Chapter 4: The Third Encounter: Part I
Thorin begrudgingly followed Gandalf down the path that led into Rivendell. As they made their way across the bridge that arched over the melodic river running through the elven fortress, a tall, dark haired elf greeted them.
"Mithrandir, Lastannem i athrannedh i Vruinen," he said.
"Lindir, how kind of you to greet us," Said Gandalf in a pleasant tone. "We have come to council with Lord Elrond." He said switching to the common language.
"I am sorry," replied the elf in same. "But I am afraid Lord Elrond is away at the moment."
"Away?" Questioned Gandalf.
Before the elf could re-confirm the absence of his Lord, the sound of horns echoed throughout the valley accompanied by the sound of hooves against rock.
The company turned to face several mounted and armed elves, making their way towards them at a fast pace. Unknowing of the intentions, Thorin barked orders to close ranks. The dwarves huddled together, Bilbo squashed in the middle, as they drew their weapons in preparation for the fight that could arise.
The lead elf guided his horse around the company, the rest of the elves following suit as they surround the small band.
"Lord Elrond," greeted Gandalf as the elf dismounted and approached him. "I had just been informed you were away, but I see you have returned."
"I have," replied Elrond. "I see you travel with strange company these days." He stated as his keen eyes swept over the company.
"We ran into a spot of trouble and came here to seek refuge."
Elrond spoke to Lindir in elvish then turned to face the company. "Thorin Oakenshield," he said, causing Thorin to tense up as he glared at the elf skeptically. "Nartho i noer, toltho i viruvor. Boe i annam vann a nethail vin."
"What is he saying!" Exclaimed Gloin as he raised his axe. "Does he insult us!"
"He does not Master Gloin. He offers you food and rest. Which I suggest you accept." He added looking sternly at Thorin.
It took him a moment, but eventually Thorin nodded at let themselves be guided into the arching buildings. Elrond led them through the idyll hallways, carved and decorated with such delicacy it left them all speechless. They wandered and turned through main house until they reached a long corridor with several doors along each side.
"You are to sleep here during the duration of your stay. Feel free to choose any room along this hall. Except for the far door on the right. That room is already occupied with some other guests that arrived earlier this week." He said pointing to the door. "You will have some time to prepare for dinner which will be ready in an hour on the veranda."
With no more need for him to play host at the moment, Elrond gave a small bow and departed to another part of the manor. At his absence, the company of dwarves scrambled to find a room. Some rooms were larger and had accommodation for three while others where only large enough for one. Thorin took the first door on the right as it served only one as Gandalf took the adjacent room. The rest of the company all filled the remaining rooms. Bilbo found himself following Fíli and Kíli down to the end of the hall.
Kíli opened the second to last door on the right. "Here you go Bilbo. This one should suit you." He said opening the door wider to reveal the smallest room with a single small bed.
Bilbo smiled at the dark haired Prince. "Thank you, I think it will do nicely," he said.
Kíli grinned down at the short hobbit before looking to Fíli who called his name and beckoned him to the last vacant room at the end of the hallway on the left.
As he entered the room her looked around. Two beds sat opposite of each other on either side of the room. There was a small desk between them and a large intricately carved wardrobe on the right hand side of the door. To his left was another door which Fíli was opening to investigate. By what he saw from over Fíli's shoulder, he concluded it was a small washroom.
"How long do you think we will be here?" He asked as Fíli closed the door to the washroom and threw his belongings onto one of the beds and laying down on the empty space.
Fíli shrugged. "I think if Thorin had his way we would be departing right now," he remarked. "But we lost a lot of supplies when we encountered the trolls. And after that run in with the orc pack, I think he knows that at least a few days rest and restock of supplies will be worth some toleration of being in the presence of elves. Uncle may hate them but he will do what is best for the group."
Kíli dropped his belongings next to the bed opposite of Fíli's and flopped onto his back. A relieved groan escaped his lips as the softness of the mattress enveloped him.
"Whatever he decides is fine, just as long as I get one nights rest in this bed." He said in a sleepy drawl.
Fíli hummed his agreement and the brothers both slowly drifted off into a light sleep.
