Ithildin - Legolas x OC

Chapter 16: Fangorn Forest

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We gallop across the hills to the smoke and burning flesh at the edge of the valley, my nose scrunching at the putrid smell the closer we get.

Arrows and spears lay pointing into the ground with a large mound of Uruk remains in the middle—ashen and charred. We stop and look around, my face falling at the sight as my stomach turns sick.

So many of them; Merry and Pippin would have easily gotten lost here, and with the amount of horses we just saw, most likely not aware of the small size of Hobbits...

We dismount quickly, attempting to scour through the remains but it doesn't prove any use to us. I step back and sigh, hanging my head in shame for not caring for them well enough to keep them safe.

"It's one of their wee belts." I look to Gimli and true enough, it is theirs.

Legolas stands beside me, placing a hand on my shoulder and bows his head. "Hiro hyn hîdh ab 'wanath."
(May they find peace after death.)

"Hiro hyn hîdh ab 'wanath." I repeat quietly.

Aragorn kicks a discarded helmet in anger, crying out and falling to his knees.

I look away, grief overcoming me as I take a shaky breath and hug my torso. Legolas moves his hand so his arm can wrap over my shoulder, stepping closer to me as I close my eyes and rest my head against his chest.

"We failed them." Gimli says quietly.

Yes...we failed them. They travelled so far from home in the hopes of helping their friend...and we could not protect them from the horrors of this world.

Aragorn stares at the ground, his hands grazing the dirt and trodden grass.

"A Hobbit lay here." He says quietly. "And the other." He leans back in a sigh, then looks again, something changing in his demeanour.

I lift my head and step forward, away from Legolas as his arm falls from me, "Aragorn?"

"They crawled." He mumbles, moving forward. "Their hands were bound."

He gets to his feet, the three of us blindly following him as I dare to allow hope into my heart once more.

He picks up a piece of rope, his eyes trained onto the ground, "Their bonds were cut. They ran over here."

I follow him, looking around to see anything more myself.

"They were followed." His voice picks up as he starts to jog, "The tracks lead away from the battle..." He stops, looking up, "...into Fangorn Forest."

We all stop then, staring up at the dark woods before us, the bark and roots twisted and old, very old.

"Fangorn." Gimli breathes out. "What madness drove them in there?"

"The same madness about to drive us in," I look to my companions and Aragorn nods, leading the way inside.

We pass over large uproots and flowing streams, my steps light as we go deeper and deeper into the forest.

Darkness falls around us, the trees looming so high and their branches so think that barely any sunlight can penetrate through.

Gimli picks at something on a leaf, licking it before quickly spitting. "Orc blood."

"So, they were followed." I realise quietly, jogging behind Legolas until Aragorn stops ahead and looks down.

"These are strange tracks." He comments.

"The air...is so close in here." Gimli says, looking around.

Legolas steps forward. "This forest is old. Very old. It's full of memory...and anger."