They started off in a southerly direction. This would mean crossing the Road, but it was the quickest way to lead them directly into the forest. Despite wanting to eat and drink, they had to keep Frodo warm, especially at night, while fire would be some protection for them all. It was also his plan to shorten their journey by cutting across another great loop of the Road: east beyond Weathertop it changed its course and took a wide bend northwards. The group continued to travel deep into the forest in hopes to avoid themselves from being found. Frodo dozed, though the pain of his wound was slowly growing, and a deadly chill was spreading from his shoulder to his arm and side. His friends watched over him, warming him, and bathing his wound. The night passed slowly and wearily. Dawn was growing in the sky, and the dell was filling with grey light, when Strider at last returned.
Before the first day's march was over Frodo's pain began to grow again, but he did not speak of it for a long time. They dreaded the dark hours, and kept watch in pairs by night, expecting at any time to see black shapes stalking in the grey night, dimly lit by the cloud-veiled moon; but they saw nothing, and heard no sound but the sigh of withered leaves and grass. Not once did they feel the sense of present evil that had assailed them before the attack in the dell. It seemed too much to hope that the Riders had already lost their trail again. Strider now turned their course again north-eastwards, and on the sixth day they reached the top of a long slow-climbing slope, and saw far ahead a huddle of wooded hills. Away below them they could see the Road sweeping round the feet of the hills; and to their right a grey river gleamed pale in the thin sunshine. In the distance they glimpsed yet another river in a stony valley half-veiled in mist.
"I think its a bad idea now that now these Wraiths are following us through the woods," Agent Fortunov assumed.
"Then I am afraid we must go back to the Road here for a while," Strider said and explained. "We have now come to the River Hoarwell, that the Elves call Mitheithel. It flows down out of the Ettenmoors, the troll-fells north of Rivendell, and joins the Loudwater away in the South. Some call it the Greyflood after that. It is a great water before it finds the Sea. There is no way over it below its sources in the Ettenmoors, except by the Last Bridge on which the Road crosses."
"Well that's good and bad news," Burnett sighed.
"What is that other river we can see far away there?" Darcia asked.
"That is Loudwater, the Bruinen of Rivendell," Strider answered. "The Road runs along the edge of the hills for many miles from the Bridge to the Ford of Bruinen. But I have not yet thought how we shall cross that water. One river at a time! We shall be fortunate indeed if we do not find the Last Bridge held against us."
"Well, the good news is, we can see no sign of the enemy," Mockingbird reported.
"Is there any place we can hide?" Doctor Foster asked.
"I think no one is not too far from us," Strider said and beckoned as he ran forward. "Hurry!"
Everyone in the group were glad to leave the cheerless lands and the perilous Road behind them, but this new country seemed threatening and unfriendly. As they went forward the hills about them steadily rose. Here and there upon heights and ridges they caught glimpses of ancient walls of stone, and the ruins of towers.
"Who lives in this land?" Rifleman asked while walking and stared at the towers. "And who built these towers?"
"Many of the Elves of the Light once dwelt here, ages ago," Strider explained what he knows about these lands. "But none remain now. As legends tell, for many had fell under the shadow of Angmar. THose that defended these lands were all were destroyed in the war that brought the Northern Kingdom to its end. But that is now so long ago that the hills have forgotten them, though a shadow still lies on the land."
"Where did you learn such tales, if all the land is empty and forgetful?" Doctor Selvig asked.
"The heirs of Elendil do not forget all things past and many more things than I can tell are remembered in Rivendell," Strider answered.
"Hate to ask you this, but have you ever been to Rivendell?" Doctor Foster asked, wanting to get the answer from him.
"And that I have," Strider answered her question. "I dwelt there once, and still I return when I may. There my heart is, but it is not my fate to sit in peace, even in the fair house of Elrond, the Lord of Rivendell."
"Then let's hope you keep your end of the deal," Doctor Jane said.
The group continue to advance slowly, but quick, for they had to pick their way through a pathless country, encumbered by fallen trees and tumbled rocks. As long as they could they avoided climbing for Frodo's sake, and because it was in fact difficult to find any way up out of the narrow dales, they had been two days in this country, for the hills rose still higher and steeper before them, and they were forced to turn away northwards out of their course.
