Disclaimer: Middle Earth and its inhabitants are copyright JRR Tolkien. Kelda, Sitheira and the Sky Folk are mine. :-)
Kelda sat with her knees pulled up to her chest in front of the hearth as she watched the flames flicker within. Her wings were held loosely open, stretched out on either side of her to avoid the discomfort of them being scrunched against the floor as she sat. In one room Gandalf watched over the hobbit, which had yet to recover from his earlier fainting spell. On her other side, still mostly in the dining room but having spread out a bit into other rooms, the dwarves murmured quietly to each other. The skyling found herself in the middle, a quiet observer. For the moment she watched Fili and Kili sitting at the table bullshitting together. Thorin was their uncle, their mother's brother, and with Thorin having no heirs of his own that she was aware of Fili, the older brother, was next in line for the throne of Erebor. The line of Durin yet endured.
Kelda was glad that they seemed to be doing well…her own family just seemed to get smaller. She, her little sister Anayla, their uncle Draxis, and his daughter Amva were all that were left. They had lost her older brother Shalix to dragon fire during the calamity and after the fall of Erebor her mother Drekka, the Queen of the Sky-Folk, had made a desperate and foolish attempt to retake the Throne of Stars, their old kingdom in the Grey Mountains to the north. Like all of the ancient kingdoms there it had been sacked by fire-drakes long ago. Despite the resistance from the remainder of the family, at the insistence of the Elders the Queen had gathered the mightiest of their people and headed north. None of them returned and were thought to have been slaughtered; a ridiculous waste of life. Kelda had still been too young to take up her mother's crown and so the custodial duty of what remained of their people had fallen to the Elders. They lived like gypsies, traveling along the east side of the Misty Mountains, selling their skills and their wares as they traveled between the great kingdoms of man, Rohan and Gondor. They lived off the land, hunted for food, traveled the skies and hoped that one day they'd find their place.
Looking to where Thorin and Balin stood together in the curved entry of a nearby hallway speaking in hushed tones, she wondered if this would be that time. Kelda loved Erebor and truly did want to help the dwarves reclaim their ancestral home…but she had reasons of her own for joining the dwarves' quest. The skyling was hoping beyond hope that if she helped the line of Durin return to the Lonely Mountain, she and her people might be allowed to stay. If that meant going through with the contract drawn between her mother and Thorin's grandfather before the fall of Erebor, then so be it. It was a sacrifice she was willing to make for the sake of her people and, if she were to be honest with herself, it wasn't really much of a sacrifice and one she didn't mind making. Or it shouldn't have been; she had never had doubts about her promise before, but as she sat there the nagging feeling that she wasn't worthy of fulfilling it fluttered around the back of her mind.
Having doubts, Queen of Skies?
I wish you would not call me that. 'Queen of Skies'. I am not the Queen of Skies; my mother was the Queen of Skies. I am Kelda, not Drekka. I'm a hunter, a warrior, a healer and a flightless cripple. I'm not the Queen of anything. They don't even want me to lead them in the first place. I don't know, Sith. Maybe the Elders were right. Maybe this was a bad idea.
None in the line of Réalta have ever turned away from a challenge nor backed out of a promise. Kelda heard Sitheiyra's cool voice roll through her head; it reminded her that the gryphon was with her, regardless of distance. The Muzmulomil was once again lounging about somewhere outside of the house. You have proven your worth many times over. You have the love and loyalty of our people, regardless of what the Elders say or do; the Sky Folk know who is truly responsible for their survival thus far. Let not your fears or the opinions of others hold you back. You are not alone. The dwarves need us and if the worst to happen is that you must honor your mother's end of the contract and marry Thorin Oakenshield, then we are lucky. You would not even consider any other choice of mate and you well know it.
Kelda sighed, biting her lip as she looked up from the fire to the dwarf prince in the other room. It was a point of concern for her, one that she had been attempting to ignore since Gandalf had told her of Oakenshield's survival. It was true that Thorin had never spoken harshly to her, had always been soft of voice and of a kind demeanor when she'd known him in Erebor. Meeting him had been a happy accident, one that had brought light and hope to her future and the future of her people. She had loved him and the roots of that remained buried into the center of her being.
