Chapter Five
Light was just painting the horizon when Aragorn awoke the three travelers. "Come, I believe we shall find some clue of to what fate our friends have been dealt with the morning light to aide us," Aragorn said, his voice smooth and unaltered.
Slowly Maeg lifted her weary body from the rough ground. Her hair stuck to her face from which tears had been the night before, but she wiped them away before any trace could cause question. "Here, my lady, eat this before we go on," Legolas said as he moved toward her slowly, gracefully. He handed her a small corner from the bread in which she had eaten before. "Thank you," Maeg murmured with gratitude as she ate it clumsily.
The hot sun spilled rays upon the travelers' backs as they searched through the carcass debris. The stench overwhelmed them as they turned their heads from the odor and forked their swords into the pile, scrounging for some clue.
With frustration, Aragorn stabbed the earth with his sword. "This shall take days on end to search this pile," Aragorn seethed, his tongue pushing his teeth with anger.
Gimli lifted his ax to bash the pile, but his arm stilled and the air from his chest left him in one great sweep.
Legolas lifted his bowed head to Gimli's face, his brows curved with concern. "What is it, Gimli?" Legolas inquired, stepping closer.
With a pensive lift of his head, Gimli held up a singed belt with a small dagger sheath. "This was one of the Hobbits'," Gimli mourned, his voice rumbling with sorrow. Aragorn grabbed an Orc helmet from the pile and threw it to the ground and cried out in grief as he fell slowly to his knees.
Maeg stood several feet from the men and the pile to keep from getting sick a second time. She heard Gimli mourn his friends as he lifted the belt, and her heart felt as though it had been ripped from her when a mournful cry came from the ranger's lips.
Her hand clasped her chest, tears stinging her eyes for the Hobbit's she did not know. What a tragic end for them. What is happening to these lands?
Aragorn gripped his hands, the tight pain in his chest overwhelming. Now I know how it feels to be stabbed in the heart.
His nose tingled and he could feel the tears building up behind his lids, waiting to burst forth. With a bleary gaze, Aragorn looked to the ground.
His brows curved, his face leaned to the grass in which held the clue he had been searching for. His large hands caressed the land, and he slid his knee on the earth as he moved to another bare patch in the ground. "What do you see?" Legolas questioned, kneeling as well. "Hobbit's laid here," Aragorn mumbled, moving along the ground, searching and feeling. "The tracks look as though they crawled, hands bound," His excitement leapt into his voice as he read the signs in the golden grass.
Legolas grinned, hope gripping his heart which had felt like ice moment's before. He lifted his head to Maeg, who stood on the borders of the ashes. He lifted his hand and waved her to follow. She nodded and began waddling towards them, her forehead wrinkled with puzzlement. "What is it?" Maeg asked, her eyes studying Aragorn who lay on the ground. "We have found tracks," Legolas answered, gripping her elbow. "Their bonds were cut," Aragorn exclaimed, retrieving a piece of frayed rope from the ground. "And here is the knife that cut them!" Gimli proclaimed as he lifted up a long, thin blade which was stained in Orc blood. "Yes," Aragorn mumbled, running his finger upon the blade. "From here they ran swiftly, and their tracks go in strange patterns, as though there were obstacles they had to get around,"
Maeg listened with amazement at his words of theories. Aragorn ran with the tracks and stopped still. "The tracks lead into Fangorn Forest," Aragorn said, his eyes lifting to the towering trees before him.
The air was musty and stale, and Maeg found herself gasping as she slowly weaved through the luminous trees. She lifted her feet with caution, trying to keep the leather bound about her swollen feet.
Her heart felt as though a large hand was squeezing it, and sweat beaded upon her dirt-smudged forehead as she kept the stout Gimli in her sight. He waddled rather slowly, cautiously, into the treacherous forest, his axe held tightly in one hand. Why must the trees hide the sun from me? Maeg thought, as she felt a cold hand seize her body.
The Fangorn forest was crowded with trees, old from centuries of life. The limbs of the strong trees drooped, as though the trees themselves were cheerless, or that they held a great weight upon their old leaves.
Maeg's shoulders slumped together like a barrier keeping anything from entering her fort. Her eyes scanned the trees and the thick vines which wrapped around the trees and seemed to stick out to purposely keep you from staying on your two feet.
Leaning slowly towards Legolas, who was standing but feet from her, she whispered, her voice hoarse, "I feel that these trees are watching us.as though we could do some harm to them,"
Legolas lifted his head, his eyes searching the trees as though he could read the trees' mind. He gave a small sigh and returned his glowing gaze to Maeg's. "There is anger within these roots .let us be cautious," Legolas soothed, his hand tightening upon his bow.
Maeg noted his action, and her heart dropped, stomach tightening.
Sitting upon a patch of moss, Maeg held her stomach, pearls of sweat clinging to her rumpled forehead. She gasped, her knuckles turning white upon the bulge. "Not now, please," Maeg pleaded, looking down to her over-sized stomach, tears sitting upon her lashes.
A sudden pain hit her lower stomach, causing Maeg to draw in breath. Not yet, little one. Please.
Maeg drew in a slow breath, one salty tear sliding down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away when Aragorn came from behind an over-large tree. "There are footprints.Hobbit footprints beyond this tree, come, we are getting closer," Aragorn said, his eyes alight with hope.
***A/N: I popped another chapter from my mind, though it took awhile. I hope this chapter is good; I have been really busy with school and such that I have not been really thinking LotRish things.if that makes sense! Lol anyway, review!
