meleth nin

Chapter Nine- Riders of Rohan

It had only been a few hours since the hobbits were taken.
Aragorn laid down on the ground with his ear pressed against the stone.
"I hear something", Aragorn said closing his eyes.
"They must be near", i said whilst putting the last of my crafted arrows into my quiver.
"You are incredibly skilled at crafting your own arrows", Legolas said whilst picking one up and inspecting it closely. He brushed his finger tips across the feathers and held the top up to the sunlight.
"They are sharp too", He said whilst handing me the arrows.
I pushed it back to him and held out a few more.
"Keep them, you may need them."
I said slowly closing his hand up with the arrows.
Legolas smiled and placed them into his quiver before turning to Aragorn.
"Their pace has quickened", Aragorn said as he got up and put his bow back over his head.
"They must have caught our scent", Legolas said, placing his sharpened knives into his belt and boots.
"Hurry!", Aragorn ordered as he ran up the rocks.
We followed Aragorn up the rocks, still hopeful that the hobbits were safe.
"Come on Gimli", Legolas looked behind and saw Gimli far behind struggling to keep up.

We ran over a grassland valley before Aragorn stopped to pick something off of the ground, "Not idly do the leaves of Lorien fall", he said whilst looking up into the distance.
"Their broaches", i said, my face lit up in hope that they were still out there.
"They may still be alive", Legolas clutched his bow close.
"Less than a day ahead of us", Aragorn replied whilst picking up the pace again.

We reached another meadow of grass and stone.
"Rohan, home to the horse lords", Aragorn said whilst stood above a stone next to me and Legolas.
"Gimli, Hurry!", i yelled down as the dwarf struggled to climb up.

"Alena, Legolas, What do your elf eyes see?", Aragorn questioned looking out into the distant lands ahead.
I looked out into the valleys, "The Uruks turn North-East", I said whilst staring at the movement up ahead.
"They are taking the hobbits to Isengard!", Legolas said as he ran further.

Legolas turned around, "Red sun rises, blood has been spilled this night.", we all looked at him and at each other in worry for the hobbits.
"I can hear the sound of hooves", i said listening closely to the air.
"What hooves, i don't hear no hooves", Gimli said with furrowed eyebrows.
"Take cover", Aragorn rushed us behind a stone as the sound grew louder.

"Riders of Rohan!", Aragorn called out to the riders,
They began to turn round to face us, circle us and point their spears at us.
Gimli raised his hands in the air, stunned by the sight of so many weapons facing him.
"What business do eleves, a man and a dwarf have in the riddermark?", a bearded man with dark blonde hair rode up to us and questioned.
"Speak quickly!", he demanded.
Gimli gave the horse lord a negative look, "I would cut your head off dwarf, if but it stood a little higher off the ground", he chuckled.
"You would die before your stroke fell", Legolas said angrily whilst he drew his bow and aimed for the lords head.
I held Legolas' arm and lowered it slowly, his eyes softening when i touched.

"I am Aragorn, Son of Arathorn", "This is Gimli, Son of Gloin, Alena, Daughter of Elrond, and Legolas of the Woodland realm", He said his hand reached out to each as he presented ,
"We are friends of Rohan and Theoden your King", he explained carefully.
"Theoden no longer recognises friend from foe, not even his own kin", he said whilst removing his helmet.
"We are no spies, we track an army of Uruk-hai, they have taken two of our friends captive.", Aragorn said in attempt to make peace with the rider.
"The Uruk's are destroyed, we slaughtered them through the night",
"What about two hobbits with them?", Gimli said raising his voice slightly.
"They would be small, only children to your eyes", Aragorn questioned.
"I am sorry, but we left none alive", the rider replied sorrily.
I looked to Legolas, he exchanged a similar expression.
" We piled the carcasses and burnt them", he said pointing to a burning pile a short distance away.

The man whilsted and called for two horses, he gave them to us and wished they served us good purpose.
He bid farewell and rode away with his men.

"Get on the horses, we must ride to the burning pile", Aragorn said whilst mounting his dark bay horse.
"Will you ride with me, Alena?", Legolas asked as he held out his hand.
"Does Gimli not want to?", i asked knowing they normally do most things together.
"I'm alright lassie, i'll ride with Aragorn", Gimli look at Aragorn and they both grinned.
"I will ride, i am probably best", he joked.
"I wouldn't be so confident", i replied knowing next time i would show him.
I got on and sat behind Legolas, "Hold tight", he said whilst kicking the grey horse forward.
I wrapped my arms round his waist and observed the lands around us, before resting the side of my head on his shoulder blade.
Our bodies rocked back and forward as he galloped off following behind Aragorn and Gimli.
It felt strange, being rocked into Legolas' back, i laughed to myself slightly thinking about it.

We reached the pile and dismounted.
Aragorn scavenged through the pile, it was all black and burnt.
"Their belts", Gimli said whilst picking it up from the pile.
Aragorn kicked a helmet across the pile and screamed, falling to his knees next to the burning carcasses.
I walked over and knelt next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"I believe they are still alive, Aragorn", i said looking at him with honest eyes.
"I can feel it", i said in honesty.

Aragorn looked to the ground and began to scavenge the grass.
He had picked up in a track.
"They crawled, he said dusting off a patch of ground that had been covered in dust and soot.
Aragorn picked up more signs and began fasten his pace towards,
"Fangorn Forest", Gimli said in awe, gazing into the dark woodlands.