3. Flight to the Ford.

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Back in the forest, the Hobbits, Ayrn, and Aragorn rest beneath a gathering of huge stone trolls. Which look beat up and they all have arrows sticking out of somewhere on them, Ayrn snorts at one of the trolls and kicks it with her hoof to test its durability, Sam remembers the trolls from Bilbo's stories and speaks encouragingly to Frodo, "Look, Mister Frodo! It's Mister Bilbo's trolls!" then he feels Frodo's forehead.

"Mister Frodo?" Sam fusses, before he turns to Aragorn, "He's going cold!" Pippin standing near Merry and their equipment, frowns, "Is he going to die?" Aragorn knees next to Frodo and frowns, "He's passing into the shadow world. He will soon become a wraith like them." Frodo gasps. The Nazgûl cry is heard from a distance. Frodo cries out as if in answer to them. Ayrn feeling them as well shuffles nervously, 

"They're close." Merry says worriedly, Aragorn turns to Sam, "Sam, do you know Athelas plant?" Sam frowns not knowing what the tall man was talking about, "Athelas?" then Aragorn uses it's much more common name, "Kingsfoil?" with this Sam knows what he wants, "Kingsfoil — aye, it's a weed." Aragorn nods, "It may help to slow the poison more with Ayrn's horn dust. Hurry!" They search for the plant in the nearby undergrowth.

Ayrn stays with the hobbits and lays curled around Frodo, her nose pressed to his cheek trying to soothe him of the pain, his hand coming up to rest on her cheek telling her that he's fighting but it won't last for much longer, 

***

Aragorn finds a small patch and proceeds to collect it. A sword appears at his throat. "What's this? A ranger caught off his guard?" a familiar voice says,

***

Frodo, lying on the ground, sees a white light. He turns towards it and sees a beautiful Elf-lady approaching on a grey and white horse. She dismounts and walks to him. "Frodo...Im Arwen. Telin le thaed." [I am Arwen. I have come to help you.] Arwen says as she moves towards the prone hobbit who is curled around by the ancient Unicorn, "Lasto beth nîn. Tolo dan na ngalad." [Hear my voice. Come back to the light.]

"Who is she?" Merry asks his eyes locked on her, Arwen kneels next to Frodo and Ayrn carefully gets up and moves for Aragorn, who is adding Athelas into the wound, "He's fading!" Arwen gasps, groaning, Frodo gasps. "He's not going to last. We must get him to my father. I've been looking for you for two days." Aragorn doesn't speak as he heaves Frodo onto Ayrn's back as she is faster than the horse Arwen came in on, 

"Where are you taking him?" Merry shouts slightly, "There are five wraiths behind you. Where the other four are, I do not know." Aragorn mounts and Ayrn is already to go, "Dartho guin perian. Rych le ad tolthathon." [Stay with the Hobbits. I will send horses back for you.] Aragorn says, "Hon mabathon. Rochon ellint im." [I'm the faster rider. I'll take him.] Arawen argues, "Andelu i ven." [The road is too dangerous.] he says, 

"Besides you haven't outrun a pack of Wargs," Arwen nodded and Aragorn nudged Ayrn to go, Aragorn leans toward her ear and urges her in Elvish, "Noro lim, Ayrn, noro lim!" [Ride fast, Ayrn, ride fast!] Ayrn takes off faster than she's ever run before, she has no time to waste with a dying Hobbit on her back and Aragorn there to keep the hobbit on she must get to Rivendell there will be no stopping, 

***

Ayrn races on as the Nazgûl give chase they've found her and her riders, but she will not let them be taken ever. Night gives way to day as they pursue her and the two onboard, from forest to open plain, sometimes closing, sometimes falling behind. But more times than not they fall behind as she is taller than them and her legs are stronger and longer giving her room to outrun them, Aragorn for a handhold has his nimble finger in her mane,

He's got a firm grip and it doesn't bother her as her mane is quite long and he's not holding at the roots, she can hear the pounding of her heart racing with the laboured breathing of the hobbit and the constant turning of Aragorn as he's keeping the enemy within view. One of the Wraiths closes on Frodo, reaching out as if to snatch the Ring from him. Aragorn spurs Ayrn on to an even greater effort.

"Noro lim, Ayrn!" [Ride faster, Ayrn!] Ayrn snorts at him in her way of saying that she's going almost to her limit without falling, when they reach a river, and splashes across a ford. Ayrn pauses and turns to looks back. The Nazgûl have stopped at the edge of the water. Their mounts rear up, screaming, terrified of entering the river. "Give up the halfling, Unicorn!" Ayrn snorts in anger and basically in one noise is telling them she'd like to see them try and take him, 

Aragorn draws his sword in defence and watches, waiting for something to happen, as a Unicorn, Ayrn has a lot more power than just changing her form, she's got the ability to control an element, and it so happens that her's is water, because she's a creature with a powerful essence it was only natural for her to bond with an element made for protection and healing.  The Nazgûl draw their swords and urge their reluctant horses across the ford. 

Ayrn bows her head and the tip of her horn touches the water, there is a silent and deadly calm as the black riders are marching through the water and Aragorn is worried that they will be caught, but the water level rising says different. A great flood comes around the bend, with crests shaped like white horses with broad bodies and horns on their heads Ayrn rears up with pride as the Nazgûl are cast from their mounts and washed away down the river.

Frodo starts to slip from the her back but Aragorn holds tight and she takes off back for Rivendell hoping that with this little delay that she'll be able to get Frodo to Elrond in time.

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