A Silver Lining (Lord of the Rings) [Legolas]

VI. "Welcome Home."

            My breakout day was coming soon; I could feel it in my bones.

 

***

                Shockingly, the dream/memory had been one of my tamer ones. I remembered that night well. It had been the night I begun to hope that I would escape my captors one day and lose them once and for all. I tried to recall how long ago that night had been.

            When you are an Elf and have lived life for as long as I have, time blends together. You cannot tell apart days from years, or centuries from decades.

            I woke early, greeted by the grey stallion. Overnight he had to have settled down beside me. He turned his head to me, one big eye watching my every move. I smiled at the animal, stroking his thick, strong neck. If there was any way I could keep him, I would. Honestly, in the short time we had been together, we bonded.

            I noticed Legolas was still asleep. I did not bother to wake him, he probably needed the rest. I looked back to my companion, an idea forming in my head. Maybe a little morning walk with him would not hurt. I would not go very far with him; I did not want Legolas to panic when he woke.

            “What do you say about a little morning exercise?” I cooed to the stallion. He kept watching me. “You will have just me on your back; I do not want to hurt my shoulder further trying to saddle you up.”

            I clambered onto the grey’s back, settling myself. It was an entirely new feeling, not having a saddle under me. I felt the horse’s warmth, felt his sides expand and retract as he breathed. Since he was still lying down, I lay across the length of him, burrowing my head into his mane. I blew strands away from my face.

            My heart sprinted when the stallion suddenly got to his feet. My legs locked around his sides, my fingers had an iron grip in his mane. I let out a breath when he stood still, realizing I had not fallen off. I planned to not.

            I squeezed the stallion’s sides, nudging him forward. He took off at a lazy walk, a pace which we could both agree on. I used the slow gait to adjust to him under me, to feel my body sway with him as he walked.

            We continued our leisure walk until the sun could be seen in full view. By that time, my Elf hearing picked up Legolas rising. I turned my steed so we could head back to greet my guardian.

            “Good morning,” I said cheerily, stopping the stallion, who snorted, shaking his head.

            “You are riding bareback?” Legolas asked, a hint of surprise in his tone.

            “I did not want to test out my shoulder today.” I shrugged. “Besides, riding bareback is an entirely different experience. If you have never tried it, you really should sometime.” I scratched the stallion’s neck. “Are we heading out right now?”

            “Do you not want to at least eat something first?”

            My stomach rumbled. “I suppose it could not hurt.” I slipped off the stallion, crossing to Legolas to retrieve the fruit we had been eating the past two days. Legolas had an amused twinkle in his eye. I looked at him. “What?”

            “You have a follower.” He chuckled, bobbing his head behind me. I looked over my shoulder to see the stallion, his breath tickling my face. “It is amazing, the bond you have with him—how he is loyal to you so quickly.”