The Ford

October 20th Third Age 3018

Glorfindel's POV

A sudden gust of wind rushed through the trees along the river, filling the night with additional roaring. The horses milled frantically at the edge of the Bruinen as if they sensed the river's intention. In the firelight both the ranger's and the Halflings' faces looked ghostly. On the other shore, Asfaloth neighed, dancing on the spot. They won't go in, I thought with rising panic. Fire and one elf simply were not enough to herd a handful of wraiths, no matter how much trust Elrond placed in me. What if they charged? Even if they wouldn't come near me, that was little help for my companions. Damn it, Gildor, I could need you right now, I thought darkly. He had fought the werewolves most effectively, long ago. I had no doubt that his presence would give the wraiths a small pause. Together, we might have a fair chance.

Well, he wasn't here. Aragorn and I advanced on the riders, waving flaming brands. The Halflings, clutching their torches in shaking hands, followed despite their obvious terror. I closed my eyes, summoning all powers I could reach. The dark forest slipped out of focus, the figures of the wraiths grew bright and powerful, sitting on pale, in their world barely visible shapes of horses.

The lure of the Ring did not seem strong enough to draw them into the river – they feared the water much more. One Nazgul might turn from me. But all nine? Then the first horse slipped and splashed into the river as the rider kicked it forward. There was a warning gurgle, and we hurriedly advanced behind them. Just a step further. The other horses would follow. A black shape shot out of the bushes to the side and up to the horses. The Halflings did not see it, but Aragorn and I did.

"No" I mouthed as he reached for his knife. The shape dissolved into wolf-form and snapped at the horses' legs, twisting to avoid being trampled, growling and unnerving them. Between the rushing water and the snarls and shrieks in a sudden motion all horses turned and surged forward, bearing their riders into the middle of the stream. The wolf was gone so quickly it almost seemed he had never been there in the first place.

Aragorn shouted something triumphantly, and then the flood came. I backed away from the rising stream, pulling the ranger with me. The wolf was momentarily forgotten by Aragorn. After what seemed an eternity the flood was passed, the river still running high. We snatched up the Halflings and waded across the ford, fighting against the still strong surge.

In the yard Elrond plucked the unconscious Halfling from Asfaloth's back. I rushed into the kitchen, shouting a hasty apology to the cook as he dropped a large pan in fright and quickly snatching up some supplies. I was back in the yard in a moment, slapped the stirrups down once more and mounted. Asfaloth turned out of the yard without asking and fell into a canter before I was fully in the saddle. He had thundered across the last bridge out of the valley when Aragorn caught up with us, riding an unsaddled horse I did not recognize.

"Where the bloody hell are you going?" he demanded "Why are you not staying with Frodo?"

It was hard to talk over the noise of hooves on stone. For a moment I considered overhearing the question, bending low over Asfaloth's neck as we passed under a branch. But that was impoliteness without reason, and Aragorn certainly had a point from his side of things.

"Elrond does not need my help, I told you I am useless with Morgul wounds" I returned when Aragorn drew level with us again "I could ask the same of you"

Another branch. Aragorn hissed over the wind "I have a pretty good reason. Someone must check if they are gone for a while, so I am going"

"Then we have something in common" I wished he would just stop questioning.

Aragorn laughed, but was not going to leave the track "You are playing your own game again. What's it about, tell me now, you're not getting rid of me. What about that – that thing by the river?"

I glanced back over my shoulder at him. The wind of our speed whipped my hair around and into my eyes annoyingly "You got along well with Raven, didn't you? He just did us quite a favour"

"Yes, but what's Raven got to-?"

We turned a sharp bent and Asfaloth leaped the final rise with a mighty leap, leaving whatever Aragorn said a few feet further down. On the even ground he gathered more speed than he had been able to hold up the steep path. Aragorn's horse panted behind until he caught up with us once more as we crashed downhill towards the ford a while later. The ground became uneven and rocky, and I told Asfaloth to slow down. We went slowly and careful now, eyes and ears to the surrounding forest. I cautiously lowered my shields and looked for the empty, cold echoes the wraiths cast in my mind. I found nothing, only the echoes of echoes, a ripple of not-rightness in the natural order of a night forest.

"What's Raven got to do with that for all the world?" Aragorn repeated when we stopped near the river, some way down from the ford. The sound of the water was loud in the night.

"He should not be here at all, he is supposed to be at the White Towers" I glanced at Aragorn. "He was the wolf"

Then I stared hard into the darkness, ignoring whatever look was on the man's face. The shaggy coat of Aragorn's sweaty horse steamed in the cold night air. Both horses' ears were pricked.

