A/N MY EVIL PLAN HAS BEEN REVEALED. Yeah, okay , Boromir was never actually on the chopping block because DRAMA and I'm sure some of you already had that figured out but I had to keep up appearances until the last second, didn't I? If I did a good job and you didn't see it coming then just know I was thinking about you the entire time I was writing that last chapter.
Anyway, I have some big plans for Two Towers so hang on tight, kids.
They ran through the night, the three hunters had turned into five. By the time dawn came they reached a ridge counting the end of the rocky Emyn Muil which they'd thankfully only had to traverse a fraction of.
"At last!" Aragorn said, kneeling close to the ground and tracing his hand over the grass. "The tracks that we seek."
Looking back behind them Josephine saw the Anduin in the distance, and ahead of them was Rohan, still pale in the early light. Boromir pointed off to the south and smiled.
"Do you see them, Josephine? The White Mountains?"
Purple and blue with dawn, they rose high with their tips white with snow. "I didn't realize we'd be able to see them so well."
"One day soon perhaps, you will see them from Gondor." He said hopefully.
"Legolas," Aragorn asked, "what do your elf eyes see?"
Josephine pursed her lips and grimaced. "Don't say it, don't say it…"
"The Uruks turned northwest. They are taking the Hobbits to Isengard!"
She snorted, trying to suppress a laugh and failed. Everyone turned to her slowly looking more than a little confused. Taking a deep breath she held up her hands in an apology. "Sorry, just a little tired. They are taking the Hobbits to Isengard and we're on the right track, nobody panic."
They only stayed on the ridge for a short rest and a quick bite of lembas before picking their way down to the plains. It wasn't hard to track the Uruks now, they'd left a clear trail of old food bags, rinds, and crumbs of bread. Even a heavy shoe that had broken on the rocks.
Their feet landed in the grass of Rohan and the world felt different, like spring was already there. Maybe it was the rush of everything that happened since yesterday, but the warm sun and sound of a trickling stream somewhere in the grasses made her feel renewed like she'd just had a drink of Miruvor again.
Aragorn led them on in single file, following the broken and bruised trail the Uruks left behind in the grass. Suddenly he raised his hand. "Stay! Do not follow me yet!" He ran right from the trail, bent low. When he rose he was holding something. "Hobbit's footprints. Pippin's I think, he is smaller than the others. And there was this." He held up one of their leaf broaches with light in his eyes. "Not idly do the leaves of Lorien fall."
Josephine smiled. "He knew you'd find it."
"Let us hope that he did not pay too dearly for his boldness." Legolas said. "Come! Let us go on."
They only had a couple short rests until the sun was halfway below the horizon. None of them wanted to stop in case they lost their lead, but they were exhausted and the path was too easy to lose in the dark. There was no fire and no conversation once it had been decided and she just tossed herself back onto the grass like the rest of them and fell asleep where she landed.
Up again just before dawn they were back on the trail. An hour or so into their journey the sun was bright and warm and they came through tall rocks. Legolas sprinted ahead and Aragorn paused to lay his head against one of the stones. She'd add it to her list of things he still needed to teach her.
"Their pace has quickened. They must have caught our scent."
Behind her Gimli panted and she waited for him to catch up. "I'm wasted on cross country, lass."
"Dwarves are natural sprinters?" She chuckled.
"Aye." He laughed weakly. "Very dangerous over short distances."
"Come on, we're over the hump." She clapped him on the shoulder. "If I can make it, so can you." Pushing up the rocky hill against her burning calves she got a hand up from Aragorn for the last few steps.
"We have traveled hard, and yet something has brought a light to your eyes I have not seen in many days." He observed. "You give me hope when I have little to spare."
Playing dumb and trying to mask things from him had been failing her since the day the Hobbits arrived in Bree. He could see right through her for both the good and the bad so with everything that had just happened, she'd stopped trying. She wasn't sure how wise it was, but now that she'd done something as big as saving Boromir, being outwardly excited that things were still going to plan felt like small potatoes. She looked ahead where Boromir was following Legolas, the two slowing to leave time for Gimli to climb up to them.
"Things are still moving ahead like they should. Saving him was a gamble but I dunno." She shook her head, still trying to parse it out.
"What does your heart tell you?"
She smiled. "That I did the right thing." It felt sturdy and bright. Thinking back on the choice she nearly made was like a chill, a dark path that wasn't wholly about Boromir's fate and she couldn't quite say why.
When night came they stopped again and the winds came down from the mountains, taking away the feeling of spring they'd been enjoying. The four of them slept fitfully and Legolas seemed like he hadn't slept at all.
They were up before the sun again and Legolas paused on the crest of a hill, watching it in the East. "A red sun rises. Blood has been spilled this night." He looked worried, but Aragorn was still hopeful.
