THE FORGOTTEN
The Forest of Fangorn
Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings.
Author's Note: There is going to be a fair amount of book quoting with dialogue in at least one point… because the story still needs to move along in a smooth manner, and rewriting perfectly fine dialogue seems weird.
Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli, and Lothril rode towards Fangorn Forest. It was an overcast day with low misty clouds obscuring the sun, and the ever looming Fangorn loomed darkly before them as they steadily drew near it.
They reached the borders of Fangorn in the late afternoon. In the open glade by the trees edge there was a great smoldering heap. There were helms, mail, cloven shields, broken swords and bows and all manner of orcish war gear. Upon a stake was a great goblin head. Lothril had always thought that practice gruesome, her thoughts were reinforced by the sight of skewered cranium. Gruesome though it was, it certainly sent a strong message. As much as she hated the sight of the head, she couldn't stop looking at it, it was horrible, but fascinating.
Aragorn began searching by the field of battle and continued on until dark, but discovered no trace.
"We can do no more," Gimli said. "I would guess that the burned bones of the hobbits are mingled with the orcs. It will be hard news for Frodo if he lives to hear it; and hard too for the old hobbit who waits in Rivendell. Elrond was against their coming."
"Elrond was thinking of troubles that shall beset the Shire," Lothril said. "Gandalf was right when he pressed for them to come."
"But Gandalf chose to come himself and he was the first to be lost. His foresight failed him," Gimli retorted.
"Did it?" Lothril asked. "We are still in the midst of this quest. The end is yet to be seen."
"She is right," Aragorn added. "There are some things that it is better to begin than to refuse, even though the end may be dark."
"In any event, we should probably stay until morning," Lothril said.
"You are right, Lothril," Aragorn said. "Let us make camp beyond the battlefield.
They set up their camp under a chestnut tree and Lothril and Gimli set about gathering dead wood left over from the Rohirrim felling trees for the fire after Aragorn gave a stern warning about cutting no living wood, directed mostly at Gimli. As Gimli lit the fire, Aragorn sat against the tree thinking and Legolas stood alone in the open looking into the dark wood. Lothril laid down on the ground with her hands behind her head. She thought she could almost hear something deep in the forest, but she wasn't certain. What she was certain of was that she could feel something rolling out like steam escaping a hot kettle. She was trying to figure out a word for it. Fuming kept coming to mind, but there was something else in it too. Of course she knew what was going on, but reading something and experiencing it are two completely different things. Once Gimli got the fire going, she sat up and they all sat close around the fire with their hoods drawn up.
"Do you know why Celeborn warned us not to go into Fangorn, Aragorn?" Legolas asked.
"I have heard many tales, but for the warning of Celeborn I would have only deemed them fables. I had thought of asking you what was the truth of the matter. And if an elf of the wood does not know, how shall a man answer?" Aragorn answered.
"There are songs that tell how the Onodrim that men call Ents, dwelt there long ago, for Fangorn is old, even as the elves would reckon it," Legolas answered.
"The Master of Fangorn would advise us not to enter Lothlorien, even though Lord Celeborn and Master Fangorn know each other," Lothril said.
"Do you know why that is?" Aragorn asked. "Elrond does say that Fangorn and the Old Forest by the Barrow-downs are akin, and the Old Forest is not a place one ventures into needlessly," Aragorn said. "But Fangorn holds a secret of its own, but what it is I do not know."
"Do you not?" Lothril asked, staring at Aragorn and Legolas in turn.
"No, I do not," Legolas answered.
"Nor I," Aragorn said. "But you seem to, Lothril." He gave his companion a sidelong glance.
"As a matter of fact, I do," she answered.
"Well, I do not wish to know," said Gimli. "Let nothing that dwells in Fangorn be troubled on my account!"
"Then for Gimli's sake, I shall not say," Lothril said with a grin.
"One day I shall ask you how you know these things," Aragorn said.
