Painful Thighs and Heartfelt Sighs
She stepped out into the courtyard to find that once again she was late. Legolas and Gandalf were waiting for her with three brown horses. Her heart lightened to know that going on foot would not hold them up.
She greeted them with a wide smile and tied her pack to the third horse. Then she easily leapt up onto the steed and watched as Legolas and Gandalf did the same.
"Where is Gimli?" she asked, missing the company of the dwarf.
Gandalf turned his horse to look at her. "He is not coming; he would only hold us up. When we return he will be waiting for us."
If we return, Elimay thought, but cast the fear away. She lightly kicked the sides of her horse and followed on after the others, out of the gates of Mirkwood and into the forest. They would be going due south passing by Lorien and Fangorn without stopping for that would hold them up.
Elimay took up the lead, galloping through the trees to feel the wind blow her hair back from her face. She had not ridden a horse for a long time and she had forgotten how free it made her feel. It was as if she was flying. It was only until she had come out of the forest that she slowed down to a trot to let the others catch up with her.
Gandalf stopped his horse and motioned for the others to do so too. "Here I must disguise our path in the Palantir. When I say so ride fast so that we can get as much distance away as we can."
He closed his eyes and breathed deeply then uttered ancient words that brought a cold shiver to Elimay.
She watched him transfixed and was momentarily surprised when he shouted, "Go."
They all took off at a gallop towards the river and the mountains on the far horizon. The wind now whipped at her cheeks, making them sting as she lay into the horse to make her more streamlined. She was just behind Legolas and Gandalf took up the rear.
Soon their horses were dampened with sweat, their coats darkened by the moisture. Elimay felt pain in her thighs from riding so hard and she longed to stop for a rest, but pushed on. She knew that when they eventually stopped she would find it hard to stand. The only time she had ridden so hard in her life was when she was trying to outrun her friend and fellow warrior Oliver back in Rhun.
They did not stop until they had reached the river, which, on foot, would have normally taken two days to reach. Her horse skidded to a stop near Legolas' and she caught her breath as Gandalf came up to them. He seemed pleased at their progress and Elimay knew now it was a good idea to leave the dwarf behind. They would never have been able to go that fast with him with them.
She looked to Legolas and saw he had already calmed his breathing and was looking over the landscape before them with a trained eye. His gaze went to the river, searching for a good place to cross and saw where the water was deeper and the current wasn't so strong.
"We can cross there," he said, pointing to the large pool in the river.
He looked at Elimay and smiled encouragingly at her. Then he guided his horse into the water, still on the steed's back. The horse swam with its head above the surface, and only the bottom half of Legolas was drenched by the time he safely reached the other side.
Gandalf told her to go next and she trotted her horse to the edge. At first contact with the ice-cold water, it stopped and tried to draw back but Elimay muttered soothing words to it, making it gradually move into the water. It swam hard and as she reached the other side, Legolas pulled the horse out.
Last of all Gandalf came across, his horse not as stubborn, trusting the wizard's care.
Finally they were all safely across and only half drenched. Thankfully they hadn't had the same incident that they had had with Gimli when crossing the same river on the way to Mirkwood.
They rode fast but not as hard over the land, following the river on the western bank.
By evening they had reached a bend in the Anduin where there was a sheltered bay. They stopped there and set up camp, lighting a fire to dry their still damp baggage. Gandalf cooked the evening meal while Legolas scanned the area for danger and Elimay collected more fuel.
She sensed Legolas approach her through the darkness even before she saw him. He was moving silently but she could still feel his presence. Her arms were nearly full of wood and the light from the fire could be seen a distance away. The dark silhouette of Gandalf could be seen against the flames.
She had been walking rather painfully since getting off the horse from the long day's ride and wondered why the other two showed no pain. Probably because she was unused to riding. Her thighs still ached and seemed to seize up occasionally but she was looking forward to the night's rest.
"Need some help?" she heard Legolas' voice behind her as she stooped to pick up more wood.
"No, I think I'm just about done here," she said turning to him. They began walking back towards the camp through the quiet darkness. She stopped suddenly though when she heard something scuttle by in the dark.
"Just a rabbit," Legolas assured her, smiling at her edginess. He took the stack of kindling from her and placed it on the ground for a moment, so that he could take her face in his hands. "You are very beautiful, Eli."
She blushed slightly and smiled.
"Such a splendour should not have to put up with all this anguish," he continued.
He leaned down and kissed her slowly savouring the taste of her.
"And to think I tried to kill you," she laughed, running her fingers over his ear, making him shiver.
"Hmm, I shall have to punish you for that," he murmured, with a mischievous smile on his lips.
She chuckled and rolled her eyes at him. Then she bent down to pick up the firewood again. Her stomach suddenly growled loudly making them both laugh, and they walked back to the camp in high spirits.
