Chapter 11: The Fourth Encounter Part: VI
The next few days were spent recuperating and doing their share in the duties given to them around the compound. Thorin had originally thought to depart the day following his and Asha's agreement but he found it difficult and it did not take much rationalizing to convince him to stay.
His first argument was that Thyra and Dwalin needed more recovery time. After the second day following the dual, Thyra had finally managed to awaken from her two day hibernation and was back to her usual abrasive self, much to the displeasure and pleasure of Fili.
Fili had not liked doing her share of the chores but at the same time, her presence while attending to their duties seemed to bring about a turbulent mood in the air. Thankfully, Asha seemed to notice this and gave the company assignments that did not coincide with Sigurd's and Thyra's duties for the majority of the day. Unfortunately this change came to the utter disappointment of Kili.
Thorin did not see much of Asha in the days passing, but he learned plenty of her.
While it was forbidden to speak of things from their past lives before the guild, the members all made up for it by sharing their adventures and dealings of their years within the faction. He had said she disappointed her a few days ago but he could not help but be impressed by the legacy she had built for herself in the past century.
Everyone respected her and there was hardly any contention within the population. For any that did arise, it was resolved within the fighting ring. Quarrelers where placed into the fighting ring to fight out a resolution to their issues. If they could not come to an agreeance, at least they were able to release their anger and let things go.
Over the years, the guild had traveled the lands of middle earth. Never staying in one place longer than necessary and never making themselves fully known. Only the villages they saved and from the evil that survived were able to speak of their existence.
It seemed people came and went as they pleased. Asha did not require them to dedicate their entire lives. When a person found peace to move on they did, though few ever left. Those who did, usually came back. So it was over the years that their population slowly grew into an army. Having started with less than two dozen, their numbers had grown to a few hundred.
They lived by rules and all swore an oath to keep those rules. But it was an oath to the guild, not to Asha. After speaking with Habard, Thorin discovered that Asha first wanted it to be led by a council but after protests of them wanting her to keep leadership, she compromised. She led, but took council and made decisions based on a selection of the population. All were equal no matter what their position was within the community. It was a utopia for the haunted and it was now Thorin's saving grace in what was to come.
Thyra stood at the edge of the stream with her dress lifted and tucked into the thick belt around her waist, leaving the hem to fall just above her knees in an attempt to keep it from becoming wet. Her face stayed in concentration as she worked to collect the freshwater mussels from the large boulder they had attached themselves to. Sigurd stood next to her, her dress was raised in the same fashion as Thyra as they worked diligently together.
Fili and Kili were in the middle of the stream fishing, or at least Fili was. Kili stood leaning on his spear as his eyes wandered over to watch the two girls bent over collecting mollusks.
Fili noticed Kili's lack of work effort and followed his brothers line of sight. His cheeks turned a faint pink as he made contact with the maidens backsides then quickly shook his head and looked back to his brother with disapproval. His hand instantly shot up to clip the back of his brothers head causing Kili to let out a small yelp.
Ignoring his brothers pain, Fili went back to concentrating on spearing a fish as the two girls looked behind them to the source of the pained cry. They both stood and watched Kili rub the back of his head while glaring at Fili whose face still held a red tinge as he kept his eyes magnetized to the water, not daring to look anywhere else.
Sigurd watched Kili, a small hint of sympathy and concern spreading across her face as she tried to determine if he was in need of her healing or if it was something he could overcome himself.
Thyra on the other hand spared him only a moment's glance, indifference plainly written on her face before she went back to work. After several moments she nudged Sigurd from watching the youngest Durin brother to remind her that they had work to do.
As Sigurd moved her attention to Thyra, who had gone back to pulling the mollusks from the rock and placing them in the basket, she frowned and stooped down to flick her finger across the waters surface. A splash of a few droplets scattered through the air and landed on Thyra's cheek.
