"They met someone they did not expect. Does that comfort you?" Aragorn and his friends cover their eyes at the bright light. "Who are you?" Aragorn says. Nobody answers. "Show yourself!" He snarls. The light soon fades and in front of them stands someone clad in white. The face is oddly familiar. It's Gandalf. Beside or more behind him stands a shape of a great beast.

"It cannot be.." Aragorn breathes, and Legolas and Gimli crouch to the ground. "Forgive me, I mistook you for Saruman," he says. Gandalf smiles lightly. "I am Saruman. Or Saruman, as he should've been," Gandalf, says and a deep chuckle is heard from the beast. "Indeed you are, mithrandir." It says.

———

The four were walking thru the forest, the dragon going behind them. "One stage of your journey is over; another begins. War has come to Rohan. We must ride to Edoras with all speed." Gandalf says. Gimli gasped softly. "Edoras is no short distance." The dragon nods. They have leaned her name is Lathia or called the white shadow.

"It's trouble in Rohan, my mortal friends." She says. Gandalf nods. "It goes ill with the king." She ads. "Yes, and it will not be easily cured," Gandalf says. "Then we have run all this for nothing. Are we to leave those poor hobbits here in this horrid, dark, dank tree-infested..." Gimli gets cut off by the trees rumbling. "They can hear you, master dwarf. Careful with your words." She said and whacked Gimli lightly with her tail as she walked past.

"It was more than mere chance that brought Merry and Pippin to Fangorn. A great power has been sleeping here for many long years. The coming of Merry and Pippin will be like the falling of small stones that starts an avalanche in the mountains." Gandalf says. Lathia chuckles and stands beside Legolas. Aragorn leans over to Gandalf and whispers in his ear. "In one thing, you have not changed, dear friend." He says.

"Hmm?" Gandalf hums. "You still speak in riddles," Aragorn says, and they both laughed in between themselves. Lathia suddenly gets a serious look on her face. "A thing is about to happen here that has not happened since the Elder Days. The Ents are going to wake up and find that they are strong." She says, and the other three look around at the forest standing around them.

Outside the forest, Gandalf whistles piercingly. An answering neigh is heard, and a white horse appears from the plain. Soon as it stops in front of them, it blows its head towards Lathia. She nods in acknowledgment. Gandalf smiles while the other three looks confused about the white beast. "That's Shadowfax. He's the lord of all horses. We knew each other as children." Lathia said. "He's also been my friend thru many dangers," Gandalf says while stroking the white horse fondly.

"Umm, if ya haven't noticed, we tree don't have horses," Gimli stated, and Lathia chuckled before crouching down. Her neck almost touched the ground. "I can be your horse," she said. The tree looked at each other before nodding and climbing on the incredible beats. They found themselves places between her spikes. As they were safe on her back, Lathia raised.

The tree gasped at the sight of the land before them. It looked all so high up. Lathia felt their surprise and chuckled. A deep, soft rumble, making her body shake lightly. "Come," Gandalf said beneath the white dragon. He looked up at his friend, who smiled at him before setting off in long strides towards Edoras, the home of King Théoden.

—————
A/n: I'll end it here; I'm sorry for the short story😅

-Saph