Aragorn, Airesiwe, and Sam walked quickly to where Frodo was. Airesiwe
pulled Firnephel by the bridle and was quite tempted just to jump up on his
back and ride him, but she could tell something was wrong with him. He was
more spooked then she'd ever seen him before. She was quite shooken up too,
hearing the screeching noises that pierced her ears. Finally, they reached
the spot where Frodo was.
Airesiwe took one look at him and winced. The young hobbit had a strange glow in his eyes that wouldn't go away. He was gasping for air and looked at the sky as if searching for something. Two other hobbits were next to him crying and telling him not to give up. Airesiwe walked over to the hobbit and kneeled down beside him.
"Who is she?" She heard one of the hobbits ask.
"She's good, she's going to take care of him, don't worry." Airesiwe wasn't really listening to the constant questioning of the hobbits, but rather watched Frodo with intense eyes. Right then she began to feel nervous. Would she be able to save him? She knew that all she would have to do was get him to Elrond, but she had a strange feeling it wouldn't be easy.
Aragorn picked up Frodo and placed him on Firnephel. He patted the horse on the neck then looked towards Airesiwe. "Eli Nala Isbis Sundron, (Are you sure you can do this?)," Aragorn asked. "Tabathe Hanoi ispertar, Sundron belida (Like I said, I do not fear them)." Airesiwe had no clue what it was she was speaking of.
"Ride fast, we're counting on you stranger." A blue flicker alit Aragorn's eyes. "Don't look back, no matter what fear comes upon you."
"I am the fastest rider. Upon full speed, nothing can stop me." With that, she jumped up on Firnephel, and led him in the direction she came from. It was as if something was drawing her to Rivendell, preventing her from getting lost. "Nozoca opelli (No fear)," and with that, she was off.
She bolted through the dark woods, but luckily the pale light of dawn managed to sneak it's way through the trees, making it a little easier to see. She rode with great speed, occasionally looking at Frodo as he squeaked and gasped for more air. She rode slower, fearing that Firnephel would get tired, when it happened. The screeching was heard from within the thick woods. Firnephel sensed the danger and rode faster looking in all directions, almost tripping on nearby logs. "Faster," Airesiwe whispered, as she too, looking around in panic. Then she saw it. A black shadow was moving in the forest at around the same speed she was. She looking in the other direction and saw another one, except it was much easier to see. It seemed to be a man clothed in black, though she could not see his face. It was riding a black horse with red eyes and dressed in pounds of armor. She leaned forward hoping to outrun the two shadows, when she did the worst thing that she could possible do: she looked back. She saw three more shadows that were almost at her tail, screamed, and fell off. Her dagger that she kept with her managed to brush up against one of the horses, causing it to fall in pain. She got up and looked around scared. Firnephel ran off with Frodo still on his back, while the other four that were following it turned around and tried to surround Airesiwe. She took out her short sword and made a deep cut in one of the horses legs. The rider screeched in pain and fell with the horse to the ground. Airesiwe ran with incredible speed in the direction of Firnephel, only to be confronted with two more shadows. She shot one of the horses with the one arrow she had, but it didn't fall, but rather reared up and caused the rider to fall off. She quickly jumped on the horse and steered in towards the field where Frodo and her horse was. The horse, too blinded by the pain, obeyed Airesiwe with huge bitterness. Airesiwe took the arrow out of his side, but that did not ease the hatred for the new stranger. She rode quickly to the field without looking back, though she did not hear the screeching behind her. There in the middle of the field she spotted Firnephel, with Frodo still on his back, gasping for breathe. Airesiwe jumped off the horse and ran towards Firnephel. The black horse turned around and galloped back into the woods, where more screeching could be heard.
"Come on! We cannot dawdle here!" Airesiwe shouted. Frodo was still in good shape, for his condition. His eyes were still round and hexed, but his gasping was still going on, which was a good sign. She jumped on Firnephel's back and rode across the field. Just at that time, four shadows came out from in front of her. She turned to the side but three more ran towards her. She took a sharp left, taking the strangers by surprise, and dashed into the other side of the woods. The black figures screamed in horror, and ran after her. Firnephel ran as fast as he could, but was still becoming slower.
