Kokonoa: We own nothing except the pony and the adorable dragon! Everything else is all Peter Jackson and Gandalf!
Vallen: A-adorable? How am I adorable? And...Gandalf? I'm sure you meant Tolkien.
Kokonoa: Yes, adorable! In every way! And Tolkien is basically Gandalf.
Vallen: What, no—
Kokonoa: ENJOY!
Chapter 4
The hard, cold stones made little noise as Vallen stumbled across them barefoot. There had to be a way out. There was always a way out. Always.
The dungeons behind were deceptively quiet as she pushed herself forward. Too quiet. Surely he knew that she had escaped. However, at that moment, none of it mattered. The bridge lay up ahead. She was getting out. She would be free!
From the moment her feet touched the stones of the bridge, Vallen felt hope soar in her heart for the first time in months. She was almost out. Only a few more yards stood before her and the freedom that the forest up ahead promised her.
"You cannot run."
Vallen nearly tripped at the sound of that high, cruel voice. Her heart leapt up into her throat as she forced herself to run faster. He would not catch her again. She was almost free.
Three more steps. Two more. One more. Her foot grazed against the soft green grass that began at the ending of the bridge. Then, suddenly, she was violently thrown back several yards. Pain shot up through her body as Vallen impacted with a wall, far away from the other side. Her head cracked against a stone, causing stars to appear in her vision.
A hand grasped her throat before Vallen had a chance to react, and she was being lifted into the air by her throat. Vallen's heart plummeted as she stared wide-eyed into a pair of fiery eyes. It was all over. And, for once, Vallen did not dare struggle.
"I will always find you, little bird."
Vallen jerked awake, gasping and covered in cold sweat. For a long moment, she was completely unaware of where she was. The scent of Dwarves, pipe smoke, and a Hobbit almost immediately jogged her memory.
Vallen lifted a trembling hand to wipe off the beads of sweat from her face. It had been years since she had dreamed, in such vivid detail, of those days. It was as if her mind was rebelling against her for leaving her sanctuary.
What had she been thinking anyway? How could she have allowed Gandalf to convince her into leaving? She had been safe before, so far removed from civilization. So far from him.
She clenched the hand that she had used to wipe her forehead into a fist. Closing her eyes and bringing her fist back to her side, Vallen forced her mind to focus. She had a task. She wouldn't allow herself to stray. No, this was too important.
"Kili, where did you put my satchel?" Fili's voice emanated from a nearby room, breaking Vallen's concentration and bringing her back to reality.
"I didn't put it anywhere! It's with the others in the hall!" replied Kili from the other side of Bag End.
Vallen tuned them out and pulled herself to her feet. She had crept her way into Bag End after everyone was asleep and, after finding a decent chair, had fallen asleep in the dining room. Vallen rubbed the back of her sore neck, which was a little tense after sleeping at a table. Not to mention that it was damp with sweat.
Sounds of the Dwarves waking up could be heard, even without sharp hearing. They were a loud bunch regardless. Sleepy groans and yawns came from where Vallen assumed was the parlor. Recalling the general layout of Bag End, Vallen left the dining room and headed in the direction of where she believed was the bathroom.
Vallen found the bathroom easily enough and it was, mercifully, empty. Inside, there was a Hobbit-sized copper bathtub, a toilet, and a basin sink with a mirror, all with proper plumbing. Vallen smiled as she remembered Bilbo mentioning something about the Dwarves destroying the plumbing the night before. If the Dwarves had done such a thing, they had done a fine job of repairing it.
She reached the mirror and examined the face that stared back at her.
Vallen was a very pale and thin woman with sharp, angular features that only made her appear even thinner. She had the face of one whom, at one time, had possessed a great beauty that had been replaced with a face that merely looked gaunt and unhealthy. With a sinking feeling, Vallen understood why Thorin Oakenshield thought her weak. Years with him had left her looking like a frail, sickly child.
Reaching up, Vallen smoothed down some of the fly-away hairs that had escaped her braids. A sliver of white hair lay barely hidden beneath one of her dark braids. Vallen took one of her head-coverings and draped it over her hair, tying it in the back underneath the braided bun, effectively hiding the silver streak that had become more visible as the braids had begun fall apart. She did not have time to redo her hair this morning.
After eliminating the physical signs of her nightmare, Vallen left the bathroom and made her way outside. A rosy light had just begun to spread in the sky, signaling that sunrise wasn't too far off.
Vallen let out a long, high whistle. Moments later, a neigh and the sound of hooves came from down the road. A small black horse appeared around the bend and stopped at the gate, pawing at the ground in anticipation. Vallen smiled and strode down the pathway to her horse.
"Good morning, Pril'nut'," Vallen said quietly to her horse as she scratched her withers. She took a moment to ensure that all the tack and supplies were still on Pril'nut' before moving back to the horse's shoulder. Vallen rested her head against the mare's neck, sighing tiredly. Despite having full night's sleep, she had not been able to rest completely. Vallen's mind had rebelled against her, reminding her of a danger that she had been hiding from for decades. Reminding her that she was never safe.
Pril'nut' nickered softly at her mistress and reached around to touch Vallen reassuringly on the shoulder with her muzzle. Vallen smiled again and embraced the mare around the neck. Pril'nut' was used to this treatment and had long since learned to simply stand still. After a moment, Vallen released the mare and, after another quick scratch on the withers, she left her and headed back towards the Hobbit hole.
The door opened before she could reach it, and out stepped Thorin and Dwalin, both fully dressed and wide awake.
"I see that you are awake on time," Thorin stated in place of "good morning". Dwalin said nothing and chose to simply stand by Thorin, arms crossed and glaring.
"Your observational skills are astounding. I'm impressed," Vallen shot back, not at all in the mood to deal with either Thorin or Dwalin. She made to slide past the two of them, but Thorin stepped in her path.
"Fili and Kili tell me that you are a dual-handed swordswoman. Is this true?" Thorin questioned, cutting straight to the point.
"It is," she replied. Vaguely, she wondered where exactly he was going with this.
"How good?" he pressed.
There was a hint of challenge in his voice that made Vallen draw herself up to her full height and made her stare him straight in the eye. "Excellent," Vallen said shortly.
Dwalin decided then to speak up. "I'll be the judge of that."
Vallen raised her eyebrows questioningly at him. "Dwalin has agreed to test your abilities before we set out," Thorin replied for Dwalin. "Every one of us is more than capable of handling a weapon."
"I am an unknown, is what you're saying," Vallen said.
Thorin tilted his head in agreement. His blue-grey eyes watched her carefully as if he were expecting her to show fear or offense at the thought of her abilities being tested. Vallen sighed.
"Is Gandalf's recommendation not good enough for you?" she inquired, feeling a little annoyed. Gandalf had told her that the Dwarves would leave her alone if she minded her own business. Apparently he had either been wrong, or lying. Vallen had a sense that it was the latter.
"Gandalf is wise and I respect his judgment. However, for you to be a part of my Company, I must know your abilities." Thorin Oakenshield was not a fool. He knew better than to allow a sickly looking girl to go on a dangerous quest. While Vallen knew that, she was in a less than understanding mood this particular morning.
"Then I suppose it is a good thing that I am technically not going to be in your Company. I am in Gandalf's," Vallen countered.
Thorin did not appear to be fazed by this revelation. In fact, he seemed to have been expecting it, if his rather smug expression was any indication. Vallen narrowed her eyes in suspicion.
"We had a little chat about that last night," Thorin began, crossing his arms. "He and I agreed that it would be best for you to be part of the Company while you travel with us. That way we are better suited to work as one. It took a great deal of convincing, but Gandalf agreed."
Vallen froze, her eyes widening in indignation at this new announcement. She clenched her fists in anger. Gandalf had promised that she would be left alone! That was her one condition for agreeing to this madness, and it was being disregarded like an old dishrag. Oh, the things she would do to make him pay—
Vallen shut her eyes and abruptly cut off that thought before it could go any further. She took a deep breath to calm her rage. It would not do to lose her cool. Besides, Gandalf had only promised to keep her secret safe, not help her antisocial attitude, even though it was implied. It did not matter. None of it mattered.
After a long moment, Vallen opened her eyes to see Thorin and Dwalin still watching her. Vallen sighed, allowing herself to accept defeat this once. It was not a topic that she was willing to ruin her already unpleasant morning over.
"Very well," she agreed shortly. Thorin blinked, obviously surprised at her decision. Although, given the attitude she had shown him the night before, it was not surprising that he would feel that way.
Thorin made a gesture with his hand for her to follow, and then he and Dwalin strode off. Vallen followed silently, not trusting herself to speak lest she would snap at someone. They came to a small clearing behind Bag End, just barely large enough to hold a duel between two people. Vallen noted that all the other Dwarves were gathered around the clearing. The moment they came around the corner, the Dwarves erupted into cheers, all of them for Dwalin. However, Vallen could have sworn that she heard Kili give her a cheer.
