A Touch Never Felt
Disclaimer~ I do not own any of Tolkien's creations. I only own anything you don't recognize, so don't sue me. That would be really dire...Hehee.
Important~ NO FLAMES PERMITTED! You have been warned...
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A/N: A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OF MY REVIEWS! I'M VERY HAPPY YOU'RE ENJOYING IT! I normally don't acknowledge you all, but I feel like doing it now. *smiles*
~SnakeCharmerArie: Thank you very much for the compliment. I was hoping it would grab attention with a short chapter. I'll talk to ya later, melonin.
~Greeneyes616: I know...purple eyes rule!
~caitlin: I'm glad you liked this one...though you like anything I write. *smirks* I think I shall dance like a hobbit again for laughs...*singing* "Oh you can search far and wide, you can drink the whole town dry...
~sweetazzzhoney: I'm also hoping I can make a good plot unfold from this. If I need help, I will be sure to take you up on helping me. Thank you!
~NadaZimri: I know...I know the last one was short, but I hope this one was long enough. *winks* The first one was an intro to the story...now the plot will begin to unfold.
~laegoleaf, Ellen: Hope you like what's to come. Thank you for reviewing.
~Amanda: Taking time from school to read my fics...*wipes a tear* That's so beautiful. Thank you. *bows theatrically* Hehee. I'll update my other stuff when I get a chance, no worries. :)
~Akai-Sakura: I sent you an e-mail with the same message. Here's the author's note I promised. I apologize for as you put it..."stealing the name of the First Ruling Queen of Númenor." I went to an Elvish Translator and got that name. I'm still going to use it, for I find it beautiful. If that fact about the Queen was in one of the books, I must have missed it...and I haven't finished The Simarillion yet (hope I spelled that right). I also placed the elf in Rohan b/c she was only a child when she was found. Do you honestly think that Éomer would be cruel to her? Plus, I wanted to write something that I haven't seen on fanfiction.net yet. She doesn't even know she's an elf...and he's hiding that from her. She's never even SEEN one. About her name again, that was what her parents named her...and they will be revealed later in the plot...as well as her brother. You never know who could use the "outdated language". She could have just been named after the Queen. I'll put an author's note at the end of the next chapter to clarify that. I'm a hard-core Tolkien fan, but I'm NOT Tolkien...and this IS fanfiction. There's no rule that says I can't use one of the old names, for many people on this site do. I have quite a few friends who know Tolkien well. They're the ones who got me into it. The first chapter was only a little introduction to the story...so readers will know what's to come. Plus, I have to hide some things to make this story surprising.
~Anyway, I thank most of you dearly.
Sincerely, Jack-Sparrow-Lover
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Chapter 2~ The Three Hunters
I walked down the halls and entered the throne room. King Théoden sat there in his disgraceful form. And he called himself a king? That slime- ball Gríma Wormtongue told him what to do...and he listened. Eowyn and Éomer stood before the king, saying something about his son, Théodred.
"Your son is badly wounded, my lord," Eowyn said sadly.
"He was ambushed by orcs," Éomer interrupted, "If we don't defend our country, Saruman will take it by force." King Théoden just sat there, his face emotionless. "That is a lie!" a creepy voice said from the shadows. My eyes darted over to a small hallway and saw Gríma emerge. This man repulsed me. His hair was dark and grimy, his eyes a glazed blue, and he didn't seem to have eyebrows. He slowly made his way over to the king and knelt down beside him as he said, "Saruman the White as ever been our friend and ally." Théoden mumbled something, but no one could make it out. "Orcs are roaming freely across our lands. Unchecked, unchallenged...killing at will. Orcs bearing the White Hand of Saruman," Éomer said as he dropped an orc helmet at the king's feet.
