Zoor Se Dovahruth
Three
-Prazaak wah Dahmaan-
A Dinner to Remember
"But Monah is alive now," the little voice of a weak and scared girl called from beneath the blanket. The man chuckled, pulling the blanket down so that he could find the pretty blue eyes and little button nose. "She is isn't she?" the man noted with a pointed smile.
"So Alduin-"
"Alduin was never seen again," the man told the little tyke with a smirk. He knew the part with the dragon had put a little bit of fear in her, though deep down he knew she was much stronger than she was showing. "Monah, proved how brave she was by confronting the dragon god. She proved that no matter the price she was brave to confront her fears. Do you understand that, Nathith? It takes courage and determination to confront your fears."
When the little girl didn't reply, the man sighed and sat up from his lying position, "You should get some sleep. Perhaps the tale is too much-"
"No 'adad! Continue with the tale! I'm not scared," the little one insisted, sitting up and grabbing for the man's rough hands and pulled on them lightly when he began to leave. The man's blue eyes returned to the little girl, a teasing quality found twinkling in them. "Are you sure you want to listen to the rest?"
The little child nodded firmly and pulled on his arm once again to get her point across. The man sat back down on the bed, pulling the covers back over the little girl and then began where he left off, "Monah fell into a weightless sleep after the white light soothed her pain away. It was when she woke from her seemingly endless sleep that she realized something was not right. Something had changed…
It was as if the ice cold waves of the Sea of Ghosts had rolled over her and sent a shock through her system. Keeva took a deep breath, her eyes flickered open and found the warmth of the sun peering through the canopy of leaves. It was a different kind of warmth, the kind of warmth that was washing over the land during the autumn months. It wasn't the warmth she'd left, what she remembered.
Keeva lied on the ground, the grass around her billowing with the air breeze. Even the air tasted different. A thought crossed her mind and she found herself asking it aloud with no hopes of a reply, "I'm not home anymore, am I?"
"If this is what you would call a home, my dear, I would be truly concerned," a humble wise voice answered from above. Keeva lifted her hand to shield her eyes from the rays that were blinding her. But the shadow of a very tall man in a wide brimmed hat did the job for her. He cleared his throat, his grey eyes staring down at her expectantly. "So is this your home or do you need help finding it?"
Keeva sat up, scurrying to her feet and backed away from the extremely tall figure. The man wore grey robes, similar to the Greybeards but much simpler. His round brimmed hat turned out to come to a point. His long greying beard was wiry and haphazard. It was all very strange and yet so very welcoming. "I- I don't think you can help find it…"
The man in grey hummed with some disappointment, it was as if he was excited to take up the challenge. "Well, if I gather by your height and pointed ears I'd say you're a Hobbit. So naturally your home would be close by in the Shire."
"Hob-hobbit? I'm sorry, you're mistaken," Keeva insisted rather offended. The man's eye brows shot up with surprise. He hadn't expected to find such a fire like spirit in this one, "My name is Keeva. I'm part Bosmer and part Nord. I hail from the realm of Skyrim, you see."
The man's already sincere expression of surprise grew even more and then all of a sudden was very serious. With a closer look the pointy hat elder could see a dark magic surrounding the girl, its starting point floating around her right arm. Odd, he thought. It was easy to miss, they were barely visible red orbs but they were definitely there.
The man cleared his throat and brought his grey eyes back up to the young woman's gaze with a smile drawing on his lips, "I am Gandalf, the Grey, a wizard of Middle Earth. I'm afraid, my dear, that some terrible magic has brought you far, far away from home."
Keeva's eyes never left Gandalf, as if she did look away everything would disappear and another nightmare would begin to form before her very eyes. Somehow she knew the very minute she woke up that something wasn't right. The air, the season, the land, everything felt different in her bones. Then this Gandalf the Grey appears and confirms her suspicions.
Gandalf watched with humbled amusement, the young woman didn't realize that her face expressed much more than a normal person. It was almost comical. But her features ended up with very furrowed brows and pursed lips explaining very thought and emotion for the wizard. It was amazing how much magic he didn't need to understand people, "I believe I may be of some assistance Miss Keeva. If you wouldn't mind following me on a small trip, I would like to hear your tale."
Keeva's eyes brightened after she watched Gandalf's tall and slender frame walk away down the dirt path. Well, it was either follow him or not, she reasoned with a shrug of her shoulders. He obviously wasn't going to hurt her and in fact he seemed more interested in her tale than anything else. So he wasn't going to hurt her, of course not. He wanted to know about her home. It wasn't a common occurrence to just run into someone from another realm… who wouldn't be curious?
Keeva looked to the ground behind her and picked up her ebony quiver and bow then set off after the wizard, who wasn't too far ahead. After catching up, the young woman adjusted her pack over her shoulders and glance up at Gandalf out of the corner of her eye. She noted that Gandalf liked to hum to himself a lot. It reminded her of Arngeir, who would also talk to himself in such a manner. "Your home must be quite different from Middle Earth, I presume. Tell me a little about it, my dear."
