For those of you following this story, ignore the REPOST of Chapter 9, I fixed the ending a little bit. It was a little wonky as I wrote it while I wasn't feeling well. Once again thank you to all the lovely people who have read, followed, favorited, and/or reviewed my story. You are the wind beneath my wings. To those paying attention to my little notes, I am taking ideas and requests for the fiddle competition I plan to write between Fili and Helena. I already have a list started, but I need a song or more for both of them.
Side note: I know this place like the back of my hand. Oh that's new.
Chapter 10 Braids and Orcs
The next few days passed in routine for Helena and she took comfort in it. They would camp when the sun went down, Bombur would make supper, and afterwards everyone would locate a spot for their bedrolls near the fire and find something to entertain themselves until falling asleep. The dwarves would take turns for watch duty and at sunrise, everyone would wake, eat, pack up camp, and set forth on the road again. During the day, the company would find ways to pass the time. Dwarvish songs filled the air and Helena was taught some of the song so she could join in with the merry noise. Even Bilbo was enjoying himself as he was more relaxed among the dwarves and on the horse. When Helena wasn't singing along, Fili and Kili held her ears as they regaled her with stories of their youth in the halls of the Blue Mountains. Not once did they ask her about her past, and when she did volunteer any information they took it in stride and continued with their stories. Helena couldn't remember the last she had laughed so much, the bright sound of her laughter mingled with the dwarves singing and more than once, one of the company ahead of them would look back at them in happiness. For three days this continued and it wasn't until the fourth day did Kili ask her a question.
"Miss Helena, do you braid your hair or did someone else do it? You haven't undone them or changed it since you arrived."
They watched her body halt any movement and when she looked at him, they were glad to see there was no anger present on her face. "Before I answer that, could I ask a favour from both of you?" At their affirmation, she spoke again with humor lacing her voice. "Would the two of you stop calling me Miss? Call me by my name." She watched as the brothers examined her and then each other. "Are you not allowed?"
"It isn't that we aren't allowed to..." started Kili.
"But it is frowned upon if you aren't family." Finished Fili, an odd note coloring his tone at the last word and Helena caught it.
"Well I give you two permission to do so."
"Can I give you a nickname?" Kili asked her impishly.
She observed him warily for a few seconds. "I suppose so, just let me know. I won't answer to something ridiculous."
At that, Kili sat back happily. "Great! Now answer my question."
Helena sighed, "Someone else." She pulled her long braid over her shoulder and played with the curls at the end. "My brother."
Fili jerked up at the word brother, "You have family that was left behind?" Worry filled Fili's mind. As Helena's One, he was supposed to meet with the head of her family. Not for permission to court per say, but to ensure he was able to provide for her.
She looked at him without expression. "You could say that, I do have a mother I don't talk to. However, my brother is not my brother by blood, but by bond. We have known each other for years, without him I might have died long ago." She faced forward, sadness lining her face. "I chose to leave him behind."
The brothers remained silent, not wanting to imagine the pain of separation from one another. Fili urged his horse closer to her. "What is his name?"
"Gavin," Helena said with a smile. "Gavin Caine DuBois. He is a warrior as well."
"What is his weapon?" Kili asked, his eyes glittering with interest. "Does he wield as many as you?"
"I think there are few who could match my weapon collection from where I am from. But no, he only carries a sword and some daggers."
"Do your braids mean anything?" Fili asked her quietly.
She stared at him with interest. "Not to my knowledge. He used to braid my hair out of want and necessity. Gavin use to have a little sister and he would braid her hair all the time, he braided mine because I cannot."
"What do you mean? You fix your hair every morning."
"The large braid yes, but I can't do the ones on top of my head. I can do someone else's hair just fine, but that is because I can see it. I can't see my own head."
Kili hummed in understanding as he looked to his brother. He had seen the jealousy flash in his eyes when Helena had stated someone else had braided her hair. Braiding hair was a precious and coveted custom within the dwarvish lifestyle, only family braided one another's hair. Fili looked relieved and withdrawn after her dialog, to find out her family had styled her hair but she had left him behind in order to come to their world. Kili knew his brother had been wondering as much as himself the last few days about Helena's past, even more so after her revelation about her bonded brother. "I've decided upon a name for you." He announce causing them both blink at him absently. "Mamahdûna." Kili observed them both in amusement as their actions were the same, raised eyebrows and faint wariness on their faces. "Oh come on, I could have chosen worse."
"He does have a point there." Helena admitted. "Besides, it isn't a false name by any means."
Before either of them could answer, Thorin called out to halt. It was then Helena noticed the rock structures and hills laying before them. She saw him talking to Dwalin, although they were too far ahead for her to hear what they were saying, Helena placed her own assumptions as she saw the tattooed dwarf ride away as they stayed in place. "Where are we?"
"The Lone-Lands."
