The Hobbit & LoTR Imagines

Defender of Peace - Éomer

Quickly, my elven feet carried me along the cliff. Aragorn and Legolas ran just ahead of me and Gimli behind me. The trek had not been easy for the dwarf. His short little legs would not carry him as fast or as far as a man's or an elf's would.

Aragorn and Legolas sped up, making their way down the cliff, to the plains below.

I could hear Gimli's breaths struggling behind me, his legs slowing. The trek had taken its toll on all of us, but mostly the dwarf. It was not easy for him to keep up, nor to go such long distances without rest. But we had to persevere. We had to find the halflings, Merry and Pippin. They had been taken by Uruk-hai upon an ambush in which we, unfortunately, had lost Boromir, and Frodo and Sam departed from us to take the Ring to Mordor.

The Fellowship had split up, but remained together in spirit. For the most part.

"Gimli, can you make it a little further, or do you need to rest?" I asked him softly, knowing he would not be fond of Legolas teasing him if he overheard. Gimli grumbled—something he was rather fond of doing—but sped up. I shook my head. Stubborn dwarf.

Before long, our feet had led us to the plains. Muddy orc prints guided our way as we crossed the grassy terrain. We followed the tracks for a ways before something on the ground glinted in the sunlight. The four of us stopped, and Aragorn reached down to pick it up. He brought it to his face to see it clearer.

"Not idly do the leaves of Lórien fall."

With wide eyes, I stepped closer to him to inspect the leaf of Lórien pin. Aragorn held it out to me, and I took it, inspecting it some more.

"They may yet be alive," Legolas commented, turning to us.

"Then we must continue. They cannot be far," I stated.

Aragorn began running again.

"Less than a day ahead of us. Come."

Aragorn and I sped our pace, our feet following the muddy tracks some more as they eventually led us up a hill. I could vaguely hear Legolas and Gimli speaking, but the blood rushed through my ears, the pounding of my heart a loud drum beat echoing through my eardrums as I ran, and I could not make out their words.

We came over the top of the hill and paused, looking out over the fields in the distance.

"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 stated.

Legolas went a little ahead of us.

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

I narrowed my eyes at the landscape before us. Dust stirred up, forming a cloud over the city. This was not good.

"The Uruks turn northeast," I stated, moving closer to Legolas. He glanced at me briefly as I sidled up beside him.

"They're taking the hobbits to Isengard!" Legolas exclaimed.

"Saruman," Aragorn stated coldly.

Legolas and I shared a brief look before turning our eyes back to the scene before us.

This was definitely not good.

——

The sounds of horses neighing and the pounding of hooves filled the air. Aragorn, who had been examining the ground, gestured for us to hide.

Legolas, Gimli, and I filed into a small space in a rock formation nearby.

Just as Aragorn squeezed in, the horses grew louder.