Children of Erebor
Chapter 14
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Staring at the zirak-glarkha in wonder, the dwarves were speechless, all except for Thorin and Jul who exchanged knowing grins.
"Now, do you believe us?" Jul chuckled.
"It's but ...but..." Balin's eyes were wide as he tried to absorb the sight before him, he was holding one such worm, his face a glowing wonder. "It doesn't have any face but yet it can see."
"I think they can hear us much more than see us, Balin." Thorin came to stand next to his cousin. "They are diggers, faster diggers than we are with our tools."
Just then, they heard something far to their left, beyond the tunnel; there were faint voices. The glowing worms began to wriggle their way out of the grasp of the dwarves, determined to escape back into the dirt.
Soon, they were plunged back to the semi darkness lit only by their torches.
"Those voices..." Dwalin muttered as he kept peering towards it. "It can be only one thing; Siban and his men."
"And the wee ones."
"Frerin." Thorin whispered.
Jul nodded, "And Mera."
Thorin turned to look at her and nodded, "We'll get them safely."
Balin turned to face Thorin and Jul, "Wait a minute, you two. We must have a plan before we rush headlong into that nest of bandits." He shook his head. "It might put the wee ones in danger."
"What do you suggest, cousin?"
"Creep along quietly, and look in. We'll assess the situation first. Let us make sure the dwarflings are still alive."
Thorin frowned, "And if they are...not?"
Balin gave him a dreaded look, "Then we will take them down."
Dwalin grunted, "Suits me fine; bunch of no good thieves and killers." He gripped the torch tighter in anger.
"Who...who will go and be the look out?" Comet leaned his head in.
"I will."
"I will!"
"No...I will! There are four bandits with four dwarflings. We can take them easily." Jul said.
"Indeed, and you know there are four bandits base on the tracks we found at the mouth of the tunnel. What if there are more inside?" Balin eyed her dubiously. "Sorry, lassie, but I have to be sure. How do you know so much about these bandits?"
The Durin cousins turned to stare at her.
Jul shook her head, "I don't but when I was tracking them to the mines a few days' ago, I saw them. There was a big ugly brutish one, a female, and two other about your size Comet."
"Why didn't you tell us about them?" Thorin asked her.
She shrugged, "I tried to but we were busy arguing that day, remember?" She gave him a look.
Thorin quickly looked down and nodded, "Yes...I remembered."
"Well, no harm done." Balin nodded. "Four against seven of us." He looked at them and smiled. "I think we have the better advantage."
They nodded, feeling encouraged.
"But what if they use the dwarflings against us?"
"I brought my bow and arrows, I'll stay in the back until it's necessary. They won't be expecting a female." Jul suggested.
Balin turned to her and nodded, "That is an excellent idea, yes...yes, I like that."
The others nodded, "Yes, they won't be expecting her."
Thorin frowned as he looked at her, "I'm not comfortable with you fighting, Jul. What if you get hurt?"
Comet stood between them, "Wha...what do you mean by that, Thorin?"
Thorin looked at his cousin, "I'm worried she'll get hurt, Comet. I'm still not comfortable with a female being in a fight. I have never seen her..."
Jul came to stand next to Comet, anger in her eyes, "Really, Thorin, are we to have this conversation again?"
Surprise turn to anger as well, Thorin stared at her, "Yes! I have not seen...nevermind, that day...it was a fluke you beat that young smither...he was not fully trained. Those bandits in there are skilled killers! They will not hesistate to kill you!"
"What is your point, Thorin?" Jul asked him heatedly.
"What is my...? I won't have time to help you and fight these bandits! That's my point! You're a distraction, Jul!"
Her eyebrows shot up as her jaw dropped in utter surprised, "I'm a distraction?" She exclaimed once she recovered her surprise. "I'm a distraction?"
"I heard you the first time. And yes! You are!"
"Shhh!" Gloin came over waving his hands all over them anxiously. "They might hear you two! The dead can hear the two of you!" He glared at the two.
"Your cousin said I'm a distraction, am I, Gloin?" Jul turned to him.
Gloin shook his head at first and stopped when he saw Thorin's angry look. "Oh, by my beard! I am not going to be dragged into your argument! Settle it now or I'll bury you two in a tunnel!" He grunted at them, "And do it quietly!" Before he walked away and stood by Oin, keeping his gaze at them.
"Look what you've done?" Thorin leaned in close to her.
