I do not own any of the characters or the Hobbit (just the AU storyline and my OC) those are the work of the esteemed and brilliant John Ronald Reull Tolkien, and without his genius, this and many other fan fics would not be in existence.
Please review! I love getting them-they keep me encouraged! J
They continued to climb upwards, Cirashala feeling the slight incline the entire time. Her blisters, which had been forgotten earlier, again made their presence known, and her calves and legs began to become sore as well. She sincerely wished she had taken the chance to make more pain tea on their break.
Oh, well, she thought to herself. I will just have to make some in camp tonight.
They passed under a pretty waterfall, having to take care to not slip on the wet moss-covered rocks. They filled their water skins, before again ascending upwards. There were a few more times where she had been forced to climb using both her hands and her feet, and felt rather like a mountain goat. In fact, she sometimes wondered if the path had been originally for them.
It reminded her of the weekend drives she and her family had taken into the Rocky Mountains when she was an early teen. She and her sisters had clamored all over the rocks with little or no fear, scaring her acraphobic mother half to death as she shakily snapped a picture of the three of them among the large rocks on the edge of a 1,000 foot drop, before demanding in no uncertain terms that they get their butts back here before she killed them. If her mother saw what lay ahead, she would nigh on have a heart attack, Cirashala was sure of it.
They reached the top of a slope, before moving downwards and around the top of a large gully. The path strayed near the edge, and Cirashala glanced down, noting the steep drop. She did not fear heights at all, but she did bear a healthy respect for them. She could walk along pathways with steep drops alongside, however she wouldn't be so foolish as to, say, walk to the edge of a skyscraper or climb to the top of the Golden Gate bridge.
She could see a massive glacier ahead of them, with a river comprised of undoubtedly the runoff from it running down between the tundra and the glacier, ending in another waterfall. A breeze blew down from the direction of the glacier, and she shivered through the thin fabric of her tunic.
Apparently the clothing Lord Elrond gave me was meant for the warm spring and summer of the flatlands and not the snow covered mountains, she thought to herself. I sure hope it will be warm enough when we get up into the snow and glaciers.
As much as she looked forward to putting some ice on her very much throbbing thumb, she was most definitely not planning on giving herself frostbite in the process.
XXX
They continued on, finding a natural rock bridge that led across the icy river, where the path continued up along the edge of the glacier. Though there was a bit of ice on it, they managed to cross it without any incident. Cirashala inched across it slowly, stepping flat.
These elvish boots were clearly not meant for walking on ice, she thought to herself. Not nearly enough traction.
The path went up a steep slope through a crevasse in the rock on the other side of the bridge. The high walls of rock on either side went up about thirty feet, the distance decreasing as they wound further up it.
Several times Bombur got stuck, and it took Bofur pulling and Bifur shoving to get him through. The rotund dwarf kept grumbling each time that the space was so tight, but was assured that there was no other way to get around it, and told to stop complaining.
They had to be very careful with their steps, for there were patches of wet ice all along the crudely cut stone steps. The snow was hanging over the top edge of the crevasse, descending in long, thick icicles hanging down along the sides. They could all hear water trickling down underneath them, and several members of the company slipped as they discovered patches of black ice.
The company was pretty quiet, except for the occasional curse as one would slip. Cirashala looked at the bits of sunlight reflecting off the long towers of ice, and thought it would make a beautiful picture, had it not been so cold. She shivered, pulling her cloak around her. She had not escaped the occasional drop of icy water, and now had several very cold and wet patches along her cloak.
Definitely a summer cloak, she thought to herself. I know elves don't feel cold like humans do, but I practically feel like I am wearing little more than a thin blanket. A rather wet thin blanket.
She fisted her hands into it for a few minutes, but was resigned to allowing her fingers to chill once she realized that she needed her hands to brace herself when she slipped. Much to her dismay, she had discovered that her boots weren't quite made for walking on ice either, because their traction certainly left a great deal to be desired.
At least she had decent leather gloves. While they weren't the best in the cold (chiefly due to all but her three archer's fingers having exposed fingertips), they were at least better than nothing, and aided her grip when it came to grabbing the slippery icicles that hung all the way to the ground. She had been going up the steps sideways so she could grab the secure icicles for support.
She heard a loud shout, and looked up just as Fili's back collided with her, sending her straight into Kili, who fell back into Ori and Dori. They all landed in a heap on the bottom of that section of stairwell, with Bofur and Bombur on top of Fili. Several loud curses emanated from the tangle of limbs and packs.
Cirashala was smashed sideways into Kili, and could barely breathe for the sheer amount of weight atop her. Additionally, the handle of Fili's warhammer was pressing into her hip, and she was more than positive it was going to bruise badly come morning. She couldn't see hardly anything because of the dark hair that was in her face.
Kili had Fili's blanket smashing in his face, and could barely breathe. He cried out his brother's name, his voice muffled by the blanket that held the spade. He tried to lift up his arms to push Fili off of him, when he felt his left arm pinned down by a cold and wet weight.
