The tickles in the midst of my mind awake me as I twitch slightly, opening my eyes.

"….Ugh… stupid poison…" I mutter as I pull myself upright, a welcoming sight waiting. "Gandalf. I see you made it."

He chuckles at me, and I notice we are in one of the halls in Helm's Deep, being used as a healing hall. "Indeed I did, though you got here before me. Much has befallen you since we last spoke." I nod, a smirk on my lips.

"Yes, here I lie after poison has mixed with my blood for the second time since then, yet somehow I am much more at peace."

"Yet somehow I am not." An irritated voice walks up to us and I smile at Legolas, Aragorn and Gimli following. "Twice? How did I forget how reckless you and your brother are sometimes?" My eyes move to Aragorn, who I must say looks in quite bad condition.

"Yes, apparently you fell off a cliff, estel." I say, eyebrow quirked.

"I did. What happened to you?" He asks, face grim.

"Shot of a horse with a poisoned arrow." I say, then try to cram my tale into as little words as possible. "Dragged to Isengard, tortured at the top of his tower, escaped, helped by Galadriel, made amends, healed. Came back here and got poisoned again."

"What? Tortured? Where on earth have ya been lass?" Gimli exclaims, eyes wide. Legolas' eyes are dead set with horror, Aragorn's brow creased in concern, and I look to Gandalf for a way out.

"Yes. And brought down the skies across half of middle earth while she was at it." Gandalf says almost scoldingly.

"He didn't learn anything. It was all a pointless experience really. What really matters is that I have spoken with Galadriel. There is no more concern between us, and I am much more atoned to the power I have been granted." I say, ending the matter. I stretch my aching back, and move to stand. "What are we doing now? Rohan has been saved, but this is but one battle of a war."

"That… is yet to be decided." Gandalf ponders as we look to him. "For now I believe we must finish business here… which means going to see a wizard."

His eyes flit around to each one of us as we think in silence.

"When do we leave? I am still a little weak, but I will regain strength as we ride." I decide, and Gandalf stares me down.

"Don't think you can outwit me, Azthryth, I have known you many years. You will ride with another if anything. And when we reach Isengard, I shall decide whether you should see him or not." Gandalf scolds me, and I scowl. I can see the tears in your mind. Gandalf's voice washes through me, as I meet his eyes, as if saying, I know.

I sat on Arod, leaning back lightly into Legolas' arms holding the reins. Both Aragorn and Gandalf had agreed that even if I said I was fine, that it would be better for me to recover more on the way to Isengard. I must say I didn't complain too much. The siege had been merely a week, but even with my elven years it had felt much longer.

"Has the pain subsided?" Legolas asks quiet enough for only me to hear.

"It has. Poison hasn't managed to have a strong effect on me as of yet." I whisper back. His lips graze my forehead before continuing.

"What happened Azthryth? On the tower. I do not wish to push you, but I can feel something different in you." He whispers worriedly.

"…He healed me." I mumble dejectedly.

"Hmm?" Legolas questions.

"He healed me, every time, just to torture me again." I murmur, and his arms tighten around me protectively. "I would tell you what he did, but I do not know. It just burnt. I had never felt a pain like it. That all healed though, he did… something else."

Legolas resumes moving his lips over my temples comfortingly as I try to find the words to explain.

"The only thing similar I have felt is when Galadriel speaks into our minds. But this was much worse. It hurt, like my head was split open. It only happened once, when I was escaping. But he… invaded my mind. It wasn't as though he already knew them, it was… I cannot explain." I mumble, my face solemn at the memory.

"I'm sorry." Legolas mutters to me. "I should not have asked. And I should have protected you."

It was an unusual concept actually. I would say elves are more protective over their mates than men, as elves would only ever have one. I see it all the time, and Legolas is no exception. Just one unsavoury look is enough for a finger or two to be cut off. But thinking back to Eowyn's words, in battle, we are much more independent.

"Legolas… You always protect me." I murmur lovingly. He raises his eyebrows, knowing I am not usually one for such talk. "It is true, for the first image that comes to my mind to withstand anything is you."

He smiles that brilliant smile, and I turn round to place a gently kiss on his lips.

"Oi! It's no time for that ya elvish lovebirds! We're heading to the evil depths of Isengard!" Gimli growls from Eomer's horse and we both look up.

"Then it is the only time." Legolas replies, before taking both the reins in his right hand to place his left around my waist.

"Why you little elfling…" Gimli grumbles as Eomer holds in a chuckle. We had been travelling through Fangorn for a while now, and could see the tower ahead. What a lovely prospect. Our eyes started squinting into the depths of the forest, wary of any and all of Saruman's tricks. But suddenly, as the light came through a little more, both Legolas and I gasped lightly.

"Is that…"

"I think it is." We murmured to each other and this time both Eomer and Gimli gave us weird looks.

"It's good."

"Yeah it is!"

"It's good. From the shire."

