Ashes ⇝Legolas

†15†

CHAPTER FIFTEEN
ISENGARD

Running.

Running with yet no time to look back, no defeat to let settle and no worry to at that moment take in notice. Through unwelcoming terrain and nature of bare rock in surrounding Nesryn carried on, remembering one time yet forgetting the other horrible happenings of late, as they had brought them as far as they were now— running, pursuing the group of Uruk-Hai that had taken Merry and Pippin.

Nesryn did not let anything settle upon her blank mind, neither the though of deaths seen nor the heavy burden of their production, for she had not even halted to think of herself in that moment, much less what lay in the past as the future was what bothered the warrior. She thought of it being rather selfish to have not spared a single word or notion on their heavy losses— yet it was then that she realised there would not be future for if the present failed, and carried on further. To finish the pursuit.

As they neared en edge of one cliff, Aragorn lowered his ear to a rock, intently listening in for a sound. "Their pace has quickened. They must have caught our scent." The man whispered before had he stood up again, began running down a rocky cliff. "Hurry!"

The woman took off running again, Legolas and Aragorn at the front as behind her, Gimli struggled to match his running pace to theirs— well, rather to run as half fast as his companions did. "Come on, Gimli!" She heard the Elf shout.

"Three days and nights pursuit, no food, no rest and no sign of our quarry but what bare rock can tell." Gimli leaned heavily on his axe, breathing short.

"Well, Uruks will not catch themselves." Nesryn replied, a faint yet audible chuckle escaping her lips as her steps began speeding up even so she knew at least a part of Gimli's complaining could easily be brought upon her, for she did feel even partly drained.

Nevertheless, the woman did not begin to think of stopping, knowing if they were to do something it should be staying true to the last of their fellowship; rescuing Merry and Pippin. As she ran on, the terrain was no difference no matter where she looked— just greenery and rock, of which she had seen the small valley they had stepped into was made of as she heaved herself to stop before managing to crash into Aragorn's back to her. The man brushed his fingers over something, a small pendant in similarity to the one she wore around her neck— a leaf of Lorien.

"Perhaps it fell off?" Nesryn suggested, bringing herself to look at the bright sky as she had previously taken quite a gulp of air, feeling as if her lungs burned without it.

"Not idly do the leaves of Lorien fall." Aragorn whispered, rising to his feet again.

"They may yet be alive." Legolas spoke, slowly following Aragorn.

"Let us hope so." Nesryn mumbled, gaining a careful look from the Elf aside who she had barely dragged herself by. As she turned to spy whether their last companion was near, she had spotted him tumble down a cliff, grunting in annoyance which forced an amused smile on her lips.

"Less than a day ahead of us, come!" Aragorn encouraged, began to run again.

"Come, Gimli! We are gaining on them!" Legolas shouted, following his encouraging words another one of Gimli's grunts as he still had rather a hard time following the three.

"I'm wasted on cross-country! We Dwarves are natural sprinters...very dangerous on short distances!" The Dwarf grumbled, out of breath as he carefully and slowly dragged himself after three other, much faster companions. Of course, Nesryn did smypathsise with him just by a bit, for she did as well grow tired of straining herself any further over the endlessly looking cliffs and bare rock which followed them constantly.