"Éomer, what's going on?" I asked as I stepped up next to him. He didn't answer me. He usually had the tendency to leave me out of the loop. "Éomer?" I asked again. I soon felt his hand grip my shoulder roughly. I cringed slightly at the pain, but kept a straight face. When I looked up at him, his eyes had become stern. That was always my cue to back off. I took a few steps back, but listened intensely. "Why do you lay these troubles on an already troubled mind?" Wormtongue asked him, "Can you not see your uncle is wearied by your malcontent...your war-mongering?"
"War-mongering?" he asked angrily. I suddenly backed away farther. Things could have gotten extremely ugly. "How long is it since Saruman bought you? What was the promised price, Gríma? When all the men are dead you will take your share of the treasure?" Éomer asked as he pushed Gríma against a pillar. I watched them carefully and noticed that the slime-ball's eyes were looking past me...and at Eowyn. "Gross," I muttered. It was absolutely horrifying to think that Gríma Wormtongue had a thing for Eowyn. I shuddered at the thought and moved into the shadows of the room. "Too long have you watched my sister, too long have you haunted her steps," Éomer sad as he jerked Gríma's gaze back to his own by grabbing his chin. He looked uncomfortable until his thugs grabbed Éomer and pulled away. "You see much Éomer, Son of Éomund...too much."
As the thugs punched him in the stomach, I felt angry. This man had taken me in...been like an older brother. I cared for him too much to let this happen. I found myself running in front of Gríma and pushing him back against the pillar. "Leave him alone!" I yelled.
"Such harsh words," the jerk replied as he reached his hand out and touched my hair, "From such a beautiful mouth." I immediately smacked his hand away and backed up. "You touch me again, and I swear on my deathbed I will murder you!"
"Ah!" I heard Éomer shout in pain. The men were injuring him. When I turned to face him, he was starting to be dragged back. "You are banished forthwith from the kingdom of Rohan. Under pain of death!" Gríma directed at Éomer.
"You have no authority here!" he shouted back as he struggled to free himself, "Your orders mean nothing!"
"But this order does not come from me. It comes from the king." I couldn't believe it to be true. The king would never do that. "It's a lie!" I shouted.
"No, my Lady...it is not a lie," Gríma said as he pulled out a parchment and held it to Éomer's gaze, "He signed it this morning." Éomer continued to yell as he was dragged out of the throne room. I watched him until he was out of sight. A silent cry escaped my lips. Why did they have to take him away? I then felt a hand on my shoulder. My gaze shifted to the hand and I looked up to see Gríma staring down at me. "You must feel bad now. Come with me and I will get you something to ease the pain."
"Get off!" I yelled as I pushed his arm away and took three large steps back, "You planned for Éomer to be taken away! One day soon, you will pay dearly for this act!" With that, I stormed out of the room and down the many halls. I opened the door to my bedroom and slammed it forcefully behind me.
"This is totally immoral," I mumbled as I went through my wooden dresser and pulled out a dark violet riding dress (A/N: Like what Eowyn wears when she's talking to Aragorn before they leave Edoras). I quickly changed into it and opened a wooden chest in the corner of my room. I pulled out my sword and looked at it. It was covered in dust. I blew the dust away and brushed off the rest, admiring the blade. Eowyn had given it to me, but I had never learned how to use it. "Oh well," I muttered angrily as I grabbed a small pack and filled it with some food and water.
As I opened my door, I came face to face with Amalthia. Her long golden hair was pulled up in a bun and her vibrant green eyes studied me carefully. "Where do you think you're off to?" she asked as she glanced at the pack and sword.
"Didn't you hear?" I asked, anger beginning to rise within my soul.
"Hear what?"
"Éomer was banished this morning. He's gone with the Rohirrim."
"And what does that have to do with you?" she asked as she placed her hands on her hips.
"I'm going to find him. Plus, I'll get to see Ronin if I do."
"Ancalimë, do you know how dangerous the plains of Rohan are? Orcs are swarming and you definitely don't want to be caught by one of them."
"I don't care...I can fight back."
