Faramir and his rangers left early the next day. Their ambush of the Haradrim had been successful evidently, but I hadn't seen Faramir since; One of his men had told me that they had found something important during the ambush, but he would not say what. Further, some sort of commotion had taken place in the night, though what exactly had happened I did not know. Rumors were that some strange creature had been captured, a spy of Sauron sent to watch the hideout. The thought filled me with unease.

I agreed to stay for a day longer, but I knew that even that was a risky proposition. This forest would soon be swarming with the servants of the Enemy, making our journey to Cair Sirion exponentially more difficult.

I sent the men I had selected for the mission out into the forest to scout, in hopes that they would find an easier path north that would keep us concealed from the enemy. All of them had returned by evening, and their news wasn't reassuring.

"Haradrim have set up camps all along the road," Ohtar explained as he showed me on the map. "Fortunately, they're dumb as rocks and easy to sneak past. But if they keep multiplying as fast as they have over the past three days, we won't be able to pass at all."

"Going through the forest to the north is always an option, though," Thorondir interjected as he came to my side. "Aside from the stray orc patrol, the way is clear. It'll put us several hours behind schedule but it would be far safer than the alternative."

I glanced over at Uirion, who was silently sharpening his curved dagger in the corner. "What about you? Do you have any ideas?"

He looked up darkly and shook his head, but declined to say anything.

"I think Thorondir's approach is the best one," Eradan said, rising from his seat and moving to the opposite side of the table. "It might take us longer, perhaps, but we have horses. And our mission requires stealth, which the forest can provide us."

"Either way, we're behind enemy lines now," Thorondir replied. "Every inch of land east of the Anduin is being watched. Any option is dangerous."

I nodded in understanding, poring over the map in an attempt to find anything that we had possibly missed.

"Lots of killing will be involved either way," Ohtar said after a moment, shaking his head grimly. "I'd rather be killing orcs than men, even though they're evil men."

Uirion let out a derisive snort from the corner, but I attempted to ignore him. "Then your vote is to take the forest path?"

"This isn't a democracy," Thorondir said, leaning back against the grotto wall. "It's your call. But I agree with Ohtar. Shooting other men doesn't sit well with me if we can prevent it."

Eradan nodded. "It's your choice, brother."

I rested against the table, running through the different scenarios in my mind. Neither were ideal, but at this point the ideal choices had disappeared with the sun as it set this evening.

"We make for the forest road first thing in the morning," I asserted, sounding more confident than I felt. "Be ready to travel at first light."

===============================

By the next morning, the wounded had recovered enough to travel, or at least to carry those who couldn't walk with them. Aerel sent them along a path to the south, one that wound around the Haradrim camps and led to the bridge that I had taken across the Anduin two days earlier. It wasn't entirely safe, but it would allow them to reach Minas Tirith with minimal enemy contact.

My team, on the other hand, was setting out on a far more perilous road. Uirion had scouted ahead and informed me that the orc patrols had become more active, possibly due to Faramir's departure the day before. We would have to proceed with extreme caution.

Aerel, much to my surprise, was the first one ready. I quickly learned that this was because she wore no armor, only a simple tunic and riding trousers.

"M'lady," I began as I approached her, careful to sound polite. "Perhaps a cuirass or hauberk would be useful to you. Faramir and his men left a significant amount of armaments in the armory."

She shook her head, smiling kindly at me. "I'll be fine, captain. Eru watches over me."

My first thought was that she was mad, but I refrained from voicing it. "Be that as it may, we'll be riding into a war zone. One stray arrow could be the death of you."

"I appreciate your concern... Really I do," She replied. "But I've been in my share of battles, and I've never needed more than what I'm wearing now. I know many are skeptical of any higher power, but I've seen far too much not to believe that someone's watching over us all."

The way she said it didn't sound mad... It didn't even sound like religious fervor. It sounded logical.

I tried to dismiss the seed of doubt that her words had planted in my mind. "Very well then," I said, my tone subdued. "Pick a horse from the stable. I'll make sure the rest of the men hurry."

"Thank you, captain," she nodded as she moved to carry out my order. She was an unusual one... I made a mental note to speak to her more during our mission.

"All ready, sir," Thorondir chimed in as he and Uirion rounded the corner. Both were clad in the garb of rangers, though Uirion also wore a steel Gondorian helm that looked as if it had been through far too many battles without being maintained. Thorondir held an elegant shortbow; It was adorned with several swan-shaped ships, engraved in silver into the sturdy wood. The bow, at least, must've been from Pelargir, the main port city of Gondor. I wondered if he too might not be from there.

"Nice bow," I commented, hoping to elicit an answer to my theory. He gave me a lopsided grin.

"Won it in a game of cards," he said proudly. "One of the few benefits to frequenting taverns and places of ill repute."

I nodded. I wasn't truly surprised, though I was beginning to hope that there was something endearing about him other than his witty remarks.

Uirion rolled his eyes and strode down the hallway, motioning for Thorondir to follow. He gave me a shrug and hurried after his companion.

