The Palantír

Our horses walked steadily behind one another once again.

I was behind Legolas and Shadowfax, Aragorn and Théoden behind me. I was lost in my thoughts about what was yet to come and I didn't notice Legolas had fallen back next to me.

He smiled at me and I returned it. We didn't talk, just rode together in a peaceful silence.

I dropped Rhea's reins and let my hands fall on the saddle in front of me. I stroked her neck with the back of my hand and she whinnied.

But than she seemed anxious and upset. She pawed the ground with her hoof, and tossed her head. "Shhhh...." I soothed her, stroking her some more.

I saw Legolas look upwards at the sky, and I did the same. He was looking at Mordor in the distance, it's peak barely visible through the fire around it.

"Sam and Frodo must be so scared." I whispered to no one in particular. "They will be all right." Legolas whispered back.

Than Gandalf turned Shadowfax halfway around to face us. "Sarumon's wrath will be terrible, his retribution swift." He said. "The battle for Helm's Deep is over, the battle for Middle Earth has just begun." He paused for a moment and looked back up at the red sky.

"And all our hope lays with two little Hobbits out there somewhere."

~~~<<<~~~>>>~~~<<<~~~>>>~~

Dark trees were all around us as we walked through an unfamiliar forest. I stayed close to Legolas, talking quietly with him, washing my doubts and fears away.

Lately, I had been putting a lot of trust with him, something I rarely do with someone that I had meet only a few months before.

I had no idea what it was about him that made me open up to him like this. But that was a matter for a different day.

Laughter filled my ears, long before anyone besides Legolas had heard it. We soon reached the edge of the forest and saw two quite familiar faces.

"Merry?" I asked, shocked. "Pippin?"

They were sitting on a brick wall, with their pipes in their mouths and food by their side. Huge smiles played at their faces as they watched at us walk out of the trees.

Merry looked at us gleefully. "Welcome my Lords-My Lady-" He added, looking at me. "To Isengaurd!" He threw his hands in the air dramatically, making me laugh.

Aragorn and Legolas were smiling too, happy that we had found our friends. But Gandalf didn't look quite so pleased. "You young rascals!" He half-shouted at them. A fine chase you led us on! And now we find you feasting, and smoking!"

Merry smiled at Gandalf again, in a way that convinced me that he wasn't all that sober.

"My friend, we are sitting on a wall of victory, enjoying some hard-earned comforts. This salted pork is particularly good!"

He put an emphasis on salted pork, as if he knew Gimli would be interested. And he was.

"Salted pork?" The Dwarf muttered from behind me, looking over at the two Hobbits.

"We are under orders from Treebeard, who has taken over management of Isengaurd." Merry said, still perched on the stone wall.

Pippin than jumped down and ran over to me. "Can I ride with you?" He asked me, in his funny little accent. "Of course!"

I pulled him up behind me and he clutched my cloak. Merry climbed on behind Aragorn, and we started off again, following Gandalf.

He led us up to a huge, looming tower that rose hundreds of feet up in the air. There, a huge tree came walking up to us, in slow, careful steps.

The tree had a mossy beard and bark for skin. He looked like a tree, but I had never seen anything like it before. I figured he must be an Ent. And than he spoke.

His voice was deep and slow, just like his walking. He spoke to Gandalf, telling him about Sarumon, who was inside the tower we were besides.

I looked up at the sky, shading my eyes from the sun, and I could see the top of the tower. And I could also see Sarumon walking out, looking down at us.

"You have slain many men, and won many wars, Théoden King." He said, in his evil voice. "And you have made peace afterwards. Can we not make council like we did do many years ago, my old friend? Can we not have peace, you and I?"

Théoden muttered something under his breath at Sarumon, but I couldn't tell what he was saying.But he started to speak aloud.

"We shall have peace, when you answer for the burning of the Westfold and the children that lie dead there!" He yelled at Sarumon. "We shall have peace when the bodies of soliders that were hewn even as they laid dead, are avenged! We shall have peace when you hang dead on your gibbet for the likes of your crows! Than, shall we have peace!"

Sarumon seemed to get steadily angrier as Théoden's short speech carried on.

"Gibbets?" He yelled down at us. "Crows?" He laughed a laugh that made me shiver and wish I wasn't here.

"What do you want Gandalf Greyhame?" Sarumon continued."Let me guess, the key to Orthanc itself, along with the crowns of the seven kings and the rods of the five wizards?"

Shadowfax shifted as Gandalf stared back up at Sarumon calmly. He almost seemed unaffected by the things that Sarumon had said.

"Your treachery has cost many lives, thousands more at at risk! But you could save them Sarumon! You were deep in the enemy's council!" Gandalf reminded him.

