Disclaimer: yeah still don't own it.
This chapter jumps a few times so when yyou see this ~ * ~ im moving on to a new scene.
Scruggs108: hope this one doesn't go to fast for ya! Im trying to not speed through the action too much.
Bluelibellule13: keep reading to find out
Lintered: Legolas is gonna keep surprising you im sure
The sun was her first problem. It was beating down on them as if it didn't know that she had been running for days. Her second problem was that she was too far away from the hobbits, she couldn't tell if they were alright. Lastly was the position she had been forced to run in. The weapon she had instantly fallen in love with was now laid horizontally on the small of her back, a rope tied it to her waist and two other ropes secured her wrists to the staff in a painful way so she could not untie herself. Her elbows jutted out awkwardly behind her as she tried to keep up with the Uruk- hai, she had learned the hard way that they had no problem dragging her behind them. The leader called for them to stop and her legs screamed as she fell on her butt.
"Please! My friend is sick, he needs medicine!" She heard Pippin's voice and her head shot up. He sounded like he was five or six orcs head of her. She stood and tried to get to him but the Uruk behind her grabbed the staff and pulled her to a halt.
"Pippin!" She called out and felt her heart swell when he responded.
"Artemis!" The leader made his way over to her and grabbed her face roughly in his hands.
"Keep your mouth shut human." She glared at him but stayed silent as he began to walk back towards the front of the back, then he stopped.
"Man flesh!" He called and she let out a tiny laugh despite how exhausted she was. That meant Aragorn was coming for them.
"Pick up the pace!" The leader cried and they began running again. She cursed as she was shoved by the Uruk behind her.
"I can't run faster with my arms like this!" She snapped and the leader called for them to cut her loose. She noted they took her staff but at least she arms were now free. Now the next problem she had was she had to slow them down. ~ * ~
Aragorn picked up the tiny leaf that clasped their robes closed. He was not sure if it had been dropped deliberately or by accident but it gave him hope.
"Not idly to the leaves of Lorien fall." He said softly and Legolas was beside him instantly.
"They may yet be alive." Aragorn nodded and was up and running again. They were gaining on them. After another hour or so Legolas ran head to scout their path. Aragorn called out to him and asked him what he saw.
"They've turned Northeast! They're taking them to Isengard!" Aragorn had terrible feeling about that.
"Saruman." He muttered as he ran. When he had been fighting the Uruk- hai after letting Frodo go they had been yelling one thing.
"Get the halflings! Get the vessel!" He hadn't know at the time what the vessel was but when Boromir had told him they had taken Missy instead of killing her he knew she was the vessel. But for what? ~ * ~
Saruman looked into the plantir, Morsus standing against a wall and looking out the door to make sure they were alone. He listened as Saruman assured his dark lord that everything was going to plan and soon no one would stand against the powers of Sauron and Saruman.
"And Aerona." Morsus added, smiling when the white wizard looked a little unsure.
"She'll be pleased to know you are frightened of her." Saruman knew better than to argue with the right hand of Aerona. She had always had temper about her, killing first and asking questions later.
"They have instructions to give her the draught. I shall deliver her to Mordor when she arrives, Morsus." The man laughed and shook his head.
"Oh no, I am going to deliver her myself. She is far too important for you to handle Saruman. Besides, you will scare her." The old wizard looked back to plantir, almost hoping his lord would give him permission to kill the peasant of the dark queen. Sauron was only too willing to let Aerona's plan go on as she laid out, his faith her in was unwavering.
"The draught is insurance, just in case you mess things up and I have to rely on her to get where I need her. Since you have failed at everything else it would not surprise me." He could stay submissive no longer and brought his hand across Morsus' face. His green eyes danced with amusment as he spit blood on the white wizards robes.
"That will not go unpunished my friend." ~ * ~
As night fell one of the orcs stopped running and the others followed suit.
"We aint going no further till we've had a breather." He declared and the leader, Ugluk, shouted for them to start a fire. Merry and Pippin were thrown down beside each other on the grass, and Missy found it easier to get to them now that she wasn't being shoved.
