Chapter 14
The Fellowship, unaware of what danger was fast approaching them, were surprised when Faramir entered once more, and their confusion only increased when he handed Aragorn a large bundle containing all their weapons.
"You have to leave. Quickly."
"Why?" Frodo asked, sensing the rising panic in Faramir. "What's going on?"
"I don't have time to explain. The important thing is that you leave – now. I care not where you go but you have to leave Ithillien. You will find your guide tied up in the room down at the end of the left corridor. You can leave him here if you so wish, but we will not protect him. The exit is at the end of the third corridor directly opposite this one. When you leave this place, you are facing north. I will make sure that none of my people try and stop you, you have my word on that. Good luck."
Faramir turned on his heel and left, leaving the Fellowship alone.
"What was that about?" Merry asked.
"Something's found us," Gimli explained. "I don't know how."
"What will we do?" Sam asked. "About stinker- Gollum, I mean."
"You know where I stand on the matter," Legolas said.
"Legolas, we all know what you'd like to do to him," Aragorn sighed exasperatedly. '2You don't need to remind us."
"I wasn't going to."
"Well, good."
"Would you two like to stop arguing for five minutes?" Gimli hissed at them. "We really don't have time right now."
"We should take him," Frodo said decisively. "We don't have any idea where we are, or where we are going without him."
Aragorn shrugged. He did not have time to argue the point.
He led the way out of the room, planning on recovering Gollum, when, turning around the corner with more speed than stealth, he collided with Tallad. The southern ranger stared at them incredulously.
"What are you doing out?" he asked aggressively. "How did you escape?"
He felt around his belt for his sword, but his hands only closed on air. Aragorn drew Anduril and pointed it at Tallad's throat, looking more like the king of Gondor than ever before – almost to the point where he had Tallad convinced.
"You will not touch us again, do you understand me?"
"The pretend-king pulling rank on me? How amusing. It takes more than mindless bloodshed to make a king, you know!"
"Oh, shut it," Legolas suddenly cut in, before punching Tallad on the nose. The punch itself wouldn't have knocked the man out, had it not been for the fact that it sent Tallad back into an empty torch bracket. His head slammed into the metal with such force that he curled up on the floor, unconscious.
By the time Tallad awoke, the Fellowship were in the forest.
The eight of them crashed through the trees, desperate to put as much space between themselves and the cave as was possible. There was only one emotion, a single feeling that was common in everyone's minds, that was screaming its presence – fear. They were running from an unknown enemy, without the faintest idea how far it was until they were well clear of the danger.
Merry tripped on the undergrowth, something which even the most sure-footed of the company had achieved, and fell over. Pausing in their running, over their panicked breaths, they heard the harsh cry of orcs nearby – too near for Aragorn's liking. He frantically pulled them into a nearby untidy ring of bushes around the base of a tree.
Not one of them dared make a sound as the voices approached. They all tried to control their panting, keeping it as quiet as possible. Aragorn was relieved that they'd had the sense to gag Gollum. The voices came so close that they could overhear the exact words that were being said.
"How are we going to find them? They could be anywhere!"
"They have been captured by the stupid whiteskins. We lay siege on their little cave, the whiteskins can't defend them, we swoop in and take the Halflings. And even if they've somehow escaped, which is impossible, they can't be far. They could even be hiding in this tree!"
The orc thrust his spear into the branches of the tree directly above them. The leaves fluttered down and one lodged itself in Sam's hair. Aragorn was so tempted to breathe a sigh of relief, but knew better. The orcs were so close that even a sigh would have been heard.
"Hmm," the orc continued. "I was wondering if something was up there. I suppose not."
The other orcs laughed, before moving off.
Merry gave a tiny sigh. "I thought we were as good as dead then," he whispered.
Aragorn looked at them. "We have to split up," he said. "We need to get out of this forest as quickly as possible. And we can't do that stealthily with a group of eight of us. Merry, Pippin, you go with Gimli, and take Gollum with you. Frodo, Sam, you're with Legolas and me."
"Aragorn, that has to be one of the stupidest plans I've ever heard!" Gimli hissed. "We all split up – and then what? How will we find each other again?"
"We meet at the camp we were taken from," Aragorn answered. "If we don't make it there by sundown, the rest of us will assume the worst and carry on."
Gimli looked at Aragorn, still not entirely satisfied, but nodded nonetheless. They didn't have a choice at this point.
"Where are they? Where are they?"
Tallad stormed into the room where Faramir stood with the other rangers. When Faramir refused to give him an answer, Tallad guessed what had happened.
"You let them go, didn't you? That's why they had their weapons!"
Faramir nodded.
"You fool, Faramir..." Tallad said. "Without that Ring, we don't stand a hope of defeating them now!"
"Yes, we do, if we all stand united. Together, we might just beat these invaders-"
"No we won't!" Tallad screamed. "We don't have a hope! We did! I've said it before and I'll say it again – that Ring could save us! And you just let it go!"
"NO IT COULDN'T!" Faramir thundered. "It would kill us. We would lose this fight, and our lives in the process! We cannot master it!"
"You cannot master it," Tallad said. "But a stronger mind could."
"Oh, for goodness' sake!" Faramir yelled. "This is the end! Now is the time that the strength of your loyalty is tested! Do you not remember the vows we took when we first came to Ithillien? Do they mean nothing? So choose – your captain, your home, your honour, or the vague chance of a shadow of power?"
Tallad stared at Faramir. "Honour is worthless," he spat. "Just like you. And as for my home... well, I am choosing it. The Ring will save us. But you... you won't. You are not my captain."
Tallad walked towards the door, and was pleased to find a young ranger follow him. Faramir stared at the man, who was barely out of adolescence, with shock and horror.
"Who else is with him?" Faramir asked, his anger finally breaking loose. "Well? Go on, see if I care if you get yourselves slaughtered!"
There was a pause, before several more men walked over to Tallad, leaving those loyal to Faramir in the minority.
Tallad smiled grimly back. "It looks like you're the one who's going to be slaughtered, Faramir," he said.
The large band of men filed out of the door behind Tallad. Faramir was left, spluttering indignantly, as he watched several of his friends leave, knowing this was likely to be the last time he ever saw them.
The hunt was on.