Chapter 19: Good Luck
"This is just a….little creepy," Naomi muttered as the small group rode through the forest. Many times they had to duck as Gandalf led them through a path towards, she assumed, Isengard. It was misty in the forest and more than once Naomi thought she saw something move out of the corner of her eye. She had been assured by Aragorn that none of the Uruk-hai that had run in here would be alive and that she had no need to fear.
'In all honesty it's not the Uruks I'm worried about…,' She thought to herself, eyeing a particularly moss covered tree that seemed to lean towards them as they passed. Tess and Legolas however seemed fine, wandering under the groaning trees without a second thought.
'Then again…she IS almost asleep in the saddle,' Naomi though as she frowned, Tess' eyes had dark circles under them and whenever she slumped forward slightly she winced.
"We shall rest here for the night," Gandalf announced, making Naomi jump. She looked around and saw nothing special about the place but dismounted anyways, needing to stretch her legs. She threw her arms out and sighed when she heard the satisfying click of her joints realigning.
"Gandalf, what has become of the miserable Orcs?" Legolas asked as he tied Arod's reins to a nearby branch as the rest of the group were doing.
"That, I think, no one will ever know," Gandalf told the Elf with a smile as he stroked Shadowfax's neck gently. Soon everyone had tied their horse to a tree of branch, with the exception of Shadowfax, and busied themselves with making a camp. Gimli was collecting dead plant matter from the forest floor to make a fire, under instruction of Gandalf as to which pieces he could actually use. Naomi laughed at the faces Gimli pulled every time Gandalf said no, which was the answer most of the time. When an adequate pile had accumulated Gandalf started the fire and the group huddled around the flame, except for Tess, who stood facing away from the group, leaning into Hasufel's side.
"What is she doing?" Éomer asked when the brunette woman didn't respond to Naomi's calls.
"The hell I know," Naomi muttered chewing on the corner of a piece of lembas that she had toasted over the flame. She longed for a real meal, something she hadn't had since they'd left Edoras. Naomi then turned to watch Legolas, who was bickering with Gimli about the forest and the caves of Helm's Deep. Gimli went on to explain how vast the caverns of Helm's Deep where and Naomi marveled at how little attention she had paid to the walls whilst she was down there. Gimli had been in there for little more than a few minutes yet he spoke as if he had seen the entire lay-out. On and on he talked of the beauty of the caves and Naomi wished she had paid more attention while she had been there. Finally Legolas and Gimli made a deal, if they both lived through what they faced in the coming time they would journey together to let Legolas visit Fangorn again and then they would both journey to the Glittering Caves so that Gimli would be able to show the Elf of the wonders that lay there.
"I'm coming too!" Naomi pitched in with a bright smile and Gimli nodded joyfully.
"I feel you too shall enjoy the vast depths of the caverns,"
Éomer meanwhile was paying more attention to Tess, who had stopped stroking Hasufel's side during the first few moments of Gimli's story and now stood very still. Standing the man of Rohan walked over to her with the intentions of asking what kept her from the fire, only to discover her eyes shut and her breathing deep.
"I knew not of a woman that could sleep standing as a horse does," He muttered to himself as he gently placed a hand on her shoulder. Tess jumped then, grabbing the man's wrist and a dagger from her belt at the same time. A few seconds later she dropped both her hands to her side and stared at him.
"Sorry, old habits die hard it seems," She chuckled, though Éomer didn't understand the inside joke. Before he had a chance to ask she was stretching with a loud groan and walking over to the fire.
"Strange woman…," he mused before returning to the fire himself.
The next morning the company rose early and took to their horses again to navigate the dark forest in the direction of Isengard. Or at least that was what Tess hoped was the direction they were going in. Everything looked the same to her, covered in moss and sticking out at odd angles. With another sigh she leaned her elbow against the thick saddle pommel that was as long as her forearm between her legs. She then dropped her chin onto the fist of the propped up arm in an attempt to keep her head up.
