Another day spent in the little dell. Naya noticed the thrush early in the day. It was flitting from rock to rock catching the snails that roamed over them. She started to watch it intently. After riding the eagle, her wish to fly again had grown. Were birds really that different than other animals? She would have to think about it later. For now, she needed to think about the visions she had had the night before. Could she change what she had seen? Her life depended on it.
Some of the dwarves were back at the cliff face. She didn't know why they bothered. It was obvious that force wouldn't make it open. The rest had gone down to check the ponies and get more supplies. Thorin returned from down below a short time later. As he sat down by Naya, he pulled out a little yellow flower from his pocket and handed it to her. "I thought those were all gone!" she exclaimed. The desolation had seemed complete. She took the delicate bloom and smelled the soft fragrance.
"I found it in a crevice. You have to look hard. I think it's a sign that the rule of Smaug is drawing to a close. The birds are returning (he nodded at the thrush still hunting snails) and now the flowers. It's a good omen." He smiled at her delight in such a tiny gift. She really was the most gentle creature. Unless she was angry at you.
"How are the ponies?" she asked. Naya had not wanted to bring the animals along at all. What would happen to them now that they were at the door? They could never be brought up the cliff side.
"There is some grass among the rocks that they are foraging on. Why do you ask?" Thorin saw ponies as tools to be used, nothing else.
"What will happen to them if Smaug comes? Wouldn't the ponies let him know someone is here, and…wouldn't he eat them? I don't want that to happen."
Thorin grinned. "I imagine Smaug would find them a tasty treat. And if he's out and about, it's probably because he already knows someone is here. I'm not going to worry about ponies."
This didn't make Naya very happy, but in her quest to bind Thorin to her, she obeyed Oin's advice not to anger him. "I think if we are finished with them we should let them go. That way, they might have a chance."
"Until that door is open, we may still need them. Should the door open, I will consider it. You really are a softie aren't you?"
"Only where animals are concerned. If Smaug dines on dwarves, that's your problem." She laughed and pulled him over by his braids to give him a kiss.
"That would be most unfortunate. I will do my best to avoid being dragon dinner." He stood up. "Well, I think I will see if the door investigators have learned anything. What are you plans for the day?"
"I'm going to sit in the sun and enjoy the green grass. Perhaps a nap to make up for the sleep I lost last night." She hadn't managed to fall asleep after the nightmares awakened her. "There really isn't much else I can do!"
"No, I guess it's just a waiting game for now." Thorin walked away toward the cliff face. Naya watched him go, wondering how much longer they would be together before fate tore them apart. She lay down on the grass and was soon fast asleep.
The visions were a complete opposite from the night before. Once again, the golden room: Thorin raised his eyes and looked at her, but this time, he dropped the gold and took her in his arms. Bilbo held out the Arkenstone to her and placed it in her hands. She saw cheering dwarves, men and elves mingling on a battle field. Orc corpses littered the ground. There was a sense of victory in the air.
Suddenly she awoke. Ori was kneeling beside her, shaking her. Ori? He was usually afraid even to look at her. "Ori, what's the matter?" Still groggy with sleep, she sat up.
"Oh, Naya! You have to see! Look!" he pointed towards the cliff face. The day was ending and a ray of light hit the stone about three feet above the grass. Thorin stood in front of it. She could see that the key he had always carried was now in a hole in the rock. Quickly she ran down to stand at his side. He turned the key and they all watched in amazement as a slab of rock, five feet high by three feet wide, swung away from the cliff. Thorin had found his door into Erebor, and her visions were showing signs of hope!
Naya peered into the tunnel behind the door. Thorin and some of the dwarves had already gone in. She didn't really want to enter although she knew it was inevitable. Where Thorin went, she would follow. Besides, what would be accomplished out here? She took a deep breath and slowly crossed the threshold. She had to stoop slightly to keep from bumping her head on the ceiling. The stones were smoothly carved and formed an arch overhead. It was surprisingly dry, but she still didn't like it. Her life had been lived out in the open air and sunlight. Now with these steps, she was accepting that by being with Thorin, it would be one of stone and darkness.
She went down as far as the others, but there really was nothing more to see. There was a gradual downward slope but no light or change in the walls. Thorin and the others seemed to be assessing the situation. "So, now what? What's next?" she asked.
"Now it is the burglar's turn. He will explore the other end of the tunnel. We are discussing who will go with him." Thorin was excited by the door opening, but seemed reluctant to venture too far down the tunnel. "Balin is the only one who wishes to go any further."
