Chapter 3: Lee and the Riders of Rohan
The Uruk-Hai, that have Merry, Pippin, Katjaa, and Carley captive, continued their march to Isengard, accompanied by the Orcs. Aragorn, Lee, and the other hunters continue their pursuit as well.
The Seven Hunters were still far behind. Gimli was nearing short of his breath, as he has been for several days…
"Keep breathing," said Gimli, still short of breath, "that's the key! Breathe! Ho!"
Legolas announced, "…they run as if the very whips of their masters were behind them."
"Really?" interjected Kenny, "you can tell all that from such a long way? Talk about slave driving."
Despite how they all may be long, or short of breath, the hunters continued, with equal determination as Lee, to run over vast distances, and plains and hills to get to Merry, Pippin, Katjaa, and Carley… even when it was near dusk…
At night, the Uruk-Hai and Orcs stopped suddenly, panting with exertion. Merry, Pippin, Katjaa, and Carley were thrown down onto the ground.
"…We're not going no further… till we've had a breather!" said a panting Orc.
"Get a fire going!" commanded Uglúk.
The ferocious Uruks and Orcs took their rest while some of them were cutting down the trees around them with their axes. Pippin, Katjaa, and Carley crawled over to Merry,
but I think…we might have made a mistake leaving the Shire, Pippin." said Merry.
Pippin, Katjaa, and Carley smiled at Merry, knowing that his friend was probably right about that.
As the Orcs continue chopping down the trees, low groans and rumbles start to emerge from the forest. Merry, Pippin, Katjaa, and Carley hear the groans as well.
"What's making that noise?" asked Pippin.
"where's the noise come from?" asked Katjaa.
"where's that groaning is coming from?" asked Carley.
"We have to find a way to escape?" said Mark.
"We need to find something that is sharp to cut our bonds.
Merry looks toward the forest and answered, "it's the trees."
"What?"
"Remember the old forest, on the borders of Buckland? Folk use to say that there was something in the water that made the trees grow tall... and come alive."
"…Alive?"
"Trees that could whisper… talk to each other… even move."
Those last words left Pippin, Carley, and Katjaa with a shocked expression on his face.
The Uruks and Orcs, besides panting, were also hungry, very hungry.
"I'm starving," growled Maúhur, as he held a piece of molded bread in his hand, "we ain't 'ad nothin' but maggoty bread for three stinkin' days!"
"Yeah," said an Orc called Snaga, who squeaked like a rat, "why can't we have some meat?"
Then the Orc's gaze turned greedily towards the bound Katjaa, Carley, and The Hobbits.
"What about them," Snaga suggested, barring his teeth, "…they're fresh!"
But Uglúk stood in the way. "They are not for eating!" he snarled.
Despite Ugluk's protests, the orc snapped its jaws, having second thoughts.
Snaga then added, "what difference does it make? You took pleasure in choking them with your draught. Why can't we slice them up for food?"
Uglúk snarled as the two Uruks grabbed Merry, Pippin, Katjaa, and Carley and stood them up.
Then Grishnákh had a suggestion, "what about their legs? They don't need those. Ooh… they look tasty."
Uglúk remained defiant as he shoved Grishnákh and the Orcs back. "Get back, scum!"
The tension slowly increased between the Orcs and Uruks.
"Carve them up!" the Orcs demanded.
"No!" snarled Uglúk, making the tension between them and the Orcs grow, "…the five prisoners go to Saruman… alive, and unspoiled."
"Alive?" questioned Grishnákh as he looked over at Merry, Pippin, Katjaa, and Carley, "…why alive? Do they give good sport?"
Grishnákh wet his lips, snapping his mouth very restlessly, waiting for an answer to why Saruman wanted Katjaa, Carley, and the Hobbits. Merry, Pippin, Katjaa, and Carley fearful expressions grew, for they may already know the answer themselves…
"They have something," answered Uglúk, "an Elvish weapon. The master wants it for the war."
The Hobbits knew what they were arguing about… it was the One Ring. It seemed that Saruman wanted the ring for himself. Whilst Uglúk and Grishnákh were still arguing…
Snaga, the rat-squeaking Orc, who first suggested eating Merry, Pippin, Katjaa, and Carley, began to sneak quietly behind Katjaa, Carley, and The Hobbits, licking its lips, intending to make them into dinner…
"They think we have the ring," Pippin said to Merry, confirming his suspicion.