At the stroke of night, the group were very tired while going through the forest, but they couldn't let Frodo die. Eventually, the group found a spot in the Trollshaws where they could remain hidden incase if the Wraiths sought to pass by, but it wasn't long for Frodo, for the pain within the wound he received was worsening. Frodo had been placed on Bill the pony, in which Jane and Lincoln both volunteered to keep him balanced in order to keep from falling off Bill.
Pippin was moving ahead from the group until he noticed something ahead, but gave a very terrified look on his face. "There are trolls!" He exclaimed in terror upon seeing them. "We got a sight of them through the tree-trunks. They are very large!"
"Pippin, get back!" Bobbie exclaimed, pulling him backwards and standing up in front. She takes out her gun and points it directly at the trolls.
The group approach the clearing on where the trolls were, but out of pure relief, they saw that these three trolls were nothing but stone. One was stooping, and the other two stood staring at him.
"I had no idea we were anywhere near this place," Pippin nervously chuckled, recalling the story Bilbo use to tell him while he was a very small child.
"These must be the very three that were caught by Gandalf, quarrelling over the right way to cook thirteen dwarves and one hobbit," Doctor Jane said, staring at the statues. She remembered once back in Bag End that Bilbo use to tell her one tale of how he and his companions were almost being roasted alive by these three trolls until they were suddenly turned to stone.
Deciding to take a moment from all the walking they did, the group camp around the three massive troll statues, even with one having a bird's nest on the top of his head. One was stooping, and the other two stood staring at him. Samwise Gamgee still remembered the tale that Bilbo use to tell about these trolls, but did not bother to explain anything. Strider, Lincoln Slade, Lancelot Hunter, Jerry Fortunov, and Soo-jin Smith keep watch around the camp, scanning the forest if any of the black riders were spotted.
"So how come these statues were built in the middle of nowhere?" Darcia began to wonder.
"Because they were not built," Strider answered.
"What do you mean?" Darcia asked.
"These trolls can die from being exposed by sunlight and turned to stone," Strider answered.
"You're kidding," Darcia scoffed, thinking it was a joke.
"But here, they are known as Ologs," Strider added more. "And these ones are Stone Ologs."
Barbara Morse stood at Frodo's side since she deeply cared for him and held his hand. She was deeply worried of the poor hobbit's health and saw that he was growing pale than before. Poor Frodo was restless. The cold had made his wound more painful than ever, and the ache and sense of deadly chill took away all sleep. His left arm was lifeless, and his side and shoulder felt as if icy claws were laid upon them.
"Its okay," Mockingbird whispered in sadness. "I'm right here, Frodo. Just hang in there. Jane, Darcy, Pat, and Doctor Selvig are gonna get something to make you well, okay." She kissed him on the forehead. "Okay. Don't worry, I'm here."
Frodo didn't say one word and couldn't resist the pain he was feeling on the shoulder. It was horrible for him. He couldn't sleep, drink, or eat at all. The only thing he felt was pain. Samwise decided to come over and cheer Frodo up. Frodo didn't look at his friend as he stared strait into the face one of the stone trolls.
"Look Frodo, it's Mr. Bilbo's trolls," Samwise said and began to wonder what the problem was. "Mr. Frodo?"
Bobbi feels Frodo's cheek and felt the coldness in his skin and called over to Jane. "Pat! Doctor Foster, get over here!"
Pat Smith and Jane Foster quickly rush over to check on Frodo.
Pat placed her hand onto Frodo's forehand and gasped in shock. "He's going cold."
"I don't understand how this is happening," Doctor Foster said, taking out a cloth and placed it in a pot filled with hot water. She takes out the hot cloth and placed it over Frodo's forehead, hoping it could keep him warm. "There, this will help."
"Keep the fire as strong as ever," Mockingbird ordered. "We need to keep him warm."
"I'm afraid this has been too much for Frodo," Meriadoc dreadfully said. "What are we to do? Do you think they will be able to cure him in Rivendell, if we ever get there?"
"I haven't been there myself, but Strider told us about that city and how the Elves of the Light have the greatest and most powerful healing altars that can remove a poison in seconds," Linc explained what he knows about Rivendell and sighed. "Look, I get it, I know you care about your friend like I do, but there is nothing more that we can do in the wilderness."
"Is he going to die?" Pippin asked, worriedly.
