Middle Earth's Last Hope

Vaeri stood upon a small cliff, watching as Aragorn lay on the ground his ear pressed against the soft grass. “There pace has quickened. They must have caught our scent. We must hurry.” Aragorn said as he jumped to his feet and began racing down the steep hill.
“Come on, Gimli!” Legolas shouted to the dwarf.
“Three days’ and nights’ pursuit. No food. No rest. And no sign of our quarry.” Gimli said to himself as he rushed to keep up with his other companions.
“You can eat and sleep when your dead!” Vaeri yelled back at Gimli, who mimicked her words. They ran through a small valley, when Aragorn stopped suddenly and bent down to pick something up. “What is it?” Vaeri huffed as she walked towards Aragorn.
“It looks to Pippin’s brooch.” Aragorn said, hope in his eyes.
“Let me see!” Vaeri said rushing forward. Aragorn handed the brooch to Vaeri who examined it closely see that the end of the leaf was bent more than the other. Vaeri smiled at the memory, Pippin hadn't been paying attention to what he was doing and had stepped on the brooch bending it slightly. Pippin and Vaeri had bonded over the trip and she couldn't stand the though of him getting hurt. Vaeri clutched the brooch, slipping it into her pocket. “They must still be alive!”
“There is yet hope.” Legolas said lightly placing his hand on Vaeri’s shoulder. She smiled up at him, hope filling her eyes.
Vaeri began running again, hope quickening her pace. Aragorn led the group, “They are a day and half ahead of us.”
“Come, Gimli. We are gaining on them.” Legolas said to Gimli, just as he had reach the spot where they had stopped for a moment.
Panting, “I am wasted on cross-country! We dwarves are natural sprinters! Very dangerous over a short distance!” Gimli replied as he began to follow them again.
They come to a cliff-side and stop for another moment, “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 not turning to face his companions, “Legolas, what do your elf eyes see?”
“They turn to the northeast. They are taking the hobbits to Isenguard!” Legolas exclaimed shocked filling his voice.
“This cannot be. That would mean that Saruman had alleged himself with the enemy!” Vaeri said trying to not to believe those words.
“We must continue onwards.” Aragorn said, deciding not to reply to the shocking news.

**

Dawn broke the horizon filling the sky full of red light, “A red sun rises, blood his been spilled this night.” Legolas said sadly.
“They aren’t dead.” Vaeri said sternly beginning to run again. Mid-day broke when she heard the sound of hoofs. “Hide!” Vaeri said suddenly hiding behind a small cliff that was barely taller than herself. Horseman ran by, flying banners of Rohan. They passed and Aragorn rushed out into the opening.
“Rider of Rohan! What news have you heard from the mark?” Aragorn shouted. Vaeri watched as the horseman turned around heading straight towards their small group. They ran a few circles around the company before stopping, circling them in.
“What business do elves, a man, and a dwarf have in Riddermark? Speak quickly!” The leader of the horsemen said.
“Give me your name, Horse master, and I shall give you mine.” Gimli said simply leaning on his axe, recovering his strength.
“I would cut off your head, if it stood but a little higher off the ground.” The man spat at Gimli. In a blink of an eye, Legolas had pulled out his bow, with an arrow posed to kill and aimed it at the mans head.
“You would die before your stroke fell.” Legolas said furiously at the horse master. The riders surrounding them all aimed their spears towards the small group. Vaeri felt one jab her with his spear, she sent a glare his way.
“You fools, we are clearly out numbered. Lower your weapons, we have no quarrel with them.” Vaeri exclaimed frustrated by their foolishness.
“At least one of you sees reason.” The horse master said.
“I am Vaeri from the Islands, this is Aragorn son of Arathorn. Gimli, son of Gloin and this Legolas of the woodland realms. We are friends of your king.”
“Théoden no longer sees friend from foe. Not even his own kin.” The man replied taking off his helm, “My name is Éomer.” The spears are raised away from the company and the tension in the air dissipates. “It is an interesting company you keep. I’ve never seen a woman, traveling with a group of men before.” Éomer said eyeing Vaeri curiously. Legolas stepped forward, Vaeri quickly put a hand on Legolas’s chest.
“You would not wish to quarrel with me, if you knew what was best for your well-being.” Vaeri said simply, “We are tracking a pack of Uruk-Hai that took some of our friends.”
Éomer laughed, eyeing Vaeri again, “Most woman would cower in fear of men with swords but you seem to thrive in it.” Vaeri said nothing waiting to see if he had news of the pack. “The Uruks are destroyed. We slaughtered them during the night.”
“But there were two hobbits with them. Did you see them?” Gimli asked concerned by the news.
“They would be small—only children to your eyes.” Aragorn said, hopeful that they had seen their friends.
“We left none alive,” Éomer replied, Vaeri looked away not wanting to believe that they were dead,”We pilled their caresses and burned the bodies.” Éomer pointed towards a pillar of smoke in the sky. “I am sorry.”
Vaeri turned away, putting a hand on her face, trying to hide her emotions. Hearing a whistle, Vaeri lifted her head and saw three horses being brought to them, all with no riders. “I hope to see you again.” Éomer said nodding towards Vaeri, “Hopefully your companions will learn their manners. Take these horses, may they bear you better fortunes than their former masters.” Éomer put back on his helm and climbed back onto his horse. “Look for your friends, but do not trust to hope, it has forsaken these lands. We ride north.”
Vaeri watched as they rode away from the small company. Aragorn mounted a brown horse. Legolas climbed onto a white horse and pulled Gimli up behind him, Vaeri mounting the other horse and they headed toward the pillar of smoke.
It didn't take long, they reached the burning corpses quickly and dismounted. Vaeri rushed ahead looking for any sign of the hobbits. Vaeri crumbled to the ground when she found the sheath of one of the hobbit’s daggers. She clutched her knees willing herself not to cry. Aragorn kicks a helmet sending it flying and he screamed in sorrow.
“Hiro îth… ab ‘wanath…" Vaeri heard Legolas mutter his farewell.
“We have failed them.” Gimli said pain in his voice.
“A hobbit lay here.” Aragorn said suddenly, lightly touching the ground. “Their hands were bound.” Aragorn said as he followed their trail, he picked up a small pile of rope by a sharp blade, “Their bonds were cut.” Vaeri lifted her head listening intently to what Aragorn was saying, “They ran over here. They were followed.”
Vaeri jumped to her feet, following closely behind Aragorn. “The tracks lead away from the battle…” Vaeri broke into a run keeping up with Aragorn; they stopped suddenly at the forest, it loomed over head. The branches creaking, without any help form the wind.
“Fangorn. What madness drove them in there?” Gimli said shocked.
“We must follow.” Vaeri said as she began to walk into the woods. A hand grabbed her arm holding her back.
“We cannot. The Ents live there and they will kill anyone who enter their forest.” Legolas said.
“You can stay behind if you wish, but I will find them.” Vaeri said as she walked forward out of Legolas’s grip. Vaeri walked into the forest, not hearing any notion that the rest of the company would follow.