Author's Note: Hello. This is my first story and first writing attempt in quite some time. I have put everything through Word for spell check and grammar check, but I am sure horrible catastrophes of grammar abound. I am influence by several works in the imagining of my OC, so I most certainly do not lay claim to anything you recognize in dialogue or plot. I would love reviews. Next chapter should be out before the weekend is done.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, Tolkien's Auxiliary work, Watership Down, Avatar the Last Airbender, or Peter Pan. I am not making money off this. I play with the ideas, characters, and plots found in those works.
Edit Note: The errors got to me. The chapter should now successfully avoid unforgiveable grammar issues. Content has changed slightly.
Later chapters will earn the M rating, but for now the rating is much lower (K+)
Chapter One
Second Age of the Sun…
"Creation is the will of Eru. Eru begot the Ainur to sing the ainulindale to give shape to the fate of creation. Eru begot Ea, 'the World and All That Is', and placed Ea within the Void."
"Why?"
"Why what Isabeau?"
"Why did Eru do that?"
"Why did Eru create the Ainur or why did Eru create Ea? Or do you wish to know both?"
"Mm … I don't know."
"It is alright child. Let me see … Eru does what Eru does because Eru is Eru. Stop frowning at me, you silly goose! That is the answer."
"No it's not."
"Well why do you think Eru wills?"
"Umm … I don't know."
"Tell me. There is no need to feel shy Isabeau."
"Eru was sad."
"Why was Eru sad?"
"Cause… because Eru didn't have a mommy."
"I think you're right, not having a mother is very sad."
"Cause, cause you could fall down and, and get hurt!"
"And mothers help with hurts."
"Yes."
"Fair enough. Maybe Eru was sad and Eru willed creation so children could have mothers and fathers. Did Eru have any children?"
"Umm… yes?"
"Yes. The first children of Eru are the Elves. Do you know what an Elf is?"
"Uncle, Uncle Maedhros is an Elf!"
"That is correct. The second children of Eru are Men. You have never seen such creatures, for Men live below us on Arda."
"Why?"
"Men live on Arda, because that is where their families are."
"Oh."
"The next children of Eru are the accepted children, Dwarrows. Aule, one of the Ainur who came to Arda, created them in secret. Eru did not intend for them to be… You are frowning again Isabeau. Do you understand? Be honest now."
"I don't know."
"Well think about your brothers and sisters. You are all children of your father and me except –"
"- except Fiphil! He had another daddy, but you and Daddy love him very much because Fiphil is my brother and families love each other. And now Daddy is Fiphil's daddy too."
"Yes. Fiphil has a different father from your own, but we all love him just the same. No matter what."
"No matter what."
"Well the Dwarrows had a different daddy, but they are still family to Eru. Therefore, Eru loved them and willed them to be. Eru did this because families love each other, no matter what."
"No matter what."
"Do you know who the last children of Eru are?"
"Me!"
"And what are you Isabeau?"
"Avia!"
"The last children of Eru are the Avia, the secret children. Do you remember the story of El-ahrairah's birth? We will speak it together… When the first dwarf baby laughed for the first time, its laugh broke into a thousand pieces, and they all went flying about, and that was the beginning of El-ahrairah and the Avia."
"I'm a laugh?"
"No my silly goose, you are all the wonderful things in life. Laughs and giggles and tricks and sweets and messes and starlight and gentle breezes and…"
"Mommy that tickles!"
"And good lucks and marshmallows on the fire and hugs and kisses!"
"Hehe! Do it again!"
"When we are finished with the lesson… Oh! We are supposed to be dressing for supper. Come on Isabeau we have to hurry."
"But Mister Bubbles isn't done!"
"Well do you think Mister Bubbles can finish his tea while I pack up?"
"Umm… okay. He's done now."
"Thank you darling. Grab my hand, we have to walk fast."
Third Age of the Sun…
He was most absolutely, positively, undeniably late. I likened my voice and mannerisms to his, "Meet us atop the third hill East from Bree in two days hence. I shall lead them to you, so be on time Isabeau. You cannot dilly-dally the way you do, stop frowning at me. I recall your tardiness at the Fort more vividly than you do, young lady. You should be ready and waiting at nine in the morning on the hilltop. We will be along shortly." Here I was and nowhere was Gandalf or his dwarf company. Pacing relentlessly did nothing to speed the slow crawl of eternity, so I forced myself into practicing meditation. Meditation would productively occupy my thoughts, though I found imitating the frequently grumpy wizard far more entertaining than contemplating Tao. Honestly, he gave me all that grief only to keep me waiting –the nerve of some wizards.
Deep breaths… clear the mind… if thoughts occur, simply acknowledge them, and let them go... breathe… the sun is warm… birds are chipper today… the sky is perfect for loop-de-loops… clear mind… clear mind… I should really practice some loop-de-loops… this rock is digging into my…
With a deep exasperated sigh, I admitted defeat and unfolded my legs to stand and stretch. Mom said El-ahrairah could meditate for ten years under a tree, with all of Arda clamoring for his attention. El-ahrairah could also wreak havoc capable of destroying Arda thrice over, so praise Eru he was dedicated enough to sit still for decades. I checked my pack, yes still on the ground next to the rock, on top of the third hilltop East of Bree. I picked up my staff to twirl as I stared up at the serene sky above. The staff snapped to attention in my hands. Oh sweet Eru, what if I had the wrong hill! Hills filled the valley; it would be irresponsible not to double-check my location. Flying would be a more effective method of travel, which seemed an excellent justification for brea… bending Gandalf's no-flying decree.
