I am so, sorry I didn't get this up sooner, but I was having the worst writers block. And it wouldn't be fair to you guys if I wrote a shitty chapter so I waited till' inspiration struck! Thank you all for your commitment to this story, I will not fail!
Everyone was in the Golden Hall of Meduseld, Chopper wheeled around zapping random people as the celebration of the victory at Helm's Deep worked its way into full swing. Ezra had worked up the courage and was dancing with Sabine, Zeb was in a drinking contest with Gimli and Legolas…actually, he was asleep under the table. Merry and Pippen were dancing to "The Green Dragon", drunk, on a table. While off to the side Hera, Kanan, and Gandalf were laughing and clapping as the hobbits dance came to an end.
Aragorn approached the trio and said "Any news of Frodo?" to Gandalf, Hera and Kanan's smiles became frowns of concern. "No word" replies Gandalf, then continues with "nothing". "We have time" says Aragorn "every day Frodo moves closer to Mordor" Hera then says "He's right, if Frodo were captured we would have heard of it by now." Kanan merely nods and says "We will know when we are calm, at peace. Or so Master Yoda would have said." Gandalf seems reassured and says "Your 'Master Yoda' sounds like quite a wise individual, yes…yes."
Later that night… Kanan, Hera, and Aragorn walk outside the hall after everyone is asleep. They find Legolas with his hood over his head, staring at the stars. He is silent for a few moments after they join him. "The stars are veiled" he says "something stirs in the east, a sleepless malice." He looks at the others and says "The eye of the enemy is moving."
Inside…Everyone is asleep on the floor, Gandalf on one of the few beds, and Sabine sharing Eowyn's room with her. Chopper is powered down in a corner. Pippin rolls around and wakes up, when he tosses off his covers he inadvertently wakes Merry and Ezra. They both sit up and watch as Pippen slides over to Gandalf and then almost jumps back, the White Wizard sleeps with his eyes open. Then pippin reaches for a vase, and quickly replaces the cloth wrapped black orb in Gandalf's hands with it.
"Pippen!" chides Merry as he begins to unwrap the orb, then Pippen says to the two "I just want to look at it, just one more time." He grasps the orb and nothing happens, then slowly he begins to shake and the clouds in the orb part to reveal a flaming eye, so bright that the entire orb seems to be aflame.
Outside…Legolas turns toward the others and says with dread "He is here!"
Pippen writhes around, collapsing and writhing on the ground when Gandalf awakens and Legolas, Aragorn, Kanan, and Hera burst in. Ezra rips the orb from Pippen's grasp and begins to writhe himself. Hera and Kanan both rush toward him when it rolls from his grasp and past a startled Merry's feet, where it is covered by a thrown cloth by Gandalf.
"Fool of a Took!" Gandalf shouts as he turns, but stops short at the sight of the others crouched around an irresponsive Pippen and Ezra. He rushes over as Kanan checks his padawan's pulse and breathes a sigh of relief, Hera has her hands to her mouth and then as Gandalf lightly mutters a spell to Pippen he comes to.
"Gandalf" is the first thing he says "Forgive me", "What did you see?" Gandalf commands then, when Pippen doesn't immediately answer he shakes him and yells "Speak!, Pippen replies "I saw a tree, in a courtyard of stone…it was dead, a city was burning." Then he begins to show terror as he says "I, I saw him! He, he asked me my name, I didn't answer." Gandalf then asks "Did you tell him about Frodo?" and Pippen says "No".
Gandalf moves on to Ezra, after chanting the same spell Ezra comes to with a start. Kanan moves over next to Gandalf and Hera hovers above both. Ezra looks like he has seen something more horrible than the horror of an evil dream and whispers "Kanan?" like he is unsure of where he is. Gandalf asks him what he saw and he says "A great eye, on a plain of ash… it, it spoke! It was worse than anything, Inquisitor…he's trying to contact the Imperial fleet, and bring it here! Kanan, I'm sorry!"
Gandalf asks him also if he told of Frodo, Ezra too says no. For the moment he is safe, but what shall become of the Fellowship now? Where will they go next?