When Pippin picked up the Palantir, I had a bad feeling about it. There was something in my stomach was was churning with complete and utter fear. That black ball was dangerous. Gandalf seemed to sense that too. He trotted over to Pippin on his horse and asked for it. For a minute, I thought I saw him hesitate, but he did give the ball up and Gandalf took it and hid it in a white cloth, away from sight. I was intruiged of what the Black Ball could hold. What was it? Why did Saruman ask me to ask for it?
I looked over at the dead, dark wizard. Shivers ran up and down my spine. I wasn't scared anymore, knowing that one of the more powerful figures in this war had died. On the other hand, I was still trying to figure out why Pippin was so intruiged by the Palantir. If that was some dark object that could zap you by looking into it, then that is why Gandalf put it away. I should keep Pippin away from that.
"Pip! Come on! We have come for what we need. Get on the horse!" I urged him, hoping that he would listen to me and hop on the horse. I watched him. He stood there, frozen for a second and then waded in the water, to me. I helped him back on the horse, but this time, I was in the front and guided the horse. Pippin was in the back. He seemed a bit fazed and foggy in the head. I didn't exactly trust him to be in the front, let alone guide the horse through the water and trees. "Pip, hold on." I told him. He seemed so zoned out that I had to tell him everything. It was getting annoying.
"Alrighty, let's head off. Back to Rohan. We will have a feast. A celebration for the defeat of Isengard and Helm's Deep." Theoden seemed proud for what he had come upon and learned on the trip here.
Eomer had pulled up his horse next to mine. He also seemed uneasy.
"I feel a dark mist over that...that thing." He told me.
"As do I. There was a reason that thing was the center of our visit. I could feel it in our prescence, even when it as hidden." I told him, but I did stretch the truth. So far, I had defeated death, could communicate to people miles away through sleep and I was so much of a hybrid that I had to live up to who and what I was. There was no way I was going to seem normal.
"Ah really? What did you feel?" He asked me. I stopped, knowing that I did not really sense it was there. I had to make something up. And quick.
"I sense a third evil eye amongst us. Something else watching us. It was uneasy." I came up with something.
"Oh, that Palantir did look like an eye. Maybe you are right, but I do not doubt your skill and wisdom." Eomer told me. I blushed and thanked him.
But the blush wasn't out of happiness. It was out of guilt. I was not that wise. I just had cheated death about a dozen times. It was bound to catch up with me. And when I die, it was going to be the most chaotic and crazy death. It would be told for years....I couldn't doubt that it wasn't going to be painful or slow. Eomer smiled and trotted off. I sighed and rode the horse along. Thankfully Pip was still holding onto me. We rode through the forest again. I was more calm when we rode through it, knowing that nothing would happen while in there. The trees were on our side. Everyone understood that now. I huffed and glanced around. While looking around the place, I began to quietly sing my song. "Home is behind. The world ahead. And there are many paths to tread. Through shadow...to the edge of night until the stars are all alight--"
"Is that you?" Aragorn had come up on us.
"Is that me what?"
"You singing?"
"Yeah. I made it up myself." I told him proudly.
"Mhhmm. Well then. Go on." He said and rode ahead. I nodded and began to hum it over again. The song comforted me and the baby. I smiled and bobbed my head. I was glad to have some small relief amongst this craziness. I rubbed my stomach and hummed, holding onto the horse with one hand. I could say i was showing off, but I was just doing what I do.
"Alice!" Theoden startled me by coming up behind our horse. "Hopefully you will be able to enjoy the party this time around without a fight breaking out?" He wondered.
"Yes. I will. Well if that thing is gone that possesed me. But yeah, I will have fun and enjoy. I know that we are in a safe zone. And I know that Sam and Frodo might be okay." I told him.
"Ah yes. How are they?" He inquired.
"Uh, well I haven't spoken to them recently, but they seem to be okay. Well Sam is okay. I think that the Ring is starting to ebb at his mind." I re called the last meeting.
"I'm sure he'll get over it." Theoden suddenly had a nervous tone in his voice. Unsure whether to trust me or not.
"Yeah...I'm sure." I shrugged and trotted along through the forest and out of the watery muck.
