The smell of smoke awoke me from the light sleep I had fallen into despite my best efforts. I glanced over at the campfire, expecting it to be the source of the pungent odor. 

My eyes widened in shock when I saw that this wasn't the case at all. Instead, devouring flames leapt from bough to bough, and the entire forest was alight in a pale orange glow. The trees popped and cracked as the flames consumed them, threatening to fall at any minute. 

"Wake up!" I shouted hoarsely, immediately choking on the smoke that was beginning to surround us. 

Thorondir was the first to stir, leaping into action almost immediately. He shook the others awake, each of them responding with varying degrees of surprise at our predicament. 

"How'd it start??" Thorondir asked as he came to my side. The flames reflected in his sky-blue eyes, dancing to and fro like a writhing serpent. 

I shrugged, still bewildered by the sudden fire myself. "It couldn't have been the campfire," I pointed out, motioning to the dying embers. 

"I suppose it doesn't matter," the archer replied grimly. "We need to get out of here, quick." 

Aerel let out an exclamation as she pointed out into the night. "Look!" 

My heartbeat quickened in fear as I followed her gaze. Dark figures moved to and fro just out of the light of the flames. There were too many to count. 

Thorondir fired an arrow into the night, and a cry of pain almost immediately followed. The figures stirred, but still stayed just out of sight in the murky darkness beyond.

"We're outnumbered," I observed, trying to stay calm for the others. "We need to escape." 

"How?" Ohtar grimaced, running a finger along the blade of his axe. "The flames are all around us." 

"This is no work of nature," Eradan murmured, his eyes narrowed. "They mean to burn us out." 

With a sudden realization I knew he was right. Some of the silhouettes held torches, and the fire only seemed to close in about us instead of further out toward them. 

"Captain?" Thorondir quavered, his expression fearful. "What do we do?" 

I cleared my throat, licking my dry lips as the smoke-flavored air tingled my senses. "There's nothing for it," I said after a moment. "We'll have to get through somehow." 

"Are you mad?" My brother gasped. "They're surrounding us too! Even if we make it past the fire, we'll have a hundred angry Southrons at our throats." 

I felt my anger begin to flare up like the fire around us. "And what? Are we supposed to just wait until we burn?" 

"I didn't say that!" Eradan snapped back. "But I'm not about to charge through a forest fire to fight a horde of angry-"

"Enough!" Ohtar shouted suddenly, his voice deep and commanding. Eradan flinched, and I set my jaw angrily. "We only have one choice. Arguing about how stupid it is is completely pointless." 

"I have to agree with the robber," Uirion nodded measuredly, though the last word was spoken with a slight hint of derision. "We might die if we do what Turin suggests... But we will certainly die if we don't." 

Eradan slowly gave me a nod of concession and I returned it with a faint smile, turning to scan the pitch darkness beyond the fire...

And suddenly I saw him. 

The eyes of the Slaver's Son glowed in the roaring flames, his features distorted and monstrous in the waves of heat that emanated from them. He looked then like some ancient diety, evil and twisted, awaiting human sacrifices in the hungry fire. He met my gaze then, his white teeth baring in a primal grin like a ravenous beast. 

Uirion saw him too, and his expression immediately changed to one of fearful revulsion. 

"Follow my lead," he said, drawing his blade and striding forward towards the fire. I reached out in a desperate attempt to stop him, but my hands brushed against the rough fabric of his cloak in vain. 

"Uirion, no!" Thorondir exclaimed, rushing forward to stop him. At that moment a branch snapped above him, and he barely had time to dive out of the way before the burning brand crashed down where he had been standing. When the ashes it had kicked up faded, Uirion was gone. 

I was almost too shocked to react. Fortunately, I managed to gather my senses. "Hurry! Follow him!" I shouted, letting out a cough as I waved away the smoke. Aerel offered Thorondir a hand up, which he took gratefully. He seemed slightly disoriented, but when he saw that Ohtar had taken the lead he sprang up and chased after him. 

Eradan and I exchanged an anxious glance before running into the momentary gap that the falling branch had made in the fire. The flames were almost unbearably hot, but I used the momentum of my movement to propel myself through the gap before it was engulfed in fire once more, rolling onto the hot ground just outside the circle. We were almost immediately surrounded by foes, and I quickly found myself crossing blades with a heavily armed man wearing an eagle-shaped helm. 

He swung at my head, the curved blade dangerously close to my head. I felt myself losing my balance as I landed heavily on my back leg, compensating for the surprise attack. He drew back to strike again, but a white-feathered arrow pierced his neck just before he was able to execute the attack. 

I gave a grateful nod to Thorondir, who quickly acknowledged me before turning to fire upon another enemy. 

Further ahead, Ohtar was taking on three Haradrim by himself, easily keeping them at a distance with his hefty axe. They all seemed fearful to get within striking range of him, and I soon noticed why; three bodies already lay at his feet, and he had barely even broken a sweat yet. 