"Aye, and I'll not be going all the way," said Balin. "I'll just see that he is on his way and wait until he comes back."
Naya thought Bilbo seemed a bit reluctant also, but after all, this was why he had come. He certainly had proved useful before, and he did have the advantage of the ring. "Good luck, Bilbo," she said. "Try not to get incinerated the first time out!" She had read his contract with the company and thought this might lighten the mood. Or not.
Now that the door was open, Naya brought up the ponies again. "I think we should let the ponies go, Thorin. We will not need them now, will we?"
"Stop nagging about those foolish ponies! We still don't know what lies at the end of this tunnel. We may have to go elsewhere depending on what the burglar finds." Thorin's voice had an edge to it that gave her warning to let the matter drop.
"I'm sorry. I just don't have anything else to do now. Worrying over everybody including ponies is all I have left." She realized this was true. There really wasn't anything for her to do.
"Your job is to keep me company." He reached out and put an arm around her shoulder.
"And later, after you are king, what then Thorin? I don't know anything about being a queen or whatever you choose to call me." She hadn't given it much thought before, but now that they had actually entered the mountain, she was getting worried. What would her role be?
"There is plenty of time to think about that later. Right now, we have a dragon to get rid of. How is anybody's guess. You being at my side is enough for me. You make me happy." He kissed her and squeezed her hand.
His words were comforting, but she worried nonetheless. After Bilbo left, she walked back outside and sat down again in the grass. Amazingly, Ori sat down next to her. "Well, that was a pleasant surprise. Thank you for waking me in time."
Ori blushed and lowered his head. "I knew you would want to be there."
"Why are you so afraid of me, Ori? I would never hurt you." Naya knew he was just shy, but she wanted to keep him talking, now that he had started.
He managed to stutter out an answer. "You..you..you're a female."
She laughed. "Why does that make me scary? I'm no different from a male, not much anyway."
"I don't know, it just does. Ladies always scare me." Ori was doing a minute examination of the grass in front of his boots.
"Well, I will do my best to be less scary. It's nice to be able to talk to all the members of the company at last. I thought maybe you didn't like me."
"I like you. It's hard to talk to females, though." Ori was doing his best.
"We can just sit here in companionable silence then. That's okay with me." Naya took pity on him. He could talk if and when he wanted to.
"Okay." And that was that. For the next few hours they sat and admired what little view they had. She would make the occasional comment and he would either nod or bravely say "Okay."
Suddenly, dwarves came pouring out of the tunnel and ran to the cliff edge. They yelled frantically down and began hauling up on the ropes. First Bofur appeared, then the supplies and finally Bombur.
Thorin ran over to Naya and Ori, and announced that Bilbo had returned. Smaug was in residence and Bilbo had snitched a golden cup. They had heard a horrible racket from the end of the tunnel when Smaug had discovered the theft. Thorin worried that the dragon would come looking for their access point. They were all going to get in the tunnel and close the door.
Reluctantly, Naya stood. "Are you going to be alright?" Thorin asked.
"I don't have much choice, do I? Tunnel or being dragon fricassee. I'll be fine. It's mind over matter after all. " The words were brave, but Naya had her doubts. She picked up her backpack and walked over to the tunnel. As she stepped inside, they heard the whir of dragon wings. The others piled in after her and they closed the door most of the way. A blast of flame shortly after convinced them to retreat much further down the tunnel. The darkness was nearly complete.
Naya sat with her head resting on her knees. Perhaps if she made herself very small she would feel better. They didn't light torches. They did not have many and Thorin was saving them for when they had to move. It was disorienting being in absolute blackness. No one who had not experienced it could ever understand. The dwarves must have some sort of inborn acceptance of it. It didn't seem to bother any of them. Thorin sat down beside her. How he could find her, she didn't know. More of that inborn sense of awareness underground.
"How are you? I'm sorry we can't have any light. Maybe later we could light a torch for a little while. Would that make you feel any better?" He stroked the back of her head.
"I'm not going to lie, Thorin. I don't know how long I will be able to take this. I feel like I'm going to suffocate even though there's plenty of air. I keep waiting for the ceiling to crush me. Is this what it's like to live with dwarves?" Her words came out through little gasps of air. She grabbed his arm to try and suppress the panic that was starting to build in her heart. She could never face a lifetime of this!
