I am so happy! I got so many reviews!
So, I think I will take the time to reply to some of them:
Selena Moonlighty: Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoy it!
Beaufale: Yeah, the hobbits are very cool. I'm glad you liked the random dialogue at the end. It is really fun to write. And yeah, she can be kind of annoying at times, but that's just who she is.
Moon Surfer: Yes! There is someone out there who agrees with me! You are most welcome. This chapter is one of the chapters that has an "ity bity smidge of romance". I hope you like it!
Disclaimer: I only own my OC's. If I owned more, then I would be incredibly lucky.
Chapter 26: Party and Palantíri
The small company rode across the plains of Rohan for the next few days. And finally, as the sun rose in the sky on the fifth day, the Golden Hall of Meduseld came into sight on the horizon. Ėowyn stood upon the steps of the Hall, eagerly awaiting their return. Preparations were made, and soon, all soldiers of the Battle of Helm's Deep were gathered in the massive hall, filled with great joy.
Kayden sat beside Peyton in the forefront of the crowd. Both warriors had shed their chain mail and now relaxed with cheerful smiles upon their faces. Robin, meanwhile, sat beside Merry and Pippin, all three of them eagerly awaiting the food and drink to come.
Ėowyn strode down the small aisle between the numerous benches, holding a finely wrought cup of gold. She handed the goblet to Théoden, who stood at the front of the room. The king of Rohan raised the cup high, and all soldiers in the room followed suit, lifting their tankards in salute.
"Tonight we remember those who gave their blood to defend this country," Théoden announced. "Hail the victorious dead!"
"Hail!" the people echoed before drinking their ales with vigor.
Soon, the Golden Hall was filled with much laughter, drinking, and overall merrymaking. Peyton had lost Kayden in the crowds a few moments ago and now sat among many of the younger soldiers, all reliving their tales of Helm's Deep. Suddenly, someone laid a hand on Peyton's shoulder. Peyton whirled around to see Ėomer standing beside her, a slight grin on the horse-lord's face.
"Pardon me, Peyton," Ėomer stated. "Would you mind assisting me with a certain task?"
"What is it?" Peyton inquired, taking another sip from her tankard.
"It seems that our dear friend Gimli has challenged Legolas to a drinking game," Ėomer replied, a twinkle in his eye. "And he would like me to be the judge."
Peyton nearly gagged on her ale, resulting in a bout of laughter and coughing. "Sure," she managed to choke out. "This I have to see!"
The two wove their way through the crowds, eventually reaching a small wooden bar laden with several mugs and kegs of ale. Legolas and Gimli were gathered around the bar, and beside the Elf, sitting on a stool, was Kayden.
"Are you participating too?" Peyton asked.
"No, I just couldn't miss this!" Kayden replied, beaming.
Ėomer and Peyton walked behind the bar, each filling up a tankard. "No pauses," Peyton stated, handing a mug to Legolas.
"No spills," Ėomer added.
"And no regurgitation!" Gimli grinned as he grabbed his tankard.
"So, it's a drinking game?" Legolas questioned, eyeing the numerous mugs on the table.
"Yep," Kayden answered. "Good luck!"
"Last one standing wins!" Gimli informed the Elf with a hearty laugh before beginning to chug down his tankards. Legolas took a more cautious approach, drinking the ale slowly.
Several long moments later, many orderly lines of mugs were laid out in front of Legolas, the Elf showing no signs of becoming even remotely drunk. Gimli, however, was not faring as well. A misshapen pile of emptied tankards faced the dwarf, and the white foam of beer ran through his auburn beard.
"It's the Dwarves that go swimming with little hairy women!" Gimli drunkenly laughed, his eyes slightly glazed over. Kayden and Peyton nearly collapsed with suppressed laughter
"That was a mental image I did not need," Peyton giggled, shaking her head.
Suddenly, Legolas raised his hand up, staring at his fingers. "I feel something," he muttered. "A slight tingling in my fingers. I think it's affecting me."
At this statement, Gimli slammed his tankard onto the counter, grinning like a madman. "What did I say?" the Dwarf slurred. "He can't hold his liquor!" Then, Gimli's eyes crossed, and he keeled over, falling to the floor with a loud thump.
