First of all, I would like to thank everyone who reviewed. Keep the reviews coming. They make me feel happy! ;)
Second, I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while. I had a bunch of schoolwork and skit practice. Wish me luck!
Chapter 14: The Hunt is On
Robin awoke to a great jostling. She was riding through a rocky gorge on the back of an Uruk, her hands tied around its neck. To her left rode Pippin, looking awake as ever on his Uruk. "Pippin!" she whispered.
Pippin's head snapped around. "Robin!" he replied. "I'm glad you're awake."
"Where's Merry?" Robin asked, worried. Pippin jerked his head towards her right. Merry lay unconscious on his Uruk, a nasty gash on his head.
Robin's heart filled with concern. "Merry!" she called as quietly as she could. "Merry!"
"Wake up!" Pippin urged.
Robin and Pippin noticed that Merry looked pale and sickly. Pippin saw an Uruk beside them, drinking from a flask. "My friend is sick. He needs water," he begged
"Please!" Robin implored.
"Sick, is he?" an Uruk jeered. "Give him some medicine, boys!"
The Uruks growled in twisted pleasure as they began pouring a vile brown liquid into Merry's gaping mouth. "Stop it!" Robin shouted as Merry coughed and spluttered.
"Can't he take his draught?" another Uruk taunted.
"Leave him alone!" pleaded Pippin.
"Why?" an Uruk scorned. "You want some?" All three hobbits meekly shook their heads. "Then keep your mouth shut!" The Uruk sneered at them as he turned away.
"Merry!" Pippin called again after the Uruk had left.
Merry feebly looked up. "Hello, Pip, Robin."
"You're hurt," Robin commented, gazing at the cut on Merry's forehead.
Merry smiled weakly. "I'm fine. It was just an act."
"An act?" Pippin asked in disbelief.
"See? I fooled you too," Merry whispered. "Don't worry about me."
Suddenly, the company stopped. An Uruk stepped out and sniffed the air. "What is it? What do you smell?" the captain asked.
"Man-flesh," the Uruk hissed.
The captain snarled. "They've picked up our trail."
Pippin, Merry, and Robin grinned at each other. "Man-flesh" could only mean one thing. Actually, make that two things.
"Aragorn."
"Peyton."
The troop began running again, twice as fast as before. Pippin yanked on his leaf brooch with all his might. Finally, he succeeded, the trinket clutched in the hobbit's mouth. Pippin threw it onto the ground, looking forlornly after it. "What'd you do that for?" Robin asked, curious.
"I'm leaving a sign," Pippin replied. Robin smiled, knowing that Peyton and Aragorn and hopefully the rest of the company would find it. She just hoped they would hurry.
~o*o*o*o~
Aragorn, Legolas, Kayden, Gimli, and Peyton ran as fast as they could. Eventually, they reached a rock-strewn hill. Aragorn laid his head onto a stone, listening. "Their pace had quickened," he remarked. "They must have caught our scent." He turned to face the four others running behind him. "Hurry!" he urged, before sprinting off.
"Come on, Gimli," Legolas called, sprinting up the hill.
Kayden soon followed. "Hurry up, Peyton!"
Gimli staggered up the hill, Peyton close behind. "Three days and nights pursuit," he panted. "No food, no rest, and no sign of our quarry but what bare rock can tell."
"If you are still alive when we find you, Robin, I am so going to KILL you," Peyton muttered, jogging up the knoll.
The Five Hunters, as they came to be known, traveled day and night, over hills and plains, never stopping.
"Look!" Kayden shouted, crouching in the shadow of a rockface. She gently picked up an emerald leaf from the dirt.
"Not idly do the leaves of Lorien fall," Aragorn remarked, studying the elven brooch.
A smile slowly spread across Kayden's face. "They might still be alive!"
"Less than a day ahead of us," Aragorn stated. "Come!"
Aragorn and Kayden began to run again, with Legolas not far behind. "Come, Gimli, Peyton," he shouted. "We're gaining on them!"
Gimli tumbled down a hill, landing with a muffled grunt. He stood up and brushed himself off. "I'm wasted on cross-country!" he complained. "We Dwarves are natural sprinters. Very dangerous over short distances."
Suddenly, Peyton hurtled down the hill, crashing into the dwarf. "Sorry," she muttered, helping Gimli up.
"It's alright, lassie," Gimli replied before breaking into a jog. "Keep breathing, that's the key. In, out, in, out…"
Peyton groaned as she hurried after him. "I really, really HATE running!"
The two of them turned a corner to find Aragorn, Legolas, and Kayden standing on top of a rock ledge, gazing over the rolling hills before them.
"Rohan," Aragorn informed them. "Home of the Horse-Lords." A look of concern passed over the Ranger's face. "There's something strange at work here. Some evil gives speed to these creatures. Sets its will against us."
Legolas and Kayden sprinted ahead onto a couple of boulders. "Legolas, Kayden!" Aragorn called. "What do your elf eyes see?"
