A/N: Here is another chapter. Sorry it took me so long to get it up. I only had two review's last chapter *sob* Thanks to Discordia and Alida. I love all your advice and comments, so thank you.

~**~

They ran half-way through the night, before Gimli, Aurora, Scott, and Dan all collapsed on the ground. Aragorn too looked extremely tired and he knew he needed rest. Legolas still looked refreshed and alert as always and offered to keep watch that night.

Gladly, Aurora rolled a blanket on the ground and lay down on it. Scott took his usual place to the right of her. Dan, looking a bit troubled at this, lay down next to Scott.

Aurora had had a long, trying day. She was more than shocked when her brother had turned up, and even a little disappointed. She was getting used to having Scott as a friend and at first she was afraid that with Dan back, Scott would change to how he used to be. But Aurora knew now that he wouldn't, and she was very glad for it.

Her heart had swelled when Scott had pronounced that she was indeed her friend. But then it fell back in place by a feeling she hadn't recognized. A friend? Of course that was good, but what if there could be something more? The thought had scared Aurora to death, one that she was thinking of Scott in this way and, two that there was no way he would ever think of her more than the friends they had become.

Sighing, she let all these thoughts empty her head, and before long she was fast asleep, snoring softly.

--

Legolas woke everyone up at dawn that morning. Aurora felt even more tired than she had before she went to sleep, but she didn't complain. Merry and Pippin were out there somewhere, and she wasn't going to rest until she was sure they were okay. Scott never complained. He just rolled up his blankets and set about getting ready for another run that day. Even Dan knew better than to say anything, he just did as he was told in a willing manner.

"Blood has been spilled this day," Legolas said, gazing at the rising sun which was casting a red glow over the sky.

Aurora shifted uncomfortably, pulling her bag over her back.

"I'm sure that's just superstition."

Legolas turned to look at her with arched eyebrows that clearly asked, is it? But he said nothing.

Everyone was soon ready and they began jogging again. No matter how determined Aurora was to rescue her friends, her muscles felt seized up and she couldn't help but feel exhausted. Every bone and muscle in her body was on fire as her legs carried her unwillingly across the dirt. By the looks of the others, they all felt the same as she did. Everyone, that is, except Legolas and Aragorn. Legolas ran upon the ground very lightly and he never looked tired. Aragorn's face was filled with sheer determination and showed nothing except for his resolve to get to his young hobbit friends before they got to the tower of Saruman.

Suddenly Aragorn stopped dead in his tracks. Aurora collided with him and collapsed to the ground, rubbing her rear.

"Quickly!" He called, "Hide!"

Aurora jumped to her feet and followed after Aragorn behind a gigantic boulder that had apparently fallen from the mountainside of which they were standing under. She wasn't sure why he had told them all to hide, but she knew better than to question him. He always knew what they were doing and he would never have told them to hide unless he saw reason for them to do so.

And the reason became apparent soon enough. For riding over the hill, upon hundreds of different horses, were men. Men with weapons at the ready and flags billowing upon pikes raised high on the air. Before Aurora could register the sheer number of these men, they had past, riding swiftly across the ground they had so recently been jogging across.

Sighing Aurora turned to Aragorn, "I didn't even hear them! I must be going deaf. Whew. That was close."

But even as she said these words, Aragorn stepped out from behind the boulder and called out, "Riders of Rohan, what news from the Mark?"

Aurora felt like hitting him. "What are you doing?" She cried as horse upon horse turned around and galloped toward them. She forgot about the fact that she trusted him, all she could think of was that Aragorn had made some grave mistake.

Aragorn chose not to answer, he just stayed still as the men circled them. Before Aurora could so much as shout a curse to condemn Aragorn to a very brutal death, they were surrounded. Spears were aimed at them from every direction. Aurora pushed one away indignantly but the man who held it only moved it closer so it was centimeters from her neck. With a shriek, she jumped back and Scott caught her before she fell over.

"What business do men, an Elf, and a Dwarf have in the Riddermark?" the apparent leader of the group asked Aragorn menacingly.

Aurora would have stated that she was a woman, but the weapons were still pointed at her and she changed her mind.

Gimli, who had been silent, shifted on his feet. He glared up at the man and said loudly, "Give me your name, horse-master, and I shall give you mine."

