Chapter 7
Trusting a four legged friend
Aragorn started at the figure ahead of him. He blinked hard to make sure he wasn't imaging it. But no the figure had not vanished, it stood there alone and afraid. It was the elven cloak and black curly hair that Aragorn knew who he was looking at.
"Company halt" he called and steadied his horse.
He dismounted and knelt next to the hobbit who embraced him with tears in his eyes.
"Strider!" Frodo cried sinking into the man's shoulder.
"Let me off, get me off the blasted creature" Gimli shouted.
"Gimli!" Frodo looked up to see his dwarf friend being lowered from a horse. He was happy to see his friends alive and well.
"Where are Merry, Pippin and Gandalf? I thought they would have traveled with you" Frodo asked after patting Gimli warmly.
"Legolas has told you about Gandalf I see," Aragorn smiled, "Merry and Pippin are safe in Minas Tirith"
"Why are you out here alone? Where are Sam and Legolas?" Gimli asked.
"It is a long story" Frodo answered watching Aragorn closely.
"Then we will make camp nearby and you may tell us"
"Order your men so you have a guard" Frodo said quickly.
Aragorn frowned.
"This place is not safe"
The sun began to set and the three friends were in deep conversation, joined by the sons of Elrond and Éomer. Aragorn had bathed and seen to Frodo's finger as he told his story, they sat in silence, listening.
"Kunai believes that by casting the Ringbearer into the fires of Mount Doom will resurrect Sauron and make him stronger. But he knows of the Fellowship and wants everyone involved to be cast too" Frodo said, nearing the end of his tale.
Elladan hissed abuse under his breath; his twin sat stating into the distance. Éomer sat slightly confused.
"Surely such thing can not be done" Gimli spoke. "How could it work?"
Elrohir spoke suddenly: "Father worried this could happen he warned Gandalf that's why the eagles fought with us. They would retrieve Frodo and Samwise from Mordor"
"But Legolas went" Gimli fell silent.
"Indeed, it seems the Mirkwood prince has made things worse"
"Who is Kunai?" Éomer asked.
"A murder, he poisoned twelve elves in Mirkwood. I can still remember his trail for he tried to kill Elrohir and me; we were the ones to convict him. He craves revenge from Legolas because it was his father who passed his sentence"
"What are we to do?" Gimli asked looking around the knot of friends.
"At the moment there are men out their hunting for me. They believe me to be underground hiding"
"We cannot afford to ride into in the dark" Éomer thought out loud.
"We will attack just after dawn, my men are tired. We will strike hard in the morn and we can not afford to make mistakes. Lives are at risk"
Kunai continued to rage around the camp. He had ordered more men to hunt for Frodo as darkness crept in, he muttered and cursed ignoring Legolas and Sam. Without Frodo his plan would not work – Frodo was the key.
Neither Legolas nor Sam had been rebound after their scrapes they working silently and stealthy cleaning and tending to one another's wounds. Working gently upon Sam' calf Legolas pulled on the arrow shaft and to his relief the arrow plus head slid neatly into his hand. Sam winced slightly as Legolas inspected the wound, but he was pleased that the wound was only sallow and had not done much harm. He had seen able men and elves paralyzed because of a wound like this that had ruined the muscular structure on the leg and would take months of rest and months of gently excises to build up the damaged muscle again once they had healed.
He looked to the similar wound in Sam's shoulder and like before the arrow came away nicely and cleanly after he stemmed the bleeding he looked closer at the arrow shaft, feather and tip and smiled weakly before throwing it aside. They were ancient Elven arrows easily removed by those with the skill to do so.
Legolas turned to himself and removed the spoilt bandages wrapped around his torso; Sam helped him replace the bandages so a clean side pressed against his wound. The wound was not as threatening as first thought, once the shrapnel had been removed and the wound cleaned it still gaped and oozed but would heal with continuous care to keep infections away.
"After all this is over you should visit the Shire, Legolas. You'll like it there. There are green rolling hills, blossoming healthy trees, a merry stream and miles after miles of green land and woodland" Sam said, a dreamy expression passing over his face.