Thyra shot Sigurd a venomous glare as she mumbled a quiet chastisement under her breath in Régan. Disregarding the threatening tone in Thyra's voice, Sigurd repeated the action. This time using her entire hand instead of only her finger tips.
Water splashed up into Thyra's face and shoulder causing her to stand fully up with her hands balled into fists as she glared at Sigurd. Sigurd's earlier smile of amusement faltered as a slight twinge of unwary fear and cation came to her face.
Thyra took a step forward as Sigurd stepped back to keep the same amount of distance between them. Thyra took another step forward as Sigurd repeated the same action. As they made their movements, Sigurd's caution had slowly disappeared as a challenging smirk came to her face.
It continued for several more steps until Sigurd was knee deep in the stream. The moment Thyra stopped her pursuit she glanced down at the water's surface where Sigurd stood near a darker pool of the stream.
An evil, dark look of pure malicious joy stretched across Thyra's face. Sigurd's smirk faltered. She glanced back to what Thyra had been focusing on and realized the Régínn's intent.
Sigurd was standing at the edge of a drop off in the river's water bed. Judging by the darkness of the water, Sigurd knew the depth would certainly be deeper than her waist. She looked back to Thyra, with panic in her eyes she raised her hands up in an attempt to dissuade her attacker.
"Now Thyra...", began Sigurd in a diplomatic tone.
Her attempt to reason with the other dwarrow maid was cut short as Thyra took a final step and with two fingers, gave Sigurd a strong push against her shoulder, causing the other girl to tumble backward.
A screech, followed by a loud splash, sounded as water erupted up into the air and rained back down. As the water began to settle, Sigurd breached the water's surface with several sputters as she tried to keep the shocked scream of sudden coldness from escaping her lips.
"What in Mahal's name was that for!" She yelled at Thyra who stood above her with her arms crossed and a pleased look on her face.
Thyra smiled with satisfaction as she looked down at her victim.
"You splash, I splash" she said plainly before turning around to walk back to finish their task.
Sigurd narrowed her eyes as she took on a very Thyra like vehemence in her appearance. As Thyra had began walking away when Sigurd drew her arm back and pushed it forward quickly as she caused a shower of water to be pushed towards the retreating dwarrow maids back.
Thyra froze as her back stiffened from the shock of cold water that seeped into her clothes and chilled her skin. As the last few droplets that missed her fell still into the water, silence overtook the area with nothing but the slow trickle of the river flowing past.
Finally, after several long moments, a muffled snort sounded, followed by a chorus of laughter. Both Thyra and Sigurd tuned to look over to where Fili and Kili stood doubled over as they each laughed at the spectacle that had just taken place before them.
Thyra narrowed her eyes in their direction then looked to Sigurd who was looking worriedly between the two laughing princes and Thyra. Thyra walked back over to Sigurd and offered a hand to her as another cynical smile came to her face.
"Before the beginning of a war, it is best to establish an ally. Even if in the past they have been foes." She said quietly. "Truce?"
Sigurd replicated Thyra's smirk as she accepted the offered hand and let the eastern dwarf pull her from the deep water to stand back on the ledge. Together they faced the Durin brothers and began walking forward.
Fili and Kili did not notice the dwarrow maid's close proximity until it was too late.
Both Thyra and Sigurd began their attack as they kicked water in their direction, causing the brothers to let out cries of protest as they cringed away from the cold water hitting their sun warmed skin. As they recovered from the attack they exchanged their own volley of splashes.
Kili charged at the girls, grabbing Sigurd around the waist as he began to pull her back to the drop off.
Seeing her ally in trouble, Thyra latched onto Kili, bringing him to a stop as she began to pry him away from Sigurd. Just as Sigurd was set free, Fili came from behind Thyra and latched his arms around her in a vice like grip, pinning her arms to her side.
