Leading her chestnut colored horse out of the stables, Destini took one
last full look at Rivendell. King Elrond watched her ready the stallion
before turning to Aragorn, Elwyn and Legolas. "Her mother's last wish was
that girl to stay safe."
"And we will honor her wish." Legolas said wisely.
Aragorn bowed slightly, "We will protect her."
Remaining quiet, Elwyn wasn't sure how much of a help she would be. The grip on her bow tightened and she cast a glance at Elrond. "You need not worry."
"I know, Elwyn of Mirkwood." The wise king said and smiled slightly.
The task was not going to be anything like a walk in the park. They all knew it. After a long and emotional farewell, the four mounted their horses. Aragorn took the lead, Destini in second, Elwyn in third and Legolas bringing up the rear. They climbed the crooked cliffs carefully, Rivendell soon disappearing behind them. Destini kicked her horse in its sides and it jolted forward next to Aragorn. "Where are we headed, exactly?"
"Oh, we'll only stop in towns when we need to. Our main goal is to get to Mount Doom alive." Aragorn replied.
"Sounds fun," Destini murmured and drove her stallion back in line.
Up and down twisted paths the four went, hardly any conversing going on between them. The steeds whinnied every so often but there wasn't much else. Hours passed without worry until Legolas jerked his head up. "There is something nearing us."
Elwyn became alert and pulled out an arrow. If she had to attack suddenly, she'd be prepared. Footsteps pounding the ground could be heard by human ears and the two non-magic folk unsheathed their long swords. There wasn't much of an idea of what was coming for them but it wanted the Ring. badly. A memory flashed in Legolas' mind. "Ringwraiths."
Aragorn looked at the elf prince. "You're sure?"
"I can see them now." Elwyn said.
Dropping the Ring under her shirt, Destini readied for a possible battle. "We can't just stand here and wait for the Ringwraiths to come for us. Run!"
The horses raced forward, the beats of their hooves pounding against the Earth. An ear-piercing scream echoed off the trees and Aragorn knew Legolas had been right. It was the most frightening thing Destini had ever heard. Ringwraiths were said to be one of the greatest evils of Mordor. There was no reason the travelers shouldn't fear for their lives. Now, the dark riders could be seen gaining up behind them. Their swords were drawn and pointed forward at the small fellowship. The ground trembled from the horses' thunderous beat of their hoofs. Ringwraiths at them again and kept hastened their pace. Aragorn looked over his shoulder, growling since running was useless in this situation. After a moment of hesitation, he called out to Legolas, "We have to fight otherwise our enemies will never stop the chase."
Legolas nodded and shot one of the Ringwraiths in the arm, causing it to screech and fall out of line. "Just keep going! Elwyn and I shall slow them down!"
While the two elves shot at the dark riders, the humans prepared for the worst. The Ringwraith that was leading the rest hissed at them.
"Wulope."
Looking back, Destini narrowed her eyes at the hooded figure. Kill the leader and the rest will fall. for now, at least. Taking careful aim, Destini threw her sword straight at the leader, relieving it of its head. It dropped like a rock onto the ground and the rest of the Ringwraiths shrieked, retreating. They would have to wait.
After dismounting her horse, Destini moved to her sword and picked it up, examining the cold steel. It still looked new and had no scratches on it. "Odd." she thought.
Aragorn came up next to the auburn-haired girl, "Maybe I underestimated you, Destini. You have a good aim."
"Curse those hooded riders." Elwyn grumbled as she came back with a handful of used arrows.
"Well. Now we know we are being watched," Aragorn said aloud.
Legolas gave his comrade a slight smirk, "And we also know that our small defenses are not weak in the least."
Sheathing her sword, Destini turned to the others. "Lets keep moving. Those Wraiths will be back."
Once more, they mounted on their horses, which gave out whinnies of uneasiness. Elwyn whispered a few Elvish words to her stallion and it calmed while Destini stroked the neck of her own horse. Aragorn glanced to Legolas and raised an eyebrow, "What is that strange bond with women and horses?"
Legolas laughed.
"Really! I would like to know."
Elwyn suddenly looked to them; "We must go Hobbiton. It's in the Shire."
"What for?" questioned Destini.
"I have heard that hobbits are friendly and could be a great help to us. We may be able to hide from the Nazgul as well for a short period of time." Elwyn responded with a smile.
This time, Elwyn was leading Aragorn, Destini and Legolas for only she knew where the Shire lay. At one time, she heard fascinating stories about the land where tiny folk lived. It seemed like they would be traveling non-stop for a long period time.
After quite a few exhausting days, Destini called out to her companions ahead of her, "The horses are tired. We need to let them rest as well as ourselves."
Aragorn nodded in agreement.
Everyone dismounted his or her stallions and Elwyn tied the reigns to a skinny tree that was nearby. A horse nearly stepped on Legolas' foot, causing him to leap back with a yelp. The other three chuckled at this but the smile upon Destini's face soon faded. She began to feel faint and stumbled backwards. Aragorn quickly caught her in his arms before she hit the ground, "Destini?"
The girl groaned slightly, "Just. light-headed."
"I knew we had been riding for far too long," Elwyn said to herself as she removed her quiver.
There was an uneasy silence between them before all four sat on the grass. Pulling out an apple for each of them, Aragorn handed the fruit to each of them. Destini set it aside for the moment and flopped on her back, closing her eyes with a small sigh. Finding that this was a good idea, the other three did the same. A short nap wouldn't hurt. However, minutes turned into hours and it wasn't long before night had fallen upon them and it grew extremely late.
