A/N: Woo hoo! I finally got another chapter done! It's my longest one yet!
I'm so proud. *wipes a tear from her eye* Thanks for your reviews,
everyone. Please hang in there. I'm sorry my chapters take so long to get
up, but I've got school and everything *grumble*. I don't know if I'll get
another chapter up soon or not. It might be a month, it might be a week.
But I promise you all, as soon as school's out I'll update more often. So
enjoy this chapter, and please review!
The next day, and for many days after, found Laurelen a very different person. There were still times when few people could approach her, but on the whole she was quieter and more considerate, and beginning to be able to talk to others without being defensive. She began to crack the hard shell she had been living in.
But it seemed that what had changed her most was not her time alone. It was the response of the horses upon her return. She and Poppy now spent much of their time in the stables, grooming, feeding, or playing with the horses. Most of them were Elvish-bred, but the odd few were ordinary horses stabled there in case of an emergency, and these Poppy and Laurelen rode often, though it made others smile to see a small halfling astride a tall horse.
The demands of the world kept Aragorn traveling often, and Laurelen went with him many times over the years. Occasionally Poppy would come along, too. Once she and Poppy went with Arwen, Elladan, and Elrohir to Lothlorien. This trip affected Laurelen greatly, and she realized the plight of the Elves of Middle-Earth. Poppy was also saddened at the thought that those she lived with and loved were fading away.
But the highlight of these years came one cool spring day. Laurelen and Poppy had often had to use horses when traveling, and they always had to borrow them. The horses listened well enough, but both the halfling and the elf longed for one of their own.
Early in the morning, Aragorn and Arwen came to awaken them. Before they were fully awake, they had blindfolds around their eyes and were being led around. And around and around. Finally, both of them smelled the scent of horses, but they were so dizzy that they could not tell where they were. The blindfolds were taken off, and they found themselves in a huge field, with horses grazing all around them.
"What are we doing here?" Laurelen asked, confused. She didn't remember ever being here before.
"The choosing of a horse is not something that can be done for you," Aragorn replied, hiding a smile behind a hand. "So pick your horses."
Poppy and Laurelen looked at each other, amazed. "Really?"
"Yes. And Poppy, I might point out that small mare over there for you. The chestnut one," Arwen said.
Poppy looked, and sure enough, there was a pony-sized mare grazing out in the field. "Do I just walk out there?" she asked.
"Try calling her. But don't use Common."
Poppy shrugged and gave it a try. She cupped her hands around her mouth and called, "Hey pony, come here."
The small mare lifted her head and came trotting over, snorting and kicking up clods of dirt with her heels. She went straight up to Poppy and put her head in the startled hobbit's arms.
Poppy gently stroked the pony's face, tracing the outline of the bright white star in the middle of her forehead. "Veryalen," she said softly. "Your name is Veryalen." The pony snorted and nuzzled her hands.
Laurelen was still searching the herd. She spotted one horse who was standing apart from the rest on the opposite side of the field.
"What's wrong with that one?" she asked, pointing at the horse.
Arwen shrugged. "We don't know. She has never been very friendly with other horses. It's as if she doesn't care."
Laurelen continued to watch. Suddenly, as if she knew she was being watched, the mare lifted her head from the grass and began trotting around, tossing her head and arching her neck. One of the other horses kicked at her, and she dodged out of the way and took off at a gallop across the field. Her black tail was lifted high and flew out behind like a flag.
The young elf smiled. "I want her."
Aragorn frowned. "There are better choices."
Laurelen shook her head emphatically. "No. I want her."
Suddenly a new voice came from behind them. "If you want that one, you must catch her first."
Laurelen stiffened momentarily, then closed her eyes, as if in thought. "I will." She marched off into the field without bothering to look behind her at the newcomer, who happened to be Elrond. His two sons were also with him, and they grinned at each other as they watched the young elf striding out among the horses.
"What think you, Elladan? Will she do it?" said Elrohir quietly to his brother.
Elladan squinted his eyes against the sun. "Aye, she will, I think. That mare has long needed someone."
But Laurelen was unaware of these quiet exchanges. She was focused solely on the mare, who was still flying about, bucking and tossing her head. The elf drew steadily nearer, and was soon close enough to see the spirited glint in the mare's eye, and to feel the pounding of the hooves as they hit the soft earth. Laurelen laughed aloud as the horse executed a particularly high leap.
