ATE: I'm such a big procrastinator and I hate that about myself most of the time, so I apologize for taking so long to even finish this chapter. I actually had people PMing me and asking when I was going to update next (which surprises me since that doesn't happen very often). So I actually am uploading this chapter at 12:40 in the morning because I wanted to get this done and out there for you all to read. Last week I got to meet my newborn nephew Wyatt for the first time and I simply adore him to pieces! Now, I'd like to thank Eruwaedhiel95, VG fan1, ro781727, ZabuzasGirl, VIP, FanWriterForever, Lady Luna's Love, DianneBaquiran, ANonniMouse, and Purreen for their reviews and for everyone still reading this story so far.
Now to address my guests:
VG fan1: No, I wouldn't kill Silvia off, though I wanted to give readers the impression that I did until the last minute. You don't have to wait for the next chapter since I finally forced myself to work on it after procrastinating like crazy.
VIP: And I am continuing SWIME! With this new chapter will be the start of Desolation of Smaug and (eventually) The Battle of The Five Armies.
ANonniMouse: Silvia and Tauriel fighting over Kili? You'll just have to wait and find out what I do with this situation. For now, you can keep having wild guesses to your hearts content!
Declaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or LOTR. I only own my OCs.
~*~Chapter 20~*~
Climbing down from the large rock structure was a bit challenging in and of itself for the Company, with what appeared to be narrow steps having been formed on the sides to provide a way down from the top. At first the steps started out normal and short, but the farther down they descended they began to get steeper at some points while at others were quite tall and stretched out before them.
But despite all of this, Kili was more than willing to carry Silvia on his back as they made their way to the bottom, even going as far as to refuse anyone who offered to take over carrying her for him. After everything that had happened so far, he didn't want to be parted from her anytime soon. Whether the others picked up on this or not, they didn't say.
Before they started their descent, Gwaihir informed the Company that the Eagles would bring them food, seeing as they lost the majority of their supplies after their more recent ordeals. This was met with positive responses from everyone since they were hungry. Even though they were tired and sore, their hunger seemed to outweigh their weariness at that point.
By the time they reached the bottom the Company was more than ready to set up camp with what little supplies they still had remaining. Kili was relieved that he could place Silvia down on solid ground during that time but even then he stayed by her side, making sure to take the satchel off her back so that she was more comfortable. It was just as he finished doing so that one of the Dwarves came back from looking around and stated that he found a river nearby, and there was much rejoicing as the Company (or at least the Dwarves) realized that they were, in fact, near the Old Ford. It was after some discussion that Thorin agreed that, after everything they've been through so far, they could spare enough time bathing (seeing as they had crossed over to the other side of the Misty Mountains a good number of days sooner than they had expected thanks to the Eagles). Kili was determine to stay behind to look after Silvia, but when he felt a hand on his shoulder he glanced up to find Fili standing beside him.
"Go bathe, brother." The blonde Dwarf told him, as if having read his mind. "I'll look after her for you while you do so."
Kili was almost reluctant to do so, but seeing the look Fili gave him made him take the offer before he followed the others to the river. As refreshing as the water felt, he only spent enough time washing the sweat and dirt off his body as long as necessary before climbing out and sitting himself down on the ground to dry in the sun.
His thoughts wandered back to Silvia and how she was still alive after letting herself fall. He still remembered how he (and the others) grieved her loss until Beleram had brought her back to them. Sure he was relieved that she wasn't dead, but a small part of him was angry that she allowed herself to fall despite telling her not to let go of his hand. Another small part of him was angry with himself for not being strong enough to continue holding onto her, for even allowing it to happen in the first place.
In the end she was alive and well and he was able to have these thoughts he was currently having at the time. If he wanted to scold her about her actions he'd have to wait until she was awake to do so.
Feeling like he spent enough time drying off (his hair was still damp from being in the water) Kili got his clothes back on before returning to where they set up camp, finding Fili and a still unconscious Silvia waiting for him.
"No change?" Kili asked.
"No change." Fili confirmed, noticing the concern in his brother's voice. Knowing where his thoughts were going the blonde Dwarf decided then to change the subject. "How was the water?"
"Not too bad. A little cold, but the water's clear and shallow at least."
"Oh, good! I was worried you might've fallen in and almost drowned again."
At this Kili chuckled, remembering what happened with one of the ponies during the earlier days of their journey.
