AN:

Thank You FireheartNinja and WolfDemon1000 for reviewing! Also thank you to HarbingerLady, 6Lisa9, and Targul for putting this on story alerts. Another thank you goes to Shinigami-Chan17 and child-of-paradox-and-chaos for favoriting!

I would like to hear from you guys (not the reviewers, you are all set.) if you have anything to say. Sometimes you don't, but hey.

Warning: this chapter goes by slowly, so apologies for that.

Thank you all for the support!

Elvish

*Japanese*

"The sun rise is beautiful," thought Rin as Team 7 and the Three Hunters ran across the plains of Rohan. The land was still covered with what seemed to be a genjutsu, but it had ceased to bother the shinobi when the sun had set last night. The medic had ran alongside Minato-sensei to periodically check up on Hoshi'd twisted ankle. It was healing quickly, which was good news. Hoshi was awake, his eyes scanning the orange-red sky. A grin crossed his face and he turned around to face a certian masked shinobi.

"Hey Kakashi! There is your Morning star!" he said, pointing at the quickly fadeing star. The Hatake snorted and said nothing. Both he and Obito were limping, and their toes were various shades of black and blue. Rin resolved to check out their feet when they make a stop.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Legolas pause to look at the sunrise.

"A red sun rises, blood has been spilled this night," he murmured.

Rin couldn't help but feel a bit of fear for Merry and Pippin.

"Hoshi?"

The odd boy looked down to her. "Yes, Rin-san?"

"If Merry and Pippin are dead, I will make you my personal slave. Got it?" she finished with a smile.

Hoshi grinned. "Well, is it not grand that they are alive?" he said, with a hint of trepidation in his voice.

Minato laughed. "Rin, I hope that you will share your new slave with me if the worst should happen,"

"Oi!" shouted Obito. "You need the Uchiha clan's permission to enslave him, and even then I call dibs!"

Kakashi snickered, shaking his head. Rin was laughing, with tears springing into her eyes.

Aragorn looked back at the shinobi, concerned.

"You should not worry, A-Aragorn," said Hoshi, stuttering slightly on the man's name. "It will only come to pass should the hobbits be dead,"

The tall ranger sighed and shook his head. Rin gave Hoshi an evil smirk.

"You know I ment every word I said," she said smugly.

Hoshi shrugged. "Yes, and I also know that Merry and Pippin are alive,"

"Pray they are," muttered Minato. "For your own sake,"

Aragorn felt himself dozing off on his feet, again. While the shinobi's constant banter had been helpful at keeping him awake, there was only so much time he could keep going before he fell asleep. The Dunedain found himself pondering last night, more specifically, an event that had all the shinobi anxious and agitated. Who did that whispery voice belong to? And why did it's owner worry the shinobi so?

Aragorn shook his head and refocused on tracking the Uruk-hai. He, Legolas, Gimli and the shinobi paused at the crest of a hill for a breather. The ranger crouched down, scanning the ground for any clues. Then his ears picked up something.

The whinnies of horses and the approaching sound of a large calvery made him look up then run for shelter behind a large outcrop. Legolas and Gimli followed him, arriving to the spot just in time. The strangers were already there, staring in awe as the Rohirrim rode past them.

As the last past them, Aragorn stood up and hailed the horselords.

"Riders of Rohan! What news from the Mark?" he called as he strode out of their shelter, along with Legolas and Gimli. Minato, Kakashi and Obito hung back, but Hoshi and Rin stood alongside him. Rin was supporting Hoshi, who was still limping.

Hearing his call, the Riders turned around and rode back to them. Aragorn was slightly taken aback when they were surrounded and spears were lowered. Wisely, he decided to put his hands up. The two strangers mimicked his gesture.

A man riding a dark grey horse rode up to them. His armor was richly detailed and a commanding air surrounded him.

"What business does a man, an elf, a dwarf and two children have in the Riddermark? Speak quickly!"

Rin looked slightly offended, while Hoshi was faintly smiling.

"Give me your name, Horsemaster, and I shall give you mine!" declared Gimli.

