Only Time

Ch. 23 ~ Fellowship of 9

*Dedicated to Natascha van Gaal*

Just as I rode into the gates of Lorien and saw both Haldir and my aunt waiting for me, something seized me inside. Something so powerful, I thought it would throw me off my steed. To keep that from happening, I jumped to the ground and fell to my knees as I gasped. Haldir rushed to my side then, panicked. But my aunt knew what it was; a vision. I stared straight at her as it hit me all at once; Mithrandir getting Frodo and riding off to get Saruman's help in Isengard only to be trapped by him on top of Orthanc, beaten and left to rot. Saruman had indeed betrayed us to side with Sauron.

Rage that I had never known existed welled up inside me but the visions did not stop. I saw Mithrandir calling to the eagles who rescued him before Saruman could finish him off. I remembered the eagles from the Battle of the Five Armies when they helped then too. They were our friends. At the same time, Frodo with 3 of his Hobbit friends were trying to find a way to Bree where they were to meet Gandalf who never showed. They did run into a man who identified himself to them as Strider or Aragorn as I knew by now. I knew they were safe then. Or so I thought. If Strider found them then the Ringwraith's sent by Sauron would and did as well. They were on the run. On Weathertop was where it all came to a head and Frodo was stabbed by a morgul blade.

That is when I realized why Arwen was sent for, to bring Frodo and the ring to Rivendell. She being the fastest horsewoman in the land would be able to out run the wraiths giving chase while Aragorn brought the rest of the Hobbits; Sam, Merry, and Pippin to Rivendell himself. Frodo needed immediate elven intervention to stop the poison from spreading. If this was not done, he would become a wraith too. Thankfully, after calling upon the river to wash away the wraiths after her, Arwen got Frodo to Rivendell with little time to spare and so he was saved. The ring was now in the possession of the Council of my uncle and the gathered inhabitants of Middle Earth.

With that, the vision released its hold on me and I collapsed against Haldir who was holding me up. I was trembling as my breath finally returned to me. With Haldir's help, I was able to stand up and look again at my aunt with agonized eyes. She lowered her eyes just briefly before looking up at me again and saying:

"You were right, my child, all those years ago about not trusting Saruman. Somewhere in the last century, he pledged his full allegiance to Sauron and kept it well hidden from us all." The rage returned to me then as I spat out:

"Then it must end, I shall go and take Saruman out. He is the advantage Sauron cannot have! He must die!"

I tried to wriggle out of Haldir's grasp but found that I could not. I felt a second pair of hands take hold of my shoulders then and willed me to keep still, I looked up at my aunt then, for I knew it was her.

"No Hedraliel, you cannot defeat Saruman by yourself. He is far too powerful for you right now. If you travel to Isengard, Sauron will see you too and that I cannot allow. He got a hold of you once. Do not let your hatred toward either give them yet another advantage against us. Your part in this war is yet to come but it has to come at the right time not out of anger or spite. We do not act rashly. Mithrandir would not want you getting hurt right now out of all times and neither would Legolas or the rest of your family. Just stop and think."

But I was beyond thinking; rationally at least. Wrath and ruin were all that were in my head. Thankfully, at that precise moment a soldier in the Galadhrim came running to tell Haldir that a whole slew of orcs were trying to cut their way into the outskirts of the forest. That did it; I broke free from both Haldir and my aunt and remounted Sunset and unsheathed Altherial as I galloped toward where I heard the orcs were cutting the forest. Haldir was just about to ride after me when my aunt stopped him: