The Fangorn

This was the fourth day we had been in Rohan. The orcs we were tracking had mysteriously disappeared along with Merry and Pippin, and we were trying to get to where we had last heard them as quickly as possible. I had briefly heard the sounds of battle last night, but I couldn't be sure. Many things made similar noises, and it had been at least two and a half leagues away.

Hoof-beats vibrated through the soles of my boots and pounded in my ears. I informed Aragorn, and soon as he heard them himself he made us hurriedly hide behind a large boulder. We weren't a moment too soon. The riders cantered past us, not noticing we were there. I felt a prickling as Aragorn and Legolas exchanged curious glances- I was between the two with Gimli lying across all our laps. It was not the most comfortable hiding spot. Thankfully, Aragorn got up and began to stride down the hill, the rest of us following him. "Riders of Rohan, what news from mark!" He shouted.

I breathed a quick sigh of relief. The riders weren't enemies. However, they did gallop toward us and surround us in a circle of spears. I pulled out a knife, but Aragorn whispered for me to surrender.

"What business do two elves, a man and a dwarf have in Riddermark? Speak quickly." Said the leader. I hid a wry smile. I knew he had assumed I was an elf because of my height, and I was suddenly glad I hadn't bothered to take my hood off after yesterday's awkward situation. Gimli, being Gimli told him that he would only tell his name if he was told the riders. The leader of the company told him he would cut off his head if it was higher off the ground. "You would die before your stroke fell." Legolas told him, drawing his bow. We were then greeted by spears inches from our faces. Quickly, Aragorn grabbed Legolas's arm and lowered it. They withdrew the spears, and Gimli sighed in relief. "I am Aragorn son of Arathorn, this is Gimli son of Gloin and Legolas and Darke of the woodland realm." Aragorn introduced us. I mentally sighed in relief as Aragorn invented a cover story for me. "We are friends of Rohan, and Theoden your king.". "Theoden no longer recognises friend from foe. Not even his own kin." Replied the leader. The riders raised their spears and I realised who the voice was coming from. This was Eomer, the kings nephew. He was a noble I remembered from earlier expeditions through Rohan.

Eomer quickly explained to us that the mind of the king had been poisoned by Saruman, who walked as a hooded and cloaked old man. "Everywhere his spies slip past our nets." He said, suspicion evident in his voice. Aragorn eased his suspicions. "We are no spies. We track a party of Uruk- Hai westward. They have taken two of our friends prisoner. We ask that we may leave in haste as every minute lessens our hope." Eomer was silent for a minute, thinking. "The Uruks are destroyed, we slaughtered them during the night. I am sorry. We left none alive, and burned the carcasses." To these words Gimli did not give up hope. "But there were two hobbits. Did you see two hobbits with them?" Aragorn also pressed on. "They would be small, only children to your eyes." Eomer forlornly shook his head. "There was no sign of such people." Gimli's initial enthusiasm burst. "Dead?" He asked Eomer. He nodded. Legolas put his hand on Gimli's shoulder.

Eomer was studying our reactions closely, judging whether they were real or not. I sensed him straighten up as he came to a conclusion. "Never would a high lord of this land urge you to abandon a quest such as yours. You must go on." He whistled. "Hasufel, Arod. May these horses bear you better fortune then their former masters." Two horses came forth, one nuzzling my shoulder. I gently pushed the beast off, or the riders would notice something strange about my back and shoulders. "I ask that when you quest is achieved that you send them back over to Meduseld, to the high house of Edoras. Prove that I have not misjudged you, and do not fail." We knew that we would not stop looking until we found them.

Legolas handed the riding gear back to the riders. He would not need it, because of the elvish way with horses. There was also a quick discussion with Gimli, who didn't know the first thing about riding a horse. He wished to run behind us than be a burden to such a beast "so great and free, wether asked or begrudged." Eventually Legolas convinced Gimli to get on the horse and they boarded. Aragorn and I had to lift him up behind Legolas, and he clung to him like a limpet.

It was then I came across a problem. I was obviously going to fly alongside them, but I couldn't just whip out my wings in front of a hundred paranoid riders. Also, I didn't know how to ride. I could sit on a horse and make it go, but that was it. Aragorn had already swung himself onto Hasufel, and now everyone looked expectantly at me. Wishing I could scowl in this situation, I climbed up onto the horse, and wrapped my arms around Aragorn. The riders parted to let us through. "I am getting off the second they turn around" I said out of the side of my mouth. Aragorn nodded slightly in agreement. My face was pressed into his back, and he smelt. I don't mean to be a hypocrite, we all smelt, but he stunk. It was offensive enough to stand next to him, but it was only when you got a face full of his tunic that you noticed how bad it was. It was like having something stuck up your nostrils. "And next chance you get, take a bath." I added as an afterthought.

As soon as we had trotted from the circle of riders we began to gallop away. Eomer shouted for the riders to head north. When Gimli looked around, he told me the riders were already in the distance. I had misjudged the speed of the horses of Rohan. When he said this, I jumped off the horse, partly in joy. In those few minutes I had found that horse riding was not pleasant, and that riding double was even worse. Rolling as I hit the ground I ran and slowly spread my wings, letting them catch an updraft. It was a lot easier to take off like this instead of going straight up. I glided above them at a leisurely pace. Now that they had swift horses, I didn't need to fly slowly close to the ground.

