AN: Um... hi?

I know, I know, it's been more than 2 years and for that I apologise. Life happened, adult stuff, uni work... I can't promise another chapter soon, but I've never forgotten about this story. I know exactly where I'm going. Thank you so much for everyone who has followed and liked and reviewed, who has read and loved this story. This chapter is for you.

Without further ado:

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. . .Chapter 27- The Ents. . .

.~.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."
― Martin Luther King Jr.

.~.

Suddenly, muffled shouts and cries of pain came from ahead and Mithrandir was long gone. Her blood ran cold. Orcs? She darted forward with a burst of energy.

As she neared closer, Alysae heard familiar voices she thought she would not hear again.

"Please, Gandalf! Tell him we're not orcs!"

The blinding light emaning from Mithrandir's white cloak made it difficult to see straight ahead; and so she could only catch a glimpse of a great, tall shadow. It seemed to have two arms and legs and was the same colour as the trees around. Two wriggling things were in its ragged hands.

Alysae's eyes widened. "Merry? Pippin?"

-xxx-

"So you're telling me that Ents are real? As in they still exist?" whispered Alysae, staring partly in wonder and partly in fear at the tree-like creature.

Gandalf sighed, "Well, Treebeard is right there in front of you, child."

It was a shocking sight indeed. After hundreds of years of believing them to be extinct, to actually be in front of one… Oh, she could not wait to tell Erestor about it! He would be most eager to revise his library.

Besides, Alysae was really glad that both Merry and Pippin were safe and that the great Ent had agreed that they were Hobbits and not Orcs. It would have been quite messy otherwise. Indeed, the huge Ent seemed to have tremendous force and the Hobbits were as squish able as bugs to him.

At the moment, they were sleeping at her sides, Lothlorien cloaks covering their resting forms. But Alysae was too excited to try to find sleep.

"Haroomph," said Treebeard, his moss- whiskers trembling. He leaned down slowly, leaves rustling and branches creaking, his yellow owlish eyes blinking at her. "We… have met before," he breathed, the deep rumble of an old tree.

Alysae gasped. "We-we have?" Palms fisted into her tunic, she glanced at Mithrandir. The wizard was as unreadable as ever but his brows were furrowed. She gritted her teeth. It would not surprise her if that blasted wizard knew another thing she didn't!

Treebeard rumbled. "Hrum, it was not long ago… But perhaps, hrum, to you it was many… years ago." He blinked slowly. "I recognise those… eyes."

The blonde sat up straighter, swallowing. There was a time, before she was found in Mirkwood, a time she had no recollection of. Those memories from then eluded her. It was one of the greatest mysteries of her life: who was she? What had happened to her? Who were her parents? What had happened to them?

To know at least one thing about that time brought so many questions. Why had she been in Fangorn? It was not the sort of place you'd bring a young child to. Maybe Treebeard knew other things then. Maybe he knew who she'd travelled with. Maybe…

She took a shaky breath. "Was I traveling with anyone, do you remember?"

"Hrum, hrum, my memory is not… what it used to be… You were very… small." Treebeard ruffled his twig eyebrows. "Hrum… There was…hrum. A red fox. Yes…"

Alysae blinked. A strange feeling overcame her. A red fox? That could not be… That was simply too strange, too much of a coincidence. She suddenly felt very dizzy. She took another breath, trying to pierce that mystery. "But there wasn't anybody else? There must have been someone!"

Treebeard shook his head, a couple of leaves fluttering to the ground. "No…"

"But…"

"Alysae," cut Gandalf, his keen eyes as piercing as ever. "Now is the time for rest. Tomorrow will be important." He grabbed his stick from where it had been resting against the trunk of an oak tree. "Stay close to the Hobbits."

"But where are you going? We only just got here!" Alysae shot up to her feet, not caring that in her haste she'd accidentally knocked into Merry.

He groaned and blinked blearily. "What's the matter?"

Pippin only mumbled in his sleep.

Mithrandir sighed. "I must make haste, I am needed elsewhere. You, however," he levelled Alysae with a stern look, "are needed here. You and the Hobbits have a much bigger role to play here than you know."

"Are you going to see the Fellowship?" asked Alysae desperately.

"I am headed South," was all he said. He began to walk away but Alysae hurried after him.

"Please!" She called to him. "Please do not tell my brother!"

Gandalf did not slow down but he turned his head to give her a small smile. And then he had disappeared amongst the shadows of the trees. Alysae was only left to stare incredulously.

"Huh?" said Pippin, rising from the floor, rubbing at his eyes. His hair was all swept up on one side.

-xxx-

It took her a long time to fall asleep.

But when she did, her mind was plagued with restless dreams. Snatches and fragments jumbled up together in a mess. There was her father looking worried, Aragorn shouting, her brother running, Elrohir smiling, and somebody was saying her name. A deep hiss that echoed around, painting the sky red and dark. Alysae….

She shot up.

A soft snore besides her disturbed the heavy quietness of the forest. A timid light made its way through the thick canopies above, bathing the surrounding areas in a sort of twilight glow.

Alysae brought up her knees to her chin. She watched as Merry and Pippin slept besides her, gold curls falling against their foreheads.

If Gandalf thought that the three of them were going to play an important part, well she had serious doubts. What could a dying girl and two hobbits do to save Middle earth? She wondered if it was a ploy from the wizard to keep them out of trouble… or to prevent them from causing trouble. The whole point of her leaving Lothlorien was so that she could do something to be useful, to help in the War of the Rings and not stay behind. And yet here she was, staying behind, not helping. Useless.

"Haroom," came Treebeard's deep rumble. His slow heavy footsteps left dents in the ground while Merry and Pippin stirred from the tremors beneath them. "I… brought you breakfast. Haroom."