Aurora stared at the dwarf. Was that sarcasm she heard there? From Gimli? And NOW? Of all the times for the Dwarf to show signs of life, it had to be now.

The man thrust the staff he had been carrying to another man off to the side, never once taking his eyes off of Gimli. He jumped down from his horse and stood before the company, still surrounded by spears. Aragorn stepped to the side and put his hand on Gimli's shoulder, giving him a warning look.

"I would cut off your head, Dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground." The man spat. Aurora groaned. This was sure to piss the dwarf off. But she was in for a surprise. Instead of Gimli retaliating (all he did was grip his axe with tightly clenched fingers), Legolas stepped forward. This surprised Aurora because she had always had the impression that the Elf and the Dwarf didn't really get along all to well. To see Legolas sticking up for the Dwarf was unexpected. And sexy, Aurora somehow managed to think, even with all the spears pointed at every part of her body.

Legolas had his bow and arrow out again and he had it aimed at the man, "You would die before you could strike such a blow."

All of the spears surrounding the company came even closer. Aurora groaned again. They were going to die, she knew it. A spear was actually poking into her neck and it hurt.

Aragorn looked between them before sighing. It was a very tense moment but he finally reached out and pushed down on Legolas' arm.

"I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. This is Gimli son of Gloin. The Elf is Legolas of the Woodland Realm. And-" He stared at Aurora not really knowing what to say. Dan and Scott also turned to Aurora as did the man.

"Erm-I. . .uh. . .I am. . .Aurora. Of er. . .well, I am Aurora. And this is my brother Dan and my friend Scott." She thought she saw a softness in the man's eye when she had declared Dan as her brother. She frowned, did the man have a sibling that he missed?

"We are friends of Rohan and of your King, Théoden." Aragorn continued.

The man stared at Aragorn before angrily answering, "Our king no longer knows friend from foe." Sighing he took off his helmet, revealing dirty blonde hair that was very rugged and tangled. "Not even his own kin."

Aurora looked at the man calculatingly. Did that mean his father was this Théoden guy? Or did it simply mean he was related?

"Saruman has poisoned the mind of our King. He has taken lordship over these lands." Then man continued bitterly. "My company are those that are loyal to Rohan. And for our loyalty, we have become banished by our own King." He turned around, indicating the men that still surrounded them. He made a hand gesture and immediately the weapons were dropped. Aurora couldn't help but sigh in relief. She lifted her hand to the point where the spear had dug into her neck and withdrew with blood on the tip of her finger.

The man continued once more, "The white wizard is cunning. He walks here and there, or so they say. His spies are always finding ways to get passed our nets."

Aragorn shook his head, "We are not spies. We are searching for our friends who have been taken by a band of Uruk-Hai, westward across these plains."

"They are destroyed. We slaughtered them all during the night."

Aurora gasped. What did that mean for the hobbits? "But, did you see two hobbits there?" she asked at the exact same time as Gimli, who said something similar.

Aragorn looked more terrified than Aurora had ever seen him, "They would be very small. They look like only children to your eyes."

But the man was already shaking his head. "We left none alive. We piled all the carcasses and burned them." He indicated to a smoking pile in the distance.

"They're dead?" Gimli muttered.

Aurora could already feel the tears sliding down her cheeks. All their effort, all their hopes, and still they died.

The man took notice to Aurora's silent tears and bowed his head, "I am sorry." He turned around and whistled, "Hasufel! Arod!"

Two horses stepped forward. "I know there are more in your group, but this is all we can spare. May these horses give you better fortune than they did their former masters." The man pulled on his helmet and jumped on his horse. He turned to look at them once more, "Search for your friends, but do not trust to hope. It is forsaken in these lands. Farewell!"

He called out to his men and then they began to ride north. Aurora wiped her tears with her sleeve. Against the man's advice her heart was already filling with hope. "They didn't see Merry and Pippin. Maybe they got away somehow!"

Aragorn nodded but said nothing. He pulled himself onto one of the horses. "Gimli, come with me."

Muttering, Gimli hoisted himself onto the horse and gripped Aragorn very tight around the waist. "Aurora, Scott, and Dan, try to get onto the other horse. Legolas, my light footed friend, you will have to run a short way more." Legolas nodded and he didn't look in the least perturbed.

Aurora sighed and turned to the two boys. "Okay, how are we going to do this?"

