"Come. May we find signs of our friends there." Said Aragorn and mounted Hasufel. Legolas and Niphredil take off their horses' saddles and reins. Niphredil chose Erina. She was light brown with a cream main. She reminded her of Lótë. She leaned her head on Erina's body. Her heart was so heavy. She felt a hand on hers and raised her head. Legolas was there. He took her hand. "Can you ride? Are you alright?"
Niphredil nodded. "I can. Let's go." She said and mounted Erina that was so happy that Niphredil was her rider.
They ride to the direction of the trails and soon they came to the eaves of the forest, and in an open glade among the first trees they found the place of the great burning: the ashes were still hot and smoking. They unmounted and began to search among the ashes. Suddenly Gimli found something between the bodies. It was one of the daggers that Lady Galadriel gave Merry and Pippin. "It's one of their wee daggers. We failed them." He said sadly. Niphredil took the dagger. It was covered by ash and dust, but had remained intact. Tears ran on her face again. Legolas came at her side and put his hand on her shoulder. she buried her face in his shoulder.
Aragorn shouted from frustration and fell to his knees. Then, he saw something on the ground. He touched the ground and a bitter smile came to his face. "A Hobbit lay here." He said and touched a place near it. "And the other."
The others went to his side. A new hope raised in Niphredil's heart.
Aragorn continued to read and parse the tracks. He went a little bit further. "They crawled. Their hands were bound." He said and stood on his feet and followed the traces with interest. He then found an Orc blade on the ground. Aragorn bent and picked up a piece of rope. "Their bonds were cut." He said with a raising hope. Niphredil's heart was now hammering in her chest. "They ran over here." Said Aragorn and quickened his pace. The others ran after him. "They were followed. Tracks lead away from the battle..." he raised his head and halted. His face dropped. "into Fangorn Forest." He said quietly.
"Fangorn? What madness drove them in there?" said Gimli.
The four stood there and looked at the menacing trees. "Come on. They are in the forest. They can be still alive. We must find them. It's just an old forest." Said Niphredil and ran into the forest. "Niphredil!" the others called her, but the trees blocked their voices. After a few seconds, she slowed down and looked around.
Everything seemed old there. Trees were covered with lichen and old leaves, but they were whispering to each other. It seemed they were happy to see an elf there. Niphredil could feel their spirits, old and sleepy with good wills and full of anger about something. But she could feel malice, ill and evil spirits from deep in the forest. She shivered. Suddenly she saw a flash of a picture in her mind like a piece of a memory. It was a tree, a tall tree but it somehow looked like a human with hands and legs and something like a beard on its face. The vision disappeared as fast as it had started.
Niphredil jumped when she heard a sound of steps behind her, but when she saw her fellows came to her way she sighed in relief.
"my lady, don't run like this again. We must stay together in places like this." Said Aragorn quietly. "I'm sorry for that. But this forest is not bad, or the bad things are deep in the forest, not here. It somehow feels strange in here."
Legolas was watching the trees with awe. "This forest is old. Very old. Full of memory, and anger." Said Legolas. The sound of the trees grew louder slowly. it was threatening. Something had made them more angry. "The trees are speaking to each other." He said and all of them turned and saw Gimli who was clenching his ready ax and watching the trees with fear and disgust. "Gimli!" Called Aragorn. "Lower your axe." He gestured with his hand. Gimli did it and the voices subsided.
Niphrdil looked around her with sadness. "They have seen too many damages from axes. They are angry and frightened." She said sadly.
"They have feelings, my friend. The Elves began it. Waking up the trees, teaching them to speak." Said Legolas to Gimli.
"Talking trees." Scuffed Gimli. "What do trees have to talk about? Except the consistency of squirrel droppings."
Suddenly Niphredil felt a strange feeling. A great power was approaching them. It was threatening but Niphredil didn't have bad feelings about it.
Legolas felt it too. He went further quickly. Aragorn sensed his uneasiness and followed him.
"Legolas!" he whispered. "The white wizard approaching." Said Legolas. Saruman. Aragorn became rigid. Niphredil became pale. If Saruman was here so he probably had found the hobbits. But it was odd for her. if it was Saruman, why she was feeling like that? weren't her supposed to feel foul?
"Do not let him speak. He will put a spell on us. We must be quick." Whispered Aragorn and drew his sword.
Niphredil put an arrow in string. When they felt the wizard so close, they turned to attack him. He was standing on a giant stone in the middle of a clearing, shining bright so his face couldn't be seen. Niphredil and Legolas released their arrows, but the wizard moved his staff and the two arrows went to the sky and burned in a white fire. Gimli threw his ax but the wizard moved his staff again and the axe was thrown to a side. Aragorn's sword became hot so he was forced to release it.
Now they were disarmed and completely at the wizard's mercy. The light which was illuminating from the wizard was bothering their eyes.
"You are tracking the footsteps of two young Hobbits." said the wizard. His voice was odd but somehow very familiar for Niphredil. Her heart was racing. "Where are they?" she asked.
"They passed this way. the day before yesterday," answered the wizard. "They met someone they did not expect. Does that comfort you?"
"Who are you? Show yourself!" yelled Aragorn.
Slowly, the light subsided and they saw the wizard's face. Niphrdil gasped. She couldn't believe her eyes. "Mithrandir!" she whispered under her breath. Tears rolled down her face. There, standing on a stone was her old friend Gandalf, but not gray. He was all white, but his eyes were the same an had the same fire. A great power was radiating from him.
"It cannot be." Niphredil heard the quiet voice of Aragorn.
Legolas knelt and Niphredil and Gimli followed him. "Forgive me. I mistook you for Saruman." he said.
"I am Saruman. Or rather, Saruman as he should have been." said Gandalf thoughtfully.
"You fell." said Aragorn still unbelievable.
"Through fire and water." said Gandalf and a shadow passed from his eyes. "From the lowest dungeon to the highest peak. I fought with the Balrog of Morgoth. Until at last I threw down my enemy and smote his ruin upon the mountainside." it was obvious he was remembering a painful and hard memory. "Darkness took me and I strayed out of thought and time. Stars wheeled overhead and every day was as long as a life age of the Earth." he said and looked at them. "But it was not the end. I felt life in me again. I've been sent back until my task is done. Gwaihir found me and took me to Lothlorien and there, in its healing time, I gained my strength. I consulted with the elves and they consulted with me. From there I came after you and now I'm here." he finished his story.
"Gandalf." called Aragorn. Gandalf's brows furrowed. "Gandalf?" he said and then his face lighted up and he smiled. "Yes. That was what they used to call me. Gandalf the Grey. That was my name. Gandalf. I am Gandalf ..."
"the white" Legolas finished his sentence. Gandalf looked at him and nodded.
"And I come back to you now, at the turn of the tide." said Gandalf.
Niphredil who was crying silently, couldn't contain herself anymore. She jumped at the stone and hugged Gandalf tightly. "Gandalf." she whispered. Gandalf stroked her hair lovingly. "ohhh, Niphredil, my daughter. It's very good to see you." said Gandalf.
Niphredil looked at his smiley face. "and it's fantastic to see you again, my friend." she said happily.
The blossom of hope which was freezing slowly in her heart, had gain strength again. She felt so relieved to see Gandalf. The chance of their victory had increased so many levels.