"Just be glad there weren't any ponies to drag me into the river like last time. We both know how much mother would fret if she learned about what happened."
"Indeed, she would." Fili then stood up. "Since you've returned, I think I'll go and bathe as well."
And with that the blonde Dwarf left, leaving Kili with Silvia. He sat down and allowed his brown gaze to fall on her face. Despite everything they've been through she still looked beautiful as she rested. He noticed how a stray strand of her black hair was in her face and he reached over to tuck it behind her ear.
What Kili didn't expect was for Silvia to stir as a result of his actions.
XXXXX
As Silvia's mind came in and out of awareness she could've sworn she heard voices talking around her. However, she couldn't tell what they were saying and only caught a few snippets of their words, but even then it seemed so far away.
That was strange. Wasn't she dead?
If she were dead, she shouldn't be feeling the warmth of the sun on her skin, or the sound of the wind blowing through the trees or even the sound of birds quietly chirping.
How was it that she was feeling and hearing all of this?
Was she in some sort of afterlife?
Did that mean she could see her father and mother again?
Silvia's thoughts were interrupted when she suddenly felt fingertips lightly brush against the side of her face as it seemed to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear to keep it out of the way. She found herself leaning towards the touch and noticed the warmth coming from it.
"…Silvia?"
That voice. She knew that voice. With some difficulty Silvia managed to open her eyes, and soon found a pair of brown eyes gazing down at her, belonging to a familiar face.
"Kili?" She asked quietly.
At this a relieved smiled appeared on the Dwarf's face and before she knew it Silvia found herself being held by him. This took her by surprise and she wasn't sure how she was supposed to respond. Despite her lack of response Kili didn't seem to mind at all as he pulled away to look at her.
"You're awake!" He said, seeming as if he were unable to stop smiling. "You're finally awake!"
This confused Silvia.
"I thought I fell." She shook her head. "I know I fell. I should be dead."
"But you're not! You did fall, but you were saved by Beleram."
"Who is Beleram?"
At this Kili sighed, seeming to realize something.
"That's right. You must've passed out before he caught you. It was after you fell that we were still stuck in the same situation we had been in at the time. Thorin tried to take on Azog, but failed. He would've been killed if it wasn't for Bilbo stepping in to protect him, and soon enough Dwalin, along with myself and Fili came to his aid. It didn't last long since we were soon rescued by giant eagles thanks to Gandalf."
"Giant eagles?" She asked, not sure if she heard right.
"Yes!"
"I thought eagles weren't supposed to be giant in size, let alone be able to carrying a person."
"These aren't normal eagles, Silvia. These are the Great Eagles, almost the thing of legends! Beleram's one of them and he's the one that saved you."
Silvia was unsure of how to respond at that moment. She took this time to glance around her, noticing how camp had already been set up, but there was a significant lack of supplies such as bedrolls and a few packs), reminding her of the Company's lack of supplies (she was lucky enough to still have the satchel Ithilwen gave her, to which she was thankful for). She also noticed the absence of the others and realized she and Kili were the only ones there.
"Where is everyone?" She asked.
Kili didn't look the least bit surprise by her question, as if having expected it this entire time.
"Everyone else is bathing in the nearby river." He replied, indicating the direction of the river itself with a nod of his head. "Perhaps you would like a chance to do so as well?"
"I would."
Silvia proceeded to get to her feet, but she winched when she noticed how sore she felt. She was surprised when Kili was at her side looking somewhat worried by her reaction.
"Are you all right?"
"I'm fine, Kili. Just a little sore, that's all." She couldn't help the small smile that appeared on her face. "Don't worry about it."
As she got to her full height she heard the Dwarf mutter something she couldn't hear.
"What was that?"
"Nothing!" Kili said all too quickly, making her wonder what he had been saying originally. Before she could inquire further he turned around so that he was facing away from her. "The river's in this direction. Follow me."
It was at this that Silvia realized they were leaving the camp unattended and chased after Kili, who had gotten more than a few feet ahead of her.
"Shouldn't we wait for someone to return?" She asked, not exactly comfortable with the idea of leaving without someone else knowing.
"The others should be finishing up around this time, and it's not like I'm taking you any farther away from where they are than necessary." He then turned to face Silvia, a grin appearing on his face. "Besides, someone needs to be around in case you happen to run into trouble while bathing or washing your clothes like last time."