Thorin fell onto his bed and let out a sigh. He was not a fan of elves, nor anything to do with them, but at this moment he was seriously re-considering that mentality. The bed was the perfect softness and the sheets the smoothest silk. It felt wonderous after traveling for weeks on end of sleeping on the ground. As he closed his eyes he let out another relaxed sigh. Just as he felt himself begin to slip out of consciousness and into a deep sleep, a single thought of what Gandalf had said earlier was brought forth and his eyes snapped open.
They were being hunted.
The earlier comfort he had found on the bed suddenly felt too soft. Like he was sinking into something that would eventually swallow him whole. He rose up and hunched over at the edge of the bed. He was beginning to be fearful of what may lay at the end of their journey. What if Smaug was only slumbering within his lair? What if whomever they were being hunted by found them? They would be cornered. What other dangers would they face before they even saw the mountain? Already they had nearly been eaten by trolls and then chased down by warg riding, orc scouts. Perhaps Asha's curse to run into a swarm of goblins would come true.
He shivered. He had been so sure things would be successful but now it was beginning to look daunting. He needed more men. But he had already sent out for help and he had been denied. A bitterness came to his mouth at the thought. His own kin would not help him unless he possessed the arkenstone. He let out a bitter laugh at the irony. Perhaps the Brimir's were correct in saying the Durin's were greedy.
The sound of footsteps drifted into Kíli's ears and he awoke to the sound of the door across the hallway opening and closing. He rubbed his eyes and let out a loud yawn and several groans as he stretched.Fíli was already awake and dressing out of his dirty clothes into a pair of clean pants and tunic.
"Who do you think the other guests are across the hall?" Kíli asked as he began digging through his bag for a new change of clothes.
"Probably more elves. I am sure we will find out if we stay long enough," concluded Fíli. He then nodded his head towards the clothes in Kíli's hands. "Hurry up, I am starving and Thorin told us to be ready in five minutes."
Between not wanting to be the reason his brother missed dinner and the drive of his own hunger, Kíli quickly got dressed and ready. The moment he finsihed, they departed their room and followed after Nori and Ori who were just leaving their room at the other end of the hall. Ten minutes later, after a short detour from getting lost, they were sitting at a low table with the rest of the company waiting for the food to be served.
Fíli looked around, taking in the odd decorative style of the elves. With its curved elegance, it mimicked the organic themes of the world. But while it suited the elves style and manner as it complimented and blended with its surroundings in nature; Fíli still preferred the traditional dwarven design of geometric shapes with hard angles and straight lines. He looked over to the higher table where Elrond, Gandalf, and Thorin still stood and talked.
Elrond looked up to the entry way as light footsteps announced more arrivals. "Ah, I hope you don't mind but invited two additions to share our meal." He said pointing to the archway leading from the corridor the company had just entered through themselves.
Thorin, and the rest of the company turned to see who the other guests were. Two dwarrow maids, one tall, the other significantly shorter. It was a sight that was becoming all too familiar. Thorin narrowed his eyes in suspicion as they came to a stop under the archway. One pair of bright blue eyes and a pair of dark onyx surveyed the company with the same shocked, yet in retrospect, not surprised expressions.
Sigurd and Thyra stood still as they took in the arrangement of the company spread throughout the terrace. Sigurd was dressed in a delicate flowing dress fashioned in the style of elvin design. It was a sheer blue with a creme lining beneath that made her own blue eyes stand out even more. Her hair was neatly brushed and left alone as it hung straight to her shoulders. Only a single braid on her left with leather strap to signify her age as an adult adorned her hair.
Beside her Thyra stood freshly washed and dressed in clean clothes. However hers where of a more foreign design. A sleeveless high collar tunic of dark leather hugged her torso and fell to her knees. Intricate designs where embossed on the neck and chest then again appeared at the hem. A slit on each side of her thighs gave her free mobility as the underside of each panel was died a deep red. With each step the contrast of dark leather with the flash of red gave it an effect that reminded one of the glowing embers of a dying fire. Beneath the dress she wore black leggings and a pair of small boots. The image was feminine yet warrior like.
