Life Choices chapter 4

Kili couldn't believe his eyes. The girl from the brothel was in his arms. "What are you doing way out here?" he asked.

"We can question her later, there are others out there. We have to move on, now!" Fili said as he scanned the area. His eyes couldn't make out much in the darkness and he did not like the fact they were in the middle of nowhere with orcs prowling around.

"I have to find Cara!" Marella said when she had recovered her sense. "She was with me but I got lost and then that thing was chasing me."

"We won't be able to find her in the darkness. All we can hope is that she is able to hide until morning," Fili stated. He did not like the idea of a young woman alone in the darkness with orcs but there wasn't anything they could really do. "Follow me."

Kili took hold of the girl's hand and put her between Fili and himself. This way she was protected should they be attacked. Fili led them back to their campsite. "Pack up quickly," he said as he grabbed his knapsack. "We still have a few hours before daylight breaks. We will both keep watch."

Marella sat down and watched as the two dwarves gathered their things together. She hoped Cara was alright. How had this day turned out so horribly wrong? Was it just yesterday her life had been the same day after day. Never had she imagined she would be sitting in the middle of the forest with a couple of dwarves. "Put this around you," kili said as he came over to her and wrapped his cloak around her shoulders. "We can't have a fire and the air is chilly."

Marella was shaking although she wasn't entirely sure it was just from the cold. Still, she was thankful for the warm cloak. She huddled down inside of it and breathed deeply. It smelled like him. His scent was all over it and she felt better knowing she was not alone anymore. At least they would keep her safe.

When they were finished with their packing they came over to her and sat down beside her. "Now tell us why you are out here in the dark of night lass?" Fili said with a smile. He knew Kili was beside himself with happiness at seeing her again. He should be happy for his brother but somehow he just knew the girl would be trouble…

"I don't know where to start," she began. "It has all happened so fast." She told them about the three men and what they had done. How they had blamed it all on her and Cara. About how they had fled the town and had gotten lost in the forest.

"You are safe now," Kili said as he reached up and brushed her hair back behind her ear. "Where is your family? Surely they would help you sort the mess out?"

"I have no family," Marella said sadly. "I was told my mother died giving birth to me and that my father asked Baena to care for me. He left town shortly afterwards and had not been heard from sense."

"What was his name?" Kili pressed her for answers.

"Baena said his name was Borr and that my mother's name was Mina. That is all that I know."

Borr. The name was not familiar to Kili but perhaps Thorin would know of him. "Your mother was human and your father was dwarf kind," Kili said and waited for her reaction.

Marella did not know how to respond. "I.. I am not sure. I do not know," she said.

"You do not recognize your own kind," he chuckled. "It was apparent to us the first moment we saw you."

Fili nodded in agreement to his brother's words. "Your ears are what give you away mostly. You are small even for a human girl. Definitely dwarf or half dwarf I mean."

It had never occurred to her that she was half anything. Why would Baena not tell her? With the old woman dead she would never know the answer to that question.

"You really did not know," Fili shook his head in astonishment. "So you have no one back in your town?"

"I have no one anywhere," she said quietly.

Kili frowned at her words. "That is not true. You are kin to us through your father. We look after our own. This is what surprises me that your father left you with the old woman."

"We will look for your friend soon as the sun comes up. Then we will take you with us to meet up with our uncle. He will know what we should do from there. Perhaps he will know of your father." Fili stood up and stretched his legs. He walked around the perimeter of their campsite. He could hear small birds beginning to chirp and knew dawn was on its way. He glanced over at Kili who had his arm wrapped around the girl's shoulder. His brother was so gentle and caring when it came to girls. Dwarf girls all swooned over him despite his lack of body hair and even several human girls had shared his bed from time to time. Yet, he had never seen Kili so interested in someone before as he was in this half breed girl. It seemed a good match though on her part. She needed someone to take care of her and well, Kili could definitely play that part.

"The sun is rising," Kili said as he helped Marella up to her feet. "Let us go search for your friend."

Marella walked hand in hand with Kili a they tried to repeat her steps of the evening. They knew in the general direction she had come to them but before that it was only up to her to show them. Marella looked around the forest. It all looked the same to her. "Cara!" she called out and waited to see if her friend would respond. Only the sound of chirping birds could be heard.

"Do you think those things got her?" Marella cried. "I can't just leave and not know."

"I don't see any evidence of the orcs attacking her," Fili said. "There are no body parts or anything."

Marella gasped at his words. The thought had not even occurred to her that they might find her body ripped apart.

Kili punched his brother in the shoulder. "A little sensitivity please brother."

"Sorry," Fili said as he went to search further.

They spent the early morning searching for Cara but there was no sign of the woman or of the horse they had been riding on. "It has to be in the other direction," Kili said as he looked around at the trail. There were neither hoof nor foot prints in the dirt.

Kili reached up and picked an apple from the tree and handed it to Marella. "We will look in the other direction for a bit. We will not give up just yet."

After a short while, Fili called out to them. They both hurried over to where he was crouched on the ground looking at a set of footprints. "There are two sets of prints here," he said. "These are from the horse," he pointed over to another area where Marella could see the tracks.

"These are mine," she said as she put her foot up to match the print.

"Then these must be Cara's," Kili said as he started off tracking them. They were close together for awhile showing that she had walked at a normal pace. Then they started being further apart. "She was running here," Kili pointed to where the tracks went off the path. "Cara!" he yelled out.

"Cara!" Marella called.

There was no reply….