Of Futures Past (Legolas)

36

As the people of Rohan returned to Edoras, the Fellowship rode out with the King and Eomer to confront Saruman.

Alana smiled as she saw the destruction of Orthanc, remembering this from visions she'd had in the past and glad that Merry and Pippin had succeeded. The two hobbits, rascals as they are, were eating pork and smoking Longbottom leaf happily.

"Welcome, my lord, to Isenguard!" Merry announced as he stood up. "And lady." He added when he saw Alana, before he and Pippin both rushed over to hug Alana.

"Alana! You're alive!" Pippin cheered.

"I told you I'd be, didn't I?" Alana grinned, ruffling his hair playfully.

The reunion was cut short as Treebeard, an Ent from Fangorn, approached them, and they all remounted their horses. "Hoooom, young master Gandalf, I'm glad you've come. Wood and water, stock and stone I can master, but there is a Wizard to manage here locked in his tower."

Aragorn looked up at the tower. "Show yourself."

"Be careful. Even in defeat, Saruman is dangerous." Gandalf warned. 

Alana shuffled around on her horse uncomfortably. She could remember a time when Saruman, like Gandalf, had been a dear mentor of hers, but now, he had had her kidnapped and she had suffered what never should be suffered because of it.

"Well then let's just have his head and be done with it." Gimli suggested gruffly.

"No, we need him alive. We need him to talk." Gandalf rebuked calmly.

A voice carried over the wind as Saruman showed himself. "You have fought many wars and slain many men Theoden King and made peace afterwards. Can we not take counsel together as we once did, my old friend? Can we not have peace you and I?"

"We shall have peace." Theoden declared, to Alana's shock. "We shall have peace when you answer for the burning of the Westfold and the children that lie dead there! We shall have peace when the lives of the soldiers whose bodies were hewn even as they lay dead against the gates of the Hornburg are avenged! When you hang from a gibbet for the sport of your own crows we shall have peace!"

Saruman jeered at the king. "Gibbets and crows! Dotard! What do you want Gandalf Grahame? Let me guess the key of Orthanc? Or perhaps the keys of Barad Dur itself? Along with the crowns of the seven Kings and the rods of the Five Wizards!"

"Your treachery has already cost many lives. Thousands more are now at risk. But you could save them Saruman. You were deep in the enemy's counsel."

"So you have come here for information. I have some for you." Saruman heldup the palantir and looked into it. "Something festers in the heart of Middle Earth. Something that you have failed to see. But the great eye has seen it! Even now he presses his advantage. His attack will come soon." Gandalf rode forward. "You are all going to die! But you know this don't you Gandalf? You cannot think that this Ranger will ever sit upon the throne of Gondor. This exile, crept from the shadows will never be crowned King." Alana looked over at Aragorn, who did not react to the claim. "Gandalf does not hesitate to sacrifice those who are closest to him, those he professes to love! Tell me, what words of comfort did you give the Halfling before you sent him to his doom? The path that you have set him on can only lead to death."

"I've heard enough! Shoot him! Stick an arrow in his gob!" Gimli shouted, and Alana found herself nodding along as she stared at Saruman with disgust.

Legolas reached for an arrow.

"No! Come down Saruman and your life will be spared!" Gandalf yelled up at him, much to Alana's discontent.

"Save your pity and your mercy. I have no use for it!" Saruman bellowed, shooting a ball of fire at Gandalf as Alana yelled out in shock. The flames cleared, and Gandalf was just the same as he had been moments before.

"Saruman... Your staff is broken."

As Saruman's staff exploded in his hands, Alana smirked to herself. A well-earned punishment could be very satisfying, she realized.

As Grima Wormtongue appeared behind Saruman, Theoden yelled up to him,"Grima! You need not follow him! You were not always as you are now. You were once a man of Rohan. Come down."

Alana and Eomer both sent him looks of shock, knowing how revolting he was to Eowyn, but Theoden kept his gaze on Grima, who looked as if he wanted to come down.

"A man of Rohan?" Saruman scoffed. "What is the house of Rohan but a thatched barn where brigands drink in the reek and their brats roll on the floor with the dogs? The victory at Helms Deep does not belong to you Theoden Horse Master. You are a lesser son of greater sires!"

"Grima. Come down. Be free!" Theoden urged.

"Free? He will never be free!" Saruman denied.

"No." Grima muttered.

Saruman slapped him across the face as the man approached him. 

"Saruman! You were deep in the enemy's counsel. Tell us what you know!" Gandalf demanded.

"You withdraw your guard and I will tell you where your doom will be decided. I will not be held prisoner here!"

Alana scoffed, fingers itching to pull out an arrow and shoot him, and as she saw Grima pull out a knife, she couldn't bring herself to warn Gandalf quickly enough. Grima stabbed Saruman in the back three times, before Legolas shot him, and both enemies died. Saruman fell from the tower, his body landing, impaled, on a great wheel.

As Saruman's body disappeared into the water, Pippin dismounted from Shadowfax and picked something up from the water. As Alana realized what the orb was, she blanched and called out, "Give that to Gandalf, Pippin!"

Pippin was looking into the palantir though, and only when Gandalf called out to him did he stop. "Peregrin Took. I'll take that my lad! Quickly now!"

Alana shared a worried glance with Gandalf as the orb disappeared into his robes, before turning her horse and urging it forwards, back to Edoras. She could only pray Pippin would be able to control his curiosity,