Chapter 13:
Chapter 13 is done! (finally) Sorry it took me so long to update I had a pretty busy week and didn't find much time to write, and then when I did have time to write I had writers block. But here it is at last, thanks for sticking with me! I hope you enjoy the chapter!
Legolas's POV
"Legolas, what do your elf eyes see?" Aragorn asks a few hours later, we have been pursuing the orcs who took our friends captive since sending Boromir on his final journey down the river.
I run to the top of a hill and look out over the grasslands searching for any sign of the orcs. "They turned north-east. They are taking the prisoners to Isengard!" I say my heart skipping a beat as I realize who they must be taking them to.
"Saruman must think they have the Ring." Aragorn says coming to stand at my side.
"But then why would they take Kieana?" I ask.
"There could be any number of reasons, perhaps they thought she was dead, or they're taking her to Saruman hoping that he'll be able to get information out of her." he says.
"Do you think there is any hope that she's still alive?" I ask.
"Well they carried her off instead of killing her here in the forest as they did Boromir. That could be taken as a good sign." he says.
"I hope so. We need to catch them before they reach Isengard." I say.
"Is there something I need to know?" he asks.
"I don't know what you're talking about." I reply.
"I've seen the way you look at her and noted your reluctance to part from her when we split up to search for Boromir and Frodo." he says.
"She's a friend, I don't want to see her hurt." I say.
"I have known you for a long time Legolas, and I know there was more than friendship behind your concern for her. What is it you're not telling me mellon-nin?" he asks.
"Before we left Lothlorien her brothers asked me to look out for her on the road. To keep her safe and ensure that she doesn't burn herself out by taking the watch every night so the rest of us can sleep." I explain. "I promised them that I would do so, and now I have failed them. We are but a few days out from Lorien and already I have allowed her to be captured by the enemy."
"So your concern for her safety stems solely from the promise you made to her brothers? The promise to look out for her and to keep her safe?" he asks.
"No, not solely for that reason, but yes that does play a big part in it. We have become friends and I care about her I do want any harm to come to her." I say.
"You want to keep her safe." he comments his tone indicating the words are a statement and not a question.
"Of course I do. She is my companion, an ally in the fight against the ever-increasing darkness, or course I care about her. It is my duty to care about those who ally themselves with me and to protect them when I can. The same goes for all of you, even the dwarf." I say exchanging a smile with Gimli before turning back to Aragorn. "When you are constantly at war, fighting to defend your home from those who would seek to destroy it you learn very quickly that it is vitally important to watch those around you and remain on your guard, for just one slip of concentration could mean the difference between living and dying."
"Where are we?" Gimli asks "How far from Isengard?"
"On the border of Rohan, Isengard is on the opposite border near the gap of Rohan. It would be about a one or two day journey on foot." Aragorn says.
"Two days? Anything could happen in that time." I say.
"All the more reason to keep going as long as we can before we rest." Aragorn says.
"Lead the way." I say.
Kieana's POV
I open my eyes slowly, the foul stench of orc assaulting my senses as I come back to consciousness. I squint my eyes against the harsh sunlight looking around trying to get a bearing on my surroundings. We are travelling at a run across a grassy plain that seems to go on for miles. I am being carried by an orc, slung over his back like a sack of potatoes and I can just see the small forms of Merry and Pippin being carried in a similar fashion a few metres ahead of me.
"I'm not going any further until I get some proper food." the orc says coming to a halt and causing those around him to stop also.
"We've had nothing but maggoty bread for three stinking days, I want some meat!" another orc says.
"Keep moving scum!" one of the bigger orcs says walking towards us from his position at the front of the group.
"Not till we've had some meat. Why can't we eat them?" the first orc says pointing at the hobbits.
"They are not for eating." the big orc says.
"Why not? We could just eat their legs, they don't need those." he says dropping me on the ground and making his way towards the hobbits.
"They are not for eating." the large orc says again grabbing the smaller orc and pulling him away from the hobbits.
"Don't touch me." the smaller orc snarls reaching for the knife at his side and pulling it out of its scabbard, swinging it at the larger orc who quickly draws his own weapon and dispatches his smaller opponent with one swift stab in the stomach.
Jerking the blade out of his victims torso he brings it to his mouth and licks the blood off it before turning to the rest to the rest of the group "Looks like we will be eating meat tonight after all." he says and a battle breaks out between the two groups of orcs, the ones bearing the mark of Saruman and the ones who aren't.
