Well, Maybe a Little Bit

Many days had passed since we had set out after the Orcs. My legs were growing tired of the running but I could not stop. I had to keep my promise to the Hobbits. I had to keep them safe. Aragorn lead the way as he checked the Earth for signs of the Orcs were heading. I trailed behind Legolas and Gimli was panting in the back.
Aragorn leaned down and placed his ear against the rock. “Their pace has quickened,” he whispered. “They must have caught your scent. Hurry!”
“Come on, Gimli!” shouted Legolas.
“Three days and nights pursuit. No food. No rest. And no sign of our quarry, but what bare rock can tell,” he said between breaths.
“I could carry you, if you’d like, Gimli,” I offered.
“No, My Lady. We Dwarves can manage this kind of things. It’s just a bit harder.”
I smiled and continued on. Over rocks and hill we ran. Aragorn leading the way. We came to a passage between to rocks and Aragorn stooped down and picked something up.
“Not idly to the leaves of Lorien fall.”
“They may yet be alive,” I whispered with hope.
“Less than a day ahead of us. Come,” said Aragorn as he returned to his sprint.
I heard Gimli come tumbling down the hill behind us.
“Come, Gimli! We’re gaining on them!” shouted Legolas.
“I’m wasted on cross-country. We Dwarves are natural sprinters. Very dangerous over short distances.”
“Like I said, I can carry you!” I called to him but he shook his head vigorously. We reached the top of the hill and stopped.
“Rohan,” said Aragorn. “Home of the Horse-lords. There’s something strange at work here. Some evil gives speed to these creatures. Sets its will against us.” Legolas ran down ahead and looked out to the horizon. “Legolas! What do your Elf-eyes see?”
“The Uruks turn northeast. They are talking the Hobbits to Isengard.” He shouted back to us.
“Saruman,” whispered Aragorn.
“Come!” I cried. “We must go quickly!” I said running down the hill and past Legolas.
The others kicked up their feet and began to follow me. We followed the Orc’s tracks through the country side of Rohan.
“Keep breathing,” puffed Gimli. “That’s the key. Breath.”
“They’ve run as if the very whips of their masters were behind them.” said Legolas.
Soon, dusk fell upon us. The darkness was not what I wanted to run in but the moon was bright enough to keep Aragorn moving. My wound in my leg was burning, but I did not want to feel as though I was weak compared to the men. Gimli, though, was still complaining, even though it wasn’t said to be a complaint. Only a suggestion to stop. And I was finally starting to agree with him. But still, we continued on.
“Legolas,” I breathed.
He turned to me, “Yes?”
“How much further do we have to run?”
He frowned, “Your wounds. They are hurting you aren’t then.” He stopped. “Aragorn!” he called.
“No,” I hissed. “We must keep going.”
“But if you are hurting terribly, My Lady, then we must stop. Let me see your wounds,” he said moving my cloak to look at the old wound from the arrow.
“What is wrong,” asked Aragorn.
“Ireth’s wounds are bothering her,” said Legolas.
“I’m fine,” I hissed. Legolas knelt down and pulled my dress up to my wound from the Mines. The wound was starting to reopen and blood was visible.
“You are not fine,” sighed Legolas. “You need rest.”
I shook my head, “If we stop now, the Uruks will get even farther ahead of us.”
“They have stopped,” Aragorn said from where he was on the ground, his ear resting against the rock. “We can afford to rest for a few hours.”
“But,” I began.
“Sit, Ireth. We will know if they start moving again,” said Aragorn.
Gimli dropped onto the ground and puffed for breath. Aragorn went off to find some fire wood. I sat down on one of the rocks and sighed with relief of rest for my feet.
“Better,” asked Legolas as he took a seat next to me. I nodded and then rested my head against Legolas’s chest. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “Sleep. You need it,” he whispered to me. I nodded slowly and closed my eyes. I nuzzled my face into his chest. Legolas chuckled, “Good night, My Lady.”
