March 5 3019 TA
Gandalf and Théoden's company took leave of the hobbits and went to go find Treebeard while Legolas, Aragorn, Gimli, and by consequence Haldir spoke with Merry and Pippin to eat and learn the remainder of each other's tales. After they spoke of all they could, they went into Isengard themselves to find Gandalf and Théoden. When they spotted them, Gandalf rode forward to meet them. "Well, Treebeard and I have had some interesting discussions, and made a few plans and we have all had some much needed rest. Now we must be going on again. I hope you companions have all rested, too, and refreshed yourselves?"
"We have!" said Merry. "But our discussions began and ended in smoke. Still we feel less ill-disposed towards Saruman than we did."
"Do you indeed?" said Gandalf. "Well, I do not. I have now a last task to do before I go: I must pay Saruman a farewell visit. Dangerous, and probably useless; but it must be done. Those of you who wish may come with me- but beware! And do not jest! This is not the time for it."
Most decided to go with Gandalf, though the Riders waited outside for their lords, while everyone but Merry and Pippin went up. Haldir hung back as well, leaving Legolas to answer for their kind. After Gandalf knocked, Wormtongue answered, and was sent back for his master. Saruman's voice then came, low, musical, and enchanted. Legolas and Gandalf alone of those gathered had heard his voice before, although Haldir had heard it through Almiel, who had not been as enthralled as most who hear it. Though the spell affected everyone, Almiel seemed less effective as she saw the person behind the spell.
"Well? Why must you disturb my rest? Will you give me no peace at all by night or day?" Saruman asked, sounding aggrieved.
"Like and yet unlike." Gimli muttered, observing the differences between Mithrandir and Saruman. "One happens to be a little more brusque than the other." He said even more to himself, glancing at Gandalf.
"But come now, Two at least of you I know by name." And although he spoke to Gandalf and Théoden, his eyes rested on Legolas curiously and somewhat angrily as he did.
As the conversation stretched between Saruman, Théoden, and Gandalf, Haldir began to feel strange once more. Then when it seemed the conversation was drawing to a close, Saruman laughing wildly at Gandalf's demand that he hand over his staff and the Key to Orthanc, Legolas suddenly shifted and looked back, anger and concern in his eyes. Gimli looked at him confused and then Haldir also glanced over his shoulder.
"Good day!" Saruman ended, and started to leave.
"Wait." A commanding voice shot out.
Legolas looked furious, but he could do nothing as Almiel lowered her hood and walked slowly up the steps to join Gandalf. The Riders of Rohan looked at her amazed, her voice had liken power to Saruman, though hers had better purpose than that of the Maia's. The hobbits looked at her happily, though Haldir and Legolas both only watched her warily, and she ignored them completely.
Saruman had faced them more fully once more and when he saw her, he laughed. "Am I thus to be greeted by both of Thranduil's children? One of which I was never actually introduced to. Does thy father know you are here? Shall I send him a message, telling him that his daughter has wandered too far?"
"What my father knows of me is not your concern." Almiel said coolly.
"Oh?" Saruman asked. Then he cocked his head. "Your presence is familiar beyond the time I once saw you." He trailed off and stared at her for a long while. Almiel said nothing. "Yes... I knew it could not have been Galadriel. She is powerful yes, but her power could not slip past my notice. Is it you who wield the last of the Rings? Does thy father entrust you that far? To do what he cannot?"
Almiel laughed. "You assume much. I bear nothing that you can take. Only that which I can give."
Saruman then raised an eyebrow. "As much as this conversation is endearing, I have other things to do. Good-bye." He said again and turned to leave.
"Come back, Saruman!" Gandalf commanded. "I did not give you leave to go." Gandalf then cast him from the order and Saruman fell back. Gandalf was about to tell him to go when a ball hurtled from above. It narrowly missed both Saruman and Gandalf before rolling down the steps toward the hobbits. Almiel cocked her head.
"Gríma." She called softly. Saruman glared at her angrily.
"Don't call my servants!" He yelled.
She smiled. "You wish to know what I can give? So you shall see it."
