Sauron's Daughter (A lord of the rings / Aragorn story)

Edoras and Théodra

I breathed in Gandalf's scent and I remembered at once how much I missed it. When our hug ended, I was wanting to run back into his embrace again. Gandalf then addressed the group.

"Now! One stage of your journey is over. Another begins." He said whilst walking through the trees, not looking back to see if we had followed him. He knew we would. "We must travel to Edoras with all speed."

"Edoras?!" Gimli said incredulously. "That is no short distance!"

"But it is a distance we must travel." I said.

"We hear of trouble in Rohan." Aragorn said, looking at me. "It goes ill with the king."

"Yes, and it will not be easily cured."

"Then we have run all this way for nothing?" Gimli huffed. "Are we to leave those poor Hobbits here in this horrid, dark, dank, tree-infested --" He was interrupted from his rumblings by a loud groan of protest from the trees. "I-I mean charming, quite charming forest."

Gandalf turned to face the dwarf. "It was more than mere chance that brought Merry and Pippin to Fangorn. The coming of Merry and Pippin will be like the falling of small stones that starts an avalanche in the mountains."

Aragorn chuckled. "In one thing you have not changed, dear friend." Gandalf looked at him questionably. "You still speak in riddles."

Gandalf laughed. I sound I had missed so dearly. "The ents are going to wake up. And find that they are strong."

"Strong?!" Gimli shouted, panic-stricken. "Oh that's good."

"Stop your fretting, Master Dwarf." Gandalf huffed. "Merry and Pippin are quite safe. In fact, they are far safer than you are about to be!"

"Well that's comforting..." I muttered. So Gandalf is back.

"This new Gandalf's more grumpy than the old one." Gimli added and I playfully punched his arm.

"Come on Gimli, you don't want to be left here on your own do you?" I laughed. Gimli looked around the trees in apprehension.

"Definitely not, lass. Let's go!"

~*~

As we left the cover of the trees, I heard an ear-piercing whistle from Gandalf, answered by the neigh of a beautiful white horse. The horse had a companion with it, who I instantly recognized.

"Eru!" I called, happy to see my horse galloping across the grassy plains towards me.

However, Legolas' gaze was fixed on the beautiful white horse approaching Gandalf. "That is one of the Mearas," he said in astonishment. "Unless my eyes are cheated by some spell."

"Shadowfax. He is the Lord of all horses and has been my friend through many dangers.

Eru nudged my head in greeting when she reached me. I was instantly coddling her after not seeing her for so long. "Oh Eru! I have missed you so much! Have you been good?" I asked her in mock seriousness. She only looked down to the floor sheepishly. "I was only jesting!" I laughed. She butted me in the face. "Ow! What was that for?!"

I turned around to see Aragorn watching me curiously. "You seem to have a strong connection with her." He said.

"Yes, she is a great friend." I replied.

"I like it when you smile. Your troubles seem to melt away." He said quietly.

"Troubles?" I asked.

"The nightmares. Do not think I have not noticed." I gulped. I didn't think anyone knew about my nightmares, except maybe Boromir. "Have you not used the stone the lady Galadriel gave you?"