Prequel to my version of The Lord of The Rings trilogy

Borders of Fangorn

The six hunters halted their horses beside the grim pile, dismounting with heavy hearts. Their gaze fell upon the smoldering remains with a mixture of sorrow and dismay. Gimli, with a half-hearted attempt, sifted through the charred remnants of orcs with his axe, eventually retrieving one of the hobbits' sheathes. He turned to face the others, his expression a reflection of their shared despair.

"It's one of their wee belts," Gimli said mournfully, his voice heavy with grief.

Aragorn, overcome with anguish, kicked at a nearby helmet, his cry of defeat echoing through the desolate landscape as he sank to his knees, head bowed in despair. "We failed them," he whispered, the weight of their loss pressing heavily upon him.

Gimli's words hung in the air, a somber acknowledgment of their collective failure. But amidst the palpable sense of loss, Aragorn's keen eyes caught something amidst the debris, a glimmer of hope flickering within him.

Drawing closer, he examined the ground, noting faint marks left behind. With a sense of determination, he followed the trail, his companions - Legolas, Liv, David, and Saya - close behind.

"A hobbit lay here. And the other," Aragorn announced, his voice steady despite the turmoil within him. His eyes followed the path, tracing the journey of their friends through the chaos of battle.

"They crawled," he observed, his tone grim as he pointed out the signs of struggle and desperation etched into the earth.

As they pressed forward, Aragorn's tracking skills revealed a crucial detail - their hands had been bound, but their bonds were cut, a testament to their resilience in the face of adversity.

Following the trail with unwavering determination, Aragorn's gaze settled upon a short length of rope buried amidst the trampled grass. "Their bonds were cut," he stated, a glimmer of hope reigniting within him.

With each step, they pieced together the harrowing journey of their friends, the tracks leading away from the battlefield, toward the forbidding darkness of Fangorn Forest.

Stopping short at the edge of the dense woodland, Aragorn's voice broke the silence. "Into Fangorn Forest," he declared, his resolve unyielding despite the uncertainty that lay ahead.

The hunters stood on the threshold, their eyes fixed on the tangled maze of ancient trees that loomed before them, a silent sentinel guarding the secrets within.

"Fangorn. What madness drove them in there?" Gimli wondered aloud, his voice tinged with a mixture of concern and bewilderment.

Liv, her patience wearing thin, interjected with a hint of irritation. "Oh, I don't know, Gimli. Maybe they were trying to escape from the enemy," she retorted, her frustration evident.

David, ever the voice of reason, offered a subtle reminder to his companion. "Liv, let's keep our emotions in check. We need to stay focused and we can't risk the others finding out about the baby" he whispered, his words a gentle admonition.

Realizing her lapse, Liv offered a sheepish apology. "You're right. Sorry, Gimli. I don't know what came over me," she conceded, her demeanor softened by the gravity of their situation.

With their resolve renewed, the six hunters stood united, poised on the brink of the unknown, uncertain of what lay ahead but steadfast in their determination to find their lost companions.