From the real world to Middle Earth *A Legolas love story*

Chapter 19: Tracking

Chapter 19:

We've been running for days now, i am exhausted. Aragorn is lying on the ground listening for goodness know what. "Their pace has quickened" he softly says climbing to his feet, "They must have caught our scent... Hurry!" he desperately exclaims and takes off northwards again. "Erghh more running" I mumble and start running again beside Gimli.
"Come on Gimli, Caitlin" Legolas stops on the hill and shouts to us.
"I'm no elf! I cant run as fast as you" I yell to him making him laugh. Me and Gimli struggle up the hill huffing on every breath. "Three days and night pursuit. No food. No rest. And no sign of our quarry but what bare rock can tell"  Gimli huffs as I run off ahead of him. We were running along the edge of the cliff over a trickling stream. Aragorn bends down and a broach is visible in the mud. "Not idly do the leaves of Lorien fall" he says holding the broach from the Lothlorien cloak. "They may yet be alive" Braelyn points out,
"Less than a day ahead of us. Come." Aragorn takes off running again.
"I have had enough off running" I say to Braelyn who laughs and takes my arm and pulls me off running again. I hear a thud behind me and see that Gimli has fell over a rock behind me and Braelyn bursts out laughing but I run over and help him up. "Come Gimli! We are gaining on them!" Legolas shouts, "alright your majesty! We're coming" I shout back making him smirk at me and he quickly runs off. "I am wasted on cross country. We dwarves are natural sprinters. Very dangerous over short distances" pants Gimli running along beside us.

We all run over the hills "Rohan. Home of the horse lords. There's something strange at work here. Some evil gives speed to these creatures. Sets its will against us" Aragorn looks out over the edge, "Legolas! What do your elf eyes see?"
"The urucs turn northeast. They're taking the Hobbits to Isengard!" Legolas exclaims and that line is my favourite and it reminds me of the song.  I stop and look over the cliff sun rise, I am exhausted and worried for the hobbits. Legolas stands beside me and slips his hand in mine, "a red sun rises. Blood has been spilled this night" he announces and we let go of each other and run off to the north again. As we're running Aragorn stops again and examines the ground, he gestures to us to hide behind the rock.  We all hide and then Aragorn calmly steps out "what are you doing?" Braelyn gets up as well then we all follow.

Aragorn then calls out "riders of Rohan, what news from the mark?" and then the riders charge at us with weapons circling us.  "What business does and elf, a man, women and a Dwarf have in Riddermark? Speak quickly" The rider yells. 
"I am not just a woman. I am a wizard!" Braelyn whisper shouts in my ear.
"Give me your name horse master and I shall give you mine" Gimli says making us all roll our eyes. "I would cut off your head Master Dwarf, if it stood a little higher from the ground" Eomer spits looking disgustedly at Gimli. Braelyn takes out a dagger pointing it at him and  Legolas nocks an arrow and points it at Eomer, "you would die before you stroke fell" he fiercely says as Aragorn lowers the bow calming Legolas down. "And why does two women travel with three men?" Eomer asks walking towards me with his hand outstretched to cup my cheek but just before he does Legolas nocks an arrow again "do not touch her!" he retorts glaring at Eomer. I put my hand on Legolas and he lowers his bow.

"I am Aragorn son of Arathorn. This is Gimli son of Gloin, Legolas of the woodland realm, Caitlin,  and Braelyn wizard from Lothlorien. We are friends of Rohan and of Theoden your king" Aragorn introduces us all,
"Theoden no longer recognises friend from foe" Eomer explains staring at us all. "Not even his own kin. 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. 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" Eomer explains to us and what? He accuses us of being spies!
"We are no spies. We track a party of Urak hai westward across the plain. They have taken two of our friends" Aragorn explains and a look of understanding crossed Eomer.

"The uruks are destroyed. We slaughtered them during the night." he tells us,
"but there were two hobbits. Did you see two hobbits with them?" Gimli questions walking forward. "They would be small. Only children to your eyes" Braelyn points out worried. Eomer just shakes his head "we left none alive. We piled the carcasses and buried them" he explains and stares with sympathy at us all. "Dead?" Gimli grumbles in shock.
"I am sorry" Eomer nods,
"they cant be, I refuse to believe it" I exclaim, I know they are not dead so I must keep hopes high. "Hasufel! Arod! Buck!" Eomer shouts and three horses appear and walk towards us, one sniffs at Braelyn so she pats him. A white horse comes over to me and Legolas sniffing our hair. "May these horses bear you to better fortune than their former masters. Farewell. Look for your friends. But do not trust to hope. It has forsaken these lands... We ride north!" he shouts and rides off with the rest. Aragorn jumps onto his horse as I go to walk over to Braelyn to ride with her but she puts her hand out "Gimli why don't you ride with me" she says as Gimli was about to jump up onto Legolas' horse, "right, right of course" he mumbles and is helped up onto her horse. Which leaves me, so I walk over to the white horse and Legolas gives me a hand to jump up. I haven't rid a horse in a very long time so I didn't know what to do. But Legolas grabs hold of my hands and pulls them around his waist leaving them there and he kicks the horse to run. Soon I grow comfortable and put my head down on his back heading to the bonfire of the uruks.