Here we are, part 1 of TT, now things are getting going here so we'll see where they go. Enjoy!
Lainaidan-Remus
Taurauthiel-Hermione
Baraathon-Sirius
I don't own HP or LotR
More of our other friends next chapter or maybe the next one. Depends how long this part takes me.
I felt an arm shake me awake. Lainaidan stood there.
"Taurauthiel, there is someone here for you." I stood. Legolas was still sleeping.
"What are we doing to track the Uruk-hai?" I asked as we walked.
"You've been up less than ten seconds and you're asking about strategy. You really have grown into yourself. As for your question, Barathon is doing a tracking spell."
"Who's here?"
"See for yourself. It's fairly strange." He pulled back the flap of the tent and I gaped. There, in a little sundress clearly made for her and smiling big-was Winky?
"Winky?"
"Mistress Hermione?"
"How-when did you get here?"
"I is not being sure of the how miss. But this morning Winky is waking up being here. Winky could sense her mistress close so she followed her magic."
"I was going to ask, why am I your mistress?"
"The bond between house elf and witch or wizard is strong Mistress. When Winky chose to serve Mistress the link began Miss. When Miss accepted her service the bond was complete. It is not a hardship. I truly wish to serve you. But my magic is slim here."
"I though magic was multiplied?" Barathon asked.
"Often it is. But Winky did not come here the normal way, neither is she a witch or wizard. Her magic is different."
"When House Elves come to this land we rarely go back. But stories is saying that house elf magic is minimized. Their power is not the same. We cannot apparate. However we are connected to our masters and mistresses. We can always go to them, but only them." Winky said.
"Do you think maybe you felt my distress yesterday and were pulled to me?"
"It could be Miss Hermione."
"Please, just call me Taurauthiel. If as you say I am your mistress, then I wish to also be your friend." Tears welled up.
"You is a kind witch and elf, Taurauthiel." I pulled the tiny being close for a minute before standing.
"Barathon, Aragorn, how goes the tracking?"
"The Uruk-hai are traveling that direction for now. They have changed course twice."
"That leaves a few possible destinations, each worse than the last. I will awaken Legolas." I reentered the tent, quickly traveling to where he slept soundly. He was so beautiful like this. There was no war, no Sauron, just him. I sat on the edge of his bed.
"Legolas, Echuio." He opened his eyes.
"Gwestiel, was yesterday a dream?" I smiled.
"No. Yesterday happened, all of it."
"Merry, Pipin?" I frowned inside when he said that, did he remember?"
"The tracking spells have already been done. We just need to break down camp and follow." I stood up, turning towards my bed to pack quickly. His hand grabbed mine and swung me around. Our lips crashed together and it was a spiral of emotion so bright that the world could have ended and I doubt either of us would have realized it.
"I needed to ask. I've seen that moment in my dreams too many times. I needed to know it was real." He whispered in my ear. I pulled back, looking into his eyes for a moment before claiming his mouth again. After a minute, reality began to set in.
"We really need to go." He sighed.
"I know." I wrapped my arms around his neck.
"While it was unpleasant being shot in the chest, I'm kind of glad it happened." He smirked.
"You know if I didn't know what you meant I'm not sure what I would think of that sentence."
I know." We separated and grabbed our packs. Within 15 minutes we were running. Winky had nestled herself in to a space in my pack and stayed there with her head poking out. On occasion Legolas would grab my hand and we would take comfort in each other's presence. The dragon, Rhego, flew above us. I called up.
"Where are the Uruks, Rhego?" He looked down, extending wing towards the North East. I followed the course and froze.
"I feared this." The others stopped beside me.
"What?" Asked Lainaidan.
"Isengard."
"What is that exactly?"
"There are five great wizards in this world. Gandalf was one. Another was Saruman. He was once a great man but he fell into darkness. He nearly killed Gandalf. He is aiding Sauron. His involvement does not bode well. We must hurry."
I lost track of the days. They were few but we did not stop. We did not rest. We simply ran. I could sense we were close. Aragorn stopped us.
"The Riders of Rohan, they are far out."
"They may know something of our quarry. Call to them."
"Riders of Rohan! What news from the Mark?" The horses turned and the men approached us fast. I grimaced when I saw their spears at the ready. We were surrounded. I flipped up my hood. One spoke.
"What are four men, an elf, a dwarf, and a woman doing in company?" Great.
"Give me your name, horse master, and I will give you mine." Gimli! The speaker dismounted and walked towards the dwarf.
"I would cut off your head, dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground." Legolas jerked, raising a drawn arrow.
"You'd die before your sword fell." The already ominous spears inched closer.
"Daro, Legolas, an ngell nin." (Stop, Legolas, please.) His arms slowly lowered. The rider looked at me.
"Who are you woman, and what is your place in this company?" I pulled forward my hood, further covering my face.
"My place in none of your concern, Rider."
"Remove your hood." I didn't move. "Remove it!" The spears loomed.
"Full introductions may earn their peacs, my friend. DO not hide anything." Aragorn paused. "If it helps, you may reveal my true position. I think I may take it up one day." I sighed, pulling back the cloth. The man gasped.
"I am Taurauthiel Elarinya, daughter of Lord Elrond of Rivendell. These are my companions, Boromir, son of the Lord Denathor Steward of Gondor, Aragorn, son of Arathorn and Heir of Isildur, Gimli son of Gloin, of the Company of Thorin, son of Thrain, Legolas, son of Thranduil, and Prince of Mirkwood. These are my personal guard, Lainaidan Rhovanion and Barathon Glennodad."