"You don't even know how to use a sword!" I roughly dropped my things and pushed Amalthia against a wall. Her eyes were suddenly filled with fear. "I can handle myself. I may not know how to use a sword, but I can run pretty quickly and I'm damn strong."
"I...I know," she stuttered, "Now could you please release me?" I pushed her against the wall again and then picked up my belongings. "I'll see you in a couple days," were the last words I would say to her for a while. To tell the honest truth, I had no idea how long I would be gone.
I made my way to the stables and went to one of the stalls in the back. There he was...my horse. I had named him Aldris and had received him from King Théoden as a gift. "How are you, boy?" I asked him as I stroked his silky white mane and velvet black face. He was the most beautiful horse I had ever seen, and I'm sure he knew it too. A black horse with a white mane. "Wanna go for a ride?" I asked in a soft voice as I grabbed his saddle and placed it on his back. He whinnied happily and I kissed the top of his head.
I then hooked my pack and sword to his side before mounting him. I grabbed the reigns and reared him up so he could jump over the rope that held him in. He made it safely and we darted out of the stables at lightning speed. The men all had their eyes on us as we left and ran out the gates. I may not have been the best fighter, but I was a skilled horse-back rider.
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I had no idea how long I been gone. I had been riding for days...at least it had felt like it. I had only seen one nightfall, but it felt like I had seen so many more than that. I rode slowly through the Gap of Rohan. Everything had gone quiet, and it was a little too quiet for my liking.
Many questions soared through my head. What had become of Ronin and Éomer? What would they say when they saw me? What would I do? Would I run into danger?
Suddenly, I heard hundreds of horses galloping in my direction. There were some large boulders in the far distance. I had to admit, my eyesight was remarkable. I was able to see farther than any man. I rode Aldris swiftly past the rocks and beyond some large hills. I had to keep a good distance before seeing the Rohirrim again. We were soon so far away that no man could visibly spot us. "Riders of Rohan, what news from the Mark?" I heard someone shout. The galloping soon stopped and I knew something had happened.
I quickly kicked Aldris in his side and sped back to where I had come from. When I reached the top of the hill closest to where the shout came from, I could see the Rohirrim clearly. There were also three beings in the middle of their circle. To my own surprise, I could understand what they were saying. Éomer was the first to speak. "What business does an elf, a man, and a dwarf have in the Riddermark? Speak quickly!"
"Give me your name, Horsemaster, and I shall give ya mine," the short man said. I watched as Éomer handed his staff to another man and dismounted his horse. A dark-haired man placed his hand on the short one's shoulder. "I would cut off your head, Dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground," Éomer said.
"You would die before your stroke fell!" a tall man with long blonde hair said as he notched an arrow and pointed it in Éomer's face with lightning fast reflexes. I couldn't believe how quickly he had pulled a stunt like that, but before I could think another thought, every Rohirrim had their spears pointed at him. "This is gonna be trouble," I mumbled to myself as I reared up Aldris, making him whinny powerfully. Soon enough, everyone's eyes turned to me. "Who are you?" Éomer shouted. I immediately laughed and rode up to the Rohirrim. Their eyes all widened at the sight of me as I dismounted Aldris and pushed through to the center of the circle. "Ancalimë, what are you doing here?" Éomer asked.
"I've been looking for you guys, what did you think I was doing?" I asked, crossing my arms. I suddenly felt two arms wrap around my waist from behind and lips on my cheek. When I turned my head, my eyes met a familiar pair of sky blue eyes. "Hello, Ronin," I said just above a whisper as I maneuvered from his grasp and smiled. His long dark hair was hidden under his helmet, but he still looked as sweet as he normally did. "You should be in Edoras. Does anyone know you left?"