"What did you mean," said Katjaa to Pippin confirming her suspicion.
"if they know, if we one of us has the ring, we're dead," said Carley.
"Shh!" Merry quickly hushed Pippin, Katjaa, and Carley, "as soon as they find out we don't, we're dead."
Unbeknownst to Katjaa, Carley, and the Hobbits…
Snaga, may have heard Merry, or Carley about not having the ring and drooled. It made the Orc more than willing to carry out Katjaa, and Carley, and the Hobbits' execution…
"Just a mouthful!" Snaga said, making Merry, Pippin, Katjaa, and Carley gasp with fright as they looked behind them.
Uglúk turned to see the Orc drooling over his prisoners.
"…A bit of the flank," the Orc added as he raised his sword in the air, ready to strike.
Merry, Pippin, Katjaa, and Carley recoiled in fright and then…
"NOOOO!" Uglúk roared as he ran over to the Orc…
SLICE!
And cut off the Orc's head, which bounced off of the Hobbits' shoulders. Merry, Pippin, Katjaa, and Carley then turned to see the decapitated Orc collapse in front of them, making them even more frightened…
"LOOKS LIKE MEAT'S BACK ON THE MENU, BOYS!" growled Uglúk.
The other Uruk-Hai roared along with him. The Orcs joined in as well, knocking down the bound Hobbits, and started tearing into Snaga… making intestines and all other of the Orc's innards fly, taking their eyes off Katjaa, Carley, and the Hobbits for a while.
Pippin and Katjaa looked back at the carnage with a disgusted look. Merry used this act of butchery as an opportunity for him, Pippin, Katjaa, and Carley to escape.
"Pippin, Katjaa, and Carley," prompted Merry to Pippin, Katjaa, and Carley, "let's go."
Pippin, Katjaa, and Carley followed Merry as they tried to crawl away from the feeding frenzy, in the confusion, with their hands still bound. As they continued to crawl, seeming that they made good time…
A foot came down on Merry, and Pippin, Katjaa, and Carley were turned onto there back. It was Grishnákh, intending to make mince meat out of Katjaa, Carley, and the Hobbits.
"Go on… call for help, " said Grishnákh as he gripped both Katjaa and Pippin's face by the cheeks, and brandished a blade in front of him and Katjaa, "…squeal! No one's gonna save you now…!"
ZIIIIP!
A spear suddenly pierced the Orc's back, and fell down, barely alive. Out of the darkness…
Viking-like calvary riders, armed with spears and shields on their backs, ambushed the Orcs and Uruk-Hai from all sides of the camp. Mayhem ensued around the area. The force of the riders outmatched that of the Orcs and Uruk-Hai.
Merry called out, "Pippin, Katjaa, Carley." He gestured to Pippin, Katjaa, and Carley to make their escape.
The riders shot more of their spears at the Orcs and Uruks, and swung underneath them with their swords and axes. Some of the riders shot arrows at the Uruks, while riding. Taking no prisoners, the powerful calvary riders took out their enemies, one by one, for invading their land.
Katjaa, Carley, and The Hobbits try to escape from the pandemonium to the forest, dodging bodies and stomping feet. Suddenly…
Pippin turned onto his face, looked up, and screamed. Carley and Katjaa just then spotted Pippin, about to be crushed by a pair of thrashing hooves from a horse, bearing down on him.
"Pippin!" Katjaa cried out…
"Look out!" Carley cried out...
Dawn approaches with the hunters still chasing the Uruk-Hai. Legolas suddenly paused and looked back over his shoulder, seeing the red dawn, that disturbed him greatly. Doug looked to his companion.
"What is it, Legolas?" asked Doug.
"The red sun rises," Legolas answered silently, "…blood has been spilled this night."
Morning came over the plains of Rohan. The Trackers continued to investigate the captive Hobbits' whereabouts as Aragorn dove to the ground over a wide plain.
Suddenly…
The Trackers heard the sound of horses… and Aragorn quickly gestured for his companions to hide. The hunters immediately hid behind some boulders, just ahead of them. Gimli was the last to hide behind the boulders as Legolas and Kenny quickly went over to the Dwarf and brought him into the rockface.
