Disclaimer: Feavair and any original character belong to me. See chapter one, part one.
Chapter 4: Stranger in the Dark.
The four of them left the hilltop where they were clear goals for the riders. They walked slowly down the slope not knowing what to expect from the riders, where they spies from Mordor or unknown allies. Gimli was edgy, he looked nervously towards the riders as each second past and they came closer.
"What do you know about these….riders?" Boromir asked as he could sense Gimli`s unease. "I have been among them," answered Aragorn. " They are proud and willful, stubborn but true hearted. It is a long time since I have known them and I know not how they react on the threat from Mordor and Isengard. But at least they don not like orcs"
"But Gandalf spoke of a rumor that hey tribute to Mordor" said Gimli and Boromir snorted angrily. " I don not believe that until I see it" "We will soon know the truth," said Legolas and now even Gimli and the others could hear the thunder from the hooves of the galloping horses. They were great and large horses with proud necks and their mane raised high in the wind as their coats glittered in the sun as if they were of silver and gold.
As they came closer, Aragorn raised his hands in a sign of peace and said calmly.
"What news from the North, Riders of Rohan?"
The horses halted suddenly and without any word of command the Fellowship suddenly found them self surrounded by horses and riders that glared at them, with suspicion, from under their glistening helmets.
"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" asked a rider using the common tongue of the West. Boromir stepped forward for this was the language used by his people in Gondor.
"I am Boromir son of Denethor II, we come from the North and are hunting orcs" a quiet muttering spread among the riders. The rider they had been talking to, jumped down from his horse and handed his spear to another, he stared at them closely before he relaxed a little and said.
"At first we thought you were orcs but now I see that you are not. If you are hunting them like this, you clearly do not know much about them. These orcs were well equipped and heavily armed. You need not to pursue them further, the orcs are destroyed two days ago"
"Did you see an elven-maid among them and two hobbits?" asked Legolas quickly. The rider thought for a long time before he turned to the riders behind them and asked them. They could hear the muttering spread between the hundredth and five riders. They waited anxiously before the rider answered.
"We found none else then the orcs. "
Legolas` heart sank and he looked towards the forest. Could they have taken refuge there?
"That is strange…. are you sure you saw none but orcs, did you search among the slain? The hobbits would be small like children and clad in gray," Aragorn said.
"Children and female would be easy to be spot in a battle…there were nothing of what you seek. We burned the slain, the ashes are burning still" Legolas was about to ask another question when the riders started to murmured again and the horses nodded their heads nervously. They all looked at the black smoke rising to the clouds and the wind started to blow, brining with it the foul smell of decoy and death.
" Then I ask, let me know your name" The rider arched an eyebrow before he put his hand over his heart and said proudly.
"I am Éomer, the Third Marshal of Rohan and the nephew of Théoden the King of Rohan. And I shall bring words to your city, Boromir they will be pleased to hear that you are well" Boromir bowed slightly and then Éomer turned to the others, who had been silent all through the conversation.
"Then I ask of you, orc hunter what name do you bear that finds it self worthy to speak with the Riders of Rohan"
Aragorn took a step towards the rider and lowered his hood before he spoke in a loud and clear voice, as he spoke he seemed to grow, while Éomer seemed to shrink.
"I am Aragorn son of Arathorn, and am called Elessar, the Elfstone, Dunadan, the heir of Isildur, Elendil`s son of Gondor"
The riders muttered in awe and wonder and Éomer bowed his head, regretting he had used such a harsh tongue on the heir of Isildur. "Forgive me, my Lord, if my words may have seem harsh, but we do have to question whom travel's on our land these days" then he turned to the others.
"Tell me then, Master dwarf what is your name, and you elf?"
"I am Gimli son of Gloin" Gimli said proudly and rested heavily against his axe while Legolas let a hand wipe some hair away from his face.
" Legolas" he muttered, he felt there was no need for a further introduction, and right now he felt like just Legolas, no prince, no proud elf and no son of a Lord. Aragorn saw Legolas look towards the forest once again. He knew what the elf was thinking, and he to hoped they had somehow managed to seek refuge in the forest.
They extended more news, especially about the evil that had grown in Mordor, about Saruman.
"It is bad to be dealing with such a enemy. He is a wizard with both brain and has many guises. I fear that we will soon have to fight against the enemy in the Dark Land. War is coming. We will fight bravely with Gondor as we always have" he said, mostly to Boromir who bowed his head in gratitude, his ego had lessened after he had…died.
"I would give you a word of warning though, there has been stories told, about the White Wizard. They say he walks the woods, disguised as an old man hooded and cloaked, very much like Gandalf. His dark birds are more often on the sky, although this last day there have been no birds beside the eagle…"
As if on cue the large brown bird let out a shrilling cry again. They had not heard the bird since early that morning and the noise startled them a little. The riders looked nervously towards the sky, as did the others.
"A good or bad omen, we do not know" Éomer muttered to him self.
There were murmurs of surprise and wonder among the riders as Éomer announced that the spare horses would be lent to the travelers. Aragorn had managed to persuade him, saying they would not give up their search. Dusk started to dawn on them as the cold wind from the icy mountains captured them and bit at them with their cold teethes.
