Beauty and a Beast

Aragorn was lying with his eyes closed and ear pressed to the ground, las he listened for the sound of footsteps.

"Their pace has quickened."
He said, abruptly, as he looked up.

"They must have caught our scent. Hurry!"
He ran off, with Legolas, and Arryn behind him.

Legolas stopped, and his gaze flickered to Arryn, before he looked past her towards Gimli.

"Come on, Gimli!"
He called, before he continued to run after Aragorn. Gimli paused in his steps, and he took a deep breath.

"Three days’ and nights’ pursuit. No food. No rest. And no sign of our quarry but what bare rock can tell."
He said to himself, before running after his companions.

The Four Hunters ran across rocks and plains, with Aragorn in the lead, followed by Legolas, Arryn, and Gimli. From time to time, Legolas looked back to make sure that Gimli was keeping up. Aragorn suddenly bent down to pick up an Elven brooch from the ground.

"Not idly do the leaves of Lórien fall."
Aragorn said, plainly.

"They may yet be alive."
Legolas said, as he stopped, and turned to Aragorn.

Arryn reached down, and she touched the brooch, and a scene flashed before her eyes.

'Merry was looking very sick, and he moaned.

"Merry! Merry! Wake up!"
Pippin called, softly, before turning to the Uruks.

"My friend is sick. He needs water. Please!"
Pippin pleaded.

"Sick, is he? Give him some medicine, boys! Hahaha!!"
Uglúk sneered, as another Uruk-hai poured a disgusting looking Orc Ale into Merry's mouth.

"Stop it!"
Pippin cried.

"Can’t take his draught! Hahah!!"
Uglúk laughed.

"Leave him alone!"
Pippin cried, fearfully

"Why? You want some? Then keep your mouth shut!"
Uglúk sneered, before he turned away from the Hobbits.

"Merry?" Pippin called.

"Hello, Pip."
Merry said, as he regained his conciousness.'

"Arryn...Arryn..."
She could hear someone call her faintly, and her eyes snapped open, to find her vision extremely blurry.

She shook her head, and she looked straight ahead, to only see that what she saw had happened.

"They're both alive..."
She said, abruptly.

Neither Aragorn and Legolas said anything, for they had already experienced what she could do.

"Less than a day ahead of us. Come!"
Aragorn called, as he ran off again, just as Gimli stumbled from behind some rocks, and he rolled to the ground

"Come, Gimli! We are gaining on them!"
Legolas called, as he let Arryn pass him by.

"I am wasted on cross-country! We dwarves are natural sprinters! Very dangerous over short distances!"
Gimli panted, and a smile crept onto Arryn's face.
The trackers came over a hill and they paused as they gazed across the plains below.

"Rohan. Home of the horse-lords. There is something strange at work here. Some evil gives speed to these creatures, sets its will against us."
Aragorn said, grimly, as Legolas ran ahead, and he looked out to the horizon

"Legolas, what do your Elf-eyes see?"
Aragorn asked, almost eagerly.

"The Uruks turn northeast. They’re taking the Hobbits to Isengard!"
He answered grimly.

"Saruman!"
Aragorn muttered, and Arryn rolled her sleeve up to see the faded cuts that Saruman had given her, and she shuddered.