Chapter 9: The Last Leg of The Journey

Gathered on greenway road Elizabeth was looking down at Zaron as he had just finished his tale. Vincent was bent over his wound in the leg where he had been stabbed with the ice blade, the fire stones had been laid over the wounds and where seeing some little results. Theodore and Snarlg sat with their weapons on him wile Snarlg sat in front watching him intently with his mace, with Theodore held his pike in to his back.

"So." said Elizabeth "The Elves."

"Yes." said Zaron "The Elves."

"Get up." said ordered. "Get. Up."

After seeing the conviction in her eyes, he stood up.

"What are you thinking?" asked Vincent taking the stones away and putting them in the bag.

"We can't trust him not to attack us again, and I won't kill him."

"You can't suggest that we take him."

"That's all we can do."

"Why not just leave him."

"He could just as likely came after us."

"Fine, but we have little to stop him form attacking us if we let him come with us anyway."

"He has a wound."

"That's more of a point to leave him then."

Elizbath stopped arguing seeing her argument had fallen apart.

"What aren't you telling us, why won't you kill him, or just leave him?" wondered Vincent.

"I don't won't to be forced to do it again, now come on." she insisted and started the trek back up again.

"Do you think this has to do with Thanion?" asked Theodore.

"Perhaps, but she won't say, not now at least. Come on." said Vincent as he followed on.

Theodore forced Zaron forward and Snarlg kept in line with them.

As they carried on up the road Vincent kept looking back, watching Zaron who just seemed to be complainant.

"I don't think we can trust him." feared Vincent "If he truly wishes to speak to the king as he said, then what's to stop him form attacking us when our guard is down."

"Then we just have to keep beating him down, until he stops trying to fight us, and concedes." reasoned Elisabeth.

Vincent gave up on trying to convince her and they carried onwards along the road. Zaron kept looking back as Vincent watched him, he looked down as he still had his equipment on him, it was just out of reach.


As the party continued on the conversation soon changed.

"How long does this road keep going?" asked Elisabeth coming to a halt.

Vincent looked on seeing the great vast space of grassy plains around greenway road.

"We need to know how long we have until we reach the next town to craft us something form the sliver." she continued.

Zaron perked up. "Your carrying sliver?"

"Quite." demanded Theodore as he poked him slightly.

Vincent pulled out the Minthril clump and handed it to Elizabeth, then pulled out the map.

"Minthril." whispered Zaron eyeing up the metal, as it passed hands.

"The map does not show the road where on, but it does a road coming out of Bree, I can't tell you much."

"Well the path on the map goes north, what way are we travelling?" she asked taking a look.

"Do you have a compass, or time to wait for the sun to set?"

"No." she grunted.

"Then we'll have to carry on."

"Could I be of help?" asked Zaron perking up.

Theodore poked him in the back again.

"What do you know of the South Lands?" grunted Vincent. "Your not even form here."

"No, but I might be bale to help." he offered.

"Okay." said Elizabeth.

"You can't be serious."

"I am serious."

"We don't know what he will do."

"We'll watch him."

Vincent caved ounce more. Elizabeth brought him and map and allowed him to take it as she beside him and watched his every movement. Zaron's eyes moved over the map, trying to remember his own movement's and find out where they where.

"Well?" asked Vincent.

"I'm trying, but your map doesn't seem to show much of anything, close to where I think we are."

"Lets just keep moving." Vincent insisted.

"Wait." hushed Elizabeth.

After a little wait Zaron spoke up again "Okay we are heading so what north by west or north west, and the road will take us this way to the shire, until we take the north off shoot to Bree."

"Good." said Vincent snapping the map back.

"Why are you being rude!" snapped Elizabeth, as Vincent put away the map.

"Why are you trusting him." argued Vincent.

In a swift turn of events, Zaron spun around and smacked away the Theodore's spare and thrust outwards with his daggers. Landing two attacks Theodore was unable to counter, the force was enough to send him to the ground. The thud drew Vincent and Elizabeth away from their argument, and in to battle.