"Only Amalthia knows...don't worry," I said with another famous smile. My attention then turned to the three strangers I was standing next to. One of them was short and had a thick red beard. He wore a helmet and held an axe firmly in his hand. I then glanced up and saw a rugged man with shoulder- length dark hair and a stubble beard. His grey eyes looked at me questioningly, but I ignored it. When my violet eyes moved to the blonde man I had seen with the bow and arrow, I stared aimlessly into his eyes. They were the bluest I had ever seen. They were deep and full of confusion. "What's the matter?" I asked him. He said nothing.
I then turned back to Éomer and put my hands on my hips. "Why are you giving these two men and this dwarf such a problem?" I asked.
"Two men?" a voice said. I turned around and saw the blonde staring at me, fury building inside him. "Yes, two men...what did you think I said?" I asked gently.
"I'm not a man. I'm an elf!" he said, gesturing to his ears. For some reason, my eyes didn't notice his ears while he was pointing at them. I just continued to argue. "Elves do not exist, so I have no idea what you are talking about."
"What do you mean, they don't exist?" the dark-haired man said.
"Just what I said-" I was cut off when I felt a pair of strong arms turn me back to face the blonde. He was much stronger than he looked. I began to struggle, yet his grip was too tight. It was even beginning to hurt. "Unhand me," I said calmly, knowing I couldn't fight him.
"Do you even look at yourself in the mirror, my Lady?" he said. To my astonishment, he was staying calm when he spoke to me. "Yes, everyday," I replied.
"Did you ever notice-"
"Speak another word and I'll have my men kill you!" Éomer interrupted. I was immediately pulled away from the blonde and found myself in Ronin's arms. I wrapped my arms around his neck and stayed as close to him as possible. He held me securely and rubbed my back soothingly. "Don't you ever touch her again," he said protectively.
"We mean no harm to Rohan," the dark-haired man interrupted, "I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. This is Gimli, Son of Gloin, and Legolas of the Woodland Realm. We are friends of Rohan...and of Théoden, your king."
"Théoden no longer recognizes friend from foe...not even his own kin," Éomer said gently as he took off his helmet. The spears were then withdrawn and I gazed upon the strangers as Éomer spoke. "Saruman has poisoned the mind of the king and claimed lordship over these lands. My company are those loyal to Rohan. And for that, we are banished. The White Wizard is cunning. He walks here and there, they say, as an old man, hooded and cloaked. And everywhere his spies slip past our nets."
"We are not spies. We track a party of Uruk-hai westward across the plain. They've taken two of our friends captive."
"The Uruks are destroyed. We slaughtered them during the night."
"But there were two hobbits. Did you see two hobbits with them?" Gimli asked frantically.
"They would be small...only children to your eyes," Aragorn stated to Éomer.
"We left none alive. We piled the carcasses and burnt them," Éomer replied sadly as he gestured toward the large tower of smoke in the far hills. My eyes began to water. The idea of someone losing a good friend made me sad, for I had never known my family. I quickly wiped away the forming tears and watched as Legolas placed a hand on Gimli's shoulder out of grief. "I'm sorry," Éomer said as he turned and called out, "Hasufel! Arod!" Just then, two horses, one brown and one white came into the center of the circle. "May these horses bear you to better fortune than their former masters. Farewell."
I carefully eyed Éomer with a questioning look. He knew that I was wondering about his kind actions to strangers in the Riddermark. Just then, Éomer mounted his horse and placed his helmet upon his head. "Look for your friends. But do not trust to hope, it has forsaken these lands," he said as he turned to the riders, "We ride north!" Ronin gave me a kiss on the corner of the mouth and stroked my cheek. "Return to Edoras where it is safe," he whispered as he leapt up onto his horse and followed the Rohirrim north.
My eyes watched him fade into the distance and I then felt three pairs of eyes upon me. When I turned, the three strangers all looked at me. I bowed my head to them and then mounted Aldris. "Come, my friend...let's go home," I whispered as I made him rear up and begin a gallop back toward Edoras. When I was farther away, I glanced back and saw Legolas staring at me with wide eyes. They pierced my soul and sent shivers down my spine, so I turned and looked back ahead.