"Did you get any sleep last night?" Naomi asked, looking over her shoulder at her friend.
"I don't remember," Tess mumbled rubbing her eye with her free hand, the dark shadows beneath her brown orbs hadn't lessened and if anything had grown darker overnight.
"How can you not remember if you went to sleep?" Naomi asked with a raised eyebrow although the only answer she got was a half hearted shrug. With a roll of her eyes the blonde woman returned to her own thoughts. She had had a strange dream the night before, flashes of silver dancing around her and sparks of light. When she had first woken the images were fresh, but as the day wore on Naomi found it harder and harder to concentrate on the specific shapes. By the time they stopped to make camp for the night the dream had been sucked from her mind.
"What troubles you, a'maelamin?" Startled she looked down to see Legolas smiling at her, concern shining in his blue eyes. A quick look around made her blush when she realized that everyone but her had dismounted and were making themselves comfortable, except Tess who was not moving from where she lay almost under Hasufel.
'She fell off the horse again…,' Naomi though idly before turning back to Legolas, a smile pulling her lips up as he took her hand.
"Dreams that make no sense," She answered as he helped her down off the horse, his thin hands warm even through her clothing to her hips. With a content sigh she leant forward and rested her head against his chest, the soothing, deep thumping of his heart beneath her ear making her smile. The Elf tenderly wrapped his arms around her and held her close, resting his head on hers. Swallowing back the lump in her throat, Naomi buried her nerves and decided it was time.
"Legolas? Can I…ask you something?" Despite her best efforts her voice raised an octave. He released her a little so that he could look into her eyes, his own ones filled with concern again.
"You do not have to ask permission," He said gently as he brushed a lock of hair out of her face.
"Uhm…can I…kiss you?" Her face was as red as Tess' tunic and she almost buried her face in the Elf's chest again, when he gave her a hundred watt smile.
"You have no need to ask, my love," He told her and she grinned before tilting her head up. Legolas bent his head slightly and they both sighed when their lips joined. Naomi felt a warmth rise from her toes to her eyebrows, her heart beating against her chest as it tried to escape. Ever so slowly she slid her hands up his chest until at last she was able to wrap her arms around the back of his head, her fingers trailing through his soft blond hair. One of Legolas' hands had trailed from her waist up her spine, finding its place at the base of her neck under her cloak. What had started as a timid kiss was slowly becoming something that Naomi hadn't experienced before and just when it was getting good, they were interrupted. With a raised eyebrow Naomi turned to where Tess lay, her arm thrown across her eyes.
"Perhaps you could save your spit swapping for a time when you are in a more private place, eh?" She said with a hint of disgust in her voice. Naomi and Legolas both laughed as they untangled themselves, although she wouldn't let go of his hand and he had no objections.
"Is it safe to look yet? Or am I going to be blinded again?"
"You're just jealous," Naomi teased sticking her tongue out as Tess uncovered her face.
"Elves aren't really my type," Tess huffed, rolling away from the blonde woman's teasing gaze.
/\\
On an afternoon a few days later a strange sound filtered through the trees and Naomi raised an eyebrow.
"That sounds a lot like-,"
"MERRY AND PIPPIN!" Tess cried, relief plastered all over her dirty face. Finally they emerged from the forest and the sunlight touched Naomi's skin once again. She had not enjoyed sitting behind Aragorn for the entire ride in a dark and moss filled forest that almost talked. It didn't help that Legolas rode behind them; it meant she couldn't look at him unless she turned and every time she did Tess would grin in a knowing way that pissed Naomi off. Another reason she kept turning around was to watch her exhausted friend. Tess was awake when she went to sleep, and every morning when Naomi opened her eyes the brunette woman was standing next to Hasufel. The dark circles under her eyes were getting darker and often her eyes would slide close during the day. Whenever she tried to approach her about it, Tess would change the subject. Naomi's worry, however, was temporarily put aside as she spied the two Hobbits.
