Next chapter! Please remember to check out the Boromir/Lauren fanfic sidestory thing. I changed the title, it's now called A Long Way Back to Lothlorien. Thank you for reviewing! Please review some more! I love reviews! :D

Lilac the Dryad in Review: We're taking the hobbits to Isengard!

Minerakf: Uh...What? Why are YOU taking the hobbits to Isengard?! What happened to the Uruk-hai?!

Lilac the Dryad: The Hobbits, the hobbits, the hobbits, to Isengard!

Anijon: To Isengard!

Anijon in Review: Hooray! This chapter is awesome! When you show Legolas and Gimli the movie, can I watch too? I bet their faces would be hilarious!

Minerakf: Uh... Anijon, you do realize they don't exist...

Anijon: Sure they do! Hey Harry, come in here!

*A hairy potter walks in.*

Anijon: Uh...wrong Harry Potter...sorry...Can you please leave sir?

Minerakf: Uh...

Hairy potter: Hullo, I am Fred the potter. Would you like to purchase a quality vase, or perhaps some ceramic dishes? All my items are handmade with the utmost care and...

*The Real Harry Potter walks in*

Minerakf: OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG

ChocolateWriter605: *Laughing hard* Oh my God, *snort* Hairy potter...that is so funny

Harry Potter: What's so funny?

Lilac the Dryad: The Harry Potter reference!

Anijon: They're taking the hobbits to Isengard Remix. I've watched that video so many times!

Minerakf: My lord, what is going on here?! I'm supposed to be writing the story but you guys just keep talking!

Lilac the Dryad: We're taking the hobbits to Isengard, We're taking the Hobbits to Isengard!

Anijon: To Isengard! To Isengard! Another fantabulous chapter! Hey, did you know I like The Newsies and Doctor Who?!

ChocolateWriter605: *Cannot stop laughing*

Anijon: What would you guys do if I told you I would like to see a Newsies and Lord of the Rings crossover?

Lilac the Dryad: *Snorts out milk*

ChocolateWriter605: *Snorts out chocolate milk*

Tempest1444: meowmeowmeow

Minerakf: ENOUGH!

*silence*

*more silence*

*crickets chirping*

Minerakf: *Sigh* FINALLY! *starts writing*

Tempest1444: meow?

Minerakf: AHHHHHHHHHH! *Jumps out of seat and stubs toe* AHHHHH AHHHH AHHHHHH OWWWWWW!

THE CHAPTER:

Sapphire:

"We must ride to Edoras with all speed," Gandalf told us.

"Edoras? That is no short distance!" Gimli practically yelped. I smirked at the dwarf.

"Sorry, looks like there's more horse-riding in your future after all Gimli."

"We hear of trouble in Rohan. It goes ill with the king," Aragorn replied to the wizard.

"Yes, and it will not be easily cured," Gandalf stated darkly.

I frowned, "Aw, Gandalf, stop putting yourself down! You can do it! I believe in you."

"Then we have come all this way for nothing? Are we to leave those poor hobbits..."

"Behind? Yep, pretty much!" I said loudly before Gimli could insult the forest.

"It was more than mere chance that brought Merry and Pippin to Fangorn. A great power has been sleeping here for many long years. The coming of Merry and Pippin will be like the falling of small stones that starts an avalanche in the mountains," Gandalf said mysteriously.

"In one thing you have not changed, dear friend," Aragorn murmured under his breath to Gandalf, but somehow I still managed to hear Gandalf go ,"Hmm?"

"You still speak in riddles," Aragorn said, causing amusement in the old wizard's expression and a twinkling in his eyes. The two shared a laugh much needed and they were off through the forest.

"A thing is about to happen here that has not happened since the Elder Days. The Ents are going to wake up and find that they are strong," Gandalf explained further.

"Strong? Oh, that's good," Gimli said awkwardly.

"So stop your fretting Master Dwarf. Merry and Pippin are quite safe. In fact, they are far safer than you are about to be," Gandalf quipped.

"This new Gandalf's more grumpy than the old one," Gimli commented.

I frowned, "Actually, he's really not. I recall him telling Pippin to bang his head against the stone door to see if it would crack it open, and if not then he would have some peace. So, yeah, pretty much the same Gandalf he's always been."

"Point taken lassie," Gimli replied.

They came to the edge of the forest and Gandalf gave a piercing whistle that would make even Percy Jackson envious.

That was when I saw him. Shadowfax. I was instantly in love.

