The Moons Halo of Light

Horse Lords and Saviour Kai

Important note!: All elvish will be in italics and underlined.
Enjoy 😊

I looked up to the dawn breaking as I ran. Legolas's words hung in the air and my chest filled with dread. Merry and Pippin had only learned some basic sword play and were not fast or strong enough to take down an opponent without a considerable amount of luck. They would have been disarmed of their small blades by the Uruk-hai by now. But I couldn't understand who the battle was between. The orcs had carried the two hobbits alive from what we pieced together of Aragorn's tracking skills. It made no sense that they would seek to harm them this close to Isengard. Saruman must of ordered the hobbits to be brought back alive, hoping they would have the ring of power. I just hoped that the hobbits quick thinking saved them from harm.

A sound in the distance stopped me in my tracks, Legolas and Aragorn stopped just behind each of my shoulders. "Horses! And no small number either" I whisper yelled behind me. Aragorn signalled us to hide behind some boulders just below the top of the hill. Gimli just made it behind the rock before a large company of riders from Rohan galloped over and down the hill, their banners flying proudly. We follow Aragorn's lead and come out of hiding. "Riders of Rohan, what news from the mark?" Aragorn bellowed after them, trying to attract their attention. A rider from the lead of the horse-men signalled for the company to turn and they charged back and surrounded us, pointing their spears uncomfortably close to our necks. We shuffled back to back, as if to defend on each front, but did not draw our weapons. We are four skilled warriors, but there was no chance we could fight our way out so outnumbered. The leader pushed his horse to the front. "What business does two elves, a man and a dwarf have in the Riddermark? Speak quickly!" he demanded in a strong but young voice. He could not be more than his late twenty's, early thirty's. His face was handsome, but showed his experience in battle. Gimli huffed in arrogance, "give me your name, horse-master, and I shall give you mine". I have always admired Gimli's confident tongue in the face of danger but in this instance Iwish he left the talking to someone who would not invite a battle we were unlikely to win. The horse lord jumped off his horse and squared up to Gimli. Aragorn placed his hand on Gimli's shoulder. "I would cut off your head, dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground." Legolas had an arrow pointed at the leaders head in an instant. It happened so quick the riders took a second before they pushed their spears closer to Legolas. "You would die before your stroke fell!" He thundered. I put my hands on his shoulders trying to relax him before he did something stupid. Aragorn stepped slightly in from of Legolas and pushed his arm holding his bow down and turns to the horse lord again. "I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. This is Gimli son of Gloin and Legolas and Ayla of the Woodland realm. We are friends of Rohan and of Theoden, your king". I did not outwardly show my shock of Aragorn claiming I am from Mirkwood and not of the Ohtar elves. It was probably the right thing to do. We did not even know if these young men know anything of my people, and it could put me in danger of being suspicious.

The young lord took off his helmet. "Theoden no longer recognises friend from foe, not even is own kin" his face held a shadow of despair. The riders then withdrew their spears and my muscles relaxed. "My name is Eomer, nephew to the king. Saruman has poisoned the mind of the king and claimed lordship over these lands. My company are those loyal to Rohan. And for that we are banished. The white wizard is cunning. He walks here and there, they say, an old man hooded and cloaked. And everywhere his spies slip past our nets" he looked at us suspiciously. "We are not spies. We track a party of Uruk-hai westward across the plain. They have taken two of our friends captive" Aragorn pleaded with Eomer. Realisation dawned on Eomer's face. "The Uruks were destroyed. We slaughtered them during the night" he proudly stated. "But there were two hobbits! Did you see two hobbits with them?!" Gimli pleaded and Aragorn stepped closer to Eomer, "They would be small. Only children to your eyes". Eomer shook his head, and my heart dropped again. "We left none alive. We piled the carcasses and burned them", as he gestured to the black smoke still rising in the distance.