My own precious stone.
Disclaimer: I do not own "The Hobbit" or "The Lord Of The Rings" That honour belongs to J. R. R. Tolkien. I only own my poor long suffering OC that finds herself being used in a lot of fandoms :/ Sorry Savan but i do this because I love you. I also own the other OCs that are mentioned in this story.
I apologise in advance for any grammatical and spelling errors that may be in this. I tend to miss some no matter how many times I look over my work. It really does not help that I can't read black on white very well, my eyes go crazy.
This is a short chapter, the rest will be longer and have more going on in it. I'm trying to avoid the typical "Marry sue" thing as it has always been a pet peeve of mine. My characters are usually the types to throw punches in a slap fight. Eventual Thorin/OC pairing. May take a while to get there knowing my character like I do.
Chapter 1
Under the stars
Deep within the woodlands was a cave tucked away and hidden from view. Cloaked by trees and hanging moss, it was well out of sight for those who did not know it was there. Only the keenest of eyes or the clumsiest of feet could find it. The cave entrance was not that big, a large bear would struggle to get inside it. A small stream trickled down the out side of the cave and collected into a small pool that fed another stream. The water was fresh and clean, its sound was quiet and added to the natural ambience of the woodlands, it was very peaceful place. It was the perfect home for something or someone small.
Who would stop to think that inside was something that would send grown men running back to their towns, should they be curious enough to venture inside?
The night was cool and the sky clear, a perfect night for watching the stars and collecting the rays of the moon. On top of the small rocky cave sat a shadowy figure, hood up and resting their back against another large rock. Sat in silence the figure stayed still for over three hours before pulling down the once purple and gold hood of the coat. The moonlight revealed the face of a woman in her prime, pale skin with hard to see scars, sharp features and steel blue eyes that sparkled when the moon and starlight hit them just right. Her wavy, raven black hair fell just above her breasts and moved with the gentle breeze. Her hair was thick and slightly matted from living in the wild and it looked coarse to the touch. The dark skin around her eyes echoed her near constant fatigued state. Almost every night was met with minimal sleep for a variant of reasons.
The woman leaned forwards and smiled as she looked at her best friend laying down in front of her.
"Come dearest Rohdain, you have had more than enough moonlight for tonight, don't you think?"
Reaching out with one hand she grabbed Rohdain and stood with him in a proud stance above her home. To a stray passer by lost in the wild it would have been an unnerving sight, a woman about 5 foot and 6 inches of height, athletically built but still had larger than average breasts and wide hips. A mighty war axe in one hand she smirked into the darkness. The war axe was almost as tall as she and gleamed proudly in the light. Her long coat danced in the breeze in the same way her hair did. Her coat looked old but not ruined. It was dark purple and had faded gold patterns along the sleeves and edges. The patterns were dwarven in design, the whole coat had the style and texture of dwarven attire. The long coat was lined with a very thick black fur. Under it was her light armour made from leather which she crafted herself.
She looked at the axe and yawned.
"Time to catch what sleep I can for tonight. It wont be long until the morning comes and the time to hunt comes with it." She hopped down from her basking spot and slid into her cave.
The inside of the cave wasn't overly large but was a fairly open space. To the right of the cave was a bedding pile made up from various animal furs. By it sat a bowl of clean water and another bowl with a couple strips of dried meat and fresh herbs. At the foot of the bedding pile was her heavy armour with various scratches and dents. Beside that was a dwarven bow and a quiver full of dwarven arrows. Beside that there was a dwarven great sword, a heavy metal shield and two dwarven daggers.
The other side of the cave looked far less homely. Claws, horns and a range of hides were tacked up to the wall. On the ground in the corner was a neat display of skulls of many different species, ranging from small and delicate to large and sturdy. Beside the skulls laid a pile of various weapons from different owners. Bows, swords, axes, hammers and anything that her targets could use as weapons. This was the side of the cave dedicated to her hoard of hunting trophies. This young woman was certainly a huntress in prime.
She placed her axe, Rohdain, against the wall by the bed and proceeded to free herself from her clothes. Once unclothed she stepped into bed and snuggled into the furs that kept away the cold and the hardness of the ground. It didn't take long before she slipped into the world of dreams and nightmares.
She bolted awake just four hours later soaked in sweat, she sat there for a few minutes shaking with adrenalin from a nightmare until the morning air started to bite at her exposed chest and arms bringing her back to the present. Not wanting to dwell on memories past, she stood up from the bed and slipped out of the cave. The curtain of moss over the entrance was cool and ticklish against her skin.
It was looking to be a nice day, the sun bathing everything in a yellow glow and warming up her pale and scared skin. She sighed contently as the calming ambience of the woods soothed her. She stepped into the small pool of fresh running water to clean herself of last night's nightmare. The sun may have been warm but the water was certainly cold. The temperature of the water didn't inspire her to stay in it longer than she needed to.
After quickly getting dressed into her light armour and long coat she went outside and looked for her other best friend. She found him in the small clearing, on the other side of the stream, nibbling away at the ground.
"Hey there laddy, how did you sleep last night?" She bent down and pat her mighty war horse on the snout with great affection.
The beast neighed and nodded at her, sending it's long, thick, white and black mane flying around it's face. The war horse was large and muscular, bred for strength and stamina. His coat was black as coal and had eye popping white fluffy tufts around his hooves, he also had a white stripe that went down his face and stopped at his black nose.