I locked eyes with Legolas with a grin on my face.

"It's them."

"It really is."

"What the bloody hell are you talking about!" Gimli demanded.

"Longbottom leaf."

"Longbottom leaf." I echoed.

"Is something wrong Azthryth?" Eomer asks sceptically.

"Nothing at all." I say.

"I feel, like I'm back at the green dragon!"

"-mm green dragon!-"

"With a mug of ale in my hand, putting my feet up, after a hard day's work!"

"Only, you've never done a hard day's work!" Murmurs of agreement.

They finally come into full view, broad smiles all around. Merry stands upon the wall of Isengard, hands up.

"Welcome, my lords, and lady, to Isengard!" He says, pointing randomly behind himself. And right behind him, was indeed, Isengard, flooded, and not an orc in sight.

"You young rascals! You lead us on, and now we find you… feasting, and smoking!" Gimli yells.

"We are sitting, on a field of victory, enjoying a few well-earned comforts." Pipin says smugly. Merry joins in, puffing out some smoke.

"The salted pork, is particularly good." Pipin adds as an afterthought.

"…salted pork…" Gimli mumbles and I laugh.

"We're under orders, from Treebeard, who's taken over management, of Isengard." Merry explains, before they come down and sit with Aragorn and Gandalf on their horses. We start to plod through the water, and I wrinkle my nose in distaste. It was not clean. Though my eyes widened, as indeed right in front of me, were the ents. Tall and towering, faces wiser than all, my heart fluttered with excitement.

"Young master Gandalf… I'm, glad you've came." An ent I assume is Treebeard, comes forth. "Mud and water, stock and stone, I can master, but there's a wizard to manage here, locked in his tower."

We all look up, and I move to sit taller astride Arod.

"Show yourself." Aragorn mutters.

"Be careful." Gandalf warns. "Even in defeat Saruman is dangerous."

"Let's just have his head and be done with it!" Gimli put forward. For once, I was in half a mind to agree.

"No, we need him alive." Gandalf says, and I go back to siding with Gandalf. "We need him to talk."

"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?" The snake's voice whittles out from the top of the tower, and I scowl in disgust. "Can we not have peace, you and I?"

"We shall have peace. 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 where hewn even as they lay dead against the gates of the hornburg, are avenged! When you hang from a chimney top, for the sport of your own crows, we shall have peace." Theoden rages at the wizard, as we hold our ground.

"What do you want Gandalf Greyhame, let me guess; the key of Orthanc? Or perhaps the keys of Barad-dûr itself? Along with the crowns of the seven kings and the rods of the five wizards?" Saruman yells pettily.

"Your treachery has already cost many lives, thousands more are now at risk. But you can save those Saruman. You were deep in the enemy's counsel." Gandalf tries to persevere, but it won't work. Saruman cackles in laughter.

"So you want information. It seems the tables have turned my fair lady, as it were myself asking you for the same thing mere days ago… I remember how that went." I clench my fists as he grins maliciously. "You see, I even left your mark here, the bloodstains really are a work of art."

I don't even hear Legolas get his bow out, let alone pull the drawstring back.

"No, Legolas. He's baiting you." I don't need to turn to know Legolas is glaring down the wizard.

"Oh the screams were just delightful. Well you came for information, and I may have some for you. 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." Saruman says manically, grasping the Palantir in his hand. "His attack will come soon. You are all going to die. But you know this don't you Gandalf. You cannot think that this ranger or halfelven will ever sit upon the throne of Gondor."

My eyes flit to Gandalf in surprise, but stay focussed as he continues.

"These exiles crept from the shadows will never be royalty. Gandalf does not hesitate to sacrifice those 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." I see Gandalf sigh. "The path that you have set him on, can only lead to death."

"I've heard enough." Gimli says. "Shoot him!" Gimli mutters to Legolas, who warily pulls his drawstring back once again.

"No. Come down Saruman, and your life will be spared." Gandalf pleads.

"Save your pity and your mercy! I have no use for it!" Saruman yells before sending two fireblasts to Gandalf, and myself. The horses neigh as the fire ignites something within me. Legolas is on this horse with me.

The fire disappears by Gandalf's command.

"Saruman, your staff is broken." Gandalf says. I look to him, furious. That is all. That is all this wretched monster receives?!

"Bastard." I growl, before pushing of the stirrups, and launching myself into the air, the flooded water rising up with me. "You bastard!" I roar, twisting with my water to stand tall, eyes glaring out at the bitch.

"So you finally decided to speak, once my staff is gone." Thunderstorms start to cloud over. Saruman looked at me grinning. "Honestly it was too easy, every single time he was the only thing in your mind." With a click of his fingers a much smaller fire blast launched towards Legolas, but before it got anywhere I let out a fearful roar. My arms rose up as the flood water protected him, but I spun it around and above my head heading straight towards him.

