InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ From Three Worlds Forged ❯ The White Wizard ( Chapter 4 )

AN: I don't own em, just west

Ch 4: The White Wizard

They had began tracking them at sunset the day before and it was now early morning before the sun has risen. They had not stopped to rest which didn't seem to be affecting West at all, Inuyasha just looked winded. Legolas took note of the direction in which they were heading. "The Uruks turn northeast. They are takeing the hobbits to Isengard."

Suddenly West stopped and picked something up with her teeth and handed it to Aragon. Aragon look at the small elegant leaf in his hand. "Not idly do the leaves of Lorien fall."

Legolas looked at Aragon with hope, "They may yet be alive."

Aragon turns to leans towards West's head. "they are less than a day ahead of us if we were on foot."

"Then I'm sure we'll be close by sun rise." With that west takes off again after the hobbit's trail.

Inuyasha grumbles to himself. "here we go again, what about a freakin break."

Kagaome giggles to herself and then full out laughs. "wasn't it you who never wanted to take breaks Inuyasha?" she said with a mischievous grin.

"Shut up or I'll make you walk," he yelled at her and then softened his tone to a grumble. "Stupid girls"

West laughed at Inuyasha and decided to tease him a little. "Whats the matter, Inuyasha," she said in a deep yet babying tone, " Is the little puppy to tired to keep up"

"feh, I could out run ya if I wanted to so just keep it to your self." With that said only a few snickers were heard and for a while no one talked until day break finally came.

"A red sun rises. Blood has been spilt this night" Legolas says as West came to a stop at the top of a hill.

In the distance West saw a cloud of smoke and smelled burning flesh. "What do you suppose that is?" She asked. "I smell humans and burning flesh."

"Maybe you should take your humanoid form again so we can get close without being seen." Suggested Aragon.

"Good idea. Jump off and I will." The three men slid off her back and she slowly shrank down to her smaller form. Half covered in the mist again her bones cracked and fur receded until she was as she met them yesterday. She stretch her back. It seems she transformed in the nick of time because the sound of hoof beats were drawing near. They all snuck behind a rock before the horse riders could see them as they rode by.

Aragon gains a look of recognition. "Legolas, Gimli come with me. The rest of you stay here." They man, elf, and dwarf stepped out from behind the rock as the horses had already passed by them. "Riders of Rohan…" yells Aragon " …what news from the Mark?"

The horses turn around and ride back to them, encircling them. All spears point at the three. A blond man in armor rides up to the them and speaks "What business dose an elf, a man, and a dwarf have in the Ridder mark? Speak quickly."

"Give me your name, horse-master, and I shall give you mine." Gimli says.

The man dismounts and looks at Gimli with disgust. "I would cut off you head, Dwarf… if it stood but a little higher off the ground."

At this moment Legolas draws his bow and arrow. "You would die before your stroke fell."

Aragon pushes Legolas's blade down, " I am Aragon, son of Arathorn. This is Gimli, son of Gloin, and Legolas of the woodland Realm. We are friends of Rohan and of Theoden, your king.

"Theoden no longer recognizes friend from foe." The man in armor said with a saddened look. "Not even his own kin." He said as he took off his helmet. As he did this the others raised their spears to a passive position knowing that these people must not be a threat. "Saruman has poisoned the mind of the king…" He continued. "and claimed lordship over these lands. My company are those loyal to Rohan. And for that we are banished." His voice turns a little darker. " The white wizard is cunning. He walks here and there, they say… as an old man hooded and cloaked." He looks suspiciously at Legolas. "And everywhere, his spys slip past our nets."

"We are no spies" Responded Aragon. "We track a party of Uruk-hai westward across the plain. They have taken two of our friends captive."

"The Uruks are destroyed. We slaughtered them during the night."

"But there were two hobbits." Gimli said a little desperately. "Did you see two hobbits with them?"

