Kili restlessly tossed in his sleep as the nightmare took hold. It was a different place this time- not the icy cliff, but a forested road which had suddenly become filled with the sounds and smell of wargs. It was the smell of death and it made him slightly ill, as if he was new to battle. There were others with him, although he couldn't make out their faces, he could tell they were all worried about an attack, weapons drawn.
They were being hunted.
Kili readied his bow, just as a warg leaped through the trees toward one of his companions, who slew the creature with a mighty axe, a weapon that seemed disproportionately large for his size, but dreams had a way of being unrealistic like that, he thought.
More were coming. Too many more. They needed to run. Even as he ran for his life, he turned to check on his companions, looking for one in particular – one who was more dear to him than the rest. Almost as if his mind had willed it, one face suddenly came into focus and Kili's eyes met the startling blue eyes of a blond man – one who had died in his other dream.
He awoke abruptly, adrenaline surging through his system to find nothing but the quiet forest that surrounded their camp, Callid on guard duty, and the fire was crackling happily. He dropped back on his bedroll, exhausted. Normally, once he began to travel again, the nightmares stopped, but this was something new and he found it to be both a blessing and a curse. If his memories were to return in such a way, he'd much prefer that the memories not be horrible.
They were eight days into their journey, only two days travel from the juncture at the Green Way and North-South road when Kili began to feel uneasy. Drawing nearer to the main roads would be a welcome ease for their wagons, but the area was heavily forested and rough, allowing perfect cover for vagabonds and thieves to lurk along the sides, always ready to take advantage of an unprotected traveler.
The terrain was not unlike the place in his dream, and he wondered if that was what sparked the strong memory.
Kili sat with Janis at dinner the next night, still uneasy from lack of sleep and the disturbing images in the dream. He was unusually quiet and was grateful when Aranar made his approach, attempting to be stealthy as he crept up upon the pair with his wooden sword.
Janis would have none of it, and at the moment that the child was about to pounce, the large blond man turned and captured the boy, grabbing him around the middle and swinging him about, much to the boy's delight. The child's squeals of laughter brightened Kili's mood considerably. Tired as they were, they chased the boy, watching him practice with his sword and a small slingshot that he'd been given.
"Am I ready to help yet?" he asked eagerly after showing his skills to the men. It was a question he asked nightly.
"Not yet," Kili said, pretending to evaluate the boy.
"And what does that mean?" Janis asked the boy, gently but firmly.
The boy pouted, but answered seriously, "It means that if anything happens, I'm supposed to hide until someone comes to help."
"That's a good lad," Janis said, ruffling the boy's hair affectionately.
As the boy darted off, eager to spend his youthful energy after having been contained to a wagon all day, Callid joined them, his attention never far from the surrounding trees. He appeared as unsettled as Kili felt.
"Something is out there," Kili stated, his eyes sharply scanning the perimeter of the camp.
The older man nodded in agreement. "Probably common thieves," the leader explained. "I've passed this way a dozen times. Small groups of outcasts sometimes camp along the road. They'll look for opportunity, maybe sneak in to steal food or a handful of wares. Nothing to worry us too badly. We're a large group and well-armed."
Kili nodded, although it didn't completely ease his concern. "I'll feel better when we're back in open country along the main road."
Callid clapped him on the shoulder. "You worry over much, my friend, but that's why I hire you. We'll double the watch and tell the merchants to secure their wares." Then, he smiled. "Usually, if we leave out the leftovers from dinner, most often they take that and leave us be."
Kili remained wary as the evening turned to twilight. He'd won his bet with Janis that the pretty girl and her family drew the less desirable tasks that evening, but the small victory lightened his mood only slightly.
After his watch ended, he slept lightly, placing his bedroll almost dangerously far from the others, but offering a higher, better vantage point for viewing the entire camp.
The attack came in the early morning hours, just before dawn. But it wasn't the ragabond thieves that Callid had expected. A band of orcs attacked the horses before the guards on duty could react. The warning alarm had the camp awake and defending themselves within moments but, even with the best planned defense, fighting always turned into mayhem.
Kili was ready with his bow almost the instant that the warnings pulled him from his sleep, his location giving him a small advantage and time to analyze the situation. He instantly began firing arrows onto attackers, easily picking them out even in the dim pre-dawn light.
