Chapter 8: Merger
Disclaimer: I give up with this bloody thing.
This is probably the longest chapter on record. Erestor makes his first appearance.
Gwen, I find your lack of faith.......*disturbing*
It's not as if I would forget you, just that your scream is one of your most memorable points. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Later that night the girls had been given rooms, so as to spare Elrond's study. Glorfindel and Erestor had been placed in charge of them. It was not an enviable task. Inez kept loudly going on about how Erestor resembled Lara Flynn Boyle, making Polinn hit her on the head with the annals she was reading. In a distant corner, Diana, Silei, and Shuwen were bent over three volumes. However, they did not look like they were reading. There would be sudden bursts of giggles from the three of them, making the two unfortunate elves very disquieted indeed. Gwen, Pris, and Claire had decided to make themselves scarce. They knew the other five well enough.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
At last! Rivendell was within sight. Half a day's quick march lay between Legolas and Sara and their goal.
Sara grinned evilly. All those nice, pointy-eared elves with long hair...... It was paradise for her, elf-torture extraordinaire. Thinking back to the days she had been in primary six, she had been part of the gang that just loved to torture elves, *especially* Legolas, Arwen, and with the exception of Polinn, Glorfindel. Sometimes poor Erestor and Elrond got some of it too. Unfortunately, back then it had all been limited to pictures, coloured pens, and an extremely useful program called Adobe Photoshop. It seemed some first hand experience was coming up.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Elrond had decided to send the eight girls out with Glorfindel's hunting party for the day, to spare the priceless artefacts of Rivendell from destruction. He did, however, have a hidden goal - to teach them to ride. They would be needing the skill in the near future.
As the party disappeared through the stable doors, the lord of Imladris turned back to an ancient scroll on his table, to re-read it. Yes the girls fit the description. It seemed they really were the ones the Valar had long ages ago chosen for this task. He sighed. As if they could do it. They were more liable to be able to march up to Barad-Dur and invite Sauron to tea. And to think Middle Earth was depending on them.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Ooh! So big!"
"They're *huge*!"
There were exclaimations of delight (and horror) as the children were introduced to their mounts.
For Polinn, a neat well tempered light grey, a little on the tall side. For Shuwen, a smart dun with sandy coat and black mane and tail. Inez had a smaller animal, a strawberry roan. Silei, too, had a roan - no pink thank you, it was blue - a very tall creature to fit her stature. Gwen was given a creamy pony, to Pris, a dapple grey, both steady and sweet-tempered. Seeing as Diana had had previous experience, they brought to her a fiery large storm grey. Finally, to Claire they gave a small palamino, quiet and pert.
"Come on! The day grows old." Erestor called over his shoulder.
"Can't"
"Can't you see we don't even know how to *get on*?!!"
Erestor gave Glorfindel a *look*.
"You were saying?"
Sighs. This was such a hopeless lot indeed. Claire's pony looked puzzled as to why its rider kept backing away from it. The others were at a loss as to what to do. Only Polinn and Diana actually knew you had to let down the stirrups and make sure the saddles were squarely on. It took a full hour to teach the rest about adjusting the stirrups and tighten the girth, then to convince Claire the pony was only there to bear her and not to eat her, as she seemed to think. Next followed a half hour for them to get used to mounting and dismounting, by the end of which Glorfindel and Erestor were suffering from more than their fair share of bruises caused by the ......less patient horses. The decision had, of course, been earlier made to send the main party on first.
But *finally* they were on their way out of the yard and into the woods. Diana sighed and rolled her eyes as Claire complained about the horse's "unsettling rocking motion". They were going at the slowest possible speed! To her, that is.
Suddenly Glorfindel caught sight of the main party up ahead, hard on the tails of a herd of deer. Erestor spurred his horse on after the fleet- footed animals.
"Hey, Fo! I thought Sara aid you had some riding experience?"
Polinn quickly cottoned on.
"To the front! Cut them off!"
Diana kicked the large storm grey onto a gallop. With Polinn following suit. The two made for the front of the front of the herd, rounding the deer to the approaching hunters, who quickly brought down two bucks. Erestor signalled it was enough, and grinning widely, they trotted back to their friends.
"Not bad!" Glorfindel had said grudgingly, and now Diana was sniggering with her cronies Gwen and Pris at the way Polinn was floating along at the praise from her favourite elf.
Then as they rounded the bend they could make out two figures headed towards them. One tall, one short, blonde, dark haired. The taller had a bow and a quiver of arrows slung over his shoulder, the shorter in a NY uniform, muddied and dirtied. Even from the distance the girls recognised the shorter one.
"Sara Adam Ang!"