"No fear Firnephel," Airesiwe reminded him. "Nozoca opelli."
She rode with confidence, although the strangers were close behind. They were gathering speed, especially one of the seven. It was right beside Airesiwe, on the right, and although she told Firnephel to go faster, he only went slower. Airesiwe took the one, bloody arrow she shot at the horse, and shot it at the shadow. It did nothing. She screamed in fear, and without thinking pulled Firnephel's mane sharply to the right. Her horse ran into the black one without warning, and cause the black horse to fall over. She took off in the woods without a trail or anything to follow. The black shadows followed her, but were at this time, much farther behind. She saw in the distance the blue ford she had encountered the night before. She ran towards it and ran through the shallow water. She was in Rivendell. She looked back at the six on the other side of the river and laughed.
"It is over," she said.
The strangers took out their swords and their horses grunted as if laughing at her remark. Airesiwe also drew her small sword and glared at them. Firnephel seemed to know the situation and reared up on his hind legs and neighed. The shadows took the invitation and made their way slowly across the ford. With the second last power, Airesiwe chanted an amulet and waited. The strangers stepped closer and closer, when finally something happened. The water level seemed to rise, and the dam not far away snapped. The incredible waves washed the strangers and their horses away, leaving Airesiwe, Frodo, and Firnephel alone on the shore. She looked down at Frodo with pride, when she noticed that he wasn't moving. She turned his head towards hers and saw that his eyes were as hard as stone. She gasped and felt his wrist for a pulse, only to find that it was dead. He was dead. She wept and hugged the small hobbit close to her. 'No,' she thought. "All this way." She decided that there was only one thing left to do: Use her last, and final power that she was blessed with. She set him on the ground and waited, as if hoping that he would come back to life miraculously, but he didn't. Instead he gazed at her with dead, cold eyes. Slowly, as if wondering if it was the right thing to do, she chanted her last phrase and waited. Nothing. She had wasted her last power for nothing. Defeated, she mounted Frodo on the back on Firnephel, mounted herself on his back, and rode slowly towards Rivendell with great sadness.
Airesiwe took one look at him and winced. The young hobbit had a strange glow in his eyes that wouldn't go away. He was gasping for air and looked at the sky as if searching for something. Two other hobbits were next to him crying and telling him not to give up. Airesiwe walked over to the hobbit and kneeled down beside him.
"Who is she?" She heard one of the hobbits ask.
"She's good, she's going to take care of him, don't worry." Airesiwe wasn't really listening to the constant questioning of the hobbits, but rather watched Frodo with intense eyes. Right then she began to feel nervous. Would she be able to save him? She knew that all she would have to do was get him to Elrond, but she had a strange feeling it wouldn't be easy.
Aragorn picked up Frodo and placed him on Firnephel. He patted the horse on the neck then looked towards Airesiwe. "Eli Nala Isbis Sundron, (Are you sure you can do this?)," Aragorn asked. "Tabathe Hanoi ispertar, Sundron belida (Like I said, I do not fear them)." Airesiwe had no clue what it was she was speaking of.
"Ride fast, we're counting on you stranger." A blue flicker alit Aragorn's eyes. "Don't look back, no matter what fear comes upon you."
"I am the fastest rider. Upon full speed, nothing can stop me." With that, she jumped up on Firnephel, and led him in the direction she came from. It was as if something was drawing her to Rivendell, preventing her from getting lost. "Nozoca opelli (No fear)," and with that, she was off.