Kayden carefully studied the plains before her. Soon, she noticed a pack of black shadows traveling fast. "The Uruks have turned northeast!" she replied.
Legolas's face creased with worry. "They are taking the hobbits to Isengard!"
"Saruman," Aragorn muttered forebodingly.
Peyton crossed her arms and frowned. "Oh, snap."
~o*o*o*o~
"Oof!" Robin was thrown to the ground by her Uruk. Night had fallen. The Uruks and their orc companions were making camp at the edge of a dark forest.
"We're not going no further until we've had a breather!" an orc panted.
"Get a fire going!" the Uruk captain ordered.
Robin crawled towards the two lumps lying in the grass. "Merry! Pippin!"
The two hobbits turned towards her voice. "Robin! I'm glad you're okay," Merry whispered.
Suddenly, a loud, low groan was heard from the forest.
"What's making that noise?" Pippin asked, worried.
Merry propped himself up, staring at the woods. "It's the trees."
Robin looked up at Merry, confused. "What?"
"In the Shire, there was a wood called the Old Forest on the edge of Buckland. Folk used to say there was something in the water that made the trees grow tall…and come alive," Merry explained.
"Alive?" Pippin repeated, not sure if he heard correctly.
"Trees that could whisper…talk to each other…even move!"
"Wow," Robin breathed. She imagined what a talking tree would be like. How would its voice sound? she wondered. Would it look like an ordinary tree? Would-
The voice of an Uruk jolted her out of her ponderings. "I'm starving. We ain't had nothing but maggoty bread for three stinking days," he complained.
"Yeah," an orc agreed. "Why can't we have some meat?" The orc turned and gazed at the three hobbits lying on the ground. "What about them? They're fresh!"
"They are not for eating," the Uruk captain scolded, dragging the hobbits away.
Another orc studied them carefully. Or hungrily, Robin couldn't tell which. "What about their legs?" he suggested. "They don't need those." Merry, Pippin, and Robin glanced fearfully at their legs. "They look tasty," the orc sneered, advancing, but the Uruk captain roughly shoved the orc back.
"Get back scum!" the captain shouted. "The prisoners go to Saruman, alive and unspoiled."
"Alive?" the orc asked. "Why alive? Do they give good sport?"
"They have something. An Elvish weapon. The master wants it for the war," the Uruk informed.
Merry, Robin, and Pippin all stared at each other in fright. "They think we have the Ring," Pippin whispered.
"Shhh! As soon as they find out we don't, we're dead," Merry replied.
Suddenly, a voice sounded behind them. "Just a mouthful. A bit of the flank." The hobbits whipped around to see one of the orcs standing behind them, blade raised.
"DUCK!" Robin shouted. The three of them dropped to the ground just in time as the blade came swinging across, decapitating the Uruk behind them.
"Looks like meats back on the menu, boys!" the Uruk captain shouted. Troops swarmed around the dead Uruk, throwing the hobbits aside in a rush to the body.
"Robin, Pippin," Merry whispered. "Let's go." The Uruks and orcs were far too busy ripping into the dead Uruk's body to notice the three hobbits hastily crawling away. Suddenly, a foot stepped on Merry's back, pinning him to the ground. Robin yelped in horror when she saw who the foot belonged to. The orc that had suggested eating the hobbits' legs earlier now stood above them.
The evil creature seized Robin's face. "Go on," he taunted. "Call for help. Squeal." The orc raised his blade threateningly. "No one's going to save you now." All of a sudden, the orc's face twisted into a foul grimace. He fell to the ground, a spear protruding from his back. Horses thundered into the camp, their riders slaying the Uruk-Hai and orcs left and right. Quickly, Merry and Robin cut their bonds on a fallen weapon and ran to where Pippin was waiting. Together the three of them wove through the battle, trying to avoid the pandemonium of swords, spears and arrows.
~o*o*o*o~
The Five Hunters continued running in the rays of the rising sun. Abruptly, Legolas stopped and gazed at the dawn. "The red sun rises," he remarked. "Blood has been spilt this night."
As it reached midday, Aragorn paused to examine some tracks on the ground. Kayden could see the slight imprints of hooves in the ground. Suddenly, a low thundering rumbled through the earth. Aragorn motioned for them to duck behind the large rocks. Peyton gazed in amazement as a horde of horses and their riders stampeded past them, shaking the rocky terrain.
"What is that?" Kayden queried.
"The Rohirrim," Aragorn answered, before springing out of his hiding spot. "Riders of Rohan," he called. "What news from the Mark?"
Legolas, Gimli, Kayden, and Peyton stepped out from behind the rocks to stand by Aragorn. "Uh, Aragorn? Do you think this was a good idea?" Peyton asked worriedly as she watched the horsemen wheel around and charge towards them. They closed in around the Five Hunters, forming a tight ring. Simultaneously, the riders lowered their spears. Aragorn raised his hands in a gesture of peace, while the others tightened their grips on their weapons.
