Disclaimer: I don't own any of the following things, save for my version of Brunhilde and her world -- though Brunhilde is a character extracted from the legend of the Nibelungs a Viking love legend/myth, her character has been changed around a little to suit my story -- Eomer, Rohan, The Hobbits, Uruk-Hai, Orcs... you get the picture. This is a canon, though parts change only to suit the story and Brunhilde. Hope you enjoy, if so please leave a comment. Thank you (Mrs Huggins) for pointing out my disclaimer error, I didn't realise it, Brunhilde doesn't belong to me, I simply borrowed and altered her from the legends.

Video; To anyone interested I made a video for this story, a fanfic trailer. I also have other videos, all fanfic trailers, that you can look at also. Some of the stories the videos are related are posted on here also. The link to the video is; (you'll need to remove the spaces, I can't put the link of here otherwise) w w w . y o u t u b e . c o m / w a t c h ? v l c Q a W G I z t e U.

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Thanks to everyone else who reviewed and I'm glad you like it. Here is the next chapter.

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Chapter 2

The blonde archer paused and looked up at the rising sun. "A red sunrises. Blood has been spilled this night." His blue eyes turned towards a pillar of large smoke nearby as someone stopped beside him. Legolas, Elf prince of Mirkwood, watched as his companion looked up at the sun.

"We might be too late," she whispered, looking at him. He only nodded in reply, knowing she could be right in more ways than one, but then again Saruman needed them alive for questioning. Eldarwen sighed and started jogging after Gimli and Aragorn, a dwarf and human who were Legolas's only remaining companions that he knew of at the moment. The half Elf, half human intrigued him; she voiced her opinions whenever she wanted to, she had yet to prove her skill with a bow and sword, as she had so stubbornly told him when they'd first met in Lady Galadriel's forest. She and four other elves had been following him and his companions, since they'd left Lorien. "Legolas, are you coming? Cause I can't see as well as you can."

He smiled at her words and ran to catch up to his companions.

- - -

The man, Aragorn, knelt down, fingering some Uruk-hai tracks that he found. Looking up at hearing horses coming towards them. He signalled to the other three for them all to hide amongst some boulders nearby. Gimli, the dwarf had just hidden when a large group of horse-men appeared over the hill, which the four had been standing on, galloping quickly with their banners flying. Aragorn looked at Legolas before stepping out of their hiding place, soon followed by his other three companions.

"Riders of Rohan, what news from the Mark?" At a signal from the lead rider, the Riders of Rohan made a quick turn and headed towards them, surrounding the four in an ever-tightening circle. As the riders stilled, they aimed their long spears menacingly at them.

One rider moved between the others and looked the four over. "What business does an Elf, a man, a Dwarf and a woman have in the Riddermark? Speak quickly!" he ordered. Eldarwen bristled at the idea of being thought as only a mere woman.

Gimli regarded the man sceptically and retorted smartly, "Give me your name, Horsemaster, and I shall give you mine." Handing his staff to another rider, and dismounting, he walked over to the Dwarf. Aragorn sighed quietly to himself in annoyance and placed a hand on his companions shoulder, keeping the dwarf at bay.

"I would cut off your head, Dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground," the man threatened. Legolas and Eldarwen had their bows drawn in lightning fast movements and aimed towards the man.

"You would die before your stroke fell!" Legolas remarked as all the riders pointed their spears closer at the travellers, especially the two Elves. After a few tense moments, Aragon pushed both Legolas and Eldarwens' bows down, stepping in front of the two.

"I'm Aragorn, son of Arathorn. This is Gimli, son of Gloin, Legolas and Eldarwen of the Woodland realms. We are friends of Rohan and of Theoden, your king."

"Theoden no longer recognises friend from for," the man stated, pulling his helmet off to reveal Eomer. "Not even his own kin." The Rohirrim 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 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." Eomer looked at Legolas and Eldarwen, clearly making his suggestion of them being spies straight forward.

"We are not spies. We track a party of Uruk-hai westwards across the plain. They're taken two of our friends' captive," Aragorn explained quickly, not wanting to linger as they were wasting time in finding the hobbits.

Eomer looked to the ground for a second, then back up into Aragorn's face, saying, "The Uruks are destroyed. We slaughtered them during the night."

The four travellers stared at the Horse Lord, despair and fading hope clear in their eyes. "But there were two Hobbits. Did you see two hobbits with them?" Gimli demanded, his fear rising at the thought of his two young companions dead amongst Uruk-hai bodies.

Aragorn noticing the Horse Lords confused expression, added, "They would be small -- only children to your eyes."

Eomer had only seen two things last night during the ambush; Uruk-hai being slain and the young woman… or maybe he had just imagined her standing in front of him. Shaking his head, he replied grimly, "We left none alive. We piled the carcasses and burned them." To prove he was not lying to the four, he pointed in the direction they'd come from -- to where a large pillar of smoke rose in the distance.

"Dead?" That was the only thing that Gimli could utter.

