Anarrima rode all through the night, not daring to stop, even to eat. Her
heart raced as Dimrost continued on, through the trees and over the hills.
Finally she came to a clearing along the bank of the river. There she found
what she had feared the most.
Two of the three elvish boats that departed Lothlorien were gone, the third tucked away in the thicket of trees nearby. A few feet away from the Anduin was the remnance of a small campfire, quickly extinguished as if in haste. Footsteps led away from the camp, footsteps of two small hobbits being chased.... and captured.
"No!!!!!" Ana screamed out loud and unmounted Dimrost. She kneeled down near the footprints, her eyes settling on the large contrast in size. "I have failed them." She closed her eyes and lowered her head in defeat, Dimrost did the same and kicked her hooves against the ground. Anarrima's heart sank.
With tear-stained eyes she looked to the other side of the clearing. There were another set of footprints, they were of only three. She walked over to get a closer look. They were the footsteps of a dwarf, a human and.... an elf, but strange in their tracks they were. "They lead to the woods," Ana said out loud.
She followed carefully while Dimrost trotted slowly behind. Ahead she saw the hoard of Uruk-hai tracks. "Legolas and Gimli were not the ones being hunted," she realized, "they are the hunters. But who is with them, for there are only one set of human tracks?" Ana turned and went to the horse and grabbed the reins and mounted.
"If we leave now, we might be able to catch them in a few days. They are on foot, while you, my friend, can bear my great distances in short time." Dimrost nodded and neighed in agreement and took off through the trees, following the tracks that lead away from the river.
. The tree hunters had pursued the Uruk-hai for days, their steps light and their will unbent. But finally dusk deepened. During the day the Uruk-hai's tracks were not difficult at all to discern, for no other folk make such a trampling. Night, however, was a much different story. They had come to the feet of strong hills, and their pace was slower. The western side of each ridge was steep and difficult so they stopped to rest for the night and continue their pursuit at first light.
"We still have much land to cover," Aragorn said, sitting next to a rocky cliff, "the darkness has covered their tracks and dawn will not come for hours."
"Can we not light a small fire to warm ourselves?" Gimli asked, struggling to catch his breath. "Four days and night's pursuit, with no sign of our quarry but what bare rock can tell."
"Even a small fire will have us caught," Legolas explained looking around, "they know we follow, that is why their pace has quickened."
"So we wait then?" Gimli inquired, taking some lembas offered by the elf.
"Take some rest and sleep while you can," Legolas suggested to his companions and climbed up the ledge and sat at the top of the cliff.
"I have never seen anyone so love-struck before," Aragorn commented and layed down to sleep. Gimli smiled and made his pillow from the cloak he wore and fell asleep.
****************************************************************
Anarrima stood under a great archway laden with golden leaves. Elves stood all around singing songs of happiness and joy, the Palace of Mirkwood in the background. She looked down at herself and marveled at the discovery. Instead of her tunic and elvish cloak she wore a beautiful white-laced wedding gown. It was beaded with glittering jewels and flowed all the way to her feet. She wore a silk vale and her hair was flowing down her back and shoulders, flowered with gold and silver leaves.
Then she looked to the one who stood next to her. HE was clad in a blue tunic trimmed with silver lacing. His hair was much as it was, though it was different. Upon his brow set a circlet of precious gold metal interlacing among the green leaves veined in silver. His face was lit with a soft smile and his ice blue eyes glittered in the sun.
"Legolas..." Ana whispered breathless.
"Anarrima..." he took her hands in his and held her gaze, "be my Queen, for all eternity."
Ana opened her mouth to speak, but no words would form. The thoughts swirled in her head as she beheld him; her friend, her companion, her Prince. She searched the depths of his eyes, yet they seemed empty and hollow. Her heart pounded as he slowly lifted her vale and leaned in to kiss her lips.
But suddenly his eyes flashed fire red and a dark shadow passed over her. What was once the beautiful Palace of Mirkwood was now a dark, dimly lit chamber with howling orcs inside. Her dress was no longer lavish and beautiful, but black and tattered, barely clinging to her body. Legolas' fair face contorted into the Dark Lord himself, his eyes flashed like fire and the beautiful tunic became a hideous black cloak. He leaned in and crushed his lips to hers, burning her mouth with the fire of his evil. She screamed in pain and tears streamed from her eyes. "Behold the Dark Queen!"
*****************************************************************
Anarrima woke with a start, gasping for air and shuddering with fright. She was drenched in sweat, yet the air was cold and crisp as the stars sparkled like gems caught in the endless black of the sky. Morning was still hours away but Ana could not close her eyes without witnessing that horrible scene. Dimrost waited patiently beside the small plateau a few feet away from her.
Above them the moon shown bright across the vast plains of Rohan. Looking down. and finding she still wore her tunic and cloak, she found the faint remnance of tracks, the tracks of the Uruk-hai, then the footprints of the three hunters. Quickly she gathered all her things and took Dimrost by her reins.