The leader of the horsemen rode forward. "What business do two elves, a man, a woman, and a dwarf have in the Riddermark?" he demanded. "Speak quickly!"
"Give me your name, Horse-master, and I shall give you mine," Gimli replied.
The leader dismounted, glaring at Gimli. "I would cut off your head, Dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground," he taunted.
Immediately, Legolas and Peyton drew their bows and Kayden unsheathed Veryan. "You would die before your stroke fell," Legolas stated. Peyton and Kayden curtly nodded in agreement. The Rohirrim's ring of spears tightened around them.
Aragorn stepped between the threesome and the horsemen leader, gently pushing Legolas, Kayden, and Peyton's arms down. "I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. This is Gimli, son of Gloin, Legolas of the Woodland Realm, Kayden of the Elven-folk, and Peyton of Mannish descent," he introduced, gesturing to each of them in turn. "We are friends of Rohan and of Théoden, your king."
The leader stared at them gravely. "Théoden no longer recognizes friend from foe. Not even his own kin." At this, he took off his helmet, revealing the dirty blonde locks underneath. The horsemen raised their spears. "Saruman has poisoned the mind of the king and claimed lordship over these lands," he informed them. "I am Ėomer, son of Ėomund, Third Marshall of the Riddermark, nephew of Théoden. My company is those who are loyal to Rohan, and for that, we are banished." He continued to stare at them, a fire burning bright in his eyes. "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."
"We aren't spies," Kayden stated defensively. "We track a party of Uruk-Hai westward across the plains. They've taken three of our friends captive."
"The Uruks are deystroyed. We slaughtered them in the night," Ėomer replied somberly.
"But there were three hobbits. Did you see three hobbits with them?" Gimli asked urgently.
"They would be small, only children to your eyes," Aragorn added.
Ėomer shook his head. "We left none alive. We piled the carcasses and burnt them." He pointed to a black, smoldering mound in the distance.
Kayden and Legolas looked at each other mournfully. Legolas walked over and wrapped a comforting arm around the younger elf, both at a loss for words. Aragorn looked devastated. Gimli bowed his head in silent grief. Peyton continued to gaze at Ėomer, disbelief etched across her face. "Dead?" she whispered, not wanting to believe what the Third Marshall had said.
Ėomer solemnly nodded his head, gently clasping Peyton's shoulder. "I am sorry." He whipped around, whistling to his men. "Hasufel! Arod! Greystorm! Dėor!" Four horses trotted out: a chestnut steed, a white horse, a blue roan, and a buckskin stallion respectively. Each was saddled and bore a piece of armor upon the front of its head. "May these horses bear you to better fortune than their former masters. Farewell." Ėomer mounted his horse. He gazed at the Five Hunters once more. "Look for your friends," he stated, "but do not trust to hope. It has forsaken these lands." The Third Marshall turned to his men. "We ride north!" The company galloped away, leaving Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Peyton, and Kayden standing alone on the plain with the four horses given to them. Quickly, they mounted, Aragorn upon Hasufel, Peyton upon Greystorm, Kayden upon Dėor, and Legolas and Gimli together upon Arod.
The Five Hunters rode with great speed to the smoking heap of bodies Ėomer had pointed to. Gimli immediately began digging through the charred corpses. After a few moments, the Dwarf turned towards them, his grief visible on his face. "It's one of their wee belts," he stated grimly, holding up the burnt remains of one of the belts and sheaths that Kayden had seen Galadriel give to Merry and Pippin.
"Robin!" Peyton gasped, tears welling in her eyes. She had known Robin her entire life, and now she was gone forever. No longer would she annoy Kayden and Peyton with her singing, or laugh at silly advertisements with them. Peyton vented her anger at the Uruk-Hai by aiming a good kick at the charred pile of bodies. She didn't want to believe it was true.
Legolas bowed his head. "May they find peace in death," he murmured in Elvish.
"We've failed them," Kayden muttered, blinking back tears.
Aragorn shouted and kicked an Uruk helmet far across the plains, falling to his knees in anguish. Kayden walked over and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. That's when she noticed the tracks. "Aragorn," she whispered, pointing at the shallow depressions in the ground.
Aragorn straightened up and examined them. "A hobbit lay here…and two others." He stood and began following the tracks. "They crawled. Their hands were bound."
Kayden rushed ahead, picking up a piece of rope she had spotted. "Their bonds were cut," she remarked, a smiled slowly spreading across her face.
Aragorn nodded. "They ran over here," he continued. "They were followed."
"The tracks lead away from the battle…" Kayden commented.
"And into Fangorn Forest," Aragorn finished. The five stopped at the edge of the wood, staring at the dark line of trees in apprehension.
"Fangorn? What madness drove them in there?" Gimli asked worriedly.
"I don't think I want to know," Peyton replied.
Peyton: How could you almost kill the hobbits!
Me: It's the storyline. And they're not dead.
Peyton: But they almost were!
Kayden: Peyton, leave the author alone. To everyone else, please review!