~*~Chapter 1~*~
Aragorn smiled as he rode through the forest. It had been about a week since he had gotten that seemingly harmless headache… although it did kind of scare Legolas. The poor elf was very unused to human diseases. The first thing he asked the man once he had caught the *evil* wolf pup, Aikhila, was 'what were you poisoned with?'
Aragorn snickered. The elf really didn't understand the whole concept of sickness.
Legolas glanced at him, "What are you laughing about?" He suddenly caught on, "I don't see how being sick is funny!"
Aragorn burst out laughing, causing Legolas's white stallion, Gwilbruitha, Peaceful Whisper, to start slightly and toss his head. While Aragorn's silver mare, Erethrintin, Lonely Star, was completely unfazed by it, showing how well she knew her friend.
The five of them, them being Aragorn, Legolas, Halbarad and the twins, had decided to put off the prank war until the man had recovered, he unconsciously fingered his now blond hair and sighed. Then he glanced over at Legolas's pink hair and snickered slightly. It had faded a bit but other than that it was still there and still obvious. He couldn't believe how long it took for Raenan and the other two rangers to notice the elf's and other ranger's pink hair.
Legolas glanced around and furrowed his brow. Something was different.
Aragorn gave him a confused look before sensing it himself. They were not alone and they both knew it.
Legolas froze and pointed off in one direction. Nodding in the same direction and then pushed his horses into a walk, following the black flash. He pushed his horse faster as the flash quickened, it looked like a horse. Legolas was incredibly amazed by the speed of it. After fifteen minutes he was pushing his horse to it's highest speed. As was Aragorn. The elf would admit he was impressed by the show his mare was putting up.
Aragorn noticed the creature speed up and whispered something to his horse. Legolas would think the words were lost on the wind but the horse got the message and lengthened her stride, managing to speed up even more so that she was passing Legolas and gave chase after the black blur in front of here, knowing immediately that that was what her friend was after. She obviously didn't know why, but then again, neither did the man and elf. Something just seemed to tell them to.
Erethrintin enjoyed the run anyhow, loving the chance to show up another horse and prove to her friend that she could do better than the man expected.
Aragorn had always loved her active spirit. She seemed to constantly prove that she could do better than he thought possible.
The man suddenly realized what he was doing and questioned his motives. Why was he chasing a horse through the woods by his home?
He slowed her down and turned her around. She snorted and tossed her head, refusing to come out of her canter, trying to show the man that she could still do better.
Once Aragorn had gotten her to turn around he let her go and with a loud, joyful neigh, took off at an incredible starting pace back in the direction he had left Legolas.
She reached a great speed and only slowed once the elf was within her sight. She reached a stop just as she reached the elf. She raised her head proudly as if to say, 'did you see that? Did you see how I outpaced your horse?'
Legolas laughed at the way the mare acted.
"She's pretty sure of herself isn't she?"
Legolas grinned, "Aye, but it's not all her you know… just imagine what she could do with a good rider!"
Aragorn smacked the elf on the head.
Legolas snickered.
A glint entered the man's eyes but he masked it immediately so the elf would not notice, "Well, if that's the way you feel, let's see how well *you* do."
Legolas looked confused, the man would not simply give him a chance to best him would he? He sighed and shrugged, "Why not?"
Aragorn hid a grin as he slid of the mares back as Legolas jumped gracefully from his stallions back.
The elf moved towards the mare carefully, muttering gently in Elvish. The horse snorted, a warning in her eyes. Legolas stopped and looked at the man, his eyes asking for a bit of help, though Aragorn could tell he was embarrassed to actually ask it.
Aragorn smirked and whistled quietly. Erethrintin turned to look at him, the glint in her eyes disappearing immediately. Aragorn glanced at the elf and nodded, though there was a glint in his eyes that the mare knew and had learned to react to. She had always found an odd pleasure in doing this.
She turned to the elf and lowered her head. Legolas moved carefully and slowly to her side.
Aragorn bit his lip to keep from smiling; if he actually wanted her to allow him to mount… he would have warned him about the fact that she liked to be asked before mounted. She was treated more like a person than a horse and that was the way she liked it.
As it were, Legolas mounted without the horse's permission. She snorted in annoyance and Legolas leaned over to calm her.
That was his downfall.
From that position his grip was not his best and that was when she fought back. She started bucking madly and the startled elf in his odd position had a horrible grip then without warning she switched without pause to a full-out rear, throwing the elf back.
