Before this chapter I would just like to mention the passing of Sir Christopher Lee. He was such an amazing man not just because he was still be acting at the time of his death at age 93, but also because of his many contributions to charities and his amazing, humble personality. His performances as Saruman in The LotR trilogy and The Hobbit, and also as Count Dooku in the Star Wars movies will always be some of my favourites. I still cannot believe the news. Rest in peace.

Thanks to everyone who has been leaving reviews for me to read! Hopefully you all enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 4:

"I… eneth nîn Christa" I wrinkled my brows as I tried to get the pronunciation right. For a rather simple sentence, I was having a hard time remembering how to say each word. Haldir nodded as he sat with his chin propped in his hands.

"I think that should suffice. Now that you are able to ask for someone's name, and give your own name, I think you had better learn how to ask for things."

I groaned inwardly, my brain already fried after only an hour of lessons. At this Haldir gave me a look, one brow raised.

"If you would rather we meet again tomorrow, we can stop for today," he suggested, lifting his head from his hands and sitting back in his chair. I shook my head, determined to cram at least a little bit more into my head.

"If I'm going to learn this language before I die, I need to be persistent," I laughed slightly.

And so Haldir dove right into the next lesson. Thankfully, he was proving to be a fairly patient teacher, something that I had not expected from him. I suppose he's been around for a while, it probably doesn't even feel like it's taking me so long. I managed to keep at the lessons for nearly another two hours, and learnt how to ask for directions, as well as a few singular words for common objects and places. After running through everything that I had been taught without completely butchering the words, I leaned forward until my head was resting on the table in front of me and sighed, feeling the beginnings of a headache. Haldir's chair was pushed along the wooden floor and I soon felt his hand on my back, giving me a firm pat.

"You've learned a lot today. Hopefully you remember it tomorrow." I sat up as he laughed, resisting the urge to stick out my tongue.

The past couple of days had been busy with me trying to get used to this new style of life. Back home, wearing long dresses and behaving like a lady hadn't exactly been my forte, and the language barrier certainly didn't help. Despite the matter, I had been able to get to know Raina a little better through pictures and single words. I now knew that she had been working for Lady Galadriel for many years as her handmaiden. She had not needed to learn any of the common tongue, since she only ever had dealings with other elves of her city. She was proving to be a kind and patient friend, and every morning I looked forward to having her come in, if only for the female company that she offered.

"I will see you tomorrow," Haldir said to me in Sindarin as he lifted his hand from my back and made his way out of my flet.

"Novaer," I replied as I raised my head and grinned at him, enjoying being able to converse at least a little in his first language. He smiled back before disappearing from the door and closing it behind him silently.

"Now what to do…" I said thoughtfully as I leaned back in my chair. It had been some time since I had been able to enjoy some time for myself, and now that the opportunity was before me, I had no idea what to do with it. Suddenly, a thought popped into my mind. I was up, quickly pushing myself out of the wooden chair and heading for the closet. Raina had been kind enough to help size me for some clothes that would fit me correctly. Though they mostly consisted of dresses and skirts, she had also ordered a tunic for me after I had asked her for one. Eager to rid myself of the dress I was wearing, I pulled it over my head and tossed it onto my bed before reaching into the closet and pulling out a neatly folded stack of clothes.

After putting on the white undershirt that came with the tunic, I unfolded the light blue fabric and pulled it on over my arms before doing up the silver buttons that ran down the front of the garment. Next came the silver breeches, which pulled on easily since they had a certain amount of stretch to them, and then finally the pair of grey leather boots. Once I had laced them up, I walked into the bathroom and stared at myself in the mirror, smiling gleefully.

"Man, I always wanted to do a Lord of the Rings cosplay… I never thought I would be wearing anything so… authentic!" I found myself giggling, momentarily lost in the pure realisation that I was living my dream. Other than the fact that I have no idea how to get home, my rational side chided, forcing my face to fall. I didn't allow my spirits to fall, however, and after one final check to make sure that I was wearing everything correctly, I hurried out my door and down the stairs, not exactly sure if I would be able to find what I was looking for.

