A/N: Here is another chapter I know what an amazingly fast update this was for me anyways. Hope you enjoy! It is a bit strange generally as a story. Please bear with me.
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Part 2
Colours flashed in the nothingness floating past at unimaginable speed leaving the one alone amidst this new terror. Things shot past confusing them even more. Where was this? Who was it? Finally it spoke,
"Where am I? Who am I?" The rushing grew more intense and a faint voice could be heard replying to the figure.
"You are where you should not be. It will not be allowed you are being given another chance. You want to help and you shall though not quite how you think you should. Run far and free child. You will soon remember everything. Whilst He can't help you directly He can nudge things along. He wants you to see the true shape of your soul so you may know there is no evil in you, but for the seed that all men have. Enjoy yourself and be not afraid. Death is only one road you can take." White light shone outwards from the figure and was everywhere. It grew in intensity and she screamed in pain. Her memories were returning, everything rushing back in horrifying three-dimensional glory. Her actions moments before her death coming back playing over and over stuck in a loop. The pain once again flooding her, but strangely enough some of her own words came back to haunt her.
"Sometimes you just have to feel the pain to know that you are alive." Shadowy players moved in her memory acting out their parts always repeating her last actions. Suddenly the light was gone and she was jarred as she hit the ground hard. She lay still for a few moments trying to work out her location, but only knew that it was a stream. Fear flooded her and she stood quickly checking herself over and surprisingly only finding a few twinges and aches. For a moment she had thought that the being had sent her back into her mangled body at the bottom of the cliff. Now that would have been a cruel irony. She thought over her memories and froze when she noticed one fairly important detail that she could not remember. She could not remember her name. Who was she? No answer presented itself. She finally pushed the question to the back of her mind there were more important things to worry about first. At least she wasn't dead. She breathed a sigh of relief at that thought and walked out of the water. That is when everything started to go wrong for her.
Creatures came flooding out of the trees just around her and they were horrible. They were large wolf like creatures that snarled at her. Their teeth were sharp and glittered strangely in the sunlight. She was almost certain that she could see things caught between each pointed tooth in their gums. Their eyes shone with an unholy light that sent fear through her, but that was nothing to what happened when one near her howled. Her heart sank so fast that she was sure she would keel over right then. She tried to find her courage, but there was none. It was her death happening all over again. If she hadn't been afraid of Zach then she could have just stood up to her. She could have pushed past her and not listened to her foul words. These creatures were larger than a wolf and more fearsome. She stopped moving as her back hit a tree trunk. She was going to die again and she hadn't even seen anything of this place. Anger began to grow within her small frame. She had always been normal and nothing special. She had always allowed others to overshadow her. She never stood up for herself and always went for the road of least resistance, but that was at an end. If she did nothing then she would die again. She was not willing to do that. She would fight if she had too. Strange warmth flooded her and lifted her off the ground. She felt her skin shifting and sliding on her bones as they elongated. Light flooded from her eyes shining into the sky and a golden flash blinded all the creatures there. Abruptly the glow was gone and it took a few moments for the sight to return to those standing there. When it did there was silence for a few moments and then chaos.
In the normal girl's place was an extraordinary horse. In the sunlight she gleamed silver and at even the slightest move the sound of bells filled the air jingling merrily. She snorted in surprise now quite incapable of speech. She was well built for speed and tall. She gleamed in the light as if speared by a single sunray. She tossed her head and her mane floated in the air a silver mist about her head. However the hearts of the creatures were not moved by this vision before them. In fact it caused their rage to escalate and they leapt to the attack. She was not helpless anymore and proved this fact on the skulls of many of the monsters. She spun hooves flickering in the light hitting hard and causing damage. There were cracking noises from any she hit, but her new form was not enough to save her. They were beginning to wear her down and move closer. In a moment of terror her instincts took over and she merged to become what she truly was. In a single bunching and releasing of her muscles she soared over their heads hitting the ground behind them. There was a moment of confusion and they were after her again. She raced forwards and despite the gravity of her situation she delighted in the run. She moved so quickly and easily as if merely floating above the ground. She neighed her joy to the sky and reared. The creatures behind her howled in reply trying to frighten her, but she was wiser now and stronger. In her heart there was no fear. She could outrun them easily. In front of her was the stream that she had awoken in earlier and she galloped towards it feeling the power of her muscles propelling her forwards. She jumped down into the dip and was across it before they reached its banks. She reared taunting them and thrilled beyond belief. They growled and howled, but came no closer and she was victorious.
It only then seemed to penetrate that she was a horse. This was not right! She couldn't turn back for some reason she knew that she was stuck this way. What would she do if someone found her? They would use her to carry them. They would force her to work for them. She couldn't accept it. It seemed so far fetched. She shook her head still looking across the small stream at the monsters that had chased her. She had to think about this later. There were more important problems right now. She decided to move on and away from the monsters that still stood at the edge of the stream seemingly afraid. If they were afraid then she was sure that there was nothing here that would harm her. If there was all she had to do was run away. She gently walked away from the bank feeling calmer now she was safe from harm. Strangely she felt as if she could have run for hours more and still not been tired. As it was she amused herself with short periods of galloping interspersed amongst the walking. After a while she had the weird feeling that someone was watching her. She grew uneasy under this silent appraisal and snorted. Nothing happened and she decided that she was just imagining things. Soon she bent her head down towards the grass and began to graze. Her human part shuddered at the thought of eating grass and told herself that it was unhygienic not to mention full of bugs. Her horse mind was not listening and if it was it ignored her and continued as it was. She heard the lightest of treads and her ears flicked forwards to gain the optimum position for hearing what was happening. A voice speaking in a beautiful language that strangely enough she could understand came to her ears. She raised her head and found a man standing in front of her. She shied back from him and found behind her more men. In fact upon further investigation she realised she was surrounded.