"Artemis!" Merry whispered happy to see her alive. She hit her knees in front of them, every intention of untying their hands, when a hand grabbed her by her throat and pulled her backwards. Both hobbits yelled but the orcs and Uruk- hai ignored them as one of them pinned her to the ground and another pulled out a vial.
"Shove it down her throat." Ugluk commanded and the vial of liquid was tipped into her mouth and her jaw held shut. Two skinny, dirty fingers pinched her noise shut so she forced to swallow. It burned the whole way down her throat, like she had just chugged carbonated lava. The orc flipped her on her back and tied her hands again before tossing her back down with the hobbits. Pippin bounced over to her to see if she was ok.
"I'm starvin'! We aint had nothing but maggoty bread for three stinking days!" One of the orcs shouted.
"Yeah. Why can't we have some meat? What about them? They're fresh." One of the orcs said eyeing the three captives.
"They are not for eating!" Ugluk yelled but the debate seemed to keep going on about cutting off body parts that wouldn't kill them. Missy glanced over at the hobbits in fear, worried for both her own life and theirs. One of the orcs drew a blade and started towards them but Ugluk intercepted him and chopped off his head.
"Looks like meats back on the menu boys!" He announced and they all attacked the body. Missy looked back to the hobbits and felt a small ray hope when Merry told them both to start moving. She began crawling beside them when suddenly a foot came down on Merry's back and Pippin had a blade against his. Missy felt a hand grab her ankle and pull her backwards before flipping her onto her back. The two orcs stared down at them with sick smiles.
"You can't eat us! He'll kill you!" Missy yelled looking as scared as she had when the Watcher dragged her to the water. The orcs eyes left her face and lingered over every inch of her body.
"Who said anything about eating you?" Her entire body seized in fear as she caught his meaning. Her basic human instinct kicked in and with a scream she threw the foot he wasn't holding on to right into his stomach. Once, twice, and then a third shot to the face. A spear hit the orc standing on Merry but she was already on her feet running for her weapon. She pulled her staff out of the ground and then turned back to the spot where the hobbits had been, but they were gone.
"Pippin! Merry!" She called out to them but in the chaos she couldn't hear anything. She started to run across the battle field but a horse cut her off, the rider dismounting instantly and slaying an Uruk that was charging her. The rider stayed in front of her and she realized he was protecting her.
"Pippin!" She called still looking around for the hobbits.
"Artemis!" She heard his little voice call from far away but as she moved towards it an arm wrapped around her waist.
"Come on!" The man called and pulled her towards his horse.
"My friends!" She yelled and he grabbed her wrists, which were still tied together and turned her towards him. She was a little taken back by his bright blue eyes, and the look of adoration on his face. She knew in an instant that this man would walk through fire for her, though she had no idea why.
"If they are alive my men will find them, please… let me save you." His voice was gruff but that made his plea so much more endearing so she looked back into the chaos feeling torn. She opened her mouth to answer him when a blinding white pain flashed through her head and she screamed. He caught her as she began to fall, his eyes leaving her for only a second to make sure no danger was coming towards them.
"Are you ill?" He asked as he sank to his knees with her still in his arms.
"They made me drink something." She mumbled as the pain began to subside. He quickly untied her hands and then rested his palm against her forehead to check for a fever.
"I think I'll be okay." She told him, noticing that he had yet to let her go.
"What is your name?" She blushed.
"Artemis… Damnit, I mean Missy! Now they've got me doing it." He looked confused as she laughed.
"My full name is Artemis but I prefer to be called Missy." He gave a nod and then removed his helmet, it was only then that she realized the fight was over. When she looked back she was surprised to see how handsome the man that had saved her really was. His dirt blonde hair was slightly in his eyes and she couldn't resist pushing it back for him.
"And what is your name?" She asked and he smiled.
"I am Eomer, son of Eomund."
"Thank you for saving me Eomer… I was tr-" The pain tore through her head again and she gripped her staff with one hand and Eomer's armor with the other. He began to speak but she was fading into blackness and so were his words