He managed to push his brother up just enough that he could turn his face toward the left, and gasped as he looked right into a pair of startled blue eyes less than two inches from his face.
XXX
Kili froze, nearly forgetting to breathe in his startled state. Their noses were nearly brushing, and he closed his eyes quickly, trying to slow down his rapidly beating heart.
"S-sorry," he gasped, feeling his cheeks grow warm. He immediately tried to turn his head back, but Fili had shifted slightly and now his blanket was in the way. He had at least managed to turn his head at little, leaving her nose brushing his cheek.
Why am I feeling so nervous? He thought to himself. It's not like this whole mess was on purpose.
He had never been so close to a girl's face, dwarf or otherwise, let alone kissed a girl. Fili had been very much correct about his lack of success with courting. In fact, he hadn't had any success whatsoever. And now, because of Bombur's clumsiness, he had very nearly done so completely by accident. He did not doubt that she would slap him if he did, even if it was an accident, and he would not blame her in the slightest.
Several times since they had left Rivendell, he had almost forgotten that she was a girl. It had made it a bit easier for her to talk to, and the tunic and trousers instead of a dress had aided him in that regard.
But after the incident with the pinecones, he had become painfully aware that she was indeed a female, and the shyness he had acquired around those of the opposite gender had been coming back. Now it hit him full force as he could feel her warm breath on his neck, and hear her whimpers.
Whimpers?
He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, and saw her face scrunched up in pain. Bombur had managed to get himself up, only to slip again as Bofur was halfway up, procuring more curses above and beneath them. Bombur and Bofur had hit the pile hard the second time, and she cried out, her cries muffled to all but Kili, whose ear was unfortunately near her mouth. He winced as the sharp cry seemingly reverberated through his skull.
"Cirashala?" he whispered, concern overriding his self doubts as he realized just how heavy the three dwarves atop her were compared to her slight frame. "What hurts?"
Her breath came out in pants, and for a few moments she couldn't answer. Finally she gasped out, "F—Fi…war….h….mr…w…warg…b…te…." His eyes widened.
"Fili war hammer warg bite?" he asked slowly, and felt her nod against him.
"Press…in….han…dle," she gasped, followed by a muffled cry as the group above her shifted. Kili cursed under his breath.
"Fili! Get off of her!" he shouted, pushing up as hard as he could.
"Don't you think I am trying?!" his brother yelled back. "Tell Bofur to get off me!"
"Everyone, get up!" Thorin's voice boomed above the curses. "For Mahal's sake, it's just a little ice!"
The three dwarves on top were finally able to get up once Bombur regained his footing. As soon as Fili jumped up, Kili grabbed onto Cirashala and rolled aside so Dori and Ori could regain their footing. She kept breathing out strangled breaths, and was curled in on herself as her arms wrapped tightly around her middle.
Fili knelt beside his brother and Cirashala, placing a hand on her arm. Kili glared at Bombur, and the ginger haired dwarf looked at Cirashala with concern and guilt, his stance speaking of the shame he felt.
"Bombur, curse your infernal clumsiness!" Kili growled. "You pushed Fili's warhammer straight into her wound!" Fili's eyes widened as he realized the reason for his brother's insistence that he move, and his face fell as he looked at her's.
"Cirashala, I am so sorry," he apologized. "Are you all right?" Cirashala nodded.
"I-I'm fine," she gasped, before looking Bombur's way. "It wasn't his fault. It's just slippery. It happens." She made a move to get up, grimacing. Fili and Kili supported her weight, and Bofur stepped forward to help them as well.
"Cirashala, I am sorry," Bombur said quickly. "Really, I am." He reached a hand out, but fierce glares from Fili and Kili caused him to withdraw his hand as though it had been bitten. They managed to get her to her feet, and she straightened up, making the attempt to pull away from them as she panted through her nose. To her frustration, the two brothers didn't loosen their grips.
"Let me go," she said. "I-I can walk."
"You can barely sta—" Fili began, but she cut him off.
"I am not just some human weakling!" she said firmly, though her voice wavered. The two heir's eyes widened considerably in shock.
"B-but, we didn't say—" Kili started, but again she interrupted, though it was quieter than before.
"Please, let me go. I can walk on my own," she pleaded. "Please." Dark eyes met greenish blue, and the two brothers sighed heavily as they reluctantly let her go.
She straightened up as much as she could, before stepping carefully past Bombur and Bofur and continuing up the stairs. She didn't say a word, nor did she meet anyone's eyes.
XXX
They exited the stairway and marched on until the sun approached the western horizon. Once they had reached the snow at the top of the stair, their pace had slowed considerably as they were forced to start clearing the trail as they walked.
Cirashala kept her arms around her middle as she wrapped her cloak around herself. She didn't speak a word to anyone as she trudged on, putting one tired foot in front of the other, shivering despite every attempt not to. Her side burned with pain, but she gritted her teeth and fought the nausea with every bone in her body.
