‹ Prequel: A Mistake
Sequel: An Acceptance ›
A Burden
What Horrors?
The four wandered into the forest cautiously. Raina glanced around every so often, hearing the language of the trees. They spoke of an old soul wandering in their mists, coming closer and closer.
Gimli tasted a red stain on a leaf, and promptly spat it back out. “Orc blood,” he growled, pushing his way closer to Aragorn and Legolas.
Raina stood, her head lifted to the sky. In one hand she clutched her bow and a single, notched arrow, and in the other, the charred belt. Tears slipped down her face, and every few moments she would shudder with another sob. But she wasn’t paying any attention to this. Instead, she was listening. The trees spoke softly and only said what was necessary, and it was hard to pick up exactly what they were saying, so she tried to stay focused.
“Raina!” the other Elf called in the distance, breaking her trance. She turned to face him slowly, not bothering to wipe the tears off her face.
“What are you doing?” Legolas asked softly after fighting his way to her. She didn’t respond until he stood right in front of her.
“The trees… they are speaking to one another,” she said softly, lifting her head to the branches above them once more. “They speak of the White Wizard. He is here… and approaching quickly.”
“How do you know?”
She closed her eyes, an almost smile appearing on her lips. “You are of the Woodland Realm. You should know. Just… focus.”
By then Aragorn and Gimli had joined the two, and Legolas looked at them with raised eyebrows and shrugged. He lifted his own head, and focused on the nature around them. Very far away, he could hear the trees as well, but he did not understand what they were saying.
“How…?” he began to ask, but then he felt it, although he still did not understand how Raina could interpret the voices. “This place is old. Very old. Full of memory… and anger…”
“Gimli,” Aragorn whispered, not taking his eyes off the two distant Elves. “Lower your axe.”
“Oh.”
"They have feelings, my friend. The Elves began it: waking up the trees, teaching them to speak,” Legolas smiled in wonder as he spoke, but Raina could not find enough comfort in the world to smile. Not then.
"Aragorn, nad no ennas!" Legolas warned. (Something is out there!)
"Man cenich?" Aragorn asked Raina. (What do you hear?)
"The White Wizard approaches,” she whispered, finally lowering her head to meet his gaze.
“Do not let him speak,” Aragorn said quickly, his mind racing as he thought of how to get away. “He will surely put a spell on us. Shoot him down, Raina and Legolas!”
Raina’s grip tightened on her bow as she notched an arrow in it quietly.
“You must be quick,” Aragorn whispered, still facing away from the new presence.
The four spun around, squinting into the bright light that seemed to come from the Wizard. Raina and Legolas both shot, but both arrows were deflected with a flick of his staff. Aragorn unsheathed his sword to try to bring him down, but it burned red hot before he could do anything.
The four of them resorted to backing away, covering their eyes as the light grew brighter still.
“You are tracking the footsteps of two young Hobbits.” The White Wizard said in an unfamiliar voice.
“Where are they?” Aragorn called out bravely.
"They passed this way, the day before yesterday. They met someone they did not expect. Does that comfort you?" His voice now had a familiar accent, one that put Raina’s heart at ease. No longer did her thoughts worry over not being good enough, or how she was one with the forest.
“Who are you?” Aragorn called again, confused, but not comforted. “Show yourself!”
The light then dimmed, revealing a figure that Raina thought she was never again see.
A huge smile formed on her face. “Gandalf!” she shrieked, running to hug the old wizard.
She took him by surprise, but hugged her back as memories of her and Frodo and the Shire flooded his mind.
“Gandalf… that was what they used to call me. Gandalf the Grey. That was my name,” he said thoughtfully, as Raina back up to smile at him.
“I am now Gandalf the White.”
“And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.”
Gimli tasted a red stain on a leaf, and promptly spat it back out. “Orc blood,” he growled, pushing his way closer to Aragorn and Legolas.
Raina stood, her head lifted to the sky. In one hand she clutched her bow and a single, notched arrow, and in the other, the charred belt. Tears slipped down her face, and every few moments she would shudder with another sob. But she wasn’t paying any attention to this. Instead, she was listening. The trees spoke softly and only said what was necessary, and it was hard to pick up exactly what they were saying, so she tried to stay focused.
“Raina!” the other Elf called in the distance, breaking her trance. She turned to face him slowly, not bothering to wipe the tears off her face.
“What are you doing?” Legolas asked softly after fighting his way to her. She didn’t respond until he stood right in front of her.
“The trees… they are speaking to one another,” she said softly, lifting her head to the branches above them once more. “They speak of the White Wizard. He is here… and approaching quickly.”
“How do you know?”
She closed her eyes, an almost smile appearing on her lips. “You are of the Woodland Realm. You should know. Just… focus.”
By then Aragorn and Gimli had joined the two, and Legolas looked at them with raised eyebrows and shrugged. He lifted his own head, and focused on the nature around them. Very far away, he could hear the trees as well, but he did not understand what they were saying.
“How…?” he began to ask, but then he felt it, although he still did not understand how Raina could interpret the voices. “This place is old. Very old. Full of memory… and anger…”
“Gimli,” Aragorn whispered, not taking his eyes off the two distant Elves. “Lower your axe.”
“Oh.”
"They have feelings, my friend. The Elves began it: waking up the trees, teaching them to speak,” Legolas smiled in wonder as he spoke, but Raina could not find enough comfort in the world to smile. Not then.
"Aragorn, nad no ennas!" Legolas warned. (Something is out there!)
"Man cenich?" Aragorn asked Raina. (What do you hear?)
"The White Wizard approaches,” she whispered, finally lowering her head to meet his gaze.
“Do not let him speak,” Aragorn said quickly, his mind racing as he thought of how to get away. “He will surely put a spell on us. Shoot him down, Raina and Legolas!”
Raina’s grip tightened on her bow as she notched an arrow in it quietly.
“You must be quick,” Aragorn whispered, still facing away from the new presence.
The four spun around, squinting into the bright light that seemed to come from the Wizard. Raina and Legolas both shot, but both arrows were deflected with a flick of his staff. Aragorn unsheathed his sword to try to bring him down, but it burned red hot before he could do anything.
The four of them resorted to backing away, covering their eyes as the light grew brighter still.
“You are tracking the footsteps of two young Hobbits.” The White Wizard said in an unfamiliar voice.
“Where are they?” Aragorn called out bravely.
"They passed this way, the day before yesterday. They met someone they did not expect. Does that comfort you?" His voice now had a familiar accent, one that put Raina’s heart at ease. No longer did her thoughts worry over not being good enough, or how she was one with the forest.
“Who are you?” Aragorn called again, confused, but not comforted. “Show yourself!”
The light then dimmed, revealing a figure that Raina thought she was never again see.
A huge smile formed on her face. “Gandalf!” she shrieked, running to hug the old wizard.
She took him by surprise, but hugged her back as memories of her and Frodo and the Shire flooded his mind.
“Gandalf… that was what they used to call me. Gandalf the Grey. That was my name,” he said thoughtfully, as Raina back up to smile at him.
“I am now Gandalf the White.”
“And I come back to you now at the turn of the tide.”