The next morning came all too soon. By the time the sun had broken the horizon, Thorin had everyone fed and packed and ready to move out. Takiel, who appeared to have stayed awake all night, shouldered her pack effortlessly and took her place in line behind Bilbo.
"Good morning," Bilbo said, not really knowing how to greet the strange woman.
"Glad to hear that," she replied.
"You're not a Dwarf," the Hobbit observed.
Takiel looked at Bilbo in surprise. "That's an odd remark," she replied.
"Well, what are you then?" Bilbo asked, startled by his own boldness.
"Now that's a question many here would like to know the answer to."
"Is that an answer you're willing to give?" The Hobbit's tenacity surprised Takiel.
"No. It isn't." Takiel met Bilbo's gaze briefly before changing the subject. "What part of the Shire are you from?"
"I live in Bag-End."
"That's in Westfarthing, if memory serves. Am I right?"
"Yes. H-how did you know that?" Bilbo stared at Takiel in bewilderment.
Takiel sighed deeply. "I've traveled quite a bit over the years."
"To the Shire?"
"Among other places, yes. I seem to recall staying with one of your relatives at some point…a Berylla Boffin? Married to one Balbo Baggins, I believe."
Bilbo raised his eyebrows. "Berylla Boffin? That must have been well over a hundred years ago! She was my great-grandmother!"
Takiel's heart skipped a beat. She had not realized her last visit to the Shire had been so long ago. Hastily trying to avoid piquing Bilbo's curiosity further, she added, "But Bag-End wasn't around then, was it?"
Bilbo shook his head. "My father built it for my mother after they were first married."
"And now it's yours, I presume?"
"Yes. That is, assuming my relatives don't divide it amongst themselves before I get back."
Takiel chuckled at Bilbo's reply. Having successfully avoided answering Bilbo's prying questions, she fell back to walk next to Kili and Fili. "Your Hobbit is very curious," she commented.
"Not as much as we are," Fili replied. "My brother said you may have quite a tale to tell us."
"Is that what he said?" Takiel asked, glancing over at Kili, who shrugged innocently. "Shouldn't you two be listening to your Uncle?"
"What? And miss the chance to hear a great story?" Fili questioned. "No way."
"Maybe I'd rather not share my story," Takiel answered. "Did you think of that?"
"Last night you said –,"
"I remember what I said last night, Kili," Takiel interrupted. "But that was last night. Today is different."
"Oh, come on. What harm can come from sharing a little about your life?" Fili protested. "After all, you owe me."
"Owe you? For what?"
"Holding him hostage," Kili explained.
Shaking her head in exasperation, Takiel took a deep breath and began:
"There's not much that can be said about my childhood. It was…unorthodox. I was abandoned by my mother and father in the Woodland Realm where I was found by an Elf scouting party and taken back to the palace. The King and his wife adopted me as their daughter and raised me along with their son. When I was older, I was out hunting Orcs when my party was ambushed. Everyone but me was killed and I myself was captured.
"I figured I was going to be killed as well, but instead, I was taken in to see a sorcerer. He did something to me and the next thing I knew, I woke up lying on the ground with chaos reigning around me. Near as I could tell, the Queen had been shot by an archer and was nearing death. I, of course, was shocked because the Queen was like a mother to me.
"Next thing I knew, I was bound hand and foot and thrown in the dungeon. All I could get from my guards was that…that…" Takiel's voice faltered and she abruptly stopped walking.
"Takiel?" Kili asked, concerned. "Are you alright?"
Takiel shook herself out of her stupor and started walking at a feverish pace. The brothers had to run to catch up and Kili gently put his arm on Takiel's shoulder, asking her to slow down. Takiel shook the Dwarf's arm off and looked over at Kili, her troubled green eyes meeting his concerned brown ones. "They told me I killed her." Tears spilled from the Elf's anguished eyes and, wiping them away angrily as they continued to fall, Takiel cautioned, "I think that's enough storytelling for today." Pulling her cowl up in an attempt to ignore Kili, who continued to walk beside her, Takiel pressed forward in silence.
Kili, somewhat offended by Takiel's brusque manner, marched on quietly beside her. Behind him, Fili scrutinized his brother and Takiel, trying to figure out what was going on between them.
"That little woman's got quite a bit of spunk in her," Bofur remarked from behind Fili.