Sarumon looked surprised. "So you have come here for information?!" He said loudly down to us. "But I have some for you!"

He reached under his white robes and pulled out a glowing ball of black, red and orange colors. My eyes widened as I recognized it. The Planatír!

"Something festers in the Heart of Middle Earth!" Sarumon continued. "Something even you have failed to see, Gandalf the Grey! But the Great Eye has seen it, and even now he presses his advantage! His attack will come soon!"

I felt ice down my spine as he said that. But we dealt with one of his attacks. What was one more?

At this time, Gandalf had moved Shadowfax through the water that was surrounding Sarumon's tower, and was standing in it.

"You are all going to die!" Said the Evil Wizard. "But you know this, don't you Gandalf?" He spoke in a mocking tone, as if we were immature children. But than his eyes left Gandalf's and traveled to Aragorn.

"You cannot think that this Ranger will ever sit on a throne?" He said once again in that mocking tone. "This exile, that crawled up from the shadows, will never be crowned king! Gandalf, you don't hesitate to sacrifice those closest to you, those who you love....tell me, what comforting words did you give the Halfling before you sent him away on his own, to his death?"

I was almost shaking with anger at what he dared to say to Aragorn. Legolas, from my right, reached back and quick as a flash, had nocked an arrow on his bow.

"No!" I whispered to him, putting my hand in his arm. He looked at me with the same rage I had.

Before he could say anything to me, Gandalf addressed The Evil Wizard again. "Come down Sarumon! Come down and your life will be spared!"

I had my doubts on whether Gandalf would follow through with that promise, but I didn't question him.

"Save your pity!" Sarumon spat at him. "For I have no use for it!"He than aimed his staff at Gandalf and shot flames at him, enveloping him in fire.

I gasped and lurched forwards, but Legolas grabbed Rhea's reins before I could go anywhere near him.

But after a while, the flames slowly disappeared, revealing Gandalf, unharmed, still sitting on Shadowfax.

"Your staff is broken, Sarumon!" He said calmly.

And on cue, Sarumon's staff shattered into many pieces and fell down to us.

But than a dark figure moved slowly from behind Sarumon, out in the open to face us. My eyes narrowed as it was Gríma Wormtongue. Théoden didn't look surprised at all.

"Come down Gríma!" He shouted to him. "You were not always as you are now. You were once a man of Rohan!"

Gríma seemed to consider it, and he bowed his head slightly in Théoden's direction and turned away. But before he could leave, Sarumon's voice stopped him.

"A man of Rohan?" He angrily said. "What is Rohan but a thatched barn were brigands drink in their reek, and their brats roll of the ground with dogs?!" He was angry now, more angry than before, and I wanted to be far, far away from here. "Victory over Helms Deep does not belong to you, Théoden, Horsemaster!" He continued, ragingly.

But Théoden calmly looked up at the two men. "Come down Gríma." He said again. "Be free of him!""Free? He will never be free of me!" Sarumon declared.

I started feeling bad for Gríma, even after what he did to Rohan. But the brave man turned to his master, and whispered a barely audible "No."

Sarumon looked livid. "Get down, cur!" He yelled and struck Gríma to the ground. I winced and frowned at Sarumon, he had no right.

"You were deep in the enemy's council! Tell me what you know!" Gandalf demanded Sarumon.

The Wizard responded, but I was distracted. Behind him, Gríma rose slowly to his feet, clutching a small knife. My heart began to beat wildly in my chest, this wasn't going to end well for eather of them.

Gríma raised his knife and stabbed Sarumon in the back, two times. Pippin gasped from behind me, and clutched me.

And before I could signal him to, Legolas fired his arrow into Gríma's chest, killing him instantly. He fell out of sight, with blood pouring out of his chest.

Sarumon was still alive, but just barely. He stumbled towards the edge of his tower, and I held my breath. He couldn't control his body and he toppled over backwards.

He was falling towards a spike in the water right in front of me. Quickly, I pulled Rhea back just as he impaled himself through the back on it, killing himself.

It was silent for a while, nobody spoke, just taking in what had just happened, it had happened so fast.

Than, Pippin jumped down from behind me and ran over to Sarumon's body. "Pippin, no!" I yelled at him, but he didn't turn around. He knelt down and picked up something out of the water. It was Sarumon's Palantír.

Gandalf was by his side immediately and held his hand out. "Pippin, my lad, I will be taking that!" He said sternly. The Hobbit slowly handed the black and red orb to Gandalf, who wrapped it up in his cloak.

Pippin walked over to me and I pulled him up on Reah again, and Gandalf led us away from the tower.

