And because I got bored I have started the next chapter. I did go through and fix as much as the wrong spelling of names as I could find, and I think I got all of it. I guess we'll see later. We'll continue on now where our elf meets back up with Gimli and Aragorn, and things will get a little more interesting as we go to Rohan. ;)
Shout outs!
BlackMinx17 (Lol glad you liked it. I will definitely post more. And I just had to add them back in! I feel in love with them though they only appeared for one chapter. And it makes things more interesting. ;) ) and Guest (aww you're so sweet. XD I love to write this one, so I'll add more and more for you guys!)
Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter as well, and I'll continue this story for sure. :D
The elf missed his keen eyes, which he really felt like he needed now to spot his friends. It was dark, and the only reason he knew this was because he could hear nocturnal animals beginning to come out and make noises, frightened of the events from earlier but not as scared now that the Uruk-Hai and the Nazgul had left. The other two Wraiths were no where to be seen, and though Legolas scanned the area for them he could see no trace of them.
He let the horse run, but did not run him too hard. He didn't want the animal to become too tired after all. And he didn't want to lose the wolf that was running behind him. Angrod was growing more and more tired, and he was starting to lag behind. The elf was going to at last stop and let the wolf rest, when suddenly the horse changed direction. The jolt was so sudden that it almost threw the elf off. He really was unused to riding a horse! He managed to recover however, and Angrod turned to follow.
The horse stopped, and the elf listened hard. He sighed a little as he just heard the loud snores of a very exhausted dwarf. The horse had stopped before awakening the two weary travelers. He didn't want to spook them. The elf swung silently off of the horse's back and patted his strong nose. The elf realized that he didn't know the horse's name. But the beast turned before the elf could speak a word to him and ran away along the plains, disappearing into the darkness. Legolas listened to it leave for a moment, but then turned and walked towards the other two.
His tread was so light that they didn't notice as he came over to them. But they heard the wolf as he let out a whine. Instantly Aragorn had leaped up, bearing his knife in front of him. At first he didn't seem to see the elf, until Legolas shifted a little and raised his hand in greeting, making the moonlight dance off of his golden hair. The man froze in disbelief as he stared at the elf, but there was no doubt that he was looking at the blind elf. He leaped up suddenly and pulled the elf into a hug, which he returned somewhat awkwardly. The man released the elf and grabbed his arms in a friendly manner, smiling though he knew the elf would not see it.
"You are alive," Aragorn said.
"I am," he said. "Though it cannot be said so for all of us." The man's face fell.
"You found Boromir," he said. The elf nodded.
"I gave him as proper a funeral as I could," Legolas replied. "I thought it best, since he did save my life. The Anduin guards his soul now."
"Yes," the man said. "The nine returned once they lost you and came back. He told us to leave him there, because he was already dying and staying would only slow us down. We let Sam and Frodo go as well, for the Ring is too much a burden on all of us. We left your weapons, which you found I see. Now we track the remainder of the Uruk-Hai across the plains of Rohan, for they have captured Merry and Pippin. The Wraiths were called back on some other mission, for we managed to hide from their sight and they are gone now."
The elf nodded. He agreed, they had to find the two hobbits. The two hobbits had let themselves be seen when they should have remained hidden to save the elf as well. He had to find them and bring them back safely. Not only because he knew the darkness of the enemy well, and he didn't want to see two of such happy folk broken, but also because he owed it to them to try and save them. For all he knew, they thought that he was dead or captured by the Ring Wraiths as well. They probably knew about Boromir too. The thought of seeing those two happy faces filled with yet more grief filled him with determination. He nodded to the man.
"We will find them, mellon-nin," the elf promised.
With that the dwarf was suddenly startled awake, and he leaped up quickly. He then turned and stared with wide eyes at the elf standing before him. Legolas smiled a little and turned to face the dwarf. For a moment, Gimli said nothing. Then he sounded very angry when he spoke.
"Where do you think you've been lad?" the dwarf cried. "We thought you were dead you know! You couldn't have..." The dwarf trailed off, and the elf smiled, laying a hand on the dwarf's shoulder.