Silvia blushed and lowered her gaze, remembering her mishap that occurred the first time she'd bathed in a river and having to chase after her dress when it got swept away by the current. But that wasn't the only reasons she was blushing, seeing as Kili had to act as her escort for this little trip.
'Well, this isn't awkward at all.' She thought.
It was then that Silvia noticed that Kili's hair was still damp.
"You've already bathed?" It was more of a statement than a question.
At this the Dwarf turned around and gave her a blank expression.
"No, I just have a knack for falling into rivers."
She became horrified by this and couldn't help but be reminded of the time one of the ponies dragged him into the river. She was about to say something about his strangely calm demeanor…
…When he suddenly started laughing.
"You should've seen the look on your face!" He laughed, his brown eyes sparkling with mirth. He approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder as he calmed down. "I was only joking with your, no need to get worried. And to answer your question, yes, I've had a chance to get cleaned up."
Seeing as his clothes weren't completely soaked, Silvia knew that he was telling the truth. She continued to follow Kili until they came upon the river he'd told her about, but then he led her further down. At first she wondered why when she noticed the voices of the others coming from behind. She was tempted to look, but she stopped herself when she remembered the incident that happened back in Rivendell.
The Dwarf continued to lead her away from the noise until they could barely hear it and Silvia saw that they reached their destination a safe distance away from the others.
"This is a good spot as any." Kili commented before heading over to a nearby large stone and sitting on the side facing away from the river itself, and she realized it was his way of giving her some privacy. "Just shout if you need anything or run into any trouble."
Silvia took this as her cue to go over to the side of the river and proceeded to remove her fingerless gloves and boots. She was about to remove her leather vest when she found herself having difficulty doing so.
Should she call Kili for help?
He did say to do so if she needed anything.
Letting out a sigh, Silvia decided to do just that.
"Kili?" She called out.
"Yes?" He responded.
"I'm…having trouble getting this vest off. Could you please help me?"
Silvia waited for a reply, but then she heard the Dwarf's footsteps as he approached her. She turned around to face him just as he knelt down beside her, his gaze on her face.
"So it's just your vest giving you trouble?"
She nodded, feeling her face heat up as he undid the straps located on the sides of the vest itself. She didn't realize she'd been holding her breath until he finished and pulled away, allowing her to remove the vest itself. It was as she was getting it over her head when it was pulled off her and Silvia realized that Kili was still next to her. She turned to face him, watching as he examined the leather vest she'd been wearing since leaving Rivendell.
"This was obviously made by the Elves." He mused, looking at the vest at different angles and occasionally checking the thickness of the leather. "Lightweight, as expected, but sturdy enough to provide protection while traveling." He then turned to Silvia. "It's a good thing you were wearing this, especially while we were running from all those Goblins earlier."
"Kili, I kind of need to…" Silvia gestured towards the river.
"Of course!" He quickly got up before making his way around the large stone he'd been sitting behind.
Silvia turned back to the river, noticing how clear the water was (to the point that she could see the stones at the bottom). She then started taking her clothes off before climbing into the river, shivering as her skin made contact with the cold water as it caused bumps to form on her skin. The water itself was shallow, coming up to be past her waist, and she did her best to wash her skin and hair.
When she was satisfied with her cleanliness, Silvia pulled her clothes into the water to be washed, starting with the burgundy dress before working on the dark blue pants and long sleeved shirt. She left her cloak untouched since she would need to cover herself up as she dried off.
Soon enough Silvia was getting out of the river with her clothes laid out to dry and her cloak wrapped tightly around her form. She sat down by the river watching the water flow away and she couldn't help but marvel at how beautiful this place was.
She had been distracted by her thoughts that she didn't hear the footsteps approaching from behind until she felt something heavy being draped around her shoulders, causing her head to whip around to find Kili standing there. She was about to thank him when he suddenly lifted her up into his arms and started carrying her.
"What are you doing?!" She asked, becoming flustered.
"Carrying you." The Dwarf simply answered.
"Obviously! But why?"
"Because I'm capable of doing so."
"Well, I'm capable of walking on my own two feet just fine!"
Kili turned to her and Silvia could just see the mischievous look in his eyes.
"What if I don't want you to?"
Silvia huffed a bit and turned her head away just as Kili started chuckling at her reaction. He soon sat down with her sitting sideways across his lap as he held her close, his back leaning against the rock he'd been hiding behind earlier. Realizing it was futile to resist, she gave up any ideas of getting free and just sat there.
