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It is dawn, and Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli are still running on teh looking for their lost friends. Tatsuo has been visiting their minds frequently now and giving them advice. Thanks to her, the search is going better. Suddenly legoals stop turning around and glance at the red sky whose an excellent star rises on the horizon—the moon. "A red sun rises. Blood has been spilled this night, " the elf says, narrowing his eyes. Suddenly the sound of hooves and neighing is heard, and Aragorn gestures for his friends to follow him. They hide behind an outcrop of rock. as soon as the riders have passed, Aragorn steps out, meeting Legolas's eyes. he turns back to the disappearing riders. He calls out, "Riders of Rohan! What news from the Mark?" at a signal from their leader, the horsemen turn around and make toward the three hunters.

As soon as they have reached them, they encircle the deadly silver spears coming down like arrows. The 3 raise their hands in defense, meaning they mean no harm. Then, a rider with a solid body and blonde hair trots forth and speaks with a rough and commanding voice. "What business does an elf, a man, and a dwarf have in the Riddermark?" he says. When the three don't answer immediately, the man narrows his eyes and snaps. "Speak quickly!" Gimli, who crosses his arms, lifts his chin, looking like he is superior here when he's not. "Give me your name, horse master, and I shall give you mine." that was not so cleverly done, and the redhead has agitated the horseman.

The blonde man scowls and disputes his horse racing gimli threatening. "I would cut off your head — dwarf — if it stood a little higher from the ground." However, the horseman's words are not so cleverly chosen. legoals whips out an arrow and aims it a the man's head; his blue eyes narrowed. "You would die before your stroke fell!" Finally, Aragorn takes matters into his own hands, lowering his friend's hands and steps in front of the blonde-haired rider. "I'm Aragorn, son of Arathorn," he says and then turns to Gimli, patting him on the shoulder. "This is Gimli, son of Glóin, and Legolas, from the Woodland realm." when teh three is introduced, the rider seems less hostile. "We are friends of Rohan and Théoden, your king." Aragorn ends. The man sighs and looks slightly sad. "Théoden no longer recognizes friend from foe." the young man removes his helmet, revealing a pretty beautiful face.

"Not even his kin." the man now Aragorn and his friends recognize as Èomer says, and his company withdraws their spears. "Saruman has poisoned the king's mind and claimed lordship over this land. My company is those loyal to Rohan. And for that, we are banished." the blonde rider explains. His eyes suddenly narrow, and he starts to talk, "The White Wizard is cunning. He walks here and there, they say, as an old man, hooded and cloaked." with a meaningful look at legoals, Èomer sighs before his eyes are drawn back to Aragorn. "And everywhere his spies slip past our nets." Aragorn denies this, for it's not the truth.

"We are no spies. We track a band of Uruk-hai westward across the plains. They have taken two of our friends captive." Èomer furrow his brows but says only, "The Uruks are destroyed. We slaughtered them during the night." a shocked look crosses over the three hunters, and Gimli prices on, "But there were two hobbits, did you see two hobbits with them?" Aragorn ads gently in a reassuring voice, "They would be small, only children to your eyes." the rider shakes his head sadly, "We left none alive."

His eyes meet Aragorn's before Èomer steps back. "We piled the carcasses and burned them." he points to smoke in the distance. Gimli sighs and says in a doubtful voice, "Dead?" Èomer nods and says sincerely, "I am sorry." legoals rest his hands on Gimli's shoulder, the news battering at his heart. First Gandalf, then Tatsuo leaves them for frodo, and now the two rascals die? this might be too much for the young prince. The brave horse whistles and call two names, "Hasufel! Arod!" soon, two hoses appear, one white with freckles of grey and one chestnut coat.

Èomer grabs their reigns and hands the chestnut one to araognr and the white one to legoals and Gimli. "May these horses bear you to better fortune than the former masters," he says and nods a Farwell. "Farewell." mounting his horse, he looks down at the three hunters wishing them good luck. "Look for your friends, but do not trust the hope. It has forsaken these lands. We ride north!" the riders take off, leaving Aragorn, legoals, and Gimli to ride toward the smoking carcasses. Let's hope they've not come in vain.

♛

The three hunters have arrived at the burning carcasses. Soon enough, Gimli has dug up a charred belt. He turns sadly to his friends holding the little belt up. "It's one of their little belts," he says. legoals bows his head and takes his hand to his heart, whispering a blessing in elvish. "Hiro hyn hîdh ab wanath." (May they find peace in death.) Aragorn lets out a heart-wrenching yell and falls to his knees. "We failed them," Gimli says sadly, but soon a familiar presence enters their minds sending their hearts at ease. No, my dear friends, you have not. Look on teh ground. Do you see it, Aragorn? Do you see the tracks? Aragorn does as Tatsuo says, seeing that it is indeed strange tracks. "A Hobbit lay here, and the other," he says, touching the spots where the two trouble makers had laid the night before.

Aragorn finds some other ones. "They crawled." he starts to follow them, and legoals and Gimli follow behind him. "Their hands were bound." Aragorn says, soon finding a broken rope, "Their bonds were cut." he looks further on, seeing more tracks. "They ran over here... and were followed." the ways continue leading off into a withered old forest—finally, Fangorn. "The tracks lead away from the battle! Into... Fangorn Forest." Aragorn looks up to the writhed trees. Gimli speaks up in disbelief. "Fangorn! What madness drove them in there?"

Yes, one can ask them that. But for them, it didn't seem like madness. They only did so to survive. For grave, matters have to be taken to sometimes.

If you're gonna survive.

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