Legolas moved forward, intending to stop her, but Gandalf grabbed him and held him back. Legolas struggled against him. "Your brother seems anxious to have you stop." Saruman said.
Almiel once more ignored him. "Gríma, come down." She said. Saruman watched amazed as Wormtongue joined him.
"I cannot." He said.
"You can. You do not have to fear him so." She said softly. Saruman narrowed his eyes.
"You think that will stop him? He will always be mine!"
"You do not have to live like this. Join us down here, Gandalf's offer is extended to you as well."
Gandalf raised an eyebrow, but did not interrupt. "Come." She said. "Fear him not." Gríma slowly took a step downward. Gimli watched astounded.
"No, Gríma, you must stay here. We will still win this war." Saruman said, the spell coming into his voice once more.
"You do not have to listen." Almiel said to him. Gríma blinked and took another step down. Saruman stared.
"You cannot do this!" He said, increasing his spell.
Gríma hesitated. Almiel stared at him, now saying nothing. Saruman started speaking again, but no one was paying attention this time. Instead, they were watching as Gríma walked toward them step-by-step until he was even with Gandalf and Almiel. Almiel reached out and extended her hand. Gríma took it, and as he did it appeared to everyone else that he seemed a new person. Color and light filled his face, and his eyes, previously assumed black, now looked a bright blue.
"Impossible." Saruman said. "Who are you?"
"The Daughter of Thranduil." Almiel said coolly. "Just as you yourself said."
"If you can do such to him, why not I?"
"You are not worth it." Almiel said and started to turn away. Saruman lunged forward and grabbed her, but fell back screaming after he did. Legolas very vividly remembered the same thing happening to the Nazgȗl.
"Go!" Gandalf said. Saruman retreated quickly, hiding himself in his Tower. "Come Gríma. You may ride with us, though we do not have an extra horse with us." Then Gandalf caught sight of Pippin. "Here, my lad, I'll take that! I did not ask you to handle it." He took the globe from Pippin and wrapped it in his cloak. "I will take care of this. It is not a thing, I guess, that Saruman would have chosen to cast away."
"Twas the first thing I saw." Gríma said, cheeks blushing slightly.
"Mmm. Let's get out of here." Gimli said.
A few minutes later, a frustrated growl came from the tower, "I think Saruman thinks it was valuable as well. Let us leave him to his own misery!"
They returned now to the gate. "Here are more of my companions, Treebeard. I have spoken of some, but you have not seen them yet." He named all of them.
Then Treebeard spoke to each of them in turn, eyes resting on Almiel and Legolas the longest. "So you have come all the way from Mirkwood, my good Elves? A very great forest it used to be!"
"And still is," said Legolas, "But not so great that we who dwell there ever tire of seeing new trees. I should dearly love to journey in Fanghorn's Wood. I scarcely passed beyond the eaves of it, and I did not wish to turn back."
Treebeard's eyes gleamed with pleasure. "I hope you may have your wish, ere the hills be much older."
"I will come, if I have the fortune. I have made a bargain with my friend that, if all goes well, we will visit Fanghorn together - by your leave."
"Any Elf that comes with you will be welcome." At that Gandalf, Aragorn, Haldir, and Almiel looked amused.
"The friend I speak of is not an Elf. I mean Gimli, Glóin's son here."
"Hoom, hm! Ah now, a dwarf and an axe-bearer! Hoom! I have good will to Elves; but you ask much. This is a strange friendship."
"Strange it may seem, but while Gimli lives I shall not come to Fanghorn alone. His axe is not for trees, but for orc-necks, O Fanghorn, Master of Fanghorn's Wood. Forty-two he hewed in battle."
Treebeard seemed pleased about this, and then bid them farewell.
Almiel let Gríma ride her horse, which was more carrying him than letting him actually control him, while Almiel sat behind Haldir. They rode into the night, and then halted and made camp in a dale. As they did, the group of Elves, which had been silent the whole ride, broke apart from the rest of the group.
"You idiot!" Legolas hissed at Almiel. Almiel raised an eyebrow.
"I am glad to see you as well. You know-."
