This first part is in Lucy's perspective. Enjoy!
I sat in the grass as the sun was setting, lost in thought. We were approaching a place called the Iron Hills. I could see it looming ahead of me, a number of foothills that contrasted the fairly flat land surrounding it. I thought about it's name, the Iron Hills, it was most likely called that because a lot of iron was found in them. One of the Wizards, Saruman, had said the hills were inhabited by dwarves. I noticed he had said this with distaste, and wondered why thought of dwarves displeased him so much. Most of the dwarves in Narnia had sided with the White Whitch, though there were some who were still loyal to Aslan in secret. Some of the said dwarves were in our camp. They were good fellows, numbering to only five, but there were a few more back at Cair Paravel.
Cair Paravel, back East, where Peter and Susan were. Honestly I missed them a lot as I had been parted with them for a while. I wondered what their reaction to receiving our message was. Edmond and I had sent it many days ago, after we had been asked by Aslan to go on this mission to the West. I half expected for them to send a messenger with a reply, it seemed like something Susan would want to do. She often worried for our safety, though she had grown accustomed and fond of the way of life in Narnia. I didn't remember much of our lives in... What was it? London. Yes, what life was like in London. For the first few years, I almost felt guilty for calling Narnia my home. Mother was back in London, and I missed her a lot. But there was something about Narnia, something in the air, that comforted me and made me feel like I belonged here.
Middle Earth was a beautiful place to be sure, and it's inhabitants were very interesting. When I first heard we would meet wizards, I didn't know if I was afraid or excited. Wizards were often regarded as evil back in London, yet these particular wizards were charming. Especially the one called Radagast, who was a queer fellow, but still fun to be around. The other wizard, Saruman, was very different. He was very serious, and often scowled, but then again, I hadn't taken much time to get to know him. The Elven lady, Galadriel was very beautiful in an ageless sort of way. She had very long blonde hair, and almost had an aura of light about her. Wisdom was in her eyes, and she had a very motherly nature. I liked her a lot, and listened to stories she would tell of her long life. I had learned that elves were immortal in the fact that they did not die from age. I learned that they did die from wounds and a sort of depression. I didn't fully understand this concept as the Lady did not explain it in detail, but I understood that the elves could fade and die of grief or weariness.
I smiled suddenly as a thought appeared in my head. Ellethna and Radagast has formed a friendship and it was amusing to see those two interact. They both loved nature and wildlife and got along very well. I often heard them laughing together at something in their conversation. Ellethna was getting better with her English every day and was almost completely fluent. Her mother taught her well, he only times she messed up was when she was startled or excited. I didn't need to help her much anymore.
"Lu." My brother's voice broke me out of my thoughts. I smiled as I looked over to him as he sat next to me in the grass. It was late evening at the time and we had camped for the night near the Iron Hills.
"The wizard, Saruman, gives me a bad feeling. I don't know why but I'm troubled. He seems like a gentleman on the outside but there is a lot of pride in the way he talks. He's very suspicious of us." Edmond said. "I don't know, maybe it's nothing." He added with a shrug.
I nodded and thought about what Edmond had said. "He is different to be sure. There's something about him. But maybe we're wrong, I'm mean, he could be a great person he just doesn't act like it." I replied.
"You could be right." My brother said. We sat in silence for a while, listening to crickets that hid in the tall grass.
I felt my brother's arm wrap around my shoulders and I looked up at him. "Are you really this troubled about the white wizard?" I asked.
Edmond signed. "No, it's not just Saruman."
I looked at him with concern. "Then what is it?"
He hesitated, staying silent. "You can tell me anything you know." I said, trying to coax him into telling me what bothered him.
Edmond looked at me. "There is going to be another battle Lu. A battle in a foreign land. I'm worried that you might get hurt."
"Oh Edmond," I sighed, "I won't get hurt, I've been in battles before."
"Yes, but Aslan was there for your only real battle. The rest of the times were not true battles." He replied.
"Edmond, I am much more trained than my last battle. I can use the bow well and have been training with a sword like you. Please don't worry about me." I said, trying to make him see I would be fine.
My brother stared out into the distance. "I can't help it." He said under his breath.