Moments later…
A large group of horsemen, dressed with cloaks and helmets on their heads, armed with spears and swords and shields, appeared, galloping quickly with their banners flying, passing the Hunters that hid in the boulders, just beside them.
The horsemen swarmed sternly by, riding proud and tall upon their horses, ready to take on any opponent that dared to invade the Riddermark, almost like minutemen. Aragorn, Lee, and the others came out of hiding as they passed.
Aragorn called out to the horsemen, "riders of Rohan! What news from the mark?"
The riders heard Aragorn's call. Then, at a signal from the riders' leader…
The riders quickly turned around, heading in the direction of the hunters. Aragorn turned to Lee and Legolas, as they nodded at him, believing that the riders would help.
However, the riders quickly reached the seven hunters… and slowly surrounded them in ever-tightening circles. They did not believe that the hunters came in good faith, but rather believed that they would bring more ills to Rohan…
The Seven Hunters stood back to back with each other as the circles of the riders tightened even more… and they stopped, having the hunters surrounded…
The riders then slowly lowered… and pointed their long spears, menacingly at the hunters, ready to kill them, if necessary.
The Trackers held their hands up and Lee spoke, "please, we don't mean you any harm. We've come on a mission of mercy, that we have."
"Silence!" one of the riders demanded, "speak when you are spoken to."
Lee gave no response. Then…
The leader of the riders came in front of the hunters. The armor he wore was golden brown from head to toe.
The leader spoke, "what business does an Elf, five mens, and a Dwarf have in the Riddermark? Speak quickly!"
"Give me your name, horse-master," responded Gimli, "and I shall give you mine."
"Yeah," added Kenny, "that goes for me too, buddy."
Lee and Larry went embarrassed at Kenny's remark. Insulted, the leader handed his staff over to another rider, and dismounted off his horse. He first walked over in Kenny's direction.
"Judging by the look of you," said the leader, "I'd say that you would make good sport indeed… rooster man."
Kenny grimaced as Lee laid a hand on his shoulder, gesturing him not to start trouble.
Then the leader turned his gaze upon Gimli and walked menacingly towards him, while Aragorn laid a hand on Gimli's shoulder. Gimli maintained his look of defiance upon the leader as he came up to him.
"…And I would cut off your head, Dwarf," the leader grimly assured Gimli, "if it stood but a little higher from the ground."
Then, in a lightning fast move… Legolas pointed an arrow at the leader…
"You would die before your stroke fell!" the Elf promised darkly, in a deadly voice.
"No, Legolas!" interjected Lee.
However, in response to Legolas' threat, the riders pointed their spears even closer at the travelers. Kenny take his sword out, ready to take on the riders, despite the grave odds.
"Just you try it, outsider!" said one of the riders. But…
Doug pointed another arrow at the rider that openly threatened Legolas.
"Threaten the Elf if you wish," said Doug, intensely, "but he does not stand alone…"
"Doug, Legolas," Aragorn interjected, as he put his hands on their shoulders.
Gimli breathed a sigh of relief as Legolas lowered his bow. Doug did the same, when gestured by Aragorn.
"Lee's right," Aragorn said to them both, "…we shouldn't do this."
Aragorn went on, announcing to the leader, "I am Aragorn, Son of Arathorn. These four before you are not from this world, but they are new allies. This is Lee Everett, Larry, Doug, and Kenny."
Aragorn then pointed to the Elf and Dwarf, "…this is Gimli, Son of Gloin, and Legolas of the Woodland realm. We are friends of Rohan, and of Theoden, your king."
"…Theoden, no longer recognizes friend from foe. Not even his own kin," the leader said as he removed his helmet.
The riders withdrew their spears, convinced of the hunters' good faith.
The leader then announced himself, "I am Eomer, nephew of Theoden-King, Third Marshal of the Riddermark. Times are now dark for Rohan, for 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."
"So," interjected Lee, "Saruman has taken over Rohan, has he?"
"Indeed," answered Eomer, grimly.
"Then you guys must be freedom fighters of some kind, aren't you?" inquired Larry.
Eomer looked toward Larry, uncertain how to answer him.
"…Call it what you wish," he said.
Eomer went on, to the hunters, eyeing them, one by one, "…the White Wizard is cunning. He walks abroad, here and there, they say, as an old man, hooded and cloaked…"
Eomer then turned tensely to Legolas, whose eyes hardened as the Elf returned the stare, and finished, "…and everywhere, his spies slip past our nets."