Zaron had already spun around and charged Vincent who tried to shot of blast form his staff, but was met with a clang of metal as the two blades struck the orb then came down of the staff. In his fast movements Zaron was able to get a kick to the chest and knock him down, but Elisabeth called him out.

"Stop right there."

Looking over he saw how she had gotten her bow ready, an icicle had not yet formed and the minthril was on the ground at her feet. Snarlg was hanging back his mace in hand ready to strike from behind.

"I was trying to be nice, but if you won't, you leave me no choice." She pulled back the string enough for the icicle to form and fired.

But it was blown away by a great force, looking over they both saw Vincent holding his staff up as he was bent over trying to stand.

"Stop." grunted Vincent "Just stop."

Both stood their ground, as Vincent came over still recovering.

"We can't keep fighting, it solves nothing." he grunted.

The two looked at each other and back to him.

"We both have a goal, both contradict each other. But if we don't move past it we are going to trap in a loop, until someone ends up dead."

"You make a good point." agreed Zaron as he moved around in circle towards Elizabeth. "And if we are to ever come out of this we need to work together." as he stopped talking he was right next to her and was standing close to the minthril.

"I'm glad to see your on out side." said Vincent.

"As am I." Zaron replied.

He then dropped down to pick up the minthril, but as he did he found a spare being throwing at him and knocking the stone away. He shot a quick glance over to Theodore who had lost his staff. In the panic that followed Vincent shot the precious stone further away.

"Why did you do that?" Screeched Elizbath.

"I panicked." Freaked out Vincent.

Zaron scrabbled to his feet and raced after the stone, Elizbath jumped him and tackled him to the ground. Trying to over power her he tried to lift her up, but she had him pinned down, but taking out his daggers, he was able to used them to gain an advantage and got out form under her.

As he clawed out he got to his feet and raced over towards the metal, only to have it whiz past him and land in the hands of Vincent as he pulled back his staff allowing the metal to land in his hands and be pocketed in his bag. He then found a the frost blade as his throat.

"Why shouldn't we let you die, after we trusted you?" asked Elizabeth.

Zaron tried to find an answer, as he found all four of them come down pointing their weapons at them. He tried to the find the words but they all escaped him, he bowed his head and waited for the end.

But as the three starred him down they where encroached upon by a cart that came up behind them. The cart was shorter then many other and instead on being pulled by horses it was being pulled by Ponies. Looking over the three spotted a short of group of Hobbits looking down at them, as they poked out form their cart.

"Oh, hello there." one spoke up.

"Do you be needing any help?" asked another.

"No." said Elizbath.

"Well you seemed to be a bit of bother." they spoke up.

"Where fine." chimed in Vincent.

"What about your friend over there." they wondered looked at Zaron.

"He's fine." grunted Elizbath.

"Okay then." said the Hobbits.

They soon all sat back down in the cart, to carry on down the road.

"Do you think the white wizard at the Grey Havens was the same one as Sam Wise the Brave used to speak off." said one the Hobbits.

"Maybe, but no ones seen them since he and Frodo left all those years ago."

The call of the word 'Wizard' caught Vincent off guard, and he tor after the cart.

"Wait, wait." he called. "Hold up."

The Hobbits became quite and looked over to see the Serpent running after them.

"What news is there of a white wizard, you speak off?" he called.


Elizbath and Theodore were still looking at the Zaron, being taken away form the quick departure. As they stayed and steered they soon lowered their guards and waited on their companions return. Upon Vincent's return, he told them what he had learned form the Hobbits.

"The White Guardian, or what they call the white wizard has been spotted in a place called the grey haven's. This could be the only time we might be able get their help."

Zaron heard these words and looked up, after having thought his time was at and end, he spoke up.

"I can take you there."

The three shot looks his way.

"What?" asked Elizabeth.

"I can take you there, I can take you to the Grey Havens."

"We don't have time to visit both places we are low on time, as it is." Reasoned Vincent "We can't go both to Bree and these Grey Havens."

"I'll go." said Elisabeth. "He can take me and if the White Guardian, can help me back, and you two will go to Bree to craft a tool form the sliver."

