Written by Phoenix
"We have just passed into the realm of Gondor," Gandalf called.
Xander rode closely behind Gandalf's white steed. He had never ridden a horse before coming to Middle-Earth but he was learning and now managed to stay atop the racing animal. Looking out over a hill, Xander spotted a large white city that seemed to be carved from the very rock cliffs that it called home. The sight caused Xander to pull on the reins, stopping his horse to stare.
"Minas Tirith," Gandalf said; "City of Kings."
Pippin held tightly to Gandalf as their horse and Xander's made their way through the many levels of the city, until they reached the courtyard of the citadel, where the white tree grew in the center.
"It's the tree Gandalf, Gandalf!" Pippin yelled.
The white tree bore no leaves and its bark was the color of snow. The three looked upon it as they dismounted when the wizard answered, "Yes, the white tree of Gondor. The tree of the King." Gandalf looked to Pippin whose thoughts obviously were related to the vision he'd seen from the orb. "Lord Denethor is not the King, he is a Steward only, a caretaker of the throne." Standing upon the steps of the grand hall Gandalf looked downwards towards Xander and Pippin and said, "Now, listen carefully Pippin. Lord Denethor is Boromir's father. To give him news of his beloved son's death would be most unwise. And do not mention Frodo or the Ring." Turning his attention fully to Xander he continued, "And say nothing of Aragorn either. In fact its better if you two don't speak at all."
As the three entered the hall, Xander whispered to Pippin, "Gee someone forgot to take his wizard nap. And is a little cranky."
Walking down the long hallway, the three came across a man sitting upon a black chair at the end of the grand hall.
"Hail Denethor, son of Ecthelion, Lord and Steward of Gondor." Gandalf's voice echoed through the large open room; "I come with tidings in this dark hour, and with counsel."
"Perhaps you come to explain this," The Steward said as Gandalf and Pippin looked on in horror as they recognized what Denethor was holding, Boromir's horn. "Perhaps you come to tell me why my son is dead."
Xander honestly could not say anything for he knew naught of Boromir, but Gandalf was bewildered to the Steward's words while Pippin's mind filled with the images of the past. To when he and Merry saw the Steward's son save them from orcs, only to die of his wounds. Feeling something had to be done, Pippin stepped before Gandalf and said, "Boromir died to save us, my kinsman and me. He fell defending us from many foes."
"Pippin!" Gandalf yelled as he realized the fool Took had lost his mind. "I offer you my service, such as it is, in payment of this debt," Pippin said as he kneeled at the Steward.
Xander looked over at Gandalf just in time to see him roll his eyes in disgust at the small hobbit. Taking his staff, he smacked Pippin on the head and said, "Get up!"
As the hobbit did so his attention quickly returned to the matter at hand and the Steward.
"My Lord, there will be a time to grieve for Boromir. But it is not now. War is coming. The enemy is on your doorstep! As Steward, you are charged with the defense of this City! Where are Gondor's armies?"
"You have friends," Xander said, finally speaking up; "You are not alone in this war."
Gandalf's eyes cast heavily upon Xander when he pointed towards Pippin saying, "He broke his silence first."
"Yes and see where that got him," Gandalf replied.
Turning his attention to Denethor once more he said, "He is right. You are not alone. Send word to Théoden of Rohan. Light the beacons..."
Denethor snarled in reply, "You think you are wise, Mithrandir, yet for all your subtleties you have not wisdom. Do you think the eyes of the White Tower are blind? I have seen more than you know. With your left hand you would use me as a shield against Mordor and with your right you would seek to supplant me! I know who rides with Théoden of Rohan. Oh yes! Word has reached my ears of this Aragorn, son of Arathorn and I tell you now I will not bow to this ranger from the North, last of a ragged house long bereft of lordship."
"Authority is not given to you to deny the return of the King, Steward." Gandalf commanded.
"The rule of Gondor is mine, and no others!" Denethor yelled as he stood stamping his feet like a child.
Denethor sat down once more as Gandalf stared coldly at him before turning to Pippin and Xander, "Come."
Gandalf moved through the city swiftly as Pippin and Xander tried to keep up with his pace.
"Peregrin took, my lad, there is a task now to be done. Another opportunity for one of the Shire-folk to prove their great worth. You must not fail me," he said as he placed a hand on Pippin's shoulder as the hobbit returned the gesture with a look of understanding and headed towards the beacon tower.
