Disclaimer: I don’t own them, and I’ll put them back safely when I’m done!

Author’s Note: In my last update, I promised that the next chapter would follow quickly. No sooner had I posted it than I was hit with the worst case of writer’s block I’ve had in a long time. So, here is the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy it!

Chapter Ten: The Horse Race

   Before making any other statements, Aragorn ordered that the prisoners be brought up onto the stand, where they would wait until the race was over. Their captors accordingly led up Legolas and Faramir to the Royal Pavilion. As soon as Rowan and Haldir had let go of them, the two prisoners moved towards their people.

     “Hullo, Faramir,” said Pippin amiably, grinning at his son. “All right there?”

     “Yes, Father,” Faramir said, grinning in response. “The Elves are wonderful! Ella’s mamma sang me songs last night when I was afraid, and Haldir said that he’ll teach me to shoot a bow and arrow when our war is over!”

      Diamond and Pippin glanced at each other with small smiles on their faces. They had been rather worried about how Faramir would fare overnight with the Elves, as he sometimes had night terrors. However, it seemed that everything had been just fine.

    Legolas, on the other hand, stormed over to Thranduil, and, speaking Elvish, demanded in a soft voice, “When did you get here, and please tell me why you are encouraging them?”

    Thranduil gave his son a wicked look. “Why not? You are only young once.”

    Legolas just glowered.

        Aragorn glanced around at the prisoners, and was treated to a sunny wave from Faramir, and a glare that would have killed a lesser man from Legolas. He sighed and addressed the contestants.

    “Are your riders ready?”

    Elfwine and a tall, stately Elf from Rivendell, Zinfandel, bowed to him. Their horses stood behind them: a fiery grey Elvish mount from Zinfandel, and a huge white horse with no saddle or bridle for Elfwine. Aragorn looked over at Eomer in askance.

     “What is your son doing on that horse?” he asked.

     Eomer grinned at him. “ ‘That horse’,” he said, “Is one of the Maeras, the only foal of the great Shadowfax. Only the kings of the Rohirrim are able to ride them, and so it is fitting that Elfwine should do so.”

    Aragorn sighed. He knew the folly of telling a Rider of the Mark that a Maeras would surely beat an elvish mount, and so was not fair in a race. However, he was spared the trouble by Eowyn, who stood up, bowed, and said, “If it is not to bold of me, my lord, I have had horses prepared, that are equal mounts. Shall I call them hither?”

    “Yes, lady, do,” Aragorn said, and Eowyn waved her hand at two grooms, who stood nearby, holding horses leads.

     Both companies of contenders looked extremely put out as they accepted their new horses. However, thy submitted to mounting them, then turned to Aragorn to await his mark.

   “You will race to the walls of the Rammas Echor, where I have posted guards to tell me who wins. If the race ends in a tie, we will have a re-match. Is this understood?”

      “Yes, your highness,” the Elf and child said in unison.

      Aragorn nodded. “Mount your horses.”

      The riders mounted, waited a tense moment, and then, when Queen Arwen stood and dropped her handkerchief, were off in a burst of dizzying speed. The spectators screamed and cheered as Elfwine and Zinfandel galloped madly off towards the Rammas, neck and neck, it seemed. The Rohirrim were especially loud as they urged their prince on. Several minutes went by before the riders reached the walls, and they were so far away that the only people to see which rider was the winner, were Queen Arwen and Legolas-they were seated in the stands, and could see over the gently rolling hills that the riders had passes over.

    “Elfwine won,” Arwen murmured to Aragorn.

    The King nodded. Arwen’s statement was soon confirmed by a guard riding back to grandly announce that “Prince Elfwine of Rohan” had won the race “by a nose.” Cheers from the children and those on their side, and groans from the Elves and their followers, met this announcement. Ella the elf child cheered with the Fellowship of the Green Dragon, and when Elfwine came riding triumphantly up, she dashed forward and kissed his cheek, thus rendering the child speechless for the remainder of the event.

     “You had to make it two out of three,” Legolas grumbled at Aragorn when the children came for him.

      Gimli, seated nearby, chuckled. “Never thought I’d see the day that the Elf was prisoner to children. You’ll be please to know, Master Elf, that the next challenge is mine to call.”

     “And in my defense,” Aragorn added quickly, “It was the Lord Steward’s idea to make it two out of three.”

     Legolas got a very peculiar look on his face, and appeared to be muttering soundlessly as Theodwyn and Rowan led him off.

     “I don’t think that he’s very happy with you, King Strider,” Faramir Took said with a grin.

    Aragorn shook his head; Faramir looked quite comfortable in the arms of the children of Elrond’s former nurse.

    “What have you in mind for the next challenge, Gimli?” Eowyn queried as the stands emptied.

    Gimli smiled at her. “It’s an interesting little challenge, milady,” he said. “I’m none too certain that the Elves will like it, but there we are.”

    The adults grinned at each other. As odd as this game was, it had yet to be boring.

    “Tell me,” added Gimli, “Are the storage tunnels under the City safe?”

TBC