Within ten minutes of leaving, we could smell the smoke from the orc carcasses. The others could also see a huge pillar of dirty black smoke rising into the sky. Aragorn was bent low over Hasufel's neck, guiding us in the quickest direction to our quarry. Within an hour we passed over the Entwash, its stones still slippery from spilled blood of riders. With quick coaxing from Legolas, we got the horses over the river. I have to say that I was impressed. I had not expected him to have such a way with beasts, particularly Arod who was fiery.

As the day wore on it grew overcast. The trees of the nearing Fanghorn cast shadows hundreds of meters. At last when the afternoon had begun to wane, we came upon the pile of burning bodies.

The smell was enough to make our eyes water, and I could hear the soft crackles of cinders that were still hot. I stepped on several small pieces of armour after I landed. The ground was muddy from the blood soaked into it. Despite all this, Gimli and I still rummaged through the pile desperate for some sign of life. Aragorn and Legolas scoured the ground.

After just a few seconds Gimli picked up something from the pile. "It's one of their wee belts." He remarked forlornly. "Hiro hyn hidh ab 'wanath." (May they find peace after death.) Legolas whispered. I said a prayer to Eru under my breath. "Eth, noe lie Merry wod Pippin lek olay wod ri." (Gods, please let Merry and Pippin be alive and well). I knew that it was unlikely, but I couldn't seem to shake off the feeling that they were alive, and close by. My train of thought was suddenly cut off by Aragorn giving a huge drawn out shout, and kicking a piece of armour away. The armour (a helmet judging by the rolling motion) drew to a stop a few meters from the pile. I went toward it.

The helmet had made an unusual noise when it landed, as if it had fallen from a little up in the air. I had heard it stop rattling for a second then drop. The helmet had dropped off some minuet depressions edge.

I picked up the helmet and cast it away. Kneeling down I ran my hand over the muddy ground, until I found a slight inclination. Growing more curious I traced the edge of the indention. I was much larger than the boot- prints scattered around and oddly shaped. The top was a circular shape, tapering down to a kind of 'neck'. Continuing around, it formed a rough oval shape, with two deeper indentions off too the side. It tapered down at the bottom where the dirt had been kicked up. The strange indention was about the size of a small child or … ."

Aragorn I think you want to see this." I said mystefied. He got up and jogged over to me. Silently I pointed to the shape. He paused for a second before speaking. Legolas and Gimli came over to see what all the fuss was about. "A hobbit lay here, and another." Aragorn suddenly began. "They crawled. "Their bonds were cut." A coarse rope lay on the ground. "The tracks lead away from the battle." A cool shade enveloped us. "Into Fangorn forest." We didn't need to be told where. "What madness drove them in there?" Gimli blurted.

We decided to make camp for the first time in 4 days and nights. We were all exhausted, and it was perilous to enter the forest as it drew near dusk. The branches of the tree we were beneath rattled mournfully in the breeze. Gimli shivered in the cool wind, because we had only brought one blanket apiece. Gratefully he took and extra off me.

As I extended my arm, a pang lanced through my back and shoulders followed by a dull ache. The constant low flying had left my muscles sore and tight. I let out a groan, knowing that staying still for any amount of time would result in more pain to come. I retreated away from where the others were huddled around the fire into the shadow of the tree. Taking off my cloak and hood, I began the excercise's that had served me well in times like this before. First I stretched my wings out as far as possible behind me, and brought them up as far as they could go into the air. I then folded the wings into my back and and arched it as far as possible. Sitting down I stretched my arms far in front of me. I winced in pain. My shoulder muscles were drawn up unfathomably tight and I could hardly lift my arms above my head. I mentally groaned when I realised what I had to do. Standing again, I jumped into the air raising my arms above me. My strong hands grabbed onto a bough above me, and I let myself dangle below. My arms felt like they were being wrenched out of their sockets, but I managed to keep a calm facade. My wings dangled loosely in the dirt.

Of course at this moment a certain elf decided to see what I was up to. I felt a prickling as he stared at me with a somewhat confused expression. "I get sore too." I said coolly to him. "I know what you mean." He groaned as he sat with his back against the tree trunk. Gimli and Aragorn were laying out blankets on the ground to sleep on. Legolas to soon drifted off into a medatative state. I remained hanging from the tree a sour look creeping upon my face.

Silently I dropped from the tree and shook Legolas awake. "There's somebody else here here." I whispered in his ear. Aragorn was also silently waking. By the faint breathing and loud heartbeat, the newcomer was an old man standing about 10 meters away on the other side of the tree. He couldn't have seen us yet then, but he would have seen the dying fire. Aragorn being a ranger quickly leaped to his feet at the sight of the man. "Old father, what can we do for you? Come and warm yourself if you are cold!" The man said nothing, nor made any signs. Abruptly his heartbeat and breathing stopped in a breath of wind. Aragorn strode forward and Gimli, who had just woken dared to breath. "Where did he go?" He said. We didn't wander far searching for signs, but we found none. It was just then I realised that constant huffing and movement of the horses was gone. They had dragged their pickets behind them, and disappeared.

For the rest of the night we sat around the dying fire, troubled. We were under the eaves of the Fangorn, and in the dark that was dangerous. Our only allies were lay leagues away from us. And I felt something familiar about that man, and I didn't know why. But though we waited until dawn, the man did not appear, nor did the horses come back.


There are 5.5 kilometres in a league.

You might have noticed a little mess up- in the previous chapter I said the Uraks were less than a day ahead of them, yet a day had already gone by. I will edit this and other mistakes when the story is finished.