▌𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐒𝐢𝐱 ━︎━︎ 𝐑𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐨𝐡𝐚𝐧 ▌

━︎━︎━︎━︎𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐎𝐑𝐍 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐄𝐃 𝐇𝐈𝐒 ear against a rock, closing his eyes as he listened. His eyes opened. "Their pace has quickened." He sat up, looking ahead of him. "They must have caught our scent. Hurry!" He darted forwards.

     Legolas paused, turning his head to Gimli who was falling behind. "Come on, Gimli!" He continued forwards with Ellaria in tow.

     Gimli paused to take a breath. "Three days and nights pursuit. No food. No rest. And no sign of our quarry, but what bare rocks can tell." He trudged up the mountain and once he made it up hill he began running again to catch up with the rest of them.

     They'd been travelling for days, following the Uruk-Hai's trail. They ran through hills, crossed several widths of land, hoping for a single sign. Aragorn came to a stop, kneeling down and picking up a leaf that had been fastened on all of their cloaks from Lothlorien. He examined it for a moment. "Not idly do the leaves of Lorien fall."

     Legolas stopped beside him, staring down at the leaf. "They may yet be alive."

     "They must be." Ellaria whispered. I need them to be, she thought.

     Aragorn stood up. "Less than a day ahead of us. Come."

     Gimli, who was still behind, managed to trip, falling and rolling down the hill. Legolas paused to look at him. "Come, Gimli! We're gaining on them!" He kept running.

     "I'm wasted on cross-country!" Gimli shouted back, pulling himself up from the ground and running after them. "We Dwarves are natural sprinters! Very dangerous over short distances."

     Ellaria had made it to the front, reaching the highest peak of the hill they climbed. They paused for a moment, the lands very familiar. "Rohan," Aragorn breathed. "Home of the horse-lords. There's something strange at work here. Some evil gives speed to these creatures. Sets its will against us."

     "They are not normal Orcs." Ellaria explained, causing the three to look at her. "They are different. A new creation. No doubt Saruman's doing." She jumped down from the rock she stood on and continued forwards, Legolas followed her. They both stood there, narrowing their eyes at the scenery before them. Ellaria tapped his shoulder and pointed. "Look."

     "Legolas, Ellaria, what do your elf-eyes see?"

      The wording of his question made a memory flash in Ellaria's head. "Ellaria," Fili called her name, "what do your elf eyes see?"

     Ellaria took a deep breath. "Nothing good." She watched as Bard got on his horse and went away. "And your King has just sentenced us to death."

     She was pulled from the memory as Legolas turned to Aragorn in panic. "The Uruks turn north east. They are taking the Hobbits to Isengard!"

      "Saruman." Aragorn whispered.

      "We must hurry." Ellaria called. "If they make it, I fear we will not get them back." She quickly began running and the others followed. They kept running, and running, the Uruk-Hai still a distance away, but they were closing in.

     "They run as if the very whip of their masters were behind them." Legolas said. Ellaria swallowed her nerves. The sun fell and the night was upon them, but the moon was not bringing Ellaria its usual comfort. Ellaria knew she shouldn't stop, but her shoulder was aching terribly and she had to force herself to sit down. When the Princess stopped, they all did. Legolas instantly moved to her, kneeling before her. "Ellaria."

     Ellaria closed her eyes, holding back the wince. "I'm fine. Go. Just keep going. I'll catch up."

     Aragorn shook his head. "Forgive me, Ellaria, but we will not leave you behind."

     "I am fine. I can take care of myself, you know."

     Gimli rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, we know. However, I do not wish to be on the wrong side of Elrond if something happens to his daughter."

     Ellaria glanced at him, managing a small chuckle. She took a deep breath before forcing herself to stand, Legolas following her movements. He placed a hand on her arm and she looked at him, nodding. "I'm alright. Let's go." She continued forwards, forcing herself to ignore the pain in her shoulder.

      The night slowly began to turn to day, but the sun was different. A shade of red beamed from it. "A red sun rises," Legolas mumbled. "Blood has been spilled this night." They came to a stop as Aragorn kneeled to the ground, ready to track only to pause when a horse whinnied in the distance. He slowly stood, turning his head and quickly ushering for them to hide. They ran between two giant boulders, watching as men on horses rode by.

     Once they had passed, Aragorn quickly walked out and yelled out to them. "Riders of Rohan, what new from the Mark?" Ellaria stood beside him along with Gimli and Legolas, watching as the men circled around and headed straight for them. They were quick to surrounded them, aiming their spears at them.