"That's it?" Kili asked, sounding somewhat surprised. "You're not going to attempt getting away?"
"I don't feel like bothering to try today." She told him. "I'm already well aware of how stubborn and persistent Dwarves can be, and I'm not exactly in a state to try and get free at the moment."
In all honesty, Silvia didn't want to admit she was still cold. Apparently Kili caught onto this since he held her closer (if that was still possible by this point).
"Don't worry. I'll keep you warm."
She couldn't help but blush at this, realizing that Kili picked up on her being cold. There was also the way he calmly said that to her that made her feel weird. Silvia buried her head deeper into the coat wrapped around her, recognizing the scent that still lingered. There was the additional smell of smoke and burning wood still there, which made her remember when the Company was still stuck in the tree while they were cornered by Azog, along with the tree being on fire.
Silvia shook her head in an attempt to get rid of the memory, knowing that if she continued her emotions would get the better of her.
It was already bad enough that the look on Kili's face was still stuck in her head.
"This reminds me of when we were back in Rivendell. You…holding me like this." Silvia said.
"Does it?" Kili asked, his brown eyes gazing at her blue ones.
She nodded.
"You kept me warm back then, despite you and Fili chasing me around that garden."
"We only did that because we wanted you to have some fun and to cheer you up."
Silvia couldn't help the small smile that appeared on her face as she giggled, glancing away as she did so.
"And I didhave fun!" As soon as she calmed down, her smile dropped. "It had been a long time since I had that much fun."
"When was the last time you had any fun?"
Silvia knew that Kili was only asking out of curiosity, but knowing that she would have to give him an answer made her feel sad as she recalled the memory that she recently got back all those days ago.
"It was a long time ago, back when I was still a little girl and my mother was still alive."
Everything was quiet between them as Kili seemed to let that information sink into his mind. She could only imagine what he thought and shut her eyes. She had told him nothing of her past while she had told Thorin of what she remembered that night all those days before.
"I…apologize for that." Kili said after awhile, sounding sincere.
"You don't need to apologize. Like I said, it was a long time ago and I hardly remember her." The last part was a bit of a lie, but it was the only thing she could think of that would prevent the Dwarf from pursuing the topic further.
Maybe someday she would tell him, but for now she didn't want to talk about it.
"Silvia?"
She turned to Kili, wondering what he wanted to ask.
"Yes?" She asked.
"I was wondering—and I mean no offense by this whatsoever—if I could take a look at your left leg for a moment. I only ask this out of concern since it was where one of your injuries were when we first found you in the forest."
Silvia realized that Kili was referring to the gunshot wound on her leg and at first she wanted to ask the Dwarf why he wanted to look, but refrained from doing so. She knew he probably had his reasons, but whatever they were was none of her business.
Or maybe it was?
Regardless of this, Silvia reluctantly nodded her consent to Kili, who then turned his gaze towards her left leg. She watched as the Dwarf moved a hand towards the lower area of her left leg and pushed the coat and cloak away to have a better view of the gunshot wound, which was nothing more than a faint scar now. Silvia tensed, a blush appearing on her face when she felt Kili lightly tracing the scar with his fingertips, almost as if he were afraid it would cause her pain if he were to apply more pressure than he already was. She shyly glanced at the Dwarf's face, finding a thoughtful expression as he focused on the scar.
'What is he thinking?' She wondered, confused by his facial expression. And why did he seem so intrigued by her scar?
Silvia did her best to suppress a shiver as a chill slid down her spine due to how Kili's fingers felt as they brushed ran over the scar. The scar itself felt weird as he did so and she could only suspect it was because of how it healed.
"This injury was a lot worse when you were first found. Now it's nothing more than a scar that appears to be a few years old." Kili suddenly said, moving his hand away from her leg as he turned his gaze to face her. "This was the Elves' doing."
"Ithilwen was surprised when she first saw it, along with the other two. It was thanks to her that they've healed so fast." Silvia replied.
"And Oin's treatment wasn't adequate enough for you to make a full recovery?"
"I never said that. Oin is a good healer in his own right and I did make a recovery thanks to him. But Ithilwen only helped the process further along so that I was left with scars. You have no idea how many times I've felt sick from looking at those injuries before we arrived in Rivendell."
