Chapter 15
Merry sat up quickly and embraced the man kneeling before him,
"It is good to see a familiar face in the mists" he beamed releasing his strong hold.
"You know these children, my Lord?" one man asked, frowning.
"These are no children Blaen these are Hobbits, and if I not mistaken the very hobbits that fought alongside you at the Black Gates" Faramir said looking at them hard.
"The very same" Merry smiled broadly as Faramir ruffled his curls. "But I have something to ask of you, my Lord. My friend has been wounded. They shot him and I fear the arrow was poisoned"
"I am no healer, little friend but I will have it seen to once my men have re-captured the horses"
"Re-captured?" Merry asked helping Pippin sit up.
"Yes, the Wild Men stole them from Edoras and I have been helping the
Rohirrim track them ever since."
"I thought you were in Ithilien" Pippin croaked.
"I was until we were driven out but orcs and strange creatures that chilled us"
"Nightmares"
"What ever they maybe I do not wish to confront them again" the colour drained from Faramir's face, clearly the Nightmares had shaken him.
"Neither us" Merry shuddered slightly thinking about what they had revealed to him.
"You traveled alone?" the man asked changing the subject quickly.
"No, Aragorn was with us" Merry answered glad of something else to talk of.
"Was?"
"We became separated in the mist and we don't know where he is"
Faramir placed a comforting hand on their shoulders. "Do not threat little ones, I will send out men to look for him now that the mist is clearing. Dawn will bring us answers"
Merry looked up from his red apple as the Faramir sent out five riders to find Aragorn, the mist was thinning and the surroundings began to appear around them.
Beside him one man looked at Pippin's wound as he lay in the long grass a weak sun beam piercing the mists fell onto his face. Where Merry could see the pain and disappointment in his face.
"I shouldn't even be here" Pippin muttered just loud enough for Merry to hear.
Merry leant closer as Pippin continued.
"I'm only in the way. Look I can't even look after myself. I should turn back" he moaned.
"Nonsense, Pip. Its more dangerous going back alone then it is us going forward."
"I'll make it, I'm only in the way here"
"No you're not you silly fool. It was your idea to scare off those Wild
Men. Your scream might have even saved Striders life."
"I'm a cow– ooww!" Pippin roared as the man beside him pulled out the arrow
head form his shoulder.
"There you go. It's a clean wound just needs binding" he man patted him gently. "I've seen grown men cry at the slightest cut. You're no coward Hobbit" he smiled briefly.
"See?" Merry quizzed. "Remember the fuss Gimli made when he was injured in Moria – and look at you! Not even a tear!"
"Shut up" Pippin shoved him playfully.
The mists were clearing and at the head of the ride Blaen could see clearly now. His eyes scanned the ground and horizon maintaining his wits in case Aragorn leapt out at them believing they were enemy. Though he was sure he would not do such a thing.
He stopped his horse and stared around the other four riders following him. Nothing moved, he was no Ranger he could not read tracks even if the trampled ground could be read it would not aid him very much.
"Aragorn" he called, his breath emitting a cloud from his mouth. Nothing moved, nothing replied.
Moving away his eyes kept searching but found nothing.
Disorientated Aragorn stumbled for the umpteenth time, his head wound pounding. He was glad that the ground had stopped shaking beneath his feet. The riders had past, but what had become the fate of Merry and Pippin. Turning his head to try and track the sun though the mists he was ashamed of himself, though he would not admit to anyone.
He was lost.
It hurt to think it, a Ranger lost. To anyone else it would be hilarious but to him it was distressing. Not knowing what became of Merry and Pippin, not knowing where the enemy may be, if they still are. Though he doubted the two hobbits could defeat a host of riders, he would not doubt their courage, but their ability.
Who had the other riders be? Where they the enemy hunting for him? Was the Wild Men leaving? Reinforcements?
His head swum with so many questions and his body throbbed with pain, the adrenaline of battle had faded and now he ached. He flexed his gloved hands, which creaked with drying blood, his mudded boots slipping slightly in the dewy grass.