"Frodo has been touched by the weapons of the Enemy," Strider answered his question in a very quick hast. "He's passing into the Shadow World. He'll soon become a wraith like them."
"What?!" Doctor Foster breathed in horror when she heard it.
"What do you mean one of them?" Pat asked in a panic.
"Okay, that doesn't sound good at all," Rifleman said, not admiring it.
"There is no way in hell we're going to let that happen," Darcia said, starting to panic. "He's not going to become one of those no-face freaks. Tell me that's not true."
"If what he says is true, then we gotta keep moving," Doctor Selvig suggested. "We can't stay here. Whatever danger may beset it, the Road is our only way to the Ford. If we don't leave, our little friend here will succumb to this illness. We don't even have the proper medicine to fix him up."
Suddenly, screeches were heard all over across the forest. It was the Ringwraiths. They were getting closer and closer towards the group, and worse, they would claim their prize and have it delivered to their master.
"That doesn't sound good," Bangs muttered in thought.
"Damn, they're getting closer any minute," Rifleman whispered sharply in fear.
"What do we do?" Meriadoc asked, worried.
"Someone has to draw them away," Doctor Foster suggested of a plan. "We can't reach the border with those Ringwraiths are on our tail."
"Then we'll stay behind," Mockingbird decided that she and Hunter would stay. "Strider will lead the rest of you to Rivendell. Jerry, Bangs, and Pat will stay."
"What?!" Samwise exclaimed.
"Doesn't sound like a bad idea, but its worth the try if we're to reach the city by daybreak," Doctor Selvig agreed to the plan.
"No way, we all promised that we stick together," Darcia argued against the plan. "This is a bad plan."
"Ms. Darcy is right, we can't split each other up like this," Samwise argued too, agreeing to Jane's point. "My master is sick and wounded, and he needs us all to help him."
"But it will buy ourselves enough time to escape," Bangs added, siding with Bobbi on this plan. "Its our job to take care of you all. Bobbi and Hunter have done their job in helping you."
"But we're not even close to Rivendell, we're still miles away, Mr. Frodo won't make it," Samwise continued to believed that there was no hope for his friend to reach.
"Not unless we can slow down the poison," Strider responded during the argument.
"And how do you suppose we do that?" Rifleman asked, exasperated. "We're in the middle of a forest and they're bloody Wraiths tracking us and there doesn't seem to be anything that can help the poor lad!"
Strider wasn't thrilled of his words, but continued to remain in a very calm way. "We can use Athelas."
"Okay, now you lost me," Rifleman sighed.
"What's Athelas?" Pat wondered.
"Its a healing herb that grows within one of these forests," Strider told them about the weed. "We call it Kingsfoil, for this plant does not grow in the bare hills, but in the thickets away south of the Road."
"Kingsfoil, aye, its a weed!" Samwise sounded surprised.
"And what are we suppose to use that weed for?" Doctor Foster asked.
"It may help to slow the poison," Strider answered her. "It can buy enough time for Frodo to reach Rivendell."
"Well, what are we waiting for, let's go find it," Doctor Selvig immediately suggested in doing it now before time runs out.
"But what about those Ringwraiths?" Darcia stammered in fear. "We saw them in action, we can't kill them."
"I understand these things better now," Strider said in a low voice. "They don't think they expected to be resisted. They have drawn off for the time being. But not far, I fear. They will come again another night, if we cannot find the Athelas. They are only waiting, because they think that their purpose is almost accomplished, and that the Ring cannot fly much further."
"Well then I'll help you find the weed," Doctor Selvig offered his assistance. "Tell me what it looks like."
Strider, Erik Selvig, and Samwise Gamgee volunteer to leave the camp and check to see if they could find any Athelas to help Frodo. Strider was very specific to Doctor Selvig on what the weed was like. They run through the forest, scanning the ground for minutes. That was when Strider stops and finds a low growing plant covered in white flowers. Seeing what he was looking for, he takes out his knife to cut a large amount of the weed in order to buy enough time to get Frodo safely to Rivendell. Just as he was busy cutting, he soon felt a something touching his neck. Strider turns around to look and saw that it was an arrow held by a hooded woman.
"What's this, a Ranger caught off his guard?" The hooded woman asked.
However, the Hooded Woman was soon caught off guard when Barbara Morse was able to sneak behind her quietly and pointed her gun right behind her head.