He was the most gorgeous horse I'd ever seen. Pure white flanks with a sheen that made him appear to glow, perfectly brushed mane flowing in the wind, hooves sending up little puffs of dust. Shadowfax reared and whinnied, as if to say, "Look at me!" The horse practically demanded attention.

Legolas gasped, and whispered, "That is one of the Mearas, unless my eyes are cheated by some spell,"

Shadowfax stopped before Gandalf and I slowly approached him.

"Shadowfax, Lord of all Horses. He has been my friend through many dangers," Gandalf said.

"Can I touch him? Or would that make him uncomfortable? Is it okay to pet the Lord of Horses?" I babbled.

Gandalf's eyes twinkled with amusement, "Yes, Lady Sapphire, you can touch him if he will allow it,"

I hesitantly approached the horse. Shadowfax sniffed my hand and then pressed into my palm, searching for food.

I giggled and stroked his mane. He seemed to like it.

"You are a beautiful horse," I told him.

He whinnied and tossed his head like he was laughing.

Gandalf swung himself onto Shadowfax and I pulled myself onto Hasufel, and we were off.

When we reached Edoras, I saw the flag flutter down and I caught it. No use wasting perfectly good flags.

I guided Hasufel up to the gate, where we were stopped by three guards.

"Why have you come back Gandalf Greyhame?" one asked.

"You know why I have returned," Gandalf retorted sharply.

"You are no longer welcome here."

"Uh, why?" I asked, becoming worried. This scene was not in the movie.

"He stole the King's best horse, a Mearas no less, straight from his stables! And now he dares to come back riding Shadowfax as if he was his all along," one of the guards said angrily.

"Maybe he's here to return said horse," I quipped, lowering my voice to sound like a guy, but really, that wasn't much. I already sounded very masculine. The guards frowned and contemplated.

"Let them through," one said finally.

"Thank you kindly," Gandalf said to the guard as we passed through the gate, and then he turned and winked at me. I winked back, though he couldn't see my face under my hood.

As we walked through the sad town, I shook my head at how everyone was wearing black, just like in the movie.

"You'd find more cheer in a graveyard," Gimli commented grimly.

"Agreed," was all I said. Even lighthearted me was depressed by all this weeping and moping.

"Ah," puffed Gandalf, bending over slightly as we reached the top of the stairs. I suppressed a grin; Gandalf was already playing the old man card.

"I cannot allow you before Théoden King so armed, Gandalf Greyhame," the head guard said. I believe his name was...Hama? Yeah, wait, no, it had an accent. I mean, seriously, did everyone's name in Rohan have an accent? Théoden, Eówyn, Eómer, Háma, Théodred

Gandalf raised an eyebrow and the man explained, "By order of...Grima Wormtongue"

Oh, Grima! Yay! I found one with no accent mark! Of course, that guy was about as Rohirric as a monkey was human. But, wait, there was the guy named Grimbold. He didn't have an accent mark!

I was very pleased with myself and forgot to hand over my weapons. I had left my sword in the sheath at my waist for the moment in case I needed to use it and didn't want anyone to see it was magic.

"Boy!" Háma called me back to my senses.

"Nah, girl here," I said, flipping back my hood and grinning at their shock. Man, that would never get old.

I handed over my bag and growled, "If you even dare to open this bag, I will use you as my personal punching bag."

I flexed my muscles, "Got it?"

They didn't look nearly as frightened as they should have been.

I handed one of them Vindyamiriel and smiled, "Good luck keeping a hold of this one,"

Gandalf played his whole, "I'm an old man, you wouldn't make me walk without a cane would you?" thing, which nearly made me snort, and then we were inside.

By the time Grima had cried, "His staff! Why didn't you take his staff?" Vindyamiriel had returned to my pocket in pen-form.

But, of course, I wasn't going to use it. Geez, why do you guys always assume the worst. Ya'll some morbid people out there man...

Only one guard came after me. They thought I was just a weak woman. I frowned after conking the dude on the head and knocking him out. I looked down at my legs and frowned some more.

I was losing muscle, and fast. I seriously needed to work out more. I was starting to look less like a muscled freak however.

But I liked being strong. In fact, I still felt strong. Just as strong as I did with tons of muscle.

How long had it been since I had lifted a couple hundred pound weight?

I tried to pick up the unconscious dude and found I could still do so with ease, even though my muscles were kinda wimpy looking now.

I looked down at my hands and saw that my short stubby fingers had gained a few centimeters.

WHAT?

Gandalf was busy exorcising Théoden over there and I was over here, freaking out because I was turning girly.

My life was way too weird.