"Is Ithilwen the Elf you've been around while we were staying there?"
"Yes, she was. She…has been very kind to me and I appreciated her company during those days."
"I figured that was the reason, seeing as you spent most of your time away from us."
"It was during that time I had instances where I found myself wanting to be around you all, seeing as I've spent most of my time among everyone."
"And why is that?"
"As kind as the Elves were to me, I preferred the company of those I'm familiar with. You were the ones that found me after all."
Kili was quiet at this and Silvia couldn't help but wonder what he thought of her answer. To her surprise she didn't have to wait long for him to speak again, but he decided to change the subject.
"She gave you that sword, didn't she?" It was more of a statement than question as Kili's voice took on a serious tone.
Silvia sighed, knowing who Kili meant as she was reminded of the Elvish sword she was given. She nodded, averting her gaze to her lap, and she could only imagine the look on the Dwarf's face.
"Along with the clothes and satchel." She added quietly.
Why was it that the Dwarves couldn't get along with Elves and vice versa?
By this point, she could only expect the worse.
"We were surprised when we saw that you were armed, let alone how you were able to keep it hidden for so long. Despite not having wielded a sword before, you somehow managed to hold your own."
Silvia thoughts were brought back to how she had killed that Goblin back in Goblin-town and she was trying her best to remain calm, not wanting to alarm Kili.
"Don't remind me…"
He didn't seem to hear her since he continued.
"You'll need someone to teach you how to fight properly, though, but you won't have to worry about that! Fili and I can help you! We all could-!"
"Stop!" Silvia snapped as she interrupted Kili, causing him to fall silent as he stared at her. He hadn't expected such a reaction from her. "Just stop talking about it!"
"Silvia?"
"I've never killed anyone before, let alone had to do so in order to survive. The fact that I had to do so and still have to scares me."
"It's normal to feel that way. It's always hard the first time you have to take a life, but you haven't even learned how to use a sword properly. Because of that, you were left unprepared to deal with such a situation."
"It doesn't feel right! I wasn't meant to do this! I wasn't meant to wield a sword!"
"Silvia!" Silvia froze at Kili's tone. "I'm aware that you didn't want to kill anyone or anything, but it was either you or that Goblin. You'd be dead right now if you hadn't done anything to defend yourself or worse. You've never had to fight for your own life, but now's the time you need to learn to do so."
Silvia started shaking slightly, feeling somewhat fearful of Kili scolding her.
"And something I want to know is why you let yourself fall when I told you not to let go of my hand earlier. Why would you allow yourself to die in such a way?"
"Because I thought that regardless of what we did we'd all end up dead!" Silvia cried. "I thought that if the Orcs didn't kill us, then we'd fall to our deaths eventually. I thought that if I was going to die, then I'd have a choice in the matter. I didn't know the Eagles would come and save us."
As soon as the words left her mouth she suddenly regretted saying anything, but it was too late to take them back now. She could feel tears forming in the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.
"Did you have any idea how I felt when I watched you fall? I thought you actually died, that I failed to protect you like I promised. We all thought you died!"
Silvia was unable to hold back her tears and started crying.
"I'm sorry." Her shoulders shook as she cried and she could feel her throat tightening slightly. "I'm so sorry! I was just scared and didn't think of the consequences of my own actions. I wasn't thinking of how it would've affected all of you." She left out a shaky breath. "Is…it okay if I cry…?"
"You needn't even ask."
Silvia was taken by surprise when Kili tightened his hold around her, holding her close as he rested his chin on top of her head.
Was he…comforting her?
Her heart seemed to skip a beat at this realization.
He was comforting her!
He was allowing her to cry because a part of him knew that she needed this and was doing his best to comfort her in the process.
He wasn't going to judge her for doing so.
She allowed herself to take comfort in his warmth as she cried, letting all the fear she'd felt from what she'd experience out, all while the Dwarf sat quietly during that time. After what seemed like hours had passed (though in reality it hadn't been that much time) Kili suddenly started humming a familiar tune. In her surprise Silvia pulled away slightly to face him, no longer crying at this point.
"That's the song I sang that day when it rain." Silvia said, causing Kili to stop humming and turn to look at her. "Why are you humming it?"
At this the dark haired Dwarf gave her a sheepish smile.
"Because I don't remember the words." He said, as if it were simple.
Silvia couldn't help but smile at this as she giggled a bit.
