Disclaimer:I (sadly)don't own the song lyrics seen in this chapter.
Author's note: in this chapter as well as the last one, I've been trying to convey all the traveling that the company goes through. Next chapter, we will be seeing more recognizable movie scenes...yay!
Chapter 8 an aria of fire
We had been on the road for twelve days and eleven nights before we camped anywhere near running water.
For the first few days of travel, I had been glad of the excuse not to shower. My thick hair took about half an hour and what seemed like a quarter of a shampoo bottle to wash. But after nearly two weeks of sweat, grime, and pony hair collecting all over me, I would have done anything for a nice hot shower.
On that night, I got the next best thing.
Thorin ordered us to halt in a hollow that was around 20 feet away from the laziest slowest moving river I had ever seen.
I swung myself off of my pony and hopped to the ground. I winced at the pain in my ankle but smiled to find that it was better than it had been this morning. I had only a slightly affected limp and was now sure that I could attend to Minty on my own.
Fili wasn't as sure.
He claimed that for the good of the company, I had to heal as fast as possible. And healing apparently included not unsaddling and tying up my own pony.
So I settled for removing my bedroll and backpack from her saddle and setting them on the ground. Before too much of a time had passed, Fili had finished attending to his pony and came over to assist me.
"Uh, Fili?" I said as he began to take Minty's saddle off of her.
"Yes," he replied.
"You don't have to do that anymore," I said sheepishly.
He looked at me for a moment but did not answer. I was about to repeat my request for him to stop when he finished unbuckling the saddle and swung it over Minty's back. Without hesitation, he held the saddle out to me and I took it.
This was a horrible decision on my part.
The saddle was hefty and the extra weight sent a jarring pain through my ankle. I winced and let go of the saddle before I could think of what I was doing. Fili, who had not yet quite let go, was able to catch it before it fell.
"You knew that was going to happen!" I said indignantly.
"Yes," was all he said in reply.
"You could've just told me you know," I snapped.
"Would you have listened to me?" he asked.
I blushed.
"Maybe," I said defensively.
Fili raised his eyebrows as if to ask if to ask if I seriously believed that.
"Okay, so I probably would've insisted on doing it myself anyway." I conceded.
I glared at him before continuing. After all, had to do something to conceal the blush still spreading across my cheeks.
"I'll tie her up though. I can walk." I looked around realizing that all of the other ponies and most of the dwarves were missing from the clearing.
"Where?" I had started to ask when Fili cut me off.
"They're in the thicket to the right," he said.
"Okay then, let's go girl," I began to lead Minty forward towards the thicket.
"Esther?" Fili called from behind me.
"What is it?" I asked.
"Your other right," he grinned.
I blushed and had to surreptitiously raise both hands, before coming to the conclusion that I had, in fact, been leading Minty to the left.
I had nearly reached the edge of the clearing when I suddenly remembered something.
"Fili?" I called over my shoulder. "If anybody asks where I am, tell them I'll be back in half an hour."
"Why? Where are you going?" he asked.
"A walk," I answered simply before quitting the clearing.
To say that I walked was a gross understatement. I practically skipped my way down to the river.
After securing Minty to a tree near the other ponies I had scoured the river bank for nearly ten minutes before finding a suitable place to wash. I decided to bathe with my clothes on, given that they were in as much a need of washing as I was.
Before entering the water, I set out a new tunic from my backpack with the matching pair of trousers. They would be warm to the touch by the time I was clean.
I removed my red cape and slid into the water.
It was cool and wonderfully refreshing. I didn't have any soap with me, but I scrubbed at the roots of my hair for ages in an attempt to clean it.
In time, the remnants of dirt disappeared from my fingernails, my hair was clean, and the only complaint I had was that my wet clothing now clung to my body and was making me feel ice cold.
I had just decided that I had better get back to camp when I heard my name being called.
Shoot!
I momentarily panicked before remembering that I was fully clothed.
I pulled myself out of the water and clasped my red cape around my soaking wet clothes. I had just enough time stuff my warm clothes back into my backpack before I was found.
"There you are!" said Kili. "We were beginning to worry about you, you've been gone nearly an hour."
"An hour?!" I nearly yelled.
I looked for the sun but found that, along with my thoughts, I had lost track of time in the river, for it was already gone behind the trees.
The forest lay blanketed in a mist brought on by twilight.
"Did anyone notice I was gone?"
"Oh, yes. Thorin seemed pretty angry with you last I saw him. Fili asked to look for you but Thorin sent me instead. Oh, and before I forget, you've got first watch the next three days as punishment." as we walked back towards camp, Kili informed me of just how angry Thorin had been when he left.
