Here's chapter 6 for you. Read, review, and enjoy!

Melia()- Glad you love it! ^_^

Radiion- Here's the next chapter, and read to see if they meet again! Yes I've got the hint!

Elrrina- OTT- Over The Top! Was it? Please say if it was. Thanks. Glad you like Unadith.

sweet-babi-fox- Thanks you! I updated soon…the very next day!

Gilraen3.

Chapter 6, Journeys and Discoveries.

  For a few days, Rinamarth galloped along, not knowing what direction she was going in, or where she even was, she just had to get away from Rivendell. She stopped only to collect fresh water and to let Aistel have a quick rest. All the time, she was thinking about home, her friends, family, and Legolas. She missed him dearly, and would give anything to have him here with her. But he wasn't, and she had to keep going. But after a few days, Aistel was exhausted, as was Rinamarth, so she stopped, and rested in a small clump of trees. She didn't mean to fall asleep, but she did.

  The dream returned.

"Good girl," the witch told her. "Keep going in the direction you are heading. You will soon come very close to Isengard. Avoid it! Go through the gap of Rohan, and in a straight line. Good girl."

Rinamarth woke with a start. She collected up her things, mounted Aistel, and followed the witches' directions. She did not know it at the time, but she was under a spell. The witch had got to her through her dreams, and cast a spell over her to obey every word she said. She would lead her all over Middle-Earth, making her exhausted, weary. She would have to abandon Aistel, because the horse wouldn't be able to manage the long and tiresome journey. She would be weak, helpless. The witch would send her Orcs out, and they would come upon her, somewhere far from help, and they would kill her. Then she would finally have her revenge on Elrond.

Elrond, the Lord who ruined her people, who killed her family. She had been the only survivor, and she had vowed to get her revenge. She knew how close he was to his children, Rinamarth especially. She had got to him that way. Just a little more time, and her plan would be fulfilled.

  Legolas left Mirkwood, and headed South. If he knew the story well enough, he knew the witch would have something to do with it. He had no one else with him, he had wanted to go alone. He galloped along on Jaiston, hardly stopping. Jaiston was young, fit, and ready to take on any task his master had to do. He was swift, and never let anyone fall. They went along at a brilliant pace, covering miles and miles each day. He had no idea whereabouts the witch was, but it was in the South somewhere, near the shadowed land of Mordor.

  Rinamarth did what the witch said, and soon came into the country of Rohan. The witch used special powers to make her and Aistel weaker and weaker. As she sped alongside Fangorn Forest, her strength got worse and worse. Soon, Aistel couldn't even take one more step. She collapsed with Rinamarth still riding her. Rinamarth slid to the ground, and struggled to get to her feet. She left Aistel food and water, and carried on by foot. Aistel stayed in the shade of the trees, watching her mistress walk further and further away. She wanted to let her ride her, but she was too weak. She lay down, and stayed there.

  Rinamarth walked slowly on, step by step. The sun was blaring down on her, and she wished to wear her dress. But it would make her too recognisable. Not that there was anyone to recognise her anyway, but she did not realise this. The witches' power over her was too strong, and she lost all her own thoughts. She rested every now and then, and the witch would send her more instructions. She would send poor Rinamarth round in circles, all across Rohan, and back again, maybe by a longer route. Rinamarths' supplies were fast running out, but there was nothing she could do. She eventually collapsed onto the floor, and lay unconscious. The witch saw how weak she was, and sent out her scouts.

"She is 8 miles Northeast of Edoras," she told them. They were all Orcs, big, black, and ugly. They carried spears, swords, and bows with huge black arrows. They were awful creatures, tortured and beaten, but they were bred for one purpose; to kill Rinamarth. They set out, and could run only in darkness, maybe dim sunlight. The sun was their enemy, and could hurt them.

  The witch had been careful to keep Rinamarth away from any place where there were people. Most Men despised Elves anyway, but she couldn't risk it. She cackled as she saw Rinamarth struggle to get to her feet, then fall helplessly back to the ground. It would take her Orcs a few days to reach her, but they would eventually get there, and carry out their duty. She sent out scout after scout, a scout a day, just to make sure.

