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Chapter 4: The White Rider
Disclaimer: Me not own nothin’

“Oh yuck!” Xander exclaimed, looking down.

“What?” Willow asked.

“I think I just stepped in an Orc.” Xander said, pointing at the squishy heap that used to be Doc the Orc.

“Eww.” Willow said, looking at the squished Orc.

“Well, at least we’re on the right track.”

“These tracks are strange, look at them.” Angel said, as they looked the 3-foot wide imprints on the ground.

“I don’t like it here, the trees are so close together it’s making me claustrophobic.” Xander said, looking around.

“This forest is very, very old. It’s seen a lot, and it’s not all good.” Willow said, as a deep groaning filled the forest. “That sound, the trees are talking to eachother.”

“Xander!” Angel hissed, seeing Xander had raised his axe in defense.

“What?” Xander asked, still holding up his axe.

“Put your axe down, your scaring the trees!” Willow added hurriedly.

“I’m scaring the trees?” Xander asked, looking at his friends like they were nuts but still lowered his axe.

“The trees have feelings, you know. The Elves woke the trees up and taught them to speak a long time ago.” Willow explained.

“Talking trees, great. What do trees talk about? Consistency of squirrel crap, bark color, counting leaves?” Xander muttered.

“Angel, there’s something here.” Willow whispered.

“You sense it to?” Angel asked, feeling a presence close by.

“It’s powerful. I think it’s Ethan Rayne.” Willow said, motioning behind them.

“Don’t let him speak, he’ll curse us.” Angel whispered as the three warriors prepared to draw their weapons. They turned and saw a figure cloaked in white light, it had to be Ethan. Willow fired an arrow at the White Wizard, but it was easily defected it. Xander threw a small axe at him, but it shattered on the Wizard’s staff. Angel pulled out his sword, but it suddenly became red hot and he dropped it. The light brightened around the Wizard.

“I imagine you three are looking for two young Hobbits named Dawn and Andrew.” The Wizard said.

“Where are they?!” Angel demanded, squinting through the light.

“They came this way yesterday, they’re safe.” The White Wizard replied.

“Who are you?” Angel asked, hiding his eyes from the blinding light. The light faded and the White Wizard stepped into view. The three trackers gaped at the familiar face of the Wizard, it wasn’t Ethan it was Giles! “It’s impossible!”

“Hello all.” Giles said, stepping forward.

“I’m so sorry,” Willow said, hugging Giles tears in her eyes. “I thought you were Ethan Rayne.”

“I am, in a sense. I’m the way Ethan should have been.” Giles said, hugging Willow back.

“But…but...but you fell in Moria.” Xander stammered.

“Indeed I did, I fell through fire and water.

***Flashback***

The Balrog and Giles continue to clash swords on Durin’s tower at the top of the mountain. Rain pours and lightning flashes all around them.

‘We fought for days, from the bowels of the mountain to the highest peak. The Balrog was so strong, it almost killed me a dozen times.’

A bolt of lightning strikes Giles’ sword, instilling it with power. The Balrog lunges at Giles, as it does the wizard plunges the electrified blade into the demon’s chest. The Balrog roars and falls from the tower, landing in a smoking heap on the mountainside.

‘Until at last, I threw down my enemy and smote his ruin on the mountainside.’

Giles crawls towards the edge of the tower, but his strength is gone from the fight. He collapses from exhaustion and passes away. He lays in the snow, his body broken and dead.

‘I felt death take me then. I strayed out of thought and time. The stars wheeled overhead and everyday was a lifetime on earth. But it wasn’t my time, I felt my life return again. I was sent back until my task was finished.’

Giles gasps for air as his spirit returns and his body is revived. He sits up, finding his gray robes now white.

***Present***

“So, you got sent back from the dead to help against Sauron and since Ethan’s gone evil you’ve been promoted to new head of the order?” Xander asked, trying to get the facts straight.

“That’s about it.” Giles said.

“Glad you’re with us again, Giles.” Angel said, shaking his hand.

