A Stow-Away
"Prepare to leave at dawn." Kayley stayed long enough to hear that information and made her way back to her quarters thinking of what she was going to tell Lord Elrond.
In her chambers, she asked one of the maids to be sure Lord Elrond hears that she will be going for a morning ride and to not expect her at breakfast.
The next morning Kayley jumped out of bed and scrambled for her tunic, trousers, boots, but what was she to do with her pack? And her sword? Her father gave her a sword before she left in case of an orc raid and she needed a little more protection than her escort. Her escorts. If they were to find out about her disappearance, surely they'll be the first to go after her. She smiled. She wondered how far she'll be successful.
Kayley rolled a spare blanket with her sword inside. If anyone should ask, she was simply going to use it to lay down on the ground if she wished. She always had a flask of water with her, so that wouldn't be a suspicion. Off to the stables she went and insisted on tying her blanket to her saddle herself.
"I should be back by noon," she informed one of her own personal guards. Then she mounted her horse and trotted out of the stables. She desperately wanted to gallop out but didn't want to draw any attention. Everyone seemed to be speaking about the dwarves and their early departure. Kayley only hoped she could catch up to them before dark.
When she entered the forest where she always goes for horseback riding, Kayley looked over her shoulder to and scanned the scene behind her. She reached behind her and wiggled her sword from her rolled-up blanket and tied it to her belt. If orcs were still lingering around the borders, she best be prepared. Then again she hoped she wouldn't cross a pack while alone. In her experience she had crossed orcs before, but she was always guarded and never fought a single one.
Kayley clicks her tongue and reigning her horse to the right she kicked it's side with a "Ha!" and the horse springs into a gallop away from the forest and away from Rivendell. Kayla closed her eyes for a moment and breathed in the air. Her heart was thumping and she could feel the rush of adrenaline flow through her as she left the safety of Rivendell.
The dwarves had made camp for their first night leaving Rivendell. They ate and warmed themselves by the fire, until they doused it and all laid out their bedrolls and Nori was the first to stand watch.
There was a noise in the peaceful quiet. A a faint thumping noise, like a heartbeat getting louder and louder.
"Rider!" Nori whispered harshly moving to wake his companions. "Rider! There's something coming this way.
"Grab your weapons," Thorin commanded. When Bilbo drew his he remembered Gandalf's words, emIt'll glow blue when orcs are near/em, but there was no glow at all. "Wait for my command," Thorin finished.
As soon as the figure of a horse was clear Thorin gave out a yell and the others ran forward with him towards the horse frightening it so that it reared, allowing Dwalin to pull the rider down and Fili was there with a dagger up to the figure's throat.
"I am no orc!" Kayley shouted. She was panting heavily.
"My lady," Fili addressed withdrawing the dagger.
Dwalin pulled her up by her cloak with one hand and removed her hood with the other then dropped her with surprise. "It is the lass from Rivendell." As if realizing he had dropped a princess he helped her to her feet.
"What are you doing here?" Thorin spat as he took a step towards her.
"Joining you on your quest."
"You need to go, now," he ordered.
Kayley took another step forward. It was too dark to see but she can imagine the ice-color of his eyes. "You command me to return to Rivendell at this hour of night? I am a Princess of the North Downs. The daughter of Gideon III. I am worth a wealthy price and if anything were to happen to me it would the fault of your orders." Bilbo looked at her as if she were a child talking back to a scolding parent then glancing at Thorin anxious for his reaction. She continued, "Or you may wait until morning when there's light and you can escort me back yourself, since - as I've heard - there's been a pack of orcs wondering near, and I would need protection. Then again, you are on a tight schedule and cannot risk delay."
The dwarves looked at one another, nodding. "She's got a point, Thorin," came in Balin. "We cannot delay." Thorin growled before approaching her. He was so close to her, the very distance he lightly punched her in the stomach just last night. But Kayley had her hands beside her in fists, ready for any of his sudden movements.
"Dwalin," he spoke without taking his eyes off Kayley. "Relieve Nori. You'll take the next watch and Lady Kayley will join you. Everyone resume your rest. We depart at the first crack of dawn."
Kayley glared at the back of Thorin's head as he walked away until the night absorbed him from her vision.
Kayley was exhausted from her ride and struggled to keep her eyes open while on watch with Dwalin, and as soon as Fili relieved them, she didn't bother to lay out her bedroll, but just flop to the ground and pulled her hood over her face. Sleep found her quickly, yet just as quickly as it came someone was shaking her shoulder. When she opened her eyes she couldn't help but smile, no matter how exhausted she was, but a handsome face with blonde hair and kind eyes were staring back at her.
