Well, next chapter! I'm so glad you all liked the previous and I hope you will like the ones to come. Thank you all for the reviews, follows, and favorites!
Thank you to my guest chasing sunlight for reviewing!
Warning: if the idea of spirits disturb you... Go somewhere else.
Chapter 21
The next time Eruanna woke up, it was to broad daylight and absolutely no one in the clearing or house at all. Rather, there was noise she could hear from not far away, the sound of rumblings and murmurings.
She didn't panic at her sudden aloneness, for she knew that in all honesty there was no safer place for her at the moment. There were Ents that would come to her aid, the trees knew her, and she could not possibly get lost with the trees to guide her. No, she was content.
Scanning the room and making sure that there was no one about, she took out one of her coils and scooted along the table surface, finally finding what she was looking for. There was a small hole in the natural stone table, and tying the end of the whip in the hold, she slid down before tugging on it twice. It fell at her feet as though it had never been tied, and she smiled faintly before tucking it away again and moving through the door and into the sunlight.
The absence of the others was explained by the position of the sun; she must have truly fallen asleep late, for the sun was already quite high in the sky, nearing noon in fact. She shook her head and decided that she would just walk, trusting that she would know what to do when the time came.
So she started off, knowing that all Treebeard had to do was ask the trees where she was if he noticed her absence. Slow he may be, but absent-minded he was not. He would come to no hasty conclusions, borrowing his own words. A faintly amused smile crossed her face at the thought as she wandered farther into the forest.
She allowed her feet to guide her, taking random turns in the forest and making sure not to trip over any roots or tendrils that happened to be in her way. She did not attempt to connect with the trees, respecting their privacy. If they wanted to connect with her, they would make it known. In the meantime, she merely showed her respect and appreciation for their tolerance of her by making sure to steer clear from any possible trips over various tree parts.
She walked farther and farther into the forest, not caring about time or direction, merely allowing her feet to lead her where they would. After a while, Eruanna suddenly realized that for the past good hour or so she had been steadily moving towards a certain direction. Whenever she had tried to move in a different direction, she had been steered back towards the same general direction someway or another by the trees.
She paused for a moment, wondering at the import of such a thing and stretching out her senses curiously. She sensed no evil intent, however, so instead she began to walk straight in that direction the forest had been goading her. Branches creaked in nonexistent wind, and when she looked back, the trees had rearranged herself so that she could not possibly retrace her steps without much pain and headache.
But she had no intent to turn back from this new adventure. She pressed on, wondering what the forest wanted with her. The forest slowly grew darker and more filled with anger the further she went forwards. Rustling leaves hissed in anger, and anger simmered dangerously, the utter stillness only adding to the overwhelming sense of malice and hatred. But not for her. She had nothing to fear here.
Finally, however, she arrived in a clearing that was almost utterly dark, sunlight only barely filtering in enough for her eyes to adjust slowly to the pitch blackness that otherwise smothered her. As soon as her eyes had accumulated to the new amount of illumination, she began to look around.
There seemed to be nothing more than trees here, but Ciaran had trained her far too well to merely take things at face value. Instead, she instinctively tuned herself into the Unseen realm, looking around again.
What she saw did not necessarily frighten her, though for a moment it did catch her off guard. She saw spirits that inhabited the trees, terrible in form, though not evil. Rather, they were spirits that were in agony of anger and anguish. She remembered what Erestor had taught her of Huorns.
They were spirits that had been made by Yavanna to guard the trees, but then as time had passed and more and more trees began to be cut down without need, they grew filled with anger and the need for revenge against the discourtesy for the trees. So they had inhabited the trees, using those physical forms to destroy orcs who hacked down their precious charges without reason than for the mere sport of it.
She shifted her vision back to the Seen realms, once more seeing nothing more than large, dark-wooded trees, overshadowing the sun with deep green leaves. Moss dripped from the finger-like branches like saliva from fangs.
But she merely bowed, waiting for any signal from the trees as to their call for her. She caught movement in her vision and saw a tree- no, Huorn, beckon to her gently with one long branch, like a clawed finger. Eruanna moved forwards unhesitatingly, nothing but respect and patience on her face though she did feel nervous.
She stopped on front of the tree, who reached out another branch and began to ghost them around her form, as though sensing her shape through the air around her. They curled around her like the bars of the cage in which she had been tossed into by the orcs all that time ago, and then a small tendril of a vine reached out to her and ran over her face gently.