"Welcome, my lords, to Isengard!" Merry, who was clearly drunk, stood atop a broken wall that circled Orthanc, a black spike of a tower. Pippin sat next to him, pipe and a slab of meat in one hand and a mug of ale in the other.
"You young rascals! A merry hunt you've led us on and now we find you feasting and…and smoking!" Gimli spoke first, happy to see them inside.
"We are sitting, on a field of victory enjoying a few well-earned comforts," Pippin stated, a smile stretched across his face.
"The salted pork is particularly good!" He finished and a dazed look rolled over Gimli's face.
"Salted pork?" Naomi's stomach grumbled as she tried not to drool. Gandalf muttered something about Hobbits and Merry continued.
"We're under orders from Treebeard, who's taken over management of Isengard,"
A few seconds and a grunt later Tess was climbing up the small wall to pull both Hobbits to her in a tight hug.
"I blame you both for several sleepless nights!" She cried as she kissed both their foreheads, their laughs mingling with hers.
After they'd stored the food to the back of several of the horses the group moved beyond the wall and through the water towards Orthanc. Pippin sat behind Tess and Merry sat behind Éomer, the two Hobbits chatting away at how heroic they had been during The Last March of the Ents. Tess and Naomi were not listening however, looking in wonder instead to the walking and talking trees everywhere. As they neared the black tower one of the trees walked forward.
"Young Master Gandalf, I'm…mmmm…glad you've come," The tree spoke slowly and from the long mossy beard Naomi guessed that this was Treebeard.
"Wood and water, stock and stone I can master but there is a wizard to manage here, locked in his tower," The group looked up but couldn't see anyone and Naomi heard Aragorn mutter.
"Show yourself,"
"Be careful, even in defeat Saruman is dangerous," Gandalf warned as he held his staff a little higher.
"Well, let's just have his head and be done with it," Gimli thought aloud but Gandalf didn't like that idea.
"We need him alive… we need him to talk," Silence continued on for a few minutes and out of the corner of her eye Naomi could see Tess wiping a hand down her tired face. Just as she opened her mouth to ask if her friend was alright a booming voice called down to them, or rather, Théoden.
"You have fought many wars and slain many men, Théoden King, and made peace afterwards," An old man dressed in white with a tall black staff that resembled the tower appeared far above them, looking down on them as he spoke.
"Can we not take counsel together as we once did, my old friend? Can we not have peace, you and I?"
"We shall have peace," Several of the group members tore their eyes away from Saruman and looked to Théoden as he spoke at first softly. His voice became a yell however as he answered the wizard's question.
"We shall have peace when you answer for the burning of the Westfold and the children that lie dead there! We shall have peace when the lives of the soldiers, whose bodies were hewn even as they lay dead against the gates of the Hornburg are avenged!" The King was angry now, his fists tight on the reins.
"When you hand from a gibbet for the sport of your own crows, we shall have peace!" With Théoden finished, Aragorn and Naomi turned back to look at Saruman and his reaction.
"Gibbets and crows? Dotard!" He was clearly unhappy with the way things had turned out.
"What do you want, Gandalf Greyhame? Let me guess, the Key of Orthanc? Or perhaps the Keys of Barad-dûr itself, along with the crowns of the seven kings and the rids of the five wizards!?"
"Your treachery has already cost many lives; thousands more are now at risk, but you could save them, Saruman! You were deep in the enemy's counsel," Gandalf called up.
"So you have come here for information…I have some for you," With a wicked grin the wizard pulled a small, black orb from his robs. Immediately something in Naomi twisted and she gripped onto Aragorn's sides.
"Something festers in the heart of Middle-earth, something that you have failed to see! But the Great Eye has seen it," The throbbing in her head stopped when the Wizard covered the orb with his sleeve again, and Naomi let out a shaky sigh. Briefly she glanced at her friend who, to her surprise, seemed unaffected.
"Even now he presses his advantage, his attack will come soon," Gandalf nudged Shadowfax forward then, ahead of the group.
