Hello again! Yap, I am alive :P and that was lame I agree... Anyways, I'm not going to annoy you with excuses just a fair warning that this chapter did not come out very nicely...

Anyways, read and enjoy :)

The Two Towers

Chapter 19: Gap of Rohan

Rocks. Lots and lots of rocks. With occasional blades of grass and patches of dirt. How awfully dull. Yet this was the scenery of their already three day run. There were a few things that could get Lara tired, and this cross-country made it to the top of the list. 'When is it going to end? We hardly even stop for drink!' she thought catching up with Aragorn who just stood up from the ground.

"Come on Gimli! Lara!" Legolas's voice rang out loud and clear. At the moment the poor girl envied the elf: not a hair out of place and full of breath.

"Three days' and nights' pursuit. No food. No rest. And no sign of our quarry but what bare rock can tell," Gimli effectively voiced what Lara was going to retort. However Aragorn's warning of the orcs speeding up gave her new strength.

After an hour or so of running Aragorn stopped again, "Not idly do the leaves of Lórien fall…"

"They may yet be alive," Legolas said reassuringly to the future king and Lara had to smile to herself as she saw the fire return to Aragorn's eyes. However the great moment was interrupted when they heard a vile dwarfish curse followed by a tumbling Gimli.

"Master Gimli! This is no time for rest! We need to find Merry and Pippin!" Lara said in her best 'I'm talking to a child' voice as she and Legolas laughed and then ran after Aragorn just as Gimli began to curse again.

"I am wasted on cross-country! We dwarfs are natural sprinters! Very dangerous over short distances!"

"Who are you trying to reassure? Us? Or yourself?" asked Lara just as they came to another stop by a hill. She was sure that Gimli scoffed at her again, but couldn't care less at the moment.

"Rohan. Home of the horse-lords. There is something strange at work here. Some evil gives speed to these creatures, sets its will against us," Aragorn said as he was looking over the landscape before him.

They reached the Gap of Rohan, and it was magnificent! As far as the eye could see, golden grass mixed with green and smoke… wait… smoke?

"Legolas, what do your Elf-eyes see?"

"The Uruks turn northeast. They're taking the hobbits to Isengard!" Lara nearly cracked up remembering all the jokes and remixes she watched on YouTube to that single phrase, but realizing the seriousness of the situation simply held her expression stoic and expressionless.

"Saruman!" Aragorn nearly spat out the name like Sauron himself.

After another night and day of running Lara was beginning to feel very weary. Her weapons and bag were weighing her down, she wanted a shower, and she was hungry. I think I lost more weight than I ever did on any of my adventures! She thought tiredly as they crossed another grass filled path. Problem was Aragorn could no longer hear the Uruks, nor Legolas see them. Lara knew what happened but that didn't mean that she knew were to go to find that pile of burning carcasses.

"Quickly! Hide!" Lara looked up from her thoughts towards Legolas who was motioning towards a pile of boulders and realized that they were about to meet the great Riders of Rohan. She felt the ground shaking as hundreds of horse hoofs hit it all at once in their charge. She saw them ride by with gleaming golden armor. Wait, where's Aragorn?

"Riders of Rohan! What news from the mark?" at these words Lara scrambled from the ground and stood out with Gimli, Legolas, and Aragorn just as the leader of the Riders made a signal for them to turn around. In less than a second the four were surrounded.

"What business does an Elf, a man, and a Dwarf have in the Riddermark? Speak quickly!" the leader spoke in a strait 'no questions asked' tone, Does he not notice me here? Or is he like Boromir with all that "you're a girl so no one cares"?

"Give me your name Horsemaster, and I shall give you mine," Gimli spoke as if teaching someone manners. The leader gave his spear to one of his men and climbed off the horse evidently angry. Aragorn noticed that too and placed a hand on Gimli's shoulder protectively.

"I would cut off your head, Dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground."

