The Lady of Rivendell

Chapter 16

They were each given their own horse as they rode alongside the king towards Helm's Deep. Though, asides from Gimli, the four members of the fellowship began walking, Allora even letting a little girl ride on her horse instead of having her exhausted mother carry her. The woman thanked her profusely, even going to kneel before her before Allora stopped her, claiming the notion ridiculous.

Though as she walked, Legolas at her side as he ceded his horse to some elderly villagers and walked with her, they laughed at Gimli who was sitting atop his horse as he talked about the most ridiculous topics to Eowyn.

"It's true, you don't see many Dwarf women. And in fact, they are so alike in voice and appearance that they're often mistaken for Dwarf men," Gimli said and Eowyn turned back to Aragorn who grinned.

"It's the beards," he whispered, and Eowyn beamed before she turned back to Gimli and despite the hilarious conversation, Allora's smile fell as she saw the interaction between the two.

"Have hope, Allora," Legolas whispered to her and she huffed in disbelief before smiling at him.

"Are you really telling the incarnation of the morning star, beacon of hope, to have hope?"

He smiled at her as he let his pinkie link with hers. "It does not hurt to remind you."

And her smile was adoring as her blue eyes shined and Gimli kept talking.

"And this, in turn, has given rise to the belief that there are no Dwarf women, and that Dwarves just spring out of holes in the ground."

And Eowyn laughed loudly.

"Which is, of course, ridiculous," Gimli continued before he let out a scream as his horse broke into a gallop and he fell off the horse.

Eowyn wasn't the only one to laugh this time, but she was the only one to rush forward to the Dwarf who insisted that he'd done that on purpose.

Aragorn was grinning and as was Legolas while Allora was trying to smother laughs behind her hand.

Though, before they made camp at night, Allora caught the way Aragorn was looking at Eowyn whose beautiful blonde hair was blowing with the wind, and she could not stay silent anymore.

"You may have rejected my sister to keep her safe, to let her stay with me and my father, but do not think that I will not hesitate to run you through if you are disloyal to her. I know she still has your heart. Do not forsake that love for I am most certain that you will never find anything like it in your short life anyway," she warned in Elvish, and she watched as her words sank in before they continued on.

"I am impressed," Legolas admitted. "That was rather subdued of you, Your Highness."

"No one asked your opinion, Legolas," she returned, and he simply grinned at her.

The next morning as they continued on with their journey, Legolas and Allora walked ahead of the party as they scouted the way, looking and listening for threats ahead and their bows in hand in case of a threat.

"You sense it too?" Legolas asked as two soldiers rode past them.

"Something is coming. Those two are unwise for going ahead. They have no idea what could lie in wait."

"Come, let us follow them. They will surely need our help," Legolas advised as they broke into a run.

And it was a lucky thing they did so, for the two riders were being mauled by an Orc atop a Warg.

One had managed to stay atop his horse as he fought sword on sword and Legolas approached behind him and put an arrow in the Orc as Allora stood atop a rock structure and fired three arrows into the Warg.