The Return of Ringil[COMPLETED]

Chapter XII

Third person's point of view.

Laying on the hard ground with his ear pressed to the cold stone, Aragorn could hear the thundering footsteps move faster, picking his head up he looked ahead, "Their pace has quickened, they must have caught our scent." Celeblasdes having been knelt by his side, frowned leaping up and into a run Aragorn shouted over his shoulder, "Hurry!" taking off she was right behind him. Racing across pale wheat colored fields with little hills and stones the four hunters ran with the elves at the front.

The Ranger guiding from the middle while the dwarf pulled in at the back, his short legs only getting him that far. As the hills steepened the Ranger pulled ahead and his lover at his side, her brother keeping his ears open to make sure the dwarf wasn't left too far behind the long legged members of their hunting party. Holding down their sheathed swords Celeblasdes and Aragorn felt it helped while running the way they did, it kept the weapons away from their knees and it helped them pick up the pace. Stopping at the opening of two small cliffs Aragorn knelt while Legolas out ran him for a moment.

Celeblasdes reached for what Aragorn held and frowned, as he spoke. "Not idly do the leaves of Lorien fall." Legolas back tracking looked at the brooch in his sister's hand, "They may yet be alive." The Ranger shot up, "Less than a day a head of us. Come." Celeblasdes said as she looked at the tracks, as she sped past them, leaving the dwarf to her brother, and her lover right behind her, "Come, Gimli! We're gaining on them!" Legolas called to the straightening dwarf before running to keep up with the two ahead of him, "I'm wasted on cross-country! We Dwarves are natural sprinters! Very dangerous over short distances!"

Celeblasdes couldn't help but laugh as she heard what Gimli had said, a small smirk graced Aragorn's lips as he finally heard her laugh in almost three days, her voice still as sweet and smooth as when he first met her, though now standing over the fields of Rohan her light-hearted attitude almost vanished when they saw the barren land before them, "Rohan, home of the horse-lords." Aragorn said and Celeblasdes held his hand in hers, "There's something strange at work here, some evil gives speed to these creatures. Sets it's will against us." Aragorn said sadly while squeezing her hand back.

***

Running a few more miles, Legolas ran ahead to stand on higher ground and to see where the Uruks turned or went, stopping Aragorn called to the male elf, "Legolas! What do your elf-eyes see?" there was a moment where there was nothing said but when Legolas had a lock on them he called back, "The Uruks turned Northeast." Realization crossed his features when he saw where they were being taken, "They're taking the hobbits to Isengard!" gasping softly Celeblasdes added, "Saruman." Aragorn gripped her hand and quickly pulled her after him to meet up with Legolas so they could keep going.

Running down a wheat grassy plane with large grey rocks the four hunters ran quicker than ever as they sensed their quarry was tiring and would stop soon while they would not, until they had hunted them down and rescued their two hobbits, "They're running as if the very whips of their masters were behind them." Celeblasdes said her speed picking up even more now, as she ran right beside Aragorn, Legolas catching up easily, even as the sun got hotter then four never stopped and never slowed, even as the sun was setting the kept going.

Though Celeblasdes was afraid Aragorn would pass out at any given moment. As the sun rose, Legolas noticed it was much too red for a regular sunrise, "A red sun rises, blood has been spilled this night." Aragorn stopped at a set of tracks and knelt to inspect them, only to look up when a screech echoes off the rocks, looking to where it had originated Aragorn motioned for everyone to hide behind the rock ahead of them, Celeblasdes went last because Gimli was too slow so she picked him up and threw him to Legolas before diving in herself.

Getting up as it was only a band of riders carrying the flags of Rohan, Aragorn stepping out past the others called to the band, "Riders of Rohan! What news from the Mark?" the leader motioned with his spear to turn around and Celeblasdes lowered her mask and kept her hands free to grab which ever weapon she needed, when they were encircled, her eyes scanned the band as her brother, Gimli and Aragorn all stood back to back, spears held in their faces as they waited for either information or their death, though after fighting a pack of Uruks the four hunters would breeze past this.

Suddenly a rider pushed through the ranks and demanded of them, their purpose of dealing in the Riddermark. "What business does an Elf, a Man, Dwarf and a ...whatever you are, have in the Riddermark?" when none of the four answered the leader snapped, "Speak quickly!" Gimli being the stubborn fool that his is spoke sarcastically, "Give me your name horse-master, and I shall give you mine." passing off his spear the man dismounted and strutted over to Gimli, Aragorn set his hand on the dwarf's shoulder as the man approached.

"I would cut off your head, Dwarf. If it stood but a little higher from the ground." Legolas suddenly drew an arrow and notched it at the man's head, Celeblasdes's hand shot out and wrapped around her brother's wrist and arrow stopping any kind of release. But that didn't stop him from threatening the man anyway, "You would die before your stroke fell." Celeblasdes with her back to Aragorn, she faced Legolas as Aragorn looked to the man, shaking her head Legolas lowered his bow and Gimli released a breath of relief. "I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn, this is Gimli son of Gloin, and Legolas and Celeblasdes of the Woodland Realm."

Aragorn said swiftly introducing the last of the Fellowship, "We are friends of Rohan and of Théoden, your King." looking displeased and if not slightly heart broken the man replied, "Théoden no longer recognizes friend from foe," removing his helmet he finished, "Not even his own kin, Saruman has poisoned the mind of the King and taken Lordship over these lands. My company are those loyal to Rohan, and for that we are banished." Leaning into Aragorn he spoke of the White Wizard and how he escapes nets and how his spies escape.

"We are no spies, we track a party of Uruk-hai westward across the plain, they have taken two of our friends captive." Celeblasdes said, "The Uruks are destroyed we slaughtered them during the night." Worry washed over Celeblasdes as she removed her helmet to look the man in the eye, "But there were two Hobbits! Did you see two hobbits with them?!" the man was taken with the beauty that was hidden under the helmet and mask but he didn't know what a hobbit was, "They would be small, only children to your eyes." shaking his head, it was what she feared most. Turning from them she tried not to cry.

Gimli held her forearm as she panted to keep her tears from spilling, It wasn't till Aragorn held her cheeks in his hands that she focused on what had transpired, "I will not give up until I see for myself. Will you?" he asked making her look at him. Blinking her tears away, his hope gave her hope, shaking her head she followed him to the chocolate brown horse and climbed on behind him.