Bright blue eyes, shaded softly by silver watched them as they rode toward the place humans called Edoras. It was obvious to all that they rode toward a battle. The forest was protected by the Ents, but what remained of her own kind, guared Fangorn as well. The forest was open to them for food and shelter, and that was all. The Ents were angry, angry at the Orcs, angry at Saruman, and it had roused her.

She was built like Shadowfax, only more elegant, she was thinner than Shadowfax as well, built for long distances and fighting. She was solid white, with touches of silver, she could not be stained, not even by dirt. Her mane and tail were long and flowing, a shimmering silver wave, her hooves were silver as well, and made no sound whatsoever. Her face was long and elegant, her forehead broader than a regular horses' was, and protruding from the center of her forehead, slightly over a foot long, was a horn made of spun platnum sliver, its base surrounded by and eight-pointed star the colour of white gold, covered by her forelock.

She was the last of her kind to remain this far south. Long ago, they had been driven down the roads north, over the mountains to the forests untouched by man, orc or elf. She had remained behind this last winter, to watch over the Elves as they left the shores of Middle-Earth.

She was the princess of her kind, and felt it was her duty to watch over those fighting for good. She could not interfere, no, she could not be seen. If she was, the Humans would hunt her, though, all they saw was an amazingly beautiful mare unless she wished them to, Elves on the other hand could see her for what she truly was, and perhaps, so could the Halflings, though, she wasn't sure, for she'd never seen anything like them before.

She turned and headed down a path at a sedate pace, following the Men as they rode. Soon though, a stench greeted her sensitive nose, causing her to toss her head and stop, looking through the trees to the west. Smoke, smoke meant fire. She wheeled and headed in that direction at a ground-eating pace before coming to a full stop at the edge of a cirlce of firelight. She stared openly at what lay before her. Orcs, an entire troop of then were camped there, as were two Hobbits, both dirty and terrified looking.

She lifted her head and listened to the pounding of hooves, knowing that the Rohirrim would stumble across this group momentarily and kill all, with no regard to the Hobbits. SHe moved around the circle so that she stood just behind the Hobbits, then, she waited. The attack came shortly after that, and an orc rushed toward the Hobbits. She chose this moment to act. She leapt in front of them, rearing onto her hind legs with a neigh, and kicking out with silver hooves.

The Orc backed away, stunned as she turned again and lowered herself to the ground in front of the Hobbits, clearly indicating that she wanted them to get onto her back. They did so and she rose with one fluid movement, turning back to the forest and rushing off into the trees. She ran for a time before she slowed to a walk near the road, she didn't know what to do now that she had them. Should she take them to the Ents, or perhaps find Gandalf? She decided that the latter would be easier to find and turned, looking off into the tree line as the Hobbits talked to each other.

*

"Merry? What is she?"

"I-I don't know Pippin." Merry replied as they stared at the mare below them as she turned to look about herself, as if seeking something or someone. "I don't think she's just a regular horse though."

"Excuse me?" Pippin said, talking directly to the mare. She turned her head, looking back at Pippin with an intelligent blue eye. "Could you perhaps stop a bit? We aren't used to this, and we'd like to rest."

She eyed him for a moment before lowering to the ground and letting them off. She stood again and looked around before wandering off a few paces.

"Hey, Pip? Did you see that before?"

"What?"

"That." Merry said, pointing at the horn they could both clearly see gleaming on her forehead now.

"No." Pippin sounded awed. "A Unicorn?"

"I think so."

:You are right youg friends.: an elegant female voice echoed in their heads and they looked up at her, she was looking directly at them. :I am a Unicorn.:

"Oh?" Merry asked. "Well, I'm Merry, this is Pippin."

:I am Ilea.: She responded. :Do you know where you are going? Or must I decide for you?:

"Um... Well, we don't really know where we are, so, we have no idea where we're going." Merry replied as Pippin nodded.

:All right. I shall take you to Edoras, they will help you there.: she said - thought. :Are you rested?:

"Yes." Pippin said, and soon, they were riding again.