Scott shrugged, "I have no idea. I have never ridden a horse in my entire life."

Dan stepped forward, "Well, I have. I went horseback riding with one of my girlfriends one time. I think I should go in front and hold the reins." Dan swung his leg over the horses body and scooted up as far up as he could.

Scott followed him and covered up the rest of the saddle.

"Oh right. And where am I supposed to sit?" Aurora asked scathingly.

Dan sighed deeply before muttering, "I think you're going to have to sit on Scott's lap." He didn't look to happy at this at all. He glared as he stroked the horses' mane.

Scott and Aurora looked at each other uncomfortably. "Okay." Aurora whispered. Scott stretched down his hand and pulled her up. She sat on his lap sideways so that her legs were dangling over the side of the horse. Her heart pounded in her chest. She shivered when she could feel Scott's breath on her neck. She'd never been this close to him and she wasn't sure if she felt entirely comfortable. The horse began to move and Aurora lurched, almost toppling off. Scott put his arm around her waist and held her securely in place. It felt nice, but Aurora could feel her pulse quicken and her breath become more labored.

They rode this way for a short time. All they had to do was ride over a ridge before they came upon the heap of bodies. The stench reached Aurora first. It was the smell of rotting flesh being burnt and it made her slightly nauseous. But she didn't care. She jumped off the horse, as did the others, and they all began searching amongst the rubble. The men of Rohan had ambushed the Uruk-Hai next to a thick, dark forest. Bits of metal, flesh, and occasional body parts littered the ground.

Suddenly Gimli called out, "It's one of their small belts!" They all ran to the pile Gimli had been shifting through. Sure enough, the belt that Galadriel had given one of the hobbits was dangling from Gimli's hand, scorched black.

Immediately Legolas bowed his head and closed his eyes. He began muttering in Elvish, "Hiro îth ab 'wanath. . ."

Aragorn kicked a helmet in anger and began yelling, "AAAAAAAAAARGH."

Aurora stared as Aragorn dropped to his knees, breathing deeply. She'd never seen him so angry. Aragorn was always calm and here he was screaming for all the world to hear.

Aurora couldn't blame him though. Warm tears were sliding down her cheeks. All the hope she'd ever felt vanished. She choked back a sob, the tears falling like waterfalls. She couldn't control them. They'd failed. They'd let them die. They'd been too slow.

Scott moved over to her on impulse and pulled her into his arms. She didn't try to resist, she just sobbed into his shoulder while he stroked her hair.

Dan stood apart from them. He didn't really care that these two hobbit's had died. He didn't know who they were but he could tell that they had been important to the company. He didn't like the fact that Aurora was sobbing into Scott's shoulder, but he let her at it, not wanting to do anything to hurt her more.

Aurora looked up from Scott's shoulder to see Aragorn running his hand upon the ground. His eyes looked hopeful, and Aurora pulled away, wiping off her tears on the back of her hand. What was he doing?

"A hobbit lay here," Aragorn muttered, shifting aside the dirt a little. Then he looked to the left of the shape that only he could see, "And the other." He smoothed out the dirt once more.

"They crawled." He stood up and began to excitedly move along the ground, tracing tracks that were invisible to everyone else. "Their bonds were cut!" Aragorn lifted up a broken rope and now he began to jog slightly. The others followed, staring at Aragorn, hope filling their hearts once more.

"They ran over here and were followed!" he cried, pointing in the direction of the forest. "They were moving away from the battle." He broke into a run before stopping. "They ran into Fangorn Forest."

Gimli stopped and peered into the darkness of the trees, "What in the name of Eru possessed them to run there?"

Aurora was in shock. There was a chance that they were still alive! A very real chance at that.

Dan came up behind Aurora gaping at Aragorn, "How the hell did he know all that? It's impossible!" Aurora shrugged, grinning slightly. "He's a Ranger." She remembered asking Legolas something of the sort only a day ago. She wasn't entirely sure what a Ranger was, but she figured they must be excellent at tracking, and that is all that mattered.

Aurora could only feel deep respect for Aragorn. He was the leader of their company and he gave them hope when they had none. He was a King, a born leader, a hero. Aurora knew at this moment that she would follow Aragorn to the ends of the world and even into death itself. If he was the King of Gondor, then that is where she would live. He wasn't only her friend anymore. No, he was her King.

~**~

A/n: Please R & R!