She giggled silently at the ticklish sensation, reaching up one finger and just barely touching the small tendril with an expression of awe at its softness. It wrapped more firmly around her finger and than began to crawl up her arm, searching her. She allowed it, knowing that the Huorns were suspicious of her, carefully searching her for her intent.
One tendril suddenly reached out and lifted away her cloak, revealing her knife and whips before whipping away as though burnt. Raising her hands, she unbuckled the belt and put both it and the whips on the ground, stepping away from them. The branches returned, mollified.
Then she felt a consciousness seek hers. She opened her mind to the whisperings of the trees.
*Welcome, Díllothel, daughter of Kementári.* Came a harsh whisper, sounding much like the shadowed trees of Dol Guldur.
*I thank you, creation of Yavanna, lady of nature, for your gracious welcome.* Was her only reply, preferring not to say too much.
A branch brushed the golden flower entwined in her hair. *Our kin of the earth have clothed you with themselves. Shall we not clothe her ourselves, brethren?* One of the Huorns asked the others, and they seemed to rustle in agreement. She bowed.
*I thank you for your generosity.* She answered quietly.
The branch caressed her hair. *You have come for a purpose, Díllothel.*
*I have. I have come with a request, if you would deign to listen to my plea.* She replied boldly but with politeness. The branch flicked, motioning for her to go on.
*Speak it, then.*
*Orcs wander outside your forest. Two of my friends were captured by them and escaped just outside of your borders. The wizard that was once white now treacherously seeks to burn your forest and use the wood for his fires that are made to create weapons to destroy the free peoples of Middle Earth and their lands. Even now perhaps he sends more filth to burn and hack. Will you do nothing?* The last question was a plea, not an accusation. The Huorns began to stir more and more in anger as she went on.
*Please, for the sake of the trees, for the sake of all that is good, for the sake of the earth that groans in horror for all the blood that has been spilt on it, please, you must do something!* Eruanna begged.
The Huorns seemed to converse angrily amongst each other, and Eruanna wrung her hands in nervousness. Finally, however, one of them answered her.
*We will. We thirst for the need to kill filth. We shall do as you have bid us. Where would you have us go?* They asked. She bit her lips in mingled relief and trepidation at the new conundrum.
*The new white wizard. He shall tell us where to go. I believe that the Ents are even now meeting to discuss what part they shall take in this war.* Eruanna replied slowly, thinking over the noise she had heard earlier that day and pondering its meaning.
*Then we shall wait. Go now, for it is getting late, and Fangorn searches for your whereabouts. Come back when you have news, Díllothel.* They commanded, and the branch gently pushed her back as a path opened before her in the trees.
She bowed and gathered her things before hastily obeying, moving through the path the trees provided for her. Tilion's beams shone down on her by the time she arrived back at the clearing, and Merry and Pippin turned to see her, relief on their faces.
"We almost thought you had gotten lost, lady Eruanna!" Pippin exclaimed. She gave him a distracted smile in reply before questioningly gesturing to them and towards the direction from which the rumbling still issued. Merry sighed.
"It's Entmoot, a meeting for Ents to discuss things. They have gotten so far as to agree that we are not little orcs and add a new line to their rhyme of beings from Middle Earth, which we get the impression was rather fast, on the whole, for Ents." He said, sounding a bit bitter.
She patted his arm comfortingly before giving them both a sympathetic smile which they returned. "Where did you go today, my lady?" Pippin asked.
She waved a hand vaguely in the direction of the forest, refusing to elaborate as she made her way back into the house with an unconscious air of nobility that the hobbits could not help but notice as they wandered in after her. They found her staring thoughtfully up at the table above her, obviously not quite seeing it.
Her hand wandered up to her hair where the golden flower lay, still as freshly in bloom as it had been when it had been given to her. She sighed, and her hand hovered for a moment above her side before moving to the clasp of her cloak and stirring herself seemingly with a new sense of determination.
She smiled, but it was not a pleasant smile, her eyes suddenly taking on a light that made the hobbits turn away, blanching. But a moment later she was patting their arms in apology, a kindly look in her eyes. They regained color and nodded back a bit nervously. Sensing that they were still unbalanced by her emotional vacillation, she left them to recover themselves, moving back outside and settling herself underneath the roots of a large tree to fall asleep.
Treebeard came back for a while to check on the 'young hobbits and mistress elf' before going back to the Entmoot after assuring them that they were coming quickly to a decision.
When the hobbits remarked to her in frustration that it was taking long enough, she merely shrugged unconcernedly.