My boots padded softly across the grass as I hopped down from the final two steps. Once I was walking across the clearing, I had to decide which way I was going to head first. Pursing my lips, I decided to just keep walking in a straight line, figuring I had no knowledge of the city to use to my advantage.

I soon reached the edge of what seemed to be a marketplace. I could hear the chatter of many voices through the trees, as well as many other noises. Hoping that no one would take much notice of me, I stepped out from behind the last line of trees and into the sunny clearing. Feeling the sun on my skin was wonderful, but it was something that I hadn't even noticed was missing until now.

My feet met the fine gravel of a road, and I followed it into the heart of the market. Elves strode past me, their arms laden with everything from fresh fruits to fabrics to newly crafted weapons. I breathed deeply, inhaling the lovely aromas of bakes goods, hearty stews, ripe fruits, and fresh cut flowers. A smile danced on my lips as I realised that I was able to pick out the odd word here and there, not just from the conversations around me, but also by reading some of the signs. It's a start! I thought to myself happily. I passed dozens of stands and small buildings, taking a moment to check each one out while making sure that I didn't seem to be lurking. I was so engrossed in the cheerful atmosphere that I didn't even notice the looks that I was getting as I strode through the market.

I was nearing the far end of the market when a female elf caught my attention. She was standing talking with a male elf, and every so often they would glance my way. I got an uncomfortable feeling that I was being talked about, but kept walking towards them, heading for the forest path that I could see from where I was. As I passed them, I caught one word before disappearing into the trees once again.

"Tawariell."

Knitting my eyebrows, I carried on down the path and away from the voices. Though I had no idea why, I couldn't shake the feeling that they had been talking about me.

"I'll have to ask Haldir what 'Tawariell' means," I muttered, quietly enough so that no one would hear me.

Casting the thought aside, I lifted my chin and stared intently down the path, curious as to where I would end up. The path didn't seem like it would take too long to reach the other end, and if I didn't find what I was looking for, then I would just walk back and keep searching. Picking up my pace, I picked my way down the path before emerging into another clearing. I grinned wide as I caught sight of what I had been so desperately searching for since I had set out.

Across the clearing, I could see a large wooden building, its walls dotted with many open windows. The open fields that surrounded it were fenced in, their white posts gleaming in the afternoon sunlight. I nearly danced as I watched several horses trotting across the field, their eyes trained in my direction as they curiously surveyed me. Unable to contain my joy, I practically skipped across the field and stopped at the fence, thrilled when the small group of ponies trotted over to meet me. Reaching out my palm, I laughed as they took turns sniffing me, their whiskers tickling my skin as they searched for treats.

"I'm sorry, guys. I don't have anything to give you," I said, disappointed that I had not thought to try and find anything for them. "Tell you what, I'll bring something for you all next time," I said, resolving to save any horse-friendly fruits from my meals for them.

"Le suilon," I jumped as a voice carried across the meadow, withdrawing my hand from the pasture, fearing that I had been caught doing something that I shouldn't have been doing. I turned to see a male elf striding across the grass towards me, his face inquisitive. I searched my brain, desperately trying to remember the proper ways to greet someone in Sindarin.

"Uh… Mae l'ovannen," I replied after a slight hesitation, hoping that I had at least said it right. The elf smiled as he stopped and leaned against the fence not far from me. One of the horses, a tall bay, stretched his neck over the rail and gently lipped at the elf's ear playfully.

"Nîdh! Eleniel, ego!" the elf exclaimed suddenly, raising a hand to gently swat away the horse, who had apparently gotten a little bit too friendly with his teeth. Supressing a giggle, I watched as the horse tossed its head and snorted playfully before turning and cantering towards where the rest of the horses had started to graze. It was definitely a refreshing change to see one of these seemingly perfect people losing their temper. The elf checked his ear before glancing back towards me, bowing his head slightly as he introduced himself. "Im Hérion eston. A len?"