One hundred and seventy years was a long time to be apart, though, and she was not the girl she once was. She wasn't whole, wasn't confident despite the act she put on and wasn't really a queen, at least certainly not the kind that should stand beside the King Under the Mountain. Even if their relationship had been true then, she was damaged goods now and hardly worth the time or attention of a proud dwarf king.
Do not buy in to the thoughts of your brainless fellows, little one. You know as well as I that dwarves judge you based on ability, and not on some ridiculous traditional ideal. They have no wings, cannot fly even the slightest. Why would they care about your ability to fly or not fly? After all, I am more than capable of doing that for the both of us. It is not the Sky-Folk Elders you are accompanying on this quest. Nor is it their opinions that should currently matter. The opinion that matters is that of a dwarf, a dwarf you grew up with, one you still love and who loves you just as much. You can fight, you can heal, you can hunt and you are loyal and good of heart. What more can he ask for?
Dwarves may respect one's abilities over all else, but they don't often forget when you fail, either.
And you truly believe your Mountain King will think you a failure? Due to something you had no control over? In that case, he is one too. You are now on equal grounds, the problem is solved.
Kelda frowned slightly as she thought about what to say to Sitheiyra's very good point, but as she went to respond a shadow fell over her, and an achingly familiar voice asked:
"Where are your beads?"
Kelda visibly started at the sudden interruption in her mental conversation. It was hard to be entirely aware of what was going on around her sometimes when she was that deeply embedded in her connection with the Muzmulomil and she rarely allowed herself to go that deep unless she felt completely safe, though she had no trouble feeling at ease with the dwarves milling about. The skyling looked up to see Thorin standing there looking at her, his expression much more open now that the night's business had been mostly concluded.
Ah, speak of a spirit and he shall appear, Sitheiyra said, her voice tinged with mischief. Do remember to look him in the eye, Queen of Skies, and try not to blush.
"Er, I'm sorry, what?" Kelda asked the dwarf, ignoring Sitheiyra's teasing comment altogether. She could hear the gryphon laughing at her expense.
"I interrupted a conversation." Thorin stated in a mildly apologetic tone, realizing what had been going on to make the skyling startle like she had. It wasn't the first time he'd accidentally scared her while she was talking to Sitheiyra, though the last time had been long ago. He seemed almost amused that it still happened.
"No-I mean yes, but it's, eh, it's fine. It wasn't important; you, um, you asked me something?"
Kelda tried not to make a face at the way she was stumbling over her words, but she realized she must not have been entirely successful, judging by the smirk that briefly tugged at Thorin's lips. The fact that the skyling could feel a blush crawling across her face didn't make her feel any better, either.
"You used to wear those golden dwarvish beads in your plumage," he said, motioning with a hand to the brightly colored feathers on her head. He seemed to have chosen to ignore her obvious nervousness for the time being, a decision she was quite grateful for.
"Oh! Oh, yes," Kelda said as she lightly brushed a hand over her feathers. "Yes, well, that's a long, strange tale and I don't want to bore you with it, but the simple answer is that I had to use them to buy my sister and cousin back from a group of bandits and I haven't run into any dwarves who I might be able to get to replace them since so, yeah. There it is."
"That does not sound like a boring tale to me, Lady Mage. Perhaps you'll be willing to share it with the company along the road? I'm sure we will have plenty of time for it on our quest. Speaking of which…"
Thorin pulled some folded parchment out of his tunic, which looked suspiciously like the contract Bilbo had fainted over earlier. Kelda doubted it would be much different from the hobbit's and as she had no issue with the terms she had overheard, when the dwarf handed it to her she simply retrieved her quill from its place on her belt, went to the signature page and signed her name in flowing script without so much as looking at it. As she went to hand it back to Thorin he didn't immediately move to take it, instead looking at her with an expression of slight disapproval.
"You're meant to read it."
"The terms sounded more than reasonable, from what I heard the hobbit read. Besides, I trust you," Kelda answered him with a slight shrug of her shoulders and a smile, still holding the contract out to him. Thorin kept his stern look, his dwarvish stubbornness coming out to clash with the skyling's own intractable nature.
