Chapter 11: Journey To Lothlorien.
Aireromen had the horses ready to go by the time the others were entering the stables. She sheathed a sword and placed it on her saddle.
"Good morning Princess." Said Gandalf. He smiled and embraced her in a friendly hug.
"Morning" she smiled.
Legolas came and kissed her on the cheek.
Gandalf went to his beloved Shadowfax and stroked his neck. He then hopped onto his back. Aragorn too went right to his horse and was on and heading out the door with Gandalf, where they waited for Legolas and Aireromen.
Aireromen picked up Morwing's reins and slid them over his head.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Legolas.
"Without question" she replied.
Legolas smiled and kissed her.
Morwing's eyes blazed and he snorted warningly, Legolas eyed the giant black horse and slowly backed away.
Aireromen covered her mouth with her hands and surprised a laugh.
"You know she was mine long before she was yours." He said to the horse.
Morwing shook his head and snorted again. Aireromen sniggered.
"Don't argue with him Legolas, you wont win." She kissed her horse above his eye and gently stroked his black muzzle.
Legolas folded his arms across his chest. "I'm beginning to wonder who you love more, Aire." Replied Legolas smugly.
"Oh don't be silly Legolas." She kissed his cheek. "Of corse I love Morwing more!" She laughed at the expression of surprise on his face and jumped lightly onto Morwing. She kicked her heels slightly and cantered off after Gandalf and Aragorn.
Legolas hopped onto his horse, he gathered the reins and took off to catch up to her.
The sun was now rising higher in the sky; Gandalf and Aragorn chattered and laughed quietly to eachother. Aireromen stared off in a daze as they rode. Looking at the forest around her. Legolas pulled his horse up next to hers and for a long while looked at her.
"Are you feeling okay?" he asked.
Aireromen jerked her head to face him. "Hmm….what?" she stuttered.
Legolas smiled and laughed.
"I feel fine." She said, and turned her gaze back around her.
"You are very quiet," he said.
"There's just not anything to talk about." She stated bluntly.
Legolas left the conversation at that, it was clear to him that she was indeed nervous, so he would say no more.
After a few hours, they finally broke through the forest of Mirkwood and on to open planes. Only another hour and they would be approaching the forest of Lorien. It was now late in the afternoon, the sun was setting and the wind picked up. The small company all threw on their cloaks and shielded their faces from the cold with their hoods.
Aireromen looked around her; they were in open range and could easily be spotted by unwanted eyes. This made her uneasy and she placed a hand upon the hilt of her sword that she had strung onto her saddle. She pulled Morwing to a stop, and eyed the terrain around her, focusing her keen hearing on all she could pick up. Legolas turned his horse around and came to stand beside her.
"I have spoken with Gandalf, we should be entering Lorien in less than half an hour." He said.
"Good." Said Aireromen, still glaring around her. "Being out in the open like this makes me uneasy." She said. Still fingering her sword.
"Why is that?" he asked noting the way she looked around her and looking around uneasy himself.
"I don't know, I…..I just have this feeling." She said softly.
Legolas kissed her hand.
"Don't worry." He whispered. "We are nearly there, once we enter the borders of Lorien, we will be safe."
Aireromen nodded but despite Legolas's encouraging words, she felt none the less very edgy. She nudged Morwing back into a trot and went side by side with Legolas.
Not until she saw the trees of Lorien come into view did she breath normally again. They entered slowly into the forest, it was unearthly, and the trees seemed to glow, everything seemed so dreamy. Aireromen felt at home here, she was finally going home. They went in about half a mile, and then Gandalf pulled Shadowfax to a stop. He raised his hand and gestured for the others to stop as well.
"Do not move." He said. "There are arrows pointed at all of you as I speak."
They looked around; their vision was blocked partly by their hoods.
"Aire." Whispered Gandalf. "Take your hand off of that sword!"
Aireromen slowly moved her hand from the sword and placed it on her knee.
Gandalf called out. "Haldir! Haldir en' Lothlorien!" (Haldir! Haldir of Lothlorien!)
There was a moment of silence, and then an answer came.
"Aaye! Gandalf! Lye dol lle nae tulin!" (Hail! Gandalf! We heard you would come!" a strong lean looking ash blonde Elf jumped nimbly down from a tree in front of them, he landed on his feet just like a cat, six others followed his lead. Haldir went to Gandalf and bowed low.
"What brings you here so late in the evening?" he asked as he eyed the hooded travelers behind the wizard.
Morwing snorted and impatiently pawed the ground, disturbing the dirt and leaves. Haldir looked in disapproval and disgust at the black horse.
"You know better than to bring a Nazgul steed into Lothlorien, Gandalf! They are dangerous, untrustworthy." Haldir said as he eyed the horse.
"He is not dangerous!" Aireromen said loudly, she threw back her hood and her bright gold hair shined and fell down her fair elvish face.
Haldir stared in disbelief, his jaw dropped open, he blinked, hardly able to believe what his own eyes saw.