"Hope is sill at hand, my friend," Anarrima said following the footprints and leading the horse along, "I feel we may find them soon enough."
Two of the three elvish boats that departed Lothlorien were gone, the third tucked away in the thicket of trees nearby. A few feet away from the Anduin was the remnance of a small campfire, quickly extinguished as if in haste. Footsteps led away from the camp, footsteps of two small hobbits being chased.... and captured.
"No!!!!!" Ana screamed out loud and unmounted Dimrost. She kneeled down near the footprints, her eyes settling on the large contrast in size. "I have failed them." She closed her eyes and lowered her head in defeat, Dimrost did the same and kicked her hooves against the ground. Anarrima's heart sank.
With tear-stained eyes she looked to the other side of the clearing. There were another set of footprints, they were of only three. She walked over to get a closer look. They were the footsteps of a dwarf, a human and.... an elf, but strange in their tracks they were. "They lead to the woods," Ana said out loud.
She followed carefully while Dimrost trotted slowly behind. Ahead she saw the hoard of Uruk-hai tracks. "Legolas and Gimli were not the ones being hunted," she realized, "they are the hunters. But who is with them, for there are only one set of human tracks?" Ana turned and went to the horse and grabbed the reins and mounted.
"If we leave now, we might be able to catch them in a few days. They are on foot, while you, my friend, can bear my great distances in short time." Dimrost nodded and neighed in agreement and took off through the trees, following the tracks that lead away from the river.
. The tree hunters had pursued the Uruk-hai for days, their steps light and their will unbent. But finally dusk deepened. During the day the Uruk-hai's tracks were not difficult at all to discern, for no other folk make such a trampling. Night, however, was a much different story. They had come to the feet of strong hills, and their pace was slower. The western side of each ridge was steep and difficult so they stopped to rest for the night and continue their pursuit at first light.
"We still have much land to cover," Aragorn said, sitting next to a rocky cliff, "the darkness has covered their tracks and dawn will not come for hours."
"Can we not light a small fire to warm ourselves?" Gimli asked, struggling to catch his breath. "Four days and night's pursuit, with no sign of our quarry but what bare rock can tell."
"Even a small fire will have us caught," Legolas explained looking around, "they know we follow, that is why their pace has quickened."
"So we wait then?" Gimli inquired, taking some lembas offered by the elf.
"Take some rest and sleep while you can," Legolas suggested to his companions and climbed up the ledge and sat at the top of the cliff.
"I have never seen anyone so love-struck before," Aragorn commented and layed down to sleep. Gimli smiled and made his pillow from the cloak he wore and fell asleep.
****************************************************************
Anarrima stood under a great archway laden with golden leaves. Elves stood all around singing songs of happiness and joy, the Palace of Mirkwood in the background. She looked down at herself and marveled at the discovery. Instead of her tunic and elvish cloak she wore a beautiful white-laced wedding gown. It was beaded with glittering jewels and flowed all the way to her feet. She wore a silk vale and her hair was flowing down her back and shoulders, flowered with gold and silver leaves.
Then she looked to the one who stood next to her. HE was clad in a blue tunic trimmed with silver lacing. His hair was much as it was, though it was different. Upon his brow set a circlet of precious gold metal interlacing among the green leaves veined in silver. His face was lit with a soft smile and his ice blue eyes glittered in the sun.
"Legolas..." Ana whispered breathless.
"Anarrima..." he took her hands in his and held her gaze, "be my Queen, for all eternity."
Ana opened her mouth to speak, but no words would form. The thoughts swirled in her head as she beheld him; her friend, her companion, her Prince. She searched the depths of his eyes, yet they seemed empty and hollow. Her heart pounded as he slowly lifted her vale and leaned in to kiss her lips.
But suddenly his eyes flashed fire red and a dark shadow passed over her. What was once the beautiful Palace of Mirkwood was now a dark, dimly lit chamber with howling orcs inside. Her dress was no longer lavish and beautiful, but black and tattered, barely clinging to her body. Legolas' fair face contorted into the Dark Lord himself, his eyes flashed like fire and the beautiful tunic became a hideous black cloak. He leaned in and crushed his lips to hers, burning her mouth with the fire of his evil. She screamed in pain and tears streamed from her eyes. "Behold the Dark Queen!"
*****************************************************************
Anarrima woke with a start, gasping for air and shuddering with fright. She was drenched in sweat, yet the air was cold and crisp as the stars sparkled like gems caught in the endless black of the sky. Morning was still hours away but Ana could not close her eyes without witnessing that horrible scene. Dimrost waited patiently beside the small plateau a few feet away from her.
Above them the moon shown bright across the vast plains of Rohan. Looking down. and finding she still wore her tunic and cloak, she found the faint remnance of tracks, the tracks of the Uruk-hai, then the footprints of the three hunters. Quickly she gathered all her things and took Dimrost by her reins.
"Hope is sill at hand, my friend," Anarrima said following the footprints and leading the horse along, "I feel we may find them soon enough."