  After a few days, Legolas had to rest. He had come a long way, and he congratulated Jaiston on getting him so far so quickly. He looked round at the place where he was. He was a few miles East of Lórien, but he could not go there. It would delay him too long. After a few hours, Jaiston was fit to gallop again. They set off, and carried on going south. Legolas refused to give up hope. He still wore Rinamarths' chain round his neck, and it gave him hope and courage to continue. He was well armed, he had his knives, his bow and arrows, and a sword. He had plenty of supplies, and could last a long while yet.

When he came to the River Anduin though, he was stuck. It was wide and deep. Jaiston would not be able to make it all the way across. He looked around. A bit further downstream. the current wasn't too strong. They could risk swimming across. He looked at Jaiston. He just nodded his head up and down as if to say; "I can do it, let's go!" Legolas gently led him into the water. He was a strong swimmer himself, and could just about make it with Jaistons' help. The horse was strong, and helped his master across. It took them a while, but they eventually made it. They climbed up the far bank, dripping wet, cold, but alive. The sun was shining, and they soon dried off.

  He galloped along, continuously going south. He could see Fangorn Forest in the distance, and was sure he could see something by the border. It looked suspiciously like a horse. He decided to investigate. Don't forget, Elves can spot the difference between two birds a league away. He headed in that direction.

  As he drew closer, he could see that it was indeed a horse, and no ordinary horse either. It was an Elvish mare. He quickened Jaistons' pace. He got to the horse, and knelt down beside it. He recognised her straight away.

"Aistel," he whispered, stroking her. She feebly lifted her head to look at him.

"Ya-na Rinamarth? (Where is Rinamarth?)" he asked. She tilted her head Southeast.

"I knew it!" Legolas said to himself. Aistel was very weak. He could see the remains of the food and water that had been left for her. He gave her some more. It seemed to revive her slightly, and after a while, she managed to stand up. But Legolas couldn't afford to wait much longer. He needed to be off.

"Pole-le cela? (Can you run?)"  he asked her. She nodded. He gave her some more food and water, and they cantered off, Aistel leading the way. She had carefully watched the direction Rinamarth had gone in, and knew where to go. 

   Meanwhile, the Orcs were getting closer and closer to their target. The witch no longer spoke to Rinamarth, there was no need. Every now and then, Rinamarth would struggle to her feet, and walk a bit, sometimes towards the approaching Orcs, sometimes away from them. But she had no clue as to where she was, or even who she was. She stumbled blindly along, not knowing where to go. She had almost run out of food and water. She would die of starvation or thirst before anyone found her. Sometimes, she would remember home, and wonder what was going on there.

  A lot was happening in Rivendell. Elrond had sent out loads of people to look for his beloved daughter. He knew the witch had done this, and she would be in the South. So everyone was heading that way, with Legolas in the lead. Elrond would pace his study every day, waiting for news of her, but none came. Galadriel had Elves in Lórien on the lookout, but there was nothing from there. Thranduil had sent his one and only son to look for her, but no news frm him either. Celebrían was frantic with worry, but tried to stay calm. Arwen wanted to go out herself and search, but her father would not let her.

"I will not let my only other daughter go out into unseen dangers," he told her. Elrohir and Elladan were out looking, but they had found nothing. He felt so helpless.

"All these years I have lived on this Earth, I have never felt so much worry as I do at this moment," he would say every day. He would stand on the balcony of his study, and look out over his city. There was no light or song, No one would sing without Rinamarth. Rivendell was silent, almost like a graveyard. He would look to the South, and wonder if his daughter was still alive.

  She was, but only just. She had started heading back north, and the witch had to stop her.

"Wrong way my dear," she would whisper, and Rinamarth would be forced to turn around and head South again. She now had no food at all, and a very limited water supply. If she didn't find a river or stream soon, she would surely die of thirst.

