Of all the characters off the trilogy, Arwen and Galadriel was his favorite. They were Paint's favorite as well. The Ranger had just sensed a mood change in Tei when a blade was placed at his throat.
"What's this?" An elven voice sounded from beside him. "A Ranger caught off his guard?"
Tei looked up into the face of the Lady Evenstar. His eyes widened in wonder. The ranger stood, and then turned to embrace his love. Smiling, Tei backed away into the woods, walking silently back to Sam and the others. It only took a few minutes before Arwen came galloping to them. From her lips flowed elvish words that Tei and the hobbits couldn't understand, but they knew she was talking to Frodo.
"Who is she?" Merry voiced his thoughts as Frodo let out a whimper.
"She's an elf." It was Sam who replied.
"Frodo." The she-elf said as she knelt by the hobbit. Opening his shirt, she watched as Aragorn squeezed Athelas juice onto the wound. Frodo let out a gasp as the juice entered his blood, stinging his shoulder as pain streamed through his body. "He's fading. He's not going to last." The elf said. "We must get him to my father."
"Where are you taking him?" Merry said, but the ranger and the elf ignored him, for they were mounting Frodo onto the steed that stood waiting expectantly, silently.
"There are five wraiths behind you." The she-elf informed them. "Where the other four are, I do not know."
As the hobbits tried to listen to the elvish words spoken next, Tei took Whiskers from his shoulder and deposited the red fox onto the ground. He knelt down beside the canine, whispering instructions.
"Follow her and stay with her. Paint has already arranged for you to ride upon Asfaloth."
The fox looked nervously at the white stallion, standing there so calmly and collected as any elven horse would. For a moment, the thought of a gentle steed came into the canine's mind, but it soon disappeared, for Whiskers recalled what he had seen back at home. It made him reluctant to ride the stallion even more. "Must I?" He turned pleadingly to Tei.
"You are the smallest, and are used to riding upon others." Tei told him, stroking his pelt. "Besides, who would want to miss a ride like the one they are about to endure? Forgive me, for I meant to say take."
Shooting a glare at his creator, Whiskers padded over to the waiting steed and mounted, taking a seat between the hobbit and the stallion's neck. He looked nervously back at Tei, who waved as little as he could.
"Noro lim, Asfaloth. Noro lim!" The she-elf said, and the stallion obeyed. They took off through the forest at a galloping pace, Asfaloth weaving through the trees like a snake.
"What are you doing?" Sam called after the rider and her steed. "Those wraiths are still out there." But he was too far away to be heard.
"Do not worry Sam." Tei told him. "She is an elf. She can take care of Frodo."
Once Frodo was out of sight, the group settled down. It was near the crack of dawn, and they had hardly gotten any sleep. Any few hours of dreams were welcomed by the weary travelers, even if those dreams were haunted by the ring wraiths. Melina, Tei, and Paint huddled in a group.
"He is the youngest of us all." The lioness murmured to the boy. "Life has not stripped his innocent from him, and he has no courage. Why send him on a ride that even you would hesitate to take?"
"As you have said, he has no courage. We must wriggle some into him before the journey begins." Tei answered. "And while even I would not take that ride, perhaps my time to gain courage will come."
"No more talks of this." Paint cut in. "We will all gain some courage soon enough, when the orcs meet us. Now sleep. Even the most courageous man would not last long in a battle if he had not rested."
Tei nodded, and nestled deeper into Melina's pelt.
While Arwen the Evenstar had arrived at Rivendell late in the morning the next day, the humans and hobbits did not reach The Last Homely house until midnight. The hobbits had cried out for sleep, yet Aragorn did not grant it to them. He knew they were near Elrond's house. Tei was practically sleeping on his feet, and Whiskers was sleeping upon his shoulders. It seems as though Melina and the Ranger were the only ones that was fully awake. Tei did not ride Paint and get some sleep, for he knew it would be unfair to the others. But he dare not tell the hobbits of the shire. He would reveal Paint to them another time, perhaps in Rivendell.
When they had reached Rivendell, it was clear that they were expected, for four elves were waiting for them. Three took the hobbits and Tei, while another motioned Aragorn to follow him. Tei was led to a room by a she-elf. As he passed through the corridors, Tei suddenly realized how truly beautiful this elven house really was. Movies cuts off some of the splendor that can only be reveal should you see it with your eyes. Tei would have examined the elven scripture closer, yet his drooping eyes refusing him of that action. When Tei saw the bed made ready in the middle of the room, he threw himself upon it, sinking into the beddings. Too tired to move another limb, he fell asleep, not bothering to get under the sheets.
Whiskers was awoken when Tei had flung himself onto the bed. But the images in the fox's eyes were fuzzy, and sleep soon drowned him once more. Getting off the boys shoulders, the fox curled up on one of the pillows. Melina would have slept on the bed that night as well, but in his haste, Tei had forgotten to leave room for her, sleeping in the dead center instead. The lioness snorted, and lay down next to Paint on the wooden floor.
"How do you suppose we ever got here?" The heavy horse asked her sister.
"I have no clue." Melina answered. "Everything had changed so quickly on the road that it escaped my eyes. When I had blinked, we were in the woods of Lothlorien. Do you regret what had happened to us?"
"No." Paint replied. "No, I do not."
"Same as I. Yet I worry, for who is to know what is happening in our world. Tei's parents, they will not be happy."
"The same thought was on my mind. But until we finish the adventures of the Fellowship, we cannot go back. I do not believe we can."
"Paint, we have only known of two of the chapters of the adventure of the Ring. What do we do should the third chapter of the story be a harm to Tei?"
"So you do care about him."
"I fear for my existence." Melina snarled. "What should happen to me should he die? Will I fade into the air, no longer existing? I crave life, and have learned to love it."
"It is good that you have found something to love then." Paint snorted. "Tei has read the book. May the Valar looks over him on the third chapter of this story. But…"
"Speak up."
"The ending. Will he be able to bear it?"
"He has to. Nothing lasts forever."
"True, true." The shire nodded. "Now, let us sleep. Tomorrow, we will enjoy the wonders of Rivedell."