~*~ Last Time on So Far Away ~*~
"He's up to something!" Sam glared at Gollum."Are you saying that there is another way to Mordor?" Frodo asked the tortured creature."Yes...There's a path, and, and some stairs and then a-a-a tunnel..." Gollum stroked Frodo's arm and buries his face in Frodo's cloak."He's led us this far, Sam.." Frodo begins."Mr. Frodo, no!" Sam interrupted."He's been true to his word!" Frodo began again."No!" Sam argued."Lead the way, Smeagol." Frodo ignored Sam's words."Good Smeagol always helps." Smeagol whispered. Sam just looked at Frodo in disbelief.
Gandalf, Aragorn, Ainawen, Legolas, and Gimli finally arrived at Edoras."Edoras and the Golden Hall of Meduseld. There dwells Theoden, King of Rohan, whose mind is overthrown." Gandalf stated sadly......
Eowyn kneels before her uncle with a grim look on her pale skin."My lord, your, he is dead..." Eowyn whispers grief obviously hidden in her words. She takes her uncle's cold, pallid, bony hand into her own warm one."My lord? Uncle? Will you not go to him? Will you do nothing?" Eowyn choked on her words and looked into Theoden's sky blue eyes, his gaze did not shift from the entrance of the Golden Hall.
"Be careful what you say, do not look for welcome here." Gandalf whispered cautiously.
Eowyn ran into her dead cousin's room, and lays her head in her crossed arms and sobbed. Grima enters the room quietly, where his presence went unknown until her spoke."Oh, he must have died sometime in the night. What a tragedy for the king to lose his only son and heir," Grima snickered inwardly as he kept a grief filled mask on his face, but the facade didn't go unnoticed by the startled woman."I understand his passing is hard to accept, especially now that your brother has deserted you." Grima continued letting the poison of his words drip from his mouth."Leave me alone, snake!" Eowyn cried venomously, while standing up and taking an few steps backwards."Oh! But you are alone! Who knows what you have spoken to the darkness, in bitter watches of the night. When all your life seems to shrink. The walls of your bower closing in about you. A hatch to trammel some wild thing," Grima whispers and caresses Eowyn's tear stained cheek."So fair, so cold, like a morning pale spring still clinging to winter's chill." Eowyn slaps Grima's hand away from her face and glares wit hall the hatred she could bestow on him."Your words, are poison!" Eowyn whispered harshly and picked up the skirts of her pure white dress and ran out of her cousin's chambers.
She ran down the halls of her home and out of the Hall's doors. She stands outside and cries softly. Eowyn looks around and sees Gandalf and the others. A flag tears off the pole and floats down, landing near the entrance to Edoras.
Aragorn looks at the flag that fell not but a few feet away from him. Ainawen laid her hand on his shoulder and motioned him to follow with her head. Aragorn nodded and followed the elf maiden into the walls of Edoras. As they trot on their horses through the city, they see the grim looks and the ears the coughing of the sick."You'll find more cheer in a graveyard." Gimli stated to himself. As the company reaches the stairs of the Golden Hall the climbed off their horses and handed the reigns to the small stable boy. They were soon climbing the, what seemed like, never ending stairs. Three guards of the castle approach Gandalf, Ainawen, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli as they reach the top of the stairs."Ah!" Gandalf grinned cheerfully."I cannot allow you before Theoden King so armed, Gandalf Grayhame," the leader of the three spoke with authority, but the last words were spoken of hate."By order of Grima Wormtongue..."