His heart felt heavy, he feared for the hobbits. He felt he had failed them and being lost added to his heavy heart and tried body. Exhausted he pushed himself into a run, unable to shift the heaviness and guilt he bore, praying he would find answers beyond the mist.
Something else cut across his mind as he forced his tired legs to response. What of Sam, Legolas, Gimli and Gandalf? Was Mirkwood still standing or had they suffered a similar fate as Lothlórien? He pushed his body harder. If something happens to them and the worst comes to pass he must survive and lead the free people of Middle – Earth against them in their memory.
His wet boots slipped underneath him catching themselves in a rabbit burrow from which he did not rise from.
Blaen stopped again and ordered the nearest man to check the body he had discovered. He knew it was not that of Aragorn but knew how important a hostage could be.
"He's dead, sir" the man said, rolling the body over.
Blaen waited until the man had remounted before heading of again, he glanced up at the morning sun. Already he has been out for some hours. How far had the King traveled since the Hobbits last saw them? Was he still alive? Or was he taken prisoner by the Wild Men?
He dismissed that quickly, these men do not taken prisoners unless they are maidens yet to be covered by any man. Any other was expendable.
"Check him" Blaen ordered, not needed to as one solider had already slipped from his horse. He had lost count the number of dead men he had checked. Twelve maybe, he had forgotten. His heart hammered in his chest and he breathed deeply to try and restore his calm. There was no point becoming flustered yet, wait until he had discovered some strong evidence first he told himself. Though he did not say it, he had begun to fear for the King's life.
He wanted to stop and report of Faramir and the Hobbits that they find had been unsuccessful, yet he could not face the truth that the King of Gondor was dead.
Missing, he reminded himself they had not found a body yet.
He squinted at the dark shape on the ground ahead of them, riding nearer he was it was a body of another man. But this man was different, he was dressed in mostly black, with leather arm guards and an array of weapons.
He leapt off his horse before it came to a stand and ran over to the man checking him, his heart racing.
Rolling his over his heart skipped a beat.
It was Aragorn.
Immediately he pressed his face next to Aragorn's face and almost cried when he felt the gentle tickle of warm breath against his cheek.
"Aragorn" he called watching the man not response in his arms.
"Help me put him on my horse" Blaen said to his riders who leapt down to help him.
Wrapping an arm around his chest they rode back to Faramir in the clear sunshine, their pace quicken with joy and fear for the wounded King.
Faramir stood at the sound of horses, and shaded his face with a hand, squinting at the line of horses. He was glad that everyone had returned safely, no one had been lost to any stray Wild Men, but had they found Aragorn? He could not tell from this distance.
Merry stood beside him and too squinted at the row of riders.
"Do they have him, I can not see" he asked.
"Nor can I, but I would hope so for they travel fast, unless they are being chased."
The row of riders rode into view.
Merry cried out: "There! I see him"
"As do I"
Closer and closer they rode Blaen could see Faramir's and Merry's face change as he neared bearing Aragorn limply in front of him.
He halted abruptly next to Faramir and dismounted swiftly taking Aragorn into his arms he lay him on the floor as Faramir knelt beside.
Behind them Merry cried: "Aragorn! No, Faramir tell me he's not…"
"He lives, see" Blaen whispered to Faramir rising his hand to Aragorn's mouth. "He had been taken ill by the head wound" he pointed to the dried blood that clung to Aragorn's dark untidy hair. "I could not find any other obvious wound, sir"
Faramir nodded, his eyes too searching Aragorn's still form.
"Faramir!" Merry rushed over knocking Blaen aside. "What's happening?" he asked, his face pale and afraid.
"Aragorn has taken hurt, Merry. We must hurry to Edoras where Eówyn can see to him and Pippin too"
"Will he die?" Merry asked fearfully.
"I don't believe so, but we must still hurry" Faramir reassured.
Merry found himself sharing a saddle with a rider he did not know, Pippin rode with Blaen and Faramir carried Aragorn. It had been some time since he had ridden a horse. He rode ponies around the Shire quiet frequently but he was in control and the animal smaller. The Rohirrim rode, tall and proud horses that ran with great speed.
