[mark12_30]

Amroth slowed to a canter. He motioned to Taitheneb to ride to his left, and Erebemlin to his right. He waved Nethwador, Ædegard, Liornung, and the strangers behind them.

He spoke to Taitheneb. "Strengthen the prisoners and guide them." Then he turned to Erebemlin. "Strive with the hireling's commander. I will strive with the greedy one."

He called to the men behind him. "Be cold, and stern; stay well back."

The three elves set their faces toward the troops on the horizon, and their pace slowed to a slow, deliberate canter. Their faces were stony, their eyes like ice. The men exchanged glances behind them. Raefindan 's horse broke into a fast unsteady trot, and he slipped and slithered til Ravion hissed at him. "Sit, squeeze, and hold. Drive him into the bit!" Raefindan struggled, watching Ravion's horse, and tried to copy him, but his horse only slowed further.

"Pull his chin in and stiffen your back, " Ravion persisted. "MAKE him do it!"

What on earth this had to do with war and fighting, Raefindan could not imagine, but in desperation, he clamped down on the reins and thumped the horse with his heels. The horse surged forward, and he hauled backwards on the reins; gagging, the horse cantered with his ears pinned flat.

"Not quite so tight, " Ravion hissed. But they were approaching the mercenaries, and Ravion forgot Raefindan as he watched the elves.

The two farsighted elves watched the mercenaries. They were satisfied to see fear growing in the eyes of the soldiers; Erebemlin bore down on the mind of their leader til the leader's will all but buckled, and his men could see the fear in his eyes, and their own hearts quailed.

The merchant gestured to his two friends, and they drew off to one side.

Taitheneb and Erebemlin, riding with no bridle or bit, each nocked an arrow; Ravion wrapped his reins through his last two fingers of his left hand, and managed to nock an arrow and still control his horse.

That is something I know how to do, thought Raefindan, except-- I've never done it on horseback. And how do I make the horse keep cantering while I do it? Imitating Ravion, he threaded his reins around his last two fingers. HIs horse broke into a trot. He bounced hard, and bit his tongue.

Desperate, he stood in the stirrups, and suddenly was comfortable. Adding a tangle of mane to his reins, he nonetheless drew an arrow from his quiver, and then tried to nock it, wondering how he would untangle his bow from the reins and the mane. They were almost upon the mercenaries. He clenched his teeth tight, and swallowed the blood from his tongue. The arrow was nocked. The company slowed to a trot, and then to a walk.

The dozen mercenaries gazed white-eyed at the two elves. Liornung and Ædegard had drawn their swords; Raefindan's bow-hand had come untangled in time for him to raise his bow when Ravion did. Raefindan, taking the elves' lead, aimed at the leader. Ravion aimed at the man holding Gwyllion, then at the man holding Aeron.

"Give us the theives, and you will live, " said Erebemlin.

"You'll pay for this, stammered one of the soldiers, but the leader silenced him with a hand. "Do not incite their magic!" he said in a trembling voice.

With a deft twist, the boy-thief wrenched himself free of his captor and awkwardly jumped off the horse. The girl-thief did not have the strength to do so. Liornung rode to Gwyllion's side. His blade flashed, and he cut her bonds; but at the flash of the blade, she screamed "Aeron!" Liornung had nicked her skin. The boy yelled "Gwyllion! Come to me!"

She ran to him, weeping. Raefindan's horse snorted, and shied. Ravion rode forward, and snatched Gond's lead from the man who held it; Gond jumped forward, and Ravion held on. The two horses lurched off to the side.