"I'll stay below the tree tops," I muttered as I collected my pack. "Bree needs rumor of a crazy giant orange bird fueling gossip, like a bird needs shaving cream," I double-checked that my hair remained securely braided around my head. Hair checked; pack secured, staff ready, deep breath… I griped the staff, the carvings pressed into my palms, on my exhale I raised off the ground. The breeze picked up beneath me expeditiously until I mingled with the tree top creatures. "Mm… I should've done this sooner," I floated for a bit in the happy sunshine. Eyes closed, face turned upwards. All is peace and stillness. Eru and El-ahrairah bless wide-open spaces.
A merry mother robin in her nest captured my attention. "Look at that blue! You must be extremely pleased with yourself mother robin," I observed from a safe distance. A robin beak to the face really smarts! The mother robin primped her feathers. "Hmm… Now are you alone in your eggs' vibrancy or do all the robins here all produce similar clutches…" I spun to spot more nests, "Gondorian robin eggs are spotted, but your eggs aren't… that deserves a small investigation… I have time." The next fifteen robin nests yielded eggs of varying spottiness, but nothing to help support my notion of a reduced regional spotting. That first robin was just a lucky mother robin. Alternatively, it occurred to me that perhaps my perceptions erred. "I'll just need to check her eggs again," I muttered.
"I assure you our fifteenth member is around here somewhere," Gandalf's voice cut through the trees, "She may have the wrong hill top." Argh, I could beat myself over the head. This cannot possibly count as me being late. I tried to land before the party detected me. One cannot go back to alter actions, just have to soldier on from here. I fixed my veil from its highly informal place around my neck to cover my hair and ears. At the very least, I would appear the proper Avia wind walker.
"I learn now that not only do you suggest that I bring a woman on this quest, but a woman who cannot follow directions," annoyance saturated this deep novel timbre. I cleared the trees to see that the speaker was a lordly dwarf dressed in expensive garb riding a chestnut West Nag. Behind him were more dwarves on West Nags, yet few were dressed as finely as the first. Gandalf caught my gaze and was clearly not surprised with present events. The annoyed dwarf followed Gandalf's eye-line to me.
"Thorin, may I present Lady Isabeau and the last member of this company," Gandalf dismounted his horse to introduce me. Gandalf beckoned me closer, "Isabeau this is Thorin Oakenshield, leader of this company." Thorin was clearly not pleased to meet me, but he was well bred enough to dismount. I bowed with the bravura known to my people, from the waist with palms meeting and eyes to Thorin's face.
He nodded politely back to me, however he spoke past me to Gandalf, "I have trusted you for the fourteenth member of this company. Why do you wish I allow this girl-child to risk life and limb in this quest?"
A child! Thorin Oakenshield had a finger width on me in terms of height and a good… number of pounds on me in terms of weight, but I would swallow my tongue before I let him make me feel small. Despite my desire to display neutrality, I must have stiffened slightly, for Gandalf placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "Isabeau is no child, Thorin. She is my friend for many years now. Her healing knowledge and skill are second to no one and the ability borne to her people will prove most useful against a dragon."
Thorin turned his blue-green-gray eyes to me and looked me over with a tactical appraisal. "You do not have the build of a seasoned warrior," Thorin waited expectedly.
"I have served in many battles, both in the healer's tent and on the field. Scouting and tactics are within the reach of my ability. My people value cunning and dexterity over immense strength," I met his eyes to show him the truth in my words. A flicker of recognition flashed in those blue-green-gray orbs.
"You are an Easterling?"
Deep breath in… "I am Avia, one of the fallen people," I could not keep the old sorrow out of my voice.
Thorin schooled his features to keep his reaction private. Clearly, Thorin embraced the stoic secrecy of the Dwarrows. I predicted his thoughts none-the-less, my race and relationship to Gandalf intrigued Thorin, but he would not believe me anything more than a female shaped burden until I could prove myself. Short of trying to beat him in a duel, which I would most certainly lose given the shear musculature of Thorin's very seasoned stature, I would just have to hope that intrigue was enough to get the job.
Thorin gestured to Gandalf and me that he would need a moment. I bowed again, in accordance with Avia rules of decorum. He moved away to enter into a heated debate with two other dismounted dwarves, an elderly dwarf with a kind face and a towering dwarf with tattoos and a sneer. Gandalf took the opportunity to rub in the manner in which this meeting began.
"All you had to do was wait Isabeau," Gandalf stooped slightly to bring himself closer to my height.
"You all were late. I was merely side-tracked in my search for you," Gandalf gave me a look of affectionate disbelief as he plucked a piece of leaf out from under my veil.
"Naturally. I will not deny that assembling the company went so very smoothly in my mind," Gandalf sighed and fingered his smoking pipe stuck under his belt.
"Take care to picture the company you're in. Enemies love a large target and, in comparison to everyone here, you are clearly that," I gave Gandalf a concerned once over, "You might as well have painted a target round your neck."
"Yes Isabeau. Wearing a cheery orange robe was clearly the thing to do instead," Gandalf plucked at the sleeve of my plain traveling kameez. I felt my face heat.
"A kameez and churidar are perfectly acceptable dress for a," I began.
"Perpetually late wind walker?" This wizard was entirely too amused with his tit-for-tat.
I shook my head and studied the other members of the company. They were all curious over the cause for delay, with many members whispering to each other and gesturing in my direction. Most seemed middle aged for dwarf kind, although there were some younger faces mixed in.
The restlessness of the party motivated the three debating dwarves to reach a consensus. Thorin and the giant dwarf moved back to their ponies, while the kind elderly dwarf moved forward to me.
"Allow me to introduce myself and welcome you to the company Lady Isabeau," he bowed his head slightly, "Balin at your service."
I returned his greeting and bowed. Balin explained the company contract and produced a small wooden box for me to sign on. The contract was copasetic, so I made my mark and returned it.
With that sorted, I mounted a pleasantly natured bay colored West Nag and was off on a grand adventure.
