The Rose of the Fellowship
Song: Heretic, Hero
Album: Halo 2 (Original Soundtrack)
Disclaimer: Any and all things mentioned in this story that are copyrighted do not belong to me. I am just using them for enjoyment and inspiration with this story, and no profit is being made with these copyrighted things.
AN: No, you are not seeing things. Two chapters in one update! Enjoy! : )
Chapter Seven: Heretic, Hero
We ran for two days, slowly but surely gaining on the Uruk-hai. It was surprising, not only to myself, that I was able to keep up with Legolas and Aragorn. I wasn't next to them the entire time, by any means, but I was able to stay well ahead of Gimli.
We were on the third day of our pursuit of the Uruk-hai, and it was mid-day when I suddenly felt a pain in my chest. I stopped and grabbed my chest.
"What is it, lass?" Gimli asked, him being behind me and the others in front.
"I don't know." I replied, glancing down in confusion. The pain wasn't a physical one, but more of an emotional heartbreak. Heartbreak I would feel if I thought I would never see a loved one again. I closed my eyes, tapped into the power of the Heart of Lothlorien, and tried to concentrate on whom this feeling was coming from. My vision soared over the plains to a hill outside of Edoras. I saw a group of horsemen on the crest. I could see the despair in Eomer's eyes as he and his men took-what they thought to be-a last look at their beloved capital before riding away. It was then that I knew: the heartbreak I felt was Eomer's, thinking that he would never see his beloved sister again. I opened my eyes and met the looks of concern from Aragorn and Legolas.
"Are you alright?" Aragorn asked. I nodded, and we set off after the Uruk-hai once again. Two more days passed, in which we learned of the destination of the Uruk-hai; Isengard. We had just topped another hill when we heard the sound of galloping hooves hitting the ground. The four of us ran and hid behind rocks and watched as the riders passed. Aragorn, realizing who they were, ran out and called out to them.
"Riders of Rohan!" Aragorn called out "What news from the Mark?" Gimli, Legolas and I joined Aragorn as the Rohirrim turned and encircled us.
"What business do a ranger, an elf, a dwarf, and a woman have in the Riddermark?" the Riders' leader-whom I knew to be Eomer-demanded, riding up to us "Speak quickly!"
"Give me your name horse-master," Gimli responded "and I shall give you mine." they stared each other down for a short while, then Eomer handed his spear to another rider, dismounted his horse and walked up to us. My hand slowly drifted to my butterfly swords, ready for what was to come.
"I would cut off your head, dwarf," Eomer growled "if it stood but a little higher from the ground."
"You would die before your stroke fell!" Legolas responded, drawing an arrow and aiming at Eomer. I put one hand on my samshir as the spears aimed at us, and another on Legolas' shoulder. Aragorn got between the elf and horse-lord, and got Legolas to lower his bow.
"I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn," the ranger said, hoping to prove our friendship to Rohan "This is Sarah; daughter of Joseph, Gimli; son of Gloin, and Legolas of the woodland realm." Eomer stared at him, recognizing our names.
"We are friends of Rohan, and of Theoden, your king." Aragorn asserted. I studied Eomer's face as he sighed.
"Theoden no longer recognizes friend from foe." I stated, gaining everyone's attention. Eomer nodded in agreement.
"Not even his own kin." he added, removing his helmet. "Saruman has poisoned the mind of the king and claimed lordship over these lands." Eomer told us "My company are those loyal to Rohan, and for that we are banished." Eomer then walked closer to Aragorn "The White Wizard is cunning." he growled "He walks here and there they say, as an old man hooded and cloaked." He turned to Legolas "And everywhere his spies slip past our nets."
"We are no spies." Aragorn interrupted "We are tracking a party of Uruk-Hai, westward across the plain. They have taken two of our friends captive." I could see Eomer think over anything that he had seen that was similar to what we were tracking.
"The Uruks are destroyed." he told us "We slaughtered them during the night."
"But there were two Hobbits!" Gimli pressed, eager as the rest of us to find our friends "Did you see two Hobbits with 'em?" I could see the confusion in Eomer's eyes, since he did not know of hobbits before now.
"They would be small." I said, trying to be helpful as I approached him "Only children to your eyes." I could see in his eyes that he did not relish being the one to give us the news.
"We left none alive." he told us, and I could tangibly feel the despair that washed over the others. "We piled the carcasses and burned them." Eomer said, pointing to the smoke rising from where the Rohirrim had come from.
"Dead?" Gimli muttered, still unable to believe what Eomer had said. Eomer looked down at him.
"I am sorry." he apologized, then turned to his riders and whistled "Hasufel! Arod!" he waved, two horses came forward, and he handed Aragorn the reins. "May these horses bear you to better fortune than their former masters. Farewell." Eomer put his helmet back on and mounted his horse.
"Look for your friends, but do not trust to hope," he said, trying to be kind "it has forsaken these lands."
"Your sister is fairing well, Lord Eomer." I said, in Rohirric, before he could ride off. Eomer looked down at me in shock.
"How is it you know of my sister?" he responded in his native tongue.
"That is not important," I said, again in Rohirric, "just know that she is well, and will soon be safe from that snake, Wormtongue." I could see that he was hesitant to believe me, but then nodded.
"Thank you." he mouthed, not wanting his men to see him so emotional. It did not take being able to know his emotions to know that the man was relieved. I bowed my head slightly.
"There is always cause for hope, Third Marshall, even when it seems as if there is none." I said in the Common tongue. Eomer nodded, and then turned to his company.
"We ride north!" he shouted, and the Rohirrim rode off. Legolas and Gimli mounted the white horse, and I got on the roan horse behind Aragorn. We rode towards the smoke, and my stomach turned when the smell hit my nose. We dismounted our horses, and Gimli started sifting through the pile of smoldering corpses. He picked up a charred piece of leather.
"It's one of their wee belts," he told us, holding it up. Legolas started praying in elvish. I could see Aragorn growing extremely upset, and I went to approach him. When I did, he suddenly kicked one of the helmets that were strewn around, and screamed his frustration to the sky, falling to his knees.
"We failed them." Gimli muttered sadly. I wanted to shake them all and scream "They're not dead!", but I had no choice but to let these events run their course. It tore me in two to see them so hurt, while I knew the truth. I knelt next to Aragorn and put an arm around his shoulders, and he made no move to shake me off. He then observed the ground to his left-I was on his right- and I could see in his eyes that he had found signs of where Merry and Pippin were during the battle.
"A hobbit lay here," Aragorn said, offhandedly "and the other." we followed him as his well-trained eyes picked out Merry and Pippins movements "They crawled. Their hands were bound. Their bonds were cut!" I kicked aside the rope as Aragorn tossed it. "They ran over here, they were followed." We all followed Aragorn as he began to run.
"The tracks lead away from the battle!" I shouted to the others. We all came to a halt at the tree-line.
"Into Fangorn forest." Aragorn sighed.
"Fangorn?" Gimli gasped "What madness drove them in there?"
"The will to live, my friend," I answered, patting his shoulder. "The will to live." Aragorn looked to the rest of us, and we entered the forest. We took a slower pace, then, since it was harder to track them in the shade and brush. As we did so, I felt happiness well up inside at the reunion I knew was to come.
End Chapter Seven
AN: I know, I know, it's short. I'll post the next chapter as soon as it is finished. So, what did you think of Sarah's first encounter with Eomer? There may be something there, eh? I may work with that, who knows? As always, rate and review, please! Bol'shoe spasibo i Bog blagoslovit!