"Don't you feel anything about this?" Merry asked in frustration.
At that, Eruanna's face had turned cold, and for the first time since meeting them deigned to use ósanwe.
*No, Meriadoc, Peregrin. This is none of my concern. It is your task and yours alone, and I have not the power nor the desire to interfere. My task is elsewhere. Do not attempt to rush fate; it shall play out as it will.* She answered them, and then proceeded to calmly walk to the river to take a drink of water, for she was not hungry.
When she returned, it was to find the hobbits musing over her words. She allowed them a small smile and fell asleep, tired out by the day's events and the effort she had put into her thoughts.
LOTRLOTRLOTR
The sun had barely risen when Eruanna had risen the next day. She had spent many hours deep in agonized thought, alternating between wringing her hands and stirring in troubled silence, gazing with trepidation towards the direction from which the Entmoot still sounded.
When the hobbits awoke, it was to find her sitting in silence, lips pressed together until they were white. Her face was drawn from an age-deep weariness and a lingering exhaustion from the strain of the past days. She sent them a wearied smile of greeting, and after bowing to her politely they made their way towards the direction of the Entmoot.
Eruanna could feel the strain taking a toll on her feä. Whenever she wasn't thinking of what to do next, her whole mind was bent towards Ciaran and Imladris. It gnawed away at her mind and heart, concern slowly driving her to distraction.
She glanced up and was shocked to see that it was already noon. She had spent so much time in thought that she hadn't even noticed how much time had passed. She sighed and went on a walk, intending to try to find some small form of nourishment.
After politely inquiring of a tree if there was any such source of food anywhere, it directed her to a bush of blueberries that she ate gratefully, going back to the river to wash her hands and take a much-needed drink. She wasn't feeling very clean, either, but she didn't dare take a bath since she didn't have any other clothes.
But then just as she was getting all ready to scream in frustration, an Ent came through the trees, moving towards her. She waited patiently and bowed to it, which gesture it returned with a salute.
"Greetings, daughter of Kementári. I bring a message that I was bid to give you and you only." It said slowly, then paused to gather its thoughts. She bowed perfunctorily, and it began to speak as she listened with anxious face.
"It was merely: Helms Deep." It rumbled. Eruanna felt the blood drain out of her face. For a moment she felt faint, but then gritted her teeth and set herself in determination. Then she made a questioning gesture with her hand.
The Ent understood. "It comes from young master Gandalf." Was the Ent's answer. She nodded and then bowed in thanks. The Ent waved and lumbered away.
As soon as it had gone, she turned and fled through the forest, her intentions radiating off of her and to the trees, who in response led her back to where the glade was. The Huorns were all gathered there, murmuring in angry thought and branches shaking. When she entered, they all paused, and Eruanna got the impression that they had all turned to look at her, though there was no visible movement.
She hastily bowed. *I have received a message.* She said, her voice calm for all that she was inwardly trembling.
*Speak.* A Huorn answered.
*There is filth to be cleaned at Helms Deep.* She said flatly, not embellishing it. The Huorns seemed to shiver in pleasure at the words.
*We must leave as soon as possible to provide aid to those who are already attempting to.* She added, and they rustled in agreement.
*We shall leave tonight.* The Huorn answered. She nodded jerkily. *Come, Díllothel.* A branch beckoned, and she obediently moved in front of it.
Then another branch extended, and on it was a piece of white linen. She looked at the Huorn with some confusion. *If you are to travel with us, you must be dressed properly.* Was the answer to her confusion. She bowed and took the piece of linen.
*Bathe, and then return with your articles of clothing.* The Huorn said, and then she was effectively dismissed. She went to do as she was told, more than happy to oblige to that particular command.
She was led by the trees to a section of the river nearby where there was a pool of slightly calmer water. She divested herself of her clothes, laying them neatly on the bank before walking into the water. She could tell that the water was cold, but she did not feel it, elf that she was.
She quickly washed her hair, wishing she had a brush and making sure that the golden flower was laid carefully on the bank as well. Just then, a piece of elm bark floated past her, and she grasped it, looking up at the trees gratefully. She rubbed the bark, causing the thing to froth with soapy bubbles as she washed herself with it.
When she was finished, she carefully shook herself and tightly wrung her hair out to dry, combing through it with her fingers. A branch dropped a twig in front of her that had a series of thorns on it, making a natural comb. She nodded in thanks and carefully began to brush her hair, making sure not to poke herself with the thorns.