“Giles?” Giles asked, remembering. “Oh yes, Giles the Gray, that was my name. But I’m Giles the White now. And now the tide will turn.”

“What do you mean?” Xander asked.

“Come with me, we have a lot to do.” Giles said, leading them through the forest. “This stage of your journey is over, the next starts now. We must ride to Edoras.”

“Edoras?” Xander asked. “That’s a long way off, and we still need to find Dawn and Andrew.”

“Don’t worry about them.” Giles said, looking back at Xander.

“What, we come all this way and you want us to just leave them here?” Xander asked, frustrated. “We can’t just leave them in this dark, dank, ugly, scary…” Xander was cut off by the angry groaning of the trees. “Uh, I mean nice, beautiful, cozy forest.”

“It wasn’t just luck that brought Andrew and Dawn to Fangorn.” Giles explained. “A great power has been laying dormant here for ages, their coming will be like small pebbles that start an avalanche.”

“Well, one thing about you stayed the same.” Willow observed. “You still talk in cryptic poetry.”

“Yes well, something is about to happen that hasn’t happened in a long, long time.” Giles said, looking around. “The Ents are about to wake, and you’ll see that they are very strong.”

“Strong?” Xander asked. “Well, that’s good, we need more strong people.”

“Yes, so stop fretting, Xander. Dawn and Andrew are in no danger. In fact they’re much safer than we are about to be.”

“That’s comforting.” Xander mumbled. “I think I liked the old Giles better.”

“So, if we’re going to Edoras, I assume you heard about the trouble in Rohan?” Angel asked.

“Indeed, things are going badly there, we have much work to do.” Giles said as they exited the forest. Giles whistled loudly as they looked out over the plains, until a horse neighing was heard approaching. A beautiful white horse galloped over to the four friends.

“Is that, is that a Mearas?” Willow asked, staring awestruck at the horse.

“Yes it is, his name is Shadowfax.” Giles said, climbing onto Shadowfax. “Now get on your horses, we need to hurry!” The three others jumped on the horses Gunn gave them and they rode towards Edoras.

***Deep in Fangorn Forest***

Dawn and Andrew rode on Oz’s shoulders as he walked through the dense forest. They were tired from their long journey, and Oz’s songs weren’t able to keep them awake.

“Is it much further?” Dawn yawned.

“No, just near the base of the mountain.” Oz said, then he started on another song. As he finished, he noticed that the two Hobbits had fallen asleep on his shoulder. He continued on until nightfall, when he set them down in a clearing. “See ya in the morning. I have a lot to do.” He said, walking back into the forest.

***The Fellowship’s camp in Plains of Rohan***

Angel couldn’t sleep, it was too much to absorb that Giles was back. He sat up, and saw that Giles was standing by the fire looking east. He walked over and stood next to him. He saw what Giles was staring at; the sky in the east was glowing red from the eruptions of Mount Doom far off in Mordor.

“The eastern sky is red, Sauron is growing stronger.” Giles assessed grimly.

“We don’t have a lot of time do we?” Angel asked.

“No, even less then before. Sauron’s Eye still watches from the summit of Barad dur, he watches his empire grow. His armies are growing larger everyday, his power grows with every passing hour.” Giles said, turning to Angel. “But he is not so mighty yet that he is above fear. The rumor has reached him that the Heir of Riley is alive. He fears you, Angel. He’s afraid of what you could become, what you could accomplish among the human race. He’ll do everything he can to stop the humans from becoming a threat. We’re on the verge of war; Rohan must defend itself. And there is our first problem; Ethan has already begun his assault on Rohan, he’s enslaved the king’s mind and his Orcs and Uruk Hai are attacking anyone they see. Rohan is weak and ready to fall.”

“How do we stop them?” Angel asked.

“I can handle Ethan, you must help King Holtz. He’s become crippled with Ethan’s spells, you must help him become the leader he once was.”

