Chapter Three: To Gondor

Arwen couldn't hide her smile any longer. Their situation wasn't amusing, actually. The sun was just barely past rising, but she was leaving behind Elrond, perhaps for the last time, to be with the one person she loved more than anything that had ever, or would ever, exist. On top of that, the road was long to Gondor--it seemed to her that the miles between herself and her husband were endless.

Yet every time Legolas would urge Arod to walk next to Asfaloth, the white Elven stallion would snort, lay back his ears, and turn his head in an attempt to bite the Prince. And then Arwen would again fight off laughter.

"I apologized!" Legolas protested when Asfaloth managed to grab his tunic. "You have my deepest regrets, but it was necessary!"

Glorfindel frowned and put a hand on Asfaloth's graceful neck. It calmed him a little, until Gaernell, Arwen's mount, walked next to him. The larger horse gave her a suspicious glare and shook his mane.

"Apologize sincerely," she advised. "Explain why you said what you said."

"You still wish only to learn my secrets," Legolas protested. "Going into detail will not change his mind."

"I wish to learn no tricks that will cause a horse to begrudge me!"

"I am curious as well, Prince of Mirkwood," Glorfindel commented softly. "So speak. Tell me what you told Asfaloth."

"I cannot take all the credit--nor all the blame--for this," Legolas finally said. "But very well. It is a tale that Gimli, Gloin's son, would vouch for, were he here."

"Would he indeed?" Arwen asked, giving him a skeptic's smile.

"I speak of this at great pains, milady, and I can rethink my decision."

"No, no, go on. I will hold my tongue as long as I am able."

Legolas nodded, but rode on in silence for a few paces, as if to make certain he had their attention. "Not long ago, Gimli and I were visiting distant lands, and places that had been sung of but never looked upon by our eyes..." Legolas faltered a moment, seeing the flinch his choice of words brought to Glorfindel's face. "Among these were the Glittering Caves, and Fangorn, and our homelands. At the time, we were visiting some of Gimli's kindred. Their caves are grand, as far as I can judge, for I still do not enjoy being under the earth.

"However, his kindred were very kind, and shortly after we arrived, they gave us a large banquet. My father has wonderful wines, unseen elsewhere in Middle-earth, but these Dwarves...were I to have a choice, I would hardly give the wine of Mirkwood a second glance." Arwen raised an eyebrow, and looked rather impressed. "We stayed there three nights. The first night I slept inside the caves with the Dwarven folk, but the second night I could stand to be away from the trees no longer. I was well contented, for they had given us an even larger banquet that night, and opened their finest wine cellar."

Arwen opened her mouth to comment, but settled on a grin and kept quiet.

Legolas continued, "I was resting peacefully, while Gimli found himself curious--or perhaps too full of ale, which is likely. He raced out of the caves, crying my name as loudly as his lungs could bear. Dwarves, I may add, have powerful lungs. This woke me immediately, and when I landed, he told me that the caves, the caves were on fire!

"I knew this could not be so, and thought he was simply too drunk for one night, until he told me that it was the wine that had caught fire. We all know that wine, unlike stone, burns well. Keep in mind that there were many young Dwarves, some who could hardly hold up a hammer, still in the caves. I ran back inside."

"And what part of this did you tell Asfaloth?" Arwen asked when he was quiet for too long.

"Well, there lies the trick, Lady Undomiel. There was no fire. Just as there were no snakes in Asfaloth's stall, but had he waited any longer, I assured him I would find some."

Arwen chuckled. "I seem to remember a letter Gimli sent Aragorn, some time ago. But in it, he says that when you were running back into the caves, you were not crying for the Dwarves to rescue their children."

"Dwarves remember strange things when they have their ale."

"Oh? So then you didn't 'rescue' two crates of their wine before you realized he was toying with you?"

Glorfindel was laughing as he shook his head. "Never mind. I do not wish to know what lies you have told. Certain things about certain horses ought not to be known."

Asfaloth snapped at Legolas again, indignantly. "To be fair, Glorfindel, you should know that he was going to rescue you...so you needn't worry, your horse does not have a taste for our drink."

Arwen leaned forward to stroke Asfaloth's neck. The horse gently nuzzled her hand, careful not to jar or startle Glorfindel.

Legolas glanced over his shoulder and smiled. "An idea has struck me." Arwen looked up at him. "We shall need a place to rest tonight. Where do you wish to stop?"

Arwen cast her gaze about them. "The sky is clear, so if we must, we may sleep under the stars." Glorfindel didn't comment. "I know not where the nearest towns are, though I'm certain we shall see one ere we reach Gondor."

They rode on for several miles before their horses began to tire. Glorfindel said little, except when prompted by the other Elves, and Arwen finally called a halt to their journey when she began to notice Asfaloth slowing, or even stopping briefly, to keep Glorfindel balanced.

Legolas dismounted when they had chosen a secluded meadow to stay in. Arod trotted around the tall, soft grass, waiting for the other horses to come join him.

"Legolas!" Arwen cried, but he had already sprung forward.

Glorfindel was deathly pale; he grabbed blindly for Asfaloth's mane, trying to stop himself from toppling off his horse; yet he missed. Legolas caught him, but they were both knocked to the ground. Asfaloth had turned, as if hoping to catch his friend in anyway he could, and laid his nose next to Glorfindel's cheek when he found him.

Arwen rushed over, and they glared at Glorfindel accusingly. "You should have told us you wearied of the journey!" Gondor's Queen spoke first.

"Why did you not say something, if you were in pain?" Legolas demanded, a few seconds after Arwen began to speak.

Glorfindel was half sitting on the Prince; Arwen was hovering near his side, and Asfaloth was still poking his nose about, trying to find the cause of his Master's pain. "Please, let me be!" he burst out. He struggled to his knees, and then to his feet.

He took a few shaky steps forward, slowly seeming to regain his balance. The fair haired Elf breathed a sigh of relief, having conquered his pain, and started forward. His foot caught on the small rock in front of him.

Even the Elves could not move fast enough to catch him this time. Glorfindel lay still, propped up on his hands, seething and fighting the tears which threatened to break loose.

Legolas stood up. Arwen stared. Asfaloth nudged Glorfindel's shoulder, who rolled slightly to the side and shoved the horse's nose away angrily. Asfaloth pulled his head back immediately, and backed off a few steps.

Glorfindel squoze shut his sightless eyes. "I am sorry...Asfaloth..."

"It has been a long day," Arwen said softly.

"And I am behaving like a child?" Glorfindel held out a hand to his horse, who obediently came to his side and, supporting the Elf's weight, led him to more level ground.

"It is understandable," Legolas told him.

Glorfindel smiled. "The day is still young, is it not. If we travel this way the rest of the trip, your patience will soon run thin." He murmured into Asfaloth's ear, and was lead to a sturdy rough-barked pine tree. He shifted his weight from Asfaloth to the trunk of the tree, and slowly made his way down until he was sitting against it.

Asfaloth watched him protectively, though it seemed to Arwen and Legolas that he could have been glowing, so great was his joy at being with Glorfindel again. Arod and Gaernell nipped at Asfaloth's flanks, trying to lure him away to their games. But he didn't even seem to consider it until Glorfindel slept.