Hello and welcome back everyone! I do apologize for the long wait. My writer's block is horrible but I pushed through and made this lovely chapter. I hope you all like it and I'm very sorry if there are any mistakes in grammar or spelling.

So without further ado! Enjoy!

It's been a few days since the Uruk-hai attacked their campsite and their fellowship split up. Frodo and Sam are making their way to Mordor to destroy the One Ring. Their journey will be difficult but at least they have one another, still it won't be easy.

Merry and Pippin were taken by the Uruk-hai; they have orders to bring the hobbits to Isengard alive. They will have to survive the Uruk-hai, who pick up speed because they can smell the rest of the Fellowship following them. Pippin has a thought and acts on it at once. Using his teeth, he tears the leaf-brooch of his Lorien cloak, and looks around and spits it out onto the trail. Uruk feet trample on the brooch, pushing it further into the ground.

Aragorn, Elizabeth, Legolas and Gimli are following the Uruk-hai trail and slowly catching up to them. Ever since Elizabeth had meant Aragorn, he has taught her the ways of a Ranger and she taught him a few tricks of being a Pirate. Right now they are both using their respected gifts, Aragorn lies on the rocky terrain, listening. Elizabeth stands next to him with a spyglass looking out for some type of sign but she gives up, grabs one of her draggers and stabs the ground. She cuffs her hands and listens. Faintly, the sound of many feet can be heard.

She found the right trail and jumped up as Aragorn whispers to himself but both Elizabeth and Legolas can hear him clearly, "Their pace has quickened. They must have caught our scent." He rises. Turning his head he yells to Legolas and Gimli and then runs off with Elizabeth. "Hurry!"

Legolas comes running up, turns to call back to Gimli. "Come on, Gimli!"

Gimli, breathing hard, "Three days and nights pursuit. No food, no rest, no sign of our quarry but what bare rock can tell."

The three are running over any vistas as fast as they can. Aragorn has stopped and kneeling, he picks up Pippin's leaf-brooch. "Not idly do the leaves of Lorien fall."

Legolas, running up to Aragorn, "They may yet be alive."

The lone female looks at the tracks as Aragorn gets up, "Less than a day ahead of us. Let's go!"

They run off as Gimli falls out from behind a boulder and rolls down a hill.

Legolas turns around once again to shout at Gimli, "Come, Gimli! We are gaining on them!"

Somehow they can hear Gimli struggling to his feet, running after them and grumbling, "I am wasted on cross-county. We Dwarves are natural sprinters. Very dangerous over short distances."

That got a small chuckle out of Elizabeth but she smother it as she raced off. The three runners struggle through a boulder covered area, and come to a rise that over-looks the green and rocky terrain of Rohan.

"Rohan. Home of the Horse-Lords. There is something strange at work here. Some evil gives speed to these creatures. Sets its will against us." Aragorn explained with slight confusion.

They continue on making their way down the rocks. Legolas, being quick on his feet, got to lower ground faster.

Elizabeth called out ahead to Legolas, "Legolas! What do you see?"

Legolas peers off into the distance. "The Uruks turn Northeast. They're taking the hobbits to Isengard!"

Elizabeth turned towards Aragorn to ask, "Wait… Isn't that where…?"

Aragorn nodded and whispered to himself, "Saruman."

"...shit."

It's been a few days since the start of the chase, the Uruk-hai are running through a field. Merry and Pippin are being carried on the backs of two Uruks. Aragorn, Elizabeth, Legolas, and Gimli are still in pursuit, with Gimli lagging behind a little.

"Keep breathing. That's the key. Breathe. Ohh."

"They run as if the very whips of their masters were behind them." Legolas said as he looked ahead to where the Uruk-hai were.

The four pursuers are running in the dawn of a new sunrise. Legolas looks at the sky, "The red sun rises, blood has been spilled this night."

Aragorn bends down looking at the ground. He hears horses and stands up and gestures for the other three to follow him in hiding behind a rock. The riders of Rohan ride up over the hill a moment later.

Aragorn, seeing who they are, steps out from their hiding spots and yells out, "Riders of Rohan! What news from the mark?"

Elizabeth slaps her forehead, "Yes, let 's definitely yell at the horsemen who could trample us in a moment's notice."

