The Return of the King and Queen

Chapter 16: The White Wizard

The four companions mounted the horses Gimli with Legolas on Arod and Amdiriel and Aragorn on Hasufel, rode off to the burning site.

Aragorn got off his horse immediately holding out his hand to aid Amdiriel in dismount the horse as they reached the site while both Legolas looked around in horror. The smell of burning orc and Uruk-hai flesh filled the air. Aragorn and Legolas searched the area while Gimli ran his ax through the burned corpses. Gimli then raised a belt in his hand says something about it but Amdiriel was too consumed in her thoughts. How could they be dead? They were either killed by friends or by the Uruk-hai they did not know.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Aragorn kicked one of the Orc's helmet out of anger before letting out a heart-breaking shout as he fell to his knees, shoulders slumped. "We failed them." Gimli choked out as he held back tears.

Amdiriel knelt beside Aragorn, she took his hand in hers but said nothing until something on the ground she was staring at looked different. "Aragorn." She whispered as she recognized the tracks. He looked up with her the sadness evident in his eyes. "Look." she whispered and pointed down to the tracks. The ranger looked at them for a moment before he could see what she spoke of. "A hobbit laid here." Aragorn said. "And the other here." Amdiriel said as her hands hover over the tracks. Aragorn took a small step forward, Amdiriel next to him as they studied the ground. "They crawled...Their hands were bound." he said. They stood to their feet following the track, Legolas and Gimli following behind them. Amdiriel saw something in the dirt "Not for long." she said and picked up the rope. "Their bonds were cut." She told them while examining the cuts in the ropes. They continued to walk on, now following small footsteps. "They ran over here. They were followed." Aragorn said and pointed to the larger footprints behind the small Elvish boots. Aragorn jogged as he saw the three pairs of footprints go in another direction "Tracks lead away from the battle..." they came to a halt as they stood on the edge of the forest. "...into Fangorn Forest." Aragorn finished.

"Fangorn?" Gimli asked in disbelief, "What madness drove them in there?" he asked. They all looked at each other in silence, they all had heard old stories of the forest but they knew they no other choice but to go in after them. "Well, that would explain why Éomer never saw them?" Amdiriel said and started to walk into the forest. Aragorn following right after her without question.
"Has no one heard the stories of this place?" Gimli grumbled as he followed after Legolas. "Oh, we have but I think I've been in far more dangerous places than this." Amdiriel replied. "Now come, do not be a scared little dwarf." Amdiriel teased as they walked on, Gimli grumbling about how he wasn't scared just concerned about what they might find.

Aragorn, Amdiriel, Legolas, and Gimli walked cautiously through the forest, Aragorn, and Amdiriel following the tracks. A certain bush caught Gimli's eye, it was a beautiful, healthy green but on its leaves were a deep black goop that looked like it had been splat on. The other three had stopped to see what was wrong. Gimli touched the black goop with his fingers. He smelt the dark liquid before tasting it. Gimli's face scrunched up and quickly spit out what he had tasted in disgust.

"Orc blood." he told them with disgust. Aragorn looked down at the now different track "These are strange tracks." he whispered as he felt the ground. "But they are tracks, and they keep going as the hobbit's disappear." Amdiriel noted as she looked ahead.

"The air is so close in here." Gimli stated as he looked around at the trees.

Legolas looked ahead of them "This forest is old. Very old. Full of memory..." he paused and looked around with a frown "...and anger." he finished. All eyes widened as they trees around them groaned. Gimli raised his ax in protection. "The trees are speaking to each other!" Legolas told them as he turned and looked at the others.