Category: Tolkien-Universe
Rating: M
Couples: Egalmoth/Rog, Maeglin/Salgant
Warnings: AU, canon-levels of Everything
Chapter: 44
Copyright: Characters & places © By Tolkien Estate and/or mynameisjessejk, Plot & OC´s © by me
Authors note: Set in the Otter(less) Mayhem Universe of abovementioned mynameisjessejk on AO3. Unofficial sequel to 'The House of the Mole'
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"I see you're still a piece of shit." Insai looked up at him. They had been sharing his steed since his tribe never really got into the horse-riding, but then she had proved exactly why he had never considered her a primary for himself.
"Same." He was still on the horse, she was in the snowcovered bush they had been beside when he had pushed her off. "I am so relieved you are still single." She made a rude gesture, freeing herself from the tangle of branches. He obligingly waited, holding out his hand when she was back on her feet. "You're not going to be able to budge me, Insie, you were the one to complain about my muscles." He pointed out when noting her considering glare.
"I am sure it's a matter of leverage." But she did not try to pull him off the horse, just climbing back onto it after she cleaned herself of the worst of it. They were getting steadily closer to the camp of his mothers - they had five by now, if he had to believe her! - and they had spend some companiably days already. "You can't be invincible."
"Oh, certainly not." He conceded, steering the white stallion back down the trail she had pointed him onto several hours ago. "But I feel you are just not trained enough in any kind of combat to beat me... well, maybe shooting from a distance." He looked at the unstrung-bow in her pack with which she had proved skillfully lethal. "But I am going to assume you are not intending to actually hurt me."
"Depends... are you going to throw me off again?" She snuggled into his cape, tucking herself into his front and grinning at his hiss when the snow on her melted through his clothes.
"Are you going to say things that will want to make me?" Rog did tug on the cape, encasing her and himself securely. He had never been this close to Coruneth, for obvious reasons, but he felt they were of a similar size. Very compact and tiny, though he would never say that to either of them.
"It was a factual statement!" She countered, poking him from her secure cocoon.
"Voiced in a you-way." The Lord of Gondolin muttered, fending of her hand with one of his. "Which is why I tipped you into that bush."
"No wonder you're still single, you cannot take a joke still." She rolled her eyes, shining with a bond to someone she refused to tell him about.
He resisted the urge to smirk at that statement, merely sighing and looking around them before turning to their transport. "How are you holding up?" The underbrush here wasn't as dense as he suspected it might be in summer when all things were growing full-force, but still...
The horse neighed what he hoped was agreement. Over the journey he had offered to send him back several times, but Asfaloth's son had clearly decided to stick through it.
"Oh..." Insai perked up a bit. "Look."
"Roaming-marker." He noticed the small sign meant to mark the outer rim of where children were allowed to roam, relief in his chest that he could still recognize it after all this time. "Soon then." Biting his lip, he felt nervousness creeping in. Three Ages, maybe literally, since he had seen any of his tribe. The prospect that he'd see them all now was daunting.
Perhaps he should have taken one of the others along. He could use a friend right about now.
"It's going to be okay." Insai looked up at him, resting her small hand on his shoulder. "Everyone missed you, but they'll love having you back."
"Easier said than believed." Right, he had a friend, though she had not been with him as long as many others. "I guess lingering out here won't make it easier." Taking a deep breath, he gently nudged the horse into motion again for just a short while, until he heard voices among the trees.
Figuring it would be politer not to ride into the village, he first shoved his guide off - gentler, this time - so she landed on her feet and then followed.
"Powers, you really are tiny." Laughing softly, he passed his hand level from her head to the horse.
"I will hurt you." She snarled it, stomping ahead of him while voicing a small menagerie-call of animals to announce their arrival. That clearly also hadn't changed, for all the foot-traffic they'd get this far into the forest and away from the larger river.