Faramir had offered him a horse to ride as they wound be leading the stolen horses, but Merry had declined thinking unconsciously how far it would be to fall, and how quickly the horse would be passing over the ground. Instead he hung bravely onto the amour of the rider in front.
"Look, master hobbit" he rider said. "There is the walls of Edoras. You will be safe there" he said pointing to the tops of the walls and flag posts that bore fag flying high in the winds.
Alongside Pippin shivered, above them storm clouds were building and he could not shake off the uneasy sense that had fallen over the company since left they hurrying for Edoras. Maybe that was also fueling Faramir's flight. He felt uncomfortable sense of evil and misfortune falling over them as they passed through the wooden gates of Edoras.
The people of the city fell back from the speeding company as they passed. Some looked upon the faces of the riders, smiles passing over their faces. Others turning away and returning with their work.
One by one they dismounted at the base of the stone steps of the Golden Hall, stable hands and soldiers taking away the horses to the stables.
Faramir called to Merry and Pippin to follow him as two men held open the large wooden doors to the Hall for them. A soon as they stepped through the doors the slapping of sandaled feet against stone reached their ears and Lady Eówyn hurried into sight. She caught herself in mid stride and instead of pulling her husband into a tight embrace she hurried them away into a side chamber and lay Aragorn upon the nearest bed.
She called for a lady in waiting to bring her a bowl of water and a cloth as she quickly assessed Aragorn's condition listening to her husband's words:
"The only wound we could find was the head to his head, he has not responded to anything we have tried so far. We rode here as quickly as we could" he said watching her work after the maid had bought in the bowl of water which she nearly snatched in her haste.
Behind them Merry wondered if she had ever lost her desire for Aragorn she had when they first met here eight years ago.
She dapped the damp cloth to the bloodied area of Aragorn's head, each time gently moving hair from her work area. Surprisingly she smiled.
"You have over reacted, Faramir" she said. "This wound did not account for his faint. It is not deep enough for such a thing" she said replacing the cloth to the bowl. "Though it would have amounted to his lack of response" she said dapping the cloth a little harder onto the wound testing for a response. Aragorn lay as still has he had done when Blaen found him.
She returned the cloth to the bowl of clouded water and took up a bandage the maid has also bought her.
"He will awake soon, I should think" she said gently bandaging Aragorn's head.
She turned to the Hobbit's behind her and said before Faramir or the hobbit could speak.
"Let me have a look at that" she said leading Pippin to the bed.
Obediently Pippin undid his shirt and showed her his wounded shoulder. Eówyn unbound the biding and cleaned the wound with a second bowl of water she asked form the maid and re- bandaged his shoulder with a clean dressing.
Faramir suddenly asked something that had been bothering him for a while: "Why were you three traveling through Rohan?"
Merry and Pippin exchanged glances and turned to Aragorn laying still and deaf on the bed.
"That's something we must speak about urgently"
"Then speak"
"Not here" Merry said. "We need to hold a council"
The Golden Hall heard the Hobbits tale of what had happened when in and after they left Rivendell. The men present had been stunned into silence and surprisingly no one interrupted their story.
Éomer started down at the hobbits. "You are sure of this?" he said.
"Yes," Merry replied, "We have seen the Ring ourselves. Now it is being bared by another of our folk"
"You expect me to believe this?" he asked angrily.
"We only ask you to help fight the growing danger. Surely you have heard news from Gondor that Mordor is stirring. Do you believe the story Faramir has said of why he has left Ithilien? Do these not startle you, sir?"
"What about all those Men who died defending these lands? Did they die in vain? Did King Théoden die for no just reason?" Éomer had risen to his feet and towered over the Hobbits who stood bravely under his gaze. Gandalf had warned them that many will not wish to believe the truth and will go to much length to deny it.
His wife Lothíriel, daughter of Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth placed a gentle arm around his shoulders trying to calm him.
