Land of Loss and Love; Thranduil Love Story (On Hold)

Mirkwood

     Horses are magnificent beasts, they held a sort of aloft importance, as if they were wise and understanding, had seen much toil and love and had grown from it.  Strong muscles made up most of their bodies, not an inch of fat on them. 

     I started to wish for a car after the first ten minutes.

     Bugs flew in hoards around my face, tangling in my hair that splayed all around me from the wind, the sun beat down heating my face to an uncomfortable level and I could only guess how the others felt. From what I could tell, they wore real animal hide for coats, pants, and boots. With some of them wrapped in layers of thick wool and yarn. How were they not boiling to death?

     A couple of them hauled me up onto my steed and when we first set out I almost fell off, but thankfully he(I named him Jeff) was able to follow the others without me guiding, leaving me to concentrate on staying upright. So I watched the others, how they sat and how they held their legs against their horses flanks. I did my best to mimic their seat, and after a while my muscles ached. But beyond the bad( and the pain), riding a horse was everything I dreamed it would be.

      Beorn had said it would take a days ride to get to where we were going, and we ended up taking breaks mainly for my bruising behind and blazing legs, but I felt compelled to make up for the loss of time and pushed through the pain as much as possible.

     It couldn't have been more than a few hours when one of them spoke to me. "So you're just a normal human?"

     I had been so focused on finding a comfortable position that I hadn't seen his horse slowly edging back until he was next to mine. He spoke in a hushed voice, probably not to draw... Thorin's!- attention. He seemed young, but it's hard to tell with all the hair.

     I flashed my best customer service smile, trying to look nice, chuckling a little at the question. "Yes, I am. Nothing special about me. And you're a dwarf? I've never met one before." Or seen one. "So what do dwarves do? Besides take long journeys?"

     "Oh uh- well we used to be great miners and smiths but well.. we mostly do our own thing now, taking odd jobs and that. Or like my brother Nori!" He pointed to a dwarf a couple horses ahead who nodded when mentioned. He had the most outlandish look, his hair taking a striking look of a star with three points on the top. "He's a very good pickpocket, always has his hands where they shouldn't be, so keep track of your things." He wouldn't be hard to miss, but I memoed it in my mind anyways. "And then there's my other brother Dori," Only one horse ahead of us, who was definitely listening in. He was twice the size though, and much harrier but maybe there was a similarity in them? In there clothes I think.. "He mostly just fusses around me, but he's quite strong."
     He went down the whole line this way, so many names and faces. But good golly there were a lot of them, some of their names even rhymed! It was utter chaos. And then he got to the top.

     "And of course you know Thorin."
     "Yeah," I grumbled, "He doesn't seem to like me much."
     "Give it time," Gandalf had somehow trotted up to me without me noticing. "Trust must be earned, young Aeolus."
     I was surprised he got my name right already. I nodded. "True.."
     "Amd he's a young prince y'know," The dwarf added, "Soon to be-"
     "Ori! That's enough!" The one he had called brother earlier scolded in a whispering manner. Dori, I recalled. "You've said plenty."
     This one was Ori then, who sulked shyly. Nori and Dori... you've got to be kidding.
     "Well thank you Ori, for being so kind." He perked up at that. I would've shaken his hand, but was afraid of letting go of the riens.
     He trotted up to his brother who started hushily scolding him. He hadn't introduced Bilbo, but I guess thats because we had already acquainted ourselves.