The horsemen turn and circle around and surround the three, spears out.

"Well, they definitely heard your loud voice. What a smart plan." Elizabeth blew a strand of hair away from her face, Aragorn glared at her to be quiet and not make a scene. More than once, her smart mouth has given them more trouble than Aragorn can remember. Although Aragorn wishes she can use her powers of persuasion to save them, but… Trouble seems to follow her like an old friend.

"What business does an elf, a man, a dwarf and a woman have in the Riddermark? Speak quickly!" The leader of the horse man demanded.

"Your real name, Horse Master and I shall give you mine." Gimli said after the horse masters circle around them.

Éomer glared at the dwarf, "I would cut off your head, dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground."

Legolas draws his bow, "You would die before your stroke fell."

Elizabeth glared at the men pointing their spears at the Elf, "You should watch your words and be cautious of any stranger you come across; you'll never know what could happen."

The spears get closer to Legolas and Elizabeth. Aragorn grabs Legolas' arm and puts it down, "Enough. Both of you." And gives Elizabeth a look to stand down because he sees her hand gripping the hilt of her katana. Gimli lets out a sigh of relief for his companions have his back and the spears are off of him and his friends.

"A woman should not speak while in the company of men."

"And a man shouldn't be so pretty to be mistaken for a woman."

"Watch your tongue, woman. Or I will."

"I am disinclined to acquiesce to your request."

"Areth!"Aragorn hissed at his partner before blood stained the path. Elizabeth is a fantastic warrior and leader but sometimes her need to be right and get the last word, can cause a major headache to the ranger. It's best to stop her before it gets out of hand, "I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn, this is Abyss of the Northern Rangers, Gimli, son of Gloin, and Legolas of the Woodland Realm. We are friends of Rohan, and of Théoden, your King."

The rider was taken back that a woman is part of the Wild North Rangers and this man treats her like a brother-in-arms but he can at least tell if one is lying or not and Aragorn is no liar, "Théoden no longer recognizes friend from foe." Éomer removes his helmet. "Not even his own kin." The riders raise their spears. "Saruman has poisoned the mind of the King and claimed lordship over his lands. My company are those loyal to Rohan, and for that we are banished. The white wizard is cunning. He walks here and there they say, as an old man, hooded and cloaked, and everywhere his spies slip past our nets."

Aragorn nodded, "We are no spies. We track a party of Uruk-Hai westward across the plain. They have taken two of our friends captive."

Éomer explained, "The Uruks are destroyed, we slaughtered them during the night."

"But there were two hobbits. Did you see two hobbits with them?" Gimli desperately wants their little friends to be safe.

Elizabeth felt her broken heart crack just a little more, only Legolas heard the sharp intake filled with pain as he turned his head to her but she looked forward determined to believe they're alive. She would need to see the bodies before expecting death. "They would be small, only children to your eyes." Elizabeth added.

Éomer looked into the woman's eyes and all he saw was a void, a familiar one as well… The kind where you do is fight and watch death greet you like an old friend while taking someone else. This woman knows pain and has seen things that most men would crumble to but she has survived and will continue to move forward because that's just who she is.

He shook his head, "We left none alive. We piled the carcasses and burned them."

Gimli whispered, "Dead?"

Éomer nods, "I am sorry."

Legolas puts his hand on Gimli's shoulder in comfort. Aragorn simply held Elizabeth's wrist before she started throwing her knives at innocents, who didn't deserve her wrath.

Éomer whistles, "Hasufel, Arod. May these horses bear you to better fortune than their former masters. Farewell." Two horses come forward, one sorrel and one white. "Look for your friends, but do not trust to hope. It is forsaken in these lands." He looked at his riders, "We ride north!" The riders follow Éomer, leaving the four alone.

They ride towards the burning pile of orc carcasses. Gimli searches through the smoldering bodies, as Aragorn, Elizabeth and Legolas look around for any sign of the two hobbits.

Gimli picks up a small sword belt from the pile. "It's one of their wee belts."

Legolas heard Elizabeth gasp too softly for human ears but loud enough for his own, he turned and saw a single tear escape from Elizabeth's eye.

Legolas whispered in his native tongue, "Hiro hyn hîdh ab 'wanath."

Aragorn shouts and kicks one of the orc helmets. He then falls onto his knees and puts his head down.