"The only person whose caught off guard is you," Mockingbird responded with a threatening voice. "Drop it. I'm not going to say it again."
Suddenly, her guard was caught off when she felt the point of a gun that touched the back of her long blonde hair. Without even turning around, another woman, who was not hooded at all. Instead, she wore a black suit with gray detailing on the front, as well as shoulder and knee armor. It has a holster on the back for her batons, her Widow's Bites, and a belt with two thigh holsters. Even her her hair was red like a rose and the very woman holding the gun behind Bobbi was none other than Natalia Alianovna Romanova or better known as Natasha Romanoff, an honorable team member of the Avengers.
Born in 1984 in Stalingrad, Natalia Alianovna Romanova was recruited by the KGB and became a member of the Black Widow Ops Program. Inside the academy, Natasha endured both an education and indoctrination into the world of spy-craft, in which she excelled in this strict training environment and soon became regarded as a master spy and one of the world's greatest assassins. Whilst in the academy, she excelled in her marksman skills, which resulted in her being forced to execute an innocent man, something that would haunt her for the rest of her life. Her ruthless effectiveness in later years earned her the Black Widow mantle, deriving from the Red Room program she went through. As a final ceremony to complete her training, Romanoff was sterilized, as to avoid any distractions and focus solely on her missions. Due to both her expertise and her growing threat to global security, Romanoff quickly appeared on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s radar, prompting Nick Fury to send Clint Barton to eliminate her. Hawkeye disobeyed this order, recognizing her skill, and recommended her for recruitment for S.H.I.E.L.D. At the behest of Fury, Romanoff later defected from Russia and joined the ranks of S.H.I.E.L.D. From that moment on, she developed a lasting partnership with Barton, becoming best friends with him. Together, they had tactical missions within Budapest, and many other locations. The pair became so close that Romanoff was the only other person Barton told about his family. She became a close family friend to Clint and his wife, Laura, and adopted an aunt-like relationship with their children.
The entirety of Romanoff's character is hard to distinguish based on how she lies and tricks people for a living. She was capable of convincingly portraying friendly and flirtatious, timid, vulnerable and scared. For the most part, she was a level-headed, strong-willed and independent woman. Romanoff normally maintained a controlled, almost emotionless persona to keep whatever she was thinking a secret unless she was around people she absolutely trusts. Although she was more than willing to rush into deadly battle and other unnerving missions for S.H.I.E.L.D., she was not completely fearless, as she was visibly frightened of Hulk. However, she was no longer afraid of him due to falling in love with Bruce Banner.
Though a very serious agent, Romanoff was by no means stuffy and has a sarcastic sense of humor, which mostly surfaces when she was with Captain America or Hawkeye, both of whom she was comfortable around. Romanoff was very smart and loyal which was displayed when she made good on the debts she owed Barton and Rogers. While tough and at times ruthless, she was still a good person and can be quite heroic in her own right. These qualities are usually brought out by her other Avengers, mainly her missions with Steve Rogers. And no matter how injured she was in battle, Romanoff will go out her way to make sure bystanders are out of harm's way. Her close loyalty to both Rogers and Barton was shown in the Avengers Civil War, as she was willing to aid their faction despite being forced to go on the run from the United Nations afterward. As a result of her childhood, she considered the Avengers her family, being desperate to keep them together when the Sokovia Accords were due to be signed and was affected when Tony Stark denounced her as a friend and made it clear he would not help her in the future. She was further shocked and saddened when Barton following the loss of his family became more ruthless and violent when she encountered him in Tokyo.
Despite her lifestyle of espionage and operating within the shadows, Romanoff's adaptability influenced her opinions on the Sokovia Accords. Realizing the difference between S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers with many of their activities seen in the light of day amongst the public, Romanoff wanted to appease public opinions by signing and also that she didn't want conflict with her close friends and teammates like Barton and Rogers. This care for Captain America eventually caused Romanoff to betray Stark's team and assist their escape so they could clear Barnes' name, eventually becoming a fugitive because of this. Romanoff was also very close with Clint Barton's family, especially with his and Laura Barton's only daughter, Lila, being the only member of Avengers who knew of their existence. Romanoff was genuinely affectionate with the child, hugging her the moment they reunited and sweetly commended the little girl on the drawing she made. They originally named their youngest child after Romanoff prior to them discovering that it was, in fact, a boy, thus naming him Nathaniel instead, with Romanoff humorously referring to the unborn child as a "traitor". This was further proven in Vormir where she refused to let Clint sacrifice himself, knowing how much he meant to his family and vice-versa and died instead because she had little to lose.