I gave him a hug. "Don't worry Ed, we both will be fine in the end. Aslan wouldn't send is to our deaths. Trust him."
I felt Edmond nod and we sat together in a peaceful silence. I relished the time I got to spend with my brother, with no battles around us or things in urgent need of doing. I tried to forget everything in at moment, just focusing on simply breathing and nothing else. We sat like this for a while until we decided it was getting late. We needed all the sleep we could get, traveling long distances every day was exhausting. I was thankful we were closer to the Lonely Mountain.
I slept deeply that night, dreaming yet never remembering my dreams in the morning. I woke up ready to face another day. This was the day we would meet the dwarves of Middle Earth.
...
"So, you hold on the the bar and let the rabbits direct themselves?" Ellethna asked, slightly confused. Radagast had agreed to let her ride his rabbit drawn sled. She was excited, though this was a very odd concept for her.
"Yes yes! These are Rhosgobel rabbits, they have a higher intelligence than your ordinary rabbit. They know the paths of the forest better than we ever can, and can almost sense where you want them to go." He said proudly. "Though I haven't quite figured out how they can sense your desires." He added as an afterthought.
Ellethna shrugged and stepped onto the wooden sled. She loved watching the little brown wizard ride it daily.
As soon as she was comfortable the rabbits started moving foreward. Her face broke into a delighted smile as the rabbits pulled her at a slow but steady pace. Ragadast gave her an encouraging smile.
"Good, now let them take you on a ride around the camp, once you have circled it, come back here." He instructed, and watched the Marenka girl ride off.
Ellethna waved to Bennypaw, the Narnian bear, as she passed. He lifted his heavy paw and waved with a chuckle. Ellethna was very excited, she was being pulled in a sled by Middle Earth rabbits! She became very comfortable with the pace she was going and hoped the rabbits would go faster. To her delight the swift rabbits sped up their pace. She circled the camp, it was in the morning and everyone was packing up camp for another day of travel. They all worked as a team and Ellethna loved how efficient the Narnians were.
She looked around for Radagast and the rabbits led her to him "Well? Did you enjoy yourself?" Radagast asked impatiently.
Ellethna had a huge smile on her face. "Yes, your rabbits are amazing." She said as she stepped off the sled and bent down to pet the brown rabbits. They crowded around her, begging to be petted. Radagast fed each of them lettuce as a treat. His rabbits liked lettuce and grass better than carrots.
"Come on you two, we need to leave." Edmond hollered from across the camp. Everyone was ready to leave, each shouldering their packs. Ellethna and Radagast mounted their respective rides, and set off traveling once again.
...
The sun beat down on us as we trudged up a path spiraling up the hills. I kept a lookout for the inhabitants of this area. Galadriel said we were entering dwarven territory. I had been told that elves and dwarves did not get along. The Elven Lady feared her presence might enrage the dwarves, especially their lord, Dain Ironfoot.
"Yes, the lady is right, which is why I believe I should do the talking. The dwarves tend to get along with wizards better than elves." Saruman was telling me. I glances to my left and saw my brother, Edmond looking around. The hills had a lot of brush but there was a lot of dust and rocks. It was not very difficult to walk on an old dirt path, but sometimes I would stumble slightly over a stone or root.
As I walked I wondered what the dwarves of the Iron Hills would be like. I guessed they would be similar to the dwarves I knew, but still different in some way.
"Grimberon, what do you think the dwarves of these lands will be like?" I asked a Narnian dwarf who was walking near me. There were a few that remained loyal to Aslan, and Edmond and myself got to know most of them. Grimberon was a red dwarf, and had a long red beard and hair.
"I dunno Mi'lady. There are some odd creatures in these parts so I no long know wha to expect." He said in a gruff voice. At first Grimberon could be almost intimidating, but once you got to know him he had a big heart.
"I do believe we shall find out soon." Lenus, our centaur friend, said from a little ways behind me. I looked over my shoulder to see him look pointedly ahead of us. I turned around just as I heard a loud voice call to us from up the hill.
"Who comes to the domain of Lord Dain Ironfoot?" A rough voice boomed. I looked up to see a short figure standing in the path in front of us. He had a thick brown beard what was braided intricately, and he was wearying armor. He pointed an axe at us and stood as if he was unmovable, which I guess he probably was.