Gimli grieved, "We failed them."

Aragorn looks at the ground, and sees tracks. Hope fills his eyes. "A hobbit lay here, and the other. They crawled. Their hands were bound. Their bonds were cut. They ran over here. They were followed. The tracks lead away from the battle, into Fangorn Forest."

Gimli's eyes widened at the forest, "Fangorn Forest… What madness drove them in there?"

"Survival instincts can make anyone mad or brilliant. Just keep that in mind." Elizabeth said.

They go to the woods, and Gimli sees black liquid on some leaves. Elizabeth watches as he smears it on his fingers but before it touches his mouth. Elizabeth stops him for a second, "Do be careful, it would be quite a hassle if that is poison."

"Don't worry, your pretty head, missy. We dwarves are strong and resilient." He spits out the disgusting liquid. "Orc blood."

"You don't say."

The four make their way through Fangorn Forest following the tracks deeper into the forest.

Aragorn watches the tracks carefully and realizes there is something different about them, "These are strange tracks."

Gimli holds his axe very close to his body as the forest gives him chills, "The air is so close, in here."

Legolas looks around with a wry eye but still holds some in awe, "This forest is old. Very old. Full of memory and anger." The trees groan. Gimli picks up his axe. "The trees are speaking to each other."

Elizabeth follows the shadows movement and whispers, just a hint harshly to the jumpy dwarf, "Gimli. Lower your axe."

Gimli stares doubtfully at the trees, "Oh."

"They have feelings, my friend. The Elves began it. Waking up the trees, teaching them to speak." Legolas educates them for a second and may be trying to impress a certain pirate.

Gimli grumbled a bit, "Talking trees. What do trees have to talk about? Except the consistency of squirrel droppings?"

Legolas's eyes catch a shadow of something coming close to them, "Aragorn, nad no ennas!"

Elizabeth hears this and observes their surroundings and tries to find the figure that is walking towards them.

Aragorn asked, "Man cenich?"

Legolas whispers to the rest of the group, "The White Wizard Approaches."

"Do not let him speak, he will put a spell on us." Aragorn draws his sword. "We must be quick."

Aragorn sends the signal, they all turn to attack, Gimli throws his axe, which is knocked to the side. Legolas loses his bow, which is also knocked aside. Aragorn's sword turns orange with heat and he drops it. Elizabeth grabs one of her guns and fires a single shot, the bullet is stopped in mid air and falls to the ground.

They shield their eyes from the bright white light that the wizard is emitting. "You are tracking the footsteps of two young Hobbits."

"Where are they?" Aragorn demanded from the wizard.

"They passed this way, the day before yesterday. They met someone they did not expect. Does that comfort you?" The White Wizard said but for some reason his voice sounds oddly familiar to Elizabeth like a wave crashing on the shore.

"Who are you? Show yourself!" Aragorn asked.

The light fades and the White Wizard is clearly seen.

Aragorn was amazed, "It cannot be."

"Forgive me!" Legolas and Gimli look on in amazement, then bow. "I mistook you for Saruman."

"I am Saruman. Or rather, Saruman as he should have been." Gandalf looks heather then before, gone the gray hair and bread now a pure white. Same with the robes and a new staff. But his eyes are still the same, filled with emotion and wisdom with a hint of mischief.

Aragorn trying to gasp at his sanity and figuring out how Gandalf being alive is possible, "You fell."

Gandalf nodded, "Through fire, and water. On the lowest dungeon, on the highest peak I fought him, the Balrog of Morgoth." He remembers going to an icy mountain peak, Gandalf is fighting the Balrog. Lightning connects with Gandalf's sword, it glows, the Balrog comes at him again and Gandalf stabs the Balrog in the chest. The Balrog falls to the mountain below. "Until at last I threw down my enemy and smote his ruin upon the mountainside." Gandalf is lying face up on the mountain peak, he is bleeding from his nose. "Darkness took me and I strayed out of thought and time." A bright light is seen. The stars field of end, and everyday was as long as a life age on the earth." Gandalf appears again, in a white background, apparently naked. "But it was not the end. I felt life in me again." Gandalf takes a gasping breath. "I've been sent back until my task is done."

Aragorn says his name in wonder, "Gandalf."