I didn't pay attention. I was to caught up in the fact that Fili had wanted to com look for me. I felt an inexplicable disappointment that it had been Kili and not Fili who had found me.
By the time we reached camp, dinner was coming to an end, and a few of the older dwarves had begun a low song. It told of the finding of the Lonely Mountain and the building of Erebor. As I listened, I stared into the fire.
I watched the flames dance, and in the dusk, they seemed to take the shape of dragons blowing trees and all manner of enchantments.
Before I knew it, the singing fell to humming and then slowly to nothing.
The dwarves seemed to reach an unspoken agreement that it was time for bed.
On the night of my third watch, the dwarves sung once more, late into the night.
They seemed to drift to the corners of the campsite. Warm as it was, few desired the heat offered by our fire.
Remembering that I had first watch that evening, I stood and tore my eyes away from the flames.
I crept to the spot where I had left my bedroll at the edge of camp and was just turning to head for the rock ledge where the watch was to be posted when I heard voices.
My curiosity got the better of me, and in very little time I found myself crouching in the underbrush just beyond the voices.
"Gone for almost an hour two evenings back, to who knows where. And Kili said he found her by the river. She could have been doing anything. I will not have this quest compromised by the actions of that girl." This voice could only belong to Thorin.
"With all due respect uncle, I do not believe her to be a spy uncle," This was Fili.
"We don't know the slightest thing about her. I came upon her outside of Hobbiton and she practically blackmailed me into bringing her." Thorin whisper.
I felt a knot forming in my throat. I didn't want Fili knowing about that. Not when I couldn't explain.
"I thought something was different at first as well. And I agree that she is hiding something from us, but does that have to mean she wishes us harm? If you had such miscomings, then why did you allow her to accompany us?" Fili asked. Was he sticking up for me?
At any rate, he knew I was concealing something.
"You will be king someday Fili, and one of the most important things you will learn is the guarding of our people's secrets. I could not let her spread word of our quest about the countryside. That is why she accompanies us."
Great.
Now I was a spy.
As if.
I heard Thorin's last words to Fili before slipping back into camp.
"Take second watch. Start early. I don't want her slipping away again."
"Yes uncle," came Fili's reply.
Being on watch was miserable.
I was far away from the fire, sitting on an ice cold stone ledge, in clothing that was still soaked through from my dip in the river.
And because I could not sleep, I was forced to endure the sounds of snoring dwarves. Among the worst were Bombur, Ori, and (though no one would dare to mention it) Thorin.
I sat on that ledge for what felt like hours, my mind sifting through droves of information that I had yet to process.
Thorin thought I was a spy.
That was only to be expected. I would have pegged myself as a spy if I were in his shoes.
Thorin thought I was a spy and Fili had defended me.
Fili.
The more I got to know the dwarf prince, the more he puzzled me.
He was good natured, and the times I had found myself in trouble, Fili always seemed to be there.
Even on that first night in bag end when I had tripped by the fireplace.
He was an utter mystery, and try as I might, it was a long time before I could explain away his good character.
I decided that Fili was a gentleman.
Gentle dwarf?
Ah well, whatever the proper phrase was, it fit him perfectly.
I came to the conclusion that he was extremely polite, and had the best interests of the company at heart.
After this, I tried to steer my mind in the direction of other, less complicated, topics.
I can't say that I failed in this respect, but a small thought in the back of my head remained fixed on him.
Later into the night, I began to softly hum the melody of a song that the dwarves had been singing. I wished to sing along with them earlier but had encountered two problems. The first of which being that my voice did not sink nearly as low as any of theirs did. My second problem was that I just didn't know the words.
The first I could do nothing about, but the second I could fix.
If I didn't know their words then I would sing my own.
I quickly swept my gaze over the sleeping dwarves making sure that none could hear me.
Then, just for good measure, I turned my back to them.
And I began to sing softly.
The song was one about the quest, only it was ever so slightly different. It was a song from my world. No one here would recognise it.
"Oh, misty eye of the mountain below
Keep careful watch of my brothers' souls"
Here, I paused. I didn't often sing even when I was by myself so I was hesitant to continue. But the lyrics swept me away, and my voice may even have grown in volume. The next lines came easily from memory.
Only now, they came from my heart as well.
"And should the sky be filled with fire and smoke,
Keep watching over Durin's sons"
(I began to tap my hand against the rock, to the rhythm of a guitar that wasn't there.)
