Story Downloaded from Open Scrolls Archive (https://www.openscrolls.net) Title: Hoofin' It (#1892) Author: Emmess Chapters: 2 Archive: Tolkien Category: Lord of the Rings (Movieverse) Description: WINNER 2005 MPA Awards Best Animal Related Story Legolas discovers that he has a telepathic connection with his new horse. AU Movieverse. Published: 16 May 2005 Updated: 16 May 2005 Warnings: None Type: Humour Characters: Legolas Chapter 1 - Chapter One Title: When All Else Fails Title: Hoofin' It Author: Emmess Rated: PG 13 Summary: Legolas finds that he has a telepathic connection with his new mount. Genre: Humor Warnings: Excessive horsing around. Snort. Timeline: Third Age, during the War of the One Ring. Legolas has just received his new mount, Arod, from Eomer, the Horselord of Rohan. A/N: Arod's thoughts are signified by // Inspired by Lady Mirfain… Hoofin' It, Part One "May these horses bear you to better fortune than their former masters. Farewell," Eomer said, mounting his own steed in one jump that spoke of a lifetime in the saddle. Without waiting for a reply, the Riders of the Mark turned and rode off as one, thundering across the dusty plains of Rohan leaving the Man, the Elf, and the Dwarf alone once again. Legolas watched with his companions until the troupe of riders were mere dots on the horizon before lifting Gimli to the back of their new steed. Mounting the powerful white stallion, he clucked softly under his breath, urging Arod on. // "I cannot believe that he left me. A stallion of Mearas descent, and he leaves me with an Elf and a Dwarf, of all things." // Legolas started, quickly looking around for the source of the deep voice. "Gimli," he asked, turning around in the saddle, "did you say something?" "No. And pay attention to where yer taking this thing, Elf. I've no wish to ride off the edge of a cliff," Gimli answered gruffly. "There are no cliffs on the plains of the Riddermark, Gimli. You are certain that you did not speak?" Legolas asked again. "Are ye hearing things now, Elf? I knew I should have ridden with Aragorn." "I am NOT hearing things, Dwarf. It must have been the wind." "The wind. There is no wind, Legolas. And the only voice so far has been yer own." "Never mind. Forget that I ever said anything," Legolas replied tersely, turning to face forward once more. He convinced himself that Gimli had indeed spoken and was simply indulging in some type of feeble Dwarven humor. // "Argh! The Dwarf smells worse than offal. When was the last time he bathed? Has he EVER bathed? I think not." // Again Legolas was startled, scanning the immediate area around him for the source of the mysterious voice. It couldn't have been Gimli…of that he was quite positive now. Gimli would never have questioned his own hygienic habits…he freely admitted that he bathed as infrequently as possible. "Who are you?" Legolas thought, whipping his fair head from one side to the other, as if trying to catch someone sneaking up on him from behind. "ELF! Stop twisting yer head like that…yer making me dizzy," Gimli grumbled from behind him. "And yer hair is lashin' me in me face!" // "If you must know, it is I, Arod. Your mount…your horse. You remember…that big white thing under your considerable ass." // "You've quite a mouth on you for a horse," Legolas replied in his head, not understanding in the least how the conversation was taking place. "I know very well what a horse is…I also know that horses do not ordinarily speak. And my ass is of normal size and structure…for an Elf." // "I am no ordinary horse. I am a direct descendant of the Mearas. I have Shadowfax, the Lord of the Horses' blood running through my veins, which makes me royalty of some type or other, and I'll thank you to not forget it, Elf." // "Really? Well, for your information, I am a Prince, you flea-bitten bag of bones, and I'll thank YOU not to forget THAT," Legolas replied snippily, not liking the horse's haughty tone. // "Ha! A Prince? You expect me to believe that an Elven Prince was wandering the Riddermark, horse-less, with an rear-end the size of Rohan, and in the company of scruffy, foul-smelling Man and a scruffier, fouler-smelling Dwarf?" Arod scoffed, thrusting his nose in the air and snorting. // "Are you calling me a liar? I do NOT have to listen to insults from a beast of burden! You know…I believe I may have a pair of spurs in my saddlebag. Very sharp spurs." // "Do not threaten me, Elf! I'll rear up and throw both of your asses in the dirt." // Legolas's lips pressed into a thin line, angry and insulted, but unwilling to continue in the banter with his horse, fairly certain that his mount would do just as he had threatened. He had no desire