Chapter One: Miracle Meeting
Dirt puffed into little wispy clouds as Maeg struggled forward through the rocky path. The sky was darker than ever, leaving little light to aid Maeg in her desperate struggle to find help.
Her lungs ached from sobbing and her muscles burned as her bare feet hit the jagged rocks on the dirt path.
"Ah!" Maeg cried out as she bent forward and clutched her stomach. Maeg took a deep breath before saying, "All right, little one, I'll take it easy."
Maeg slowly lowered herself onto a large rock.
Maeg looked out toward the path in which she was heading. She was almost to her destination. She could see the grassy sea before her with welcoming appeal. But as much as she tried, she could not force her heavy body to get up from its sitting position. Her muscles were weak, her lungs ached and her eye lids weighed heavily upon her. Slowly, Maeg leaned up against the rock wall and closed her eyes.
A swift wind blew Maeg's blonde hair into her sleeping face. Pinching her lids closed, she stretched and rubbed her sore neck.
"Farewell…I hope…what you seek…" a quiet, masculine voice was saying, bits of the sentence blown away by the wind.
Maeg's breathing stopped, her ears straining for the sounds that she thought she heard. Silence.
Was it my imagination?
Maeg sighed and leaned against the rock once again, tears stinging her deep green eyes; but before the tears fell, a small vibration met Maeg's bare feet, and then the sounds of horses' hooves beating against the ground met her ears.
Struggling to stand, Maeg waddled towards the end of the path to look upon the plains.
When she stopped, Maeg saw several tall men on horses riding in the opposite direction.
But there were still a handful of men still on their horses before her, talking to three other beings that were horseless.
Maeg gawked in astonishment at the sight before her. She crumbled to her knees and cried joyous tears.
I have found them! I made it! Maeg rejoiced, but when she opened her tear-filled eyes the men on horses were riding away swiftly.
"No," Maeg whispered, scrambling to her feet. "No!"
The three men still stood where they had first been seen, but now they had two horses with them. A tall, dark-haired man seemed to be speaking to the blonde one.
Maeg, in desperation, ran down the rocky earth, waving her arms in the air. Maeg tried to call out, but she could not form words around the large lump in her throat.
Struggling to stay on her feet she stumbled down the incline, but she kept her eyes on the three men, but to her surprise, the three men were climbing the horses, in order to leave.
No, don't leave!
Maeg stopped her hurried pace and cupped her dry lips with her trembling fingers in a last resort.
"Wait!" Maeg screamed, piercing the once silent air with her wavering voice.
The blonde man jumped from his steed and turned toward her with great swiftness. Yes, I'm here!
Maeg waved her hands and began going towards the three men, her breathing becoming heavy with her effort.
She watched as the dark-haired man rode his horse toward her while the blonde man ran swiftly.
The rider stopped just short of her, his tall, dark form towering over her. His brown, stringy hair flew in the wind, and his grey eyes searched hers with question.
"What is a woman doing by herself in these parts?" the dark-haired man inquired, his voice husky and deep. His grey eyes searched her being and paused on her stomach, his eyes growing wide.
"I…" Maeg began, trying to catch her breath. "I am Maegraukowen…and my people were attacked…"
"People; attacked? What are you speaking of?" the dark-haired man asked, interrupting with suspicion.
Maeg closed her eyes in frustration and clenched her fists before speaking once again; now the blonde man, who turned out to be an Elf, was now standing next to the horse.
"I am from Gondor, and many of my people were fleeing from Gondor for we were so close to Evil. We were planning to come to Edoras for help, but we were attacked by Orcs, I believe I am the only one who survived …" Maeg finished, beginning to feel light headed.
The blonde Elf looked to Maeg with questioning eyes and then looked to the man on the horse.
"Well, Aragorn?" the Elf spoke. "What do you think?"
"I do not know," he said simply, leaving Mage feeling helpless.
"I need to get to Edoras. Were those men you were speaking with the Men of Rohan?" Maeg bravely asked, nodding her head in the direction of the riders. Aragorn nodded slowly, sizing up the situation before speaking.
"Yes, the captain was Eomer. But unfortunately he, and many of his men, had been banished from Edoras." Aragorn informed the distressed mother-to-be. Maeg's heart tightened and she lowered her head in dejection.
Silence filled the air between the three strangers, and Aragorn looked to the blonde man several times, before he cleared his throat. Maeg looked into Aragorn's grey eyes and she saw compassion floating in them and Maeg's heart did a flip.
"We shall take you to Edoras, but on the trail there we will detour, for we are searching for our friends which had been taken captive," Aragorn muttered, laying his hand lightly on the saddle's horn, his brown, shoulder-length hair blowing around his face.
Maeg released her breath and managed a smile on her wobbly face. Her heart lifted and she accepted the serene hand of the blonde Elf as he led her down the small incline and towards the small man in the distance.