“But, for all their cunning and power we have an advantage. They still do not have the Ring, and the idea that we’d try to destroy it is inconceivable to them. As long as Buffy continues towards Mordor and Mount Doom there’s still hope, we must trust in Buffy now.”

“I still wish I’d gone with her.” Angel said,

“I know, but I guess this was something she had to do alone.” Giles said, thinking of his surrogate daughter.

“She didn’t go alone.” Angel said, shocking Giles. “Spike went with her.”

“He did? Good.” Giles aid, smiling.

“Good?” Angel asked, incredulous. “She’s out there with that little bastard, and you’re fine with it?”

“I don’t like Spike either, but he loves Buffy. If there was anyone I’ve known who’d go to the ends of the earth for her, it’s Spike.”

***The Black Gate***

Buffy and Spike climbed the hill with Gollum, The marshes had vanished, being replaced by a barren wasteland as they got closer to Mordor. They made it to the top of the hill and saw the Black Gate. The enormous gate stretched the width of the gap in the mountains, two giant towers stretched far into the sky on either side.

“The Black Gate of Mordor.” Gollum squealed, cowering behind a rock.

“Oh bloody hell!” Spike said, shocked at the size of the gate.

“Mistress says to show her the way into Mordor, so good Smeagol does. Mistress says so.” Gollum said, glancing at Buffy between his fingers.

“Yeah, I did.” Buffy said, suddenly not liking their chances. “How the hell can we get through that?”

“Don’t look at me, luv.” Spike said. Suddenly they heard a voice shouting and the sound of marching. They looked and saw rank upon rank of Easterling soldiers is marching to the Black Gate.

“More troops comin’, open the gate!” An Orc on the walls called. Another Orc sounded a horn and the gate crew began opening the gate. The crew started driving the Trolls of the gate on their path to pull the gate open.

“They’re openin’ the Gate! We have to find a way down.” Spike said, crawling near the edge of the hill. As he moved to get a closer look, the rock he was on gave way and he went tumbling down the hill.

“Spike!” Buffy called, running down after him. The fall or the yell alerted the Easterlings, the commander sent two scouts over to the hill to investigate. Buffy made it down the hill and found Spike; he was stuck in a hole up to his waist.

“Buffy run, I can handle this!” Spike hissed.

“I don’t think so.” Buffy said, covering the two of them with her Elvish cloak. The magic in the cloak blended into the rocky terrain, when the two Easterlings came over they just thought it was a rock. They turned and rejoined the rest of the troop marching through the Gate, Buffy threw the cloak off and dug Spike out. “Spike, I don’t ask you to come with me this time.”

“I know, but I’m still coming.” Spike said as they prepared to make a run for the Gate.

“Come on!” Buffy said, but as they took a step Gollum pulled them back.

“No! No, no Mistress! They’ll catch you! They’ll catch you! Don’t take it to HIM!” Gollum squealed in fear of remembering his encounter with Sauron. “He wants the precious. Always he’s looking for it! And the precious is wanting to go back to him. But we mustn’t let him have it.”

“We have to get to Mordor, Smeagol.” Buffy said, about to run again.

“No!” Gollum screamed, holding her back. “There’s another way. More secret. A dark way.”

“And you didn’t tell us about this why?!” Spike asked, grabbing Gollum’s arm.

“Because Mistress did not ask!” Gollum replied. “She just asked us to take her to the Gate!”

“You’re saying there’s another way into Mordor?” Buffy asked, seeing the Black Gate close fast.

“Yes.” Gollum nodded. “There’s a path, and some stairs, and then… a tunnel. Orcs don’t know it, but Smeagol does.” Gollum said, as the Gate swung shut.

“I guess we don’t have a choice.” Buffy said.

“Buffy,” Spike whispered, shaking his head. “No! Don’t trust him!”

“You led us this far and kept your promise. Lead the way, Smeagol.”

“Good Smeagol always helps.” Gollum said, scrambling away. Spike wasn’t happy; he knew Buffy felt empathy for this little pest, but he didn’t trust him with Buffy.





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