to find himself sitting in the dust of the Mark with a sore rump while trying to explain to Gimli and Aragorn how he had ended up there. If they were thrown, the Dwarf would never let him forget it. They rode on in silence for a while, the only sound being the loud breathing of the Dwarf. // "Has he a sinus problem?" Arod finally asked, his ears twitching. // Legolas snorted under his breath. "Haldir of Lorien said that he breathed so loudly the Elves could have shot him in the dark." // "I believe it. He sounds like a trumpet." // "His nose isn't the only part of him that sounds like a trumpet. Wait until we make camp, and he's had his supper." // "I can hardly wait," Arod replied dryly. // "Between his nose and his ass, he's quite the musician." // "Hmph. You are quite amusing…for an Elf." // "It is my sole purpose in life to be entertainment for my horse." Legolas replied sarcastically. // "As it should be. So tell me, Elf-rider, where are we off to? Somewhere with water, I should hope…even you are beginning to stink. // Legolas frowned, remembering the fate of the Halflings. "We travel over the yonder hill toward a burning pyre of Urak Hai," he replied, sadness evident in his voice. // "A burning pile of Urak Hai? Wonderful. We really must talk about your choice of travel destinations, Elf." Arod sniffed, rolling his eyes back toward his rider. "Shouldn't we be running AWAY from the putrid pile of burning bodies? // "Two of our companions, Merry and Pippin of the Shirefolk, may have found their end there. We need to search for their bodies," Legolas replied, a warning in his voice. // "My sympathies…truly. It is simply that I have just COME from that particular pile of Urak Hai, and I can tell you most assuredly that they stank enough while alive. I can only imagine what they smell like now." // "You were there? Did you see them? They would appear to be but children to your eyes…" Legolas asked, stiffening with eagerness at the possibility that his horse had seen the Hobbits. // "I believe that I remember seeing two short, hairy-hooved chaps…would that be them?" // "Yes! Yes! That would be them! What happened to them? Did they survive, or did they…" Legolas' voice trailed off, unwilling to voice the possibility that his friends were dead. // "I have no idea. You'll have to excuse me…I was a tad bit busy trying to avoid being skewered by the enemy." // "Aragorn!" Legolas shouted to the Ranger as he tapped Arod's sides with his heels, "Quickly!" // "No need to dig your heels into my sides! A simple 'step it up, Arod' would have sufficed! I've half a mind to dump you off and dig MY hooves into YOUR sides to see how much you 'd like it! // "Arod, please…our friends may yet be alive!" // "And if they are, who is going to cart them around? Not me…I'm already carrying your big fat rear and the Dwarf. You can bloody well perch them on your shoulders and tote them across the Mark yourself because they are not getting on my back!" // "I do NOT have a fat rear," Legolas huffed, momentarily distracted from the plight of the Halflings by Arod's insult. // "You only think so because it's always behind you. You should try looking at it sometime…it's absolutely huge. Really…what have you been eating? Blubber? Do Elves hibernate? You have a thick enough layer of fat to last you the winter." // Legolas frowned down at his mount, about to dig his heels into the horse's sides again when the pyre of the Urak Hai came into view. Arod skidded to a stop some fifty paces from the pyre and resolutely refused to budge another inch. // "This is as close as I am getting. Get off and walk, if you wish to go closer, Fatty. You could use the exercise." // "I AM NOT FAT!" Legolas shouted in his mind, causing Arod's ears to twitch and a shudder to run down the horse's neck. Arod snorted and pawed the ground in irritation. Nevertheless, he remained where he was as Legolas gracefully dismounted, reaching to help Gimli down as well. Gimli rushed to the burnt pile of Urak Hai bones and armor, digging through the smoldering ashes. He cried out in dismay when he found one of the Hobbit's belts. Legolas felt tears welling in his eyes, and he touched his fist to his chest in memory of his fallen friends. He watched Aragorn fall to his knees, a hoarse cry in his throat. // "Are they dead, then? So sorry…my sympathies. Get on and let's be off…I'll not be able to get this stench out of my hide for a month!" // "One more word…just ONE more, and I will feed you in small pieces to the Dwarf!" Legolas growled, shooting his mount a menacing look. // "Hmph. Very nice sentiment coming from a Prince…" Arod thought, lifting his head and purposely looking away from the