Sara looked up in surprise, then sprinted the rest of the distance as they came riding up. Her mouth formed a silent "wow", then she threw herself at Diana and Polinn as they swung off their mounts.
An elf called out to the other, "Mae govennen, Legolas Thranduilion!"
Glorfindel, poor, poor Glorfindel, looked ready to cry.
So the party continued on, with Inez riding with Claire, since both were relatively new to horseback, and Sara grinning swung up on the strawberry roan. Erestor was taking great care to stay at the front of the column, Glorfindel and Legolas, who was mounted on the packhorse they had brought along, were trailing five metres behind. They were holding a worried discussion, which, it was easy to guess what the subject was.
"One more? This will be the death of me."
"I have already died a thousand times."
"And Lord Elrond insists they are here on an appointed mission."
"I wonder what."
"I can guess. To chase all the elves to the havens?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Midday. The party decided to stop for lunch. Sara and Diana were discussing the finer points of stuntriding.
"Oh, can you do the one when you ride the horse standing up?"
"Easy. We did that during camp. Two horses as well. Can you jump them?"
"I guess. One horse only, though."
"Ooh, there's a nice tempting fallen tree ahead...."
"Tame old piece of wood. Shall we?"
"I see no problem. One.....two....THREE!"
The duo took off down the road, raising up a dust cloud as they made for a wide log lying across the road.
"Wheee!" Sara could not resist a yell as they sailed over the jump. Then Diana executed a sharp turn and called out to Sara.
"Standing up can you take on that log?"
"Brilliant! A dare!"
They backed up the horses, then stood up. Sara exchanged looks with Diana.
"Ready....."
Glorfindel burried his head in his hands.
"Get set...."
The children were squirming with excitement. Erestor and the others, though, were busy laying out lunch. Unfortunately, the spot chosen was right along the landing path of the two horses behind the log.....
"GO!"
"Erestor look -----"
"Erestor drego!" (Run!)
Thud thud thud went the hooves, silence as they lifted off........
Erestor had been readying the food when first a steel grey, then a strawberry roan landed, their hooves barely missing his head, and sent sand, muck, and dust spraying over his robed and his hair. *And* the basket that was their lunch. The girls tried to pull back their mounts, Sara loosing her grip and balance at this rough landing fell sideways onto Diana, Diana plunged off onto Elrond's chief counseller, and Erestor fell into the food in a shower of sand.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Bwahahahaha... Personally that was my favourite chapter so far.
Disclaimer: I give up with this bloody thing.
This is probably the longest chapter on record. Erestor makes his first appearance.
Gwen, I find your lack of faith.......*disturbing*
It's not as if I would forget you, just that your scream is one of your most memorable points. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Later that night the girls had been given rooms, so as to spare Elrond's study. Glorfindel and Erestor had been placed in charge of them. It was not an enviable task. Inez kept loudly going on about how Erestor resembled Lara Flynn Boyle, making Polinn hit her on the head with the annals she was reading. In a distant corner, Diana, Silei, and Shuwen were bent over three volumes. However, they did not look like they were reading. There would be sudden bursts of giggles from the three of them, making the two unfortunate elves very disquieted indeed. Gwen, Pris, and Claire had decided to make themselves scarce. They knew the other five well enough.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
At last! Rivendell was within sight. Half a day's quick march lay between Legolas and Sara and their goal.
Sara grinned evilly. All those nice, pointy-eared elves with long hair...... It was paradise for her, elf-torture extraordinaire. Thinking back to the days she had been in primary six, she had been part of the gang that just loved to torture elves, *especially* Legolas, Arwen, and with the exception of Polinn, Glorfindel. Sometimes poor Erestor and Elrond got some of it too. Unfortunately, back then it had all been limited to pictures, coloured pens, and an extremely useful program called Adobe Photoshop. It seemed some first hand experience was coming up.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Elrond had decided to send the eight girls out with Glorfindel's hunting party for the day, to spare the priceless artefacts of Rivendell from destruction. He did, however, have a hidden goal - to teach them to ride. They would be needing the skill in the near future.
As the party disappeared through the stable doors, the lord of Imladris turned back to an ancient scroll on his table, to re-read it. Yes the girls fit the description. It seemed they really were the ones the Valar had long ages ago chosen for this task. He sighed. As if they could do it. They were more liable to be able to march up to Barad-Dur and invite Sauron to tea. And to think Middle Earth was depending on them.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Ooh! So big!"
"They're *huge*!"
There were exclaimations of delight (and horror) as the children were introduced to their mounts.
