by Blanton Cirith~
Chapter 7
Disclaimer: See chapter 1
SideNote: a "harchen" is a unit of measurement for distance I made up. I used it in Chapter 5 also.
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The morning was gray and dim with mist hovering over the land. Legolas awoke to find himself on the ground that had been soaked the night before, and it had remained like a swamp. He slowly got to his feet and looked down to see his bow and quiver lying on the soaked earth by him. Legolas bent to pick them up, and cleaned the mud off them as best he could.
'I must have fallen asleep. Oh, no...the orcs are probably long gone by now!' he thought, angry that he had fallen asleep when Winters was in danger.
Slipping the quiver over his shoulder, he set off once more. Silently he pressed onward, his head often bent toward the ground scanning for any signs of Winters or the party that captured her.
'Why would they take her south? What is south that orcs would go to? Sauron, ofcourse...but what would Sauron want with Winters?' he thought to himself. Questions pecked at him moment by moment, and still there was no trace of the enemy.
The hours passed and Legolas had gone a long distance. The sun had still not shown itself. Gray, lifeless clouds covered it, leaving a shadow over the land. The forest had disappeared further back for the most part. A few trees were still scattered through the landscape, but they were bent and half dead. Not many leaves remained on their dull branches anymore. The hills in the distance were capped with snow, and the air seemed to grow colder the more Legolas pushed onward. Every step through the cold and frigid mud numbed his feet, and the numbness was spreading through his legs quickly. He pulled his cloak tightly around him, and trudged on.
After enduring the numbness in his lower body for a long time, Legolas felt as if he would collapse. When he thought his legs could no longer bear his weight, he rested on a fallen tree that laid nearby. The ground was drying, but very slowly. He pulled his cloak tighter, if it could go any more, and wrapped his arms around his knees.
'Why must it be so cold?' he thought. 'How is Winters dealing with it?'
He cringed, and didn't finish the thought. He did not want to imagine what the orcs were putting her through and how they were treating her.
Just then, out of the corner of his eye he saw what he thought to be footprints; large ones. Legolas jumped up, and realized that's what they were. He ran over to the prints, ignoring the lack of feeling in his legs, and examined them.
They were definitely that of about a dozen orcs, and even more goblins. The goblins were extremely large, judging by the footprints, and they all lead south. There was a metal shield on the ground with several punctures through it. In the center, there was a red eye inside a thin, black circle.
"So this is Sauron's doing..." he growled aloud.
Looking back down, Legolas saw something glint a few yards away from the shield, next to a tall oak. Slowly, he advanced toward it and saw that it was a small ring on a thin chain. The ring shined when he picked it up, even though the sun was covered by thick clouds. Plain it looked; but yet it was so beautiful.
He automatically knew it was Winters' ring, and figured she had dropped it for sole purpose of him finding it and knowing she was still alive, but when Legolas went to put it around his neck, the ring slid off onto the ground. The chain was broken. Then Legolas knew it was ripped from her neck, instead.
'What foul creatures, orcs.' he said aloud with a strong hatred in his voice.
He took off his necklace which carried a medallion given to him by his father, and slipped the ring on it. Then, he tied the necklace back around his neck and began to follow the footprints of the orcs at a running pace.
Winters awoke to realize it was nightfall. She was sitting with her back against a tall oak, and could see the orcs that had bound her arguing about something in a corner. There were many other goblins along with orcs sitting on the ground. Some were eating, others were sleeping, and there were those that were fighting over some trivial matter. She had a terrible ache in her side, and her lip felt like it was swollen. She tried to move, but her hands were still tied behind her back. Her feet were tied together as well, so any chance of running away were crushed. Looking around more, she noticed that some of the larger goblins carried torches in their hands.
'They think ahead...now they don't need to build a fire,' she thought.
Suddenly, she realized her right hand was looser than the other. She shifted and tried to rub the cords on her hand against a rock, but a nearby orc must have seen.
"Borulg! She's awake," it said in a scratchy voice.
"Moldurg, tighten her ropes more," Borulg ordered.
Moldurg grunted, and didn't wish to get up, but knew he had to. He strutted over to her, picked her up by the neck, and pushed her against the tree. Her face was slammed against the bark, and the roughness tore at her face. She could feel the blood trickling down her cheek. Moldurg was harshly tightening the cords around her wrists, and the rope dug into her skin. Winters wanted to scream, but all she could do was groan quietly. She felt so exhausted, and the orcs hadn't given her any food or water.
Suddenly, Moldurg froze. Winters wondered why he had stopped, but it didn't phase her. She was thankful for it at the least.
"Aye, Borulg. We have an Elf!"
Borulg was drinking, and choked at what Moldurg had said. Cleaning the spilled drink from his face with his hand, he looked at the other orc.
"What? How do you know?"
"Look at her ears!" Moldurg said, and jerked Winters' hair away from the left side of her face.
Borulg stood, and made his way over to her. Examining Winters for a few moments, he laughed.