Elf. // Thus distracted, Legolas nearly missed the change in Aragorn's demeanor as he began spying clues in the dirt of the Hobbits' last struggles. "A Hobbit lay here," he said, brushing his hand through the soft, disturbed dirt. "And the other…their hands were bound…their bonds were cut! They crawled here…" Legolas walked to join Aragorn and Gimli as they stood staring into the black depths of Fangorn Forest. "What madness drove them in there?" Gimli wondered aloud, looking up at Legolas. // "The same madness, evidently, that keeps me from bolting and putting as much distance between myself and you as possible," Arod thought, his nostrils flaring as he gingerly skirted the pyre of the Urak Hai and came to stand just behind the Elf and the Dwarf. "Perhaps it is something in the air. Oh, wait…there IS something in the air…the stomach-turning stench of burnt Urak Hai…CAN WE GO NOW?" // Aragorn's horse, Hasufel, came to stand meekly behind his new master, placidly reaching over Aragorn's shoulder to nibble at the leaves of the trees that marked the beginnings of the dark forest. // Arod cast the gentle horse a withering look. "How can you possibly eat with that stench all around us?"// // Hasufel looked over at Arod, a rather vacant look on his equine face, still chewing. "Hungry. Leaves good. // // "Someone fed you paint chips as a colt, didn't they? Sigh. Don't eat any more of those…you'll have the green apple splatters for a week." // // "Leaves good." // // "Elf…do not - and I cannot stress this enough - ride behind Aragorn. Elf? Did you hear me? Elf?" // "If you do not shut up this instant, Arod, I will tether your nose to Hasufel's rear for the rest of our journey," Legolas spat, picking up Gimli and setting him on Arod's back. "What? What did you say, Legolas? I didn't quite catch it," Gimli asked, squirming a bit on Arod's back as his bottom protested yet another day of riding. "Nothing, Gimli…nothing at all," Legolas said, realizing that he had spoken aloud. He jumped up, straddling Arod. // "Nice…now they're beginning to think you mad…talking to yourself and all. Perhaps they'll leave you in Fangorn. One less crazy, fat-rumped Elf for the world to deal with." // "I am NOT FAT!" Legolas thought, grinding his teeth. He gave Arod a purposeful quick little jab with his heels, purposely keeping his mount's nose directly behind Hasufel's rear as they entered Fangorn. "What do your Elven eyes see, Legolas?" Aragorn asked the Elf, as they paused and dismounted to scan the area for signs of the Hobbits. "The White Wizard approaches," Legolas whispered, his blue eyes shifting to indicate the Maia's approach. The Elf, Man, and Dwarf turned as one, letting axe and arrow fly, Aragorn's sword drawn upon the White Wizard. The revelation of Gandalf the White rocked them to their cores, all three kneeling before the glowing Maia before them. "Forgive me," Legolas said, his eyes tearing, "I mistook you for Saruman." // "You ask HIS forgiveness? What about mine? You left me back there among angry trees that were none too pleased to have Hasufel leaving little presents for them among their roots! They nearly took my hide, you traitorous, pointy-eared…" // "Arod! Be silent! Do you not know in whose presence you stand?" Legolas thought, glaring at his approaching mount. "Arod? Arod…I believe I remember Shadowfax mentioning your name once or twice…weren't you the colt who ran off to join that troupe of wandering minstrels? You broke your poor mother's heart," Gandalf admonished Legolas' horse. "Wandering minstrels? I thought you were a warhorse of Rohan!" Legolas laughed, eyeing his mount. If horses could blush, Legolas was certain that Arod would be bright red. "What the devil are these two talking about?" Gimli asked Aragorn, who simply shrugged and mouthed the word, "loonies." // "That was a vicious rumor, I assure you," Arod replied, not quite looking either Legolas or Gandalf in the eye. "Can we PLEASE leave this forest, now?" // "For once, he is correct. We must ride to Edoras," Gandalf said, leading the party out of Fangorn to the edge of a wide, open meadow. He gave several low whistles, which echoed across the green vale. From in the distance a beautiful white stallion reared and charged at full gallop toward them. // "Oh, no…" // Arod said, blowing a stream of warm air through his nostrils, ruffling Legolas' hair. "What now, Arod?" Legolas asked, not taking his eyes from the beautiful Mearas. // "Shadowfax, that's what. My great-great-great uncle on my mother's side. He's never forgiven me for leaving the herd." // "To join the wandering minstrels?" Legolas laughed, rubbing it in a bit. // "They were NOT wandering minstrels. They