Disclaimer~ I do not own any of Tolkien's creations. I only own anything you don't recognize, so don't sue me. That would be really dire...Hehee.
Important~ NO FLAMES PERMITTED! You have been warned...
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A/N: A BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OF MY REVIEWS! I'M VERY HAPPY YOU'RE ENJOYING IT! I normally don't acknowledge you all, but I feel like doing it now. *smiles*
~SnakeCharmerArie: Thank you very much for the compliment. I was hoping it would grab attention with a short chapter. I'll talk to ya later, melonin.
~Greeneyes616: I know...purple eyes rule!
~caitlin: I'm glad you liked this one...though you like anything I write. *smirks* I think I shall dance like a hobbit again for laughs...*singing* "Oh you can search far and wide, you can drink the whole town dry...
~sweetazzzhoney: I'm also hoping I can make a good plot unfold from this. If I need help, I will be sure to take you up on helping me. Thank you!
~NadaZimri: I know...I know the last one was short, but I hope this one was long enough. *winks* The first one was an intro to the story...now the plot will begin to unfold.
~laegoleaf, Ellen: Hope you like what's to come. Thank you for reviewing.
~Amanda: Taking time from school to read my fics...*wipes a tear* That's so beautiful. Thank you. *bows theatrically* Hehee. I'll update my other stuff when I get a chance, no worries. :)
~Akai-Sakura: I sent you an e-mail with the same message. Here's the author's note I promised. I apologize for as you put it..."stealing the name of the First Ruling Queen of Númenor." I went to an Elvish Translator and got that name. I'm still going to use it, for I find it beautiful. If that fact about the Queen was in one of the books, I must have missed it...and I haven't finished The Simarillion yet (hope I spelled that right). I also placed the elf in Rohan b/c she was only a child when she was found. Do you honestly think that Éomer would be cruel to her? Plus, I wanted to write something that I haven't seen on fanfiction.net yet. She doesn't even know she's an elf...and he's hiding that from her. She's never even SEEN one. About her name again, that was what her parents named her...and they will be revealed later in the plot...as well as her brother. You never know who could use the "outdated language". She could have just been named after the Queen. I'll put an author's note at the end of the next chapter to clarify that. I'm a hard-core Tolkien fan, but I'm NOT Tolkien...and this IS fanfiction. There's no rule that says I can't use one of the old names, for many people on this site do. I have quite a few friends who know Tolkien well. They're the ones who got me into it. The first chapter was only a little introduction to the story...so readers will know what's to come. Plus, I have to hide some things to make this story surprising.
~Anyway, I thank most of you dearly.
Sincerely, Jack-Sparrow-Lover
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~ ~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
Chapter 2~ The Three Hunters
I walked down the halls and entered the throne room. King Théoden sat there in his disgraceful form. And he called himself a king? That slime- ball Gríma Wormtongue told him what to do...and he listened. Eowyn and Éomer stood before the king, saying something about his son, Théodred.
"Your son is badly wounded, my lord," Eowyn said sadly.
"He was ambushed by orcs," Éomer interrupted, "If we don't defend our country, Saruman will take it by force." King Théoden just sat there, his face emotionless. "That is a lie!" a creepy voice said from the shadows. My eyes darted over to a small hallway and saw Gríma emerge. This man repulsed me. His hair was dark and grimy, his eyes a glazed blue, and he didn't seem to have eyebrows. He slowly made his way over to the king and knelt down beside him as he said, "Saruman the White as ever been our friend and ally." Théoden mumbled something, but no one could make it out. "Orcs are roaming freely across our lands. Unchecked, unchallenged...killing at will. Orcs bearing the White Hand of Saruman," Éomer said as he dropped an orc helmet at the king's feet.
