Hola! School's started again so updates may be a bit slower, but I'll try my best to update as much as possible. Anyhow I hope you enjoy chapter 7!
I travelled through the night.
Despite my untrained muscles screaming at me to stop, despite the fatigue causing me to stumble every other step. I couldn't stop, I feared if I stopped then the reality that I was alone would crash into me, that no matter how much I wanted the snoring of the dwarves to chase away my fear of the night, they weren't here. My hair had been plastered to my face by the now torrential rain, that had begun the afternoon I'd left. The silver cloak, much to my increasing displeasure, had done nothing to keep the rain from my body. Which was now trembling in the cold. The pins of rain hit like razors against my bare face, stinging the scar along my face. My boots were filled with water after having to wade through a raging river just after midday, which was much harder than it looked.
Any sense that I had knew I should stop and find shelter by the boulder on the cliff that I was walking past, yet I carried on walking. Despite my heart clenching at the thought of walking one more step.
I was back in the shelter of trees again. However, the trees had seemed so beautiful and powerful when I'd last seen them in the company's presence, but now. Now they seemed to lurch towards me, moaning and howling in the wind. All sense of comfort now gone. The darkness of the early morning and the storm silhouetting them made them look like mammoth towering beasts to my delirious mind. Made mad by dehydration and hunger.
All the animals seemed to have disappeared to find shelter, making the forest seem empty, cold. My mind wondered to what the company would be doing, perhaps they were still in Bree, enjoying the warmth and shelter while they can, they probably have continued on their journey and would now be sleeping, in a sheltered camp that the travel worn Thorin had chosen. I shook my head. I couldn't think of what I had given up, it was for the best.
I wouldn't be a burden.
And despite my unwillingness to think of them I couldn't help but wonder what their responses had been to my leaving. Fili and Kili would be mad, I'd taken their money and left after all. The rest would probably be relieved to not have to worry about me. I refused to think that they would even be remotely sad, they didn't even know me.
The rain became heavier on my hooded head, the noise of the rain on my leather pack and my hood almost deafening. Finally, after hours of walking the temptation to find shelter was too great and so I paused my stumbling to look around me as best I could through the rain and hair plastered across my face. Nothing, except a small hole in the bottom of a great oak tree.
I found that I no longer cared where I would find shelter. So, I threw my pack directly into the small cave in the bottom of the tree with a soggy slap and manoeuvred my body inside next to it. Turns out that with my pack next to me I was forced to bring my legs to my chest and bend my back over them, so that I could fit in my little shelter.
And there I was, in a tiny cave at the bottom of a tree, curled into a ball with my hair plastered to my face, drips still running down my body and sopping wet cloak bundled around me. Completely and utterly alone.
Then, as if those forgotten gods were watching, the sun began to peak over the horizon, it's rays reflecting off each and every water droplet. Giving the once terrifying forest a magical look.
It was still raining but suddenly, suddenly I didn't feel as miserable as I had before.
Bofur P.O.V
The company had left not long after I had found May's note, the still bustling city waking up under cloudy skies in the late morning. I was still shocked over the revelation of Mary's leaving. The girl had only been travelling with them for two days but us dwarves always found a place for those in need. Now, I was becoming increasingly worried over the fact that the injured and seemingly untraveled lass was out wandering the wild alone. No less now that the rains seemed to be rapidly coming in.
I rode beside Oin once we'd left the preoccupied crowd, as he seemed to be just as concerned for the girl as I. He was the first to let his concerns be known, claiming that her wounds were at a high chance of being infected. However, Thorin had simply said that we would continue on, the girl had made her decision. I knew there was more than that, I saw the relieved glint in his steel eyes.
My king was not the only one who seemed relieved at the girl's disappearance. Gloin and Dori seemed quite content with their missing companion, ranting on about how they wouldn't have the burden of looking after the girl. Plus, they could each share out her rations. Much to most of the company's disgust. Surely Gloin had a caring side, he had raised a wee lad, Gimli, after all. Dori was just glad to not have the death of the girl on the company, as she would've never made the journey.
It didn't sit well with me, if she couldn't survive with us protecting her, then how could she when she was alone?
Fili and Kili were sad at losing their new friend, their young minds not expecting May to leave them, not understanding what that kind of trauma can do to a person. They seemed to have been the closest to May in the short time they had spent with her. All sharing a similar age they were bound to become friends. I'd watched Fili and Kili worm their way to May's side, ignoring her scars and seeing her as any other girl. It was endearing to see them trying their best, ignoring her half-hearted replies and gaining her smiles. So, it was no surprise that they were some-what down hearted when they set of that morning.
Bilbo also seemed to be troubled by the fact that he was now alone is his venture across unknown lands with unknown people. Not having the comfort of another weakling, if you will, to get him through.
The rest, were just confused. Confused about the fact that the girl decided to forgo their protection and friendship. Her note had not given an explanation as to why she felt the need to leave, only that we shouldn't have followed her. Although, by my assumption, she would've taken the great east road, which is the road we were travelling on now.
