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Chapter 5: Equines and Swordplay
Merry glanced at Pippin, "Hey, Pip. Do you think that we might've gone too far?" They were waiting for Jac's head to reappear, "It was a little deeper where we tossed her." Pippin said nothing, just scanned the water anxiously.
"Hello the hobbits!"
"Oh, hi, Legolas."
Legolas frowned, "What's wrong?"
Pippin was about to reply when he felt something grab hold of his ankles, Barely having time for a shriek, he went down. The same happened to Merry a heartbeat later. A laughing wet Jacqueline stood up from the shallows shaking her hair free of water.
Revenge was sweet. Her good mood vanished, however, when she saw Evelyn appear. Looking like the very epitome of Elven beauty, she stepped delicately over to Legolas. Winding a bare, white arm around Legolas's sleeve, she shot a look of distaste at the soaking wet Jacqueline and the hobbits before trying to drag Legolas away.
Throwing a helpless look back at the wet trio, Legolas allowed himself to be dragged off. The hobbits pouted.
"Legolas never spends anymore time with us!" yelled a scowling Pippin.
Merry stuck his tongue out at Evelyn's retreating back and turned to Pippin. Jac ignored their quiet conference. She was sure that it was about Evelyn and a few dozen pranks. Knowing that it would take up the rest of the hobbit's day, she wandered off to the stables, to allow time for her clothes to air-dry. Mentally making a map of the palace in her head, she headed to where she thought they would be.
The distant thunder of a dozen running horses led her to an enormous, green field. She took her time admiring the sleek herd-leader and his harem of mares. All of a sudden, the stallion changed the course of his wild gallop and headed toward the fence she was leaning on. Jac froze, careful not to spook the magnificent horse. When he halted directly in front of her, Jac slowly held out her hands, palm up. She stood as still as she could while the horses trotted around, taking in her scent. Finally, the stallion stood still.
Astonished, she asked, "You want me to ride you!" The horse nodded his head as if he understood. For all she knew, he did. Swiftly, she grasped a handful of his beautiful white mane and swung her legs over his back. Quick as thought, the pewter stallion burst into a ground-skimming gallop. Screaming with delight, Jacqueline crouched lower on the horse's back as the wind tore her hair lose from its tail. Not caring that it was her hair as well as the horse's silken mane that was lashing her face, she delighted in the stallion's smooth gait and amazing speed.
Meanwhile . . .
Legolas had managed to shake off Evelyn's leech-like attention and was looking for Jac. It was time to see how skilled she was at the bladed weapons. Even though the Dark Lord and the Ring had been destroyed, orcs still roamed freely, killing whenever they wanted and taking what they desired. Secretly, he hoped that Jac was as good at the sword as she was in archery. Suddenly, his keen ears caught the sound of a familiar voice screaming.
It was coming from the direction of the padlock. That's where Shadowfax's son and his herd are quartered! Breaking into a sprint, he worried about Jac's health. If Shadowstalker did not like you, you were considered an enemy of all equines and viewed as a target. He sincerely hoped that that was not so in Jac's case. He burst out of the trees to see the dreaded horse galloping toward him . . . with Jac on his back!
He was still gaping with surprise when Shadowstalker skidded to a halt in front of him. Laughing, Jacqueline slid off the horse's broad back. With one arm still slung over the killer stallion's neck, she continued to laugh. Between burst of adrenaline enhanced laughter, she managed to squeeze out, "I . . . never knew . . . elves . . . could . . . look . . . so much . . . like fish!"
That and the fact that Shadowstalker was nodding his head and whickering with equine amusement caused Legolas to snap shut his mouth. Tight-lipped from his embarrassment and worry, he silently grabbed Jacqueline's elbow and forcefully propelled her toward the training yard.
Or rather, he tried to. Shadowstalker reared into the air, preventing him from touching Jacqueline. Quickly he jumped away from those dangerously thrashing hooves.
Jac clung to the horse's head, making soothing noises and murmuring that "no, the Prince was not trying to hurt me, no need to defend me," "yes, it's all right, I still loved you," and such. Rubbing his arm where the stallion's surprisingly sharp hooves had grazed him, Legolas stalked off to where Aragorn was waiting. After Jacqueline had calmed Shadowstalker down, she followed him, with the love-struck horse trailing behind.
