Once again thank you for your reviews and support for my writing. I promise that the story will get more exciting if you think that it is boring or dull. This chapter will be pretty long, as I have to fit many things into it. Please bear with me here.
Chapter 7. Trails and Riders
For many hours, the company followed the orc trail, hoping to find some trace of the hobbits. They stopped for a short time a little before dawn to rest, and also to decide their next move, for Aragorn had lost the trail in the darkness. Aragorn stood, looking into the valley, pondering which way the orcs would have turned when Legolas stepped up and stood beside him. 'Which way would they turn, do you think,' he said to Aragorn, 'Northward to Isengard, or southward to strike the Entwash?' Aníron walked up to stand next to Legolas; she had been listening with interest and decided to join in on this conversation. 'They would not head to the river unless Rohan has grown stronger,' she said, looking south to the Entwash, 'I assume that the orcs headed north to take the surest route to Isengard.'
'Then let us head north!' Aragorn exclaimed, leading the group onward in the slowly rising sun. They had not run far when Legolas let out an exclamation and ran ahead. 'We have already caught up with some of those which we follow, look!' said he gesturing to a huddled mass of what Aníron had first taken to be boulders, but were actually five dead orcs, two of which were beheaded. She shuddered at this sight, and closed her eyes. 'Can we not continue onward?' she asked, unable to keep the disgust out of her voice. Legolas turned to her placing his hand on her shoulder to comfort her.
The hunters turned away from the orcs, and continued their journey northward. A short while later, Aragorn discovered the track of the orcs they were tracking cut into the ground. For many hours, the company followed this trail, passing through the Emyn Muil, reaching the green fields of Rohan. Legolas and Aníron paused for a minute, breathing in deep the smell of the fragrant grasses and herbs. 'Come,' Aníron said, replenished by the smell of the fields, 'Let us run!' They ran over the grass, following the trail of trampled grass that had been left by the orcs.
Suddenly Aragorn stopped, and ran to the right from the main trail. He quickly ran back, holding something in his hand. He held it up in the sunlight for all to see, Aníron gasped. It was the brooch of an elven cloak. 'The leaves of Lórien do not fall in this land,' she said quietly. 'Indeed,' Aragorn replied, 'It is my guess that this brooch was cast aside, in hopes of being discovered.' 'Which of the Hobbits could have done this though?' Legolas asked in surprise. 'Most likely Pippin, he is smaller than Merry, and the tracks I found were small,' Aragorn answered.
Heartened by this discovery, the company ran swiftly along the trail, following it until the sun sank behind the ridges they had crossed over earlier that day. The company paused and Aragorn spoke, 'We have come upon a hard choice, should we rest by night, or should we go on until our strength is gone?' 'Unless the orcs which we pursue rest, they will leave us far behind if we stay to sleep,' Legolas answered. An argument started between Gimli and Legolas about what should happen. Aníron spoke up and her clam strong voice sounded over the bickering elf and dwarf. 'Surely if we continue on through the night, some of the company will grow weary, and it will slow our pace greatly, placing even more miles between hunter and hunted.'
Aragorn nodded in agreement with her and said, 'We will rest here for the night.' With that he cast himself on the ground and fell into a peaceful sleep. Gimli walked over to a boulder, muttering something about stubborn elves, but fell into immediate slumber as soon as he sat down. Aníron walked over to Legolas, who was standing silently gazing north with his arms crossed across his chest. 'Do not be angry, we will find them soon enough' she murmured in elvish, and stepped silently away. She laid herself down on the grass gazing up at the stars.
Aníron awoke early that morning, long before dawn. She gazed around, seeing that the rest of the company were asleep, save perhaps one. Legolas still stood gazing northward, deep in thought. She came up to him and stood by his side, beginning to sing softly as the wind. When Aragorn awoke, he saw the two elves as such, looking northward a light song coming from the lips of Aníron. Aragorn stooped down and roused Gimli, the elves now watching him in silence.