were a highly respected troupe of actors." // Shadowfax snorted as his sensitive ears picked up Arod's reply to Legolas. // "Actors? They were jesters! They made him wear a frilly collar and a straw hat with a sunflower in it. It was quite amusing, actually, if one could forget that he was one of my bloodline. Unfortunately, he could never remember his cues, and they ended up selling him to the Rohirrim for cheap." Shadowfax laughed. // // "Hello, uncle…good to see you. Not dead, yet? I rather thought you'd be in the glue pot by now." // // "Go on, Arod…show the Elf the little act you used to do…how did it go again? Oh, yes…one plus one is how many?" Shadowfax laughed, pawing the ground in front of him with one foot. // // "Go ahead, Uncle…yuck it up. I'll have you know that NO ONE performed that act as well as I did…I was a smash hit everywhere we played." // // "You kept giving the wrong answer, Arod. The correct answer was 'two,' not 'sixteen," Shadowfax replied, tossing his head. // // "I did that on purpose! It was comic genius! No one appreciated my talent." // "I truly hate to break up this little family reunion, but don't we have a War or something to fight?" Legolas thought, tossing Gimli onto Arod's back and mounting. // "Fine. Anything is better than standing here having abuse heaped upon me," Arod snorted, lifting his nose in the air and trotting off, purposely swishing his tail in his uncle's face. // The riders set off across the plains to far distant city of Edoras, and Meduseld, the Golden Hall of Theoden, King of Rohan. TBC… Chapter 2 - Chapter Two Title: When All Else Fails Title: Hoofin' It Author: Emmess Rated: PG 13 Summary: Legolas finds that he has a telepathic connection with his new mount. Genre: Humor Warnings: Excessive horsing around. Snort. Timeline: Third Age, during the War of the One Ring. Legolas has just received his new mount, Arod, from Eomer, the Horselord of Rohan. A/N: Arod's thoughts are signified by // Inspired by Lady Mirfain… Hoofin' It, Part Two // "What do you mean, 'we're leaving?' We just got here!" Arod complained, balking as Legolas tried to lead him from his stall in Theoden's stable. // "I know that we just got here. We're going to Helm's Deep by order of the King…war is on Rohan's doorstep," Legolas replied, tugging harder on Arod's bridle. // "War is on Rohan's doorstep? Tell Theoden to simply not answer the door…perhaps War will go away if it thinks no one is at home." // "Come now, Arod…look, everyone else is going!" Legolas argued, ignoring the horse's last thought. // "If everyone else jumped into the Anduin River, would you also? Don't be such a sheep, Elf…" Arod sniffed, pulling back against his reins, backpedaling into his stall. // "Fine! If you would like to remain here and be the Rohan Welcome Wagon for the Urak Hai, be my guest! I am going to Helm's Deep with the others," Legolas replied, letting go of Arod's reins and turning his back on the horse. He took a few steps away, as if to leave the stable. // "Urak Hai? More Urak Hai? Didn't we see enough Urak Hai to last us a lifetime? In case you don't remember, they are as ugly as sin and smell twice as foul!" // "I remember very well, thank you. But then, we only saw fifty or so of them on the Mark…ten thousand march their way here as we speak." // "Ten…thousand?" Arod repeated, starting to count off ten thousand by stamping his foreleg. "What idiot invited ten thousand Urak Hai to the party? Well…what are you waiting for, Elf? We need to go to Helm's Deep by order of the King. Who are you to ignore a direct edict by the King of Rohan? Really…I'm surprised at you." Arod thought, pushing his way past the amused Elf and walking out of the stable. // Legolas shook his head, a small smile playing about his lips as he watched Arod leave the stable. He was beginning to get used to the arrogant, pompous horse and was learning which buttons to push to get Arod to cooperate. He followed the white stallion out of the stable, calling out to Gimli to come quickly so that they might depart. // "Gimli? Oh, no…tell me I do not have to cart that lumpy Dwarf around again! Can't he ride with someone else?" Arod whined, as Legolas lifted the Dwarf to the stallion's back. "Eww…is there a water crisis as well as a war going on? Still he hasn't bathed. I warn you, Elf…if we come within a hundred paces of a river, I'm bucking him in." // "Behave yourself, Arod…Gimli is a friend, and a fine warrior in his own right. You'll not want a wet, angry Dwarf on your tail." // "I don't want a dry, happy one on my tail either, but look…I have one anyway." // Legolas stifled a grin at his horse's thoughts, and lightly jumped up onto Arod's back. The horse set off, along with Hasufel and the steeds of Theoden and the Rohirrim, leading the villagers toward the mountains and the hopeful safety of Helm's Deep. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ They had crested a hill, nearly within sight of the fortress of Helm's Deep, when a warg-rider flew from the crevice in which it had been hiding in the rocky foothills, making short work of one of the Rohirrim. Legolas jumped down from Arod, racing to the side of the fallen Rider, loosing arrows as he ran downing the beast and its ugly owner. "A Scout!" he cried, fitting another arrow into his bow. Quickly, Theoden ordered Eowyn to lead the women and children into the safety of Helm's Deep, while the Rohirrim prepared to meet the coming onslaught. Arod nervously sidestepped, narrowly missing the gaping, salivating jaws of a warg as an entire troupe of the beasts rode over the foothills, instantly engaging the Rohirrim. // "You mangy cur! Take that!" Arod thought as he planted a well-aimed hind hoof smack in the middle of the warg's forehead. "Ha! Didn't see that coming, did you? Elf? Where are you, Elf? The Dwarf is lying down on the job!" he continued, as he skirted the pile of dead wargs that covered Gimli. // The battle raged on, until finally all the wargs and riders, save but a very few who managed to escape back into the foothills, lay dead or dying among the slain Rohirrim. Legolas spied Arod planting a hoof on the skull of a still-twitching Orc, and seeing his mount was safe and unharmed went in search of Aragorn and Gimli. He found Gimli still buried beneath a pile of warg carcasses, and quickly freed him, but Aragorn was no where to be found. Arod plodded wearily to stand behind the Elf, Dwarf, and King of Rohan as they stared desolately down the sheer side of a cliff to the river far below. // "NOW he decides to take a bath? The Ranger has a poor sense of timing," Arod thought, looking over Legolas' shoulder. // "Arod…now is not the time for ill-conceived levity," Legolas thought, his tone heavy with grief. // "I…is he…oh, Elf…I am sorry. I didn't realize…come, I will take you and the Dwarf to Helm's Deep," Arod thought, nudging the Elf's shoulder gently. His own tone spoke volumes of the sincerity of his apology, as did his large, brown, liquid eyes, and Legolas responded with a gentle hand on the stallion's neck. // As Legolas lifted Gimli to Arod's back he noticed a long, rather deep gash in the horse's flank. "Arod!" he said, his voice filled with concern, "You have been injured." // "It is nothing…a mere scratch, Elf. Come, daylight wastes and I wish to get you both safely to the Keep before night falls. I've no wish to encounter more of those malodorous beasties in the dark." // "I will see to it that your wound is cleansed and tended as soon as we arrive, mellon min," Legolas replied, opting to walk along side of his horse rather than add his weight to the burden of the Dwarf that Arod already carried. // "Mellon min? Are you calling me some kind of fruit?" Arod asked as they began walking toward the fortress in the mountains. // "It is Elvish…it means, 'my friend,'" Legolas answered. // "My friend? Really?" Arod thought, rolling his eyes toward the Elf who walked beside him, holding his bridle. "I have been a fool dressed in silly costumes for Men's amusement…I have been a Warhorse of the Rohirrim dressed in armor for Men's protection…never have I been a friend…" // "There is a first time for everything, mellon. Come, night falls quickly in the mountains," Legolas said, a small smile touching his lips, even though his heart was heavy with grief for Aragorn. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ // "It is about time! Where have you been all night, Elf? I've been stuck in this stable with no water, and only that half-witted Hasufel for company!! Have you ever tried to hold a conversation with that nitwit? There are only two topics he can discuss with any degree of intelligence…food and sex. And sometimes he gets the two confused! It is maddening!" Arod bellowed as soon as he spied Legolas walking into the stables at Helm's Deep. // "I am fine, thank you for asking," Legolas replied sarcastically, a smirk on his handsome face. "I've just spent the night fighting ten thousand Urak Hai, for your information." // "All by your little lonesome? How very Elf-like," Arod replied dryly, although in his heart he was overjoyed to see his Elf safe and sound. He had nearly injured himself trying to break down the gate to the stall during the night, desperate to reach Legolas' side when the sounds of the battle had reached his ears. The Rohirrim stables of Helm's Deep were built