  Legolas galloped along, certain he was getting closer. Finding Aistel had given him new and refreshed hope. In his heart, he knew Rinamarth was still alive, and this encouraged him further on. Soon, he was in the middle of nowhere, the centre of Rohan. He would search on the ground for any traces of Rinamarth, and found a few things. A band that had held one of her braids in place, he found lying on the floor. It was a miracle he saw it, for it was so small. He could see where she had stumbled, and made marks on the ground. A piece of ripped material from her tunic. She had fallen, and cut her leg on a rock. She had used it to bandage the wound, then discarded it. It was soaked in her blood. This worried him greatly, and so pushed further and further on.

  The Orcs soon found her. She had seen them coming from miles away, and had tried to hide herself, but to no avail. They knew she was there, exhausted, weak, dying of hunger and thirst. She would be an easy match.

  Legolas saw them too, in the far distance. There were not hard to spot, Orcs. They were so big and loud, it was hard not to see them. He could see they were excited about something. Then, he spied a tiny figure hunched on the ground, wrapped in an Elven cloak. "Rinamarth," he whispered, and galloped faster and faster. He worked out the witch's plan. She had made Rinamarth weak, so weak she wouldn't be able to fight. She would send out her Orcs to kill her. He had to reach her before they did. Aistel had to stop after a while, but Legolas continued. He was so close, but the Orcs were slightly closer. Just a bit further and…

He fixed an arrow to his bow, and shot it with all his might. It hit the very front Orc, and he slumped to the ground. The others stopped in shock, and looked to see where the arrow had come from. So did Rinamarth. She saw an Elf, riding a white stallion, firing arrows right over her and into the oncoming Orcs. They fell, one by one. They started firing back, but missed every time. Legolas reached Rinamarth, jumped down, and scooped her onto Jaiston.

"Noro lim! (ride fast!)" he whispered to him. Jaiston galloped off back to the waiting Aistel, being careful not to drop his precious rider. Legolas turned back to the Orcs. They were mad! He grinned slightly, and the fight began.

Arrows whizzed through the air, hitting Orcs, but not Legolas. He was too quick and nimble on his feet for them. When he could not use his arrows, he would bring out his knives, and he fought brilliantly with those. He would stab, slice, and cut. From her spot on Jaiston a few hundred metres away, Rinamarth watched it all. She knew it was Legolas, and couldn't let him fight all those Orcs alone. She tried to go back, but Jaiston and Aistel stopped her. She just had to helplessly watch.

  Legolas fought continuously, slaying Orc after Orc. Just a few more and he would be done. He already had a gash in his left shoulder, but that didn't stop him. Suddenly, he felt a great pain all down his right cheek. He raised his hand, and it came away covered in blood. He turned to his right. An Orc stood there, holding a knife with Legolas' blood on the blade. In one fell swoop; he lay dead on the floor with no head. A few more to go, and that would be that. They soon all lay dead at his feet. He turned and ran back to Rinamarth. He knew there would be more Orcs on the way, and they needed to get out of there.

  He reached her, and she cried out at the sight of his cheek. Then, she collapsed to the floor. Legolas caught her, and lifted her onto Jaiston.

"Aistel, tul, (come)" he commanded the horse. He jumped up behind Rinamarth, held her tightly round the waist, and galloped off, Aistel quickly following. He headed North.

  From her place in her tower, the witch saw everything.

"No!" she cried. She commanded her Orcs to speed up, and to travel in daylight whether they died or not. They had to obey her. She sent out spells to try and stop them, and they shot across Middle-Earth to their targets. Legolas could feel something approaching, and he looked back. The spells were in the form of shooting stars, all different colours. He had natural magic as an Elf, but knew only a few spells himself. Including a powerful barrier. He cast it, and it stopped the oncoming bad spells. It bought him a bit of time. He speeded the horses up. If he reached the river, he might just be safe, but it was still a few miles away. His cheek was stinging really painfully, but he ignored it. He would probably have a scar, but he didn't care. All he was worried about was getting Rinamarth safely home. His shoulder really hurt too, but not as much as his cheek. The wind dried the blood, but was harsh against the wound.