"I am here now," the elf said. "Thank the Valar I am! But I am here." the elf suddenly remembered the wolf, and motioned to him. "When there is more light, would you look at Angrod's wounds Aragorn?"
"I will," the man promised. "If you tell us how you got away. It is not small miracle that you escaped. It is nearly impossible!"
The elf sighed, but knew that he needed to explain as well as he could. Legolas sat down and laid his hand on Angrod's back. The wolf was asleep now and twitching painfully, but he seemed fine. The man and the dwarf sat down as well as the elf began his tail. He left nothing out, starting from when he and Angrod had been ambushed by the Uruk-Hai who wanted to capture him alive. He told how the two hobbits had distracted the Uruk-Hai in hopes that he could escape from the Nazgul who wanted him, and how Boromir and Angrod had helped him to escape.
He told of the chase, and where he had narrowly missed capture to slip out of reach underneath a tree. He told them too that he had thought of killing himself, rather than being captured and proving to be a disadvantage for the Fellowship, and the words of the Nazgul. He told how Oropher and Saeros had saved him, and their conversation. Aragorn and Gimli both seemed surprised to learn that the two Wraiths that had followed them from Rivendell were his two friends, and now that they were rogue Wraiths looking to help them.
He told them of their parting, though not of the talk of the dwarf, and that their light was slowly returning. He told them that he was given the horse of the Wraith and returned to look for them, to find Angrod badly wounded and Boromir dead. He told them of the funeral he gave him, which they both seemed pleased with greatly. Then he told them how he had regained his weapons which they had left in the great haste, and how he had found them again.
When he finished his tale, silence fell. None of them spoke suddenly, and they all simply sat there, mourning the loss of Boromir. But they knew that they had little time to waste, and that they could not let his sacrifice for the elf and the hobbits be in vain. Aragorn looked up at the elf.
"You knew that Frodo meant to leave," he said. "And you sent Sam after him." the elf nodded.
"I understood why he had to leave," Legolas admitted. "But I did not think he should go completely alone. Bearing such darkness alone could prove too much. So I nudged Sam in the right direction."
"Frodo's fate is no longer in our hands," Aragorn said. The dwarf sighed.
"Then it has all been in vain," Gimli said. "The Fellowship has failed."
Aragorn smiled at the two of them, reaching out and laying a hand on both the shoulder of the elf and of the dwarf. He looked at them both, and the dwarf paused to see the determination in his eyes. Legolas could sense it, and smiled as well.
"Not if we hold true to each other," the man said. "We can't abandon Merry and Pippin to certain torment and death. Let's hunt some Orc."
"Yes," Gimli cried, a glint in his eye. The man smiled.
"We leave at dawn, and we travel light," Aragorn continued. "Now let's take a look at Angrod here. We need to make sure that he will be ready with us."
The man gently examined the wounds of the wolf, looking him over carefully. The wolf didn't even stir, too exhausted to be roused from his sleep now. Once he had assessed the damage, he announced that the wolf would live and he would heal quickly, for he was a creature not unlike the elves. Then he sent Gimli off to look for a plant with a certain leaf. Legolas offered to help, but both the man the dwarf insisted that he sit down and rest a while. After awhile, the dwarf at last returned with the plant that Aragorn had asked for, and then the man began to work in wetting it with his saliva and spreading it gently over the wounds so they would not fester. Then he bandaged it as well.
The elf listened as the man and the dwarf worked. It amazed him a little that though it was the middle of the night and they were exhausted from having avoided the Nazgul and thinking they had lost more than one, they were more than willing to help the wolf heal. He supposed it was no wonder though. After all the trails they faced together, was it any wonder that they had become close, and that they trusted each other so well? With so much going on, they needed as many loyal friends as they could find.