The mare snorted in surprise at the soft sound, and came to a dead stop, her ears pricked toward the elf. She stretched her neck out, nostrils flared, trying to get the scent of this strange person. Laurelen's eyes sparkled mischievously as she stepped back out of the mare's scent range. The mare laid her ears back momentarily and took a few steps forward, still sniffing the air. Laurelen took another step back, and again the mare moved forward, this time a few more steps. She was almost within touching range, but Laurelen moved back again. The mare moved forward again, but this time Laurelen took off running.
The elf laughed aloud as she saw the mare chasing her, looking rather irritated that this person would not let herself be smelled. Laurelen dodged to one side, and the mare followed, pivoting on her hind legs.
Now it had become a game. The pair ran back and forth across the grass, dodging each other and the various objects they found in their path. Laurelen's heart leapt within her, just as the mare leapt and twisted beside her. Finally the elf slowed, and the mare turned to look at her, wondering if they would keep playing.
Laurelen saw the joy in the mare's eye, and it matched her own. She stopped and allowed the mare to walk up to her. Finally the mare was able to sniff her, and seemed to like the scent. She nudged Laurelen's arm, leaving a dirty smear. Laurelen smiled and wiped it off on her breeches. She lifted one hand and gently touched the mare's neck. "Wouldst thou like to play again?" she asked softly, the Elvish words rolling gently off her tongue.
The mare tossed her head and whinnied. Her cry told Laurelen of the loneliness she had felt. With tears in her eyes, Laurelen stroked the mare's bright white blaze. "Be lonely no more, my friend. Come with me." Her last statement was half hopeful question.
The mare seemed to consider for a moment. She turned her head to look back at the herd, and then looked at Laurelen out of one large sparkling eye. She put her head in the girl's arms and snorted contentedly.
Laurelen smiled, playing with the mare's ears. She bent slightly and whispered into them, speaking in the High Elven tongue. "Anantienyë tye esse, ar melánenya íra. Esselya ná Sulien." I have given thee a name, and my eternal love. Thy name is Sulien, Daughter of the Wind.
Sulien snorted her approval, and the two turned and walked toward the small group that awaited them.
Elladan smiled softly as he watched the pair approach. "Good luck to you," he whispered as he turned and walked back toward Rivendell.
The next day, and for many days after, found Laurelen a very different person. There were still times when few people could approach her, but on the whole she was quieter and more considerate, and beginning to be able to talk to others without being defensive. She began to crack the hard shell she had been living in.
But it seemed that what had changed her most was not her time alone. It was the response of the horses upon her return. She and Poppy now spent much of their time in the stables, grooming, feeding, or playing with the horses. Most of them were Elvish-bred, but the odd few were ordinary horses stabled there in case of an emergency, and these Poppy and Laurelen rode often, though it made others smile to see a small halfling astride a tall horse.
The demands of the world kept Aragorn traveling often, and Laurelen went with him many times over the years. Occasionally Poppy would come along, too. Once she and Poppy went with Arwen, Elladan, and Elrohir to Lothlorien. This trip affected Laurelen greatly, and she realized the plight of the Elves of Middle-Earth. Poppy was also saddened at the thought that those she lived with and loved were fading away.
But the highlight of these years came one cool spring day. Laurelen and Poppy had often had to use horses when traveling, and they always had to borrow them. The horses listened well enough, but both the halfling and the elf longed for one of their own.
Early in the morning, Aragorn and Arwen came to awaken them. Before they were fully awake, they had blindfolds around their eyes and were being led around. And around and around. Finally, both of them smelled the scent of horses, but they were so dizzy that they could not tell where they were. The blindfolds were taken off, and they found themselves in a huge field, with horses grazing all around them.
"What are we doing here?" Laurelen asked, confused. She didn't remember ever being here before.
"The choosing of a horse is not something that can be done for you," Aragorn replied, hiding a smile behind a hand. "So pick your horses."
Poppy and Laurelen looked at each other, amazed. "Really?"
"Yes. And Poppy, I might point out that small mare over there for you. The chestnut one," Arwen said.
Poppy looked, and sure enough, there was a pony-sized mare grazing out in the field. "Do I just walk out there?" she asked.
