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Disclaimer: I. DO. NOT. OWN. THE. LOTR. CHARECTERS!
THE ROYAL STABLES CHAPTER 4
Legolas woke up because he needed to breathe urgently. He felt as if he had been unconscious for hours, but that was impossible.
As soon as he broke the surface he took a gasping breath. Knowing that he needed to get out of the freezing water, he reached his hand out to grab one of the boulders along the shore of the lake.
To his surprise he could not. It was as if his fingers refused to close. Probably numb, he thought.
Finally he worked himself out of the water. It had been much more difficult than he thought it would be. Perhaps he was hurt.
He had been lying down and tried to stand up. He turned around on his stomach so as to push himself up with his hands. But as he put them in the position to do that, he was shocked to see that they were not hands, but horses' hooves.
He looked closer, not allowing himself to believe it. Yes, they were hooves all right. He tried moving his 'hands' and the hooves moved slightly. Legolas cried out in panic but all that came out was a wild, high-pitched neigh.
Well, I've got to stand up for a start; he thought when he had calmed down. It proved to be much more difficult than that. He would prop on his forefeet to pull himself up only to have them buckle under his weight, leaving him feeling stupid.
Finally he got himself to stand up, though slightly wobbly at first. Then it was a whole new thing of learning to use his four feet instead of the normal two. He could not get them to work together and tottered around the place.
Lightning had less trouble than this, he remembered, as he fell for what seemed like the hundredth time.
The sun had already risen by the time he learned how to walk. The 'elf' walked to the lake to see his reflection. Instead of the handsome blond elf staring back at him, there was a dust-colored horse, looking slightly frightened.
He tried trotting to the area where he had fallen the night before. That also took a while to get used too.
When he arrived, he saw only his footsteps, staggering to the lake. He did not see anything that explained the silver stallion, not even a single hoofmark.
Deciding it was time to leave he trotted away from the clearing.
An hour later, Legolas let out a whinny of frustration. He could not find the way home. Every time he turned, he was greeted with new scenery, chilling in its unfamiliarity.
He tried looking for the orcs' trail but was unsuccessful. He began to think that his position could not get worse when he heard a low growl in the trees.
Wolves. And he had not learnt how to gallop yet.
Fortunately for him, he could apply his hunting skills to this. Except now he was the prey. He trotted away from the growls, hoping they had not noticed him, yet in his heart he knew they did.
He was right. Legolas soon heard another growl, drawing closer. And more grows, all around him. He was surrounded.
Slowly the wolves crept into view. They were not wolves, but wargs. He felt a strange fear in him, not the fear of an elf, but the fear of a horse. Arrow.
Driven by Arrow's fear, he acted by instinct. He felt the horse inside him kick at the cursed wargs' snouts. He bit and kicked madly, bucking wildly when he felt one clambering up his back. But these were much more difficult to get rid of than normal wolver, mainly as they were more than twice as big. He soon had no choice but to try and run.
The spirit horse inside him drove him forward. He could run, but not as fast as he needed. He looked wistfully at the trees as he ran past, longing for their safety. Yet anyone in his right mind knew that horses were not at home in trees.
The remaining wargs were closing in. The original pack consisted of around nine. He had managed to disable three and six were still following him. Two of them had been hurt slightly, the rest still deadly.
Faster, faster, he willed himself and faster he went, until the trees blended together. Yet closer the wargs grew too, until he could feel their hot breath against his skin. He had nearly given up when to his surprise he burst through the trees and out into the open. The sun warmed him and he smiled inwardly He had forgotten it was day-time under the cover of the trees.
The wargs seemed to have forgotten too. They had stopped and were standing still and blinking stupidly at the brightness. Legolas's eyes adapted faster than theirs' and he took the chance, tearing across the plain. He had been running for a while when he smelt something strangely familiar. He could not place it but he trotted towards it.
As he walked beneath a cliff, he tensed up. There was that smell again.
A stallion's scream suddenly filled his ears. After it ended, Legolas felt as if though he ought to answer it. He felt agitated, like this horse was intruding, and yet that scream was familiar in a way. He had heard it before but never understood its meaning. Thowra.
Yes, the gray stallion was there, towering over him on top of the cliff. Legolas cried in greeting, still surprised to hear a whinny. But Thowra did not recognize him and leapt down to chase him away.
Legolas jumped out of the way as he ran past, but the other horse took that as a threatening gesture and placed a well-placed kick on his forefoot. Unused to these fights, Legolas collapsed immediately.
The kick must have lamed him, he concluded when he tried to get up to no avail. Thowra was advancing slowly. Legolas looked up at him helplessly, and neighed once more. This time Thowra stopped. Recognition crept into his eyes and he whinnied questionably.
Legolas understood the question. He whinnied a reply. It was easy to do. All he had to do was think of what he wanted to say and neigh. I suppose they don't really have any language as I thought before, he wondered. They just listen to the tone of your voice and your expression.
Thowra helped him up and walked away, signaling that he should follow. Limping, Legolas left the plain with him.
END OF CHAPTER 4
Wow, that was a long chapter by my standards! I'm so happy! Thanks to all my reviewers!
RideOfWithShadowfax- I forgot to thank you in the last chapter. I know you meant well and thanx, but now I feel so dumb!
StriderWolf- Yea, sure. I'll make sure I read your fic too.
MoroTheWolfGod- that wasn't made to be Shadowfax, but you gave me a great idea!