"I eneth nîn Christa," I replied, swiftly this time. Haldir better be happy, I didn't know there was going to be a test today… I thought to myself and smiled. Hérion smiled too, but before he could speak again, I spoke up first. "Ú-bedin edhellen… Well, much," I said awkwardly. Haldir had taught me how to say that I spoke no elvish, but to say that now would have been a lie. He probably won't even understand that, it was probably useless. Ugh. To my relief, the elf laughed lightly, his eyes friendly.

"Not to worry child, I could tell from the moment you first spoke that you knew little of the language," I blushed, embarrassed that my lack of knowledge had been so obvious. Seeing my discomfort, he put a hand on my shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "You will learn, in time. Now, I take it you have a soft spot for horses?" I nodded, my expression lifting hopefully. "Well then, Tolo ar nîn, I will show you around the stables."

On first glance, I had not been expecting much more from these stables than I had been used to back home. I was soon proven wrong, however, as we stepped through the barn door. Down the centre of the building was a wide aisle, its cobblestone floors swept pristine. Down either side of the aisle were magnificent stalls, all built out of a richly stained hardwood. The ceilings were built high and lofty, with many glass windows set between the beams. At the back of the building I could see an open stairway which led to a second level, which appeared to be a hay loft of sorts. The afternoon breeze floated through the space, rustling my hair gently as I breathed in the familiar scents of leather and hay. Though I was over the moon, I also felt a twinge of homesickness as the familiarity of the stables hit me.

"You are the child they found in the woods a few days ago, I take it? It is not often we see mortals here. In fact, I do believe it has been a few decades since any have visited with us," I was brought back to the present and nodded slowly as we walked through the stables, my lips slightly parted in disbelief. No wonder my welcome was so rude.

"There are those who believe you capable of harnessing great powers," he added after a moment. I couldn't hold back the laugh that escaped my lips and I quickly raised my hand to cover my mouth. "They call you Tawariell, the girl of the forest. They say that you can control the minds of those who speak to you, as well as the nature around you. They say you are one of the Maiar, come to Middle Earth to oversee a great prophecy," he stopped and turned to glance down at me, his eyes twinkling. "I never believed any of it, and now that you are here in front of me, I know that you are no more than a mortal girl. Harmless," he finished with a chuckle.

I didn't reply for a few moments as his words sunk in. The elves think I'm a Maiar? Ha! I laughed again to myself. Then a though struck me and I peered up at the elf beside me.

"How do you know that I'm a simple girl? Maybe I am a Maiar," I responded, crossing my arms in front of my chest, though I failed to maintain the look of disapproval and my mouth cracked a smile. Hérion simply smiled at me and shook his head.

"If you were one of the Maiar, I would be able to tell. Although if you truly were one of them, you have picked an excellent guise," at this we both chuckled.

We soon reached the end of the aisle and I realised with disappointment that all of the stalls had been unoccupied. Quickly catching on to my feelings, Hérion guided me out of the stables through a side door and we stepped out onto the grass. On either side of me were white fenced pastures, full of horses that were taller and leaner, clearly bred for athleticism and sturdiness instead of the cute and hardy ponies that I had seen out front. I strolled along beside Hérion, awed by the magnificence of the creatures. Though there were horses of every colour grazing on the lush green grass, most of them were a silvery shade of grey, their dappled coats gleaming in the sunlight. Many of the horses were adults, but as we crested the shallow hill and started down the other side, my eyes caught sight of many much smaller creatures. Unlike their matured counterparts, the foals were kicking up their heels, racing each other across the field. I smiled wide and couldn't help but coo at them as I headed for the fence. Catching sight of their visitors, the herd of tiny horses bounded across the grass to meet me, their little muzzles sniffing at my outstretched palm curiously.