Then the elf thought of Gimli. How strange a pair they were! Before they would have been trying to kill each other any chance that they got, because the history between their two races dictated that this was so, and the prejudice was hard to overcome. It was rare for an elf and a dwarf to become friends, and it happened very few times in history. Usually it ended badly, for it was in times of peace and the wars began again, straining the friendship until it broke. But now they were in a time of war, and the elf couldn't deny that he wanted badly to be friends with the dwarf. He wanted this prejudice to end, because out here he wasn't following his father's orders, but his own heart. Though he loved his father, he found that the freedom brought more paths. He wondered if the dwarf still thought him a foolish elf as he had before. But he supposed that he shouldn't push it, whatever happened.
Aragorn sighed at last and broke off his conversation with Gimli. He looked up at the elf, who seemed fairly well considering he had just seen the very creatures that helped make him into what he was now. Perhaps the darkness was not so hard on him any longer, and he would recover after all.
"We should rest," the man said. "For we will need our strength tomorrow. We will not stop until we have found our hobbits. It will be a long run, but we will need to continue with all speed."
"We follow you laddie," the dwarf replied. "We will be ready to go."
"We will be prepared, mellon-nin," the elf promised.
After that there was no more talking. They all simply laid out their bedrolls again and curled up to sleep. They were out on the open plains and in plain view, but they did not fear danger because of their mission. Soon, sleep had enveloped all of them, and Legolas was glad that he fell into an undisturbed sleep, filled with no nightmares.
When the dawn softened the light of the day, Aragorn leaped up and roused them all. Legolas was pleased to see that Angrod was doing much better. They ate quick breakfast of lembas bread and then stood. Soon they were running. The man took the lead, with the wolf following to show Legolas the way and the elf close behind to shout encouragement at the dwarf, whose legs were much shorter and found the fast pace hard on him. But the dwarf didn't complain and kept on running.
Thank the Valar that they were all so willing to drive on! It kept them from listening to their exhausted bodies and laying down to sleep. The Uruk-Hai were already a few days ahead of them. If they paused even a moment then they feared they would not close the distance and save them. Angrod did well, and though they kept up their relentless pace the wolf still began to recover, though rest would do him better. The elf and the dwarf ran on after Aragorn, surprised at how willing he suddenly was to travel onward.
After a while, though the elf wasn't sure how long since he was concentrated on running and found it hard to keep track of time, though he was sure that it had at least been a couple days, Aragorn paused. He was known to be a great tracker, and laid down with his ear pressed against a stone. The other three stopped as well as the man listened for a while. His head lifted.
"Their pace has quickened," he said. "They must have caught our scent." Aragorn stood and leaped away.
"Come on Gimli," the elf cried, leaping off after the man.
The dwarf began to mumble a little irritably about the pace, and that they had no rest or food, but he ran off after them. He was hard pressed to keep following. Legolas would often pause though to call for the dwarf, taking his time to make sure they did not leave the dwarf behind. Tired though he was, Gimli kept trucking on after them, always a little far behind, but willing to run on to save their hobbits as much as the other two were. Around noon though, with the dwarf trailing behind, the man stopped. Legolas nearly crashed into him, so the man steadied him.
Aragorn picked something up and held it out to the elf so that he could feel it. The blind elf's hands traced over it carefully and his eyes widened. It was one of the broaches that held their cloaks around their necks! It was worn by the Fellowship!
"Not idly do the leaves of Lorien fall," the man said.
"They may yet be alive," the elf gasped.
"Less than a day ahead of us," the man cried, motioning to the elf as he leaped forward again. "Come!"
"Come on Gimli," the elf called encouragingly. "We are gaining on them!"
The dwarf came tumbling down a hill, but leaped up after his two longer legged companions. The elf heard him shout something about dwarves being very dangerous over short distances, which highly amused the elf. But they ran on, with the dwarf puffing along behind them. They slowed occasionally so that Gimli would not fall too far behind, but they ran onward. The sun was beginning to slowly set when at last they crested a hill. They all paused, for though they had long passed into the borders of Rohan, now they could truly see the land and all its beauty. Gimli found himself wishing that the elf could see it as well.
"Rohan," Aragorn said. "Home of the Horse Lords."
"Something is wrong here," the elf sighed.
"Some evil gives speed to these creatures," Aragorn agreed. "Sets its will against us."