Keeva cleared her throat before thinking about what she should say about her home. Looking around the area, the land, and vegetation around her it honestly wasn't much of a difference. Well, there were some things that were different, not my much though. But honestly, the air, the feel in her bones, they all told her something was very different. "Home looks very much like Middle Earth, from what I can gather. But- but the air, something about this land just doesn't feel the same even though it is a spitting image of what I'm so fond of."
"Perhaps your learning of this land will be easier now that you have made that correlation?" the old wizard suggested. Keeva peered back into the grey eyes of the wizard with contemplation. Perhaps he was right…
"What exactly has brought you here?"
The question asked by the Grey Wizard had a more complex answer than Keeva was sure the wizard was looking for. She wasn't sure if she should say anything at all. Wouldn't that put her in some sort of danger? Gandalf seemed trustworthy. He seemed wise and sensible. So Keeva took a chance and tried her best at simplifying her story, "Well, you see- I was on a quest."
Gandalf hummed with some excitement and looked down at the little Halfling with a smile, "A quest you say?"
Keeva nodded firmly glad to see that the Grey Wizard was excited to hear of her quest, "It was my pursuit to find a way to remove a curse."
"Curses can be tricky, my dear," the wizard warned with a pointed look. Keeva knew that look all too well, especially from the memory of her mother scolding her when she was much younger, going off on her own little adventures that would wind her up in dreadful situations.
Keeva rolled her eyes and smirked knowingly, "I've known that. Since the day my parents told me of it, I've known it was going to be tricky…
"You see I was born with the curse. Where I come from dragons have a very deep history in our culture, history, and tales. My father's ancestors were dragon slayers. They could use dragon language, read, speak, and produce Thu'ums. Well- many hundreds of years ago, one of my father's ancestors' slayed a dragon by the name of Fokeinvokul, a frost dragon that was in control of a good portion of the north eastern part of Skyrim. He spoke a curse in the dragon's tongue before he was killed. That curse promised that the first girl born in his family would be cursed. It so happens that that curse ensured that Fokeinvokul's soul would take up the girl as a host until the return of the evil dragon god Alduin… I was the first girl born in my father's long line."
Keeva paused to look up at the Grey wizard to gauge his reaction. All she could construct was a pondering face and a humble quiet hum. She slowly found herself growing to love the sound of his hums as she continued on with her tale, explaining the death of her parents after the assassin had come to kill her, her travels to High Hrothgar, and then the revealing of the Dovahkiin that would prophesize the return of Alduin. It was all spilled out for the wizard to digest and think over as they continued to walk down the dirt path at a very easy pace.
"And has your quest been fulfilled?" Gandalf had asked her after the young girl took a deep breath to regain some peace. Keeva looked to Gandalf surprised. Did it Alduin take her curse away?
Why hadn't that been the first thing she looked for when she had woken up? Keeva glanced at Gandalf briefly, a hopeful look, before pushing up the sleeve of her fur coat, which had become too warm to wear now that she thought about it. Turning her arm upright, Keeva wasn't sure what she had expected to find. Perhaps she'd been too hopeful but deep down she knew something wasn't right. So why was she so upset when she found the red plump burnt letters on her forearm. Keeva had even stopped walking, the disappointment in her growing, "I don't understand. Wouldn't his name leaving with him?"
Gandalf hummed with some dissatisfaction when he found the sharp, angular, and dark words upon the light tanned skin of his new friend. The red orbs were much more pronounced now that the marks were presented clearly in front of him. Whatever this young girl had gone through to get rid of that mark was not safe and Gandalf was sure that her quest wasn't over, far from it in fact. But with her being sent to another realm there was no possible way for her to complete the task at hand and Gandalf wasn't positive he could help her get home either.
A thought crossed the wizards mind once he knew there was nothing he, nor she, could do about the situation, but he knew Keeva would be a wonderful addition to the cause he was gathering, "My dear, keep this story between us for now. You're plight might gain more unwanted attention than you or I need. But I have a proposition that may keep you occupied until I have found the right person, who may know how to help."
Keeva looked up at the Grey Wizard expectantly. Was he really willing to help her so easily? Keeva couldn't deny that she was somewhat suspicious, she'd had plenty of experience to feel that way, but somewhere deep in her heart Keeva knew she could trust Gandalf. She was going to follow him, for as long as necessary but this proposition may change those circumstances. Her brows lifted nearly to her hair line with curiosity as she pushed the sleeve back down to hide her scar. "What kind of proposition?"
"One that maybe right up your alley," he grinned, while leaning against his staff. "How would you like to go on an adventure?"
Keeva couldn't help but smile at the way Gandalf looked, that wonderful grin upon his lips and his grey eyes alight with excitement. It was like he was a kid again. Ready to explore the world and all its glory, "What adventure would that be, Master Gandalf?"
"One that will ensure a very grand fortune, the company of dwarves, and the slaying of a dragon," Gandalf explained as he began to walk down the road again, Keeva at his heels.
The sky was beginning to grow dark. The twilight was taking reign over the sky and the stars were beginning to litter the sky in all their glory. Keeva couldn't help but feel a sort of giddy feeling in the pit of her stomach at the thought of slaying a dragon. She'd always been the one up for a daring challenge. Her parents had been known adventures and legends within the Thieves Guild. Perhaps this was her chance to find a name for herself. The thought of it was exciting enough, "I thing I would like to take up your offer, Master Gandalf."