Attacks on caravans weren't common, but they happened, and every traveler knew to be alert and prepared to defend, if necessary. The camp woke and reacted with admirable alacrity, but the average person, even at their most ready, couldn't help but be distracted by the sight of an orc. Vicious, ugly, dark creatures they were, reeking of death. Even their blood ran black, like their souls.
Many people hoped that the creatures had been eliminated to the point of becoming little more than myth, but the group now striking the travelers had proven that wrong. These were vengeful, desperate creatures.
Few people from the relatively peaceful region of South Downs had ever seen an orc, and their shock was apparent. Several froze, leaving themselves open to attack. Kili aimed his arrows, picking off the attackers quickly and effectively, protecting individual travelers who seemed to be in the most immediate danger.
It didn't take long before the invaders noticed Kili's actions and deserted other prey in an effort to over power him.
As they began to swarm toward him, he grinned wickedly and pulled out his sword, eager to put it to use. It was a fine piece, clearly crafted by a master, probably dwarven, and heavy. Most men would need to wield it with both hands, but Kili was strong and he took pride in brandishing the mighty weapon almost like a saber. He slashed through the beasts like a farmer hacking down a field of winter wheat. Their tactic was unusual, however, not attacking directly but swarming to draw him out while others moved in to corner him from behind. It was far more coordinated than he expected, and kept him from killing as many as he would have liked.
He made a target of himself, grinning with glee as he drew the enemy away from the less capable merchants and travelers huddled in the more protected center of the encampment. A quick glance showed him that Callid and a another guard, Taromir, were gaining ground, keeping the travelers behind them, protected by the relative safety of the wagons.
As the orcs backed away from his deadly blade, he caught sight of a small group that was outside the guards' protection. A man had fallen, injured, and another smaller figure was trying to drag him to safety while a larger man was working to defend them both. Their defender was losing ground against the greater numbers and Kili quickly deduced none would survive for long. He fought his way down the small knoll to join them, leaving a trail of black blood in his wake.
The man who'd been fighting took a heavy hit to his right arm and fell, his weapon dropping uselessly in the dirt. A tall, particularly ghoulish-looking orc was raising his mace to drop the killing blow when Kili reached them. He jumped in front of the beast, raising his sword in defense, deflecting the blow before it could do any damage.
A second orc attacked from the side before he could reset and he jumped to avoid the strike. He wasn't entirely successful and the blade slashed his right leg. With adrenaline surging through his system, he hardly felt the wound, and barely registered the scream of the person he was trying to protect. But the scream did alert him that the first orc was likely swinging that mace again. He dispatched the orc with the blade, severing his head cleanly and continued the movement of his blade up and around to once again block the heavy mace.
The orc was irritatingly tall, giving the creature the advantage. Kili was the faster, but even his strength was no match for the huge beast. His mind warned him to retreat, but he couldn't, not while there were injured men to protect. It didn't take long to realize that if he remained, he was going to lose the battle.
He blocked another vicious strike and lost his footing from the sheer force of the blow. His wounded right leg was giving out. The orc took advantage and swung his weapon again. Off balance and unable to counter, Kili braced for a painful blow, hoping that he could deflect it enough not to kill him.
He got lucky, and his right leg once again forced him off balance so that he slipped. The orc hadn't calculated Kili's awkward move, and his blow missed, giving Kili an opening to slash into the enormous creatures arm, opening a gash that poured black blood.
A horn sounded, distracting the orc further, and Kili used that moment to plunge his sword toward the monster's gut, but the creature backed away, out of Kili's range. He dared not pursue, or he'd leave the three around him unprotected. Instead, he was forced to watch as the large orc retreated with the rest of his kind.
The skirmish ended soon after. The travelers, while not professional fighters, were far from defenseless. With the help of the guards shielding them, the uninjured were able to defend the encampment. Orcs weren't the brightest, but they knew enough to flee when they found themselves at a disadvantage. Kili was almost sorry to see them go. There was something supremely satisfying and invigorating about destroying the filthy creatures. He held a deep-rooted hatred of the things and hated to see any escape alive.
However, he was quickly distracted from his dark thoughts by the sounds of the people on the ground behind him. As much as he loved the fighting, he equally dreaded everything that followed. He turned around, preparing himself for the worst. Death, loss, despair.