With her help detained, Kili re established his grip around Sigurds waist but not before Thyra caught his foot with her own. His footing was lost and Kili tumbled forward with Sigurd, causing them both to plunge into the deep water. Although Sigurd was sacrificed, Thyra could not help but grin in triumph as Kili resurfaced looking like a wet puppy as he stood in the deep pool. Water dripped from his soaked hair as Sigurd treaded water next to him, laughing and pointing.
Thyra's grin quickly faltered as Fili began to drag her towards the deeper part of the river. Immediately she began to struggle but she had still yet to fully recover from her tussle with Dwalin. In her weakened state, she failed to break Fili's grip with her arms pinned at such awkward angles. So she resulted to thrashing, causing Fili to stumble. Fili stubbled but kept his grip.
Noting her efforts where still fruitless and the edge was nearing, Thyra strategized a new tactic.
She immediately stopped struggling and let Fili carry her forward. Just as they approached the edge of the shallow water she dug her heels into the river bed and arched her back, catching Fili off guard. The moment she felt him push the smallest bit against her resistance, she bent forward and curled her head into her chest to gain as much momentum as possible.
Fili flew forward, releasing his grip and freeing her arms. The moment her arms became free she grabbed his arms instead and continued to pull him up and over until he was hurdling into the water beside his brother. With a loud splash he sent water in every direction, showering the other three with a wave of droplets.
The moment he broke the surface, he reoriented himself to face Thyra who stood above all three. She beamed as she looked down at them with a gleeful satisfaction. Then as if they all conceived the same idea, the three dwarves looked at each other with a glint of mischief in their eyes.
Even Sigurd silently looked to Fili and Kili before giving a subtle nod.
Thyra frowned as they all turned back to face her. She took a step back as she flashed a warning look to Sigurd.
"We made truce," she said sternly.
Her accent coming out thickly as she was caught off guard by the betrayal.
"Yes," replied Sigurd. "But I don't appreciate being sacrificed."
Thyra's eyes narrowed as she backed up again, causing the new allegiance to begin their advance.
"We have work to do," Thyra protested. "Enough childish games," she added as she waved them off as if unconcerned by impeding the threat.
"Aw common Thyra, are you scared you will lose?"
Thyra stiffened and directed her glare to Kili who had spoken.
"It is ok, you can just admit defeat and jump in willingly," Kili urged on.
Distracted by Kili's words, Thyra failed to register both Sigurd and Fili climb to the shallow part of the river bed and sneak behind her. As Thyra opened her mouth to give a retort to Kili's taunting, two pairs of hands pushed her forward and sent her falling forward into the deep pool.
The water disrupted and sent waves that altered the usual course of the river's current. As the water settled it went back to its routine current before being disrupted again as Thyra burst through the water with a shocked gasp. She moved her eyes towards the two who had pushed her in.
At first her eyes gleamed with a dark revenge, then slowly softened as she let the corner of her mouth turn into a slanted grin as she let out an impressed huff.
"You have learned the art of surviving a war Siggy. Well played," she said in defeat as she flicked a handful of water in their direction.
Sigurd grinned in triumph before taking a running start and jumped back into the deep water next to Thyra. A wave of water washed over Thyra's head causing her to instinctively cover her face in protection. As Sigurd slowly resurfaced she sent a wide grin to Thyra who responded with a small splash of water.
Fili walked to the edge and sat down in the water as he let his feet dangle down into the deeper drop off. Not wanting to be left out, Kili swam over to join the two maids. The moment he reached them Thyra reached over and dunked him.
"What was that for?!" He sputtered as he managed to resurface. "Our war is over, we won."
Thyra smiled.
"That was for implying I was afraid," she answered. "And you should never expect a fallen enemy not to retaliate. By causing their downfall, you have only given them more reason to see you destroyed."
Sigurd rolled her eyes at the serious tone in which Thyra gave her warning. She wrapped her arms around Thyra and gave her a hug causing the blonde to stiffen at the gesture.
"Calm down Thyra it was just a game. You don't have to take every challenge so seriously."
