From the young age, Narah Tenille was a watcher. She was the one who watched and protected from the shadows and today wasn't an exception. The dark skinned girl was sitting silently at the corner of the table while her amber coloured eyes watched the small hobbit who was reading a contract.
Her eyes were following hobbit's movement and she just waited for that moment when he will faint. And he will faint. She was ready to repay his generosity preventing him from the bump on the head. It was the least she can do at this moment.
And when the halfling started to fall down, after quite dramatic 'nope', Narah jumped from her spot and caught the unconscious body by his armpits. After a few moments she carefully laid Bilbo on the carpet and for good measure put her two fingers on his neck. The steady pulse she felt was enough to make her calm.
Narah Tenille lifted her head to look at the dwarf with a funny hat who was responsible for scaring hobbit. The young woman ignored the looks from other dwarves, which varied from surprise to disdain. Some of them even dared to laugh.
For a couple of seconds, she just stared at the dwarf until he lowered his look.
"I know you didn't mean it, but you still shouldn't have done it," she finally spoke, it was a familiar situation to her. Her siblings lived for teasing each other and sometimes they tend to forget the line.
But to the Bofur, being reprimanded was something unusual. For a long time, to him, there was only his brother and his cousin, and to be scolded by a strange woman was something new. But Bofur after few seconds lowered his head, it was strange feeling in his stomach. Something akin to shame, and it was something unexpected to him. Believe it or not.
It remembered him the times when they were just wee dwarflings and done something naughty while their mother scolded them. Not anger but disappointment was laced into her voice And he didn't know why he didn't like that coming from her.
"If he is fainting just from mentioning what will happen when he will face it," Thorin scoffed and with the last look at the passed out hobbit turned away. Both princes followed him, before giving the dark-skinned girl little smiles.
"Courage doesn't mean that you don't get afraid. Courage means that you don't let the fear to stop you from doing it," Narah spoke silently but still firmly and loud enough to Thorin and Company to hear.
The dwarf king stopped in track.
"Anyone would be a fool to not fear what lies in the mountain," she said with the air of finality and turned around but before bowing her head a bit at the king in exile who was frowning at her "Master Oakenshield,"
LINE BREAK
She hummed a lullaby from home while packing her back bag which mysteriously was brought her with her, she didn't know how, but Narah was extremely glad for that. At least something from home.
And for what she was glad even more, that she was that person who needed to be ready for anything and anytime.
The female smiled while she was getting out things from her never-ending leather bag.
Almost full bottle of strong painkillers will be useful in the journey she was sure about that, some bandages and band-aids too, notebook which was nearly empty and only here because it was cute looking, her purse with now worthless money, warm sweater which was stolen from her brother, some granola bars and chocolate, bag with her cosmetics and some pads and many other things, some of them she didn't even know about.
Finally, she looked at her smartphone.
She sadly smiled when the picture of them 5 popped out. It was a rare day when her father wasn't working and they spend all day together. It was amazing day.
Narah Tenille softly stroked the faces of her family while remembering how happy they were. Her eyes started to get watery but she still stared at their happy faces even if they are were becoming blurry.
The woman didn't even hear two princes who were watching the strange female for a quite time while she was searching through her possessions. They couldn't help but be curious when she started to look at the glowing black thing with almost the same face when someone mentioned something about family. It remembered them the look on amad's face when she talked about her brother.
"Lady Narah, what it is?," the curious and joyful voice of Kili made her jump in fright and drop her phone which fell down in her bag. Thanks for that, and not on the floor. She looked at the young princes and quickly zipped her bag. She blinked for a couple of times to clear her eyes even if it didn't make much better
"Just some personal things from home," she told them with a smile and quickly put her things back in the bag, carefully putting the ones who were fragile inside clothes.
She started to walk away but stopped and put a hand on Fili's shoulder.
"We will talk later," she squeezed his shoulder for a second and with the last smile walked away.
While she was walking she smiled at everyone she passed even if not all of them smiled back or even acknowledged her back
She walked into the hallway and took a deep breath. She turned her head and saw Balin sitting on the bench and kindly smiling at her. He patted the seat beside him and Narah shyly sat down.