"Éomer, what's going on?" I asked as I stepped up next to him. He didn't answer me. He usually had the tendency to leave me out of the loop. "Éomer?" I asked again. I soon felt his hand grip my shoulder roughly. I cringed slightly at the pain, but kept a straight face. When I looked up at him, his eyes had become stern. That was always my cue to back off. I took a few steps back, but listened intensely. "Why do you lay these troubles on an already troubled mind?" Wormtongue asked him, "Can you not see your uncle is wearied by your malcontent...your war-mongering?"
"War-mongering?" he asked angrily. I suddenly backed away farther. Things could have gotten extremely ugly. "How long is it since Saruman bought you? What was the promised price, Gríma? When all the men are dead you will take your share of the treasure?" Éomer asked as he pushed Gríma against a pillar. I watched them carefully and noticed that the slime-ball's eyes were looking past me...and at Eowyn. "Gross," I muttered. It was absolutely horrifying to think that Gríma Wormtongue had a thing for Eowyn. I shuddered at the thought and moved into the shadows of the room. "Too long have you watched my sister, too long have you haunted her steps," Éomer sad as he jerked Gríma's gaze back to his own by grabbing his chin. He looked uncomfortable until his thugs grabbed Éomer and pulled away. "You see much Éomer, Son of Éomund...too much."
As the thugs punched him in the stomach, I felt angry. This man had taken me in...been like an older brother. I cared for him too much to let this happen. I found myself running in front of Gríma and pushing him back against the pillar. "Leave him alone!" I yelled.
"Such harsh words," the jerk replied as he reached his hand out and touched my hair, "From such a beautiful mouth." I immediately smacked his hand away and backed up. "You touch me again, and I swear on my deathbed I will murder you!"
"Ah!" I heard Éomer shout in pain. The men were injuring him. When I turned to face him, he was starting to be dragged back. "You are banished forthwith from the kingdom of Rohan. Under pain of death!" Gríma directed at Éomer.
"You have no authority here!" he shouted back as he struggled to free himself, "Your orders mean nothing!"
"But this order does not come from me. It comes from the king." I couldn't believe it to be true. The king would never do that. "It's a lie!" I shouted.
"No, my Lady...it is not a lie," Gríma said as he pulled out a parchment and held it to Éomer's gaze, "He signed it this morning." Éomer continued to yell as he was dragged out of the throne room. I watched him until he was out of sight. A silent cry escaped my lips. Why did they have to take him away? I then felt a hand on my shoulder. My gaze shifted to the hand and I looked up to see Gríma staring down at me. "You must feel bad now. Come with me and I will get you something to ease the pain."
"Get off!" I yelled as I pushed his arm away and took three large steps back, "You planned for Éomer to be taken away! One day soon, you will pay dearly for this act!" With that, I stormed out of the room and down the many halls. I opened the door to my bedroom and slammed it forcefully behind me.
"This is totally immoral," I mumbled as I went through my wooden dresser and pulled out a dark violet riding dress (A/N: Like what Eowyn wears when she's talking to Aragorn before they leave Edoras). I quickly changed into it and opened a wooden chest in the corner of my room. I pulled out my sword and looked at it. It was covered in dust. I blew the dust away and brushed off the rest, admiring the blade. Eowyn had given it to me, but I had never learned how to use it. "Oh well," I muttered angrily as I grabbed a small pack and filled it with some food and water.
As I opened my door, I came face to face with Amalthia. Her long golden hair was pulled up in a bun and her vibrant green eyes studied me carefully. "Where do you think you're off to?" she asked as she glanced at the pack and sword.
"Didn't you hear?" I asked, anger beginning to rise within my soul.
"Hear what?"
"Éomer was banished this morning. He's gone with the Rohirrim."
"And what does that have to do with you?" she asked as she placed her hands on her hips.
"I'm going to find him. Plus, I'll get to see Ronin if I do."
"Ancalimë, do you know how dangerous the plains of Rohan are? Orcs are swarming and you definitely don't want to be caught by one of them."
"I don't care...I can fight back."