As Sigurd spoke Thyra managed to free herself from Sigurd's embrace. The dark haired girl only looked to Kili and raised her eyebrows in invitation. Kili grinned as they both threw themselves at Thyra and encircled her with their bodies.
Thyra let out a string of protests and curses in her native tongue as she tried to pull herself away from them. Her protest only urged them to further their activities as they laughed at her struggle to free herself.
Fili watched from the sidelines. He couldn't help the small smile form on his lips as he watched his brother and Sigurd encasing a raging Thyra between their arms.
Despite Thyra's curses and threats as she accused the two of trying to drown her, he could see the hint of a smile playing at the corner of her mouth. And if he were not completely mistaken, within her dark eyes there was a sparkle of amusement. When the girl was pushed fully under and began to show signs of struggling to stay a float from her lack of height compared to the other two, he decided it was time to interfere.
He pushed off the edge into the deep and swam to Thyra's rescue. It was an uncharacteristic move on his part but at this moment, Thyra seemed so normal he did not even question his motive.
Farther from the edge of the river, tucked away in the woods, Asha leaned against a tree as she watched the youth playing in the water. She let out a small chuckle as she watched Fili free Thyra only to receive a lash out of curse words from her in thanks. "Thyra is an odd one to figure out." At the sound of his deep baritone voice, Asha startled and looked behind her to see Thorin approaching her. As he reached the tree she was braced against, he came around the other side and leaned against it to watch the younger dwarves interact. "I don't know," sighed Asha. Thorin spared a glance and watched her for a moment as she kept her attention on Thyra. He tilted his head to the side as he pondered her answer. "You think you have her all figured out?" Asha thought about her answer before speaking. "Perhaps not completely. I don't think anyone can truly understand another person. But in retrospect, I think she is very much like you and me. Born into a life that was disturbed by evil and forced to grow up faster than should. In her case, I believe it was just much faster than either of us."
"Thyra said that her King sold them into slavery," Thorin commented as he recalled his conversation with Thyra back in Rivendell.
Asha nodded.
"I never met the man, but if the rumors were true, I would not believe King Tyr as a monarch to do such a thing."
"I met him, once," she supplied.
"And did you believe him to be such a man?"
Asha shook her head, a contemplative expression on her face.
"I believe King Tyr, is no more."
Thorin looked at her with a staggered expression.
"Has Thyra confirmed that?"
Asha shrugged.
"I cannot say for sure. Thyra has not divulged much of what has happened in her past."
Thorin nodded.
"Ah yes the rules. No one is allowed to speak of their pasts before the guild."
"No, it's not that. The rules do not apply to Thyra," Asha admitted. "She is technically not part of the guild, therefore speaking of her past is free reign. She is only here because of the life debt. She functions with the rest of the camp because I told her she must if she insists on serving me. She never took the oath so she is not under the jurisdiction of the rules."
"Then what gives you insight of what has happened in the east?"
"Her body says much of what has happened in the east," provided Asha. "And her behaviors. The east has always been shrouded in darkness. Always in turmoil and struggle. Harsh worlds breed hard people that is what our ancestors always wrote of their race. But the few things in which Thyra has told me, it tells me that girl has seen more turmoil than the norm."
She looked back to Thyra as the Régínn's face transformed it to a youthful smile as Sigurd shoved Kili under water.
"Thyra is young, not even of age by the Khazad standards, but mentally she is far older than even I am. Her intellect and insight is superior but her true soul is still young, she has just disciplined herself to not show it often. But every so often..." she raised a hand to gesture at the laughing girl as she splashed with the others, "...she gets to be a youngling."
They watched quietly for a moment before she spoke again.
"In reality, Thyra reminds me a lot of myself. She was a kid that was forced to grow up sooner than she should."
Thorin let out an ironic chuckle that held an undertone of darkness.
"I feel as though that happens too often during these dark days."
Asha nodded.