The first thing he saw was Janis. He'd been the figure that had been defending the other two. The boy was clearly injured, cradling his right arm at an impossible angle, blood pouring from a gash in his forehead, and a swelling of his right cheek, making him barely recognizable, if not for the mane of blond hair. Kili's first instinct was to help the lad and ignore the two others but, then, the cheeky youth looked up and smiled at him. "That was almost fun."
"I thought I taught you not to get yourself killed," Kili replied sharply, but the words softened with relieved smile that the lad wasn't mortally wounded.
"I'm still quite alive," the boy said, grinning, albeit tightly. The adrenaline from the fight was likely keeping the worst of the pain at bay, but that arm was going to need attention soon.
Janis, good-hearted lad that he was, had already turned his attention to the injured man on the ground. Kili dropped to his knee beside the prone figure, immediately checking for breath. As he did, he heard a soft sob and looked up at the man's companion – the one who'd been trying to drag him to safety. "Will he be all right?" a soft, feminine voice asked.
He looked up and into the eyes of Aligrine, the pretty girl who had been bringing honey cakes to him and Janis every morning. He nodded. "I can't say. He took a good blow to the head, but he's breathing and his heart is beating strong, so that's a good sign."
The sky was lightening, giving him a better view and he recognized the injured man as Aligrine's father, went by the name of Tanager. With two of the family here, Kili looked around, hoping to catch sight of the girl's younger brother, Aranar, worried about the cheerful little boy's fate. He exhaled a sigh of relief as he saw the child being extracted from underneath one of the wagons, quite undamaged. For all the child's bravado, he'd had the good sense to follow orders and hide when true danger came.
He glanced over at Janis, who gave him a weak smile and then Kili handed the girl his sword. With a great heave, favoring his injured leg, he lifted the girl's father and gave a curt nod to his tall, blond friend to follow, as he walked over to the wagons to get their injuries attended.
x
"Six wounded, and we lost three horses," Kili said to Janis, who was sitting propped up against a tree, his head and arm bound and heavily bandaged.
"I'm sorry I wasn't more help," Janis replied apologetically. "The girl got up early, went to get water. She was outside the perimeter when they attacked. I was on guard. I shouldn't have let her go alone."
"They were waiting for an opportunity. Anything that would divide our defense."
"So, they could get to the horses," Janis concluded.
"Not just the horses," Kili explained. "They were trying to draw us apart, maybe to take captives. I think they would have taken her and her father, if you hadn't defended them," Kili replied. "There are stories of them taking prisoners and torturing them. You saved them from a horrible fate."
Janis shook his head. "No, you saved them. I was out of the fight rather quickly," Janis admitted, clearly upset at his failure. "I guess they might have taken me as well," the lad speculated.
Kili gave his friend a teasing smile. "Nah. You're way too ugly, even for them."
The lad's lips lifted, ever so slightly. "Not as ugly as you," he chided. "How's your leg?" he asked, pointing to the bandaged appendage.
"Just a scratch," he said, brushing off the injury as less serious than it really was. He'd lost a lot of blood and had needed some good stitching, but his scars told him that he'd survived worse. He deflected the topic. "Aligrine's father will be all right, eventually. He took a good hit to the head and is seeing double, but he's awake."
"Good," Janis replied, then looked at Kili suspiciously. "But there's something more. Bad news?"
Kili nodded, but his eyes twinkled with amusement. "You could say that. Since we lost three horses, and you're injured, Callid's assigned your horse to pull a wagon. You get to ride in one of the wagons for the rest of the journey."
Janis' jaw dropped, clearly appalled. The crude carts and wagons had nothing to ease the jostling and bumps of the rocky, rough road. It was going to be a long, miserable journey for the lad.
Kili grinned again. "Consider it your punishment for not fighting better. As soon as your arm heals, you're going to get back to training."
The boy grumbled and scowled and slouched down against his tree, pouting, while his shorter, dark-haired companion laughed.
X
The group left by midday after attending to the wounded, repairing broken wagons, and rearranging the wares and horses to balance the loads. They left the dead orcs, knowing their own kind would likely return and scavenge, as repulsive as that was. It was a hasty departure, but it was necessary to keep moving to safer ground. The orcs had attacked once and they would likely attack again, especially considering that the travelers now had wounded.
