Chapter 14
As the Fellowship, the King and the riders of Rohan rode into Edoras they were greeted by the women and children who had escaped from Helms Deep. Horses were taken into the stables to be tended and fed whilst families were reunited with one another. Adrianna settled herself on Aragorn's shoulder as the Fellowship climbed the stairs towards the Hall, where they could already smell the sweet aroma of a magnificent feast which had been prepared for them and the other returning soldiers.
Tables were laden with all sorts of food. Barrels of wine and ale were standing off to the side of the room and women were greeting the men with a mug of alcohol as soon as they walked into the Grand Hall.
"Tonight we remember those who gave their blood to defend this country." Theoden stated, "Hail the victorious dead!"
Adrianna spotted Eowyn from across the room, making her way towards Aragorn with a chalice of wine in her hand. Knowing it was a token for Aragorn, Adrianna formed into her elleth-like size and quickly wipped the chalice from the blonde maidens hand, "Thank you!" She said in a sickly sweet tone. "I'm so thirsty." She made sure to claim the wine as her own by spitting into the goblet. She recieved an amused look from the Ranger and a small glare from Eowyn. "That's, umm..." She looked into the goblet and swirled the bubbled blob around. "How...the faye drink?" She looked up at Aragorn with an innocent expression, but upon seeing that the Ranger was about to laugh at her, she took a quick mouthful of the red wine and walked off to find someone she knew. Once she was out of earshot from Eowyn and Aragorn, she spat the wine back into the goblet and grimaced.
"Do faye's really spit into their wine before they drink?" Adrianna looked up to see Legolas watching her with amusement filled eyes.
"No." She replied, smiling nervously.
Legolas looked over at Eowyn and Aragorn, watching the blonde maiden hand over another chalice of wine to the Ranger. "Your plan was in vain." He stated, gesturing towards the two.
Adrianna turned around and huffed, "Does she not know he is in love? She asked him about the Evenstar not too long ago, surely he must have mentioned Arwen too her!"
"Perhaps not." The elf replied.
They watched as Aragorn departed from the blonde maiden, and the King approach his niece. Adrianna then turned away and stared down at the spoiled wine in her chalice, "I should go and dispose of this." She stated.
"What!" The outraged voice of Gimli appeared from behind her and the Princess turned around, only for her wine to be snatched from her hand by the dwarf. "You do not waste good wine!" He scolded, taking a long drink from it. Adrianna's eyes widened and she turned to look at the elf with shock, Legolas was obviously amused by this and just watched the dwarf down the contents of the goblet, and wipe his mouth and beard with the back of his hand once he had finished. "Ahh," He said, satisfied. "With a twang of honey, delicious!" He handed the empty goblet back to the faye before turning on his heel and walking off.
Adrianna turned to Legolas, "Honey?" The elf only laughed in response and looked up once singing reached his ears as it filled the entire room.
Merry and Pippin had their arms linked, with tankards of ale in their hands as they danced ontop a table, singing at the tops of their voices: "Oh, you can search - up and down, As many lands as can be found, But you'll never find a beer so brown, As the one we drink in our home town, You can keep your fancy ales, You can drink them by the flagon, But the only brew, for the brave and true, Comes from the Green Dragon!"
The elf and the faye both broke into laughter and smiled up their two friends on the table, Gandalf stood beside Legolas, laughing himself and clapping for the two young hobbits. Aragorn stepped up beside the White Wizard and smiled at the floor show. "No news of Frodo?" He asked as the Rohirrim surrounding the table cheered for an encore.
"No word." The Wizard replied, "Nothing."
"We still have time." Aragorn stated. Gandalf turned quickly to face the Ranger, "Everyday Frodo moves closer to Mordor."
Gandalf stared at the Ranger, his expression seeking reassurance, "Do we know that?"
Aragorn smiled and spoke gently, "What does your heart tell you?"
"That Frodo is alive." Gandalf replied with a small smile, "Yes - yes, he is alive."
Music began to play, and as men and women began to dance, Legolas and Adrianna shared a withering look before turning on their heels and making for the door. Eomer greeted them and held his hand out towards the faye, "My Lady, would you care for a dance?" He asked, bowing his head towards the Princess.