Light was just painting the horizon when Aragorn awoke the three travelers. "Come, I believe we shall find some clue of to what fate our friends have been dealt with the morning light to aide us," Aragorn said, his voice smooth and unaltered.
Slowly Maeg lifted her weary body from the rough ground. Her hair stuck to her face from which tears had been the night before, but she wiped them away before any trace could cause question. "Here, my lady, eat this before we go on," Legolas said as he moved toward her slowly, gracefully. He handed her a small corner from the bread in which she had eaten before. "Thank you," Maeg murmured with gratitude as she ate it clumsily.
The hot sun spilled rays upon the travelers' backs as they searched through the carcass debris. The stench overwhelmed them as they turned their heads from the odor and forked their swords into the pile, scrounging for some clue.
With frustration, Aragorn stabbed the earth with his sword. "This shall take days on end to search this pile," Aragorn seethed, his tongue pushing his teeth with anger.
Gimli lifted his ax to bash the pile, but his arm stilled and the air from his chest left him in one great sweep.
Legolas lifted his bowed head to Gimli's face, his brows curved with concern. "What is it, Gimli?" Legolas inquired, stepping closer.
With a pensive lift of his head, Gimli held up a singed belt with a small dagger sheath. "This was one of the Hobbits'," Gimli mourned, his voice rumbling with sorrow. Aragorn grabbed an Orc helmet from the pile and threw it to the ground and cried out in grief as he fell slowly to his knees.
Maeg stood several feet from the men and the pile to keep from getting sick a second time. She heard Gimli mourn his friends as he lifted the belt, and her heart felt as though it had been ripped from her when a mournful cry came from the ranger's lips.
Her hand clasped her chest, tears stinging her eyes for the Hobbit's she did not know. What a tragic end for them. What is happening to these lands?
Aragorn gripped his hands, the tight pain in his chest overwhelming. Now I know how it feels to be stabbed in the heart.
His nose tingled and he could feel the tears building up behind his lids, waiting to burst forth. With a bleary gaze, Aragorn looked to the ground.
His brows curved, his face leaned to the grass in which held the clue he had been searching for. His large hands caressed the land, and he slid his knee on the earth as he moved to another bare patch in the ground. "What do you see?" Legolas questioned, kneeling as well. "Hobbit's laid here," Aragorn mumbled, moving along the ground, searching and feeling. "The tracks look as though they crawled, hands bound," His excitement leapt into his voice as he read the signs in the golden grass.
Legolas grinned, hope gripping his heart which had felt like ice moment's before. He lifted his head to Maeg, who stood on the borders of the ashes. He lifted his hand and waved her to follow. She nodded and began waddling towards them, her forehead wrinkled with puzzlement. "What is it?" Maeg asked, her eyes studying Aragorn who lay on the ground. "We have found tracks," Legolas answered, gripping her elbow. "Their bonds were cut," Aragorn exclaimed, retrieving a piece of frayed rope from the ground. "And here is the knife that cut them!" Gimli proclaimed as he lifted up a long, thin blade which was stained in Orc blood. "Yes," Aragorn mumbled, running his finger upon the blade. "From here they ran swiftly, and their tracks go in strange patterns, as though there were obstacles they had to get around,"
Maeg listened with amazement at his words of theories. Aragorn ran with the tracks and stopped still. "The tracks lead into Fangorn Forest," Aragorn said, his eyes lifting to the towering trees before him.
The air was musty and stale, and Maeg found herself gasping as she slowly weaved through the luminous trees. She lifted her feet with caution, trying to keep the leather bound about her swollen feet.
Her heart felt as though a large hand was squeezing it, and sweat beaded upon her dirt-smudged forehead as she kept the stout Gimli in her sight. He waddled rather slowly, cautiously, into the treacherous forest, his axe held tightly in one hand. Why must the trees hide the sun from me? Maeg thought, as she felt a cold hand seize her body.
The Fangorn forest was crowded with trees, old from centuries of life. The limbs of the strong trees drooped, as though the trees themselves were cheerless, or that they held a great weight upon their old leaves.
Maeg's shoulders slumped together like a barrier keeping anything from entering her fort. Her eyes scanned the trees and the thick vines which wrapped around the trees and seemed to stick out to purposely keep you from staying on your two feet.
Leaning slowly towards Legolas, who was standing but feet from her, she whispered, her voice hoarse, "I feel that these trees are watching us.as though we could do some harm to them,"
Legolas lifted his head, his eyes searching the trees as though he could read the trees' mind. He gave a small sigh and returned his glowing gaze to Maeg's. "There is anger within these roots .let us be cautious," Legolas soothed, his hand tightening upon his bow.
Maeg noted his action, and her heart dropped, stomach tightening.
Sitting upon a patch of moss, Maeg held her stomach, pearls of sweat clinging to her rumpled forehead. She gasped, her knuckles turning white upon the bulge. "Not now, please," Maeg pleaded, looking down to her over-sized stomach, tears sitting upon her lashes.
A sudden pain hit her lower stomach, causing Maeg to draw in breath. Not yet, little one. Please.
Maeg drew in a slow breath, one salty tear sliding down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away when Aragorn came from behind an over-large tree. "There are footprints.Hobbit footprints beyond this tree, come, we are getting closer," Aragorn said, his eyes alight with hope.
***A/N: I popped another chapter from my mind, though it took awhile. I hope this chapter is good; I have been really busy with school and such that I have not been really thinking LotRish things.if that makes sense! Lol anyway, review!