Chapter 10 people :D
"Are you ready?" Hagen turned to Eomer, who gave a determine nod. "Let us be off."
The three got ready to climb, once again dressed in similar fashion and when 'Lash' was heard, they started.
Han was the quickest of the three, being the smallest, lightest and more flexible than the other two.
Lin and Eomer were both shoulder to shoulder, until they couldn't see Dona or Hagen anymore. When they were out of eye sight, the bigger male smirked and punched the King in the side, making him release his grip and slip down a bit.
Gritting his teeth, Eomer managed to get a hold of the cold, frozen, ice covered rocks. He glared up at Lin, who put his hand on his lips, faking surprise. With a laughed, he continued the climb.
"I swear I will kill him when this is all over," the Rohirrim muttered and also continued.
Back at the camp, Aragorn was asking some of the people, as best he could, about where his friend was.
He motioned for a beard, long blond hair and a heavy built. And finally, after the twentieth person, someone said: "Chief ano Dona zu tial," he pointed to the King and then at a hill top. Elessar quickly made his way up there and found the two people he was told about.
"Chief Hagen!" he called and ran to join them.
"Strider," the elder male smiled while the younger one snorted.
"Where is he?" he asked and looked around a bit.
"The blond one? He's up there," Dona smirked and pointed to the mountain peak. The Ranger paled a bit but asked: "What's he doing?"
"The second trial. He must climb up there to find a rare flower, which's blossom is frozen," Hagen explained.
The King looked up and said something in Elvish before saying: "You underestimated the poison."
The Chief looked shocked and the Gondorian explained: "You must have never used it on 'down world dwellers' because my brother was closer to death than you said," yet his voice didn't carry, hate or anger.
"My apologizes," the elder man bowed slightly and turned his gaze back at Strider: "I assume you used this… medicine you sought out and it worked?"
"Indeed. For which I am grateful you allowed me to find it."
"Tell me what is it called?"
And so they talked about healing herbs, but Dona quickly lost interest so he focused his gaze up the mountain.
As Han, Lin and Eomer climbed up the mountain, a sudden, bone biting wind swirled around them. The smallest of the three had to stop a bit under the top, trying to keep his hold on the rocks.
But due to his focus on the rocks, he failed to see Lin right under him. The bulky male wasn't bothered by the cold, so he had no problem catching up to his fellow tribe member. But what he did next, should have been expected, yet wasn't.
He grabbed the small one by the leg and pulled him down. With a yelp he realized he now hung head first, down the mountain.
Fear forced it's self into him, and a moment later, Lin released his hold on the man, letting him drop down.
With a victorious smirk, he climbed up to the top.
As Eomer looked up, he couldn't see either of the tribe members anymore and feared the worse. Just then, he saw a small dot falling. The King immediately extended his hand, managing to get a hold of the man, but losing his grip on the rocks once again, sliding down with Han in tow.
When he managed to stop, he looked down at the man. "He's unconscious…" he told himself and shook him. Nothing. He shook again and again no reaction.
Sighing, Eomer lifted the man up and threw him over his shoulder. When he was sure Han would not fall off, he continued the, now more dangerous and harder climb.
Faramir woke again, eyes cracked open and body numb. He managed to turn his gaze to the left, where he saw a woman washing a cloth. When she turned to put it back on his forehead, she took sharp breath.
The Ranger opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came. It felt as though his throat was a desert, dry and stinging.
The woman quickly put the rag down and grabbed a bowl. She gently put it to the man's mouth and he gulped the fresh water.
When he drank, he sighed in relief, and gave her a thankful look. She smiled and said: "Spi," and put her hand on his chest.
"My friends…" his voice came out hoarse. He hoped she understood. But she didn't. She only put the cloth back on his head and said again: "Spi."
Faramir wanted to get up and find Aragorn and Eomer, but his body wouldn't allow him to move an inch. So he found himself closing his eyes, but he didn't fall asleep. Only rested a bit, for he felt as though his head was burning.
'Already burning…' the words and voice echoed in his head as he took a deep breath.
"Should you not go and stay with you sickened friend?" Hagen asked, as he watched Elessar.
