Lienan rode up to the gates of Orthanc and stopped in front of the stone steps.  Taking a moment to look around, she noticed how desolate and empty it had become.

“This looks like the lands of Mordor,” she said softly to herself, “Where have all the Ents gone?”

“They are on my side now, as you will soon be,” the wizard Saruman replied as he slowly walked down the steps of the tower, “Now tell me, why have you come here?”

“I‘ve come to stop your treachery,” the elf replied harshly, “You know this, so why bother asking?”

“Perhaps I can persuade you to change your mind,” Saruman said innocently, “You know that it is useless to resist me.”

In one swift movement, Saruman pointed his staff at Lienan, a wave of energy hitting her with so much force that she nearly collapsed to the ground.  As she struggled with all her might, Lienan could feel the dark wizard’s power rise within her, fighting for control.

“You will not…control me!” the elf spat out through her clenched teeth.

“That is what you said the last time we met,” Saruman said with amusement, a dark gleam of enjoyment in his eyes “Besides, I have new…friends to help me convince you otherwise.”

At the command of Saruman, King Éomer and Prince Imrahil appeared out of the shadows of the dark tower.  Lienan could see the same red gleam in their eyes that she and Éowyn had when they were possessed.

“King Éomer!” she called out in shock,” Prince Imrahil!”

“Though I had no use for them, they were more…willing than you were,” Saruman mused as the two slowly descended down the stone steps.

“Let them go now!” Lienan demanded, anger boiling up inside of her.

“Or what, you’ll stop me?” the wizard laughed, “You haven’t the power.”

“I may not have the power to face you but I have the will,” the elf protested.

“We shall see my dear,” the amused wizard said, “We shall see.”

As King Éomer and Prince Imrahil stalked closer and closer to the lonely elf, Lienan held up her sword in defense.  She could feel the evil radiating through them; almost see it running through their veins.  

“Do not come any closer to me!” she shouted to them as she held up her sword defensively.

“You will join us eventually,” the King of Rohan stated in an eerie tone, “You are merely delaying it.”

With one swing of his sword, the fight between King Éomer and Lienan began.  With every strike of lightning in the sky their swords met with a sharp clang of metal on metal.  But even though her life was in danger, Lienan still could not bring herself to do much harm to her dear friend.  It was because of her hesitation that Éomer was easily able to wrestle her sword away from her.

“You won’t get away with this,” Lienan shouted as Éomer and Imrahil took hold of her arms.

“I already have,” Saruman laughed as he turned to walk back into the tower.

“When?” the elf demanded as she was dragged in behind the powerful wizard, “When did you have then under your control?”

“After you…liberated yourself from me I decided to enlist the aid of others to get what I wanted,” Saruman replied.

“That’s why Imrahil wanted to know about Rowena,” Lienan realized, “You had to make sure I would never ask her to come with me.”

“I couldn’t have her interfering now could I?” the wizard asked rhetorically, “I needed you and only you to help bring this new evil to life.”

“And what makes you think I would ever agree to help you?” Lienan snapped.

“If you value the lives of your friends Éomer and Imrahil then you will help me,” the dark wizard threatened.

Forcefully sitting on her knees, Lienan could do nothing but glare at the dark wizard as he loomed over her small form; knowing that he was right.

“How predictable for you to sacrifice your life to save your friends,” Saruman mocked, “But one must wonder, would they do the same for you?”

“Of course they would,” the little elf snapped.

“Would they?” the wizard mused, irritating Lienan even more, “I do not see any of them here, do you?”

“They have no idea that I’ve left,” Lienan tried to justify.

“Are you sure about that?” the wizard pondered, finding joy in confusing the Protector of Middle-earth, “Rowena knew and she could have sent the others after you.”

“She knew that I did not want to involve the others,” the confused elf tried to explain.

“True,” the evil wizard continued, “But then again, when has she ever listened to you?”

The truth in his words were like a knife in the heart.  Rowena was never one to listen when it came to the safety of her friends just as Lienan never was the one to back down when it meant that people were in danger.  But surely her being pregnant would change all that…wouldn’t it?

“Face it my dear, they have no reason to care about you,” Saruman whispered in Lienan’s ear, “After all you are nothing more than a weak and pathetic half-breed unfit to be in their presence.”

“No, I’m not,” Lienan said, more to convince herself as doubt began to grow in her mind, “That cannot be true…can it?”