Creaking, the Ent slowly lowered his large wooden hand to the three friends. In the middle, a bunch of berries and nuts lay in a small pile.

"Thank you," said Alysae uncertainly.

-xxx-

Apparently, Treebeard had to bring them to some other part of the forest, where a meeting of the Ents would be held. This prospect greatly excited Alysae for it meant that there were numerous Ents, when previously she'd thought that they were only legends.

What she didn't appreciate was the way they were going there.

Knuckles white, she grabbed onto a branch from Treebeard's neck. Her legs swung out with each step the giant Ent took. The rough wood of his shoulder scraped against her backside. The Hobbits weren't doing better either.

The journey through Fangorn was surreal. Each of Treebeard's massive strides sent ripples through the forest floor, shaking the ancient trees and causing flurries of leaves to drift down like soft rain. Alysae clung tightly to the Ent's rough bark, trying to keep herself steady as her thoughts whirled faster than the wind whispering through the branches above.

Merry and Pippin were holding on as best as they could, their wide eyes darting around, trying to take in every detail of the mysterious forest. The Hobbits seemed torn between their fear of falling and their excitement at the adventure, and Alysae couldn't help but admire their resilience. She wondered if she had any of that same resilience left within her.

Treebeard hummed a deep, slow tune as he moved, a song of the old world, full of ancient words that Alysae could barely catch. His voice blended with the rustling leaves, creating an otherworldly melody that wrapped around them like a cocoon.

"Hrum-hroom," Treebeard muttered, as if continuing a conversation that had been interrupted a thousand years ago. "The Entmoot… hrmm… will be soon. Much… to discuss. Yes, hroom."

Alysae's heart skipped a beat at the mention of the Entmoot. She had read about such gatherings in old scrolls and listened to tales from the Elves of Rivendell, but never had she imagined she would witness one herself. But her excitement was tempered by her growing anxiety about what Treebeard had said earlier—about recognizing her from before. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was something important she had yet to uncover about her past.

"Treebeard," she called softly, trying to keep her voice steady as she adjusted her grip. The Ent's massive head turned slightly, his ancient eyes blinking at her with slow, deliberate patience. "This Entmoot… will they decide to go to war?"

"Hroom, hroom," Treebeard rumbled thoughtfully. "The Ents… do not rush into matters of war. We must… consider all… the trees, all the creatures. The world is changing, hroom, and so must we."

Alysae's chest tightened. The fate of Middle-earth could very well depend on this decision, and she couldn't shake the feeling that time was slipping away from them. But how could she, a sick girl with no past, hope to influence beings as old and wise as the Ents?

The journey continued in silence, save for the occasional rustle of leaves or the murmur of Treebeard's ancient voice. Finally, they reached a clearing where the trees seemed to draw closer together, forming a natural circle. The air here was thick with an ancient magic that made Alysae's skin tingle. This was no ordinary place—this was the heart of Fangorn, where the Entmoot would take place.

As Treebeard gently lowered them to the ground, Alysae's legs wobbled beneath her, and she stumbled slightly. Merry reached out to steady her, concern etched on his face. "Are you alright, Alysae?"

"I'm fine," she lied, offering him a weak smile. In truth, she felt weaker than ever, but she couldn't afford to show it. Not now. Not when so much was at stake.

The clearing began to fill with other Ents, each one as tall and ancient as Treebeard, with faces carved from the bark of their trees. Their eyes glowed softly in the twilight, and their deep voices rumbled through the air like distant thunder.

Alysae, Merry, and Pippin stood at the edge of the circle, feeling small and insignificant in the presence of these ancient beings. But Alysae knew that this was her chance—perhaps her only chance—to make a difference.

She took a deep breath and stepped forward, feeling the eyes of the Ents upon her. "Great Ents of Fangorn," she began, her voice trembling slightly. "I know that I am but a child in your eyes, and that my words may seem insignificant. But I beg you to listen."

The Ents' gazes were heavy with the weight of ages, and Alysae fought to keep her composure as she continued. "The darkness that spreads across Middle-earth will not stop with the lands of Men and Elves. It will come for the forests, for the trees, for all living things. Just like it happened in Mirkwood. We need your help. Without you, we cannot hope to defeat the enemy."

There was a long silence, broken only by the creaking of the trees and the distant call of a bird. The Ents did not speak, but Alysae could feel their ancient minds turning, considering her words.

"Hroom, hroom," Treebeard finally said, his voice thoughtful. "This is no small matter… Alysae of Mirkwood. But the Entmoot… must decide."

Alysae nodded, knowing that she had done all she could for now. She stepped back, feeling the weight of the Ents' consideration pressing down on her. All she could do now was wait.

Pippin tugged her sleeve toward him and Merry, both of their eyes wide at the sight of the Ents.

As the Ents began to speak in their slow, rumbling language, Alysae found herself once again lost in thought. What had Treebeard meant when he said they had met before? And who was the red fox that had accompanied her? The questions swirled in her mind, refusing to settle.

And in the midst of it all, a quiet voice whispered at the back of her mind, barely audible but unmistakable. Alysae… Alysae…

She shivered, pulling her cloak tighter around her. Somewhere in the depths of Fangorn, something—or someone—was calling her. But whether it was a memory from her past or something far more sinister, she could not yet tell.

The meeting showed no sign of concluding and, exhausted by the day's events, Merry, Pippin and Alysae huddled together against the base of a great oak tree, eyelids drooping.

The Princess's fingers twisted against her riding tunic as the Hobbits' quiet snoring mingled with the rumbling of the Ents. What if the Ents decided to not go to War? Then all of it would have been for nothing.

And worse, she had a strange, nagging feeling that something important was just beyond her grasp.

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