Ashes ⇝Legolas

†16†

CHAPTER SIXTEEN
HOPE LOST

It was the time not even two hours in passing that had rather unfortunately brought Nesryn up— of course, she did consider herself that way for she slept almost none as even before the sun had began rising on the darkness above, they were ready to carry further beneath the only light a fading moon bringing itself to disappearance as the light of a new day danced to the sky.

Red spilled over the horizon, flew like a bloody river closing in on the fading stars which began shining less and less as in the end Nesryn could not see a single trace of them still littering the sky above. She halted in watching the stars pass by, running over a smaller cliff as the four travellers stopped in orientation.

"Red sun rises," Legolas uttered carefully. "Blood has been spilled this night." Nesryn released quite a burdened sigh, filtering through her nose it drew short as Legolas nodded her to follow again, for she had stopped for quite some time after the insomnia previously felt— shortly after had she began following the rest again, rather pacing her steps so they could at least match Gimli's with much difficultly as Nesryn had began to fall behind more with further going. Yet then, Aragorn stopped, as if spying for any sudden trace of enemy moving freely.

The woman caught up with Legolas whose steps had faltered near the concentrated man. "Why have we stopped?" Nesryn spoke up heavily, guiding herself not to let tiredness close her eyes and in expectation of an answer when loud rumble of hooves gave to her notice it was exactly what Aragorn had heard. The sounds flooded her mind, so hard it was for Nesryn to bring herself thinking of anything aside what it stood as if heavy stone rolling down a hill with yet no stopping, for there was nothing which could do so.

Aragorn was the first to give a reaction to the horses, as he beaconed Nesryn and then Legolas and Gimli to follow him behind a separate cluster of rock nested by the grassy road— in last moment that she settled next to the man, a whole cavalry passed, in no way noticing four travellers hidden as Nesryn tightly gripped the harder surface of a rock to her left only in hopes of seeing who was it that left such an impact on Aragorn—she did recognise them as Riders of Rohan, green flags flaunting in the force their fast movement had left and spears gripped in the hands.

Nesryn had never had liking toward the kingdom of Rohan, perhaps it was quite true she did not have certain like for anyone except the Woodland Realm she had passed in search for the Dwarven company, which had sadly then already left. Nonetheless, the encounter with King Thranduil was yet one of the pleasant in comparison to what she had learned of his ruthlessness and pride, for he had let her go after learning she was indeed searching the company of Dwarves.

Nesryn stood rather quickly despite the fact she felt none other but eyes constantly closing, for she had noticed Aragorn sprinted toward the opening the riders have left when passing by and brought herself up to follow after the man.

"Riders of Rohan!" Aragorn yelled out to them, on both his right and left, surrounding him three other companions. "What news from the Mark?" At his shout the leader of their group had his spear pointed up above in signal to others it was necessary to turn around.

Despite the fast approaching horses, trotting with no sign they would stop if reached the travellers, yet still Nesryn stood her ground as the soldiers in shiny, green armor trotted up to the four and enclosed them in a small circular shape. The sounds that previously made Nesryn deaf to the outside creased to silence, cutting through her silence spears directly at her forehead which rather glistened with their sharp edges; to the happening Nesryn directed the two men holding spears with an annoyed look which soon grew into a small smirk as she held out her own weapon in counter attack.