Aireromen had the horses ready to go by the time the others were entering the stables. She sheathed a sword and placed it on her saddle.
"Good morning Princess." Said Gandalf. He smiled and embraced her in a friendly hug.
"Morning" she smiled.
Legolas came and kissed her on the cheek.
Gandalf went to his beloved Shadowfax and stroked his neck. He then hopped onto his back. Aragorn too went right to his horse and was on and heading out the door with Gandalf, where they waited for Legolas and Aireromen.
Aireromen picked up Morwing's reins and slid them over his head.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" asked Legolas.
"Without question" she replied.
Legolas smiled and kissed her.
Morwing's eyes blazed and he snorted warningly, Legolas eyed the giant black horse and slowly backed away.
Aireromen covered her mouth with her hands and surprised a laugh.
"You know she was mine long before she was yours." He said to the horse.
Morwing shook his head and snorted again. Aireromen sniggered.
"Don't argue with him Legolas, you wont win." She kissed her horse above his eye and gently stroked his black muzzle.
Legolas folded his arms across his chest. "I'm beginning to wonder who you love more, Aire." Replied Legolas smugly.
"Oh don't be silly Legolas." She kissed his cheek. "Of corse I love Morwing more!" She laughed at the expression of surprise on his face and jumped lightly onto Morwing. She kicked her heels slightly and cantered off after Gandalf and Aragorn.
Legolas hopped onto his horse, he gathered the reins and took off to catch up to her.
The sun was now rising higher in the sky; Gandalf and Aragorn chattered and laughed quietly to eachother. Aireromen stared off in a daze as they rode. Looking at the forest around her. Legolas pulled his horse up next to hers and for a long while looked at her.
"Are you feeling okay?" he asked.
Aireromen jerked her head to face him. "Hmm….what?" she stuttered.
Legolas smiled and laughed.
"I feel fine." She said, and turned her gaze back around her.
"You are very quiet," he said.
"There's just not anything to talk about." She stated bluntly.
Legolas left the conversation at that, it was clear to him that she was indeed nervous, so he would say no more.
After a few hours, they finally broke through the forest of Mirkwood and on to open planes. Only another hour and they would be approaching the forest of Lorien. It was now late in the afternoon, the sun was setting and the wind picked up. The small company all threw on their cloaks and shielded their faces from the cold with their hoods.
Aireromen looked around her; they were in open range and could easily be spotted by unwanted eyes. This made her uneasy and she placed a hand upon the hilt of her sword that she had strung onto her saddle. She pulled Morwing to a stop, and eyed the terrain around her, focusing her keen hearing on all she could pick up. Legolas turned his horse around and came to stand beside her.
"I have spoken with Gandalf, we should be entering Lorien in less than half an hour." He said.
"Good." Said Aireromen, still glaring around her. "Being out in the open like this makes me uneasy." She said. Still fingering her sword.
"Why is that?" he asked noting the way she looked around her and looking around uneasy himself.
"I don't know, I…..I just have this feeling." She said softly.
Legolas kissed her hand.
"Don't worry." He whispered. "We are nearly there, once we enter the borders of Lorien, we will be safe."
Aireromen nodded but despite Legolas's encouraging words, she felt none the less very edgy. She nudged Morwing back into a trot and went side by side with Legolas.
Not until she saw the trees of Lorien come into view did she breath normally again. They entered slowly into the forest, it was unearthly, and the trees seemed to glow, everything seemed so dreamy. Aireromen felt at home here, she was finally going home. They went in about half a mile, and then Gandalf pulled Shadowfax to a stop. He raised his hand and gestured for the others to stop as well.
"Do not move." He said. "There are arrows pointed at all of you as I speak."
They looked around; their vision was blocked partly by their hoods.
"Aire." Whispered Gandalf. "Take your hand off of that sword!"
Aireromen slowly moved her hand from the sword and placed it on her knee.
Gandalf called out. "Haldir! Haldir en' Lothlorien!" (Haldir! Haldir of Lothlorien!)
There was a moment of silence, and then an answer came.
"Aaye! Gandalf! Lye dol lle nae tulin!" (Hail! Gandalf! We heard you would come!" a strong lean looking ash blonde Elf jumped nimbly down from a tree in front of them, he landed on his feet just like a cat, six others followed his lead. Haldir went to Gandalf and bowed low.
"What brings you here so late in the evening?" he asked as he eyed the hooded travelers behind the wizard.
Morwing snorted and impatiently pawed the ground, disturbing the dirt and leaves. Haldir looked in disapproval and disgust at the black horse.
"You know better than to bring a Nazgul steed into Lothlorien, Gandalf! They are dangerous, untrustworthy." Haldir said as he eyed the horse.
"He is not dangerous!" Aireromen said loudly, she threw back her hood and her bright gold hair shined and fell down her fair elvish face.
Haldir stared in disbelief, his jaw dropped open, he blinked, hardly able to believe what his own eyes saw.