abnormal tragedy

Chapter 25: camp

Legolas mounted the horse and gave Rowan a hand. Taking it, she climbed and sat in front of him. He took the reins, and seeing how tired she was to even hold on to something, he said to Rowan softly: ''You can rest against me.'' Rowan smiled and did as she was told, soon they reached the burning pile. Gimli was already there. "Come on love birds.." Gimli  muttered as he started to go through pile and pulls out a charred belt.

 Rowan froze, "It's one of their little belts." She whispers as she feels a tear drip down to her chin. Legolas hugs her from behind and whispers, "Hiro hyn hîdh ab wanath" (May they find peace in death) so Rowan could feel it down her back. She shivered. ''No, don't say that,'' She argued.

Rowan was growing worried and impatient. Stupidly she decided to kick  an orc helmet. She yelled as if physically injured as she fell to her knees. She then started to cry in her hands and Gimli walked over and stood behind her, "We failed them." He said as Rowan looked down at his feet. She noticed something. "A Hobbit lay here, and the other." She said pointing to another track not too far away.  "They crawled." Rowan starts to follow the tracks, with Legolas and Gimli behind her as she explains what must've happen to the hobbits. "Their hands were bound." Rowan continues to think out loud. "Their bonds were cut." Rowan then holds up a broken rope.  "They ran over here... and were followed." She murmured the last part hoping it wasn't true. "The tracks lead away from the battle! Into... Fangorn Forest." Rowan finished as the three looked up into a very dense forest.

"Fangorn! What madness drove them in there?" Gimli muttered.  ''One of them left it as a sign. They are alive. They must be,'' Rowan said. ''The Uruks do not yet know that they don't have the Ringbearer. And I'm sure they'd want him alive.''

''Smart thinking, lass,'' said Gimli. ''I told you they were alive!'' Rowan grinned as she walked straight towards the forest in a way of saying 'what are we waiting for?' Though Legolas stopped her, ''We cannot enter this forest now and venture through it during the night,'' he said. ''We will rest until dawn.'' They made camp and Legolas started to cook. Gimli was humming to himself as Rowan sharpened her sword her hands trembling. Legolas noticed, "We will find them.. I promise." He reassured Rowan as she looked back at him, he noticed the extreme fear in her eyes as she was also apart from her brother not knowing where he had gone. "He'll be fine too.." Rowan nodded before she returned inside their tent, silently having not eaten. 

...

Legolas woke up to the sound of screaming. Rowan. 

"Arhhh!" Rowan screamed as she put her hands to her head. Legolas rushed out of the tent, with his bow ready, followed by a grumpy Gimli, who had just been woken up. "Where are the horses?" She yelled, searching everywhere. Legolas scratched the back of head. "''They'd stirred but I thought it'd pass, that they'd calm down. Alas, they broke free. There was nothing we could do.'' Rowan glared at him. "When!?" Her words sounded bitter. "Last night." Gimli contributed. Rowan sighed, "So you both knew, and you didn't tell me?" Legolas and Gimli both looked down. "That was our escape route" Rowan sighed putting her hands over her face. "Well.. we better be on our way." Rowan declared as she went back into her tent to gather her bag and sword before quickly returning.

It was a quiet path they followed. The trees of the forest around the three of them were of a lighter colour, and creaked in the gentle breeze that passed through them and rustled their leaves. Streaks of sunlight filtered through the canopy and Rowan lifted her face towards it, feeling her skin warm from the splashes of light. The dirt path beneath her boots was worn and easy to follow through the heavy brush on either side. This was an old path. A path that had been tread on by many a traveler on their ways to various destinations.

Gimli tasted some liquid on a leaf as they carried on walking through Fangorn forest, he then almost immediately spits it out. "Orc blood!" Rowan laughed as they carried on. She moved her hand and ran it through the top of her hair then down the length of the braid on her shoulder and smiled. Surprise rocked through Rowan as she quickly moved her eyes to re evaluate her surroundings. They were in the Fangorn forest, the source of many tales of woe. Tales of the trees remembering creatures of the past hurting it's forests, and taking revenge on anyone who dared brave it's wilderness. She glanced behind her at the tall trees still swaying in the breeze. Their journey through it had been peaceful. 

"These are strange tracks." Rowan said after a moment. She was now on her nears ruffling her hands in the forest floor.  "The air is so close here." Gimli added looking up at Legolas. "This forest is old. Very old. Full of memory... and anger." Legolas replied as bass voices were heard from the trees. Gimli raises his axe as a defence. "The trees are speaking to each other." Legolas whispered. 

"Gimli!" Rowan whispered and Gimli looked confused, "Huh?" Rowan stepped closer and lowered Gimli's axe.  "Lower your axe." Legolas smiled at Rowan and then turned to face Gimli. "They have feelings, my friend. The Elves began it: waking up the trees, teaching them to speak." All Rowan heard Gimli mutter was, "Talking trees. What do trees have to talk about, hmm? Except the consistency of squirrel droppings" as they walked deeper into Fangorn forest. Legolas stopped, "Rowan, nad no ennas!" (Something is out there!)

Rowan then stopped. "Man cenich?" (What do you see?) She asks as Legolas' eyes dart to his right. There is then silence as no one dares to move. "The White Wizard approaches." Legolas whispered as he pulled Rowan closer to him so she couldn't get hurt. "Do not let him speak. He will put a spell on us!" Rowan ordered as she wrapped her hand around the hilt of her sword, Gimli tightened his hold on his axe, and Legolas fingered his arrow. "We must be quick." The three turn around to attack, but are blinded by a bright light emanating from the White Wizard.

"Argh!" Gimli shouts as his axe and Legolas' arrow are deflected. Rowan drops her sword as it becomes hot in her grasp.  "You are tracking the footsteps of two young Hobbits." The Wizard shouted in Saruman's voice. Rowan drew her sword, "Where are they?" she demanded. "They passed this way, the day before yesterday. They met someone they did not expect. Does that comfort you?" The voice called out. "Who are you? Show yourself!" Gimli shouted just before the light dims, revealing Gandalf, dressed in white. Legolas bowed before Gandalf, Gimli following him. "It cannot be!" Rowan murmured. 

"Forgive me. I mistook you for Saruman." Legolas apologised as Gandalf replied. "I am Saruman. Or rather Saruman as he should have been."

"You fell!" Rowan stammered. "Through fire. And water. From the lowest dungeon to the highest peak, I fought him, the Balrog of Morgoth. Until at last, I threw down my enemy and smote his ruin upon the mountainside. Darkness took me. And I strayed out of thought and time. Stars wheeled overhead, and every day was as long as the life age of the earth.  But it was not the end. I felt light in me again. I've been sent back until my task is done." Gandalf explained. 

"Gandalf!" Rowan exclaimed. "Gandalf? Oh yes. That's what they used to call me. Gandalf the Grey. That was my name." Gandalf smiled. "Gandalf!" Gimli repeated and Rowan saw him smile for the first time since Moria. "I am Gandalf the White and I come back to you now, at the turn of the tide."