We ran towards the charred remains as soon as the riders were out of sight. I was the first to reach them and immediately I nudge at the pile of bodies with the end of my bow trying to make sense of the unidentifiable remains. I was from my search by a loud cry and a small flash. I turned to find Estel kneeling on the ground crying out in anguish with a pained expression on his face. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw an orc helmet rolling down the hill. Estel had given up hope for the younglings.
"No," I shouted in response to his despair. I moved back to the pile and continued my search moving bodies with my hands rather than with a bow. I had to prove that they were all orc bodies and not the bodies of two young hobbits. In my manic, I did not notice Legolas calling to me to stop until he grabbed my hands and pulled me away from the death.
"Lúthien, you must stop know," he said as he wrapped his arms around me so I could not run away.
"We have already lost Gandalf and Boromir," I responded fighting his grasp. "I will not lose Merry and Pippin too."
"Wait," Estel called to us. "Two hobbits lay here," he began to feel the earth as he found a trail. He began to follow it and we followed him. He told us the tale of how the hobbits moved and got away from the battle between the orc and the Rohirrim. His story ended where his sight of the trait did; the Forest of Fangorn.
"What madness would have driven them there?" Gimli asked as he peered into the forest's depths.
"Fear for their lives, Gimli," I responded as I moved towards the forest. "I am going after them, and I will find them." My voice held a certainty that was there to reassure myself more than the other three men.
"Fangorn is not to be taken lightly, Lúthien," Estel warned.
"I will not leave them there, Aragorn," I called over my shoulder as I stepped into the forest. I listened to the world around me and tried to see if I could hear the younglings' movements but, the world was silent except for the rustling caused by Estel's moving feet.
"Reckless elf," he scolded as he walked past me. "Keep your bow ready, you may need it.
We walked through the forest for a long while in silence. The trees held an ominous feeling as though they were our enemies and they could come alive any moment and kill us. Although I knew this to be true of the ents that long resided in the forest, they were ever peaceful creatures and would no harm others unless greatly provoked. This thought caused a shudder to run through my spine at the thought of an evil so powerful that it would awake the wrath on an ent. As my thoughts faded, Legolas whispered to us, "The White Wizard approaches."
Our movements froze as Estel prepared his sword. "Do not let him speak," he warned, "for he will put a spell on you."
Legolas and I prepared our bows as GImli pulled out his axe. Strings pulled and sword and axe at the ready, we were blinded by a bright white light. Aragorn swung first and his blow was deflected as was GImli's following axe swing. Legolas and I released our bows in the same moment and both were fended off.
"You are after the trail of two hobbits," A voice told us as we stood blinded by the light. I stood still for a moment as I tried to remember where I had heard the voice before. It was familiar yet so distant in my memory. "Would it ease your fears," he continued, "to know that they passed through this forest a few days ago? They are well and healthy and safe. Does that help you?"
"Saruman," Estel hissed at the figure in the light, and the figured laughed lightly. It was his laugh that made me realize who was standing before us.
"No, Aragorn," I could feel a smile begin to form on my lips as I stepped forward dropping my bow. "Gandalf?"
"Yes, little elf," The figured chuckled as the light around him began to fade. The three males behind me had shocked looks forming on their faces as I ran forward and hugged the now white wizard that stood before us. "That is what they used to call me," he continued as he returned my affections. "Gandalf the Grey if I recall correctly."
"But, how?" Legolas managed to ask through his shock.
"Through fire, and great water I fell," Gandalf began as he recounted his tale to us. He told of how he and the Balrog fell through the lower caverns of Moria and landed on a platform where he battled the Balrog and proceeded to die for his efforts. He then awoke white and surrounded by a bright light. "I was sent back to this realm for my task was not yet complete," he concluded and smiled down at me as I had not left his side since his tale began.
"It is good to see you again, my friend," Estel responded for all of us. "But if the hobbits are as well as you say they are, then we should be on our way."
"But Aragorn," I began to argue. "If we know where they are shouldn't we go and get them now?"
I watched as Estel and Gandalf shared an all-knowing look and walked away towards the forest's edge.
"I think they have a task to do, Lúthien," Legolas whispered as he handed me my discarded bow. "Or Aragorn and Gandalf know something of their futures that we do not." He smiled towards me, but his kindness went unnoticed as I was focused solely on my worry for Merry and Pippin. Apparently, Legolas noticed. "Do not fret, Lúthien, if they were in any sort of danger Gandalf and Aragorn would not be abandoning them."
I sighed as we continued our walk in silence. It didn't take as long to get out of the forest as it had for us to walk into it. Gandalf knew the forest paths well enough to get us out of the forest and back to where we had tied up Hausfel and Arod, the horses given to us by the Rohirrians.
"We should move towards Rohan," Gandalf called to us as he whistled out towards the empty plains before us. In response to his whistles, a gleaming white horse appeared seemingly out of nowhere and galloped to us pausing when he was in front of Gandalf. "Shadowfax, my old friend," He whispered as he moved to the horse's side and mounted him. The four of us followed suit, Estel and I mounting Hausfel and Legolas and Gimli mounting Arod. In a communal gesture we turned towards Edoras and began our ride into Rohan.