Yes, I changed my name... again :P

Hitoku: How many times do I have to tell you? If you want to review, make a stupid account -' But if you must, then at least make real reviews, not chats...

Chapter 11


Aragorn shared a look with Faramir, one's eyes filled with curiosity, the others with hope. Strider quickly made his way out, where he looked around for what was happening.

He noticed a man pointing to a hill on the other side of the camp. On it, he saw something he could not name or even say what it was.

But then, with the sun's first rays of light, he could not believe his own eyes. As 'it' got closer and the King's vision better, he saw two men sitting – riding a wooden log down the hill.

"I don't believe it…" he breathed as the two figures rode down the hill and stopped before the glacier.


"We're alive?" the smaller of the two asked in shock and looked himself over as he got off the log.

"WE ARE ALIVE!" he shouted and fell to his knees, hands in the air, before kissing the snow.

"Well… it worked better than I hoped," the other male smirked as he stood.

"How come you are alive?!" Dona yelled as he saw the two. He and Hagen have both been outside, discussing what to do now with the prisoners.

"Han!" the Chief called with a smile on his face as he made his way to the male.

"Chief!" he called back as the two started speaking in their own language.

Elessar still stood there, like a rock and watched as the blond male glanced about himself.


When the Rihirrim turned around, he saw how many people were wide eyed and mouth gaped open, until he saw a certain, dark haired, gray eyed King.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," he laughed and walked over to him. But before, the other could even say a word, his friend collapsed, face first in the ground.

"Eomer!" Strider yelled and dashed to his fallen comrade.

Hagen, Han and many nearby standing also joined the two, before Strider checked the King's vital signs.

With a sigh of relief, Aragorn picked up his fined and said: "He is exhausted beyond belief and his pulse his weak but strong. He pushed his limits far over their breaking points and the cold has numbed his limbs," he explained as he saw the worried look on Hagen's face.

"Still hard to believe he doesn't hate us…" he wondered inwardly, as the Chief motioned for him to take Eomer to the tent.

"This will be a joy to explain," he mentally noted as he entered the same tent in which Faramir was resting.

"What happened?" the Steward practically shouted when he put the King on another bed.

"Long story…" the former Ranger muttered and covered his friend with warm blankets.


Faramir tried to get out of bed, but he winced at the pain of even moving.

"Hey, you need to lay still. If you move, the poison will spread faster," Elessar instructed as he grinded some more Athelas.

Just then, Hagen brought a bucket of hot water and Aragorn accepted it with a smile, before pouring it into the bowl and dipping two cloths into it. He put on one the man from Mark's forehead and the other on his fellow Gondorian's.

"I'm getting sick and tired of being sick and tired…" Faramir sighed and let the warmth of the cloth relax him.

"To bad, you'll have to be like this for as long as your life will last now," another voice said, as the owner stepped and with him, the coldness of the weather.

"What do you mean?" the Steward asked, as the King narrowed his eyes.

"He," Dona pointed to Eomer: "clearly can't continue with the final trial, thus he forfeits," he smirked, pleased with the idea.

One man gritted his teeth, one hung his head and the other's eyes opened wide. He was right, there is no way Eomer can continue the challenges. It stung, so much, there after all of this, it was going to end.

"Then let me take his place!" Aragorn stood up and faced Dona.

"Oh sorry, but that's not allowed," the tribe man smirked.

"You are wrong about that, Dona," Hagen stated calmly.

Two pairs of eyes looked in surprise, while one pair showed annoyance. "If Dona is to change his champion as well, you may replace your friend."

"Now why would I do that?"

"Zagu un dai von… Iz magu ten poloci un mage hur dwe lang."

A wild look flashed in Dona's eyes; a look of confidence, pleasure and greed.

"Very well old man," he said back then turned to Elessar: "I shall accept this request, but the one you will face in the final trial, is me. We will fight, man to man, tomorrow at first light. Do not be late," and with a final smirk, he turned and left the tent.


Strider still stood his ground, determination in his eyes as he clenched his fist so hard they shook.

Faramir swallowed hard and looked at the tent roof. He hasn't felt so helpless since the day Boromir was sent to Rivendell. A heavy silence hung over them.

"Why do you keep helping us?" the King broke the silence after he calmed down and sat by Eomer to check his cloth.

Hagen was silent, but to the Gondorians it was sign that he was thinking everything over, so they gave him as much time as he needed.

And in that time, the Rohirrim woke, not fully but enough to cough. Aragorn quickly prepared fresh water and brought the bowl to his friend's mouth. Eomer at first refused the water, but when Strider showed he would force it down his throat, he drank willingly.

And at that, Faramir entered a coughing fit, hoarse and dry. And before either of the two leaders could do anything, he slipped into unconsciousness.

"The… tri…als… One… more rig…ht?" the man from Mark's voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper, and hardly understandable.

"Shh… You don't have to worry about that," the former Ranger assured and moved to check the Steward, as the King fell back to sleep.

He put his hand on the man's forehead, a frown on his face as he pulled away. With a sigh, he moved to grinded more Athelas and glanced at the tribe leader.

When he got a nod, he put the bowl of powdered herbs down and sat next to the Chief.


"The reason I help you… is because I feel obliged to do so. For… I myself was from the down world…" the Chief finally spoke.

When Aragorn said nothing, only slightly widened his eyes, Hagen continued: "I was a simple child… an orphan… Both my parents were killed by Orcs, but I managed to escape here, into the mountains." A sad smile appeared on his face as he paused.

"The people here, called Sango, adopted me, raised me as their own. But I never understood, why they told us that 'down world dwellers' were full of evil".

"They must have known about the war…" Aragorn said quietly.

"Must have… And after it was over, so did everyone else here. It only proved more, the evil of men… At least that is what we believe."

"If you don't mind me asking," he looked at the Chief. "What does the tree in the glacier mean to you?"

"It was the guardian of these mountains. And when the Ngami came, the guardian gave its life to protect our village."

"Ngami?" the King raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, wretched creatures, lurking in the dark and taking who ever dares to come to close to their land."

"Sounds like the monster we came here for," Strider said to himself.

"I guess… I should also mention this…"


"I thought you said they fell off!" Dona hissed at Lin as they sat around the fire, speaking in their own language.

"I swear I threw Han off!" the bulky one said back.

"Apparently you didn't!"

"It was that down world filth! He must have somehow saved him."

They were both quiet for a bit, until Lin asked: "What did the old man promise you, if you fight this Strider?"

"That I would become Chief," he smirked and lay down.

"And when I am, there will be a few changes around here."

"You need to rest. Tomorrow is just a few hours away…"

"Tomorrow… It all ends tomorrow…" he murmured before falling asleep.


Tururururu see you in the next one :P