Hey kids, what's up? I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday, I know I did; mostly because I finished this chapter Christmas night! Yay!! I know,I know, what took me so long to post? Life, lol.So, my muses have been bugging me non-stop, but because of my finals, I was really drained. Break, however, has allowed my creative spirit to come alive again and here is the result!! I told you guys I would be back......
Please review, I love to hear from you guys. You really make my day!
Enjoy!!
¤-Chapter I: "A chase to be accounted as a marvel...."-¤
It was barely midday. The sun was hiding behind the sparse, fluffy clouds, causing one to think it was still a bleak morning. The plain was bare of everything except large, jagged rocks and fresh, green grass. Yet the ground slightly shook with the heavy foot falls of many heavy creatures.
Aragorn, son of Arathorn and heir to the throne of the land of Gondor, grimaced as the trembling in the ground grew steadily worse. He slowly pushed himself from the rocky ground, staring out into the land. "Their pace has quickened. They must have caught our scent," he whispered to himself before turning back, "Hurry!" he called out sharply and raced down the hill of rocks he had been situated on.
One of his companions followed behind, stopping half way up the sheer climb. His keen, glacier blue, elven eyes scanned the horizon quickly before turning back to the others as well. Legolas Greenleaf, the elven prince of Mirkwood, took a deep breath, back tracking a few steps. He came upon the young woman traveling with him and the others as she began to slow in her pace. The elf gave her a comforting smile as he lightly took her hand and pulled her up.
Kenzie O'Neil, a mortal witch from present-day San Francisco, returned the gesture with a tired smile as she followed him up the incline, his hand still tight on hers. "Are we catching up any?" she asked, her breath leaving her as she did.
Legolas frowned, "I do not think so. But I cannot say for sure."
"Great," the young witch groaned, "Could this get any worse?"
He squeezed her hand, "It could always get worse, Ai'er," the elf then turned back to the last companion, "Come on, Gimli!" he encouraged.
Gimli, son of Golin and representative of the dwarf race, leaned on his large ax, breathing deeply before he started slowly walking up the rocky, steep land. "Three days and nights pursuit. No food, no rest, and no sign of our quarry, but what bare rock can tell."
"Oh stop complaining," Kenzie cried back.
The dwarf rolled his eyes and pushed himself to attempt to catch up. For the past 72 hours, the three had been traveling hard across the land in pursuit of their hobbit friends, Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took, who had been captured. The evil minions of the wizard Saruman had taken the Halflings in belief that they were carrying the One Ring. Fortunately for the remaining members of the Fellowship, the carriers of the Ring, the hobbits Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee, traveled on without suspicion.
The day carried on wearily. Kenzie remembered very little of it; her main goal was to keep pace with Aragorn and Legolas, who both ran on with an energy that she could not comprehend. Occasionally, the man and elf would come to a halt to allow the young witch and dwarf to catch their breaths and to scout for the Urk-Hais' trail. But the breaks would be short lived for they would soon begin the chase again.
They had been traveling for some time when Aragorn suddenly slowed and then bent to the ground. He gently enclosed his fingers around a small object as he began to rise.
"Not idly do the leaves of Lorien fall," the Ranger stated, looking up to Legolas as he ran past.
The elf back tracked, glancing down at the object resting in Aragorn's hand. A very beautiful tiny pin molded into the shape of an elven leaf laid upon his palm. Legolas' gaze turned up to his friend's, "They may yet be alive," he ventured, looking back off in the distance, hoping to catch sight of their prey.
"Less than a day ahead of us," Aragorn mumbled, beginning to jog away.
Legolas followed slowly and then turned back, taking Kenzie's hand once more, grabbing her by the waist to help her along.
The young witch gratefully fell against him, gasping for breath, "I...don't think I can do this."
"Yes you can, Kenzie. We will catch them," he encouraged, pulling her with him.
"You don't know that. I'm the only one who knows when this damn chase ends," she retorted.
Legolas smirked, "Ah, see, the chase does end; you have just told me so," he stated, quickly kissing her cheek.
Kenzie rolled her eyes, "Smartass," she mumbled.
This made the elf chuckle as he turned back to Gimli once again, "Come, Gimli! We are gaining on them!"
The young witch glanced back as well and laughed breathlessly as she watched the dwarf tumbled down a small mound, landing in a heap in the soft grass. Groaning somewhat, he pushed himself up and began taking heavy footsteps towards the other three.
"I am wasted on cross country!" he called back, attempting to gain speed, "We dwarves are natural sprinters! Very dangerous over short distances!"
