There Is No Time For Fear (Aragorn x oc)

nine

 Iston POV

"Come on, Gimli!" Legolas shouts and takes off. We've been following Merry and Pippin, tracking them across the landscape.

"Three days and nights pursuit. No food. No rest. And no sign of our quarry but what bare rock can tell." I hear Gimli yell from behind us. I trust Aragorn's tracking skills, and I double check his ideas with my own, but after so long, it's easy to see why Gimli is so disheartened.

Aragorn comes to a stop just ahead of me.

"Not idly do the leaves of Lórien fall." He says, leaning down to pick up something. He holds it up and I can see it's a leaf of Lorien brooch. One of the hobbits must have dropped it.

"They may yet be alive." Legolas says.

"Less than a day ahead of us. Come." Aragorn starts to run forward again.

"Come, Gimli! We're gaining on them!" Legolas calls back to the dwarf who huffs in frustration.

"I'm wasted on cross-country. We Dwarves are natural sprinters.Very dangerous over short distances." Gimli says, mostly to himself, as he struggles to keep up.

The running doesn't bother me much. I'm more comfortable being on the move and having a goal in sight than thinking about the loss of Boromir and Gandalf, the potential of losing Merry and Pippin, Frodo and Sam wandering alone somewhere towards Mordor, and the staff in my hand. I would much rather run than live in those thoughts.

We come to a stop at the top of a hill, looking down on the beautiful fields below us. I've missed it here. This is where I came first when I started my exploration of Middle Earth.

"Rohan. Home of the Horse-lords. There's something strange at work here. Some evil gives speed to these creatures. Sets its will against us." Aragorn says, gazing out at the landscape in front of him. I walk ahead a little ways.

"What do your Elf-eyes see?" He asks me.

"The Uruks turn northeast." I say, surprised.

"They are taking the Hobbits to lsengard." Legolas finishes for me.

"Saruman." Aragorn says and we take off again. I fall into step next to him as Legolas runs ahead and Gimli lags behind us.

After some time, I stop suddenly. I can hear in the distance the sound of hooves hitting the ground and the neighs of horses. Legolas also hears them and he pulls Gimli into hiding behind some rocks. I duck under the outcropping with Aragorn beside me. We watch a group of horsemen approach us and Aragorn steps out from our hiding spot.

Riders of Rohan! What news from the Mark?" He shouts at them and the horses turn sharply. The rest of us step out as well and the riders surround us quickly.

"What business do two elves, a Man and a Dwarf have in the Riddermark? Speak quickly!" A man calls down to us from a horse. He holds his spear out in front of us.

"Give me your name, horse-master, and I shall give you mine." Gimli says back.

The rider dismounts and walks towards Gimli. I can see his face now and immediately recognize who he is.

"I would cut off your head, Dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground." Eomer threatens.

"You would die before your stroke fell." Legolas says angrily, stringing an arrow and aiming it towards Eomer.

I reach out a hand and push Legolas's bow down as every man of the riders aims a spear at him.

"Eomer. Son of Rohan. I apologize for the behavior of my friends." I say to him. As his eyes meet mine a look of recognition spreads over his face.