We set up camp for the night. The group soon fell asleep and I walked down to a river. I sat there with my knees up to my face for a while before Legolas joined me. We didn't say anything for a few minutes.

"Legolas, I am so sorry for being mean to you," I said, my eyes filling with tears. I wanted him to comfort me but he didn't to my dismay. 

"Why were you mad at me?" I looked at my hands before speaking. 

"When I had kissed Haldir, I felt nothing. When I kissed Boromir, I felt nothing. But when you kissed me, I felt something." Legolas half-smiled at me. I looked at his lips and had the urge to kiss them. Then I decided that is what I would do. 

I leaned in and pressed my lips to Legolas's. He began kissing me back until we broke away. Legolas was smiling at me and I felt myself smiling as well. Legolas laid down and I laid beside him, my head resting on his chest. 

"Do you think this is too fast?" he questioned after a while of contentment. 

"I don't know but when the future isn't always guaranteed, going slow isn't always a choice." He accepted my answer before nuzzling my neck. 

* 

We ran, Gimli complaining most of the way. His little obese self couldn't keep up with the rest of us. Soon we came to a stream and Aragorn picked up something off the ground. It was the leaf brooch from Lothlorien. 

"Not idly do the leaves of Lorien fall," Legolas spoke in a troubled voice. 

"They may yet be alive." Aragorn looked around and began running again. I heard Gimli grumble causing Aragorn to add, "Less than a day ahead of us. Come."

* 

Legolas stood on top of a rock, looking out over the land. I twirled a piece of hair in boredom. 

"Legolas! What do your elf eyes see?" Aragorn asked him. 

"The Uruks turn northeast. They're taking the hobbits to Isengard!" Legolas yelled in reply and Aragorn mumbled, "Saruman."

* 

The sun rose above us as we kept searching. Legolas looked up at it with dread. 

"A red sun rises. Blood has been spilled this night." Actually, if the sky is red in the morning, that meant it was going to storm but I didn't say anything. Aragorn felt that my commentary wasn't needed. We continued to track the hobbits until Aragorn stopped to examine the ground again. We heard horses neighing and it was coming closer. Aragorn motioned for us to hide behind a rock formation. A few seconds later, horses rode by. Aragorn calmly walked out and said, "Riders of Rohan, what news from the Mark?" The riders turned around and circled us, raising their spears in suspicion.  

"What business does two elves, a man and a dwarf have in the Riddermark?" the man asked, and then added, "Speak quickly!" 

"Give me your name, horse master and I shall give you mine," Gimli said defiantly and I snickered. The man walked in front of me. He had a look in his eyes that showed that he was attracted to me. Looks like I have the trump card here. I smiled with as much charm as I could muster. 

"Brave warrior, I am Arietta, daughter of Adalia." The man's eyes trailed up and down my body before he bowed.  

"My name is Eomer. It's an honor to stand in front of such beauty." Yep, we definitely had an advantage here. 

"This is Aragorn, son of Arathorn, Gimli, son of Gloin, and Legolas of the Woodland Realm. We are friends of Rohan and of Théoden, your king," I said, introducing the remaining fellowship. 

"Théoden no longer recognizes friend from foe." Eomer removed his helmet. 

"Not even his own kin," he added. The army put down their spears as Eomer continued speaking. 

"Saruman has poisoned the mind of the king and claimed lordship over these lands. My company is those loyal to Rohan. And for that, we are banished. The white wizard is cunning. He walks here and there, they say, as an old man hooded and cloaked. And everywhere, his spies slip past our nets." The last part came out accusingly. I rested my hand onto his arm, earning a jealous look from Legolas. Does he want to woo Eomer too? 

"We are no spies. We track a party of Uruk-Hai westward across the plain. They have taken two of our friends captive," Aragorn said defensively. 

"The Uruks were destroyed. We slaughtered them during the night." Gimli sprang forward, not in anger but desperation. 

"But there were two hobbits. Did you see two hobbits with them?"  

"They would be small. Only children to your eyes," Aragorn added with the same desperation in his voice. Eomer just shook his head. 

"We left none alive. We piled the carcasses and burned them." I stared numbly at Eomer. 

"No, you are lying! You have to be!" I yelled at him. My sudden outburst caught him off guard. 

"I am sorry," Eomer said sympathetically. He turned around and whistled. Three horses came forward. 

"May these horses bear you to better fortune than their former masters. Farewell." They quickly rode off as we climbed onto the horses and rode to the pile of burning carcasses. We dismounted and looked around the pile. Aragorn turned to me with a hopeful look. Uh-oh. 

"Gandalf told me that you can bring people back to life. If we found Merry and Pippin, could you do that?" I gave him a sad smile. 

"I can but there will be a price. For every life that is given, one must be taken away of equal or greater value. To bring Merry and Pippin back, I would have to take two lives away and I can't do that. Besides, the body also has to be in good condition." Aragorn's face fell as he kicked a helmet and fell to the ground in despair. I looked around and saw two molds of hobbit bodies. 

"Aragorn look!" I said, pointing at the grass spot. We followed their tracks to the edge of a forest. 

"They ran into Fangorn Forest." 

Hunt in the Magic Forest

copyright 2011 by jon gutmacher

In the forest

running deer . . .

swift of hoof

hunters near

from the King

their message clear

bring one back

for Feast

is near

Armed with arrow

armed with bow

no sword on belt

but knife in tow

swiftly thru the tree filled wood

silent

do they go

Fairies hide

gnomes dig deep

trolls are watching

from their keep

the magic of the forest trees

disappears as men

approach

One must die

to save us all

so we live

one must fall

and from the wood

comes stag so strong

sacrificed

by magic call

That he dies is not the thing

"You are remembered!"

the fairies sing

but accepts his fate

so slow

stoic as this day

must go

arrow swift

and arrow deep

straight to heart

its point does seek

oh, so quick

and oh, so fast

that in death

the rest

will last

Taken back to castle hall

head to grace

a castle wall

skin to clothe a hunter's back

meat for all

as embers crack

And the circle

now complete

until the time

comes next