*

When they reached the edge of Fangorn, Ilea hesitated, unsure if she really wanted to leave the forest's safety or not. Though, she chose and rode out into the sunlight at a fast canter, heading toward the city that stood on a hill. Merry was holding onto her mane, and Pippin was holding onto Merry, though, they both seemed to have realized that they could not fall off unless she allowed them too.

She was faster than the average horse, and so, by nightfall they were halfway to Edoras. Ilea stopped in a small stand of trees for the night, allowing the Hobbits off to wander around and build a small fire. Soon they were sitting around it, and Ilea was lying across from them.

"Have you seen our friends?"

:Aye. They track you even now, you will meet them in Edoras.:

"What about Boromir?" This from Pippin.

:I am afraid I do not know of whom you speak. I saw only and Elf, a Dwarf and one Man.:

"What did the man look like?" Merry questioned.

:Tall, yet, humans usually are. He had dark hair, and wore greens to blend in with the land.:

"Aragorn. Boromir did not make it then."

*

Day dawned bright and clear, causing Ilea to awaken and gaze around herself for a moment, then, as she oreinted herself, she stood and wandered over to the two sleeping Hobbits, nudging the one called Merry awake. He sat up with a yawn and moved to wake Pippin as Ilea looked off into the distance toward Edoras, then back to Fangorn, where she knew Treebeard would meet them should they turn back.

"Where are we going?" Asked a sleepy eyed Pippin as they stood and made ready for the day.

:You have two choices. We can go to the uncertainty of Edoras, or go back to the Forest and find Treebeard.:

Merry looked at her, "Which is safer for you?"

Somehow the Hobbit had caught onto her unease of coming in contact with the humans, causing her to mentally sigh in relief.

:I would rather we find Treebeard.: she replied, meeting Merry's eyes with her crytal blue ones.

"Okay," said Pippin. "Then to the Forest it is beautiful lady."

Her steps on the fallen leaves of the forest made not even a whisper of sound as they traveled. The silence seemed to overwhelm the two Hobbits who walked next to her. She was looking for some sign of the Ents, any sign that would tell her of their passing, but she could not find one. They had already traveled for many candlemarks that day, and both Hobbits were tired, hungry, and weary of everything around them. Ilea, who walked between them shone in the dappled sunlight that filtered through the forests sheltering canopy. The gold leaves that showed hints of fall hid her silver hooves, allowing them to nearly believe that she was just a regular mare - save the platinum horn that protrudedd from her forehead and the white-gold eight pointed star that surrounded the base. To them both she was unearthly, making them both afraid to ask questions of her.

Finally, Pippin scored up enough courage to do so, "Ilea?"

:Hmm?:

"Are there any more of your kind?"

She looked over at him stared for a moment before turning and continuing to walk. :No. My kind traveled down the roads long ago. They left to the North, beyond the known lands.:

"Why?" Asked Merry.

:Some say they were chased down the roads by a giant Red Bull. Others say they left of their own accord. But I, I believe they left for another reason all together...:

"What's that?"

:We began the journey before the end of the Second Age, our time had come for us to leave this world, for the time of Men was fast approaching... Few, like me, stayed behind to guard the few forests that were or are sanctuaries to magical beings such as myself.:

"What happened to them?" Pippin asked, full of curiosity.

:Slowly we were hunted down and killed, our forests going wild and untame without our magic to guide the creatures of the forests into peace... So now, I am the last.:

"Why would anyone want to hunt Unicorns? You're so beautiful."

:Not all Men are good, not all Immortals are good, not even all Elves are good. Good and Evil balance each other out, one cannot survive without the other, and both use magic to their best advantage. Everything about a Unicorn is magical, down to the very dust of our bones, we were hunted because our horns, bloos, hair and more enhance spellcasting by a goodly amount.:

"Wait." Merry said "If Good and Evil balance each other out, then is that why someone didn't just kill Isildur and destroy the Ring themselves?"

:Yes. Good cannot survive without Evil. Isildur was meant to take the Ring, not just because of this balance, but because of the fact that if he had destroyed it, Evil would have been destroyed forever. Understand Merry, that without that balance, the minds of most beings would run mad, one cannot exist without all emotions, good and bad.:

"Oh."