"They would be small. Only children to your eyes." Aragon explained.

He shook his head. "We left none alive. We piled the carcasses and burned them." He said pointing in the direction of the smell and smoke west spoke of.

The three companions faces were flooded with grief. "Dead?" said Gimli.

"I am sorry." Then he whistled "Hasufel! Arod!" he yelled and a white and a brown horse trotted over to him. "May these horses bear you better fortune than their former masters. Farewell." He put his helmet on and mounted his horse. "Look for your friends, but do not trust to hope. It has forsaken these lands." And with that he started ridding away. "We ride North!"

When the men were out of sight the other three came out from behind the rock. West walked up to hem with a gentle expression on her face, "Come on ya guy, I'm sure their ok, lets go find them." She smiled and took of in the direction of the smoke.

Kagome got on Inuyasha's back and the three mounted their horses. Gimli and Legolas rode together on the white horse. When the others caught up they found west sniffing around a pile of burnt boddies. The others spread out over the area. Gimli went to the pile of bodies and found one of their dagger sheaths. "It's one of they're wee belts." He said as he held it up and felt very down hearted.

Legolas started to say a prayer for their lost friends, but was interrupted, "Wait, I don't think they are dead their scent goes into the forest. Come on, lets follow it." Said West as she took of into the forest.

"That's Fangorn forest." Said Aragon as they stopped near the edge. Kagome and Inuyasha just ran past them into the forest after West.

"It looks like we don't have much of a choice but to go in." Said Aragon. The three of them took off after the others. They slowed down when they had caught up. Aragon bent down to see what West was looking at. "These are strange tracks."

"The air is so close in here," Gimli said with a bit of uneasiness in his voice.

Legolas stopped and looked around. "This forest is old. Very old. Full of memory… and anger." Just then the trees made a loud noise that startled Gimli and he raised his ax. "The trees are speaking to each other."

"Gimli" Aragon said in a hushed tone, "Lower your ax."

"They have feelings, my friend" Legolas said with a slight smile.

Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest, "That's stupid, trees don't have feelings." The trees moaned again.

"Yes they do Inuyasha. The elves began it. Waking up the trees, teaching them to speak."

"That's interesting, your people must be very strong in magic."

"Talking trees, what do trees have to talk about anyways. Except the consistency of squirrel droppings." He Gimli said sarcastically.

"Shh," Hushed West in a soft voice.

Legolas focused his attention infront of them. "Something's out their. The white wizard approaches. Ready yourselves." Everyone grabbed his or her own weapon, west flexed her claws.

"Do not let him speak. He will put a spell on us." Aragon warned quietly. "We must be quick." Right then they all turned around to a glowing man.

Gimli threw his ax which was broken in half, both Kagome's and Legolas's arrows were deflected, and both Inuyasha and Aragon were burned by their swords causing them to drop them. West almost got to the man, but he held his staff out and she froze in her spot.

As they shielded their eyes from the bright light the man was emanating he began to speak, "You are tracking the footsteps of two young hobbits."

"Where are they" Asked Aragon.

"They passed this way just last night." He answered. They met someone they did not expect. Dose that comfort you?"

"No but getting that light out of my fucking eyes would." Inuyasha was only ignored because Aragon spoke right after him.

"Who are you? Show yourself!" The light dimmed and there before them stood their lost friend. "It cannot be." Aragon said in disbelief.

"Forgive me. I mistook you for Saruman." Said Legolas as he bowed to the man in white.

"I am Saruman." He said, "Or rather, Saruman as he should have been."

"You fell" stammered Aragon.

"Through fire, and water. From the lowest dongeon to the highest peak I fought with the Balrog of Morgoth. Until at last I threw down my enemy and smote his ruin upon the mountainside. Darkness took me, and I strayed out of thought and time. Stars Wheeled overhead and everyday was as long as an life age on Earth. But it was not the end. I felt life in me again. I've been sent back until my task is done."