"You don't even know how to use a sword!" I roughly dropped my things and pushed Amalthia against a wall. Her eyes were suddenly filled with fear. "I can handle myself. I may not know how to use a sword, but I can run pretty quickly and I'm damn strong."
"I...I know," she stuttered, "Now could you please release me?" I pushed her against the wall again and then picked up my belongings. "I'll see you in a couple days," were the last words I would say to her for a while. To tell the honest truth, I had no idea how long I would be gone.
I made my way to the stables and went to one of the stalls in the back. There he was...my horse. I had named him Aldris and had received him from King Théoden as a gift. "How are you, boy?" I asked him as I stroked his silky white mane and velvet black face. He was the most beautiful horse I had ever seen, and I'm sure he knew it too. A black horse with a white mane. "Wanna go for a ride?" I asked in a soft voice as I grabbed his saddle and placed it on his back. He whinnied happily and I kissed the top of his head.
I then hooked my pack and sword to his side before mounting him. I grabbed the reigns and reared him up so he could jump over the rope that held him in. He made it safely and we darted out of the stables at lightning speed. The men all had their eyes on us as we left and ran out the gates. I may not have been the best fighter, but I was a skilled horse-back rider.
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I had no idea how long I been gone. I had been riding for days...at least it had felt like it. I had only seen one nightfall, but it felt like I had seen so many more than that. I rode slowly through the Gap of Rohan. Everything had gone quiet, and it was a little too quiet for my liking.
Many questions soared through my head. What had become of Ronin and Éomer? What would they say when they saw me? What would I do? Would I run into danger?
Suddenly, I heard hundreds of horses galloping in my direction. There were some large boulders in the far distance. I had to admit, my eyesight was remarkable. I was able to see farther than any man. I rode Aldris swiftly past the rocks and beyond some large hills. I had to keep a good distance before seeing the Rohirrim again. We were soon so far away that no man could visibly spot us. "Riders of Rohan, what news from the Mark?" I heard someone shout. The galloping soon stopped and I knew something had happened.
I quickly kicked Aldris in his side and sped back to where I had come from. When I reached the top of the hill closest to where the shout came from, I could see the Rohirrim clearly. There were also three beings in the middle of their circle. To my own surprise, I could understand what they were saying. Éomer was the first to speak. "What business does an elf, a man, and a dwarf have in the Riddermark? Speak quickly!"
"Give me your name, Horsemaster, and I shall give ya mine," the short man said. I watched as Éomer handed his staff to another man and dismounted his horse. A dark-haired man placed his hand on the short one's shoulder. "I would cut off your head, Dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground," Éomer said.
"You would die before your stroke fell!" a tall man with long blonde hair said as he notched an arrow and pointed it in Éomer's face with lightning fast reflexes. I couldn't believe how quickly he had pulled a stunt like that, but before I could think another thought, every Rohirrim had their spears pointed at him. "This is gonna be trouble," I mumbled to myself as I reared up Aldris, making him whinny powerfully. Soon enough, everyone's eyes turned to me. "Who are you?" Éomer shouted. I immediately laughed and rode up to the Rohirrim. Their eyes all widened at the sight of me as I dismounted Aldris and pushed through to the center of the circle. "Ancalimë, what are you doing here?" Éomer asked.
"I've been looking for you guys, what did you think I was doing?" I asked, crossing my arms. I suddenly felt two arms wrap around my waist from behind and lips on my cheek. When I turned my head, my eyes met a familiar pair of sky blue eyes. "Hello, Ronin," I said just above a whisper as I maneuvered from his grasp and smiled. His long dark hair was hidden under his helmet, but he still looked as sweet as he normally did. "You should be in Edoras. Does anyone know you left?"