"Yes. Dark days they are. There are many whispers of things happening in the Far East and even in the not as far south," she responded. "I cannot say when it was as she only mentioned it once, but Thyra once mentioned something of an uprising or a revolt. I cannot help but wonder if that was the cause of their sudden cease of making contact with the west. As well as the possible change of their monarchy. If that is the case, I wonder about the coincidence of it all. According to Thyra, Vahil had an uprising and is now under slavery of an unknown master, Dhom was besieged by a goblin army, and Erebor is scorched by a dragon. Something is stirring and I fear these events have only been the beginnings of a bigger plot that is to come into play."
"Did Thyra ever say why they came here?"
As Thorin asked his question he looked to Asha and found her frowning in Thyra's direction. Finally, she looked to Thorin. Her eyes looked pained as she met his bright blue eyes.
"No. But I asked Gandalf once if he had heard anything that would expound our knowledge of her and her people."
"What was his answer?"
Asha rolled her eyes as she leaned her head against the tree bark.
"This is Gandalf we speak of," she began dryly. "He doesn't give answers. He gives riddles that only leave more questions to be asked."
Thorin chuckled.
"Aye that he does."
They fell silent for awhile as they watched the four dwarves in the river. They had finished their water games and were now proceeding back to their tasks.
"May I ask his riddle?" his question lingered in the air as he waited for her reply.
Asha pushed from the tree and stood before him, her back to the river.
"He said what is hidden in snow, is revealed in thaw."
Thorin's eyes narrowed in confusion as he tried to interpret the unfamiliar saying.
"I understand the meaning of the saying...but how does that apply to the situation."
Asha let out an amused laugh.
"Honestly, I first thought he said it because he himself does not know anything. But over time I have begun to learn how it applies." She nodded in the direction of Thyra. "Thyra may seem cold and distant at first, but with time she warms up to you. She is not secretive, just cautious. There is a reason why she is here and not to the east but she is unsure of who she can trust. And I do not blame her."
"She claims her grandfather was a fisherman. I have seen the evidence to prove it with her skills," Thorin commented. "But she seems more than that. I don't know too many fishermen who fight like her nor have that high of intellect."
"Thyra, in no lesser terms, is a genius." Asha commented. "She could be a prodigy if set in the right position. However I agree with you. Genius as she is, the knowledge she poses is not one that comes naturally but from experience. I have tried to place her in leadership roles but she seems hesitant. She accepts them when asked due to the life debt and she executes them flawlessly. But she doesn't like it. I don't think she is afraid of the pressure or responsibility of such things but it's more so the power she fears."
Silence fell upon them as they each watched the younger dwarves work. Three out of the four conducted a steady, cheerful conversation but all of them had smiles on their faces as they chattered on. As Thorin watched them work, he began to muse over the journey that was to come.
"What happened to Sigurd's parents?" he asked looking to Asha. "Sigurd said you raised her, but was adamant that you were not her mother. Maternal nor adoptive."
With eyes closed, Asha pursed her lips then brought in a deep breath before releasing it.
"I am telling you this because it will technically not be breaking the rules as Sigurd was born in the guild and therefore has no past before her time with it," she stated firmly. "But you will not ever let Sigurd know any of what I am about to tell you. I think she remembers more than what she lets on, but I cannot be sure. The mind does wonders for protecting itself against what it does not want to remember. However, it still leaves scars and Sigurd has just recently begun to overcome them."
She paused and awaited for his agreement to her terms. When he swore to not let it pass from his lips she nodded and began her tale.
"In order to understand the situation you must first understand her mother. I do not blame her for what happened….she was not in her right mind," she paused, then continued. "Sigurd's Mother's was among the few that escaped Dhom. She was not much older than myself and had been married for a few months before everything happened. Her husband did not make it and she had to witness….it."
A shiver ran down her spine and caused her shudder.
"We could not get her to speak after we escaped. She was lethargic and catatonic. Days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months and it was not until she gave birth eight months later to a baby boy that she finally uttered enough words to name him."
