A/N: We have now entered into the realm of Two Towers! I'm really excited for this part of the trilogy because there is a lot of action, and I can really work the Anariel/Legolas romance. But don't expect "I love you so, so, so, so, much!" from either of them. They simply aren't the type. Legolas is much too quiet and reserved for that sort of thing, and Anariel is well...Anariel. Their love is very subtle, but strong. Anway, I'll get on with my two favorite hobbits and my two favorite elves...

Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings.

Chapter 8

Pippin slowly opened his eyes and noticed that he was on the back of one of the Uruk-hai. He glanced around him and noticed that Merry was slung over the back of another. Pippin cringed when he saw the bleeding gash above Merry's right eye.

"Merry!" Pippin whispered loudly. No response. "Merry!" he called a little bit louder, but the other hobbit remained unconscious.

Suddenly the Uruk-hai stopped moving, and Pippin listened to the conversation. "What is it?" one of them asked. "What do you smell?"

The other one sniffed the air again. "Man-flesh," he answered.

"Aragorn," Pippin whispered to himself. They were coming for them!

"They've picked up our trail! Let's move!" the Uruk-hai in front yelled and soon they were off.

Thinking quickly, Pippin pulled his Elven brooch off of his cloack with his teeth. Making sure that no one was looking, he quickly spit it out and watched as it was trampled into the ground. He could only hope that Aragorn would find it.

Anariel watched silently as Aragorn pressed his ear to a rock. She didn't dare make a sound for fear that she would cause him to lose the trail. Legolas stood beside her, also silent. The only sound was Gimli's labored breathing, which was quickly getting on Anariel's nerves.

"There pace as quickened," Aragorn said quietly and he looked up at them. "They must have caught our scent. Hurry!" he said and he broke into a run.

Immediately, Anariel was running beside him. Anariel would not rest until she saw that Pippin and Merry were okay. If any of those foul beasts harmed them in any way they would die. Well, actually all of them would die anyway for taking them in the first place. Either way they ended up dead, so it really didn't matter.

"Come on, Gimli!" Legolas called glancing behind him to see that the dwarf was already significantly behind.

"Three days and nights pursuit. No food. No rest. And no sign of our quarry but what a bare rock can tell," the dwarf huffed, but nonetheless he sped up and ran after his companions.

The four hunters ran across the rocks and open plains. Aragorn and Anriel were leading, while Legolas trailed a little behind, making sure that Gimli was keeping up. At any other time, Anariel would be amused at how close the dwarf and Legolas were becoming. You would have never known now that previously they had loathed the other's company. Anariel herself was becoming rather attached to the dwarf.

Anariel was almost too absorbed in her thoughts to notice that Aragorn had stopped. She skidded to a stop and knelt beside him. She looked at what he held in his hand and gasped, hope floating in her veins. In Aragorn's hand was one of the hobbit's brooches.

"Not idly do the leaves of Lorien fall," Aragorn murmured.

"They must be relatively unharmed if they can leave us clues," Anariel said, hope creeping into her voice.

"They may yet be alive," Legolas said and Anariel stood up and went to his side.

"I do hope so," Anariel whispered and Legolas gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"They are less than a day ahead of us," Aragorn said standing up. "Come!"

Anariel watched as Aragorn took off again, but she and Legolas looked behind them when they heard clanging. Despite herself she giggled as she saw Gimli stumbling out from behind some rocks and rolling to the ground.

"Come, Gimli!" Legolas called.

"We are gaining on them!" Anariel encouraged, and she gave Legolas' hand a final squeeze before taking off after Aragorn.

"I am wasted on cross country!" Anariel heard Gimli pant. "We dwarves are natural sprinters! Very dangerous over short distances!"

On and on they ran. It seemed like they would never stop, and Anariel was starting to feel the burn in her legs. They ran up a hill and Aragorn paused at the top. Anariel paused beside him and looked back to see that Legolas and Gimli were just now coming up the hill. Soon Legolas was beside her, and she felt slightly more at ease. Just being near him calmed her down.

Legolas seemed to sense her staring at him and looked down at her. He said nothing, but his eyes spoke volumes. Without saying a word, he told her that he loved her more than anything, and Anariel allowed herself a small smile. She didn't feel right smiling considering that two of her friends were being held captive.

She looked back over the landscape before them. It was a grassy, rolling plain that seemed to never end. "Rohan. Home of the horse-lords. There is something strange at work here. Some evil gives speed to these creatures, sets its will against us," Aragorn said quietly.