Gandalf hums with curiosity, "Gandalf? Yes, that was what they used to call me." Aragorn nods. "Gandalf the Grey. That was my name."

"Gandalf."

"I am Gandalf the White, and I come back to you now at the turn of the tide." The four and Gandalf are moving through Fangorn Forest. "One stage of your journey is over, another begins. War has come to Rohan, we must ride to Edoras with all speed."

Gimli raised an eyebrow at that, "Edoras? That is no short distance!"

"We hear of trouble in Rohan. It goes ill with the king." Aragorn wanted to go to Rohan and see if they could do anything to fix the trouble. Luckily where there is a will, there is a way.

Gandalf nodded in agreement, "Yes, and it will not be easily cured."

Gimli grumbled, "Then we have run all this way for nothing? Are we to leave those poor Hobbits here in this horrid, dark, dank, tree-infested –" Once more the angry groans of the trees reverberate through the forest. "I-I mean, charming, quite charming forest."

The sole lady in their company had to hide a chuckle and turned it into one of her rare smiles, full of amusement. Only one other in their Fellowship saw the smile and somehow knew everything will be alright.

Gandalf led the group to the outskirts of the forest, "It was more than mere chance that brought Merry and Pippin to Fangorn. A great power has been sleeping here for many long years. The coming of Merry and Pippin will be like the falling of small stones that starts an avalanche in the mountains."

Aragorn and Elizabeth shared a look and shook their heads in agreement. After working with one another for so long they knew how to communicate without speaking. Aragorn leaned in close to Gandalf and whispered, "In one thing you have not changed, dear friend."

"Hm?"

Elizabeth got to Gandalf on the other side and smirked, "You still speak in riddles."

They share a laugh with Gandalf, "A thing is about to happen that has not happened since the Elder Days. The ents are going to wake up … and find that they are strong."

Gimli groaned in disbelief, "Strong?!" He hears the trees groan, "Oh, that's good."

Gandalf rolled his eyes and continued forward, "So stop your fretting, Master Dwarf. Merry and Pippin are quite safe. In fact, they are far safer than you are about to be."

Gimli mumbles to himself, "This new Gandalf's more grumpy than the old one."

They emerge from Fangorn. Gandalf whistles, a horse neighs. A white horse is seen coming up the plain towards them.

"Beautiful."

Legolas agrees with Elizabeth and looks at the white horse with wonder, "That is one of the mearas unless my eyes are cheated by some spell."

"Shadowfax. He's the lord of all horses and has been my friend through many dangers." Gandalf steps up and pets the horse's neck lovingly. They ride quickly through the plains.

The night sky is filled with stars, Aragorn gets up from a fire and joins Gandalf who is standing a short ways off looking towards the east. "The veiling shadow that glowers in the east takes shape. Sauron will suffer no rival. From the summit of Barad-dûr, his Eye watches ceaselessly. But he is not so mighty yet that he is above fear. Doubt ever gnaws at him. The rumor has reached him. The heir of Númenor still lives." Gandalf continued with a whisper, "Sauron fears you, Aragorn. He fears what you may become. And so he'll strike hard and fast at the world of Men. He will use his puppet, Saruman, to destroy Rohan. War is coming. Rohan must defend itself, and therein lies our first challenge for Rohan is weak and ready to fall. The king's mind is enslaved, it's an old device of Saruman's. His hold over King Théoden is now very strong. Sauron and Saruman are tightening the noose. But for all their cunning we have one advantage. The Ring remains hidden. And that we should seek to destroy it has not yet entered their darkest dreams. And so the weapon of the enemy is moving towards Mordor in the hands of a Hobbit. Each day brings it closer to the fires of Mount Doom. We must trust now in Frodo. Everything depends upon speed and the secrecy of his quest. Do not regret your decision to leave him. Frodo must finish this task alone."

"He's not alone. Sam went with him." Aragorn tells the wizard.

Gandalf pleased, "Did he? Did he indeed? Good. Yes, very good."

The four and Gandalf are riding towards Edoras. They stop as they go over a hill and see Edoras.

"Edoras, and the Golden Hall of Meduseld. There dwells Théoden, King of Rohan, whose mind is overthrown. Saruman's hold over King Théoden is now very strong." Gandalf warns, "Be careful what you say. Do not look for a welcome here."

