CHAPTER 5 Weather

The next day we headed on our way, keeping off the road, for fear of the Ringwraiths returning to attack our party again. But, they would not ravage us on this day, the weather would. Thunder clashed overhead, lightning streaked, pale purple above our forlorn group. Our owners leaned over our necks as the rain cascaded down apon us, soaking the ground until it was an impassable quagmire of pattering pools and slick mud. My mane whipped into my face, stinging me with its wet strands as the wind howled madly around us. I could feel my owner clinging to my sides with his legs, his fingers holding fast onto my black mane, slipping every so often because of the damp water. I stumbled suddenly, pitching forwards as my knee collapsed beneath me; my hoof stuck fast in a thick pile of slime. Strider leaned back as my head jerked up, my eyes showing white in the darkness. I whinnied, propping my other leg up, pushing against the rock it had found, pulling my other leg free. Snorting, I regained a stand, shivering as the cold mud slid down my leg and sloshed off my hoof, onto the ground.
Asfaloth struggled to free herself from a deep pool, the black water and grim oozing about her legs. I made my way over to her, putting my head under her neck, trying to lift her fore legs out of the mud. They came up slightly, but not enough to free her. I then walked forth, the base of my neck as close to her chest as possible, Strider grabbed the cheek strap of her bridle and hauled her head over. Finally, after a minute of my pushing, she came free of the mud, whinnying as she slipped sideways, her head plunging away from my ownerÂ’s grasp. She regained her composure and shaking her neck and head, walked on, after nudging me affectionately. Suddenly, a gust of wind caught my owner by surprise, sending him sprawling onto my neck. I jerked my head up, stiffening the muscles within my shoulders and long neck to steady him. He pushed his weight off of my mane, sitting upright once again as the wind and rain continued to buffet him.
We walked on, Captain and Asfaloth losing their footing every so often due to the thick puddles and deep pools of black ooze. Eventually the tempurature dropped enough so that the water froze on my legs, creating iciles which hung down like draping weights that slowed me and froze up my joints. I had to stop at one point, swinging my head around to face my owner, he could barely see in the now blasting and sleeting storm, but he could see well enough to notice the ice on my face. My eyes had ice around the edges, preventing me from shielding my sensitive eyes from the pounding sheets of water. He leaned forward and swiped a shaking hand across my head, sweeping the ice into the wind so that it fell away, dropping to the ground.
“Walk… on.”
I couldn’t obey his command, no matter how bad the urge to walk on was. My legs were so stiff, so cold, that even lifting one caused stiffness to shudder up my limbs.
I can’t walk on, my legs, they’re frozen, I whinnied.
He looked slightly puzzled and leapt off of my back, kneeling on a frozen sheet of mud. He ran his hands up and down my forelegs, feeling how thick the ice was, until he realized that we would have to stop for the day, under some kind of shelter. Asfaloth and Captain both had stopped a little ways behind me, their legs layered in ice as well. My owner sighed, and put a hand on my neck, before turning towards a stand of trees that lay a few minutes ahead. I hesitantly followed him, dragging my hooves on the ground to prevent me from raising them too high, the others quickly followed suit.

* * * *

Late that night, the sleet and wind had died down, passing into the East to ravage the mountains’ high peaks. I was standing near a fire, Strider’s blanket thrown over my back, water and sweat dripping down my legs. My first encounter with sleet had proven to be unlikeable, and as I stood there, dripping with melting ice and shivering in the waves of heat that washed me, I hoped to never see sleet again. Strider was rubbing my coat vigorously, his hands working the skin back and forth, warming me in hopes of ceasing the shivering and quaking. He leaned over my shoulders, moved his hands down my left foreleg, working on them until a hint of circulation appeared within my flesh. I felt him cringe, and looked over to him, glancing down at his hands which he had pulled away from my leg and was staring down on them. The skin on his palms was raw and red, some patches had even started to bleed lightly.
You don’t have to do this, I wickered, nudging his shoulder with my muzzle.
“For you, my horse, I’ll do anything,” he replied, wincing as he placed his hands back on my leg.
I flinched my skin on my shoulders, as if to say, ‘suit yourself’. I wouldn’t argue with him, if he wanted to rub his hands raw, there was nothing I could do about it, I would just have to let him go on with his job. I threw my head up and snorted, walking away from my master, the blanket swishing against my legs. He looked after me, a satisfied, yet aggrivated smile playing across his face as he slowly shook his head. Arwen was sitting near the roaring fire, hugging her knees to her body as if she were cold and helpless. I was intrigued by her, she was unlike any person I had ever come into contact with. She cared for all living things, and saw within each and every one of them a bright light, a spritly spirit that contained some form of good, no matter how hard or mean they appeared to be. I hesitantly walked over, head lowered, forelock hanging across my face as the warm blanket slapped against my hide. Arwen looked up, staring at me as if I was no concern to her, until I nuzzled her shoulder, gazing at her with my warm, blue eyes.
“Hello Roheyrn.”
I softly exhaled through my nose, answering her.
But, her expression didn’t change because, of course, she couldn’t understand me. Strider walked over, brushing my side as he passed, sitting down by her, slighty behind and next to her. He smiled, looking up at me, as if to say, ‘Watch this.’
“Would you like to learn how to speak to him?” Strider asked her.
“I’d love to, but how can I understand him?”
“Once you learn to speak, you learn to listen. Here, repeat after me-Stille, tu ayan ne mote deri no.” He spoke the last seven words slowly, pronouncing them carefully.
“All right… Stille, tu ayan ne mote deri no.” She laughed.
I smiled broadly, bobbing my head, tossing my mane up and down against my neck, my eyes bright as she laughed at my sudden show of delight. Strider grinned, placing an arm around her shoulder as she turned to look at him.
“What did I say? What did I say to him?”
“You told him that he is the most handsome horse alive,” he replied.

~*Sorry Part: 2 was so short! Part:3 is comin today, or by the end of this week!*~