Legolas turned his eyes around, and Angrod realized that he wanted a better view. The wolf led him up a slightly higher incline of rock, and the elf looked on from his perch. Here he could see much farther over the flat plains of Rohan. He caught sight of the Uruk-Hai band that they were chasing, farther away than he would have thought. The man noticed as the elf's eyes locked onto something.
"Legolas," the man called. "What do your elf eyes see?"
"The Uruks turn northeast," the elf called. He concentrated a little harder, and he realized with a little dread where they were going. "They're taking the hobbits to Isengard!"
"Saruman," Aragorn growled a little.
Without another word, the group leaped off on their chase again with renewed determination. They knew that they could not let the Uruk-Hai reach Isengard while they still had the will to go on. They had to save the two hobbits before some horror or torture befell them! They ran onto well into the night, ignoring the exhaustion that threatened to drag them into sleep. They ran on, not stopping at all to rest. They all knew that they needed the rest, but they couldn't bring themselves to abandon their friends. Suddenly though, a foreboding fell over Legolas and he paused, looking up. The sun was rising. He could smell the dew fresh upon the grass.
"Aragorn," the elf gasped. "What does the sun rise look like?"
The dwarf seemed confused, but the man understood immediately. He looked up and gasped, turning back to the elf.
"A red sun rises," the man said.
"Blood has been spilled this night," the elf said a little nervously.
The three of them stood there nervously for a moment, thinking of the two little hobbits. No! It could not be! They all dashed forward again, drinking what little water they had left. They could not waste another minute.
But around mid-day, there came the great sound of thundering hooves coming towards them. Legolas thought fleetingly of the nine Nazgul, but then pushed the thought out of his mind as he realized that there were far too many horses. Aragorn grabbed the elf's arm and pulled him behind a large boulder. They all took shelter from sight behind the rock.
The horsemen thundered past, not seeing the three beings because of their wonderful coats, and not seeing the wolf because he was hidden behind Legolas' coat as well. Aragorn seemed suddenly though to gasp as he realized who he was looking at. He leaped forward, and the others stood as well.
"Riders of Rohan," he cried out in a loud voice. "What news from the Mark?"
Instantly from hearing the sound of the voice, the horses were checked and the horsemen returned. Angrod snarled a little and growled, making the horses a little nervous as they circled around the travelers. The large host surrounded them suddenly, and the horsemen pointed their spears at the necks of the three. They offered up their hands to show that they were not posing any threat to them. One man came forward.
"What business does an elf, a man, and a dwarf have in the Riddermark?" the leader cried. "Speak quickly!"
"Tell me your name horse master," Gimli said stubbornly. "and I shall give you mine." The man got off his horse and thrust his spear angrily towards his companion. He stepped forward a little.
"I would cut off your head, dwarf," the man growled. "if it stood but a little higher from the ground."
Legolas could tell that the dwarf was indignant at the reply, but the elf was angrier. He wasn't in the mood to deal with a man who showed so little manners. In the blink of an eye he had drawn his bow and strung it, pointing a deadly arrow into the man's face. The man turned with surprise to look at the elf.
"You would die before your stroke fell," the elf hissed.
Spears were pointed directly at the elf, and it was clear that tensions were rising. Aragorn quickly leaped forward and stayed the elf's hand, lowering the elf's hand and bow. The man looked into the elf's face a moment as the dwarf stared at him in surprise.
"You are blind," the horse master said in surprise. "I did not know it could be so."
"I do not need my eyes to know where to shoot," the elf hissed in an even harsher and slightly defensive tone. It surprised the man as he realized he had just stepped onto a very touchy subject. "Your breathing is enough to tell me where to release my subject."
"I did not mean to offend," the man said, backing away a little, still surprised. The elf listened to the man a moment.
"The offense does not lie with you, but with another." the elf sighed. He had let his emotions get the better of him. The horse master watched the elf a moment, but said nothing more.
"I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn," Aragorn began before things could get worse. "This is Gimli, son of Gloin, and Legolas of the Woodland realm. We are friends of Rohan and of Theoden, your king." The man turned his eyes to Aragorn and then sighed, removing his helmet.