Kili rode in the rear with another guard, neither speaking much except to exchange information about the protection of the group. Everyone was largely silent, even the usually boisterous. Gone were the sounds of conversation,songs, and occasional music that people normally used to pass the long hours.
When they finally reached a safe area to camp, it was nearing dusk. Kili gratefully crawled from his horse, favoring his injured right leg. His pants were stiff from dried dirt and blood, both his own, and that of the orcs. He hadn't had time to clean up and wouldn't have a chance to do so until morning. Not that he was a stranger to such hardship, but it only added to his sour mood.
For a change, he joined the main group for his evening meal, wanting to check on Janis. It was well after dark and he quickly located the lad by the fire, talking to the blond maid that he'd defended only hours before. She'd been asking him about his injuries and Janis seemed all too pleased that she seemed so concerned. The lad was still very much in pain from his broken arm, but seemed in good spirits.
Kili smiled at his friend. Janis smiled back, moving a bit to make room for Kili to sit. But Kili declined, leaving to walk the perimeter of the camp.
The memory of the attack earlier that morning assaulted Kili's mind, leaving a cold chill deep in his bones. He'd fought orcs before in small skirmishes when he'd journeyed near the Misty Mountains, and he reasoned that he'd fought them before he'd lost his memory, because fighting them just came too naturally. But, this past battle was different and his thoughts fixated on the large orc.
He asked to take the first watch, mostly because he didn't want to sleep, despite bone deep exhaustion from the day's events.
He tried to take the second watch as well, but Callid insisted that he rest. Knowing the leader was right, Kili reluctantly crawled into his bedroll, not out of trepidation over another attack, but because he knew what would happen. The dreams always came after a battle or skirmish, no matter how small.
Sure enough, as soon as he closed his eyes, sleep claimed him, and so did the nightmare.
It always started the same, with the unseeing eyes of the blond man staring up at him, and the feeling of unimaginable loss. The face reminded him of Janis and he tore himself away, unable to bear the sight. Furious and blinded by revenge, he fought through countless orcs – huge orcs – all taller than he. It was the cry of a woman that pulled him from his fury, and he turned, trying to reach her, panicked when he heard her cry out in pain. He found her at the mercy of another orc, even larger than the rest, ready to deliver a killing blow. Without thought he leaped onto the creature's back, knowing it was a battle he could not win.
He awoke, sweat pouring from his brow, his chest heaving for breath. He reached down to touch the scar on his left side. He'd fought orcs in the past, he was certain, but when and where did he fight? The great battles against Rohan and Gondor had happened at least a year before he'd been injured. And if that was how he'd been wounded, how did he end up in Hillsborough?
x
He slept fitfully for the rest of the night, knowing that he'd be useless if he didn't get at least a little rest. He was up by dawn, feeling stiff, sore and filthy. The camp had not yet begun to stir so, after nodding toward the guard on duty, he took the opportunity to patrol the area.
There was a stream nearby, which would likely be popular once the dawn came. But, for the moment, he had the isolated location to himself and he wasted no time washing the stinking black blood from his hair and clothing. He stripped down, scrubbing himself clean, paying no mind to the chill of the water or the air around him. Ridding himself of any reminder of the filthy orcs was worth the temporary discomfort of the cold. He re-bandaged his leg, scowling at the large tear in his trousers. Fortunately, he had a spare in is pack, but this pair would be unsuitable for use until they could be mended.
He pulled on the dirty trousers but, not wanting to head back to camp just yet, he dunked his soiled woolen shirt into the cold water, soaking and squeezing the material until the water ran clean from it, wishing he could rinse the memory of the dream from his mind just as easily.
Rustling in the low shrubbery along the bank alerted him of someone approaching, but he wasn't overly alarmed. With so much noise, it was most likely another member of their party, so he didn't bother to drop his shirt, although he made certain his sword was in easy reach, just in case he was wrong.
He relaxed as soon as he identified Aligrine stepping down the bank, carrying a small basket of soiled clothing. She stopped when she saw him, clearly surprised to find someone there, although a blush and small smile came to her face upon recognizing him.
"You shouldn't be out walking alone this far from camp," he said, dunking his shirt in the water again.
She scowled, clearly not happy by the rather tart greeting. "I'm always up this early."
