A/N I should of updated much earlier, I know. But unfortunately someone decided to shout "let there me light, and heat" Now I'm not complaining about the heat or anything snorts but I'm English and anything about 15 degrees scares us, okay anything about 25. So now that it is 30-sumthing (I'm dead to the world when the news is on) I cannot cope! It's too hot and sticky to write! No, I'm not joking. I start writing and then I just collapse on my bed and ask "why?" So this means that chapter…what one am I on now? This is chapter…30. So chapter 31 is impossible to write! I've written about 2 pages for it in the last week which is truly shameful. So you're getting chapter 30 but chapter 31 maybe delayed…
Little elf
Chapter thirty
7th Solmath 3017
Staring at her plate of toast, sliced apple and cheese Elle deliberately ignored Haldir's pleasing tones "But we will have fun!"
"I don't do horses, let's just leave it at that."
"But I have not ridden my horse for quite some time and I thought it would be…" he glanced around and whispered "romantic."
"As romantic as a night de-boning fish, now give it a rest. I do not want to go horse riding and that is that."
"Why not?" Haldir whined
"I refuse to spend my day on a horse while is jumps around and gives me a sore-" *arse*
"A sore what?" Haldir grinned knowingly
"You know very well what I mean. Horse riding gives you a sore…derrière. Now I intend to spend my day relaxing, maybe painting. Now leave me in peace to enjoy my meal."
"You can paint any day."
"No I cannot. Now cease this stupidity and play with your horse on your own."
"Mithglin! Help me!" demanded Haldir
"Elle, it would do you good. I like nothing more then a ride after a stressful day."
"Then you can go and ride with Haldir."
"I cannot I have to be in the houses of healing, enjoying my one free day without you. Ahh, poor bliss."
"Very funny."
"Elle?" Haldir's vice was suddenly softer
"Yes?" His change in voice clearly marked another tactic.
"I dare you to ride a horse."
Elle gave him a withering look. "Just remember we have dance practice tonight and it's your turn to dance with me. Now I guess we better go to the stables had we not?" Elle picked up the butter-saturated toast to eat on the way. "Well, are we going or not?"
* * *
Elle glared straight ahead holding the leather reins, feeling odd at having no saddle or stirrups. The bay horse beneath her nickered shaking its reins stamping a hoof impatiently. "I cannot believe that you could not mount a horse."
Elle's gaze did not falter. "I told you I do not ride horses. As pretty as the are they have a lot of strength beneath that and I do not want to be on the receiving end when it decided that no, it doesn't want me riding it. When those thing gallops I'm going to slip off the other end."
"The horses name is Anarmir."
*Sun jewel?*
"Remember how to make it gallop?"
"Yes."
"How?" Haldir smirked
"Noro lim." Elle replied frowning
Immediately the horse set into a gallop sending Elle jumping all over the place.
Desperately clutching the rein Elle "eeped" in fright. She eventually grabbed the rein and jerked it back urgently while trying to stay close to its neck. "Whoa, Anarmir, whoa." She tugged at the reins hard "Haldir! Save me!" she yelped over her shoulder.
Trees whizzed by, Anarmir dodging this way and that, causing Elle to tensely clutch its neck.. "Whoa! Tampa! Stop" she commanded loudly
The horse stopped abruptly sending Elle flying over its head.
She landed with a thud on the ground her hands impacting first sending a jolt through the rest of her body. "Ow." She muttered to herself as she sat up
Looking at her hands she winced. The palms were bleeding, part of the skin having been scrapped off. "Lovely."
Her leggings were slightly ripped and when she moved her left ankle pain shot up through her leg.
"Elle! Are you okay? I am so sorry I thought you could actually ride a horse and that you were just holding out on me."
"Well obviously not." Elle commented dryly
"Your hands! They are bleeding!"
"I noticed. Luckily I know how to heal, so if you could just go and catch the hoses."
Haldir obligingly did do, his face woven in a guilty expression.
Elle sighed putting her right hand above the left. "I just thought you might need some water to clean them." A small water skin was waved in front of her face.
"Thank you. Could you just pour it on?"
Haldir poured some on "Why did you just wince?"
"It stings."
Closing her eyes the skin on her left hand started to slowly knit together, Haldir's eyes watching in fascination.
After healing her hands she pulled off her boots and hiked up her leggings to show her ankle which had already started to bruise and swell.