"I understand you anger and denial for we to took loss at home in the Shire." Pippin said, "After we had defeated Saruman he fled to the Shire and held it under terror. Many Hobbits lost their lives fighting for the freedom of the Shire. I have regretted the bloodshed on our homeland as I am sure, even to today that most of the tragedies could have been avoided." Merry glanced and Pippin once again Pippin had surprised him with his deep emotion and strength that Merry never knew the Hobbit possessed. "We are equal in this battle, sir. We wish this had not happened as much as you. But I want to see this ended for good this time"
"What if your other kin should fail?"
"He will not fail, sir. His companions are truthful and honest and will follow him to their deaths. If they do feel the power of the Ring their love for another would stop them from being blinded by its lies and they will turn back away from the temptation"
"How is it you can be so sure?" Éomer asked, retaking his seat.
"I have met then, as have you. Both of us have fought alongside them"
Pippin turned around the room "Most of you here have fought with them, have
spilt blood together and have seen death and joy together. These people will
not let Sam down; they will go with them to the end of the world if they must
as they would have done for Frodo."
Éomer nodded slowly: "An elf dwarf and a wizard" he said.
"Yes, the most loyal and admiral people you would ever meet."
"You say that the destruction has already struck, how and where you did not explain" a tall experienced man called Seon said.
"Our company member Cassione who bore the Ring unknown to us until recently has caused more damage then Sauron eve did in such as short about of time. She if elf kin and despite her calm and friendly appearance she had betrayed her people" Merry said taking over from Pippin's brave speech. "We are still unsure how she accomplished this, but between her and the darkest, most evil minions of Sauron devised a weapon. A weapon that would not kill but would devastate the population of elves. You may be aware elves can only die in battle or of a broken heart, this weapon would make any elf as mortal as you or I. They would be vulnerable to sickness and unlike you or me they would not have the strength to shake it off. A simple cough or cold could prove fatal to them now. Already Cassione's force has massacred the forces of Lothlórien, we do not know the fate of Mirkwood or of Rivendell since we have left. If her forces have destroyed the stronghold of elves image what it could do here."
"Why do such a thing?"
"A demonstration of power" Éomer answered. "Cassione wished to put fear into your hearts, wished to prove that elves are no longer different form any man. She will not have the same affect here" he said, his head lifting, his face changed. "Her fear will not ensnare the heart of men in my kingdom. My men will stand tall and strong against anything she and Sauron can throw at us. We beat the once and we'll beat them again"
Merry gazed out is the glasses window out into the moonless night sky. The air felt close as if a storm was about to break. He had heard hurried orders being passed around the city. Their message had been successful passed to the people of Rohan and they were building. He just wished Aragorn would wake soon and take over. They were running out of answers.
He turned to Pippin who sat half dozing on the bed behind.
"I wish we could do more rather then sit aside and do nothing" he said.
"We have, we bought news here about the Ring. That is all we can do
until Aragorn wakes"
"Do you think they believe us?"
Pippin shrugged one sided his shoulder still bound. "Éomer and Faramir seems to
but I don't know about the other men"
"I think you persuaded them. Where did that speech come from about the Shire? I think the journeys we have traveled has changed us"
Pippin smiled in the shadows cast by the flickering candle by the door.
"I thought that was obvious Merry. Everyone says we are different."
"No, I mean more then just taller"
"It's has changed us, changed Frodo and Sam too. I think we've realized how lucky we are not see the horrors others see. Made us realize how simple are lives are"
"I think I preferred it in the Shire"
"Preferred it yes, but what would have happened if we weren't there? Who would have saved Faramir, or persuaded the Ents to attack Isengard?" Pippin said his eyes turning to the window. "Would Sauron been defeated?" he shuddered. "Enough, I don't want to think about what would happened if we failed"
"I wonder where Sam and the others are? I hope they stick to what you said about them!" Merry returned to the window his brown eyes passing over the horizon.
Like Pippin he did not wish to think about what would happen if they failed.
Just before dawn a rough hand shook them awake.
"You have saved me a lot of talk" the speaker said.
Through squinted eyes Pippin saw the white bandages wrapped around the mans head shaking Merry beside him.
