"He is fairer than the morning star, and whiter than the moon. For his body I would give my soul, and for his love I would surrender heaven." —Oscar Wilde
Chapter 22
"Forty-two master Legolas! Alas, my axe is notched, the forty-second had an iron collar on his neck. How is it with you?" came the great booming voice of Gimli, when next they saw him.
"You passed my score by one! But I don't begrudge you the game, so glad am I to see you on your legs" Answered the elf, embracing his friend.
It turned out that the trees, which had gathered in the dawn to prevent the fleeing of the orc host, and by some ancient magic had now destroyed the last of them, had not been brought there by design of Gandalf or any other wizard. They had come, Gandalf guessed, from Fangorn.
He told the King that they should ride together to Isengard, once night fell. The King accepted this council, making preparations for he and a small number of men with strength left, to go with the Wizard that night. Aragorn and the others of the fellowship would also go, unwilling to leave their leader and guide so soon after he had returned to them.
While those who were to set out again that evening slept, the other uninjured men began making count of the dead, setting to work also those of the mountain men who had given themselves up in surrender. No orcs were left alive, the last having been destroyed by the trees.
Two great mounds were built to bury the dead of Rohan, including Háma, the captain who had greeted them at Edoras, only a few days before.
Once evening touched the sky, the party who were set for Isengard awoke, making their way down the valley. The trees parted for them, Gandalf at the head, and they passed between the two sides of mysterious woods, none daring to venture closer.
Legolas murmered in Amber's ear where she rode in front of him on Arod, that he could feel a great anger emanating from the trees, though not directed at them. He wondered st the voices of the trees, and wished aloud that some day he could walk among them to listen. Gimli, who rode close by them on Hazufel with Aragorn, despaired at the strangeness of elves, wondering instead, why the men did not spend more time in the caves behind the walls of Helm's deep, for he told them that they were vast and very beautiful.
Gimli described the caves rapturously as they rode, and Legolas, now great friends with the dwarf whom he had once looked upon with contempt and enmity, promised that should they survive the coming war, they would visit both Fangorn and these glittering caves together.
"And to what lands should you take us, Lady Beorning?" asked the dwarf, eyes glinting with a knowing look as he looked upon her where she sat in front of Legolas.
Amber smiled, glad to be welcomed on their imagined journey, and glad also that there were no secrets between they that had come so far together, for the dwarf clearly perceived the change between she and Legolas.
"I would be content simply to travel with you both to wherever you might go. However, if you would have me choose then I would go to the land of the little people, so that I might see one place that has not been touched by the darkness of Sauron"
This caused the others to be silent, all three somber with the thought of he of the black lands, who bent all his will towards the destruction of all free peoples.
Their dark contemplation was interrupted by the sudden large calls of three strange creatures who had stepped out of the trees behind the riders. They turned in their saddles, agape, for now that they looked, they saw creatures as tall as trees who walked like man. They indeed looked like great, ancient trees, with long beards and many toes like long roots.
Amber felt the wonder emanating from Legolas before even looking to see his expression. The tall beings were soon joined by others of their kind who came from the north. Gandalf told them not to fear, that these were sheppards of the forest, and not concerned with them.
"Ents" Legolas breathed in awe, and Amber looked after them in wonder, thinking that it would indeed be a great adventure to travel again to that strange and ancient forest where they had first met again with their leader. It was this thought, of a time after the war, were they alive to see it, that enraptured her thoughts as the company rode off again.
They passed a great mounds where men had fallen defending those lands against wargs, the destruction of war not limited to the valley of Helm's dyke. That night they camped beside an empty river bed, which Gandalf told them used to flow with the river Isen. Amber found herself falling into a dreamless sleep, so weary was her body from battle. She had not sustained much injury in battle, only a few scratches and shallow cuts, but her body took what energy it had left to heal them. Legolas, too, slept deeply beside her.
They were awoken by cries of the watchguards but Gandalf told them to stay still and quiet. Amber sit up and saw in the dark, a mass of darkened shapes moving either side of them. She squinted, trying to make them out. "It is the trees!" She whispered to Legolas, "They go back to their homeland"
Contented that they were not in danger, laid a hand on her shoulder and stroked her gently with his thumb, both watching the moving shapes until they had passed. They then lay back down, slumbering until dawn came.
When they awoke there were stranger tidings than even the trees passing in the night. The riverbed, dry and barren when they had laid to rest, now rushed with water. They packed up camp and rode on, the river flowing strong as they followed it northwards. Pools of water lay close around them as they came nearer to the home of Saruman.