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I watched over and over again as arrows were driven into Boromir’s chest. Over and over I did nothing to stop it. I watched at he looked over at me every time and glared. I felt my heart break a little more each time he fell. “Why didn’t you save me?” replayed over and over in my head.
Then, the scene changed. Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and I were fighting once again. I looked at the other men who were fighting with us. They were of Rohan. Wargs, demon dogs of Saruman were swarming the area. I started to fight but I didn’t do anything to those around me. I then looked around and watched as Aragorn was sent off a cliff with a Warg that had just run by me… I had just let another one of my friends die…
I shot up from the ground, panting. Tears were coming down my face. I looked over and saw Legolas looking up at me with sadness. I stood up and looked around. Gimli was passed out a few feet away from us but I didn’t see Aragorn anywhere.
“Aragorn?” I called “Aragorn!”
“What? What is it? What’s wrong?” he asked trekking up a hill behind me.
I sighed with relief and sunk back to the ground with shaky breaths. I placed my head in my hands and let my tears soak my hands. I felt someone wrap their arm around me and another hand rest on my shoulder. I looked up and saw Legolas sitting next to me, with his arm around my waist and Aragorn kneeling in front of me with his hand on my shoulder.
“Ireth, what’s wrong?” whispered Legolas.
“Nightmare,” I murmured into my hands. “I watched Boromir die. Over and over and over again. And then the scene changed. And I watched you die, Aragorn. I…I…I could have saved you too but I didn’t,” I cried.
Legolas pulled me closer and started to slowly rock me back and forth.
“Its okay, Ireth. I’m here. I’m alive,” whispered Aragorn. “It was only a dream.” Aragorn looked up to the sky. “We’d better get moving, it will soon be sunrise.” He stood up and walked over to Gimli to wake him up.
“Are you alright,” asked Legolas.
I nodded standing up. “Yeah. I’ll be fine,” I rubbed my eyes. “Let’s go find Merry and Pippin.”
Legolas smiled up at me and then stood. He gently placed an arm around me, “You are strong, Ireth. And very brave.”
“Come!” stated Aragorn. “We must move quickly before the Orcs begin to move again.”
Aragorn then started off in the direction we were headed earlier. I quickly followed behind him with Gimli and Legolas behind me. Soon the sun began to rise.
“A red sun rises,” Legolas said looking up to the sun that was rising behind us. “Blood has been spilled this night.”
I frowned looking at Legolas but he quickly turned and followed after Aragorn. We reached a small break between rocks. Aragorn knelt down and felt the earth. A large screeching noise came and we all looked to its direction. Aragorn stood up again and then motioned us to hide behind one of the large rocks. There was a rumbling and then a large heard of horses and men came riding by. Most had spears or were holding the Rohan flag.
Once they had passed Aragorn walked out and shouted after them. “Riders of Rohan, what news from the Mark?”
The leader of the Rohan riders lifted his spear and made the followers change course to head back to us. I stood closely to Legolas as the horses came charging at us. The Men then turned their horses to surround us. Once we were surrounded the placed their spears down at us. I flinched and pressed closer to Legolas. He wrapped an arm around my waist and held me there. Then the leader came through the circle.
“What business does two Elves, a Man, and a Dwarf have in the Riddermark?” he asked us. “Speak quickly!”
“Give me your name, horse-master, and I shall give you mine,” spoke Gimli.
“Gimli,” I hissed at him.
The Man dismounted his horse and walked up to Gimli. Aragorn placed his hand on Gimli’s shoulder.
“I would cut off your head, Dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground,” he growled.
I quickly pulled out my sword the same time Legolas notched an arrow. “You would die before your stroke fell,” growled Legolas.
The men with spears got even closer, one pressed against me cheek and blood began to slip down my face. Aragorn grabbed Legolas’s arm and nodded to the both of us to put our weapons away. I reluctantly put my sword back into its sheath and then pushed the spear out of my face.
