✓ Wizard's Apprentice | Legolas |

Book One: Chapter Eight

  I touched a red substance on a leaf. It was fresh.

"Orc blood," Gimli said to me. Aragorn suddenly halted in front of us.

"These are strange tracks." Gimli gave a look of fear.

"The air is so close in here." I reached out and touched a tree. I could see it's memories and feel it's emotions. I grabbed Legolas and had him touch the tree also.

"This forest is old. Full of memory and anger." I nodded in agreement as groans began to reverberate throughout the forest.

"The trees are speaking to each other," Legolas and I said in unison. Gimli waved his axe around fearfully.

"Gimli, lower your axe." He did.

"They have feelings, my friend. The Elves began it. Waking up the trees, teaching them to speak," Legolas said reverently.

"Talking trees. What do trees have to talk about except the consistency of squirrel droppings?" Gimli asked. I giggled as Legolas suddenly ran off.

"Something's out there," Legolas said in elvish tongue. Aragorn came up behind him.

"What do you see?" What Legolas said in reply made me freeze for a moment.

"The white wizard approaches." I clenched my fists tightly as the other three turned to me. Crap, what did I do?

"Could you possibly use your magic against him?" Aragorn asked in a too sweet voice, trying to persuade me. I sighed after a quick consideration and nodded. Suddenly a bright light enveloped us and Gimli threw his axe, which shattered. Legolas and Aragorn attempted to do the same thing but each were no match. I sent flames towards the light, only to see it dissolve.

"You are tracking the footsteps of two young hobbits," the wizard said.

"Where are they?"

"They passed this way the day before yesterday. They met someone they did not expect. Does that comfort you?" What game is the white wizard playing? Of course it doesn't comfort us. I stepped towards the light.

"You're not the only wizard here. I learned from the best!" I said defiantly. The White Wizard chuckled and stepped forward, revealing his identity. I gasped when I realized that it was Gandalf.

"You learned from the best indeed, Arietta." My mouth hung open as I stared in amazement. Gimli and Legolas kneeled down in front of Gandalf.

"Forgive me. I mistook you for Saruman."

"I am Saruman. Or rather Saruman as he should have been." Gandalf then explained his journey.

"I've been sent back until my task is done," he finished.

"Gandalf."

"Gandalf? Yes, that's what they used to call me," he said as if he was confused which made me a little uneasy. I decided to try and confront it.

"Gandalf, you don't remember everything, do you?"

"Of course I remember. Why would you think that?" he asked curiously.

"Well, you forgot your old name. But I think I know why you don't remember everything."

"Enlighten me, Arietta," he said, raising his eyebrows.

"I think that if you remembered everything, you could not be the White Wizard. You would have too many impurities to be the White Wizard." Gandalf looked taken aback about my bold statement. The other three looked stunned.

"Your curiousity will get you killed one of these days, Arietta. Sometimes it's best not to know everything," Gandalf said in a stern voice. I knew I crossed a line and he wanted me to drop the subject, which I did.

"What are we we going to do now?" I said, changing the topic.

"We are going to travel to Edoras with all speed."

"Edoras? That is no short distance!" Gimli protested.

"We hear of trouble in Rohan. It goes ill with the king," Aragorn added.

"Yes, and it will not easily be cured. That's why I'll need your help, Arietta. Your healing is remarkable." I glared at him.

"Gandalf, I can't."

"Or you won't," Gandalf said in an annoyed voice. It caught me off guard a little bit. He was usually annoyed at the hobbits but not to me. He said that he always thought of me as his daughter. I didn't like this new Gandalf. It actually hurt me and things usually don't get to me such as insults. I looked up at Gandalf who saw my wounded expression and immediately softened.

"I don't want a power as great as yours wasted. Please help me," he said quietly.

"I will help you but if someone gets hurt, it won't be my fault. It will be yours." Gandalf nodded before we began to walk.

************

  We rode across the plains and came to a walled city.

"Edoras and the golden hall of Meduseld. There dwells Theoden, King Of Rohan. Be careful of what you say. Do not look for welcome here. Oh, Arietta, women here keep their mouths shut." I snickered.

"Well, I'm not a woman from here. Besides, if they tell me to shut up, I will caught them on fire. See, it's really simple." Gandalf smiled coyly at me.

"You never change." We rode through the gate and recieved many wary looks from the villagers as if we brought doom or something.

"You'd find more cheer in a graveyard," Gimli said and I agreed.

***So I hoped that you enjoyed this. I'll be gone for the weekend so I won't update most likely.***