"There he is" I said "Forget what you've heard about werewolves. Raven is -"

The wolf left his cover with a deliberate rustle and took a few steps towards us, displaying a curious mixture of conflicting body language. He had his head and tail down, but his ruff was fanned out and his ears flat to his skull. Relieved to find him unharmed I dismounted and took off my cape.

"Change" I ordered briskly, walking over to the wolf "We need to talk and Aragorn has no mind-speech"

I had seen Raven change when he used his own strength and technically knew he could draw energy from the land, but I decided I understood Elrond. The effect was jarring. Not in terms of the powers Vilya controlled, I did not sense them, but the feeling of wholeness I could detect in the land. Raven's bit of magic seized and twisted that wholeness as it seemed to me. I cast the cape over the naked dark elf and helped him to stand. Raven was pale under his tan and shook slightly.

"Well met Ranger" Raven looked past me at Aragorn who was obviously keeping a carefully empty face "You once wanted to know how I knew the wolf-things, remember? It was personal knowledge"

"I see" Aragorn let go of his horse's reins and moved up to us "I remember the time I found you with a pack of wolves mauling some unlucky orcs. It is a strange company you keep"

"Yes, don't I?" Raven snapped "I fight on the side of those who kill my kin"

Aragorn took a moment to unwrap that statement, and frowned in anger.

"Stop that bickering" I pushed the hastily wrapped food-bundle into Raven's hands, who turned away from the ranger and sat down on the ground with relief.

"Deepest hell, what have I done?" Raven asked through a teeth-full of cold meat as I sat down, patting the ground for Aragorn to sit as well "Now you ride out to feed wolves?"

I frowned "I guessed you'd be hungry. You're supposed to be far west. What are you doing here?"

"Gildor's bidding" Raven glanced at Aragorn and swallowed, unaware for the moment of his shaken and dishevelled appearance "You spy well, I had a hard time tracking you without you catching me"

"You?" Aragorn stared at him "I knew something was shadowing us, but I could say nothing to the Halflings. It was you all the time? I thought it was some dark thi-"

Raven smiled sardonically "It was. I am told my presence does not feel necessarily wholesome but I was asked to follow you, and there were other…interesting things on your trail. It was not planned that you…well find out what I am"

Aragorn shook his head slightly "Gildor's bidding? Frodo said he had met him, that he would send messages"

"They met, he did, and I was his last message" Raven said through another bite and turned to me "Are you going to tell me I was a fool tonight that you come crashing out here like the Wild Hunt itself? They are gone, all of them, even their horses are dead I think. The river saw to that"

"Where are they?" Aragorn watched him with an inscrutable look on his face.

"Downstream about a mile from here" Raven hesitated a moment "Got smashed on the rocks, the horses. Do not go there yet if you don't have to – there is…well, if you find my presence disturbing you may not want to feel the current atmosphere of those places"

"They are still there?"

Raven cleaned the bone off and started on the bread "I don't know. The feel there made the wolf want to run, and that is something. It felt worse than when they were visible. The birds were fleeing the place"

"I look" Aragorn got up. He glanced at Raven uncertainly, then settled on saying nothing "Meet you back here"

Whether he was being tactful or wanted to satisfy his own curiosity without directly saying he did not trust Raven I could not say. Aragorn had lived long enough in Imladris to know elven business, as that Halfling had put it. Would he still count Raven as an elf? Well, that was not my concern and probably not Raven's. For my part, I was satisfied with the dark elf's word.

"We would have had some job, getting them all in" I said softly "They were caught between the ring drawing them and the river repelling them"

Raven shrugged uncertainly, poking the remaining dried fruit. He had practically inhaled the food, and was just finishing off the bread. He crouched on his heels, obviously too agitated to sit still. Though I had thought I knew Raven I found him unsettling right now. It was impossible to say just how much the closeness of the wraiths had affected him, what he would do if he considered one of my actions a threat. He could sense Vilya even when Elrond was not using her, which I could not. What had it cost him to come so near the wraiths then?

