Ahsoka slumped down exhaustion against a tree, breathing heavily and dripping in sweat. She had been running from the Elven King for days, without much of a head start. Using the Force to keep hidden was only working for so long. The King knew his lands well, and it was only a matter of time before he closed in on her. Plus the fact that her boots left physical tracks didn't help. She wasn't completely undetectable.
Ahsoka had been able to beat Thranduil and his troops before, but this time she was truly outnumbered– and nearly spent.
She needed a plan.
Ahsoka assessed her options. She had both run and hid, and she was getting to the point she could no longer do either. It was time to stand and fight, but like last time she was going to have to outsmart the Elves. She had to throw them off her trail somehow.
Perhaps she should wait until the Elves came to her instead of searching for them. That would be wisest, she reasoned.
The cry of a convor hit the air.
Morai, she remembered.
Ahsoka had nearly forgotten about her faithful companion. Morai was more than just a Force-sensitive creature and a friend, she was the essence of the Light Side of the Force itself. She was a part of Ahsoka.
Morai's manifestation had once saved Ahsoka's life. Now she might need her friend to do so again.
She remembered Grogu.
She could still sense his presence through the Force. Their bond had not been broken. He was nearby– not very far off. Ahsoka could not tell if he was in danger. She could sense his fear, but she wasn't sure what kind of fear it was.
Suddenly, she could sense vibrations through the ground. Something or likely someone was coming her way.
Ahsoka's only option was the trees. Even though she knew the Elves could climb too, it was better safe than sorry.
Quickly, she Force-jumped up the nearest tree, and grabbing one of the branches pulled herself up. Moving silently, she found a hidden, thicker spot where she would hopefully be more concealed from view.
Closing her eyes, she breathed deeply in and out and she felt the Force flow through her and allowed it to cloak her.
Then she heard Elvish voices.
Her eyes shot open. Whether by luck or Will of the Force they had happened to show up just as she had been considering a plan. Perhaps that explained Morai's presence after all this time.
Ahsoka crept down closer, trying to get a glimpse of the Elvish riders. They were speaking in hushed tones in their own language and were both seated on white, four-legged creatures.
There are only two, Ahsoka realized.
This certainly was her lucky day.
Ahsoka didn't know much about the four-legged white animals, but she had a feeling that if she jumped down and attacked their masters, the creatures would run away in terror. She had seen them before when the Elves first took her, and they seemed to be quite skittish.
She decided to go with a trick Master Obi-wan had once taught her a long time ago.
One of the Elves said something loudly to the other one. They argued for several moments then both of them dismounted their horses and took off into the woods.
Ahsoka smiled, even though she knew she didn't have long. Her distraction would only work long enough for the Elves to realize they were chasing nothing, and they had left their mounts. They would be back soon enough.
She leapt down from her tree, not making a sound as she landed. Although normal ears might not have detected her, the creatures did.
Their ears pricked forward and their eyes widened. They snorted and side-stepped backwards, grunting.
Ahsoka slowly walked towards them, her hand outstretched.
"I'm not... going to hurt you," she said, keeping her voice calm and quiet.
Ahsoka closed her eyes, and held her breath. She had to connect with this creature through the Force and ask it to accept her. She could still sense its fear, but it had not run off on her yet...
Finally she was close enough to grab its reins. The creature didn't budge, and Ahsoka laid a hand on its soft fur. It made a noise that Ahsoka assumed was a happy one and she smiled. And Master Kenobi had always said there was no such thing as luck!
Now it was time to find Grogu.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
"See? I told you it was nothing."
Eruadan sighed. "Fine, so you were right for once. You can keep quiet now."
Adanion snorted in laughter, but shut his mouth when he saw only one of the horses.
"Eruadan, where's my horse?"
"I–"
"He was right here! He would not have wandered away."
"Why do you think I would know, Adanion?"
Adanion groaned. "Now how am I supposed to travel?"
"As I said before, why don't you keep quiet and we'll look for your horse. He couldn't have gone far."
Eruadan had about had it. Next time he was making sure Captain Miluidor did not pair him up with this sorry excuse for a soldier again.
The two Elves roamed mindlessly around the surrounding area for a long time, calling to Adanion's horse, but to no avail. They couldn't find him.
"Did you see any tracks?" Eruadan finally asked.
Adanion stopped, his eyes widening in realization.
Eruadan sighed and rolled his eyes. "Yes, that's the first thing you should have thought of."
"You could have mentioned it earlier too," Adanion muttered.
"Does not matter now. The horse is long gone either way, and we have already tarried too long looking for it. The King will be wondering where we are."
Thranduil had indeed been wondering where they were, as Eruadan had feared and he was none too happy when they arrived a day late, along with a tired and grumpy Adanion.
The King was eyeing both his soldiers up and down angrily when they finally approached him.
"And how do you explain your delay?" he inquired.
"Missing horse, Your Highness. It will not happen again, I swear–"
Thranduil narrowed his eyes. "Did you ever find it?"
"No, Your Highness."
Thranduil sighed heavily. "You fools. Do you see what you have done?"
_____
Hey guys! Sorry for the long delay with updates and the short chapter. 😬 I know it's been awhile. The Ahsoka trailer that just dropped (and it looks freaking amazing) gave me a burst of inspiration for this. 😅
What do you all think of the Ahsoka trailer? Also what do you think of the Mandalorian Season 3 so far?
- Shadowfax
STAI LEGGENDO
The Sorceress of Middle-earth || A LOTR x Mandalorian Crossover
Fanfiction*SLOW UPDATES* Whispers of a mysterious sorcerer have been heard throughout parts of Eryn Lasgalen and eventually reached the ears of Prince Legolas himself. The dutiful prince has always considered himself the protector of his people, and is troubl...
