Hi all! I'm so excited to start on The Two Towers :) there is good reading in it for you all :) much exciting!
Book Two: Not All Who Wander Are Lost
Chapter 1
Aragorn dropped to the ground, placing his ear to the cold earth. Taking deep breaths, Caladwen turned to Legolas and Gimli. Legolas stood, not nearly as winded as she, but Gimli seemed to be struggling a fair bit, which made her feel much better about herself.
"I can not run any further." She said finally, shaking her head at Legolas. Caladwen hunched over, hands on knees. Her chest was on fire and her legs were burning. They had been running nonstop for three days, and she had only five hours of sleep in between the three.
"Their pace has quickened." Aragorn said, looking up at his three companions. "They must have caught our scent, hurry!" He took off again, running faster than he had before. Caladwen sighed, following after him.
"Come on, Gimli!" Legolas, following after his fiancé.
"Three days and nights pursuit. No food, no rest and no sign of our quarry but what bare rock can tell." Caladwen laughed as she ran, glancing back at the dwarf.
"Gimli, has any one ever told you that you complain more than a horse that's being broken." Gimli huffed in response. Legolas chuckled, jumping over a rock.
Aragorn led the hunters as the ran over rocky terrain and underbrush. Caladwen looked over her shoulder, checking to make sure Gimli was still following behind them. she watched Gimli stumble over a pile of loose rocks and fall, rolling across the ground. Legolas stopped to help the Dwarf up.
"Come, Gimli! We're gaining on them!" He said helping him up.
"I'm wasted over cross-country! We dwarves are natural sprinters! Very dangerous over short distances." Gimli exclaimed through panting.
The group approached a great hill, which overlooked a large plain, Rohan. Caladwen paused, looking over the horizon, taking in the lay of the land.
"Rohan. Home of the horse-lords." Caladwen said quietly to Aragorn. Aragorn nodded, squinting suspiciously.
"There is something strange at work here. Some evil gives speed to these creatures, sets its will against us." Legolas stepped up to Caladwen, looking at her, studying her.
"Caladwen, what do you elf eyes see?" Aragorn asked, waiting for her reply. "The Uruks turn northeast." Caladwen glanced to Legolas for confirmation. Her fears were realized as he nodded slowly. "They're taking the Hobbits to Isengard!"
"Saruman." Aragorn spat. "We must be quick." Again he took off. Caladwen ran carefully down the hill, her elf feet finding careful paths over the loose rock and shale.
Caladwen paused, a feeling of dread over coming her, making her nauseas. Taking a deep breath she grabbed her stomach and slowed to an unsteady pace.
Théodred! Théodred! A woman's voice wailed, repeated in her mind. There was the sound of screaming on the wind, and small child crying, a battle. Caladwen shook her head, trying to shake off the feeling, but no matter how she tried she could not. Théodred!
"Caladwen?" He head snapped up to find the group looking at her closely. Legolas raised an eyebrow at her. "What is it?"
"It is nothing. I just have a cramp. I'm sorry, I'm not used to running so much." She apologized, mostly to Aragorn. Her excuse was not good enough for Legolas, but he did press the matter.
"No, no you're right. Perhaps we should take a break" Caladwen was shocked that Aragorn actually agree with her, even if it was under false pretenses. "It's getting late, I'll get a fire started, we shall camp here until daybreak."
"Sure, the Dwarf can't keep up for his legs are shorter than yours, but when the She Elf gets a cramp we break out the timber." Caladwen's cheeks flushed and she nervously fidgeted with her hair. Aragorn smirked at the dwarf.
"Perhaps next time you should try being less vocal."
Night had fallen quickly once the fire started. Caladwen watched it burn, staring into the flames quietly. The men around her were immersed in light conversation.
Théodred, I know no Théodred. Caladwen bit her bottom, sighing. She was frustrated with herself and she grew tired of the games her gift continued to play on her. She felt like she was holding the group back. They stopped because of her, because a vision left her winded and stunned.
Caladwen felt a presence next to her and she looked up to see Legolas staring into the fire, a grin on his face.
"Does it do tricks?" Legolas teased. Caladwen was confused and she furrowed her eyebrows at him. "You've been staring in to the flames since we've started the fire."
"Oh." Caladwen laughed nervously. "I'm just tired. I'm not accustomed to such a rough lifestyle." She thought back, realizing she had actually been gone from Rivendell for nearly a month.
"Then lay, I will take the first watch." Legolas said with a smile, patting his lap. Caladwen laid her head down on his lap, the last thought running through her mind was of the name Théodred.
It was as Aragorn said, at daybreak the group was up and on their feet. As the sun rose this morning, Legolas could not pry his eyes away from it, and even as they day grew longer, he was still concerned about its color from that morning.
"A red sun rises. Blood has been spilt this night." Legolas spoke somberly to the group.
Aragorn was in the lead again, as they sprinted across the plains. He whistled, gesturing to a large band of riders who were approaching from the south. They hid behind a large nearby rock, as they studied the riders. They were flying banners behind them as they rode in a military formation. Caladwen recognized them as horseman of Rohan. Aragorn did as well and as they passed the boulder he jumped from its cover.