Her first instinct as a horse was to show her nerves, which she promptly did. She began moving restlessly unable to remain still trying to keep them all in sight. They all stopped moving and she began to relax. This didn't seem so bad, but what were they waiting for. This was answered when another walked out of the trees straight into a beam of sunlight. She went still staring at the vision in front of her. A man who was the epitome of male perfection stood before her confident and calm. He gazed at her and she was struck by the formation of his features that left no doubt to her mind that she had to be in heaven. No one was that perfect. He was young and old all at once and seemed to have no fear only joy in his eyes. It just wasn't possible. Atop his head was sunlight made solid and from his eyes shone the sky. He seemed to know all and see all. Those around her spoke,
"She seems to like you my lord. She becomes still when you but gaze upon her." He looked at her and smiled. She actually felt her heart flutter at the sight. No one could resist him could they? He spoke and it was music to her ears and nectar to her parched body.
"Maybe she knows me. Is she from the stables at Rivendell?" One man darted closer and touched her side. He sprang back as she turned on him in a rage eyes rolling and willing to hurt who ever had dared to do that. The man replied,
"No my lord she bears no mark of any Elf." She froze in her movements running the previous words through her mind again. Yes she was quite sure he had said Elf. She surreptitiously looked more closely at one of those near her. He was right they were Elves. A small voice inside her spoke, DUH!
She turned her attention to the Elf with the golden hair and she saw him watching her with a smile on his face.
"It seems you have surprised her. She did not know that there were Elves." One of the others who were close to him frowned,
"How can you tell?" His smile grew even wider,
"I use my eyes young one." He moved closer and she trembled unsure how to react. He spoke soothingly to her pleasing her greatly. He finally was close enough to reach out and touch her. The others merely stood and watched her silently. Slowly his hand rose and then it stopped in front of her face. She moved towards him sniffing his hand and finding to her joy a sugary treat hidden there. This Elf had found the way to her heart. She licked it up careful not to hurt him by mistake in her delighted whiffling of his palm. She wasn't used to eating like a horse. She allowed him to stroke her nose and then he scratched behind her ears causing her to move forward and closer to him. Such delight flooded her as he scratched behind her ears. She was on cloud nine, but a part of her was shocked at the sensations evoked just by that touch. Was this what it was like for real horses? Maybe it was just her. Soon she was nudging his shoulder with her head in an effort to get him to repeat the motion. He happily obliged. An Elf to the right moved closer to them and she became tense turning and baring her teeth at him. Her Elf, yes she had claimed him stroked her tense neck speaking gently,
"Do not fear no other will touch you." She grew calm under his touch and whiffled his face causing some of the Elves to laugh. Personally she had no idea why they laughed. Her human thoughts seemed to have joined the horse ones and suddenly things that before had been so important weren't. She was a horse and was going to enjoy this as much as possible. Her Elf smiled even brighter, "I am very pleased to meet you too. Do you have a name?" She shook her head and looked him in the eye. An Elf to the side commented,
"The horses in our stables are no mean beasts, but she seems to outshine them all. She seems to understand everything we are saying even more perfectly than our steeds." Her Elf nodded and looked at her once more.
"We must take her back to Rivendell. Come I will lead her." He turned away from her and began to walk.
She was confused to say the least why was her Elf leaving her? She suddenly wished she could hit herself on the head. He had paused and looked back at her an eyebrow raised. She took a step forward and neighed at him. He nodded and motioned for her to follow. She walked after him slowly still not completely sure about these Elves. She shied nervously at every little sound until they came upon a group of horses that neighed in greeting. She snorted and began to back away not liking these newcomers. They intimidated her. She felt nervous and this was not helped when the Elves all turned and looked at her. Her Elf turned and looked at her. She stopped unwilling to run from him, but not wanting to get any closer. He turned to the horses that had looked up in interest at this newcomer. He looked back at her,
"Come Gilrandien fear them not. Asfaloth greet her." A male horse that shone in the light as silver as she walked away from the others. He walked towards her slowly neighing gently. He reached her side where she stood shuddering in fear. He gently nuzzled her and she felt as if she could speak to him, but she couldn't speak. A voice in her mind spoke,
"Welcome to the herd." It was a voice of surpassing wisdom and kindness, "Come little one and join us as Gilrandien." He turned and walked back towards the other horses. At first she wasn't sure how to react. She had understood him. He could speak to her! She began to walk towards the other horses and they moved to greet her ignoring their riders. Soon there was a mass of horses greeting her all rubbing heads. One even began to lick her side cleaning her. She snorted and there was a whickering from around her as if they were all laughing. Eventually they returned to their masters who all mounted and turned to go further into the trees. Her elf mounted Asfaloth and she followed him as calmly as a foal its mother.
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A/N: All reviews welcome. Helpful comments for improvements will be greeted with cookies.
