I looked around the room from the eagle's eyes; everything was sharp and vivid.
It was my male companions' sleeping quarter in Edoras. They weren't as lucky as me since I got my own room to myself. Perks of being a woman here in Middle Earth.
Gimli was snoring loudly while everyone else slept peacefully, except for Aragorn who just walked out of the room silently, careful not to wake the others while he disappeared.
My eyes followed him out. He looked out to the mountain view, under the slightly reddish night sky. He pulled out his pipe.
A hooded figure stood a few feet away ahead from him, staring intently to the distant. Aragorn walked up beside him.
"The stars are veiled," said Legolas in a soft but ominous voice, worry laced his voice. "Something stirs in the east. A sleepless malice."
Legolas and Aragorn turned their heads to look at each other; troubled glances were shared between them.
"The eye of the enemy is moving."
Then I saw Pippin back in the sleeping quarter, tossed and turned for a while, opening his troubled eyes for a moment before closing it again, trying to sleep, only to open them again. Eventually, the hobbit got up from his bed.
He walked past Merry who lifted his head and asked him in alarm. "What are you doing?"
Pippin turned, startled and looked at his best friend. He didn't answer. He went back to walk towards Gandalf's sleeping form, shocked to find the wizard's eyes staring at him as he snored lightly.
"Pippin!" whispered Merry.
Pippin ignored him and waved his hands in front of Gandalf's face, finding the old man sleeping.
"Pippin?" whispered Merry again, this time he looked more alarmed than before.
Pippin took a bundle of fabric from Gandalf's hand and replaced its place with an empty vase.
"Pippin! What, are you mad?"
"I just want to look at it! Just one more time," answered Pippin as he opened the bundle and found the Palantir, the seeing stone.
"Put it back!" hissed Merry in hushed voice.
Pippin stared at the Palantir as if in a trance, a small smile crept up his face as he touched the stone.
The stone started to shine brighter as if enflamed. The naive hobbit frowned.
Now I was seeing through Pippin's eyes. I saw the eye of Sauron staring back at me, growling voice was heard from the eye. It was pure evil. Then it made an eerie, dragged breathing sound.
"I see you... Who are you?"
Pippin remained silent. Then a flash of images came; a view of a burning white tree that I knew to be in the courtyard of Minas Tirith, the capital city of Gondor.
Sauron started to chant in Black Speech; the sound horrible and disgusting. Pain was all I felt and I forgot everything else.
Now I saw what happened back through the eagle's eyes. A horrible, evil figure stood tall in front of Pippin– it was Sauron's fea (spirit) . He spoke and hurt Pippin.
Pippin's fea dimmed as I saw him screamed in agony and pain. Then Sauron lifted his hand and slashed through Pippin.
The poor hobbit let out an agonized scream for the last time as complete darkness overcame his fea. I was pulled back to the sleeping quarter.
Merry was weeping; Aragorn and Legolas watched by the door in disbelief and grief while Gandalf held Pippin's lifeless body.
I jolted awake in cold sweat, screaming Pippin's name. I scanned my surroundings, finding I was still in my room, in my bed.
It was not just some dream; it was a vision. A foreboding feeling and darkness settled in my mind; its presence thick and tangible.
Upon realizing that Legolas was not by my side, I jumped out of bed and skipped off. I ran as fast as I could in barefoot to my friends' sleeping quarter; adrenaline rushed in my veins.
My vision was happening now. I ran furiously and slid past everything; the tiles cold beneath my feet. I ran past Legolas and Aragorn who heard me coming. They stared at me in shock, alarm in their eyes. I ignored them completely.
I busted through the door and got my eyes fixed on Pippin holding the Palantir; his face scrunched up in agony.
I encircled my arms around his small shoulders in an attempt to separate him from the stone, but in an instant I was in the dark, holding to Pippin's dim fea as Sauron stood before our eyes, chanting in Black Speech.
"Look at me," I said to Pippin; my own voice foreign to me as I saw my blue, bright, glowing hand cupped his face. "Listen to my voice. Don't listen to him."
Pippin's eyes snapped open as he stared at me, frightened and in pain. I turned to look at Sauron.
"Who are you?" he demanded in a growl. I and Pippin didn't answer him. I kept my eyes stubbornly at the evil before me.
A flash of images of the burning white tree in Minas Tirith came into my view. Sauron raised his claw to hit us, but I moved my body in front of Pippin to shield him from Sauron's attack.
A sharp pain jolted through me, but it was bearable. I kept on holding to Pippin, looking into his eyes.
Sauron growled and snarled in rage before I was pulled back to the real world.
My eyes focused back to the sleeping quarter, but things passed by like a struck of a lightning. I felt my body was sent flying back, hitting the wall and I was thrown roughly to the floor. My ears rang as sharp pain hit my head and the air knocked out of my lungs.
I opened my eyes soon after and found Legolas staring down at me with shock. Then the shock turned to worry and concern. I groaned.
Both because of the pain in my head and my frustration at my tendency to hurt myself. Again.
I coughed several time as Legolas helped me sit up. I saw Aragorn glanced in alarm between me and Gandalf who was holding Pippin.
My breath caught in my throat, dread filled me. But soon after Gandalf muttered something indistinctly to Pippin, and the hobbit gasped awake.