"Then remind me to teach it to you sometime."
"Are you sure? You won't end up crying when you do?"
"I think I'm done crying for now. And there isn't any use for me crying over such a song by this point."
"What is it called, anyways?"
"It's called Sleepsong. It was something that I learned a long time ago." Silvia shifted slightly. "Will you let me up now, Kili? I think my clothes are probably dry by this point."
"What's in it for me?"
"Don't be like that! I let you hold me for this long, willingly no less."
Kili chuckled, but he let her go, allowing Silvia to get up. She was about to make her way over to where she left her clothes when a thought came to her. She realized she still had Kili's coat wrapped around her and she turned to face the Dwarf. He gave her a confused look and was about to say something, only for his coat to be tossed at his face.
"You know what to do!" She said, unable to stop herself from laughing.
She could hear Kili laughing (although muffled slightly) and she could imagine the grin on his face since it was still covered by his coat. Silvia took this time to go over to her things and picked up her dark blue pants before glancing back over to Kili, trying her best to hold back her laughter.
He still had his coat covering his head and the sight was hilarious.
Satisfied with the fact that he wasn't looking, Silvia quickly got her traveling clothes on, noticing that they were somewhat damp but dry for the most part and wearable. It was as she was getting her fingerless gloves on (after having figured out how to get her leather vest on) when she suddenly wondered where exactly she and the Company were at as far as locations went. All she knew was that they were on the other side of the Misty Mountains, but that was as far as she could remember from what she'd learn so far.
Once she was fully dressed, Silvia went to retrieve Kili from where he sat, the coat still on his head. She couldn't help but laugh at this, unable to hold back a smile.
"Time to go, Kili." She told him.
She watched as the Dwarf pull off his coat to reveal his face and, reaching down, Silvia offered her hand to him. As soon as his larger hand grasped around hers, she pulled him to his feet before the two proceeded to head back to camp. It was as they were making their way back that Silvia decided to speak.
"Have you ever traveled this far before?"
"Not this far west, at least until now. The farthest I've been was when Fili and I traveled to Dunland, escorting some merchants from Ered Luin." Kili replied.
"If you've been to Dunland, then you and your brother have traveled the way we came before reaching the Misty Mountains?"
"We never took that way, let alone went anywhere near Rivendell. We took the Greenway south."
"What's the Greenway? Is it a path?"
"Aye. It begins at Fornost Erain in northern Eriador, meeting with the Great East Road at Bree. It continues south to Tharbad on the Gwathló, crossing the river where it becomes known as the Old South Road. From there it leads into Dunland, arching slightly towards the Fords of Isen. After it crosses the Isen it is called the Great West Road, and runs along the Ered Nimrais through Anórien, then goes south past Minas Tirith and Osgiliath as the South Road and ends at Pelargir. For the longest time it was the main path to take between Gondor and Arnor until later in the Third Age. It's rarely used these days, though, and the road in Dunland is mostly lost."
"That's a lot to take in, Kili. I don't think I'll be able to remember all of that." Silvia commented.
"I guess it's not that important to know at this point in time, so there's no need to worry about it."
Eventually Silvia and Kili made it back to camp and she was surprised by the reactions she got when the rest of the Company saw her. Before she knew it, she was being hugged by everyone (even Dwalin!) as if she hadn't been seen in years (or something to that extent). Then again, everyone had thought she'd died not that long ago.
One thing she was thankful for was the fact that Gandalf had rejoined the Company again after his long absence. Which was why she didn't think twice when she decided to hug him; thankfully the Wizard didn't seem to mind in the least bit.
"It is good to see you are well, my dear." Gandalf told her. "I believe we have a few things to discuss now that we don't have to worry about Goblins and Orcs at this time."
Silvia was confused by what he meant at first, but when she saw the look in his eyes she had a feeling as to what the Wizard wanted to discuss with her. The moment he place a hand on her back and started guiding her away from the others further supported this belief and she began to worry. By the time they stopped walking Silvia noticed how far she and Gandalf went to assure that the Company wouldn't be able to overhear their conversation.
"What was it that you wanted to discuss?" Silvia asked, turning to face the Wizard.
Gandalf was quiet for a moment, as if considering what to say next.
"This world we live in is full of wonders, many which still remain to be found until they've been unraveled. Wouldn't you agree?"
