Disclaimer: Tolkein is a genius, I am not so much, and therefore the characters used from the LOTR are not mine. The ones not recognized are mine, I can think a bit.

Thanks to James8 for beta-ing for me and the history information.

Speaking in "quotes".

Thinking in italics.

Chapter 3

Elegain woke the next morning earlier than usual. Her mind refused to stop trying to work out what Haldir had briefly mentioned the night before. She wanted to know, but had no choice but to wait until she was told. She dressed in leggings preparing for the day's work ahead of her and ran down the steps to an early breakfast. I do hope I see Haldir today; she smiled into a mirror as she passed it in the hallway, so I know what he was talking about last evening, of course.

Elle jogged down to the barn stopping to look at Pharaohirrim as he pranced around the paddock. She held her hand out between the fence posts and whispered softly to him. Without fear, the colt walked to within touching distance of her hand and blew warm air onto her open palm. She could feel the feathery touch of his muzzle and grazed her fingers along his chin. They stayed like that for almost a minute before he turned and raced back, his tail held high, to where his mother nipped at the dewed grass. Elle smiled and headed towards the barn to go for a morning ride.

XxXxX

Elle loved the feel of a horse running strongly and the wind whipping her hair around her face. She had allowed her long hair to fall out of its braid and it flowed out behind her. When she pulled her horse up the mare snorted happily at the run granted to her. Elle gave her a loving pat slowing to a comfortable walk to return back to the manor. She giggled in girlish delight at nothing but the feeling of riding alone. Her father would probably not have approved of the run, but the mare she was working was an old pro. Besides, she enjoyed it as much as I did. Elle could just see the roof of the manor when she heard another horse coming towards her. Whoever is riding that horse is riding fast. She listened intently, Very fast. She pulled her bow from over her shoulder and fitted an arrow carefully onto the drawstring. I may not be too great at using a bow, but if there is cause for warning I want to let them know to keep their distance. She listened again and noticed a light flitting movement coming towards the clearing. Elle watched as the glowing horse moved into the field and saw a blond sitting astride the animal.

"Good morning Lady Elegain." Haldir smiled, "Practicing your bow are you?"

Elle glared at him, "Why do you insist on surprising me? What if I had loosed one of these arrows without seeing who was coming first?"

"My lady, you are a careful woman. I do not think you would hurt someone unless you had no choice." Haldir answered her. "Besides, I do believe you were the one running in the first place."

Elle looked away shrugging her shoulders, "I know the land well enough, more so than you I believe."

Haldir continued to smile at her again, "I do not wish to argue my lady. I thought we might ride back to the manor together."

"Yes, lets." She replaced her bow and pushed her hair out of her face. She pushed the mare into an easy walk next to Haldir's horse. "You have a beautiful horse my lord."

Haldir's horse bobbed his head slightly and perked his ears up at the compliment. "He is and he knows it. Be careful, he already holds a high opinion of himself." He chuckled as the horse swished his tail in a false warning.

"What is his name?" Elle also smiled at the unusual tactics of the horse.

"Nimrohspell." Haldir gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder, "He is an excellent war horse and the loyalist of friends." The stallion again nodded in agreement to the string of compliments. Elle joined Haldir in the laughter.

"How is it he seems to know what you are saying?" She was watching the stallion's every move in their conversation.

"Do you not know of elven horses my lady?"

"Stop calling me that," Elle rolled her eyes. "What about elven horses?"

"They are quite different from the horses you raise. They are more resistant to disease, live longer lives, move faster, and heal faster. They also seem to have more of a personality than most horses, including understanding what is being asked of them."

Elle sat back to listen to what Haldir was telling her. "Do you always ride without a saddle and bridle? How do you train them to accept a rider?"

Haldir looked thoughtful for a moment, "There is no need to 'train', they are either willing to accept a rider or they are not. It is up to the horse. As for bridles and saddles, there is no need. Our horses are willing friends, they would never hurt someone they carry."

"Is it true a person cannot ride an elven horse?" Elle paused. "I am sorry to ask so many questions. Never mind." She could feel a blush creeping onto her cheeks and looked away into the woods.

"There is nothing wrong with wanting to know more about the other races," Haldir commented. "Elven horses will not accept another race as rider. If you would allow me or any other elf to ride one of your horses, that horse would not accept anyone else but an elf from that point on."

"That's weird." Elle watched Haldir and Nimrohspell. "It is sad to."

"Why do you say that?" Haldir finally looked at her, interest plainly on his face.

"Their devotion is so strong to an elf they would forget someone who has cared for them for years. I don't think I would want an elf to 'borrow' one of my horses, I would never see him again. I do have several I never want to lose." Elle could not explain it any better. The idea of losing one of her favorite horses just because she wasn't good enough or of the elven race bothered her.

"Like that gray colt?"

Elle jerked around to look at him, "Yes, especially him."

"He is quite an unusual colt." Haldir commented looking straight ahead of them. "What have you called him?"

"Pharaohirrim." Elle gazed at him intently, "Why are you so interested in him? When you arrived you picked him out of all the new foals. Why?" Her last question surprised even her with its bluntness. The question, however, did not appear to bother Haldir in the slightest. She took these extra few moments to study him even closer.

"I would be surprised if you have not noticed his differences."

"I noticed. He is unique compared to the other horses we have. It is not only his color either. I can't seem to place it, but there is something about him." She trailed off into silence picturing the colt.

"He has the blood of an elven horse in his veins." Haldir said it so simply Elle looked at him in shock.

"How do you know that? Is it even possible?" She began to study Nimrohspell closer than she had before and compare him to Pharaohirrim.

"My lady," Haldir quirked a smile at her look, "let me tell you a very brief history of elven horses."

Haldir:

"Some time ago, generations before even Lord Gaealis was born, elven horses roamed the lands from Eregion and Sunland to the outskirts of Rohan. When the battle of the third age began, orcs and urk-hai moved into the valley of Eregion to destroy the elves that lived there in a great city. Unfortunately, they took the city causing much damage and death. The remaining elves had to leave quickly and the horse herds moved out to save themselves as well. This scattered the elven horse lords more than usual across the valleys near Rohan and Loth Lorien. There was some combining between the elven horses and Rohan's very early herds. The bloodline was passed down though it became more natural horses than elven. This is why Rohan has such great horse herds, there is still a trace of elven horses in them, and there always will be."

(End History)

"As for your colt, Pharaohirrim, I believe his bloodline is closer than most horses within the passed generations. I would like to have a closer look at him and his mother. Your father has agreed and is searching for her records this morning so we may speak about her this afternoon." Haldir finished and quieted.

"Will you take him if he is of elven breed?"

"Of course not, he is of your herd. Our horses are allowed to come and go as they please. It is possible the mare came into contact with one of our stallions. There is no harm in it." Haldir allowed this new information to settle with the girl beside him. "I am sure your father knows more than you think."

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