Author's Notes: Hi guys and gals, once again thanks for reading this story. Here's the next instalment. I hope you like it. Feel free to leave a review even if it is good or bad. (I hope it isn't bad but if it is I hope you can give me some advice to stop what I am doing wrong)

The Journey To Trollshaw

Once I got back to my chambers I got into my old hunting clothes rather than the ones I wore the previous days. My dark brown hair went into a tight pony tail at the back of my head. I seemed paler these days. Maybe it was because I was scared or maybe it was because the Sun was now fearing to go out each day. My grey eyes looked back at in the mirror. I was frozen at the age of 19 and I knew I would never change in appearance unless I got a massive scar across my face. 'You look more like a Ranger.' I thought to myself as I put my quiver of arrows and bow across my back. 'Let us hope that Wraiths cannot track you down' I thought once more as I tied up the laces on my brown leather boots that did not reach the top of my ankle. I found out my black fingerless gloves that were hidden deeply in the trunk of old clothes and slipped them over my hands. I made sure it was impossible to see my Nymph Scar so I did not bring unwanted trouble to my kingdom in the North East.

I walked quickly and silently through the twisting and turning coridors until I came out into the courtyard. "Tara?" A voice questioned from behind me. I turned slowly to see Lord Elrond stood at the top of the steps. "Yes, Lord Elrond?"

"I take it your going out to find Aragorn and Halflings?" He paused and looked towards the stables were Arwen was tending too her horse then looked back at me. I nodded looking down at the stone floor. "Do not worry, Arwen has told me of your letter. You shall stay here until the road back to your kingdom is safe."

"Thank you. I will not be a burden" I said quickly remembering my manners. He bowed his head then walked lightly back up the stairs like his feet were never touching the ground.

I walked into the stables were Arwen stood inside a stall stroking a white elvish horse. Her clothes had changed into a dress specifically made for riding horses and her hair was now held up in a bun. "I hope you have weapons" I said with a smirk. Arwen never could shoot arrows from a bow nor use daggers. If she had to use a weapon it would have to be an elvish sword and nothing else. "Of course I do." She said with a mumble as she unsheathed the sword that was held securely on her horses saddle. Like most elvish blades it had a curve at the bottom making it easier to move at speed. Just looking at the edge of the blade made you feel shocks of imaginary pain as you thought of what it would be like to be cut down by such a sharp blade.

"Go into the next stall and sandal up Thilason. You be riding him."

I paused before I moved my feet. Thilason was not name bore by any horse of this land. Thilason meant rainfall in the old language of the Nymphs. "Sir Quintus of the Castdeian Guard left him here last spring after the horse was injured by an Orc and unable to travel back with his master." Arwen told me as she noticed that I had not moved yet. Sir Quintus was a noble member of the Castdeian Guard who cared greatly for all animals especially if they were his own. Not once have I spoken to him without his Phoenix being perched on his shoulder or his dog Taldrum, stood by his feet. He too was a Keeper and his Phoenix was named Boreas which means the northern wind in the old almost unused language of my kin.

I came into the next stall and found Thilason munching at some hay. His coat was dark brown like the soil of the earth but the thick hair on his tail and main was even darker. His body was basically all muscle and no fat. His seemed bigger than the last time I had seen him. All the horses in lands of the elves and nymphd were never bred for war, they were bred for transportation and speed. I only hoped that a war would never happen so we would not have to waste the lives of horses. However wars between our ever growing foes were almost imminent unless we begin to run across the seas along with the elves who choose to leave. I saddled up Thilason with his black saddle and tied my blade and it's sheath on to the black leather saddle. "Good boy." I said as finished tieghtening the last strap on the sadle. Not once had Thilason stirred when I had put on his saddle. Thilason's breath was quiet and gentle. I looked at the horse more closely as I stroked his face. His eyes were much darker than I thought possible. They contained peace yet the deeper you got into them you found hid inside his eyes a lust for vengeance. "What was Thilason's injury when he was left here by Sir Quintus?" I asked wondering what on earth had caused such a peaceful beast to have an anger of any kind.

Thilason's eyes filled with joy when I named his old owner and rider. "An Orc had cut Thilason's ankle badly with a blunt knife. The wound was nearly infected when our healers managed to treat the injury."

I looked at Thilason's hooves and noticed that one had a scar abovd it. Then I remembered. Sir Quintus came back with his comrades blind in one eye along with a very gruesome scar running across the his right eyebrow to his cheek bone. Maybe this was the reason for Thilason's lust for revenge. The poor beast wanted to avenge the blindness of his old owner and for that I felt sorry for him. "We must be off now." Arwen said as she opened the gate to Asfaloth's stall. She mounted Asfaloth and patted him proudly on his neck. She put the hood of her blue cloak over her head and rode out into the courtyard.

I huffed then mounted Thilason. I held onto the reins and directed Thilason out into the courtyard where Arwen was doing practice laps to warn up Asfaloth's muscles. I secured my feet in the stirrups being sure that were was a very thin chance of my feet slipping out. Arwen finished going round the courtyard and stopped in front of me. Asfaloth breathed out through his nose loudly. "Take the lead, you know the paths of Trollshaw Forest better than I"

And with that we set off.