"One day I shall answer you," she replied. Legolas gave her a questioning look, and she gave a wink in reply.
"I have had enough riddles for one day, and would like some sleep. Shall we figure out first watch?" Legolas said.
They drew lots for first watch and it went to Gimli. With that, Legolas laid himself flat upon the ground and Lothril beside him. In moments both were wide eyed and asleep. Aragorn thought nothing of their wide eyed companions as he was used to elvish sleeping habits. Gimli, however, still was not. He crept up, trying to look at their faces, and in their eyes.
"Leave them be," Aragorn said drowsily. "They are still aware of the world around them when asleep. And do not stray far in search of dead wood. Let the fire die rather! Call me at need."
All was still and the only sound was the rustling of the leaves. Gimli sat by the fire and suddenly looked up and stood, there was an old man leaning on a staff, wrapped in a great cloak and wearing a wide brimmed hat. Lothril awoke first and immediately stood with her knife drawn.
Aragorn and Legolas awoke but a moment later, and Lothril was already chanting something under her breath and slowly drawing closer to the old man.
Aragorn hailed him and invited him to their fire, but the old man disappeared. They looked close at hand for a trace of the old man, but none was to be found. Lothril sheathed her knife and sat down by the fire.
"The horses! The horses! They are gone!" Legolas suddenly cried.
They heard the horses neighing in the distance. Lothril turned and faced the direction their whinnying and neighing was coming from and then lay down again. "I do not think our friends shall return tonight, nor the old man. Regardless, wake me when it is my turn." With that she fell asleep.
She was awoken by Legolas and watched until dawn when the others awoke and had breakfast, such as it was, and began searching again for signs of Merry and Pippin. With passing interest she listened to the others talk as they looked, but said nothing herself. At last Aragorn found a sure sign they had been there – a fading golden mallorn leaf. Legolas and Lothril came over as Gimli found the knife and tried to make heads or tails of what they found.
"Well, here is the strangest riddle that we have yet found!" exclaimed Legolas. As the elf set forth his theory, Lothril could only shake her head and laugh. Flew away singing into the trees, indeed!
"There was sorcery here right enough," said Gimli.
"Less than there was with us on the road," Lothril replied.
"Then what was that old man doing?" the dwarf asked Lothril.
"I said less, not none. And no sorcery was related to the hobbits. Hobbits have the ability to pass silently and very nearly unseen. It is no more sorcery than Legolas being able to see the riders coming from five leagues hence," Lothril said. "Add to those things their elven cloaks and it is little wonder that they escaped unseen."
"You ought to listen to her Gimli. She speaks truth, and is possibly a seer, but that is another riddle for another time," Aragorn said with a grin.
"Then what have you to say, Aragorn?" the dwarf asked.
Aragorn laid forth a significantly more plausible tale than the one Legolas had posed, and they decided to venture into the forest to see if they could find any signs of their friends. It didn't take long for Aragorn to find some. There were footprints near the bank of the Entwash and by the bole of a tree, but there wasn't much else to be figured. And by the signs they could not see if there was one or two hobbits. It was evident though that he or they had gone further in and so further in they went also.
"I do not like the looks of this Fangorn, regardless of what Lothril may say!" Gimli grumbled.
"This place does not feel evil to me," Legolas said. "It feels watchful and angry. This place has suffered harm. Do you feel the tenseness?" he asked turning to Lothril. She nodded.
"I feel the stuffiness, if that is what you mean Legolas. I must say that this place is lighter than your Mirkwood, but musty and shabby," Gimli said.
"This place is very old. So old that I almost feel young again, as I have not felt since I journeyed with you children. I could be happy here, if days of peace return," Legolas said.
"Wait – do you mean you felt young back in Imladris before we left?" Lothril asked mentally.
"How could I not? You made me feel like an elfling again," he answered in kind.
"There is a song back in my old world about that."
"Aragorn asked you a question," Legolas said.