Thorin's brow raised.
"Sigurd has a brother?"
Asha bowed her head.
"Had, she had a brother," she clarified. "After he was born, Sigurd's mother finally seemed to get over things. She named him after her late husband, Hane. At first I thought she was normal but after some time I noticed her obsessive behavior with her son but she took good care of him so I let her be."
"Years passed and we gained new members. There was one dwarrow that joined who saw her fragile state and took advantage of it. He was the first and only person to be executed instead of exiled from the guild. It was an unfortunate event but from it resulted Sigurd."
A fond smile came to Asha's face.
"She was the sweetest baby from day one. I truly believe Mahal sent her to us because she was what could heal her mother," her smile faded slightly. "At least I believe she could have but her mother never gave her a chance. From the day she was born Sigurd's mother neglected her. It is why Sigurd says that I raised her, but I am not her mother. That girl did everything to gain the attention of her mother, but the years went by and the progress was minimal."
"And her brother?" Thorin inquired.
Again another fond smile graced her lips as she thought.
"That boy doted on her. Spoiled her in every way that an older brother could. He was a good lad and a good friend to...the others his age," she paused for a moment as she swallowed thickly. "One particular day, he and Sigurd went out and got caught in a storm…"
Asha looked out to the river as sadness came over her.
"It was no ones fault…" she said in a quiet whisper. "He had always been sickly from the time he was born. I think something went wrong during the pregnancy because he had been a weak child, always getting sick and never as physically capable as others his age."
"After he and Sigurd returned when the storm passed, he got sick. It was nothing new but the only difference was he did not make it. Sigurd had stayed by his side trying to fight the fever while her mother sat and did nothing. I had seen him overcome so many other terms of illness that I did not think this one would be any different."
"His mother, Sigurd's mother, did not take it well. She completely lost it. She blamed Sigurd for his death. Told her it was her fault he had gotten sick because she wanted to venture out then told her she did not do enough to save him. Then she proceeded to tell her that it should have been her that died and not her son."
Two tears escaped Asha's eyes and she quickly wiped them away as she turned to him.
"After that, she fled the encampment. I should have sent someone out for her immediately but I was angry. When she had not returned by dawn I sent out some scouts. They found her in the woods with her wrists cut and there was nothing to be done."
"It was not a happy time and Sigurd took it harshly. She didn't speak for several days and both Habard and I worried it would be a repeat of her mother. When she finally did speak a few days later, she stuttered in her words and had a hard time keeping any eye contact. I tried to work with her but years passed by and there was no progress. The entire camp was instructed to be cautious of what they say."
Asha took in a deep breath and sighed.
"I coddled her, we all did. We could not help ourselves as she was the bringer of joy into most of their lives. Perhaps we were too cautious, but it felt like holding a flame over a fuse and we were all waiting for her to suddenly snap. Thankfully she proved me wrong. She persevered in learning the arts of healing. It helped in her confidence but she still had difficulty communicating with others. As our numbers grew, she stuck only to those she knew before the incident with the exception of healing them."
"She must have improved quite a lot by you description," Thorin observed. "She was a bit jittery and I admit nervous when we first met but she seems relaxed now. I don't even recall her stuttering when first meeting."
Asha nodded in agreement.
"That would be thanks to Thyra," replied Asha. "Thyra was the one who made her this way."
She let out a shift chuckle.
"I remember it like yesterday," she recalled. "It had been about two weeks after finding her and we had still yet to find out the girl knew Westron."
Thorin raised a brow and Asha let out a small laugh as she nodded.
"Aye, she played the same trick on us as well. Worked so well that we made it a protocol whenever with strangers. The girl can find out a lot when people underestimate her," she commented before continuing. "Anyways, Sigurd was trying to communicate with her and was failing poorly. The poor girl was stuttering a babbling on. It must have been torture enough because Thyra snapped. She slapped Sigurd across the face and told her to spit it out before she did the world a favor and cut out her tongue so she could not continue to inflict such tortures on any other."
