The Return of the King and Queen

Chapter 15: The Hunt and the Hunters

Running, running and more running without ceasing is how Gimli would have described the next three days. He, Legolas, Amdiriel, and Aragorn had been tracking the band of Uruk-hai since Amon Hen with little to no rest in between. They traveled across the wilderness, nothing but vast plains, hill, and rocks.

Amdiriel and Aragorn were ahead of the two others at the top of a rocky hill. They both laid their heads upon the rocks and listened to the pattern of the uruk-hais footsteps. They were steady but then all came to a stop, it was silent for about a minute before the pounding of the earth resumed. "Their pace has quickened." Amdiriel remarked almost immediately her eyes opening as she still concentrated on the sound. "They must have caught our scent." Aragorn added as he raised his head, looking at Amdiriel. The two shared a brief nod before Amdireil turned to the two behind them. "Hurry!" she told them, getting to her feet, joining Aragorn as they ran again.

"Come on Gimli." Legolas encouraged and followed after the two.

"Three days and nights of pursuit. No food. No rest. No sign of our quarry, but what bare rock can tell." he said more to himself as he followed behind but Amdireil heard him.
She looked to Aragorn as they ran "We are going to have to stop. We can't fight exhausted." She told him. Aragorn agreed. "They are going to have to stop soon too." he said referring to the uruk-hai. "They may be strong but they are not invincible. We will rest when they do." Aragorn told her.

A couple of hours later into the afternoon, they came to a valley-like space. Aragorn and Amdiriel stopped for a moment to catch their breath and let Legolas and Gimli catch up. At Amdiriel's feet, she noticed something but the ranger had noticed it before her and got down on his knees, picking up a shiny green metal from the dirt and grass as Amdiriel joined him on her knees. The two automatically recognizing the leaf brooch as the ones they all carried since their visit to Lothlorien. "Not idly do the leaves of Lórien fall." Aragorn stated. "No, they do not." Amdiriel agreed and took the slightly bent brooch in her hand. Legolas almost passing the two but stopped to see what they were looking at, noticing the brooch immediately. "They may yet be alive." Legolas said, this fact giving them hope.

"Less than a day ahead of us. Come!" Aragorn said as he pushed off his knees to get to his feet to continue running.

Gimli then suddenly comes tumbling down the hill behind them with a loud grunt.

"Come Gimli. We are gaining on them." Legolas calls out as he ran. Gimli picks himself up and continues running. "I'm wasted on cross country. Us, dwarfs are natural sprinters. Very dangerous on the shorter distances." he yelled back. Amdiriel didn't know whether to believe the dwarf because of her lack of interactions with any in the past but then again, strange things have happened.

The hunters then ran up a large hill, stopping to look out over the vast plains of land that laid before them.

" Rohan, home of the horse-lords." Aragorn said as he looked over the land. "Something strange is at work here. Something evil gives speed to these creatures, sets its will against us." Amdiriel knew there was a lot of truth to his words for the last time she had passed through Rohan on her way to Rivendell before going to Bree to help escort the hobbits, she had felt a darkness harbor over the land.

Legolas runs ahead and looks out to the horizon. "Legolas, what do your Elf eyes see?" Asked the ranger. "The Uruks turn northeast. They're taking the hobbits to Isengard!" Legolas replied. "Saruman." said to himself. "He knows. He sen them after us because he knew of the quest, The uruk-hai were to intercept the Ring by bringing the hobbits to him. Saruman would then deliver the Ring to Mordor." She put the puzzle together.

"But what happens when Saruman finds out they have the wrong set of hobbits?" Gimli asked. "Nothing good, I can tell you that." Amdiriel said. This caused them to start running again. They had to reach Merry and Pippin before their captors reached Isengard.