�What ails you, Aldamir?� asked Haldir in a low voice as they went. �I�ve seldom seen you like this � you act as if there are wild creatures all about.�
�I don�t know what it is,� answered Aldamir. �There are strange things in this forest; I don�t like it. I seem to see things all the time, and then there�s nothing. It makes me dizzy, all these things which are not there.�
�We�ll stop now for a short rest,� said Haldir in reply, and called a halt. �I want to get a grasp of what this place is like,� he said to Aldamir as the Elves laid down in various places to rest. �What about you? Do you want to rest, or will you stand on watch?�
�I�m not tired,� replied Aldamir, who was curious as well. �I�ll stand watch.�
�All right.�
For a while things were quiet as Aldamir sat leaning against a stone, taking what little rest he needed from the quiet peace. Yet he sensed a queer undercurrent to this peace; it was a strange peace, which seemed as if it could alter at any moment.
Aldamir took stock of his surroundings. The company was resting in a soft-floored clearing, surrounded by trees. As far as he could see - which wasn�t very far - there were trees upon trees, strange, twisted trees with eerie wispy curtains of moss hanging from them, as a beard would hang from an old man�s chin. Here and there moonlight filtered through the thick foliage, throwing a strip of silver on the mossy floor. Sometimes, too, he would hear noises, as of ancient, deep, woody voices, speaking to each other in low voices. But how could there be voices in this place? Yet if it wasn�t voices, what was it?
Aldamir stood up quietly, and walked to the edge of the clearing. Peering through the twisted, moss-covered branches, he listened. No voices, but the small tinkle of a stream met his ears. Aldamir found it not too far away, winding in and out among the trees with a subdued chuckle. It did not laugh openly like the streams of L�rien, but its quiet voice warmed Aldamir�s heart, and kneeling, he dipped his hand into the cool water. It slid about his hand and through his fingers with a silky caress, and he shut his eyes as a pang of longing for the bright blue waters of Lothl�rien hit him. Bending down, he drank of the sweet, cold stream and stood up again.
As he did so, he noticed suddenly that the light coming through the trees was more golden than silver. The sun must be rising, he thought in surprise, looking about. A little further on, the light seemed to shine down stronger, and leaping lightly over the stream, he went toward it, curious.
But suddenly his foot caught in something and he stumbled, nearly falling. Catching an overhanging branch to steady himself, he looked down in surprise at a root which his foot had slipped under. He was puzzled. That root hadn�t been there just a moment ago!
Then the branch he was holding moved, and the root lying over his foot lifted itself and moved.
�Hoom,� said a deep voice with a strange quality about it above him. �Hm, hmm....what have we here?�
A shiver ran down Aldamir�s spine. Slowly, he turned and gazed upwards.
His wondering blue eyes met a pair of deep, strange eyes; golden-colored with bottomless black orbs, with leaves waving softly about them. In his astonishment, he did not notice that his sword had slipped from his hand. His eyes traveled over the strange being before him, taking in the mossy, bark-covered limbs, the leaves fluttering about, the occasional mushroom sprouting out of his cheek. For several moments he couldn�t find his voice. A tree...living, speaking to him!
The unfathomable eyes studied him keenly for a moment, and he gazed back into
them in open, unmasked astonishment. Never before had he seen such strange eyes; they seemed to be deep wells full of memories from the very beginning of the world.
A deep, rumbling chuckle sounded from the depths of the tree. �You are not used to seeing a, hoom, an Ent every day, are you, elfling?�
Delight mingled with a fearful wonder surged through Aldamir. �An Ent,� he repeated. �A tree-herder, from days of old.....I did not know that your kind still walked the earth.�
The Ent chuckled once more, and then sighed. �Yes, that is the way it is now. It is long indeed since we went about openly, and now we are forgotten. We are dwindling; the count grows only less. There are no Entings.�
�Many are the tales I have heard, telling of your kind,� said Aldamir, still wondering. �Were there not also Entwives?�
�Yes, once,� sighed the Ent, and Aldamir glimpsed sorrow in the amber eyes. He was almost sorry he had asked. �But that was long ago. They are gone now, and there will be no more Ents.�
Aldamir was silent.
The Ent turned and chuckled again. �Why so silent, young one?�
The Elf shook his head. �I was only thinking...�
�Hoom, hm, you are thinking, Of what?�
�Merely of the tales I have heard. I find it wonderful that there are still some like you on this earth.�
�Hoom, hoom! Of course there are still some! We are tough; we are not destroyed easily. There will be Ents for a while yet!�
Aldamir took a step backwards as the Ent went on muttering something about �cursed....burarum.....burning....wizard.....� He had a feeling that an angry Ent was not a good thing to be too close to.
Finally he found the courage to speak again. �Why is it that so many fear this forest? Everyone I know has warned us against going here.�
The Ent turned and looked into the blue-grey eyes of the Elf. �Hoom....It is because of the Huorns, the trees. They have grown wild, with so few of us to look after them. Men are afraid of the trees. But tell me, young one, what are you doing here? What drove you to brave the paths of Fangorn?�
Aldamir told him. At the mention of Saruman�s name the golden eyes glinted dangerously. �Curse him, the black-minded wizard! He is destroying my forest; too often his servants have come here, burning, killing, cutting, hacking, burning! And you are going to fight him, to kill his orcs? Good, good! What is your name, elfling?�
�Aldamir, of Lothl�rien.�
�An Elf of Lothl�rien is always welcome here. All Elves are, for they will not hurt the trees. They are friends, hoom, hm. I am Bregalad.�
Aldamir opened his mouth to reply, but noticed suddenly that the Elf-camp was astir. Elves were arising and strapping on their bows, buckling their swords at their sides. Bregalad noticed as well.
�Hoom hm, your company is moving,� he said, and his deep eyes twinkled. �You had better be getting back to them, had you not?�
Aldamir smiled. �Yes, I must. It was an honor to meet you, Bregalad.�
The Ent chuckled. �And meeting you, Aldamir. Go, and may Iluvatar bless you. Remember, you and your kin are always welcome here!�
Aldamir bowed and turned to go. The last he saw of the Ent was the deep, indescribable eyes gazing after him with a merry twinkle in them.