"They're so precious!" I squeaked out, a huge grin plastered on my face. Never in my life had I seen so many foals at the same time. And they're so gorgeous! "Will they all grey out?" I asked, turning briefly to Hérion as I let one very young foal suckle on my thumb. Though most of the horses that I had seen were grey, none of the foals displayed any signs of losing their colour yet. Their coats were a mosaic of bay, chestnut, black, and even a single palomino. I had learned a long time ago that a grey horse is never born grey.

"Aye, all but that one," he nodded, gesturing towards the palomino. "She's a gem, it's been a while since any of our horses threw a foal with any cream."

They speak horse here! Talk of coat genetics had been the last thing I would have expected in Middle earth. I gently pulled my thumb away from the little bay colt who had started to get frustrated at my thumb's lack of milk and turned my eyes to the palomino filly, who was standing off towards the back of the group. Her little ears pricked forward as she noticed that she had caught my attention.

"She's beautiful. Does she have a name?" I asked, curious to know more about the unique little foal.

"Nay, none of these little guys have been named yet. We typically don't name them until they have reached a year old, since they're names are decided by their mannerisms, their colour, and their abilities. However, we have been affectionately referring to her as Áre, which means 'sunlight' in Quenya, due to her colour."

Reaching out my hand again, I met the filly's eyes and called to her softly, watching as her ears flicked at the sound of her nickname. After a moment, Áre tossed her head slightly and walked towards me, opting to go around the group of rambunctious foals, and met me at the fence off to the side. With a soft snort, she pushed her tiny muzzle gently into my palm before lipping at my hand, hopeful that I might have something for her. Giggling, I reached up and gave her a quick scratch behind her ears. Realising that I had stopped paying them any attention, the rest of the foals were soon racing back across the field towards their mothers, snorting and squealing in excitement. Áre quickly decided that she would rather be playing than investigating, and turned away from me with an excited whinny before kicking up her heels and galloping over to join her friends. I was about to speak again to Hérion about the foals, but his next words had me standing on my head.

"Would you like to go for a ride?"

"Yes, please! I would love to!" I smiled, nodding my head enthusiastically and turned quickly to face him. His lips parted into a smile and he led me quickly down the path back towards the barn. I followed close behind, breaking into a jog for a few steps to keep up with his long stride. I was extremely eager to find out who I would get to ride. We soon reached the last pasture before the stables and pulled up by the gate.

"You've ridden before, I take it?" Hérion asked as his eyes assessed the collection of halters that hung along the fence.

"Oh yes. I used to have my own horse, but I lost him," I said, feeling the familiar pain in my heart as I thought about Eclipse. Hérion gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze and met my eyes. I smiled sadly, pushing the memories from those dark days away, and lifted my chin to watch as Hérion entered the paddock holding a silver rope halter.

Whistling three times, Hérion stood near the gate and I watched, amazed, as one of the horses lifted his its head and came trotting willingly up to where the elf stood. After he had slipped the halter on over the horse's head, he led it out through the gate. I latched it for him as he turned the horse around and held out the lead rope for me to take. I accepted the rope and raised my hand, letting the horse sniff me curiously.

"Her name is Faenelin, which means Silver Star. She's been around for quite some time and is enjoying the life of retirement, but I can tell when she runs around with the younger horses that she misses the activity. I think you two will get along well," Hérion said as I stroked the mare's cheek.

The mare was tall, taller than any horse that I had ridden before, but she was not dauntingly massive. She was relatively lightly build, but I could tell that in her younger years she must have been extremely fit. She was an extremely pale shade of grey, nearly white, and I could easily see why they had chosen to include the word silver in her name. Her brown eyes watched me as I stroked her face, and her delicate ears swiveled causally as she waited to see what she was doing outside of her pasture.

After the introductions, I followed Hérion back inside the stables, where we tied up Faenelin in the aisle and gave her a good grooming. The mare relaxed, clearly enjoying being pampered, and soon was nearly asleep. She woke up as soon as I began to tack her up, for I was so excited to ride that she could feel it in the air around her. Her eyes opened and she lifted her head up, snorting every so often in anticipation. With Hérion's help, I was able to quickly figure out how to secure the tack. Though it was not so different from the English tack that I was used to using at home, it lacked the luxury of having elastics and smooth, rolling buckles. That, on top of the fact that I had not needed to exert my arms in quite a while, meant that it took me a little longer to do up the girth than it normally would have. The bridle slipped on easy, and soon I was leading the grey mare back out into the sunshine, practically bouncing with excitement.