-Chaveline
Disclaimer: I. DO. NOT. OWN. THE. LOTR. CHARECTERS!
THE ROYAL STABLES CHAPTER 4
Legolas woke up because he needed to breathe urgently. He felt as if he had been unconscious for hours, but that was impossible.
As soon as he broke the surface he took a gasping breath. Knowing that he needed to get out of the freezing water, he reached his hand out to grab one of the boulders along the shore of the lake.
To his surprise he could not. It was as if his fingers refused to close. Probably numb, he thought.
Finally he worked himself out of the water. It had been much more difficult than he thought it would be. Perhaps he was hurt.
He had been lying down and tried to stand up. He turned around on his stomach so as to push himself up with his hands. But as he put them in the position to do that, he was shocked to see that they were not hands, but horses' hooves.
He looked closer, not allowing himself to believe it. Yes, they were hooves all right. He tried moving his 'hands' and the hooves moved slightly. Legolas cried out in panic but all that came out was a wild, high-pitched neigh.
Well, I've got to stand up for a start; he thought when he had calmed down. It proved to be much more difficult than that. He would prop on his forefeet to pull himself up only to have them buckle under his weight, leaving him feeling stupid.
Finally he got himself to stand up, though slightly wobbly at first. Then it was a whole new thing of learning to use his four feet instead of the normal two. He could not get them to work together and tottered around the place.
Lightning had less trouble than this, he remembered, as he fell for what seemed like the hundredth time.
The sun had already risen by the time he learned how to walk. The 'elf' walked to the lake to see his reflection. Instead of the handsome blond elf staring back at him, there was a dust-colored horse, looking slightly frightened.
He tried trotting to the area where he had fallen the night before. That also took a while to get used too.
When he arrived, he saw only his footsteps, staggering to the lake. He did not see anything that explained the silver stallion, not even a single hoofmark.
Deciding it was time to leave he trotted away from the clearing.
An hour later, Legolas let out a whinny of frustration. He could not find the way home. Every time he turned, he was greeted with new scenery, chilling in its unfamiliarity.
He tried looking for the orcs' trail but was unsuccessful. He began to think that his position could not get worse when he heard a low growl in the trees.
Wolves. And he had not learnt how to gallop yet.
Fortunately for him, he could apply his hunting skills to this. Except now he was the prey. He trotted away from the growls, hoping they had not noticed him, yet in his heart he knew they did.
He was right. Legolas soon heard another growl, drawing closer. And more grows, all around him. He was surrounded.
Slowly the wolves crept into view. They were not wolves, but wargs. He felt a strange fear in him, not the fear of an elf, but the fear of a horse. Arrow.
Driven by Arrow's fear, he acted by instinct. He felt the horse inside him kick at the cursed wargs' snouts. He bit and kicked madly, bucking wildly when he felt one clambering up his back. But these were much more difficult to get rid of than normal wolver, mainly as they were more than twice as big. He soon had no choice but to try and run.
The spirit horse inside him drove him forward. He could run, but not as fast as he needed. He looked wistfully at the trees as he ran past, longing for their safety. Yet anyone in his right mind knew that horses were not at home in trees.
The remaining wargs were closing in. The original pack consisted of around nine. He had managed to disable three and six were still following him. Two of them had been hurt slightly, the rest still deadly.
Faster, faster, he willed himself and faster he went, until the trees blended together. Yet closer the wargs grew too, until he could feel their hot breath against his skin. He had nearly given up when to his surprise he burst through the trees and out into the open. The sun warmed him and he smiled inwardly He had forgotten it was day-time under the cover of the trees.
The wargs seemed to have forgotten too. They had stopped and were standing still and blinking stupidly at the brightness. Legolas's eyes adapted faster than theirs' and he took the chance, tearing across the plain. He had been running for a while when he smelt something strangely familiar. He could not place it but he trotted towards it.
As he walked beneath a cliff, he tensed up. There was that smell again.
A stallion's scream suddenly filled his ears. After it ended, Legolas felt as if though he ought to answer it. He felt agitated, like this horse was intruding, and yet that scream was familiar in a way. He had heard it before but never understood its meaning. Thowra.
Yes, the gray stallion was there, towering over him on top of the cliff. Legolas cried in greeting, still surprised to hear a whinny. But Thowra did not recognize him and leapt down to chase him away.
Legolas jumped out of the way as he ran past, but the other horse took that as a threatening gesture and placed a well-placed kick on his forefoot. Unused to these fights, Legolas collapsed immediately.
The kick must have lamed him, he concluded when he tried to get up to no avail. Thowra was advancing slowly. Legolas looked up at him helplessly, and neighed once more. This time Thowra stopped. Recognition crept into his eyes and he whinnied questionably.
Legolas understood the question. He whinnied a reply. It was easy to do. All he had to do was think of what he wanted to say and neigh. I suppose they don't really have any language as I thought before, he wondered. They just listen to the tone of your voice and your expression.
Thowra helped him up and walked away, signaling that he should follow. Limping, Legolas left the plain with him.
END OF CHAPTER 4
Wow, that was a long chapter by my standards! I'm so happy! Thanks to all my reviewers!
RideOfWithShadowfax- I forgot to thank you in the last chapter. I know you meant well and thanx, but now I feel so dumb!
StriderWolf- Yea, sure. I'll make sure I read your fic too.
MoroTheWolfGod- that wasn't made to be Shadowfax, but you gave me a great idea!
-Chaveline
