Ch 10 Help Comes……….with Bells?

Finally, after running for several days, they came across a bridge, spanning across a rather fast-flowing river. 'Known as the river Hoarwell, the Elves call it Mitheithel.' Said Hiryuu as they neared it. Before he left anyone cross it, he ordered the Hobbits, while he looked around the bridge to look for any signs that someone had passed by there. Not even Hiryuu was aloud to go with him, he forced her to hides with the Hobbits, and to watch Frodo while he was gone.

Pressing a skin of water to Frodo, Hiryuu tried to get the Hobbit to at least drink a little.

"Come one Frodo, just a little bit. There, that's good." Urged Hiryuu, as Frodo managed to gulp down at least a little bit of water. The wound on his shoulder had not gotten any better in the last few hours. If anything, it had gotten worse, but there was nothing that they could do about it, except try to get to Rivendell faster.

In the last several hours, the wound hadn't bled all that much for some, but the area around it had gone very pale, and cold. Frodo was also having a hard time breathing. He wasn't able to keep any food down, which the Hobbits, for some reason, took this as a bad sign. The only thing that he had managed to keep was the little bit of water Hiryuu and Strider gave him whenever they had to take a break to look on the wounds.

Hiryuu tsk'ed as she put the cork back onto the skin, lest they loose any of their already low supply of water.

"What's wrong, Hiryuu?" Asked Pippin innocently. "Is it about Frodo?"

Hiryuu froze at the question, thought it over a bit, then finished putting the water into her bag before sighing tiredly.

"Yes, it is. I'm afraid that if we don't get Frodo to the Elves soon. He…..might not make it. I'm surprised he's still alive. I know many stronger men than him that would be worse than dead in his position. But I guess what Mahoutsukai said was true." Said the girl sitting down crossed-legged beside Frodo. The last part was more to herself than to the curious Hobbits.

"Excuse me, but who's Maho- Maouhst, err, that person you were talking about?" Asked Pippin, tripping over the new word several times. Unfortunately, Hiryuu hadn't heard a word he had said, mainly because Hiryuu was concentrating on something else.

"Shhh, someone's coming. You guys better hide." Cautioned Hiryuu, as she gathered up Frodo into her arms. "Sam, grab me things. Now Hobbits!" Was all she said before she practically disappeared into the shadows of the trees, the only sound coming from her was from the groans that came from Frodo.

Quickly picking up everything, the Hobbit's quickly ran after her. They found her waiting under a bush, not to far from the road. She was so well hidden, in fact, that they might have missed her had she not spoken to them.

"Hobbits! Down here! Quietly! I don't want you loud mouths attracting any unwanted attention!"

The Hobbits, a little frightened at her change in moods these past days, immediately obeyed and crawled under the bush with her, and started watching the road.

Finally, after several tense minutes, they saw someone heading their way, coming from the direction of the bridge. As it came up close to their hiding place, it looked around.

"Hiryuu? Are you there?" It was Strider.

"Right here, gwador." Said Hiryuu, as she got up.

Strider walked up to them and carefully picked Frodo up. "I just finished scouting the bridge, I didn't see any foot prints, or hoof prints, but I can tell that it rained sometime in the past two days. So we know that if anything did cross the bridge, they are at least two days ahead of us, maybe more. I also found something strange." He then held out his hand to reveal a single pale-green jewel.

"I found it in the mud in the middle of the bridge. It's a beryl, an Elf-stone. Whether it was set there, or fell by chance, I cannot say; but it brings hope to me. I will take it as a sign that we may pass the bridge; but beyond that we should not keep to the road, without some clearer token."

With that, he quickly crossed the bridge. In the same order as before, although Hiryuu had a grip that was tighter than necessary on her fox-head sword. Several hours down the road, Strider took them off the well beaten path, and into the forest. He took them onto a path that seemingly only Strider could see. They were also in an excellent position to see anyone coming down the road, but that same person wouldn't be able to see them. Unless of course somebody (read; Hobbits) made a noise to reveal them.

Of course, just cause they could see the road, did not make the fact that the woods around them weren't creeping out the Hobbits half to death, not only was the forest scaring them, but sometimes they would pass by half-broken towers that had long-since been claimed by vines and weeds. Oddly enough, all of them were reminded of Bilbo's adventure, the part where he met the Trolls and was almost eaten, had it not been for Gandalf.

"Who lives in this land?" Asked Pippin, ever curious, "And who built these towers? Is this Troll-country?"

"No! Trolls do not build. No one lives in this land. Men once dwelt here, ages ago; but none remain now. They became an evil people, as legends tell, for they fell under the shadow of Angmar. But all were destroyed in the war that brought the North Kingdom to it's end. But that is now so long ago that the hills have forgotten them, though a shadow still lies on the land." Said Strider, as always keeping a sharp eye out for anything.