"Aragorn!" he beamed sitting up quickly.
The man smiled and ruffled Pippins curls. "I hear you have been through
your own battles." He said. "Come on wake up we'll leaving this afternoon"
"Leaving, where are we going?" Merry asked shaking off his sleep.
"To Minas Tirith"
Aragorn sat with them while they ate breakfast a maid had bought for them.
"I have talked with Faramir and Éomer and we have decided that Edoras should empty. It is vulnerable here and the people will be moved to Helms Deep where the people of Rohan have defeated many enemies." Aragorn explained in between mouthfuls of food. "The fortress took heavy damage when the people of Rohan stood against the forces of Saruman but has since been repaired. The Rohirrim will ride with me and Faramir to Minas Tirith. I have heard news that my Kingdom in under threat from Mordor, Nightmares have been haunting the city, and destroying the moral of the people."
"I want to come with you" Merry said at once.
"And me" Pippin added.
"No," Aragorn said. "I want you to say with the people of Rohan in Helms Deep. You will be safer there and help defend the fortress should it come under attack"
"So after all we have said and done, the journey we have come on, the promises we made to Lord Elrond and to Gandalf you wish us to remain in a fortress where we would be useless!" Merry complained.
"Use your head, your Highness" he mocked. "We would be crushed in a place like Helms Deep where the men would be fighting hard against goodness knows what. We wouldn't be tall enough to even use a child's bow or wield the smallest sword they could give us." Merry continued. "We would be placed in the caves with the women and children Even there if the enemy broke through we would be crushed probably by the fleeing woman and children rather then the enemy" he said.
"Where in Minas Tirith we would wait patiently and then dive into battle with the men and horses when the need arises" Pippin added.
Aragorn still refused. "Riding into death and danger clinging onto the backs of riders is no place for you two to be. Foot soldiers would not be able to maintain the speed horses would if we were need in haste." He argued.
"What about what we did last time?" Merry wined. "We saved Faramir's and Eówyn's lives! Surely you can't have forgotten that?"
"Alright, alright!" Aragorn held up his hands in defeat. "You can come with us, but the choice whither you go into battle or not will be decided when the time arises and you must not argue with the decision made then."
"Would we?"
Aragorn rose to leave: "Yes you would. Now I must, leave you for a while. Gather up your belongings we will be leaving as soon as possible"
Aragorn stopped as he stood unwrapping his head. He stared at the solider on the other side of the hall adjusting his amour, there was something not quite right about him. He strode over to the man and took hold of him by the shoulders as if stop him from escaping and removed his helmet which covered nearly all of his face.
The solider cringed as light blond hair fell from underneath the brass helmet on either side of his face and looked at Aragorn hard.
"I don't want you to fight with them Eówyn"
She pulled away from his hold and snatched back her helmet.
"I can fight" she said.
"Indeed you can, my Lady but you are a Shield-Maiden not a warrior" he said.
"I will go with you and my brother. We will fight alongside the men and in honor of my uncle" she said locking a fierce glare in which Aragorn did not fall under.
"You uncle would be more proud and honored if you stayed with the people and defended Helms Deep should it come under attack" he said gently watching her reaction.
She lowered her helmet onto the vacant table beside her and extended her hand.
Aragorn shook it.
"Done"
Slowly the people of Edoras left the city carrying very little under Éomer's instructions. Women, children and men of all ages Éomer's wife among them departed in a steady stream escorted by as many men and horses as Éomer dared to spare, lead by his sister, Eówyn. Her bravely he had discovered was infectious to the people and would inspire many to pick up sword and axe should they need to, though secretly he hoped it would not come to that.
He turned to Aragorn, Faramir and the Hobbits once the long line of people has merged into a dark mass in the distance.
"Let us pray no harm will come to those who are innocent" he said. "Already my people have seen enough war and death then they should have. Let us fight for them, for our family and friends, for our freedom"
Cheering and beaming the Rohirrim rode, their banners flapping proudly in the grey skies above.
The storm brewing above.