"Sh, sh, no, dwarves don't live like this. We might work in dark areas, although we prefer good light for mining. Our halls are well lit either with lanterns or light shafts, and some of the higher halls even have windows carved into the mountainside. I remember my mother's bedroom had high windows set under the ceiling's edge. It was always bright during the day. She even had her own private tunnel that led out to the mountain. She loved the light and plants, too. You remind me of her in some ways." Thorin pulled her to his chest and stroked her hair. Her fear surprised him. He hadn't thought anything could intimidate her.
"How long are we going to stay? Is the dragon back yet?"
"Bilbo is going to go back down in a few hours. It hasn't been all that long since we came inside. My guess is Smaug will not give up looking for us until dawn. You have to be strong for me, Naya."
"I'm trying, I really am. I just never expected this." She had an inspiration. "What will you do as king, Thorin? Have you thought about that? Tell me what you envision for the new Erebor. It might take my mind off of all this." She gestured into the dark, even though she knew he couldn't see.
"Alright. Even though I try not to think too far into the future to things that might not be, I can't help but daydream. I will restore the mountain's interior to its glory days. Smaug will have made a mess of much of it, I'm sure. I will recruit dwarves to return and help. Then there is the Desolation. That will take a lot of effort. You could certainly be of help there. Think about what the plains below would look like with new growth , people and animals returning. We could rebuild Dale if anyone wanted to come back and live there. It has been so long since the attack, I think folk would resettle. Few are alive now that experienced it. We will be leaders of a new society, Naya! I always thought I would be alone, and now I will have a partner to help with it all." He placed his hands on either side of her face and began to kiss her deeply. "You do realize that we are in absolute darkness and if we moved a bit further away we would have as much privacy as we have had in weeks?"
"Are you suggesting what I think you are? You naughty dwarf. That would help to take my mind off things!"
He rose and pulled her to her feet. "Here, let me lead the way."
...
It was strange, but she really did feel better now. Thorin's love always had that effect on her. It brought temporary peace to her mind. Thorin left her when it was time for Bilbo to leave again. He had been gone quite some time. She stood and oriented herself. She could feel the slightest slope downward under the soles of her feet. Keeping one hand on the wall she slowly shuffled along the tunnel.
"Watch your step, Naya," a voice said in the dark after she had walked for a few minutes. "You're just about to step on me!"
Naya stopped. "Bombur, is that you? How can you tell it's me?"
"First, you have a much softer step than any dwarf, and you smell pretty. No dwarf ever smells pretty!" Bombur's voice echoed off the walls as he laughed.
"I need to work on my senses, apparently. I did figure out which way is down, anyway. And I think my hearing has improved at least a little."
"If you spend enough time in the dark, you would find your other senses compensating for loss of sight. It is really quite amazing. I myself can sniff out lunch at ten yards in the dark. Fifteen if it is something really good." Again he laughed. It made her feel better just hearing him.
"I hope that we're not here long enough for me to be like that!" Naya exclaimed. "The sooner I see daylight the better. I wasn't made for this. Did you spend a lot of time in the dark, Bombur?"
"Oh, all young dwarves do. We would dare each other to spend longer and longer in the dark and to go into the deepest cave we could fine. It wasn't really encouraged, but no one said anything as long as no one got hurt. It was good training for mining and such. I got to be quite good at it. I think that's why I like food so much. My sense of smell is excellent! Now, reach out with your other senses and see if you can figure anything out. Silly as it sounds, it might help to close your eyes."
Naya did as he suggested. Closing her eyes, she stood still and listened. After a few minutes, she began to hear things she had missed before. Bombur breathing, one of the other dwarves moving about up ahead. The crushing silence began to retreat. "It does make a difference. Thank you, Bombur. I'll never like it this dark, but it's not so frightening."
"Good for you! Always try to accept what you can't change. Kind of a motto for dwarves to live by, and you are one of us now. And, if you move very carefully a foot to your right, you can avoid stepping on me."
"I don't really have anywhere to go. I just wanted to see if I could get moving. Where's Thorin, do you know?"
"Waiting for Bilbo to return. He went in to face the dragon again." Suddenly there was a commotion down in the tunnel and a faint light bloomed at the far end. Several dwarves came running up a minute or two later carrying Bilbo. They ran past Bombur and Naya and up to the door. They pushed it fully open and went outside. Naya hurried after them.
"What happened? What was that light?" she cried.
Balin turned. "Just who we need. Bilbo got scorched by Smaug. It's not too bad, but he's in some pain. Can you help, Naya?"