"They are men."
"Trusted by my father and I to keep me safe."
"Your quest?"
"Our quest is peace and the destruction of the Enemy. Our task is to find or companions."
"There are more of you?"
"Once we had several. Our parties have parted. Now we track a hoard of Uruk Hai." His face was grim.
"The Uruks are dead, we slaughtered them in the night." I gasped.
"And the Hobbits? Did you see two Hobbits with them?" Gimli asked.
"They would be small, only children to your eyes." Aragorn said, strained.
"I did not see them, but we left none alive."
"No!" Legolas pulled me close.
"Taurauthiel, stay strong. You are no stranger to the dangers of war." Barathon said. I nodded.
"The bodies?"
"The corpses were piled and burned." He pointed in the sdistance, where a faint column of smoke still rose. "Search from your friends, but do not trust to hope."
"What is your name Rider?" I asked.
"I am Eomer, nephew of the King and I was once the leader of his men. But Sauruman has poisoned the mind of the King and claimed lordship over his land. He no longer knows friend from foe. I and my company are among those loyal to Rohan, and for that, we are banished." I looked down.
"His conquest of men is beginning."
"Take these horses." He called out and two approached. "They served their riders well. May they serve you as well, as mounts and friends." He pulled one close, gently. "This is Hasufel, and this is Arod." He returned to his horse and turned. "Good luck, the White Wizard is cunning." The group departed, leaving only us behind.
"Only two." Aragorn thought hard.
"I have an idea. This will be insane if it works." I picked up a stick and some grass. Carefully I bound them so they looked like a broom. "Engorgio." With a few more charms for flight and speed, and one for control I handed the broom to Sirius. "Try it." He slung one leg over and lifted off the ground.
"This s amazing." Aragorn breathed.
"Common practice in our world. " Lainaidan smirked.
"We can go two to a horse and two on the brooms if you make one more." Barathon said.
"I'll take Gimli on Hasufel, Taurauthiel and Legolas can take Arod."
"Will those horses hold he weight?"
"These are horses of Rohan. They are born and bred for long hard journeys that end in fierce battles. The people of Rohan are born horsemen. They will hold." I crafted another broom carefully.
"They aren't firebolts." I warned.
"I know. Feel more like an early nimbus or a cleensweep. But we're not in the Quidditch World Cup. We just need to be able to keep up with the horses." I mounted Arod behind Lgola, wrapping my arms around his waist. We followed the smoke. Eomer had been right. There was nothing left. I felt myself shaking as I walked to the edge of the pile of dead Uruks. Heads were placed on spikes and the dead were burnt to a crisp. Gimli cried out.
"Look." He held something up. A tightly woven belt, either Merry or Pipin's. Aragorn howled in rage. I fell to my knees beside him. The grass was matted in the forms of two bodies, not Uruks, something else. Something more humanoid.
"A hobbit lay here." Aragorn touched the ground. "And the other." My eyes followed the motions, but the pattern continued.
"They crawled." We began to look closer.
"This way, their bonds were cut!" We stood.
"The tracks lead away from the battle." We reached the woods.
"Into Fangorn Forest." My chest sunk. I knew of Fangorn. It was once a beautiful and lush forest, guarded by the most ancient of the spirits, but it was one of the first to feel the wrath of darkness. The trees mourned in pain for centuries, speaking amongst them of the agony they'd suffered. They were not very friendly.
"Fangorn. What madness drove them there?" Gimli said in a hushed voice, his grip on his axe tightening.
"The battle, I've little doubt. When the Riders arrived they had a chance to escape. They are small, they hid."
"We must follow." Aragorn straightened his shoulders, crossing the invisible line into the forest.
The trees were dark. I could feel the madness picking at them. They were mad with longing. A whisper fell upon the air. Gimli raised his axe. A groan rang clear.
"Gimli, lower your axe."
"This forest is old, very old." Legolas said to me.
"Imagine what it would be if the old ones had not left it, if it had not been left to the darkness."
"They trusted Saruman to heal his own lands. This is very close to Isengard."
"Trusting Saruman has not proved wise of late." We were silent as we searched for clues to Merry and Pipin's whereabouts.
"Stop, something is close." The power in the area rose considerably.
"The White Wizard approaches…" Legolas had cocked one ear towards a very old oak.
"Saruman." Aragorn breathed. "We must not let him speak; else he will put a spell on us." He raised his sword, Gimli his axe, etc. We turned towards the now blinding white light. The blades grew hot and fell from the hands that gripped them. Legolas and I's arrows vanished.
"You are tracking the footsteps of two young Hobbits." A voice filled with might struck from the aura.
"Where are they?" Aragorn demanded.
"They passed this way, day before yesterday. They met someone they did not expect. Does that comfort you?" The voice was familiar.
"Who are you?" Nothing. "Show yourself!" A figure appeared and my jaw dropped. Twinkling eyes, kind smile, long white hair. Gandalf?
"But you fell." Aragorn said. Gandalf nodded, explaining his ongoing fight against the Balrog, and his transformation from Gandalf the Grey to Gandalf the White. He wasn't dead. He'd lived. He wasn't dead. He lived. Alongside the glowing rerlief I felt a blazing fury. Without thinking I raised my hand and slapped him across the face.