"Theoden no long recognizes friend from foe," he said. The spears were withdrawn from the three of them. "not even his own kin." He looked at him a moment. "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." He took a few steps around them and looked at them. "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 not spies," Aragorn said. "We track a party of Uruk-Hai westward across the plain. They've taken two of our friends captive."
At this, the faces of the men fell a little. Legolas could sense a little pity from the battle hardened soldier in front of them.
"The Uruks are destroyed," the man said. "We slaughtered them during the night."
"But there were two hobbits," the dwarf gasped. "Did you see two hobbits with them?" There was some confusion at the term, so Aragorn explained.
"They would be small," he said. "only children to your eyes."
"We left none alive," the man said. "We piled the carcasses and burned them." he pointed to something behind them.
"Dead?" the dwarf asked with a slight gasp. Legolas laid his hand on his shoulder as comfortingly as he could.
"I am sorry," he replied. And he truly was. He knew the pain of losing friends to the hordes of Saruman as well. Suddenly a thought crossed his mind and he whistled loudly. "Hasufel, Arod!" Two horses stepped up to the man, and he took their reigns in his hand. He looked up to the Fellowship. "May these horses bear you to better fortune than their former masters. And elf, if we should meet again, I think I would like to hear your tale. Now farewell." He handed the reigns of the horses to Aragorn, and then he swung up onto his horse and put his helmet back on. He took his spear. "Look for your friends, but do not trust a hope. It has forsaken these lands." he looked over his shoulders at the men behind him. "We ride north!"
They stood their with the two horses as the riders turned and left them, riding away north. There was nothing but a broken silence. Then the elf, so he would have something to do, took the saddle, bit, and head armor off of the white horse and let it roam free for a while. He stripped the saddle and took the leather apart, for the saddle was formed into strips. Then he quickly made a harness like those of elven horses. Then he called the horse back and fitted the harness on it.
"It has a very elvish like structure," he said. "Perhaps that is why he seems so restive and fiery. Come Gimli, you shall ride Arod with me."
The elf swung up onto the horse's back, which snorted a little. But Arod seemed to enjoy his new freedom, and the trust that his master seemed to have in him. The elf spoke soothingly in elvish to the horse, and though he did not understand them yet he liked the sound and grew very calm. If only his old master could see him now! How calm and well behaved he was for the elf and the dwarf! Legolas was right in saying he was like an elvish horse, for though he had been brought up in Rohan and born there, he was as fiery as one, and built like the fast and enduring horses that the elves so favored. The man of Rohan might not have realized this, but the elf thought the gift very well placed.
The horse could tell that the elf was blind, and could sense the darkness within him. But the horse was not frightened of the creature at all and was very patient as the elf pulled the dwarf up onto the horse behind him. The dwarf managed to keep a tight hold with his legs and around the elf's waist, but since both thought of the other of their friend now it didn't bother either one of them. Aragorn swung up onto Hasufel, and both horses ignored the wolf that now sniffed at their legs. They weren't bothered by it at all. Aragorn took the horse's reigns in his hands.
"Come my friends," he said. "Let us go. Do not give up hope, not until we have proof of their demise. For now, we ride and hold up our heads while we may."
Neither the elf or the dwarf said anything, so Aragorn spurred Hasufel forward. Legolas gave Arod a quiet command in elvish, and the horse began forward. He was unused to bearing two riders, but even their combined weight was little, and so he followed Hasufel at a trot, but carefully so his blind rider could grow used to riding a horse again. He was very patient for the elf, and Legolas was glad for that small blessing at least. There might not be very many more as they went on.
And that's the end of that chapter. I'm glad you guys like this story so much. :D
I based the idea for Arod not having his reigns and saddle off of the book version where Legolas basically does the same thing, though he isn't blind and remembers how to ride a horse completely bare backed. I just liked the harness idea so I used that too. From now on Arod will be ridden this way in this story. Also, everyone is going to eventually know about Legolas' past and that he's commanding two Wraiths. Which will become interesting later on.
I hope you guys enjoyed and leave a comment below. :D