QUICKLY: I started this fic a long, long time ago, and, reading it back lately, have decided it no longer suits me. So I will be polishing it, one chapter at a time :)

Until the last chap is worked on, I apologize for any disjointedness that may result :)

Also, this fic takes place after the War and all except Boromir are alive and well!

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing of the Lord of the Rings.

I looked over at my friend, Laura. "Are you sure," I whispered a final time, "that this is a good idea?"

She chuckled, walking her horse in a circle around mine. "Don't worry about it, Fay. Trooper's a great horse; he's super sweet and mellow!"

I pursed my lips, trying not to protest anymore, and glanced down at the Appaloosa below me. His ears swiveled back towards me, and he glanced over his shoulder.

We looked at each other a moment, appraising the situation.

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, and I tensed in the saddle as all the gear creaked.

How, again, had they gotten me up here?

Laura laughed at me some more. "O, come on, Fay! He's not a monster!"

She trotted up beside me, her tack jingling. "This is going to be so much fun! It's an absolutely beautiful day and we're not in school!"

"Well…"

I had to admit—that was true. Even sitting on top of a hundred-something pound animal was better than Calculus, right?

"Come on. Just give him a little tap with your heel and let's go!" She urged.

Trying to ignore my roommate's watching gaze, I looked to the side, where my stirrup was. Hesitantly, reluctant to let my foot leave the relative safety of the little, metal ring, I slid my borrowed boot out and touched my foot to the horse's side.

Happy to finally have something to do, Trooper started forward. I quickly finagled with the stirrup, trying to get my foot back in. It fought with me, dangling and twisting tauntingly. Trooper ignored it, plodding along the path slowly.

I managed to pop my foot back in right as Laura took the lead. Straight-backed on her chestnut mare, she trotted along the small, dirt path between the trees.

We moved in silence for a few minutes, her letting me adjust to what I perceived to be a precarious situation. Then she stood up in her stirrups, inhaling the warm air deeply. "Isn't it just gorgeous out here?"

"Yea," I smiled,

"I'm so glad you decided to come up here for the Summer, Fay. It usually gets kinda boring around August, but with you here, we can come up with lots of things to do! We can go riding every morning and…"

She stopped at the sound that chirped, uncontrolled, from my throat. I looked at her with wide eyes, and she laughed.

"Okay," she consented. "Maybe not every day. But, hey! If you want to, later, we can hop in the lake!"

I laughed. "That sounds a little better! …More of what I had in mind when you said, 'Spend the Summer at my family's farm."

She chuckled more. "Alright, sweet. We should go now before dinner!"

My stomach rumbled at the thought of dinner; her mother, as I'd discovered when I arrived yesterday, was such a good cook!

She turned around and pulled her horse up beside me again.

"How about," she murmured, that same twinkle in her eyes as when she made raid the boys' dorm with her, "we race back?"

I gaped at her, and, as usual, she laughed at my predictable reaction. "Fay, how can a girl who runs marathons all the time be afraid of a little race?"

"Because," I grumbled, hastily pushing some wispy bangs out of my eyes, "I run those on my feet!"

She waved her hand in acquiescence. "Fine, fine. But…if you're not willing to take up the challenge, you get to do all the dishes for the rest of the Summer!"

"Excuse me, but I am a guest!"

"Hardly," she smiled. "My mother told you to think of yourself as family and the family does the dishes!"

I scowled at her a moment, and then glanced down at Trooper. The poor thing hadn't had any excitement since being assigned to me, and I was kind of getting the hang of this…

Clearly, I wouldn't win the race, but they'd gotten me on the horse so I might as well get the full experience…

And who wanted to do dishes during Summer break?

"Okay," I relented. "But a slow race!"

"Yes!" Her face broke out into a full smile, her dimples deepening in her cheeks. "Are you ready?"

I nodded.

"Okay! Get set……GO!!"

The mare flew forward and Trooper's ears immediately perked up in interest.

I took a deep breath, watching Laura's form grow smaller as she raced away.

"Okay. Alright. Ready, Trooper? Let's go! I can do this!" Not knowing what else to do, I slapped the reins against his neck. Maybe it wasn't the proper command, but it was all the encouragement he needed to let his instinct take over.

He shot forward like a bat out of hell, nearly whip-lashing me from the saddle. Shocked, I scrambled to grab the reins tighter, grab his mane…something! Yet even with my legs clutching desperately against his sides, I became completely tangled and discombobulated.

His powerful strides struck the ground below me, and I felt panic seep in from the edges of my body. "Stop! Stop!" I shouted at him, yanking the reins and wondering what the hell had happened to his "mellow" disposition. My frantic shouting only urged him on faster, however, and I felt myself slipping as my muscles started shaking violently.

Then, I heard a strange crashing sound, a thud, and everything went black.