Lenariel leaned back in the tree she was posted in, one foot dangling over the edge of the branch and the other tucked under her. With a slight frown she scanned the horizion for trouble, absently rubbing her thumb over the pommel of her sheathed sword as she always did when her mind was troubled. Soon she spied a fleet motion far away across the river, and her eyes narrowed in her attempt to discern whether the movement was of friend or foe. As it neared, her eyes became wide as saucers. Father's horse! And someone small clinging to Asfaloth's back... what has happened to his usual rider?! Leaping down from her vantage point, she whistled shrilly for her own mount. A fawn-colored mare with a white star on her forehead immediately came up behind her and nudged her shoulder.
Though fear for her father, Lord Glorfindel, whispered within her to find him, her duty as a scout of Rivendell was to report to her Lord. The elleth turned and leaped onto her horse's back, leaning over the cream-colored mane to murmur in the animal's ear. "Noro Lim, Hantale; we must report to Lord Elrond!"
Hantale's hooves thundered over the well-packed dirt path, all the way to the very door of the House of Elrond. The excited horse flung her head back and her front hooves left the ground as her rider squeezed her flanks to halt her just shy of the steps. Lenariel leapt off her horse and strode quickly inside, making her way to Elrond's study.
She arrived at the open door to see the Lord of the Valley bent over his desk, and cleared her throat to get his attention.
Elrond looked up in surprise to the sight of a slightly winded elleth dressed in the green tunic and leggings of the valley guard. "Lenariel, you rarely appear before me in such an... interesting state..." he raised an eyebrow at the sweat-plastered hair on her forehead, and her heaving chest as she caught her breath.
Lenariel impatiently swiped her hair from her eyes and bowed smartly. "Milord, Asfaloth has returned" She swallowed hard, trying to focus and not allow her thoughts to wander to her father. He is QUITE capable of taking care of himself, you silly elleth.
Elrond frowned. "Asfaloth... riderless?"
The elleth shook her head quickly. "Nay, milord, he carries a rider, yet that rider is half the size of an adult, a mere child by the look. I did not tarry to find out more, but came here immediately to report to you. With the mission you sent my father on..." She left the sentence unfinished, knowing that, as she was still standing in the open doorway, it was not best to speak specifically of what was thusfar very priviledged information. Only Elrond, his sons, and a few of the other Lords of Rivendell knew of the finding of the One Ring. As daughter of the eldest of these, and only Lady of the House of the Golden Flower, she was privileged to information that few in the realm could claim.
The Lord of Rivendell stood quickly. "You were right to come to me directly. Go now back to your post; I want you there to intercept whomever or whatever might follow Asfaloth and his small burden." Elrond's mouth set in to a grim line as he walked past her quickly, his long robes swirling slightly around his feet. Lenariel saluted needlessly at his retreating form, then set off in the other direction to once more ride to the borders.
As she walked into the front courtyard of the house, she whistled for her horse, Hantale, and waited for her to appear. When she did not do so, Lenariel frowned slightly and took a few steps into the open. She whistled again and looked around at the sound of a contented horse's nicker. Spying part of a light-colored horse's rump peeking out from the side of the building, she stalked over to it. "Disobedient prat, I swear one day your antics will be the death of me..." The elleth came around to scold her horse, to find the animal's nose down, delicately lipping sugar cubes from an ellon's hand. When her mistress appeared, hands on hips, Hantale looked up and blew hot breath into the elleth's face innocently. Lenariel rolled her eyes at the sight of her horse's abductor.
Elladan grinned at the exasperated elleth before him and absently wiped his hands on his leggings. "Your horse seems to have the same weakness for me as you do, melthamin." He slipped his arms around her and pulled her close for a hug. "You're home earlier than expected..." he pulled back and wrinkled his nose, "and smell worse than I expected, as well; what did you do, take a roll in the dirt before you decided to come home? You look quite... fluffy." He tugged on the short flyaways that had escaped her once-tight braid.
She frowned, swatting his hand away, still glaring at her horse. "I'm on my way back, I was just reporting to your father." She looked up at the elf before her, her gaze troubled. "I saw Asfaloth returning swiftly, with what looked like a halfling balance precariously upon his back. I am to return to my post to watch his back as he bears his burden into the valley."
The ellon quickly became serious at her words, then cupped her face in his hand. "I'll come with you; just wait a moment so I may retrieve my own mount, then we shall be on our way." She simply nodded in response, her eyes on her feet. He put one finger under her chin and pulled her gaze up to his. Kissing her lightly on the lips, he smiled softly before turning toward the stables. Upon his return, she mounted and they rode back whence she had come, the faint sound of what seemed like thunder filling their ears from the direction of the river.