So last weekend Tosha and I got to see all three extended editions of the movies and they were amazing! It was hard sitting through all of them; we started at 9:15pm and ended at 8:30am. I can't say I remember much of the third movie, I fell asleep for part of it (which thankfully was the spider scene. I can't stand spiders…). Anyways the point of telling you this is that some of the extended scenes are going to be put in to the story and some of those scenes are hilarious. :)

Anyways, ignoring my run on note; enjoy ~Crystal

Chapter 5 – Horses and Lies

Evening approached and it was decided that we would share a room with our three friends but there weren't exactly enough beds. So we shared; Riley and Nani took one, Lexie and Tosha took another and Mia and I took the last one. We left Jeffrey sleeping on the floor with the fur rugs.

~~The Next Morning~~

I heard movement on the other side of the room. I peeled open my eyes to see Nani getting up. I groaned and rolled over, I'm not used to this yet.

Grudgingly the rest of us got up. We kicked Jeff out into the hall so we could change.

"How come you two got guy clothes?" Mia asked Tosha and Riley.

"Because they refused to wear dresses." I informed her

"Our stubbornness comes in handy once and awhile." smirks Tosha

"Good to know." I grumble. I slip into a dark purple dress that Éowyn had brought last night. It wasn't split up the side like my elven dress (which I had stowed neatly in my pack) but it leaned towards the regal human style. It was tight around my torso but flowed from the waist down. Thankfully it didn't trail like Éowyn's dresses.

Mia also wore a purple dress but it was a lighter purple with softly layered fabrics. Lexie wore a deep emerald dress styled similar to mine. Nani finished off our array of colors with a light blue dress with long flowing sleeves.

Riley and Tosha; being stubborn as they were, refused to wear dresses and wore their elven clothes instead.

After eating our fill of a large breakfast we all went our separate ways. I decided to spend my morning in the stables. I found the horse that I'd been riding the day before and started looking for a brush or a curry.

"What are you looking for?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin. I turned around to find Legolas standing behind me.

"Don't sneak up on people." I said, waiting for my heartbeat to return to normal.

"I apologize for startling you; I didn't realize that I was so silent." Legolas paused "But what are you looking for?"

"A brush or a curry for the horse." I told him "I'm not sure where they keep them." I continued rummaging through the box I had found. So far all I was finding were huff picks, horse-shoes, nails (I'm assuming for the horse-shoes) and sheers.

To my surprise Legolas didn't leave; instead he came up beside me and started rummaging around on the shelves above me.

"Here"

I looked up to see him pull two brushes off the shelf. He held one out to me and I took it.

"Thanks" I mumbled

I turned on my heel and walked back to the horses stall. I opened the gate slowly and made my way into the small stall. I latched the gate shut behind me and turned around. The horse that stood in front of me was a beautiful white with grays socks. I held my hand out flat near his nose, he sniffed my hand curiously.

"I wish I had something to give you but I don't." I spoke softly. I moved my hand to the space between his eyes (I guess it's his forehead) and stroked it. He seemed cautious at first but he slowly leaned into my hand.

"Oh, you're just a big sweetie aren't you." I murmured

I repositioned myself so that I could pet his neck and his head. Over his neck I could see Legolas watching me, our eyes met and he gave a little half-smile.

"You have a gentle spot for horses I see."

I shrugged "I guess." I looked away, not wanting any more attention from Legolas. I was supposed to be mad at him still.

I took the brush and started at the horses shoulder and worked down. I slowly forgot about Legolas and kept brushing. I was disturbed a few minutes later by the squeak of the gate. Legolas moved into the stall but onto the other side of Socks (that's what I decided to call the horse since I had no idea what his real name was). Legolas reached out and gently petted his neck but Socks jumped. I reacted quickly, moving into Socks area of view and soothed him with the clucks of my tongue. "It's alright." I whispered

Sock's calmed down and turned his big head to look at Legolas. He seemed fine, now knowing who was in his stall.

"You startled him." I said, looking at Legolas over Sock's back, "You can't sneak up on a horse. You have to greet him first."

Legolas looked like he was going to glare at me then decided otherwise.

"Sorry…I don't mean to sound, oh what's the word? It's not stuck up but it's something along those lines." I said

"Apology accepted. I should have been more aware, I am at fault." Legolas started rubbing Sock's neck. "You seem to get along with him."

"If you know what they like you make friends pretty fast." I smiled. I took up the brush and ran it over Sock's shoulder blade again.

"You've spent a long time around horses then."

I shrug "I guess. I found horses interesting at a young age so I spent my spare time riding." I remembered my riding lessons and our summer trail rides.

"You are still young."

"Compared to you maybe." I look down at Sock's shoulder and move onto his belly, "But I don't exactly feel young."

Legolas looked at me quizzically.

"I took care of my younger sister a lot. I didn't have time to be a normal child; I've always been expected to be mature. I'm used to be self reliant and adult like." I look down at my feet. Why exactly was I telling him this? He didn't care.

"That's why you didn't like me helping you."

"Yes." I mumble "I don't like accepting help, especially when it's something I've done before." I pause "I'm pretty socially challenged when it comes to things like that."

"I wouldn't say that my lady." He pats Sock's neck "You are strong and independent. I do not see that as a bad thing."

"You think so?"

Legolas nodded and I smile. I doubt many people in this time think that highly of women.

We finish brushing Sock's in silence. I depart the stables with a nod and a goodbye. Leaving the stables I ran into Boromir. He gave me a funny look and I couldn't figure out why. Did I have horse hair on my face?

Little did I know that we had been the topic of the morning.

~Flashback~

Théoden had left the hall to announce their departure to Helms Deep, leaving the remaining members of the fellowship alone with their thoughts.

"Gandalf I've had a question since we left the forest." Boromir broke the silence "You said you wished to speak with the children, what was that about?"

Gandalf grips his staff a little tighter, "There is more to these children than we know. They have more knowledge than we know of."

"Gandalf explain." Aragorn tries not to sound commanding but it doesn't completely work.

He sighs, "Those children know about the quest; how it was started and why. They even know about the ring's past and they know about its future."

"How?" asks Gimli

"That not even I understand. There is a greater power surrounding them." Gandalf leans into his staff.

"What about the three girls they met here? What do they know?" asks Legolas

"They too know what the four know."

"How much of what they've told us is lies?" asks Aragorn

"I am not completely sure. I do not know their origin but I do know that they know more than we think."

~End of Flashback~