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K guys. After this updates are gonna be a heck of a lot slower, as i have to actually write the chapters now. Enjoy!
Chapter Thirteen
The Horse Lords
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Legolas stared at the Golden City, sitting atop its solitary hill, surrounded by the mountains. It was gorgeous, with its wooden buildings and small outlying villages. He had been expecting another city like Minas Tirith, not this wonderful little haven out in the middle of the plains.
"Wonderful, isn't it?" asked Aragorn, riding up from behind him. "I have only ever been here once before, and that was long ago…before the current king was in power…"
Legolas turned to him, a strange look on his face.
"Exactly how old are you, that you can recall the last king that ruled here?"
Aragorn laughed merrily for a few moments.
"How old do you think I am?"
Legolas studied him for a moment before answering.
"Forty-three?"
Aragorn just laughed harder.
"No…you are a few years off…I am eighty-four…" he trailed off, laughter over taking him again.
Legolas stared at him incredulously for a moment. He pulled his horse in front Aragorn's bringing him to a stop.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Tell you what?" he asked, wiping a few mirthful tears from his face, and calming down considerably.
Legolas glared at him for a moment, causing him to become calm almost immediately.
"Why did you not tell me you were of the Numenorean bloodlines? That you are Dunedain?"
"Because everyone knows that…"
"None of the slaves do. We were led to believe that the last of the noble men had died out…and that the bloodline had failed. You and your kind are thought to be no more! If you had told me earlier…" he growled, and kept riding further onto the plain.
"What difference would it have made?"
He pulled his horse around again for a moment, just long enough to call back his answer.
"Maybe you would not have been shot, but honored by my people. The human brethren of the elves have been thought lost for so long."
Then he turned back around and galloped towards Edoras.
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Aragorn watched Legolas gallop ahead and felt a slight tinge of fear. From what he remembered of the Rohan, they would not tolerate a stranger on their lands. He sped after him, desperate to overtake him, and keep him from harm.
He caught up to him after a few moments, and signaled for Legolas to slow down. He smiled mischievously, all anger seemingly forgotten, and slowed to a gentle walk, Aragorn beside him.
"You should not race ahead so…you could be putting us in danger."
Legolas just laughed, his eyes still flashing mischievously.
"What danger could we possibly be in?"
Aragorn was going to respond when a distant pounding of horse hoofs met his ears. He looked up to see a group of horses galloping out from Edoras, straight at them
"Tell me, Legolas, what exactly do you see of those riders coming from the city?"
Legolas narrowed his eyes in concentration, then gasped slightly, his eyes going wide.
"It is a fully armed war party, riding straight out at us."
Aragorn looked at him sternly.
"That is what kind of danger."
He looked back at the oncoming party and sighed.
"Just ride forward and act as if you have nothing to hide, and we should come out all right."
He looked at Legolas for a moment contemplatively.
"And you might want to put your cloak hood up…these people have not seen an elf in thousands of years…to them your people are just a myth…a legend told to frighten children…"
"To frighten children?…"
Aragorn motioned for him to keep quiet, and began to ride forward.
Legolas nodded, obviously frightened, and rode forward under Aragorn's lead.
The party was on top of them within moments, creating a circle around them and closing off any means of escape. Aragorn put himself between Legolas and as much of the party as he could. He did not want him being seen if he could avoid it…
"Who are you, that dare to enter the Riddermark?"
Two riders pushed forward, the one who had spoken slightly in front of the other.
"I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn, king over Gondor, come to seek an audience with your Lord and Master."
The rider moved closer, his fierce eyes showing from under his helmet. He rode around in a circle, so He was next to Legolas, and out of Aragorn's reach…He was thankful that the rebel soldier's cloaks let no unwanted eyes see what lie underneath.
Suddenly, the warrior made a strange noise, like the fluting of a bird, and the whole group was up in arms. Spear points were gleaming from all angels…and most of them were pointed at the elf. He looked at Legolas, who sat stock-still.
"And who is your riding partner?" he asked, pulling his own spear from its cover. The rider moved it so it to was pointed at the elf, though much closer than any of the others.
"He is no one of consequence…"
"How do I know you are not spies from the east, and that this is not one of the Necromancer's undead slaves?"
He jabbed, the spear close to Legolas's face, whom let out an eerie his, but did not move. The rider's around them shivered in discomfort at the sound…It had even slightly scared Aragorn himself…
The warrior however was unfazed.
"Remove your hood, or I shall run you through." He said simply, and leveled his spear with where Legolas's heart would be.