"Try calling her. But don't use Common."
Poppy shrugged and gave it a try. She cupped her hands around her mouth and called, "Hey pony, come here."
The small mare lifted her head and came trotting over, snorting and kicking up clods of dirt with her heels. She went straight up to Poppy and put her head in the startled hobbit's arms.
Poppy gently stroked the pony's face, tracing the outline of the bright white star in the middle of her forehead. "Veryalen," she said softly. "Your name is Veryalen." The pony snorted and nuzzled her hands.
Laurelen was still searching the herd. She spotted one horse who was standing apart from the rest on the opposite side of the field.
"What's wrong with that one?" she asked, pointing at the horse.
Arwen shrugged. "We don't know. She has never been very friendly with other horses. It's as if she doesn't care."
Laurelen continued to watch. Suddenly, as if she knew she was being watched, the mare lifted her head from the grass and began trotting around, tossing her head and arching her neck. One of the other horses kicked at her, and she dodged out of the way and took off at a gallop across the field. Her black tail was lifted high and flew out behind like a flag.
The young elf smiled. "I want her."
Aragorn frowned. "There are better choices."
Laurelen shook her head emphatically. "No. I want her."
Suddenly a new voice came from behind them. "If you want that one, you must catch her first."
Laurelen stiffened momentarily, then closed her eyes, as if in thought. "I will." She marched off into the field without bothering to look behind her at the newcomer, who happened to be Elrond. His two sons were also with him, and they grinned at each other as they watched the young elf striding out among the horses.
"What think you, Elladan? Will she do it?" said Elrohir quietly to his brother.
Elladan squinted his eyes against the sun. "Aye, she will, I think. That mare has long needed someone."
But Laurelen was unaware of these quiet exchanges. She was focused solely on the mare, who was still flying about, bucking and tossing her head. The elf drew steadily nearer, and was soon close enough to see the spirited glint in the mare's eye, and to feel the pounding of the hooves as they hit the soft earth. Laurelen laughed aloud as the horse executed a particularly high leap.
The mare snorted in surprise at the soft sound, and came to a dead stop, her ears pricked toward the elf. She stretched her neck out, nostrils flared, trying to get the scent of this strange person. Laurelen's eyes sparkled mischievously as she stepped back out of the mare's scent range. The mare laid her ears back momentarily and took a few steps forward, still sniffing the air. Laurelen took another step back, and again the mare moved forward, this time a few more steps. She was almost within touching range, but Laurelen moved back again. The mare moved forward again, but this time Laurelen took off running.
The elf laughed aloud as she saw the mare chasing her, looking rather irritated that this person would not let herself be smelled. Laurelen dodged to one side, and the mare followed, pivoting on her hind legs.
Now it had become a game. The pair ran back and forth across the grass, dodging each other and the various objects they found in their path. Laurelen's heart leapt within her, just as the mare leapt and twisted beside her. Finally the elf slowed, and the mare turned to look at her, wondering if they would keep playing.
Laurelen saw the joy in the mare's eye, and it matched her own. She stopped and allowed the mare to walk up to her. Finally the mare was able to sniff her, and seemed to like the scent. She nudged Laurelen's arm, leaving a dirty smear. Laurelen smiled and wiped it off on her breeches. She lifted one hand and gently touched the mare's neck. "Wouldst thou like to play again?" she asked softly, the Elvish words rolling gently off her tongue.
The mare tossed her head and whinnied. Her cry told Laurelen of the loneliness she had felt. With tears in her eyes, Laurelen stroked the mare's bright white blaze. "Be lonely no more, my friend. Come with me." Her last statement was half hopeful question.
The mare seemed to consider for a moment. She turned her head to look back at the herd, and then looked at Laurelen out of one large sparkling eye. She put her head in the girl's arms and snorted contentedly.
Laurelen smiled, playing with the mare's ears. She bent slightly and whispered into them, speaking in the High Elven tongue. "Anantienyë tye esse, ar melánenya íra. Esselya ná Sulien." I have given thee a name, and my eternal love. Thy name is Sulien, Daughter of the Wind.
Sulien snorted her approval, and the two turned and walked toward the small group that awaited them.
Elladan smiled softly as he watched the pair approach. "Good luck to you," he whispered as he turned and walked back toward Rivendell.