  The witch saw the barrier, and knew her spells would be useless if she sent them out, he would just make another barrier. There was only one thing left. She would have to go there herself. She could send herself from one place to another using magic, so she transported herself to the riverbanks, and there, she waited. She called to her Orcs to slow down; she could deal with it. She made herself invisible, so Legolas would not see her before he got there.

  He soon saw the river, and sped up a bit. The horses were tiring, but they kept going. They knew they had to. As they drew nearer, they sensed something evil there. Legolas could feel it too, but he had to get there. The witch saw him coming, and smiled to herself. He slowed up at the banks, and slid down. He gently pulled Rinamarth down, and lay her on the ground. He gingerly felt his cheek. It was exceedingly painful, but Rinamarth came first. He sat her up against himself, and tried to bring her round. He tipped a tiny bit of water into her mouth, and her eyes opened a fraction.

"Legolas," she whispered.

"Yes, shh now, you're safe."

"That's what you think," the witch said, appearing to them. She was tall, slim, had long black hair, and her eyes were a bright green. She held a knife in one hand, and another hung at her waist. Legolas jumped to his feet.

"You will not harm her again," he said. She laughed.

"Really, and who's going to stop me, you? How can you if you're dead?!" She swung her knife at him. He was exhausted from fighting earlier, but he was still alert. He missed her aim, and ducked down. Her eyes seemed to have fire in them. She was mad for missing him. She tried again, but he stopped her using his own knife. He swung it upwards, it flew up in the air, and he nimbly caught it as it fell back down. She glared at him. She took out her other knife, and used that. But he was ready. They fought long and hard, their knives flashing silver in the sunlight. He managed to cut her arm, and she howled in pain. She kept aiming for his head, but he was just too quick.

They ran along the banks of the river, occasionally entering it to get away from the other. Legolas had another cut in his arm, and she had a huge gash all down her right leg where he had been on the floor, and she had stood over him, her knife poised. He had slashed her leg, and she fell to the ground. He scrambled up, but she was back up quickly. She ran at him, and pushed him to the ground. He hit his head on a rock, and the world went blurry. She cackled.

"Now it is time, Legolas Greenleaf, for you to die!" she held her knife above his head, and was about to plunge it down into his chest, when she was kicked into the river. Jaiston had come to his masters' rescue. Whilst she was distracted, he had galloped over and using his powerful front legs, had kicked her into the centre of the river. The blow killed her instantly. She gradually sunk to the bottom of the river, and was never seen again. The Orcs knew their Queen was dead, and they all fell down themselves, dead. For when she died, they died with her.

  Jaiston nuzzled his master with his nose. Legolas was barely conscious, but he managed to say;

"Give me a hand."

He put his arms round Jaistons neck, and the horse helped him up. He stumbled over to Rinamarth. She was slipping in and out of consciousness herself. He collapsed down next to her, and felt her cheek. She was getting cold. He covered her with a cloak, and sat her upright. Her eyes flickered open. She smiled weakly at him.

"Hi," she whispered. He smiled back. He gave her food and water.

"Get some rest," he whispered, and lay her down.

"Your cheek though."

"It'll be fine, don't worry." He kissed her, and went to sort it out himself. He went to the river, and looked at his reflection. He saw the great cut down his right cheek, and carefully touched it. He winced at his own touch. He scooped some water into his hands, and washed his face. It stung like hell. He washed his arm, and bandaged it using a bit of cloth. The other cut wasn't so bad, and he just washed it. He went back to Rinamarth. She was sleeping peacefully, no nightmares or dreams disturbed her. He saw the cut on her leg. He gently washed it, trying not to wake her. He carefully bandaged it, and kept a look out. He would not sleep until she was well.

Hope it was ok. I've got to go and do h/w now! *sighs* Chapter 7 up soon. ^_^