The mare beneath her pranced to the side, avoiding the stallion Legolas was riding. He spoke to the horse in irritation, but she would not be so easily soothed, so they were forced to ride separately for much of the day.

When they paused for lunch and general rest, Legolas tried to have a serious conversation with the two horses, but they wanted nothing to do with it, still skittering away from each other.

Lunian laughed and approached him with a teasing smile. "I think you've lost your touch."

"I'd rather have your horse here than this stubborn mule of an excuse for a horse," he snorted, glaring with extreme annoyance at the horse she had been given to ride.

She laughed again and reached up to rub the horse's neck. "She doesn't like him, Egola. That's all."

"But as long as that's true, they won't let us ride beside each other." His eyes reminded her silently they always rode side by side if not on the same horse when traveling together.

She tilted her head at him, then looked at the horse. Though she missed her horse, her mare's granddaughter, though young, was still endearing herself to Lunian rather quickly. "What do you say? Can you set aside your difference of opinion with that beast of a horse," she ignored the way Legolas's horse's ears flattened when she said that, "so he and I can ride near each other? After all, it is what the prince desires." Her horse stared at her for a long moment, then bowed her head, hanging it low as if to graze. Laughter escaped her again, and she sent a teasing glance to Legolas. "You've lost your touch with the ladies, I'm afraid."

"Do you love me?" he asked softly, tilting his head at her.

"Of course," she agreed, feeling several eyes uncomfortably focused on her.

"Then I haven't entirely lost my touch."

She shook her head. "I'm afraid that's not conclusive proof. I'd love you if you turned into an orc, at this point."

"An orc?" he asked, his tone doubtful.

"As long as you still loved me," she agreed, smiling at his disgusted face for the idea of being turned into an orc.

"There will never be a chance for that to be false," he promised, kissing her, intending only a quick touch before he would pull back, but one led to another, and another, until they were unlocked from a rather passionate embrace by the clearing of a male throat.

Silomern watched them with a slight frown, but glanced down when Legolas looked at him questioningly. "We are ready to move on, my lord."