Avadis - A legolas story (slow moving!)

Chapter 20 - Come with us

Down below, Avadis could hear a commotion of voices, no doubt discussing the wizard's pretty pathetic death. She took a deep breath, knowing she would now have to fly down and meet them herself. At least she had shown whose side she was fighting for, perhaps now she was not as terrifying as before. She did not have much longer to breathe before she heard Gandalf's voice rise up to her, "how does he fair my friend?" 

"Dead" she answered back down, "and at peace."

"Come down now, you are safe" Gandalf called. Slowly Avadis stood and stepped off the platform, flying in a circle down the tower and stopping to land on the steps of the Orthanc, infront of the group of horses, slowly raising her head to look first to Gandalf and then the others. All the riders stared at her completely amazed, swords limp in the soliders hands, the dwarf's mouth hung open with shock. However to her surprise, there was no fear in their eyes, only wonder. 

"My friends, let me introduce to you Avadis of Fangorn Forest." Gandalf announced riding his horse over to her side. Avadis lowered her knee to the ground and spread her wings out, "my lords" she said before rising again, "it is an honour to meet you, after all this time." 

They stood in silence a moment more. She felt their eyes cold stares down every inch of her body. "Do not mistake our silence for fear, friend." Aragorn spoke up, riding his horse slightly closer with Merry behind him, who was beaming, "we are grateful to you for your protection. A friend of Gandalf's is a friend of mine." Avadis smiled at him, he was indeed as noble as a King needed to be. "Thank you" she replied.

"Aye, you have only surprised us is all" the dwarf agreed. "I am Gimli and this is Legolas. We are honoured to meet you." Legolas nodded at her slowly, a small smile on his face which Avadis returned politely. "You fought well" he said.

She was about to open her mouth to thank him and the rest of the company when she felt Pippin wrap his arms around her legs, "thank you Avadis" he said. She could not help but laugh when she looked down at him, half drenched in water and hair a mess. "You are most welcome little friend," she knelt down and whispered quieter to him, "am I doing okay?"

"Just fine" he replied in a whisper, "they just like to do things more... formally, you get used to it." This made her smile. 

"You know her?" Theoden spoke up loudly from his horse, he was still reluctant. He stared down at her from over his nose, his chin lifted high and his soldiers still with hands on their swords.

"Yes! She is the one who cared for us while we were with the Ents" Merry replied from behind Aragorn. "And infact she was the one who aided us in this battle. It is thanks to her and the Ents that Isengard fell" The king remained in silence, seemingly still in thought, looking at her with untrusting eyes. It was quite obvious that Merry's claims were right though, her arrows stuck out as evidence from many of the orcs piled up around them.

"She can come with us, right Gandalf?" Pippin asked looking up at him, standing half underwater. 

"Only if... you promise to... return her" Treebeard spoke, coming around from the back of the tower. "We will need her... to help clean this... mess." 

Avadis smiled over at him and reached her hand up to touch his arm. "Of course my friend" she reassured him, "But my leaving is not for me to decide." She turned back to Gandalf. "Will you not come?" Merry questioned her, frowning, "after all this?"

"She may come if she chooses, Meriadoc Brandybuck" Gandalf spoke over him before clearing his throat, "however before such decisions are made, perhaps we can instead seek somewhere a little more... dry?"

"Of course! Follow me" Avadis said, spreading her wings and flying up into the sky, careful not to spook the horses, leading the way to the path back into the forest.