Reluctantly, she placed her hand into the one Eomer had held out for her, and shot Legolas a helpless look over her shoulder as she was led away from the door.
"And where do you think you're going?" The elf looked down and took the tankard Gimli forced onto him, rolling his eyes when the dwarf gestured for him to follow. "An elf will not and cannot beat a dwarf at this!" Gimli spread his arms out towards the table, "Behold!"
They drank for a couple of hours, Adrianna had been whisked across the dance floor by many men, so much so, that Eomer had shunned himself from the floor to spectate the drinking contest between the elf and the dwarf. After many tankards, Legolas began to feel slightly strange. He held up his hand and expected it with weary eyes, "I feel a slight tingling in my fingers," He began, looking at Eomer and two of his soldiers with worried eyes. "I think it's affecting me."
Eomer began to chuckle, and it wasn't long until a small gold light fluttered towards them, "Seven dances." She whined, plopping down on the edge of the table. "Seven! I think my feet are going to fall off!" Gimli hiccupped before falling off his stool and onto the floor, causing the attention of the soldiers to turn to him. Adrianna was more concerned about the man in the crowd, searching for her by looking left and right. She shot to her feet and spread her wings before hiding herself upon Legolas' shoulder, "Hide me!" She pleaded, "That man's asked me to dance three times already!"
Eomer chuckled before kneeling down to help his two soldiers lift the dwarf, as Legolas moved away from the table of empty tankards and towards the doors of the Hall to retreat to the chambers where the Fellowship would be staying. He stopped at a balcony to look at the sleeping city, and Adrianna formed into her elleth-like size beside him.
"They are always a sight to be appreciated." Legolas began.
Adrianna nodded in agreement, "They're truly beautiful."
They enjoyed one another's company for the remainder of the evening, and continued to admire the night sky and appreciate it's beauty with one another until the music and laughter from the Hall had died down, signifying that everyone were about to turn in for the night.
Beyond the walls of Edoras and the looming mountain's, dark clouds marked the sky. "The stars are veiled." Legolas said.
Adrianna shivered, "I can sense something." She stated, "Something dark."
Aragorn joined them moments later to look over the city. "Something stirs in the east...a sleepless malice." Legolas informed the Ranger, realisation crossing his handsome features. "The eye of the enemy is moving."
Adrianna shot to her feet, something unsettling formed in the pit of her stomach, and both the Ranger and the elf looked at her with concern. She visably shivered, "Somethings happening!"
Legolas gasped, "He's here!" He said urgently.
Adrianna took a gasping breath and turned around quickly to face the door of the room Gandalf and the hobbits were sharing. Aragorn ran forwards and burst through the door. Legolas and Adrianna followed the Ranger inside, and the faye gasped upon spotting Pippin on the floor hyperventilating and staggering backwards, the glowing orb of the Palantir held firmly in his grasp.
Pippin sank to his knees, his mouth open in a soundless scream. The faye dashed forwards to help him, but the hobbit was suddenly bathed in a fiery light which caused Legolas to grasp Adrianna's forearm and hold her back. Pippin fell backwards, completely powerless to release the Palantir stuck in his grasp.
"Help! Someone help him!" Merry cried.
Gandalf awoke with a start the moment Aragorn wrenched the Palantir from Pippin's hands. The hobbit fell onto the floor as Aragorn span away, reeling backwards, the Palantir falling from his hands and onto the ground where it began to roll across the floor, causing everyone in the room to cower back. The faye backed away quickly as it rolled towards her feet as if trying to get to her, and she clutched onto the nearest thing for safety.
Gandalf threw a blanket over it with angry disbelief on his face. He rounded on Pippin, crying out, "Fool of a Took!" He lifted the hobbit's slumped head gently.
"Pippin!" Merry cried.
The hobbit trembled as Gandalf tried to calm him, "Gandalf! Forgive me." He pleaded.
"Look at me!" Gandalf demanded in a kind, yet authorative voice. "What did you see?"
"A tree," He began in a disjointed voice. "There was a white tree in a courtyard of stone," The hobbit gulped audiably, "It was dead!" Adrianna saw light in the young hobbits eyes die as if he was envisioning something terrible and terrifying, "The city was burning..."
"Minas Tirith?" Gandalf asked. "Is that what you saw?" He asked, his voice desperate.