"Anything I can do?" Xander asked.
"Make sure nothing stands in his way from completing his task." Gandalf replied.
Quickly Xander rushed to follow the hobbit as he climbed up to the tower. Pippin was sure footed as he climbed. His mind focused on the job at hand. Reaching the top of the tower, Pippin spotted a guard sitting on the floor drinking. Stopping he saw Xander approach the guard and quickly continued.
"What kind of guard are you?" Xander said as he looked down at him, "Drinking on the job..."
"But sir..." the man said, looking at the strangely dressed boy in front of him.
"On your feet soldier! That's an order!"
The guard did not understand what a soldier was nor who this boy was ordering him around.
"You bring dishonor to Gondor!" Xander continued, "Letting your duties slide..." Out of the corner of his eye, Xander spotted Pippin having trouble reaching the lantern to light the large pile of wood. "You never know what could happen during your watch."
Bending down, Xander picked up a large rock at his feet and aimed it at the lantern and threw it as hard as he could. The rock hit at just the right angle causing it to fly off its hook and land on the woodpile. It burst into flames as Pippin realized that it was not particularly clever to stay on a lit pile of wood. Quickly he began to climb back down the side of the tower. One by one the beacons between Gondor and Rohan were lit until they reached Edoras and Théoden.
Willow stood on the steps of the Golden Hall, overlooking Edoras. Wind whipped through her red hair as thoughts of Sunnydale filled her mind. It was because of her spell that they found themselves in the midst of a battle. Magic had brought her and her friends nothing but sorrow. Suddenly, Willow spotted a fire erupting on a mountain off in the distance. Not sure as to what it meant, she quickly looked around for someone.
"Éowyn," Willow called as she spotted her coming out of the hall, "Look!" she said as she pointed towards the mountain.
"The beacons!" Éowyn said as she looked in shock and then quickly raced through the hall to her uncle.
Éomer and Théoden were going over some maps when she burst through the doors of the hall and yelled, "The beacons of Minas Tirith! The beacons are lit! Gondor calls for aid!" The hall was filled with silence as all eyes were on King Théoden. Looking up from the map he calmly proclaimed, "And Rohan will answer!"
"We have just passed into the realm of Gondor," Gandalf called.
Xander rode closely behind Gandalf's white steed. He had never ridden a horse before coming to Middle-Earth but he was learning and now managed to stay atop the racing animal. Looking out over a hill, Xander spotted a large white city that seemed to be carved from the very rock cliffs that it called home. The sight caused Xander to pull on the reins, stopping his horse to stare.
"Minas Tirith," Gandalf said; "City of Kings."
Pippin held tightly to Gandalf as their horse and Xander's made their way through the many levels of the city, until they reached the courtyard of the citadel, where the white tree grew in the center.
"It's the tree Gandalf, Gandalf!" Pippin yelled.
The white tree bore no leaves and its bark was the color of snow. The three looked upon it as they dismounted when the wizard answered, "Yes, the white tree of Gondor. The tree of the King." Gandalf looked to Pippin whose thoughts obviously were related to the vision he'd seen from the orb. "Lord Denethor is not the King, he is a Steward only, a caretaker of the throne." Standing upon the steps of the grand hall Gandalf looked downwards towards Xander and Pippin and said, "Now, listen carefully Pippin. Lord Denethor is Boromir's father. To give him news of his beloved son's death would be most unwise. And do not mention Frodo or the Ring." Turning his attention fully to Xander he continued, "And say nothing of Aragorn either. In fact its better if you two don't speak at all."
As the three entered the hall, Xander whispered to Pippin, "Gee someone forgot to take his wizard nap. And is a little cranky."
Walking down the long hallway, the three came across a man sitting upon a black chair at the end of the grand hall.
"Hail Denethor, son of Ecthelion, Lord and Steward of Gondor." Gandalf's voice echoed through the large open room; "I come with tidings in this dark hour, and with counsel."
"Perhaps you come to explain this," The Steward said as Gandalf and Pippin looked on in horror as they recognized what Denethor was holding, Boromir's horn. "Perhaps you come to tell me why my son is dead."
Xander honestly could not say anything for he knew naught of Boromir, but Gandalf was bewildered to the Steward's words while Pippin's mind filled with the images of the past. To when he and Merry saw the Steward's son save them from orcs, only to die of his wounds. Feeling something had to be done, Pippin stepped before Gandalf and said, "Boromir died to save us, my kinsman and me. He fell defending us from many foes."
