THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS
THE JOURNEY CONTINUES
CHAPTER ONE-
We had been following the orc pack that had taken Merry and Pippin hostage for three days before even the sturdy Gimli started complaining. "Three days and nights pursuit, and we have gained no ground! No food, no rest! No sign of our quarry but what bare rock can tell," the dwarf huffed, out of breath. "Come Gimli! We're gaining on them," Legolas called back to him. "I'm wasted on cross country lad! We dwarves are natural sprinters! Very *gasp* dangerous over *cough* short distances," the barrel-chested dwarf answered him.
"G-gimli is right! We need to rest or we will drop from exhaustion," Boromir tried to get Aragorn to stop. The ranger stopped and put his ear to the ground. I took this opportunity to drink some more miruvor and share it with Gimli and Boromir.
Aragorn sprung to his feet and took off like a Greyhound! "This way," he shouted, "the Uruks have turned northeast!" Boromir followed suit while I struggled to get Gimli off of the ground and pour more of the miracle drink down his gob.
We ran until nightfall. The ground had become too rocky for us to safely travel with or without moonlight. Legolas was perched on top of a large boulder like a large bird, turning his head this way and that. "I can see cooking fires in the distance," the elf's voice reached my ears as he slowly came into focus. "Galadriel wasn't kidding," I thought to myself, "I am gaining more of the abilities of the elves." That's when I started to see the distant glimmer of the fires as well.
"I can see the fires too! They have stopped and made camp for the night. Their guard is down and they feel as if they have lost us if they are making camp now," I said to the surprise of all. Even though we were only supposed to take one bite of the elvish bread, everyone ate an entire square of it to replenish their bodies and have enough energy for the day ahead (a day that Aragorn would surely wish to begin at the rising of the sun).
Aragorn switched things up and made me take the second watch so that Gimli and Boromir could get some rest. Legolas took the first watch, and Aragorn took the last so that he could wake us when he felt that we had had enough sleep.
Two hours before sunrise, the ranger kicked us all awake with a grim smile and the phrase, "The hunt continues." We were in hot pursuit as the dim light of the rising sun kissed the horizon. The smell of death and fear was on the air as we crested a large hill and saw the rising sun two hours later.
"A red dawn! Blood has been spilled this night! We must hurry," Legolas said as he ran past me, not even out of breath. It was at this point that I realized that I wasn't out of breath either. It was either the fact that the constant running and training was finally starting to have an effect, or it was just another gift of the Eldar that I had been granted. Either way, I wasn't complaining.
"I hear riders," Aragorn bellowed over the slightly crisp and strong wind, "possibly riders of Rohan! There are at least a hundred horses headed this way!" "Everyone hide behind this outcropping," I motioned as I ran toward a conveniently placed jumble of boulders.
We sat in anticipation, with baited breath as the thundering sound of the horses grew near. Suddenly, a multitude of men on horseback roared past us without even noticing we were there. That is until Aragorn stepped out from our hiding place and bellowed, "Riders of Rohan! What news from the mark!"