Thorin chuckled.
"I can hardly imagine Thyra to do such a thing," he said sarcastically.
Asha joined him in his amusement as she shook her head.
"Had I known it was some tough love that Sigurd needed I would have given it to her years ago. But since that day Sigurd never stuttered unless under great pressure and with time the other things became more subtle as she became more confident."
She looked across the water then back to him, her face one of a more serious nature.
"Take care of them," she pleaded. "I know I am sending them with you and I promise they will not be a burden, but I still worry about them. Sigurd, despite the strength she has gained is still fragile. She is like broken china glued back together. Whole, but still brittle."
Her eyes trailed from him to Sigurd then to Thyra as she continued.
"Thyra is a warrior, but she is young. I know by the Régínn standards she has been of age for several decades, but she still has several years by our standards. She expresses her thoughts but not her emotions, at least not enough to be considered healthy. It may be more than I should ask but she seems to have a connection to you. I don't know what it is but, perhaps in the few months of traveling ahead of you, you will learn more than I have in the several years I have had with..."
She stopped her request when she felt Thorin's warm hand wrap around hers. Slowly she caused her eyes to drop down to where his hand encircled hers. She followed his arm up until she found his azure eyes looking down at her with a soft expression.
"No request coming from you is too much," he said softly.
Her lips turned up into a gentle smile and she nodded. Slowly, she went back to watching the river while Thorin let himself gaze down at her with a smile on his face and his hand still holding onto hers. Without a thought he let his thumb stroke her hand as her head relaxed against his shoulder. Content with the physically contact, he allowed his eyes to finally move away to join in watching the river.
The day had finally come for their departure. They had gathered on the outskirts of the wilderness just a quarter mile east from the main compound. Asha, Habard, and a few others that had become acquainted with the company had come to send the travelers on their way. A few younger dwarfs of the population had joined as well, friends of Sigurd and Thyra. Although perhaps more so Sigurd's friends, than Thyra's.
The company was dispersed among the crowd. Bilbo was speaking with a fellow halfling as they exchanged goodbyes and mutual wantings of a good pouchful of the longbottom leaf. Bofur and Bifur where carefully handing out a few crafted toys to the small group of children that lived within the camp. Bombur was swapping recipes with the head chef and the others of the company were either gathered together in wait for the rest to finish their goodbyes or saying goodbye themselves.
Fili and Kili stood together with the group ready to depart as they watched the two newest additions to their traveling group speaking with a handful of young dwarves. Kili watched closely as Sigurd shyly smiled and gave each of them a hug, a twinge of jealousy surged through his mind as he watched her wrap her arms around each of them in turn.
He knew he should not be harboring such feelings, nor should he be acting upon them. He had done his best in the past few days to keep things strictly on a friendly level as he knew he fell in love often and easily. It was for this reason he told himself not to act on what he felt. But as the days went on and he got to know Sigurd even more, he found it harder than he thought possible.
There was something different about this time around. Something that made it incredibly difficult to ignore or minimize the magnitude his feelings. He had done it in the past with other dwarrowmaids and any time he did this it was easy to see he was only being blinded by his fickle heart.
But his efforts had no results this time around. The first time he saw Sigurd he had been smitten. Unfortunately, over the past few days, there was something that Kili had learned about Sigurd. The fact was, that every male their age seemed to be smitten by her. There was something about her gentleness that seemed to cause them to all be magnetized to her. Thus was the result of the handful of young males wishing her farewell and leaving Kili feeling that he had a better chance in wooing Thyra than her did Sigurd.
In an attempt to lessen the green monster of jealousy, he averted his eyes and tried to focus somewhere else. He looked to his brother for distraction but found that Fili was already preoccupied with observing something else and by the looks of it, it was something that was not of his approval. He followed his line of sight and was not surprised when he found himself looking at Thyra.