Aerel and Eradan stood side by side, desperately holding off several more enemy warriors. They both appeared to be struggling. Aerel, though clearly confident with a blade, was struggling to close the distance with her opponents, who kept her at length with long spears. Eradan seemed distinctly uncomfortable with a sword; He had always preferred the bow as a younger man and that seemed to have remained the same. 

But where was Uirion? 

I squinted as a peered through the dancing flames, hoping to catch a glimpse of the scarred warrior. 

I soon saw him. He was face to face with the Slaver's Son, his blade crossed with the curved scimitar of his nemesis. I sudden rush of fear washed over me as I saw that he was already on the defensive against the tall Haradrim warrior. 

"Uirion!" I shouted, fighting my way to him desperately. An enemy spearman lunged at me as I ran, and I quickly knocked the blade aside, landing a kick to the man's chest that sent him sprawling to the ground. 

Uirion's focus was concentrated on the Slaver's Son, and even at the distance I was at I could see the anger in his eyes. 

I let out a gasp as a massive branch fell not three feet in front of me, effectively blocking my path to the ranger. It had been loud enough, however, to get Uirion's attention, and when he saw me he waved me away.

"Go! Get the others to safety!" He exclaimed over the roaring fire, turning back to block another attack from his foe. 

My eyes darted about desperately. looking for any way to reach him. By now the fire was completely out of control, spreading in every direction as the Haradrim scurried to flee its consuming wrath. But now, the two warriors were surrounded by flames. 

I had to make a choice. And soon. 

"Aerel, Eradan!" I shouted as I turned in their direction. "Go! Get out of here!" 

It took little convincing. As soon as they had pushed back their enemies for a moment, they both bolted in the opposite direction of the fire, quickly disappearing into the smoky night. When I shouted to Thorondir and Ohtar, however, they were more stubborn. 

"I'm not leaving until we all get out alive," Thorondir stated as he came to my side, bow in hand. When he saw Uirion he quickly reached for an arrow, but his eyes widened as he realized his quiver was empty. 

Ohtar was still surrounded by Haradrim, but the number that lie at his feet had increased exponentially since I looked last. "We have to get to Uirion!" 

By now, we could barely see him through the pillars of flame that rose all around him. There was no way we could get through. 

As we stood there attempting to find a solution, I could see that Uirion was quickly losing ground. The Haradrim warrior was filled with bloodlust, and his attacks were quick and relentless. Uirion suddenly fell back, and the Slaver's Son leapt forward, raising his blade to strike the killing blow. 

"No!" I shouted, rushing forward regardless the danger. The heat almost immediately became too much to bear, but I gritted my teeth as I surged forward. At this moment, all I was worried about was saving one of my men. 

But as I pressed through the flames, I knew I couldn't possibly get to him in time... 

The blade lowered as time seemed to hold its breath, and I watched as it sailed through the air toward Uirion. 

Just as I had given up all hope, a flaming arrow shot through the air at lightning speed, hitting the Haradrim square in the chest. He recoiled in shock, dropping the scimitar and giving Uirion time to move out of the way. I quickly glanced in the direction the arrow had come from, a smile of relief tugging at my mouth when I saw who it was. 

Aerel. 

She was holding a Haradrim shortbow in her hand, and at her side was Eradan, who was protecting her from any enemies that strayed too close. 

I let out a gasp of pain as I finally made it through the flames. By then, the Slaver's Son was on the ground, his wild eyes lifelessly cast skyward. 

I hurried to Uirion, who was struggling to rise to his feet. "I think I twisted my ankle," he snorted. 

"You're fortunate that's the worst that happened," I replied with a relieved laugh. "You have Aerel to thank that you're still alive." 

As I helped him up, he met Aerel's gaze and gave her a grateful nod. She smiled back, her expression somewhat meek. 

We rushed back through the flames, but whether by Eru's providence or some random chance it began to rain, soothing the burns we had sustained and beginning to put out the fires that raged through the forest. As we reunited with the others we all embraced, relieved that we had survived. 

"That was a good shot, Aerel," I remarked with an approving smile. 

She slowly nodded, her expression somewhat melancholy. "That was the first Man I've ever killed." 

I took a deep breath. "You saved Uirion. You did what you had to." 

"I know, but..." She paused. "It doesn't make it any easier." 

"It'll get easier with time," I replied in an attempt to reassure her. But even as the words left my lips I knew that they sounded cold. By now, I felt little when I killed Haradrim or Easterlings. They were just like Orcs in my mind. 

I cleared my throat to gain the attention of the rest of the Company. "We'll need to get our bearings, but we should be getting close to Cair Sirion if I'm not mistaken." 

Uirion nodded grimly. "The place may already be taken by now. Perhaps we should disguise ourselves." 

I glanced at the body of a Haradrim warrior, and after a moment I nodded. "The road is being watched by the Enemy already. At the very least, it will make the journey there easier." 

As we all changed into the garb of the Haradrim, I couldn't help but feel a little proud. We had all made it this far mostly unscathed... Surely we could complete our mission now. 

I shouldered the few belongings I had that had survived the river and began to head in the direction of the road. We all felt as if the worst was behind us... But little did any of us know then that the worst trials of our journey were yet to come.