Beauty and a Beast

XXX

Uruk-hai and Orcs continued to march across the plains with their hobbit captives, with Aragorn, Legolas, Arryn and Gimli hot on their pursuits.

"Keep breathing! That’s the key! Breathe! Ho!"
Gimli kept muttering, to keep himself motivated

"They’ve run as if the very whips of their masters were behind them."
Legolas said, grimly, as they continued to run over the vast distance.

XXX

The Uruk-hai and Orcs halted at nightfall, many panting with exertion.

"We’re not going no further till we’ve had a breather!"
One of the Mordor Orcs said.

"Get a fire going!"
Uglúk ordered, and as the Orcs and Uruk-hai took their rest,

Pippin crawled over towards Merry.

"Merry! Merry!"
Pippin called, and Merry opened his eyes.

"I think... we might have made a mistake leaving the Shire, Pippin."
Merry groaned.

A group of Orcs chopped down the trees nearby for firewood. Low groans and rumbles started to emerge from the forest.

"What’s making that noise?"
Pippin asked, as Merry looked towards the forest.

"It’s the trees."
Merry replied.

"What?"
Pippin asked, not understanding what Merry was talking about.

"Do you remember the Old Forest? On the borders of Buckland? Folk used to say that there was something in the water that made the trees grow tall... and come alive." Merry tried to explain.

"Alive?"
Pippin squeaked out.

"Trees that could whisper. Talk to each other. Even move."
Merry added, in a hushed whisper.

"I'm starving. We ain't 'ad nothin' but maggoty bread for three stinkin' days!"
A Mordor Orc named Maúhur complained.

"Yeah. Why can’t we have some meat?"
Another asked, as his eyes rested on the hobbits.

"What about them? They’re fresh."
He added.

"They are not for eating!"
Uglúk said, as an Uruk-Hai dragged the Hobbits away from the Mordor Orcs.

"What about their legs? They don't need those. Ooh… They look tasty!"
Grishnákh said, hungrily.

"Get back, scum!"
Uglúk shoved at the Orcs, and the other Orcs were getting restless

"The prisoners go to Saruman. Alive and unspoiled."
Uglúk snapped.

"Alive?"
Grishnákh asked, as he tried to get a closer look at the Hobbits.

"Why alive? Do they give good sport?"
He added.

"They have something. An Elvish weapon. The master wants it for the war."
Uglúk explained, and one of the Mordor Orcs slowly snuck up behind the Hobbits, with his blade drawn.

"They think we have the Ring."
Pippin whispered.

"Shh! As soon as they find out we don’t, we’re dead."
Merry whispered back.

As the Mordor Orc got closer to the Hobbits, he licked his mouth and hissed.

"Just a mouth full..."
He hissed, and the surprised Uglúk quickly turned around.

"... a bit of the flank."
The Mordor Orc kept muttering.

"No!"
Uglúk shouted, as Pippin and Merry recoiled in fright.

Uglúk jumped on the Mordor Orc and cut off his head, which bounced off of the Hobbit's shoulders.

"Looks like meat’s back on the menu, boys!!"
Uglúk called, and the Uruk-hai and Orcs cheered and started to tear into the fresh meat, intestines flew, as they took their eyes off the hobbits for a while.

"Pippin, let’s go."
Merry said, and with their hands were still bound, the Hobbits tried to crawl away.

Suddenly a foot came down on Merry and Pippin was turned onto his back.

Grishnákh brandished a blade in front of Pippin’s face.

"Go on, call for help. Squeal! No one’s gonna save you now!"
he hissed, and suddenly, a spear pierced through the Orc's back.

Mayhem ensued as Riders of Rohan burst out from their hiding places and ambushed the Orcs.

"Pippin!"
Merry called, as he gestured for them to make their escape.

The hobbits tried to escape from the pandemonium to the forest, as they dodged bodies and stomping feet. Suddenly Pippin turned onto his back and looked up to a pair of thrashing hooves bore down on him.

"ARGH!!!"
Pippin shouted.

XXX

The Four Hunters were still chasing after the Uruk-hai. It was now dawn.

Legolas paused, and looked up towards the sky.

"A red sun rises. Blood has been spilled this night."
He said, as if he was distant.

XXX

The hunters heard the sound of horses. Aragorn, Legolas, Aryrn, and Gimli hid behind some boulders. A large group of horse-men appeared, as they galloped quickly with their banners flying. Aragorn came out of hiding as they passed, followed by Legolas, Gimli and Arryn.

"Riders of Rohan, what news from the Mark?"
Aragorn called, and at a signal from Éomer at the lead, the riders made a quick turn and headed towards them, as they surrounded them in ever-tightening circles.

As they stopped, they pointed their long spears menacingly at them.

