Chapter Twenty-Seven: I Don't Understand Apple Bobbing. Why?

Magic was difficult. It was like bobbing for one apple in an entire lake. At least that's what Rebecca found. The newly formed trio was traveling at a walking pace due to the amount of stones and rocks that littered the forest floor. Shadowfax and Sandomeldir had not trouble picking their way through the litter, unlike Haldir's horse who stumbled every half minute, often throwing him onto it's neck. The new horse was a cherry bay, and very fine boned. It often reminded Rebecca of an Arab, the way it threw its head and jumped around at the slightest noise. Haldir's excuse for it's behaviour was that was young, at this was its first time out alone and not with its herd. While Shadowfax stuck close to the young colt, Sandomeldir continued to ignore it only sending dirty looks the colts way when it got a bit too close.

Rebecca had nearly had a heart attack when a tree branch fell down a few yards from them, Shadowfax stayed still, Sandomeldir swung her body around but the colt...completely lost all control Haldir had of it. He span around, his hoofs digging into the earth, loudly snorting. Then he began backing up. Right into Rebecca's mount. If Sandomeldir had been any other horse she would have reared, bolted, even bucked. But instead she spun around to face the colt and did what any sensible adult horse would do to troublesome young. She bit him. Not that it helped. At all. The colt charged forwards his momentum leaving poor Haldir behind in the dirt as he raced towards home at a pace likened to a very startled mouse. Rebecca looked on rather shocked at her mares lack of patience and understanding, as Haldir pulled himself up wincing as his back gave a few pops and crackles.

"That was a bit unfortunate I must say. He was going so well. Shame that one fell branch sparked a….ahhh…?"

"Meltdown?" Rebecca offered and he seemed at loss for word to describe the young horses behaviour.

"Yes, a "Meltdown" as you call it." Gandalf who has remained amused yet quiet during the whole ordeal offered Haldir a place behind him on Shadowfax and the trio continued on the journey to the elven settlement, in the direction of Haldir's wild colt.

They continued on the their way, with their horses knowing where to go the troop entertained themselves with watching Rebecca's floundering attempts to harness her abilities. Before they had left their old campsite Gandalf handed her a large cloth bag of pebbles. On their journey she tried many times to get the pebbles to shift from her palm like Gandalf had shown, but each time her patience slipped away before her magic even came to surface.

"I give up for today!" Rebecca groaned as yet again she lost her patience. She glared at the stone in her hands as though it was the cause for all her troubles and flung it away into the forest. Gandalf eyebrows went through his hat again it was the first time he had seen his companion so disgruntled. With a sigh Rebecca draped herself across Sandomeldir's back in a rather unladylike manner sighing into the long frizzy mane and hugging the stout mares neck. She thanked the stars for the foresight of wearing her breeches for this journey and not one of her few dresses.

They arrived at the large city at around four o'clock in the afternoon. They had eaten a rather late lunch of some lembas that Haldir had brought with him. As their horses walked into a delicate courtyard several elves surrounded them their arrows ready to strike at any foul move.

"Halt!" cried one of them.

"Peace Corondin" spoke Haldir as he slowly dismounted from Shadowfax, wincing at his sore muscles. "They are our guests. I trust you have heard of Mithrandir?" The young elf nodded and at Haldir's command, the rest of the elves relaxed and put away their arrows. Gandalf slowly dismounted muttering under his beard about his own old bones and aching joints. Another elf came up from seemingly nowhere to take his horse away. Rebecca looked around nervous, clueless and slightly embarrassed. Gandalf marched up to her.

"Well? Are you going to stay on top of that nag you call a horse all day or are you going to come with us?" Rebecca nodded and slid down her feet tingling as blood rushed down to her toes. Another elf came and lead Sandomeldir away but not before she tried to get a decent kick at Gandalf for the earlier comment. Haldir beckoned for the pair to follow him as he walked towards some very elegant wooden double doors.

As they entered what seemed to be the welcoming foyer, another pair of elves came to take their bags before they started what seemed to be an endless climb up a mountain of stairs that curled around a majestic tree. It was only thanks to Gandalf's weeks of torture that she made it all the way up to the top. As the reached the summit they were faced with beautiful silver doors that seemed to shine with light. The atmosphere up in the canopy was very refreshing especially with the shining sun and a whisper of breeze.

Haldir marched forwards and rapped his knuckles lightly across the doors surface. A softly spoken word of "enter" in elvish allowed the two companions to follow Haldir as he opened the doors with a flourish.