"After reaching your second hundred you start to appreciate the peace," Balin spoke and while still hearing his kin shouting from the dining room. All he wanted now was peace.
"What would such young lad like yourself know about two hundred years of living?" Narah tried to joke, and fortunately, it worked. Balin looked at her and cracked up laughing. It was a sincere laugh and it didn't take long to Narah to join it. "Aye. It's been a long time since I laughed like that, lass, "
For a couple of minutes, both of them sat in comfortable silence until Balin turned his head watched the girl… no... a young woman who was sitting with her eyes closed.
He couldn't help but feel that she knew more than she told them and was here not just because only as Gandalf companion.
"After living over two hundred years you start to notice things about people. How they act. What they know. And you, my lass, are more than just friend of Gandalf."
What Narah Tenille didn't expect was to Balin point it out so soon. She didn't expect ant of them point it out at all.
She looked at the elderly dwarf with the shocked and fearful look.
If he knows then he would tell Thorin. And he will definitely make her speak or not come with them.
"You are here because something terrible will happen," Balin concluded when he saw the fearful look in her eyes.
Her eyes. Her unusual amber eyes held an enormous amount of knowledge and wisdom.
It remembered him elves, their youthful faces with eyes of old as the earth itself.
But unlike them, the girl's eyes held only kindness. He didn't see any ill-wished motives, there wasn't any hate or prejudice and that was unusual.
Narah Tenille didn't even try to deny it.
So she just nodded and lowered her head. She was too tired to even try to change old dwarf mind. Which was quite impossible.
Balin hoped that he was wrong. But when Narah nodded it felt like half of the mountain was dropped on his chest.
He knew it. From the bottom of his chest, he knew it.
"It's not written in stone, " she finally spoke and put her darker hand on his. The royal advisor looked at the woman and squeezed her hand in reassurance.
They both needed it.
To know that nothing wasn't written in stone yet.
"You know many things about us, I believe. But I know almost nothing about you," Balin tried to change the topic and Narah was glad for that. So glad.
She didn't want to think about what will happen.
For the looks, Balin didn't want either.
"I like to sing," Narah silently confessed and shyly twirled one of her many curls.
She didn't know what tempt her to admit it. Balin smiled kindly at her and she instantly knew what he wanted.
"Be my guest, lass," for a moment she closed her eyes to think about the song she wanted to sing.
The songs she sang at the bars won't be a good choice, that's for sure.
She needed something calmer.
The Gaelic lullaby that came to her mind.
It was from the Brave and was one of her siblings most favourite ones.
A naoidhean bhig, cluinn mo ghuth
Mise ri d' thaobh, Ó mhaighdean bhàn
Ar rìbhinn òg, fàs a's faic
Do thìr, dìleas fhéin
A ghrian a's a ghealach, stiùir sinn
Gu uair ar cliù 's ar glòir
Naoidhean bhig, ar rìbhinn òg
Mhaighdean uasal bhàn
She sang with her eyes closed and didn't see what effect she had on Balin.
The old dwarf was almost like in the trance, the slightly lower than any other maiden voice and foreign words lulled him into state of peace he didn't feel for a long time.
But what neither of them knows was the figure of dwarf watching them from the shadows.
Like the older dwarf, Thorin was enchanted, he just couldn't take off his eyes from the woman. Her voice, her voice was smoother than the silk and it felt like the warmest blanket on the coldest day.
He didn't even realise that song ended and when Balin, after few minutes started to praise her he watched how the woman shyly accepted his compliments.
"What was the language you sang? It's sounded a little bit like old elvish," The white-haired dwarf asked and Thorin grimaced at the mention of those tree shaggers language. It wasn't any like that.
"It was the ancient language of my people. It isn't used much today but the songs still exist," Narah just shrugged her shoulders and smiled.
"It was a nice song, Ms Finley," the voice from the shadows made her jump and she turned towards the king himself.
"Very nice indeed."