"Riders of Rohan, what news from the mark?" He called to them. Their leader signaled them to turn around, and they did as commanded, quickly surrounding what remained of the fellowship. The riders drew their spears, pointing them at Caladwen, Legolas, Gimli and Aragorn. Legolas stepped between Caladwen and the spears that were pointed aggressively at them.
"What business does an Elf, a Man, a Dwarf and A Princess have in the Riddermark? Speak quickly!" The rider commanded. Caladwen's jaw clenched at the disrespectful way he spoke to her, at how condescending he was.
"Give me your name, Horse master, and I shall give you mine." She spat at him. The rider raised his eyebrow, shocked that she would speak to him like that. He handed off his staff to another rider, hopping from his horse, and took three intimidating steps towards her, until he was standing right in front of her. Caladwen did not falter and she raised her chin higher in defiance.
"I would have thought a Lady would know how to give respect when it was due, but it seems I will have to teach you." Eomer raised his hand to her but in an instant Legolas had drawn his bow, aiming it at the soldier.
"You would die before your hand fell." The spears grew closer to them, Caladwen could nearly feel them in her back. After a tense moment, Aragorn pushed down Legolas's arm, taking a step between Caladwen and the Rider.
"I am Aragorn, Son of Arathorn, This is Caladwen, emissary of Rivendell, Legolas of the Woodland Realm and Gimli, Son of Gloin." He said, hastily making the introductions. "We are friends of Rohan and of Théoden, your king."
"Théoden no longer recognizes friend from foe." The soldier removed his helmet. "Not even his own kin." Caladwen felt relief as the soldiers withdrew their spears. "Saruman has poisoned the mind of the king and claimed lordship over these lands. My company are those loyal to Rohan, and for that we are banished." The soldier leaned forward, as if he did not want to speak to loudly. "The white wizard is cunning. He walks here and there, they say, as an old man, hooded and cloaked." Eomer's tone grew intimidating and he stood straight again. "And ever his spies slip through our nets."
"We are not spies. We track a party of Uruk-Hai westward across the plain. They've taken two of our friends captive." Aragorn assured him.
"the Uruks are destroy, we slaughtered them in the night."
"But there were two hobbits. Did you see two hobbits with them?" Gimli interjected, concern evident on his face. Caladwen nodded her head in agreement.
"They would be small, only children to your eyes." She spoke slowly in order for him to understand her. The soldier spared her a single glance before looking at Aragorn, ignoring that she spoke.
"We left none alive. We piled the carcasses and burned them." The soldier pointed across the plain where Caladwen saw smoke rising up from the ground. Her mouth dropped in shock.
"Dead?" Gimli asked, stunned.
"I am sorry." He nodded to the group, whistling to his men. Legolas put his hand around Caladwen's shoulder, pulling her into his chest. "Hasufel! Arod!" two horses moved up at the call of there name, neighing as they did so. "may these horses bear you to better fortune than their former masters." The Rider re-saddled his horse and looked back to the Fellowship. The soldier replaced his helmet. "Look for your friends, but do not trust to hope, it has forsaken these lands. We ride north!" he commanded his riders, kicking his horse into gear.
The Fellowship mounted the horse that had been given to them and rode off towards the smoking pile of carcasses. When they arrived, Caladwen was not prepared for the smell nor the sight and she gagged.
Gimli was the first off of his horse. Caladwen watched as he began sifting through a smoldering pile of bodies. He stopped, pulling out a charred belt and dagger sheath. Caladwen swallowed hard.
"It's one of their wee belts."
"Hiro ith… ab 'wanath. (may they find peace in death.)" Legolas said, bowing his head as he prayed for Merry and Pippin. Aragorn yelled loudly, kicking a helmet in rage. Caladwen jumped, startled by his actions and she watched as he fell to his knees, defeated. Caladwen felt responsible for this. They had stopped last night for her, because of her lie, and if they hadn't maybe the fellowship would have been there in time to save them.
"We failed them." Gimli moaned. Caladwen shook her head.
I have failed them. She thought. Caladwen was too stunned to do anything, she couldn't even cry. al she could do was stand there. The group sat in silence for a while, out of respect for their fallen friends.
"A hobbit lay here." Aragorn spoke quietly. Caladwen overheard him and she watched as he studied the ground next to him. He clamored to his feet, following something he saw on the ground. The interest of the group was piqued and they followed him, listening as he spoke. "Their hands were bound. There bonds were cut." He held up a broken length of thick rope. He ran a few more feet before stopping again. "They ran over here. They were followed. The tracks lead away from the battle, and into the Fangorn Forest." Aragorn trailed off. Caladwen looked up into the dark tree line. It was foreboding.
"Fangorn? What madness drove them in there?" Gimli asked, sounding afraid.
"Does that question need asking?" Caladwen asked quietly. Gimli looked over his shoulder at the massacre that lay behind him and shrugged.
"I suppose not, My Lady."
"If we hurry we may reach them in time. Before the Fangorn forest over comes them." Aragorn said as he took the first timid steps into the darkness of the trees.
So it begins :)