This confused Silvia as she tried to figure out what he was trying to tell her, but decided to give him a response.
"I guess I would. But why would you mention something like that?"
"I believe the world in its current state would be different from what you're used to."
It was at this point she realized what Gandalf was implying and averted her eyes.
"So you know where I really come from?"
"I do, but only because of Lady Galadriel informing me of such. Though she told me no more than what she revealed to you, so there are no secrets between us concerning the matter."
"Did you know what I was back when you all found me?" Silvia asked.
"I wasn't sure at first, but as the others continued discussing your presence I began to ponder on the possibility, all the while making my own observations during our travels. Even though you're a half Elf, you still appear human, but you already knew this." Gandalf explained. "Now tell me, how different is the world in your time?"
Silvia thought back to the memories she'd remembered so far, recalling what it was like in the future in comparison to how it was currently.
"The world was a lot different than it is now. Magic doesn't exist there at all, along with Elves, Dwarves, or Hobbits. The air isn't as clean as it is here, and there are still forests around, but those will gradually be replaced over time. This world, however, feels more alive than it does in the future."
Gandalf seemed to consider this information for a moment before responding.
"I see."
She thought the Wizard would have more to say on the matter, but she didn't see the point in worrying over it at that time. However, there was one thing that she wanted to ask him.
"Do you know why my mother died, even though there wasn't anything wrong with her to cause her death?"
"Elves are a magical race that are entwined with nature. If what you told me of the world in your time is correct, then the lack of magic and the slow decline of forests would've made living in such a time difficult for an Elf. An Elf would be capable of living in the era you were born in, but only because they would have enough time to adapt to the changes over time. In the case of your mother, however, she was brought to the future without any warning and wasn't prepared for the condition of the future world. I would imagine the sudden changes would've come as a shock to her being and her body wasn't given the chance to adequately adjust in time to help her survive."
"So it's only because of a sudden change in environment that she died?" Silvia concluded.
"Precisely." Gandalf then placed a hand on her back. "It's best that we return to the others. I'm sure they are all wondering where you are currently."
"What do I tell them if they ask about our discussion?"
"You can simply tell them that I chastised you for your actions earlier."
Gandalf winked at Silvia and she couldn't help the smile that formed on her lips as they made their way back to camp. As soon as they returned to camp she spotted a large shadow moving on the ground, causing Silvia to look up. Nothing could've prepared her for what she saw, for just above them was a group of giant eagles. It was when they started descending towards the ground that she felt the urge to run away (and she would have as well), but she was stopped by Gandalf who placed a hand on her shoulder.
"You have nothing to fear." He told her. "The Great Eagles have merely returned with the food they promised to bring our group."
So those were the Great Eagles Kili had told her about earlier. Silvia watched as the Eagles got close to the ground and drop what looked like a deer from their talons before landing somewhere else near the camp. One particular Eagle with regular brown feathers landed on the ground closer to the camp than the other Eagles, followed by another one with golden brown feathers, and she noticed how the rest of her companions didn't seem afraid of them.
"Beleram! Armenel!" Kili call out as he approached the brown Eagle, only to stop. She was confused as she watched the Dwarf look around, only to smile when he spotted her and start waving her over. "Silvia, come meet Beleram and Armenel!"
Silvia cautiously made her way over to where Kili was and as she got closer the Dwarf reached out to grasp her hand in his. He gave her an encouraging smile before guiding her the rest of the way over to the two Eagles. She couldn't help the intimidation she felt as she got closer, only now realizing how huge they were when she and Kili were only a few feet away. Silvia knew that he told her that they were giant, but she hadn't been expecting this!
"Go on!" He told her. "You don't need to be scared."
Silvia was about to respond, but then Kili released her hand before giving her a gentle shove towards the Eagles. She forced herself to look up at the brown Eagles face, noticing how its amber colored eyes watched her with interest. The intimidation she felt grew as she slowly approached the giant birds until she stood before them.
"H-hello." She managed to get out.
It was the strangest thing to witness, but it almost seemed like the Eagle was smiling at her.
"It is good to see you are awake and well." The Eagle spoke, his voice deep.
Her eyes widened at this, not having expected this.
"You can talk!"
The golden brown Eagle next to the one that spoke suddenly chuckled, sounding amused.
"That seems to be the favored statement of our new acquaintances, wouldn't you agree Beleram?" The second Eagles said.