They fell silent then, not knowing what to say to the ageless Unicorn between them, with much to conteplate.

*

Ilea stood apart from the two tired Hobbits as they rested, feeling the presence of an Ent nearby. She had the feeling that it was either Treebeard himself or Quickbeam, though, she couldn't be certain. The only way to be sure was to speak with him, and she was only mustering up enough courage to send. Sent thoughts could be intercepted, allowing some Wizard somewhere to know of her, it had been done before. She sighed, there was nothing she could do about that, but she needed to speak with him.

:Treebeard?:

:Ahhhh! Ilea!:

:Where are you?:

:Your short friend is sitting on me dear Unicorn.: he said, amusement in his mind-voice.

She turned to Pippin. :Pippin, could you please move? You're sitting on Treebeard.:

"What? Oh!" Pippin leapt up and jumped away from the tree he'd been leaning against to see an enormous gold eye open and stare at him. He swallowed and watched as the tree became animate and turned fully toward them, revealing itself as an Ent. It spoke. "Ho-hum! You've got quite the pair of friends dear Ilea!"

:They are Pippin and Merry... Merry, Pippin, this is Treebeard. An Ent.:

Merry gaped for a moment, "Uh.. Hi?"

Treebeard laoughed merrily. "Hoom! Welcome, welcome! I have word that you seek me?"

:Yes. I understand that you march?:

"That would be correct... The land at Isengard has been poisoned, we go to destroy the Wizard called Saruman." Treebeard replied.

:We wish to travel with you... They are to find their companions, and you are the one who will be able to find Gandalf.:

"Im surprised you let him near you Ilea, he is, after all, a Wizard."

:Gandalf has long been a friend to Unicorns, not just me.: She replied, indignation lacing her voice.

"Ah! Well then, let us go." with that said, Treebeard collected the Hobbits and they rode on his shoulders as they traveled, the Unicorn below them.

*

Gandalf Greyen, called Gandalf the White, stood looking off into the distance as he waited for Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli to be fully ready to ride to Isengard. Helm's Deep was scattered with corpses, most were those of Orcs, but a good amount were good Men. He knew what awaited him at Isengard in respects to the basics. He knew that Saruman had poisoned the land, and that the Ents had marched against him. He also knew that Merry and Pippin awaited their arrival with a new friend - well, new to them, he had known Ilea for all of her life. He had not been there for her birth, since the birthing of a Unicorn was a secret and sacred event, but he'd long been friends with her parents, and had therefore, seen her in different stages of her life. She was weary now, her mind-voice laced with a tiredness that hinted at resignation of her attempt to save the forests. There were no others of her kind, and she was alone in the world. She was ready to give up, though her noble build and the way she carried herself would not tell anyone that. She was near three-thousand years of age, and, if she were human, she would be in her early twenties, yet, she felt so old and forgotten.

Long ago, Unicorns had been sacred to all races, even Men, and when Sauron came to being, they Unicorns felt the pull that signaled their time to leave the land of humans. They would live forever unless killed by blade or heartbreak, that was the only similarity bewteen Unicorns and Elves. There had been a time when Men worshipped Unicorns, and to kill one was worthy of death. When the call came, a few had stayed behind to watch over the forests that they had resided in until they too felt the pull. Most of them were young, barely getting to know the wonders of life. Most of the Guardians had been female, revered more by Men, since males had a tendency to avoid any and all civilizations.

Then the hunts began, and soon, only Ilea was left. She was a hunted being, and by revealing herself any Wizard would want her blood. Any Man would want to tame her, for all they could see now was a beautiful white mare, her horn invisible to them unless she wished them to see it. It was a safety net for her, since the men of Rohan hunted in Fangorn. They believed her to be the last of the wild horses of their lands, and therefore, left her be, though they all knew she would be a choice brood mare.

"Gandalf?"

Gandalf looked up and nodded at Aragorn. "Yes?"

"We're ready."

"Then let us waste no time. I would wish to see an old friend."

"Aye."