"My apologies, Aragorn. I was not paying attention. What did you ask?" Lothril said to the ranger.
"What do you make of these Lothril?" Aragorn said pointing. Lothril came up and studied them closely.
"It looks like the shadow of tree roots. It is the answer to the riddle of Fangorn, I think," she concluded. She heard a rumble off in the distance. "Lasto! (Listen)" She whispered to Legolas. He turned his head and heard the strange rumbling again.
"What was that?" Legolas asked full of wonder. His eyes gleaming with excitement.
Aragorn turned their attention back to the footprints of the hobbits and they followed them to the steep, abrupt end of a rock-wall named Treebeard's Hill. They climbed it in hopes of getting a "taste of freer air for a while" as Legolas put it, and perhaps further sign of the hobbits. Aragorn found traces Merry and Pippin and more of the strange tracks.
They looked about, hoping to see any guiding signs as to which the direction their friends headed next and were not finding anything useful.
"Any ideas, Seer Lothril?" Aragorn asked.
She shook her head. "I am afraid I cannot see-"
"Be quiet and look!" Legolas suddenly whispered. He pointed off towards some trees.
"What is it?" Aragorn whispered.
"Down in the wood they way we have come. There is an old man passing from tree to tree," the elf answered.
"I see! I see him!" Gimli hissed. "Look Aragorn! There he is again. All in dirty grey rags. That is why I had not seen him sooner."
They all four looked and saw a bent figure moving slowly and not far away. He looked like an old beggar leaning on a staff with bowed head. They all stood silently, expectantly. But expectant of what? Lothril knew exactly who it was below them and so was held by excitement of reunion, the others though seemed to be held by something else. Lothril sat down, and decided to wait for him. He drew closer and closer. Gimli couldn't contain himself anymore.
"Legolas, your bow! Bend it! Get ready! Don't let Saruman speak or he will put a spell on us! Shoot first!"
Legolas bent his bow, but did not fit arrow to string. Gimli was growing impatient with the Elf's hesitance.
"No, Legolas is right," Aragorn said quietly. "We may not shoot an old man unawares and unchallenged. We must wait."
The old man, quickened his pace and came to the foot of the rock wall. He looked up and none could yet see his face for it was shadowed by the wide brimmed hat he wore over his hood. Lothril could still see him and gave a small wave. None of the others noticed; their focus solely on the old man.
"Well met, my friends," he said in a soft voice. "I wish to speak to you. Will you come down, or shall I come up?" without waiting for a reply he began to climb.
"Now! Stop him, Legolas!" Gimli cried.
"Gimli!" Lothril started to reprimand, but the stranger spoke and cut her off.
"Didn't I say I wished to speak with you all?" the old man said. "Put away your bow, Master Elf!" The bow and arrow fell from Legolas' hands and his arms hung loosely at his sides. "And you, Master Dwarf, pray take your hand away from your axe-haft, till I am up."
The old man sprang up the steps as nimbly as a mountain goat and as he climbed, a glimpse of white was caught between the grey rags. Gimli's sharp intake of breath was a loud hiss in the silence. Lothril shook her head.
"Well met, I say again!" said the old man as he came towards them. He stopped a few feet from them and stood, leaning over his staff, with his head forward, staring at them from beneath his hood. Lothril stood and brushed herself off. "And what may you four be doing in these parts? Two Elves, a Man, and a Dwarf all garbed in elvish fashion. No doubt there is a tale worth hearing behind this. Such a thing is seldom seen here."
"You sound as one who knows this forest well," Aragorn said.
The old man shook his head. "Not well. That would be the study of many lives. But I come here now and again."
"Might we know your name and then hear what it is you have to say to us?" said Aragorn. "The morning passes and we have an errand that will not wait."
"As for what I wish to say, I have said it: What may you be doing, and what tale can you tell of yourselves? As for my name!" he broke off, laughing long and softly. "My name! Have you not guessed it already? You have heard it before I think. Yes, you have heard it before. But come now, what of your tale?"