They ride towards the gate. Elizabeth watches a young lady leave the castle and goes outside, the girl sees the riders approaching. A flag rips off a pole and goes flying in the wind, landing just outside the gate as the riders go through the gate. Aragorn hesitates as he rides through the gates, looking at the flag and then up from where it came. They ride through Edoras. The people watch them in silence. Aragorn looks up and sees the girl as well. He looks back down at the townspeople.

"You'd find more cheer in a graveyard." Gimli commented.

Aragorn looks back up at where the girl was standing and finds that she is gone. The guards come out of the hall as the three and Gandalf get to the top of the stairs.

Gandalf noticed them, "Ah."

The guard quickly introduced himself as Háma before telling them to remove their weapons, "I cannot allow you before Théoden King so armed, Gandalf Grayhame by order of Grima Wormtongue."

Gandalf nods to the others and they all start disarming themselves and handing their weapons over to the Edoras soldiers. Aragorn and Elizabeth practically made sure the guards understood that their swords will be watched and not touched by anyone who is not their wielder and if anything was missing, dented, and even a tiny speck of dirt on the blade itself there will be hell to pay.

Elizabeth does keep some of her hidden weapons on her person and stares down at one of the guards, practically daring them to say something. After she explains to them why her swords and Aragorn's are sacred it does not mean she will hand over her guns to someone who has never seen them before and it can be quite dangerous.

"My-my lady. Please, i-if you have any other weapons on-on your person… P-please remove them."

The men in her party held their breaths knowing things can get real ugly in a heartbeat. Gandalf leans heavily on his staff, Gimli tries to hold a gulp in, Legolas and Aragorn stand behind her in case of anything.

She just raised an eyebrow, knowing full well this situation brings back memories. "If you wanted to see me na-"

"Abyss." Aragorn warns her to not cause trouble.

"Very well." Elizabeth starts by taking off her cloak and hands it to Legolas, after all it's Loarin's cloak, should not be thrown at some guard. At first everyone can see two guns attached to her waist right above where her belt that holds her sword is supposed to be at. She removes these and places them next to her swords, there is another gun on the small of her back, one on her left thigh, one in her boot, and a big one she pulls out of nowhere. The guards had a look on their faces thinking how is that possible. In her sleeves on her forearms are two long knives, she pulls out a small knife from her other boot, another small one from her calf, belt and one on her upper back. Although the guards don't know what hand-held bombs are, she has three on her person. Plus it doesn't help that she also carries a bow and a quiver of arrows.

Háma is afraid to ask but… "I-is that all?"

Elizabeth nods, although she knows she has needles in her hair and wrist but doesn't want to take them out, it's too much work. It would be a pain to untangle her hair just to remove the barb wire from her head.

Gimli's eyes are wide just like the guards, he knew the woman packed a lot, just not this much. "How does she even walk with all that?"

Aragorn chuckled, remembering when he first met Elizabeth and how surprised he was to learn how much weapons she carries on a daily basis, "I stopped asking those questions a long time ago."

Háma shook his head to clear his mind and saw the staff in the older man's hand. He stopped Gandalf and demanded, "Your staff."

Gandalf leans heavy on his staff acting like an old man, "Oh, no. You would not part an old man from his walking stick?" Háma grimaces and gives a slight nod then turns to lead them into the hall. Gandalf winks at Aragorn. Elizabeth places his hand on her elbow as if to help the elderly man. Both Aragorn and Legolas shook their heads at the mischief in front of them, knowing full well Elizabeth does not need her guns, swords, knives, wires or bombs to steal a kingdom. Same with Gandalf.

As they walk in to greet the King, Elizabeth sees two men, a sickly old pale man, that can use a hair and a bread trim on the throne and a man dressed in black with a gray skin tone and looks a bit like a worm. They are whispering to one another but to Elizabeth all she can see is poison coming out the worm and into the ear of the old king. The doors close behind them. Elizabeth watches the guards walk up three sets ready for anything.

Gandalf greets the king, "The courtesy of your hall has somewhat lessened of late Théoden King."

Grima whispers quite loudly, "He's not welcome."

Théoden haltingly, "Why should I welcome you, Gandalf Stormcrow?"

