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Chapter Thirteen- The Rangers of Ithilien
Shouts in the elven tongue rose from the House of Elrond. One of the Lords had discovered his young daughter missing. The girl's best friend was held in his mother's arms, tears streaming down his face. The girl had been stolen away in the dead of night. There were no clues as to who her kidnappers were, but both her father and Lord Elrond had their suspicions. A group of scouts had found a trail and were following it, but no one was hopeful.
As they journeyed the landscape around them changed. The rocks and cliffs gave way to woodland and rivers. Alongside one of these rivers Aica moved ahead to scout their path, and to see if she could find any food in the wilderness for the hobbits. She knew they were getting tired of lembas all the time. She could hear Gollum splashing around in the water behind her and Sam and Frodo in conversation further back. She was tuned out of the conversation, eyes fixed on the horizon. Suddenly Frodo's raised voice caught her attention. 'What do you know about it?!' He'd rounded on Sam. 'Nothing!' Aica wasn't sure what they were arguing about, but she had her suspicions. Frodo had got in Sam's face, clearly upsetting his friend. Sam paused, before moving past Frodo. 'I'm sorry Sam.' Frodo apologized quietly, causing Sam to stop. 'I don't know why I said that.'
Sam turned back to Frodo. 'Well, I do. It's the Ring. You can't take your eyes off it! I've seen you. You're not eating. You're barely sleeping. It's taken hold of you, Mr. Frodo.' Sam ranted. 'You have to fight it. And it's not just me, Aica's noticed it too.'
'I know what I have to do.' Frodo snapped. 'The Ring was entrusted to me. It's my task. Mine! My own! And Aica has no idea, no matter what she has been through.' He brushed past Sam and began to walk away.
'Can't you hear yourself? Don't you know who you sound like?' Sam called after Frodo, who ignored him.
Aica waited for the hobbits to catch up with her. Frodo strode straight past her, while Sam paused by her side. 'It's not going to help Sam.' She said gently. 'He is blind to what is happening to him, it's the Ring's influence. And it's not going to stop.' She patted his shoulder and followed Frodo onwards.
The following afternoon found them resting. Gollum had disappeared into the brush without a word. Frodo was dozing against a rock. Aica was sharpening her blades, while Sam was staring off into the distance.
Suddenly Gollum came running out of the trees, a pair of rabbits held in his mouth. He spat them into Frodo's lap, causing the hobbit to jump. 'Look. Look. See what Sméagol finds.' Gollum jumped around, cackling, for a moment, before picking up one of the rabbits. Sam and Frodo were grimacing. 'They are young.' Gollum continued. He twisted the rabbit in his hands, the bones in its back snapping. Frodo cringed, trying to back away. 'They are tender. They are nice. Yes, they are. Eat them. Eat them!' He sank his teeth into the raw animal, tearing at its flesh.
Sam strode over. 'you'll make him sick you will.' He snatched the rabbits from Gollum. behaving like that! There's only one way to eat a brace of conies.'
Gollum made to lunge for the rabbits, but Aica, who'd gotten to her feet, blocked him, turning to Sam. 'You definitely deserve it.' She told him.
Sam set about turning the pair of rabbits into stew. Gollum was very put out, pacing their sparse camp. 'What's he doing?' He complained. 'Stupid, fat hobbit. It ruins it.'
Sam glanced at Gollum in disgust, before turning back to the pot. 'What's to ruin? There's hardly any meat on them.'
Aica turned her head as an odd birdcall reached her ears. Frodo looked up too. 'What we need is a few good taters.' Sam carried on as the strange call continued to echo through the woods.
'What's taters, precious? What's taters? Eh?' Gollum questioned.
As the call continued Frodo and Aica got to their feet, trying to find the source. They slipped away from the campsite into the woods. They followed the sound to an overlook that looked over a path that wove through the bush.
Aica knelt at the edge, while Frodo crawled up next to her. 'What do you think it is?' He asked.
'I'm not sure.' Aica replied. 'But it sounds like no creature I've ever heard.'
Sam and Gollum came up behind them, just as an army of Haradrim emerged from the trees below them. 'Who are they?' Sam asked.
