The next morning, she awoke to find Rolen sitting up fast asleep. Laurelin looked to the east to see the sun rising cool and yellowed above the treetops. She stood and stretched. Her neck hurt from sleeping on the ground.

Eldarion had not moved from his original position. His bandages were still neat and straight where he lay sleeping still. Laurelin sat next to him and looked at his face wondering what had happened to him and what he had seen in the wood. His expression was not as tense as it had been the night before and his slumber was peaceful. She heard Rolen snort and stir from sleep.

Laurelin looked at the groggy soldier with a grin.

Rolen looked at her stupidly, still dazed with sleep. Laurelin laughed a bit and stood, picking up her bow and quiver.

"I'll go find us some food. There has to be something edible in that forest." She said strapping her quiver to her back.

She headed out into the dark eaves of the trees; sticking to the shadows. She remembered the orcs they had seen from the day before and had no desire to meet them again. Rolen had told her that before the War of the Ring, creatures known as Ents had lived in the forest. They had yet to return from the rebuilding of Orthnac. As she walked there seemed to be an unrest that disturbed the wood's peace.

Something had happened that made the forest edgy.

After about an hour of looking for prey, she saw someone in the distance propped up against a tree. The figure's back was to her but she could see the silver rings of a Gondorian mail shirt. She ran forward with glee, thinking that she had found some of their lost companions.

"Friend of Gondor!" She cried as she ran up.

As she turned to face the figure her mouth dropped.

He faced a battlefield of dead orc and human bodies. Soldier's remains scattered the forest floor in a lurid mess of blood and orcan gore. The figure that she had seen was the body of a once powerful soldier. He had been reduced to a pincushion of black arrows. Dried blood clung to his shirt. She recognized him. Laurelin stepped back, her stomach rolling and fell to the ground vomiting.

Now she knew what had happened to Eldarion. He probably had been heading through the forest when he had come upon the battle and was wounded. He had probably dragged himself all the way to camp from the battlefield for help.

Laurelin stood slowly, her knees shook furiously. She ran from the sight. She did not care the direction she went in but as long as it was away from there. She ran until her legs gave from beneath her next to a small waterfall. The fresh damp grass felt cool under her bare cheek as she fell to the forest floor, calming her burning skin. She cried till her eyes were dry. She had not been prepared for that sight.

Maybe she was not as strong as she had thought.

Laurelin did not know what had happened. She had fallen asleep from exhaustion and was awoken by the water from the stream splashing her face. She sat up quickly like one who has just awoken from a nightmare, yet she knew what she had seen was not a dream. The light of the sun had disappeared from the sky and a few pale white stars dotted the horizon.

Laurelin looked about her. She did not know where she had run to in the immense labyrinth of trees. Panic seized her, making her head spin with adrenaline. She forced herself to calm, breathing slowly. Soon her heart began to slow to a steady pace and she could look around with a straight head.

She saw to the east of the waterfall, a tree that had moss climbing over the left side of it. She remembered the old saying of how moss always grew on the north side of the tree. The camp had been northeast of the forest. With renewed strength, she set out to where she guessed the camp lay. The sky soon deepened to black, the stars now silver grey against the dark heavens. Laurelin had been walking for hours and her will was wearing out. She stumbled through the woods; her eyes blinded by the black that engulfed the forest in a shadowy cape. Her stomach growled with hunger for she had not eaten since the night before.

A little bit after midnight, Laurelin looked up from her feet. In the distance, the glowing light of a fire flickered merrily in the dismal night air that surrounded it. With a last burst of energy she ran with all of her strength toward the wavering light. She entered into the familiar clearing, blurry eyed and shaking with hunger and fatigue.

Through her foggy eyesight she could see the figure of Eldarion stand. Though a bandage was still tied tightly around his head, he looked stronger.

She tried to speak but the day's toll took hold and she felt her knees give.

Just before her eyesight went out, she saw Eldarion stand and run toward her. She did not feel herself hit the ground, but was suspended in the air, held from the ground by strong arms. Nothing more came.

She awoke to someone wiping a cool cloth across her forehead. She opened her eyes wearily and looked up. Her eyes were blurry for a second, than things began to come into place. It was still night and the fire she had seen still burned brightly. She looked up to see Eldarion's face, creased by the orange blaze's light.

"Your highness," She mumbled, "What, you were,"

"Unconscious?" He offered with a smile.

"Yes and your face, you're cut,"

"Yes, yes, yes" He said with a smile.

"When did you wake up, what happened?"

"Well, Rolen informs me that I awoke a little after you left,"

Laurelin suddenly remembered all that had passed and tears began to brim in her eyes.

"What troubles you?" Eldarion asked worried.

Laurelin sat up, "I saw the battlefield," She answered, sniffing.

Eldarion's face suddenly became dark, "I see," He said softly.

Laurelin rubbed her cheeks with the heels of her hands hard to wipe any remnants of the tears. She stared rigidly into the flames of the fire.

"I came upon it in the tail end of the fighting. I was struck down by the blunt side of a scimitar and left for dead. When I awoke, none lived but I." Eldarion recounted sadly.

Laurelin looked at him, "Did you hear where the orcs were going? Were they the same ones that we came upon?"

"Yes, they were their comrades." Eldarion looked off into the night.

Some footsteps pounded in the ground under them and through the night Rolen appeared, holding a dead squirrel in his hand. He dropped it and ran toward the fire when he saw Laurelin.

"Oh my! Morwen, I thought we'd naught to see you again!" Rolen said joyously hugging Laurelin.

Laurelin laughed and looked back to where the dead squirrel lie on the ground.

"So we are reduced to eating rodents," She said with a smile.

"I fear so lass, I fear so," Rolen answered with a grin.

"We'll leave with first light, tomorrow. Hopefully there will be more game in the mountains," Said Eldarion standing and throwing another stick into the fire.

"But we can't, you still might be too injured to travel," Laurelin protested.

"I'm still head of this host and you will follow orders like you promised to," Prince Eldarion said turning to her harshly.

Laurelin felt herself well with anger, "What host sire?" She fumed.

The Prince turned to her again, "As long as there are at least two to follow, a host it shall be. We leave with the dawn." His voice was coarse with confined anger.

Laurelin turned away and walked out of the circle of firelight, rage erupting inside of her. She had not deliberately challenged his authority, all she had done was worry! She would never understand that man, never.