She sensed Legolas move beside her and watched as he ran ahead and jumped up onto a rock to look out over the horizon. "Legolas, what do you see?" Anariel asked.

"The Uruk's turn northeast!" he answered and Anariel's stomach dropped. "They're taking the hobbits to Isengard!"

Isengard. "Saruman," Anariel whispered. This wasn't good. They had to save Merry and Pippin! "Come," Anariel urged. "Hurry!" she took off and was glad to hear them following her.

They ran. They ran some more after that…and some more after that. Anariel was now fully feeling the burn in her legs, but she ignored it as she pushed herself forward. All that mattered was Merry and Pippin. She was driven by more than simply will power and the need to protect her friends. Much to her surprise, she was driven by maternal instinct. The twins would never believe her, but it was true. The hobbits were children in her eyes, but they were her children. She protected them like they were hers.

"Keep breathing! That's the key! Breathe!" Gimli panted and Anariel snorted. The dwarf was providing some much needed comical relief.

"They've run as if the very whips of their masters were behind them!" Legolas muttered.

"I wouldn't be surprised," Anariel said and with that thought she pushed herself even faster.

"We're not going no further till we've had a breather!" an orc protested and Pippin sighed in relief. It was extremely uncomfortable to ride on the back of an orc, and his arms were sore from trying to support his weight seeing as how his hands were tied.

"Get a fire going!" the orc in charge replied as Merry and Pippin were dumped unceremoniously onto the ground.

Once the orcs had left, Pippin crawled over to his friend. "Merry!" Pippin whispered frantically. "Merry!'

Slowly, Merry opened his eyes. "I think...we might have made a mistake in leaving the Shire, Pippin," he mumbled.

Despite himself, Pippin smiled a little. He was just relieved that Merry was awake and talking. He'd really been worried for a moment. Suddenly a low groaning was heard in the forest and Pippin looked into the darkness, frowning.

"What was that?" he whispered.

"It's the trees," Merry answered back in the same hushed tone.

"What?" Pippin asked incredulously.

"Do you remember the Old Forest?" Merry asked. "On the borders of Buckland? Folk used to say that there was something in the water that made the trees grow tall…and come alive."

"Alive?" Pippin questioned, torn between being frightened and awed.

"Trees that could whisper. Talk to each other. Even move," Merry whispered.

The hobbits were drawn back from their conversation by the orcs. "I'm starving. We ain't 'ad nothin' but maggoty bread for three stinkin' days!"

"Yeah. Why can't we have some meat?" one asked and Pippin and Merry swallowed in fear as the orc's eyes rested on them. "What about them?" the orc continued. "They're fresh."

Pippin gulped and Merry shuddered. "They are not for eating!" the orc in charge yelled.

"What about their legs?" another orc asked. "They don't need those. Ooo…they look tasty!"

Merry and Pippin were frozen in fear. Didn't they get a say in any of this?

"Carve 'em up!" an orc yelled.

"Just a little bite," another orc said edging towards the hobbits who were shaking in the fear that gripped them.

"No!" the orc in charge cried and he unsheathed his sword and beheaded the orc. "Looks like meat's back on the menu boys!" he yelled and the orcs immediately converged on the headless corpse.

The orcs seemed distracted for a moment and Merry decided that this would be their only chance. "Pippin, let's go!" he whispered and the hobbits began to crawl away into the forest.

Suddenly, a foot came down on Merry and Pippin was turned onto his back. The orc waved a blade in front of Pippin's face. "Go on," the orc encouraged menacingly. "Call for help. No one's goin' to save you now…" Out of nowhere a spear was in the offending orc's back and the orc fell to the side.

"Pippin!" Merry called and gestured for them to make their escape.

Forgoing crawling, the still bound hobbits sprang to their feet and dodged the many bodies and riders that were all around them. Merry and Pippin didn't know if they were on their side or not, but they didn't think on it too much as this was their distraction they needed for an escape. Pippin had just dodged another soldier when he looked up to see a horse's hoof's above his head, ready to trample him.

"Arghhh!" he cried and at the last moment he ran beneath the horse. He rejoined Merry and noticed a sword. He gestured to the sword and he and Merry quickly cut their bonds. They dodged the mayhem and hurried into the forest, however right at the edge, an orc grabbed Pippin's belt.