'Men from the South.' Aica replied.
'Wicked men. Servants of Sauron.' Gollum continued. 'They are called to Mordor. The Dark One is gathering all armies to him. It won't be long now. He will soon be ready.'
'Ready to do what?' Sam questioned.
'To make his war. The last war that will cover all the world in shadow.' Gollum replied.
'We've got to keep moving.' Frodo began to get to his feet. 'Come on Sam, Aica.'
Aica began to follow when Sam's voice stopped them. 'Mr. Frodo. Look.' The hobbit and elf turned back. 'It's an oliphant.' The giant, lumbering creatures carried towers of men on their backs as they strode through the ranks of the men. 'No one at home will believe this.'
Frodo and Sam exchanged a smile, Aica watching on.'
They all looked around in alarm as the bird call sounded again. At Aica's elbow Gollum backed away into the brush. 'Sméagol?' Frodo questioned.
Suddenly shouts of alarm rose from the army below. The men began to panic as an ambush was launched upon them. Aica's keen eyes caught sight of men in the bushes, firing on the Haradrim. The trio on the cliff began to back away as the oliphants began to panic. One of them began to stampede towards the cliff, bellowing. It veered away just before reaching them, but one of the riders was shot, falling behind them, dead.
'We've lingered here too long.' Frodo stated, worriedly. He and Aica began to hurry away, but Sam seemed entranced by the battle. 'Come on Sam.' Frodo urged. Aica doubled back, grabbed Sam's arm and began to lead him away.
The trio began to take off into the woods. Frodo led the way but ran right into one of the ambushers. He was grabbed by his arm by a man in ranger garb. 'Oi!' Sam drew his sword and charged the ranger, while Aica drew her bow. Sam was thrown to the ground by another ranger, while a third grabbed Aica from behind. She threw her head back into the ranger's jaw, sending him reeling. Frodo was thrown to another ranger while Sam had a sword placed to his throat. 'Aica.' Frodo whispered, knowing she'd hear. Aica relented, allowing the rangers to detain her, knowing it would only be worse for the hobbits if she continued to fight.
'Wait! We're innocent travellers.' Sam cried; in the hope he could get them released.
One of the rangers spoke up. 'There are no travellers in this land. Only servants of the Dark Tower.' His eyes flicked to Aica, whose arms were pinned behind her back as she was forced to kneel on the ground. 'And your friend is a little too well-armed.'
'We are bound on an errand of secrecy.' The ranger turned as Frodo spoke up. 'Those that claim to oppose the enemy would do well not to hinder us.'
'The enemy?' The ranger turned to the dead Haradrim at their feet, rolling him onto his back. 'His sense of duty was no less than yours, I deem. I wonder what his name is, where he came from, and if he really was evil at heart. What lies or threats led him on this long march from home? If he would not rather have stayed there... in peace.' He turned back to Frodo. 'War will make corpses of us all. Bind their hands and disarm the elf.' he nodded to Aica.
Aica was stripped of her weapons. Frodo and Sam had their hands bound in front of them, while Aica's were wrenched behind her back and roughly tied. 'I really dislike being captured.' She seethed. 'Once was bad enough, twice is just embarrassing.'
'You know it's for the best.' Frodo whispered to her.
'Who are these men?' Sam hissed.
'Rangers of Ithilien.' Aica replied. 'Men of Gondor.' She clarified at Sam's confused look.
The lead ranger raised an eyebrow. 'You seem to know an awful lot about us.'
'You have no idea what I know.' She snapped back.
The ranger regarded Aica with a wary eye. 'Let's move.' He ordered.
The trio were separated as they were hustled into the woods. Aica glanced around, Gollum had vanished before the rangers had appeared, yet he hadn't warned them. She was getting worried about what he was up to.
The rangers were silent as they led their captives through the woods. Aica's eyes darted around, mentally mapping their path. Between the trees she spotted other rangers trailing their route. Their captors were clearly trying to disorientate them by taking a winding route to the camp. Sometime after their capture Aica, Frodo and Sam were blindfolded. Clearly the entrance to their camp was hidden.
