It was evening by the time the small company reached the eaves of Fangorn Forest. A great, burning pile of orc corpses had been erected and beside it, a pile of armor and weapons lay. The air stank of rotting, burning flesh and boiling blood. It was absolutely disgusting. Miril wrinkled her nose and covered it with her cloak in an attempt to shield herself from the fumes as they got close.

"The hobbits must be dead, I'm afraid," Gimli sighed as he looked on the fire.

Miril disagreed. "Do not forget they were clothed like us, in elven grey. It is possible they slipped through undetected."

"Indeed," Aragorn agreed. "Anyways, we will not depart this place tonight. We need rest and I will search with the light of day."

Aragorn and Gimli were quite cold that night as they sat beneath the edge of the trees. They each had only one blanket. Gimli spoke up.

"Let us light a fire," he suggested, shivering. "It might attract the hobbits!"

Aragorn grimaced. "Or other things. We are close to the northern neck of Saruman's lands. Besides, you should not put axe to any living tree here."

"We'll collect dead wood then," Gimli argued.

In the end, Aragorn relented and agreed. Legolas and Gimli started collecting fallen wood and piling it together. Miril, meanwhile, was standing apart from the group, staring off into the dark forest.

Aragorn walked up to her and asked her what the matter was. "Are you alright?"

"Indeed," she sighed. "I just can't quite tell... well this forest doesn't seem evil. Not like Mirkwood. Why did Lord Celeborn warn us against it?"

Aragorn shrugged. "I have always been told there is a danger in Fangorn. Always. Never have I entered this wood for more than a day or so. But I have been told it is deadly."

Miril walked forward towards the trees and took a whiff of air. "It does not smell evil. But it does smell ancient."

Aragorn nodded. "I'm going to rest. If you're going to be up, take first watch would you?"

Miril smiled and turned to him. "Of course. I will wake Gimli when my turn is up."

Aragorn nodded in agreement and went back the few paces to where the fire was. Already Legolas was lying motionless on the ground, eyes unseeing as he bent living world and deep dream as the elves did. Gimli looked tired so Aragorn told him to rest, and told him he was up for watch after Miril's turn. The elder Dunedain Ranger then went to bed as well leaving Miril awake alone.

She spent much of her time looking and listening to the forest. She listened to the rustle of the leaves, the scratching of branches against one another. She watched the shadows dance beneath the bows. She sat beside the fire, tending to it.

Suddenly Miril rose from her seat and walked forward towards the nearest tree less than a few paces away. She placed her hand on the trunk and breathed deeply. The tree was very much alive. It felt different even from the Mellyrn of Lothlorien. No, this tree felt more like the trees of the Old Forest.

"Be careful if you travel there alone, Miril," Halbarad told his daughter who had just finished her formal training in the arts of the Rangers. "The Old Forest can be very dangerous."

"I'll be sure to take someone, father." Miril smiled. "I know. I'll take Althea!"

Althea was Miril's closest friend among the Rangers. The blonde haired, blue eyed Ranger was nearly thirty at this point, five years older than Miril. She even looked twice Miril's age due to the slower bodily aging of the half-elf. But the two were good friends nonetheless.

"Come on Althea," Miril said, grabbing the ranger by the arm. "Halbarad wants us to check out the Old Forest."

Althea smiled. "Hold on, Miril. Let me get my gear!"

Althea jogged back to her tent to retrieve her sword and cloak. Throwing them on, she was ready to go and told Miril this. They both set out at a steady pace along the secret paths beside the road.

The day passed by slowly to the two women. But eventually they reached the eaves of the forest and ducked beneath the trees. Miril, having been in the forest only briefly before, allowed the more experienced Althea to take the lead. She led them by hidden ways and unmarked paths.

"There's someone your father wanted you to meet," Althea told Miril. "He's kind of unique."

"Someone lives in this wood?" Miril asked in surprise. "I can feel the malice radiating off these trees. Who would, or could, live here?"

"His name is Tom Bombadil. No one quite knows what he is," Althea admitted.

At the name of Bombadil, a great tree branch fell from a high place and landed but inches from Althea. Miril glared at the trees around her. This wood was very much alive and kicking. They had to be very careful indeed.

The Old Forest was filled with malice, and Miril could tell there were places within this Fangorn Forest that felt similarly black. But those places were far away. The trees near them were merely watchful, guarded. Maybe a bit suspicious.

She continued watch for another hour before she felt sleep demanding to take over. Rousing Gimli, Miril laid her head down on her pack and fell immediately into slumber. But soon enough she was awoken when Gimli made a loud noise jumping to his feet.

Aragorn, Legolas, and Miril all jumped or sat up in response. They looked where Gimli was facing and found an old man leaning on a staff.

"Can we help you, good father?" Aragorn asked loudly to him. "Come and be warm, if you so desire!"

Everyone was thinking the same: Saruman. Éomer had warned the four hunters that he wandered around hooded and cloaked. Yet this man had only one of those two, for he wore a wide brimmed hat, not a hood.

As soon as Aragorn moved towards the old man, he was gone. No trace of him that they could see was left, but they dared not investigate too far from the fire for the moon had set and it was pitch black.

"Saruman, perhaps?" Gimli grumbled.

"The horses!" Legolas cried. "The horses are gone!"

Far off the heard the whinnying and neighing of their horses. It was faint and distant. They all groaned at their misfortune.

"What will we tell Éomer?" Miril asked. "We lost his horses!"

"We'll have to get to Éomer first," Gimli pointed out. "And we'll have to walk there, evidently. For that I am very upset."

"Just this morning you wouldn't get on a horse!" Legolas laughed. "You'll make a rider yet."

Aragorn ordered they sleep some more, he himself taking up watch. He had much to think about.