The horse stood still as the woman practically had to climb onto his back. She made it look easy despite being fairly short and carrying a large battle axe and a bow complete with a full quiver attached to her back.
"Okay Fergus, let's get going. Those dry meat strips can only keep me full for so long, got to get more meat to keep up my strength, don't you think?" She gently pat the base of his neck and set off for her next hunt.
Despite the huntress being extremely watchful to what's going on around her, she some how missed the footsteps of some one approaching her.
"Ho there Miss Savanna, Dear lady of the wild." Called a tall man clad in grey.
She jumped and whirled around with Rohdain held out in an aggressive manner.
"Who are you?! Wait, hold on. Gandalf?" She was suddenly rendered speechless and relaxed her weapon.
"It's a good morning isn't it? A shame I think, to spend it alone. May I have the honour of your company?" The old wizard smiled warmly at her.
She blinked at him, shocked to see his face again. It had been a long time since she saw him last.
"I..of...of course Gandalf. You must forgive me, I am shocked to see you." Savanna quickly got down from Fergus and let the horse follow her up to where the wizard stood.
"Surprised? I told you that you'll see me again in the future. Here we are, in the future and in the middle of the woods no less." He puffed on his pipe and created a smoke ring.
"Yes you did, I just didn't expect your company so soon. I'm so used to the silence of being around no one that I didn't expect it to change yet." She smiled and visibly relaxed.
"So, you're here to settle my debt are you?" She cocked her brow, it was the only thing she could think of.
"It is true that I have come to you for help for myself and friends of mine with something of great importance. I have also come to give you the chance to do something that has been dwelling on your mind for quite some time now." He smiled warmly at her again and sat down on a near by tree stump.
Savanna was unsure what he believed was on her mind. She wanted a lot of things, mostly hunting trophies. She stood using Rohdain as support. Typically she hated to be around people but this old friendly wizard was one of the exceptions. She could speak to him as freely as she spoke to Fergus and Rohdain.
"Am I to guess? You know I detest such games, be blunt if you could." She said without much enthusiasm causing Gandalf to chuckle.
"Very well old friend. I will tell you some of the information now but I will have to tell you the rest later, should you choose to accept" He took in a breath to get started with the request, he was fully confident that she would help despite the lack of detail. She did after all have a lust for travelling and adventuring in general, though it was always alone. She did also owe him and he knew she was honourable when it came to promises and vows, plus her curiosity would make her come to the meeting, he was sure of it.
"I am here to ask if you will partake in a quest. It is of a great deal of importance and your help will be greatly appreciated. I can only reveal to you that it is for the benefit of a company of dwarves and we will be gone for quite some time. Plus you can add to your hoard with the best prize you can possibly imagine." He watched one of her pointed brows twitch, the mention of dwarves and trophies would always snatch her attention.
"Dwarves and a grand prize you say? This is no quest of men? It already sounds appealing, go on and tell me more Gandalf."
He chuckled as he stood back up and went over to her to pat her strong shoulder gently.
"I'm afraid I can't reveal more now. Should you want to know more, meet us in Bag End, it's a hobbit hole in Hobbiton. It will be the marked door. I know your keen eyes will not miss it Savan." He turned and started to walk off without her.
"I must go and meet up with some fellows, they will be lost without me. I'm sure I will see you tomorrow night my dear. Good hunting."
That was still too vague for her liking and she knew that it was his bait on the hook. She watched him leave and was tempted to shout out about what mark to look for however she knew that Gandalf, being the man he is, would make it clear enough. She turned around and pat Fergus.
"Tomorrow night is it? Come, let's get some dinner and make way to Hobbiton. We have a good day of travelling to do. You're up for an adventure, aren't ya lad?" She sat herself on his saddle and he neighed cheerfully.
Fergus knew that a group adventure meant more horses, that way he could show off and prove himself better than the others. The warhorse has clearly been in her care long enough to become like her. Fergus was highly intelligent, Savanna could see it in him when he was a colt and knew that he had to be her adventuring companion.
They spent the rest of the morning hunting game and returning back to the cave so Savanna could pack her things into a secure sack. She took the bedding, the bow, sword, shield, daggers and Rohdain. She wanted to take the heavy armour but after thinking long and hard over it, she realised that for a long journey it will probably end up being more of a hindrance than a help. She decided to gather up leaves and keep the armour out of site by burying it.
Leaving her clearing she looked back nervously, unwilling to leave her hoard completely unguarded for so long.
"It's going to be fine, no one will find such a small place. No one will find it. No one will find it."
These words were repeated for several minutes. True her hoard consisted of bones, claws, horns, hides and weapons but it was hers. She worked hard for it, almost died several times for it in fact. Savanna didn't know why she collected such things. It was simply what she longed to do. Go out and hunt monsters and cherry pick what bounty she would go after, then collect their armour and weaponry as a display of a successful huntress who shouldn't be taken lightly.
At least she felt better for taking all of her gold coins so they would be safe from unwanted guests. Hopefully the sight of body parts would ward off any intruders should they find it. The thought of a mysterious new trophy to trump all the others put her at ease and filled her anticipation. What could be? She laughed at herself when she thought it could be a unicorns horn but she that was ridiculous.
That's all there is for now I'm afraid. I hope it wasn't awful to read, it has been YEARS since I last wrote anything meant for reading by others. I'll post the second chapter sooner rather than later. Reviews are welcome. As someone who doesn't write much, i wont spit at crits.