The two combatants entered the clearing immediately. Vallen removed her heavy travelling cloak, revealing the two short swords attached to her hips on a belt, as well as the strangely curved longsword that was strapped to her back. Beneath the cloak, Vallen wore a pair of simple black trousers, a dark brown shirt underneath a short-sleeved leather jerkin, and a pair of soft leather boots that reached up past her knees.
She turned to face Dwalin, who had just brought out a pair of single-handed axes. Vallen eyed him with a hint of amusement. Dwalin was tall, very tall for a Dwarf. Very wide too, and not at all in the fat sense. He walked like a great, lumbering bear. Powerful and little slow, but more than capable of moving fast when necessary. It was relatively safe to assume that he fought like that as well. Vallen felt the beginnings of a smirk play at the corners of her mouth. This would be fun.
"The rules are simple," Thorin announced in his usual baritone. "This is a test, nothing more. There are to be no major injuries. Small cuts and bruises are acceptable, but that is the limit." Thorin paused for a moment, most likely to let the rules sink in. "Begin."
Dwalin was the first to attack, as Vallen suspected. His swing was slow. Too slow, almost as if he were afraid of hurting her. However, to be fair, Vallen had yet to unsheathe any of her weapons.
In response, Vallen simply sidestepped him, sliding out of reach every time Dwalin tried to reach her. This happened for several minutes before Dwalin stopped and glared at her, panting a little at having to chase her. Vallen smirked. It was just too easy.
"Draw you weapon!" he growled at her.
"Are you sure you want me to do that?" Vallen taunted mischeviously.
"Stop dancing around and fight!" And with that demand, Dwalin charged. Vallen unsheathed her short swords and met Dwalin's axes head-on. She hadn't been expecting a challenging fight, and she was not disappointed. Dwalin was a fast and strong warrior with a great deal of experience, but Vallen was deadly quick and far stronger than she looked. She wasn't even attacking, merely defending herself. Every swing and blow was parried or just plain dodged. It was like a game.
Vallen could practically feel Dwalin's frustration as he failed again and again to reach her. It was a little repetitive, if she was being honest with herself. With a sigh, Vallen darted forward like an arrow and broke through Dwalin's defenses. With a quick sweep of her swords, Dwalin's axes flew out of his hands and a sword was pressed to his throat.
Dwalin stood there motionless, staring at Vallen with narrowed eyes. There was utter silence as no one moved. Then, after several long moments, he finally spoke.
"You fight like an elf," he said distastefully. Vallen felt a corner of her mouth turn up into a lop-sided grin in response, and she removed her sword, placing them back in their sheathes. Out of the corner of her eye, Vallen noticed two long cuts stretched up and down Dwalin's arms from where she had disarmed him.
Internally, she winced at her lack of practice in disarming. She had almost never needed to use that skill. Disarming before making a killing blow took too long. And Vallen was an expert in killing.
They returned to the house and Vallen, remembering the contract and after wasting five minutes trying to find it, signed her name on it. She sighed as she saw, or rather, did not see Bilbo's signature on it, but refused to believe that he would give up this easily. She was going to give it to Balin, but Gandalf, noticing her first, said,"Give it here, I know what to do with it." And without giving any explanation, swiftly took it from her hands and disappeared to another room. Vallen sniffed once, silently questioning the wizard, but then left to retrieve her coat and went outside.
Once everyone had made sure that they had everything, they left Bag End to retrieve their ponies(and Gandalf his horse). Vallen gave Pril'nut' a few strokes on her muzzle clucked a two times – meaning that Pril'nut' should follow her.
As they walked away from the Shire, Vallen glanced back at Bilbo's house thoughtfully. The Hobbit was a decent enough person, and he struck her as being intelligent and courageous, despite his rather shy ways. A suitable travelling companion, if he decided to come. When she sensed Gandalf watching her, she turned to him and asked curiously, "Do you think Bilbo will come?"
"Yes, he will." The old wizard had a mischievous glint in his eye when he added, "And that is precisely the reason why I left the contract on a chair in his home."
A small smile appeared on her lips and she could suddenly hear one of the Dwarves(she thought it was Gloin) yelling, "Did you hear that? Gandalf thinks we'll have our burglar after all!"