"If this is to end in fire
Then we should all burn together
Watch the flames climb high into the night
Calling out father oh
Stand by and we will
Watch the flames burn auburn on
The mountain side"
(Shivers went down my spine at the thought of a burning fire on the mountain side.)
"And if we should die tonight
Then we should all die together
Raise a glass of wine for the last time
(At these lyrics, a tear rolled down my cheek. I kept singing.)
Calling out father oh
Prepare as we will
Watch the flames burn auburn on
The mountain side
Desolation comes upon the sky
Now I see fire
Inside the mountain
I see fire
Burning the trees
And I see fire
Hollowing souls
I see fire
Blood in the breeze
And I hope that you remember me"
(And I hope that you remember me? At this, I could only think of Ravenhill. More tears escaped my eyes.)
"Oh, should my people fall
Then surely I'll do the same
Confined in mountain halls
We got too close to the flame
Calling out father oh
Hold fast and we will
Watch the flames burn auburn on
The mountain side
Desolation comes upon the sky
Now I see fire
Inside the mountain
I see fire
Burning the trees
I see fire
Hollowing souls
I see fire
Blood in the breeze
And I hope that you remember me"
(I paused and gulped hard before singing the last verse. I knew that my voice gained power in the last verse and I was surprised at the determination in my own voice.)
"And if the night is burning
I will cover my eyes
For if the dark returns
Then my brothers will die
And as the sky is falling down
It crashed into this lonely town
And with that shadow upon the ground
I hear my people screaming out
Now I see fire
Inside the mountains
I see fire
Burning the trees
I see fire
Hollowing souls
I see fire
Blood in the breeze
I see fire ,oh you know I saw a city burning out
And I see fire, feel the heat upon my skin,
And I see fire fire
And I see fire burn auburn on the mountain side."
And as I finished, everything was quiet . It didn't occur to me that I had been sitting on watch for quite some time. I had completely forgotten Thorin's order for Fili to start second watch early.
So, naturally, I nearly fell off of the ledge in surprise when he quietly joined me on watch.
"That was unbelievable," he said quietly.
"I'm sorry, I won't do it anymore," I mumbled.
"What? No. Someone has to have told you by now." he said.
"Told me what?" I asked stupidly.
"Your voice is captivating. I don't think I've ever heard anything like it."
"I don't sing in front of other people. Not on purpose anyway."
"I can't imagine why. That was-"
"Please, stop," I said. All of a sudden, I remembered why I didn't sing very often.
"It's a long story. I just don't sing." I said, hoping he would understand.
"Well, considering that we're on night guard for another hour, I could use a long story." he told me in a tone that suggested an actual interest.
I searched for a way to describe it in a manner that he would understand. I wasn't used to confiding in people, so when I finally spoke, it was somewhat disjointed.
Fili listened patiently while I told the story.
"Before my parents business took off- hang on, let me start over. I guess it started when I was really young."
I told him about how poor my parents were before their business became successful. About how, when I had been born, the only things in the world that they cared about, were hard work, and their little family. Then came success, and they cared less and less about their family. My mother's care for me extended only as far as my wardrobe, and my father's only attentions came in the form of a new tablet or car.( I didn't tell Fili the part about the car.)
Fili wanted me to explain their business to him, so I stumbled through a middle earth appropriate explanation of what they did, before getting back to the story.
I told him of how my parents and I would sing together less and less, until one day, not at all.
"I think that was more a complicated story than a long one," Fili observed as I finished.
"I wish those things had not befallen you. I couldn't imagine family so cold. You have my most sincere apology."
"You haven't done anything wrong. Why would you apologize to me?" I asked.
"Because someone had to. And your parents didn't seem to be doing it." Fili said.
I only sat there and listened to him defend me to people he had never met in his life. See what I mean? I told myself. He's a gentleman.
Dwarf.
But there was that one small, inexplicable part of my mind, that hoped he wasn't just being kind. This little whisper in my head that hoped finally to have found a friend.
"Forgive me, but I'm still not sure why you can't stand to sing."
I took a deep breath and decided to tell him something that I had never told another person.
"It's because they named me for my voice," I said shakily.
"But Esther means-"Fili started.
In my nervousness, I cut him off. "Esther is my middle name. When we stopped singing together, I threatened to tell everyone my name was Esther. I think I was nine at the time, and it seemed like a pretty serious threat to me."
"And?" he asked.
"And they changed it for me. I haven't gone by my birth name since, and they don't even notice."
We sat in silence for a moment. I could sense him looking at me, but I just stared at the ground.
"What is your name?" he asked.
I sat a little straighter.
"Aria," I said, my voice no higher than a whisper.
Then, a little louder, "my name is Aria."
