AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY
By : mirkwood-elf-2931 & Thala


CHAPTER 7


Gaining the beginnings of the Wold of Rohan, the twins had yet to find more signs of their sisters and friend. The Human tracks had stopped long ago when they were nearing Lothlorien, they had simply faded out, still pointing southward. It was as if the three they tracked had disappeared out of Middle-earth altogether. At least they had disappeared off their original course anyway. But Arwen had said they would not stray from the Anduin, for it followed all the way down to their destination, Minas Tirith.

Today, the brothers went farther inland to see if any of the tracks had continued. Far enough west for their taste, they went straight south. The heat of the high noon sun beat down on their fair forms as the two watched the ground for what seemed like nothing at all. Not a footprint one.

But when one finally did see something, it did not come from the ground below. "Hey, are you seeing what I'm seeing at the top of that hill?" Elrohir pointed, and grinned over from the five foot gap between he and his older sibling.

Elladan took on a better look through the length of land. A pair of steeds, one brown, one white, walked down the steep slope at their own pace. But it was their riders atop that concerned his gaze. "It's Estel and Legolas!" He cried and both sped up their horses from a canter to a full gallop. "Estel!"

Aragorn and Legolas smiled to themselves as the three white horses ahead, two carrying dark haired figures, picked up their speed.

"Fancy meeting you two here!" Called a familiar voice the two could identify as Elladan's.

"Father was right when he said you would be out looking too!" Elrohir joined in, as the four dismounted together and greeted one another with quick hugs.

"It is so good to see you." Aragorn laughed, pulling away from his youngest brother. It had been seven months now since they'd all left their homes for the quest, and all of them now longed to be back where things felt safe and familiar.

"Aye, brother, but have either of you found any trace of our absent she-Elves?" Elrohir's previous silent wonderings became words flowing from his mouth.

"Nothing so far..." The Ranger currently checked their open location to see if it was indeed safe to stop here. One never knew when something unwanted could show up or sneak up for that matter.

"Well we have searched day and night since the Gladden Fields and have found nothing since then." Elladan reported wearily, letting out a long not so quiet sigh.

"Since then?" Aragorn was suddenly at full attention, no longer did he view their surroundings carefully. "What did you find there?"

Elrohir hung his head as his older brother moved toward Asfaloth to bring back the items they'd recovered. He knew what his younger brother and friend's reactions would be.

"These." Elladan held them up for pair to see.

Legolas' eyes widened at the sight of the weapons his new guard captain had been given by he and his father. "Those are..." He couldn't finish, but they all knew who they belonged to. How could this be? He remembered what happened the last time the three females were together, could Saruman be the cause again? He would have suggested this, but the twin's next words made him doubt the thought.

"We found them there in a woodland next to the Great River with many bodies in the area; Human men dead by both of her weapons. Whatever it was that happened there, Arwen and Thala must have been with her or at least near there at the time. Maybe Father sent news to Lord Thranduil of your first message and Landailyn decided to come visit you as well."

Aragorn nodded at the information, looking at one brother, then the other and lastly over at Legolas. "We will find them." He tried to sound confident and make the blow of the discovery that yet another of them was missing, easier for his friend as much as for himself.

"We should start heading back toward the river." Elladan suggested, as he remounted the items on Asfaloth, then himself on his own horse. "Maybe back track a little also."

The four travelled their path mostly in silence. They wished they could be sure of Aragorn's last statement, but nothing ever seemed for certain anymore.


*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*


Morning had come again. Dust filled sun rays crept through the tiny cracks in the boards surrounding the Elves' cell. The twelfth and final day they would be aboard the black corsair ship. They hoped.

Presently, they were listening carefully. It was sunrise, they knew the food would be brought in soon. They heard heavy footsteps striding in their direction and the clicking of the lock in the door soon came to each pair of pointed ears. This was it.

"Ready?" Thalawen asked, so low they knew the men would not have been able to hear.

Her companions barely nodded, and Landailyn pretended to still be weak for show.