She was off to the side with a young male that was perhaps a few years older than Fili. She leaned casually against a tree with a bored expression on her face as she looked out into the direction of where their journey would take them. The dwarf, a brown haired and honey eyed warrior, had one arm extended out above her head as he supported himself over the maiden.
Thyra's dark eyes cooly took in the rolling hills and clear sky as she gave the terrain before her more attention than the man standing over her. When the males other hand moved up to caress the exposed skin of her upper arm, the Régínn finally pulled her attention away from the landscape to look up at him. A lewd smirk came to the male's face as he leaned in and whispered something into her ear. He then slowly pulled away but not before grazing his lips slowly along the skin beneath her ear lobe.
Kili watched as Thyra closed her eyes for a moment as his lips lingered against her skin before pulling away. He was not sure if it was in pleasure or disgust but when her eyes finally opened they were sharp as she looked up at him and replied. Her words were too quiet to be heard but whatever was said seemed to not please the man that she had directed them to.
Kili watched as the man let out a huff as he pushed off from the tree. He muttered something back to her but again it was too low for Kili to make out. He felt as if he should look away as this was obviously some kind of lovers spat, but the oddity of the situation was all too intriguing.
If Kili was correct in his assumption, Thyra had some sort of relationship with the man. It was a strange concept to think for a couple of reasons. The first being her young age and the second being...well...it was Thrya. She did not exactly exude the personality that could harbor romance.
He watched on as they continued to exchange words.
The man's face was turning red with anger while Thyra remained calm and composed. Her attention seeming to only be halfway attentive to the conversation. The burnett male threw his hands in the air and stalked off. Thyra rolled her eyes as she looked away from his retreating back then pushed off from the tree as she began to join the rest of the company where they were finishing their farewells.
The time had come that they set off. And they gathered their packs and the few ponies given to them to carry extra supplies, Thorin found himself looking around expectantly before they began their trek. His blue eyes found what they were looking for when he caught sight of Asha walking towards him after having just finished speaking privately with Thyra.
As she came to a stop she held out her hand.
"I believe these have served their purpose. I think they should be returned to their rightful carrier."
Thorin opened his hand and he watched as she deposited the stone and letter into his waiting hand.
"Thank you," he said quietly as he gripped them tightly in his hand, cherishing the comforting feel of the items against his skin.
She nodded and they each spent a quiet moment looking down at the two items gripped in his hand. When there was a sound of Dwalin clearing his throat they were each broken from the shared moment as they each looked to the large dwarf who gave a gesture that it was time to go.
Thorin nodded and turned back around to face Asha. He knew it was time to say goodbye but it did not seem enough. A lot had changed in the past few days and while it felt good, he did not know what to make of the development between them. Understanding came to her face as if she too knew what he felt. She gave him a nod and a smile and Thorin reciprocated the same gestures as he turned around and began to join the others.
He had only made it a short distance when he heard his name being called out by her. He turned around to see her open her mouth then close it. Her fingers twisted together as she bit her lip and tried to construct her thoughts into words.
"There is...I," she faltered then finally lifted her hazel orbs to meet his blue. "Be careful," she finally settled with.
He could tell there was something she was withholding but it was not the time to try and force it. Instead he nodded and gave her a reassuring smile.
"I will see you in a few months," he assured her with confidence before turning around and joining the rest of the group.
"You did not tell him, did you?" Came Habard's voice.
Asha let out a sigh from her spot as she watched the troop begin to disappear behind the horizon.
"No," she admitted. "It just never felt like the right time."
Habard let out a small sound of disapproval causing Asha to look at him with a questioning expression.
"If you were waiting for the right time that was about a year over a century ago," he said. "He has a right to know."
"I know that," she said, a bit more defensive than she meant but Habard seemed to not be affected by it. Her shoulders slumped. "When this is all over, then I will introduce him to Thrade. But until then...we have other things to focus on."
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .