A/N: Hey, sorry that I deleted this. I noticed after rereading these next three chapters that I forgot to edit them and they had far to many errors for me to make them acceptable to the public.
I also wanted to thank everyone who has followed/favorited this story and me as an author. I really appreciate this.
And I am also looking for some people's opinions about another set of stories I am planning to write about Raina. If your interested in helping please let me know. All opinions are welcome.
And on with the (newly edited) tale! Please continue to review as I love hearing what you all think of the story. I also still only own Raina/Lúthien!
I rose before the sun the next morning. I knew that I had slept little, but I felt well enough to continue our search for the Hobbits. I found Gimli and Estel still asleep. Legolas was awake and staring out over the horizon.
"How is your ankle?" He asked as he sensed my presence behind him.
"It is alright," I responded as I sat at his side. "It was not hurt horribly. I probably only twisted it. It healed over the time I slept."
"That is good," Legolas responded as he continued to calmly stare out at the world.
"How can you sit so calmly?" I asked as I heard the anger in my voice rise. "And why do they still sleep? We should be moving. We need to find them soon or," Legolas cut me off before I could say anymore.
"Gimli fell yesterday," He told me. "He was too exhausted to move anymore. Aragorn and I decided to let him sleep as long as he could. We did not want to risk a more severe injury." Humbled, I whispered a small apology and let my own eyes look out towards the horizon.
We both sat in a communal silence before Legolas broke it once again. "You have been distant since we left Lórien," he commented as I felt his gaze turn away. "I worry about your distance. You are not alone you know."
"I know, Legolas," I sighed in response as I feared catching his gaze. When we were young, he could give me one look and I would spill all secrets. I did not want that to happen again. "I mourn still for Gandalf. And too soon it has been since we lost him that we lost Boromir and Merry and Pippin were taken from us. I worry about our success now that there are only four of us. And I worry for Sam and Frodo," I sighed as I continued to stare into the horizon. "My thoughts keep me distant. I apologize if that worries you."
"It is not your fault, Lúthien," Legolas sighed. "My mind is burdened with those thoughts as well. But we must stay together if we are to make it through this." I nodded in response still avoiding his gaze.
"I have a gift for you," I could sense that he was smiling by the softer tone in his voice. He moved something around in his palm below my gaze and a tiny object caught the rising sunlight. I looked down to see a beautiful silver ring laid in his hand. Its band was inlaid with tiny crystals and it looked as though it had been sized to my finger.
"Legolas," I gasped as I stared at the ring. "This is beautiful, too beautiful. I cannot accept this."
"Please, Lúthien," He almost laughed as he gently took my left hand and placed the ring on the center finger. "This ring was given to me by Celeborn himself. He told me to give it to someone special. Think of it no more as a promise to keep you safe and well. For at the rate you are going you may meet your end before you have a chance to face it in battle," He added in the joke at the end to lighten my solemn mood, but I barely heard it. I was transfixed by the ring.
"Thank you Legolas," I managed to say before turning and giving him a soft kiss on his cheek. Before he could respond to my affections, I heard a grunt as though someone was beginning to awaken from a deep slumber. I quickly realized it was Gimli and rose to meet him.
"Gimli," I called out as I saw him sitting up upon his pallet next to a dying fire. "I apologize, my friend, I should not have run so far ahead and made you catch up to me."
"It is alright, Lass, I understand," Gimli responded lightly as he began to rise. "I want to find the young Hobbits just as badly as yerself, if only I had your speed we would have found them by now."
"Good, you are awake, Gimli," Estel entered the area before I could respond to Gimli's last thought. "Let us begin our chase again, for we need to be swift. The orcs have sensed that they are being followed and have begun to move faster. We determined yesterday that they were headed for Isengard so we must be swift. Come now," He paused briefly as he noticed Legolas was nowhere to be found. As he turned, he saw the elf as few meters away lost in his thoughts. "Come, Legolas," he called. "We must continue our pursuit " I watched as Legolas jumped slightly, seemingly pulled out of a dark corner of his mind, and move swiftly to stand at my side.
As soon as we had our camp picked up we were on our way again. I was more careful this time, looking over my shoulder constantly to make sure I was not too far ahead and that Gimli was still on his feet. I was not long before I spotted a group moving quickly across the plain below us. I called Legolas forward and he was at my side in an instant.
"Riders," He confirmed my suspicion and we waited for Estel and Gimli to join us.
"I recognize these riders" Estel nodded as he watched the riders turn to ride parallel to us. "What news Riders of Rohan?"
The riders turned towards us and circled around. We were trapped in a ring of horses surrounded by tall men. All seemed powerful and irritated by our presence. Legolas stood slightly in front of me, hiding me behind himself as if he were trying to protect me. For a moment, I let my annoyance go and let him express his protective nature.
"What business do an Elf, an Elf-maiden, a Man, and a Dwarf have in the Riddermark?" he asked curtly. When we did not respond immediately he shouted "Speak quickly!"
"Our business is our own," I responded in the same manner insulted by his short temper.
The horseman dismounted from his horse and came to stand in front of me. He was taller then I and tried to use his height to intimidate me. "And who might you be she-elf?"
"Give me your name, Horse-master," Gimli began in my defense, "and I shall give you mine."
"I would cut off your head, Dwarf," The man responded "if it stood but a little higher from the ground."
Legolas and I both noticed the horseman's hand move slightly towards his sword. We both swiftly took out our bows and pointed them at the man. "You would die before your stroke fell," Legolas threatened as his face took on a dark look, darker then I had ever seen him. He stepped forward a step as well sheilding me further from the horsemen.
We stood our ground as the rest of the riders pulled out their spears and aimed them at us. It was Estel who defused the tension by answering the horseman's original question. He motioned for us to lower our bows as he said, "I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. This is Gimli, son of Gloin, Lúthien, daughter of Elrond, and Legolas of the Woodland Realm. We are friends of Rohan, and of Theoden, your King."
The horseman sighed as he motioned for his men to lower their weapons. "Theoden no longer recognizes friend from foe. Not even his own kin." He shook his head as he continued. "Saruman has poisoned the mind of the king and claimed lordship over these lands. My company are those 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."
"We are no spies," I responded quickly stepping out from behind Legolas. "Our camp was ravaged by the Uruk-hi and they took two of our companions and killed another." I shook my head to clear my thoughts of sadness. "We have been tracking this party across the western plain."
"The Uruks are destroyed." He explained. "We slaughtered them during the night."
Excitement grew inside of me as Gimli asked what I had been thinking, "But there were two Hobbits! Did you see two Hobbits with 'em?"
"They would be small" Estel added. "Only children to your eyes."
"I am sorry," The horseman answered. "We left none alive." I suppressed a gasp as my face fell and the man continued to speak. "We burned all the bodies. They may still have passed our gaze, but I would not keep up hope." When he finished he called for two horses, Hasufel and Arod, and handed their reins to Aragorn. He wished us well and good luck as he remounted his own horse and led his company away from us.