The stones of Rivendale's buildings passed away until we came into Rivendale forest. "Where are you going dear Lady of Rivendale? Where is it you take our fastest horse of the valley?" Elves called after Arwen in their jolly and musical voices. They dwelled on the edge of the paths calling out to Arwen. "Where is it you take the Princess of Castdeia? Where is it you plan to go? Will we be seeing the heir of Gondor, soon? Is he at the end of your journey? Will he bring us some funny little men with him? Are you off to follow the Phoenix who burns blue?" They called once more before they broke into high pitched laughs. One brave elf who had been running swiftly amongst trees tripped during his laughing fit and began rolling on his back letting out loud bellows of laughter. Their joyful laughter soon died away into an old song.

'Deep in Trollshaw forest,

Where the rains pours,

Stand three stone trolls,

They once caught 13 dwarves one fair night,

But a littler burglar, Bilbo Baggins was near by,

He hid in the shadows away from sacks

And waited for Gandalf the Grey.

Then came Gandalf,

Tall and proud....'

We never heard the end of the song for our horses sped forwards away from the fair voices of the elves of Rivendale. The Tale of Bilbo Baggins was known by all those who had to listen to the endless tales that were spoken in the Halls of Elrond. I for one had heard this song twice and the tale of Bilbo Baggins once.

The forest disappeared and we found ourselves riding across open hills of stone and grass. Both Thilason and Asfaloth ran at amzing speeds. At their heels, they kicked up dirt and undergrowt. Wind whipped past us and scenery changed in every stride of the horses. The open plains once again changed into thin woodland. We were nearing the boarders of Elrond's land. All we had to do now was pass over the ford. "We must walk now, Arwen!" I called as slowed down the pace of Thilason into a slow trot. "The horses are growing tired!" I called once more. "They need rest from our burdens!" I shouted. Asfaloth stopped and Arwen dismounted the white horse gracefully. She did not seem pleased by the fact that we had to slow down. I caught up with her and I also dismounted but far less gracefully than her. "We can walk till we reach the Ford. After that we must ride." Her tone had become a lot more serious.

I nodded and walked along side Thilason in silence. The silence comforted me like a warm fire on a cold winter's night. All I could hear was deep dragged breathing from the horses and their heavy footfalls who trudged onwards. Though I felt an odd presence like someone was watching us from above with evil and distrustful eyes. A chill went down my back when I thought of looking up. I shook my head and ignored my feeling as paranoia. 'Horus?' I called out into my mind. I could hear the flapping of wings. Then Horus answered. 'A group of one Ranger and four Hobbits are moving at a slow pace in one mile off the western edge of Trollshaw forest. One of them is injured or poisoned I can not tell which'

'Keep them in your sights but do not be in there's.' I stepped over a log and lead Thilason onwards.

No words passed between our mouths till we reached the Ford. I sat on the pebbles waiting for the horses to cleanse their thirst and hunger. Every so often I would weight a pebble in my hand and throw is across the Ford. "Sunset is heading our way" I mumbled to myself quietly. "8miles to ride and 4miles to walk or less if we lose time" Time, never had I been bothered by it before but now things had begun to change. Immortality you may think does not bring a lot of time. Five decades for men may seem like a life time but for me it seems to last a year. But now I wanted time to slow down and not speed up. Nowadays there was never enough time. Even if time could be bought there would be fallbacks. I sat deep within my thoughts looking across the Ford.

"The world seems bleak and missing it's colours. It moves on quicker than some. I only hope we can all catch up before we are left behind" This thought was never meant to be said aloud. I shut my mouth and threw a stone violently across the Ford. It smacked a tree in the middle and lodged itself into the bark. Arwen straighten up at my words like they were projecting cold ice or freezing snow. I sank back into my silent thoughtful shell and looked at the slow moving waters. Once again I felt like I was being watched by unjust eyes. I looked up at the sky and saw nothing but fluffy white clouds and a plain blue sky. 'Something lurks within the skies, Horus. Stay safe and stay vigilant.' I told Horus knowing it would be unsafe for him if he did not know. 'I shall' he replied back. I stood up and walked to Thilason who stood at the waters edge drinking.

"Shall we set off?" Arwen asked calmly. I drawed my cloak's hood above my head and held onto Thilason's reigns. "Yes. The horses have new energy, I think it would be wise to use it." I said as I mounted Thilason. The water's of the Ford calmed down and grew extremely shallow. Arwen mounted Asfaloth and was the first to venture into the Ford's water. I followed closely behind knowing I was leaving the land under Lord Elrond's rule. This land was untamed and had no ruler. The roads were just passages and the creatures were of any kind, good or bad. Once the horses made it past the Ford and the stones of the waters edge we began to speed up. The horses moved quickly and lightly. The wind whistled and whaled in our ears.

We rode over thin wood land, over hills, fields and over the thin plains of few trees. Night finally arrived once we entered the dreaded Trollshaw Forest. The horses slowed down into walking pace. As we rode I held my bow in my left hand, ready to react to any threat that lingered in the darkness. Evil cries floated in the wind. Not the cries and shrieks of Orcs but the cries of the damned nine kings of Men also known as Ringwraiths.