"I would gladly visit one day Sam. Gimli and I have a promise to keep first. That he would journey with me to Fanghorn forest and then journey to the Glittering caves of Helms Deep. Once we have kept our word we will travel to the Shire. For I have wanted to see the beauty since you hobbits first began to explain it to the company and me"
"Do not keep us waiting long; we do not live as long as elves"
Legolas smiled "Neither does my dwarf friend. When he begins to turn grey with age I know I must turn north to the Shire if I have not done so already"
The camp bathed in moonlight the men dozed in a light sleep feeling anxious about the morning's attacks
"A rider approaches!" the watchman cried perched in a tree top.
Aragorn leapt up at the cry and drew his sword; Éomer did the same beside him. The camp began to wake around them; men drew their weapons preparing themselves for the enemy.
A rider less grey horse limped into the camp and neighed before stopping dead, anchoring its feet to the ground. The men did not move, was this a distraction?
The watchman turned from his watch point expected to see more horses but none came.
Aragorn lowered his sword and replaced it at his side. He frowned slightly at the horse as he slowly approached it. The horse did not move, it merely blinked watching the men around him. Elrohir approached the animal from its other side and spoke softly to it before gently stroking the horse.
"It is too magnification to be wild" he muttered to Aragorn on the horses other side. The horse snorted onto Elrohir's hand and nudged his shoulder.
"It is a horse of Rohan" Éomer said stepping closer. "He bears the mark" he pointed a mark on the horse' hip. The symbol of Rohan – a horse's head.
"Arod" Aragorn muttered patting the horse on the neck.
"Who?" Elrohir asked.
"This is Legolas' horse"
Arod wined and trotted painfully away and further into the camp. Éomer frowned wondering where the horse was headed..
"Arod!" someone cried.
Aragorn smiled weakly. Despite Gimli's dislike for horses in the journey he sounded pleased to see Arod again. He followed Gimli's voice and found him happily stroking the horse as it lay next to him.
"Look at that!" Elrohir cried pointing.
"I know" Gimli said. "I've grown to like horses I believe"
"Not you! That!" Elrohir pointed to Arod front feet. One was bloody and something seemed to protruding from the center.
Éomer knelt beside the horse and wiped the blood from one of its front hooves. He carefully removed the item from the foot and stared at it closely.
"Its metal" he said handing it to Aragorn.
Aragorn stared at it, twisting it in his thumb and fore finger.
"We found some in the woods" Aragorn turned and saw Frodo watching him. "Arod trod on one and threw us, Sam trod on one too. The ground around us was littered with then, but they were hidden under leaves and moss. That was where they attacked us and Legolas stole one of their horses."
"Did Legolas say anything about them?"
"He said they were pieces of broken weapons from various types of folk. None of them looked the same." Frodo's eyes widened. "Kunai – Kunai had a sword made of them, he attacked Legolas with it."
"There is much more, laddie that you have yet to tell us" Gimli said patting Arod fondly.
"I don't know much more. I know that Legolas is wounded, how badly I do not know, nor if Sam is still wandering free or if he has recaptured."
Aragorn nodded casting away the metal body. "We will leave at first light. Our mission had just taken another twist.
Night began to fade, camp had been broken and many of the men were on horseback. Frodo shared Aragorn's saddle and Gimli with Éomer, Arod stood next to the dwarf and Lord of Rohan eager to follow them.
"Stay here, you cannot join us, you daft beast" Gimli sighed as Arod nuzzled him for the umpteenth time that morning.
Éomer laughed: "I remember you saying at our first meeting Master dwarf that you would never ride, claiming you would rather ran alongside you other company and now it seems your horse would rather walk alongside you!"
The company passed through the woodland stealthily with Aragorn reading the ground. Smelling the air he slowed and company followed. He could smell smoke.
"I can hear voice" Elladan whispered from behind. "I cannot hear their words but know they are angry tones"
"Their searching for me" Frodo whispered looking up at Aragorn's face.
Aragorn nudged his horse forwards gently and drew his sword, the company followed and silently they crept closer.
"Where is he? Blasted hobbit!"
"Add more moss"
"He's probably dead by now, the amount of smoke we've sent down there"
"Then we'll send you down to see"
"Maybe he is dead, we should stop"
"Explain that to him!"
"I'll go and find some more moss"
"You, find more places where the smoke is coming out of"
"I'm telling I'm sure he's dead!"
"Shut up, or I'll send you down there!"
"Aragorn" Éomer pointed. The men that were ordered to hunt for more moss were very close.
"Now" Aragorn cried.