He should have been, but Thorin was not surprised by the identity of the additional guest being these two. Initially it had arisen suspicion, he failed to believe in such coincidence that it was these two they were encountering yet first encounter had been a random and unexpected occurrence. The second could have been considered lucky chance. But three times in just over six weeks? It was now past the right amount to be an innocent coincidence. But before he could let his suspicions run their course, he was distracted by one missing facter to this particular encounter with them. Where was Asha?
"What are they doing here?" Muttered Thorin under his breath as he glared at the two girls in the doorway.
Elrond raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You know them?"
"Aye," confirmed Thorin.
"I thought the presence of some of your kin would make you feel more comfortable but with you knowing them it makes it all the more conventional," he said.
"I would hardly consider a foreigner from the east my kin. As for the other one, I know nothing of her lineage." He growled as he turned his back to the archway and took his seat at the table.
Elrond raised his eyebrows to Gandalf and exchanged a look, but he said nothing else to Thorin. Instead he walked over to Sigurd and Thyra with his arms outstretched.
"Friends, I hope your day has been well. Please, come sit." He said indicating the table low table.
Sigurd gave a happy smile to Elrond and started to glide her way to the table, Thyra said nothing or gave any acknowledgment to Elrond but she did follow closely behind her companion.
Bofur, who had been one of the few who had not shown a dislike to their arrival waved them over. "Come sit over here." He said with a smile as Sigurd led Thyra over to the table. "Budge up Bilbo, make some room." He said to the hobbit as they approached.
Bilbo moved over giving enough room for the two maids to sit down. Thyra sat next to Bofur and gave him a smile as she greeted him. Thyra took a seat on her other side next to Bilbo. Across the table Kíli sat watching them while Fíli sat next to him glancing between the two arrivals with a conflicted expression.
"I am surprised to see you here," Bofur expressed, bringing both maidens attention to him. "Although after our recent histories, I suppose we should not be all that surprised.
"Is Asha here as well?" Kíli asked as his brown eyes darted over to where Thorin was sitting.
Sigurd followed his eyes to look at Thorin as well. As she turned back around to face Kíli she shook her head. "Asha is back home but we needed to restock on certain herbs that only grow in this valley. Since time was short, she sent me and Thyra here before returning home while she continued by herself."
"And where exactly is home for you?" Fíli interrogated as he folded his hands together and rested his elbows on the table.
"We move around from place to place but right now we…"
Thyra who had been silently listening shifted in her seat to send a sharp kick to Sigurd's leg. Sigurd let out a yelp of pain and shot a look at Thyra. Thyra gave her a warning look in return as she moved her head just slightly from side to side. Fíli caught the exchange between to two and narrowed his eyes.
When Sigurd recovered from her pain she looked back to Kíli and while the quick glare at Thyra indicated her displeasure, it was obvious she would be heeding Thyra's silent warning when she changed the subject.
"Have your travels been well since we last met?" She asked with a sweetness that almost distracted them all from the blatant avoidance of Kíli's earlier question.
Before an answer could be given, several elves walked in with heavy laden trays of food and set them on the table before them. Kíli's stomach grumbled at the promise of food but as the trays were laid before them, a frown came to his face. The other dwarves of the company all had similar expressions as well, some even voicing their disgruntlement.
"What is it," asked Ori as he picked up a piece of lettuce and sniffed it.
"Try it." Encouraged Bofur.
"It's green," complained Ori. "I don't like green food.
Kíli watched Sigurd as she helped herself to some food, a slight smile crawling to her face as she listened to Ori. She looked up from her plate and her blue eyes caught him watching her. Immediately her gaze lowered so as to not fully meet his.
"Your group does not dine with elves very often, do you?" Her tone was amused as she directed her question to Kíli.
"It is a first." He responded. "Probably for all of us."
Thyra grabbed a roll from a basket and spoke to Sigurd in Régínn. Sigurd frowned then shook her head.
"I still need more time to collect the rest of what we need and Elrond won't have time to meet with me for another day to go over the proper procedure for harvesting the seeds."
Thyra frowned at her answer then spoke again, sticking with her native tongue.
"No." Said Lagartha, starting to sound annoyed. "And speak in common tongue, we are among friends now. They already know you can speak Westron so there is no need to use Régínn."