She nodded in thanks to Oin who had answered her question.
Dwalin had found a spot on a nearby hill next to a cliff amid large stones. It was as cave like as he could find, a small clearing surrounded by trees overlooking the cliff. Opposite the cliff, naturally carved into the hill, was a partial stone cavern providing shelter. Gloin and Bifur were the first down from their horses and started to set up a spot for a fire while Bombur started to rummage through their supplies for supper ingredients. Bofur and Nori took to task finding an area to pen up the horses for the night. Later on, after the camp was set up and food was eaten, everyone in the company searched for spots to settle in for the night. Helena claimed her spot to the right of the stone wall where it bowled in to create another partial cave. Fili set his bags to the ground at her right and sat down with his back to the stone and Kili did the same at her left. The blonde took up his pipe and relaxed, stretching his legs in front of him while Kili took up his quiver to inspect the strap.
Helena thought back to their discussion about braids and she examined the two dwarves on either side of her. After noting the differences, she voiced her questions. "What are your braids for Fili? Kili doesn't have any." She heard Kili huff in frustration at the stifled laugh coming from his brother.
"You see Helena, the braids above my ears are to show I reached my maturity and mastered my weapons." He then held up a different braid, one of the left side of his face with a matching braid on the right. "These ones are to show I am the heir to the Durin line, the clasp showing our family crest."
Helena pulled at one of her own braids hanging next to her ears thoughtfully. "But why doesn't Kili have any braids."
"There are two reasons for that." Fili said merrily. "Bows are so rarely used amongst dwarves that there are no braids for it. As to why he doesn't have braids to show he reached maturity, he's lazy."
"Shut up lelkhar." Kili snarled at him. Fili smirked around his pipe but remained silent. Kili turned to Helena, "Ignore him. It's not that I'm lazy, my hair won't keep a braid for longer than a day." He looked ashamed to even admit such a thing.
Helena smiled brilliantly at him. "You must have magnificent hair then to be unable to keep it contained. I was once told that someone's hair resembles their spirit, yours must be too wild to contain."
The disappointment at himself left his face as gratitude replaced it. He didn't say anything and there was no need. When Helena looked at Fili, he flashed a sign for 'thank you' and placed his hand over his heart.
Later into the night, the trio found themselves unable to sleep while most of the others were resting. A movement caught Helena's eye and she watched as Bilbo stood up and huffed, glaring over at Gloin as he snored away. Loudly. The hobbit made his way around the sleeping dwarves and over to his pony. After checking to see that no one is looking he pulled an apple out of his coat pocket. Helena bit back a laugh as his eyes went right over her. He whispered something to Myrtle while she ate the fruit and a scream filled the night air. The hobbit jumped and turned around looking worried. He ran towards where she sat with the brothers.
"What was that?" He asked of them.
Kili looked up with a dark, startled look. "Orcs." Thorin, who was dozing, jerked awake upon hearing the word.
Another scream is heard and they could hear Bilbo swallow nervously. "Orcs?"
Fili removed the pip from his mouth. "Throat-cutters. There'll be dozens of them out there. The lowlands are crawling with them."
"They strike in the wee small hours, when everyone's asleep. Quick and quiet; no screams, just lots of blood." Kili added. Bilbo looked away in fright, making Fili and Kili look at each other and laugh softly.
Thorin's voice cut through the air. "You think that's funny? You think a night raid by orcs is a joke?"
"We didn't mean anything by it." Kili said pitifully.
Thorin glowered at the two dwarrows, sparing the young girl a worried look. "No, you didn't. You know nothing of the world." He walked off to the edge of the cliff and looked out over the valley. Behind him, Balin walked up to Fili and Kili. He too spared Helena a look before addressing the boys.
"Don't mind him, laddie. Thorin has more cause than most to hate orcs. After the dragon took the Lonely Mountain, King Thror tried to reclaim the ancient dwarf kingdom of Moria. But our enemy had got there first. Moria had been taken by legions of Orcs lead by the most vile of all their race: Azog, the Defiler. The giant Gundabad Orc had sworn to wipe out the line of Durin. He began by beheading the King. Thrain, Thorin's father, was driven mad by grief. He went missing, taken prisoner or killed, we did not know. We were leaderless. Defeat and death were upon us." Balin paused in his story telling to take in the faces before him. The Durin's were watching him in intrigue, however Helena had her legs drawn up, with her arms around them and her head buried in her knees. "That is when I saw him: a young dwarf prince facing down the Pale Orc. He stood alone against this terrible foe, his armor rent…wielding nothing but an oaken branch as a shield Azog, the Defiler, learned that day that the line of Durin would not be so easily broken. Our forces rallied and drove the orcs back. Our enemy had been defeated. But there was no feast, no song that night, for our dead were beyond the count of grief. We few had survived. And I thought to myself then, there is one who I could follow. There is one I could call King."