"Let's move." It was that growling voice that reminded her how tired she was and hungry she was, and sore from being pulled down to the ground last night. Kayla gladly accepted Fili's hand to help her stand, but her eyes were glaring over at his uncle.
At the start of her travel with the company she rode her horse until she felt rested enough, she decided to lead her horse on foot and there she got the chance to get to know the each and every one of them, including the hobbit. She was very interested in his story and how he came into this company of dwarves and was fascinated by their tale of the trolls and how they escape and their flight from the orcs and wargs.
"And what about you, my lady?" asked Dori. "What brought you to Rivendell?"
"An escape really."
"What would you be escaping from?" asked Ori.
"Royalty is not how some may think it to be. You're always told what to do, or think, or say. You're never free to be yourself. And…." she trailed off in thought, her mind wondering from the dwarves and their path and returning to her stone castle in the north and her bedroom window framing the world and beyond and the stories told by the rangers. She looked down at the reigns in her hand, returning to the present, "And it's almost like a prison, really." To stray away from the subject at hand, which she wasn't ready to tell, "So my father sent me to Rivendell for the summer. What did you all think of it?"
The dwarves groaned and went on about the food, the music, how it could have been better. Then they got into the dining experience of the dwarves, and from there, the company continued to journey across the plans, underneath waterfalls, until finally they reached the Misty Mountains , where Kayley bid farewell to her steed and whispered the words in elvish for the horse to return to Rivendell.
The mountains were harsh and the storm didn't help at all. The rain made the dangerously narrow path slippery, Kayley backed as far back against the rocks as she could.
There was a shout and Kayley looked behind her to find Bilbo being pulled back against the rocks by Dwalin. She looked down at her own feet and curled her toes as if that would give her a better grip as she focused on her footing to prevent her from slipping to her death. She thought she gave a brave impression amongst her companions, and she fought back the fear of the long fall beneath her and the thoughts of the safe confinements of Rivendell. She will not show weakness, and she was certainly not going to let Thorin see her fears.
Thorin yelled something but Kayley could not hear over the thunder and the wind. But she heard Dwalin warn them of a huge boulder flying above them and hitting the side of the mountain. It broke and its remnants came tumbling from above them and she felt Kili's arm press her back against the rocks and she tilted her head against his shoulder.
"This is no thunderstorm!" Balin cried over the roaring wind. "It's a thunder battle!" Kayley's mouth gaped, her eyes squinting through the pouring rain, she could see a dark shape moving from the mountain.
"The legends are true!" Bofur yelled, "Giants! Stone Giants!"
The giant pulled another boulder from the mountainside and hurled it over their heads where it collided against the head of another giant behind them! If the narrow pathway wasn't narrow enough, the falling broken pieces of rock cut off the edges of where the company now stood.
Kayley looks down at her feet again. It was shaking. Fili yelled over to Kili. She realizes Fili and the others behind him were drifting further and further away. Kayley clings to Kili's arm. Suddenly they too were swerving away so fast Kayley screams, not caring anymore if that is a sign of weakness. She lurches to the side, but with Kili's arm still against her she's secure from slipping; and as more rocks tumble down upon them, she follows Dori, directly in front of her and pulls Kili by his sleeve and they jump off the knee of the giant and land on another ledge of the mountainside.
They all stood in fright watching their companions swerving on the other giants leg. As the remaining company swerved dangerously in the downpour of rain and the strong winds. When they served closer to their side of the mountain, the momentum wouldn't stop and Kayley gasped as their companions crashed into the rocks.
"NO!" Cried Thorin. "Fili!" Kili shoved Kayley forward for her to follow the company to the rocks as the giant moved away and fell into the depths below.
Rounding the corner Kayley let out a sigh of relief as they all found the rest of the company stirring, alive and seemingly unharmed.
"Where's Bilbo?" Bofur was looking around frantically, "Where's the hobbit?"
Bilbo was found dangling off the edge of the cliff. Some of the dwarves rushed to his aid to try to pull him up, but it was Thorin who leaped down and helped Bilbo up himself. Although, Thorin slipped and now was the one clinging on for his life until Dwalin got a hold of his arm and hauled him up.
"I thought we lost our burgler," said Dwalin catching his breath after Thorin was safely beside him.
"His been lost ever since he left home," Thorin growled. "He should never have come. He has no place amongst us." Kayley was ready to scold him but bit her tongue and instead went to the hobbit's side to help him to his feet.
They found a cave nearby and once Dwalin scouted the backs of it, the company all settled in in the cold concave of the mountain with no fire on Thorin's orders.
Kayley lay out her bedroll, though damped, but still curled up in a ball with her damp cloak damped over her and her hood shielding her face. She shivered until at last she fell asleep.