Chapter 2

"Hoow many du ya reckan dere are?" Celandine asked.

Beriandwen held up her hand for quiet and listened for a while.

"There are 3... an elf... a man and..." her eyes flashed with abrupt anger "…. A dwarf! They have a dwarf with them!"

She turned and spat into the undergrowth, as if trying to rid herself of the word "dwarf". "how can any elf consort with a dwarf!" the venom in her words could have killed 30 men. She was about to speak again but the voices beat her to it. Both the she elf and hobbit listened.

"the man and elf are leaving the dwarf to gather food before they set off" she gripped the hilt of her sword tightly, a wicked smile spreading across her face. Understanding her intentions Celandine grinned back and

Released her knife from it's scabbard. Beriandwen pulled her hood up over her face, not wishing for the travellers to see her face. The two crept stealthily through the trees. But the hobbit could not contain her self and broke into a run, hollering at the top of her lungs and swinging her knife wildly over her head. Beriandwen, giving up on her attempt at stealth, brought her blade forth and slashed at the trees. Peering around, the she elf cautiously manoeuvred around the campsite. Her nose wrinkled in disgust as her eyes fell on the resting dwarf. The dwarf leapt to his feet and grasped his battle axe. But he caught sight of the little she hobbit running at him, blade outstretched. Before he could blink the hobbit's knife was at his throat. To the she hobbit's intense annoyance, he showed amusement instead of fear.

"Put your toy away little Halfling, before you hurt yourself" he said as he ruffled the she hobbit's hair. She clenched her teeth and her blood boiled. She seized hold of his hand and forced it up behind his back, holding the knife to his throat with the other. Beriadanwen watched with obvious amusement as Celandine took the dwarf's legs out from under him with a sharp kick to the crooks of his knees, causing him to fall onto his back, fully disarming him. Celandine triumphantly rested a foot on his chest and looked down at him.

"Never, ever call my friend a Halfling" Beriadanwen said harshly, grinning at the dwarf's humiliation. "I'm afraid she doesn't particularly like it"

The dwarf growled and cursed, shifting in a vain attempt to get to his feet.

"Tie it up" Beriadanwen commanded, inspecting the stew bubbling over the fire.

"Smells good, dwarf. Safe to assume you didn't make it then" she said mockingly

The Dwarf made to protest but found the hobbit's blade at his throat and thought better of it. She forced him to his feet, marched him over to a nearby tree and bound him to it. As a last minute touch, she stuffed her pocket handkerchief in his mouth. The two friends laughed as the Dwarf continued to struggle, trying to free himself free himself from his bonds. Snapping back into business mode, Beriadanwen ordered Celandine to gather as much as she could carry.

"We don't want to be here when its friends get back"

Agreeing, Celandine hurriedly complied, her fingers quick as she rushed through the campsite, snatching up arrows, knifes, wood, food and clothes. Soon the campsite had been stripped bare. Smirking, the two made there way back to the dwarf. Lifting her hands to her head, Beriadanwen drew her hands up to her head and took her hood down. Seeing her feminine features the dwarf yelled in rage but as he was gagged all that came out was muffled squawking.

"Naw, pur little dwarf, can't hindle a coople of gurls" the she-hobbit taunted. With a last look, the bandits turned and melted back into the forest, leaving a squawking dwarf behind. The dwarf thrashed against his bonds, struggling to wrench free. Anger swelled inside him, his sense of masculinity highly put out at being defeated by two women.

Aragorn and Legolas returned from scouting out the area. Aragorn's spirits were cautiously high. He'd found traces of the hobbits and was confident their trail could be followed. He and Legolas chatted companionably as they made their way back to the campsite. As their focus shifted from each other to their surroundings, their mouths fell open in shock.

The two were quick to draw their weapons, hurrying to the dwarf's side. Gimli growled and kicked his legs, rather like a child having a tantrum.

"Gimli!" Legolas cried finally managing to free his friend from the tree. "What on the Middle earth happened?" He pulled Gimli to his feet and removed his gag.

"Bandits! Two of em!" the Dwarf growled brushing himself off "both of them woman" he said sounding a little hollow, as if he couldn't quite believe what he was saying. Aragorn laughed suddenly in surprise "Woman bandits!"

Legolas smiled, thinly veiling his amusement. He turned to Aragorn "Ro caele beika laure" (He has had to much mead)

Aragorn nodded, laughing again. Annoyed at the laughter at his expense Gimli glared at them, grating his teeth.

"I'm telling the truth! There were two of them wearing hoods"

Legolas shook his head and turned away

"Oh, yes?" Aragorn replied incredulously, meeting the dwarf's eyes. "So you're telling me two bandits, woman bandits, came out of the forest, just to steal your clothes and tie you to a tree?"

"Uh… Aragorn? That's not all they took" Legolas interrupted bluntly, sudden concern evident in his voice

Aragorn whirled around to look. His mouth dropped open in shock. The campsite was empty and barren, not a single token of their belongings remained. Their packs and weapons, even the stew that had been cooking over the fire, were all gone, stolen without a trace. Their site had been picked clean.

"Everything! They took everything!"

"Do you believe me now?" Gimli asked, still annoyed

"But… there is no way two women could have done this!"

"Well, they did." Gimli huffed.

"We've got to follow them" Legolas insisted

"We can't! Already Merry and Pippin are being taken, going further out of our grasp for every minute we waste. We can't go out of our way chasing phantom bandits!"

"We can't pursue them weapon-less, or without cloaks, food or water. I have only a simple bow and a few arrows, the other bow and the rest of my arrows were in my pack"

"At least you still have your clothes!" Gimli remarked, standing only in his woollen long johns.

Aragorn sighed "alright! Alright! We'll go after these "women bandits". But if they put us more than three days out of our way, I won't go any further"

The others agreed quickly. About to depart, Legolas undid his cloak slinging it over his friend's shoulders, no longer wanting to see his under clothes. Gimli took it gratefully, hurriedly covering himself, mumbling something that sounded thankful.

The trio set off, heading in the direction Gimli had indicated.

"Hurry! If we want to catch them unawares we'll have to move quickly" Aragorn yelled, leading them forward.