The Night's Wanderer

27. One Last Adventure

"You have a steed of your own, aye Merry?" Morel questioned as she walked beside Celebrandir. 

The pair both wore their armour again, it seemed to be becoming a part of them.

Morel had tested Haldir's words that it held the same magic as her magic entwine clothing. The words from the passed March Warden were no lies, the armour adjusting to her female size as she shifted form.

She also wore her blades at her hips, pack secure on her shoulders. The shrunken golden band, with the purple gemstone as a focal piece, sat snug to her finger under the fabric of her hand wraps. A nagging feeling in the back of her mind told her she may need it in due time.

Celebrandir wore the Rohirrim armour from his return to Helm's Deep in the hour of need. The mismatched pieces protecting his body and head as much as Celebrandir allowed, Morel having dealt with a tantrum when she presented the variety of armour pieces to him in the stables. Celebrandir tossing his head back in resilience, giving her a very agitated huff, before the pair came to a compromise on what he had to wear.

"I do," Merry beamed, still trying to nudge the horse forward with his feet, "But I do believe we don't understand one another." He sighed.

Chuckling Morel gave the white pony a light stroke on its neck before speaking in Elvish. "Tul- nin mellon, ceri- ú- teilien cín rochben." (Come my friend, do not play with your rider.)

Getting a snort in reply to her friendly words Morel gave a nod and smile, swiftly jumping onto Celebrandir's back.

"Join me Merry, it is time Celebrandir and I teach you something about riding a steed." She offered, Celebrandir walking forward without a prompt to move.

An 'oh' followed as the white pony trotted after the elf through the gathering soldiers and families offering well wishes. Merry laughing to himself as he matched pace with Celebrandir, the pair of riders soon joining Aragorn and Legolas at the front of the party.

Morel gave Merry verbal guidance as they travelled, focusing on the animal's behaviour rather than how to tame the creature. She was showing him how to befriend the creature and understand it.

Starting with the ears, the head as a whole, and the muzzle she explained what different movements and positions meant. Then moving to body posture, how the front and back legs as well as the tail can tell you the horse's mood or current state.

The others took in this knowledge, learning something themselves.

Aragorn rolled his eyes in amusement of it all once Morel finished. Gimli grumbled "Elves" at the method of teaching, but he was just bitter that their small hobbit friend had received a pony of his own while Gimli was paired with the Princeling on Arod.

Offering them all a small smile Morel gave Celebrandir a pat on the neck, the two riding ahead without a word which didn't surprise many.

The land was vast, plain of grass with collections of trees here and there. The sun hadn't even reached it peak yet in the blue sky, clouds littered here and there as the wind pushed them around. It was perfect riding weather.

Morel slipped from the saddle to surveying the land once they were a distance away. "Marsay tula palk al- rindora," [World energy give me sight,] Passed lips, then branching her sight out so she could see far and wide. 

Everything was rather barren of life on their path to Dunharrow.

She knew not the land by the names of man, but through the environment around her. All based on the changes in plants and animals as the land developed.