They began to climb up another hill, something that seemed to be plentiful through out this part of the country. Kenzie breathed a silent 'thank you' to whatever god was watching over her as Aragorn and Legolas climbed up on top of the jagged rocks (another frequent feature of the plain), stopping and gazing silently. Kenzie leaned on one of the large boulders and attempted to calm her breathing.
"Rohan," Aragorn started, his eyes traveling over the many hills, "Home of the horse lords."
He paused a moment, his brows crinkling in thought and worry, "There's something strange at work here. Some evil gives speed to these creatures. Sets its will against us."
Kenzie stood and went to his side, staring out as well. She suddenly felt the same feelings of worry and apprehension wash over her. The Ranger had been right; Saruman's hold on this country was tight and almost complete. Her stomach tightened and she suddenly felt slightly sick. The evil in this land was working against them.
Legolas suddenly sprang from his spot and ran ahead of the other companions. Aragorn and Kenzie waited till Gimli reached them before carefully working their way down a path similar to the elf's. Legolas was far ahead of them and perched himself upon another rock, staring out into the plain in hopes of catching a glimpse of the Urk-Hais. His eyes suddenly widened.
"Legolas!" Aragorn called out, pausing to hear his answer, "What do your elf eyes see?!"
"The Urks turn north-east," the elf replied, the fear rising in his voice, "They're taking the hobbits to Isengard!"
Kenzie's eyes turned from the elf to the Ranger, waiting for his next move. He continued to stare ahead, his eyes clouded with more worry. "Saruman," he whispered and the young witch could see his mind tumbling over the possibly of what would happen if Merry and Pippin fell into the hands of the evil wizard.
"There are not just Urks in the pack, are there Aragorn?" she suddenly asked, her breath slowly returning to her.
Aragorn seemed to pause at this thought and turned to the young witch, "No..." he started slowly, "there are orcs with them as well. Their tracks started where we found the small pin."
"Well, orcs can't run forever like the Urks can. They will have to stop sometime," she pointed out, trying to convey to him, with just a look, that they were getting closer.
Her hopes of his cleverness proved right as the corner of Aragorn's lips turned up into a small, soft smile. "Yes," he started, turning and catching her gaze, "Orcs must rest."
¤¤¤¤
Orcs bought them time, but not as much as they needed; this Kenzie knew. Nevertheless, she ran on with them, not uttering another word about what would come to pass for them. The day waned on, the company's speed gaining and lessening off and on as the day light began to taper off. Just when the young witch was convinced that the sun never set in Rohan, the sky began to darken and it soon became twilight in the realm.
Kenzie knew she couldn't take much more. Her legs were rubber and she had long ago lost track of feeling in her feet. When darkness had finally claimed the plain, her knees buckled and she felt herself falling. Suddenly, Legolas gripped her waist and helped her ease herself to the ground. She looked up at him and barely smiled, having no breath to thank him.
He smiled slightly in return and looked back to see a still struggling Gimli. The elf sighed and turned back to the Ranger. "Aragorn!" he called, causing the man to stop and race back towards the others.
"Is she hurt?" he asked breathlessly.
"No, but we have to rest. She can go no further, Gimli is not fairing any better, and you are close behind," Legolas replied, a determined look upon his face.
Aragorn took a deep breath and looked back towards the path, a torn look sweeping across his face. He turned back and nodded, but Kenzie could see that he was already regretting the decision. The young witch paid no mind, however; she knew that the orcs and Urks were resting just outside of the forest of Fangorn and that they would not travel on in the morning.
Her vision was becoming hazy and she knew that, at any moment, she was going to fall asleep. "Kenzie?" she barely heard Legolas' voice as she curled up onto the ground and gave into sleep.
¤¤¤¤
"U I vethed....." ¤This is not the end.....¤
Kenzie groaned and rolled over, repositioning her head on the object that it was lying on and sighed, content with rest.
"Na I onnad.....," a soft voice continued to sing softly near her ear, attempting to lull her back to sleep. But her curiosity was pestering her to wake up and find out whose voice it was, even though she had a slight inclination as to who. ¤It is the beginning........¤
Finally, her dark eyes fluttered opened and met Legolas' gaze. His face was close to hers and he smiled softly as she looked at him in the moonlight. "Si boe u-dhannathach," he sang as he reached forward and tucked a strand of hair gently behind her ear. She returned his smile and moved closer to him. ¤You cannot falter now.¤
"What are you singing?" she asked quietly, resting and open palm upon his chest.