"Indeed."
"You're Beleram, the one that saved me?" Silvia asked the first Eagle.
"You are correct, milady. I am Beleram, as you already know." The Eagle, Beleram spoke. "The one beside me is known as Armenel."
She couldn't help the smile that suddenly appeared on her face, no longer afraid of the Eagles before her.
"It's nice to meet you, Beleram and Armenel. And thank you for saving me, along with the rest of my companions."
"You are welcome. Your companions have expressed their gratitude as well." Suddenly Beleram lowered his had close to her face before continuing in a whisper. "I suggest you keep a close eye on your mate, Lady Silvia. He was quite concerned over your wellbeing not that long ago."
Silvia looked up at him, confused by Beleram's words.
"What do you mean by that?" She asked.
"You will understand the meaning someday. But for now we must part ways. Until next we meet."
With that both Beleram and Armenel spread their large wings before taking off. Silvia watched as the two Eagles flew away, marveling at how majestic the sight was.
"What did Beleram tell you?"
Silvia jumped when she heard the voice beside her and turn to find Kili. She wasn't sure if she should tell the Dwarf what the Eagle told her, so she came up with something.
"He told me to be more careful if I decided to try flying again." She told him, deciding to joke.
Kili couldn't help but laugh at this, shaking his head as he picked up on her meaning.
"Let's just hope you don't choose to do it somewhere too high that can cause death then."
That night the Company was happy being able to eat their fill of the food the Great Eagles provided them as they were able to relax and converse. When it came time to sleep that night Silvia made herself comfortable on the ground (laying on her side) before closing her eyes. She was about to drift off to sleep when she suddenly felt two warm forms settle down on either side of her, followed by a pair of arms wrapping around her. She opened her eyes to find that in front of her was Kili (who had been the one to wrap his arms around her) and she assumed that Fili had taken the spot behind her.
"I thought you two would stop doing this when we got to the other side of the Misty Mountains." Silvia said.
"We did." Fili said from behind her.
"We can leave if you want us to." Kili stated.
"No." She shook her head. "I'm fine with this."
As Silvia drifted off to sleep, she could've sworn she heard Kili say 'thank you.'
ATE: Explanation time!
(1) Bathing scene: I had to include this part in SWIME since it wasn't in the movie but was in the book. At least this chapter served as a brief reprieve before we get into the events of DOS, and what better way than to have this included?
(2) Silvia and Kili: There was no way I wasn't going to include this, along with the possible fluff that follows with it.
(3) Silvia's scar: I had to make a reference to His Thoughts Alone when Kili first saw the gunshot wound on Silvia's leg by having him take a look at the condition of the scar. If you've read that (which I'm sure you all have) then you can remember how curious he was about the wound.
(4) Kili scolding Silvia: In all honesty, this part felt forced when I wrote it, but I couldn't think of any other way it could've gone. In fact this part felt like it had a bit of a mood swing with what followed right after.
(5) Geography (again): Like with the geography that the Goblin King stated concerning the locations of Dunland and Lothlórien, I had to look up the info concerning the Greenway when Kili was telling Silvia about it. Believe or not, no matter how much I read the information on the Greenway, it still confuses me. Thank god for the LOTR wikia!
(6) The cause of Merildis' death: I actually had to give this little theory a good amount of thought, and what I came up actually sounded plausible to me (and as you read). At least it makes sense as to why Merildis died.
(7) Beleram and Armenel: Seeing as this is the first time Silvia meets the Great Eagles, naturally she's going to be intimidated by their size and be wary (who wouldn't?). Thankfully, she gets used to them. I regret not giving Armenel more dialogue.
The next chapter will be the start of the events of DOS, and I have the Extended Edition to help with this as well.
Also another thing I wanted to address are possible typos and/or mistakes I've made in my chapters. I kinda need your help to spot them since sometimes I don't even notice them until AFTER I've posted a chapter, and I've found this to be the case when I was looking back through previous chapters of SWIME. Don't get me wrong, I do check a chapter over for mistakes before posting, but I'm human and I tend to not notice until it's too late. So if it's not much trouble, could you all help me by keeping an eye out for possible mistakes in future chapters and bring them to my attention? You'd be doing me a big favor if you did and I'd appreciate it!
So what do you think of this chapter? Any thoughts or opinions you'd like to give? If you got questions write them in a review and I'll respond ASAP! ;D