Kayden covered her mouth in a failing attempt to muffle her snickers, and Peyton shrieked with laughter, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes. Legolas smirked at the unconscious Dwarf. "Game over."
Meanwhile, Merry, Pippin, and Robin were having a grand time. The three hobbits had leapt on top of on of the many tables, joyfully singing and kicking up their heels, much to the amusement of the crowd.
"Oh, you can search, far and wide,
You can drink the whole town dry!
But you'll never find a beer so brown,
Oh, you'll never find a beer so brown,
As the one we drink in our hometown!
You can drink your fancy ales!
You can drink 'em by the flagon!
But the only brew for the brave and true…"
Suddenly, Pippin trailed off, staring at Gandalf with a strange expression on his face. "Pippin!" Merry and Robin shouted, snapping the young hobbit back to reality.
"And the only brew for the brave and true,
Comes from the Green Dragon!"
The three hobbits clashed their mugs together before leaning back, downing the contents of their tankards with glee. The crowds clapped and cheered wildly.
Gandalf smiled at the young hobbits antics. Slowly, Aragorn and Kayden approached the White Wizard. "Any news of Frodo?" Kayden asked.
Gandalf shook his head. "No word. Nothing"
"We have time," Aragorn reassured them. "Every day, Frodo moves closer to Mordor."
"Do we know that?" Gandalf questioned, evidently worried.
Aragorn paused for a moment, thinking. "What does your heart tell you?"
A small smile crept onto Gandalf's face. "That Frodo is alive. Yes…yes, he's alive." The three of them turned their attention back to the hobbits. Merry had his arms wrapped around Robin, both with huge smiles upon their faces.
"They are really cute together," Kayden remarked.
"Ah, yes," Aragorn replied. "It is an encouraging thought to see that two can still find love even in these dark times."
"It is indeed…" Kayden agreed, before she left the man and Wizard, searching the room for a particular Elf.
~o*o*o*o~
Legolas was found outside Meduseld, gazing at the rolling plains stretched out before him.
"Wow," Kayden whispered, coming to stand beside him. "This is so amazing. I wish it were like this back home."
Legolas regarded the elleth curiously for a few moments. "What is your home like?" he asked.
"Well…" Kayden trailed off, shuffling her feet nervously. Should I tell him?
"You need not to talk of it, if you do not want to," Legolas stated, sensing Kayden's unease.
"No, it's just…" Kayden sighed, looking down at the stones beneath her. "Would you believe me if I told you that Peyton, Robin, and I were from a completely different world, a world where only Men exist, a world where Middle-Earth…is just a story?"
Silence consumed the pair for a moment. "I would believe you, Kayden," Legolas finally replied.
Kayden looked up is surprise. "You would?"
"Indeed," Legolas confirmed, taking Kayden's hand. "There are many tales of realms other than that of Middle-Earth. But I never expected to meet three young girls from one of these realms, nor find such valiant warriors in those three." Kayden grinned slightly as Legolas continued. "And no matter where you are from, Kayden, I will always love you." A genuine smile spread across Kayden's face. Legolas returned the grin, and the two gently pressed their lips together for a brief, yet happy moment.
"What is this that I hear about another realm?"
Kayden and Legolas whipped around to see Gandalf standing before them. Behind the Wizard were both Aragorn and Peyton, the latter with the wide-eyed, open-mouthed expression of a fish.
"Did you hear our conversation?" Kayden questioned, staring fixedly at the ground.
Aragorn nodded. "Most of it, yes."
"Well, I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier," Kayden apologized.
"It is quite alright," Gandalf reassured her, clasping her shoulder. "It is understandably a difficult matter to explain." The Wizard then turned around, striding back into Meduseld. "It is becoming rather late. I would advise you to find some rest."
After Gandalf had left their presence, Kayden faced Aragorn and Peyton. "I suppose you saw the last bit too, didn't you?"
"Indeed," Aragorn confirmed, stepping towards them. "I am very happy for you two, mellyn nin."
"Hannon le, Aragorn," Legolas replied, smiling.
Peyton continued to gape at them for a few more moments, before shaking her head as if trying to clear her mind. "I think I'm going to go to sleep now. The ale is taking its toll."
Kayden raised her eyebrows. "How many tankards did you have?"
"Eh…I lost count," Peyton replied, strolling back into Meduseld.