"You are all going to die," Naomi sucked in a breath and gritted her teeth against a panicky cry that she felt rise in her throat.
"But you know this, don't you, Gandalf?" The wizard then turned his gaze to Aragorn, who returned the wizard's glare with his own.
"You cannot think that this Ranger will ever sit upon the throne of Gondor, this exile crept form the shadows, will never be crowned King,"
"What would you know!?" A feminine voice roared. Everyone looked to Naomi, but her mouth was shut. They then looked passed her to Tess, who was shaking in the saddle with fury.
"You have not spent time with him! You have not seen his strength! You can't say shit about him! You know nothing!" Her answer was a loud laugh, which only made her grip the reins tighter. Naomi blinked her wide eyes; she'd never seen her friend so angry.
"I would know more than you think, Tess Pedlar," Saruman said darkly.
"How did you hear of my name?!"
"How did I hear of it? Why I was the first to know of it! Of your friend's as well," Tess and Naomi glanced at each other, both knowing what the other was thinking.
'He knows why we're here,'
"Yes, that's right; I know why you're here! In fact I was the one who brought you to Middle-Earth!" He proclaimed loudly, another dark laugh filling the air.
"The men and women of this world are weak, and those of your world are even weaker,"
"Then why choose us?!" Naomi asked almost desperately, needing to know why she was ripped from her home and dumped in Rivendell all those months ago.
"You have a darkness in your heart, a shadow that you will not be able to ignore for much longer, the Dark Lord will call for you soon,"
"Wh-What about me!?" Tess asked as she watched Naomi's face fall in fear and shock.
"You? You were a mistake! You were not meant to survive the trip to Middle-Earth, let alone live! Your survival of Moria, your friendship with the Fellowship, how far you've made it was only out of sheer luck! Did you really think you could be part of this world? That you could ever truly belong?" The wizard taunted. Tess' hands barely held the reins now; instead they rested limply on her lap, an empty look on her face.
"A Mistake?"
"What is this? You did not know? You did not tell her, Gandalf?" Tess' head swung to her friend, mouth hanging open in shock. Gandalf sent her a look that told her he would speak with her later, and she clutched onto the hope that he would explain his actions.
"Gandalf does not hesitate to sacrifice those closest to him, those he professes to love," Everyone was looking at Gandalf now, ahead of them by a few feet.
"Tell me, what words of comfort did you give the Halfling before you sent him to his doom?" Gandalf said nothing and sighed.
"The path that you have set him on can only lead to death,"
"I've heard enough!" Gimli grumbled loudly.
"Shoot him! Stick an arrow in his gob!" He told Legolas, who was gladly reaching for an arrow when Gandalf stopped him.
"Come down, Saruman! And your life will be spared,"
"Save your pity and your mercy! I have no use for it!" With a loud cry the wizard shot a fireball from the end of his staff. The fireball exploded around Gandalf and for a moment Naomi wondered if he was alright. But the flames disappeared quickly and revealed Gandalf completely unharmed and unfazed. Saruman however was clearly shocked.
"Saruman, your staff is broken," Gandalf called and Tess glared in satisfaction when Saruman's staff burst into tiny little pieces. Another person walked up behind Saruman and Tess recognized him as Gríma. Théoden recognized him as well and called up to him.
"Gríma, you need not follow him! You were not always as you are now! You were once a Man of Rohan! Come down," Gríma almost smiled as he bowed deeply.
"A Man of Rohan? What is the house of Rohan but a thatched barn where brigands drink in the reek and their brats roll on the floor with the dogs?! The victory at Helm's Deep does not belong to you, Théoden Horse-master! You are a lesser son of grater sires," Saruman mocked and Naomi looked over to Théoden in pity.
'Bitch is having a go at everyone to day,' She thought idly.
"Gríma, come down…be free of him," Théoden said again, only to but cut off by Saruman.
"Free? He will never be free!"
"No!" Was Gríma's argument against him.
"Get down, cur!" The wizard ordered turning and slapping the man across the face. With a cry of pain Gríma fell out of view.