"Just a melody my mother sang once," he replied, his blue eyes traveling along her face.
Kenzie licked her lips and stared at her hand that rested on his tunic. "I would very much like to meet her someday," she stated nonchalantly.
Legolas' head rose a tiny bit and she brought her gaze up to his. His blank face melted to a soft smile again and he leaned forward, gently kissing her forehead, "I would like that as well, Ai'er."
When his face was level with hers again, he gently caressed her cheek with his hand. "Go back to sleep, mela. There are still a few hours left till dawn," he said softly. ¤love¤
She closed her eyes relishing in his touch and closeness as she fell back into a peaceful sleep. It didn't seem as if she slept long; it didn't feel like it at least. It had to have been a few hours between when her head nestle on Legolas and when he gently woke her when he kissed her forehead and whispered in her ear.
"Com on, Ai'er. We must get going," his soft breath tickled her ear. She opened her eyes and grimaced when she saw that it was still dark. She sat up and yawned while she stretched, feeling a lot better than what she did the day before. She smiled up at Legolas and took his offered hand.
"How much longer till the sun rises?" she asked once she was on her feet.
"A half an hour at the most," he replied, glancing up at the sky.
"The orcs will most likely wait till dawn before they rouse. They will not think that we are this close," Aragorn commented as he walked up to the two, "We need to gain as much ground as possible."
The elf and witch nodded, following the Ranger as he looked for the trail in the twilight before dawn. Kenzie turned back and a small smile crept on her face as Gimli trudged behind them. "Did you sleep well, Master Dwarf?" she asked, hanging back slightly to wait for him.
"As much as one can with two love-sick birds lying near by," the dwarf replied grumpily as he passed, but Kenzie still caught the gleam in his tired eyes. The young witch smiled and shook her head before turning and following.
Once the sunlight began to creep over the horizon, the company began to run through the land again. Kenzie's muscles protested at first, but they gradually quieted down and were once again eased back into the rhythm of running.
Finally, the sun rose up and with it came brilliant shades of red, blue, and purple that spilled across the landscape and sky of Rohan. Kenzie was in awe by all of it and couldn't believe that the others weren't noticing; they at least could acknowledge it, ravaging pack of orcs or not.
Legolas turned his gaze back then, seeing the young witch staring at the sky. He glanced up as well; the brilliant colors stirred a thought in his mind and he stopped, his eyes continuing to scan the sky.
"A red sun rises," he whispered as Kenzie came up to his side. She looked at him with a raised eyebrow. He grabbed her arm, "Blood as been spilled this night," he replied, pulling her with him as he continued on. They raced on and Kenzie's gaze rose to the sky once more as she thought about how right Legolas was.
No new sign of the Urks or Merry and Pippin appeared as the colors of the sunrise faded into a crystal blue sky of late morning. Aragorn kept his eyes trained to the ground as the others followed, slowing occasionally to make sure they were still on the right trail. Kenzie was happy with this pace, finding that she was keeping up easily and not running out of breath quickly.
Suddenly, the Ranger bent to the ground as he peered at a print in the grass. The others paused behind him and Kenzie pursed her lips, gazing around. There was a loud sound that drew all of their gazes to the south; Kenzie could have sworn that it was the sound of horses. Sure enough, a large host of horsemen appeared over a rise and they were quickly making their way towards the four companions. The young witch watched with amazement as the mass of 2,000 or more riders swiftly made their way up the rise.
Legolas roughly grabbed her upper arm, pulling her behind an outcropping of rocks. They crouched down, watching as the riders swiftly raced past and continued on, not even paying a never mind to the partially hidden travelers. Once they went by, Aragorn turned back, casting a look at Legolas and Kenzie, and the young witch could tell that he had an idea.
The Ranger stood and walked out from the rocks, calling to the host, "Riders of Rohan! What news from the Mark?"
Once he called out, the leader of the company turned and his men followed quickly, rounding as swiftly as a flock of birds. They back tracked hastily and surrounded the four members before Kenzie or the others could think of what to do next. As they moved in closer to the four, the soldiers lowered their long, slender spears and surrounded the companions with the sharp points. Aragorn raised his hands in a show of surrender and Kenzie did the same, agreeing with the Ranger that this was the best way to greet a bunch of angry men with spears jabbed in their face.
"What business does an elf, a man, a woman, and a dwarf have in the Riddermark?" a commanding voice asked as a figure pushed his horse up into the middle of the circle. Kenzie turned and her eyes met the piercing dark gaze of the leader of the riders. He scanned her face, as well as the others, "Speak quickly!" he demanded.