While the people of Earth believed she was dead in the aftermath of the Time Heist, neither Barbara Morse, Lancelot Hunter, Pat Smith, Soo-jin Smith, Jerry Fortunov, Jane Foster, Darcia Lewis, Ian Boothby, or Erik Selvig were aware that she died, for they were on Arda for almost a year since they were transported from their world to the planet Arda.
"Pull it and I'll pull mine," Black Widow warned.
"That voice," Mockingbird responded, recognizing her voice. "Natasha?"
"You know me?" Black Widow asked, sounding like she was thrilled for someone to know her name. "That's great, now unless if you drop your gun, I won't shoot."
"You never lost your touch, Romanoff," Mockingbird truly admitted. "You called me a Mockingbird."
"Yeah, I remember that, I called you that because you mocked me, but I'll gladly talk more about our recent mission only if you drop the gun," Black Widow told her as she conntinued to point her gun behind Bobbie's head.
"Okay," Mockingbird calmly complied and released her hold over the gun which landed softly on the ground.
The Hooded Woman then removed the arrow away from Strider and turned her attention on Bobbi Morse, who was confused as to how Natasha Romanoff was here, even unaware that she in fact died, but would be unknowingly brought back by the Time Variance Authority in the aftermath of the Time Heist, resulting her mission been a success in bringing all of Thanos' victims back.
"Seems to me, we're on the same side," The Hooded Woman stated suspiciously. "Are we not?"
"Yeah, I think we are, but can you tell me who you are?" Mockingbird insisted.
The Hooded Woman sighed, thus removing her hood to reveal herself to Barbara Morse and Natasha Romanoff. As she did, her face was all pale with the color of hair that was all brownish-red which was kinda similar to Natasha's. "My name is Artemis, daughter of Zeus."
"Artemis?" Mockingbird responded weirdly in confusion.
"Is she a friend of yours?" Artemis asked Natasha.
"On the bright side," Black Widow grinned.
"You have no idea what she can do," Mockingbird scoffed.
"If you are friend of Natasha, then you and this ranger our friends of mine," Artemis grinned, giving Bobbie a wink and then turned around to face Strider. "We've been looking for you."
"And I'm glad you found us," Strider nodded.
Back at the camp, Frodo continued to cough and gasp in terrible pain. While Lincoln Slade, Peregrin Took, Meriadoc Brandybuck, Lancelot Hunter, Jerry Fortunov, and Soo-jin Smith volunteered to scout ahead and keep there eyes open for the Ringwraiths that continued to screech, Jane Foster, Darcia Lewis, Pat Smith, and Joey Burnett sat around Frodo Baggins to keep him company and do whatever they could to help them once Strider, Samwise Gamgee, and Erik Selvig returned with the Athelas. Tears were streaming down Jane's eyes and couldn't stop watching the pain Frodo was feeling. She refused to watch her new friend die since she remembered how kind and welcoming he was when she and her friends met him in the Shire. She wasn't willing to give up on her friend, nor would she watch him become a servant of Sauron.
During the pain, Frodo opened his eyes very wide and saw that his companions were nowhere to be seen. He began to wonder and think that they left him to die and succumb to the poison since there was no hope for him to be cured or even reach Rivendell. That was when he hears the sound of hoofs drawing near to him. He turned his head to the left and by his shock, he saw a beautiful white-furred horse riding towards him. On top of the horse was a very beautiful maiden dressed in all white, and her hair was all black and her eyes were shiny blue. A white light was shining through the form and raiment of the maiden and the horse, and Frodo didn't feel like he was going blind, but was feeling as if the light was pulling him away from the shadow that was almost at near. After dismounting her horse, the beautiful maiden walks towards Frodo and kneels beside him.
"Frodo… I am Arwen," Arwen introduced herself to the young, painful hobbit, and then spoke to him in a language he did not understand. "Telin le thaed. Lasto beth nin. Tolo dan na galad. (I have come to help you. Hear my voice. Come back to the light.)