I flatten myself against the ground making myself as small as possible and crawl slowly towards where the hobbits have unceremoniously dumped in a heap. "Merry, Pippin." I whisper as I get closer sending a silent prayer to the Valar that they are ok.
"Kieana?" Pippin asks a look of confusion on his face. "Wh-what are you doing here?" he asks.
"That doesn't matter now, we have to get out of here while they're distracted." I say pulling one of my twin blades from its sheath and cutting the ropes binding their hands together.
"How are we going to do that? We don't even know where we are." Merry chokes out.
"Anywhere is better than where they're taking us trust me." I say.
"Wh-where are they taking us?" Pippin asks.
"To Isengard, the stronghold of Saruman." I say.
"And that's bad?" Pippin asks.
"Yes Pippin, it's bad. He thinks you have the ring." I say.
"But we don't have it. Frodo does, couldn't we just tell him that?" he asks.
"No, because then he would torture you until you tell him what you know of Frodo. He desires power above all else Pippin, and there is nothing he won't do to get his hands on that ring." I say.
"How do we get away?" Merry asks.
"We crawl, get as far away from these monsters as we can. I saw some trees while we were running, there is a forest not far away, make for that and we can hide in the trees." I say.
"OK. But then where do we go?" Pippin asks.
"I don't know, we can figure that out later right now we just have to focus on getting as far away from the orcs as possible." I say.
"How do we get away without drawing attention to ourselves?" Merry asks.
"They're all too focused on killing each other to pay any attention to us. Now is our one and only chance to get away." I say "Stay low to the ground, try not to make any noise and don't look back." We start to crawl dodging the battling orcs and moving around the bodies of the fallen heading for the edge of the fray.
Before we have even made it a few metres from our starting point I hear the sound of hooves thundering across the ground toward us. "What's that noise?" Pippin asks the fear evident in his voice.
"Horses, at least a hundred from the sound of it." I reply.
"Reinforcements from Isengard?" Merry asks.
"No, orcs prefer wargs over horses. It is most likely a group of men, but whether they are friend or foe I cannot say, we must keep moving." I say giving each of them a gentle shove to emphasize my point.
They start to move a little more hesitantly this time, glancing around every now and then for any sigh of the approaching horsemen. We are almost at the edge of the orc pack when I see the first horses emerging out of the darkness each carrying a soldier clad in heavy armour and carrying spears. They are travelling at a swift pace and making a beeline for our location. Knowing they will be here in a matter of seconds I hastily jump to my feet pulling the Hobbits up with me "Run! Make for the forest and do not look back." I say.
"But we can't leave you."Merry says.
"I will be right behind you. Go now! I will meet you at the edge of the forest." I say giving him a gentle shove in the direction of the trees.
"But Kieana..." he protests.
"No Merry! There is not time to argue, you must run!" I say trying to mimic the commanding tone my brother employs when leading the border guard and from the look on the young hobbits face I must be doing an ok job of it for all thought of protest seems to drain from his expression as he gives me a quick nod before taking Pippin by the arm and urging him to run towards the forest.
I heave a sigh of relief as I watch the pair disappear into the darkness before turning to face the remaining orcs drawing my twin blades as I do so.
"Bad idea elleth. Now you will have to answer to Saruman and explain to him why you allowed his prisoners to escape." the large orc who started the battle says.
"Oh I really don't think so." I say glancing over my shoulder as the horsemen come thundering up to us. "Good luck with the Rohirrim." I add with a grin before turning and running straight into the oncoming pack of horses. Knowing my cloak will keep me hidden in the darkness I pull it up over my head and weave through the horses till I find one that is riderless. I reach out gently taking hold of the stallions reins muttering a few words in Elvish as I swing myself into the saddle. Without really thinking about it I pull my twin blades out of their sheath and start killing the orcs around me.
Soon they are all dead and I allow my horse to come to a stop keeping a short distance away from the men. I return my blades to their sheath and watch silently as the men dismount from their horses piling the orc carcasses and set them to burn before climbing back on their horses and galloping away over the plain. I pause for a moment as I decide my best course of action before urging my horse into a gallop and taking off across the plains myself.
Thanks for reading! I hope the chapter is ok...i don't think its as good as my previous ones but I hope you like it all the same. Thanks to all my lovely readers, reviewers, followers and favouriters i love you all as much as Gimli loves ale! Thanks again! And as always feel free to PM me any time or review/fav/follow if you like the story!