[Note: This scene is partly based on a horse trek Kel and I took in NZ. And special thanks to Rhonda for her help on the horse lingo!]
"Do you want some help with that?" Eowyn asked as Merry struggled past her carrying a saddle that seemed twice his size.
"No, I've got it." Eowyn must've looked doubtful for Merry added, "I've gotta learn to do it for myself, you know? But thanks for the offer."
Eowyn nodded. She DID know -- she'd felt exactly the same way her entire life.
Since Eowyn could practically do all horse tasks in her sleep, she found herself staring at Merry as they each saddled their horse. Last Sunday Eowyn had sought out the smallest polo pony for Merry to use, yet it still dwarfed the small hobbit. But it didn't seem to phase Merry -- he'd found a bucket in a corner of the stable which he'd flipped over and was now using as a step-stool. 'He's so resourceful,' Eowyn reflected. 'And determined. And a bit stubborn as well.' Eowyn laughed silently to herself. 'We're practically soulmates.'
Eowyn sighed. 'Which is why it's gonna be so hard to dump him.'
Of course, the conversation at dinner last night hadn't made things any easier for her. Her uncle had gone on and on about how much he liked Merry and how glad he was to have the small hobbit on the team, even though he'd probably never compete. And Eomer's constant smirking and nudging her beneath the table didn't help matters any.
'But we can still be friends,' Eowyn told herself, knowing that it would be difficult after she broke Merry's heart.
The saddle finally on, Merry shoved the bucket away and led Stybba over to the side of the stall. He crawled up the slatted fence and launched himself onto his horse, causing Stybba to start with surprise.
"Careful!" Eowyn said, hurrying over to steady the polo pony. "You okay?"
But instead of holding on for dear life, which he would've done last week, Merry was shifting around uncomfortably in the saddle, standing and sitting over and over. "I think the stirrups are uneven."
Eowyn looked at them. "Yeah, you made this one too short," she said, adjusting the buckle to lower the left stirrup.
Merry laughed. "Imagine that -- something besides me that's 'too short'."
Laughing, Eowyn finished with the buckle and dropped the stirrup back in place. "How's that?"
Merry put his hairy foot into the stirrup. "Perfect!"
Eowyn returned to her horse and climbed onto him. "You ready?" she asked.
"I guess," he said, lightly tapping Stybba on the side so he'd move. Eowyn and Merry rode out of the stables side by side, keeping the horses at a slow trot.
"I can't tell you how much I appreciate this," Merry said. "And I don't just mean your help with the horses." Merry smiled meaningfully at her. "I really needed to get out of the dorm this morning and get some fresh air."
"Well, I'm not here because of you," Eowyn blurted out, not wanting him to think that she was there for personal reasons. She then realized how rude that sounded and quickly added, "I don't mean...what I'm saying is...I'm just here to ride."
Merry gave her a weird look and she could feel her face blushing under his scrutiny. "Are you okay?" he finally asked. "You've seemed kinda stressed all week. Is it Radagast? Is he bugging you too much about the fencing article? If so, I can probably get him to lay off a bit if you want. I mean, I know how intense he can be." After a moment's reflection, he added, "And how's fencing practice going, anyway? You haven't really mentioned it much."
"It's fine. Fine! It's just practice. You know, practicing stuff. No one else. I mean noTHING else! Just practice. It's no big deal." Eowyn could feel the heat radiating from her face, certain she'd just made things worse. Taking a deep breath, she tried to fix it. "I mean, Coach Anderson's kind of a jerk, but ever since I fought...." She trailed off, her mind momentarily distracted by thoughts of Strider. When she realized she'd never finished her sentence, she stammered, "I mean...I...I think I impressed Coach with my try-out." Desperate to change the subject, she asked, "So how was the party last night? As bad as you feared?"
Merry was still looking warily at her, and she knew he could tell something was up, but he reluctantly changed the subject with her. "Uh...yes and no. The first part was pretty bad, but then I ran into Stel -- you met Estella, remember? -- so we got to hang out together, which was cool."
Remember? How could she forget. Eowyn had felt so jealous and depressed when they'd met, certain that the two of them were still a couple. But now Eowyn couldn't believe her luck -- those same feelings of jealousy were now viewed instead with a sense of relief. For if Merry got back together with his old girlfriend, Eowyn wouldn't have to dump him. It was PERFECT.