"Trust is irrelevant. This is business; it must be taken seriously."
"Master Oakenshield, I'll have you know I take my commitments very seriously. Just ask any of the men who have tried to convince me to bed them since my last oath to you; they were all terribly disappointed to find just how seriously I take a contract," she answered casually, only to find that the dwarf prince did not find any entertainment in her facetious answer. Kelda sighed then, dropping her hand to rest the contract in her lap and letting her gaze fall to it. "You know, there was a time when you wouldn't have even bothered getting me to sign a contract. I would have followed you anywhere, contract or no contract, because I trusted you. Our entire relationship was built on trust. Does that make it irrelevant too?"
Kelda kept her eyes down, her face the perfect replica of a child on the verge of tears. After a short moment she heard Thorin breathe a relenting sigh, his outstretched hand appearing in her peripheral. The skyling immediately broke character and a bright smile of victory spread across her face as she looked up at him and gave him the contract.
"Your stubbornness does you no credit," Thorin said as he replaced the contract back in the folds of his tunic. Kelda laughed outright, earning her a flat look from the dwarf prince.
"My stubbornness? Oh please, spare me," she said as she hopped to her feet in one quick movement, shaking out her stiff wings. "Besides, you know you missed me."
"Well, I certainly did not miss the way you wield guilt as a weapon," he answered, though the softness to his voice told her otherwise. She thought about needling him for it, but found herself entirely unable to do so as he turned a familiar warm gaze upon her. "Welcome to the company, Lady Mage."
"I'm happy to be of service," Kelda responded politely, her ability to hide herself behind humor leaving her as her mouth curved up into a shy smile. "You may count on my aid, as well as Sitheiyra's. Our power and our knowledge are yours, in battle or otherwise."
"Come," Thorin said, waving a hand to where he had been standing earlier with Balin. The elder dwarf was still there, watching their exchange. "We are discussing our plans and I would appreciate the opinion of one as well traveled as you are."
"Absolutely! My experience is at your disposal. Lead the way, great king," she said, her joking tone having returned to her. To anybody else it would have looked like Thorin didn't react but Kelda noticed his brow twitch slightly and the glint in his eye as he glanced at her before he headed back to where Balin waited in the circular hallway.
As Kelda took her place beside Thorin, Balin looked at her and winked. Kelda gave him a small smile, shifting her weight from one foot to the other as Thorin unfolded the map Gandalf had given him earlier and held it out in front of him. It was familiar, in an odd way, standing with Balin and Thorin and talking about some such thing. They'd never been important things, of course. She'd only been nineteen when she saw them last. She wasn't part of their royal court, or their war council and even if she had been she would have been too young yet to have anything useful to add.
She wasn't a child anymore; she had experience and abilities that could help them get to Erebor. She had something to contribute. She was useful, and yet Kelda wasn't sure she preferred it. Thorin hadn't needed to pay her any attention before, even with their looming betrothal. He'd had no reason to spend any time with her unless he wanted to. That wasn't quite true anymore and while the largest part of her told her that it was unfair to him to jump to conclusions, a smaller, more persistent voice in the back of her mind reminded her that nobody else kept her around simply because they wanted to. They kept her around because she was useful. She knew that was all she was going to get them to admit, that she had uses, but that wasn't she wanted here. Not with him.
"We thought we would go East," Thorin began, snapping Kelda's attention back to him as he trailed his finger along the East Road on the map he held out in front of him. "As quiet and careful as we can, as far as the Long Lake. It's after that the trouble will begin-"
"After?" Kelda blurted, before really realizing what she was doing. She cleared her throat as Thorin turned to her with slightly raised eyebrows. "I mean, er, pardon me, Master Oakenshield, but you obviously don't know the roads east if you believe that we'll only find trouble after we've reached Laketown. I can't tell you too much about the roads this side of the Misties, but my people hunt that range and travel the wilderness east of them, from the realm of Gondor to the edge of the Mirkwood. The mountain pass travels through hard terrain that hides giants, goblins, sometimes even trolls and ogres. The wilderness past the mountain paths is riddled with wild beasts, bandits, and Orc packs roam the mountains and beyond. There's no way we'll avoid trouble."
