Disclaimer: The fictional world of LotR belongs to Tolkien and I make no money from this. I own Andromeda and any subsequent original characters. The Greek world presented in this story is a fictionalised version and myths and gods mentioned are real. Please leave reviews if you like, that's what keeps us writers motivated to continue ^^


Death of their beloved friend was hard on them all but they continued because Merry and Pippin needed them and because the idea of losing someone else was unbearable. Too much blood had been spilled in this war both before Andromeda's time and now. Never before had that bothered her but this war was different.

It was so clear what was human and what was not that she had to face those deaths. Lines were always blurred before, and after a while people became abstractions, faceless amongst their kin, their deaths had no significance but now the line was clear and although that made killing monsters all the more easy, it also made facing the death of another human being harder.

Faces no longer belonged to strangers. It belonged to her friends, her companions, her allies. In her mind that doomed them all to death but it also made her want to protect them. Her rigour renewed, her anger fuelled, she ran towards the forces of evil to save her friends and lay waste to their kingdoms.

The company stopped as Aragon listened to the rock "Their pace has quickened, they must have caught our scent." He looked up to them with alarm in his tone "Hurry!"

"Come on, Gimli!" Legolas shouted to Gimli who was falling behind due to his shorter stature.

Panting, he came up the hill and rested his hands on his knees, trying to breathe before he spoke "Three days and nights pursuit. No food. No rest. And no sign of our quarry, but what bare rock can tell."

Placing her hand on his back, she handed him her flask "Don't drink just wet your mouth a bit."

He nodded in appreciation, took a little sip and spitted out after running it through his mouth. Handing it back he thanked her, and once again they started to run. Part of her felt bad for him, he was not build for such things but he would do it regardless, that was something she admired about them all.

Most her life she believed that to be a warrior she had to be perfect in every way yet people like Gimli, Merry or Pippin, people who was brave and valiant, and every bit as good as Spartans… Her people would not give them a second look. Perhaps they were not built for war but they fought honourably and with heart. Ares would be proud she thought and she was proud to be fighting with them.

Over the hills they came to a halt once more, Aragorn showing them the elven brooch belonging to one of the hobbits. It was identical to the one they all wore on their cloaks.

"Not idly do the leaves of Lórien fall." He palmed the brooch, hope evident in his eyes.

Legolas looked at them with renewed hope as well, "They may yet be alive."

"Less than a day ahead of us. Come." Aragorn estimated after a bit of a mental tally, he knew they could make it to them.

"Come, Gimli! We're gaining on them!" Legolas turned around to call for his companion only to watch him tumble down the hill.

In all the urgency of the matter Andromeda laughed still, watching the dwarf master run towards them. It was the first time she had laughed since. It felt good to remember once more what felt warm.

Gimli looked at her and Legolas a bit offended but not truly angry "I'm wasted on cross-country. We dwarves are natural sprinters. Very dangerous over short distances."

Andromeda winked at him in a cheeky way "Of course you are my friend" then she ran behind Aragorn and Legolas, leaving him to chase her.

They run for quite a while but once they reached the brow of a hill Aragorn paused to look down "Rohan, home of the Horse-lords." His eyes scanned the land below and he seemed discontent to find what he had "There's something strange at work here. Some evil gives speed to these creatures. Sets its will against us."

Legolas who was a bit ahead and had not seen them paused upon Aragorn calling him "The Uruks turn northeast. They are taking the Hobbits to lsengard."

"Saruman." Aragon spits the name out as if it was cursed, and from what she had heard about him it was.

Andromeda yanked Aragorn's arm to show him the group of Uruk-hai running across a plain in an inhuman speed. Without a moment's hesitation they ran down the side of the hill after them.

Gimli was struggling still but he would not the hobbits stay with those beasts any longer than necessary, he was going to save them "Keep breathing. That's the key. Breathe."

"They've run as if the very whips of their masters were behind them." Legolas had noticed their inhuman speed too, he suspected something far greater behind this.

The remaining members of the fellowship ran through the night and cold without sleep or food. They could not afford to lose the trail of the Uruks. However, they stopped once the sun rose as though it was covered in blood. Andromeda knew what it meant but it was Legolas who voiced it "A red sun rises. Blood has been spilled this night."

To comfort himself or the others Gimli murmured in rejection, claiming that it was all a tale but Andromeda knew better. She had been born under a blood soaked moon herself, almost killing her own mother in the process. They said Sparta had won a battle that night, one that seemed hopeless at first. Of course she did not believe, she never believed in prophecies at first but eventually it caught up to her. Then what choice did she have but to believe.