Grima nodded as if he didn't put words into the king's head, "A just question my liege. Late is the hour in which this conjuror chooses to appear. Láthspell I name him, ill news; and ill news is an ill guest."

Gandalf releases Elizabeth's arm and walks closer to the pair, "Be silent. Keep your forked tongue behind your teeth. I have not passed through fire and death to bandy crude words with a witless worm."

Grima ignores his words and his eyes narrowed into slits observing the staff, "His staff. I told you to take the wizard's staff." Grima hisses at the guards and backs away. Soldiers come rushing forward. Aragorn, Elizabeth, Gimli, and Legolas fight them off. Háma holds back Gamling from joining. Grima tries to get away from the fight and the group but trips over a weapon and falls to the ground.

Gandalf continues forward as if nothing is going on. "Théoden son of Thengel. Too long have you sat in the shadows."

Gimli hurries with his fight to reach him. He puts his foot on Grima's chest, stopping him from getting up. "I would stay still if I were you."

"Harken to me." Théoden grimaces and lets out a slight growl. Gandalf raises his hand. "I release you from this spell."

"Hahahahaahaha! Hahahahahahah! You have no power here Gandalf the Grey." Théoden is still laughing like a mad man.

Suddenly Gandalf takes off the gray cloak, revealing the white cloaks that he now wears. Théoden screams.

"I will draw you Saruman as poison is drawn from a wound." Théoden slams back against the throne, Gandalf gets closer pointing his staff at Théoden.

Éowyn enters and tries to run to Théoden, but Aragorn grabs her and stops her. "Wait."

"If I go, Théoden dies."

Gandalf again throws him back against the throne with his staff. "You could not kill me, you will not kill him."

Théoden said, "Rohan is mine."

Gandalf throws him against the throne again. "Be gone."

Théoden screams and lunges at Gandalf, he hits Théoden with the staff. Saruman slides across the floor in Orthanc. Théoden moans and slides down in the chair. Aragorn lets Éowyn go and she runs over and catches Théoden. She puts him back up in the throne. His face begins to change back into the younger Théoden. Éowyn smiles at him.

Théoden is feeling new and young as if a heavy cloud has been lighted. He looks at the girl in white kneeling at his throne and touches her face softly, "I know your face. Éowyn. Éowyn. Gandalf?"

Gandalf looks realized that his friend is free from the curse, "Breathe the free air again my friend."

"Dark have been my dreams of late." Théoden looks at his hands.

"Your fingers would remember their old strength better if they grasped your sword." Gandalf said.

Háma comes up with Théoden's sword, Théoden takes it. Grima attempts to slide away. Gimli grabs him. Théoden looks at his sword, then to Grima who is cowering on the floor. Grima is thrown out of the hall down the stairs. Théoden is following him.

Grima tried to get into the furious king's good graces, "I've only ever served you my lord."

Théoden shouts to the black worm, "Your witchcraft would have had me crawling on all fours like a beast!"

Grima pleds, "Send me not from your sight."

Théoden raises his sword to strike, Aragorn stops him.

"No, my lord. No my lord. Let him go. Enough blood has been spilt on his account." Aragorn offers a hand to Grima to help him up.

Grima spits into Aragorn's palm and gets up and runs through the crowd. "Get out of my way!"

Aragorn wipes the blood and spit off his hand. Aragorn looks out and sees the people's faces and knows they need a leader, a king now more than ever, "Hail Théoden King!"

The Rohirrim bow to Théoden, Grima rides away from Edoras. Aragorn bows to Théoden. Théoden turns around and looks at the people from the hall.

Théoden looks around trying to find the one person who is very important to him, "Where is Théodred? Where is my son?"

Elizabeth watches from the sidelines as Théodred's body is brought to the graves of past kings, carried on the shoulders of Rohirrim. The townspeople are gathered, making a slow procession behind the body. Éowyn is seen waiting at the open tomb with the other women and children. As Théodred's body is passed through hands into the tomb, Eowyn bursts into a heartfelt chant.

"Bealocwealm hafað fréone frecan forth onsended giedd sculon singan gléomenn sorgiende on Meduselde þæt he ma no wære his dryhtne dyrest and mæga deorost. Bealo…"

Elizabeth doesn't look away as the tomb is shut, blocking out the sound of Eowyn's chant as her memories of her own child, the days he was happy and didn't let his sickness slow him down. Long conversation of the difference of who was Lord and who was a Captain, and finally the funeral, one made for royalty in the pirate world and now he's one with the sea and with his father in the afterlife.