"Wonderful," he told her with a lovely smile. It was as if he'd already knew her answer and Keeva couldn't help but let the wisp of a giggle leave her lips. Gandalf peered down at the Halfling once more to see her bright and luminous smile, happy to see her delighted, "We're to meet for dinner with the rest of the company this evening and then begin on our journey on the morrow. I'll have a word with the company's leader but do try to make a good impression. He's very hard to convince in curtain aspects."
By the time Gandalf and Keeva had reached their destination the sun had gone to sleep and been gone for nearly an hour or two into the night. The forest had thinned out and Keeva could at least make out that they were in a very hilly area. There were little windows alight with candles that were dug in little holes in the ground. Keeva could make out round little doors with small gardens that greeted anyone that would come knocking. The trail that Gandalf led Keeva, they stumbled upon a group of rather boisterous short round men.
"Is that you, Master Gandalf?" one of them called out in the night.
"It is, Master Gloin. How are we this evening?" the Grey wizard asked while pausing just outside a larger hill with a much bigger green round door. Keeva peered around the tall wizard to get a quick glimpse of the men that Gandalf was greeting. There were at least nine in total. Quite a company, she thought to herself.
"Quite fine, now that we've found our destination," another answered.
"Well, let us move inside and fill our stomachs, shall we?" Gandalf suggested. Keeva followed behind Gandalf after the company of nine dwarves filed up to the door, pressing each other to get into the door faster than the other. One knocked and they all waited for an answer. A rather unhappy answer was coming from the other side, louder and blatant as the person came closer to the door. The dwarves were becoming impatient at that point and by the time the door opened they all pushed in at once, falling on to the entry floor. Gandalf chuckled and bent down so that he could see their host. Keeva peered around the wizard's grey robes and found a very short, curly haired, young man that was not pleased in the least.
"Gandalf…" the short man sighed with a pointed look.
Keeva could tell when one was unwelcomed. So when the dwarves began filing in and going through the pantry after removing their packs and weapons, Keeva paused short at the door when Gandalf lowered down to go inside. If she wasn't welcome then she didn't want to intrude. Gandalf, after realizing his shadow had stopped following him, turned around and found Keeva at the front stoop, Bilbo starting at the wizard most dreadfully. "Keeva, my dear, do not worry. Just come inside and make yourself at home."
Keeva looked to the Bilbo attentively. The hobbit in return gave a half force smile and gestured her to come in. After she ventured into the entry way and Bilbo closed the door behind them, Keeva spoke up, not wanting there to be any differences, "If it is any consolation, I hadn't known that you weren't expecting company. I will-"
"Please, you're welcome to come in and eat," he told her with that forced smile. "You're the only one that's been thoughtful about it, at least. Thank you."
Keeva nodded stiffly but continued to follow Gandalf into the hall after removing her pack and weapons, setting them within the pile of the others. The dwarves were gathering all they could out of the pantry while also setting up the already crowded dining room, removing and adding furniture here and there. The fire was roaring and the room was filled with laughter and joyful reunions. Keeva felt slightly left out seeing as how she had never met any of these people before, though it was funny how one of them – the one with the floppy eared hat – had asked her if she was a dwarf like them. "I am not, sir!"
The comment was almost insulting but Keeva was actually having a harder time trying to hold back a light giggle. Gandalf stepped in with a chuckle and a hum, "Do not feel insulted, Miss Keeva. You are rather short for a man and elf. Bofur, this is Miss Keeva, a Halfling of man and elvish decent. It would be wise to let the others know so that we don't make the same mistake."
Before Keeva could take another breath, she was being ushered into the dining room by Bofur, his arm hooked in the crook of hers. He whistled to the company of dwarves that were filling their plates and stuffing their faces. Their attention left their plates abandoned and gave their new guess consideration, "Lads, I would like to introduce you to Miss Keeva."
Keeva gave a jittery waved at the men around the table, each and every one of them began to smile and smirk, a woman was in their midst! Oh the fun they were going to have trying to embarrass this little lass, "Are ye a dwar-"
"Ah, Nori- no! Miss Keeva, is- well, she's-"
Keeva couldn't help but giggle when Bofur couldn't find the words he had already forgotten. Keeva wagered she'd be kind a save him the trouble. So she placed a graceful and caring hand upon the one that was in the crook in her arm and spoke to him with a teasing quality to her voice, "I'm a Halfling. Just leave it at that, Mister Bofur."
"A Halfling," Bofur breathed with relief and smiled warmly at her before returning to the table of men, "Well, make room for her. Common!"
The one side of the table scooted down just a little further as another chair was seemingly produced out of thin air. Bofur then pulled out the chair, allowing her to sit with a broad smile on his lips, happy to help and make her feel at home. Bofur pushed her in, patting her on the shoulder as he sat down next to her at the head of the table. Another dwarf, to the right of her, introduced himself with a sweet and innocent smile, "My name is Ori. It's nice to meet you, Miss Keeva."
"Oh, please just call me Keeva. Miss sounds too formal," Keeva urged with an earnest smile. Ori blushed a deep shade of red, almost as red as Keeva's tresses, causing a small little chuckle to slip from her mouth. Ori blushed even further but smiled none the less. "If you insist, Mi-, Keeva."