"And that's why you were outside of camp yesterday morning, when the attack happened," he reminded her, his tone not quite harsh, but far from kind. He looked up, seeing her expression, and gave a sigh. He was in a foul mood. It wasn't fair of him to take it out on the girl. "They would have taken you, you know," he explained, his tone softening. "If Janis and your father hadn't stopped them, they would have carried you off and what they do to prisoners is worse than death. You shouldn't go off on your own."
Her face paled slightly, and her eyes dropped, giving good indication that she'd been properly chastised for her actions. "I'm sorry," she said.
"No need to be sorry to me. Best not to do it again, though," he said, turning back to wringing out his shirt.
"Would you mind staying, then, so I won't be alone here?"
The question was innocent enough, but Kili caught the hope in her tone. She'd been sweet on him since the start of the trip and it didn't help that he'd saved her life. Common sense told him to take his soggy shirt and go back to change into his clean trousers, but his job was to ensure the safety of the party. "If you can be quick about it. I'd rather not die of exposure," he said, indicating his lack of attire.
She nodded, but then frowned, her eyes quickly looking away in embarrassment at his state of undress. "I'm sorry. Maybe we should head back."
"I was joking. I'm actually not that cold. Finish your washing. I can wait."
Her eyes flicked up again to look at him and the blush that he'd seen when she brought him honey cakes returned to her cheeks as she knelt down to begin her task.
"Your father is well?" Kili asked, making conversation to bridge the awkward silence.
The inquiry brought out a smile. "He's dizzy, but much better. I'm glad we are almost to the Brandywine. Traveling isn't pleasant with a head injury," she told him. A fond smile lifted her lips as she thought of her father. "He's brave to the rest of you, but he spent all day complaining to me."
Kili didn't know the man, but his daughter's mild grumbling said much. If he was well enough to complain, then he was likely going to return to full health soon enough, which was good news for all. "And your brother?" he asked, thinking of the impish young lad.
She rinsed another item as she spoke. "He's frightened, but he's more determined than ever to learn to use his wooden sword. He's asked Janis to practice with him."
Kili chuckled, remembering the boy practicing with his toy. "Well, with Janis left-handed for the time-being, it might be a fair fight."
She laughed warmly. "How is your leg?" she asked, frowning as she looked at the large gash in his trousers.
He shrugged. "I've had worse. Maradin is a fair hand with a needle. She stitched me up well enough."
"Well, she is a seamstress by trade. I suppose there's little difference."
He nodded. "I thought your family was in that trade as well."
"No," she replied. "My father is a weaver, as am I. That's why our wagon is so large, we are traveling with our loom and most of the bolts we made over the winter."
"You expect to find work along the Brandywine?" he asked, since that was their destination. The village there isn't very large, and mostly seasonal. Few stayed for any length of time.
She shook her head, her hands automatically washing, rinsing and wringing as she spoke. "We may sell much our our finished work there, to lighten our load and gain some coin, but we expect to meet up with one of the bigger caravans and continue south."
"You are heading to Rohan?" he asked, noting that his own travels were going in that direction also.
"We have family there. There isn't much for us in Hillsborough since my mother died. Da feels we'll have more opportunity there now that they've rebuilt. If we stayed in South Downs, we must travel every season to sell our wares."
"You're from Rohan originally, then," Kili stated, curious.
Her posture stiffened slightly, indicating that the topic wasn't entirely comfortable for her. "Yes. We left after our village was attacked, just before the great battles began. Our home was in ruins. My father thought we'd have a quieter life in the north."
All knew of the tragic losses at Hornsburg, and the heavy attacks on surrounding settlements before that. The battles hadn't been kind to anyone. Aligrine couldn't have been much more than a child at the time. It would have been a harsh place and there was an appeal to the areas closer to north. There were fewer of the Dunland raiders, and the lowland was far enough from the mountains to have fewer encounters with the nasty creatures that still lived there.
It was silent for a few moments, then she spoke again. "But that was a long time ago. Our family survived, at least for a while. It's time to return home," she concluded, her smile brightening and her eyes flashing with determination – a positive outlook that Kili rather liked.
She scrubbed and wrung the last garment in her basket, giving him a flirtatious smile as she finished with an exaggerated flourish, which he found endearing. She was young – a bit too young for him, though he couldn't help but smile at her efforts to gain his attention.