Thyra shot an accusing look at Fíli and Kíli who were watching, as if it was there fault Sigurd had refused whatever she had requested and was being forced to speak Westron.
"Don't blame them," reprimanded Sigurd. "You're the one who chose to speak in front of them."
Thyra did not change her glower but she did direct it to her food instead. She tore a piece from her bread and Fíli was positive she was not visualizing the morsel of food she was about to eat when she violently ripped into the bread again. Sigurd rolled her eyes and waved Thyra's attitude off as she set her attention back to speaking with the company.
"How long will you be staying in Rivendell?" She asked.
"Probably not for very long, a few days at most but I know Thorin will want to leave as soon as possible," Nori said as he joined in on their conversation as he leaned over to see her from the other side of Bofur.
"When will you be leaving?" Bofur asked.
"I would love to remain for three more–"
"Two days," interrupted Thyra. "We leave the day after tomorrow at sun up."
Sigurd looked at her. "That's not enough–"
"Bad luck to start a journey on a friday. Won't leave at night to journey through the mountains. Nor will we remain more than necessary. We have already been here a week and we were told to not take more that two," Thyra disputed, leaving no room for Sigurd to counter her argument.
"Wait a minute," Kíli's exclaimed. "How did you manage to get here in enough time to already have been here for a week when we are just now arriving?"
"You walk slow, like a little child, and take too many breaks," replied Thyra as if she were stating a fact and not an insult.
It was a mixture of different reactions that showed on those who were listening in and heard Thyra's comment. Kíli let out a laugh, Nori smiled and made a comment that it had been too long since someone said anything that would indicate he was youthful, and Bofur let out an awkward sound that could have indicated either offense or amusement. A few others looked a bit miffed but it was Fíli who looked the most offended.
"Don't take it too personally, Thyra is just like a slave driver when it comes to traveling," Sigurd quickly offered, doing her best to keep anyone for feeling too offended. "I have a theory her Régínn blood gives her more endurance that most of our kind. She would run a full day and through the night if I were not traveling with her. But she has her own weaknesses...like spiders."
Thyra glared at Sigurd. It was obvious that she did not appreciate Sigurd's remarks. Kíli looked at Thyra in surprise.
"You're afraid of spiders?" He said in amusement.
Thyra switched her glare from Sigurd to Kíli who felt his courage when asking the question slightly falter under her gaze.
"I am not afraid of them." She said harshly. "I just don't like them."
Kíli let out a snort.
"But their harmless, sure a bit creepy looking but..."
Thyra rolled a tomato across her plate with her finger as she looked at it thoughtfully. Her dark eyes flashed back up to him.
"You have never seen the spawn of Ungoliant have you?" She asked.
Kíli looked towards Fíli who shrugged his shoulders in shared confusion. He turned back to Thyra.
"What is that?" He asked.
Thyra's mouth curled into an amused smile as she let out an unimpressed snort.
"Just hope that you remain ignorant of it," she said flatly.
At her ominous remark, conversation seemed to die down. Thyra ignored everyone while Sigurd made only polite conversation with those who directly asked her a question. With each reply her eyes never meet there's as she meekly answered their bombardment of questions. Fili was not feeling any motivation to participate, his mood still sour from having to sit across from Thyra. So he took the opportunity to watch and learn from the two girls without being too conspicuous.
From what he had already gathered about Sigurd in their previous meetings, was that she was of sweet nature and a gentle girl. But watching her now, he noticed something else. She was extremely shy. She hid it well, keeping her smile up and conversing much more than Thyra, but he could tell she was not at ease with it. She hardly met anyones eyes directly and when she did it was only briefly. She also kept her hands gripped in her lap. It was only when she took a bite of food or a drink of wine that she removed her death grip on the silky fabric of her dress. Each of those movements were always quick and short before she returned to herself. To most of the others, it seemed like only reserved politeness and he supposed anyone would assume the same. In fact, he was nearly positive he only noticed such behaviours because it was such a contrast to the other girl sitting directly across from him.
It was then that he moved his attention, albeit much more subtly, to Thyra. Compared to Sigurd, Thyra exuded confidence as she easily sat surrounded by others yet completely comfortable with being uninvolved with them. It was then, as he was glancing over her stature, that he noticed the markings on her skin.