Her smile turned cruel just a moment, thinking that the seers of Apollo could not touch her here. Old prophecies could not find her here.

Knowing they would be doing nothing but run, Andromeda allowed herself to be taken captive by her thoughts. Her thoughts returned her to her home in Sparta, where everything was in abundance for her, especially love. She remembered her mother's face, same olive skin and dark hair but her eyes had been the warmest brown. Brown like fire lit in a cold night. Andromeda could always tell her everything, and she had raised her to be a champion for Sparta. To bring honour and respect to their home, their land, their family.

Xiomara was a wild woman. From the royal houses but she acted as though she was a forest nymph. She danced all day, and ran naked through the woods. Xiomara loved to sing, and she would sing all the time. Some found her youth to be contagious and she could make friends with everyone. She was the fastest rider in the city, no contest and the horses she bred were some of the best. Her passion was wine though and eventually she got the chance to have her own winery. Andromeda remembered her mother chasing her through the city, playing hide and seek. Then how she would sing to her at night, she remembered the melody but the voice of her mother felt distant.

How could she not remember the voice of her own mother?

In anger and frustration she pushed the memories away and focused on the road. Like an impatient child she wanted to ask how long this would last but she had a bit more dignity than that.

Because she had not been paying attention Andromeda ran straight into Legolas, who caught her before she could take them both down. He offered her a smile as he let her go. Once Merry and Pippin was safe he would check on her properly, he could sense the sadness coming off her.

Both of them looked into the horizon as they heard the thundering hooves of horses, followed by neighing and the sound of men. They turned to Aragorn who beckoned them to follow him as they all hid behind a pile of rocks. Their cloaks pulled over them to provide more cover.

Rather large group of horses with speared men on them rode passed them, and Andromeda looked at the horses longingly. She had missed her own horse, but like Xiomara's memories that thought had to be chased away for it was not helping her in anyway.

Andromeda cursed under her breath as Aragorn came out of hiding. Gimli and Legolas followed as did she. Even though she considered herself a great warrior, the numbers did not match up. If this turned into a fight she was going to be pissed about it.

"Riders of Rohan...what news from the Mark?" His voice reached the riders and he watched as they turned around.

Once the horses turned around, she found a chance to observe the men that was coming for them. They carried their spears like men who knew how to use them. They all had armour and like her own people they kept their hair long.

Horses surrounded them, and she could feel the spears around her neck though technically none of them touched her. Some of the horses split, opening a path for their leader.

He stopped in front of them, his eyes carefully scanning the intruders in his lands "What business does an elf, a man, a dwarf, and a women…" He had not been expecting that but he recovered quickly "…have in the Riddermark? Speak quickly!"

"Give me your name, horse-master, and I shall give you mine." Gimli grunted mostly but she thought he had a valid point.

The leader dismounted after handing off his spear and walked towards Gimli in a way that she did not particularly liked. Her hand rested on the hilt of her sword just in case the need arose.

He looked at the dwarf head to toe which was not a lot of inches, and with the last drop of his patience he spoke "I would cut off your head, Dwarf...if it stood but a little higher from the ground."

Unlike Legolas who drew his arrow, Andromeda had found it funny and laughed much to the surprise of others. Her three companions were used to her doing that at the most inappropriate times but the horse masters were caught off guard.

"You would die before your stroke fell." Legolas gave her a side eye before aiming back at him

The spears turned to Legolas and both she and Aragorn reached out to him "Legolas to be honest with you I am not particularly interested in having a spear shoved up my ass. So in that spirit I would appreciate you lowering your bow." He lowered his arm which drew a smile from her "Good, friends don't let friends get impaled to death."

Aragorn looked at her as if she was impossible, then started to introduce everyone. Andromeda however, could hear few people quietly laughing. With the tips of her two fingers, she move away one of the spears that was being pointed at her "Doesn't go with the theme of not being impaled" she whispered to the rider.

"I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. This is Gimli, son of Glóin, and Legolas of the Woodland Realm. We are friends of Rohan and of Théoden, your king."

Éomer motioned towards Andromeda who was scratching the chin of one of the horses "Who is she? What does a woman do in your company?"

Hearing herself being mentioned she turned to him with a bright smile "I am Andromeda daughter of…" she paused there for a moment before letting out an explosive laugh "actually mother wasn't particularly clear on that." She petted the nose of her new horse friend as she continued "As for my place in this company I would say I am mostly killing things but occasionally I do braid their hair."

He looked at her as though she was the strangest creature he had seen, at ease in the midst of the chaos around her. Éomer thought that she was beautiful and the horses seemed to like her too. These days they were on edge, they could sense the frustration of their masters. Parting his eyes from the woman, he turned to face Aragorn.

