Chapter 3: Weary Travelers

In the entirely different dimension of Middle Earth…a journey was being taken. The travelers consisted of an elf, a dwarf, two hobbits and a ranger. These unique individuals had once helped save their entire land by thwarting the advances of the evil Sauran, and destroying the ring of power. That journey alone changed all of them considerably. For instance the wandering Ranger was now King of Gondor, the hapless hobbits were now mighty warriors for their size, and the elf and the dwarf, once life-long enemies were now the greatest of friends, with only death if anything would be able to part them.

The five travelers sped along the beautiful countryside on horses and ponies that the King had lent them; ponies for the hobbits, and horses for everyone else. They had been contacted by their old friend Gandalf the White to immediately make their way to Fangorn Forrest. They had literally dropped all that they were doing, and jumped to do his bidding. He had saved them from certain death and destruction before, they would trust him with their lives. Gandalf had been brief in his description, only instructing them to depart to the forest immediately, to seek out two individuals: an elf and a human…both women. He would meet them there, and explain everything at that time.

"By my pony's swishing tail…are we there yet?!" Pippin asked for the umpteenth time that day. His companion, Merry, glanced over at him wearily, his eyes telling that he was wondering the exact same thing. The two hobbits weren't world renown for their patience.

"Patience my young knight." Strider, also known as Aragorn laughed. As Aragorn he is the King of Gondor, as Strider he is the wandering Ranger who crosses lands to help people in need. This alias allows him to visit foreign lands without the problems of having a king visit. As instructed, his traveling companions use his name Strider when visiting towns or near civilization. As they near villages and other settlements he wears his hood to protect his face from prying eyes. If anyone recognized him as both Strider and Aragorn, his life as a ranger would be doomed. "We shall arrive soon enough."

"My aching arse would beg to differ." Merry mumbled discontentedly.

"What was that?" Aragorn asked, glancing back at him.

"Nothing!" Merry replied instantly. He knew Aragorn from that day they stayed at the Prancing Pony. He was a great King, and a good friend, but Merry never wanted to test how far his endurance would take him. Pippin was employed by Aragorn as a knight, and owed him complete loyalty, which Pippin gave without thought. Merry also gave Aragorn his loyalty, but he was glad that he wouldn't have to obey his every word whenever he asked.

"Tell me Legolas," Gimli the dwarf's deep voice boomed out. "What do your elf eyes see?" From the very first time that Legolas and Gimli rode a horse together, for lack of better options, they've never rode alone. Gimli had once been afraid of being thrown from a horse he was given to ride, and Legolas had offered to ride with him that day. Ever since then, they always rode together: Legolas in front, Gimli behind him.

The blonde elf Legolas, squinted across the countryside. His dark blue eyes could see beyond that of mortal men, dwarfs and hobbits. He leaned a bit forward then suddenly he exclaimed excitedly. "I see the trees of Fangorn!" Though reluctant to admit it, he was eager to get off the horse and walk beneath the ancient trees one again.

"How far?" Aragorn asked, looking from Legolas to the landscape, and back to Legolas again.

"If we ride hard when can make it there by dusk." Legolas nodded, as if to confirm his thought.

Aragorn almost laughed when he saw the faces of the two hobbits, showing their disdain toward one another. "Come my young hobbits. We shall ride hard now, and have rest for our weary bodies by this evening. Let us ride hard." He nudged his stallion in the flanks, and took off in a hard gallop toward the Fangorn Forrest. Legolas and Gimli followed suit.

"I don't suppose we could just rest here and meet him in the morning?" Merry asked Pippin hopefully. Pippin smiled in an apologetic way, then nudged his pony in the flanks, and galloped after the trio as a reply. "Guess that's a 'no' then." Merry mumbled, and followed suit.

* * *

The unlikely elf and human sat around a campfire, being used to stew a hog the two had captured earlier. Vywien sat on a rock, untangling the strands of her hair that had been loose. Zayn, in the mean time, was working on the stew and digging through her carpet bag. The small fire permitted enough light to allow the two to feel a sense of security, laying between the Fangorn Forest and the lands of Gondor. Zayn smiles, "So, you've lived in Fangorn for your entire life?"

The elf nods, "Yes, I have heard from Treebeard that there are other races out there and even more of my kind. Yet I have never seen any until this day." Zayn sets the metal spoon beside the fire, and sits on a rock opposite Vywien. "Who is this Treebeard you always speak of? Is he an elf too?" Vywien laughs, "No, he's a Ent. It's like a walking tree that talks and takes care of the forest. They are really great, though they speak very slowly." She crosses her legs, and begins braiding all of her hair and fastening it with a leather string, "Tell me about yourself. I've spoken about my past and experiences but have yet to hear from you."

Zayn smiles sheepishly, and wonders if she should tell her new friend about being a thief. "Well, ever since I was very young, I have been by myself. Both of my parents were killed in the war for the ring of power, leaving me as an orphan and outcast. Had we lived in a large settlement or village someone would have been assigned to take care of me, but we had lived in the outskirts of the Rohan. Orks attacked the village and destroyed everyone. I had escaped by hiding myself in some manure we used for the fields. Since that day, I've been a loner and outcast doing whatever I can to live." She lowers her head and looks at the wood crackling in the fire. "I have been known to steal when what I needed costs too much.' turning to look at the elf 'I don't mean it in any nefarious manner I just need stuff so I can live."

Vywien while listening to the story, lets everything sink in. "I guess I can understand that. Living here everything I use is given to me by nature. These clothes though, ' fingers her dark green leather top and dark pants, ' were a gift found by the Ents." Zayn smiles, grabs several small bowls from her pack. "Do you want some soup? It's not much, but I -- " She stops talking as she sees Vywien's expression of concentration, and worry. "... What's wrong? ... " The fair elf puts her finger to her lips, and whispers gently "I hear someone..."