Disclaimer: Ummm….I don't own anything and I can't think of a smart-ass
comment to put here instead of an actual disclaimer.
A/N: Okay…more talking, almost no action, this chapter really sucks just like the chapter before it. Don't kill me!!!
Time: The Taming of Mordil
"I assure you, this is a mistake! Even I cannot ride Mordil! The Mark's son was the only one with legs strong enough!" Èomer shouted at Rachel. She snorted and grabbed Mordil's reins. He definitely was a beast. His shoulders were almost higher than her head.
Again, Mordil reared. He nearly stomped down on Rachel's head, making everyone near her gasp in fear. It was then that Rachel understood…this horse had to be overpowered, not comforted. In a series of lunges, Rachel pulled the saddle off of the stallion's back.
"You think I can't ride Mordil? Guess again!" Rachel yelled as she swung her legs up onto his back. He reared immediately, but that was predictable. With a stern push forward, the elf knocked him back onto the ground again. Mordil was surprised, but didn't stop. He bucked repeatedly. Rachel pulled back on his reins…a horse can't buck if its head is back. Mordil began spinning around in circles. That would surely throw this lady off, but no. Almost, but no.
"Shit!" Rachel yelled. She was hanging on to the barrel of the horse (its side) and used all her strength to pull herself back up. Mordil was tired and shocked. He stopped for a moment before rearing once more. Rachel made a gruff yell that told him she was in charge now. Even his former master didn't have so much power! He immediately put his hooves on the ground and bowed his head.
"Astounding!" Èomer laughed. He bowed lower than ever to Rachel. She was incredible…
"As I said…I will ride Mordil," Rachel panted. That had taken a lot out of her, but it was fun. She wondered how fast Mordil could gallop…
"I must return to Gondor," Boromir said a few seconds later. Èomer nodded.
"I will make certain that you do so after you are healed in the house of Rohan."
"Thank you for lending these horses to us. I will make sure they are returned," Aragorn said, bowing. He looked at Rachel and smiled. She really was something. To tame a beast of Rohan was definitely an accomplishment. She smiled back and clicked at Mordil. He kneeled and let her dismount from his back without protest. He liked her and nudged her shoulder. Rachel laughed.
"You look the worse for wear, Èomer. Have you fought?" Aragorn sked suspiciously. Èomer nodded. He pointed to the smoke in the plains not far off.
"Orcs of a kind we've never seen. Day travelers. We destroyed them, but a small number of them escaped toward Isenguard," he told Aragorn. Rachel wasn't smiling and laughing anymore. She walked forward and looked Èomer in the eyes. He stared solemnly back.
"Was there another woman with them? Or small men, hobbits?" she asked. Èomer nodded.
"A woman, but no hobbits. You are strange travelers indeed!" Èomer said to himself. Holly was on her way to see Saurumon…
"Damn! Was she alive?" she asked again.
"Yes…very much so. She slew a few orcs herself. Used a blade, very small and swift, but unbreakable. I would have like to save her," Èomer replied sadly. Rachel was disgusted. She knew how he wanted to "save her." Holly was alive…that was a good thing. She already knew the hobbits were alive.
"Did you slay any hobbits yourself?" Aragorn asked. Rachel put a hand to his chest.
"They're alive…"
"How can you be sure?"
"Trust me…" Rachel said, staring at the smoke tower. Aragorn nodded. This was going to be interesting. Fangorn was their next stop…
"You will trust her word?" Èomer said, amazed. Gimli stepped forward.
"She knows more about this journey then anyone! She knows more than any of you!" he stated loudly. He had come to see Rachel as a daughter and Holly the same. He was extremely proud of them.
"I suppose so," Èomer said. He gazed admiringly at Rachel and then glared at Legolas, who stood by her side once more.
"We must leave…" Legolas said, never taking his eyes from Èomer. Aragorn nodded and began adjusting the saddle on another stallion. Legolas did the same.
