Chapter Ten

The very next day, Gwaihir flew Ilmare and Olorin to Fangorn Forest. Almost as soon as they had alighted from his back, Gwaihir took flight again, leaving them to face an ancient friend of theirs.

The pair had only to walk a quarter of a mile through the ancient forest to reach an old ent house. They walked inside while Olorin called, "Treebeard!"

A sequence of loud, crashing footsteps signalled the approach of the old ent. He smiled as he walked toward them, saying, "Gandalf! Ilmare! It's been too long!"

"Hello, Treebeard. Two hobbits entered your forest some days ago. Have you seen them?" Gandalf said, getting down to business.

"Certainly...They are here," Treebeard said, pausing as was his wont.

Without a word, Gandalf hurried past the ent and into the 'house.' Farther inside, two hobbits sat on the ground talking. "My dear hobbits," he said. Instantly, the two were on their feet running toward the wizard. Within seconds, they tackled him to the ground. Each was saying something along the lines of "Gandalf! Your alive! Gandalf!"

Ilmare, on the other hand, remained with Treebeard. Quietly so the others didn't hear, he asked her, "Does he know?"

The woman looked up and said quietly, "No." Calmly, she looked into the ent's eyes and nodded. A second later she turned and walked away. As soon as she was out of sight, she said into the ent's mind, "Tell him I shall return when he is waiting."

Treebeard smiled at this. She had always been even more riddle-prone than the wizard.

oooooooooo

Over an hour later, Gandalf hurried out of the ent house. She knows my plans. Of course, she knows. She would not be Ilmare if she did not know. She always knew what he would do. This was no different...Except that others would know.

It took him several minutes to arrive at a specific stand of rocks. She was already there, perched on the highest rock.

"They are almost here," she said quietly.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

She nodded and jumped down behind the rocks.

Less than a minute later, three people entered the little clearing. The second they turned to him, an arrow and an axe flew toward Gandalf. He deflected them easily and made the offending sword grow hot, forcing the man wielding it to drop the weapon quickly.

"You are tracking the footsteps of two young hobbits," he said, projecting his voice at a deeper pitch.

"Where are they?" the man asked.

"They passed this way the day before yesterday. They met someone they did not expect. Does that comfort you?" Be careful what you say...They are still in pain.

"Show yourself!" the man demanded.

Gandalf smiled and ended his light spell. They second they saw him, they were awed, shocked, and disbelieving.

The elf, Legolas, was first to react. He dropped to his knees and said, "Forgive me. I mistook you for Saruman."

"I am Saruman, or rather Saruman as he should have been," Gandalf said. "And I come back to you now, at the turn of the tide." His demeanour suddenly changed, morphing almost into a sheepish character "I am sorry, but I have been hiding something from you," Gandalf said.

"What do you mean?" Legolas asked.

A purple cloaked figure stepped forward into their sight. "Anariel?" Aragorn asked in surprise.

"No. I am IlmarŅ‘ now," she said, reaching up and pulling her hood back.

All three of their mouths dropped open in shock and awe, for before them stood the most beautiful woman any of them had ever seen. Silky, black hair fell down nearly to her elbows, framing a face of pure white. Her cheeks were lightly pink, as were her lips. Her bone structure was as delicate in appearance as an elf's, but her beauty was otherworldly, almost as though nothing could be as beautiful as her. Even with all of that, her eyes shone with determination and power. Her pupils were silver, though somehow they did not seem unnatural.

"The handmaiden of Varda..." Legolas whispered in awe.

Ilmare turned and nodded to him, showing him just how amazing this event was.