Lothril stood grinning at the old man. He looked at her for a moment and she swore she saw his eyes glinting with recognition as he shook his head ever so slightly. She held her peace.
The old man began to give them tidings of the hobbits they had been tracking and then invited them all to sit. He turned to a heap of fallen stones that were against the cliff face behind him. Lothril calmly walked over near him to seat herself beside him as Gimli, Legolas, and Aragorn suddenly reached for their weapons. The old man took no notice and sat down on a low flat stone, his cloak parting and they all saw beyond doubt that he was clothed in white beneath his rags.
"Saruman! Speak! Tell us where you have hidden our friends," cried Gimli, springing towards the old man.
Lothril sighed as the old man sprang to his feet and leaped to the top of a large rock. There he stood, growing tall and towering above them. His hood and rags were flung away and his white clothes shone. He lifted his staff and Aragorn's sword burst into flame, Gimli's axe fell, Legolas shot wide, his arrow bursting into flame.
"Mithrandir! Legolas cried.
"I am glad at least one of you recognized me for friend, not foe," Mithrandir said turning to Lothril. "And I am glad that the rest of you now do as well." They all gazed at him, his white hair, his white robes, his piercing, glittering eyes… it was him, but he was changed. Almost as much as Lothril, it seemed.
At last the reunion commenced. He came down off the rock and said, "Did none of you wonder why Lothril here was so quick to come to my side?"
"I confess, it crossed my mind, but I thought perhaps she was bewitched," Legolas said.
"You should have more confidence in your friend, Legolas. She would not be swayed so easily as all that," Gandalf said, his eyes twinkling. He gave a wink to Lothril. "Come now, tell me of yourselves! I can see many things far off, but many things that are close at hand I cannot see."
They began to discuss recent events, starting with the Anduin. Gandalf mentioned striving with the Dark Tower and preventing the Company from very nearly being revealed to the Enemy and gave a look to Lothril. "I have noticed some very interesting goings on, starting with that day. Have you had any hand in things, Lothril?"
"Some. I'm afraid not nearly as much as I would like, but I have been doing what I can," she answered.
Aragorn and Gimli gave her curious looks. She of course hadn't told them what she had been up to. Gandalf smiled. "It seems you have been heeding your lessons."
"I have tried. Since I am not a wizard, I dare not contend with him directly as you may, but I thought my tact was perhaps the wisest course at present. I have had a hard time though gauging its effectiveness."
"You have done better than you know, Lothril. The efficacy of your tactics has I think, been better than you could even have hoped. So far it seems that Orthanc has another thing occupying its attention, which would be you. You have not revealed yourself to him yet, but you are like a buzzing in his ears of which he cannot find the source," the wizard said.
"I think perhaps he has found me, but if he has not, I was going to reveal myself to him soon anyway," she replied.
Aragorn stared at his friend. "Just what have you been up to, Lothril? And when?"
She looked at him very innocently and said, "Singing. Just singing. And it seems Saruman does not like my voice." Aragorn and Gimli beheld their friend with renewed wonder. She looked at Gandalf and said, "I had hoped I could do more for Frodo, but I am afraid I could just see him as of four days ago. Have you seen more?"
"Yes, do you know how things go with him?" Gimli asked.
"No more than what Lothril has told you, I am sure," Gandalf said. "He has resolved to go to Mordor alone and that is all I can really say."
"He is not alone," Legolas said. "Lothril told us that Sam has gone with him."
"Did he!" Gandalf said, his eyes gleaming. "It is news to me, but I am hardly surprised. Very good! Now sit, friends and tell me of your journey."
Aragorn told him of their journey so far and then at Aragorn's request Gandalf began explaining as best as he could how he saw things going in the War at the moment. At length he looked at Lothril and said, "Do you agree with my view of things?"
