A/N Thank you for all of the reviews! I love you all, really!
A rabbit ran across the path. Galon quivered under my hands. Legolas, next to me, snickered. I glared at him.
"You're doing well, Aurora." He said sarcastically. "At least Kintalli obeys me." At this, his horse, which was walking slightly in front of me, received a sharp nip from Galon. She surged ahead, dumping Legolas in the dirt.
"Of course she does, Leggie." I said sweetly. Galon and I pranced past him. I swear, that horse was smirking. Legolas glared.
A cold wind whipped tendrils of my hair out of its braid.
"'Kay, Galon, can you guide yourself for a few seconds?" As if in answer, the horse bobbed his head and snorted.
I pulled my cloak from where I had slung it over Galon's neck. Fumbling with the silk ties at the neck, I spread it over my back and my horse's rump.
I picked up the reins again. Legolas rode level with me without a word.
"Regained your seat then, YOUR HIGHNESS- or shall we say- your LOW, IN-THE- DIRT-NESS?"
"Oh-shut up." He said sourly.
"Why should I, exactly?" I said.
"Oh...just shut up." He replied.
"But we were having a perfectly lovely verbal sparring match!" I replied protestingly. "Hey!" I said as a brilliant idea struck me. "Next time we're at the practice courts, let's have a REAL sparring match- with swords!"
This prospect seemed to cheer Legolas up slightly.
"But....you've never even picked UP a sword-hey-why am I arguing?- I'll beat you so badly!"
"Er.... From what I've heard, neither have you."
This seemed to hit him quite hard.
"oh....right." he replied, visibly drooping. "But....I could get someone to teach me, and THEN I could beat you."
"Er...Leggie...did you hit your head when you fell?"
"No!"
"'Kay, Leggie. I don't feel like arguing right now. Too cold."
"You're an Elf- you shouldn't mind it!"
"I don't... I just...er...I'm just commenting."
This seemed to appease him, and he nodded. "It is quite cold."
"Yes."
We rode for a few moments in silence, passing less and less vegetation and skirting large boulders. A bitter wind was blowing, whipping our hair. I pulled my cloak tighter around me.
"Time to turn back!" a guard called back to us. "Wait for us to lead you!"
I rolled my eyes. Mental, overly cheerful guards.
They trotted past us, and we rode for a few minutes in silence.
All of a sudden, I heard a thump from behind me. I glanced back. One of the rearguards had fallen to a thrown dagger. He lay in the dirt, clutching the slim dagger in his neck as if he could pull it out.
"Orcs!" shouted Legolas. "Bows, everyone!"
I seized my bow from where it was caught in my stirrup. I strung it quickly and leveled an arrow from my quiver.
An orc fell, then another. I loosed four arrows in quick succession.
"Ride on, quickly!" cried one of the guards, grappling with a black armored monster.
Everyone spurred their horses-except for me. I tried, I really did. Galon tried too-but we were blocked by at least a dozen orcs.
"Help!" I cried desperately, but no one listened. "Help!' I cried again.
One head turned. I couldn't see who it was, but their snowy-white mount battled toward me, the rider cleaving orcs to form a path.
"Come on!"
I squeezed Galon's sides with my heels, and he surged ahead. Hurdling half a dozen orcs he rejoined the white rider.
"Legolas!" I said, seeing the riders face.
He didn't answer. Instead, he spurred Kitalli onwards. I followed, loosing arrows.
We cantered until we had caught up with the other riders. Leaving our attackers behind, he slowed to a trot.
"Thank you, Legolas." I said softly.
"You're welcome."
A rabbit ran across the path. Galon quivered under my hands. Legolas, next to me, snickered. I glared at him.
"You're doing well, Aurora." He said sarcastically. "At least Kintalli obeys me." At this, his horse, which was walking slightly in front of me, received a sharp nip from Galon. She surged ahead, dumping Legolas in the dirt.
"Of course she does, Leggie." I said sweetly. Galon and I pranced past him. I swear, that horse was smirking. Legolas glared.
A cold wind whipped tendrils of my hair out of its braid.
"'Kay, Galon, can you guide yourself for a few seconds?" As if in answer, the horse bobbed his head and snorted.
I pulled my cloak from where I had slung it over Galon's neck. Fumbling with the silk ties at the neck, I spread it over my back and my horse's rump.
I picked up the reins again. Legolas rode level with me without a word.
"Regained your seat then, YOUR HIGHNESS- or shall we say- your LOW, IN-THE- DIRT-NESS?"
"Oh-shut up." He said sourly.
"Why should I, exactly?" I said.
"Oh...just shut up." He replied.
"But we were having a perfectly lovely verbal sparring match!" I replied protestingly. "Hey!" I said as a brilliant idea struck me. "Next time we're at the practice courts, let's have a REAL sparring match- with swords!"
This prospect seemed to cheer Legolas up slightly.
"But....you've never even picked UP a sword-hey-why am I arguing?- I'll beat you so badly!"
"Er.... From what I've heard, neither have you."
This seemed to hit him quite hard.
"oh....right." he replied, visibly drooping. "But....I could get someone to teach me, and THEN I could beat you."
"Er...Leggie...did you hit your head when you fell?"
"No!"
"'Kay, Leggie. I don't feel like arguing right now. Too cold."
"You're an Elf- you shouldn't mind it!"
"I don't... I just...er...I'm just commenting."
This seemed to appease him, and he nodded. "It is quite cold."
"Yes."
We rode for a few moments in silence, passing less and less vegetation and skirting large boulders. A bitter wind was blowing, whipping our hair. I pulled my cloak tighter around me.
"Time to turn back!" a guard called back to us. "Wait for us to lead you!"
I rolled my eyes. Mental, overly cheerful guards.
They trotted past us, and we rode for a few minutes in silence.
All of a sudden, I heard a thump from behind me. I glanced back. One of the rearguards had fallen to a thrown dagger. He lay in the dirt, clutching the slim dagger in his neck as if he could pull it out.
"Orcs!" shouted Legolas. "Bows, everyone!"
I seized my bow from where it was caught in my stirrup. I strung it quickly and leveled an arrow from my quiver.
An orc fell, then another. I loosed four arrows in quick succession.
"Ride on, quickly!" cried one of the guards, grappling with a black armored monster.
Everyone spurred their horses-except for me. I tried, I really did. Galon tried too-but we were blocked by at least a dozen orcs.
"Help!" I cried desperately, but no one listened. "Help!' I cried again.
One head turned. I couldn't see who it was, but their snowy-white mount battled toward me, the rider cleaving orcs to form a path.
"Come on!"
I squeezed Galon's sides with my heels, and he surged ahead. Hurdling half a dozen orcs he rejoined the white rider.
"Legolas!" I said, seeing the riders face.
He didn't answer. Instead, he spurred Kitalli onwards. I followed, loosing arrows.
We cantered until we had caught up with the other riders. Leaving our attackers behind, he slowed to a trot.
"Thank you, Legolas." I said softly.
"You're welcome."