Thorin turns away from the view beyond the cliff; the entire Company was awake and standing in awe, staring at him. Except for the girl who was huddled into a ball. Thorin walked between everyone towards the fire.
Bilbo chose then to pipe up. "But the pale orc? What happened to him?"
"He slunk back into the hole whence he came. That filth died of his wounds long ago." Thorin growled. He caught his nephew's eye and nodded his head towards his One.
Fili looked at her and immediately dropped his pipe and fell to his knees, leaning forward towards her, stopping when she flinched away. "Helena, Marlûna, what is wrong?" From the corner of his eye he saw Kili drop what he had in his hands as well and crouch in front of her. She shook her head at him. "Please, what happened? Was it what we said?" He went to lay a hand on her head and she spoke.
"Don't touch me."
Kili watched the face of his brother drop in despair and he sat back on his heels at her cold tone. Fili looked at him, hopeless. However, Kili had no idea either. He too moved himself away, further so he could sit on his bedroll. When he looked around and saw most of the company looking at them, they turned and shuffled around when they saw his glare.
"Please, Helena, I'm sorry. We are sorry. Tell me what is wrong." Fili tried to cajole her. However she ignored him, flipping her hood over her head and laid down facing the cavern wall. She hadn't been quick enough though and he saw the tears in her eyes. He slumped against the wall and stared down at her, seeing her shoulders shake, his heart felt like it was shattering. He had hurt his One, his other half. Even if he didn't know why, it still had happened and he had never felt lower in his life.
It took until Kili had lain down and the flames to die a bit before Fili gathered his courage to speak to her again. "Marlûna, please tell me what is wrong, what happened?" After a few minutes of silence, he began to think she wasn't going to answer him that night. However, he was proven wrong. He had almost not heard her.
"You made me remember."
His mind flew to the scars on her legs and her condition not allowing her to touch anyone, aside from himself at times. He bowed his head and leant over her head, placing his hand next to hers that were clasp together next to her face. "Help me understand so I don't make this mistake again. So I won't hurt you like this, I don't ever want to see you cry." She shook her head at him. "Will you forgive me?" At his low spoken, desperate words, Helena turned her head to look up at him. Her eyes were red brimmed and the green had taken over the blue color of her irises from sadness, and the white, blessed jewel reflected the firelight as her hood had fallen slightly. Her brow furrowed in thought for a moment as if confused.
Helena untangled her hands and hesitantly reached one of her hands towards his. Fili steadied himself, taking his body weight off that arm as she took his hand in hers. With her eyes still focused on him, he forced himself not to move as she slowly scooted her body closer to his leg and side, all the while holding onto his hand. Once she was next to him, his hand cradled in both of hers, she began to sing softly.
Strange how you know inside me
I measure the time and I stand amazed
Strange how I know inside you
My hand is outstretched toward the damp of the haze
And of course I forgive
I've seen how you live
Like a phoenix you rise from the ashes
You pick up the pieces
And the ghosts in the attic
They never quite leave
And of course I forgive
You've seen how I live
I've got darkness and fears to appease
My voices and analogies
Ambitions like ribbons
Worn bright on my sleeve
Strange how we know each other
Strange how I fit into you
There's a distance erased with the greatest of ease
Strange how you fit into me
A gentle warmth filling the deepest of needs
And with each passing day
The stories we say
Draw us tighter into our addiction
Confirm our conviction
That some kind of miracle
Passed on our heads
And how I am sure
Like never before
Of my reasons for defying reason
Embracing the seasons
We dance through the colors
Both followed and led
Strange how we fit each other
Strange how certain the journey
Time unfolds the petals
For our eyes to see
Strange how this journey's hurting
In ways we accept as part of fate's decree
So we just hold on fast
Acknowledge the past
As lessons exquisitely crafted
Painstakingly drafted
To carve us as instruments
That play the music of life
For we don't realize
Our faith in the prize
Unless it's been somehow elusive
How swiftly we choose it
The sacred simplicity
Of you at my side
Helena continued to hum the vocal, nonsense words that followed the last word. She never removed her eyes from his face as she sang the entire song and his fingers had wrapped around hers on her right hand. He let out a shuddering breath and raised their joined hands to press her hand to his forehead. "I will do whatever it takes to protect you." He swore. At his words, she scooted a little closer and further up his body so she was pressed to his side, hugging his arm to her chest like a child. Fili stared down at her in shock with the at of contact she was allowing him. He felt her breathing slowly even out in time and he moved his arm slightly to wrap his hand at the curve of her waist. Carefully readjusting against the stone wall and ground, he threw his blanket and cloak over them both. He fell asleep watching her face as she slept.
Erics Song- Vienna Teng
Mamahdûna-She who is (or has been) blessed
Lelkhar-idiot
Marlûna- love