A grey headed, and most spectacularly braided, dwarf leaned into the table, across from the only young woman in the house, and smiled warmly, "Would you like a cup of chamomile tea, Miss Keeva?"
Keeva held back a sigh because of the formalities, but couldn't help but grin thankfully, "Yes, please. Thank you. Um- what is your name?"
"Dori, Miss," the dwarf said while handing her the perfectly crafted cup. Keeva's cradled the ceramic piece with care and smile down at the warmth that was steaming back up into her, smelling particularly wonderful.
"Yes, thank you Mister Dori," Keeva replied while sitting back and sipping on her drink.
Throughout the evening Bofur and Ori would place slices of cheese and bread on her plate while she wasn't looking. Bofur would wink when she would happen to find the food, only to make her laugh some more. He was very keen on keeping her eyes alight and a whimsical laugh producing for them to hear. There was a food toss at some point in the dinner, where Bofur would toss a roll in the air and Bombur, a very portly dwarf with hair as red as Keeva's, would catch it in his mouth with no hands. The room would roar with laughter after Bombur was successful and Keeva couldn't hold back her laughter anymore. She let it join into the vast array of tenors, baritones and basses that filled the room, feeling very much like one of the company. Gandalf was very thankful the dwarves had taken kindly to her company. Only Valar knew she needed it.
Sooner or later, the food was being thrown everywhere and Keeva was finding herself trying to block the projectiles with her now empty plate. Blindly she would swing the plate every once and while, hoping beyond hope that whatever was coming her way would end up flying in the opposite direction. She was having fun though, something she hadn't had in a very long time.
There was a dwarf on the table by the time Keeva was able to gain any sort of ground and comfort at her post. Bofur and Ori were laughing and eating away as if a dwarf on the table was normal. Keeva glanced at the dwarf with meek blue eyes, trailing from the feet up. This one she hadn't been introduced to yet. He was clearly much younger than most of the dwarves, save for Ori and another young dark headed dwarf down her side of the table. But this dwarf's hair was blessed with the lovely golden kiss of the sun. He began walking down the table carefully balancing the mugs and then handing out the ale with skill not even Keeva think she could muster, "Who wants an ale? There you go."
Keeva's gaze stayed on the golden haired much longer than she realized, exploring him just a bit more than she had the other dwarfs. Why? She wasn't sure if it was because the dwarf's sun kissed hair reminded her of her father or just her fond love for all things First Seed and Sun's Height. His features were not rough or rugged like her father but they were broad, full, and well… down right handsome. His blue eyes didn't help in the matter either and Keeva found herself swallowing hard, trying to keep her composure within the room full of very intoxicated dwarves.
"Let him have another drink!" Dwalin called down the table with a very rough teasing jab at Oin next to him.
"Here you go," the young golden haired dwarf said while handing out another mug. His blue eyes glanced just for a second at Keeva, finding her staring at him. When he looked back, to see if he wasn't seeing things, Keeva was sipping another bit of her tea, her eyes trained and focused on the steaming liquid in the cup. The young dwarf could only smirk and set back down at his end of the table though he couldn't help but let the blue pools of his eyes to venture down the rows of food just to look at the wild and feral girl again, to see if he could find her staring back.
Dwalin began to pour his ale into Oin's hearing trumpet and as the old dwarf spluttered in anger over the action, everyone else began to laugh. Oin the put his hearing trumpet to his mouth and blew the ale out of it, producing an odd little squeal from the instrument. Keeva giggled to life while Bofur began pounding the surface of the table in earnest delight and laughter.
Out of nowhere, the dwarves began collecting their mugs and raised them to each other in unison, "On the count of three!"
Keeva looked around the table in amazement as the dwarves pounded their tankards together, "One! Two!" and then the room became silent as they all began to drink their ale together. Keeva's eyes grew round, immense would be the word Gandalf would have used, and she couldn't help but bite on her bottom lip in anticipation to see what would happen next after they had finished. She'd never experienced such an occasion and gathering of so many people before in her life. Everything was so new to her yet she loved every moment of it.
When the tankards began to fall away from their mouths, a burping contest began around the table. Ori, right next to Keeva, belched the loudest, earning laughs and a disgusted look from Bilbo.
Dinner finished quickly after that and Keeva found herself helping gather the dishes around her while Bilbo was running around trying to keep some sort of order within his home. Keeva reached for Oin's plate, glad that he and many of the others on her side of the table were able to clear them of food. She was happy they didn't waste the food either. Keeva could remember the hard way. Her mother wouldn't have let her leave the dinner table until every piece of cabbage leaf was clean from her plate.
Upon reaching the young dark headed dwarf's plate another hand reached down to grab it as well. Keeva hesitated, her eyes venturing up the arm of the dwarf to find blue pools gleaming back down at her. "Sorry-"
The young golden haired dwarf just smiled, picking up the plate and setting it on top of her growing stack, "My name's Fili… and you are Miss Keeva."