Once in the rangers' camp the trio were taken inside. There their bonds and blindfolds were removed. Water rushed down a fall behind them as they rubbed at their wrists. The ranger's captain, whose name Aica had caught was Faramir, came striding out for a hall. 'My men tell me you are orc spies.' He said.
'Spies?!' Sam exclaimed indignantly. 'No wait just a minute.'
'Well, if you're not spies who are you?' The trio exchanged glances, not sure exactly what they should say. Faramir took a seat. 'Speak.'
After a pause Frodo spoke up. 'We are hobbits of the Shire. Frodo Baggins is my name. And this is Samwise Gamgee.'
'Your bodyguard?' Faramir asked
'His gardener.' Sam replied.
Faramir turned his gaze to Aica. 'And who are you? Clearly you are not a hobbit.'
Aica folded her arms across her chest. 'I'm their bodyguard.' She declared. 'I am Aica of Rivendell.' She told the deliberate lie, knowing that she'd be killed on the spot if they found out who she really was.
'And where is your skulking friend?' Faramir asked. He continued after a pause. 'That gangrel creature. He had an ill-favoured look.
'There was no other.' Frodo lied. 'We set out from Rivendell with seven companions. One we lost in Moria, two were my kin, a dwarf there was also and another elf. And two men; Aragorn, son of Arathorn and Boromir of Gondor.'
Faramir stared at Frodo for a moment, Aica's heart sank. 'You are a friend of Boromir?' He asked.
'Yes, for my part.' Frodo replied hesitantly.
Faramir stood and took a few paces away from them. 'It would grieve you, then, to learn that he is dead.' He told them. Aica's eyes found her boots, toes scuffing at the ground in shame.
'Dead? How? When?' Frodo asked in disbelief.
'As one of his companions, I'd hoped you would tell me.' Faramir continued.
'If something has happened to Boromir, we would have you tell us.' Frodo said.
'His horn washed up on the riverbank, about six days past.' Faramir admitted gravely. 'It was cloven in two. More than this I know it in my heart. He was my brother.' Faramir's eyes then turned to Aica. 'Although I suspect your companion was already aware of his death.'
Sam and Frodo turned to Aica. She could feel their eyes on her. 'Aica?' Frodo asked in disbelief.
'He was protecting members of our company.' She said quietly, wrapping her arms around herself. 'Merry and Pippin. I don't know what happened to them.'
Faramir silently watched her for a moment, before ordering one of his men to secure them in another room.
Aica leaned against a wall in their new prison and slid down it, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.
'You didn't say anything.' Frodo said accusatorially.
'I knew you'd blame yourself.' She said. 'You already carry a great burden; you don't need another.'
Outside the sun began to set as the trio fell into silence. 'Where did he so?' Sam spoke finally. His companions knew exactly who he was talking about.
Frodo looked up abruptly. 'I don't know.' He replied.
'He didn't even warn us.' Aica pointed out. 'I told you he couldn't be trusted. I wouldn't be surprised if he's halfway to Mordor by now.'
'Let's hope not.' Sam settled down in a corner, laying his cloak on the ground. 'We should get some sleep.
Frodo settled down next to him, while Aica stayed up, watching over them.
A short time later Faramir entered, flanked by two of his men. He threw a glance at Aica, before approaching Frodo, standing over him. Aica stayed where she was, knowing there was little she could do. Frodo woke. 'You must come with me. Now.' Faramir told him.
Frodo got to his feet, Aica began to follow suit, but one of Faramir's men stepped towards her. 'Not you.' He said, hand on his blade.
'It's okay Aica.' Frodo said gently. Aica nodded and took her position back on the floor.
It wasn't long before Frodo was escorted back, looking downcast. 'It was Gollum.' He told Aica in a whisper, seeing the question on her face. 'He was by their pool. I went to him and coaxed him to me, and they took him.' He sat down next to Aica. 'I betrayed him.'
'You did nothing of the sort.' Aica comforted. 'He is not to be trusted. We can only hope that he reveals nothing of our quest to these men, lest they be tempted.'
'Let's hope.' Frodo mumbled.