"Where did you learn such tales, if all the land is empty and forgotten? Surely the birds and beasts do not tell tales of that sort."

"The heirs of Elendil do not forget all things past, and many more things I can tell are remembered in Rivendell."

"Have you two often been to Rivendell?" Asked Merry, now curious. Sam was also listening closely. After all, he wanted to know many things about Elves, and if they were going to an Elven Kingdom, he wanted to learn about it too. Hiryuu meanwhile, was still watching the back, although from time-to-time she would cast a long glance at the general area behind them, but then she would shake her head, as if to get rid of some unwanted thought, and would scan the surrounding area once again.

"We have. I dwelt there once, and Hiryuu dwells there still, and still I return when I may. There my heart is; but it is not my fate to sit in peace, even in the fair house of Elrond."

"You mean to tell me, both you AND Hiryuu live among Elves!" Said Sam.

"Yes."

"How? Well, what I mean to say is; how did to humans end up living with Elves?" Asked Merry.

"I'm afraid it is a long and sad tale, for both of us. Now is not the time for the telling of stories. If you wish, maybe we'll be able to tell them in Rivendell."

After that, the Hobbits kept quite.

That's pretty much how things went for the next several days. They would walk, finally, one of the Hobbits would ask a question about Elves, and Strider would try his best to answer them. Although the Hobbits would have preferred it if Hiryuu would have spoken to them, but that wasn't possible, since she was often awake before them, and usually left before they had awakened, either to make sure they weren't being followed, or scouting ahead. Often, after the Hobbits had fallen asleep, Strider would say something to her, in Elvish as they always did when they were speaking to each other. But Hiryuu would often turn away angrily, and say something back, and it would go that way for several minutes. Eventually, Hiryuu would seek refuge in her bedroll. In all that time, she barely spoke a word to the saddened Hobbits.

When asked about Hiryuu's change of mood, from the happy-go-lucky girl they met in Hobbiton, to the surly young woman she was now. Strider would respond with a simple; 'She'll tell you when the time is right.'

Finally, after several days, they all heard a sound that they all dreaded. The horse of hoofs behind them. Quickly, all of them, even Hiryuu who had decided to stay with them that morning, hid under a bush that overlooked the road. All were quiet, even Frodo, who hadn't gotten any better in all that time. Even the Athelas that Hiryuu had found and brought one day hadn't done much but ease some of his pain.

Quickly, the sound of hoofs drew nearer. They were going fast, with a light clippety-clippety-clip. Then, slowly, they began to hear the light jingling of bells.

"Bells?" Mouthed Sam to his fellow Hobbits. Both shrugged. It seemed VERY unlikely that the dark riders had taken to put bells on their mounts, but they each had been in fear of being followed that they all held a more-than-healthy amount of suspicion. Only Hiryuu and Strider reacted differently. Hiryuu smiled for the first time in days, and Strider smiled for what seemed to be the first time ever.

All to soon, the clippety-clippety-clip got closer and closer. Suddenly around the bend in the road behind them, came a white horse, and on riding him was a fair-haired man, who, on closer inspection from the Hobbits, they could see he was in fact, an Elf. The pointy ears were a dead give away. That, and what he said as both Hiryuu and Strider jumped up from their hiding place with great cries.

"Glorfindel! Mae govannen! Glorfindel! " Well, actually it was only Hiryuu shouting. Stopping his horse suddenly at the cry, he turned and saw Hiryuu and Strider rushing off to greet him. Hiryuu in the lead.

"Aina vedui Dùnadan! Hiryuu! Mae govannen! " Said the mysterious rider as he dismounted and swept Hiryuu into a hug as she took a flying leap at him. Strider arrived a little later, in a more…….dignified manner. If the ears weren't a give-away, then the way he spoke sure was. No others that dealt in the wide world had voices so fair to hear.

It was obvious that between the Striders and Hiryuu's reaction it was safe to say that help had come, on a horse with bells.

Fin of CH. 10

Me: Here you go! Next chapter up! Ain't I nice? BTW, just so you know, I'm taking almost NO credit WHAT SO EVER for most of what is said in this chapter, mainly because most of it comes directly from the first book, only tweaked a bit to fit in Hiryuu.

Hiryuu; Just so you know, Ginnitsune purposefully left out what Hiryuu and Strider were saying, you should find out in the next chapter, two or three at the latest.

Me; Unfortunately, I have no reviewers to thank today, I think it's mainly because I posted the last chapter yesterday?

Hiryuu; That's probably it.