Hope - A Lord Of The Rings Chronicle

"Woah Bill!"

"Can you get on?" Aragorn asks me. Bill suddenly looks so much further up from the ground now that he's standing next to him.

"No."

Aragorn signals his head to Legolas who approaches me calmly.

My heart flutters. Which is fine, right?
"Do not drop me." I breathe.
I hear him chuckle.
"I won't."

I close my eyes desperately as my body is lifted off the ground. I wait for the impact with the floor. "Raina? You can open your eyes." Legolas says laying a hand on my shoulder. I feel goosebumps form. My eyes shoot open and I see that I'm now about a few metres off the ground.
"Oh."
"Told you I wouldn't drop you." He grinned triumphantly
"Yes. Well...."
He raises an eyebrow at me.
"Alright." I smirk "You win."

"Well, at least that's one problem now solved." Gandalf sighed "Onto the next."

Aragorn clicked his teeth, and Bill began to follow him around. I gripped the horse tightly, obviously not a natural rider. Aragorn looked back and told me to sit up straight.

"Why?! Why is t-there so much b-bouncing around?"

"Raina, he is only trotting."

"Can he not go any slower?"

Aragorn laughs at me, and slows Bill down to a walk. I try and sit up straighter, but tuck my knees tighter into Bill's sides, determined not to fall.

We continue travelling onward, Bill's hooves treading softly on the ground. A thick grove of trees came our way, with no end in sight, and I couldn't help but get the feeling, that all this seems familiar.

It's only until we come to the remains of a camp with charred logs and a skewer, and a small tent, that I realise where I am.

"What's all this?" Pippin asks picking up the fallen skewer
"The remains of an orc camp." Gandalf explains, his gaze falling on me. I nod.
"What were they doing so close to here?" Legolas asked
"The only person that can answer that, is now dead."
"You don't mean.." Legolas looks turns to me and my gaze falls to Bill's saddle. I sense Gandalf nodding.

I'm glad that we do not tarry there, and walk the rest of the afternoon through the forest, the sunlight peeking through the gaps between the trees.

As the sun falls down the sky, streaking colours of pink, twilight blue, gold and orange behind it, the edge of the forest comes upon my sight. I sigh, grateful to finally be getting somewhere, but know the journey has only just begun.

As we stop for a moment's rest, I stretch my legs outward, muscles finally feeling their toll.
"It always hurts on the first day." Legolas says, coming up to me. I jump, a nervous grin forming on my face. "Was it that obvious?"
"Yes."
I shift slightly, turning side saddle cautiously to stretch out my legs and then sit properly on Bill again.
"Bill's been a good horse though." I say, stroking him
"He has, hasn't he?" Legolas said coming to his ear. He whispers in the horse's ear.

"What did you say?"

"Le fael."
"What does that mean?" I ask him
"Thank you." He smiles, standing up straight
"Could you teach me?"
"What?"
"Sindarin. I assume that's what you're speaking."
He nods.
"I suppose I could, if you would-
"Raina?" I turn my head sharply. Pippin waved at me before beginning to run "Come and see this!" He cries.

His feet flew over the grass, but he tripped on some shrubbery, tumbling forward, and landing onto Bill, sending me on a wild rampage. The horse rears his legs and I grip his mane for dear life.

"Raina!" Legolas cries as Bill dashes off.

My fists were clenched and my head lowered as I "woahed" and moaned as Bill charged forward.