"NOT MY MATE!" I don't hold back as it smashes into him, freezing cold water pummelling him into the floor from above, as he is left lying. How dare he. How dare he try and hurt him. Unbelievable rage coursed through me as I moved closer.

"And yet none of you have the courage to kill me. I guess I'm that important." He says to himself. But with a tense of my fingers, he freezes.

"Do you really think that?" I threaten. My muscles had tensed as I slowed the movement of blood in his body. "You really think I won't kill you for what you've done?" My eyes are alight with fury as I bend the liquid in his body to force him kneeling. With the slight movement of my fingers his arms are forced together behind his back, and his neck wrenched backwards so he faces me.

"I could break your bones, your neck. I could dehydrate your brain. I could stop your heart. Which would you prefer?" I say, the threat real in my words. Any logic, any rational thoughts I once had, were gone. He was going to pay for what he had done.

"Dina! N'ndengina ho, A'maelamin! (Stop! Don't kill him, beloved.)" I hear his voice, and I calm slightly. I'm not sure what, what exactly about his voice that makes me stop, but I do. I lower my hands, lower myself to the ground, splashing steps nearing me as Legolas' arms wrap around me.

"You do not need revenge." He tells me.

As I look back up, it seems Grima Wormtongue has entered the stage.

"Grima… you need not follow him! You were not always as you are now. You were once a man of Rohan! Come down." Theoden says, but I can't help but disagree.

"A man of Rohan?" Saruman questions. "What is the house of Rohan, but a thatched barn where beggars drink in the reek?"

"Grima, come down. Be free of him." Theoden repeats.

"Free? He will never be free!"

"no…"

"Get down, cur!" A slap sounds through the air and I clutch Legolas' tunic.

"Saruman! You were deep in the enemies counsel. Tell us what you know." Gandalf says once more, but I know we will get nothing. Saruman responds with words I don't bother to hear, but suddenly he breaks of, and I look up to see Wormtongue, repeatedly stabbing him in the back. Without a word, Legolas pulls his drawstring back once more and shoots Wormtongue in the chest, who falls back. And at the same time, a white clad body starts falling, tumbling and turning further down, until he slices through a sharp pointed wheel, dead. There are gasps from behind me, and I slump back into Legolas.

"Send word to all our allies, into all the corners of middle earth that still stands free. The enemy moves against us, we need to know where he will strike.

We turn the wheel, letting the dead body sink into the water and I wrinkle my nose in disgust, barely noticing the sphere falling from his sleeve.

"The filth of Saruman is washing away." Treebeard comments. "Trees will come back to live here. Young trees, wild trees."

There's a splash and I turn to see Pipin wading through the water, grabbing something under the water.

"Bless my bark!"

"Peregrin Took, I'll take that. Quickly now." Gandalf commands. As we turn away, unfortunately the murk in my mind stays.

The ride back to Edoras flies past, and my body dlickers between conscious and unconscious all the way. By the time we reach there, I head straight for my chambers, not a word to be said.

No PoV

"Something is wrong." Aragorn states as they leave the stables.

"Aye, I've never seen anything like it on the lass." Gimli agrees, watching her retreating figure.

"Indeed. I have never seen her so out of character. Back there, she was not herself." Aragorn says, looking to Legolas and Gandalf.

"… I must agree. I did not say anything to her, for I think she does not know, or at least acknowledge it herself." Legolas admits. "There is something in her mind, it's damaged. It isn't a feeling, or something troubling her, I've never seen it in her before."

"How you've described it is entirely correct." Gandalf says, and all eyes turn to him. "I believe, that Saruman created a tear in her mind. I have not often encountered it, but when I have, it is usually in someone who has already lost their mental state. Azthryth is different stronger, but I cannot help but worry. Whether or not she is aware of it, I cannot be sure, but if the Lady Galadriel has spoken with her, I will assume she is."

"What should we do? At first I thought it was just revenge on her mind, but she has never been so sadistic, especially with her powers. Never has she used them like that. Now you say it is in her mind-"

"There is nothing we can do. Not directly." Gandalf replies. "It is something only she can heal, through strength of mind. Perhaps, it is mere support we can give her."

Azthryth PoV

I sit down carefully on the bed, taking off the dirty tunic leaving me in my shirt. I felt… cloudy. What is this feeling… am I dreaming? Surely I would not dream such an ordinary scene.

I gasp, my hands flying to my head and throat. The most intense pain shutters through my head, reminiscent of the same torture I had received at Orthanc. Then the images of the mirror flashed past the blood, the gore of my loved ones spilt all over the ground. My vision became hazy, and I lifted my hand to gain my bearings, to see wine red splattered in front of me, before blurring out.

Another chapter up. I'm introducing this new conflict for Azthryth, as she has now cleared up her past with Galadriel. I'm not entirely sure how I will bring it forward further into the return of the king and miras tirith, but I hope you enjoy this instalment! Review as you feel necessary!