"Is it broken?" he asked concerned
Elle felt around it. "No, just a sprain"
"I guess we better go back." Haldir said a while later
"No, we're going horse riding. I'm not letting you see me give up on something just because I'm not excellent at it like usual." She cracked a smile.
"Let me lead you to your horse then." Haldir offered a hand top help her up.
"Thank you. You can help me into my horse." Smiling Haldir walked over to his own horse, whispered something into its ear, which set it off into a canter.
He then hoisted Elle onto Anarmir before jumping up behind her. "Take the reins…."
"…See I knew you could do it! All it took was-"
"Shut it horse man."
"Stuff what?"
"You're so cute."
"You have lost me."
Elle pinched his cheek. "get me off this horse."
"Why?"
"Because you betrayed my trust and lead me to severely hurt my hands and sprain my ankle."
"I am afraid that was my fault and I am deeply sorry-"
"Haldir, shut up before I make you shut up."
"and how are you going to do that?"
Elle realised that she could not move. Her back was pressed firmly against Haldir's chest. His left arm was around her waist while managing to pin down her left arm. Her right hand was holding the reins and she would not dare let go due to her fear of falling off again.
"It seems I have you trapped." His against her eye sent tingles through her body.
"Yes, I suppose you do."
Elle wriggled making the hair that had been resting on her shoulder fall forward leaving her neck exposed. "You have a pale neck."
"Well seeing as my hair is always covering it that does make sense. In fact I would go as far as to say that you have a pale neck too." Elle rolled her eyes. "What are you doing?"
Kissing you he murmured in between feather light kissed on her nekc. Elle leant back closing her eyes.
* * *
"You use this brush to get rid of the sweat on Anarmir."
"Right."
"Give me your hand."
"If I must." Elle made a long-suffering look.
Haldir put her hand through the leather strap on the brush before placing his own over hers. "You do it like this." He showed her fingers firmly holding her hand.
Elle quickly learned and the both finished brushing down the horse in no time.
Elle lead Anarmir into the stables, Haldir following her. Anarmir was taken into her box before having her harness taken off.
The smell of hay was pungent its smell sweet and intoxicating.
Elle turned to see Haldir staring at her she smiled
"We'll have to do this again." Elle walked up to Haldir
"Yes we should."
Staring up into his eyes Elle leaned up and kissed him on his partly opened mouth. One hand was on his cheek; the other had risen to his hair. Haldir's breath hitched before he responded his lips hot against Elle's. His hands were all over her back before one went up to settle in her hair.
Eventually the pulled apart to breathe. *What have I just done?*
"What was that for?" Haldir asked eyebrows raised.
Elle grinned, "To say thank you for teaching me how to ride a horse."
A/n well I started typing this chapter up on 6th August, today is 15th. Well we have internet problems as in internet explorer won't work, in fact I don't know if I'll be able to post this at all. Well I have now found the wonder of msn explorer so I'm using that at the moment. Now I'll reply to reviews but really quickly (I say that now)
Ciarolas: Okay…I would say more but I'm not rambling (as much as I love it!)
Hanya the bloody angel: Yes Elle being unconcerned for the elf (with no name) was very enjoyable to write, I had just had a fight (as usual) with my younger bro and I imagined it was him.
Sarah: Thanks, it's nice to know when someone thinks you're refreshing.
Lomadia/jereriviel: Thanx for loving the story, I love it 2.
Black mage 12: I've added you to the mailing list.
Latin4eva93: Yes the vote was for who she ends up with.
Serpent of light: I'll try not to make it. ''icky and graphic' if you mean go up to 'r' then I won't unless I suddenly change my plot drastically, which I don't think will happen as I've plotted the whole thing.
Sokochan: Yes Mithglin can be dense but he's still a darling. I didn't mean to call Lord Celeborn, Lard Celeborn blushes
Yamidragoness: After this chapter do you think it's Elle/ Haldir or not?
Candy: Well there was a whole lot less of updating soon then I hoped for.
KindCalypso: You missed Haldir? Well you couldn't of in this chapter.
Nevdoiel: No Elle will not end up with Celeborn
I-c-faces-in-da-shadows: They were confusing? Sorry. I can sympathise witrh the no internet, that's very, very bad.
VOTE:
Haldir: 4 (note counting quick, could be wrong)
Mithglin: 3
Rumil/ Orophin: 1
Celeborn: 1 (if Ciarolas is sticking to what she said last time.
Gwil