Fili started, having not noticed Bofur was so close to him. "She does," he agreed.
"I'm not sure exactly what your brother plans on gettin' from her. She seems pretty secretive t' me."
Fili shrugged. "I've tried to tell him that too, but Kili won't listen to me. Apparently he thinks Takiel will loosen up eventually." The two Dwarves stared curiously ahead at the pair before shaking their heads and resuming their march. The path finally emptied out onto a mountain pass at around lunchtime. The Dwarves all felt right at home with the rock and stone piled around them, but Takiel became very tense. She refused to walk anywhere but the very inside of the path and always made sure someone else was walking next to her.
After a couple hours of watching Takiel's suffer, Kili asked, "What's the matter?"
Takiel shook her head. She inhaled shakily and pinched her lips together. "I'm not fond of…heights."
"Anything I can do to help?" Kili offered.
"No. I'll be fine. I just…need a moment."
Kili got the hint and left Takiel's side, joining his brother some meters back.
"What's going on between you two?" Fili asked.
"What do you mean?" Kili tried to sound as indifferent as he could, but Fili saw right through him.
"Kili." Fili shook his head. "There's no use trying to fool me. Answer the question."
Kili looked helplessly at his older brother. "I can't explain it, Fili. The more I'm around her…"
"The more you know she's the one?"
Kili nodded.
"This seems reminiscent of Rivendell, Brother. Although I believe you said you didn't fancy those sort of women. Something about them being too thin? High cheekbones and creamy skin? And not enough facial hair."
Kili glared at his older brother. "That was different. Those were Elves. They're all stuck up and delicate. Takiel's…special."
Fili smiled. "Leave it to my little brother to be destined for a beardless woman."
"Beards aren't everything," Kili protested. He had always been self-conscious of his short beard.
Fili laughed loudly and patted his brother on the back. "I'd be envious you found your match before I did, but then I'm not the one who has to tell Thorin I've fallen for a woman who is not a Dwarf."
Kili's face paled slightly. "He doesn't have to know yet. After all, nothing's official yet…Takiel doesn't feel the same way."
"Oh really?" Fili asked, smirking. "She hasn't taken her eyes off you since the day she joined our Company."
Kili seemed surprised. He couldn't help but glance forward where Takiel was walking by herself.
When the Company had gone several miles more, Thorin called for a halt for the night. Everyone gratefully laid down his pack and slumped to the ground in exhaustion. As she had done the past evening, Takiel went off on her own, a slight ways away from the Dwarves. She removed her cloak and methodically laid her weapons on the ground beside her. She rubbed one hand on her shoulder, wincing. Upon seeing Kili heading over, Takiel hastily removed her hand from her shoulder and looked away into the distance.
Kili didn't say anything; he simply sat down next to Takiel. As he had suspected, Takiel couldn't take the silence for very long and eventually said, "If you've got any questions, best get them out of the way now."
"I've got two I'd like answered tonight," Kili replied.
"Go on," Takiel prompted.
"First, what's wrong with your shoulder?"
"You're the protective type, aren't you?" Takiel observed.
"That doesn't answer my question."
Takiel grabbed the neckline of her brown, leather tunic and carefully pulled it down below her shoulder blade, exposing her back. Kili inhaled sharply upon seeing the latticework of scars that shone prominently on Takiel's skin. He didn't say anything, though, for fear that it would keep Takiel from speaking freely. Satisfied that her point had been made, Takiel pulled her tunic back snugly around her neck.
"Second question?" she prompted.
"What happened after you were thrown in the dungeon?"
"I was afraid of that," Takiel sighed. She pressed her fingertips together, resting her pointer fingers beneath her chin and her middle fingers across her lips as she pondered what she was going to say. Finally, after almost five minutes of silence, Takiel looked over at Kili, who was still waiting expectantly for an answer.
After a reassuring breath to calm herself down, Takiel continued from where she had left off. "Even though I didn't remember killing the Queen, the King refused to listen to my protests. He was set on avenging his wife and informed me that I was to be put to death for my actions.
"The morning I was to be killed, I was dragged unceremoniously out of the dungeons and into another room in the palace. As the King swung his blade down to end my life, the Prince intervened in my behalf and managed to convince his father that I should not be put to death. Instead, the King decided on a fate far worse than that. I was dishonorably stripped of my rank in the King's army. They took away my bow and my quiver, both sentimental gifts from the royal family."