Tattoos where no scarcity within his people. He himself had a few of his own and one would only have to look at Dwalin to know the decorum which most soldiers chose as a personal uniform. However, this all fell within the male gender of his kind. When it came to the more feminine side of their kind, dwarrowmaids simply did not adorn their skin with the dark inks. The fairer gender of their kind usually stuck to precious ores and rare gems to adorn themselves. But it seemed the Régínn were an exception...or at least Thyra was.
He had not noticed upon their first two meetings as her travel clothes had appropriately covered her arms and skin. But now, with the article of clothing that left her arms exposed, he could see the expanse of dark lines drawn in intricate designs all across her skin. Immediately he forgot about trying to be discreet and openly began to run his eyes along her exposed skin. Runes and twisted symbols were printed on her fingers between each joint. Unable to read or understand their meaning, he moved his attention to her right arm, examining the more detailed and dominant designs first. The first one that stood out was large and took up nearly the entirety of her inner forearm.
At first he thought it a crude depiction of a dragon, then he realized that it was not a dragon but an ouroboros of a serpent. Twisted and knotted to form a full oval with its tail clamped in its mouth. A mass of runes and intertwining lines filled in the space that would normally be covered in scales on any normal depiction of the reptile. Within the space that was bordered by the serpent sat a tree. The tree was barren of any leaves but where leaves would be, there were stars, or more specifically constellations. Some Fili recognized, but the majority were unknown to him. The tree's roots were visible and like its branches, they twisted into one another, connecting and knotting until they were like a woven tapestry. Again he was at a loss for the meaning so he continued scanning upwards.
His eyes grazed along the covered portion of her neck and collarbone. He wondered for a moment if there were others that lay beneath the dark leather and found his answer when he noticed a few black tendrils just barely poking out from under the high collar of her top. The designs were indistinguishable but it was enough to let him know that they were there. He moved on until his eyes found bare skin again at her upper left arm. On the rounded part of her shoulder there lay a single circle with several lines growing out of it, like spokes on a wheel. Each individual line had its own design, some more intricate than the others. Foreign runes surrounded the design in border as they encircled it.
His eyes continued to make a decent down her left arm, occasionally catching scars mingled with the darks lines and swirls. Most he brushed aside but it was not until he found his eyes on a particular scar that he stopped again. He had nearly missed it but when she reached for her goblet, it was exposed and the marred flesh stood out.
On her inner wrist lay a raised scar that stuck out. Upon further inspection, Fili realized why it was different than the others. It was because this one was placed there on purpose. Staring back at him was the outline of a menacing eye. It was plain, and simple in design but there was something evil about it. As he looked over the skin he made another discovery. The skin had not been cut to leave such a marking, but instead burned and melted. Branded. The thought of willingly mutilating oneself made him shudder.
His physical reaction went unnoticed by most but when he looked up to Thyra's face he was met with her dark, penetrative stare. It was obvious she knew he had been staring and while he felt slightly guilty, she seemed unperturbed. She watched him quietly for a moment. No frown on her lips or threat in her stare, then she looked away to feign interest in a story Nori was telling and Fili noticed that her ear had a line of strange ruins running along the inner crest of her ear.
The moment Thyra finished eating she stood from the table and left without a word. Sigurd remained for a little while longer but was obvious she would not linger more than necessary. It was as if Thyra had taken the girls bravery and Fili had noticed she had grown more quiet as the evening went on. But before she left a certain question was brought up by Kili.
"How did you and Thyra meet?"
Sigurd had debated for quite awhile before finally submitting under the numerous inquiring states that were brought to her attention following Kili's inquiry.
"It was several years back. Nearing seven now this summer." She began. "We had been traveling in the northern region. Near the Icebay of Forochel. We had just started our journey for the day when the smell of smoke was mixed in with the morning mist. Asha had us change course to investigate and we made our way to the shore. That's when we came across…it." Sigurd shuddered slightly as the memory of what IT was played in her mind."
"Across what?"
Sigurd's blue eyes turned slightly towards Bilbo who had asked. They then darted around the group, never meeting anyone person fully before returning to Nori. She closed her eyes as the memory displayed itself across the back of her lids.
