Soon enough, the sun bed itself behind the Western Mountains. Aragorn stopped with Legolas beside him, the trail lost in the shadow of dusk. They had already found the Lothlorien leaf dropped by one of the hobbits and had made much progress. 'There is something strange at work in this land,' Aragorn said. 'I distrust the silence. I distrust even the pale Moon. I am weary as no Ranger should be with a clear trail to follow.'

Anna and Gimli came from behind Aragorn and Legolas. She had heard Aragorn's comment and was shuffling through her backpack. 'Here, smell this. It will cure any fatigue.' She held out a small skin with some liquid sloshing inside and a wide-mouthed opening. Gimli bravely took a whiff of it.

'Ach! It stings the nose it does,' he exclaimed. 'Of what witchcraft is this made? Is it poison?'

'Not this one,' Anna answered, and then replied to the questioning glances. 'I have knowledge of poisons and medicines. Do you want some or not?'

Aragorn turned his head to the westward mountains. 'It will be dark soon, too dark to follow the tracks. We should wait for light before we go on.'

Legolas stepped up into Aragorn's thoughts. 'The orcs will not stop. They did not stop for the sun; they will not stop when it is easier on their eyes.

'If we travel in the dark,' Aragorn added, 'we might miss any signs from the hobbits like the Lorien lead before,' Aragorn nodded his head, disliking the decision as much as the others, perhaps more. 'We wait for day.'

'No!' Anna screamed, holding out the skin. 'Take a sniff of this and then we can go on.'

'It still stings,' Gimli commented as he scrunched his nose. Aragorn threw himself down to the earth, taking a look southwards as he sat.

'We mustn't stop, we mustn't stop,' Anna went on, pacing around the three. 'We know they are headed for Isengard. We just have to go to-' She stopped the horror of running head on into the white wizard seemingly on her face. 'No, no we have to catch them before they reach Isengard.'

'Our legs are weary. If for nothing else, this rest will let is be stronger and move swifter tomorrow,' Aragorn explained.

'The thought of those merry young folk driven like cattle burns my heart, too,' Legolas sympathized.

Anna was furious and straitened her arms to her sides. 'Well, I will go on until my legs give out from under me,' she proclaimed and left them. Unfortunately, not more than five steps were taken before she fell to the ground. She stayed there for a second; only her back and bowed heard could the others see. She slammed her fists into he dirt in frustration. No one would see the pain and sadness burning in the corners of her eyes.

Legolas stood while the others slept, able to stay awake and sing songs to brighten the stars while part of his brain was able to drift into the dream realm of the elves. Aragorn and Gimli slept, trusting his watch. Anna had laid down where she sat, drifting into realms of indecision and sadness of which not even an elf knew.