"Ah, he won't come." Dwalin put in, absent-mindedly rubbing one of his arms – one of the cuts Vallen had given him. "Too much of a coward, used to the comfort of his home. Never set a single foot past the Shire, I bet."
"Well I bet there's this tiny little adventurer in him that simply can't resist our quest!" Bofur put in enthusiastically. This was followed by a bunch of loud arguing and ended with half of the company betting gold coins that Bilbo would stay home and the other half(including Vallen and Gandalf) betting that he would come.
By the time the shouting had ceased, they had reached their ponies, and Pril'nut' snorted disapprovingly at the new company, and Vallen felt slight regret for having stayed away from civilization for so long, for it meant that Pril'nut' was also used to being the only one of her kind most of the time. Vallen gave her an affectionate pat on the shoulder and climbed onto her back with some practiced grace. She watched the Dwarves mount their steeds, and noticed with some satisfaction that Pril'nut' was a tad bit bigger than their ponies, but then, with a hint of disappointment, noticed that her horse looked like a foal compared to Gandalf's large, majestic brown stallion.
With a sigh, she took out her pipe and lit it, ignoring stunned and confused looks coming her way, and spurred her horse forward, next to Gandalf's. It was apparent that Thorin would be leading the company, and since she disliked having to be near people who had no respect for her, that made Gandalf the perfect candidate. Also because she had a bone to pick with him. When they had started moving and the Dwarves had begun talking amongst each other, Vallen took the chance.
"Gandalf, I respect that you are one of the most powerful members in this jolly group of small creatures, and I also understand that you know exactly where we're going and how to stay safe," by now she could almost hear the wizard tensing up. "But you had no right to make me a part of his company." She spat the last two words, and she thought she saw Gandalf tighten the grip on his reigns for a split second. Gandalf waited before responding and all the while Vallen kept her piercing gaze on him.
Finally, he said in an exhausted voice, "Now Vallen, you know the stubbornness of Dwarves, and Thorin could not be silenced until I agreed. And he does have a point – you are all better suited working as—"
"I am much better off working alone; always have and always will be," Vallen hissed quietly so only Gandalf could hear. "The only reason I came along is because you convinced me that this was my one and only chance to exact revenge. I did not come to work alongside this useless rabble that will most likely perish by dragon-fire anyway. You promised me they would leave me alone if I stayed out of their business, and you lied to me." Her eyes lit up slightly and a puff of smoke escaped her lips when she had uttered the last few words, and it had not come from her pipe. Only Gandalf noticed this, however, and tried to calm her down. "Now, Vallen—"
"No Gandalf, no matter what you say, you lied, and you do not lie to a—" she closed her eyes and forced herself to take a deep breath and calm down before she said something she would regret. By the time she opened her eyes again, she could see several of the Dwarves giving her uneasy glances and she turned back to Gandalf, who was studying her carefully with a slightly anxious expression on his face. "And you do not lie to my kind." She finished calmly.
"My dear Vallen, I am truly sorry, but I only wish to help you and the Dwarves in the best way possible." Gandalf explained. "I know how it is with your kind and the Dwarves and I am also well aware that you work best alone, as you have in the past many years, but they do not ask for much and you need the company. We are all in this quest together, and I truly believe that working together will get us there not only faster, but safer as well. And I do believe that you are just as capable as I am of keeping these Dwarves safe, for I know how well you can keep yourself out of harm."
"You want me to help a race that hates my kind." Vallen arched her eyebrows at him.
"You both wish to get rid of the same calamity," Gandalf reminded her.
Vallen sighed. It wasn't like she had any other choice, except go back into hiding and be filled with regret. She was about to speak, but then suddenly she thought she could hear a tiny, distant voice yell, "Wait!" and she made Pril'nut' halt. She turned around in her seat and listened carefully. "Did you hear that?" she asked Gandalf.
He halted as well, and was about to ask, "What?" when it came again.
"Wait! I'm coming with you!" They all turned towards the voice and saw none other than Bilbo Baggins running towards them, holding up the contract in one hand. She turned back towards Gandalf and the Dwarves and couldn't help a smirk appearing on her lips. The Dwarves exchanged glances and she thought she could hear someone cursing under his breath as they all tried to look casual about it. Gandalf raised his eyebrows and turned to Thorin, who had an amused smile on his face.
Once Bilbo reached them, he held up the contract triumphantly, while panting heavily, and wheezed, "I did it. I signed the contract!"
A/N: Happy Holidays everyone! We hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. It's one of our longer ones thus far :D
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