"You would die before your stroke fell!" Legolas's bow was now pointing at Éomer's head and just as fast Lara felt a spear poking her back, Male pride…

Aragorn decided to step in at this moment and with a warning glance to Legolas lowered the elf's bow, "I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. This is Gimli, son of Glóin and Legolas of the Woodland realm. We are friends of Rohan and of Théoden, your king."

"I noticed that you have not named your other companion," said Éomer pointing at Lara.

Lara herself just saw Aragorn about to open his mouth but spoke before he could, "I noticed that you failed to mention my being here before," she was smirking at the man who was slightly shocked. However she found herself on the receiving end of the famous Aragorn glare.

"You need not worry about her, as I said we are friends of you King," Éomer looked back at the ranger and removed his helmet.

"Théoden no longer recognises friend from foe. Not even his own kin," at this the Riders removed their spears and held them strait once again, "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, as an old man, hooded and cloaked," here he looked at her and Legolas with a suspicious look, "And everywhere his spies slip past our nets."

"We are no spies. We track a party of Uruk-hai westward across the plain. They've taken two of our friends captive."

"The Uruks are destroyed. We slaughtered them during the night."

"But there were two hobbits. Did you see two hobbits with them?" Gimli's voice were urgent.

"They would be small – only children to your eyes," unlike his companion, Aragorn remained calm, even though Lara knew how worried he truly was.

"We left none alive. We piled the carcasses and burned them."

"Dead?"

"I am sorry," Éomer finished this with a short wistle.

"Hasufel! Arod! May these horses bear you to better fortune than their former masters. Farewell," the two horses neighed silently as if saying goodbye to their comrades, Wait… Two horses?

Before Lara could say anything, Éomer already sprang up onto his horse and put on his helmets.

"Look for your friends. But do not trust to hope, it has forsaken these lands. We ride north!"

"There's always hope. You just need to chose to see it," as she spoke those words in a solemn tone Éomer gave her a surprised look then nodded ridding away. Lara watched them ride and let her thoughts wonder for a little.

"Come on! We must move," the voice brought her back to the present and she swiftly jumped up onto the brown horse, just as Aragorn sat behind her. They rode the short distance towards the burn site and Lara cringed at the smell. She walked a short distance away and sat down into a meditative pose, closing her eyes, and relaxing her muscles, Finally some rest. Aragorn's pain filled scream brought her out of her relaxed state nearly as soon as she thought that.

"Why are you-" she began to say then realized that he must think that the hobbits are dead.

"We failed them…" Lara nearly laughed at the trio that were either praying or inspecting the ground.

"Don't you think that I would have been sadder if you did?" she asked them as they turned. Aragorn gave her a halfhearted glare but something on the ground caught his attention.

"A hobbit lay here, and the other," his very posture showed that he had given up already, "They crawled. Their hands were bound," Lara smiled as the spark of life came back to the males' eyes as Aragorn crawled over the ground searching for more clues, "Their bonds were cut. They ran over here. They were followed. Their tracks lead away from the battle…" now they were all standing in front of the ancient forest.

"Fangorn," Gimli's voice was laced with distaste, "What madness drove them there?"

"You going to stand there, or are we going to try and rescue the hobbits?" she asked with an impatiently raised eyebrow. They weren't letting her relax, yet they weren't doing anything else either.

"I say we camp tonight, we know they're safe," at the skeptical looks she received, Lara rolled her eyes, "I know they're safe. Just trust me, we all need some sleep!" Aragorn reluctantly nodded and they began setting up camp slightly off the side of the burning pile of corpses. The sun was already setting, coating the landscape with a pinkish hue. Lara sat down once again into a meditative pose, yet didn't close her eyes. Finally a sunset I can enjoy. And a beautiful one at that… I wonder if Haldir can see it back in Lothlórien. Wait, why am I even concerned? I need some sleep... And with that the tomb raider fell into a for once peaceful sleep.

So there you have it. Please review! I need them!