"Saruman!" Gandalf called to regain to angered wizard's attention.
"You were deep in the enemy's counsel, tell us what you know!"
"You withdraw your guard and I will tell you where your doom will be decided, I will not be held prisoner here!" And then suddenly Gríma was behind him with a dagger. The man got two stabs into the wizard's back before Legolas shot up an arrow, directly into Gríma's heart. Gríma fell back with a yell, whilst Saruman turned and fell. The wizard flipped several times as he fell from the top of Orthanc, robes flying about, before at last he was impaled on one of the spikes of a wheel. Naomi buried her face in Aragorn's back, trying not to imprint the horrid picture of the spike poking through Saruman's chest. They were all silent for a moment, Gandalf breaking it as he turned Shadowfax around.
"Send word to all our allies and to every corner of Middle-earth that still stands free, the enemy moves against us. We need to know where he will strike!" Naomi looked up when creaking sound drew her attention, the wheel on which Saruman rested had turned and all she saw of the wizard was his feet as the disappeared below the water.
"The filth of Saruman…is washing away," Treebeard spoke, talking of how new, young and wild trees would come and live there. Naomi was watching Pippin however as he slipped down to the water from behind Tess.
"Pippin?" Aragorn asked, obviously he had seen the Hobbit as well. Pippin however didn't answer their questions and instead waded through the water towards the wheel. The hobbit picked something up from the water and Treebeard gasped.
"Bless my bark!" The black orb that Saruman had held was now in Pippin's hands, and Gandalf nudged Shadowfax forward immediately.
"Peregrin Took! I'll take that, my lad," He said to the startled Hobbit. Pippin reluctantly handed over the orb to Gandalf who wrapped it in his robes and after a last look at Pippin turned the white horse around again. Pippin waded back to Hasufel and reached a hand up to Tess so that she may help him back onto the horse, but Tess wasn't looking at Pippin and seemed oblivious to his calls.
"Tess? Not to bother ye, but I'll be needin' a hand up," Still there was no reaction and Naomi looked over at her friend.
"Hey, wake up," Reaching over she grasped her friend's shoulder and shook it. Tess wobbled with the movement and when Naomi let go, tilted to one side with her weight throwing her off balance. With a startled cry Pippin jumped out the way and Tess crashed into the water with a yell of surprise. Coughing and spluttering she got back onto her feet, pulling up a stunned Pippin with her.
"I knew you were tired but, seriously, falling asleep in the middle of an evil wizard's death?" Naomi asked hiding a chuckle behind her hand. Tess however looked very confused, her brows pulled low over her eyes.
"I didn't…I-I wasn't-," The perplexed woman raised a hand to her temple and rubbed it gently for a moment. Then as if some memory was not returning to her she sighed and shook her head, muttering about how weird she felt. She turned to Pippin and hoisted the Hobbit up into the saddle, then debated how she would get up. Again it seemed she would be resorting to jumping up, but before she could she was hoisted up by the back of her tunic.
"Hey, hey, hey, hey! Woah!" She was pulled out of the water and up above Hasufel.
"Don't be hasty, bru-ha-room," The thick voice of Treebeard echoed behind her and she looked up to see his amber eyes watching her intently. Softly he placed her in the saddle behind Pippin.
"Thank you," Tess said with a small smile as Treebeard stepped back to give the group room to turn their horses around.
"Good bye little…mmmm…Hobbits," He sighed out, giving a creaking wave as the small group all nudged their horses forward. The old Ent watched the group until they disappeared behind the wall and into Fangorn once again.
"Good luck,"
/\\
The sun had faded far behind the mountains when the group stopped on the fringe of Fangorn. A fire had been built and everyone but Naomi, Legolas, Tess and Gandalf lay around it asleep. Legolas stood at the edge of the fire light watching for any sign of danger approaching, Tess out of view on the other side of the horses with Gandalf. From her spot sitting against a large boulder Naomi couldn't see the pair, but that didn't stop her from constantly looking over to try. In the end she decided she would just wait until Tess came back before going to sleep but the fire was burning well, keeping away the cool night air and Naomi felt sleep tightening its hold on her.