"And we will honor her wish." Legolas said wisely.
Aragorn bowed slightly, "We will protect her."
Remaining quiet, Elwyn wasn't sure how much of a help she would be. The grip on her bow tightened and she cast a glance at Elrond. "You need not worry."
"I know, Elwyn of Mirkwood." The wise king said and smiled slightly.
The task was not going to be anything like a walk in the park. They all knew it. After a long and emotional farewell, the four mounted their horses. Aragorn took the lead, Destini in second, Elwyn in third and Legolas bringing up the rear. They climbed the crooked cliffs carefully, Rivendell soon disappearing behind them. Destini kicked her horse in its sides and it jolted forward next to Aragorn. "Where are we headed, exactly?"
"Oh, we'll only stop in towns when we need to. Our main goal is to get to Mount Doom alive." Aragorn replied.
"Sounds fun," Destini murmured and drove her stallion back in line.
Up and down twisted paths the four went, hardly any conversing going on between them. The steeds whinnied every so often but there wasn't much else. Hours passed without worry until Legolas jerked his head up. "There is something nearing us."
Elwyn became alert and pulled out an arrow. If she had to attack suddenly, she'd be prepared. Footsteps pounding the ground could be heard by human ears and the two non-magic folk unsheathed their long swords. There wasn't much of an idea of what was coming for them but it wanted the Ring. badly. A memory flashed in Legolas' mind. "Ringwraiths."
Aragorn looked at the elf prince. "You're sure?"
"I can see them now." Elwyn said.
Dropping the Ring under her shirt, Destini readied for a possible battle. "We can't just stand here and wait for the Ringwraiths to come for us. Run!"
The horses raced forward, the beats of their hooves pounding against the Earth. An ear-piercing scream echoed off the trees and Aragorn knew Legolas had been right. It was the most frightening thing Destini had ever heard. Ringwraiths were said to be one of the greatest evils of Mordor. There was no reason the travelers shouldn't fear for their lives. Now, the dark riders could be seen gaining up behind them. Their swords were drawn and pointed forward at the small fellowship. The ground trembled from the horses' thunderous beat of their hoofs. Ringwraiths at them again and kept hastened their pace. Aragorn looked over his shoulder, growling since running was useless in this situation. After a moment of hesitation, he called out to Legolas, "We have to fight otherwise our enemies will never stop the chase."
Legolas nodded and shot one of the Ringwraiths in the arm, causing it to screech and fall out of line. "Just keep going! Elwyn and I shall slow them down!"
While the two elves shot at the dark riders, the humans prepared for the worst. The Ringwraith that was leading the rest hissed at them.
"Wulope."
Looking back, Destini narrowed her eyes at the hooded figure. Kill the leader and the rest will fall. for now, at least. Taking careful aim, Destini threw her sword straight at the leader, relieving it of its head. It dropped like a rock onto the ground and the rest of the Ringwraiths shrieked, retreating. They would have to wait.
After dismounting her horse, Destini moved to her sword and picked it up, examining the cold steel. It still looked new and had no scratches on it. "Odd." she thought.
Aragorn came up next to the auburn-haired girl, "Maybe I underestimated you, Destini. You have a good aim."
"Curse those hooded riders." Elwyn grumbled as she came back with a handful of used arrows.
"Well. Now we know we are being watched," Aragorn said aloud.
Legolas gave his comrade a slight smirk, "And we also know that our small defenses are not weak in the least."
Sheathing her sword, Destini turned to the others. "Lets keep moving. Those Wraiths will be back."
Once more, they mounted on their horses, which gave out whinnies of uneasiness. Elwyn whispered a few Elvish words to her stallion and it calmed while Destini stroked the neck of her own horse. Aragorn glanced to Legolas and raised an eyebrow, "What is that strange bond with women and horses?"
Legolas laughed.
"Really! I would like to know."
Elwyn suddenly looked to them; "We must go Hobbiton. It's in the Shire."
"What for?" questioned Destini.
"I have heard that hobbits are friendly and could be a great help to us. We may be able to hide from the Nazgul as well for a short period of time." Elwyn responded with a smile.
This time, Elwyn was leading Aragorn, Destini and Legolas for only she knew where the Shire lay. At one time, she heard fascinating stories about the land where tiny folk lived. It seemed like they would be traveling non-stop for a long period time.
After quite a few exhausting days, Destini called out to her companions ahead of her, "The horses are tired. We need to let them rest as well as ourselves."
Aragorn nodded in agreement.
Everyone dismounted his or her stallions and Elwyn tied the reigns to a skinny tree that was nearby. A horse nearly stepped on Legolas' foot, causing him to leap back with a yelp. The other three chuckled at this but the smile upon Destini's face soon faded. She began to feel faint and stumbled backwards. Aragorn quickly caught her in his arms before she hit the ground, "Destini?"
The girl groaned slightly, "Just. light-headed."
"I knew we had been riding for far too long," Elwyn said to herself as she removed her quiver.
There was an uneasy silence between them before all four sat on the grass. Pulling out an apple for each of them, Aragorn handed the fruit to each of them. Destini set it aside for the moment and flopped on her back, closing her eyes with a small sigh. Finding that this was a good idea, the other three did the same. A short nap wouldn't hurt. However, minutes turned into hours and it wasn't long before night had fallen upon them and it grew extremely late.