At last they came to the gates if Isengard, the gates themselves bent and broken upon the ground as if some creature with mighty strength had ripped them from their hinges.
Slowly they entered the tall ring of black rock circling a Valley, in the middle of which was a tall, dark tower of stone. The valley was pitted with tunnels and mines, industry the word of that land. Water was flooding the valley, steaming where metal forges, once molten, had been drowned by the waters.
Looking to the side, Legolas suddenly spotted two figures on a pile of mounded rubble near to where they had entered the ring of stone. Their hobbit friends were there, laying as if they had just eaten a hearty meal, surrounded by empty plates and cups. One of the hobbits stood, drawing the attention of the men, who stared at him, agape.
The hobbit, Merry, bowed and said to the King and his men "Welcome, my Lords, to Isengard! We are the door wardens" and introduced himself and Pippin. Gandalf laughed and asked of Saruman, who they learned was locked in his tower with the man, Wormtongue. They also said that a being named 'Treebeard' was in charge of Isengard now.
The companions then greeted each other warmly, joking with the hobbits as if they had not come through battle and torment to find each other again. Once Gandalf had been told where to find Treebeard, he and the men of Rohan rode of to speak with him, while the remaining companions of the fellowship joined the hobbits to speak together and share a noon meal.
After their hunger was well satisfied, the man, dwarf and hobbits smoked their pipes, while the elf and Beorning lay out on the rock, watching the clouds pass overhead. As they did, the hobbits told the others of their journey captured by orcs, how they had met with Treebeard and the ents and finally of the battle for Isengard, ents against the wizard and his foul creatures. It had been fortunate timing, for the large host of orcs had already left for the battle of Helm's deep, so the valley was little guarded. During the battle, only the night before, the ents had broken the dam that had been made to prevent the river's flowing and so flooded the great valley, filling many holes and ruining the forges made there.
After they had long rested and talked, Aragorn decided that he would find Gandalf and see what had come of his talk with Treebeard. Gimli and the hobbits stood to join him, but Legolas looked to Amber in question. She was tired, a long time it had been since she had enjoyed true rest without great worry, long before the attacks had begun on her people. Even in Lothlorien she had held grief for the wizard who they thought to be forever lost, and the fear for their next stage of journey.
She smiled at him, knowing he would love to speak with the ents if he could, and told him to go with them. She wished to stay on the rubble pile, watching the gate for any intruders, unlikely though it was that there may be any now that the valley was in ruin. She wished to be alone with her thoughts, to try and sort through the events of the month that had now passed since their time in the golden wood.
Legolas nodded, squeezing her hand in his, a gesture that was not missed by the others. Aragorn smiled upon seeing their casual touch, knowing them both well enough to understand what that meant. Gimli's eyes twinkled and the hobbits looked on in wonder. The five then left, making their way slowly across the flooded ground, avoiding pits and tunnels as they went.
Amber watched them go, then turned her face to the entrance, where just beyond she could see the untidy land that Saruman held neglected, now wild with weeds and bracken. She thought of her mother, how long it had been since she was with her. Her brothers were likely still mourning Fébeorn and keeping their people safe in their new home in the caves of the northern mountains. She thought of how she missed them, and how her home would never be the same again without her second-eldest brother. Already it had felt foreign to her after her father had passed.
She wondered where she would go after the war, if she survived it. Would she return to her home or first travel with Legolas and Gimli, as they had spoken of? She was certain of one thing, she would not be parted from the elf by anything but death itself. Where would they live though? She knew that he would need to return to his... their people. She was, of course, half-elven by blood, and her mother was from Mirkwood, where his father ruled. Would she be welcomed there, or cast out as an outsider who had stolen the heart of their Prince? She did not know, and this had fear churning in her belly. She loved Legolas, that was undoubted, but she would certainly despair if her love brought him pain.
It was melancholy thoughts such as these that were interrupted by the sound of many splashing hooves behind her. She turned, seeing the horsemen, Gandalf and her companions riding towards the gate which she had been watching. Gimli once more rode with Éomer, Aragorn and Gandalf each baring a hobbit before them. She stood at their approach, Arod pausing by the rubble so that she could sit astride him, behind Legolas. She hugged her arms around his torso, taking in his scent to uplift her after her long contemplation.
They rode out through the gate, Amber turning back to watch the figures of ents encircling the dark tower where the evil wizard dwelt. She would ask Legolas later what had happened after they had left her, but for now she rested her cheek against his back, enjoying once more the feeling of safety that he brought her.