"Oh yes, Mithrandir. You have an excellent grasp of the situation," she answered.
Aragorn was growing visibly vexed. "So now even you consult our seer, Gandalf?"
"Seer?" Gandalf asked, bewildered. "I should think not. Has she not told you?"
"I have not," she said. "I have told no one since I told you."
Gandalf gave an approving nod then turned to Aragorn and said, "She is no seer, but you may safely use her as a counselor for the time being, for she has an excellent understanding of all the pieces at play."
Aragorn stared at Gandalf and Lothril in turn and said, "She has been very helpful since Sarn Gebir. Though as it is plain neither of you are willing to say more, I shall trust to that."
"I swear to you, Aragorn that as soon as I may, I shall explain to you everything in full," Lothril said, "but I cannot now. However, if Gandalf agrees it would not be harmful to our efforts, I shall be more free with what I know as long as all here swear to keep their peace."
She looked at Gandalf and the wizard considered things for a moment then said, "Do not be too free, but you need not be silent either."
"But what of the hobbits?" Legolas interjected. "We have come far to seek them and you seem to know where they are and Lothril will not say. Where are they now?"
"With Treebeard and the Ents," replied Gandalf.
"So there is truth to the old fables!" Aragorn said.
"I tried to tell you as much," Lothril said.
"You could have spoken more plainly," Legolas said.
"My deepest apologies, but if I had said, 'Merry and Pippin have escaped the orcs and taken up with Treebeard the ent' what would you have thought?"
Aragorn laughed. "I suppose I see what you mean."
"Oh! Four or five days- today is March first, is it not?" she asked.
"It is," Gandalf answered.
"Then everyone should be back home soon, if they are not already," she said aloud, but mostly to herself. She looked up and saw the curious faces. "Renee - she was to return today. And Frodo and Sam are leaving Emyn Muil and are about to begin traversing the Dead Marshes." She sighed.
"The Dead Marshes?" Gimli repeated, a note of disgust in his voice. "That poor lad."
"That is a dangerous path," Gandalf said, sounding a little distressed.
"They have a guide," Lothril said. "It seems you were right about Gollum, Mithrandir. He will take them safely through the marshes."
"Gollum? That is also news. When did he join them?" Gandalf asked.
"Moria. Though I think you knew he was tailing us even then. They finally met face to face in Emyn Muil," she answered.
Gandalf was silent in thought for a moment then said, "I think you all have been mistaken. She has not been close with what she knows, for here she is telling all we could hope to learn about our friends."
She smiled. "I have taken to speaking of the past and somewhat of the present. Speaking of which, I believe my good elf here has a question on his mind," she said, turning to Legolas. "I can practically hear it from here."
"Yes! Treebeard – it is a rendering of Fangorn into the Common Speech; yet you keep speaking as if it is a person. Who is this Treebeard?"
"Now that is a question," Gandalf said. "And sadly for you, I do not know much of the long, slow story that is his, nor do we have time for what little I do know. Treebeard is Fangorn, the guardian of the forest; he is the oldest of the ents and the oldest living thing that still walks beneath the Sun upon this Middle-earth. I hope Legolas that you will meet him. Merry and Pippin met him where we sit now and two days ago were born away from this place by him to his dwelling far off by the roots of the mountains. He comes here often, especially when his mind is uneasy and it his has been so of late. Four days ago we saw each other but we did not speak, for I was with thought and weary after my struggle with the Eye of Mordor."
"Perhaps he also thought you were Saruman," Gimli said. "But you speak of him as if he were a friend. I thought Fangorn was dangerous."
