Sunlight filtered through the stables as Lothíriel was placed – and locked – in a stall. She looked at the latch carefully, wondering how she would be able to undo the catch should the need arise. 'It seems that all the stereotypes about these people being true masters of horses is not an exaggeration,' she huffed slightly, 'but why do they have to be so good at keeping them locked up?' She turned a few times in her stall, thankful that she wasn't so large to be uncomfortable in the enclosed space. Once she had been settled, she examined the rest of stables outside her stall.
There were multiple pillars between each stall and a few others going down the center, holding up the peak of the thatched roof. The pillars by the stalls all bore carvings of horses and their various body parts – the most popuar among these was a horse's head. The center pillars were what intrigued Lothíriel. Each one seemed to depict a story that included a man or woman – it was somewhat hard to tell because nearly everyone in Rohan sported long hair – alongside a horse underneath a golden sun. While she didn't have the context of the stories within the carvings, she understood that it signified the strong bonds between a rider and their horse, something they were proud of as a people.
'At least I know that if I'm stuck this way forever, I'll be well looked after.' As she continued to ponder, the stableboy entered her stall, securing the latch with a loud click. That brought her full attention round to him. As she turned towards him, she saw that in his hand he held a bridle with a rope attached to it. She began to back away, only to bump into the wall behind her.
"Here, Flower Dancer," the boy held out a bright red, and rather juicy looking apple in his other hand. "Wouldn't you like a nice treat and brushing?" He didn't move from where he stood, waiting on her to approach him.
'You think you're so smart,' she looked to the bridle with distate, 'but I will have you know that I am a Princess of Dol Amroth and Gondor beyond! I will not be bound by some stableboy.' Her attention unconsciously shifted to the apple, but she forced herself to continue on in her displeasure. 'Well I will not fall for such tricks! As one who has been descended from Numenor, I shall win this battle of wills against you.' As if to counteract that inward statement, a pang of hunger pulled at her stomach and she caught herself looking at the apple again.
'Perhaps if I'm quick enough, I can steal the apple from his hand before he can begin to tether me to that…thing.' She took a tentative step forward, judging the stable hand's behavior. Nothing in him changed. That gave her hope that he wasn't paying attention. 'Maybe I can enjoy the apple a little bit before he catches on to what I'm doing.' She snickered inwardly at her own cleverness.
Quickly enough she reached down with her mouth and trapped the apple. In her hunger, the taste was pure ecstasy. The sweetness of the meat of the fruit and the juice combined into a taste that made her thankful to be alive. Just as she pulled away, the bridal was pulled over her face and strapped with surprising agility and precision to her head. She let out a snort in outrage. The stablehand chuckled and patted her neck gently.
"I know it'll take some time to get used to, but in time, it'll feel as natural as a second skin. Trust me." She gave another snort.
'At least this doesn't have some kind of bit.' She conceded to being led to one of the horse motif pillars as the rope was looped through a ring jutting out of the side. When the stablehand seemed satisfied with her constraints, he left, this time leaving the stall door opened. She looked at the opening with slight contempt. 'I was the one who entered here in the first place. And perhaps it's for the best. If I had stayed down in the camp, let alone the wild of this country, I would have been left to spend the night outside.' Just as she began to finish that thought, the stable boy reentered, this time carrying with him two buckets. One was filled with water and the other had some sort of grain. Both were poured into bins that hung a little under the ring that held the rope. She moved a little closer, inspecting them.
It didn't take long for her to realize that the grain was meant for her to eat. While part of her found the idea of eating such a meal was detestable, it seemed that eating the apple had done little more than whet her appetite, rather than fulfill her. 'I shouldn't be surprised. I am the size of a horse, so I can't pretend to have to eat like I'm the size of a girl.' Resigned to such a meal, she dipped her head inside and began to have her feast.
'I might as well pretend I have found some nuts and am feasting on them, like Amrothos and I did in Dol Amroth before the war.' The pleasant memory washed over her. She felt a soothing sensation running across her body. The sensation continued for several minutes until she finished eating. When she lifted her head, she turned it slightly to see that the stablehand had begun to brush her. It was a nice enough feeling that Lothíriel decided not to take offense at having her body touched so familiarly.
When he was finished with her back, he moved to her hooves, gently lifting them, picking out the dirt that lodged itself there. He didn't stop there. Pulling out a cloth, he dipped it into water and gently washed her face. Finally he combed out her lengthy mane and tail.
Lothíriel felt like a new woman, or rather, a new horse. It surprised her that over the course of the day, she had gotten so dirty, but now she was fully clean and comfortable. 'I suppose it also helps that I've finally filled my stomach.' She let out a loud, contented sigh.
"I knew you'd feel better after a good brush, didn't I?" The stablehand whispered into her ear. "Now, as lovely as you are, Flower Dancer, I have other duties to attend to." He removed the rope from her bridle before exiting the stall. "But don't worry, Éomer King has said he will see you in the morning."
A/N: Not a whole lot of action in this chapter, but I think you'll forgive me. The poor girl needed to eat something!
Hope you're enjoying. Look forward to another chapter coming very soon!