"Uh- well you can just call me Keeva. Miss is a bit too much," she insisted with her heart pounding in her chest. Keeva wasn't sure if she'd heard the dwarf's name correctly. It was Fili right? Oh she couldn't believe it herself. Fil meant star and Lii, liberty. Though she knew she was reading too much into his name – for goodness sake, he wasn't even born in Tamriel let alone in Skyrim – she couldn't help but think his name in her tongue was perfect for his sun kissed hair and true royal blue eyes.
Keeva tried her best at producing a smile so that she could at least make a good first impression. After all, Gandalf had asked her to be friendly and impress her future companions. Fili just grinned from ear to ear, already scheming things within his own little head. "Well Keeva, let me help you clear the table, at least."
Keeva blinked in surprise though as the dwarves around her began to sing a song while cleaning the dining room. Even Fili was joining along, enjoying his time as he helped throw the plates to his brother down the hall. Kili and Fili started off the little memorable tune, using the normal day to day objects as lyrics to their song. Keeva found herself beginning to tap her foot and bobbing her head to the beat as she tried her best to stay out of the way. Bofur continued to lead the rest of the company as they gathered more and more plates, left overs and scraps being dropped off in front of Bombur at the end of the table.
When the lyrics took a break for a small instrumental solo, Keeva was caught by her elbow in a small round-about with Nori, the star headed dwarf. Taking hold of her right hand and placing another at her waist, he danced her around the hall as the others continued bouncing and tossing dinner ware cross the house.
At the end of their little tune Keeva found herself in the kitchen, staring at the clean stack of dishes and all the dwarves smiling and laughing when Bilbo found them done. Keeva couldn't help but smile and laugh as well. Their little company wasn't so bad really. They were very polite and hospitable, open and lovely to talk to. But then the laughter died down after a knock from the front door announced that another visitor had arrived.
Keeva turned her concerned gaze to Gandalf, who grimly announced, "He's here."
Whoever it was, she was sure he was very important. Especially with the way the entire room had gone silent. Keeva followed the dwarves into the entry where Gandalf and Bilbo went to answer the door. Each and every one of the dwarves seemed to have been waiting for this person, she reasoned. So when the door was open and on the other side stood a very noble looking dwarf, Keeva kept quiet and listened well. Just like her father would have taught her when they would be summoned by Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak.
"Gandalf," the deep voice was almost melodic with every word he spoke, "I thought you said this place would be easy to find."
As he entered through the door, very much like how Keeva remembered her Jarl, he began to explain himself, "I lost my way, twice. Wouldn't have found it at all had it not been for that mark on the door."
"Mark? There's no mark on that door. It was painted a week ago!" Bilbo insisted with some confusion.
"There is a mark; I put it there myself. Bilbo Baggins, allow me to introduce the leader of our company, Thorin Oakenshield." Gandalf looked to the little hobbit proudly. Keeva found herself trying to hide behind Bombur while watching the exchange. She only peered around him once to get a glance at Thorin again. He was quite a noble looking man. Fili had spotted Keeva behind Bombur and grinned wickedly before he pulled on one of her gangly braids to gain her attention. She squeaked like a small mouse and slapped his hands away with a dusting of pink upon her face. He chuckled lightly, only earning a very pointed look from the girl.
"So, this is the Hobbit. Tell me, Mr. Baggins, have you done much fighting?"
"Pardon me?" Bilbo asked unsure with what was going on. Thorin continued though, asking the question in a different way, "Axe or sword? What's your weapon of choice?"
"Well, I have some skill at Conkers, if you must know, but I fail to see why that's relevant," Bilbo began to deflate.
Fili's tongue stuck out the side of his mouth as he leaned back and found another gawky braid amongst the many decorated in the fire colored hair upon Keeva's wild head. This one though, had a particular blue bead braided in and he liked the way it shined in her hair. So he picked it with his thumb and index and tugged lightly on Keeva's hair again just to see how she would react. This time Kili was chuckling when Fili found himself rubbing the sore spot on his arm that Keeva had lightly punched. She had fire in her spirit. He like that quite a lot, he thought while a smirk pulled at the corner of his lips.
"Thought as much. He looks more like a grocer than a burglar," Thorin joked earning a few chuckled from the dwarves that were around.
Keeva thought herself safe after Thorin began removing his weapons. She hadn't wanted to be introduced just yet. But Thorin's stormy gaze found the slim and short frame of the girl trying to wiggle through the other stout and broad frames of the dwarves. "And who might you be?"
Keeva's eyes closed with a scrunch, her plan failing. She bit her lip and turned around so that she could see the noble man walking towards her, the dwarves around her moving out of the way. Keeva reasoned her best bet was to just pretend that Thorin was like Jarl Ulfric and be a polite and courteous as she could be. Keeva made a slight bow, "Keeva, at your service."
When her eyes finally made their way back up to the stone grey ones of Thorin's, Keeva could only find a hint of frustration. In the Halfling's defense, Gandalf came to her rescue. With a modest hum Gandalf squeezed through the dwarves and placed a reassuring hand on Keeva's shoulder, "Miss Keeva is a acquaintance of mine that has a keen knowledge and skill with dragons. I reasoned she could be of some use tonight."
Thorin eyed Gandalf warily but gave Keeva a forced soft smile in return to ease the tension. "If you trust this woman, Master Gandalf, then I will trust your judgment."