     A rider came to the front. "What business does two Elves, a Man, and a Dwarf have in Riddermark? Speak quickly!"

     "Give me your name horse-master, and I shall give you mine." Gimli replied and Ellaria closed her eyes as a sigh fell from her lips.

     The man held his weapon out for another to grab before he climbed off his horse, headed right for Gimli. Aragorn put a hand on Gimli's shoulder as if to keep him from attacking. "I would cut of your head, Dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground."

     Legolas was quick to pull out and arrow, aiming it at the man. "You would die before your stroke fell." Ellaria's eyes widened and Aragorn was quick to push Legolas's bow down.

     Aragorn turn to the leader. "I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. This is Gimli, son of Gloin and Legolas of the Woodland Realm." He motioned to Ellaria. "This is Princess Ellaria of Rivendell, daughter of Lord Elrond." Recognition seemed to flash behind the man's eyes at Ellaria's name. "We are friends of Rohan and of Theoden, your King."

     The man's face filled with anger and sadness. "Theoden no longer recognizes friend from foe." He removed his helmet, allowing his long blonde hair to drop. "Not even his own kin." He motioned a hand and the men all removed their weapons. "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." His gaze narrowed on Legolas.

     "We are no spies." Aragorn assured. "We track a part of Uruk-Hai westward across the plain. They have taken two of our friends captive."

     "The Uruk's are destroyed," Eomer informed. "We slaughtered them during the night."

     Ellaria's heart dropped to her stomach. "But there were two Hobbits," Gimli said. "Did you see two Hobbits with them?"

     "They would be small. Only children to your eyes." Aragorn urged.

     Eomer shook his head. "We left none alive. We piled the carcasses and burned them." He pointed to the distance where a cloud of smoke could be seen.

     "No." Ellaria's voice came out in a broken whisper.

     "Dead?" Gimli asked.

     Eomer nodded regretfully. "I am sorry."

     Ellaria shook her head. "No. They're not dead. We must see for ourselves." She turned to Aragorn who was already looking at her. "Please. We have. . . there could be a chance. . ."

     Aragorn gave her a slight nod before looking to Eomer. He let out a whitle. "Hasufel! Arod! Celebrindor!" Three horses trotted forwards. Eomer grabbed their reigns, directing them towards the company. "May these horses bear you to better fortune than their former masters. Farewell." He nodded his head before climbing onto his horse. "Look for your friends. But do not trust to hope. It has forsaken these lands. We ride North!" He sped off with his men following behind him.

Ellaria grabbed the reins of Celebrindor, running a hand over his snout. It was a silver horse with a matching grey mane. It was a beautiful creature. WIthout a second thought, Ellaria climbed onto the horse, snapping it's reigns and watching as he darted forwards. He was fast, that was for sure. Before she knew it she was coming upon the burnt corpses of Uruk-Hai. She jumped down from the horse and began searching, hoping for any signs of the Hobbits, but she did not see them. Hope dwindled in her chest the more and more they all looked, coming up empty handed.

     As Gimli was poking through the pile, his eyes landed on something familiar. He picked it up, turning and holding it out to them. "It's one of their wee belts." Instantly tears filled Ellaria's eyes as she forced herself to look away, wincing as Aragorn kicked a helmet of one of the corpses, letting out an enraged yell as he fell to his knees. "We failed them," Gimli whispered.

     Aragorn turned his head, cocking it slightly and moving forwards. He ran his hand over the ground. "A Hobbit lay here." The grabbed their attention. He moved forwards slightly. "And the other." He narrowed his eyes. "They crawled." He followed the faint path. "Their hands were bound." He continued forwards and the three trailed after him. He quickly kneeled down, picking up a piece of cut rope. "Their bonds were cut." Again, he moved forwards, this time at a quicker pace. "They ran over here." Noticing a footprint he said, "They were followed." He began jogging. "The tracks lead away from the battle. . ." he followed the tracks as close as he could be he stopped, looking before him, "into Fangorn Forest."

     "Fangorn?" Gimli whispered, fear in his voice. "What madness drove them in there?"

     "Whatever it is, we must follow them." Ellaria sternly said, turning her head and whistling for her horse. Celebrindor trotted forwards and she was quick to take a hold of his reigns, leading him a short distance away and securing him safely. She walked back over and looked between the three of them. "Even if there is a slight chance that they're still alive, I have to try. We have to try." Without a second thought, she entered the forest.