Aragorn found it hard to keep a straight face at the sight that he saw. Legolas, looking as if he had had his birthday party rained on strode into the practice yard, followed by Jac, who was jogging to keep up with him. It was what followed that really tested his self-control. Shadowstalker, the horse most feared by all of humankind, was ambling behind Jacqueline like a docile puppy. When Legolas passed him on his way to the armory for the swords, he muttered, "Don't you dare laugh."
"Me! Me! Me, a prince and soon-to-be king?" Aragorn pretended to be shocked. He laughed as Legolas hissed with frustration. Jacqueline and Shadowstalker looked on curiously.
They got down to business.
Aragorn handed Jac a broadsword. It was heavy and Jac had to hold onto it with two hands before it fell to the ground. Seeing that she was straining just to hold up the sword, Legolas shook his head and took it from her as Aragorn rummaged through the pile of swords he had salvaged from the armory. Jac glared enviously as Legolas easily held the enormous sword in one had. His lean build was deceptive, a ruse he often used to his advantage in battle.
After a succession of different sword with different grips and a hour later, Jac sighed, "Are you two sure I should continue? I'm absolutely hopeless at this!" Not only that, but both the men could see that she was tiring.
Legolas offered a suggestion, "Maybe the lighter sabers or rapiers? They are a lot lighter than most, but still sharp."
Looking thoughtful, Aragorn went back into the armory. Jacqueline looked questioningly at Legolas; clearly, she did not know what they were talking about. Legolas hid a smirk; Jac finally was in a position where she was not so confident.
Aragorn returned, holding a sheathed sword. Handing it hilt first to Jac, he said, "This should do."
Unsheathing the slender sword, Jac smiled. What a beautiful sword! If I can't work with this, I'll never get the art of sword fighting. Apparently, the same thought was going through the minds of the other two, for they both had hopeful and despairing looks on their faces. She could have laughed if the situation was not so tense, which was sort of strange. Why would it be important that I master the sword?
Holding the hilt of the gleaming sword in her hand, Jac marveled at how right it felt and looked. Suddenly confident, she spun into a few practice moves she'd seen on TV and read about in magazines.
For the second time that day, Legolas's jaw hit the floor. He was not the only one; Aragorn looked just as surprise. The hobbits, who had just come down to watch after a good soak in the tub cheered. Even though it was clear that Jac was making up her moves as she went on, the deadly dance she spun through with the sword a glinting blur in her hands, it was breath-taking to watch. She, quite obviously, found what she was good at. Quickly she spun to a halt and slid the saber smoothly into its sheath belted at her hip, a move much more difficult than it looked, which she did with no effort at all. Expectantly, she waited for an analysis.
Shaking out his still damp hair, Pippin beamed at Jac, but it was Merry who congratulated her, "Always knew you had it in you, Jac!"
Deep in thought, Aragorn said, "Indeed . . ."
Struck with inspiration, Pippin burst out, "Why don't we test Evelyn!"
Merry nodded his head furiously in agreement. Jac shot a mischievous look at Legolas, who groaned and buried his head in his hands.
"Yes, why not? But we all know that beautiful Evelyn hates to get all sweaty without good reason. Hmmmmm . . ." Tapping her foot, Jacqueline pretended to be in deep thought as the hobbits snickered at Legolas's expense. Snapping her fingers, "Oh! I know! Legolas will be a gentleman and ask her to come down!"
Aragorn smiled indulgently and chided, "Play nice now, children."
Everyone chorused, "Yes, sir!"
Grinning, he waved a hand at them, "Run along now. I'll be waiting here."
He patted Shadowstalker's bowed head, safely, for he was the only other person the animal could stand. Chuckling quietly, he patted the contently grazing horse's head, "Well. That was the first time I've ever called a 3,000-year-old elf a child. Jac has a remarkable effect on all of us." When horse looked up and nodded, Aragorn gave a slight start before he smiled his usual secretive and knowing grin, "You too?"
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