Eomer nodded, bowing his head to them. "I am sorry." Legolas placed a hand on Gimli's shoulder in grief and from the corner of his gaze; he noticed Eldarwen leaning against her long bow for support as her mind registered what the Horse Lord had said. In the short time she'd know the two halflings, the pair of miscreates had grown fond of the half-human, half-elf just as she had grown to like them. The loss of their lives affected everyone, especially Aragorn for he'd known them longer.

Eomer turned and whistled. "Hasufel! Arod!" he called out. Two horses moved toward him. "May there horses bear you to better fortune than their former masters. Farewell." With their conversation ended, Eomer pulled his helmet back on and swung into the saddle of his horse. "Look for your friends. But do not trust to hope, it has forsaken these lands." Turning to his men he issued an order to ride north.

Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Eldarwen looked on as the Rohirrim rode from their site. Swinging into the saddle, Eldarwen doubled with Aragorn while Gimli rode with Legolas to save arguments between the two blonde archers. Urging their mounts in the direction of the burning carcasses. Dismounting, Gimli started to shift through the smouldering pile, and paused for a second upon a charred belt and dagger sheath. He pulled it from the pile of burning bodies.

"It's one of their wee belts," he stated. Eldarwen was examining the head of an Uruk-hai that was stuck on a spear, which was dug in the ground. Looking up at hearing Gimli's words, she sighed and walked over to him and took the belt to inspect.

Legolas bowed his head, eyes closed, while murmuring, "Hiro ith… ab 'wanath…"

"Lass, what's he sayin'?" Gimli inquired to Eldarwen, who grinned softly.

"May they find peace in death."

Aragorn startled the three when he suddenly kicked an Uruk-hai helmet. "AAARRGGHH!!!" He fell to his knees, as Eldarwen and Legolas shared knowing looks. They may have argued continuously, but they understood when enough was enough.

"We failed them," Gimli whispered, his eyes closing as he fought back tears that threatened to fall. Gimli, son of Gloin had a rule that he would never cry, especially in front of an Elf -- two at that -- so far he'd kept that rule and was not about to break it.

Aragorn looked to the side when some tracks caught the ranger's eye. "A Hobbit lay here, and the other."

Pippin was knocked onto his back. Looking up, he found a pair of thrashing hooves bearing down on him, causing him to yell in fright. He rolled to the side, only just avoiding the hooves.

"There was another with them, a human," Aragorn added, upon seeing the small boot made prints. The boot prints were too small to belong to a soldier, Hobbits didn't wear boots and Uruk-hai tracks were too large to fit into the print. "They crawled." Aragorn stood and began following the three sets of tracks he'd found, with Legolas, Gimli and Eldarwen close behind him.

Merry, Pippin and Brunhilde all crawled frantically away from the battle.

"Their hands were bound."

Merry rubbed his bonds furiously against the sharp edge of a weapon. Brunhilde waited until Pippin had freed himself, before finally cutting the harsh rope from her wrists.

"Their bonds were cut." Aragorn picked up a broken length of thick rope. "They ran over here. They were followed."

With their hands free, the two Hobbits and Brunhilde ran away from the battle scene, running under a horse and trying to stay out of harms way. As they ran past the creature, which Brunhilde had saved Pippin and Merry from… it reached out and grabbed Pippin by his belt, clinging on to the small hobbit.

"The belt!" Pippin was shaking to much to undo the belt that Brunhilde, after a second pushed his hands aside, undid the belt and kicked the gnarly creature in the face. Taking him by the hand, Brunhilde pulled Pippin with her away from the battle. The creature snarled and threw the belt to the ground.

"Run!" Merry called out to Brunhilde and Pippin, who both double their speed as they ran.

"The tracks lead away from the battle…" They quickened their steps, only to pause only reaching the edge of the old, eerie forest. "…into Fangorn Forest." The four warriors looked up into the dense, darkness of the forest.

"Fangorn. What madness drove them in there?" Gimli asked.

"Better yet, Gimli. Who is with them?" Eldarwen said as she drew readied an arrow to her bow, Legolas followed her actions, before the two archers stepped into the forest first, searching it for any remaining Uruk-hai that had survived.

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The previous night, Merry, Pippin and Brunhilde had entered Fangorn forest without any hesitation, seeking to lose the pursuing Orc on their tails. All three collapsed onto their hands and knees, breathing raggedly and sweating. Brunhilde's armour was irritating her, but she couldn't just take it off and leave it here, it had been a present from her father when, not three months ago. Looking at her two new friends, she smiled at them.

"Well, I can definitely say that I'm not in Iceland anymore," she chuckled lightly, receiving strange looks from both of the hobbits. Shaking her head, she looked at the forest and didn't really like the sudden eerie, presence she felt creeping up her back. "What was that thing, anyway?"

"An Orc. A creature from Isengard, the place where they were taking us. Did we lose him?" Pippin questioned also looking around at their surroundings. "I think we lost him." Suddenly the "Orc" appeared from behind the trees, brandishing a blade.

All three of them, lost their relieved looks. Brunhilde had no sword, no bow and no spear… the three were pretty much defenceless against the ugly creature.

"I'm gonna rip out your filthy little innards! Come here!" The three ran and hid behind the nearest tree they could reach.

