DISCLAIMER – I still only own Rolum, Esgal, Tathar, Suldal, and Feowin everything else belongs to not me.
AUTHOR'S NOTE – Let me just say I love the song Against The Wind by Maire Brennan, I wrote this chapter listening to it over and over again. Secondly thank you to the person who reviewed, you made my day. And thirdly, in this chapter, I don't express Esgal or Feowin well, I'm pretty sure that a shield maiden (in-training) would not act as Feowin did in this chapter, but I don't honestly care. I have also done some research and Gypsy Vanner horses are a relatively modern breed so it is highly unlikely that there were any in Middle Earth seeing as in the United States they have only been considered a breed since 1990. And I also hope that this story may become more accurate since I've almost given up on ever having the attention span to finish the Fellowship of the Ring as a book, I've decided to listen to it as an audio-book and see if I have the attention span to do that.
CHAPTER SEVEN – A TRIP TO FANGORN
Esgal sat on the grass, enjoying the afternoon sunlight streaming down on her face. This is the life, she thought contently to herself, being able to go wherever I please, do whatever I want, train my beautiful champions….
She looked lovingly over at Tathar who lay, basking in the sun, his copper coat glistening. With a twitch in his sleep, Tathar rolled over on his back so the thin white stripe of fur that ran down his stomach was visible. Esgal smiled, reached over, and rubbed his belly. Tathar squirmed with pleasure.
Suddenly, Tathar tensed, jumped up, and glared at the top of a hill that was behind them, a low growl rising to a quiet crescendo in his throat.
Esgal hoisted her bag onto her shoulder and tied Tathar's leather leash to his collar. Slowly – almost hesitantly – the pair walked up the hill. At the top they could both see a sight that made Esgal want to laugh out loud: Two Halflings sitting on the golden mare Esgal had seen a day or so ago, one Halfling puffing on the ground next to the horse – presumably tired from all the jogging it had to do to keep up with the mare – and that insolent shield maiden-in-training Esgal had the dissapointment to encounter a day or so ago, too.
Esgal sneered at Tathar, "Let's go have some fun, shall we?"
Tathar growled as if he liked the idea. Esgal smiled, she and Tathar always thought alike.
She removed a dagger from her boot and held it in a menacing manner. Tathar growled, bared his teeth, and strained at his leash. The pair continued down the hill.
The shield maiden-in-training was the first to notice, the Halfling on the ground was the second, and the horse-riding Halflings did not look as if they could notice if a rock hit them in the eye.
Upon a somewhat closer examination, Esgal realized the two Halflings were suffering from horrid hangovers. When she got close enough she began to speak, "Let me see, I do believe I have something here in my bag for your hangovers…"
The shield maiden-in-training's hand stopped Esgal from reaching into her pack, in one swift movement, Esgal's arm was twisted up behind her back and the girl's cold voice was filling her ears, "You will not touch them or give them anything. Take your outcast fox and yourself and get away from us."
"You can't order me around you renegade warrior," Esgal spat icily.
Feowin glared at Esgal through her blond bangs, "One more word from your lips and you die a slow and painful death."
"I honestly doubt you could kill me," Esgal smirked sizing up the thirteen year old.
"Is that a challenge?" Feowin reached for her sword.
"Excuse me, miss," Sam asked Feowin. "I believe you said something about haste."
Feowin jammed her sword back in its sheath and tried to stalk past Esgal, but Esgal stepped in her path. She sneered "Going somewhere?"
"Look, whoever you are, I have better ways to occupy my time. So I would appreciate it if you would let me by." Feowin said, glaring.
"I would appreciate it if you would go die," Esgal said, letting go of Tathar's leash.
The copper fox leapt at Feowin, teeth bared. Suldal picked Sam up by his collar and carried all three hobbits to a safe spot away from the fighting.
Feowin drew her sword in one swift movement and pointed it at the fox that was now circling her. She shouted to Esgal, "You! Call your fox away from me."
Esgal was examining her nails with the air of a person who really couldn't care less about what was going on. When Feowin spoke, she looked up dully, "Why?"
"Because," Feowin retorted, "I have things to do, places to be, people to meet."
"But this is good exercise for my lovely Tathar." Esgal sneered.
"I don't care, let me past," Feowin demanded.
Esgal seemed to tire of the insolent child and called to Tathar, "Tathar, down boy."
Tathar sulked backed to Esgal's side, glaring at Feowin. Esgal spoke to Feowin and said, "Go away now, before I change my mind."
Feowin grabbed Suldal's reins and dashed past Esgal. Merry and Pippin bounced ungracefully on Suldal's back while Sam sprinted to keep up with Suldlal's high-stepping canter.
Esgal laughed as the odd quintet ran away. Tathar whined, he wanted to chase after them. Esgal ran her fingers through Tathar's thick fur, "Good boy, Tathar. Next time they cross our path I'll let you rip them to shreds."
Tathar growled deep in his throat with pleasure.
After thinking for a moment, Esgal allowed a crafty smile to cross her face.
"Let us follow them and see what they are up to," Esgal suggested.
Tathar strained at his leash as he and Esgal trotted after Feowin, Suldal and the hobbits.
The palomino mare seemed glad to pick up the swift pace after walking for so long.
After an hour or so of running behind Suldal, Esgal looked up and saw the trees of Fangorn Forest. Esgal stopped there, there was something about trees – especially in Fangorn Forest – that disquieted her.
Oh, well, she thought, at least it has been an entertaining trip to Fangorn