Kili asked, "How is that possible?"
"I was exiled, Kili. From the palace and all other Elven dwellings and cities in Middle Earth."
"The King did that? When you were innocent?"
Takiel laughed tartly. "The King didn't listen to a thing I said. His first priority was to punish me for causing his wife's death."
"So, after he exiled you, what happened?"
"I guess I managed alright for the first few years. It was lonely, but I managed to hold small jobs in various cities of Men. I became quite adept at blending in with the townspeople, so they eventually accepted me as one of their own. Unfortunately, as my luck would have it, I ran into a bit of trouble some years back. A particular person, I'll not say whom at the moment, heard of my exile and managed to track me down. He knew almost everything about me and extended a hand in friendship. Now, I had lost everything I held dear, so I wasn't thinking clearly. I agreed to accompany him back to his home, where he promised me good food and a warm bed. As we sat eating, the man mentioned my being exiled, how I had been roaming for years, and how difficult that must have been. He was really very sympathetic, which, of course, threw me off guard.
"This man turned out to be a sort of sorcerer. The longer I stayed at his home, the more aggressively he began to question me on my time in the Woodland Realm. I got a sense that his intentions were not benign, so I refused to answer. He grew more and more frustrated with me the longer I withheld my knowledge, and that soon led him to try more…unorthodox methods of getting me to talk.
"One morning, he strapped me to a table, a lot like the ones infirmaries use nowadays. Anyway, the sorcerer muttered some words, magic words I'm guessing, because once he finished speaking them, my body burned as if it were on fire. I tried to stay strong, but…" Takiel trailed off. "Let it suffice to say that I was subject to all sorts of torture at the sorcerer's hands." Takiel paused to collect her thoughts and contain her emotions, which were clearly starting to overwhelm her. In a few minutes, she was recovered and continued:
"I was beaten and poisoned within an inch of my life. And that sorcerer didn't care how much I suffered." Takiel spoke in a flat, emotionless voice but her eyes were filled with torment and misery. In a small gesture of friendship, Kili put his hand gently on Takiel's left shoulder.
"You don't have to go on if you don't want to," he asserted.
Takiel put her right hand on top of Kili's hand and squeezed it gently. "I need to finish. You're the only person who's ever heard all of this particular tale." Drawing strength from Kili's touch, she resumed her story. "I turned down the sorcerer's questions again, which didn't make him very pleased with me. He seemed to finally realize that I was useless for information because I was, to quote him, 'more stubborn than a Dwarf' and therefore not worth keeping around. For the second time in my life, I was faced with execution. Not that I was concerned about that, being poisoned and feeling like death already. I felt the poison pulsing more strongly through my veins the following morning, and feared I would not be able to save myself. As the morning wore on, I finally—mercifully, really—blacked out.
"When I woke up again, I was faint with starvation and could barely muster up the strength to sit up. I found out Ilúvatar had smiled on me that day and a man, magical in his own right, had found me alone in the sorcerer's home and had rescued me. He was able to provide me with an antidote to the poison and spent the next week or so nursing me back to health.
"It took me months to recover completely, and I spent a few years afterward honing my weapon skills again. This man also taught me many other skills, which have come in handy many times over the years. He trained many others like me—outcasts, runaways. Finally after spending years together, I bid my company farewell and went out into the world again. That was several years back, and I've been roaming Middle Earth alone ever since. You fourteen are the first bunch I've spoken to since I left my other company. And that, I think, will suffice to bring us to the conclusion of my story."
Takiel's tearstained face shone in the moonlight and she stared somberly into the distance. Kili didn't know how to react. He believed she had told him the truth, but to think one person could have been subject to such horror in her lifetime was unimaginable. In an attempt to comfort Takiel, Kili reached out one of his hands and intertwined his fingers with Takiel's. He was unsettled to feel Takiel's hand shaking. He grasped her hand more tightly, trying to reassure her, then Kili noticed Takiel's whole frame trembling. He became gravely concerned and tried his best to figure out how to comfort her.
"Takiel?" he asked gently.
"What?" Takiel asked in a soft voice, taut with suppressed emotion.
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
"I'm fine," Takiel answered gruffly. "What happened happened and there's no changing that."