Frodo did as much to listen to her voice, but when he began to feel the pain once more, he felt the shadow continuing to take him once the poison reaches to his heart and then it would be it. Just then, he soon found himself surrounded by his fellow companions, who continued to help him until they noticed Arwen approach them with Strider, Natasha Romanoff, Artemis, Samwise Gamgee, and Erik Selvig, who have brought in some Kingsfoil. Arwen fell to her knees to check on Frodo. Strider joins her and begins to chew up some of the Athelas just as Arwen mops Frodo's brow.
"Is that Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow?" Bangs whispered to Jerry.
"Yeah," Agent Fortunov whispered back.
"How did she get here?" Bangs asked, concerned.
"Who is she?" Darcia asked softly, noticing the elf.
"She's an elf," Samwise answered quietly to him.
"An elf," Darcia breathed in surprise and finally got the chance on what an elf looked like.
"She's… beautiful," Burnett remarked on the maiden's beauty. He turned to see Darcy giving him a jealous look and nervously responded. "Well, beautiful like you."
Darcia nodded sarcastically and gave him the middle finger. "Yep."
Meriadoc Brandybuck focuses his eyes on Natasha Romanoff, couldn't imagine how beautiful she was. "Don't know who she is, but she's pretty like a rose, Pip." He whispered to Pippin about Romanoff's appearance.
"I thought you didn't like people that were tall, Merry," Pippin whispered back.
"How's your little friend doing so far?" Black Widow asked, checking on Frodo.
"Not so good," Doctor Foster tearfully replied.
Arwen pulls back Frodo's shirt to reveal the wound and could tell that the young hobbit's life was nearly at end. "He's fading."
Strider puts the chewed Athelas into the wound, causing Frodo to gasp when he felt the plant touch his wound. Strider knew it would work and that it would buy him enough time
"Are you sure this plant will keep him stable?" Mockingbird asked.
"It will, but he's not going to last," Arwen told her. "If we are to heal him and remove the shard before it penetrates the heart, we must take him to my father."
"So how did you find us?" Linc asked.
"When we heard the news, I volunteered to help Arwen and Artemis find you and your friend Strider," Black Widow explained everything of what she remembers. "It took us two days to ride here, but I hate to tell you, I didn't realize that you and Strider would bring others."
"We've heard so many rumors about the Black Riders coming here and my father feared the worse," Arwen said.
"Wait, where are they taking him?!" Doctor Foster exclaimed and tried to prevent them from taking Frodo, but Natasha stopped her.
"Hey, hey, hey, its gonna be fine," Black Widow promised. "They're going to help him."
"Fat chance, you're an Avenger Romanoff, I saw you in New York fighting with Thor and Captain America," Doctor Foster angrily argued against this.
"I should take her side in this," Rifleman disliked the idea in letting Frodo go with them.
"These people are the only ones that can help cure your little friend from the poison, we don't have time to argue against this," Black Widow said. "If you keep him here, he will die and there will be nothing we can do."
"Look you may not know Agent Romanoff that well, but I trust her," Mockingbird agreed, supporing Romanoff's decision in letting Frodo go with Arwen. "With her help, we can try to keep the Black Riders off their tale once they ride to Rivendell."
"So its like a bloody sacrifice?" Rifleman sighed. "Please count me out on this."
"I wouldn't stress about that, Hunting Man," Black Widow grinned.
"Did she just call me Hunting Man?" Rifleman asked, sounding unhappy for someone to call him that. "I prefer Rifleman."
"Hmm, good name," Black Widow responded in remark.
Jane was hesitant at first since she deeply cared for Frodo so much, knowing him well as a great friend for almost a year since they came to the planet Arda. She didn't want to let go, fearing that the Black Riders may not take the bait and will probably just find him and turn him into a Ringwraith like them, something that Strider mentioned before. She closes her eyes for just a moment.
"Fine," Doctor Foster sighed, nodding her head in a bit of sadness.
"Alright, lets not make it count, but if anything happens to our little friend, mark my words I'll give them something that they would never want," Rifleman warned with a glaring face, and gave a brief stare at Arwen, and sighed, changing his face. "Except for her."
"Good words Hunter," Mockingbird smirked and turned to walk over to Arwen and Aragorn. "So how far is it to the border?"
"I wouldn't say far, but we can make it count, I'm pretty sure we can make it there one piece if those Black Riders don't catch us," Black Widow said.