"...wann… Lady Swann… Elizabeth."

"Legolas!"

"I do apologize, it wasn't my intention to scare you. You were many miles away."

"It's my fault. And yes, I got lost in the sea of memories."

"...may I ask of who?"

"My son… He was young when he passed away, it was from a sickness that only children got and my son was one of the many who died. He was only eleven…"

"What was he like?"

"Hm… It depends on the day, one day he's a little prince, the next, a rascal of a brat. I loved him for it. Always curious; wanting to find the answers for everything. Smart, brave, kind. A perfect mix of my husband and I… I know what Théoden is going through and no parent should ever have to bury their child." Elizabeth turns to go inside to find Aragorn or one of the guards who were watching her weapons. Legolas stays out to keep watch and he catches Gandalf's whisper in the air before he retreat inside as well.

"He was strong in life, his spirit will find its way to the halls of your fathers. Westu hál. Ferðu, Théodred, Ferðu." Gandalf turns to go back to the keep, but he sees a horse coming over the hill and stops. The boy falls off the horse.

The boy and the girl are now eating inside the hall. Éowyn is speaking to them in a soft tone to get the answers they need. Aragorn and Elizabeth spare a pipe, while Gimli eats and Legolas stands as he watches and hears everything that goes on. Théoden is sitting in his throne watching the children closely with Gandalf next to him.

Éowyn slowly stands as she explains what the children told her. The men and Elizabeth can hear the anger in her voice, "They had no warning, they were unarmed. Now the wildmen are moving through the westfold, burning as they go. Rick, cot, and tree." She turns back to the children to take care of them.

Freyda, the little girl, asked, "Where is mamma?"

Éowyn laying a blanket over the girl's shoulders, "Shh."

Gandalf explains to Théoden what lays ahead of him, "This is but a taste of the terror Saruman will unleash. All the more potent for he is driven mad by fear of Sauron. Ride out and meet him head on. Draw him away from your women and children. You must fight."

Elizabeth nodded in agreement with Gandalf's statement and spoke to the King from where she sat, "You have two thousand good men riding north as we speak." She grabs the pipe for a smoke as Aragorn finishes her train of thought, "Éomer is loyal to you. His men will return and fight for their King."

Théoden rising from his throne, "They will be three hundred leagues from here by now. Éomer cannot help us. I know what it is you want of me, but I will not bring further death to my people. I will not risk open war."

Aragorn, Elizabeth and Legolas gave one another a look and knew what they must do.

Aragorn got Théoden's attention once more, "Open war is upon you…" he takes back the pipe and blows out the smoke.

"...Whether you would risk it or not." Elizabeth stares into Théoden's eyes knowing what she said is true.

Théoden pays attention to Aragorn and Elizabeth and somehow notices how in sync they are with one another. He has only witnessed that with the elves from a long time ago, back when they would help. But he can't help but feel those two are looking down at him as if he doesn't know how to run his own kingdom, "When I last looked, Théoden, not Aragorn or Abyss, was King of Rohan."

Aragorn nods his head as an apology but Elizabeth just blows out the smoke in her lungs and stares at the King almost as if she's daring him to say something that will cause trouble. After all, she does not follow the rules very well. To her they're just guidelines.

Gandalf stands and asks the question, "Then what is the King's decision?"

Aragorn: Areth *Elizabeth's elvish name it means royal

Legolas: Hiro hyn hîdh ab 'wanath. *May they find peace after death*

Legolas: Aragorn, nad no ennas! *Something's out there.*

Aragorn: Man cenich? *What do you see?*

Éowyn: Bealocwealm hafað fréone frecan forth onsended giedd sculon singan gléomenn sorgiende on Meduselde þæt he ma no wære his dryhtne dyrest and mæga deorost. Bealo… *An evil death has set forth the noble warrior. A song shall sing sorrowing minstrels in Meduseld that he is no more, to his lord dearest and kinsmen most belover. An evil death…*

Gandalf: Westu hál. Ferðu, Théodred, Ferðu." *Be-thou well. Go-thou, Théodred, go-thou.*