Aragorn, Legolas, and Kayden all chuckled at Peyton's antics before turning their gazes to the skies above. "The stars are veiled," Legolas remarked. "Something stirs in the East. A sleepless malice. The Eye of the enemy is moving."
~o*o*o*o~
Inside the Golden Hall, Robin suddenly awoke. Something was prying at the back of her mind, a feeling that simply would not leave her. As she sat up, rubbing her eyes, she found that she was not the only one awake.
"Pippin!" she called as quietly as possible. The hobbit whirled around, before shaking his head and continuing on his path to the corner of the room, where Gandalf slept.
"What are you doing?" Both Robin and Pippin whipped around in surprise to see that Merry had woken up as well. Pippin silently put a finger to his lips before striding over to Gandalf. Carefully, Pippin removed a rather large cloth bundle from beneath the Wizard's arm, replacing it with a jug.
"Pippin, are you insane?" Robin whispered urgently. "Put it back!"
"I just want to look at it, just one more time," Pippin reasoned, unfolding the cloth to reveal the smooth, black surface of the stone found at Isengard. Slowly, the hobbit reached down and placed his hands on the orb.
Suddenly, it seemed as if a flame had been kindled inside the depths of the stone. Pippin closed his eyes, beginning to shake with fear.
"Pippin!" Merry cried, not bothering to lower his voice.
The hobbit then began to thrash wildly about, his face contorted in silent pain. Without thinking, Robin rushed forward and ripped the palantír out of Pippin's hands.
Pain seared through Robin as her vision was clouded with red fire. A great figure, clad in menacing black armor, stood before her. "WHAT IS YOUR NAME?" the figure questioned, the very aura of evil surrounding him.
"I won't tell you!" Robin shouted.
"FOOL!" the figure snarled. Suddenly, her vision was filled with a white city, the lower parts covered with crimson flames. But then the palantír was wrenched from her grasp, and she knew no more.
~o*o*o*o~
Kayden reached out to support Aragorn as he struggled with the palantír. The fiery stone ball rolled out of his grasp, dropping to the floor with a sound thump. With surprising speed, Gandalf dashed towards the Seeing Stone and cast a spare blanket about it, effectively stopping the stone.
"Fools of hobbits!" Gandalf roared. The Wizard quickly rushed over to where both Pippin and Robin lay still, staring vacantly into space.
"Are you alright, Aragorn?" Kayden asked, helping the Ranger to his feet.
Aragorn nodded. "I am well, Kayden. My lineage gives me rightful use of the palantíri, but as for the two hobbits…"
Gandalf placed a hand to both the hobbits foreheads, muttering something inaudible. With a gasp, both Pippin and Robin awoke, tears streaming from their eyes.
"I'm so sorry, Gandalf," Robin whimpered. "I was only trying to help…"
"Please, forgive me, Gandalf," Pippin pleaded.
"Look at me," Gandalf gently commanded. "What did you see?"
Robin was the first to respond. "I saw a white city, its lower levels burning with flame."
"I saw a tree, a white tree in a courtyard of stone," Pippin added, trembling. "It was dead."
"Minas Tirith?" Gandalf questioned. "Is that what you saw?"
"I saw…I saw him!" Pippin gasped. "I heard his voice in my head!" Gandalf's eyes widened.
"Me too!" Robin whispered, her wide brown eyes clearly displaying fear.
"And what did you tell him?" Gandalf pressed.
"He asked me my name. I didn't answer. He hurt me!" Pippin cried.
Robin nodded her head. "He asked for my name too, but I didn't answer either."
Gandalf's face was creased with worry. "What did you tell him about Frodo and the Ring?" he demanded.
Pippin and Robin stared at Gandalf for a few long moments. Then, in a barely audible whisper, both answered, "Nothing."
Gandalf rose to his feet. "Very well. There is much I must think over, and a decision must soon be made. But for now, we should all find rest." The Wizard then strode out of the room, his brow creased in thought.
Merry immediately ran over to Robin, who promptly crumpled into his shoulder, sobbing. "I'm so sorry, Merry. I'm so sorry!"
"Shhh," Merry hushed her, wrapping a comforting arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. "It'll be fine, I promise."
Well, things are about to get interesting.
I hope you enjoyed!
Oh, and if you can, please review!