"But promise me this" he said. "When your quests is finished, return with the horses over the Entwade to Meduseld, the high house of Edoras. Then you have proven who you are to Theoden and that I have not misjudged you. In this, I place my very life in keeping your good faith. Do not fail" He turned to Aragorn who nodded slowly and answered, "I will not"
Gimli refused to take a horse. "Who have heard of a horse of the Mark being given to a Dwarf?" asked one of the riders "No one" said Gimli " and do not trouble. No one will hear it. I would sooner walk then sit on the back of any beast so great, free or begrudged"
"But you must ride now, or you will hinder us" said Boromir. Gimli opened his mouth to refuse once more when Legolas said calmly. "Come you may ride with me"
"Time is not on our side and we must haste on, may you find what you seek or return with good health" The rider said.
"I thank you for your kind words and for your help. My heart desires to come with you, but we cannot abandoned our friends when hope still remains" Aragorn answered.
"Hope does not remain," answered Éomer "You will not find what you seek in the North-borders. Hope has forsaken this country"
Then they rode forward as the day neared its end. The clouds lay heavy and gray over the World and bits of mists sparkled in the last rays of the sun. The trees of Fangor still stared at them with its bushy eyebrows and dark eyes. They saw no sign of the orc trail and soon they came to where the orcs was burned. The ashes were still hot and smoking. They searched everywhere but could find no trace of Merry, Pippin or Feavair. As the hours grew dark so did Legolas` heart, as hope seemed to disappear for each moment that passed.
"We can do no more," said Gimli sadly. " I would guess that their burned bones are in the ashes with burned orcs" Legolas shuddered by the thought of her being slain in a wild battle and her final rest coming among orcs. His eyes became wet as he stared at the smoke rising in the sky.
"It will be hard news for Frodo, if he lives to hear it" said Boromir and took a deep and ragged breath "and hard for the old hobbit who waits in Rivendell. Elrond did not want them to come, I think he feared just this"
"But Gandalf did not" Aragorn said.
"But Gandalf chose to come and he was the first to fall" answered Gimli, Legolas was about to say something and Aragorn feared that a quarrel was in the waiting, so he quickly jumped down from his horse and said.
"We are all tired, let us rest here and wait for morning, then we shall all think clearer of what to do"
They walked a few meters away from the battlefield and made camp under a spreading tree. Gimli shivered they had brought only one blanket each and the night was growing colder.
"Let us make a fire" he said "I care not for the danger, let orcs come or else the only thing they will find is our frozen bones" Legolas nodded, thinking that maybe the light from the fire would draw them out from that unhappy forest, if they were still there…
Aragorn rested his back against the trunk of a tree, while Gimli busied him self with making the fire. Soon the fire was sparkling giving off the warmth the dwarf had missed since he left his home. It did not take long before they could hear his silent snores, and soon Boromir was sound a sleep, near the fire.
Aragorn opened one eye and stared at Legolas, as he stood profound scanning the forest. He knew the elf had not slept since they left the River, and even though elves needed little sleep, he knew he had to wearier then all the others put together. Slowly he rose and walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
It was the second time that he had managed to startle the elf, although this time he did not visible jump. His shoulders just tensed as if he knew what Aragorn was going to ask him, and he turned around slowly trying to prolong the minute as much as possible.
"You should rest Legolas, I know you have not, I will keep watch" Aragorn said but Legolas shook his head.
"I can not sleep for my mind is clouded by worry" he answered and gazed up on the sky, the stars were starting to appear blinking their gentle eyes at them.
"I see….and you worry not as much for the hobbits" Aragorn asked, Legolas seemed to be both angry and embarrassed at once as he turned his gaze swiftly to the ranger.
"Of course I worry about Merry and Pippin…" he trailed off and Aragorn sensed a small but that hung in the air.
"You told me you thought you knew….the nameless one, although lately you have been muttering a name, then I recon you know who she is"
Legolas thought for a long time, he knew that he shouldn't tell Aragorn the deepness of his relationship to the elf, for then the ranger would break camp and set off into the woods at once, and although that was what he wanted, he did not want to endanger their life, he knew Feavair wouldn't want to.
"Yes…yes I know here…..she came to my fathers house a long time ago, and she has been a dear friend to me" he paused " She was killed by an orc in June" Legolas said and blinked his eyes.
"Killed….but how come she ended up in Bree then, with no memory at all" Aragorn asked mostly him self.
"That of course, as been the reason for my many worries"
Suddenly Legolas tensed again as he saw something move by the edge of the forest. So did Aragorn and they spotted an old and cloaked man with a bushy hat on his head. The old man did not speak or make a sign.
"What can we do to help you old man, come and warm your self if you are cold" Aragorn cried, waking the others.
He walked forward but the old mans gone as if he had never been there, then suddenly a wind swept over them making the flames dance and then they heard the horses cry as they started to run. "The horses!" cried Legolas and started to run after them, but it was in vein, they where gone.
"They are gone," said Boromir as the horses disappeared.
"Then we must journey on our feet," said Aragorn tiredly as he held his eyes the place the old man had been. He was silent in thoughts for a long time before he spoke.
"I think that old man was Saruman, remember what Éomer said, `he goes as an old and hooded man`"
"But this man had a hat not a hood. I fear you are right, that was indeed Saruman, he has scared away the horses" Legolas said slowly feeling colder then he had done in a long time.
Suddenly there was a long howl in the darkness and they all looked towards the forest as something large and white dashed between the trees.
"There is trouble coming to us, mark my words" Gimli muttered
He had no idea how much promise his word held.
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