"I did not know you were so close to them" I pushed "You had to be, all the while…"

"They are death" Raven said after a moment "Feel like it. I do not know what they are. I was only wolf. The wolf does not fear death. He wants to live, but…They were there all the time, yes" he added after another long moment, softly "I had to stay near to keep startling the horses. They were trying to close in on the group. I could only jab at them. But it was obviously enough to keep the wraiths from reaching them much sooner before the ford…They take the will off you, like cold water-"

"The place by the river – you say they were gone, but still present"

"Gildor said they would be stronger when they are not visible. He was right. They must have been furious just then. I keep thinking I should not have poked my nose in" Raven pulled the robe closer around him "The ranger does not trust me, does he?" he added swiftly.

"Yes and no. But he feels as much under scrutiny with foreign elves as do you. He is not one of us, and a few are busy to not let him forget that"

Raven snorted softly "We sparred. We talked. He should have realized I know less than he does"

"You are alien even to us"

"Obviously. Is there word to carry back?"

"No" I reached out quickly, laying my hand on his arm for a moment. Raven flinched, but I could feel the clinging terror of the wraiths draining from him.

"What did you?" he demanded, pulling back "How-?"

I shrugged "I know them better than you do. They are powerless without shape, but still shapelessness also increases their terror"

"I am going back west tonight" Raven said after a moment regaining control.

"TheHavens? That will take you seven days at least"

Raven shook his head "Three to the Towers. One to where we supposedly meet. I should meet them somewhere near the Amon Sul"

"One?" I echoed "Are you going to fly?"

Raven gave a wan smile and popped the last fruit into his mouth "The wolf travels fast. Very fast, if need be. I do not wish to stay near here any longer"

"Well, I can imagine"

"Thanks for the food" Raven smiled crookedly. I watched him change and wade the river, melting into the trees on the other side. One day to Amon Sul. I shook my head slightly. Aragorn returned a short while later, looking pale.

"I suppose they are gone" he said, going to his horse and rubbing the shaggy beast's muzzle Where is…Raven?"

"Gone west to meet up with Gildor's company" I said, mounting Asfaloth "Let us ride back. I suppose you are just as hungry as he was"

"Well, that was a night" Aragorn said dryly when we parted at the stables "I will remember that Wild Hunt thing when dealing with your rage next"

"Wild Hunt?"

Aragorn laughed "I get you not knowing something? That I live to see that day! Meet you in the hall"

The next day Saelbeth, Faranaur, the twins and Aragorn started scouting-rounds of various lengths. Saelbeth returned much sooner than expected, but I could not ask for the reason for a few days. Then I was sent for by him, asking me to come to the stables. Mystified, I went into the yard where he waited and then he led me into the wing where the mortal horses were stabled. There was a large but miserable looking black horse there I had never seen before.

"One of the rangers brought it?"

Saelbeth shook his head "I brought it"

I blinked, and went closer to the stall. The horse was a gelding, as tall as Asfaloth but nearly twice as massive. His lower legs were covered with long hair that hung over hooves large enough that two of Faire's might have fitted into a print. Mane and tail were long, but his coat partially chafed and wan. I saw half-healed wounds all over him, hidden mostly by the black of his fur, and he stood in a way that told me he was at least one leg was sprained. The horse acknowledged our presence only by slightly raising its head and watching us from under a mass of tangled mane.

There was something vaguely strange and alarming to this beast.

"Curutano said it would be better to…end this" Saelbeth said after a moment "He guessed it was only my…soft-hearted fancy that I brought it here instead of killing it outright when I found it. By rights he should have drowned"

I was silent for a long while, putting his words into context.

"You know I went out with the scouts two days after Aragorn brought the Halflings here" Saelbeth said hurriedly "My area was around the ford and some miles downstream, including the place where they had found the drowned horses. When I came there, I found that not all had drowned" He gestured slightly at the horse in the stall "That one stood there in the middle of the river, where the other horse-bodies had got caught in a tree that lies across the flow. His reins had got tangled in the branches. I think both Aragorn and Raven took them all for dead while this one was well…just out cold. I was about to shoot him, but…you see what I did. Elrond was so mad. And the stable-master refuses to care for him. I do what I can, but I have not enough knowledge of horses"

"You can handle him safely?" I asked doubtfully.

Saelbeth nodded "He is...very strange, not like a…well, not like a horse. He does nothing whatsoever. I had him outside every day, or night rather, because it is always worth an argument when others encounter us. But…what do you say? I don't know what to do. Can he bring evil here as they all seem to fear?"