"So we do...how much would someone pay for a bound Elf these days?" Borulg said with a grin.
"Plenty," Moldurg stated with the same greedy smirk.
"You know, we don't need to bring her to Sauron. We could take her Sharky's way," Borulg stated. "I know some orcs that direction who would pay good for a captured Elf like this."
"Yes!" Moldurg agreed, and then hesitated for a moment, and glanced at Winters intently. "But let's have some fun with her first."
Borulg hit Moldurg upside the head. "Stupid fool! We would get more payment if we sell her just as she is."
"I have friends in high places," Winters managed to get out. "You wouldn't get two harchens before you were found."
Moldurg growled, and grabbed her arm harshly. "Listen, you Elves think you're fabulous with your long lives and jewels and great cities!" At that, Moldurg grabbed a small golden ring that was on a chain around her neck, and roughly pulled it off, breaking the chain. She flinched as the metal chain cut a slit in the back of her neck. Moldurg paid no heed, and continued. "But you're not! You Elves are no better than the rest of us! And if you talk like that to us again..."
Moldurg took his dagger that was hanging from his belt, and cut through his shield several times.
"That will be your fate."
After Moldurg had finished speaking, he kicked Winters in her left leg, and she lost balance and fell to the ground. She was trying to get to her feet once more when he fiercely swung his arm so the orc blade cut a slash across her cheek.
Her skin there felt like it was on fire, as if a thousand bees had just stung her. The force of his stroke caused her to fall once more, and this time she didn't have enough energy to move. Before she lost consciousness, she could feel someone lifting her and throwing her over their shoulder. The last thing she heard was the sound of Borulg shouting and cursing at the others, "Let's get out of here! We've wasted enough time!"
Aragorn was standing by the fire he and Gimli had made, and was watching the sunset. His features were grim and solemn, and he seemed saddened about something.
"I'm worried about him," Gimli said, staring intently into the fire.
"As am I," Aragorn replied, still watching the sun fall behind the hills. "I only wish we could have done something...But maybe we could have, and were just being selfish."
Just then, they heard the snap of a twig a short distance away from them, but the being was hidden by a mass of trees. Aragorn unsheathed Anduril and held it aloft, ready to strike.
"Show yourself!" Aragorn demanded.
There was more rustling beyond the trees, and then a tall, bold figure appeared. As he neared the fire, his face became visible, and Aragorn's eyes widened. Aragorn dropped his sword where he stood, and took a few steps closer. The man dropped his dagger, and came towards Aragorn. They embraced with a cry of joy at seeing each other again, then stepped back to see the other's face.
"Halbarad?" Aragorn whispered.
"Aragorn?" the other said with a laugh.
"It has been a long time," Aragorn stated.
"Too long," Halbarad answered.
"Gimli, this is Halbarad: a Ranger from the North as I, and a dear friend to me," Aragorn introduced.
"I am honored," Gimli stated.
"You travel with a dwarf? This is indeed strange times."
"It gets stranger," Aragorn said. "How have you been?"
"Well enough. I can't say the same for other Rangers. Jedriel was killed last month during an orc attack, and we had lost Vosal a week or so before."
Aragorn bowed his head in grief, and closed his eyes. "How did Vosal die?"
"At the river; harsh rapids swallowed him under. There was nothing we could do."
Aragorn nodded. He looked back up at Halbarad and, finding the will to speak again, he changed the subject.
"But tell me, what news of the North have you to share?"
"That which is not to my liking, and neither shall it be to yours once you hear it. The orcs are on the move once more; considerable numbers of them. The orc parties are especially vast near Isengard, where Saruman lies."
"That's it!" Aragorn interrupted.
"Pardon?" Halbarad asked.
Aragorn looked up and realized he had spoken aloud. "I'm sorry, I was speaking to myself. I have been searching for the answer to a riddle for a day or so, and now I have found the answer. Gimli, it's Saruman. The hobbits are being taken to Isengard! the orcs must be taking the shorter and more direct route."
"Ofcourse! Why didn't I see it before?" Gimli said, shaking his head.
"Is something wrong? Are you in danger?" Halbarad questioned.
"I'm afraid so. Many in our company have fallen upon ill fates," Aragorn said, and then pondered something for a moment. "I'm afraid I must ask something of you, and it may be dangerous."
"Anything you ask," Halbarad answered.
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I finished this chapter early, so instead of Sunday, I'm putting it up today (Friday)....but I'm sure that doesn't phase you one bit, right? ;)
anyway, i'm getting started on chapter 8 now, and i don't know when it will be finished. hopefully soon, but there are no guarantees. I'm trying to work on my other story i'm starting that MarieAmethyst inspired me to try. haha, i don't know how it will turn out, but i'll give it a go. (It will be called "Return To Bree". MarieAmethyst, if you're reading this, i decided to pitch the Fangorn idea, because that just wasn't working out. So I changed the plot a bit)