"Trees! Pippin, Brunhilde! Climb a tree!" Looking around, she spied a good foot hold and began climbing the tree as Pippin and Merry did the same. Pippin reached her level and smiled at her. Merry, who couldn't fit up where the other two were, stayed near the middle of the tree. Looking around, he sighed in relief. "He's gone." Suddenly, Merry was pulled by his legs to the ground. Landing hard on his back, with the wind knocked from him, Merry was momentarily stunned. The Orc leaned over him with his menacing blade. The young hobbit kicked him in the face, trying to get away, but to no avail would any of his attempts work.

"Merry!" Pippin cried out, looking down at his friend in horror. Brunhilde was just beginning to climb back down the tree, but Pippin turned his head, he noticed a pair of large, gleaming yellow eyes, blinking in the tree that he and Brunhilde were clinging to. The tree began to move and groan.

"Hooooo…"

Brunhilde looked at the thing in horror, eyes wide in fear. Never before in her life would she have ever imagined that trees had eyes or that they could move.

"Argh!" Pippin, frightened to death just like Brunhilde, lost his grip and tried to grab futilely as he fell. The tree caught him before he hit the ground. It's long branch-like arms reached up to pull Brunhilde from it's body, who immediately began fighting to get free of it's clutches.

"Let's put a maggot-hole in your belly," the Orc snarled at Merry as he lowered his blade to the hobbits stomach. Merry's ears were on fire as he looked at the blade, knowing his death wouldn't be quick and simple, but slow and painful, exactly what the Orc wanted it to be. Suddenly sensing something behind him, he turned and looked up. The tree's large foot came down on the Orc and squashed him onto the forest floor.

"Run, Merry!" Merry scrambled to his feet and began running away from the large, strange creature. Brunhilde was switched to the hand Pippin was in. Both of which were now pressed right against each other as the tree scooped Merry up into his other hand.

The creature looked at the three of them and growled, "Little Orcs! Burarum…"

Brunhilde pushed Pippin's head from between her breasts and looked up at the thing. "It's talking, Merry. The tree is talking!"

It's grip tightened on them at the word "tree".

"Tree?! I am no tree. I am an Ent," it's voice rumbled dangerously. The creature stomped slowly through the forest.

Merry's eyes lit up at the creature… Ent's words, making him murmur in awe, "A treeherder! A shepherd of the forest."

Brunhilde turned her head as far as she could -- since her back was to Merry, explaining the awkward situation Pippin and she were in -- to look at Merry and quirk an eyebrow. This place gets stranger by the minute.

"Don't talk to it, Merry. Don't encourage it," Pippin warned, not taking his eyes off the Ent.

"Now that's something I agree on," Brunhilde added, smiling down at Pippin, who merely went red in return.

The Ent was still carrying them through the forest. Brunhilde looked skywards, trying to see through the forest canopy to find out if it was day or night, since she couldn't tell, because the forest was so dark. "Treebeard, some call me."

"And whose side are you on?" Pippin gulped in questioning.

Treebeard looked down at the where Pippin and Brunhilde were prisoners in his clutches, replying, "Side? I am on nobody's side because nobody's on my side, little Orc. Nobody cares for the woods anymore."

Merry bristled at being called "little Orc" and finally lost his patience, shouting to the Ent, "We're not Orcs. We're Hobbits! Brunhilde is human!"

"Hobbits? Never heard of a Hobbit before. Sounds like Orc mischief to me!" The Ent, Treebeard tightened his hold on the three and squeezed them, like they were rag dolls nearly. Merry and Pippin whimpered in pain as Brunhilde let out a sharp gasp and tried to wriggle free. She and Pippin were that close now, she could feel his breath of her cheek as he rested his head on her shoulder as he tried regaining his breath.

"Easy Pippin," she murmured softly, when Treebeard finally relaxed his grip. She turned to look at Treebeard. Brunhilde was a gentle person, but underneath her calm posture, she was fiery and didn't take kindly to people, creatures or in the Ents' case, things, when they hurt people, creature and things smaller and weaker than them. "You could've killed us!"

"They come with fire, they come with axes. Gnawing, biting, breaking, hacking, burning! Destroyers and usurpers, curse them!" Treebeard roared, not caring about what Brunhilde had said.

"No, you don't understand. We're Hobbits… Halflings! Shirefolk! Brunhilde is human and kind to us!" Merry retorted heatedly. But, it was no use… Treebeard seemed to care little for what they had to say at this point.

Treebeard looked at the Hobbit that was being held captive in one of his hands and answered, "Maybe you are and maybe you aren't. The White Wizard will know."

Brunhilde's curiosity peeked at hearing "White Wizard". Wizards only exist in fairytales, nothing else. Though magic in this world… Middle-Earth would explain a lot of things about how trees… Ents can talk, walk and see.

"The White Wizard?" Both Pippin and Brunhilde looked at Merry when he spoke. "Saruman." Without having time to get an explanation, Treebeard dropped all three of them onto the ground. A bright light, like the one that had brought her here appeared in front of them. Maybe this light… White Wizard could help me get home?

Merry, Pippin were staring blankly at the light in front of them, their faces drained of colour, this caused Brunhilde to look up, only to come face to face with…