There was a pause as the pair stared out into the darkness. Takiel contemplated sharing more of her story, but something held her back. Kili broke the silence when he tapped Takiel on the shoulder. She started, having been lost in thought.
"I wanted to give you something," Kili said softly.
Takiel looked up at Kili in surprise. "Oh?" she prompted.
Kili reached behind his head and unclasped a necklace. He held it up in the moonlight and Takiel barely contained a gasp of awe. The chain was made of a silvery metal that looked stunning when it reflected light, but the real beauty of the necklace was the pendant. It was shaped as a simple circle, but the front of the pendant was intricately carved with swirls that picked up the moonlight and tossed it around, illuminating the silver.
Takiel was speechless. She gently touched the pendant with her fingers, as if it were so delicate it would shatter at her touch. "It's gorgeous, Kili," she breathed. "Wherever did you find it?"
"I didn't," Kili answered shyly.
"Didn't what?" Takiel asked in confusion.
"Find it. I made it."
Takiel opened her mouth to say something, but found herself at a loss for words. "How long did you spend on it?" she asked.
"That doesn't matter," Kili replied.
"I want to know."
"I started it a few years ago. It took me awhile to come up with the perfect design." Kili distractedly ran his fingers over the necklace.
Takiel smiled at him. "It's flawless." She flipped the pendant over to look at the back to find it was engraved with Dwarvish runes which, much to her annoyance, she was unable to read. "What does it say?" she asked.
Kili looked away into the distance before answering. "It's just three words."
"Go on," Takiel encouraged.
"They're in Dwarvish."
"Kili!" Takiel scolded. "Just tell me!"
"You'll have to figure it out on your own." Kili smiled mischievously as he unclasped the necklace. Putting his arms around Takiel, he situated the necklace before clasping it shut. He laid the necklace down on Takiel's neck and, at the touch of his hands, Takiel glanced up at him. Her eyes had become a muted emerald color, quite different from the agitated green they had taken on during her story. She abruptly looked at the ground and exhaled deeply.
"What?" Kili asked, slightly concerned.
"Nothing," Takiel reassured him, shaking her head. "I just haven't felt this close to anyone in…years."
Kili removed his hands from Takiel's neck and put his hand on her cheek. Takiel's cheeks flushed slightly and she turned her face away. Kili removed his hand from her face and, without another word, stood up and walked back to the main fire.
Takiel waited until she knew Kili was out of earshot before murmuring, "What have I managed to get myself into?"
Back at the camp, Fili made room for his brother to sit down. "You two talked for quite a while, Brother," he commented.
"She had a lot to say," Kili explained.
"About?"
"Her life,"
"Really? She elaborated?" Fili asked in surprise.
"Reluctantly, but yes."
Fili raised an eyebrow and smirked at his brother. "You two were sitting awfully close together," he teased.
Kili ignored his brother's statement and settled down to go to sleep.
The following morning, Takiel awoke to someone's gentle shake. She slowly opened her eyes and was greeted by Fili's knowing smile. She raised her eyebrow at Kili's older brother as she gathered her belongings and stood up. As the Company moved on across the Misty Mountains, Takiel and Kili found themselves walking beside one another. A gust of wind rushed along the path, blowing Takiel's hair around. She hurriedly grasped it with her hands and pulled it back down over her ears. In response to Kili's questioning look she said, "Keeps my ears warm."
Kili was unconvinced but chose not to pursue the issue further. As the day went on, Kili and Takiel kept up some small talk, mostly about Kili's life since Takiel was naïve to Dwarf culture. Upon entering a path in the mountains, Takiel looked up anxiously at the sky and pulled her cloak tighter around her body. She looked worriedly at Kili and said, "Looks like a thunderstorm."
Sure enough, not more than an hour later, a ferocious thunderstorm bore upon the Company. Thunder and lightning crashed around them.
"Hold on!" Thorin bellowed.
Bilbo lost his footing on the slick stone and started to fall off the path. Dwalin grabbed him and pulled him back on solid ground just in time.
"We must find shelter!" Thorin shouted.
"Watch out!" Dwalin warned.
Everyone looked up to see a giant boulder crash into the mountainside above them. The Company pressed themselves against the side, narrowly avoiding being crushed by falling debris.
"This is no thunderstorm!" Balin cried. "It's a thunder battle! Look!"
Sure enough, a stone giant stood up and ripped a boulder off the top of an adjacent mountain.