'Come,' Legolas called to them, 'Let us go!' The company sped over the land, still following the trampled orc track. Hope waned in Aníron's heart, but she kept this secret to herself, not wishing to cast the company into despair. Once again they halted at dusk and Aníron voiced her concern for the Hobbits, 'I fear that they may have passed out of our reach, for a barrier lies ahead of us that we may not be able to pass.' 'I know of what you speak,' Legolas answered, 'For I first felt the barrier as we passed over the Emyn Muil.' Aragorn was silent for a time, thinking of the comments of the elves. 'Saruman is setting this trap before us,' he said finally, before lying down once more and falling asleep.
Neither Aníron or Legolas slept that night, and it cast them into more unrest when the dawn rose, for it was a red dawn. 'Strange things will happen today, whether for good or for evil I do not know, Legolas said watching the sunrise. 'Strange indeed,' Aníron replied, 'Strange indeed.' Aragorn arose that morning once again to see the elves awake first. The company set forth, running through the grasses hoping for any sign of the orcs. Gimli was exhausted, his legs feeling like stone, and Aragorn ran stooped to the ground, searching wearily for any sign of the Hobbits. Only Aníron and Legolas were still light-footed, finding all the sustenance they needed in the lembas given to them by Galadriel. As dusk came, the company trudged up a grassy hill to rest.
The wind that night was icy cold and Aragorn and Gimli slept uneasily, waking every now and then to see Legolas and Aníron speaking or singing softly in their own tongue. 'What will the future bring I wonder,' Aníron asked Legolas, unaware that Aragorn was awake and could hear and understand them. 'I do not know, but hopefully better times for you and I,' Legolas responded, kissing her brow. Aragorn fell asleep soon afterwards, a smug look on his face.
The entire company was awake by the dawn's first light. Legolas stood on the top of the hill, gazing eastward, as Aragorn lay on the ground next to him listening for any sound from the orc band. 'Riders!' he exclaimed suddenly, causing Aníron to rush next to him and look out on the horizon. Sure enough, there were riders. One hundred and five golden-haired men on horseback rode towards them, their spears glinting in the sunlight. The company scrambled down to the foot of the hill to await these men.
Gimli was unsure of the motives of the riders. 'Do we sit here awaiting our dooms as these horsemen approach?' he asked, fear echoing in his voice. 'They will not harm us unless we harm them first,' Aníron replied before Aragorn could speak. 'You have been among them?' Aragorn asked in amazement. 'I received my horse, Celebfindel, from Rohan,' she answered. Suddenly, the sound of hoof beats filled the air and horses came thundering into view. Aníron quickly pulled her hood over her head, hiding her femininity. Aragorn stood up out of the grasses and called to their leader, 'What news from the north, Riders of Rohan?'
With surprising speed the riders halted and spears were positioned in a circle around the company. Aragorn did not flinch, and neither did Aníron, having been in their company before. The tall leader of the riders came forward, 'Who are you and what are you doing in Rohan?' he demanded. 'I am called Strider;' Aragorn answered calmly, 'and we are hunting orcs.' The rider dismounted and looked into Aragorn's eyes, surveying him. 'You must not know much of orcs if you are hunting them in this manner,' the rider said at long last. 'Strider is no name for a man, are you elvish folk?' he added. 'No,' Aragorn answered, 'only two of our company are elves.' He gestured to Aníron and Legolas who stood side by side. 'We passed through the elvish land of Lothlórien, and the Lady Galadriel clad us as you see us here.'
The rider looked at them in wonder, saying, 'The old tales are true then, there is a Lady in the Golden Wood, it is said she is a powerful sorceress. Mayhap you are sorcerers as well, to have escaped her nets.' Aníron sprang forward in anger drawing her bow pointing an arrow at the horse lord's head. 'Do not speak ill of the Lady Galadriel in my presence if you wish to live,' she said narrowing her golden eyes. The horse lord drew his sword and knocked Aníron to the ground, preparing to kill her, when a voice spoke behind him. 'I suggest putting away your sword if you wish to live.' Legolas had drawn his bow and an arrow was now aimed at the horse lord's back.