Gandalf's eyes held understanding and nodded to Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and Ainawen to strip themselves of their weapons. Gimli was hesitant to give the guards his axes, but let them go and muttered under his breath that if they were scratched he would have to chop off some vital things. Legolas just smirked and pulled off his quiver that held his arrows and his bow. He then unsheathed his twin daggers and handed them to the guards as well. Aragorn, on the other hand, took off his belt that held his sword, pulled out a few daggers from his boots. Ainawen took off her quiver as well, then her daggers, and then her two small dagger that was hidden in her boots. Everyone looked at her questioning her lot of weapons."What! I do want to live so I keep as many as I can, god damn it." Ainawen growled."Your staff." Hama said to Gandalf, motioning the wizard to give it up."Eh? Oh... No, you would not part an old man from his walking stick?" Gandalf groaned in an elderly manner. Hama shook his head no slightly and watched as Gandalf take Legolas's arm as they enter the hall. They all notice Grima at the King's side.
"My lord, Gandalf the Grey is coming." Grima whispered into the possessed king's ear."The courtesy of your hall is somewhat lessened of late, Theoden King!" Gandalf stated loudly."He is not welcome." Grima whispered harshly into the king's ear. Ainawen took note of the men wearing black following them as they walked towards the king and signaled the others to look. They had also acknowledged their stalkers."Why should I welcome you, Gandalf Stormcrow?" The old king groaned out hoarsely, looking over at Grima for advice."A just question my liege." Grima told the pallid king and stood up."Late is the hour in which this conjurer chooses to appear. Lathspell, I name him. Ill news is in ill guest." Grima sneered."Be silent! Keep your forked tongue behind your teeth. I have not passed through fire and death to bandy gird words with a witless worm!" Gandalf boomed and held up his white staff."His staff! I told you to take the wizard's staff!" Grima growled towards the guards.
Grima's followers attacked the group and Aragorn, Legolas, Ainawen, and Gimli fought the twisted men, allowing Gandalf to walk to Theoden."Theoden, Son of Thengel. Too long have you sat in the shadows!" Gandalf cried. Ainawen pulled out a hidden dagger and lunged it into one of the black clothed figures and saw Grima trying to escape and threw it at his right shoulder and watched as Grima fell to the ground. One follower tried to attack Legolas from behind but Legolas raised his fist and the man ran into it knocking himself out. Grima pulled the blade from his shoulder and grasped it in pain and began to try and crawl away. Gimli took notice and puts a foot on Grima's chest."I would stay still if I were you!" Gimli threatened."Hearken to me. I will release you from the spell." Gandalf said putting his hand up and closing his eyes.
Theoden began to laugh maniacally, madness evident in his cold eyes."Hahahahahahaha! You have no power here, Gandalf the Grey!" Theoden cackled hoarsely. As the King continues to laugh, Gandalf throws aside his grey robe, revealing his white clothes. Theoden stopped laughing as soon as he saw the new clothing at which Gandalf revealed. Startled he leaned back into his throne."I will draw you, Saruman, as poison is drawn from a wound!" Gandalf growled and pointed his staff at Theoden, who squirms in his throne, obviously in pain. Eowyn runs out from her room and reaches the hall when she heard her uncles cries in pain. She began to rush to his side when Aragorn pulled her back."wait." Aragorn whispered, Eowyn looked at him questionably, but did as he asked,"If I go, Theoden dies!" Saruman cried from the body of Theoden and ran forward towards Gandalf.
Gandalf points his staff at Theoden and the King flies against his throne."You did not kill me. You will not kill him." Gandalf stated."Rohan is mine!" Saruman blared."Be gone!" Gandalf screams and Theoden jumps up again, yelling, but flies back into his throne when a bright light erupted from Gandalf's staff. Theoden groans in pain and begins to fall forward. Eowyn immediately threw Aragorn's hand off her shoulder and rushes to Theoden's side. In amazement she watch how his face began to change that of a very old man to that of a man in his early fifties. Tears began to form as a smile sprung from her lips. Theoden blinked a few times and looked over at Eowyn and touched her face and took her hand in his."I know your face. Eowyn...Eowyn..." Theoden whispered and smiled he looked over and gaped at who he saw."Gandalf?"
Gandalf smiled and sighed happily that it was over."Breathe the free air again, my friend." Theoden looked down at his lap and began to think."Dark have been my dreams of late." Theoden soon whispered........