"Tika?" Savina ran to the barmaid's side and began wiping blood off of the girl's freckled face with her sleeve.

            Tika groaned and pushed herself into sitting position. She was wearing her barmaid's dress with an over-sized chain mail shirt and a belt with a long-sword that looked too large to belong to her. There was blood all over her, both red and black, splattered on her face and wide spots on her shirt and skirt. Her red hair was tangled and matted with dark blood.

            Aragorn crouched down next to the girl, "where are you bleeding from? I don't see where the wound is."

            Tika grabbed Aragorn by his collar and pulled his face close, "I came to warn you…" tears streamed down her face, "Goblins…hundreds of them, coming this way…"

            Legolas knelt down ad touched the red hair gently, "calm down, Tika," he said in a soft, soothing voice.

            Tika ignored him, her eyes wild and darting back and forth, her breath coming in short gasps, her head turning this way and that, searching the forest with terrified eyes.

            Aragorn gently took her face in his hands, "Tika, tell me what happened."

            Instantly, Tika calmed down, her breathing slowed and her eyes focused on him, tears pouring from them, "after you left, hundreds…oh god, I don't know, maybe thousands Goblins came surging out of the woods…I don't know where they all came from…they ran past the tavern and left us alone. Until…" she swallowed hard, "until some of them came in and accused Otik and I of helping you escape. After a while they got angry and starting attacking us, Otik and I kept them off as long as we could but…" she lowered her head in grief.

            Aragorn stroked her hair, "go on, child."

            Tika looked up at him, her green eyes wide with fear and sadness, "they…they killed Otik and came after me, so I grabbed his shirt and sword and ran…I fought as hard as I could and ran…then they stopped chasing me so I climbed a tree and hid." Her eyes became glazed and glassy, "as soon as I was in the tree, some of the Goblins were talking below it…they knew where you were and that you were going to Mordor to rescue someone…and they sent the message ahead by crows to the other Goblin forces in the mountains outside of Mordor…they planned to surround you…I had to warn you, so I ran the way you had gone. Once in a while I could hear the Kender talking," her eyes flickered to Tas, "I…I'm glad I caught up with you before…" she looked at Aragorn, panic rising in her face, "you need to go north, Gondor is taken by evil. If you continue east, the Goblins will surround you…"

            Gimli sat down with a thump and glumly rubbed his hands over his eyes, looking tired and weary.

            Legolas stared at Aragorn, "is she speaks truly, we cannot stay here."

            Aragorn raised his eyes from Tika's frightened face to Legolas' calm one, "would you follow me, friend, if I continued east?"

            Legolas' eyes didn't waver, "I would."

            "And Gimli?" Aragorn turned his head to look at the dwarf.

            Gimli stood and shouldered his axe, "Aragorn, I would follow you into the maw of a dragon."

            Aragorn's dark eyes rested on Savina, "this quest is not yours-"

            Savina held her hands up to stop him, "it is not my quest, Aragorn, but you are my leader." Even as she saw him, knelt in front of the blood-spattered barmaid, her heart swelled with love and respect for this brave human ranger. It was far from a romantic love, it was a love that spoke of loyalty and sacrifices…a love she hadn't known she possessed before. She felt it for all of them, Gimli, Legolas, even the Kender.

            Aragorn nodded and pulled Tika to her feet, "where will you go?"

            Tika bit her lip, "I…I cannot join you your quest, though my heart longs to." She pointed north, "my father lives twenty miles that way, if I walk quickly I will get there by evening."

            The small Kender felt neglected, he put his small hand on Aragorn's arm and pouted up at him.

            Aragorn rested his hand on the Kender's small head, "will you go with Tika, Master Burrfoot? Or would you follow us? Or perhaps Tasselhoff Burrfoot's feet lead him in a different direction all together?"

            Tas felt odd respect for this noble man. Kenders are by nature very lighthearted and innocent, they usually don't waste much time on trifle things like emotions. But as Tas gazed around him at the silver-haired elf-girl, the redheaded barmaid, the blue-eyed elf, the stout dwarf, and the ranger, he felt fondness for them stir in his little heart. He looked up at Aragorn and said, "of course I'm following you, can't have you having adventures without me!"

            A smile tugged at Aragorn's lips. He patted the Kender on his back and turned to Tika, he loved this girl, not the same way he loved Arwen, his true love who awaited his return in Rivendell, but he loved the fiery barmaid all the same. He took her hand, kissed it, and said, "may your path be safe."

            Tika nodded and bowed her head to him, then squared her slim shoulders, brushed back her matted hair, and started in the direction of her father's house.

            Aragorn turned and looked into the woods, he knew that there was only ten or fifteen more miles of forest until they got to the Great River…maybe if they could make it to the river before nightfall…abruptly he turned back to Legolas, Gimli, Tas, and Savina, "we will walk quickly, we must reach the Great River tonight."

            Readjusting their packs and stretching their legs, the companions started off through the woods after Aragorn.