Keeva couldn't have been more offended than she had in that moment of exchanged words. But Gandalf had insisted that she be amiable and pleasant, the light squeeze on her shoulder from his wrinkled hand was only a reminder. So Keeva forced a smile from her lips as well and bowed her head out of respect.
The party moved back into the dining room and Keeva waited for all of them to find a seat before she followed Gandalf in - still a little put off by the rude words from Thorin - and stood beside him for further comfort.
Out of the corner of her eye she found Fili eyeing her every so often. She tried her best to keep her eyes on the table and her ears listening to what mattered most. But the sight of the troublesome dwarf watching her with his wonderful blue eyes never seemed to leave the back of the young Halfling's mind.
"What news from the meeting in Ered Luin? Did they all come?" Balin asked to start the official business after Thorin was given a bowl of soup and bread to go with it.
"Aye. Envoys from all seven kingdoms," Thorin announced. There were murmurs of excitement from all the dwarves around the table.
"What do the dwarves of the Iron Hills say? Is Dain with us?" Dwalin asked hopefully.
"They will not come," Thorin answered darkly, then commenced the murmurs of disappointment. Keeva could see a pattern begin as she learned best from watching. "They say this quest is ours, and ours alone."
"You're going on a quest?" Bilbo asked curiously. Keeva was curious as well. Gandalf had been very vague on what exactly the quest was about but did at least let her know what kind of things she should expect.
"Bilbo, my dear fellow, let us have a little more light," Gandalf requested. He glanced up at Keeva and gave a quick wink before producing a map from his pocket and laying it out on the table for Thorin and the others to see. Bilbo quickly brought over a candle to help light the map.
"Far to the East, over ranges and river, beyond woodlands and wastelands, lies a single solitary peak," Gandalf began to explain in his very elder voice. Keeva closed her eyes while listening, imagining Arngeir in front of her while say those words.
"The Lonely Mountain," Bilbo read off of the map slowly.
"Aye. Oin has read the portents, and the portents say it is time," Gloin stated from the other side of the table. Keeva lifted her lids and let her gaze wander around the table to the other dwarves.
"Ravens have been seen flying back to the mountain as it was foretold. When the birds of yore return to Erebor, the reign of the beast will end," Oin recited.
"Uh, what beast?" Bilbo asked concerned, a shift in his gaze went from one dwarf to another and even glanced unsurely back at Keeva. She wasn't sure why he even looked at her but in a way she reasoned Bilbo found some sort of comfort in her.
"Well that would be a reference to Smaug the Terrible, chiefest and greatest calamity of our age. Airborne fire-breather, teeth like razors, claws like meathooks, extremely fond of precious metals—" Bofur could have gone on describing the dragon, but was interrupted by Bilbo who was not so amused, "Yes, I know what a dragon is."
"I'm not afraid! I'm up for it. I'll give him a taste of the Dwarfish iron right up his jacksie," Ori stood, proud and strong with his words but all the other dwarves began to shout, "Sit down!"
"The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us. Be we number just thirteen, and not thirteen of the best, nor brightest," Balin pointed out to the room. Keeva had noted that probably most of the dwarves didn't realize she was coming along. Otherwise she would have taken offence to that remark of not being the best or the brightest.
"We may be few in number, but we're fighters, all of us, to the last dwarf!" Fili argued, slamming his fist down on the table glancing at each person at the table, his gaze ended on the girl near his uncle hoping to find her staring back at him. She was in fact. Her blue eyes were watching him carefully. His brother Kili had even backed him up, "And you forget, we have a wizard in our company. Gandalf will have killed hundreds of dragons in his time."
"Oh, well, now, uh, I-I-I wouldn't' say that, I—"
Keeva looked to the wizard pointedly. She thought he was more than just a wise wizard but hearing the uncertainty in his voice was making the young girl question what was going on. Dori spoke up, asking the question everyone wanted to know, "How many, then?"
"Uh, what?" Gandalf asked, trying to avoid the question. Keeva even found the Grey Wizard glancing out of the corner of his eye at her… What was he planning?
"Well, how many dragons have you killed? Go on, give us a number!"
Gandalf gave a humble hum before turning his gaze up at the young girl, "It does not matter how many I have killed or not killed but what does matter is that I have found someone who will be of some use to us when it comes to dragons."
All the eyes in the room landed on Keeva – an even more pointed look from Thorin - and she looked around shaking her head, "No- no, Gandalf, this is not what you said the proposition was about."
"But you did agree, my dear," the Grey Wizard said grimly. "I'm afraid it may have been fate that has brought you here today."
Keeva's blue eyes scanned the room, fear and uncertainty behind them. Balin piped up, the question burning, "What sort of use would you have for us, lass?"
Keeva swallowed thickly before stepping forward and playing with her fingers out of nervousness from all the attention, "I don't know how much use I may be, but I have been blessed or cursed - depending upon how you see it - with the understand of Dovah, dragon tongue. In my homeland, the language is both sacred and magical. After years of practice and training, learning and memorizing, I can produce the same sort of magic that Dragons can. Though… I'm still in training-"
The room was either jumping to arguments of disappointment or others just stared back at the girl in amazement. Either way Keeva found she was rather embarrassed and Thorin placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, sincerity in his eyes now, telling her she was finished and that she needn't say more.
