A/N: If you think that I own LOTR you are sadly mistaken. I can dream though.
***Chapter 6***
**Pippin's POV**
Sleep was elusive tonight. Or more, this morning. Everyone else in the hall seemed to be asleep, as they had all crept into a place to rest after they celebrated until the early hours of the morning. I had been laying in the room given to the fellowship, it was just off of the main hall but gave a sense of distance and privacy to our party, when I felt the pull. The strange orb which Gandalf had taken from me after Saruman had dropped it from atop Orthanc pulsed with longing to be held by hands not those of a wizard. It was calling to me, and I wasn't sure that I didn't want to hold it one more time.
I slowly rose from my bedroll, taking a glance around the room to ensure that no one was moving around and would ask any questions of me. When it seemed safe, I silently crept from my place inching closer and closer to where Gandalf lay cradling the orb.
"What are you doing?" Merry's voice hissed harshly from several feet away.
I glance back to look at my friend, he made no move to hinder me and hadn't even pulled aside his coverings. My mind turned back to the task at hand as I felt the pull of curiosity and the aura of the orb calling to me. Nearing the figure clothed entirely in white, I halted abruptly when the eyes of the wizard lay on my form. Gandalf was a force to be reckoned with, having punished me and Merry time and time again. I remember once talking with Deirdre, telling her how I feared Gandalf thought me only a burden, she had assured me that Gandalf felt no such thing and merely lashed out when he got frustrated.
After shaking the thoughts of Deirdre from my mind, I waved a hand before Gandalf's face. No reaction. Apparently he slept with his eyes open as Legolas and Deirdre had. I had reached out to take the clothed bundle from his arms when an idea struck me. My eyes fell upon a round jug which was about the same size as the orb. A smirk crossed my face as I plucked the jug up and edged closer to Gandalf. It was now or never, and I really wanted to get a look at the orb once more, so I snatched the orb from his arms and replaced it with the jug.
The wizard merely adjusted the weight in his arms and gave a deep contented sigh in his sleep. Now the hard part was over and I could inspect my prize. I moved back over towards my bed roll, settling down with the clothed orb before me.
"Pippin! Are you mad?" Merry whispered, finally moving slightly from his bed and scooting minutely toward me.
"I just want to look at it," I said, my eyes fixed on the cloth as I slowly pulled it away from the orb ceremoniously. "just one more time."
"Put it back." He scolded, which was amusing after all of the foolish things that he had talked me into doing with him.
With caressing hands, I unwound the cloth finally revealing the obsidian sphere before me. The sheer beauty of it struck me, it held a dark loveliness. A smile crossed my lips as I reached out to touch the black stone.
"Pippin!" Merry hissed once more.
My mind disappeared from the hall with Merry by my side and the snores of Gimli echoing through the air. Images flitted through my mind as orcs flooded a city, slaying several men as they fanned out from the river that they had arrived on. The image changed instead to a great white courtyard, a pure white tree stood in the center of it. Garbed in black and bloody red, Deirdre waded through the chaos and screams which filled the air around her, a dark sneer upon her face as she brought a sword through the neck of a man. Smoke filled the air as the beautiful white tree which had stood so proud blackened with flame and Deirdre gave a shout of victory.
A gasp escaped my lips, I would not believe what I was seeing. Suddenly, the images changed once more drawing me before a red eye wreathed in flames which screamed of the horrors that it wanted to commit. The heat of its gaze seemed to burn through me, but I cleared my head of all but what I had seen of Deirdre wading through battle.
"Who are you?" the voice hissed through my mind, carving a pathway of agony.
I slammed my mouth shut to resist the temptation to give myself away and thought once more of Deirdre as she sliced through the muscles of that man's neck, causing his head to roll to the ground with a thud and a splash of blood.
"Answer me!" it demanded. "What is your name?"
The look of sheer victory upon her face as the city around her burned and bled. The image seared across my mind, blocking out every other thought.
"Who are you?" It roared one last time.
The blood that had pooled on the ground before her was inconsequential as she kicked the body away from her, as though the man that she had just slain disgusted her. Screams of death rent the air as she stood proud.
Agony seared through my mind, burning from both my hands and from my head behind my eyes. My muscles spasmed from the radiating pain which ripped through my body, feeling like thousands of blades digging through my skin and dragging along the bone. The weight which had seared my hands abandoned me suddenly, leaving me in only darkness. There was nothing, not my body, not the pain, or any trace of light. Darkness alone surrounded me.
A jerking forced me to come back to my senses, revealing Gandalf before my eyes; one of his hands laying on my forehead and the other seeming as though it had just slapped my cheek. I can feel the trembling running through me, memories of the pain which had just ripped its way through my entire being.
"Look at me." Gandalf ordered, but I didn't want to meet his eyes.
Shame burned through me just as the pain of fire had done moments before. My eyes finally turned to the grey-blue eyes of Gandalf.
"Forgive me, Gandalf." I pleaded, shutting my eyes to block out the painful light.
"Look at me." Gandalf declared once more, making me meet his eyes. "What did you see?"
"I saw a tree, a white tree in a courtyard. It was dead. The city was burning." I stated, pausing for a moment as the image returned to my mind. "I saw Deirdre in the chaos."
"Minas Tirith?" Gandalf questioned. "Is that what you saw?"
"I saw Him." I shuddered remembering the voice which filled my head and the burning of the eye. "I could hear his voice in my mind."
"What did you tell him?" Gandalf's face grew dark with fear. "Speak."
