Before I start this story i would like to mention that while I do have a story or two they were written in 5th grade and to me they are cringey as hell so… please enjoy!
I'm not completely sure how this happened. I was caged and was carried around for who knows how long, then I find myself in a skirmish of sorts. The pounding in my head only got worse with the loud noises of metal hitting metal, which in turn affected my ability to problem solve. I knew my weakened body wouldn't hold up for much longer with the haze affecting my vision becoming more and more prominent. I spot some bushes in my peripheral and decide that they are my best bet.
I slowly and painfully drag myself out of the cage and to the bright green bushes some way away. All of a sudden the sounds of the battle end with calls in a low guttural language that I didn't recognize. While I wanted to stay as quiet as possible to avoid being caught again my subconsciousness had other ideas and a low moan escaped my chapped lips. Then I hear a pair of heavy boots stomp my way with the tell tale noise of a sword sliding out of it's sheath. I peel my eyes open and peer up at a very interesting sight, a man with a grand beard and a short, bulky stature, definitely not an orc.
The man looks down at me and his face goes through many emotions, surprise, pity, disgust then finally resting on an emotion that left me curling up into an even tighter ball causing my battered body to whine, anger.
"THORIN!" the man barks at a group of men standing behind him. I can't help but think that this Thorin must be like the leader of the orc group, Bolg. But unlike Bolg the man that strides over is the farthest thing from an orc that I've seen. While he still has all the signs of a warrior this man is much shorter than any orc I've seen, with a mane of luscious black hair with random braids decorating it and bright blue eyes.
The man, Thorin, my tired mind supplies bends down to be closer to my level, he as well looks angry for a moment that he plasters a very fake looking smile onto his face. My vision all of a sudden swims and I feel as though I am looking through a dirty window at the world. No, I can't pass out now! I fight to try to keep my eyes trained on the man crouching before me but my eyelids slide closed against my better judgement.
_ : _
When I come to my head feels like my brain has been substituted by rock and my feels as though it's filled with cotton. As the pounding in my head fades a little I hear voices discussing something in the next room over.
"Where did you find a child so abused?" a more feminine voice demands, "she couldn't possibly be older than Fili yet she looks as though she had participated in fierce battle." Fili? Who's that?
"Or, she was held captive by orcs for Mahal knows how long," a deep baritone voice answers.
"Orcs! What could they possibly want with a child so young! And to keep her alive instead of-" The female was interrupted when throat betrayed me and produced a loud, hacking cough that caused two sets of feet to come rushing into the room I was currently in.
The two people that walked in look so similar that I believed to be seeing double again, yet when I payed closer attention one of the figures had an ample chest, like my mother, and her (?) face was more feminine, with softer lines and sideburns instead of a beard. This must be the owner of the feminine voice.
"Shh, here drink this it will help," she offers me a glass of what looks like water. I take a slow sip and when it didn't burn like the liquid the orcs gave me I started to drink it greedily like a man starved, or a dehydrated skinchanger.
"Careful," she prompts, "if you drink too fast you'll make yourself sick" . To please the woman I slow down minutely. When I finish the glass I look up at the man who was watching the short interaction with a blank stare. He looks familiar but I can't place it; black hair, blue eyes, and it finally dawns on me, this is the man who saved me from the orcs, or at least I hoped he saved me.
"Wh- What's y-y-your n-name?" I manage, cursing the scratchiness in my voice. Both of the figures look surprised and I'm guessing it's from hearing me speak.
"My name's Dis and behind me is my brother, Thorin". I look at the man and tilt my head to the side, debating weather or not I should ask about the day before, in the end my curiosity wins.
"Are you the one who saved me from the orcs the other day?" The man looks at me and he looks to surprised, he slowly nods his head in a 'yes' motion.
"Why?" Now I they both look shocked and also pained, as if I hit them and not ask a simple question.
"Is there a reason why I shouldn't have?"
"Not really, I just didn't think I would be saved, everyone else died"
"And who's everyone else?" Then Thorin gets elbowed in the ribs by Dis.
"You don't have to answer that if you don't want dear" she says soothingly, sending a hard glare towards the man who now looks a guilty.
"It's okay. My parents were killed" I leave out the things that happened before-hand and the manner that they died. I can tell that the adults seemed to be at a loss for words, seeing as none of them said anything.
After a few moments of silence Dis smiles softly and asks, "What's your name and how old are you?"
My name, easy it's Lina, but my age? I suddenly can't remember, how can I not remember! I can feel my heart beat faster and it gets harder to breathe. I can faintly feel a hand making circles in an attempt to calm me and a voice telling me to breathe. After what seems like hours (but could've easily have been minutes or seconds) my breaths even out and my heart is beating like normal. I take a deep breath in through my nose and turn to face the worried looking faces.
"My name's Lina, but I can't remember my name!" Saying it outloud made my heart beat a little faster again.
"It's okay dear, we will figure that out okay?" Dis says. I nod dumbly but then something hits me like a racing pony, what race are Dis and torin.
"Uhmm, I don't want to be rude, but what race are you and Missus Dis?" I ask addressing Mister Thorin who looks like he is thinking about something very hard.
"We are Durin's folk, dwarrow, Miss Lina, and what about you?"
"I'm a skinchanger Mister Thorin." I say slowly not sure if he would attack me like the orcs did when they found my family and I are skinchangers
"Is that so? May you please demonstrate?" I shrug and slowly climb out of the bed, my feet hanging over the edge. I push myself down to stand on the wooden floor. I take a deep breath, close my eyes and allow my body to change. The sensation is familiar, however after being held in a small cage for at least a fortnight my muscles feel sore. When I open my eyes again I'm looking from a much lower angle. I stretch and turn to look Missus Dis and Mister Thorin.
Both look extremely shocked. Now instead of a short, skinny child of Man who seems to be about 10 years old with dirty blonde hair and strange cat-like blue eyes, a mountain lion cub stares up at them curiously. When Missus Dis approaches me with her hand out I tense up but refrain from hissing, my mind dreaming her as an ally not a threat. She slowly places her hand on my head and begins petting me and scratching behind my ear. My small body relaxes in favour of enjoying the affection.
"Amazing" whispers Mister Thorin.
I walk away from Missus Dis and turn back to my Man body. I yawn hugely and Missus Dis leads me back to the bed and tucks me in.
"Will you visit me tomorrow?" I ask fearing that this was a dream and that when I wake I'll wake up in a cage at an orc camp.
"Of course" replies Missus Dis.