Thorin looked at Kelda thoughtfully for a short moment, seeming to contemplate what she had said, then nodded his head.
"You're right. The dangers are numerous, but we'll deal with them as they come. You and I will have to have a more detailed discussion of the topic on the road. In the meantime, however…" Thorin returned his attention to the map, tapping his finger on the parchment. "We might go from the Long Lake up along the River Running and so to the ruins of Dale-the old town in the valley there, under the shadow of the Mountain. None of us like the idea of the-"
"That's what I thought. Sorry, Gandalf, I can't sign this. You've got the wrong Hobbit," Kelda heard, dragging her away from what the dwarf prince was saying. She looked up at the sound of the hobbit's voice, just in time to watch as Bilbo Baggins retreated to the relative safety of a room on the other side of the house. She glanced at the two dwarves with her, who had also stopped what they were doing to watch the hobbit walk away.
Hmm, Sitheiyra said, having caught enough of Kelda's thoughts to know what had occurred without having seen it herself. Oh well, at the very least now we will have none to worry for but ourselves.
So it would seem.
"It appears we have lost our burglar," Balin sighed. "Probably for the best. The odds were always against us. After all, what are we? Merchants, miners, tinkers, toy-makers; hardly the stuff of legend."
"There are a few warriors among us," Thorin responded, looking at the older dwarf. Balin gave him a half-hearted smile.
"Old warriors."
"I will take each and every one of these dwarves over an army of the Iron Hills. For when I called upon them, they came. Loyalty. Honor," Thorin turned his gaze to Kelda, meeting the skyling's silvery eyes. "A willing heart. I can ask no more than that."
Kelda held the dwarf prince's gaze, surprised at how difficult she suddenly found it; she couldn't quite stop the bloom of color across her cheeks as she gave him a small smile in answer. She could feel Sitheiyra's silent amusement at her reaction floating about the back of her mind, and her blush grew even worse. By the Sky above, but she was acting like a lovesick youngling.
"You don't have to do this," Balin said, leaning forward a bit to catch Thorin's eye. "You have a choice. You've done honorably by our people. You have built a new life for us in the Blue Mountains, a life of peace and plenty. A life that is worth more than all the gold in Erebor."
"From my grandfather to my father, this has come to me," Thorin answered, holding out the key Gandalf had given to him earlier. "They dreamt of the day when the dwarves of Erebor would reclaim their homeland. There is no choice, Balin. Not for me."
"Then we are with you, laddie. We will see it done."
"I suppose that settles it then. Burglar or no burglar, we'll get to that mountain and kick that dirty parasite out on his ass. In pieces, if need be." Kelda said cheerfully. Thorin looked at her, eyebrows arched high over his blue eyes and amusement clear on his face.
"In pieces, Lady Mage?"
"Yes, in pieces. Then I'm going to skin him and wear him as armor," the skyling said firmly, crossing her arms over her chest. She shifted from one foot to the other uncomfortably, not so much due to Thorin's attention this time but more so due to the way the walls seemed to be slowly inching their way toward her. Her tolerance for the small space was growing thin. She shrugged then, to hide her growing discomfort behind a nonchalant mask. "Unless, of course, you would prefer him to remain in one piece, in which case I will restrain myself. It is your call after all, yes? I can hardly expect to go against your wishes. At any rate, I believe I will settle myself under the stars with Sitheiyra tonight; I have need of the fresh air."
"Are you quite certain you wouldn't rather stay in here out of the elements, lass?" Balin asked, watching Kelda as she stretched her wings, shaking them out a bit before once again folding them neatly. "I'm sure we could find a way to fit the gryphon through the door, if that's your concern."
"Gods no, Sith would be simply incensed at the indignity of such a thing!" Kelda laughed, feeling Sitheiyra's bemused expression as she thought, Must you insist on using me as an excuse for your wish to run and hide?
I'm not running from anything. It's just become a bit too cramped in here for me, Kelda shot back to the gryphon before continuing. "At this point I've been living at the whim of the elements for so long it feels strange not to. I thank you for your concern, it's very kind of you, but I'll be fine."
"No." Thorin said firmly, causing Kelda to turn and look at him incredulously, arching a feathered brow.
"No? And why not? It's not as if I'm going to slip away in the middle of the night; I signed your contract and I am not known to go back on my word, as I mentioned to you before."
"But you have been known to wander off foolishly and get yourself into trouble and I would prefer the company stay together if at all possible from now until our quest's end," The dwarf prince said as he simply looked right back at her, exuding quiet authority. "The lads will need to get used to having you and the gryphon around as well."
"Unless you're uncomfortable staying here, Kelda. We are, of course, aware of the Skylings' discomfort in smaller spaces," Balin added gently, shooting the other dwarf a sharp look as he did.
"Oh no, no it's fine," Kelda answered Balin shortly, though she kept her eyes on Thorin. "He's right of course. How could he not be? He is King Under, Over and Around the damned Mountain after all. I shall concede to your wishes and remain then, oh Wise and Illustrious Leader, despite how small this hobbit-hole is. I wouldn't want to wander off and cause you any unneeded difficulty. That would be oh so inconsiderate of me."
Kelda was absolutely incensed. She didn't enjoy taking orders on the best of days, let alone when someone accused her of 'foolishly' going off in search of danger. She was aware that she could be impulsive, but there was little chance of her finding any trouble in the Shire and she felt like the walls were slowly closing in on her. She'd spent just a little too much time in the small dwelling and had exceeded her ability to remain comfortable. Regardless of whatever reasons he thought she needed to stay, Kelda was angry with Thorin Oakenshield and wasn't about to let it remain unknown.
"I will be claiming the seat under the window in the sitting room as my own, just so that I can stick my head out and remember the sky is still there in case I feel like I'm suffocating in the night. That is where I'll be should you have need of me," She didn't bother to hide the tightness in her voice as she gave Thorin a curt bow of the head. "Master Oakenshield."
The skyling mage turned on her heel and stepped out of the room without waiting for a reply. She went to open a window in the sitting room, where the fireplace still burned and gave off a warm glow. Upon finding the window she unlatched it, pushing it open harshly. Seeing that it was just large enough to fit her, Kelda climbed up onto the love-seat below the window and swung her legs over the window sill, perching herself in the window to face out into the night. She took several deep gulps of the cool air, the feeling of the breeze on her skin calming her considerably.
You know he meant you no offense, little one. You are simply no longer as used to his ways as you once were. Kelda heard Sitheiyra say. She could tell the Muzmulomil was already making her way around from where she had been laying beneath the dining room window.
That's all well and good, but I did take offense and I damn well intend to remain offended for quite some time.
Only until he attempts to make it up to you, then you will willingly accept whatever he does in apology, substantial or otherwise, and act as if this never happened. Exactly as you would have before.
Sitheiyra appeared out of the darkness to sit beside the window, peering at the skyling with her large green eyes. Kelda simply sighed and reached out to run her hands over Sitheiyra's neck before resting her forehead against the gryphon's.
I have no plan to forgive him so easily.
That is what you've said every time, the gryphon chuckled. You are both so ridiculously stubborn, but it the end it will come to the same conclusion.
Oh? And what conclusion is that?
You are his One, Queen of Skies. There is only ever one conclusion. Sitheiyra answered simply, before pulling her head back to look at something behind Kelda. We have company.
At Sitheiyra's prompt, Kelda turned to find Balin standing in the entry way holding a tray with two cups and a steaming tea-pot on it. The dwarf gave her an apologetic smile.
"I hope I'm not interrupting, but I thought you might like an evening cup of tea?"
"I'll never turn down a cup of tea," Kelda replied, sliding herself out of the window to sit in the love seat and leaving enough room for the dwarf to join her, if he so wished it. He did so, offering her the cup of tea which she took with a smile of gratitude. "Thank you. I assume you remember my Muzmulomil, Sitheiyra? Sith, surely you remember Balin."
"I do remember," Balin said, giving the gryphon a polite bow of his head in response to her own trill of greeting. "But it was quite some time ago. She was still fairly small; it's an honor to see her in her full glory. You don't drink tea, do you Lady Gryphon?"
Tea? Sitheiyra hummed in amusement, the deep sound making the glass in the room vibrate. Little one, might you tell him that is very kind of him, but I doubt there is any of my preferred drink here? And if there is any, there's hardly enough.
"Sitheiyra appreciates the offer, Master Dwarf, but the only hominid drinks she enjoys are Honey Mead and Skyling Rum, and I very much doubt that you have the several barrels that it would take to satisfy her," Kelda said, laughing at Balin's expression of surprise. "Gryphs have a tolerance to surpass elves, as I'm sure you can imagine. Regardless, she doesn't mind us drinking our tea."
"Ah, well, we'll have to keep that in mind, won't we?"
Kelda simply nodded wordlessly as she took a sip of her tea, her eyes finding the figure of Thorin Oakenshield holding a conversation with Dwalin in the other room. Balin must have followed her gaze, because he gave her a gentle pat on the arm.
"Don't mind Thorin, lass. He didn't mean to be quite so firm with you, he's just a bit on edge."
"Hm, it's fine. It's nothing I'm not already used to," Kelda answered, relishing the feeling of warmth that washed through her body with every sip of the hot tea. It helped greatly dampen her anxiety, which had built up so easily in the hobbit's little home. "I am more than capable of dealing with his sour attitude. Believe me; the behavior of the human lords we make trade with is often far worse."
"Yes, well, he'll feel badly about it in the morning, no doubt. If someone is going to get any kind of apology out of him, it'll most certainly be you."
"Maybe." The skyling said, subconsciously reaching up to fiddle with the pendant that hung on a chain around her neck. Balin was silent for a beat, watching Kelda for a moment before speaking again.
"Mahal knows he's not likely to tell you the truth of it, so I may as well do it for him. He doesn't need you to stay close because he distrusts you or thinks you'll bring trouble. It's not for the sake of the lads, either, but really for his peace of mind. He made a promise way back when, one that he wasn't able to keep at the time," Balin said, looking pointedly at the necklace she was playing with. "But he's of a mind to try and keep it now."
Kelda glanced at Balin briefly and, noticing where his gaze had gone, she looked down at the pendant herself. Her fingers traced over the image of a feather on the front of it and the runes on the back. A jagged crack ran down the center of it, from having been broken and then repaired.
"The King Under the Mountain hardly has to be concerned with keeping a century old promise to the likes of me," Kelda continued as she reached to run her hand along the underside of the gryphon's neck. "I'm naught but a lowly spell slinger, after all."
"Well, that's not true," the dwarf answered immediately. "You are the Queen of Skies and every dwarf in this company is aware of it, even if they pretend they aren't."
"I'm the Queen of Skies?" Kelda said, laughing as if the statement was absurd. "Oh please, do tell the Elders that if you see them. They'll get quite a kick out of it, I'm sure. The Skylings being ruled by a flightless war-mage? Hardly."
"Ah, well, flightless or not you're the rightful Queen of Skies and you'll be treated as such. Thorin will not stand for anything less," Balin answered. Kelda rolled her eyes at him, though secretly she was pleased; she was not used to someone being so openly accepting of her, a crippled skyling, as the Queen of Skies. It reminded her of why she so preferred dwarves to others, why she'd been so excited to be among them once more.
"If it helps at all," Balin continued when Kelda didn't say anything else. "Thorin does not quite know how to react to this. He remembers a young girl who did whatever she wished whenever she wished and cared not for what anyone thought about it; the one who demanded his attention, who disregarded rank and status and refused to call him by anything other than 'Thorin'. I don't think he expected that girl to turn up again as a woman who calls him 'Master Oakenshield' and uses biting humor and sarcasm as a shield to hide behind."
"That girl had to grow up," Kelda said with a shrug of her shoulders. "So did, I suppose, the Thorin who smiled as enthusiastically as Kili and played just as hard as he fought, who was always getting us out of the trouble I got us into. Neither of us are exactly who we once were. In reality, after all this time, we may as well be perfect strangers."