"Pippin!" Gandalf yelled as he realized the fool Took had lost his mind. "I offer you my service, such as it is, in payment of this debt," Pippin said as he kneeled at the Steward.
Xander looked over at Gandalf just in time to see him roll his eyes in disgust at the small hobbit. Taking his staff, he smacked Pippin on the head and said, "Get up!"
As the hobbit did so his attention quickly returned to the matter at hand and the Steward.
"My Lord, there will be a time to grieve for Boromir. But it is not now. War is coming. The enemy is on your doorstep! As Steward, you are charged with the defense of this City! Where are Gondor's armies?"
"You have friends," Xander said, finally speaking up; "You are not alone in this war."
Gandalf's eyes cast heavily upon Xander when he pointed towards Pippin saying, "He broke his silence first."
"Yes and see where that got him," Gandalf replied.
Turning his attention to Denethor once more he said, "He is right. You are not alone. Send word to Théoden of Rohan. Light the beacons..."
Denethor snarled in reply, "You think you are wise, Mithrandir, yet for all your subtleties you have not wisdom. Do you think the eyes of the White Tower are blind? I have seen more than you know. With your left hand you would use me as a shield against Mordor and with your right you would seek to supplant me! I know who rides with Théoden of Rohan. Oh yes! Word has reached my ears of this Aragorn, son of Arathorn and I tell you now I will not bow to this ranger from the North, last of a ragged house long bereft of lordship."
"Authority is not given to you to deny the return of the King, Steward." Gandalf commanded.
"The rule of Gondor is mine, and no others!" Denethor yelled as he stood stamping his feet like a child.
Denethor sat down once more as Gandalf stared coldly at him before turning to Pippin and Xander, "Come."
Gandalf moved through the city swiftly as Pippin and Xander tried to keep up with his pace.
"Peregrin took, my lad, there is a task now to be done. Another opportunity for one of the Shire-folk to prove their great worth. You must not fail me," he said as he placed a hand on Pippin's shoulder as the hobbit returned the gesture with a look of understanding and headed towards the beacon tower.
"Anything I can do?" Xander asked.
"Make sure nothing stands in his way from completing his task." Gandalf replied.
Quickly Xander rushed to follow the hobbit as he climbed up to the tower. Pippin was sure footed as he climbed. His mind focused on the job at hand. Reaching the top of the tower, Pippin spotted a guard sitting on the floor drinking. Stopping he saw Xander approach the guard and quickly continued.
"What kind of guard are you?" Xander said as he looked down at him, "Drinking on the job..."
"But sir..." the man said, looking at the strangely dressed boy in front of him.
"On your feet soldier! That's an order!"
The guard did not understand what a soldier was nor who this boy was ordering him around.
"You bring dishonor to Gondor!" Xander continued, "Letting your duties slide..." Out of the corner of his eye, Xander spotted Pippin having trouble reaching the lantern to light the large pile of wood. "You never know what could happen during your watch."
Bending down, Xander picked up a large rock at his feet and aimed it at the lantern and threw it as hard as he could. The rock hit at just the right angle causing it to fly off its hook and land on the woodpile. It burst into flames as Pippin realized that it was not particularly clever to stay on a lit pile of wood. Quickly he began to climb back down the side of the tower. One by one the beacons between Gondor and Rohan were lit until they reached Edoras and Théoden.
Willow stood on the steps of the Golden Hall, overlooking Edoras. Wind whipped through her red hair as thoughts of Sunnydale filled her mind. It was because of her spell that they found themselves in the midst of a battle. Magic had brought her and her friends nothing but sorrow. Suddenly, Willow spotted a fire erupting on a mountain off in the distance. Not sure as to what it meant, she quickly looked around for someone.
"Éowyn," Willow called as she spotted her coming out of the hall, "Look!" she said as she pointed towards the mountain.
"The beacons!" Éowyn said as she looked in shock and then quickly raced through the hall to her uncle.
Éomer and Théoden were going over some maps when she burst through the doors of the hall and yelled, "The beacons of Minas Tirith! The beacons are lit! Gondor calls for aid!" The hall was filled with silence as all eyes were on King Théoden. Looking up from the map he calmly proclaimed, "And Rohan will answer!"