Keeva back up against the wall again, and listened as Thorin tried to calm the table of those that were not happy, "Shazara! If we have read these signs, do you not think others will have read them too? Rumors have begun to spread. The dragon Smaug has not been seen for 60 years. Eyes look east to the Mountain, assessing, wondering, weighing the risk. Perhaps the vast wealth of our people now lies unprotected. Do we sit back while others claim what is rightfully ours? Or do we seize this chance to take back Erebor? Du Bekâr! Du Bekâr!"
The table began to cheer after Thorin's little speech. It seemed to work, gathering them all together and making Keeva feel much better now that the attention was gone from her. Thorin turned his gaze back to her and smiled earnestly for the first time, "You'll have to tell me about this gift later, please. I'm sorry for any discord I have brought on you."
Keeva nodded, "I- I would love to."
"You forget: the front gate is sealed. There is no way into the mountain," Balin pointed out grimly, bringing Thorin attention away from Keeva and back to the table of dwarves.
"That, my dear Balin, is not entirely true," Gandalf hummed while twiddling his fingers and producing a dwarvish key that seemed to capture the entire room's attention. It even had Keeva staring at its magnificent decoration and mystery.
"How came you by this?" Thorin asked in amazement, his gaze captured to the only hope left in his life.
"It was given to me by your father, by Thrain, for safekeeping. It is yours now," Gandalf explained while handing the key over to Thorin.
"If there is a key, there must be a door," Fili noted, his eyes glistening with wonder. Kili looked just as amazed as his brother.
Gandalf pointed at the runes on the map with his pipe and hummed a wonderful sound that Keeva so loved, "These runes speak of a hidden passage to the lower halls."
"There's another way in!" Kili shouted ecstatically. Keeva let out a quiet little chuckle at the young dwarf's evident observation.
"Well, if we can find it, but dwarf doors are invisible when closed. The answer lies hidden somewhere in this map and I do not have the skill to find it. But there are others in Middle-earth who can. The task I have in mind will require a great deal of stealth, and no small amount of courage. But, if we are careful and clever, I believe that it can be done."
"That's why we need a burglar," Ori pointed out quite adorably, earning a smile from the Halfling.
Bilbo chimed in for once, "Hm, a good one too. And expert, I'd imagine."
"And are you?" Gloin asked with a smirk. Keeva tilled her head lightly to see Bilbo's answer. She was curious as well. Keeva had been trained by a legend of the Thieves Guild, so she could contest to whether Bilbo was or not. Keeva was skilled in stealth but how well was Bilbo? Would she have to help him? Did she even want to?
"Am I what?"
"He said he's an expert! Hey hey!"
The dwarves around the table began to laugh but Keeva looked to Bilbo pointedly. He even caught her suspicious look before he began to defend himself, "M-me? No, no, no, no, no. I'm not a burglar. I've never stolen a thing in my life."
"I'm afraid I have to agree with Mr. Baggins. He's hardly burglar material," Balin said while nodding his head firmly. Even Bilbo nodded in agreement. Keeva just smirked and held a laugh back by biting her tongue.
"Aye, the wild is no place for gentlefolk who can neither fight nor fend for themselves," Dwalin agreed but then arguments began to break out again and Keeva had noticed Gandalf's temper growing steadily angry the more the arguments ensued. He began to stand, his height towering over them and his shadow becoming massive as his voice seemed to have this raw hidden power, stopping all the others arguments so that they could gawk. Keeva was reminded lightly of the Daedric Princes her mother had warned her of, even though she prayed the Nocturnal, the Daedric Prince of night, darkness, and luck. "Enough! If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar, then a burglar he is."
Gandalf began to get smaller then as he sat in his chair, becoming his normal self, humbly taking a puff of his pipe, "Hobbits are remarkably light on their feet. In fact, they can pass unseen by more if they choose. And while the dragon is accustomed to the smell of dwarf, the scent of hobbit and of Miss Keeva's kind is all but unknown to him, which gives us a distinct advantage. You asked me to find the last members of this company, and I have chosen Mr. Baggins and Miss Keeva. There's a lot more to them than appearances suggest, and they got a great deal more to offer than any of you know, including Mr. Baggins. You must trust me on this."
Thorin gave Gandalf a very serious glance before nodding firmly, "Very well. We will do it your way."
Quietly in the back ground Bilbo was pleading no, but Thorin's gaze turned to Balin, "Give him the contract."
Balin handed over the wade of paper to Thorin, who in return forced it into Bilbo's hands very thoughtlessly. Balin tried to explain for the loathing hobbit exactly what the contract was in short, "It's just the usual summary of out-of-pocket expenses, time required, remuneration, funeral arrangements, so forth…"
"Funeral arrangements?" Bilbo sputtered. Keeva had to hold back another laugh by placing her hand over her mouth. But a particular dwarf down the table could find the humor lighting up in her eyes even if she hadn't wanted to make a sound, and he end up chuckling to himself.
Bilbo stepped back a few feet into the hall to read the contract, while Thorin leaned in to Gandalf to whisper. Keeva had particularly good hearing, considering her Bosmer blood, so every word shared between the two was words also shared with her, "I cannot guarantee his safety."