Aragorn just sat in a daze, unsure of what to do…but if they did not think of something fast, they could both end up dead.
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Legolas was ready to panic. He could die on the point of this madman's pike at any moment…or he could fight back.
He felt next to his saddle and found his bow… he unfastened it underneath his cloak, and held it ready. Then he slid one hand from underneath his cloak, and raised it slowly towards his hood…he smiled slightly as he heard the riders around him gasp at the paleness of his skin…they must truly think he was an undead minion now…
In a flash his hand went wide of his hood, and he pulled an arrow from his quiver, bringing it to meet his now raised bow faster than any of their eyes could follow.
Now the warrior was staring down the shaft of a tautly drawn arrow, which if let fly, would kill him instantly.
"I suggest you do not move," he hissed, "Or you will find a rather painful death."
He watched, with morbid enjoyment, as the shock registered on the horseman's face.
"How is it you are able to move so fast?" he whispered, so low that Legolas doubted that anyone else could have heard him.
"Because I am not human…nor am I an undead."
He lowered his bow, but kept it in one hand as he reached for his cloak, and pulled it aside.
He heard the horseman curse under his breath at the sight of him, clearly scared out of his wits.
"What are you?"
"I am an elf…and someone who would appreciate it if you would move your weapons away from me."
The rider signaled to his men, all of whom lowered their weapons, and stared openly at him. Then the man pulled off his helmet, revealing shoulder length golden brown hair that framed a thin, yet well-tanned face. He held out a gloved hand to him, which Legolas took willingly.
"My name is Theodred, son of Theoden, lord of the Riddermark. I apologize for the weapons…out here we cannot be too careful."
Legolas nodded his understanding, but stayed quiet, not offering any more information than he had. He pulled his hood back up all the way, concealing himself from the prying eyes of the men around him.
He waited silently as similar greetings were exchanged with Aragorn, all the time thinking that if this was how the Rhohanrim greeted people, he couldn't wait to see how they treated them normally.
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Aragorn watched Legolas's cloaked form intently, worried about how his first encounter with the Rohan had affected him. He hoped that it hadn't addled him too badly; as once they came to trust you the Rohan could be a very generous and kindly people.
He rode up next to him, speaking softly as he did.
"Are you alright?"
He heard him mutter something in Elvish before speaking directly to him.
"Yes, I suppose. I am just shocked at their reception…"
"It is because you are a strange creature," said the warrior that had accompanied Theodred, riding up alongside them, "Thought only to exist in legends and myths. Our people have not seen one of your kind since before the days of the Eldar."
"And we have not been outside the realms of Gondor and Arnor in many a long year since then."
The rider studied Legolas for a moment before addressing both he and Aragorn.
"My name is Eomer, captain of the Riddermark. My Uncle shall bid you a much warmer welcome in the Golden Hall…"
"Thank you." Said Aragorn.
They were nearing the gates now, and Aragorn could see the mighty banners of the horse lords waving high above them, rippling in the winds that brushed the hilltop, keeping them aloft. It was an awe-inspiring sight.
They entered the city, and Aragorn looked about him as if he had never been there before, and he felt as if he had not. Many things had changed since he was last there…
The little town had grown considerably, and dozens more walked the streets. People stopped and watched curiously as the group rode by, especially at Legolas's cloaked form.
The group rode into the stables, and then dismounted. Aragorn followed suite, knowing the people's great respect for horses. In some cases the horses were treated better than the humans, as no wrong could ever befall them…
He watched Legolas intently as he got off his mount and immediately began to take off its tack…maybe things would turn out better than he had expected…
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She could tell something was wrong. The air had a different feel to it as the defenders of Edoras rode through the city gates. The people were afraid. She studied the two new riders intently, especially the one whose cloak concealed his identity completely from even the most keen of eyes. He seemed to be the one that was inspiring so much fear in the villagers…
Eowyn brushed a few strands of her red blonde hair out of her face, and turned towards the Golden Hall. She wanted to make sure that she met the strange pair, and being in the presence of her uncle while they came in would benefit her most quite well.
She crossed into the Hall and paused for a moment, letting her eyes adjust to the light inside. She caught sight of her uncle almost immediately, slightly across from his throne, talking to his advisor, Grima. Eowyn frowned slightly at the sight of him. She had never trusted the man, he seemed as if he could turn to the enemy to easily…not that he had the look of it.