I am not weak, she kept thinking to herself. I will not let them see my pain. I cannot. I must be as strong and stubborn and hardy as they are.
She was thankful that the dwarves were pretty busy with clearing the snow ahead as they walked, for that meant little conversation. Conversation she knew she would be excluded from-just because she was a human.
XXX
Kili looked at her back as they walked, extremely confused. He racked his brain, and he could not at any point remember saying anything that implied he thought her weak, and from what he knew, Fili hadn't either.
From what little he knew of her, she had been quiet but very helpful and respectful. He didn't understand why she seemed so angry. His mind went back to that awkward moment in the pileup.
I-is she angry with me for what happened when I turned my head? He thought to himself. He began to feel very guilty about it, feeling that her shift in demeanor had been entirely his fault. He hadn't thought that he had taken advantage of her awkward position in any way, but maybe she had taken it that way. Or maybe he had done so, and he just didn't realize it.
Once they made camp, he resolved to find a way to apologize to her without Thorin or any of the other dwarves finding out about it. He really did not want to find out what would happen if Thorin realized his nephew had accidentally nearly kissed a human, and a widowed one at that.
XXX
The sun began to wane, and the dwarves took shelter near a rocky outcropping that protruded out of the snow. The wind had begun to pick up, and they quickly got the fire lit from a faggot of wood that they had brought up into the peaks with them.
They had to build the fire atop a small flat pile of rocks so that the melting snow would not douse the flames, and Bombur quietly made supper. There were a few snide remarks here and there about the earlier happenings, and the dwarf ducked his head in shame.
It really hadn't been his fault he was so clumsy. It was his weight, which he had struggled with as a child. He couldn't understand why Bofur, his brother, could out-eat him and still manage to be normal sized for a dwarf, and yet he eat half and end up swelling up like those round paper lanterns the hobbits have. His mother had been an absolutely amazing cook, earning fame all over the Blue Mountains for her recipes that were featured at festivals. And she had taught her two sons and several daughters everything she knew. Why did food have to taste so good?
Dori popped of a subtle yet very clear insult, and Bombur felt tears prick at the corner of his eyes. He swallowed it, and looked up as two slender booted feet entered his vision.
"Would you like some help?" Cirashala asked softly, setting a pot full of clean snow to melt next to the fire. She winced a bit as she crouched down next to the cook. She gestured toward the board he was cutting the meat on, and he looked down, surprised to see irregular cuts in the meat. He was usually more careful.
"W-why, lass?" he sputtered. "I about crushed ye this afternoon." She shrugged, earning another wince.
"What's done is done," she said simply. "There is no need for apology." His eyes widened, and he caught the stares of the others watching as well, realizing that the low taunts had ceased. The company watched her with curiosity and several with a bit of guilt as she began cutting up the meat easily, mindful of her wrapped thumb. The astonished cook gaped at her for a few minutes, unable to believe she wasn't angry, given that she was the only one injured earlier, if one didn't count minor bumps, bruises, and hurt pride.
"Is there anything else you want to put in the stew?" she asked softly, causing the ginger haired dwarf to blink. He reached into his bag, sticking a few potatoes and carrots and some seasoning down on the snow next to him. The other items were quickly added to the now boiling meat, and she handed the cooking knife hilt first to Bombur. The large dwarf smiled at her.
"Thank ye, milady," he said, nodding his head. She stood up, grasping her side with a hiss of pain.
"You're welcome, but I am not a lady. I have no title, and there's no need to call me as such," she said quietly. She returned to her bedroll, a bit away from the group, and slowly lowered herself on it with a grimace.
If she hadn't noticed that Bombur had given her an extra full bowl that evening, well, she never said anything, and the round dwarf wasn't too worried about it.
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WOOOOO! We have reached over 100,000 words last chapter! :D
A response to guest reviewer Ri-chan- I will try to answer your question as best as I can, but I will admit I didn't quite understand what you meant by hope die last? Do you mean that the company will eventually accept her? Eventually, but as the dwarves are generally very distrustful of other races, coupled with their experiences post Erebor, naturally they will take a lot longer to open up to her. Fili and Kili are young and naïve, and have not had the time and experience that the older dwarves had that had resulted in their prejudice. In the book, Balin is the only one after the quest that visits Bilbo in Bag End, and from the movie characterization Bofur, though not necessarily trusting, is more outgoing and friendly. So it would make sense that the only dwarves to warm up to her at this point are Fili, Kili, Balin, Bofur, and also Bilbo as well.
Oh, and just to reassure my readers- the term "faggot" in this chapter's context is in NO WAY a popular insult of the same word, but rather a term used to describe a "bundle" of sticks and twigs as a measurement. I apologize for any confusion resulting from any misperceptions of it! :)
Thanks for reviewing, favoriting, and following! I appreciate the encouragement! :D