"I wouldn't be so certain of that, were I you," Balin suggested. "Can you truly be sure that he no longer smiles, simply because you have not seen him do so yet in the few hours you've been in his company? How can you know whether or not he still plays as hard as he fights without giving him the opportunity to do either? Do not be so quick to dismiss the relationship you once had; I've seen them survive worse."
The elder dwarf gives wise advice, little one, Sitheiyra said as she rested her head on the back of the seat. I would heed it.
It's not that simple.
It is that simple, you are just frightfully pig-headed.
"I guess only time will tell what lies ahead," Kelda said out loud, taking a gulp of her tea before giving Balin a side-eyed look. "And I do not hide behind my sarcasm; I use it to beat people into submission. Like a club."
"Mmm, indeed. How very dwarvish of you," Balin said impishly. Kelda gave a loud, full throated laugh at that comment, one that undoubtedly attracted attention from everyone else in the vicinity. She couldn't have cared less, of course; being loud and obnoxious was one of many non-skyling-like behaviors she retained that she had no intention of curbing.
"Oh, you have no idea how often I hear that, though it's usually not a compliment, is generally accompanied by scowls and followed up by long lectures about how I make life unnecessarily difficult for everyone around me. As if having fun makes others' lives difficult," Kelda scoffed. Balin chuckled amicably, causing the skyling to grin. "Thank you for the company, and for your counsel. I can see why Thorin has always valued your opinion so."
"He values yours too, whether you wish to believe it or not. Your willingness to join us on this journey has not gone unnoticed, Kelda, and is more appreciated then you can ever know. Don't let him make you think otherwise."
"Eh, we'll see how long that appreciative attitude lasts after I start lighting things on fire for fun," Kelda straight-faced, taking another gulp of tea. A person who didn't know her well might not have been able to tell that she was joking, but Balin just gave her a knowing look. Having finished his tea, the elder dwarf got up to join some of the other dwarves who had entered the room. Many of them had begun to smoke pipes. It was an incredibly common practice among dwarves and Kelda found it a strangely comforting scent, one that she had missed; smoking a pipe was a very rare thing among the Sky-Folk. The pipe-smoke danced eerily in the firelight and a heavy mood feel over the room as the rest of the dwarves entered, including Thorin, who leaned himself against the fireplace to look down into the flames.
As if all overcome by the same urge the dwarves began to hum a tune, one Kelda was unfamiliar with. The skyling folded her legs up underneath of her, curling both of her hands around her tea cup, and Sitheiyra lifted her head from the top of the chair to gaze upon the humming dwarves. Kelda's eyes went to Thorin as he began to sing, his voice deep and haunted.
"Far over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away ere break of day
To find our long forgotten gold"
The other dwarves lifted their voices to join him then, and as they did Kelda could do nothing but stare, enraptured by their song and caught in the webs of her own memories.
"The pines were roaring on the height
The winds were moaning in the night
The fire was red, it flaming spread
The trees like torches blazed with light."
She could see it, she remembered it like it had happened only moments before and as the room once again became quiet she let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She could feel the heat of the flames, hear the people screaming and hear the thundering roar of the calamity. She could feel her own terror. Not so much of the dragon, that overbearing presence that filled the halls with heat and noise and death. It was the fear of losing her light, her destined companion for life, losing him to the inferno.
Sitheiyra made a loud chirp, one that seemed to jolt everyone from their secret thoughts and return them to the present, to where they were gathered in the living room of Bilbo Baggins. Kelda glanced over her shoulder at the Muzmulomil, who looked at her with one big green eye, glanced past her, and then closed her eyes to doze once more.
He wasn't lost that day.
He was to me. He may have survived, but I lost him anyway.
So you thought. You believed him lost to time, or distance or death, but you have been proven wrong. The gods do not often give such second chances, little one. You would be wise not to squander it.
Kelda sighed, placing her empty cup on the table before stretching herself out across the chair and watching the others with half-lidded, tired eyes. She found she was far more tired than she had initially thought.
Perhaps, you're right, she thought back to Sitheiyra. The pair of them fell quiet then, closing their eyes and dozing in the glow from the fireplace, the familiar sounds and smells of dwarves submerging them in old memories.
