"Elladan!" Elrohir hissed, getting his brother's attention as they scouted. Their sister had returned some days earlier with the Ringbearer, and they were looking for some sign of the Nazgûls' mounts.
Both twins watched as an underfed, black horse pawed at the ground, making quiet pathetic noises of hunger when the gestures produced no food. There was some tack hanging from the horse, and the twins realized with joint horror that in many places the riding equipment had been fastened directly to the horse's skin. Some of the wounds had begun to heal, but they were almost all infected, and several still had bits of leather and metal clinging to raw flesh.
They had a silent conference and parted, approaching the horse separately. The horse must have smelled them because it began to tremble. He leaned against a tree, ignoring the reopening of his wounds as he cowered.
Elrohir realized first that the horse wasn't going to bolt, and approached the beast more openly. He whispered in Elvish, extending a hand, letting the horse scent him. He saw Elladan approach as well, already taking off his shoulder pack which contained a first aid kit.
Hearing a voice not raised in command and followed by a strike, the horse was uncertain what to do, simply huddling closer to the tree. The whispering thing before him touched his nose and he pulled back from the unfamiliar touch. The thing continued making its strange sounds and touched him again. The stallion could see another thing - not making sounds - to his side, but it wasn't touching him. Turning back to the whispering thing, he realized it was still touching him, and it didn't hurt.
The touch was soft and soothing, and brought back memories the stallion had not allowed for years. The whispering thing made its sounds again and rubbed his nose, and the stallion remembered another touch. A small creature, strangely shaped as these things were. The creature would whisper too, and the stallion had welcomed it.
The whispering thing's hand was on his nose, and there was another touch on his ear, scratching. Turning his great head, the stallion saw the other thing was touching him as well, and it didn't hurt either. To his eyes, the things were the same, but he could smell a difference. The second thing moved a hand down the stallion's neck. There was a pressure on the horse's shoulder and he neighed in alarm. Hands soothed him, scratching him in places he had not let himself remember itched. The whispering things made quick noises to each other, and one whispered to him again, still stroking his nose.
"I can't do enough for him here," Elladan sighed, applying a light paste to the worst of the stallion's wounds. "I'm glad he's letting me do this much. He's a strong one," Elladan's hand drifted over an unblemished patch of the horse's back.
Elrohir nodded, still murmuring to the horse, not knowing if the beast understood, only knowing that the sound and touched seemed to soothe him. "I only hope his heart is as strong as his body has been, brother. He has suffered long and much at the hands of evil." There was a bitter tone in Elrohir's voice, and he exchanged a hard glance with his brother as they remembered another who could be described thus.
"I can do no more," Elladan showed the empty jar of salve before repacking it. "But I have something that may help his heart." Smiling, he brought out the candies he always brought on scouting missions. The brothers had always saved them for the journey home, giving them something to look forward to even before they arrived to comfortable rooms and hot baths.
Taking one, Elrohir laid it on his palm and offered it to the stallion. The horse gave him a fearful look as if to ask "What is it and when will it bite me?"
Seeing the fear in the stallion's eyes, Elrohir scratched his ear gently and held the peppermint closer. "It's all right, friend, it won't hurt you. Nothing will anymore," he vowed silently, meeting his brothers eyes. Slowly, the horse lowered his head, raising it when he felt a pull in his hair. Neighing, he turned to find his mane in the hands of Elladan. Both brothers soothed the horse, and Elladan resumed carefully untangling what he could of the horse's mane, removing the burrs.
The horse had ceased trembling and lowered his head again. Lips curled back and a tongue lapped the candy from Elrohir's hand. Tasting the mint, the stallion whinnied, remembering being fed something similar before. The same strangely shaped creature, its eyes brown and warm as it stroked the stallion's neck and fed him candy. Remembering the black things that took him and killed the creature, the stallion lowered his head, pulling from the whispering things touch.
"Come friend," The twins decided it was time to try and get the horse moving. A firm hand on an uncut part of his shoulder eased him from the tree. Each twin kept a hand on his neck, realizing the horse found the soft touch a comfort.
Slowly, they walked him back towards Imladris, grateful the horse's wanderings had taken him half the journey on his own. Not expecting the horse to understand, they continued to speak soothingly, telling him of the cool water and warm blankets that awaited him, more candy and a bucket of oats.
Walking between the strange whispering things, the stallion began to lose his fear of the future. Walking beside, the twins vowed they would heal the stallion in mind as well as body.