Saruman stepped foreward before Edmond could. "We come to speak with your Lord Dain. Troubling new has reached us and we need to consult with him." Saruman said smoothly.
The dwarf growled. "We do not allow outsiders into our halls. Especially those in the company of an Elf. Be on your way."
"Master dwarf, your kin in the Lonely Mountain are in grave danger. Please, allow us to speak with Dain." Edmond said to the dwarf.
"Erebor was taken by the dragon Smaug a long time ago." He replied. I didn't know there was a dragon added to our problem.
"Thorin Oakenshild and his company took it back but now armies of orcs are marching to kill them and take the mountain for themselves." Saruman said calmly.
The dwarf stood in silence for a moment before deciding his next action. He suddenly drew a horn that looked like it as made from a ram's horn and blew it loudly. Only seconds lateandr another armored dwarf approached him then looked at us with suspicion.
"Commander?" The newcomer said as he stood at attention facing his superior. He looked younger than his commander, with almost black hair and a slightly shorter beard.
"Send word to Ironfoot, tell him there is a large party of outsiders who come on urgent business concerning his cousin, Oakenshield." The grim dwarf commanded.
With a salute, putting his fist to his heart, the dwarf marched off the deliver the message.
"We shall see what my lord wishes. We shall stay here for now, no funny business." The dwarf said as he turned to us.
We all nodded and sat down on the rocks. The dwarf said his name was Gunnar, son of Gunnav. When Gunnar spotted Grimberon he looked at him confusedly.
"Where are you from, you don't look like a son of Durin. Are you a Stiffbeard perhaps?" He questioned our friend.
Grimberon shook his head. "I am not a son of Durin or a Stiffbeard as you said, I am from far East. We are called the sons of earth." He said proudly.
"Huh." Gunnar replied.
...
We waited for around half an hour before the young soldier returned and whispered in Gunnar's ear. Gunnar straightened and nodded to the young dwarf.
"Dain will not host a large company of forge inert into his halls." He said and my hopes of speaking with him diminished. "But he is on his way here now. You caught him before he left to aid his cousin, Thorin Oakenshield." I smiled at the news. Time was running short, and we needed to reach the ruined town of Dale and the Lonely Mountain before Sauron's forces did.
As we waited I looked down at the view before me. From where I sat I could see forests in the distance and some grasslands here and there. Under my feet I knew there were tunnels of stone that stretched great distances, or at least that was what Saruman had said. He seemed to be the most aquatinted with the dwarven people, though I could tell he was not overly fond of them
I felt everyone around me suddenly tense and I turned towards Gunnar who was standing at attention.
"This better be important, I was preparing to leave to help my kin who are being harassed by that woodland sprite named Thranduil." Lord Dain boomed in an accent I vaguely remembered to be Scottish. That was odd that he had such an accent but I did not have time to dwell on that. Dain stood proudly in armor and a cape that looked to be made out of a bear's hide. The dwarf lord had flaiming red hair that stuck up from his head, and a wild beard.
"Oh come on," he nearly groaned, "do I have to deal with two Elven princesses?" He said once he caught sight of Galadriel.
There truly are strong prejudices between dwarves and elves. I thought to myself.
"Wha do y'all want? If this is some trick none will live to regret it." He said in almost a bored voice.
This was a little more lighthearted, Dain can be a fun character sometimes. Will he let them join him on his path to the Lonely Mountain?
I've owned many rabbits over the years so it was fun to write about Radagast's bunnies. I didn't see him using any reigns or saying any verbal commands in the movie so I had to guess how he directed them. From experience I know that rabbits can sense your heartbeat, so if you are scared they they freak out and if you are calm, they are relaxed. So I guessed that Radagast's rabbits were a bit more intelligent and somehow could sense where he wanted them to go. I hope it's ok. :)
What did you guys think of my dwarven names? The Narnian dwarven name was the hardest because there were not too many names C.S. Lewis mentioned. Gunnar was pretty easy, I just looked up old Norse names.
Thanks for reading! And thank you so much rayman898 ad Samael29 for reviewing. It gives me inspiration in my writing. And I'm so happy you like the story!
Thanks,
N.T.N.
