As Isabelle followed the man through the forest she couldn't help but imagine what was to happen to her. Wild images stormed through her mind – being taken to Mordor, being tortured and beaten, being killed. Or what if the man just killed her straight away, instead of having to take her to the enemy's stronghold?
Suddenly the man in front stopped and turned to face her. Isabelle couldn't make out his features; a dark hood shrouded his face. He spoke, in the same low monotone as before.
"Place the bag on the ground. Hold your hands out."
Isabelle complied quickly, and the man seemed to produce a length of rope from the air. He twisted it around her wrists and pushed her gently against the nearest tree. He fastened the end of the rope to a thick branch. Isabelle watched as he strode off in the opposite direction, towards the stream where she had filled her bottle. As he grew harder to see against the darkness of the trees she started to struggle with the knots binding her wrists. It was hopeless. The knots didn't seem to be getting any looser, in fact the opposite. It was as if the more she fought against them the tighter they became. Eventually she gave in and slumped down to the ground.
Legolas pulled Aragorn aside. "I have found who was following us. It is a girl."
"A girl?" Aragorn asked. "Where is she?"
"I have bound her wrists and left her by a tree. She will not be able to escape." Legolas spoke quietly, not wanting to disturb the others, who were preparing for the night's rest.
Aragorn nodded. "Will you take me there? We need to question her, and judge whether she is a threat."
"Of course," Legolas said. "Do you wish to go now?"
"Yes. The sooner we get this over with the better."
Isabelle squinted through the darkness. Was that a man walking through the trees? She could definitely see a darker shape against the shadows. It came closer; the figure was a man, not as tall as the person who had left her against the tree. Isabelle thought about whether she should call out and ask for his help, but decided against it. She watched as the man approached still closer. She still couldn't make out his features.
He stopped in front of her.
"I might have known," he sighed. "What are you doing here?"
"Aragorn!" she cried. "Don't just stand there! Can you just untie my wrists so can leave this place before the man who brought me here comes back?"
Legolas jumped lightly from the branches of a nearby tree.
"You know this girl Aragorn?" Legolas questioned.
"She is my sister," he replied.
Suddenly the man in front stopped and turned to face her. Isabelle couldn't make out his features; a dark hood shrouded his face. He spoke, in the same low monotone as before.
"Place the bag on the ground. Hold your hands out."
Isabelle complied quickly, and the man seemed to produce a length of rope from the air. He twisted it around her wrists and pushed her gently against the nearest tree. He fastened the end of the rope to a thick branch. Isabelle watched as he strode off in the opposite direction, towards the stream where she had filled her bottle. As he grew harder to see against the darkness of the trees she started to struggle with the knots binding her wrists. It was hopeless. The knots didn't seem to be getting any looser, in fact the opposite. It was as if the more she fought against them the tighter they became. Eventually she gave in and slumped down to the ground.
Legolas pulled Aragorn aside. "I have found who was following us. It is a girl."
"A girl?" Aragorn asked. "Where is she?"
"I have bound her wrists and left her by a tree. She will not be able to escape." Legolas spoke quietly, not wanting to disturb the others, who were preparing for the night's rest.
Aragorn nodded. "Will you take me there? We need to question her, and judge whether she is a threat."
"Of course," Legolas said. "Do you wish to go now?"
"Yes. The sooner we get this over with the better."
Isabelle squinted through the darkness. Was that a man walking through the trees? She could definitely see a darker shape against the shadows. It came closer; the figure was a man, not as tall as the person who had left her against the tree. Isabelle thought about whether she should call out and ask for his help, but decided against it. She watched as the man approached still closer. She still couldn't make out his features.
He stopped in front of her.
"I might have known," he sighed. "What are you doing here?"
"Aragorn!" she cried. "Don't just stand there! Can you just untie my wrists so can leave this place before the man who brought me here comes back?"
Legolas jumped lightly from the branches of a nearby tree.
"You know this girl Aragorn?" Legolas questioned.
"She is my sister," he replied.