All would have gone ill if Aragorn had not stepped between them. 'What is your name, lord, for I have given you mine,' he said, attempting to keep Legolas from killing the rider. The rider replied, 'I am Éomer, Third Marshal of Riddermark.' Aragorn made Legolas lower his bow before replying. 'Then Éomer, please lower your blade, we mean no harm to Rohan or it's people.' Éomer lowered his sword, and Legolas rushed forward to aid Aníron, pulling her up from the ground. Her hood fell off of her head as he pulled her up, and all of the riders gasped in dismay.
'A woman?!' Éomer cried in shock, examining the elven maid that stood before him, her star-bright hair flowing down to her waist, a look of horror in her golden-green eyes. It occurred to him how beautiful this maiden was, but he quickly forced this thought out of his head. 'What kind of devilry is this Strider?' he gasped in shock. Aragorn sprang forward to protect Aníron, who was now leaning on Legolas' shoulder looking close to weeping. 'This lady is under my protection,' he said to Éomer and the rest of the riders, 'And I will not allow her to be harmed.' A strange look passed over Éomer's face, which Aragorn read instantly.
'She is a lady in the courts of Lórien,' Aragorn hastily explained, 'and it was not the will of any in this company for her to follow us.' 'Save perhaps Legolas,' Gimli muttered under his breath, but only Legolas heard him and shot him a look of pure poison. Éomer looked somewhat relieved, as did Aníron who had been listening and had winced when Éomer had looked at her strangely after Aragorn had first tried to protect her.
Aragorn spoke of the Hobbits to Éomer, asking him if he had seen them in the group of orc that the riders had slain that morning. Éomer replied that he had not, and all hope passed from Aníron's heart of finding Merry and Pippin. She did not listen to much of the conversation afterwards, so forlorn was she. Legolas noticed her silence and placed his hands on her shoulders.
Eventually, Éomer decided to help the company. He announced to the riders that the three spare horses were to be lent to the company, much to the dismay of the rest of the riders. When the horses were led forward, Aníron let out an exclamation of joy. Standing before her was Celebfindel. The horse whinnied in a way of greeting to his mistress, and she ran forward stroking his nose. 'This is one of the most interesting things I have seen,' Éomer said in awe, 'It seems as if you know each other already. That horse was untamable when he came to us four days ago, and he was the bane of his rider in battle.' Aníron smiled sadly at this story. 'Celebfindel is my horse,' she said, 'I raised him and he will only bear me. It is on this horse that I followed the fellowship until I was set upon by orcs. It warms my heart to see him again.'
Soon the rest of the company was seated on a horse. Aragorn was mounted on Hasufel, Legolas rode bareback on Arod, as was the way with elves, with Gimli seated behind him. Aníron removed the saddle and reins from Celebfindel for she, being an elf, rode bareback as well. Before the Riders of Rohan left, Éomer spoke one last time with the company, 'If your quest should succeed or fail, return with your horses to Edoras where Theoden sits so that you may prove to him that I have not misjudged you,' he said to Aragorn. Éomer now rode up to Aníron saying to her, 'It has been a pleasure meeting you my lady, you are certainly a remarkable woman. I hope that we may meet again.' Aníron smiled at him and Éomer bowed and kissed her hand in parting.
Legolas could feel his blood boiling as he watched the man who had nearly killed Aníron warming up to her. When Éomer kissed her hand, Legolas felt a strong desire to draw his bow and shoot Éomer in the back of the head. Gimli too was watching with interest. 'Looks as if you have some competition, Legolas,' he said with a slight smirk. 'Watch your tongue dwarf,' Legolas replied icily fingering one of his long silver knives, 'or you may find it cut out of your mouth one day.'
With a final farewell, Éomer and the Riders of Rohan galloped away towards Edoras. Aragorn suddenly spurred Hasufel forward, and the rest of the company followed, speeding towards the Entwash, hoping to find a trace of Merry and Pippin.