"Oh," interjected Kenny intensely, "so that's why you were holding us up, because you thought we were spies or something?"
Eomer turned back to Kenny and answered, "as I have said… times are dark in the State of Rohan. So we cannot afford to be lenient with any outsiders."
"Well let me tell you something buddy," Kenny said, with growing resentment, pointing at himself with his thumb, "I work for nobody except me, you got that?"
"Kenny," interjected Lee, "…we all understand how you feel. But I think that it is wise that we sympathize with Eomer's sense of caution, that I do."
Aragorn looked with great sympathy at Kenny as he and Eomer looked at each other, grudgingly.
Aragorn then turned to Eomer and said, "we are no spies, Eomer. We track a party of Uruk-Hai, westward across the plain. They've taken two of our friends captive."
"They've taken Kenny's wife Katjaa, our friends, and Carley captive too," said Lee.
Eomer turned his face over to Doug and answered, "the Uruks are destroyed… we slaughtered them during the night. But other than that… my men have said something about spotting two women."
Doug gasped at Eomer's statement.
"But besides the two women," added Gimli, "there were two Hobbits. Did you see two Hobbits with them?"
Aragorn clarified, "they would be small – only children to your eyes. The two women, Katjaa and Carley are about tall than them."
Eomer puts on a face of concern and regret, answering, "…we left none alive."
Eomer then pointed towards a smoking pile in the distance and added, "we piled the carcasses and burned them. There's little hope the two women has survived the attack as well."
'No,' Lee thought, gasping.
'Katjaa,' Kenny thought, gasping.
'Carley,' Doug thought, gasping.
"…Dead?" gasped Gimli.
Eomer nodded solemnly.
"You didn't have to kill the Uruks," Lee said solemnly.
"…I am sorry," Eomer said sadly.
"No, I doubt that you are," Kenny berated Eomer, "for your information, Lee doesn't like to kill. Why should we believe you, since you were so busy holding us up? For all we know, you could've killed them yourselves."
Lee interjected, "Kenny…"
"No, it is well," Eomer said, excusing Kenny's outbursts, "you were able to sympathize with me, Lee. It is only fair that I should sympathize with your friend, since our land can no longer afford trust. Even though… it may not make up for the possibility of the loss of your other friends."
Lee gave no response, keeping his silence. The travelers put on a face of shock and grief. Glenn merely frowned while Legolas puts a hand on Gimli's shoulder, consoling him.
"…Is it true, that you do not like to kill?" asked Eomer, "yet, you do have a sword on you."
"It is a sword that doesn't kill, that it is," Lee replied sternly.
"I see," said a sympathetic Eomer, "…a sword that does not kill belonging to a man who doesn't like to kill? You may make yet an inspiration to my people, brave Lee."
Despite Éomer's sympathy, Kenny continued his grimacing expressions, as he has always believed that words were cheap. Eomer then turned around and whistled.
"Hasufel! Arod! Thendred! Eothor! " Eomer called out…
And four horses moved up, next to the Trackers. One of the horses was almost pure white, another a reddish-brown color, the third was colored in bright yellow, and the last one… was a jet-black colored horse.
"May these horses bear you to better fortune than their former masters," said Eomer, giving the hunters the use of these horses, "…farewell."
"Mr. Eomer," said Lee, appreciatively, "we greatly appreciate your help, that we do."
"…You're welcome," said Eomer as he mounted on his horse, "…look for your friends. But do not trust to hope… it has forsaken these lands."
The hunters reluctantly kept Eomer's last words in mind, knowing that they may not like what they shall find.
"We ride north!" Eomer cried to his riders as they rode off to the north, leaving the hunters as they looked on, after being informed of the trouble that has befallen Rohan…
'Eomer,' thought Lee, sadly, 'by the way things are going… is it possible that hope has forsaken us?'
Disclaimer: The Lord of the Rings and Telltale Series The Walking Dead are not mine. They belong to their authors, respectively J.R.R. Tolkien and Darrell Rodriguez. This fanfiction is created just for fun, not for any commercial purposes.
A/n: in the extended version, the scene with the Uruk-Hai giving Merry the dark-colored draught, was when the Uruks first met up with Grishnákh's Orcs. I moved that scene to this chapter. At least, that's how I felt.
Anyway, please read and review.