He only just managed to stay on until the man grinned and whistled. The mare immediately stopped.
Legolas glared accusingly at the man.
"You didn't ask."
"What?!"
"You have to ask her!"
"You never told me that you… human!"
"Oh! That hurt!"
Legolas glared.
Aragorn smiled and walked in front of the mare. Asking her in Elvish if she would allow the elf to ride her.
She snorted and stood still, awaiting the slightest movement from the elf.
Legolas could tell that she was a sensitive animal. So he was careful when asking her to move, pressing with an almost inconceivable pressure, and she moved forward.
After a few moments of moving around and pushing her to an incredibly fast run, he moved back and stopped.
"That was amazing!"
Aragorn smiled, "Isn't she?"
Erethrintin seemed to know she was getting praise and nickered happily.
Legolas smiled and slid off her back.
Aragorn smiled, "Come, we should head back."
"I suppose, but there was something different about that horse…" The elf said slowly, "it had a completely different aura about it."
"Aye, I completely agree with you there."
Legolas nodded but shrugged and mounted his horse.
Aragorn gave the horse a questioning look, she replied with a snort and she lowered her head.
The man smiled and mounted her. He glanced at Legolas and smiled, "Let's go. We can not bring the horses with us on this search… but maybe Elenoharthad could take us."
Legolas nodded, "Aye, she could keep up."
Aragorn nodded, "Easily… race?"
Legolas grinned and took off.
"Hey! Not fair!" with a nudge Erethrintin had taken off after him happily.
~*~*~*~*~*~
The two arrived at the stables at the same time seeing as Erethrintin was a little worn out from the running she had done that Gwilbruitha had not done.
"See! If you had not taken off before s we would have won!" Aragorn said with a grin.
Legolas shrugged.
"Look, why don't you get Elen and I'll talk to ada?" // dad //
"Sure, we can meet in the kitchens to get provisions afterwards."
Aragorn nodded as the two wiped down their horses.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Aragorn sighed as he walked towards the kitchen. Elrond had been reluctant to let them go so soon but in the end Aragorn had managed to persuade him.
He had to remember to thank the twins for teaching him how to do that so easily.
When he reached the kitchen Legolas was already there. The elf passed him a bedroll and a water skin. Then they split ways to finish packing.
On the way back out, however, Aragorn could not say he had much luck. He ended up running into the twins who immediately started following him when he refused to answer where he was going.
Kind of hard to answer a question as such if you didn't rightfully know yourself.
"Okay then Estel," Elladan said, "if you don't tell us we will be forced to follow you."
Aragorn groaned, "Look, I don't really know where we are going but we are to follow something we can only hope is still there that we ran into on our hunt today."
Elrohir cocked his head to the side, "What *did* you find?"
Aragorn glanced at him, "A horse… though we can not be sure that's all it was… it was… different."
The twins glanced at each other but shrugged.
Back in the forest, the black horse looked in the direction the two had left in. It snorted, waiting. It glanced in the direction that it had been heading and whinnied sadly. He needed help, badly.
A/N
Yay! I've started my fourth story! I'm so happy! ^_^ I hope u like the beginning… I'm also sorry 'bout the whole Legolas/horse thing… I just thought it would be funny… ^_^
SilverKnight7- ^_^ Yayses! 'm glad u like all my stories. ^_^ hope u enjoyed this one!
grumpy- A spider?! Oi… Aikhila was in the box… the wolf pup? Member? ^_^ I had fun with the last bit… though u gotta feel sorry 4 Aragorn… bein' sick ain't fun…
mascara freak- I'll b sure 2 check out yur new chapter! When I find the time… I'm gonna b busy with school now… *cries* I hate school!!!!! ^_^ who doesn't?
Bill the Pony2- Aikhila was the wolf pup from the beginning of the story. The one Halbarad found. Lol, a hyper child in a box?! Lmao!!!!!!!! ^_^
Aut-of-Mandos- To Mandos?! We don't want to kill them!!!!!!!!!!!!! ^_^ fun to pick on huh? I'll have to tell'm that!
elvendancer- Glad u'll be reading this! ^_^ I'm glad u were hoping 4 a sequel!
leggylover03- Oh so u can feel sorry 4 Elrond but not my Estel?! Yur so mean!!! *Cries* But… unfortunately *wink, wink* Aragorn, and probably Legolas as well, will be tortured or something… ^_^
Thanx every1!
~Elenmeoi