During the long ride, people would come and go and talk to me. Pippin was still fuzzy, so I would let him deal with that. Hopefully he would be better when we reached the castle and the pints were being brought out. If he didn't show improvement, then something would be wrong. I bobbed my head as I sang random songs in my head. Some I made up myself, others, I knew them from the back of my mind. My thoughts began to wander and soon they ended up at the thought of; When would I go into labor? I didn't even know how long i had been pregnant because the events after that evening were all just a blur and I couldn't tell a month from a week and a day from an hour! So I could possibly go into labor and or give birth at anytime. I swear, it better not be during the war, because I want to fight in it. They need help and some people look up to me for help and wisdom and invincibility, such as Eomer. I wasn't saying that I was desperatly needed, just I was a known battle figure and I would think that some people would want me on there. I hope. Another thing was that if we lost the war, what would happen to my baby? Would they take it away from me? Would they sell the baby? What would happen?! All this panic was bad for me, so I tried to calm down. I tried to think of the positive. But I remembered the amount of Orcs and Uruk Hai at Helms Deep. There were many and I was astounded by it.
"Ali, what is the matter?" I could hear Merry's voice outside of my subconsious. I snapped back to the present and found Merry. He was sitting behind Aragorn who was looking forward.
"Oh..Merry...nothing. I was just...thinking. You know." I tried to blow the situation off.
"Really? You should have seen the look on your face. It seemed in pain. What were you thinking about that cause you pain?" He asked me.
"Just, the thought of us losing the war. It puts horrible images in my mind. Images that I cannot shake off."
Merry laughed and said, "Lose. It doesn't seem like we will. We have som many good people to protect us, like you!" He smiled. I treasured that innocence and naive sense. That was about to be ditched when we went into battle. All of us would lose that sense of...child like thoughts that everything would be good and death was not messy. I had a feeling that all of us were going to have blood on our hands.
"Merry, I wouldn't be so naive about that. Things might happen and we might lose. You have to be open minded. Even if the outcomes aren't good." I told him sternly. I didn't want to hide the truth form him any longer. He was going to go into shock when he was out on that battle field.
I looked at his reaction. It didn't seem so pleasant.
"Oh.." He looked down and seemed to be in deep thought and sincere feeling. Aragorn rode forward. I felt only a little guilty. I sighed and hoped that we would reach the castle soon enough. Pippin had woken froem his haze and was now asking me constant questions.
"What happened when I was asleep?"
"Nothing.."
"What happened to that ball i was looking at?"
"Gandalf put it away."
"Are we close."
"Very." I squinted and could see the outline of Rohan from far away. Relief came to me. Finally!!
We rode out and when Pip and I got close enough, I tugged the horse along and we galloped across the field. I just want to get there. Home...I looked to my side and saw Aragorn racing next to me. he had small grin on his face. I knew it was a race then. I pushed my horse along more and reached ahead of Aragorn. I looked back and laughed as I saw Merry hanging on to Aragorn so that he would not fall off. I giggled and galloped forward. I felt like what I had felt when I snuck away from Aragorn and the group to go and see Pippin when he had been stabbed by the Nazgul. Free and calm. I had been so calm that I had slowed down and Aragorn had sped up. I tried to push ahead, but the horse was getting stubborn.
"Come on. Just a little farther. Please... Come on." I urged the horse on. It whinied and began to slow down. "come on! Are you going to let Aragorn win?" The horse whinied and nodded its head. I sighed as we slowly rode up. I wasn't mad at the horse, but I was upset that I had lost.
"Looks like that horse is as stubborn as you." Aragorn joked.
"You seem awfully happy." I grumbled. I stopped the horse and hopped off. Pippin was able to get off himself. I took the leathery reigns of the horse and tied it up to the post. Aragorn did the same. I looked at him one more time and left to walk up the stairs.
I realized that walking up the many stairs of Rohan was a large hassle. Ever since the past weeks it had been a little trouble trying to reach the top of the stairs. I tried not to think of it because of the pregnancy. My back hurt, my feet were in pain, and i felt dizzy.
"Alice are you okay?" Pippin asked me.
"Yeah, Yeah. I'm fine. Don't worry about me."
"Okay..." Pippin seemed wary and passed me up. I slowly ascended the stairs. This heat was also pretty bad. I was sweating from the ride and now walking up these stairs. I had to stop. I just had to.
"What's wrong?" I heard Aragorn come up on my side.
"Nothing." I forced the words through my clenched jaw.
"Oh, I see, the baby is nothing.." He smirked. I reached up and grabbed up by the collar and pulled him up to me.
"You stay quiet about the baby. Right now, help me up the freaking stairs." I let go and breathed.
"Fine. Fine." Aragorn help me up and we steadily walked up the last remaining stairs. "Why didn't you let Pip help you?"
"Because. I did. He doesn't need to know I'm in pain. You should know me by now." I told him.
"Ha, yeah you're right." He laughed and we reached the top. The door was already open so I did not have to bother with that. "You should take a rest." Aragorn recomended.