Gimli planted his feet and leaned forward on his ax lazily, "Give me your name, horse master, and I shall give ya' mine," he replied calmly.
Kenzie rolled her eyes; was it absolutely necessary for him to piss off everyone he met? Seriously, first Legolas, then Haldir, and now a commander of the soldiers that held their spears at the companions' throats. She bit her lower lip as the commander's face contorted into nothing but pure anger; he shoved his spear into the hands of one of his soldiers and then quickly dismounted his horse. Kenzie's eyes shifted over to Aragorn as the Ranger placed a hand on the dwarf's shoulder to hold him in his place.
"I would cut off your head, dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground," the Rohan leader spat, his dark eyes glaring down at Gimli. The young witch barely caught Legolas flinch beside her and turned to realize that he drew an arrow, notched it, and pointed it at the leader of the riders in a split second. "You would die before your stroke fell," the elf stated, his face a mask of determination as he kept his arrow steady.
As he made this threat, the riders of Rohan pressed forward, the sharp points of their spears pushing further towards the bodies of the four companions. Kenzie gulped as she placed a hand on Legolas' outstretched arm and gently pushed it down, lowering the bow from the face of the leader.
Aragorn took a deep breath and then stepped towards the man, "I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn," he started, "This is Gimli, son of Golin, Legolas of the Woodland Realm, and Kenzie of Rivendell. We are friends of Rohan and of Théoden, your king."
The leader of the Rohan riders looked at each of the companions in turn before he sighed heavily. "Théoden no longer recognizes friend from foe; not even his own kin," he spoke, removing his helmet to reveal his entire face. As he did this, the riders raised their spears and backed away slightly from them. Kenzie, already knowing who the leader was, immediately recognized Èomer, nephew of the King of Rohan; Aragorn's face contorted into recognition as well. The leader's long, dirty blonde hair was pulled back from his face, his slightly rounded face was covered with a shadowy, rough beard, and his eyes were darkened with worry and hopelessness; the young witch could only imagine that this sudden change of manner had to do with the mention of his uncle.
"Saruman has poisoned the mind of the king and claimed lordship over his lands," Èomer continued, "My company are those loyal to Rohan, and for that we are banished."
Kenzie pursed her lips and lower her eyes, listening as his voice dropped. Things were beginning to worsen in Rohan; more than her or the others could know. Getting to Fangorn forest and moving on to Edoras was important right now and they needed to start on as soon as possible.
"The white wizard is cunning," Èomer began once again, his voice changing drastically, "He walks here and there they say, as an old man, hooded and cloaked...."
He then turned his gaze to Legolas, his dark eyes bearing into the elf with suspicion and malice, "And everywhere his spies slip past our nets."
Kenzie stepped forward again, "We are no spies, I assure you," she stated as his eyes moved from Legolas' to hers. She raised her chin slightly, hoping that she was conveying a sense of strength and truth.
"We track a pack of Urk-Hai westward across the plain," Aragorn interrupted gently, "They've taken two of our friends captive."
Èomer's face did not softened as he turned his attention to Aragorn, "The Urks are destroyed. We slaughtered them during the night," he spoke sternly.
"But there were two hobbits! Did you see two hobbits with them?" Gimli asked frantically, his eyes filled with worry for their two friends.
Èomer crinkled his brows in confusion and looked to Aragorn whose voice also became quite frantic, "They would be small," the Ranger explained, "only children to your eyes."
The commander of riders shook his head sorrowfully and lowered his head slightly, "We left none alive. We piled the carcasses and burned them," he stated, pointing back the way he and his riders came. Kenzie stood on her toes and watched as a disgusting black cloud rose into the air. She bit her lower lip and lowered herself back to the ground, looking towards Aragorn.
"Dead?" Gimli breathed, lowering his head in sorrow.
Èomer gently nodded his head, "I am sorry."
Legolas' face fell slightly as he placed a comforting hand on the dwarf's shoulder and Aragorn's face clouded in sorrow as well as he met gazes with Kenzie. Èomer took a small breath before he whistled loudly, "Hasufel, Arod, Eorl!"
As he called the names, three horses were lead forward towards the companions. Èomer took hold of the reins and handed Aragorn, Legolas, and Kenzie each a horse. The young witch smiled slightly, gently petting the nose of the tan horse that was given to her.