"I hope we meet again, my lady," Èomer said to Rachel. She snapped her head in his direction and he approached her, grinning.
"Funny…'cause I don't," she retorted. Èomer smiled and sighed sarcastically.
"Do you really despise me so?" he asked in an airy voice.
"Yes. You are worse than Haldir. He's an angel compared to you," Rachel contemplated aloud. Before she knew what happened, Èomer lifted her hand gently and kissed it, never taking his eyes from hers. Her hand was delicate, but not without power. It tasted of fire cinders and wood…a taste Èomer liked.
"I'm sorry to hear that. I wish to have another meeting with you in the near future, my fair. Please, don't be as stone to me then…I couldn't bear it," Èomer said to her quietly. Rachel smiled pleasantly. He was really getting on her nerves.
"Then I won't, my dear gentleman," she jerked her hand away from his and practically snarled, "I'll be like steel just from the oven."
"I look forward to such a heat. I would gladly let you seer my flesh," Èomer said in her ear. Her ear twitched and she growled in his. She could hear him gulp and he back away slightly, bowed and mounted his horse once again.
"Farewell, my fairest. Farewell, friends! I bid you adieu!" he yelled. His men and he rode away and Legolas approached Rachel. She was boiling.
"Are you alright?" he asked her. Rachel calmed herself with some difficulty and looked at Legolas. He was wonderful…worrisome, but wonderful.
"I'm fine. It's just that son of a bitch. He chills me to the core!" Rachel yelled. Mordil came to her side and she scratched his withers absently. Legolas nodded and looked at Mordil.
"How did you tame him?"
"I've ridden for years…sixteen, I think. He was no different from my stallion at home," Rachel said. She rubbed one of his ears and the horse bent into her hand. Legolas watched in awe.
"These men have been riding their entire lives and even they could not ride him!" Legolas said to her. Rachel smiled and looked at him.
"Sometimes, Legolas, you can't treat horses like princes. And sometimes you have to be a woman."
A/N: That last comment is so true, isn't it???
A/N: Okay…more talking, almost no action, this chapter really sucks just like the chapter before it. Don't kill me!!!
Time: The Taming of Mordil
"I assure you, this is a mistake! Even I cannot ride Mordil! The Mark's son was the only one with legs strong enough!" Èomer shouted at Rachel. She snorted and grabbed Mordil's reins. He definitely was a beast. His shoulders were almost higher than her head.
Again, Mordil reared. He nearly stomped down on Rachel's head, making everyone near her gasp in fear. It was then that Rachel understood…this horse had to be overpowered, not comforted. In a series of lunges, Rachel pulled the saddle off of the stallion's back.
"You think I can't ride Mordil? Guess again!" Rachel yelled as she swung her legs up onto his back. He reared immediately, but that was predictable. With a stern push forward, the elf knocked him back onto the ground again. Mordil was surprised, but didn't stop. He bucked repeatedly. Rachel pulled back on his reins…a horse can't buck if its head is back. Mordil began spinning around in circles. That would surely throw this lady off, but no. Almost, but no.
"Shit!" Rachel yelled. She was hanging on to the barrel of the horse (its side) and used all her strength to pull herself back up. Mordil was tired and shocked. He stopped for a moment before rearing once more. Rachel made a gruff yell that told him she was in charge now. Even his former master didn't have so much power! He immediately put his hooves on the ground and bowed his head.
"Astounding!" Èomer laughed. He bowed lower than ever to Rachel. She was incredible…
"As I said…I will ride Mordil," Rachel panted. That had taken a lot out of her, but it was fun. She wondered how fast Mordil could gallop…
"I must return to Gondor," Boromir said a few seconds later. Èomer nodded.
"I will make certain that you do so after you are healed in the house of Rohan."
