5th chapter posted along with the 4th:

Elwyn

"You seem a little too distraught for this early in the morning," I observed, stepping into the stables to find Legolas already grooming his horse, Arod, his expression troubled. He turned at the sound of my voice and managed a rueful smile.

"Shouldn't you be abed at this hour?" he asked, and whether or not that meant he wanted privacy, I didn't know.

I shrugged and made my way over to Luna's stall, two down from his own. "I could ask the same of you. I'm not accustomed to finding anyone else before my morning ride."

His smile returned, this time a tad more cheerful. "I suppose you would reject company then?"

I tightened my mare's saddle and tested the stirrups with the weight of my right foot, hoisting myself up on to her back. "Not necessarily."

"Good," He easily mounted his own horse, bareback I noticed, which I myself had never mastered without Luna throwing me off. I also took into account that his quiver hung from his shoulders. He never left it behind when leaving the palace and this actually comforted me as I hadn't thought to bring any weapons of my own and even if I had, he was far more experienced with his.

He must have detected the look in my eyes because he glanced briefly at his bow, then turned back to me, jerking his horse's reigns to start him moving. "Security," he elucidated, and I nodded, following him out into the fields toward the woods.

We were both silent for a long while, mostly because I sensed he wanted it that way, and I began to wonder what the point of his company on this ride was if he was not going to speak. I looked over at him, finally realizing that he was searching through the trees, his experienced eyes darting around, peering into every corner.

"Looking for something?" I asked him, and surprisingly, I managed to startle him. Something I knew was no small feat when it came to Elves.

"No," he assured me, facing forward again. Not that I was so easily shaken off topic however.

"Is there some threat on this path I should know of?"

He shook his head, but still appeared distracted. "Ilya na varna,"(All is safe) he told me. I didn't believe him for a minute.

"Anwave?"(Truly?) I questioned skeptically.

"Ni hlar…"(I hear…) he didn't finish, continuing to search all around us and I saw one pointed ear perk up at a snapping twig.

"Hlar man?"(Hear what?) I prompted.

"There you are!"

I swear, I nearly fell off Luna. As it was, she was startled as well. And Arod seemed skittish, though Legolas hadn't jumped.

Faramir's horse emerged from the foliage in front of us. Faramir himself appeared slightly out of breath and held up a hand while he collected himself, most likely so Legolas wouldn't shoot him. "I have been following you two much of the way."

"We noticed," Legolas said, almost hostile and I got the sense there was something going on here, an undercurrent I wasn't aware of.

"I wanted to speak with you," he revealed, staring at Legolas. His gaze shifted momentarily to me. "Privately."

"About traveling to Ithilien?" Legolas demanded. I knew he had picked up on Faramir's pointed glance, he simply wasn't concerned with whether or not I heard.

I turned to him, or as much as I could still mounted. "You're going back?"

He glared at Faramir for a few more moments, then turned to me, his expression softening. "Nothing has been decided." He spurred his horse onward, turning away from Faramir's and heading back the way we had come, out of the forest. I followed, Faramir trailing behind me.

I urged Luna up beside Legolas. Thankfully, Faramir stayed behind us, silent. "Man kyar an mer?"(What does he want?) I demanded, purposely shifting to Elven tongue in hopes he would be more apt to reveal what they had been talking about if the other soldier could not understand.

"Úengwë," (Nothing.) was all he said, though his eyes revealed different.

I sighed, glancing at Faramir, who I could tell did not appreciate our secrecy. "Niyarinn," (Tell me.) I insisted.

He looked over at me eventually. "Úsí." (Not now.)

Well, at least that was something. As far as I knew, neither had any reason to be angry with the other. I got the impression that something had happened in the meeting Legolas had had with my father the previous evening.

Sighing, I faced forward defeated, watching as the trees slowly grew fewer and fewer until we were once again in the fields behind the palace. Legolas broke into a gallop when we reached open ground and Faramir soon did the same.

I took it they meant to leave me behind.

* * * * *

More soon. Oh, and if anyone speaks Elvish (Quenya considering Legolas is at least descended from a high Elf), please ignore it if my conjugations or sentence structures are off, still learning and all. Can speak French, but too bad that doesn't help with LOTR ) .