"The belt!" Merry cried and Pippin hurriedly unfastened the thing and ran into the forest.

They ran and ran, until they finally collapsed in exhaustion. "Did we lose him?" Pippin asked as he looked around. "I think we lost him."

Suddenly the hideous orc appeared from behind the trees. "I'm gonna rip out your filthy little innards! Come here!"

Merry and Pippin quickly hid behind a tree. "Climb a tree!" Merry whispered frantically and the hobbits immediately started to climb.

Merry looked around. "He's gone," he said relieved, but right after the words were out of his mouth a hand yanked on his ankle and he fell from his perch.

The orc hovered over him and he frantically tried to kick the orc off of him, but to no avail. "Merry!" Pippin cried. He looked from Merry back to the tree and back to Merry, but he stopped. Slowly he turned to face the tree again and noticed that a pair of yellow eyes was staring back at him.

"Arghh!" Pippin gasped.

"Hoooo…" the tree said softly.

Pippin lost his grip on the tree and fell backward, but to his astonishment he did not hit the ground. The tree caught him…

"Let's put a maggot-hole in your belly," the orc rasped, but suddenly he sensed something hovering over him and looked up just in time to see a gnarled foot before he was crushed into the forest floor.

"Run, Merry!" Pippin cried, but he was scooped up by the tree.

"Little orcs," the tree muttered.

"It's talking Merry!" Pippin whispered frantically. "The tree is talking!"

"Tree?" the tree huffed as he stomped through the forest. "I am no tree. I am an Ent."

"A treehearder!" Merry said in wonder. "A shepherd of the forest!"

"Don't talk to it," Pippin advised. "Don't encourage it!"

"Treebeard some call me," he Ent said.

"And whose side are you on?" Pippin asked, ignoring his own advice.

"Side? I am on nobody's side, because no one is on my side, little orc. Nobody cares for the woods anymore," Treebeard said sadly.

"We're not orcs!" Merry argued. "We're hobbits!"

"Hobbits? I've never heard of a hobbit before. Sounds like orc mischief to me," Treebeard said as he tightened his grip on the hobbits, who whimpered in pain. "They come with fire, the come with axes! Gnawing, biting, breaking, hacking, burning! Destroyers and usurpers, curse them!"

"No, you don't understand!" Merry said trying to reason with the Ent, and fighting against its strong hold. "We're hobbits! Halflings! Shirefolk!"

"Maybe you are, and maybe you aren't," Treebeard said. "The White Wizard will know."

"The White Wizard?" Pippin questioned.

"Saruman," Merry whispered.

It was just dawn as they stopped running. Anariel had never been so tired in all her life. She may be an elf, but running for four days straight was never on her list of things to do. Legolas looked up into the sky and Anariel followed his gaze.

"A red sun rises," Legolas said quietly. "Blood has been spilled this night."

Anariel closed her eyes and prayed that Merry and Pippin were alright. Off they ran again, but not too soon after sunrise Anariel heard horses' hoofs. They all stopped and hid behind boulders. A large group of riders appeared, carrying banners. Anariel recognized the banners and relaxed a little. Aragorn stepped out from their hiding place and Anariel, Legolas, and Gimli followed.

"Riders of Rohan!" Aragorn called. "What news from the Mark?"

At a signal by the leader of the group the riders quickly turned around and soon they were circling the group in a tight circle, and Anariel was not thrilled to see a spear in her face. And she could tell from Legolas' stance beside her that he wasn't too thrilled either.

"What business do two Elves, a man, and a dwarf have in the Riddermark?" the leader asked. "Speak quickly!" he commanded and Anariel was just looking for a reason to slap the man. She was not in the mood to put up with his rudeness.

"Give me your name, Horsemaster, and I shall give you mine," Gimli said gruffly and Anariel fought a smile.

She watched as the leader handed his spear to another rider, and slid off his horse. Aragorn put a hand on Gimli's shoulder, whether to restrain Gimli, or protect him Anariel didn't know. "I would cut off your head, Dwarf, if it stood but a little higher off the ground," the man said coldly.

Anariel glared at the man and Legolas had his bow drawn and an arrow notched in a second. "You would die before your stroke fell," Legolas warned, and all the riders focused on Legolas.

