Disclaimer: All characters from LOTR belong to Tolkien. The eventual other ones are from me ;)

DARK IS THE NIGHT FOR HEARTS

CHAPITRE 2 - THE RIDERS OF ROHAN

Aragorn and Gimli were continuing their way in the same direction without allowing themselves any break. Aragorn was hoping that Legolas had taken the same way earlier, probably to gain some time on their exploration. But he could only hope, for no trace of the elf could be read on the ground, even by someone as used to the elves as Aragorn. As far as he could remember of his first meeting with elves, he remembered of Legolas. And yet, after more than an hundred years, he was still unable to find his trail in the Wilderness, even if his life among elves was giving him a life-length and a resistance superior to mere humans, as well as senses as keen as those who had adopted him at the death of his father, Arathorn.

Behind him, Gimli was trying to keep the rhythm. Originally, the great resistance to physical efforts was part of Gimli's very being, but the latest days of nonstop chasing and half-sleeps were beginning to scratch that resistance. And yet, he was advancing in silence, refraining himself from commenting on the attitude sometimes so impulsive and senseless of some crazy-elf of his acquaintance.

Aragorn raised his eyes and tried to evaluate the distance between them and the dark forest of Faragorn, where the trails of Orcs seemed to lead, when suddenly he saw something on the far green, like a blurred shadow moving slowly. He flattened himself instinctively on the ground, forgetting for a moment the relative invisibility that the Lothlórien elfish cloack was providing. Behind him, Gimli did the same, even though he could only see of the plain a relatively united green color.

Aragorn couldn't distinguish yet what was the cause of that movement, but beyond it, he could glimpse a dark smoke, raising towards the sky in a thin serpentine. The plain was only silence, and Gimli could hear the wind bristling softly in the high grass. Aragorn had his ear against the ground to try to discern some unnatural sound. How Legolas' keen sight would have been useful now...

And then again, as when he woke up earlier, the certainty in his mind that Legolas was in trouble, was in a big trouble ... And that, if they didn't find him very soon, the elf's keen eyes wouldn't be the only thing they'd miss...

Suddenly, Aragorn managed to discern vague and muffled sounds, but he recognized them as soon as he heard them. He quickly jumped on his feet. "Horsemen! Several of them! And they are riding in our direction!". Gimli's hand clenched on the handle of his axe, "Did they see us?". Aragorn shook his head. There were few chances that with the distance, themselves covered with their elfish cloth, someone could notice them. Except perhaps the very elves... Perhaps... "What are we going to do?", Gimli asked with a hoarse voice.

Aragorn considered the situation for a moment, then tightened the elfish cloack around him and sat again, cross-legged. "We wait. There's no use to run away. They may be at five leagues from us as they may be at 15 leagues. But them on horses and us walking and exhausted, five or fifteen leagues won't make any difference. They come from where the orcs were, so perhaps we'll get some news."

Gimli narrowed his eyes and considered the dark and blurred shadow on the green. "I don't like that. Legolas should have come back already to warn us - if, of course, he went in that direction. We don't even know if those horsemen are human. The fact that horses stand them doesn't mean anything: Sauron raises horses that are used to the presence of creatures of the darkness. We can received news as we can received spears and swords...!"

"I never said we would surely receive good news', Aragorn retorted softly, "but good news or bad news, we shall stay here and wait. We'll judge of the behavior to adopt, once we'll know more about them". Saying that, he clenched his hand on the handle of his sword Andúril.

Unsure of what to do, Gimli considered him for a moment, before glancing around for Legolas or the hobbits. After awhile, he let go off a resignation grumble and sat also among the high grass.

For what seemed an hour to them, Gimli could perceive no difference in the sounds around him; then in a far distance came to their ears a distinct hammering. The horsemen were following the orcs' trail in the other way. They had already passed the river and were coming up the plain, their horses almost matching the wind in speed.

Now, the shouts of human voices were mixing with the other sounds. And suddenly, passing a nearby hill, they appeard clearely to Aragorn's and Gimli's sight. Aragorn made a quick estimation: They were more than an hundred. It was not a small group of orc-hunters, but almost an army of men covered with armors that were shining under the sun in this begining of afternoon. Their horses were almost of the giant ones of their kind, with their grey robe, and their mane braided over their neck. The riders mounting them were their matches in stature: tall with long legs; their pale hair gathered under light and bright helms from which it was coming out in a long braid. Their face seemed calm. In their hands were spears or swords and their shields were attached in their back.

Eventhough the horsemen seemed to pay closely attention to the landscape around them, seeking for the presence of any eventual enemies, none of them noticed the presence of the human and the dwarf. Aragorn, who never ceased to observe them, stood at once on his feet and spoke in a loud and clear voice:

"What are the news from the North, riders of Rohan?".

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And after a long wait, here's the second chapter... Sorry for those who wanted to know what happened to Legolas, you'll have to wait chapter three, or get a good french-english dictionnary and risk to read the french version of this fic (already at chapter 5 and chapter 6 at the end of this week ;-) ) Comment? :) *puppy eyes*

Don't hesitate to tell me if my english is wrong, for I lost (or someone 'borrowed for a long time') my French-English dictionnary, so I'm not sure at 100% of the terms used ^^;