"Aye, she's right," Artemis agreed.
"You know, you said you were a daughter of Zeus, how... how did you come to this world in the first place?" Darcia asked.
"I didn't come here by accident, I was on your planet when I was ambushed by the Four Horsemen in Nebraska," Artemis explained everything of what had happened. "I was their prisoner, but I was able to escape them, thanks to mother nature. I honestly didn't know what they were going to do to me. That was when I found refuge in Rivendell and I stayed there with this Romanoff woman, who said she was an Avenger. I even came to know Arwen as a very fast rider. She has skill like I do."
"Right now there are five wraiths behind us, where the other four are," Arwen told her about the coming threats of the Ringwraiths.
"Sounds bad," Pat said.
"Then that means they're splitting up," Doctor Selvig spoke. "If five of them are behind us, we can could try to fend them off."
"And I can take care of the last four," Rifleman added. "Fantastic Four, get it."
Strider gave Hunter a confused look on his face on what he meant by saying the Fantastic Four.
"So what, can you take a compliment?" Lancelot scoffed.
"This is not funny you know," Darcia said, disliking his words.
Lancelot sighed. "Compliment, gorgeous."
Strider turned to look at Arwen and spoke to her in elvish. "Dartho guin perian. Rych le ad tolthathon. (Stay with the others. I will send horses back for them.)
"Hon mabathon," (I'm the faster rider) Arwen calmly decided to take Frodo with her since Glorfindel chose her to. "Rochon ellint im." (I'll take him.)
"Andelu i ven," (The road is too dangerous) Strider warningly whispered back in elvish.
"What are they saying?" Pippin asked next to Ian.
"I honestly don't know," Burnett shrugged.
"Well, whatever they're saying, its not Italian, French, or even Spanish," Lancelot said, not even recognizing that language he heard before.
"Or even Russian," Agent Fortunov added.
"Eh bien, je suis désolé de vous décevoir," (Well I'm sorry to disappoint you.) Darcia spoke to Hunter in french.
Hunter gave her a sternly look on his face and said. "Okay."
"Frodo fr. Ae athradon i hir, tur gwaith nin beriatha hon," (Frodo's dying. If I can get across the river, the power of my people will protect him.) Arwen continued to argue in elvish and claim that she is capable in getting Frodo to the border. She then softly responded back in english, more likely the Common Tongue which everyone in Arda says. "I do not fear them."
Artemis places her hand on Strider's shoulder and says, "She's a very fast rider. She is our only chance to get our little friend to Rivendell. Trust her, as much as I trust you."
Strider sighed for a moment and stares at Arwen with a worried look on his face as he takes her hand and holds it tightly. He then whispers. "Be iest ln." (As you wish.)
Arwen smiled at the ranger just as she mounts on Asfaloth behind Frodo, who was still having trouble breathing. That was when Barbara Morse walks up to him and placed her hand on his cheek.
"Frodo, its gonna be okay, I promise," Mockingbird whispered with a sad, but warm smile on her face, swearing a promise to him. "Stay strong."
"Arwen, ride hard," Artemis instructed on what she has to do. "Whatever comes to you, don't look back."
"Noro lim, Asfaloth, noro lim!" (Ride fast, Asfaloth, ride fast) Arwen encouraged Asfaloth to move as fast as he could.
At a split second, the horse obeyed her command and started to move at a very quick pace than any other horse on Arda. The group watched as elven lady vanished out of their sight and moved through the woods with Frodo.
"What're you doing?!" Samwise exclaimed in fury. "Those wraiths are still out there!"
Suddenly, everyone heard the screeches once again, but they knew that the Ringwraiths were moving forward. It seems they might've figured out what is happening.
"I knew this was a bad idea!" Rifleman raised his voice, knowing that the Black Riders were gonna chase the two.
"Those Ringwraiths aren't far then, we need to get into possession if we are to get your friends to the city," Artemis said.
"Do you have a plan then?" Linc asked.
"Not that I can think of so far, but these creatures are not so easy to kill," Artemis warned about them. "You may think fire can kill them, but it only weakens their pace. They will not stop until the weapon of the enemy is in their grasp."
"So how can we kill them?" Bangs asked.
"I do not have the honest answer for you, mortal," Artemis answered. "But right now, we must do what we can to make sure that Ring-bearer crosses the river."