"Ya think?" I gave him a look and tried to run to Pip and my room. It was difficult, but I managed. When I reached inside, I plopped down on the bed and felt so at home. I quickly fell asleep. During sleep, I didn't really dream about anything. Nor did I talk to Frodo and Sam. I was worried. Were they okay? Panic never sets in for me, but this did. I tried to breathe and calm myself. But its hard to do that through your sleep. It felt like sleep paralysis. I could not move and wake up. Someone would have to do that for me.
"Alice...Ali...party time..." I light and sing songy voice entered my head. It wasn't a man's but a woman's. I didn't stir at all. "Alice...come on. You need to eat." I felt a slight tap on my shoulder. I slowly started awake. I opened my eyes to see who was talking to me.
"Eowyen? Why did you come to wake me?" I asked her.
"Well the Celebration started a while ago and I did not see you there." She explained.
"So Merry did not come to get me?" I was confused.
"I guess not." Eowyen told me. I flung the blankets off of myself and quickly sat up.
"Are you sure you are in the condition to...attend?"
"Yes. I am sure." as I spoke the blood rushed to my head. Dots flashed around my vision and my ears became muffled although nothing covered them. "Ughh." I whined and tried to yawn to make it go away. I put my hands over my ears to make the feeling seem natural until it went away. I stood up and yawned a little more. Then Eoywen and I left the room for the Celebration.
When I entered I was blasted with everything at once! I could smell a certain hint of pints and warm chicken and other foods. There was a cinnoman like smell which made me feel at home and comfy. In the back Kegs were set up. THen along the wall food was put side by side against the wall. The rest was just tables and people. Most of them were sitting down at the tables, but I caught a few people dancing on top of the tables. I sat at a lone table and watched the people dance and cheer. I desperatly wanted a drink of a pint. But i knew that it would have bad effects on the baby. That made me slightly grumpy. I just wanted a small drink.
"Alice!" I heard my name called out sharply and loudly. "come join us!" I turned my head toward the voices and saw Merry and Pippin. They were one of the groups dancing on the table. Both of them had their suspenders around their waists and their fancy clothes were off. Their curly hair was matted to their forehead, sweating from so much dancing. Their eyes were still bright with life though.
"Sure!" I called back. That could be something good for me to do durng this celebration. I got off the table and ran over to where Merry and Pip where dancing. I climbed up and joined them ontop of the table. We began to sing songs from the Shire. They lead most of them, since I didn't know many. I jumped, skipped and hopped along, singing with all my heart even though I wasn't good. Our lat song ended up being the Green Dragon. The singing was going great, until the end.
"The only brew that's brave and true!...." Merry stopped but the fiddle continued. Pippin had stopped singing. Both of us looked at him. He had zoned out and stared out in the distance, almost mezmerized by something. I looked to see what had caught his attention. I followed his line of sight and saw that he had caught the attention of Gandalf.
"Pippin!" Merry called to him. Pip jumped and snapped out of his weird hypnosis. Then both of them began to sing again. I tried to follow along, but was left behind. The song was good, but I could not understand it, for they were singing way too fast. Luckily for me, It ended and I danced off the table, nearly beaking my ankle. But alas I came away with no injuries.
After that last song, the party died down. People who were just there for the celebrating of defeating left. Other who had stayed for the food, took the rest and left. Us partiers stayed a little later, but the younger of us left. That was Merry, Pippin and me. Aragorn was like a parent, telling us that they would come soon. I sighed and held Pip's hand. He squeezed it tight. I smiled at him. Instead of going to our room, we went to a large room that would hold all of the Fellowship. But all we had were sleeping bags. I wandered over to a sleeping bag that was on the end of a line of sleeping bags. I wanted to go to sleep so bad. So I took no time settling into the bag. Pippin followed in after me. We hadn't been this close since...well. I can't remember. I snuggled close to him, my head resting on his shoulders. He wrapped his arm around my torso and gladly oblijged to keeping me close. Merry slept across the room. I didn't know why. I asked him to choose the bag next to us, but he didn't reply.
"Goodnight Pip."
"Goodnight Ali." Pippin said. He kissed me and then attempted to go to sleep. I watched as the rest of our party filed in. Gimli...he passed quickly and stumbled around. Legolas followed. He stopped and peeked over at me. Then he kepy moving. Aragorn followed in with Gandalf. That was all of us. Our group had really gotten small. I sighed and looked at Pip who was still having trouble falling asleep. I rubbed his back and tried to help him. he seemed troubled by something.
"Pip, are you okay?" I asked him.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about me." He said. He sounded stressed and something was on his mind.
"Okay...Just...its ok. If you need me, just call me." I told him.
"yep." He responded. I sighed and turned over, facing Legolas. He was already asleep. I tried to fall asleep myself. It worked. After everything that had happened that day, I effortlessly fell asleep. But that didn't last for long.