~~~<<<~<<<~~~>>>~~~<<<~~~>

"Psst!" I hissed at Éowyn. "Éowyn!"She looked around, confused at who was calling her. "Éowyn!" She turned to me and smiled. I motioned her forward towards me.

"Where is Legolas?" I asked her, still whispering.

We were in the Golden Hall of Meduseld, with Théoden, Éowyn, and the others. Quiet talk was being made and soft music played as we waited for Théoden to give his little speech to us.

Éowyn turned and looked around for the Elf I was searching for. She than turned back to face me. "I haven't seen him in a while." She whispered back to me. I frowned and nodded. "If you see him, tell him I was looking for him."She nodded and walked off.

I turned around in my seat and faced forward. Merry and Aragorn were seated next to me, Pippin in front. Down the table to my right, was Gimli, than some other people I had seen fight in the battle if Helms Deep.

Théoden was seated at the head of the table, looking out upon thirty or fourth men and women, with me and Éowyn.

At this time, he stood up with a mug if ale in his hand, looking like he was going to say something. The talking ceased immediately.

"Tonight," He spoke loudly, his voice echoing off the stone walls. "Tonight, we remember the men who died defending their cities. The men who died defending their people! Hail! Hail the victorious dead!"

"HAIL!" Came the instant cry from the seated people, as we drank our ales to the men who died.

Unlike most other Elves, I like my ales. I tilted my head back and poured some down my throat, ignoring the slightly uncomfortable burning sensation it gave me. The taste was good, so I drank it.

The food arrived, so we feasted. I was surprised with how much the Hobbits could eat in one sitting! The only one who eat more than them was Gimli. But that didn't surprise me one bit.

And as I talked to Aragorn about Frodo and Sam, and found out he was just as worried about them as I was.

"Aragorn, we have no way of knowing if they are even alive anymore!" I quietly told him, trying not to let the Hobbits hear me. He put his hand on my shoulder.

"Ryanne, Gandalf would know if they were dead. And he hasn't said anything yet."I sighed. "Just because he hasn't said anything, doesn't mean anything."This time, it was his turn to be disappointed in me.

"Ryanne, where is your faith?" He asked me. "Out of all these years I have known you, now is the first time you have seemed unfaithful and doubtful. What makes this any different?"

He got me there.

I opened my mouth to answer and found that I had no answer.

"It will be okay." He promised me. I nodded. "I hope."He gave my shoulder a squeeze and walked over to Gandalf, who was deep in conversation with Théoden.

I looked around, still holding my cup of ale from before. My eyes widened as I saw who was with Gimli. Sighing, I made my way over to Legolas, as I started wondering what they were doing.

I got to them just in time to hear Éowyn start laughing, she was leaned up against the table they were standing at. "What?" I asked, smiling too.

There was no reply, Gimli just kept talking. "No pauses or spills." he said, chuckling. "Or regurgitation." The look on Legolas's face was a look I had never seen before. I couldn't help but laugh again at them.

The Elf turned to me. "You entered a drinking game.....with this Dwarf?" I asked, pointing at Gimli. "And what is that supposed to be saying?!" Gimli asked, outraged. "Nothing at all Gimli, nothing at all."I safely replied.

"So, it is a drinking game?" Legolas asked, as if he was having second thoughts about the idea. "Aye!" Gimli excitedly replied. "Last one standing wins!" I cringed think about how some Dwarves blacked out by drinking so much.

"What will we drink to, then?" A man behind me shouted. "Let's drink to victory!"

"TO VICTORY!" And everyone tipped their head back and started downing their ale. I turned to Éowyn, amusement in my eyes. But she wasn't looking at me. Or the drinking game. She was staring if into space. I confusedly followed her line of sight, and raised my eyebrows at who she was staring at.

"You love him, don't you?" I asked her. She did, I knew that. When Aragorn wasn't looking at her, she was looking at him. But I didn't have the heart to tell her that he had someone else.

Hearing my question, she turned to me, surprised. "How did you-" "Elves know all." I cut her off, smirking slightly."But you do, don't you?" I asked her again. She hesitated.

"He's a good man." She settled with. "Oh come on." I told her. "I know many good men. But you love this good man." I nodded towards Aragorn.

