Element of the Heart - A Lord of the Rings/Legolas Fanfiction

Chapter 23: Before She Grieves

This ground is cursed! Estelwen mentally grumbled as she ran next to Gimli. She was a swordfighter with a restless spirit but not a restless body. At first, her enthusiasm for finding the Merry and Pippin kept her going. Now, everything hurt, and all she could think about was how not to stop and keep going.

Gimli sprinted a dozen feet ahead of her before pausing to catch his breath. "Three days! Three days without food or rest."

"Make it four." Estelwen grabbed onto his arm and pulled him forward.

"Oomph!"

"Come on, Gimli! Do not let a woman drag you around!" Legolas called back.

Gimli jerked his arm away. "We dwarves are natural sprinters, very dangerous over short distances! It takes a lot more than a pair of useless lungs to slow us down!" he shouted ahead.

Legolas reached the top of a grassy hill and stopped. There was town up ahead.

"Rohan, home of the horse lords," Aragorn announced, slightly out of breath. He was a Ranger, used to giving chase against high-spirited enemies, but not like this. "There is something strange at work here, an evil that gives speed to these creatures and sets its will against us. Legolas! What do your elf eyes see?"

"The Urak-hai turn north east." Legolas' eyes widened. "They are taking the hobbits to Isengard!"

"Saruman." Aragorn looked behind him.

Estelwen gasped, still trying to catch her breath. "Better him...than directly to the Dark Lord."

Aragorn and Legolas raced ahead, causing Estelwen to summon all her willpower to run faster. As she fell again into the endless motion of running, she was tempted to close her eyes. Was it possible to sleep while running? She shook her head. Wake up!

An hour later, Legolas slowed his speed. He scanned the skies. "A red sun rises. Blood has been spilled this night. I fear it is not the first in this land, nor the last."

Estelwen stopped next to him. "From the orc pack?"

"Packs." Legolas corrected. "We are not the only current target of Saruman. He must be trying to take over Rohan."

Estelwen recalled the town they passed by earlier. "Does Saruman seek to kill Rohan's king?"

"The king is not the kingdom. The people of Rohan would rise against an attack. But Saruman is crafty. He will ensure that there will be no warning. When-"

"Come, let us not waste another breath that would slow us to Merry and Pippin's aid!" Aragorn shouted. Suddenly, he stopped. Raising his hand, he motioned towards a few boulders to their right. The four dashed behind them. Around fifty horses carrying armed riders pounded across the ground they had just stood upon. Without warning, Aragorn jumped to his feet and stepped out from the rocks.

"Riders of Rohan, what news from the Mark?" he shouted out to them.

"What are you doing?" Estelwen hissed, observing how heavily armed the men were. They not only had multiple weapons, but were clothed in thick chain mail and helmets. The riders made a skillful sharp turn. They quickly surrounded them and lowered their spears.

A man with blond hair roughly addressed them. "What business does a man, two elves, and a dwarf have in the Riddermark? Speak quickly!"

"Give me your name, horse master, and I shall give ye mine!" Gimli retorted.

The blond rider's eyes widened as he dismounted his horse. Estelwen's hands immediately flew to the handles of her daggers. If the man made any further hint of aggression, she would fling them before he could blink.