A/N: For Ardhoniel Marvelite. I hope you like it!
Elrond absentmindedly watched as sixteen-year-old Arwen, grasping a wooden ruler from his desk, waved it around in an uncanny imitation of a sword drill she had seen her brothers practicing.
She spun to a stop at the other side of the room, dropping to one knee to lend momentum to the final blow. 'At last my father is avenged,' she muttered to the fatally-wounded settee. 'Long have I sought you, but now justice has been served.'
An ear-splitting whistle caused Elrond's head to swivel towards the open window. There, practically right in front of the frame, sat Elladan on a tree-branch, lips still pursed.
The victorious Arwen also turned, but instead of frowning, like her father, she was grinning. Abandoning the dying piece of furniture she had just bested, she flew towards the door, pausing at her father's desk in order to return the ruler.
Hearing the pattering footsteps fade into the distance, Elrond turned back to the window. Elladan sat there still, his grey eyes dancing with mischief. With a cheeky grin and a wink for his father, the dark-haired Elf slid off the branch and effortlessly found his way to the ground.
Elrohir was waiting there, and he could see Arwen running down the path towards them.
'What?' she asked breathlessly, skidding to a stop.
'Your honour is at stake!' Elrohir announced dramatically. 'Our fellow warriors do not believe it is possible for a maid as young as you to capture an untamed yearling.'
Arwen raised a delicate eyebrow. 'You had better not speak so loudly,' she glancing up at the study window. 'Ada would not be pleased if he heard you suggest I try such a thing.'
The twins' faces fell. 'Then you will not even attempt it?' Elladan asked. He would be losing three gold coins to his friends if his sister refused the dare.
Arwen snorted, the action causing the twins to chuckle despite themselves: the young daughter of the Lord Elrond and Lady Celebrian snorting was quite unexpected. 'Of course I'll come,' she whispered conspiratorially.
Her brothers grinned identical grins, before each grabbed one of her hands and pulled her towards the stables. On the way, they explained that Glorfindel had given them the task of picking seven horses that were to be sent to Lorien for the messengers' uses, as part of an agreement between Elrond and Celeborn.
Here, it ought to be noted that the twins had every confidence that their sister would win the bet for her brothers, and remain safe at the same time. They had taken it upon themselves to teach her the best ways to capture a wild horse, and the elleth had shown incredible skill, nearly matching that of her more-talented brother, Elrohir.
Upon reaching the stableyard, the three Peredhil observed the twins' friends standing at the fence, watching as they approached. Laughing looks were exchanged among them as the twins and their younger sister came up to them, but these died down as they saw Arwen's determined expression.
'We did not actually mean to make you...' one of the warriors began before freezing under his little lady's frosty glare.
'Then why did you ask?' she asked sweetly, glancing around the fenced-off area. 'Do I get to pick the horse, or must you?'
'We... go ahead,' the elf said, glancing helplessly at Arwen's brothers.
It was obvious that the twins were enjoying this too much. Elladan was fingering a round gold coin, and Elrohir was inspecting his nails. However, both looked up when Arwen began walking towards the paddock attached to the opposite end of the stableyard.
Meeting his friends' eyes once more, Elladan grinned – though to said friends, it appeared more as a leer. 'Shall we follow?' he asked, making an inviting gesture with his hand.
The twins caught up with Arwen, who, in reality, was rather nervous. If their parents found out, all three of them were undoubtedly toast. The first time Elladan tried capturing a horse, the young mare had nearly pounded him into a jelly. (Which, Elladan reflected, would go well with the toast Elrohir and Arwen will become when we get found out.) Ever since that memorable episode, Celebrian had refused to allow any of her children in the wild horses' paddock until they were older, or unless they had supervision.
Behind them trailed the three ellyn, who were feeling rather traitorous, knowing that if their lord's daughter was injured, they would be part of the reason. However, the fact that the twins would also be at fault made them feel slightly better.
They reached the paddock gate and all six entered. The horses were all at the far end of the fenced-in area, and only a few seemed to note their arrival.
Elrohir turned to Arwen. 'Elladan and I will herd them closer, and let one of them through the gate into the yard. We'll get your horse for you.'
Elladan, apparently overhearing his twin, left at a sprint for the stables. Saddling one horse did not take long, but he had three to do this time, and he was impatient to teach his friends a lesson: namely, that his sister was not a wimp who cried when she pricked her finger on her embroidery needle.
As Elladan left, one of the Elves, Tinaur, turned to the younger twin after glancing at Arwen, who was standing a ways away. 'Are you sure she will be safe, Elrohir? If there is the least risk...'
'Of course there is a risk,' Elrohir scoffed. 'But Arwen is as good as Elladan was at twice her age. If she is injured, Elladan and I will take the full place on our shoulders, Tinaur.'
Tinaur sighed, his friend's words not easing the anxiety he was feeling.
'There is Elladan with our horses,' Elrohir said suddenly, making his way to where his brother rode towards them, Elrohir's roan and Arwen's mare trotting behind them. In his hand, Elladan held a slender rope made of hithlain, with a large loop at one end. He handed it to Arwen, who had come up behind Elrohir.
'Remember to hold your ground,' he reminded, reaching down to tousle her hair. 'And be careful, for Varda's sake!'
His sister grinned impishly. 'I know how to do it, Dan,' she replied. 'I learned from the best.'
Elladan returned the gesture. 'Good luck!'
