Maethor and Strider sat across from each other in silence with their swords at their sides as they looked out the window, waiting while the hobbits slept silently.
"I know Maethor is not your real name." Strider broke the silence. Maethor turned to Strider and replied "Nor is Strider yous but we both do it to keep our true identities safe"
Strider was going to ask what her reason was for hiding but was cut off by the screeches of the ringwraiths approaching from across the street. Maethor and Strider whipped their heads and attention back to the window while the hobbits jolted up awake from their slumber.
"What are they?" asked Frodo after a second.
"They were once men, great kings of men." Maethor answered never taking her eyes off the windows.
"Strider continued the story. "Then Sauron the deceiver gave to them nine rings of power. Blinded by their greed, they took them without questioning. One by one falling into darkness. Now they are slaves to his will."
"They are the Nazgul, ringwraiths, neither living or dead" Maethor clarified as she watched the wraiths ride out of Bree.
"At all times they feel the presence of the ring, drawn to the power on the one. They will never stop hunting you." Strider told them.
"Get some sleep. We have a long journey ahead." Maethor told them once the demons were gone. The four hobbits obeyed and were asleep in minutes, the two rangers were soon to follow once they knew they were safe and Maethor could no longer fell the evil lurking in the woods.
Early the next morning Strider readied the hobbits while Maethor scouted on horseback the outskirts to reassure the safety of the Ring by leaving Bree.
Once she gave the all-clear, Strider led them on.
"Where are you taking us?" Frodo questioned. "Into the wild." replied Strider.
Maethor chuckled inwardly at the look of discontentment on Frodo's face from Strider's answer.
Strider and Maethor walked together ahead of hobbits, no words were shared for a while between anyone until Merry broke the silence by questioning Frodo. "How do we know this Strider and Maethor are friends of Gandalf?"
"I think if the enemy were to send to servants they would have at least been sent together and I think they would look fairer...and feel fouler." answered Frodo.
"Well, they're both foul enough." Merry replied. Both rangers looked back a little at their words but said nothing.
"We have no choice but to trust them." Frodo said. Merry let out a large breath in discomfort with the idea.
"But where are they leading us?" Sam whispered.
"To Rivendell, Master Gamgee." Strider spoke up, letting the four halflings behind them know that their conversation had been heard.
"To the house of Elrond." Maethor informed them.
"You hear that Rivendell we're going to see the elves." Sam exclaimed. Maethor smiled at Sam's excitement.
"And this is where I leave you." Maethor said and mounted her horse.
"Where are you going?" asked Pippin.
"I'm going to make sure the wraiths stay off our tracks and if they don't I'll lead them away." Maethor explained.
"So you get to ride around while we have to walk?" Merry complained.
"Would you rather my job and hunt down nine merciless immortal Nazgul?" Maethor challenged.
"Well, do be careful, they are quite nasty." Pippin answered.
Maethor smirked and looked to Strider. "I'll meet you at the watchtower tomorrow evening, rest there. If I'm not there by dusk that means something's happened to me and you need to leave immediately." she instructed. To say there was no fear in Strider for Maethor's safety would have been a lie but Maethor's reputation also gave him comfort.
"Be careful." Strider told her as he petted the black mane of her horse.
"You be careful." Maethor smirked before she lifted her black hood up to hide her face.
"Go, ride." Maethor said to her horse in elvish. The horse neighed and rode off leaving behind four hobbits and a stunned ranger who was left with more questions than answers.
Strider watched until he could no longer see her, hoping she would be safe.
The sound of rustling could be heard behind Strider causing him to turn around. He saw the hobbits getting ready to cook.
"Gentleman, we do not stop to nightfall." he told them.
"What about breakfast?" questioned Pippin. "You've already had it." Strider reminded. "Well, we have one yes. What about second breakfast?" Pippin asked. Strider just turned away and continued walking up the small hill in front of him as he heard Pippin wonder about the several other meals that they were accustomed to having. Strider sighed knowing this would be a long journey.
The group traveled quietly and quickly through the day and rested for the night in the swaps, well hidden. After dinner, Strider told the others to sleep while he stayed up and took watch.
Strider had just finished humming a song when Frodo sat up from his sleep and asked the ranger a question that had been in his morning since that morning. "What do you know about her?" Frodo asked causing Strider to look back at the hobbit. "What do you know about Maethor?" he clarified.
"There's not much known about her. She showed up several years ago as a ranger. Not many even know if she is a woman because of her skills with weapons." Frodo looked at the man confused. "She's known to hunt down and kill orcs and all evil servents of darkness...I wonder what she was in her previous life." Strider said the last part more to himself before looking at Frodo. "Get some rest, Frodo." Strider told him. Frodo did as he was told and laid back down to sleep while Strider sat there and wondered about the mysterious huntress and who she really was.
The group again traveled all day until they reach the ruined watchtower of Amon Sul. Strider led them up into a small cave part of the ruin. The hobbits dropped everything, including themselves as Strider looked out to see any movement but most of all for Maethor since it was almost sundown.
Strider's nerves got the best of him and he decided to go down and scout out the area. But before he left he pulled out four small swords and tossed them to the hobbits. "These are for you. Keep them close while I have a look around." He told them as he stood to his feet. "Stay here." he told them and with that, he left them.
Strider roamed around the grounds for a little bit longer than an hour without any sign of Maethor. In his heart, he worried but it was well hidden. It was dark now and getting late, so Strider knew had to go back to the hobbits soon. Suddenly, in a short distance, Strider saw a black figure crouching next to a tree on the outskirts of the tower. Strider moved quietly but swiftly as he unsheathed his dagger and placed it on the side of Maethor's neck.
"What's this? A ranger caught off her guard?" Strider taunted. Maethor tensed up for a second but relaxed when she heard his voice. She turned her head to look at him and let out a sigh of relief.
"Aragorn." She said. Strider's eyes grew wide as he retracted his dagger at the sound of his real name.
"You know me?" he asked astonished. Maethor tensed as she realized her mistake. "How?" he question. Not willing to reveal the complete truth, Maethor brushed her hair that hid her pointed ears. "Half." she said and removed her hand. "I spent a lot of time in Riverdell and Lothlorien, both told stories about you nad whispers of the Dunedain ranger you had become. But fear not your secret is safe with me." she told him. Before Aragorn could respond with another question, the screeches of several Nazgul and the sound of horses echoed through the air.
"It's all nine." Maethor told Aragorn as she looked around to see anything.
"Go after the hobbits and get them out of here. I'm going to try and lead them away. Meet me at the stone trolls but if you have to leave." Maethor ordered and then whistled for her horse who came running forward out of the trees. Maethor grabbed on to the moving animal and flung herself onto it's back. With that, she was gone once again and Aragorn was left running up to the tower to find the hobbits hopefully before the wraiths did.
It didn't take Maethor long to find the Nazgul. She saw four of them riding towards the tower. MAethor knew she was outnumbered but the least she could do was give Aragorn some time.
She told her horse to run faster straight towards the wraiths.
Maethor pulled her sword out and swung it their hooded heads but unfortunately, they had seen her at the last second and ducked.
The four wraiths screeched loudly and ran after her. Maethor put her sword away and rode hard into the night. She led them in the opposite direction until she felt like it was safe enough. She then performed several twists and turns in the forest, using the darkness to her advantage, losing them. When all was clear Maethor raced back to the stone trolls site, hoping everyone was okay.