He took of his helmet as he recounted the events "Théoden no longer recognizes friend from foe. Not even his own kin." He motioned his people to remove their spears "Saruman has poisoned the mind of the king...and claimed lordship over these lands."

"And you let him?" Andromeda draw all the attention to herself in few simple words.

Éomer turned to her, his brows creased in the middle as he tried to understand if she was serious or mocking him "And what would you have done my lady?"

Andromeda took a step forward and approached the group once more "Nothing different I suppose, but with my temper I would say at least few deaths would follow my exit. I personally got exiled for trying to kill the king and I assume you got exiled too? It's hard at first but eventually I realised, there is always wine."

He smiled at her once he realised she was dead serious but it died on his lips as he continued "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."

Aragorn was not bothered by the subtle accusation for he would have thought the same "We are no spies. We track a party of Uruk-hai westward across the plain. They have taken two of our friends captive."

Éomer looked grim as he spoke of last night "The Uruks are destroyed. We slaughtered them during the night."

Gimli intervened immediately, both exited and terrified of the answer "But there were two Hobbits. Did you see two Hobbits with them?"

Aragorn was hopeful too, he gestured an approximate height as he described them "They would be small. Only children to your eyes."

Éomer had no good news to give them, he shook his head and pointed the smoke rising behind "We left none alive. We piled the carcasses and burned them."

"Dead?" Gimli's disbelief was reflected in his words.

Legolas looked heartbroken too. Andromeda was the only one that seemed unaffected but on the inside she was praying for him to be wrong. "I taught those two well, I won't believe until I see a corpse."

Éomer looked at the hopeful woman and the men who seemed at loss "I am sorry"

She had her arm around Gimli but her eyes looked at Éomer in defiance and anger. He sensed that the anger was not directed towards him but still it made him cautious in a sense, it also made him feel guilty.

"Hasufel! Arod!" He called for the two horses whose masters had just fell, this was not much but at least it could be of some compensation "May these horses bear you to better fortune than their former masters."

He was about to mount his horse when he felt her grab his wrist "Thank you for the horses" she smiled at him with earnest "and do not feel guilty war shall claim us all in the end."

Placing his helmet back on, he gave her a last look "The places your company intends to go is dangerous, orcs roam free uncontrolled, spies everywhere. It is not fit for a woman, you may come with us if you wish."

For the first time she actually looked at him in anger "If my husband dared speak to me that way I would feed him his own manhood. Do you know why he knows that, because I did exactly just that to an Athenian bastard. The question remains, what should I do with you horse master?"

He seemed taken aback by the sudden coldness and anger coming off from her, and he did not question her when she used that tone "I meant no offence my lady but these are dangerous times."

The laughter that came from her was nothing like before "I am up to my tits in orc blood, do you think I don't know. I…"

It seemed like she was going to continue to scold the Third Marshal in front of his men, so Aragorn stepped in "A moment please" he asked Éomer and then pulled her aside.

Both Legolas and Gimli joined them. They were worried that she was going to attack someone, she had done that before and knowing her none of them doubted that story about her husband. Seldom had she spoken of him before.

He looked at the angry woman in front of him, and held her by the shoulders, concern and worry in his eyes as he was about to possibly make her angrier "I want you to go with them." She opened her mouth to protest but he cut her of "If we find them we will have to go to Edoras for we cannot win against Saruman without Théoden's help. If we do not find them, we still have to go to Edoras to free him. Either way I want you to stay with them and when I send word, I want you to bring them. These are the best riders they have. We will need them."

Her lips moved yet no sound came. "I think for the first time she is out of things to say." Gimli looked concerned.

Turning away from her companions she walked back to Éomer "I ride with you until I am needed but when I am called upon I must leave."

Éomer looked amused by the way she changed her opinion so quickly on Aragorn's request "Is he going to lose a thing or two for his slight?"

Andromeda turned towards her friends briefly before responding with a smirk etched on his lips "I owe him a life debt and he asked very politely. Not being a dick goes a long way with women, keep that in mind."

He was shaking his head in amusement as he mounted his horse, then he offered her his arm so that she could mount behind him. In a swift movement she mounted the horse, she had done this so many times that the act was instinctual but it felt good to be on a horse again. Andromeda wrapped her arms around him and gave her friends a final look.

"Go with the blessings of my gods and yours. I shall see you three soon."

Éomer turned to bid his farewell to the company, his was grim but he thought it needed to be said "Look for your friends. But do not trust to hope. It has forsaken these lands." He urged Firefoot to move as he gave his men their commands "We ride north!"