"Well bless me, the legends are true!" Bofur was astounded. "Giants! Stone giants!"
"Take cover! You'll fall!" Thorin tried desperately to keep everyone in his Company out of harm's way.
"What's happening?" Kili shouted.
Takiel was too numb with fear to say anything. She had placed herself between Kili and Fili, knowing they would keep her safe.
The giant launched its boulder across the chasm at another stone giant who had appeared out of the mountains. The boulder slammed into the second giant's head. There was chaos in the Company as the Dwarves shouted at each other to hold on. The impact of the boulders and falling rock started to weaken the ground beneath the Company's feet. Finally, it split as a third stone giant appeared, sending part of the Company one direction, and part another.
"Kili!" Fili shouted. "Grab my hand!" The brothers tried to reach each other, but the chasm opened too quickly and they were torn apart.
Takiel, who had been in between them, was caught off balance and swayed precariously on the edge of a very long fall. She flailed around for a handhold and managed to grab ahold of Fili's outstretched hand. As soon as she regained her footing, Takiel looked around for Kili. She found him…on the opposite side of the crevasse.
"Kili!" she screamed.
"Takiel!" his reply echoed along the fissure. "Stay with Fili!"
The Dwarves who were on the other side of the crevasse vanished as the rock platform lurched away. Takiel and Fili lost sight of Kili, and Takiel grasped Fili's hand for reassurance. "Where are they?" she asked, panic leaking through her voice.
"On the other side of that ridge," Fili answered. "Relax. My brother knows how to take care of himself."
Takiel was about to reply when the group found themselves headed straight for the side of the mountain. "Fili…" Takiel's voice trailed off as panic set in. She clutched Fili's arm tightly, her fear of heights now trumped by a fear of being crushed.
"When I say jump, jump."
Takiel nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Fili counted down from three and, at one, they launched off the rock along with the other Dwarves and Bilbo. The rock giant smashed against the mountain, littering the group with debris, but fortunately, the larger rock pieces fell down the side of the mountain.
"No! No! Fili!" Thorin's anxious shout could be heard and, not too long after, the remaining members of the Company came rushing around the corner. They all were relieved to see each other alive and well.
"We're alright! We're alive!" Balin assured everyone else.
Suddenly, Bofur called out, "Where's Bilbo? Where's the Hobbit?"
"There!" Ori shouted, pointing off the cliff's edge.
"Get him!" Dwalin ordered.
Bilbo was clinging onto the edge of the mountain for dear life. Ori dove to the ground in an attempt to grab Bilbo's hand, but the Hobbit slipped and fell a few more feet before finding another handhold.
The Dwarves tried in vain to pull Bilbo up, but with no luck. At last, Thorin swung down next to Bilbo and boosted the Hobbit up to safety. Dwalin tried to lift Thorin up, but Thorin lost his grip and began to fall. With a massive effort, Dwalin managed to pull the Dwarf king back onto the ledge.
"I thought we'd lost our Burglar," Dwalin exclaimed, relieved.
"He's been lost ever since he left home," Thorin corrected. "He should never have come. He has no place among us. Dwalin!" Thorin motioned for the tattooed Dwarf to follow him into a mountain cave.
Takiel had backed away from the edge and stood huddled against the mountainside, shivering in fear. She was relieved that Bilbo and Thorin had both been pulled to safety, but had not been able to watch their rescue. Takiel's fear of heights still bothered her, and her near death experience left her heart pounding.
Kili detached himself from the rest of the group and walked over to Takiel. "Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.
Takiel shook her head. She tried to respond but her voice caught in her throat and she shrugged helplessly at Kili. Kili wrapped his arms around Takiel and pulled her close to him. "It's over now, Takiel," he soothed. "You don't have to worry about heights anymore." Takiel's grip tightened as she struggled to hold on to Kili.
Finally, she was able to speak and whispered, "It wasn't just the heights; I was afraid I was going to lose you."
Kili murmured, "That's why I gave you that necklace. As long as you have it with you, we'll never be apart."
As much to her surprise as to Kili's, Takiel did something completely out of character. She kissed Kili gently on the cheek before breaking their embrace and smiling shakily.
As she walked with Kili into the cave, Takiel glimpsed Thorin out of the corner of her eye. The Dwarf was staring at Takiel with a look of disgust. He did not like that his nephew was smitten with this strange woman whom they knew almost nothing about. Takiel looked back at Thorin and gently clutched Kili's hand for support.
