Legolas bowed his head and shielded his eyes with his arm against the wind that had picked up over the last few hours and was now sending sharp bits of rock and dust into the companions' eyes. He coughed and scanned the horizon, a habit that he had developed over his life. Suddenly a gust of wind blew Savina's silver hair into his face. He swept it out of his eyes and stumbled back, realizing too late they had stopped walking.
Aragorn crouched down, drawing his blanket over his head to protect him from the harsh wind, "we'll rest here for a few moments!" he shouted over the wind, which howled and whistled horribly.
Gimli and Legolas sank down on the ground near him and drew their blankets over their heads, only Savina remained standing.
She was extremely uneasy and kept glancing around nervously, her hands cupped around her eyes to protect them from the dust. The Dark Tower was growing larger, being only fifteen or twenty miles away; Aragorn said they would reach it in less than three days. Savina could feel panic and dread, mixed oddly with desire and longing, grow in her as they neared the tower. She glanced toward the southwest mountains again, feeling again like throwing off her pack and running toward them. They were so near, less than three miles away, but as she looked at Gimli, Legolas, and especially Aragorn, she knew she couldn't leave them.
Aragorn studied her, wondering what inner battle she was fighting, "Savina!" he yelled over the wind, "you need to rest!"
Savina nodded and started to sit down, taking another glance around. A movement in the direction of the Dark Tower caught her eye. Gasping, she squinted toward the tower, hoping her eyes were deceiving her.
A mass of black was flowing from The Dark Tower straight toward them.
As she squinted, she could barely make out that it wasn't just any mass of black. It was a mass with swords and helmets and arms and legs and misshapen heads and armor. It was a small dark army running full force over the plain that left the companions so bare, so naked, so helpless and unprotected.
"Aragorn!" she screamed and pointed.
Aragorn leapt to his feet, his hand on his sword, then he saw what was coming toward them and his hand dropped, the dread look of certain doom appeared in his eyes. He turned to Legolas, "take her and run for the mountains!"
Legolas nodded briefly, feeling the pain of leaving Aragorn and Gimli alone to fight an army rip through his heart, but he knew there was no other way. He seized Savina's arm and started to drag her toward the mountains. They weren't far; if he and Savina ran they could reach them in fifteen or twenty minutes.
Savina jerked her arm away and started at Aragorn furiously, "I will not run without you and Gimli! If you stay and fight, so will I!"
Legolas gritted his teeth and pulled at her arm, glancing desperately toward the black army, which was still a ways off, but moving at an incredible speed. "Come on!"
"No!" Savina yanked her arm free and danced away from him, "if I run there better be three others running with me."
Aragorn glanced at the army, then back at Savina. They had time to escape, what good would it do to die and leave Legolas and Savina alone? "Fine, we will run!" He shoved Savina forward, but she was already off, running as lightly as a deer.
It was not a long run, they had run much farther and much longer, but it was hard for Gimli, with his short legs, to keep up. They ran hard, heads down, arms pumping, and reached the mountains in little more than twelve minutes.
Aragorn skidded to a stop at the foot of the mountain and looked up at it in despair, it was extremely steep and to climb it would take hours, and they didn't have hours, they hardly had minutes.
Savina gasped for breath and bent over, her hands on her knees. She stared at the mountain in despair that matched Aragorn's, there was nowhere they could hide, no caves, no passes, no trails, nothing.
Aragorn drew his sword and turned back toward the black army, which was drawing ever closer. Then he looked slowly at the companions, feeling the panic of helplessness rise in his throat, the pain of not being able to protect those he loved and those who followed and loved him. "At least we will die fighting…together."
Legolas nodded and drew an arrow, looking grim but determined.
Gimli, still catching his breath from the run, closed his eyes, his lips moving silently, then opened them and set his feet apart in his usual battle stance.
The black army drew nearer.
Legolas glanced at Aragorn, "how long do you think we have?"
Aragorn chewed his lip, "five minutes."