalf shouted.
The lore master ran out of the house and a few minutes later, a soldier came with a handfull of Kingsfoil.
"Its two weeks old, but I think it'll work."
Aragorn smiled with relief. "It'll work." With that, he took two leaves and crushed them. Something sweet filled the room. In a bowl of hot water, he mixed the crushed leaves with it. The new fragrance smelled like the first fragrance of spring and heavy hearts wer lifted. The smell alone was to waken Faramir.
Faramir glanced around and his eyes met Aragorn. "My lord, you called me, I come. What does the king command?"
"Walk no more in the shadows, but awake! You are weary. Rest a while, and take food, and be ready when I return."
Faramir nodded and the group left the House of Healing.