"There's nothing here," Dwalin assured, his lantern-light shining on the back wall of the cave.
Takiel was as relieved to hear that as everyone else was, but something inside of her persisted that they were missing something.
Gloin dropped a pile of firewood on the cave floor. "Right then! Let's get a fire started!"
"No," Thorin disagreed. "No fires. Not in this place. Get some sleep. We start at first light."
Balin protested, "We were to wait in the mountains until Gandalf joined us. That was the plan."
"Plans change." Thorin shrugged. "Bofur," he ordered, "take the first watch."
Takiel shrugged off her uncertainty and joined the Dwarves in setting up blankets. Not too long after, everyone was fed and asleep for the night. Takiel, exhausted from the day's adventures, fell asleep with her head resting on Kili's chest. Shivering slightly as she slept, Takiel wrapped her arms around Kili to share his warmth. The young Dwarf smiled and ran his fingers through Takiel's damp hair. He soon fell asleep, his hand resting on Takiel's shoulder, holding her next to him. As they slept, they were peacefully oblivious to the stares from the other Dwarves.
Takiel was rudely awakened by Thorin's shout. She spotted the growing crack in the floor almost instantly and her breath caught in her throat. Immediately after, several stones on the floor flipped over, casting the Dwarves down into the darkness. They fell down a chute, spun along some underground passageways and spilled out into wooden cage. Before they could come to their senses, a pack of goblins was upon them, pushing and pulling them to their feet and along a rickety path after stripping them of their weapons. As they passed over a bridge, Takiel planted her feet firmly and abruptly stopped the procession, causing a pileup of Dwarves and goblins behind her. In the confusion, she attempted to run away, but the hilt of one goblin's sword caught her foot and sent her crashing to the ground. Takiel kicked out with her feet and succeeded in contacting one goblin's face. It snarled angrily at her and barked something in a language the Dwarves did not understand. Four larger goblins showed up out of the masses and hauled Takiel to her feet. They dragged her along between them for the rest of the trip, not caring if Takiel hit anything on the way.
Upon reaching their destination, the Dwarves were all roughly tossed in a pile on the stone floor at the feet of the Great Goblin. The Great Goblin was holding a mace, which was topped with a skull; he had warts and other boils all over his neck and swinging chin. The goblins piled the Company's weapons in the center of the platform.
Coming down off his throne, the Great Goblin looked with interest at the Company. "Who would be so bold as to come armed into my kingdom? Spies? Thieves? Assassins?" he questioned.
"Dwarves, your Malevolence," one of the goblins hissed.
"Dwarves?" the Great Goblin asked, perplexed.
"We found them on the front porch," the goblin explained hastily.
"Well, don't just stand there! Search them! Every crack! Every crevice!" the Great Goblin ordered.
The goblins complied with zeal. They threw out whatever they happened to find. One goblin threw Oin's hearing trumpet down and crushed it under its feet. The Goblin King continued demanding information from the Dwarves.
"Don't worry, lads – I'll handle this," Oin promised.
"No tricks," the Goblin King warned. "I want the truth! Warts and all!"
"You're going to have to speak up," Oin shouted. "Your boys have flattened my trumpet."
"I'll flatten more than your trumpet!" the Goblin King roared, and walked toward Oin.
"If it's more information you're wanting, I'm the one you should speak to!" Bofur quickly diverted the Goblin King's attention from Oin.
The Goblin King paused and looked to Bofur for further explanation.
"We were on the road," Bofur began. He stopped and amended his story. "Well, it's not so much a road as a path…actually, it's not even that, come to think of it, it's more like a track. Anyway, the point is we were on this road, like a path, like a track, and then we weren't! Which is a problem, because we were supposed to be in Dunland last Tuesday."
More of the Dwarves tried to add in their own input, but the Goblin King cut them all of, bellowing, "Shut up!"
Amid all the pandemonium, a few more goblin guards came in, dragging Takiel between them. She had fought them down every pathway and across every bridge, hindering their progress. They threw her down roughest of all, angry about all the trouble she had caused. As she hit the ground, her black hair was swept to one side, revealing a distinctly pointed ear.
Thorin's eyes widened and he spat, "You're an Elf!"