The two children clapped the dwarf on the back. The Eorling did not look to impressed.

The man dismounted and strode toward Gimli, dislike shining in his eyes. Aragorn put his hand in front of Gimli's shoulder to keep him from making any rash moves.

"I would cut off your head, Dwarf," the Rider spat. "If it stood but a little higher from the ground,"

Rin was looking very irate, and off by the outcrop, Aragorn could see Minato and Kakashi holding an angry Obito back. In the circle, however, an infuriated Legolas had drawn his bow.

"You would die before your sword fell!" he coldly declared.

Aragorn carefully pushed down Legolas' bow so it was not aimed at the Rider. Gimli looked surprised, while Rin was clearly ready to punch the man. He turned toward the Rider, with an apologetic look on his face.

"I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. This is Gimli son of Gloin, and Legolas of the Woodland realm. We are friends of Rohan, and of Théoden, your King,"

The man seemed to be slightly pacifed. "And the children, what about them?"

Aragorn turned to Hoshi. The boy turned to the Eorling.

"My loyalty lies with my friends and family. Aragorn is my friend, and his friend are then my friends. You shall expect no treason to come from myself or my friend,"

The Rider peered at them. Rin's eyes widened slightly.

"You have encountered someone like us, haven't you?" she asked. He gave her a cagey look.

"A small girl, dressed strangely and wearing a headband like yours asked for directions to Isengard. She could run faster than our horses, and was rather rude,"

Rin nodded, satisfied with the discription. Hoshi gave the Rider a weak smile.

"How fares your King?" he asked. The Eorling seemed to deflate.

"Théoden no longer recognizes friend from foe," he removed his helmet, revealing long blonde hair. "Not even his own kin. Saruman has poisoned his mind and claimed lordship over his lands,"

Aragorn was deeply disturbed. That did explain the dark feeling over the land and the shinobi's conviction that the land was under a controlling illusion.

"My company are those loyal to Rohan. And for that we are banished,"

Hoshi's eyes narrowed slightly and his grip on Rin's shoulder tightened.

"The White Wizard is cunning," continued the Rider. "Some say he walks here and there. There is an old man, hooded and cloaked," the man's blue eyes looked into his, suspicious. "Everywhere his spies slip past our nets,"

Aragorn understood the Eorling's worry, as he informed the man of their purpose.

"We are no spies. We track a party of Uruk-hai westward across the plain. They have taken two of our friends captive,"

The Rider's reply was surprisingly quick. "The Uruks are destroyed, we slaughtered them during the night,"

There was a sudden yelp as Rin lunged forward, with Hoshi clinging on to her neck.

*"Calm down! They escaped into Fangorn! It was a fortunate accident, They aren't dead!"* he screamed in the odd, choppy language. The enraged girl calmed down, giving the Rider an intense glare.

Gimli ignored the shinobi's out burst. "But they were two hobbits, did you see two hobbits with them?" he desperately asked.

"No taller than me!" added the brunette, a fierce expression on her face.

The man looks rather saddened. "We left none alive. We piled the carcesses and burned them," he gestured off into the distance

Aragorn followed the Rider's gesture to see a large plume of smoke billowing in the wind.

"No..." he thought, "they couldn't be..."

"They're dead? Gimli whispered hoarsely.

The Eorling gave him a small nod. "I am sorry," he said sincerely.

Hoshi shook his head. "Luck has not abandoned Merry and Pippin," he whispered to Aragorn as the Horselord whistled for two horses. "They will have a part to play in the scheme of things, Estel,"

Aragorn looked into the boy's shapphire-grey eyes, wondering how the child could be so hopeful. The Rider presented the Hunters with two horses.

"May these horses bare you to better fortune than their former masters," he said, a mournful look in his eyes. "Farewell,"

The Eorling mounted his horse and turned toward Aragorn one last time.

"Look for your friends, but do not trust to hope. It has forsaken these lands,"

The Rider yelled out a command in Rohirric, and they rode off, leaving the Three Hunters and shinobi behind.