"Estella, huh?" Eowyn said, trying to sound casual. "She seems REALLY nice. And you two had fun hanging out, huh?"
Merry nodded. "She was there as 'a roadie' for her brother's band so she was kind of a lost soul like me."
"That's great," Eowyn said, hoping she didn't sound too happy. "I mean, it's not great that she was a lost soul, but it's cool that the two of you were there together. So, how's she doing? She just transferred here, right? Is she adjusting well?"
"Yeah, Stel adjusts well everywhere. You'd've thought she'd gone here last year the way she fits in."
Eowyn suddenly got nervous, wondering if that meant that she'd already fit in with a new social life. "So...uh...has she made a lot of new friends yet? Is she...seeing anyone?"
Merry laughed. "She'd LIKE to be! But poor girl -- I really don't think it's gonna work out. I just hope she doesn't get her hopes up and then have her heart broken."
Heart breaking seemed to be on everyone's mind these days. But suddenly all the articles Eowyn had been reading filled her mind with schemes.
"Is he the jealous type?" she asked.
Merry looked over at her, confused. "Who?"
"The guy she likes? Because maybe she could make him jealous if he thought she was seeing someone else." She glanced at him, trying to act innocent. "Like YOU, for instance. You don't wanna see her heart get broken, right? So YOU could pretend to be seeing her -- maybe kiss her in front of this guy or something -- and maybe he'd...."
Merry was laughing heartily. "Maybe you should be writing fiction instead of working for The Palantir," he teased. "What an imagination!"
Eowyn blushed a deep crimson and pretended to be suddenly interested in her horse's mane.
"Besides, I'm not sure the guy SHE likes would be the one that had the jealousy issues," Merry said meaningfully, although the meaning was completely lost on Eowyn. "Though the kissing thing DID work last night to get rid of Zinnia."
Eowyn's spirits perked up. "Zinnia?" she inquired eagerly as she gently turned her horse onto a new track. "Who's Zinnia?"
"She's an octopus," Merry began, "who clearly can't take a--UGGHH!" Stybba had suddenly come to an abrupt halt, nearly causing the hobbit to pitch over the pony's head.
Eowyn quickly turned her horse around and returned to Merry's side. "Are you okay?" she asked worriedly.
"Yes," Merry answered, clearly annoyed. He pressed his thighs into the horse's sides, coaxing, "C'mon, Stybba." As the pony cautiously took a step forward, Merry gently squeezed on the rein to turn him and the pony stopped short again.
"I don't know what his problem is," Merry snapped frustratedly. "I guess I'm just used to Shire ponies -- SMALL ponies, you know? Ones that actually do what you tell them to do."
Eowyn smiled. "He IS doing what you tell him to do."
Merry shook his head. "I'm telling him to turn."
"No, you're telling him to stop," Eowyn explained. "The reins should be in a straight line from your elbow to his mouth," she said, reaching over from her horse to illustrate the proper position for Merry. "But when you're squeezing on the reins to make him turn, you're bending your elbow," she said, demonstrating the movement by gently bending Merry's elbow, "and pulling the reins up."
Merry nodded eagerly, understanding. "So I AM telling him to stop. I get it!" He then repeated the wrong motion by himself several times, watching the reins move, before practicing it the correct way, squeezing the reins without bending his elbows.
"That's it!" Eowyn said encouragingly as the hobbit moved his arms correctly. "You've got it! Now, are you ready to try moving again?"
Merry shrugged. "Might as well." He pressed in on Stybba's sides and turned the horse smoothly onto the new track. Eowyn and her horse hurried to catch up and then settled into a leisurely pace side by side with Merry and Stybba.
Merry gestured with his head back to the turn in the track, saying, "Sorry about that."
"No worries," Eowyn said. "You're still learning."
Merry laughed. "Yeah, I'll probably know everything there is to know about ponies shortly after the end of polo season."
The two rode in silence for a moment before Merry asked, "So what were talking about before?"
Eowyn smiled, glad to finally be back on track. "You were going to tell me all about Zinnia!"
***
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