"I saw," Pippin's mouth opened and closed, his eyes wide with terror. "I saw him! I could hear his voice in my head."
Adrianna released her hold on the elf (blushing upon noticing her hands clasping at his) and knelt down beside Merry to pull him protectively into her arms. The hobbit clutched onto her; frightened for his friend.
"And what did you tell him? Speak!"
"He asked me my name, I didn't answer. He," Pippin swallowed again. "He hurt me." Adrianna was overwhelmed with sorrow and pity for the young hobbit and wanted no more than to rush to his side, instead, she clutched tighter onto Merry.
Gandalf stared at Pippin with a frightening intensity. "What did you tell him about Frodo and the Ring?"
Pippin shook his head, frightened. As Adrianna stood up, Merry crawled towards his best friend and put his arms around him. The faye stepped back and looked up at the elf with relief as they all left the room to make their way towards their designated chambers.
The faye took one last look over her shoulder at the young hobbit, just to make sure he was alright. A hand rested gently on her lower back as Legolas guided her out of the room and back along the hall.
"Don't worry, Ade." Legolas reassured her. "Gandalf will take good care of him."
Adrianna nodded. Although she wouldn't admit it, but what she had witnessed scared her. The amount of fear and pain that shone through Pippin's eyes...the way the hobbit trembled as if right under Sauron's ever-watching eye...
Theoden paced the Golden Hall, gravely listening to Gandalf's account of the events that had happened the night before. Aragorn, Adrianna, Legolas and Gimli watched on from the side, Merry and Pippin stood in front of the faye.
"There was no lie in Pippin's eyes; a fool, but an honest fool he remains." Gandalf explained, "He told Sauron nothing of Frodo and the Ring." Gimli let out a sigh of relief at this, and Gandalf turned to face the King. "We've been strangely fortunate. What Pippin saw in the Palantir was a glimpse of our enemy's plan." The White Wizard turned to look at the Fellowship standing behind him. "Sauron moves to strike the city of Minas Tirith. His defeat at Helm's Deep showed our enemy one thing." Gandalf rested his eyes on Aragorn's form, "The heir of Elendil has come forth. Men are not as weak as he supposed. There is courage still - enough strength left to challenge him." The King listened intently, but said nothing as he awaited for Gandalf to finish. "Sauron fears this." The Wizard continued, warningly. "He will not risk the peoples of Middle Earth uniting under one banner. He will run Minas Tirith to the ground before he sees the return of the King. If the beacons of Gondor are lit, Rohan must be ready for war!"
"Tell me." Theoden began quietly, "Why should we ride to the aid of those who did not come to ours? What do we owe Gondor?"
"I will go." Aragorn stated, low and urgently.
"No!" Gandalf replied hurridly.
"They must be warned." Aragorn replied.
"They will be." Gandalf assured, his voice turning cryptic as he spoke low to Aragorn, "You must come to Minas Tirith by another road. Follow the river, look to the black ships." The Wizard then raised his voice for everyone to hear, "Understand this," He began. "Things are now in motion that cannot be undone." He turned on his heel and stared at a suprised looking Pippin, "I ride for Minas Tirith! And I won't be going alone!" The Wizard beckoned for the hobbit to follow him out of the Golden Hall.
Adrianna, Legolas, Aragorn and Gimli watched as Gandalf hurried down the steps and along the busy streets of Edoras, Merry and Pippin ran alonside the Wizard; trying to keep up with his long and rushed strides. They stepped into the stables, vanishing from sight and within a short space of time, Gandalf shot out of the stables upon Shadowfax with Pippin sat behind him.
Merry soon came flying out of the stables and stood watching as Shadowfax galloped out of the gates. The hobbit then sprinted up the stairs past the dwarf, elf, faye and man before scrambling up the side of the watchtower; Aragorn followed in pursuit. Merry sighed as he watched his best friend disappear off into the distance, he just hoped that this would not be the last time they saw each other.
Adrianna turned to Legolas, "What do we do now?" She asked.
"Now?" The elf replied, looking from Aragorn to the faye. "We wait for the signal."
A/N: Ooosh! Such an intense chapter there! I hope you all enjoyed :) Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, alerted and favourited :) please review xx