On his order the riders burst through the thin layer of woodland and attack, their swords flashing and arrows flying. Many of the men did not have time to reach for their weapons and any that tried to flee were shot. Those who were able to fight did not stand for long.
"Some have escaped" Éomer shouted chasing after a few.
"Let them" Gimli called cleaning his axe blade.
Aragorn turned to Frodo. "Which way did you come from?"
Frodo looked around him. "I don't know"
"Follow them!"
Arod neighed running across them before they could move he reared and encircled the riders, many more men escaped northwards but the grey horse would not let anyone give chase to them.
Aragorn frowned at the horse as he ushered Éomer back towards the remainder of the riders. Arod wined and pawed the ground, Gimli approached him.
"What are you doing, beast?" his love for the horse had vanished "Get out of the way! Or I'll chop off that tail!" Arod snorted and stamped the ground.
Aragorn's frown lifted. "Show us"
Instantly Arod turned and headed east.
"Sir! They attacked us!"
"On horseback, riders loads of them"
"Their were elves, men, a dwarf and one had the hobbit"
The men threw their accounts at Kunai fast, afraid they would be punished for not delivering the news fast enough. Kunai held up his hands for silence and instantly the men feel silent.
"Arm yourselves they will be here soon"
He turned to Legolas and Sam; "Bind them, they will be coming with us" he said then, stared hard at Legolas: "He can not save you Son of Thranduil" he sneered as men bound his wrists and ankles.
Aragorn rode hard following Arod's lead, the company following behind. Frodo caught his breath as Aragorn's horse stumbled; though he refused to say it he was worried if the horse would lead them true. But Arod's love for his master was strong; he would never forgive himself if harm came to Sam. He didn't have to be involved from the beginning but would remain loyal to his master no matter where they went. And for that he had respected and learnt to love him for company and friendship.
They heard voices hurried voices and figures dancing in between trees shouting commands.
"Fire"
Aragorn and his men scattered quickly, many loaded their own bows and returned fire, others charged swords draw and battle cries filling the air.
"Gondor!" Aragorn shouted charging forward, Frodo clinging to his armour from behind. He charged through the trees cutting down men with his keen blade, one eye never straying for the grey horse ahead. He ducked under a branch, rose, killed and asked for more speed from his horse. Panting, the horse obeyed following the grey. Arod turned slightly and galloped up a slight hill, he speed faster and faster as if sensing his master danger. Aragorn left the remaining company behind in a bid to catch up.
The trees were thicker here; he ducked and weaving in between them he lost slight of Arod, but heard the horse scream as he deseeded down the hill into the fleeing enemy's path. Aragorn followed his adrenaline pumping fiercely through his blood and willed his steed on. Jumping the ditch at the bottom of the hill, through the trees he suddenly realized he had made a mistake – a big mistake.
They were waiting for him.
Don't forget to check out my other story, which I have just finished its called: 'Fear Returns'
Reviewer responses
Elfmage: Hmmm still not believing you about the good writer thing…maybe I'm too modest! Anyway, yes I wish I had more reviewers nut I can't moan the number of reviewers are growing, slowly, very slowly. Last time I saw it was up to nineteen, not bad really when I have only done six chapters! Yep, Aragorn is coming to the rescue! Well, he had to didn't he? I know I hurt Sam and Legolas rather a lot, but I wanted to make the audience understand that Kunai is very desperate to have it his way. Don't worry I don't plan to hurt Sam much more…much!
Coolieo02: Great angst and suspension? Thank you! Though I'm having a rather bimbo moment what do you mean by 'angst'? Anyway, thanks for your review and glad you enjoyed it!
Lady Lawson: Thank for the review and yep there will be more to follow soonish!
ElizabethBalck4: Well, think about it Aragorn had to come to the rescue didn't he, after all he is the hero! The 'decision' will come up very soon, I promise and yes he will have to choose between Legolas and Sam – who he will choose, well you will have to wait and see!
Elessar*Lover: Glad you are enjoying the story, and thank you for putting me on your favorites I love it when people do that! Oh and thanks for punching Kunai, even I wanted to do that once of twice the evil git! Oh! Please pick yourself off the floor, you've just read the latest chapter! Another will be coming along later!
Deana: I know I was a bit mean to Sam and Legolas, but what becomes of them? Well you will have to wait to find that out!