It was like a graveyard, even the air itself felt dead as the smell of smoke and sea salt filled her nostrils. There was another, stranger smell mixed in the air but she could not recall the source of such a smell. The combination of the early fog rolling in from the salty sea and the smoke that was polluting the air made it difficult to see more than a few feet in front of oneself.
The sand easily gave way underfoot but the closer to the waters edge they came, the wetter and more solid it became until it felt as hard as paved cement. It was early spring and while the days had been warmer, the northern winds that blew made it seem like it was still the frigid winter they had just finished.
Sigurd followed after Asha as they searched for the source of smoke. She seemed to have been directing them purely by scent but as Sigurd caught Asha direct her attention at a point ahead, she followed her line of sight and found the source. Ten feet to their right a darkened outline of what Sigurd first thought was a skeleton rose up above them. Just as she was trying to decide what beast would possess such a massive structure, it was then she noticed the faint glowing embers still smoldering. It was not bone, but wood. And it was not an animals remains, but the charred essence of what used to be a ship.
At this discovery, it was as if the sun decided to shed light on their recent find and broke through the thick veil in the air just enough to give them a larger view of their surrounds. It was then that Sigurd noticed the bodies and determined what the third smell was coming from. It was the pungent, metallic smell of blood. Nearly fifty bloody and gutted dwarf bodies where strewn across the shore. Most of them surrounding the ship, some only charred remains were it was obvious they had burned along with the ship. Sigurd felt sick. She was no stranger to death or battlefields. But this was different. It was not a battle that had taken place here, it had been a mass slaughtering.
Turning around, Sigurd made her way over to some rocks that were nearby. She took refuge and privacy as the entire contents within her stomach where upturned onto the sandy shore. She retched again, and with a shaking hand she wiped her mouth feeling no more better than before.
Now that she had seen it she could not help but smell only it. The blood was fresh. This had obviously just happened the night before. She bent over one last time as a dry heave over took her but nothing came up this time. She stared down at the ground breathing heavily and noticed that her boots had blood on them. She had not even noticed she had walked near enough to a dead body. She shuttered again and immediately moved to wash off her boots in the salty water but was stopped by the call of her name.
Against her wishes, she turned to face in the direction of massacre to see Asha walking towards her. Forcing her feet to walk back quickly she did her best to ignore the lifeless bodies that surround them.
"We found one still alive," Asha said urgently.
"Just one?"
Asha nodded. "Just barley. We need you."
As Sigurd explained she could not keep her eyes on anyone. So she kept her eyes focused on her plate as she did her best to keep her words from failtering. Thyra had looked so young during that week she tended to her when she herself would not come of age until that coming fall. When she finally did awaken that illusion was quickly extinguished, especially when they found out she could speak Westron and Sigurd had finally learned what exactly was being said on the rare occasion Thyra actually would speak.
"Since then, Thyra has been with us," Sigurd concluded after explaining Thyra's eventual recovery.
"What happened?" Fili asked.
Sigurd bit her lip. "Thyra doesn't talk about it. She doesn't talk about much of anything that happened before those days. So when Asha asked her, Thyra only replied with … Mordu and Bolg."
"What does that mean?"
Sigurd shook her head. "I don't know. At the time I did not know Régán but even now I don't what it means. I am still learning. I once asked Asha if she knew but she only speculated they were possibly names. There where a few orc bodies among the fallen Régínn so we came to our own conclusion that they had been attacked."
Not wanting to talk more on the subject, mostly in respect to Thyra, Sigurd excused herself with a timid voice that was just barely over a whisper. Kili was disappointed at her sudden departure but he told himself there would at least be all day tomorrow for him to strike up more conversation.
Dinner came to a close and darkness fell over the valley. Thorin found himself wandering the path outside while he smoked his pipe. It was still and quiet as he looked up to the clear night. For the first time since their departure, Thorin felt relaxed and at peace. He was not happy about being under the hosting of elves but even he could not deny that the company needed a few days of proper rest.
As he sat down on a rock under a tree, he let a thick cloud of smoke escape his lips. His mind wandered to the meeting he had just had with Elrond and Gandalf.
