When we have been walking through the forest for a while, I can't stop my curiosity anymore. I look over at Gandalf walking in front of me.

,,Gandalf, are they still alive?" He looks at me with raised eyebrows. ,,The hobbits." His mouth forms into an "oh" as he smiles at me.

,,Yes and very safe, I assure you." He answers. I sigh in relief. ,,One stage of your journey is over, another begins. War has come to Rohan. We must ride to Edoras with all speed."

,,Edoras?" Gimli speaks. ,,That is no short distance!"

,,We heard of trouble in Rohan," Aragorn says, ignoring Gimli's complaint. ,,it goes ill with the king."

,,Yes, and it will not be easily cured."

,,Then we have run all this way for nothing?" Gimli shouts, earning a glance from me.

,,Gimli, we're going to Edoras. We must help whenever we can."

,,Are you really going to leave those poor hobbits here in this horrid, dark, dank, tree-infested -" Once more the angry groans of the trees reviberates through the forest. ,,I mean charming, quite charming forest." I roll my eyes. Gimli has been complaining a lot lately.

,,It was more than a mere chance that brought Merry and Pippin to Fangorn." Gandalf turns to look at me now. ,,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."

,,In one thing you have not changed, dear friend." I tell Gandalf and he gives me a surprised look. ,,You still speak in riddles." Gandalf starts to laugh.

,,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."

,,Strong?!" Gimli says as we hear the trees groan. ,,Oh, that's good."

,,So stop your fretting, master dwarf. Merry and Pippin are quite safe. In fact, they are far safer than you are about to be." I overhear Gimli say to Legolas.

,,This new Gandalf is more grumpy than the old one." We finally emerge from Fangorn. It gave me goosebumps and now I can see way better. Gandalf starts to whistle and a beautiful white horse gallops up the hill. Legolas seems to be in some kind of spell.

,,That is one of the mearas," He says in awe. ,,unless my eyes are cheated by some spell." The horse comes to a stop in front of Gandalf.

,,Shadowfax. He's the lord of all horses and he's been my friend through many dangers." Gandalf explains and mounts Shadowfax. I mount Arod again, while Legolas mounts Hasufel with Gimli.

,,To Rohan!" Gandalf says as he rides before us over the plains. Legolas, with Gimli behind him, and I follow him closely, ready to fight some orcs or Uruk-Hai.

The moon stands high and proud in the sky that night and I lay on my back watching it. We have stopped to rest for a few hours, as Gandalf has assures us we will reach Edoras early the next morning. Still, sleep will not find me as I absently caress the moonstone necklace. Something shifts in the dark and I look over to the side. I see the wizard move through the darkness to sit down upon a rock further away, with his back towards the resting group. With a sigh, I rise from the ground and walk over to join the old man. Gandalf's eyes are ever watching the eastern horizon and he briefly glances in my direction.

,,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." Now he looks at me.

,,I'm no queen, not when Aragorn is still alive."

,,And still you're a descendant of Númenor, Neuma, just like Aragorn. You must be ready to take over if Aragorn is dead." I look at him. Dead? Has he heard something that I haven't?

,,Dead? Is Aragorn dead?" Gandalf shakes his head.

,,Not yet, but I fear he will sooner than later."

,,Aragorn never wanted the throne. He wants to live in Rivendell with Arwen. You have Numenorean blood running through you. We have the advantage. Sauron thinks Aragorn is the only heir left and will reclaim the throne, but he doesn't know Aragorn has a little sister. He will never expect you to claim the throne." I look at him in shock.

,,Wait, you want me to be the next queen of Gondor?" Gandalf nods.

,,Sauron will fear you once he knows you're the one that will bring peace, Neuma. And once he knows that he was focusing on the wrong heir, he will 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." I know there is more to come, but decide to interrupt my friend.

,,There is something you are hiding from me, old friend. Something which concerns me. What are you keeping hidden?" Gandalf gazes down at his pipe. It seems he is internally weighing the pros and cons of admitting anything to me and I don't understand this contemplation.

,,Though Sauron is not above fear himself, he also knows how to inflict it upon others. He is no fool, he has great knowledge of you, Neuma. He knows the moonstone is your greatest strength and weakness."

,,You just said Sauron doesn't know I'm the other heir."

,,He doesn't. He only can feel that the moonstone is powerful. It was the right decision to send Lostariel back to Rivendell, she's safer there." I swallow as I ask him the next question.

,,Tell me old friend. Did Lostariel - Is she sailing to the Undying Lands with her kin?" Gandalf nods.

,,That's the plan." I let out a sigh of relief. The idea Chloe isn't on this world is not something I want, but something that needs. Chloe is the most important person in my life and I don't want her to be captured by either Saruman or Sauron. ,,I suppose you might have guessed it already, but Saruman had not told Sauron that he was taking the hobbits to Isengard." Gandalf continues with his story. ,,Saruman wants the Ring for his own power." I sigh.

,,With each step we take upon our courses, we are all in danger, not simply the moonstone. I wash it was not so, for there is much at stake. Too much, for some, I fear. So much that can be destroyed and lost if we stray from our goal."

,,True. But we still have the advantage on Sauron." Gandalf counters and his eyes twinkles under the bright stars. ,,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." I bow my head. There isn't a day that I'm not worried about Frodo and Sam, all on their own, moving closer to Mordor. I know the dangers that lays ahead for them and can only hope they somehow find the strength and courage to make it through unscathed. Gandalf looks at me now. ,,Do not regret your decision to leave him, Neuma. Frodo must finish this task alone." I offer the wizard a gentle smile.

,,He's not alone. Sam went with him." Gandalf is plainly surprised by this and he gazes, wide-eyed, up at me. At last, his smile returns as relief washes over his features.

,,Did he?" I nod. ,,Did he indeed? Good. Yes, very good." I walk back to my sleeping spot and lie down. Worry is in my mind, but I can't let that guide me. I'm the one Sauron should fear? Gandalf really thinks I have to be the one to rule over Gondor? All this information is a lot to take in. I feel that I'm very tired, so I close my eyes and fall into a peaceful dream about Chloe.