For Polinn, a neat well tempered light grey, a little on the tall side. For Shuwen, a smart dun with sandy coat and black mane and tail. Inez had a smaller animal, a strawberry roan. Silei, too, had a roan - no pink thank you, it was blue - a very tall creature to fit her stature. Gwen was given a creamy pony, to Pris, a dapple grey, both steady and sweet-tempered. Seeing as Diana had had previous experience, they brought to her a fiery large storm grey. Finally, to Claire they gave a small palamino, quiet and pert.
"Come on! The day grows old." Erestor called over his shoulder.
"Can't"
"Can't you see we don't even know how to *get on*?!!"
Erestor gave Glorfindel a *look*.
"You were saying?"
Sighs. This was such a hopeless lot indeed. Claire's pony looked puzzled as to why its rider kept backing away from it. The others were at a loss as to what to do. Only Polinn and Diana actually knew you had to let down the stirrups and make sure the saddles were squarely on. It took a full hour to teach the rest about adjusting the stirrups and tighten the girth, then to convince Claire the pony was only there to bear her and not to eat her, as she seemed to think. Next followed a half hour for them to get used to mounting and dismounting, by the end of which Glorfindel and Erestor were suffering from more than their fair share of bruises caused by the ......less patient horses. The decision had, of course, been earlier made to send the main party on first.
But *finally* they were on their way out of the yard and into the woods. Diana sighed and rolled her eyes as Claire complained about the horse's "unsettling rocking motion". They were going at the slowest possible speed! To her, that is.
Suddenly Glorfindel caught sight of the main party up ahead, hard on the tails of a herd of deer. Erestor spurred his horse on after the fleet- footed animals.
"Hey, Fo! I thought Sara aid you had some riding experience?"
Polinn quickly cottoned on.
"To the front! Cut them off!"
Diana kicked the large storm grey onto a gallop. With Polinn following suit. The two made for the front of the front of the herd, rounding the deer to the approaching hunters, who quickly brought down two bucks. Erestor signalled it was enough, and grinning widely, they trotted back to their friends.
"Not bad!" Glorfindel had said grudgingly, and now Diana was sniggering with her cronies Gwen and Pris at the way Polinn was floating along at the praise from her favourite elf.
Then as they rounded the bend they could make out two figures headed towards them. One tall, one short, blonde, dark haired. The taller had a bow and a quiver of arrows slung over his shoulder, the shorter in a NY uniform, muddied and dirtied. Even from the distance the girls recognised the shorter one.
"Sara Adam Ang!"
Sara looked up in surprise, then sprinted the rest of the distance as they came riding up. Her mouth formed a silent "wow", then she threw herself at Diana and Polinn as they swung off their mounts.
An elf called out to the other, "Mae govennen, Legolas Thranduilion!"
Glorfindel, poor, poor Glorfindel, looked ready to cry.
So the party continued on, with Inez riding with Claire, since both were relatively new to horseback, and Sara grinning swung up on the strawberry roan. Erestor was taking great care to stay at the front of the column, Glorfindel and Legolas, who was mounted on the packhorse they had brought along, were trailing five metres behind. They were holding a worried discussion, which, it was easy to guess what the subject was.
"One more? This will be the death of me."
"I have already died a thousand times."
"And Lord Elrond insists they are here on an appointed mission."
"I wonder what."
"I can guess. To chase all the elves to the havens?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Midday. The party decided to stop for lunch. Sara and Diana were discussing the finer points of stuntriding.
"Oh, can you do the one when you ride the horse standing up?"
"Easy. We did that during camp. Two horses as well. Can you jump them?"
"I guess. One horse only, though."
"Ooh, there's a nice tempting fallen tree ahead...."
"Tame old piece of wood. Shall we?"
"I see no problem. One.....two....THREE!"
The duo took off down the road, raising up a dust cloud as they made for a wide log lying across the road.
"Wheee!" Sara could not resist a yell as they sailed over the jump. Then Diana executed a sharp turn and called out to Sara.
"Standing up can you take on that log?"
"Brilliant! A dare!"
They backed up the horses, then stood up. Sara exchanged looks with Diana.
"Ready....."
Glorfindel burried his head in his hands.
"Get set...."
The children were squirming with excitement. Erestor and the others, though, were busy laying out lunch. Unfortunately, the spot chosen was right along the landing path of the two horses behind the log.....
"GO!"
"Erestor look -----"
"Erestor drego!" (Run!)
Thud thud thud went the hooves, silence as they lifted off........
Erestor had been readying the food when first a steel grey, then a strawberry roan landed, their hooves barely missing his head, and sent sand, muck, and dust spraying over his robed and his hair. *And* the basket that was their lunch. The girls tried to pull back their mounts, Sara loosing her grip and balance at this rough landing fell sideways onto Diana, Diana plunged off onto Elrond's chief counseller, and Erestor fell into the food in a shower of sand.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Bwahahahaha... Personally that was my favourite chapter so far.