Each day the three hunters traveled, the closer they came to Merry and
Pippin. Through the guidance of Eomer of the Rohirrim their journey led
them to the borders of the Great Fangorn Forest. Upon their steeds, given
to them by the Riders of Rohan, they came to what was the end of the Uruk-
hai they were pursuing. There in the middle of the former camp was a
burning pile of orc corpses. Staked beside the pile was the head of one of
the Uruks, its face frozen with surprise and fear of Eomer and his men.
They unmounted and searched the ruins. Gimli scrounged through the charred remains with his axe as the black smoke rose. Orc carcasses were everywhere, until he came upon a small belt, a hobbit belt. He picked the belt up slowly, his heart sinking down into the depths of the earth. "It's one of their belts."
Legolas and Aragorn looked on in disbelief. Their journey, their endless track across the country of Rohan had all been in vain. Legolas bowed his head and whispered a prayer to the Valar. Aragorn cried out in frustration, and sank to his knees. 'They were so innocent,' Legolas thought, 'they did not deserve this death.' He thought of Anarrima; how would he tell her of the hobbits? She loved Merry and Pippin as much as they did. It would break her heart to learn of their fate.
"A hobbit lay here," Aragorn said in sadness and analyzed the ground, "and the other." Then through the tall grass he noticed the rope, trampled and hidden in the weeds. "Their bonds were cut." He followed the tracks carefully, his hopes rising with each step he took. "They crawled, but were followed."
"They may yet be alive," Legolas said with hope, "they may have survived the slaughter."
"The tracks lead away from the battle," Aragorn suddenly stopped where the tracks disappeared into the woods, "Straight into Fangorn Forest."
"Fangorn!" Gimli exclaimed in anguish, "what madness led them there?" Legolas tied the reins of the horses to the trees then slowly entered into the dark forest with Aragorn and Gimli.
Day had passed and night began to fall over Rohan once more. Anarrima walked aside Dimrost. Her strength diminished as her provisions ran low, but on she went. Beyond the hills she beheld the great forest; dark and mysterious. The footsteps she followed had now disappeared, but her guess was the three headed to the forest, so now Fangorn was her destination. As the sun faded behind the horizon Anarrima sang to the air.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Suddenly before my eyes
Hues of indigo arise
With them how my spirit sighs
Paint the sky with stars
Only night will ever know
Why the heavens never show
All the dreams there are to know
Paint the sky with stars
Who has paced the midnight sky?
So a spirit has to fly
As the heavens seem so far
Now who will paint the midnight star?
Night has brought to those who sleep
Only dreams they cannot keep
I have legends in the deep
Paint the sky with stars
Who has paced the midnight sky?
So a spirit has to fly
As the heavens seem so far
Now who will paint the midnight star?
Place a name upon the night
One to set your heart alight
And to make the darkness bright
Paint the sky with stars.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As she finished a great light emitted from the forest beyond, so bright it blinded her. She shielded her eyes as best she could. Dimrost reared and neighed, then bolted from Ana's grip. Off the horse galloped to the forest, following the light. " Dimrost!!!" There she stood, no food, no water, no steed and only the need to find her friends keeping her from turning back.
She struggled on for hours, each step feeling heavier than the last. Night was beginning to wear away and the forest appeared large and ominous before her. At the edge of the trees she found two horses, no masters and were left to graze until their return. Using the last of her strength she stumbled to where the horses stood, then collapsed to her knees. Darkness surrounded her as she fell to the ground, the light in her eyes gone.
One of the horses began to bite through the knot in his reins, freeing himself. He came to the form on the ground and nudged her gently. White he was, as snow in winter. He wore the armor of the Rohirrim. He nudged Ana again with his nose, but still she did not move. Knowing that his master would return soon, the horse knelt down nest to the elf on the ground to protect her from any foul creature that may come. There he stayed beside her as day broke the sky.
They unmounted and searched the ruins. Gimli scrounged through the charred remains with his axe as the black smoke rose. Orc carcasses were everywhere, until he came upon a small belt, a hobbit belt. He picked the belt up slowly, his heart sinking down into the depths of the earth. "It's one of their belts."
Legolas and Aragorn looked on in disbelief. Their journey, their endless track across the country of Rohan had all been in vain. Legolas bowed his head and whispered a prayer to the Valar. Aragorn cried out in frustration, and sank to his knees. 'They were so innocent,' Legolas thought, 'they did not deserve this death.' He thought of Anarrima; how would he tell her of the hobbits? She loved Merry and Pippin as much as they did. It would break her heart to learn of their fate.
"A hobbit lay here," Aragorn said in sadness and analyzed the ground, "and the other." Then through the tall grass he noticed the rope, trampled and hidden in the weeds. "Their bonds were cut." He followed the tracks carefully, his hopes rising with each step he took. "They crawled, but were followed."
"They may yet be alive," Legolas said with hope, "they may have survived the slaughter."
"The tracks lead away from the battle," Aragorn suddenly stopped where the tracks disappeared into the woods, "Straight into Fangorn Forest."
"Fangorn!" Gimli exclaimed in anguish, "what madness led them there?" Legolas tied the reins of the horses to the trees then slowly entered into the dark forest with Aragorn and Gimli.
Day had passed and night began to fall over Rohan once more. Anarrima walked aside Dimrost. Her strength diminished as her provisions ran low, but on she went. Beyond the hills she beheld the great forest; dark and mysterious. The footsteps she followed had now disappeared, but her guess was the three headed to the forest, so now Fangorn was her destination. As the sun faded behind the horizon Anarrima sang to the air.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Suddenly before my eyes
Hues of indigo arise
With them how my spirit sighs
Paint the sky with stars
Only night will ever know
Why the heavens never show
All the dreams there are to know
Paint the sky with stars
Who has paced the midnight sky?
So a spirit has to fly
As the heavens seem so far
Now who will paint the midnight star?
Night has brought to those who sleep
Only dreams they cannot keep
I have legends in the deep
Paint the sky with stars
Who has paced the midnight sky?
So a spirit has to fly
As the heavens seem so far
Now who will paint the midnight star?
Place a name upon the night
One to set your heart alight
And to make the darkness bright
Paint the sky with stars.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As she finished a great light emitted from the forest beyond, so bright it blinded her. She shielded her eyes as best she could. Dimrost reared and neighed, then bolted from Ana's grip. Off the horse galloped to the forest, following the light. " Dimrost!!!" There she stood, no food, no water, no steed and only the need to find her friends keeping her from turning back.
She struggled on for hours, each step feeling heavier than the last. Night was beginning to wear away and the forest appeared large and ominous before her. At the edge of the trees she found two horses, no masters and were left to graze until their return. Using the last of her strength she stumbled to where the horses stood, then collapsed to her knees. Darkness surrounded her as she fell to the ground, the light in her eyes gone.
One of the horses began to bite through the knot in his reins, freeing himself. He came to the form on the ground and nudged her gently. White he was, as snow in winter. He wore the armor of the Rohirrim. He nudged Ana again with his nose, but still she did not move. Knowing that his master would return soon, the horse knelt down nest to the elf on the ground to protect her from any foul creature that may come. There he stayed beside her as day broke the sky.
