Daughter of the Ainur - Aragorn love story

6

''I will love the light for it shows me the way; yet I will love the darkness for it shows me the stars''

We follow our friend for three days now, three days running and not resting. I am surprised by myself that I still can run. We are at the borders of Rohan, Western Emyn Muil, as Aragorn explained to me. He is now lying on the ground with his eyes closed and his ear pressed to the ground. He is listening. Suddenly, he opens his beautiful blue greyish eyes. 'Their pace has quickened!' He climbs to his feet. 'They must have caught our scent!' He states desperately. 'Hurry!' He start running again, this time towards the North. I take a deep breath, adjust my weapons on my back and at my side and start running. 'Come on, Gimli!' Legolas shouts from behind me. I look over my shoulder and see that Legolas stands on the hill, yelling at Gimli to make haste. He smirks at me and starts running again. Gimli struggles up the hill, he pauses and huffs. 'Three days and nights pursuit. No food. No rest. And no sign of our quarry but what bare rock can tell' And with that said, he starts running again. Legolas is jogging next to me, smiling at Gimli's words. I shake my head. This journey is going to be so long. We run after Aragorn, who is far ahead of us.

At midday we arrive at the east wall of Rohan, we run over hills and rocky roads, hoping to find our Hobbits. Suddenly Aragorn stops and bows forward. He picks something up from the muddy ground. He looks at it and then ahead. 'Not idly do the leaves of Lórien fall' He mutters and passes the thing on to me. I wipe some mud of it. The Elven Brooch! I look at my own, still clasped on my cloak. They are near, it has to be!

'They may yet be alive!' Legolas exclaims happily. Aragorn is again looking at the ground and starts suddenly running again. 'Less than a day ahead of us. Come!' He shouts at us, running of full speed. I look back, Gimli stumbles from behind some rocks and rolls to the ground. 'Come, Gimli! We are gaining on them!' Legolas yells at the exhausted dwarf. 'I am wasted on cross-country. We dwarves are natural sprinters. Very dangerous over short distances' Gimli pants. I chuckle and walk back to him. 'Come on Gimli, we have to save them!' I try to encourage him. He looks up. 'Yes Lassie! I know, come on then!' And he takes off. We run over a hill and Legolas and Aragorn are waiting on us, gazing across the open fields of Rohan. '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 mutters while looking at the open plains. I take this little pause to take a breather. Gimli does the same. He is still panting and his face is red from running. Legolas runs ahead without saying something and looks out to the horizon. 'Legolas! What do your Elf eyes see?' Aragorn shouts at him.

I have learned many things on this journey and one of them is that they are best friends, more like brothers. Without saying anything they understand each other. I see Aragorn looking at me and I blush.

Stupid Ranger.

'The Uruks turn northeast. They're taking the Hobbits to Isengard!' He shouts back at us. I run towards Legolas and he points at the Uruks. A distant cloud of dust stirs up. I squeeze my eyes a bit and I can see figures running, like they are afraid. 'Saruman' I hear Aragorn say. I feel someone walk past me, Legolas has started running again. 'Come on Eleniel! Gimli' Aragorn says to us, for a second I feel his hand rest on my cheek, tracing my cheekbone with his finger. But he is already gone, running with Legolas. I run together with Gimli. 'Keep breathing. That's the key. Breathe' Poor Gimli mutters. Again I chuckle. Gimli has asked me a lot of questions in the time we are trying to find our Hobbits. Like, why am I here, what is my fate? And to his frustration and my own, I can't answer every question properly.

We are less than a day behind our Friends so we run through the night and when the sun rises, we are far in the plains of Rohan. Legolas pauses on a small hill, looking upon the sun. 'A red sun rises. Blood has been spilled this night' He says without any emotion. And we continue our hunt, not speaking, only running. I hear something. I stop running. 'Dartho!'(Wait!) I yell at the others. Aragorn stops immediately and runs back at me with Legolas and Gimli on his heels. 'Eleniel? What happened?' He asks with worry in his voice. I smile. 'Nothing, but listen!' They listen en you can hear the sounds of horses neighing coming closer and closer. Aragorn looks at us warily and he gestures to hasten behind a nearby rock formation, so we can hide. Again the Ranger takes my wrist and pulls me close to him. Riders of Rohan ride over the hill, Aragorn looks up at them passing and lets me go, walking calmly out of our hiding spot. I look anxiously at Legolas and Gimli.