Durin's day was far away according to a calendar, but with the amount of distance they had yet to travel, it was much too close. They would have to make haste, especially if they were to have more delays in their journey. Time was of the essence, but for now, they would rest. He could not risk his company being weary and caught off guard. He could spare a few days.
Thorin's ears perked up as he heard footsteps approaching. He sank back into the shadows, not wanting to be seen. Looking through the low hanging branches that veiled him from sight. Lord Elrond and Gandalf came into view as they walked down the path together. As they neared, he began to make out their words.
"Gandalf, these decisions to redraw the map of middle earth are not up to you or me. I do not deem it wise for them to put things to chance. We should not be involved nor encourage such actions," argued Elrond.
"With or without our help, these dwarves will march on the mountain. They are determined to reclaim their homeland. Why not give them aid and support that ensures their quest will not fail?" Defended Gandalf.
They paused for a moment as Elrond thought. Thorin held his breath as he watched to two figures in the darkness of the night.
"What about their kin, will they not help? Dain in the iron hills?" Asked Elrond.
Thorin watched as Gandalf shook his head. "Dain will only give aid when Thorin posses the arkenstone. But I worry for them. Many eyes have turned towards that mountain and even if Thorin reclaimed Erebor and Dain came, I fear there will be more than just a single dragon to defeat."
Elrond nodded. "I fear as much as well." He paused for a moment. "What about the Guild? I fear there are not many who would aid him if even his cousin will not help. But the Guild would possibly give him aid."
Thorin took a step forward, now intrigued. He had heard rumors of a group that called themselves the Guild. The Guild of the Lost. From what he had collected in information, it was nothing but a large group of traveling mercenaries. He had heard other embossed stories of them being portrayed as some angelic army that swept in and saved villages from the evils of this world. But anytime he had asked where a person heard such things, they claimed to have heard it from a friend, never a witness themselves. So Thorin had long since come to the conclusion that they were either a myth or nothing but a few soldiers in search of some coin for their services.
"I have thought of that possibility. I was optimistic, even positive that he could count on their aid. But that would involve an acute method of diplomacy, something that I fear Thorin lacks. In addition to that, given recent...events, I fear my optimism was misplaced. Things are not as I thought they would be."
He suppressed a snort of indignation. Why would they refuse to aid him? Any mercenary could be bought. He just had to name the right price and Erebor had plenty to offer.
"Then let us hope their leader has the same desire to reclaim the mountain," Thorin heard Elrond reply in a low voice.
He watched as Elrond and Gandalf continued down the path, their voices fading in the distance. He stepped out from under the tree line and watched them for a short while until they disappeared from around a corner.
The Guild, thought Thorin. Gandalf had said he had been positive that they would help him but what had changed? Thorin shook his head and began walking up the path in the opposite direction of Gandalf and Elrond. He was tired of Gandalf withholding secrets from him but now was not the moment to confront Gandalf about the plans he had for his quest. This was his quest and he would not be a pawn in Gandalf's game of riddles. Besides, there was no hope in finding them. And even if he knew where to find them, it was already too late. He could not afford to take anymore detours. They would just have to manage themselves. He had confidence and faith in his men, the worst surly had to be behind them by now.
The question of who was occupying the room across from him and his brothers was no longer a mystery. Although he had no reason to feel restless about the fact that Sigurd and Thyra where across the hall, sleep seemed to escape him. He tossed and turned constantly as he tried to ignore the snores erupting from Kili's gaping mouth. He had muffled the noise by pulling his pillow over his head but it was then he realized that it was not his brothers snoring that was keeping him awake, he was used to that. No; it was the thought of them or more specifically, her being across the hall that disturbed him. She put him on edge.
So when he heard the creak of a door, it was no surprise that Fili bolted up with a knife in hand. His eyes immediately trained to the door only to find it closed. It was then that he realized that the sound had come from behind the door and not from the door itself. Focusing his hearing he heard the faint latch of the door across the hall fall back into place before the softest of padding footsteps began to make their way down the hall.
Alarm bells sounded, fueled by his paranoia and he immediately threw the covers from his body and made his way over to the door as he pulled his shirt over his head.
