Dunnarwen kicked at Gilloth's sides to make the mare go faster. The thunder of hooves echoed on the path leading to the Last Bridge, and behind her...well, were two very angry and very mangy bears. In a rare instance of flight, Dunnarwen had run out of arrows to take down the remaining two bears that were a part of a group of bears who brought it upon themselves to mob Dunnarwen as she sat by her little fire just beyond the Bruinen Gorges.
Instead of constantly looking back, she focused everything on steering Gilloth, whose mouth began to foam and whose energy was quickly being sapped due to the stress and intensity of the ride.
Finally, she could not hear the bears trampling behind her anymore. The silence, besides a bird's call and a grasshopper's hum here and there, surrounded her. Just for good measure, as Gilloth continued to trot towards the Last Bridge, she turned around and peeked behind her to check if the bears were really gone.
The bears were gone. Instead, a tiny fox appeared, diligently following after the much larger horse's steps. Dunnarwen furrowed her brows and shrugged, very sure that after a little while, the fox would be on its merry way to do...foxy things, or whatever it is that foxes do.
Some miles later, she looked back to see if the fox had gone.
"Such persistency for a small animal." She murmured, noting that the fox was still following the horse. Dunnarwen raised her brow. They had taken various turns and had not kept to the path...how was the fox still there?
She pulled on Gilloth's reins to stop the horse from moving any further. She dismounted and walked toward the small animal who had sat down and watched as the elf he had been following all this time came toward him.
Dunnarwen hesitated to put out her hand to pet the fox, but the animal took initiative by nudging her hand with his small head and drawing closer to her instead of her drawing closer to him. She laughed with delight. "Ah, you have been following me for quite some time now, fox." She rubbed his ears, taking note that his tail was wagging quickly.
"Perhaps I should take you with me since you will not leave me alone." She continued to rub his ears and neck, brightening up when she heard him begin to purr. "You are a brave one, no?" Gingerly, Dunnarwen picked up the animal and brought him to Gilloth, who sniffed at the fox and shook her mane. The fox placed a paw on the horse's snout and gave a small push. Dunnarwen chuckled at the exchange before mounting the mare once again, but this time, with the fox in her arms.
She studied the animal before guiding Gilloth into a slow walk. She noted the silver patch of hair on his face that began at his snout and traveled up to almost his forehead. She smiled and nuzzled the animal close to her. "I shall name you Telpë, for the small patch of silver that adorns your elegant face. In the meantime," she looked up at the sky, now beginning to be awash with the light of the coming dawn. "Let us continue on our journey." Smiling widely, she commanded Gilloth to run..."Run to the Bridge, Gilloth, and not a moment to waste!"