"What business does 2 Elves, a man and a Dwarf have in the Riddermark? Speak quickly!"
Éomer barked.

"Give me your name, Horsemaster, and I shall give you mine."
Gimli said, and Éomer handed his staff to another rider, and got off his horse.

Aragorn put a hand on Gimli’s shoulder.

"I would cut off your head, Dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground."
Éomer said, and before Arryn knew what had happened, Legolas nocked an arrow, and pointed it at Éomer.

"You would die before your stroke fell!"
Legolas said, threateningly and all the riders all pointed their spears closer at the travellers.

After a tense moment, Arryn gently pushed down Legolas’ arm.

"I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. This is Gimli, son of Glóin. This is Legolas of the Woodland realm, and this is Arryn of..."
Aragorn glanced over at Arryn.

"Yes?"
Éomer barked.

"Of the Wiccans..."
Arryn finished quickly, before she added,

"We are friends of Rohan and of Théoden, your king."

"Wiccans..."
Éomer said, bitterly, as if he pained him to even say the word.

"They cursed the world with their magic and sorcery..."
He scoffed, and Arryn fumed, her eyes had flames in them.

She almost lunged at Éomer, if Legolas hadn't caught her by her wrist, pulled her to his side, as he restrained her. He knew that if Arryn wanted to do anything to Éomer, she would probably have to wrench her wrist out of his grip. She squirmed, but she didn't do anything more.

"We are friends of Rohan and of Théoden, your king."
Aragorn repeated, and Éomer looked over at him.

"Théoden no longer recognizes friend from foe."
Éomer said gravely, as he took off his helmet.

"Not even his own kin."
He finished, and the spears were withdrawn.

"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."
Éomer explained.

"We are no spies. We track a party of Uruk-hai westward across the plain. They’ve taken two of our friends captive."
Aragorn said, with a hint of defensiveness.

"The Uruks are destroyed. We slaughtered them during the night."
Éomer said.

"But there were two hobbits. Did you see two hobbits with them?"
Gimli asked.

"They would be small – only children to your eyes."
Arryn pleaded.

Éomer looked as if he had just swallowed a rock.

"We left none alive. We piled the carcasses and burned them."

He pointed to a smoking pile in the distance.

"Dead?"
Arryn asked, her voice quavering.

"I am sorry."
Éomer nodded

Legolas put a hand on Gimli’s shoulder in grief, and Arryn felt herself holding onto Legolas' arm as if it was a lifeline. Éomer turned and whistled.

"Hasufel! Arod! Aldavinur!"
Éomer called, and three horses moved up.

One was a sorrel brown, one was a snow white, and the other was a mahogany brown, with a white patch on his forehead.

"May these horses bear you to better fortune than their former masters. Farewell."
Éomer said, as he put on his helmet, and he got back on his horse.

"Look for your friends. But do not trust to hope, it has forsaken these lands."
Éomer said gravely, before he turned to his riders.

"We ride north!"

Aragorn, Legolas, Arryn and Gimli looked on as the Riders rode off. Just then, Arryn felt the wet nose of a horse brush against her cheek. She turned and she saw that the mahogany horse with the white patch, had cantered up to her, and brushed his nose against her cheek. She let go of Legolas' arm, and she rubbed the horse's nose.

"Ae iond. Man esselya ná?"
*Hi boy. What's your name*
Arryn cooed, and the horse whinnied in reply.

"Aldavinur?"
Arryn asked, and the horse neighed, as if he said yes.

Arryn smiled, and she rubbed Aldavinur more on his nose, until he knelt down a bit, to help her mount him.

"Do you need help, Arryn?"
She heard someone ask, and she turned to see Legolas, with the reins on the snow white horse in his hands.

"Yes, please..."
Arryn said, shyly.

Legolas smiled, and he knelt down, and he interlaced his fingers together. Arryn stepped onto his hands, and she swung her leg over Aldavinur's body.

"Le hannon..."
She thanked him, and as soon as everyone was ready, Arryn gave Aldavinur's side a slight nudge with her knees, and he was off.

XXX

Aragorn, Legolas, Arryn, and Gimli rode towards the burning carcasses, and as soon as they dismounted, Gimli started to shift through the smoldering pile, and pulled out a charred belt and dagger sheath.

"It’s one of their wee belts."
Gimli said, sadly.

Arryn looked over his shoulder, at the charred belt, and she felt her heart stop, and sink down to her feet.

"Hiro hyn hîdh… ab 'wanath..."

*May they find peace in death*

Legolas said, quietly, as he bowed his head, and closed his eyes.

Arryn looked up at him, and she wrapped her arms around his waist, seeking comfort. Legolas hugged her back, and his cheek rested on the top of her head.

