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Chapter Ten

Disclaimer- No, Idon't own LOTR or anyone in it (I just wish I did) Don't bother suing me cause i;VE got no money. Feel free to Read and Review: flame if you want, but flames will be sent to Mordor. Enjoy!

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The small group of broken Fellowship members traveled for endless day, persistent in their pursuit of the Uruk-Hi and the captured Hobbits. Periods of rest were short, allowing them to sleep little and eat and drink enough to survive through the day. Words, for the most part, were unnecessary unless used in short exchanges over directions of the like.

Then came a point when Aragorn turned off the path beaten by the iron-shod orcs. Bending, he pulled from the mud a brooch of Lorien, one of the ones gifted to each of the Nine and to both female additions to the company.

"Not idly do the leaves of Lorien fall." murmured Aragorn, showing the pin to the small company.

Arlywren gave a sigh of frustration. "We travel too slowly! Saruman will have the little ones before we are partly there!"

Gimli growled, "And what would you have us do, Mistress Enchanter? Go without food or rest till we drop where we stand? What good would we then be to them?"

Arlywren frowned and started to reply, but stopped and turned, rounding on Sitara. "You! You can feed your power through us all and shift us into beast of the air!" She smiled triumphantly, even as Sitara frowned.

"I would not know where to begin such a spell, Wren! And it would surly drain me of any magic I have!"

Arlywren shook her head as the three men and Sitara began moving forward again. "It is a simple enough spell, Sitara! Just concentrate on your goal." The older woman pulled her charge to a halt. "Just try it. I can use my own power to tie our mind together and keep us from becoming separated in the air."

Sitara turned pleading eyes towards the others, unwilling to try anything so powerful yet. Aragorn and Legolas watched her with expressions of the same mind.

"It would save us time, Mistress..." commented Aragorn.

Only Gimli frowned. "I do not think I like the idea of changing bodies." he stated in his gruff manner.

Arlywren frowned at Gimli. "Just try, Sitara. As your teacher, I commander it of you. For the sake of Merry and Pippin if for nothing else!" She cried, a sharp edge sounding her aggravation.

Sitara sighed, but closed her eyes and curled trembling fingers around the dove charm. A faint blue glow appeared around the tips of her fingers, flickered weakly, and died, fading into nothing. Sitara gave an almost relieved sigh, though tinged with annoyance, and released her grip on the necklace.

With a shake of her head, she turned back to the trail left by the Uruk-Hi. "Tis a hopeless effort, Arlywren. My mind is too unsettled to work such a complicated spell."

Something in the younger woman's voice made Arlywren's features soften as the small compant began to move forward again. "I am sorry, Dove, she sighed. It is the worry and frustration getting to me."

Sitara didn't look back at her friend, but continued forward with the barest of shrugs as she passed the others by. The company traveled in silence for quite awhile afterwards, the pace now set by a relentless Sitara who sought more then just Hobbits.

But it was broken just after noon later that day by the thundering of many riders approaching. The company pulled aside to watch the riders pass, and even as they did, the great assembly came into eyeshot and soon came past the remaining members of the Fellowship.

"What news from the North, Riders of Rohan?" called Aragorn.

With the smoothness of much practice, the Riders wheeled around to surround the smaller company.

"And what would a Ranger, and Elf, and a Dwarf want of the Riders? Identify yourselves." Ordered a man at the head of the Riders.

"Tell us your name, Horse Master, and we shall tell you ours," growled Gimli, hefting his ax menacingly.

"I would chop off your head, Dwarf, if your head was but a little higher." Came the reply.

Legolas had an arrow notched in his bow before Gimli had a chance to reply. "Do so, and you would be dead before your sword reached his neck!" The sound of a thousand spears falling into place was heard as the Riders prepared to defend their leader.

Arlywren, about to speak, heard the sounds of retreating hoof beats. Turning to make a comment to Sitara instead, she found her friend absent. At that moment, an unhorsed Rider appeared beside Eomer. "My Lord, a female that was a part of this group," he nodded to the remaining members of the Fellowship, "Came up to me and asked about my horse's name. I was in the midst of telling her about him, when she pushed me off and mounted him. Rode away quicker then I thought was possible for a lady like herself."

Whirling around, Arlywren pushed her way through the mass of horsemen, coming to the edge just in time to see Sitara's withdrawing form, already some distance away from the two groups. Arlywren gave a cheerless sigh.

Eomer, leader of the Riders, appeared beside her, closely followed by the three members of the Fellowship who had witnessed Arlywren's hurried retreat. "Part of your group, Aragorn?" queried Eomer.

Aragorn nodded, watching Sitara's fleeing form. "I know not why she would take flight as such. But I would be grateful if you would send one or two of your riders after her."

"No" Arlywren interrupted. "Let her go." She sighed softly, a frown forming on her face, as if indecision made her hesitate. "She rides to her destiny."

The others watched her with questions in their eyes, but Arlywren remained silent, watching her friend disappear over the horizon.

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Tear fell and dried on Sitara's cheeks, a tremble shaking her shoulders. Beneath her, a dapple-gray stallion surged forward, heading for its unknown destination. "Where are we going, Firestorm? Where are you going to take me?" Sitara wondered aloud, her grip loose upon the reins, her gaze falling on the fast approaching horizon. She cared not where she ended up, only of getting away from her past and unwanted present.

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A/N- Wow, that chapter was a long time in coming, no? Yeah, well, I've been busy with school, other stories, and my life. Not to mention writer's block. -.- Oh Well. Hope you enjoyed it! ~*Lisa*~