"I don't think a simple horse would bring evil anywhere" I said slowly "It is strange, but not…well, I suppose I am prejudiced on such things, Saelbeth"

He smiled wryly "I can handle him without so much as a shiver of his skin. But with humans, he goes berserk" he pointed at the wrenched door of the last stall in the row "I had one of the rangers try and treat some of those cuts, and the horse went mad on him. When one of the Men comes inside and to this stall, he starts rolling his eyes and generally wreaking havoc. The rest of the time, it is like he is dead on his feet. As now. You see, not even those ears move as we talk"

"Not much" I said thoughtfully. I unlatched the door and edged inside. A huge horse. Knowing where he came from, I deeply admired Saelbeth's courage to take him out of the stream and attempt to bring him here. Now the horse watched me, and when I held out my empty hand, it inspected my palm briefly before turning away and standing still as a rock. As Saelbeth had said he did not even twitch or shudder his skin when I touched the rough fur and searched the wounds I could reach without coming too near those giant hooves.

"I did not dare yet to try and smooth them a bit" Saelbeth said "The horn's all splintered and broken, but with those none-existent reactions of his I cannot tell if it pains him or not. Though he limps, he certainly walks as if it does not. He should be shod, but alone with Curutano I don't dare try that"

I left the stall and shut the door behind me "You are mad, you know, taking this horse here?"

Saelbeth shrugged uneasily "So Elrond said"

"And you want me to tell him he is to stay?"

Saelbeth shifted nervously "Well, you got him to…accept the Ashi'kha"

"They at least do not come straight from Mordor, my friend"

"But there is nothing evil about this horse! You said so yourself"

I sighed, briefly wishing someone else with less pity had taken Saelbeth's round that day. Well, this could not be changed. I tamped down on the thought that this very horse had carried one of the Nazgul a few days ago.

"No there is not. Not as far as I can say. But I cannot take care for him if Elrond refuses to let you out of the patrols" I hesitated "When Gildor's company returns, ask Raven. He seems the likeliest choice to see to this beast for you. Gildor might, but he will be whisked into the councils as soon as he sets foot into the yard. Raven might have less knowledge of horses than you, but I don't think that will matter much with this one. If you tell him what has to be done, it will be better than no one touching this beast for fear of shadows"

"I suppose" Saelbeth stared at the horse.

"What's the name, by the way?" I asked.

Saelbeth shrugged "I have given him none. Curutano only refers to him as Rochan"

"Horse. As good as any name…You'd rather I asked Raven, right?"

Saelbeth nodded sheepishly "Yes. I…well, I would not want to meet the wolf alone"

As I had expected Saelbeth was not excused from scout-duty. Elrond's patience with weird things was running thin, and at least with the horse I could understand his refusal. But on my plea the beast was not ejected from the stables, and after the return of Gildor's company Raven took over caring for horse. It turned out that ignorance of horse-business was of absolutely no account with this beast as Rochan did not react like a horse at all. He seemed to have no intentions of his own, and followed any direction with unnatural calm. The first day Raven alone was in charge of the black horse, he led him out into the meadow and left him there until dark. The next day I helped him let the other horses out as well to see if they would get along. Rochan ignored them completely, and when one ventured near him, he raised his head high and flattened his ears, giving a growling snort. The herd soon stopped approaching him, so after that Raven simply opened the stalls and let the horses thunder out into the meadow each morning. After five days, he did not have to lead Rochan after them separately because the horse finally followed them on his own when the door was opened. On Saelbeth's return from his patrol the two had Curutano smooth the miserable hooves and shoe the horse properly. The wounds healed, and the horse's coat thickened and gleamed again. Gradually even the stable-master dropped his attitude of enmity towards the strange beast.

"You know" Raven said one night as I looked in on him on my way from Asfaloth's stall "It is funny how some words of our languages are the same with different meanings. But still, they seem to fit"

"You think so? Gildor has never seen a living desert lion"

"Nor a dead one" Raven smiled wryly "There is still hope we can change that. But I meant that horse. In your language, rochan simply means horse. You don't credit him with an own name, because he is not like the horses you know. It is as if he had no mind of his own. Or it certainly feels like that, sometimes. But in Ashi'kha, rochan means 'eaten'"

I blinked "Well. That fits strangely indeed then…Did you try to ride him yet?"

Raven shook his head with a wry smile "Saelbeth won't. And if I try, I will most certainly wait until Gildor rides Faire again. If only to help me get up on that back"

Chapter Notes:

Curutano: (S) "crafty smith"

Only roch means "horse" in Sindarin

Alright, I know that implying the wolf went to Bombadil and having him shadow Aragorn's travellers is just as far out as bringing a Nazgul horse to Imladris, but well - It's mine, my preciousss…

7