"Me? You started it first!" She leaned in closer to him as well.
"I did no such thing, you are the one who started the argument." Thorin was staring at her eyes which was sparkling with amber and gold flecks...when did her eyes have gold flecks? It made her eyes even more beautiful.
"What did you say?" She asked him
"Say what?"
"Gold flecks...you are not making sense."
Thorin frowned, "I didn't say that!" Did he said that out loud?
"Look, just let me do my job, you won't regret..."
He shook his head.
"Why not?" She raise her voice and was about to ask him again when suddenly, he knew he had to shut her up now or they were about to give the game away!
In desperation or something else but before anyone could do anything Thorin leaned in and grabbed her head as he pulled her close and kissed her suddenly, thereby effectively shutting her completely.
"OH!" His cousins uttered in unison as they witnessed the scene, even in semi-darkness they could still see perfectly and it was quite a shock.
And what a shock for Jul as well! Her eyes were as round as the full moon if they knew it was out there at the moment. And then they closed.
It was a while before Thorin reluctantly pulled away as he panted, as if he had sprinted a short distance and came back.
Jul opened her eyes, "Why did you do that?"
Not trusting himself to speak, he shook his head, "I...don't know."
"Er...I hate to break up your little ...er, that." Oin leaned in. " But we must move now if we were to get on the with rescuing the children."
Thorin was gazing at Jul while Oin was speaking and didn't realize he was still holding her head until Jul reached up and placed her hand on his and pushed him away with embarassment.
Thorin frowned slightly at her action but he didn't say anything as he straightened and moved away from her and walked up to Gloin, leaving her alone.
"What was that all about?" Comet had came up to her.
Shrugging, "I don't know." Jul glanced down and examined her bow. "I guess he was trying to calm me down."
Comet gave her an odd look, "Did you and he...uh...did you two...do...um, well..."
Jul gave her best friend a confused look, "What are you talking about? Me and him?"
Comet nodded, "When you two fell in the hole, you were all alone with him. Alone."
Understanding dawned on her and she punched him hard on his arm, "Ow! What?"
"What kind of questions are they?" She glared at him. "No, I did not do anything with that...that...nut-lug!"
Comet looked at her, unconvinced; something did happen between Thorin and his best friend, not that he was unhappy, no indeed but given what his cousins had told him...well, hinted bout Thorin, he was quite worried about what the Prince would do to his best friend's heart.
He sighed; he feared it might be too late as he watched Jul who was watching Thorin who was talking quietly to Dwalin before they moved towards the cave opening.
Before Comet could say anything further, he saw that it was time.
But his final thoughts was his best friend; he knew Jul might have fallen for his cousin Thorin. Comet sighed hard; Oh dear!
…...
Surprisingly, the take down was the easiest thing they had done.
When Dwalin and Gloin approached the mouth of cavern, to their surprise, they saw the bodies of two bandits.
That left two more bandits, including Siban inside with the dwarflings.
"Do we draw Siban and the female out?" Dwalin asked his brother when he told him about the bodies.
After a moment's thought, Balin bent down and picked up a small rock and handed it to his brother, "We will draw them out with this."
Dwalin raised his bushy brow, "Throw a rock in there?"
"It is easy, they will be curious and will want to find out what's going on, we will then strike."
Dwalin nodded, "Let's hope Siban won't send one of the wee ones."
Balin eyed his brother, "If he did, we will take them, too."
Shaking his head, Gloin said, "It's too easy, Balin. Siban can't be that stupid."
"Sometimes, plans can be as easy as baking a pie. Just get it going, brother." He nodded at him.
"Let's hope the baker is hungry."
"Me too."
A few seconds later, Essa came out, sword drawn as she slowly and cautiously looked about her but Dwalin was ready for her behind her by the mouth of the larger tunnel she came out from.
His reflex was quick but she was quicker as she stepped faster away from him and began to run down the tunnel to her left as she shouted, "Siban! We have company!" She was soon gone into the darkness.
Jul shot an arrow after her as she chased after her and soon she was gone as well.
"JUL!" Thorin called after her but no answer.
"Thorin!" Balin called out. "Get back here, we have to take care of Siban...the rest of us are getting the children."
Thorin tried to catch a glimpse of Jul but he couldn't see in the complete darkness and after a moment's frustration, he turned back and joined his cousins; he hoped nothing bad would come to Jul.
…...
End of Chapter 14