About an hour later, everyone was ready. Horses had been tacked up, weapons had been sharpened, and armor had been cleaned and fastened on. A mixture of excitement and apprehension filled me as we rode out into the forest, which was just beginning to wake up from a peaceful slumber. A gentle breeze kissed the yellow wildflowers that were interspersed in the underbrush as bees hovered lazily around them, collecting pollen and nectar in preparation for the coming winter. The euphonious calls of morning birds echoed through the trees, melding with the occasional bleat of nearby deer. If I didn't know better, I would think that war was far off at the sight of such beauty.

But I did know better.

=====================

Several hours passed without incident. The only sign of orcs was a small campfire that appeared to be over a day old, and Eradan stated that it was likely that the orcs had headed west from there, based on the tracks he had seen. After a while we began to risk quiet conversation when we were certain we wouldn't be heard, still remaining wary for anything that seemed out of the ordinary.

"So, captain," Thorondir began cordially. "How's the heartland of Gondor faring of late? I've been on the frontier for far too long."

I gave a shrug. "Truth be told, the war is hitting the main cities hard as well. We've been dealing with a constant stream of wounded soldiers from Osgiliath. The battle there never really ended."

He hummed in agreement. "It must be in ruins by now, then."

"It is, unfortunately," I said, my tone one of regret. "I wish I had seen it in its glory days. It was once the gem of our kingdom, more beautiful than the White City itself."

Aerel joined in. "I never saw it either, but my father did. He would say that the sunlight made the entire city glow."

To my surprise, Uirion let out a snort of derision. "Don't listen to the stories, 'twas just like any other city. Beautiful from the outside, perhaps, but full of stink and excrement just under the surface."

Aerel flinched a little, taken aback by his words. "But I've heard-"

"What you heard means jack-shite out here," he growled back, shooting her a dark look. "There's nothing of beauty in this world. Not anymore."

"No need to be so crude," I interjected. It seemed as if the mention of Osgiliath had struck a nerve with the older warrior, but I wasn't about to let him speak so rudely to Aerel. She most likely felt unwelcome enough as it was.

"No need to be so naive, either," he said. "Naivety about the good of this world is what got us here in the first place."

"We may not be in the company of nobility anymore," I replied, keeping my tone as even as I could. "But as the acting commander here I demand that you show the lady more respect."

"Respect! Pah!" Uirion spat onto the muddy ground, his tone rising with anger. "We're surrounded by orcs, trolls, and Eru knows what else, and you speak to me of respect? Don't be ridiculous."

He wheeled his steed around to face me, coming within inches of my face. "You may wear the heraldry of an officer, but that means nothing out here. Nothing. You know nothing of what it's like being in the midst of the enemy, or of staring death in the face. Don't speak of respect to me, Tower Guard."

At first I was unsure how to respond to such brazen disrespect; Though I had expected some amount of uncooperativeness, I hadn't expected it so soon. Perhaps he was testing me... In which case, I would rise to the challenge.

I drew my sword, the distinct ring of steel filling the forest. Uirion's horse took two steps back, bucking his commands. "You will respect every member of this company, or so help me you'll hang with the deserters." Each word was calm, but spoken with utter, deadly conviction. I would do what I had to.

He met my glare, his expression one of defiance. The silence that followed was as cold and deadly as a winter storm, threatening to shatter like a pane of fragile glass. I held his stare, willing him to challenge me openly. After a moment that seemed like a lifetime he finally averted his gaze, and I slowly nodded in triumph.

"Any further insubordination by anyone, and I mean anyone, will be dealt with swiftly and without mercy. Am I understood?"

I waited for each member of the Company, including Uirion, to acknowledge me before continuing.

"Like Uirion so graciously pointed out," I stated, motioning to the forest around us. "We're behind enemy lines now. I'm in charge. The steward's laws don't apply out here, mine do. If I see another example of such disrespect, you will learn to fear me."

Without another word I spun my horse around and spurred him forward, but not before noticing a nod of thanks from Aerel and an impressed smile from Eradan. I also noticed that his hand was resting on the hilt of his sword. The thought reassured me somewhat. Even if everyone else turned against me, I would have one ally.

Perhaps I had been a little too forceful with Uirion. But I had dealt with those who questioned my authority before. The gentle approach was rarely the right one.

Another hour passed in heavy silence, nobody willing to strike up conversation for fear of starting another confrontation.

Every now and again I heard what I thought were other hooves tromping on either side of our path, but whenever I detected it it faded soon after. Once, too, I thought I heard a shrill whistle, unlike that of any bird I had ever heard before. Long and monotoned, almost like a signal of some sort. Maybe I was just paranoid...

I barely noticed Uirion come to my side. When he spoke, his tone was subdued. "We're being followed."

I glanced over at him, surprised that he was even talking to me. "You heard it too?"

He nodded. "Horsemen. Orcs don't ride horses." For the moment, our conflict seemed to be dismissed in the midst of this more pressing concern.

"So they're men," I replied. "Haradrim?"

He nodded again, his expression grave. "That whistle was a Haradrim stalker call. We're being hunted."

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Wow, that was a tense chapter to write! I hope y'all enjoy it though, I don't usually have that much dialogue in a single chapter!