By then she had dried off, and she proceeded to pick up the white piece of fabric that she had been given her by the Huorns. She suddenly wondered where they had gotten it, but then shrugged, deciding she didn't want to know. As far as she knew, they could have kept it from some orc raid or another.
The piece of fabric proved to actually be a dress of sorts. It had no sleeves, but was all in all basically a rectangular piece of white silk, the edges of which were stitched together so that it formed a sort of tubular shape. On either side of the stitched area was attached another piece of white silk that hung down in waved edges.
Eruanna slipped it over herself so that the top edge of the silk was just underneath her arms and the bottom was half-way to her knees. She reached for her cloak and unpinned the brooch, using it to pin the two pieces of hanging silk together in the middle. Now it was a little tighter, but it still threatened to fall off, and she wondered if the Huorns would give her something else to tighten it.
Gathering up her things, she went back to the glade as directed to find the Huorns still muttering amongst themselves. Once again their attention turned to her, and Eruanna had the uncomfortable feeling of being scrutinized.
After a moment, another branch beckoned again and she went in front of it. *Use the belt, Díllothel.* Came the suggestion, and she did as she was told, buckling the jeweled scabbard and belt to her waist. It was a little better, but still not sufficient at the top. She looked up at them helplessly.
*No need to worry, Díllothel. It is easily solved.* They reassured her, and then one branch began to twine in her hair. It smoothed her hair and carefully fastened the golden flower in it so that it would not fall. Then after it was seemingly satisfied, it drew back, and she was studied critically once more.
*You must be a child of the forest to travel with us.* They repeated, and then suddenly several vines snaked towards her feet.
Two delicate vines dropped onto her arms and began to slither down them, twining themselves around her arms lightly in a swirling pattern until the bottom reached her wrists and the top rested on her shoulders. Another slender, small vine wrapped itself around the top of her dress under her arms, securing it firmly. The vines at her feet, all of them a light green color, wrapped themselves around her legs, spiraling upwards as though her legs were pillars for them to climb.
The Huorns studied her once more, than stirred in satisfaction. *Good. Now you are properly attired to join us.* One said, and she curtsied in reply. She took her lashes and tucked them into her belt as well so that they wouldn't show and were coiled up small enough not to cause her discomfort.
The rest of her clothes were taken by the Huorns except for the cloak, which she drew about her shoulders gently for some small warmth and comfort. The vines that wrapped gently around her were soft and warm, and she could feel them pulsing with life. She wondered how long they would live, climbing into the branches of one of the Huorns at its invitation.
All she had to do now was wait until night came, and they would be on their way to Helm's Deep. She only hoped that they would arrive there in time to be of any aid.
LOTRLOTRLOTR
"Good. Now her part in the war shall be fulfilled." Manwë said with a sense of satisfaction.
"Yes... Although..." Irmo muttered thoughtfully.
"Hmm?" Estë asked him, raising an eyebrow. He smiled and gave her a fond kiss.
"I was just thinking that she could do much good for a certain young man that we are fond of." Was his reply, accompanied with a wink. Manwë nodded in approval.
"She would." Was his only answer, and they left it at that, knowing that Irmo would do what he would with that piece of knowledge.
"Isn't she adorable?" Yavanna asked fondly, and Vairë sniffed.
"She would look absolutely fetching in silver." She replied, and Yavanna rolled her eyes as the rest exchanged wry looks at each other.
"So. How do you think they'll take to their little elfling when they see her?" Oromë asked mischievously, eyes sparkling in glee. "I'll bet my next nap in the core of a blue star that Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and Haldir will be speechless, Olòrin will be smug, and the others will be unsure of how to think." He added.
"Oh?" Nàmo quipped, making Oromë snicker.
"Oh yes, you know, he'll make up a nice riddle for an explanation of the appearance of the mysterious forest." He replied.
"I bet that Aragorn, Gimli, Haldir, and Legolas will choose not to show any surprise but rather feign merely being pleased to see her." Irmo opined.
"I bet that they will treat her with grave respect and familiarity." Aulë interjected.
"And you, Nàmo?" Manwë asked the judge of the dead with curiosity, and the rest turned to him.
He gave them all a sly smile. "I bet that Eruanna will choose to hug Haldir first." Was his smug reply. There was a silence for a startled moment.
Then Tulkas began to roar, leaning over to slap Nàmo's back. "I will throw in my bet with you, little brother!" He laughed, and then the other Valar began to laugh as well.
The Valië merely rolled their eyes with indulgent smiles. Nerí. They were always all the same.