“I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn,” Aragorn spoke to the Man. “This is Gimli, son of Gloin, Legolas of the Woodland Realm, and Ireth of both the Shire and Rivendell. We are friends of Rohan and of Théoden, your king.”
“Théoden no longer recognizes friend from foe,” the man spoke sadly and then removed his helmet, which in doing so made the men with spears back off. “Not even his own kin. Saruman has poisoned the mind of the king and claimed lordship over these lands. My company are those loyal to Rohan. And for that, we are banished. The White Wizard is cunning. He walks here and there, they say as an old man hooded and cloaked. And everywhere, his spies slip past our nets.”
“We are no spies,” I spoke quickly. “We are friends.”
“We track a party of Uruk-hai westward across the plain,” Aragorn injected. “They have taken two of our friends captive.”
“The Uruks are destroyed. We slaughtered them during the night,” said the man.
“No,” I whispered.
“But there were two Hobbits. Did you see two Hobbits with them?” Gimli asked franticly.
“They would be small,” informed Aragorn. “Only children to your eyes.”
The man shook his head, “We left none alive. We piled the carcasses and burned them.”
I closed my eyes and fell to the ground on my knees. “No,” I whispered. Legolas reached down and brought me back onto my feet. He let me lean against him as I let my tears fall.
“Dead?” asked Gimli.
He nodded, “I am sorry.” He then whistled. “Hasufel! Arod!” Two horses then came forward. “May these horses bear you to better fortune than their former masters. Farewell.” He then mounted his horse again. “Look for your friends. But do not trust a hope. It has forsaken these lands.” He turned to the other riders. “We ride north!” And at that the Riders of Rohan left us.
Aragorn hosted himself onto Hasufel and then held his arm out to Gimli, “We must look.”
Gimli nodded and Aragorn pulled him up behind him. Legolas mounted Arod and then held his arm out to me. I took it and he pulled me up behind him. I wrapped my arms around his waist and laid my head on his back as we rode up the hill to the pile of burning carcasses. The men quickly dismounted and began to look around. Gimli started to shuffle threw the remnants with his ax when I finally got down.
Gimli picked something up and then turned to us, “It’s one of their wee belts.”
I quickly turned away and bowed my head. Legolas said something in Elvish but I didn’t listen. I was too upset. I had let two more of my friends die when I could have saved them as well. “We should have never stopped,” I whispered. “This is my fault.”
“It is not,” Legolas whispered to me.
Aragorn kicked one of the Orc’s helmets and screamed in anger. He then fell to his knees. I slowly walked over to him and knelt down beside him. Legolas and Gimli walked over too.
“We failed them,” whispered Gimli.
Aragorn inspected the ground. “A Hobbit lay here. And the other.” He said sitting back. “They crawled,” he said moving forward. I stood up and followed him. “Their hands were bound.” He pulled a piece of rope up from the ground. “Their bonds were cut.” He stood up and followed the Hobbit tacks on the ground. “They ran over here. They were followed.” Aragorn picked up the pace. “Tracks lead away from the battle,” he shouted running with the tracks. He then stopped in front of a forest, “into Fangorn Forest.”
“Fangorn?” whispered Gimli. “What madness drove them in there?”
“I don’t care,” I whispered. “We need to find them.” I then dove into the forest with the others following behind me.
“Ireth, wait!” called Legolas.
“We must find them,” I cried.
Aragorn grabbed me and put his hand over my mouth. “Yes. We must find them,” he whispered. “But we do not know what lies in this forest. We must be quite.”
I nodded and he let me go. He then led the way into the forest. Legolas placed a hand on my shoulder and then followed after him. Gimli trudged past me and I quickly followed behind.
Gimli touched a leaf and then licked his fingers. He spat at the ground, “Orc blood.”