She stepped out into the courtyard to find that once again she was late. Legolas and Gandalf were waiting for her with three brown horses. Her heart lightened to know that going on foot would not hold them up.
She greeted them with a wide smile and tied her pack to the third horse. Then she easily leapt up onto the steed and watched as Legolas and Gandalf did the same.
"Where is Gimli?" she asked, missing the company of the dwarf.
Gandalf turned his horse to look at her. "He is not coming; he would only hold us up. When we return he will be waiting for us."
If we return, Elimay thought, but cast the fear away. She lightly kicked the sides of her horse and followed on after the others, out of the gates of Mirkwood and into the forest. They would be going due south passing by Lorien and Fangorn without stopping for that would hold them up.
Elimay took up the lead, galloping through the trees to feel the wind blow her hair back from her face. She had not ridden a horse for a long time and she had forgotten how free it made her feel. It was as if she was flying. It was only until she had come out of the forest that she slowed down to a trot to let the others catch up with her.
Gandalf stopped his horse and motioned for the others to do so too. "Here I must disguise our path in the Palantir. When I say so ride fast so that we can get as much distance away as we can."
He closed his eyes and breathed deeply then uttered ancient words that brought a cold shiver to Elimay.
She watched him transfixed and was momentarily surprised when he shouted, "Go."
They all took off at a gallop towards the river and the mountains on the far horizon. The wind now whipped at her cheeks, making them sting as she lay into the horse to make her more streamlined. She was just behind Legolas and Gandalf took up the rear.
Soon their horses were dampened with sweat, their coats darkened by the moisture. Elimay felt pain in her thighs from riding so hard and she longed to stop for a rest, but pushed on. She knew that when they eventually stopped she would find it hard to stand. The only time she had ridden so hard in her life was when she was trying to outrun her friend and fellow warrior Oliver back in Rhun.
They did not stop until they had reached the river, which, on foot, would have normally taken two days to reach. Her horse skidded to a stop near Legolas' and she caught her breath as Gandalf came up to them. He seemed pleased at their progress and Elimay knew now it was a good idea to leave the dwarf behind. They would never have been able to go that fast with him with them.
She looked to Legolas and saw he had already calmed his breathing and was looking over the landscape before them with a trained eye. His gaze went to the river, searching for a good place to cross and saw where the water was deeper and the current wasn't so strong.
"We can cross there," he said, pointing to the large pool in the river.
He looked at Elimay and smiled encouragingly at her. Then he guided his horse into the water, still on the steed's back. The horse swam with its head above the surface, and only the bottom half of Legolas was drenched by the time he safely reached the other side.
Gandalf told her to go next and she trotted her horse to the edge. At first contact with the ice-cold water, it stopped and tried to draw back but Elimay muttered soothing words to it, making it gradually move into the water. It swam hard and as she reached the other side, Legolas pulled the horse out.
Last of all Gandalf came across, his horse not as stubborn, trusting the wizard's care.
Finally they were all safely across and only half drenched. Thankfully they hadn't had the same incident that they had had with Gimli when crossing the same river on the way to Mirkwood.
They rode fast but not as hard over the land, following the river on the western bank.
By evening they had reached a bend in the Anduin where there was a sheltered bay. They stopped there and set up camp, lighting a fire to dry their still damp baggage. Gandalf cooked the evening meal while Legolas scanned the area for danger and Elimay collected more fuel.
She sensed Legolas approach her through the darkness even before she saw him. He was moving silently but she could still feel his presence. Her arms were nearly full of wood and the light from the fire could be seen a distance away. The dark silhouette of Gandalf could be seen against the flames.
She had been walking rather painfully since getting off the horse from the long day's ride and wondered why the other two showed no pain. Probably because she was unused to riding. Her thighs still ached and seemed to seize up occasionally but she was looking forward to the night's rest.
"Need some help?" she heard Legolas' voice behind her as she stooped to pick up more wood.
"No, I think I'm just about done here," she said turning to him. They began walking back towards the camp through the quiet darkness. She stopped suddenly though when she heard something scuttle by in the dark.
"Just a rabbit," Legolas assured her, smiling at her edginess. He took the stack of kindling from her and placed it on the ground for a moment, so that he could take her face in his hands. "You are very beautiful, Eli."
She blushed slightly and smiled.
"Such a splendour should not have to put up with all this anguish," he continued.
He leaned down and kissed her slowly savouring the taste of her.
"And to think I tried to kill you," she laughed, running her fingers over his ear, making him shiver.
"Hmm, I shall have to punish you for that," he murmured, with a mischievous smile on his lips.
She chuckled and rolled her eyes at him. Then she bent down to pick up the firewood again. Her stomach suddenly growled loudly making them both laugh, and they walked back to the camp in high spirits.