A/N: Very short part here. The next one is longer and it gets better from
here. THANK YOU for reviews, as always, and keep them coming!! The next
part might not be up for a little while, since I'm going to San Francisco
for the weekend, but I'll try to get it up by Sunday and *maybe* it will be
up tomorrow night (but I wouldn't count on it!). Thanks!!
Part 5:
Elrohir looked out the stable doors, watching the retreat of the white stallion and the Lord of the house. A mare in the stall next to him stretched out her neck to nibble on his sleeve and he idly scratched her ears as he thought. He heard one of the side door swing open on squeaky hinges and saw one of the grooms come into the stables. It was Arek, one of the younger men. He was barely out of his teens, though he seemed to have a way with the horses that few of the older hands could compete with.
"Are you done with that tack, then, Elrohir?" he asked, his brow furrowed in a charmingly concerned way.
Elrohir nodded, still petting the mare who had his sleeve firmly between her teeth. Arek smiled, showing off his boyish dimples.
"Aye, thanks for that. I've hated cleaning tack since I was a child. Are you sure you don't mind it?" Arek paused, looking at the empty stall that usually housed the white stallion. "Where's Devil?" he asked, the lines on his forehead returning.
"Lord Boromir has taken him for a ride," Elrohir answered.
Arek laughed. "I bet he had a hell of a time saddling that demon of a horse! I wish I'd been here to see it."
Elrohir shook his head. "No, I did it," he said simply.
Arek grasped his arm and turned him around. "Let me see the damage, then. Where did Devil get you."
Elrohir smiled and pulled out of the hold. "Nowhere."
Arek looked at him suspiciously. "Alright, then. Beginner's luck. But stay away from that horse if you want to keep your limbs as they are. And stay away from Lord Boromir, too, though you didn't hear me say that."
Elrohir sat on a bale of hay as he watched Arek clip a lead onto one of the horses. "Why do you say that."
Arek sighed and looked down. "Don't worry about it, Elrohir. Just don't attract too much attention to yourself and you'll be alright."
Elrohir kicked the hay bale as he stood. Ai, he thought, good luck at that!
*******************
Lord Boromir had returned from his ride that afternoon astride an exhausted Devil. The grooms were glad of this, as a tired Devil was much easier to rub down than an angry Devil. They were surprised then when Boromir ordered none but Elrohir to unsaddle the horse and groom him. Elrohir had taken the stallion reluctantly under the heavy gaze of the Lord. The piercing green eyes attracted him, though he was careful to keep his own eyes down.
"I have never known anyone to handle this horse so easily," Boromir said to Elrohir. "It is as if he listens to your very words when you speak to him."
"It is a gift, my Lord," Elrohir said. He was torn between Arek's warning and his own burning wants.
"Then it a gift wasted shoveling hay and polishing bridles," Boromir said.
"I am grateful, my Lord, to have work to do and a roof over my head at night. I cannot ask for more." Elrohir glanced up quickly to see the small smile on the proud Lord's face.
Boromir leaned against the scrubbed wood wall, rubbing his beard as he thought. "Winter is coming soon. Perhaps you would rather have a room in the house rather than this drafty old stable."
Elrohir paused. He was beginning to miss his feather bed in Imladris very much, but he had a responsibility to Derek and the horses. "It is my duty to watch the horses at night," he said, trying to keep his voice meek. "The stable is not so uncomfortable."
Boromir's smiled faded a little, but he waved it off. "The offer stands if you change your mind. Let Cook know and she will arrange it."
Boromir left then, leaving the echoes of his heavy boots in his wake. Elrohir went to consult Devil, guessing that the horse knew this Lord's true nature best of all the creatures in the household.
Part 5:
Elrohir looked out the stable doors, watching the retreat of the white stallion and the Lord of the house. A mare in the stall next to him stretched out her neck to nibble on his sleeve and he idly scratched her ears as he thought. He heard one of the side door swing open on squeaky hinges and saw one of the grooms come into the stables. It was Arek, one of the younger men. He was barely out of his teens, though he seemed to have a way with the horses that few of the older hands could compete with.
"Are you done with that tack, then, Elrohir?" he asked, his brow furrowed in a charmingly concerned way.
Elrohir nodded, still petting the mare who had his sleeve firmly between her teeth. Arek smiled, showing off his boyish dimples.
"Aye, thanks for that. I've hated cleaning tack since I was a child. Are you sure you don't mind it?" Arek paused, looking at the empty stall that usually housed the white stallion. "Where's Devil?" he asked, the lines on his forehead returning.
"Lord Boromir has taken him for a ride," Elrohir answered.
Arek laughed. "I bet he had a hell of a time saddling that demon of a horse! I wish I'd been here to see it."
Elrohir shook his head. "No, I did it," he said simply.
Arek grasped his arm and turned him around. "Let me see the damage, then. Where did Devil get you."
Elrohir smiled and pulled out of the hold. "Nowhere."
Arek looked at him suspiciously. "Alright, then. Beginner's luck. But stay away from that horse if you want to keep your limbs as they are. And stay away from Lord Boromir, too, though you didn't hear me say that."
Elrohir sat on a bale of hay as he watched Arek clip a lead onto one of the horses. "Why do you say that."
Arek sighed and looked down. "Don't worry about it, Elrohir. Just don't attract too much attention to yourself and you'll be alright."
Elrohir kicked the hay bale as he stood. Ai, he thought, good luck at that!
*******************
Lord Boromir had returned from his ride that afternoon astride an exhausted Devil. The grooms were glad of this, as a tired Devil was much easier to rub down than an angry Devil. They were surprised then when Boromir ordered none but Elrohir to unsaddle the horse and groom him. Elrohir had taken the stallion reluctantly under the heavy gaze of the Lord. The piercing green eyes attracted him, though he was careful to keep his own eyes down.
"I have never known anyone to handle this horse so easily," Boromir said to Elrohir. "It is as if he listens to your very words when you speak to him."
"It is a gift, my Lord," Elrohir said. He was torn between Arek's warning and his own burning wants.
"Then it a gift wasted shoveling hay and polishing bridles," Boromir said.
"I am grateful, my Lord, to have work to do and a roof over my head at night. I cannot ask for more." Elrohir glanced up quickly to see the small smile on the proud Lord's face.
Boromir leaned against the scrubbed wood wall, rubbing his beard as he thought. "Winter is coming soon. Perhaps you would rather have a room in the house rather than this drafty old stable."
Elrohir paused. He was beginning to miss his feather bed in Imladris very much, but he had a responsibility to Derek and the horses. "It is my duty to watch the horses at night," he said, trying to keep his voice meek. "The stable is not so uncomfortable."
Boromir's smiled faded a little, but he waved it off. "The offer stands if you change your mind. Let Cook know and she will arrange it."
Boromir left then, leaving the echoes of his heavy boots in his wake. Elrohir went to consult Devil, guessing that the horse knew this Lord's true nature best of all the creatures in the household.