Cracking the door open and peeking down the hallway he caught sight of the now familiar short form of Thyra quietly making her way down the hall. With each door she passed undisturbed he felt a small twinge of relief. When she had reached the end of their corridor to turn down another it was out of curiosity and no longer anxiety that caused him to slip out of his room and follow after.
She moved speedily and Fíli had difficulty keeping up with her while still keeping his steps quiet. If he did not dislike her so much, he would have been impressed with her stealthy abilities to move at such a pace.
Eventually she exited the build and began to roam her way through the wooded area making it easier for Fíli to keep a distance without loosing her. But then she entered a more dense area and took a turn to disappear behind a tree. Fíli immediately picked up his pace almost nearly forgetting to keep his strides quiet as he hastened to catch up. But by the time he arrived to the point she had disappeared from his line of vision as he came to a stop. Thyra was nowhere to be found. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise up as the sensation of being watched crawled up his spine. His eyes narrowed as he strained to catch sight of her.
"Why do you follow?"
Fili jumped at the sound of her voice. He had been caught off guard when the sound came from behind him instead of in front like he expected. Doing his best to hid his shakiness and annoyance that she had somehow managed to sneak up on him undetected, again, he turned around to face her.
Thyra stood only a few paces behind him. Her body partially camouflaged by the brush she had just stepped from. With the trees casting shadows and the moon being just a sliver in the night sky, it left her face to be consumed mostly by darkness, keeping her expression unreadable.
Fili straightened.
"Why are you out her in the middle of the night?" Fili countered. "Shouldn't you be in bed."
"Why are you?" She challenged with her own question for an answer.
Fili tightened his fists.
"I was following you," Fili finally answered. His tone firm and unashamed.
"Why?"
"Because I don't trust you?" He answered.
Thyra unexpectedly took a step forward and Fili retreated. The moment he moved he regretted it. He had shown weakness and given the glint in her eye that he could now see in the faint silverlight she had stepped into, she had caught it. Her eyes roved over him. Taking in his disheveled hair and hastily dressed body.
"Reason?" She requested in sparse words.
Fili was caught off guard when an immediate answer failed to fall from his lips. He felt like their were many reason but the biggest one was because he just did not like her for reasons he found he could not produce either. He frowned for a moment. He had always had the philosophy to think the best of people. But for some reason this woman, this girl, for she could hardly be considered a woman of age, made him go against all his beliefs. His mind wandered to the conversation at dinner with Sigurd after Thyra had left.
"You should never trust survivors," he answered plainly. "At least not until you know how they survived."
There was no flinch at the reference of her survival, nor was their any type of reaction. She stared at him, as if contemplating his answer. Then, her mouth curled in amusement.
"You surprise me Freelin, you are smarter than I thought."
Fili's eye twitched. "It's Fili," he said, emphasizing each syllable of his name. "And what do you mean smarter than you thought. Are you saying that I shouldn't trust you?"
Thyra took another step forward, this time Fili stayed in place. His blue eyes narrowing down at her as she adjusted the angle of her head to meet his eye.
"No," she answered. "You should never trust. Foe, friend, family...none." She turned around and began to walk away but not before Fili heard her mutter one last sentence. "Not even yourself."
So a couple things about Thyra. Her dialogue is purposely worded incorrectly to portray her lack of the Westron language. I cannot tell you how hard it is to write it wrong but still keep it understandable which is why I only do it occasionally. If it is too distracting with the inconsistency let me know. Or if it works I will keep on doing it how I am doing it right now. I want to create that foreigner vib but if it distracts from the story I will just write it correctly and you can use your imagination. I am a huge vikings fan and I LOVE Lagartha because she is awesome. I based a lot of Thyra's culture from vikings as well and because I love Lagartha I based Thyra's appearance off of her a lot. Not necessarily her facial features or personality but definitely her hair style and clothing. So if you need help visualizing her, think of Lagartha with really dark eyes and a lot more tattoos. Speaking of tattoos the one on Thyra's forearm was inspired by a variation of Jörmungandr and Yggdrasil and the one on her shoulder is a simple Helm of Awe. The eye scar I feel is pretty obvious. Hope this helps. If y'all have any more questions let me know and I am happy to fill in unless I have plans to reveal it later.