"If you are tired, you should sleep," a blanket was wrapped around her shoulders and when she looked up she saw Tess smile down at her.
"I could say the same to you," Naomi told her through a yawn as she eyed the almost purple circles beneath Tess' drained brown eyes. A whisper of a sigh escaped her lips as the tired woman nodded.
"Yeah, I should sleep," Taking the blanket in her arm she walked to the edge of the firelight, curling up next to one of the trees of Fangorn.
Crinkles appeared on Naomi's forehead as her eyebrows tilted down in disquiet.
"Frowns only bring wrinkles, not answers," The rumble of Gandalf sounded as the wizard sat down beside her on the boulder. Naomi smile grimly and made her eyebrows relax, to no real avail.
"I worry for her,"
"We all worry for those we love and though sometimes it is needless, there are those who need the reassurance of a friend, to know that somebody cares for them,"
"It's not hard to worry for someone that doesn't tell you anything," She muttered under her breath and Gandalf chuckled.
"I am sure she shall tell you, in time," With a final pat on her shoulder the wizard stood and walked over to where Legolas stood.
The light from the dying fire didn't spread very far anymore so Tess was cloaked in the darkness of the night as she stood near the horses, the moon illuminating outlines of large objects across the plains.
"You do not sleep?"
"I could ask you the same question," She said looking to her right where Éomer now stood. She had heard his footsteps as he approached and so was not startled when he spoke.
"Gandalf has asked I take watch," He replied and with a nod Tess turned to face to plains again, her hand trailing along Hasufel's side. The two stood in the silence for a long time; with the wind sighing around, tossing Tess' hair about her face and the fire crackling softly behind them where the others slept. Before them the plains had transformed into an ocean, the long grass swaying in waves of lighter green as the moonlight washed over it. A pang hit Tess' chest and she thought of her old home. She had loved the ocean dearly and whilst being in Middle Earth hadn't seen anything that resembled the sea. She missed the salty spray and harsh cries of the seagulls, the crunching of the sand under her feet as the grains got stuck in her toes.
'Do they even have seagulls here?' With another deep sigh she leaned against Hasufel, the horses whickering slightly at her when she stopped stroking him.
"I don't think your Uncle is a lesser man…I don't think Aragorn is just a mere Ranger…I don't think Gandalf is a bad person and I seriously doubt any darkness in Naomi, but I just…," Tess' throat closed up and she couldn't continue what she had started to say.
"You feel Saruman's words had truth to them?" Éomer finished with a frown as he looked at Tess, who nodded gravely as her eyes prickled with tears. She jumped slightly when Éomer laid a large hand on her right shoulder, the leather of the spaulder crumpling slightly under the weight. The rider's other hand lifted her chin up so that she met his gaze, hazel eyes sympathetic but firm.
"It matters not if you were a mistake; you have made your own path,"
"Most of that was just luck-!" Her protesting was cut off as he pressed his finger against her lips.
"Then you have been blessed to have such a thing," Éomer's hand lowered to Tess' left shoulder and he shook her gently.
"You are an admirable person; do not give in to something you do not wish for,"
"Easier said than done," She muttered lowly, her frown intensifying as she looked away.
"You are almost as stubborn as my sister," He commented with a roll of his eyes, making Tess chuckle slightly.
"I'll take that as a compliment,"
Author's Babbling:
HEY! Yes, that's right, I am alive still!
I could come up with a million and one excuses as to why I haven't written in so long but in the end it comes down to time escaping me :P
O-m-geeeee I'm onto the third movie! Wow it's all so exciting!
Hope to add chapter 20 up sooner than this one (scratch that, WILL add it sooner)
Thankyou to everyone who faves and reviews my story, it makes me smiiiiile XD
Love you all
AxM