Vincent nodded, and Theodore looked between the two.

"How do we get there?" asked Elizbath.

"We carry on up the road until we reach the junction." said Zaron "We will head right and you two and head north."

"Then it's decided, let us go." said Elizbath

So the five stepped forth and carried on their path.

Moving forward the five kept quite for the most part, Zaron was eyed up by the others and he himself kept his eyes on the road. Soon enough the party spotted the turn in the road, and Elizbath raced ahead with Snarlg to reached the split in the road, as the others came up behind them.

"This is where we split ways." said Elizabeth.

"What do we do ounce we have the tool?" wondered Theodore.

"We must get it back to the city." Vincent reminded him.

"No I'll stay and wait for my Queen." insisted Theodore.

"Very well." nodded Elizbath "Then this is where we depart."

"So be it, let us all reach our home land." said Vincent.

So the party was divided, Vincent and Theodore took the road north taking with them much of what they needed. Wile Elizbath set of with Snarlg and Zaron as they headed eastwards, moving towards their new goal of finding the White Guardian.


As the three walked along the road, Zaron grew more concerned with Snarlg as he trailed along side them.

"I hope you don't mind me asking but what is that thing?" he said trying to avoid Snarlg.

"My pet Gnarg, he's a loyal servant and protector."

Zaron was still confused "Okay."

"Why are you asking, you want to pet him." she smiled softly.

"No, the fact he has no eyes and stares at me," he stopped and shuddered.

"That's just his face."

"Well, if your asking me questions why did you suddenly have the change of heart."

"The White Guardian as you call him may be my best chance to meet the king."

"Why, the White Guardian is wise and all powerful. He can do more then ask for a council of the king."

"Well, in my time, the White Wizard as he called him, was allied with the king, so, he might allow me to gain council form him."

"So this isn't a plan to get me alone so you can over power me?"

"No, bedsides I'm out matched with it being two on one."

"Well at least I know I don't have to worry about you betraying me."

"Don't worry, if I was I wound have gone after the Minthril." joked Zaron.

As the three carried their way along the road they where coming up on to Sarn Ford, an area thatcrosses the River Brandywine. Coming up towards the river the trio saw a set of stones that created the ford, and moved towards them, only to have a group of rangers jump down and surrounded them on all sides. Elizbath was unsure on how to handle this, wile Snarlg brought his mace down and Zaron drew out his daggers.

"Halt." called out a ranger holding out their hand.

"We rangers guard the ford." said a second.

"I thought the rangers, left here?" said Zaron.

"We where ounce called away, but we have now returned to continue our duty's here." they explained. "Now what brings you this way."

"Why should we tell you why we need to pass though here." argued Elizbath as she drew out her own weapon. "We have no reason to disclose anything to you."

"We simply guard the ford, and when a member of the Haradrim and a Dragon-Kinn wish to pass though these lands, we must be weary." they replied, all drawing their own weapons.

"You don't want to do this." hissed Elizabeth as she drew he ice blade in to attack.

"Then tell us what business you have in crossing the ford."

Zaron looked around, they where out numbered, at least three to one. His mind ran around all that had brought him here, before he cried out.

"We are travailing to Grey Havens."

The Rangers lowered their weapons.

"We heard news the White Wizard may be there, and wish to speak with him, and gain his help." he finished.

"Well." said the Rangers, "That is a noble goal, word of the White Wizard has not been heard since his departure."

"So may we pass?" asked Zaron begrudgingly.

"Of course." nodded the Rangers, but to aid you in your quest, you may need to cut across the downs.

"Thank you." said Elizbath resting her blade back in it's sheath.

The three then crossed the ford, and carried on, as they moved away form the road.

"Why did you tell them that?" snapped Elizbath under her breath.

"I did not want to cost my one chance to see the king, now that brining you in to the Elves has become an impossible task."

Elizbath slowed down as he trekked on, seeing him move she saw her self as she took the place of Thanion. Closing her eyes it faded and she caught up to Zaron.