She turned to me. "And you," she said. "Love that good man." She nodded towards Legolas. My face instantly turned red and I looked at my boots. Éowyn laughed softly at my reaction.

"Well, you aren't wrong..." I said quietly.

We both turned back to Legolas and Gimli when we heard Gimli start laughing hysterically. "Here, here!" He said. "It is the Dwarves that go swimming with the little hairy women!"

At that, I burst out laughing. Dwarves who were drunk were funny, but they were a pain to deal with. I looked at Legolas, who didn't seem to be as effected by all the ale. I walked over next to him.

"What number are you on?" I asked. He paused. "Twelve...?" He said slowly. I smiled.

That's the thing about Elves. They almost never get drunk. It's very hard for them too. And most Elves with common sense stop drinking before they get drunk because most Elves don't like ale.

"What number is he on?" I motioned towards Gimli who was still bouncing up and down. "Over twenty." Was his response. Wow.

"Just don't....." I started. "Pass out."

We both looked at Gimli who was now singing about rather rude things that we would probably tease him about when he was sober.

Legolas looked at me. "I feel something.....a tingling feeling. I think it's affecting me." He sounded shocked, as if he didn't think drinking twelve mugs of ale would do anything abnormal.

I nodded. "It's called intoxication."He raised his eyebrows in confusion. "The ale....." I hinted. His face cleared, suddenly understanding.

"What'd I tell ya?" Gimli said loudly from the opposite side of the table. "He can't hold his liquor!" He said with slurred words, swaying slightly. He slammed his mug onto the table, swayed some more, than fell backwards on the floor, landing in his back.

I looked at Éowyn, who looked amused. Legolas looked surprised, as he probably didn't expect to beat a Dwarf at a drinking game. "Game over." I said simply, and he smiled.

The night carried on, and I talked to many people, laughed and even sang a little of the few song I knew. I taught some men a few songs in Elvish, and they were catching on well enough.

I was walking over towards Merry and Pippin, who were singing and dancing on a table, when I overheard Aragorn and Gandalf speaking.

"No news from Frodo?" Aragorn was asking. "None. Not at all." Gandalf seemed depressed, or disappointed."We still have time." Aragorn pointed out trying to sound hopeful. "Everyday, Frodo moves closer to Mordor."Gandalf turned to look him in the eye.

"Do we know that?" I silently agreed with Gandalf. We had no way of knowing where Frodo was, who he was with, or how close they were to destroying the ring.

"What does your heart tell you?" I heard Aragorn sigh. There was a slight pause before Gandalf answered.

"That he is alive. Yes. Yes, he is very much alive."