"Wait a second here. Who are you?" Inuyasha said to the wizard annoyed, "Is this guy your friend?" He said to the others.

"Yeah, what's goin on here. Were we not just attacking this fella." West complained with Inuyasha, exasperated about being left out of the loop.

"Yes" Answered "he is our friend Gandalf."

"Gandalf?" He questioned. "Yes. That is what they used to call me. Gandalf the Grey. That was my name."

"Gandalf." Repeated Gimli.

"I am Gandalf the White." Finished the wizard. "And what of you young man, who are you and your friends."

"Feh, that's none of your business."

"Oh shove it Inuyasha," said West. "I'm West and this gal here is Kagome. It's a pleasure to me ya Gandalf." She said as she tipped her hat.

Gandalf turned to Aragon, "I see you have taken in demon companions for company. Is this wise?"

"They have helped us and shown us no reason to distrust them yet, so I believe so." He answered.

"I see." Then Gandalf just started to walk off. Legolas, Gimli, and Aragon followed while the others looked at each other confused for a moment and then followed as well. "I come back to you know at the turn of the tide. One stage of your journey is over. Another begins. We must travel to Edoras with all speed."

"Edoras?" Questioned Gimli. "That is no short distance."

Aragon speaks up. "We hear of trouble in Rohan. It goes ill with the king."

"Yes and it will not be easily cured." Gandalf replied.

"Then we have run all this way for nothing?" Complained Gimli.

"Don't you mean we." Inuyasha grumbled as he stood next to West.

" Are we to leave those poor hobbits here…" Gimli continued "In this horrid, dark, dank tree-infested--?" He was cut off when the trees moaned again. His tone changed quickly. "I mean, charming… quite charming forest." Kagome giggled at his antics.

" It was more than mere chance that brought Merry and Pippin to Fangorn." Gandalf interjected. A great pwer has been sleeping her for many long years. The coming of Merry and Pippin will be like the falling of small stones that start an avalanche in the mountains."

"In one thing you have not changed, dear friend." Aragon joked, "You still speak in riddles."

Gandalf just smiled and laughed. " A thing is about to happen that has not happened since the elder days. The Ents are going to wake up and find that they are strong."

"Strong" questioned Gimli *Tree grumble* "Oh, That's good"

"Wimp" coughed Inuyasha.

"So stop your fretting master dwarf." Commanded Gandalf. "Merry and Pippin are quite safe. In fact they are far safer than you are about to be."

"This new Gandalf's more grumpy than the old one." The girls giggled when Gimli said this and then followed the others.

When they emerged out of the forest Gandalf whistled loudly and beautifully. Soon a white horse came galloping to them majestically.

"Beautiful" gasped West.

"That is one of the Mearas…" said Legolas. "Unless my eyes are cheated by some spell."

"What's so special about this horse?" Said Inuyasha who thought it was stupid to get worked up over a stupid horse.

"Shadowfax is the lord of all horses and has been my friend threw many dangers."

"Well, I'm glad you got your horse and all but I was wonderin. You ain't planning on takin off right away are you?" Asked West.

"Yes I was, why do you ask."

"I've been runnin for an entire day now without food or rest so if ya don't mind can we atleast stop a little early for camp."

"I see no problem in that. If you want we could take a short break now."

"No thanks, I'm fine for now, unless Inuyasha's to tired." She said with an evil smirk at Inuyasha.

"I am not wench, now get goin." He tossed Kagome on his back for emphasis.

Gandalf shook his head with a smile and mounted his horse. The other three did the same while Inuyasha and West waited to go. Soon they all took of across the land.

~~~~~~~~~

IVX: Sorry about the wait my internet was down for a really long time and I started a new fan fic called Darkened Souls and with my other fan fic Of the Moon and the Wind I was spread out time wise. Plus the whole school starting again. Oh well. I'm back now and will try to update as much as possible… ^_~