"May these horses bear you to better fortune than their former masters," Èomer began, "Farewell." He nodded to each of them as he turned back to his own horse. Once he mounted, he faced the companions once again, his face grave, "Look for your friends, but do not trust to hope," he paused, his eyes scanning over the land, "It has forsaken these lands."
"Hope is still here, Lord Èomer," Kenzie began, offering him a comforting smile, "You just have to keep looking for it."
He looked at her for a brief moment, seeming to ponder on what she said before he nodded slightly, "Thank you," he then turned back to his riders, "We ride north!"
With that, the riders all turned and followed Èomer as he rode off, continuing on the way that he and his company were traveling. Kenzie sighed as she turned her gaze back to the direction on the dead Urks. The sickening black smoke curled up into the bright blue sky, tainting the others' hopes with its presence. She dare not look back at them because she knew they would be staring at her with questioning expressions. Were Merry and Pippin really dead? Did they some how escape the clutches of the Urks before the Riders of Rohan struck? The young witch tried to keep her face blank of any foretelling look, hoping that they would believe that she didn't even know what the fate of the two hobbits had become.
Kenzie turned back to Aragorn, his head lowered in thought. After a moment, he raised his gaze to hers and sighed. "Kenzie is right," he started, looking towards the direction of the smoke, "all is not lost yet. We must continue looking."
With that, he mounted Hasufel and turned the horse towards the south. Legolas looked at Kenzie for a brief second before hauling Gimli onto Arod, and then mounting the horse himself. After the three had rode off, Kenzie took a deep breath and then mounted Eorl, coaxing the horse to gallop after them.
¤¤¤¤
The edge of Fangorn forest was foreboding to say the least; Kenzie stood just behind the pile of smoldering orcs, her eyes scanning the dark border of the trees as a chill ran down her spine. Gimli's axe make a sharp scraping sound as he dug through the pile of bones, looking for any sign of the hobbits, and the young witch turned back with a sigh.
She saw the dwarf lean forward and picked a charred item from the blackened body parts. Gimli turned back to Legolas and Aragorn quickly, his face stricken with disbelief, "It's one of their wee belts."
Aragorn drew in a shuddering breath as he turned back towards the dwarf and Legolas lowered his head, placing a hand upon his heart. "Hiro hyn hidh ab 'wanath," the elf spoke the prayer softly and Kenzie could her the heavy emotion in his voice. ¤May they find peace after death.¤
Kenzie lowered her eyes as well, fear for her friends unwillingly crawling into her heart. It was then that Aragorn turned suddenly, kicking a near by helmet with all of his strength. The crude hat soared through the air as the Ranger let out a terrible cry of anguish as he fell to his knees.
"We failed them," Gimli whispered, his voice soft and lost.
The young witch sighed very heavily, feeling the same frustration and grief, and as she stared at the patchy grass and dirt at her feet, her eyes barely caught the small, unusual footprint that stood almost parallel to her own foot. Her gaze slowly followed the prints as they traveled into the edge of the forest.
"A hobbit lay here," Aragorn's solemn voice suddenly sounded, but Kenzie did not turn, knowing the path that he was about to follow. "And the other," he continued, his voice sounding far away as his mind began to piece together what had happened the night before.
Kenzie slowly began to follow the hobbits' prints towards the edge of the forest, being extremely careful to not step on them so Aragorn wouldn't loose the track. "They crawled," the Ranger's voice sounded, as if on cue, and was filled with what seemed like a renewed hope.
The young witch stopped at the edge of the woods where the hobbits had entered and stared in, her ears concentrating on the words that Aragorn spoke. "Their hands were bound," his footsteps sounded in the grass as he quickly took a few steps forward and picked something up, "Their bonds were cut."
"They ran over here," the Ranger continued, his voice becoming more and more light, "they were followed."
Suddenly, Kenzie heard several heavy footsteps as the other three companions hurriedly followed the path. "The tracks lead away from the battle!" Aragorn called as he came up beside Kenzie, stopping and staring into the dark woods as well, "Into Fangorn Forest," he finished with a low voice.
"Fangorn," Gimli stated, his voice slightly nervous, "What madness drove them in there?"
Aragorn turned towards Legolas, both looking at each other with the same question, as well as many others, lurking in their eyes. The Ranger and elf then turned their gazes to the young witch who looked at them in return, an expression of nothingness gracing her face.
She then drew her dark eyes back to the forest and took a deep breath, "The same that is driving us after them, I suppose," she responded to the dwarf, her voice low and hinted with a hint of nervousness as well.