I felt all my stomach muscles relax, as if a huge unknown knot had just been untied. My heart beat slowed down, as I continued walking towards Merry and Pippin.

~~~<<<~~~>>>~~~<<<~~~>>>~~

It was late. Judging by the moon's position, I would say mid-night, or the very start of the morning hours.

My cloak was wrapped around me and my hood was pulled up over my face, hiding it almost totally from view. My cloak was midnight blue in color, and fell to my ankles.

I was outside, standing on another balcony, because I couldn't sleep. Something evil was twisting inside me and it was preventing me from relaxing.

The feeling wasn't painful, but it was uncomfortable. My heart beat was unsteady once again, and my breath came out in short, jagged puffs of air.

I felt hot, but cold at the same time, despite the frigid temperatures outside.

Turning back to go to my room, I walked down the hall, but stopped at the door. My Elvish hearing could pick up slight movements from inside, but I couldn't tell who it was.

I listened for a while more, trying to decide wether or not I should enter, when an explosive pain filled my head. I knew at once who it was, and why it was there.

Footsteps sounded the hallway in front of me, and Aragorn and Legolas appeared, running towards the room I was standing in front of.

"He's here." I said simply, but it was all they needed to know. Recovering from my previous pain, I threw the door open and glanced inside. What I saw surprised me.

Pippin was on his knees in the middle if the floor, the Palantír between his hands. He looked frozen, as if the Palantír held him there, making him unable to move.

Scared for his well-being, I rushed forwards immediately. I grabbed the Palantír from his hands, yanking it away from him, but the pain filled my head again, and my whole word slowed down.

Darkness.

Everything around me was black.

I didn't know what I was standing on, where I was, or who was around me.

I couldn't see anything due to the darkness, but I could hear.

Someone was calling my name.

They sounded scared, worried, maybe in pain?

"Ryanne!"

I couldn't see the person calling me, but I knew who it was. Looking around, Legolas came into my view.

He was running towards me, but never got any closer. He kept calling my name over and over.

"Ryanne! Ryanne!"

He kept running, but didn't get anywhere closer.

I didn't know why he needed to get to me. But he looked very frightened.

I started to get upset. I had never seen Legolas this scared before. What was happening?

"What is it? What is wrong?"

I wanted to run to him, find out what was going on, but something-or someone- was holding me back.

"Legolas!"

I struggled against the force keeping me from him, but I didn't break free.

I started to feel a hot, burning sensation, and started to panic.

What in Middle Earth was happening?

"Ryanne!"

Was this even real life? I didn't know.

All I knew was that something was starting to burn me. And I needed to get away. But I couldn't.

"LEGOLAS!" I screamed, panicking and struggling harder.

Suddenly, Legolas stopped running.

He looked at me with an equally panicked expression.

He looked at his arms, and they burst into flames.

I screamed as he began to burn, just standing there letting it happen.

"No! No! Legolas!"

More fear. More panic. More grief.

I sank to my knees, tears running down my face.

The burning sensation got warmer, hurting me.

Now screaming out of agony, I tried even harder to wrench myself free of my invisible captor.

The flames leapt up my arms and my legs, making their way up my body.

I looked to where Legolas was standing earlier, and almost got sick.

I saw his burnt body laying on the ground. The flames, now blue and green, still on him.

I turned away. Still crying. Still screaming. Still struggling. Still burning.

Who was doing this? Why were they doing it?

"Stop it!" I yelled, to nobody in particular. Hoping someone could hear me.

"Please stop! Please!"

The pain and fear stopped suddenly when the Palantír was removed from my hands. I fell back, unable to catch myself, as I looked up at Gandalf.

He threw his cloak around the Palantír, and put it safely away.

I expected him to scold me, to tell me how stupid it was for me to do that, but he turned to Pippin. "Fool of a Took!" He exclaimed, angrily.

"Forgive me, Gandalf..." Pippin whispered, still frightened out of his mind. I moved across the room, and held him as he calmed down.

"Look at me!" Gandalf ordered the frightened Hobbit. I personally felt like he was being harsh with Pippin, but I never would argue with the Wizard. Pippin shakily rose his eyes to meet Gandalf's.

"What did you see?" I now moved away from Pippin, still sitting on the floor, with my legs drawn close. We waited for Pippin's answer.

"A white tree...." He started. "A white tree in a stone courtyard.....it was dead, the city around it was...was burning!"

My breath caught in my throat as I took this information in. "Minas Tirith?" Gandalf questioned. "Is that what you saw?" The small Hobbit shook his head, a little overwhelmed.

"I saw....him!" He said loudly. "I heard his voice in my head!" Gandalf seemed unsurprised at this. "What did he say to you?"

"He asked me my name, but I didn't answer him, he hurt me!" I felt so bad for Pippin, my experience with the Palantír momentarily forgotten.

"What did you tell him of Frodo and the ring?" Gandalf asked yet another question. Pippin shook his head, he hadn't said anything.

Gandalf laid Pippin back down in the floor, and Merry rushed over to him. But the Wizard turned to me this time.

"And you," He said. "What did you see?" He asked me in the same harsh tone he had asked Pippin. I blinked a few times, trying to gather my thoughts. "Ryanne!" I snapped my head up.

Shaking my head, I said "Nothing, nothing happened." Gandalf could tell I was lying, and he moved forward towards me and gripped my arm tightly.

"What did he do to you?" My eyes widened, but my thoughts stayed the same: jumbled and confused.

"There was fire." I said, softly. "People were burning, I was burning. "My breathing sped up, as I recalled my vision and what had happened.

At the end of it, Gandalf seemed tired, but thoughtful. He let go of my arm, and I shakily stood up.

Legolas walked up to me and stood by my side. I looked at him, in his ice-blue eyes, and he could see my fear.

The rest of us stood in silence for a while longer, each reviewing what had just happened. Until Gandalf, still very shaken as well, ordered us all to bed.

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A/N: This chapter was so long.....And also very late.....

But we don't talk about that.....

ANYwhooooooo

As you guys can tell, I got a book cover!!Special, special thanks to jktronis for making it for me!

She is writing a book, called Academy of Secrets! It is very, very well written, go check it out!

I am also super super super sorry for this being so late, it's been school....😕So I tried to make it long, to make up for it. How about that smiley face?VOTE!!!!! COMMENT!!!! FOLLOW!!!!

Bullseyes,XXbowandarrowsXX