He was tall, with straight black hair and flashing brown eyes that seemed frighteningly deep. He had tan skin from so much time in the sun, riding out in the country with her uncle. He wore the same clothing as the rest of the villagers most of the time, but sometimes he would wear a long black billowing robe that made even him seem pale and stooped…even evil. It was that image of him that had instilled Eowyn's uneasiness.
She smiled despite her uneasiness as she drew near to them.
"Hello Uncle, Grima." She said bowing slightly to each in turn. "I was hoping to find you here."
"Ah Eowyn!" exclaimed Theoden, pulling her into a tight hug. "I am glad to see you. Grima and I were just speaking of you…"
Eowyn felt her face fall slightly.
"You were talking about me?"
"Don't look so down Eowyn, it was nothing bad…"
"What were you talking about me for?"
Theoden looked at her, a pained look in his eyes.
"We were just discussing what shall happen to you later in your life…"
She felt herself frown completely now.
"In other words you were discussing a possible husband for me."
Grima smiled slightly at her, a smirk that sent a shiver down her spine.
"Not just any husband."
Theoden smiled again, and let go of her shoulders, and clapped his hand on Grima's in turn.
"Grima has stepped forward as a possible suitor."
Eowyn felt as if she was going to be sick all over her boots, but before she could even begin to retch, her brother walked up to the trio.
"My lord, we have intercepted a pair of riders coming towards the city…the have requested an immediate audience with you…"
Theoden studied Eomer for a second, obviously interested by the news.
"What do you suggest Eomer? Should I take their request?"
"With all due respect uncle, I think you would be a fool not to."
Theoden laughed heartily at this.
"You and your sister both remind me so much of your dear mother…Ah yes, I shall have their audience, have Theodred show them in."
Eomer nodded and retreated to the doors to the hall as Theoden returned to sit upon his throne. Eowyn followed her uncle back, sitting lightly at his feet. Grima took his spot behind him, and looked intently at the door, waiting. Theoden looked down at Eowyn, and smiled softly, before looking up at the small group into the hall full of courtiers.
Eowyn looked at the darkly clad figure intently for a moment, and then turned her gaze upon the man standing next to him.
He was wonderus to look upon, with dark hair and crystal blue eyes. He was tall for a man, but not to tall, and he gave of the sense that he had seen the world ten times over and cared not much for it. By now she was staring openly at him, and it did not take the man but a moment to catch her. He looked into her eyed quite intently, but not with anything but curiosity. She blinked at him, and then turned her gaze back to the dark rider, who had come to a stop directly in front of her.
"Welcome to Rohan strangers, how may we help you?" said Theoden, an inviting smile on his face.
"I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn, King over Gondor, and I am here on my father's request."
Theoden's eyes went wide a moment, but then he was serious again, quickly regaining his composure.
"Who is your companion? Does he not speak, or desire us to see him in the light of day?"
The hall was quiet for a moment, before the silence was broken by a strangely fluting voice that came from under the dark rider's hood.
"I apologize, milord, but I prefer not to reveal myself until I know those I am being revealed to are trustworthy…or seem willing to help my cause."
Theoden sat in shocked silence for a moment, before Aragorn began to speak.
"I was originally sent by my father to try to convince you to go into the slave trade with our kingdom, but that was before. Now I have my own purpose, and that is to help my companion here."
Theoden frowned.
"I would never have agreed to your ways of slave trading. It is an abominable practice, as no one human should ever own another of their own kind."
"We are not of your kind…" said the dark rider, "We are of our own."
He reached up and pulled off his hood, and artfully threw his cloak over one shoulder, all in one motion, revealing the immaculate uniform beneath.
The creature standing in front of her immediately entranced Eowyn.
He was tall and lean with long blonde hair that fell past his shoulders, and clear blue eyes that reminded her of the summer sky. But what intrigued her most of all were his pointed ears and seeming eternal glow in his skin, that hinted that he was a creature not of this world…
"What are you?" whispered Theoden, a shocked look covering his features.
"I am a leader of my exiled clan, and I am here to seek your aid."
The hall sat quiet for some moments.
"I shall have my niece, Eowyn show you to your rooms, and, if you will, join us for a meal later this evening. We shall talk more then."
He nodded at Eowyn, who got up shyly in front of the being, and then motioned for the pair to follow her. As she lead them out of the hall and towards an empty room in the guest hall, she had a sudden feeling that this man, and his strange companion could mean the difference between her freedom and her marriage to Grima.
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New Characters, new choas...Yay! Hope you enjoyed!