Two of the men who had prepared the food came in and unchained them one by one, setting down what little food and water they were allowed. A third followed, but he was one of the guards, and he stood in the middle with a drawn sword, looking quite a bit younger than the rest they'd seen aboard the ship.

But as soon as the 'cooks' turned to leave, as fast and as hard as they could, Thalawen and Landailyn dropped their provisions and punched the two men in the jaw and elbowed them between the top of the shoulder blades, knocking both unconscious. The third was nearly knocked down by their staggering bodies as they fell backward and onto the hard hollow floor with a loud thud. Startled entirely by the thought of the prisoners turning on them, especially the 'dangerous Elf'; he ran for the door, disappearing to the left.

The Elves' eyes widened. They hadn't expected any to just take off without a fight. They looked back down at the other two, but each one was unarmed. 

Even Arwen could have cursed very loudly at the moment, at seeing no weapons for them. "What now?!" She wanted to know now how it was they planned to do this without the aid of a weapon against a large boat full of men.

They had no choice but to run for it. The guard would be telling the others any minute and would soon be back with a whole herd. They needed to hurry.

"Think you can run, Landy? I have a feeling we're going to be doing a lot of it soon." Said Thalawen, brows raised in urgent question.

Landailyn glanced between the two and nodded.

"I mean, fast. And we'll most likely have to jump if we're not docked, I never can tell when we are." If this was so, they would need to help Landailyn in the swift currents of the water. She could swim just fine, but not with an arm she wasn't suppose to be moving.

"Don't worry, I'm all up for it." She said, slipping off her temporary sling as her arm didn't hurt anymore after having a two day rest from being hung above her. Besides, it seemed to throw her off balance a little and she couldn't have that while running for her life.

Thalawen smiled slightly. "Good. Let's get out of here." She went first, followed by Arwen and Landailyn at the last.

The three listened carefully to the voices and noises coming from above and located the opening in the ceiling, which had been left wide open, much like their cell door.

Thalawen crept up the six steps in the narrow staircase and slowly peered over the top. The deck was practically deserted. She could see the land not thirty feet away and it wasn't moving, so they were indeed docked and that meant that most of the men were out either hunting, or looking for more prisoners.

"We're docked," She whispered behind her. "And I see the plank...we make for that."


*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*


"They've what?!" Bellowed Faeroth.

The young guard cringed as his captain gritted his teeth and turned a light shade of red from his anger. The boy would have to be dealt with later.

Faeroth stormed passed him from his cabin, his exit bringing him a sight at which his level of rage grew even higher.


*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*
           

"Follow me!" Thalawen burst from their 'hiding spot' tearing for the long wide board that served as a ramp for boarding and leaving the ship at stops. The three ran swift as the wind all in a line, keeping close together one right after the other, their booted feet making little sound against the wooden flooring.

A blur they seemed to the men who turned in time to see them pass.


*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*


Faeroth squinted against the bright morning sun, stepping from his doorway slowly and moving down the long staircase that led to the captain's quarters. They wanted to escape? Then he would give them a little head start.

"Let them go," He called out to those who had begun moving to chase after the escapees. They gave him odd misunderstanding stares, but he did not show that he noticed them, instead assured them verbally. "We will catch up."


*~ *~ * ~ * ~* ~*
           

So far they had done it. They kept their run as fast as they had started out, never slowing or halting. Half a league later though, they finally did stop, for Landailyn's sake.

"Do you think they're close?" Arwen asked, as all three listened for any followers. Landailyn trying to quiet her breathing, so they could better hear. But still they heard nothing. "Are you okay?" She continued, directing it toward the blonde Elf. 

Landailyn closed her eyes, before nodding.

"Well," Thalawen rested a gentle hand upon Landailyn's uninjured shoulder. "You're still with us."

"Yes," Put in the princess. "And you shall stay with us."

If this was to be true none of the three knew at this moment, but the sound that next drifted within their hearing was. Each one looked to their right where the distant noise was coming from, which was east, then back at each other.

Thalawen frowned. "We must run again."


TBC ...