The group rode out of the town with a "Farewell!" from the natives.
"So, what of the fork in the road down there?" Gimli asked.
"Three of us could go each way, and we could send one of the horses down the third way. That should really confuse them." Pippin suggested.
"That would work," Aragorn, taking the lead again, said, "Myself, Legolas, and Merry can go to the left. Pippin, Cailiosa, and Gimli to the right. We can send back to Hobbits' horse down the center path."
"You hear that, Isil?" Cailiosa asked her white mare, petting its nose affectionately, "You're going home." The horse whinnied happily.
"We will meet back at the end of the path, where they come back together. It's about 20 miles from here, about 2 days' journey." Legolas added. Then they all fell silent.
"What if one of us gets there before the other?" Pippin asked quietly.
"Then they will wait about a day. If the others do not come by that time, then it would be best to either look for them or to continue on without them." Aragorn responded.
"Then we will be looking for them, because there is no way I would go on without the others!" Merry said, a little harsher than he wanted.
"Yeah, me too!" agreed Pippin.
"I guess it is settled then." Gimli finished. And they all fell quiet again.
They continued on in silence until the reached the fork. They all got off their horses at this point, to trade around riders. Cailiosa gave Isil a hug around her neck, and then told her to go home. The horse nodded a little, and ran down the center path.
As group exchanged "good luck"'s and "be careful"'s and such to the others, Cailiosa pulled Legolas aside from the group. "You best get back in one piece, Lord Legolas," she said in a slightly hushed voice, trying (and failing, even though the others pretended to not pay attention) not to get the rest of the company's attention.
He looked at her a little confused, "Why's that, my lady?"
She hesitated for only a second, then kissed him, gently, ignoring the whoops and hollers from the others. She leaned to his ear, and whispered simply, "Your Queen will be waiting for you at the end of the pass."
She caught his eye as she headed to her horse and climbed on behind Pippin. She stared in his eyes for a few more seconds, then kicked the horse forward, and they rode off, Gimli close behind.
"So, what of the fork in the road down there?" Gimli asked.
"Three of us could go each way, and we could send one of the horses down the third way. That should really confuse them." Pippin suggested.
"That would work," Aragorn, taking the lead again, said, "Myself, Legolas, and Merry can go to the left. Pippin, Cailiosa, and Gimli to the right. We can send back to Hobbits' horse down the center path."
"You hear that, Isil?" Cailiosa asked her white mare, petting its nose affectionately, "You're going home." The horse whinnied happily.
"We will meet back at the end of the path, where they come back together. It's about 20 miles from here, about 2 days' journey." Legolas added. Then they all fell silent.
"What if one of us gets there before the other?" Pippin asked quietly.
"Then they will wait about a day. If the others do not come by that time, then it would be best to either look for them or to continue on without them." Aragorn responded.
"Then we will be looking for them, because there is no way I would go on without the others!" Merry said, a little harsher than he wanted.
"Yeah, me too!" agreed Pippin.
"I guess it is settled then." Gimli finished. And they all fell quiet again.
They continued on in silence until the reached the fork. They all got off their horses at this point, to trade around riders. Cailiosa gave Isil a hug around her neck, and then told her to go home. The horse nodded a little, and ran down the center path.
As group exchanged "good luck"'s and "be careful"'s and such to the others, Cailiosa pulled Legolas aside from the group. "You best get back in one piece, Lord Legolas," she said in a slightly hushed voice, trying (and failing, even though the others pretended to not pay attention) not to get the rest of the company's attention.
He looked at her a little confused, "Why's that, my lady?"
She hesitated for only a second, then kissed him, gently, ignoring the whoops and hollers from the others. She leaned to his ear, and whispered simply, "Your Queen will be waiting for you at the end of the pass."
She caught his eye as she headed to her horse and climbed on behind Pippin. She stared in his eyes for a few more seconds, then kicked the horse forward, and they rode off, Gimli close behind.