"Dangerous!" cried Gandalf. "And so am I, very dangerous, the more dangerous than anything you shall ever meet unless you are brought before the Dark Lord. And Lothril is also quite dangerous, far more so than you suspect. And Legolas is dangerous, and Aragorn is dangerous. You are beset with dangers, Gimli, Gloin's son; for you are also dangerous yourself. Certainly the forest of Fangorn is perilous, as is Fangorn himself. Yet he is wise and kindly nonetheless. But now his wrath is brimming over and the forest itself is filled with it. The coming of the hobbits and the tidings they brought have spilled it. Soon, it will be like a flood turned against Saruman and Isengard. A thing is about to happen which has not happened since the Elder days: the ents are going to wake up and find that they are strong."
"What will they do?" Legolas asked, astonishment in his voice and face.
"If we were not so very needed elsewhere Legolas, I would tell you and we would watch from a distance. But that is not our road," Lothril said.
Gandalf was silent in thought when Aragorn asked, "Then what is our road?"
Lothril gave a sidelong glance at Mithrandir than said, "We still have a promise to keep that was made to Éomer. We are heading to Edoras."
"Are we not to see Merry and Pippin again?" Legolas asked.
"I cannot tell you all our road," she said.
Gandalf looked up and smiled. "Indeed. Edoras. I have pressing business there and the help of you all would be much appreciated."
"Then at Lothril's insistence," Aragorn said grinning, "We shall follow you to Edoras."
"Yes, we will follow you there," said Legolas. "But first, it would ease my heart, Gandalf, to hear what befell you in Moria. Lothril has refused to breathe a word of it, indeed not even to me has she hinted you would return." Gandalf gave the elf an inquisitive look at 'not even to me' but said nothing. "Will you not tell us? Can you not stay even to tell your friends how you were delivered?"
"We have stayed too long already, but even if we had a year to hear it, I would not tell you all," Gandalf said.
"Then tell us what you will, and time allows!" Gimli pressed.
He sat silent for a moment and then spoke of the long fall and the horrible thing falling with him, surrounding him in fire. Then how at length they fell into deep water and all was dark and cold and the balrog was with him still and now that the fire was quenched he had become a thing of slime. He spoke of how they fought long beneath the earth until at last he fled into dark tunnels and he chased after through countless passages and up the long lost Endless Stair until at last they came upon Durin's Tower upon the pinnacle of Celebdil. He told of how the balrog burst into new flame and how they fought though from a distance it probably only looked like a storm on the mountain. At long last he threw his enemy down to his death and then darkness took him and then how he was sent back until his work is done and how he laid beneath the stars for days on end until Gwahir the Wind lord found him and bore him to Lothlorien.
"I was given messages and some I bring to you all. He delivered his messages to Aragorn and Legolas and fell silent until Gimli roused him by asking if he had gotten no word. He relayed the Lady's message to Gimli then said, "And to Lothril she sent this:
Though thou seest the road for all of your friends,
Not even thou can see all of its ends.
The hour will come and you shall depart
And you shall go thither with all of thine heart.
"And Renee sent her greetings as well and her farewell."
"Thank you for the message Mithrandir," she said. She puzzled over it. The first two lines were clear enough, and echoed what the Lady had told her before. But what about the 'shall go thither with all of thine heart'? She set the thought aside and trusted it would be made apparent to her in due time, as Aragorn's and Legolas' would to them.
Then Mithrandir said that they must go with haste. He wrapped himself again in his old, tattered, grey cloak. They made their way back to the edge of Fangorn and saw that their horses still had not returned. Mithrandir whistled and soon came the sound of thudding hooves. Soon enough, four horses came running up.
"There is Hasufel, and my friend Arod, and Lothril's friend Leofa, but there is a fourth. I have never seen his like before," Legolas said.
"Nor will you again," Gandalf said. Even as Gandalf was explaining to Legolas that the fourth horse was Shadowfax, chief of the Mearas, the four horses came striding up the slope, Shadowfax in the fore. They all mounted and set off towards Meduseld. For hours they rode through fields of tall grass, over streams, and bogs, but Shadowfax lead them well until they at last halted in the gathering night.
TRANSLATIONS:
Lasto-listen