While I was writing this I was listening to Of Monsters and Men, great band, check them out.

I could feel sunlight come up over the hill beyond. Dawn. After a long night of unrest. I breathed in the morning air and felt my breath puff out in a small cloud of mist. Weasel grazed contently behind me, free of my saddle and bridle that I had taken off when we had set up camp. It had stopped raining just before dawn and thankfully I managed to find a nice dry place to rest for a bit.

I reached up and felt the wrapped gash on my arm from where the Orc had grazed me. The wound still stung a little but it was getting better. Poor Weasel had run his big heart out while getting as far away from the Orc band as possible.

I wondered if there were more of them.

A soft groan made me turn my head toward the sleeping figure on the ground.

Aragorn had grown a lot since I had last seen him.

And that was probably over forty years ago.

Damn, I'm getting old.

The groaning got louder and then the sound of rustling cloth reached my ears.

"Wha-where am I?"

"Rohan. Home of the horse lords." I answered, turning around to face him. I could feel Aragorn shift uncomfortably on the ground and pull up the covers over his bare chest. He was, after all, half naked.

"Relax," I told him as I approached, "You're safe now.

I took off my cloak and draped it over his shoulders. He was silent when I walked back over to my saddlebags on the ground.

"What's the matter? Never seen a woman before?" I asked over my shoulder.

He didn't answer.

"Well get used to it." I pulled out some lembas bread from my bags. I practically lived off this stuff.

"Alright boy, we've got a long way to go." I said, handing him a slice and grabbing my saddle. Weasel raised his head when I threw the saddle pad over his back. He pinned his ears back at me when I cinched the saddle tight. I ignored him, he wouldn't dare bite me even if he wanted too.

Next I grabbed his bridle. After slipping it on, I led him over to Aragorn.

"Come on, get up." I demanded, the man groaned slightly and laid back down.

"Hey! Did you hear me?" I asked in annoyance, walking over to him with Weasel behind me. The younger man groaned again and then I poked him in the head with the tip of my boot. He winced and gripped his forehead in pain.

"I said get up!"

He didn't.

I groaned in annoyance and knelt down beside him. The man moaned when I grabbed a lock of his hair so I could-

He was sweating…

That wasn't...normal, we had been riding all night trying to get as far as possible from the Orcs in case others were to return.

And it had been raining!

He should be cold if anything!

I pressed the back of my hand to his forehead.

He was burning up.

"Uh oh…"