"AAARRGGHH!!!"
Aragorn yelled, as he kicked a helmet, and fell to his knees.

His sudden outburst made Arryn snap her head up, and she looked at her brother.

"We failed them."
Gimli said, serenely.

Aragorn looked to the side as some tracks captured his attention.

"A hobbit lay here, and the other."
Aragorn said, as he inspected the tracks.

Arryn closed her eyes, and she could see a scene flash before her eyes.

Pippin yelled as he looked up at a pair of thrashing hooves about to bear down on him. He rolled over, as he avoided the hooves.

"They crawled."
Aragorn said, as hope climbed into his voice, as he started to follow the tracks, with Legolas and Gimli behind him.

Arryn fell to her knees, her fists pressed against the ground.

Merry and Pippin crawled frantically away from the battle.

"Their hands were bound."
Aragorn added.

Merry rubbed his bonds furiously against the sharp edge of a weapon.

Aragorn held up a broken length of thick rope.

"Their bonds were cut."
He glanced over to his right.

"They ran over here. They were followed."

Their hands freed, the hobbits ran away from the battle scene, as they dodged under a horse and tried to stay out of harms way. As they fled, Grishnákh grabbed Pippin by his belt and clung to it.

"The belt!"
Merry exclaimed. Pippin undid his belt, and Grishnákh was left holding it.

"Run!"
Merry exclaimed.

"The tracks lead away from the battle... "
Aragorn said, before they broke into a run, and stopped.

"...into Fangorn Forest."
Aragorn finished, as he, Legolas, and Gimli looked up into a dense, and dark forest.

"Fangorn. What madness drove them in there?"
Gimli muttered.

Arryn's forehead began to bead with sweat, and she saw Merry and Pippin, as they ran into Fangorn, as they hoped to lose the pursuing Orc. They collapsed onto the ground, out of breath.

"Did we lose him?"
Pippin asked, as he looked around.

"I think we lost him."
Pippin added, and suddenly, Grishnákh appeared from behind the trees, as he brandished a blade.

"I’m gonna rip out your filthy little innards!"
Grishnákh hissed, as Merry and Pippin ran and hid behind a tree.

"Come here!"
Grishnákh croaked.

"Trees! Climb a tree!"
Merry ordered, as he and Pippin quickly scrambled up a nearby tree. Merry looked around, and sighed in relief.

"He's gone."

Suddenly, Merry was pulled by his legs and fell to the ground. Grishnákh leaned over him with his menacing blade. Merry tried to kick him off but to no avail.

"Merry!"
Pippin yelled, as he looked down in horror, but as he turned his head, he spotted a pair of gleaming yellow eyes blinking in the tree he was clinging to.

The tree started to move and groan.

"Hooooo..."
The tree groaned.

"Argh!!"
Pippin shouted, as he lost his grip in fright. He grabbed at the air, futilely as he fell. The tree caught him before he hit the ground.

"Let’s put a maggot-hole in your belly."
Grishnákh said, and suddenly he sensed something behind him and as he looked up, the tree stomped and squashed him onto the forest floor.

"Run, Merry!"
Pippin shouted, and Merry tried to run away, but he was also scooped up my the tree.

"Little Orcs! Burárum..."
The tree said, as he looked at the creatures in his hands.

"It’s talking, Merry. The tree is talking!"
Pippin stammered.

"Tree?! I am no tree. I am an Ent."
The Ent said, as it stomped slowly through the forest.

"A treeherder! A shepherd of the forest."
Merry exclaimed.

"Don’t talk to it, Merry. Don’t encourage it."
Pippin whispered.

"Treebeard, some call me."
Treebeard added.

"And whose side are you on?"
Pippin asked.

"Side? I am on nobody’s side because nobody’s on my side, little Orc. Nobody cares for the woods anymore."
Treebeard scoffed.

"We’re not Orcs. We’re Hobbits!"
Merry exclaimed.

"Hobbits? Never heard of a Hobbit before. Sounds like Orc mischief to me!"
Treebeard tightened his hold on the Hobbits, and squeezed them.

Merry and Pippin whimpered in pain.

"They come with fire, they come with axes. Gnawing, biting, breaking, hacking, burning! Destroyers and usurpers, curse them!"
Treebeard added.

"No, you don’t understand. We’re Hobbits... Halflings! Shirefolk!"
Merry pleaded.

"Maybe you are and maybe you aren’t. The White Wizard will know."
Treebeard said.

"The White Wizard?"
Pippin asked.

"Saruman." Merry said, gravely, as Treebeard dropped them on the ground, and the Hobbits looked up at the White Wizard.

Arryn felt her eyelids flutter, and her head hit the earth, and all she saw was black.