~*~

“Maelute?” Legolas called out in amazement.

The others were shocked to see the Haven Elf in the city of Gondor.  She was one of the last people they expected to see in the white city especially at this time.

“Yes, it’s me,” Maelute said coolly as she walked towards them.

“Where have you been?” King Elessar asked.

“When I finished my errand for Thranduil I rode out to Lórien where I met with Haldir and was told of what had befallen,” the Haven Elf explained, “I set out for Gondor as soon as I could.”

“It is good that you came,” Rowena said, brimming with joy.

“Please tell me, what is going on,” the elf asked impatiently.

Maelute listened intently as they recapped the events that happened after they left the safe and secure woods of Lothlórien.  

“I see that much has happened,” Maelute said in awe, “Why did you not call for me?”

“We did not know where you were and so much was happening,” Legolas replied, “We did not have much time to send for help.”

“Well you have my help now,” the Elf maiden said with a smile, “But what are we to do about Saruman?”

“We have to go save Lienan,” Frodo shouted urgently, “Saruman…she’s…”

Frodo sighed in frustration as his many attempts to explain his worry failed miserably.  How could he explain to the others that his beloved was in danger without explaining how he was so certain?

“What is it, Frodo?” the Lady Arwen asked, “Do you sense something?”

“She’s in trouble,” Frodo replied slowly, “I can feel it in my heart of hearts.”

“I feel it too,” Legolas agreed, worry etched on his Elven features.

“But how?” the Hobbit pondered.

“It is the love you have for her that connects you,” Rowena explained, feeling the foreboding in her heart as well.

“But how can we use this to help her?” demanded the little Hobbit.

“I’ll send out scouts to see what’s happening in Isengard,” King Elessar said, “But it may be too late to help her.”

And indeed it was too late.  For at that very moment, Lienan was being chained up in one of the many rooms of the dark tower by her own friends King Éomer and Prince Imrahil.  All the while, Saruman watched with amusement as there was little resistance from the elf.

“Are we comfortable now?” Saruman asked mockingly.

“Your hospitality astounds me,” she replied sarcastically.

“Pout and sneer all you want,” the wizard said, nonchalantly, “Soon it will no longer matter to me.”

“Why do you need me to unleash this evil?” the elf inquired.

“Because only you possess the power required to breathe life into this being,” he replied joyously.

“You mean to kill me, don’t you?” Lienan asked in horror.

“Smart girl,” the wizard smirked, “And the best part is no one will miss you when you’re gone.”

“They will,” the elf protested, pulling against the chains hooked to her arms, “When the others find out what’ you have done they’ll -”

“They’ll what, thank me?” the dark wizard interrupted, “Face it, they are weary of your torn heart and shadowed past and they could care less about what happens to you.”

“You’re wrong!” Lienan shouted in desperation.

“Am I?” the wizard dared, “Come see for yourself.”

With that, Grima came in the room holding the palantír in a cloth, ordered by Saruman to not lay a finger on the round orb, and was placed right in front of her as the image in it cleared.  In it, she saw her fellow companions gathered in the throne room in Minas Tirith.

“Why help?” Pippin shouted, “She doesn’t want it so why bother?”

“Pip’s right,” Merry agreed, “If she wants to fight Saruman alone then let her.”

The image blurred and soon, all that could be seen was pure darkness as the light inside the orb dimmed.

“You see, my dear?” the dark wizard gloated, “They’ve given up on you.”

“No,” Lienan whispered in disbelief.

But what the warrior did not know was that there was more to see than what was shown to her.  What she saw was only a fraction of a conversation that her friends were having.

“You can’t possibly mean that,” Frodo said, hurt by their comments about his beloved and their dear friend.

“No, of course we don’t,” Merry sighed.

“We are all under great stress,” Legolas stated, “Perhaps now is the time for that meal we so desperately need.”

“I think that is a good idea,” the King agreed, “Perhaps after a good meal our nerves will be better and we will be able to think clearly.”

In an instance, they were all moving into the dining hall with heavy hearts.  Every one of them knew that the meal would be short and quiet, their friend constantly on their mind.  Though they were starving and had not had a hearty meal for days now, not much was eaten.  Even the gigantic appetites of Merry and Pippin were suppressed under the great weight of their worry for Lienan in the hands of the evil Saruman.