"Certainly." She looked at Bilbo lying where grass had grown just yesterday. It had all been burned away by the dragon as he searched for the intruders. Bilbo's hair on his head and feet had been singed and the skin was red and raw. "Do you want me to treat you, Bilbo?" He nodded vigorously. Naya placed her hands gently on the injured areas. The dwarves watched in awe as the red slowly shrank and disappeared. Bilbo rolled over and sat up. She kissed him on the forehead, "Any other spots that need tending?"
"No. That's amazing. I went from fried to fine. I'm really glad you came with us!" Bilbo wiggled his feet back and forth. "They're just like new. Thank you."
Everyone crowded around and talked over one another in their eagerness to question the hobbit. He told them of his conversation with Smaug and that he had discovered a weak spot in his armor. As Naya listened, she continued to observe the thrush that was still hunting the few snails that had survived the dragon's onslaught. It flew away shortly after Bilbo finished his story. 'I wish I could fly like that,' Naya thought to herself.
"I think we should go inside and close the door," she heard Bilbo saying, almost pleading. "I'm sure we are unsafe here. I feel sure this place will be attacked again." After a few minutes, they all retreated inside and to Naya's sadness, the door was firmly shut and all light disappeared. It was not quite as distressing as before, but she would never like the dark.
Thorin put his arms around her. "Hopefully, this won't last too long. We will figure something out soon, I promise. Let's move a bit further down the tunnel. There is no light and if the dragon does find the door, we should not be too close to it. You certainly impressed all of us with your treatment of Bilbo. I'm the only one who had seen anything like that before."
"It was nice to finally be of some use. I've just been baggage lately." She rested her head on his shoulder.
"But such fine baggage." He hesitated before speaking again. "I'm sorry about the ponies. I don't think any of them will survive. I should have let them go when you asked."
Naya wished he hadn't reminded her. "They would have needed a lot of luck either way. Once Smaug was on the rampage, it would have been hard to escape. What I fear more is if he heads for Lake-town, like Bilbo thinks he will. I hope Willa took my advice and was able to convince others to prepare."
"You are always so concerned about others. I think you will make a fine queen someday." Thorin nibbled her neck.
"I shall try to be suitably noble and regal, my lord," she teased. "You must cover me in jewels to match my station."
"If we rid ourselves of a certain dragon, I will drape you in more jewels than you can carry. When I regain the Arkenstone, it shall have to compete with you for my heart. And it will lose." He used his best kingly voice.
"You desperately want to find it, don't you? Is it only because it's so beautiful?" She wondered how anything could enthrall so many.
"Once you see it, you'll understand. Not only is it beautiful, but it was Thror's pride and joy. It would mean a lot for my family to regain it. If there was nothing left in that treasury but the Arkenstone, all of this would still be worth it." Thorin's voice had a note of longing that she had never heard before.
"And if it isn't there? What then? Will a room full of gold at least make you a little happy?" She wanted to get him talking about gold again to judge his state of mind. Her heightened listening skills might be useful, she thought.
"Gold can never fail to make a dwarf happy! It takes gold to make gold my father used to say. If there is as much gold as I expect, I shall be happy until the end of days." Then, remembering their other conversations, he added, "And yes, I promise I will share a portion of it with others. I haven't forgotten the wedding vow." He kissed her again to remind her of that happy day.
"I'm very glad to hear it. I do hope you find your Heart of the Mountain. When was it last seen?"
"Thror, in his panic, took it and ran to the treasury when Smaug attacked. He didn't realize the dragon was already frolicking in the gold. He stumbled and dropped it down into a sea of gold. He barely made it out alive." Thorin didn't mention that it was he who pulled his protesting grandfather back from diving after the Arkenstone. "He had a bad case of dragon sickness by then. I doubt he would have left on his own. The gold had too much of a hold on him by then." Thorin's voiced the regret he still felt over the loss of his grandfather.
"Do you ever worry, Thorin, that the gold might get the same hold on you?" she asked in a quiet voice.
"I'd like to think I am stronger than that, but it does seem to run in the family. However, I will never love gold as much as I love you, so let's not worry about something that hasn't happened!" With that, he ended their conversation in favor of activities they both could enjoy.
Any RA fans of 'North and South'? Remember how he gave Margaret the rose? I stole that for Thorin to give Naya the little yellow flowers. Check out YouTube if you've never seen it. Really great love story.