A few moments later, Arwen was sitting atop her mare, rope in hand, in the stableyard. Tinaur and his two companions were standing on the other side of the fence, and the twins were working together to herd the group of yearlings towards the yard. Once they reached the fence separating the two paddocks, Elrohir nudged his horse into the group of yearlings, causing all but the few in the lead to turn away and head for the back of the paddock again.
The younger twin rode back and quickly unlatched the gate while Elladan was occupied with edging the remaining horses closer to the fence. A moment later, one was driven through the open gate, and the latch clicked as Elrohir returned it to its normal position.
The horse, already skittish from the unexpected herding, jumped around skittishly in the smaller yard. It seemed to take no notice of Arwen, who sat silent and motionless on her mare in the middle of the pen.
Elladan and Elrohir brought their horses to a halt outside the gate, but neither dismounted. Their eyes followed every move of the bucking horse, and took note of Arwen's calm behaviour.
Finally the yearling, a bay-coloured gelding, seemed to calm down a little, and slowly Arwen nudged her horse forward. Step by step, they drew closer, stopping whenever the younger horse began panicking again. It was not until they were within five feet of the nervous horse that it finally broke away from the corner it was backing into and ran towards the open areas of the yard. There, the gelding continued to run in circles, staying in the middle of the pen.
Arwen and the mare turned slowly, and the elleth gently urged her into a trot. Making wide circles around the gelding, horse and rider edged towards the middle of the yard. Slowly but surely, they drew nearer to the gelding, who continued running in circles.
From where they watched behind the fence, Tinaur and his friends gripped the wooden fence-rails, shock etched into their faces. They were perfectly aware that Elrohir could beat any Elf in Imladris in a horse race with ease, but as moments went by, they realised that perhaps the younger twin had a rival – his little sister.
Arwen moved in perfect rhythm with her horse, their movements seeming as smooth as water flowing over a flat riverbed. Her dark hair floated on the wind, or mingled with the light-coloured mane of the mare.
The tension in the twins' bodies had eased greatly upon seeing their sister handle the situation in so expert a way. Now they slouched slightly in their saddles, watching the proceedings proudly.
As Arwen felt the wind whip her hair around her face, she laughed quietly, urging the mare to a gallop in order to match the stride of the gelding. Readying the rope in her right hand, she gripped the reins in her left.
As she raised her right arm, hand loosely holding the rope, she carefully watched the gelding, preparing for any unexpected moves. Twirling the looped end above her head a couple times, she gave a sudden flick of her wrist, sending the braided hithlain flying through the air. It landed a few feet away from the gelding, but the mare barely paused in her stride. Pulling the rope back to herself and recoiling it as she followed the yearling, Arwen prepared to repeat the action.
She drew up beside the gelding, and the loop whistled through the air again. This time it landed neatly over the gelding's head. Pulling the mare to a stop, she backed up a few steps to tighten the rope slightly around the yearling's neck, careful not to make it too tight.
The gelding let out a whinny, rearing slightly in an effort to loosen the hithlain. Arwen again backed her mare up, keeping the rope taut but not tight. They continued this pattern until the gelding stood still, warily watching Arwen as she slowly dismounted from her own horse.
Murmuring soothing phrases to the yearling, she slowly walked towards him, not quite making eye contact. Every now and then, he tried to escape the rope, but she simply stopped walking and continued calming him down. Finally he found herself standing in front and a little to the side of the yearling. Both elleth and hose were tense, each prepared for any sudden move from the other. Cautiously reaching up with her free hand, Arwen stroked the yearling on his nose, lowering the hand when he moved his head out of her reach.
In this manner, they continued for a while. Each time, the gelding permitted Arwen to come closr and to stroke his nose and forehead a little longer.
'Come, beauty,' she finally murmured. 'All will be well.'
Pulling gently on the rope, she moved towards a gate near the stables, deeming it wise than trying to go through the paddock gate. The twins, anticipating her move, were already walking towards the gate to open it for her, their horses following quietly behind them.
The gelding hung back at the sight of the brothers, but at Arwen's reassuring words, he reluctantly followed her. By and by, they arrived at a fenced-in meadow, where it was custom for the Elves to run newly-captured horses free in, in preparation for training.
'You will be safe here, little one,' Arwen whispered as she gently slid the rope off the gelding's neck. To her pleased surprise, the gelding did not back off as soon as the restraint was removed, but instead stood hesitantly in front of her for a few seconds before turning and galloping away.
The sound of laughing drew her attention to her brothers and their friends. Tinaur was handing Elrohir a gold coin, while Elladan was pocketing his three, having forced the other Elves to pay up already.
She walked over to them and found herself scooped up into Elladan's arms. 'You did wonderfully, Undomiel!' he cried, embracing her tightly.
Arwen laughed, returning the hug. 'Thank you, Ladan.'
After enduring the same treatment from Elrohir, she turned to the three warriors, a sweet expression on her face. 'I really must bid you farewell now, I am afraid. I ought to return to my needlework.'
The twins snickered knowingly, while their friends only looked confused. This elleth who captured horses so expertly wasted time on needlework?!
Ah, little do they realise, Arwen reflected as she walked primly away. 'Needlework' was, in the young Peredhils' code language, sword practice.
The End
A/N: I'm not sure, was the ending a little abrupt?
On another note, I am by no means a horse expert, and I apologise if I make any horse-lovers cringe with my attempt at writing this kind of stuff. I'd like to thank LadyLindariel and Quarterhorseranch for their help in figuring some of the horse-stuff out! Thank you so much, guys!
Also, I made Arwen sixteen so she's old enough to be fun, but young enough not to have grown out of being a tomboy. I'm not sure what the human equivalent of sixteen would be, so I guess you'll have to use your imaginations!