strong and stout, however, and Arod had been forced to wait out the night unsure if his new friend were alive or dead. // "Gimli is fine also. As is Aragorn." // "Wonderful…we shall have to have a reunion. Party hats and cake all around." // Legolas laughed, patting Arod on the neck. He inspected Arod's wound he had received during the fight with the wargs, saw to his feed and water, and bid him a good night. // "Wait! Where are you going now? Aren't we leaving this dreadful place? It smells like urine in here," Arod complained, nosing the Elf in the back when he turned to leave. // "We cannot leave as of yet. The threat of war now hangs over Gondor…we wait for Gondor to call for aid." // "Are we to spend the rest of our years following war from one place to another? Haven't you had your fill of getting battered and bloody yet? Come here…I'll kick you in the head, and we'll call it a day." // "Good night, mellon," Legolas said, laughing and shaking his head at his steed. // "Good night, Elf," Arod replied, sighing and dipping his nose down into his bucket of feed. // ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Is he insane? Are you? He has a death wish and takes the Path of the Dead and you follow him! And take ME with you! Friend or not, Elf, this is far beyond what I am willing to tolerate!" Arod whined, his coat prickling with unease as they walked the rocky path Aragorn had led them on. // Legolas patted Arod's neck reassuringly, but said nothing. He was uneasy himself, the stench of things long dead filling his nostrils. They came to the entrance to the Path of the Dead, and Legolas read aloud the Elvish inscription above it. // "Made by the dead, and the dead keep it? They CAN keep it…I want no part of this, Elf!" Arod cried, his eyes rolling up white in his fright. Let us leave this place! // "Go on with you, Arod…there is no need for you to stay here. Go back to the camp, and take Hasufel with you," Legolas replied, seeing the intense fear that coursed through his mount. He had seen Arod perform bravely in battle, but dealing with the dead was another story altogether. Not that he blamed the horse…he felt like bolting himself. // "I'll not be branded a coward, Elf! I'm not afraid…much…" // "I know you are not a coward, mellon. Go…you will be needed at the camp when the Rohirrim ride to Gondor. And you must protect Hasufel…look, he races away already. He'll get lost, or eat something he shouldn't, or run off the edge of a cliff…" Arod blew a breath of warm air into Legolas' face before turning and racing away after Aragorn's mount. // "Be safe, Elf! I've no wish to have to train yet another Rider…I've just gotten you to behave in a way I can tolerate!" Arod called back over his shoulder as he galloped away. // Legolas smiled at the retreating horse, then turned to follow Aragorn onto the Path. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ // "Well, well…look who it is! When you didn't return, I thought perhaps you'd taken a fancy to one of those dead Gondorians," Arod sniffed, although he was secretly overjoyed to be reunited with his Elf. // "I had to accompany Aragorn on a little voyage…oh, yes…and I also had to kill about a million Orcs and several of those gigantic Oliphaunts. What have you been up to?" Legolas replied, leaning his cheek against Arod's velvety nose. // "A million Orcs? Really, Elf…someone needs to teach you how to count. I'll bet you didn't kill nearly half that many." // Legolas laughed, pleased beyond measure to see Arod safe and whole. // "Come on, jump up and let's be off. I'm starving, and I need a good brushing," Arod prompted the Elf, nosing him in that direction. // Legolas happily obliged, leaping to sit astride the white stallion. // "Good heavens, Elf! What did you do after you killed those Oliphaunts,,,eat them? You weigh a ton!" // "I am NOT fat," Legolas replied, affection for his mount clear in his voice. // "You are. Your rear spreads to hang over both sides of my back…it's a wonder you could mount me without the benefit of a ladder," Arod laughed, his own voice filled with warmth for the Elf. // "Has anyone ever told you that you are the MOST annoying horse?" Legolas asked, leaning forward to scratch behind Arod's ears. "Annoying, but still rather likeable." // "As are you, Elf…as are you…mellon min," Arod replied, as he weaved his way through the carcass-littered fields of Pelennor, carrying his Elf toward Minas Tirith…just as Arod knew he would happily carry him for the rest of his days. // The End ------------------------------------------------------------------ Downloaded from Open Scrolls Archive (https://www.openscrolls.net) on Sun Nov 15, 2026 1:16 am