Conspiracy

Ithilien

Faramir was getting dangerously close to the Orcs and he was running himself to the point of exhaustion. Lost to reason at this point, all his thoughts were centered on Eowyn. He had to get her back, or if that was not possible he would destroy all enemy that got in his way, even if he had to kill the entire band of rogue orcs himself.

Suddenly he was flat on the ground, his face in the dirt. Someone had tackled him, and Faramir was having none of it. He fought like a madman, he thrashed and flailed against who ever was holding him, but strong arms held the already tired Faramir down.

"My Lord!" whispered the voice but in a harsh tone, meant more to express concern then actual anger.

Damrod, Faramir's second in command and his closest friend was pinning his lord to the leaf covered forest floor, he had Faramir's hands behind his back and it was taking all his strength to hold his Captain in place. He was bewildered, what had gotten into Faramir?

"They took her, those foul beasts took her!" Faramir choked out and then he began to weep out of pure frustration, forgoing his struggle and allowing Damrod to overtake him."Who my friend, who have they taken?" Damrod spoke more softly now, seeing that his friend was distraught.

Faramir was now being pulled to his feet by the dark haired ranger, and in a daze he muttered "how did they find her, how could they get to her. Eru, why is this happening!" the copper haired Prince allowed his arm to be pulled behind Damrod's neck, and the two rangers started to make their way towards safety, and to the other men who must be concerned at their Lords late return.

As they moved through the forest Damrod asked again, "Fara, who have they taken, what is going on that causes you so much distress? I can do nothing to help you if you say nothing."

Faramir, who was running unassisted looked over to his close friend and whispered, "Eowyn."

"We shall contact the King when we get back to Henneth Annun, Faramir we will go after her!" said Damrod but Faramir wasn't listening, his constant gaze was at his fisted hand. Damrod wanted to ask what his captain had found but though it better to asked when they were out of harms way.

Clutched tightly in Faramir's gloved hand lay a small, glittering pendant of a silver ship and a swan.

Minas Tirith

This was getting ridiculous, thought the King of Gondor, and is wife Arwen seemed to share his sentiments

"Guard, where exactly are you taking us, I am starting to feel as if I am on a wild goose chase" pipped the Queen, saying what the King did not.

"I am sorry my Lady but the young squire who informed the guard the Lady Eowyn was missing is stationed in the court's stables" the guard seemed nervous, and Aragorn was losing patience with him.

"Oh only in the stables, that's a short trip" muttered Aragorn under his breath, for even though the stables were in the sixth circle, they were in the farthest corner away from the Citadel. Not to mention they had to go through many locked gates and pass many guarded posts along the way.

"I just don't understand how any one would allow her to ride out unattended? Surely the squire would have insisted upon her riding out with an armed escort!" said Arwen, for if they treated Eowyn anything like Arwen, the blond woman would be lucky to visit the privy alone!

When they got into the stables their was no squire at the post. The stables where empty, and a horse was missing.

"The squire, what was his name!" shouted Aragorn. He was starting to get a picture in his mind, some how the stable guard was in on Eowyn's disappearance.

"I..I'm not sure my Lord, you would have to check the records, this is a revolving post" the young man was trembling now, as he could see the kings growing agitation.

Looking to Arwen, Aragorn said, "we need to get a massage through to Henneth Anon, I think their is a conspiracy going on here. We also should alert Eomer."

Aragorn made hasteS back to his apartments. He methodically began to pile supplies upon the large bed that was Arwen's and his own, extra leggings and socks for In the world of a ranger, or any military man your feet are your most valuable assets. He then folded some old maps, presumable of Ithilien and the surrounding area's, and placed then in his leather bag.

Arwen watched her husband transform from attentive husband to a ranger on the hunt, and though she had seen this change many times it was still strange to her.

"Aragorn, what will you do about Faramir?" asked the elf queen.

"What do you mean do about him? He shall aid me in the search, he will be devastated at this news." said Aragorn, though he did not look up form his organizing.

"Exactly, he will want to man the search personally, yet if you are to be away from the city he shall have to come to Minas Tirith in your place, that is how the whole Steward and King arrangement works is it not?"

Ithilien

Eowyn hadn't known what had hit her. She was watering Windfola, and then the rest was a blank. Where was she? She could tell that she was on a horse, or some sort of animal but she had a potato sack over her throbbing head.

'What was I thinking, me of all people not to bring a sword! No weapon at all!' she inwardly scolded herself. Now she was truly in a predicament, but this was not the time to panic, she knew she had to stay calm and think. She was not going to die, not after all she had already survived, not when she had so much to live for!

"We need a rest!" shouted one of the orcs, "we have been riding for hours and I want a breather!"

"Pipe down you maggot eating scum! We don't know who or what could be hiding about. And we don't rest till we get the 'goods' to Cellas or till night fall!" this was one of the orcs at the front of the line and he was in charge of getting Eowyn, or the 'goods' to thier leader,Cellas.

The orc carrying Eowyn, angered at being told who was boss shouted "this thing isn't goods, it a stinking human! And I think that we should have ourselves a little snack, who says he wanted her alive!" he then ripped the sack from where it was tied around Eowyn's neck and flung it into the air, landing it in a tree.

"Stop your gripping and give her here! The Master does not want his goods damaged, he needs the human" the head orc grabbed a then fighting Eowyn and rode on with her.

It wasn't until later that Eowyn realized the necklace Faramir had given her was not about her neck.

They had ridden for what seemed like forever when they finally set up camp for the night. Eowyn, who, the orcs decided did not need the potato sack over her head, was thrown off the warg and tied to a near by tree. The orcs then went about chopping down timber for fires, and chewing on stale bread and rotten meat, which made Eowyn gag at the smell. They had no tents let alone pavilions and most simply slept were they fell.

"Now missy, don't try anything funny. I know your type, you high nobles thinking you're so smart. Well, Gorgen is smarter!" said the over sized and overly odorous orc, pointing to himself as he spoke. "We are all watching you; Cellas wants you alive for some reason...I mean I know the reason of course I know!" he said defensively, not wanting the others to think him out of the loop ,when in fact he was. All the orcs were simply pawns, and Cellas was about to call check mate.

"My friends will come for me! If I were you I would sleep with one eye open!" Eowyn glared at the beast and then hurled saliva towards Gorgen's wretched face.

Laughing the orc replied, "I think not, my Lady! They and all your kind will be scrubbed clean off this world, Cellas will see to it!" he walked away, and gave a bone chilling laugh as he did so, and it made Eowyn's skin crawl.