Our ponies were making quick work of the compacted path and despite the gloom of the sky and the company, we'd made more land than Thorin had expected. Annoyance fluttered through me when I heard Dori mumbling it was probably because they didn't have the girl with them.
"May, her name is May," I'd mumbled under my breath for only the people around me to hear, which happened to be Oin, Fili and Kili. They nodded grimly.
The first patter of rain began that afternoon, bouncing of the leaves of the surrounding trees, creating echoing around the small forest they were riding through. Groans emitted from the company as the first drops dripped onto their waiting heads, simultaneously pulling up their different coloured hoods. I might have laughed at the act of them all doing it at the same time, but my mind flew to May, who would surely be shivering to death in her flimsy cloak.
Thorin P.O.V
I decided in that moment that I. Hate. Rivers. It took the company the best part of an hour to cross the damned thing.
Rain, I could cope with. Even though the company moaned and groaned like wee babes at the increasingly heavy downpour. I admit, rain is an inconvenience, yet my heavy-duty cloak kept off most the rain drops. But rivers…
I'd been the first to see the raging river. It may have been a small stream this morning, but due to the heavy shower it was now a raging torrent of water and debris. Menacing and wicked. We could not go around it, nor were there any bridges nearby. So, I had no choice but to order the company through.
The light was rapidly leaving but I refused to stop the day's ride until we had made it across. Rest after. I slowed my pony to a trot and turned slightly to address my sopping wet company, all looking absolutely miserable.
"We'll cross the river now. Get off your ponies and guide them through, we can't afford to lose any supplies," I projected my voice to reach every member over the rain. They grumbled to each other but at my well-practiced glare they all jumped off and one by one led their ponies to the river shore.
I was the first to go, testing the water. My calves strained at the fierce force that pumped onto them from the overflowing river. The pony bucked and kicked at the river's power but I managed to drag him through successfully. Having to put all my weight in to resist the rapid current and pull the pony at the same time, muscles straining. I stumbled up onto the grassy shore, relief flooding through me, and gestured for the others to follow once I deemed it safe.
It was slow going but they managed it one by one, little by little. All struggling with the ponies and the rising current. Successfully. Well, until my nephews had their go. I don't know why I was surprised in all honesty. Fili went first, wading without fault to the middle, Kili trailing behind.
That's when things went wrong.
Fili's pony bucked and loosened his grip on the reigns, ultimately leading to the small pony being dragged away by the current. With a yell Fili had, like the heroic dwarf he was, dived after the flailing pony. Only to be dragged under by the current as he leapt for the horse's reigns. Kili, unsurprisingly, had jumped straight in after his brother and was dragged down too.
The water was relatively shallow so I wasn't worried, but found some displeasure at my heirs being beaten by a river and two ponies. The company was running along the shore next to the rolling dwarves, shouting and yelling. Not helping the situation at all. Fili broke the surface of the water for a second before being submerged once again by Kili clinging to his brother's head for balance. All in all, they were a royal mess, no pun intended.
Dwalin, my brother in arms, eventually had to wade back into to drag the princes out of the river by the hoods of their cloaks, both looking ashamed about having lost both ponies and all the supplies attached, over such a relatively simple task. However, they were still given my dry spare cloak and blankets from the company, bundled like babes. Some still sat around Fili and Kili at the shore, making sure they were okay. Whereas Dwalin, Gloin and I went over into a small clearing to set up camp and try to get as much shelter as possible, which wasn't much.
The stars poured across the sky in a wonderful scattering of love and death and life itself. Lighting through the rain and clearing my thoughts, I could finally think clearly after hours of rain.
We'd finished making camp as soon as the sun had set and had resigned to a cold dinner of dried meet and bread from Bree. I was now lying on my back on the soggy ground unable to sleep. Bofur had insisted on taking watch and so I had been sentenced to a night of no rest. My thoughts, however much as I didn't like it, were occupied my May.
We, the dwarves, had struggled to cross the river, how could a tiny lass like May cross safely? It would be on my conscience should anything happen to her, despite her leaving the company, I would still blame myself. Who would know if she was killed? There would be no one to bury her and give her rest, like she deserved. I wasn't as kind as I should've been, nor did I accept her into the company. I had rejected her as Thranduil had rejected my people on that fateful day. I sighed and rubbed a calloused hand across my brow. Frustrated at the fact that the girl was now wandering alone, unprepared.
I rolled over to grip the hilt of my bulky dwarvish sword, it's cool metal a great comfort to me, my hands sliding over the wet surface. The rain continued on, it seemed. My fur coat had fallen limp over my shoulders.
All I could do was hope she hadn't come this way, been forced to cross the merciless river.
May would surely be dead.
There you go chapter 7! I hope you enjoyed some different P. in this chapter, let me know what you thought!
Thank you to SWQuinn, HalsGal1231, alleycat023, TwilightMelodic, Tibblets and lillajag11 for following Branded, Love you guys!
Also thank you to TwilightMelodic for adding this story to your favourites!
Marie0907: Haha no thank god. I'm glad you liked Thorin's P.O.V in the last chapter and I'm super excited to reveal some of Mary's past, not just yet though ;). As always thank you for the review it means a lot!
Thanks for reading
Ellie x