"Shut it!" Legolas said. "I left you in Lórien thinking you would stay there! And then you said you were leaving, but I did not think it would be so soon!"
"I told you I would. I have been in far less danger than you."
"Until today! You marched into the Tower of the enemy and disregarded all of our previous secrecy and showed the Enemy your power."
"Ah, yes, well-."
"Almiel!" Legolas interrupted. "What were you thinking?"
"Let me think. Oh yes, when I was little more than forty, a Nazgȗl discovered my gift quite on accident and thus rendered all this secrecy moot. Also a little longer later, I found myself staring at Sauron, which also rendered all the secrecy moot."
"Both of which were your fault!" Legolas hissed. "If you had not been so very stubborn, or so bent on saving the world, or-."
"Legolas!" Almiel snapped. Legolas quieted quickly, seeing the side of Almiel that was quite close to her father. "Whether or not it is my fault, it has been centuries since then! We, like I have thought for a long time, have been keeping this close to our chests for no reason at all."
"No reason! You have almost died-!"
"From people that had no idea what was going on! The Nazgȗl had no idea, Elrohir had no idea, quite frankly, Saruman still has no idea."
"Almiel-." Legolas started but was interrupted this time by Haldir clearing his throat.
"Perhaps we all need some rest." He said quietly.
"You too! Of all people, I thought you would be on my side!"
"I am." Haldir said sighing. "But I also know that yelling at each other isn't going to help anyone. She did what she did, it's in the past."
"No its not!" Legolas said. He looked back at his sister. "You do not think Saruman will report anything? You think Sauron will not question him? Saruman is scared for his life now, he will without doubt tell Sauron you were there."
"Sauron knows already. The Nazgȗl told him who I was a long time ago." Almiel said gently.
"Great. Amazing. By going into that dreaded place, you chose to die a long time ago!" Legolas hissed and stormed into the night.
Almiel sighed as she watched him go. Haldir glanced at her. "It was you, yes? During the battle? You told me to turn."
Almiel looked at him. "Yes."
"How did you know?" Haldir asked.
Almiel looked away. "I knew you would be there. I saw that in the Mirror. Beyond that... I was closer than you think."
"Why were you so close?"
Almiel shrugged. "They needed hope."
"We had it." Haldir said glancing toward where Aragorn slept.
"Yes... Estel gives one kind of hope. I have another." Almiel said looking at him. Haldir moved closer to her.
"Do you have any for me?" He asked. Almiel looked away.
"For the future. I have told you before."
"I know." Haldir said softly. He paused. "Yet now I have never felt closer."
"What do you mean?"
"I can feel it." Haldir said quietly. "As I told your brother. I think it is what you feel everyday."
Almiel's eyes searched his. "But how?"
"Does it matter?"
"When did you start feeling it?" She asked, eyes widening.
"Yesterday. Perhaps being closer to death opened our bond more." Almiel glanced down at his arm, reaching out and holding the injured one.
"You came close." She said quietly.
"No closer than you have." Haldir pointed out.
"Perhaps. A sword is a far more deadly weapon sometimes."
"I wouldn't call what the Uruk was holding a sword, but I see your point. Although if you are truly to die, I am sure it will not be from a sword."
"No. Probably not." Almiel conceded. Haldir was about to reply when a shriek came from inside the camp. Almiel glanced toward it, and Haldir felt what she did except he turned a more pale color than she. "You get used to it." She said gently and then took his hand and they ran toward the shriek together. Almiel stopped when she saw Gandalf leaning over Pippin. So then she drew closer to him.
Gandalf glanced at her. Do not do anything until I question him. He told her. She waited without saying anything, and Gandalf found Pippin as innocent as he could be.
"I won't be able to sleep." Pippin muttered.
"Yes you will." Almiel said quietly. Pippin looked at her, but before he could even say anything he was already falling asleep.
A/N: Gríma's salvation is mostly based on the movie, where for a short time when Theoden asks Gríma to come down, he starts too. In this, Almiel's gift allows him to not hear Saruman's threat. For those who read the books, Saruman will still do what he does in the Shire.