"Thank you for lending these horses to us. I will make sure they are returned," Aragorn said, bowing. He looked at Rachel and smiled. She really was something. To tame a beast of Rohan was definitely an accomplishment. She smiled back and clicked at Mordil. He kneeled and let her dismount from his back without protest. He liked her and nudged her shoulder. Rachel laughed.
"You look the worse for wear, Èomer. Have you fought?" Aragorn sked suspiciously. Èomer nodded. He pointed to the smoke in the plains not far off.
"Orcs of a kind we've never seen. Day travelers. We destroyed them, but a small number of them escaped toward Isenguard," he told Aragorn. Rachel wasn't smiling and laughing anymore. She walked forward and looked Èomer in the eyes. He stared solemnly back.
"Was there another woman with them? Or small men, hobbits?" she asked. Èomer nodded.
"A woman, but no hobbits. You are strange travelers indeed!" Èomer said to himself. Holly was on her way to see Saurumon…
"Damn! Was she alive?" she asked again.
"Yes…very much so. She slew a few orcs herself. Used a blade, very small and swift, but unbreakable. I would have like to save her," Èomer replied sadly. Rachel was disgusted. She knew how he wanted to "save her." Holly was alive…that was a good thing. She already knew the hobbits were alive.
"Did you slay any hobbits yourself?" Aragorn asked. Rachel put a hand to his chest.
"They're alive…"
"How can you be sure?"
"Trust me…" Rachel said, staring at the smoke tower. Aragorn nodded. This was going to be interesting. Fangorn was their next stop…
"You will trust her word?" Èomer said, amazed. Gimli stepped forward.
"She knows more about this journey then anyone! She knows more than any of you!" he stated loudly. He had come to see Rachel as a daughter and Holly the same. He was extremely proud of them.
"I suppose so," Èomer said. He gazed admiringly at Rachel and then glared at Legolas, who stood by her side once more.
"We must leave…" Legolas said, never taking his eyes from Èomer. Aragorn nodded and began adjusting the saddle on another stallion. Legolas did the same.
"I hope we meet again, my lady," Èomer said to Rachel. She snapped her head in his direction and he approached her, grinning.
"Funny…'cause I don't," she retorted. Èomer smiled and sighed sarcastically.
"Do you really despise me so?" he asked in an airy voice.
"Yes. You are worse than Haldir. He's an angel compared to you," Rachel contemplated aloud. Before she knew what happened, Èomer lifted her hand gently and kissed it, never taking his eyes from hers. Her hand was delicate, but not without power. It tasted of fire cinders and wood…a taste Èomer liked.
"I'm sorry to hear that. I wish to have another meeting with you in the near future, my fair. Please, don't be as stone to me then…I couldn't bear it," Èomer said to her quietly. Rachel smiled pleasantly. He was really getting on her nerves.
"Then I won't, my dear gentleman," she jerked her hand away from his and practically snarled, "I'll be like steel just from the oven."
"I look forward to such a heat. I would gladly let you seer my flesh," Èomer said in her ear. Her ear twitched and she growled in his. She could hear him gulp and he back away slightly, bowed and mounted his horse once again.
"Farewell, my fairest. Farewell, friends! I bid you adieu!" he yelled. His men and he rode away and Legolas approached Rachel. She was boiling.
"Are you alright?" he asked her. Rachel calmed herself with some difficulty and looked at Legolas. He was wonderful…worrisome, but wonderful.
"I'm fine. It's just that son of a bitch. He chills me to the core!" Rachel yelled. Mordil came to her side and she scratched his withers absently. Legolas nodded and looked at Mordil.
"How did you tame him?"
"I've ridden for years…sixteen, I think. He was no different from my stallion at home," Rachel said. She rubbed one of his ears and the horse bent into her hand. Legolas watched in awe.
"These men have been riding their entire lives and even they could not ride him!" Legolas said to her. Rachel smiled and looked at him.
"Sometimes, Legolas, you can't treat horses like princes. And sometimes you have to be a woman."
A/N: That last comment is so true, isn't it???