"Understood," Gandalf grumbled.
"Nor will I be responsible for his fate," Thorin pointed out darkly. A paused from Gandalf had Keeva's gaze venture away from the hobbit to the wizard's face. "Agreed."
As Bilbo began to read parts out of the contract, Keeva took that chance to slowly back out of the room. In fact, nobody had even noticed, she was as stealthy as a cat - her mother would often tell her that. She ventured into the sitting room, where another fire was being fed in the hearth. Like a moth to a flame, Keeva found herself wandering over and taking a place on the floor in front of it, her eyes transfixed and almost lost.
There was a familiar hum floating around in her head. It reverberated back and forth as Keeva's eyes never left the fire. The sound was not the lovely hum that Gandalf would produce from his throat, nor was it the sound similar to Arngeir's. It reminded her quite a bit of the deep and dark hum that Alduin made when he chuckled maliciously. But Keeva didn't fear this hum like she did Alduin's. No, it was as if she'd known this noise her entire life, it was always in the back of her mind, but it never would come out to reveal itself. "Miss Keeva, you snuck off without any of us noticing…"
Keeva could hear the real voice in the room, but something was holding her attention on the fire, something would not let her go. "Miss Keeva?"
When her name was called again after she hadn't answered the first time, a rough pair of hands touched the green fabric of her linen tunic to set her attention free. It was liberating, turning her vision away from the fire and instead to the voice that had called for her. It was Thorin and he looked deeply concerned, "Was I interrupting something?"
Keeva shook her head while getting back onto her feet, "No, I must apologize. That has never happened to me before."
Thorin looked from the girl to the fire in the hearth and then back, trying to make since of what had just happened, "Would you mind explaining? I feel as though this might have something to do with your… particular skills."
Keeva smiled sweetly and nodded, "Let's go somewhere private. Wouldn't want to ruin the mood for the others."
Thorin followed Keeva down the hall to a reclusive study filled with books, a desk and other such furniture. Thorin and Keeva both stood in the room, not comfortable enough to take a seat, but comfortable enough in each other's presence to be in the same room.
"How about the fire for starters?" Thorin suggested, a lone thick brow raised with a bit of curiosity glistening in his stormy eyes.
Keeva hummed, a habit she found she was picking up from the wizard, "I don't quite understand it myself, but what happened back there was almost like a trance or sorts. I found I couldn't tear my eyes away from the fire… That is all I can explain about that."
"Perhaps those moments might explain themselves later? You said you were still training?" Thorin asked eyes looking her up and down as if he was trying to understand what kind of training. "You're not exactly training for battle, are you?"
Keeva shook her head, "Though I'm sure my skills on the battlefield will be more than sufficient, I'm still training in the art of the Thu'um."
Thorin then sat down upon the desk chair, realizing that this was something much more complex than he expected, "I don't understand."
"One day you might," Keeva smiled honestly while placing her hands in front of her so that she could play with them, "There are certain circumstances in which this gift, this talent, or curse was given to me. My father descended from a long line of people that could also use the Thu'um. Naturally it was given to me as well but it was more forced upon me, I should say. I've been called many names in my time, but Dovahruth is the most accurate of them all. I will try my best to help you in this quest to reclaim your home. Because I know what it is like not to have a home to go to, especially now. Please do not turn me away from your quest, please."
"Miss Keeva, are you homeless?" Thorin had asked after a pregnant pause, his eyes grew sincere as he stood back up and walked over to her slowly. Keeva nodded her answer unsure if she should back away or stand still but his question had her stop to think. She couldn't really say that it bothered her much but she did miss having a place that truly was hers to call home. High Hrothgar was a temple. It was a place to stay but never a home. The only home she had ever felt for was the one she shared with her parents.
Thorin's calloused broad hands took hold of Keeva's fiddling thin and elegant ones. He was very gentle, careful, and sincere as he looked her straight in the eyes, "Perhaps it was fate that brought you here, so that you could find a new home… If our quest is completed, I will promise you that I will find you a home."
Keeva could feel a flutter of hope within her heart. She had been so sure Thorin would ask her to not come, to convince Gandalf that she was not ready. But instead, Thorin granted her a chance to his open heart. Keeva's lip trembled into a weak smile, "Thank you."
…
A/N: This was a very long chapter. I'm trying to keep them at a reasonable count but I had to keep this scene flowing and stopping it just because of how much was written just doesn't settle well with me. I really did enjoy writing this chapter though. I really wanted to start Keeva's relationships with Fili and Thorin because they will become very important throughout this story. I know Thorin can come off as a very prideful and stubborn man, but I do believe deep down, when it comes to people who are in the same situation as himself, he lets that pride go and tries to understand and relate to those people. Fili of course is a trouble maker just as much as his younger brother, so no difference there.
I'll try my best to get another chapter out next weekend but please bear with me. Computer Animation and Illustration are a bit more work than I had imagined and of course my fine art's classes, on top of thesis, are just as much work if not more. But I'll use my free time to type away and get this story out for not only you guys but for myself as well.
Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or Elder Scrolls. Any character that is not familiar is of my own creation.