Maeg greeted the small man with a smile, amazed at this new creature before her.
"I am Gimli, son of Gloin." The Dwarf murmured humbly before he bowed.
"I am Maegraukowen, from Gondor. You may call me Maeg," she said politely, her pink lips lifting slightly.
"Come," Aragorn began, grabbing hold to the horses reigns with his strong hand. "We must mount and be on our way, for our friends' lives depend upon us!" With those slow words of despair, Legolas and Gimli struggled onto their horse.
Maeg looked to the two horses, and her brows curved with confusion. Aragorn noticed, and quickly laid a hand on her elbow before saying,
"We must ride together, for Eomer had no thought of our meeting," Aragorn then took Maeg's hand and helped her mount the mighty steed.
When all four were finally sitting somewhat comfortably on their horses, Aragorn lightly kicked his horse forward and they flew through the golden plains.
The sun kissed the grass as it twinkled and glittered as the wind washed over them.
It's like we're swimming in an ocean of gold! Maeg thought to herself as she tightened her grasp around Aragorn's waist.
The sun was beginning to dip slowly into it's hidden bed; yet they still rode on, Aragorn constantly slowing to search the grounds and then dismounting to put his face close to the trampled earth.
Maeg covered her yawning mouth with her soiled hand, trying to keep her heavy eyelids from closing.
Legolas, who still sat on his mount, noted the young blonde's action. Mind set, Legolas gracefully leapt from his horse and strode toward Aragorn with light steps.
"Aragorn," Legolas whispered with his soothing voice. He laid his pale hand on Aragorn's stiff shoulder for his attention. Looking up, Aragorn looked into the Elf's face, his golden hair hugging his unsoiled face.
"I think we should rest," Legolas said as he shifted his blue gaze to the blonde woman who was struggling to keep her head from falling to her chest.
"Of course," Aragorn murmured, guilt washing over him as he watched Maeg cover her belly with her hands, protectively. "We shall take shelter under the tree," Aragorn continued as he pointed to the left showing a large tree with it's branches hanging low in what seemed like protection.
Maeg watched as Legolas talked silently with the Ranger, her curiosity overwhelming her.
I suppose they are debating whether to leave me here or just kill me! What they must think, seeing a young woman, alone and with child in the middle of nowhere! Maeg thought, her heart beating a little faster as the Elf walked towards her, his steps strong and unrelenting.
"My lady?" Legolas mumbled.
Swallowing hard, Maeg tried to speak around the lump in her tightened throat.
"Yes?" she asked, stumbling over the simple word.
"We are stopping to rest,"
Maeg sat in silence, searching his eyes for any menacing trick they might be playing on her. But all she saw was sympathy and concern as he offered his hand to help her dismount. Taking a deep breath, Maeg gently took his hand and slid off the horse, but her foot caught in the leather strap, and she tumbled into Legolas' arms, head first.
"Are you all right?" Legolas asked, his voice husky as he steadied her. Maeg nodded as her breath slowed, her hair covering her panic stricken face.
"I am fine, I just need to sit down," Maeg stuttered, as Legolas led her to the mighty tree and helped her sit on the grassy earth.
Maeg sighed and laid her head against the bark of the plump trunk. She looked around into the empty land, tears welling up in her eyes as flashes of her friends being slain flooded her mind. The pitiful screams echoed through her mind and the pools of blood flooded her sight.
Blinking, Maeg wiped the tears from her face quickly, sniffling. Shifting her gaze, Maeg studied her bare feet, noticing small blisters and sores swelling around her toes.
"Where are your shoes?" Aragorn inquired, bringing Maeg's attention to his rugged form.
With a heated blush rising up her bare neck, Maeg stumble over her words.
"They- my feet don't fit in my shoes for my ankles are swollen," Maeg answered, keeping her eyes from his searching gaze.
Aragorn looked from her blushing face to her bare feet before he dropped his cloak and mat on the floor beside her and strode toward the horse in which he had ridden.
She watched as his fingers fumbled over the leather strap which kept the small bag from falling from the horses' saddle.
Before long, Aragorn had retrieved what he had been after and came to her, his eyes grey with compassion.
"These are not shoes, but they will act as such for the time being," Aragorn murmured as he lay before her two strong, pieces of leather cloth with some rope.
"May I?" Aragorn gestured as he began rapping the cloth about her feet and up past her ankles. He tied them securely with the rope, careful not to bruise her delicate skin.
"Thank you for your kindness," Maeg mumbled humbly as she observed the crafty work the Ranger had done.
Without a word, Aragorn nodded his head, his eyes twinkling in the last rays of sun.
A/N: Here's your other chapter people who reviewed! Thanks SOO much for reviewing, but….you must review again and THEN I will write chapter two, I want to make sure you people are STILL reading it! lol. REVIEW! ;]