"Only Amalthia knows...don't worry," I said with another famous smile. My attention then turned to the three strangers I was standing next to. One of them was short and had a thick red beard. He wore a helmet and held an axe firmly in his hand. I then glanced up and saw a rugged man with shoulder- length dark hair and a stubble beard. His grey eyes looked at me questioningly, but I ignored it. When my violet eyes moved to the blonde man I had seen with the bow and arrow, I stared aimlessly into his eyes. They were the bluest I had ever seen. They were deep and full of confusion. "What's the matter?" I asked him. He said nothing.
I then turned back to Éomer and put my hands on my hips. "Why are you giving these two men and this dwarf such a problem?" I asked.
"Two men?" a voice said. I turned around and saw the blonde staring at me, fury building inside him. "Yes, two men...what did you think I said?" I asked gently.
"I'm not a man. I'm an elf!" he said, gesturing to his ears. For some reason, my eyes didn't notice his ears while he was pointing at them. I just continued to argue. "Elves do not exist, so I have no idea what you are talking about."
"What do you mean, they don't exist?" the dark-haired man said.
"Just what I said-" I was cut off when I felt a pair of strong arms turn me back to face the blonde. He was much stronger than he looked. I began to struggle, yet his grip was too tight. It was even beginning to hurt. "Unhand me," I said calmly, knowing I couldn't fight him.
"Do you even look at yourself in the mirror, my Lady?" he said. To my astonishment, he was staying calm when he spoke to me. "Yes, everyday," I replied.
"Did you ever notice-"
"Speak another word and I'll have my men kill you!" Éomer interrupted. I was immediately pulled away from the blonde and found myself in Ronin's arms. I wrapped my arms around his neck and stayed as close to him as possible. He held me securely and rubbed my back soothingly. "Don't you ever touch her again," he said protectively.
"We mean no harm to Rohan," the dark-haired man interrupted, "I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. This is Gimli, Son of Gloin, and Legolas of the Woodland Realm. We are friends of Rohan...and of Théoden, your king."
"Théoden no longer recognizes friend from foe...not even his own kin," Éomer said gently as he took off his helmet. The spears were then withdrawn and I gazed upon the strangers as Éomer spoke. "Saruman has poisoned the mind of the king and claimed lordship over these lands. My company are those loyal to Rohan. And for that, we are banished. The White Wizard is cunning. He walks here and there, they say, as an old man, hooded and cloaked. And everywhere his spies slip past our nets."
"We are not spies. We track a party of Uruk-hai westward across the plain. They've taken two of our friends captive."
"The Uruks are destroyed. We slaughtered them during the night."
"But there were two hobbits. Did you see two hobbits with them?" Gimli asked frantically.
"They would be small...only children to your eyes," Aragorn stated to Éomer.
"We left none alive. We piled the carcasses and burnt them," Éomer replied sadly as he gestured toward the large tower of smoke in the far hills. My eyes began to water. The idea of someone losing a good friend made me sad, for I had never known my family. I quickly wiped away the forming tears and watched as Legolas placed a hand on Gimli's shoulder out of grief. "I'm sorry," Éomer said as he turned and called out, "Hasufel! Arod!" Just then, two horses, one brown and one white came into the center of the circle. "May these horses bear you to better fortune than their former masters. Farewell."
I carefully eyed Éomer with a questioning look. He knew that I was wondering about his kind actions to strangers in the Riddermark. Just then, Éomer mounted his horse and placed his helmet upon his head. "Look for your friends. But do not trust to hope, it has forsaken these lands," he said as he turned to the riders, "We ride north!" Ronin gave me a kiss on the corner of the mouth and stroked my cheek. "Return to Edoras where it is safe," he whispered as he leapt up onto his horse and followed the Rohirrim north.
My eyes watched him fade into the distance and I then felt three pairs of eyes upon me. When I turned, the three strangers all looked at me. I bowed my head to them and then mounted Aldris. "Come, my friend...let's go home," I whispered as I made him rear up and begin a gallop back toward Edoras. When I was farther away, I glanced back and saw Legolas staring at me with wide eyes. They pierced my soul and sent shivers down my spine, so I turned and looked back ahead.