The Queen of Middle-Earth | Aragorn & Hermione

Chapter 3

Nothing will change until you step out in faith and take uncomfortable, challenging action. - John Di Lemme

_______________________

Gandalf clapped spurs to his horse. He had been riding for a whole day. The grey stallion was tired and he began to weaken, but the bearded wizard didn't care, he had to reach the tower of Saruman as quick as he could.

There it was: Isengard. The black tower of Orthanc with its four pinnacles of sharp rock [1], reached towards the sky. The grey wizard was relieved; he couldn't handle one more day on horseback and seeing the spire of the tower made him run his horse even more. He rode over the road towards the entrance of the tower and saw his old and valued friend already descending the stairs.

"Gandalf." Saruman's voice was low and soothing. He smiled at the grey wizard, who was climbing down the horse. "How can I help you?"

Gandalf already felt calmed down. He had been really nervous these last hours and seeing the upper wizard in such a tranquil state, made him more comfortable.
"Saruman." He said, while lowering his head. The white wizard was stronger than him and superior to him, so he had to respect him.

"We need to talk about something." Gandalf said. "I felt something alarming."

"Let's take a walk, shall we?" Saruman walked over to the gardens of Isengard with Gandalf following him. The gardens were green and beautiful, the tower didn't match this sight at all. Orthanc was big and dark; it actually looked terrifying, while the gardens looked calming and trusting.

"I felt something strange this morning." Gandalf started again. "It felt like the balance of the world is changing, something is very wrong."
Saruman's smile had faded and his expression changed to being concerned.
"Yes I felt it too." He said, still walking and looking at his friend who was walking beside him.

"Do you know why it did?" Gandalf asked.

"Well, I have an idea." He sounded nervous, which was uncommon for Saruman. "I saw magic, Gandalf. And three lost souls."
The grey wizard had feared he would say that, he had felt magic too and he knew who Saruman meant with the lost souls he was talking about.
"Wizards, right?" He stated.
"Yes." The white answered.

Gandalf began to become nervous again, this couldn't have happened. The world they had created had been stable for years and now only because some wizards had entered it, the future of Middle-Earth was at stake.
Both wizards had skills: Saruman could see Auras of people in Middle-Earth. he could track them down, only by sitting in his tower. He could see whether if they were happy, sad, scared or any other feeling. He could see the people of Middle-Earth, without moving an inch of his finger. Gandalf had the gift of foresight, he didn't see the future completely, he just saw fragments of what could happen and he had seen their death, since the wizards had entered their world. This vision had made him very anxious.

"If the balance won't be restored it's the end of us." Gandalf assured.

Saruman stopped walking and turned his view towards his old friend to look him in the eye. Gandalf could see his concern in his eyes, the white wizard was not pleased at all.
Saruman took a deep breath. In a deep and determining voice he said what Gandalf already knew: "We have to eliminate them."

_______________________

"I am so hungry!" Harry cried. "Why is there no place to eat?" They had left the mountains and had entered the valley. Everywhere they looked, there were fields and had eaten their last real food a day ago and now they were alimenting from crackers Hermione had found in her bag. They didn't want to know how old these cookies were, because they tasted at least like fifty years old.