"He asked me my name. I didn't answer. He hurt me." I whimpered at the memory of the pain which surged through my flesh.
"What did you tell him about Frodo and the ring?" Gandalf questioned harshly, needing desperately to know that the secret was still safe.
My eyes stuck to his, needing him to believe that I would never share such information. I could see the understanding in his eyes as he read what I had to say.
"Nothing." The word was barely formed upon my lips before Gandalf moved me back over to my bed.
"Rest now, Perrigrin."
And with those words, I allowed my eyes to shut falling into a soothing land of dreams away from pain and fire.
***Saffy's POV***
"Can you be sure of what the Halfling told you, Gandalf?" Theoden questioned from his throne.
It had been a few hours since the events with the palantir, but we could not have met any sooner. Both Pippin and Aragorn needed some rest after their contact with the dark object, which caused our meeting to be put off until the first rays of the sun crested over the horizon.
"There was no lie in Pippin's eye." Gandalf remarked, his gaze flickering over to the hobbit being discussed. "A fool. But an honest fool, he remains."
I couldn't help but notice the hint of affection that tinted Gandalf's voice, as much as Pippin irritated the wizard he still cared deeply for the hobbit.
"He told Sauron nothing of Frodo and the ring. We've been strangely fortunate. Pippin saw in the palantir a glimpse of enemy's plan. Sauron moves to strike the city of Minas Tirith." Gandalf declared, his eyes ranging over our assembled group. "His defeat at Helm's Deep showed our enemy one thing. He knows the Heir of Elendil has come forth. Men are not as weak as he supposed. There is courage still. Strength enough, perhaps, to challenge him. Sauron fears this. He will not risk the peoples of Middle Earth uniting under one banner. He will raze Minas Tirith to the ground before he sees a King return to the throne of Men. If the beacons of Gondor are lit Rohan must be ready for war."
A moment of silence fell upon the hall, as the information which Gandalf had just announced sank in. My eyes turned to Theoden, who sat stroking his beard in thought. It was almost like watching the gears in his mind turn as he processed this.
"Tell me. Why should we ride to the aid of those who did not come to ours? What do we owe Gondor?" Theoden asked of the room, almost begging to be answered so that he could shoot down whoever responded.
"I will go." Aragorn declared, rising from his seat as though intending to leave this moment.
"No!" Gandalf interjected quickly, effectively stilling the ranger.
"They must be warned." Aragorn argued passionately, his desire to helps his city shining within his eyes.
"They will be." Gandalf spoke calmly before moving towards Aragorn and whispering to him quickly before turning his attention back to the rest of the room. "Understand this, things are now in motion that cannot be undone. I ride for Minas Tirith… and I won't be going alone."
The ominous tone sliced through the air, hanging like thick fog. It seemed that those were the only words needed to bring the meeting to an end, as Gandalf strode from the hall his cloak billowing out behind him.
***Deirdre's POV***
It was unbearable. An anger filled my blood and flesh most of the day now, with no way to release the flood of emotions I was beginning to lash out at all those around me. Sadly, Morwen suffered the most from this, as she spent the most time around me.
The brush that Morwen was currently pulling through my hair caught on a tangle, causing me to give a cry of indignation and callously scold her to be more careful with her work. The nasty remark helped to temper my mood even the slightest, causing realization to wash over me.
"That is it." I declared, moving from my seat before the vanity and rising. "Morwen, it is impossible for us to continue on this way. The slightest things seem to set my teeth on edge and burn hot in my veins. Go to one of the guards and find me swords."
Morwen's eyes grew wide with fear at my words, but she quickly did as I instructed, dashing out of the room. It took a moment of confusion after the wind from her departure had brushed passed me to realize that she must have thought I was going to injure her when I received the weapons. A frown crossed my lips, was it really that likely that I would slit her throat at the slightest provocation.
Burning filled my muscles, an aching need to move; to slice through flesh and bone, hewing down all in my path. My palms itched to have the familiar weight of metal within my grasp. Deciding that I may as well warm up before Morwen returned with my weapons, I stretched out my body and trying to release the knotting which filled my flesh.
"Mistress…" Morwen's voice hesitantly questioned as she offered me dual blades. "The weapons that you requested."
"Thank you, Morwen." I commented, taking the swords into my hands and testing their weight before fastening them about my waist. "Would you know where the training grounds are? I feel the need to let out some aggression."
A whoosh of air flowed from Morwen when she realized that I had no intention of harming her and was releasing the anger which had been boiling within me in a fairly productive way.
"Of course, Mistress. If you will follow me." With those words, she turned and opened the door motioning for me to quit the room before her.
I strode towards the door, pausing when I was abreast with Morwen. Her eyes were tilted down slightly, not meeting my gaze even though she was a few inches taller than I.
"Morwen," I asked quietly attempting to get her attention. "you know that you don't have to fear me, don't you?"
My voice came out soft and caring, which almost shocked me. I sounded like I used to, no venom tinting my words. The dark haired woman raised her gaze so that she met my eyes directly, shock embedded within. After a moment of looking into my eyes and gauging my sincerity, she nodded her head, a slight smile forming on her lips.
"Good, because you are the only true companion that I have here, and I would hate for you to be nervous in my presence." I informed her, before walking through the doorway.
***End Chapter 6***
I'm very sorry that I haven't updated in so long. But I have officially run out of pre-written material and between work and school I barely have enough time to sleep. Personally, I blame Melville for written Moby Dick. But enough of my ramblings.
Please read and review. It makes the author happy.