Aragorn was looking at the ground as we leapt acrossed a small stream and over a few rocks. “These are strange tracks,” he whispered.
“The air is so close in here,” said Gimli.
“This forest is old,” explained Legolas. “Very old. Full of memory…and anger.” Something made a sound in the forest. Gimli hosted up his ax, ready to cut down what ever got in his way. “The trees are speaking to each other.”
“Gimli!” hissed Aragorn. “Lower your ax.”
Gimli slowly lowered his ax and raised his hands to make it look like he meant no harm. I smiled at him.
“Aragorn, something’s out there.” Said Legolas.
I frowned and walked up to Legolas and listened to the surrounding trees.
“What do you see?” whispered Aragorn.
“The White Wizard approaches,” whispered Legolas. He then flicked his eyes and nodded to the right of us.
“Do not let him speak,” whispered Aragorn, “He will put a spell on us.” Aragorn then grabbed his sword hilt, Legolas and I notched an arrow, and Gimli pulled out his throwing ax. “We must be quick.”
We all quickly turned to face the White Wizard. A white light blinded us. Gimli chucked his ax but the Wizard knocked it out of the way, along with Legolas and my arrows. And he made the metal of Aragorn’s sword hot to the point that Aragorn could not hold it.
“You are tracking the footsteps of two you Hobbits,” said the unfamiliar voice.
“Where are they?” I shouted at him.
“They passed this way the day before yesterday. They med someone they did not expect. Does that comfort you?”
“Who are you?” hissed Aragorn. “Show yourself!”
Slowly the white light faded and Gandalf stood before us. My heart swelled with joy and tears of happiness slipped down my face. But this Gandalf was different. His white, grey hair was now as white as snow and his robes were all white. His staff had changed as well. Instead of a knotted wooden one his was smooth white wood.
“It cannot be,” whispered Aragorn. Legolas knelt down, while Gimli bowed and I followed their actions. “You fell,” Aragorn continued.
“Through fire,” said Gandalf, “and water. From the lowest dungeon to the highest peak I fought the Balrog of Morgoth. Until at last I threw down my enemy and smote his ruin upon the mountainside.” He paused. “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. But it was not the end. I felt life in me again. I’ve been sent back until my task is done.”
“Gandalf,” I whispered running to his side and hugging him.
He chuckled, “Gandalf? Yes. That was what they used to call me. Gandalf the Grey. That was my name.”
“Gandalf,” nodded Gimli.
“I am Gandalf the White,” he smiled.
“Either way, you’re still Gandalf,” I whispered stepping back.
He smiled at me, “Yes. I am. And I remember you, Ireth.” I smiled through my tears. “And I come back to all of you now at the turn of the tide.” He said more seriously. “Come.” He said and he started into the forest. “One stage of your journey is over. Another begins.” He spoke as we walked. “War has come to Rohan. We must right to Edoras with all speed.” He said as we reached the edge of the forest. Gandalf stepped out into the open and then began to whistle a very strange tune that echoed into the distance. Then came a beautiful white horse, galloping up to us.
“That is one of the Mears,” said Legolas, “unless my eyes are cheated by some spell.”
“Shadowfax,” smiled Gandalf once the horse had reached us. “He is the lord of all horses and has been my friend through many dangers.” He stroked the horse and then turned to me. “I do believe that he has brought a friend.” My eyes widened slightly. “Call to her, Ireth.”
I whistled to Snowshadow. Over the hills I could see Snowshadow galloping as quickly as she could towards us. I smiled wildly as she came closer. I ran towards her and wrapped my arms around her neck. “Snowshadow,” I whispered. She nipped at my cloak to show affection.
“Come!” smiled Gandalf. “We must ride.” He pulled himself up onto Shadowfax and waited for us. I quickly climbed up onto Snowshadow and Aragorn climbed up onto Hasufel and Legolas and Gimli onto Arod. Gandalf turned and then lead the way to Edoras.