In late morning they crossed a ridge and she paused. There should've been a party of riders coming up from their left, but she didn't see anything. "Legolas, do you see anything? They should be coming from the north."
He looked out across the plains slowly, shading his eyes from the sun with his hand. "Riders, perhaps five leagues distant."
"An Eored?" Boromir suggested. "Then we would be in good fortune indeed, for I know the men of Rohan."
"They should already be here." She pondered. "Or maybe we're just too early." She couldn't remember how it had happened in the book but she was sure the ridge they were on was the one from the movie. It was the first indication in a long time that things weren't quite right anymore.
"Nevertheless," Aragorn added. "They come back down the orcs' trail and a rest will do us all well. We will wait."
Legolas kept watch on the host while they ate and took a breather. They were still at least a couple of hours out and Gimli took the opportunity to sleep, snoring almost as soon as his eyes closed.
Josephine drew Boromir aside. "How well does Eomer know you?"
"I came to the Mark few times with the threat on our eastern border. But he knows me and I him without doubt. It was he who leant me the horse that bore me through Dunland. Do your questions mean his Eored is the host we're waiting on?"
"Lucky for us, except for you. I have half a mind to make you hide when they get here and tell them you're dead." She sighed with a shake of her head. "But he won't be in a position to send word to Gondor anytime soon either."
"Eomer is a friend, one I would not wish to lie to. But I will do whatever you ask."
"Well, we won't be able to hide you a few days from now, so let's not start this whole mess out by lying to Eomer. But he has to know he can't say anything about you either."
"I will see to it."
Finally thunder started in the distance and grew louder. Legolas counted a hundred and five with three empty saddles. Aragorn led them to the center of a flat clearing at the base of the ridge they'd ride down and they waited. Spears caught the sun first and when Eomer crested the hill Aragorn called out.
"Riders of Rohan! What news from the Mark?"
The Eored circled them, tightly surrounding the five of them with their spears pointed inwards. But when Eomer rode into the center he held his arm up for them to back away. He pulled off his helm and dismounted.
"Your horse returned riderless some months past, Boromir son of Denethor. And now you return to the Mark in strange company. How did you come to gather such companions and why do you travel out lands?"
Boromir stepped forward. "The tale is far too long to tell here, but I come with friends and allies in these dark times."
"I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn." He interjected. "This is Gimli son of Gloin, the Lady Josephine, and Legolas of the Woodland realm. We too are friends of Rohan, and of Theoden your King."
Josephine was glad he hadn't tried to tag Nebraska onto her name, the introduction was awkward enough as it was.
"Theoden no longer recognises friend from foe, not even his own kin. Saruman has taken the mind of the king and claimed lordship over this land. My company are those loyal to Rohan and for that, we are banished."
Boromir frowned. "His mind must have grown dark indeed. We know well the power of Saruman, we track a party of his Uruk-hai westward. They have two of our companions captive. You come down their path, do you know of them?"
Eomer looked down apologetically. "The Uruks are dead, we slaughtered them in the night."
"But there were two Hobbits." Gimli stuttered.
Josephine interrupted. "It would've been almost impossible to see them in the dark during the fight, Gimli. They still had their cloaks with them." Could she say for certain they were okay? Not until they met up with Gandalf. But with everything going as planned except for their early arrival on the ridge, she wasn't going to let Gimli be too worried either.
"Eomer," Boromir begged. "They would be small, like children to your eyes. Did you see nothing?"
He gave a slight shake of his head. "We left none alive. We piled the carcasses and burned them at the edge of the forest, but I recall finding naught but orcs among the bodies."
"Then we must go forward, for if they got away they may yet be waiting for us." Aragorn said hopefully.
"I will lend you horses." Eomer said, whistling for the three that Legolas had seen earlier and giving their names. "My only request is that you return them to Meduseld when your quest is achieved."
"You have my thanks, Eomer. Those that were taken are dear to us." Boromir said, clasping his arm. "But I fear I have one last request to make of you. Speak nothing of seeing me here, and if you hear of my death do not contest it. I cannot tell you more, but ask this under wise counsel."
The look Eomer gave him was confused and suspicious. "I will take you at your word, my friend. Farewell." Eomer said, looking at each of them in turn before mounting his horse. "We ride north!"
They watched the Eored shrink into the distance and Gimli complained when Legolas pulled him up on Arod behind him. "I would sooner walk than sit on the back of any beast so great."
Aragorn took the reins of Hasufel and Boromir the third horse, Folca.
"Ride with Aragorn, little sister. His horse will bear two better than mine."
She didn't know horses as well as he did and she didn't see much difference between the two to constitute his decision. Regardless, she wasn't going to argue the hours of travel she'd get to spend with her arms wrapped around Aragorn either…
