Unexpected Fate

Chapter 11: Serenity, Yet Emotion

A gentle rain fell around us, cleaning the sweat from our exposed skin. In any other circumstance, the rain would have hindered us from tracking the troop of Uruk-hai, however, we had Svellevarina, who was able to follow them from far above. We did not move slower than a jog during our chase, our motivation never dimming. More often, though, I found myself offering Gimli small waves of energy so that he may continue, the week of chasing taking more of a toll on the dwarf as the days passed. I made a point to take my place at the back of the group to ensure that none of our small company fell behind.

Our pace slowed as we jogged up one of many hills, allowing me a brief moment to take in our surroundings. We had not reached the highest peak by any means, but the incline of the hill allowed for a reasonable vantage point over the landscape around us.  The hills were separated my vast valleys which shot up into mountains some distance from us. The grass was thin and tall, thriving in such a landscape, however, the trampling of thick boots crushed many of the stalks ahead of us. Pieces of leather could be spotted every now and again on our path, confirming that we were, indeed, on the right track.

Svellevarina flashed an image of a bird that joined the sky with her, it's curved beak indicating that it was a bird of prey. The rain did not seem to have an effect on the bird, nor were the winds strong enough to deter it from it's course, even from their altitude. Upon noticing Svell, the bird called out, shrill and high pitched. Circling around, it eyed her curiously, diving underneath her wings and flying below her for a moment before swooping upwards to fly along side her. She hummed in answer of the bird's second cry. Svell closed the images from me, the interaction now a memory for me. A curious creature, indeed, though not unintelligent by any means. I felt a small pang of longing to be in the sky with my dragon, to enjoy the feeling of the wind caressing my hair and the smell of rain from above. My place at present, however, was on the ground, my skills as a tracker needed below. With the use of my magic, I was able to maintain a connection to both Merry and Pippin, reassuring me of their well-being. The connection, at times, would fade due to the distance that the troop of orcs may have gained, but that only urged our company to push on even faster.

"I still do not fully understand why I am unable to dive upon the orcs to secure the little ones, killing any that get in my way," Svellevarina commented to all of us. This was not the first occasion of her mentioning such an idea to the four of us.

Aragorn was quick to shut it down the first time, and did not hesitate to do so again now. "While I do not doubt your might, dragon, my concern lies in keeping the Hobbits alive. As of now they are not in harms way, Saruman wants them alive. By surprising the orcs with an attack as you suggest, their actions become unpredictable and the safety of Merry and Pippin becomes uncertain to me,"

"Do not worry, your time of ripping the orcs a part will come," Gimli added. "Though, try and save some for me, eh?"

I felt Svellevarina's amusement. "I make no promises, Master Dwarf,"

"Bah, I would expect such a thing,"

Dawn broke, the air cooling off as the sun's rays dimmed around us. It was surprisingly quiet, as if all life around us was in hiding, waiting for a moment when they might be safe again.

"The beasts have stopped. It appears they are setting up camp for the night," Svellevarina shared with the four of us.

"Let us take this time to rest ourselves, we're no good to the Hobbits exhausted and weary," Gimli huffed.

Aragorn came to a stop and turned to face us. "We can also take this opportunity to gain on them,"

"We cannot carry on as we have been for much longer," I replied. "It might be best to take this opportunity now. Svellevarina can notify us when the Uruk-hai are on the move,"