Thanks for the reviews guys. Here's chapter 2, enjoy.


Chapter 2- Turning of the tides

With the Rohirrim behind them Éomer and Verya rode across the plains of Rohan. Determined to put many leagues between themselves and Edoras. All the men were wishing that they did not have to leave, but their loyalty to Éomer, Verya and the true Rohan was too strong for them to remain behind in Edoras.

As night drew closer Éomer made the decision to call a halt and setup a camp for the night. The riders dismounted from their horses. Verya undid the buckles that held Warrior's saddle on, sliding it off, and switched his bridle for a halter. She tied the rope on the halter around a branch and went to join Éomer in building a fire. 'How far do you think we should travel?' She asked him.
'I don't know.' He admitted. 'I guess we just follow the Isen.'

Under the stars that night the Rohirrim slept. All except one. Verya sat on her sleeping mat, staring out into the distance. Rohan had been her home for as long as she could remember, leaving it behind was hard for her. Suddenly something moving caught her keen eyes. She rose to her feet and watched it. Orcs. They had just stopped moving at the edge of Fangorn forest. She hurried to where Éomer slept. Crouching down she shook him awake. 'Éomer, Éomer get up.'
The Rohirrim leader slowly got his feet. 'What is it Verya?'

'Orcs, on the edge of Fangorn.' She replied. 'We can take them by surprise.'
'Get the men up.' The two of them began to shake the men awake; those who got up first began to saddle the horses.

'Verya, take half the men and approach from this side, I'll take the others around the base of the hill and attack from the other side, stop them from escaping.' Éomer ordered.
Verya nodded and mounted Warrior, taking her selection of men directly towards the Orcs camp, while Éomer led his men down the hill.
Verya urged Warrior into a gallop, the other Rohirrim with her doing the same. They had the element of surprise on their side. The orcs did not realise they were being attacked until the Rohirrim were right on top of them. Verya threw her spear into an orc, and drew her sword, slashing through the orcs. Her eye caught something running towards the forest, but her instincts told her that it was not orcs, so she left it.

The battle did not last long, the Rohirrim numbers were too great for the orcs and surprise was on their side. When the last of the orcs had been dispatched, Éomer ordered that the carcasses be piled and burnt. 'Take some rest.' He told the riders. 'We continue in the morning.' He put a hand on Verya's shoulder, who looked up at him. 'Good spot.' Verya smiled.

The next morning the riders remounted their horses and left the battleground behind them. With Éomer at their head the Rohirrim rode on. But events were about to take an unexpected turn.
Two hours after leaving the battleground the shout of a man caught their attention. 'Riders of Rohan, what news from the mark?' At the signal from their leader, the riders followed Éomer up the hill to where three figures stood. Within moments they had formed a circle around them, spears pointing in.

'What business does an elf, a man, and a dwarf have in the Riddermark? Speak quickly!' Éomer ordered.
The dwarf spoke first. 'Give me your name, horsemaster, and I shall give you mine.'
Éomer handed his spear to Verya and jumped down from Firefoot. 'Careful.' Verya whispered. The elf's eyes flicked up to look at her.

'I would cut off your head, dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground.' Éomer warned.
The elf whipped out his bow and aimed it at Éomer. 'You would die before your stroke fell.'
The riders tensed, their spears moving closing to the trio at the centre of the circle. The man stepped forward and lowered the elf's arm. He then turned to Éomer. 'I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn; this is Gimli son of Gloin, and Legolas of the woodland realm. We are friends of Rohan, and of Théoden your King.' He introduced himself and his companions.
'Théoden no longer recognizes friend from foe.' Éomer reached up and removed his helmet. 'Not even his own kin.' The riders relaxed and raised their spears. 'Saruman has poisoned the mind of the King and claimed lordship over his lands. My company are those loyal to Rohan, and for that we are banished. The white wizard is cunning. He walks here and there they say, as an old man, hooded and cloaked, and everywhere his spies slip past our nets.' Here he glared at Legolas.

Aragorn spoke up once again. 'We are no spies. We track a party of Uruk-Hai westward across the plain. They have taken two of our friends captive.'
'The uruks are destroyed; we slaughtered them during the night.' Éomer informed the group.
'But there were two hobbits. Did you see two hobbits with them?' Gimli questioned urgently.
Seeing the confused look on Éomer's face, Aragorn stepped in. 'They would be small, only children to your eyes.' Verya stared at him, remembering what she had seen running into the forest during the night.
Éomer shook his head. 'We left none alive. We piled the carcasses and burned them.' He gestured to where the pile was still smoking in the distance.
'Dead?'
Éomer nodded sadly at Gimli. 'I am sorry.' He gave a short sharp whistle. 'Hasufel, Arod.' Two horses came forward. 'May these horses bear you to better fortune than their former masters. Farewell.' He replaced his helmet and mounted Firefoot. 'Look for your friends, but do not trust to hope. It is forsaken in these lands.'
Verya noticed him preparing them to move out, so leaned over to whisper in his ear. 'I'll catch you up, I'll be quick.'
Éomer nodded. 'We ride north!' He and the other riders rode off, leaving Verya and the three travellers.

Holding Warrior back, so he didn't race after the others, Verya turned to the three. 'I think they ran into the forest. I saw something enter there, during the battle, that wasn't an orc.' She loosened Warrior's reins, allowing him to gallop off, to catch up with the other riders.


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