Gwendolyn

- 16 | E D O R A S

I smiled and my smiled widened when I saw Hasufal and Arod running towards us. Aragorn swing himself into the saddle and held is hand out to help me up. I took his hand and he pulled me behind him. When everyone sat on his horse, Gandalf rode away with us on his heels.

A couple days later, we rode through the gate of Edoras. The words of Gandalf repeating itself in my head. Don't expect a warm welcome. My grip on Aragorn tightened. I was nervous. Aragorn put his hand on my hand and squeezed in it. I smiled a bit and laid as response my head on his back. I saw a woman in a white dress staring at us from the main hall. She had long, beautiful golden hair. "Who is that?" I whispered to Aragorn. He looked in the direction I gestured. "I guess that's Theodens niece, but I forgot her name." I nodded and we rode further.

"You'll find more joy on a graveyard," Gimli said. He was right. Everyone looked so depressed. We rode to the main hall and mounted. The stable boys came running towards us and took our horses.

The captain of the gard steppes forward. "I can not let you go armed before Theoden King, by order of Grima Wormtongue." Gandalf nodded and a soldier came towards me. I gave him my bow, quiver and sword. Aragorn looked at me and raised one eyebrow. I sighted and took two daggers and a knife and laid it in the arms of the soldier. "Fine, that's it, I swear." The soldier looked kinda surprised and I gave him a quick smile. I walked over to Aragorn. "You have still your dagger right?" He whispered. I nodded and laid my hand on the dagger Arwen gave to me. "Always," I whispered back.

"Your staff," the captain said to Gandalf.

"You would not part an old man from his walking stick, would you?" Gandalf looked at him innocently. The guard hesitated for a moment but when Legolas walked over to Gandalf and 'helped' him walk, he lead us into the Hall.

He bowed to the man on the throne and walked to the side. The king was an old man, if he didn't moved, I would have assumed he was dead. A man with black hair hissed something in his ear the moment he saw us.

"The courtesy of your hall is somewhat lessened of late, Théoden king," Gandalf began.

Again the man hissed something in the ear of the king.

"Why should I welcome you, Gandalf Stormcrow?" Théoden groaned with great effort.

I glanced at Aragorn. This wasn't going as I thought it would go. He smiled slightly at me and touched my hand. I relaxed and looked back at the king.

The man with black hair had stood up. "A just question, my liege. Late is the hour in which this conjured chooses to appear. Lathspell I name him. Ill news is an ill guest."

"Be silent!" Gandalf snapped. "Keep you forked tongue behind you teeth. I have not passed through fire and death to bandy crooked words with a witless worm." He lifted his staff and for a moment I saw fear in the black eyes of the man.

"His staff! I told you to take the wizard's staff!" He yelled, stepping back.

Out of nowhere, guards appeared and grabbed at us. I took a step back so I was out of reach from a guard and elbowed the man behind me.

"Théoden, son of Thengel," Gandalf began, stepping closer to Théoden. "Too long have you sat in the shadows."

I kicked a guard in the chest and turned around to punch another in his face. I looked around and saw that we were winning. Gimli had taken the man with the black hair.

"I would stay still if I were you," he warned the man.

"Hearken to me!" Gandalf continued. "I release you from the spell!"

While watching Gandalf I didn't saw a guard sneaking up behind me. He grabbed me and I head butted him. His hands went to his face and I turned around to kick him in his manhood.

I turned back to the king when I heard him laugh.

"You have no power here, Gandalf the Grey!" The king exclaimed.

Gandalf took off his grey cloak and we were all blinded by a white light.

"I will draw you Saruman, like poison from a wound," Gandalf said, fixing his staff on the king.

I heard footsteps and turned around, ready to attack another guard but stopped when I saw the golden haired woman. She looked at the king with wide eyes and dashed forward to help him but Aragorn stopped her.

"Wait," I could hear him whisper.

"If I go, Théoden dies." Théoden hissed but this time not in his voice.

"You did not kill me," Gandalf replied, "And you will not kill him."

"Rohan is mine!" Théoden hissed.

"Be gone!" Gandalf and the king fell into his throne. Aragorn let the woman go and she ran to the king, catching him when he felt. The king seemed to grow younger and I gasped.

"I know your face," he whispered at the woman. "Éowyn." The woman smiled, tears were in her eyes, and she nodded."

The king looked up. "Gandalf?"

Gandalf smiled. "Breath the free air again, my fiend."

A guard ran into the hall, carrying a sword with him. Théoden unsheathed the sword and his eyes met the black ones from Grima. With a nod of the king, Grima was carried outside by two guards and thrown from the stairs. I jogged along, not wanting to miss anything. Théoden walked slowly from the stairs, still carrying his sword.

"I only served you my lord," Grima begged.

"Your leechcraft would have had me crawling on all fours like a beast!" The king snapped angrily.

"Sent me not from your side!" The man begged again. Théoden raised his sword, ready to strike him when Aragorn stopped him.

"No, my lord! Let him go. Enough blood has been spilled on his account." Aragorn said quietly.

Grima stood up and ran through the crowd. "Get out of my way!"

"Hail Théoden king!" Aragorn shouted, kneeling in front of the king. I followed his lead, as did the people of Rohan. The king looked around, looking for something or someone.

"Where is Theodred? Where is my son?"