"What would Callid say about you coming over to talk to me?" he asked, hoping to remind her that Callid had shown obvious disapproval every time she'd even looked in Kili's direction these past two weeks.
She smiled and shook her head. "Callid told me to stay away from you. That you are trouble."
It wasn't entirely a fair assessment, from Kili's perspective, since he did consider himself to be quite honorable. But, for the moment, he didn't disagree, considering the girl's charming infatuation with him. "I'd say you should listen to him, except isn't he a bit old for you?"
That made her laugh, and her laugh was as lovely as she was. "Callid is my cousin. He was the reason we were able to flee safely out of Rohan. He's very protective of us."
Kili failed to keep the stunned look from his face. He couldn't imagine the hardened leader with family of any sort, but it explained why Callid had shown such an interest in this girl. Amusingly enough, it probably also explained the girl's initial interest in Kili from early in the trip, even though he'd paid her no mind – any time you told a youth to stay away, it was a clear reason to spark their interest. He chuckled.
Her laughter quieted quickly and she looked up at him through her lashes. "You saved our lives."
He wrung out his shirt again, just to distract himself, trying not to look into her eyes. They were green. A very attractive shade of green – a color that drew him in like no other. It was overwhelmingly distracting. "I'm paid to protect you all. Nothing more," he said, his voice sounding unconvincing even to his own ears.
"It doesn't mean that I can't thank you," she said, as she stepped closer to him, her head down, but her step almost bold.
He felt his jaw drop, and his hands lowered. She was close and he couldn't help feeling his body react. She was pretty, she was sweet and charming and she was willing. And he didn't even have a shirt on. It was the worst combination.
She placed a hand on his chest and the shirt that had been in his hands dropped to ground with a wet slap. When she stepped even closer, he sucked in a breath.
The pain and loss from his nightmares slipped away, replaced by a bright smile and a warm touch. He stood perfectly still, trapped by desire, and a need to fill the void of a lost love within his heart.
She stepped up on her toes to kiss him and what little weak resolve that he'd held to that point dissolved. Her lips were soft and warm and welcoming, and he was almost immediately lost. This wasn't one of the older women who he'd encountered in the past. She was sweetness and innocence. Her adoration of him was honest and genuine. It made her all the more irresistible.
He kissed back.
He could feel her smile at his response and he wrapped his arms about her waist, pulling her closer. He might have continued, except the dawn finally broke over the horizon, spilling the area with light, and reminding Kili that soon the camp would be awake.
Breaking away from the kiss with some reluctance, he looked down to see her still blushing and biting her lip. "We'd best get back, before they come looking for us," he informed her.
She nodded, a small smile lifting her lips as she looked up at him. He smiled back, reaching down to gather his sloppy shirt, shaking it out. He waited while she gathered her own washing and the pair walked back.
When they walked over the small rise, fully in sight of everyone in camp, they received more than one or two suspicious looks. Kili was still shirtless, his hair damp, and Aligrine continued to blush, a look of guilty happiness on her face as she practically danced back to her father's wagon.
Kili said nothing, walking up to his pack to gather his change of clothing, practically feeling the eyes of Callid on his back. He looked over his shoulder when he sensed the older man approach, quickly tugging on his clean shirt.
"You need to speak to her about wandering off alone. She was lucky I was at the brook to escort her back," Kili said without turning around.
Callid's response was a low growl. "Don't lie to me."
"It's not a lie," Kili said, fastening the ties on his shirt and facing the group's leader. "She found me at the bank. I waited while she washed the blood out of her father's clothes."
Callid was not only older and the picture of authority, but he was also much taller. He wasted none of his ability to intimidate as he towered over Kili and glared. "That's not all."
Kili scowled. He didn't like being questioned, and Callid wasn't a good enough friend to know all of his business. "What is this about? She told me you're her cousin, so you can't be interested in her."
"You can't be interested in her either. And we have a job to do. There's five days of travel ahead of us, and I don't need any trouble."
x
A/N – and I repeat, Aligrine will not be a major character, but we'll let her crush on Kili a bit – and get him into a bit of trouble, because he is a bit reckless, as we all know. So, please review. I do promise that familiar characters are coming around chapter 4, so I'm curious to know if the original ones are keeping you interested or not.