Faenelin pranced around slightly as I put my foot in the stirrup and swung up into the saddle. Sliding my boot into the other stirrup, I adjusted myself in the saddle, getting used to the higher pommel and cantle. Although the saddle was shaped differently, it certainly wasn't uncomfortable, and was clearly meant to make longer rides just a little bit less hard. Shortening the reins, I waited while Hérion mounted up on his horse beside me. Within a moment, he was up and showing me how to ride the elvish horse, which I was relieved to learn was much the same as riding back home.

Once the brief lesson was done, we urged out horses forward into an easy trot and made our way into the woods, following along one of the many trails. Faenelin's gaits were smooth and easy to ride, and I felt like we were floating across the forest floor. Unrestrained by the helmet that I normally wore to go riding, my hair streamed behind me in the wind. It felt odd to not be wearing a helmet, but there wasn't exactly anything I could do about it here. Hérion seemed to notice that I was thinking about something and glanced over at me.

"I normally wear a helmet when I ride, so it just feels weird. That's all," I laughed as we trotted through the mallorn trees, the sunlight streaming through the gaps in the leaves above us.

"A helmet?"

"Yes," I replied, knowing that he was currently picturing me riding around leisurely in a battle helmet. "It doesn't cover my face, just my head. We don't depend on horses for transportation in my land. They're more used for fun. And we do more dangerous things than riding on the trails." I explained, hoping he wouldn't ask me about how we got around if we didn't use horses. When Hérion remained silent, I decided to explain further.

"For example, I used to do something called show jumping with my horse Eclipse. We used to go to competitions were lots of people would jump poles, trying not to knock any of them down, while also holding the fastest time. A lot of people fall off and hit their heads, and before anyone started to wear helmets, a lot of people died from injuries. There are sports that aren't so dangerous, and don't involve jumping obstacles, and there are also sports with even higher risks, because the obstacles are bigger and won't knock down if your horse hits them." I finished, realising that I was shoving a lot of information into poor Hérion's face.

"That certainly is interesting," he smiled as he noticed me glancing in his direction. "If you do not use horses for transportation, I would assume you do not use them for war either?"

"Correct. We used to, but that was many years ago," I nodded, looking back ahead of me between Faenelin's ears.

"Your land is so strange to me, it baffles me that not one person has ever heard tell of it," Hérion added thoughtfully. I looked down at my hands, not sure what to say in response to his observations. As refreshing as it was to speak about my home with someone, it was also tough. Fortunately, before I had a chance to feel too homesick, Hérion suggested we pick up the pace. Lifting my chin, I smiled, eager to feel the mare beneath me as she ran. With a light squeeze from my heels, Faenelin snorted and shot forward into a gallop. For a few seconds, it was just me and Faenelin, shooting along the trail. Hérion soon caught up on his horse, and I found my heart soaring as the wind whipped past me. For a moment I was able to cast aside all of my fears and just live in the moment, laughing as we raced through the trees.

Yay! I'm quite happy with this chapter. I'm sorry that it took a little longer to post than the previous chapters, but it's a little longer so hopefully that makes up for it. I am hoping to get a little bit more action in some time soon. As always, please remember to leave a review and let me know what you think so far! Reviews are my main motivation to post faster ;)

Sindarin Translations:

Novaer – Farewell

I eneth nîn Christa – My name is Christa

Le suilon – I greet you, "greetings"

Mae l'ovannen – well met, another form of "greetings"

Nîdh! Eleniel, ego! – Ouch! Eleniel ("star"), go!

Ú-bedin edhellen – I don't speak elvish

Tolo ar nîn – Come with me

Faen – Silver

Elin - Star

-Eru