After a tense moment, Anariel put a hand on Legolas' arm and eased it down, however she kept a hand on his arm…just in case. Aragorn shot her a grateful look before turning back to the leader. "I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. This is Gimli, son of Gloin. The elves are Legolas of the Woodland realm and Anariel of Rivendell. We are friends of Rohan and of Theoden, your king."

"Theoden no longer recognizes friend from foe. Not even his own kin," as the rider said this he removed his helmet and the spears that surrounded them were withdrawn. Anariel recognized him to be Eomer, the king's nephew.

"Saruman has poisoned the mind of the king and claimed lordship over these lands. My company are those who are loyal to Rohan, and for that we are banished. The White Wizard is cunning. He walks here and there, they say, as an old man, hooded and cloaked. And everywhere his spies slip past our nets," he said and his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"We are not spies. We track a party of Uruk-hai across the westward plain. They have taken two of our friends captive," Aragorn explained and Eomer seemed appeased.

"The Uruks were destroyed. We slaughtered them in the night," Eomer said evenly.

Anariel sucked in a breath and her grip tightened on Legolas' arm. "But there were two hobbits! Did you see two hobbits with them?" Gimli questioned.

"They would be small," Anariel said quietly. "Only children to your eyes."

"We left none alive," Eomer said. "We piled the carcasses and burned them," he said pointing to a smoking pile in the distance.

"Dead?" Gimli questioned.

Eomer nodded and Anariel was about ready to cry. Maybe there was a chance…maybe they had escaped. She felt Legolas put a hand on her shoulder, and it was all she could do not to turn into him and cry.

Eomer whistled. "Hasufel! Arod!" he called and two horses came up, one brown and one white. "May these horses bear you greater fortune than their former masters. Farewell," he said solemnly as he mounted his horse. "Look for your friends, but do not trust to hope, it has forsaken these lands," he said sadly before turning to his riders and yelling, "We ride north!"

The riders and Eomer galloped away, leaving the four hunters in their wake. "I will ride with Aragorn," Anariel announced and Aragorn quickly mounted the brown horse, Hasufel, and pulled Anariel up behind him.

Legolas hopped up upon Arod's back and Gimli stared at the horse dubiously. "Come Gimli," Legolas urged and Gimli non too gracefully climbed onto the horses back.

Quickly, they rode towards the smoking pyre. With every step they took, Anariel's unease grew. Merry and Pippin had to be alright. They just had too. Two such innocent and happy creatures did not deserve to die so young. They had to live.

They rode up to the burning carcasses and Anariel cringed at the sight of an orc head impaled on a spear. How welcoming. She slid off the horse and searched the area around her with her eyes. She did not dare go near the pyre, for fear of what she might find. However, Gimli seemed to not have her qualms and began picking through the burnt carcasses with his axe.

Legolas came over to stand beside her and put an arm around her waist. Anariel heard a soft intake of breath and looked back to Gimli. Anariel' eyes widened as she realized what the dwarf held in his hand.

"It is one of their wee belts," the dwarf said defeated.

Anariel felt a tear slide down her cheek and she turned into Legolas, resting her head on his chest. May they find peace in death, Legolas whispered and a sob escaped Anariel at his words. Legolas in response held her tighter, wrapping both his arms around her.

"We failed them," Gimli said sadly.

Aragorn yelled in frustration, and fell to his knees. He looked to his right and some tracks caught his attention. "A hobbit lay here," he said quietly. "And here," he said as he started to follow the tracks. Anariel looked up and Legolas took her hand and led her over to Aragorn.

"Their hands were bound," Aragorn continued, and he looked closer to the ground. "Their bonds were cut!" he said as he picked up a thick length of rope.

A small smile started to pull at the corners of Anariel's mouth, as hope flooded her veins once more. Anariel watched as Aragorn moved quickly, his eyes never leaving the ground as he followed the tracks of their little friends. "They ran over here. They were followed."

Anariel refused to let this knowledge douse her little light of hope. Merry and Pippin were okay. They had to be. "The tracks lead away from the battle!" Aragorn exclaimed softly and he began to run. Anariel immediately followed, towing Legolas behind her. "Into Fangorn forest," Aragorn concluded.

Anariel and the rest stared into the darkness of the thick forest. "Fangorn?" Gimli breathed. "What madness drove them in there?"

"Relax Gimli," Anariel smiled and the long absent mischievous twinkle sparked in her eyes. "After all, it's just a forest."

Aww...poor Gimli's afraid of the woods! How dwarf-like of him...

Please review!

ArthursCamelot