"Gandalf, forgive me," he squeaked in a weak voice.
Gandalf glanced at me; his expression hard, then back at Pippin.
"Look at me. What did you see?" inquired Gandalf.
"A tree... There was a white tree... in a courtyard of stone," replied Pippin between breaths, "...it was dead. The city was burning."
"Minas Tirith? Is that what you saw?"
"I saw... I saw him," Pippin said with dread in his voice. "I could hear his voice in my head. Leane was also there."
Gandalf glanced at me again, along with everyone else in the room.
"And what did you tell him?" asked Gandalf urgently to Pippin. "Speak!"
"He asked me my name. I didn't answer. He hurt me," he answered with a shudder. "But then Leane came and spoke to me. The pain became dulled. She was glowing in blue light and she shielded me from him."
Legolas stared at me in shock, his mouth fell open.
"What did you tell him about Frodo and the Ring?" asked Gandalf to Pippin.
"Nothing. I swear," he said, "Ask Leane! She was there."
All eyes were on me and I nodded.
"He's telling the truth. I saw what he saw," I confirmed to Gandalf. "We tell him nothing."
"The tell me how come you end up in this room while you supposed to be sleeping in your chamber?"
"I saw what happened in a vision when I slept. Then I woke up and ran this way."
Gandalf spoke again, this time looking mad at me. "Why do you interfere in this matter? You know better not to mess with fate!"
"Not this fate," I retorted, "I was shown in my vision of the fate that wasn't supposed to take place. Pippin died in my vision."
Understanding came upon Gandalf who nodded and stood.
"Meet me at the hall in three minutes," he ordered all of us.
***
"Why does trouble always seem to find a way to you?" asked Legolas as he wiped the blood on my head gently.
"Trust me, I've been asking that myself for the last few months."
Aragorn chuckled lightly at my answer as Legolas looked at me in disapproval.
"Aye, the elf is right, lassie. Your injuries never seem to disappear because you keep on adding them once they start to fade!" exclaimed Gimli.
"Back where I come from I was clumsy," I mumbled to myself. "In here that clumsiness seem to escalate to a series of unfortunate events."
Gandalf who had been listening, broke our little chat into a more serious note.
"We've been strangely fortunate. Pippin and Leane saw in the palantir a glimpse of the enemy's plan. Sauron moves to strike the city of Minas Tirith," stated Gandalf.
Aragorn looked down, deep in thought as Gandalf turned to him.
"He knows the heir of Elendil has come forth. Men are not as weak as he supposed. There is courage still, strength enough perhaps to challenge him. Sauron fears this. He will raze Minas Tirith to the ground before he sees a king return to the throne of Men."
Aragorn moved his hand to brush his stubble in thought.
"If the beacons of Gondor are lit, Rohan must be ready for war," Gandalf said to Theoden King.
"Tell me, why should we ride to the aid of those who did not come to ours? What do we owe Gondor?" asked the king in challenge.
Aragorn spoke up. "I will go."
"No."
"They must be warned."
"They will be," said Gandalf. He moved closer to Aragorn and whispered something that I couldn't hear.
"Understand this: Things are now in motion that cannot be undone," Gandalf addressed all of us.
"I ride for Minas Tirith..." he declared as he turned to Pippin's direction, "...and I won't be going alone."
Pippin's eyes widened as he looked uncomfortably at me. I gave him a sympathetic look. Because of his encounter with Sauron, Pippin couldn't stay here anymore. Sauron would try to find him here, assuming that the hobbit was the ringbearer.
Gandalf glanced at me.
"Peregrin Took, you owe your life to Leane. Her strong fea was protecting yours. Normal people would die at that kind of assault," he announced as he eyed my Ring then his eyes twinkled as he leaned in to whisper at me.
"Your fea bears the power that brings life. Tune into it, get to know yourself better. It might serve you well in the future."
I frowned. "How?"
"You must find out yourself. Train your fea like you trained your gift of empathy."
"Thanks," I muttered.
That was so vague. Can't he give me a more technical directions on how to do it? Step by step DIY?
Gandalf winked at me; picking up my sarcasm.
When the meeting was over, Legolas offered to escort me back, but I stopped him.
"Can I spend the night sleeping in the same quarter as you all?" I asked everyone.
Theoden King lifted his brows in surprise at my request, but I explained, "I've been with them for months now. We slept and ate together on the ground for many long days. Tomorrow Pippin and Gandalf will be separated from us again. I only wish to be near my companions one more time."
Theoden King's eyes softened as understanding graced his kingly face. Aragorn approached me and took my hand in his, his eyes soft as he looked down at me fondly.
"Of course you can, Leane. You may have the empty bed next to Legolas."
I saw my friends smiled at me warmly and I smiled in return. We were settling back for sleep in the quarter as Legolas tucked me into bed.
"Comfortable?" he asked, amusement in his eyes.
"Except for the headache and the feeling like I just finished running for miles? Oh yes I'm very comfortable," I answered, smiling cheekily at him.
Legolas kissed my temple and pulled me into his arms. He chanted something in Elvish to my ears that I knew to be his elvish sleeping spell, and soon I felt myself drowning in a darkness of sleep.
"Losto vae, melleth nin. Gi melin."