"He is a strong man. I know he will pull through. Right now, I need to make sure E-" he started but stopped himself. "I can't call him that!" he schooled himself before saying: "That Urban is fine. If I can tell my brother our cousin is alright, he will worry less about him," he finished, taking a deep breath on the inside.
"I understand," the Chief said and looked up.
"Who is that?" Strider asked as he saw a dot coming down the mountain a minute later.
"That, filth, is Lin. My champion," Dona smirked and turned to the other two.
"It would seem I win," he laughed as the King clenched his fist.
"Eomer…" he whispered, as even the Chief looked scared.
"Han… Do not let me believe you were claimed by the mountain…" he spoke in his own language and hung his head.
Eomer finally managed to reach the top, but was far too tired to even stand. But with the last of his strength, he hurled over the unconscious man and crawled to the top.
Rolling to the side and taking deep breath, his body was numb from the climb and the cold snow.
A minute later, he heard a groan and looked at Han, who just seemed to wake up. With a moan, the tribe man sat up and looked around himself.
"Finally decided… to wake up… did you?" Eomer managed to smile.
Han looked down in shock and quickly stood up. "How am I here?" he asked, as the King looked in shock.
"You can speak Westron?" the Rohirrim struggled to stand.
Han gave a nod, almost ashamed before saying: "I was falling… How am I here?"
"I caught you. How did you fall?" he raised an eyebrow.
"Lin threw me off…" he clenched his fists, but released a second later. "I owe you my life," he looked at the blond.
"Don't worry about it. Let's just find this flower and get down," he said and took a few steps before he saw an entire garden of frozen blossoms. They were of all the colors; red, yellow, pink, purple and many more.
His moth was gaped open as he yelled in his language: "How can I find the right one!" he gritted his teeth and fell to the ground.
Han came up to him and looked around. "I shall show you which one is the right one."
Eomer looked at him with surprise. "You saved my life, this is the least I can do," the small man smiled and started looking around.
"The victor of this trial… is Lin," Hagen said grimly as the said male arrived before him with the correct flower.
"What of my friend?" Strider's voice was hard with anger.
"Anu gehe zali montin padli," Lin said and Dona translated: "He said the blond one and Han both fell down the mountain."
The other two looked in horror back up the mountain. "No! I don't believe it!" he said through gritted teeth.
"We will wait until dawn tomorrow. If they are not here by then…" the Chief trailed off.
"I do not mind," a cocky grin played on his face as he patted Lin on the back.
A while later, the two left while Hagen and Aragorn stood in the same spot.
"You would do best to come as well…"
"I refuse to believe he is dead," there was so much confidence in his voice that the tribe leader was taken aback.
"I know this must be hard for you to accept, but these mountains are treacherous. Do not allow your hopes to go to high," with a comforting hand on his shoulder, the Chief left for the village.
"Come on Eomer… I know you can do it," but no matter how much he told himself that, there was a part of him that didn't believe that.
The moon was already in the sky when Strider had returned to the camp. He still had hope for his friend, but still had to tell Faramir what has happened.
"Here! I found it!" Han yelled and brought the King a pure white flower, which's blossom was covered with ice.
"Incredible…" he murmured and took the flower.
"Now we just need to find the fastest way down," the smaller one looked around.
As Eomer looked around as well, an idea popped into his head as he saw a few spruce. "Tell me, you wouldn't happen to have a sword with you, would you?"
Han looked at him questionable before taking out a medium sized dagger. "This is all I have," he confessed but a fire burned in the King's eyes.
"It will do," he took the weapon and walked to the trees.
"You're back?" Faramir asked from where he laid a smile on his face and eyes filled with hope.
"Yes… and I have something to tell you," Aragorn sat next to him.
"Tell me from the beginning will you?" his voice was still shaky.
"Sure," he gave a small smile.
"And you are sure this will work?" Han asked as he hugged Eomer from behind.
"I have never tried it before so I can't say," he admitted.
"Wait what?! You said you did this before!"
"I lied," he smirked and a few seconds later, screaming was heard.
"So… I was poisoned and you went to get Athelas, while he did these trials?"
"That pretty much summed it up yes."
"Then… where is he now?"
The King hesitated for a few seconds, and just when he was about to tell him, a commotion outside caught their attention.
Alright, a question for all you readers.
Which of them (Aragorn, Faramir and Eomer) if you favorite and why?