She bolted through the dark woods, but luckily the pale light of dawn managed to sneak it's way through the trees, making it a little easier to see. She rode with great speed, occasionally looking at Frodo as he squeaked and gasped for more air. She rode slower, fearing that Firnephel would get tired, when it happened. The screeching was heard from within the thick woods. Firnephel sensed the danger and rode faster looking in all directions, almost tripping on nearby logs. "Faster," Airesiwe whispered, as she too, looking around in panic. Then she saw it. A black shadow was moving in the forest at around the same speed she was. She looking in the other direction and saw another one, except it was much easier to see. It seemed to be a man clothed in black, though she could not see his face. It was riding a black horse with red eyes and dressed in pounds of armor. She leaned forward hoping to outrun the two shadows, when she did the worst thing that she could possible do: she looked back. She saw three more shadows that were almost at her tail, screamed, and fell off. Her dagger that she kept with her managed to brush up against one of the horses, causing it to fall in pain. She got up and looked around scared. Firnephel ran off with Frodo still on his back, while the other four that were following it turned around and tried to surround Airesiwe. She took out her short sword and made a deep cut in one of the horses legs. The rider screeched in pain and fell with the horse to the ground. Airesiwe ran with incredible speed in the direction of Firnephel, only to be confronted with two more shadows. She shot one of the horses with the one arrow she had, but it didn't fall, but rather reared up and caused the rider to fall off. She quickly jumped on the horse and steered in towards the field where Frodo and her horse was. The horse, too blinded by the pain, obeyed Airesiwe with huge bitterness. Airesiwe took the arrow out of his side, but that did not ease the hatred for the new stranger. She rode quickly to the field without looking back, though she did not hear the screeching behind her. There in the middle of the field she spotted Firnephel, with Frodo still on his back, gasping for breathe. Airesiwe jumped off the horse and ran towards Firnephel. The black horse turned around and galloped back into the woods, where more screeching could be heard.
"Come on! We cannot dawdle here!" Airesiwe shouted. Frodo was still in good shape, for his condition. His eyes were still round and hexed, but his gasping was still going on, which was a good sign. She jumped on Firnephel's back and rode across the field. Just at that time, four shadows came out from in front of her. She turned to the side but three more ran towards her. She took a sharp left, taking the strangers by surprise, and dashed into the other side of the woods. The black figures screamed in horror, and ran after her. Firnephel ran as fast as he could, but was still becoming slower.
"No fear Firnephel," Airesiwe reminded him. "Nozoca opelli."
She rode with confidence, although the strangers were close behind. They were gathering speed, especially one of the seven. It was right beside Airesiwe, on the right, and although she told Firnephel to go faster, he only went slower. Airesiwe took the one, bloody arrow she shot at the horse, and shot it at the shadow. It did nothing. She screamed in fear, and without thinking pulled Firnephel's mane sharply to the right. Her horse ran into the black one without warning, and cause the black horse to fall over. She took off in the woods without a trail or anything to follow. The black shadows followed her, but were at this time, much farther behind. She saw in the distance the blue ford she had encountered the night before. She ran towards it and ran through the shallow water. She was in Rivendell. She looked back at the six on the other side of the river and laughed.
"It is over," she said.
The strangers took out their swords and their horses grunted as if laughing at her remark. Airesiwe also drew her small sword and glared at them. Firnephel seemed to know the situation and reared up on his hind legs and neighed. The shadows took the invitation and made their way slowly across the ford. With the second last power, Airesiwe chanted an amulet and waited. The strangers stepped closer and closer, when finally something happened. The water level seemed to rise, and the dam not far away snapped. The incredible waves washed the strangers and their horses away, leaving Airesiwe, Frodo, and Firnephel alone on the shore. She looked down at Frodo with pride, when she noticed that he wasn't moving. She turned his head towards hers and saw that his eyes were as hard as stone. She gasped and felt his wrist for a pulse, only to find that it was dead. He was dead. She wept and hugged the small hobbit close to her. 'No,' she thought. "All this way." She decided that there was only one thing left to do: Use her last, and final power that she was blessed with. She set him on the ground and waited, as if hoping that he would come back to life miraculously, but he didn't. Instead he gazed at her with dead, cold eyes. Slowly, as if wondering if it was the right thing to do, she chanted her last phrase and waited. Nothing. She had wasted her last power for nothing. Defeated, she mounted Frodo on the back on Firnephel, mounted herself on his back, and rode slowly towards Rivendell with great sadness.
