The next morning Mikal woke slowly. The Dwarves were bustling about putting out the fire and packing things up. Her bones ached as she stretched but her arm no longer hurt.
"Sleep well, Kal?" Bilbo asked and she nodded, yawning.
"First full night's rest since we left." Mikal slipped her cloak around her shoulders and tied it at the base of her neck. A breeze fluttered through the trees and sent a chill down Mikal's spine. Ominous.
As the troupe started their trek once again Mikal felt the peculiar chill spike from her back up her neck. Each step she took she could feel the earth beneath her, the wind felt like it was enveloping her in soft kisses, and the deep thumping in her chest was thick and palpable.
The Orion were trained to sense the heart beats of other beings—though Mikal was hardly any good at it. She struggled for years to get the skill down, to figure out some secret to it—but she never did.
However, in this moment, traveling with this gang of brutish and erratic Dwarves Mikal felt the growing, and dull heartbeat sense develop with complete precision. It was coming back to her, being out here. For a moment she worried what else might come out.
But she had no business worrying about something so trivial. At this time, this point in the journey, she could do nothing but improve upon these skills she once had. If only with the hope they wouldn't take her over.
Focusing, Mikal breathed in and out she could feel everything with each exhale. If she looked at Thorin, leading the group several paces from her, she could feel his heart beating in her ears.
She turned back to see Bilbo and Balin coming up around some trees—pulling up the rear. And when she focused on them both of their hearts beat heavy and fast, struggling to keep up the energy.
Turning back to the front she smiled to herself. How…serendipitous.
Mikal looked up to Thorin who was walking with more purpose than she'd seen him walk. Heavy steps with wide strides. She focused on his heart once more and sensed it erratic and nearly palpitating.
As subtly as possible, Mikal quickened her pace to step up behind the Dwarf King, who's heartbeat was still bizarre and unsteady. Though when he noticed she was just behind him, his heart slowed and small smile fell on his lips—but it was gone in a split second and she could have been mistaken.
"How much further do you think?" She asked, gently.
"All in all nearly a weeks walk if we stop as little as possible."
"I'd imagine if we had our ponies we could cut that time nearly in half."
"Aye." Thorin nodded.
"I hope the Orcs didn't get to them." Mikal said, looking off through the valley.
"I'm sure they are fine, Kal. You needn't worry about such things." Thorin said, and in the simplest way possible comforted her in his confidence.
"I only worry when I have a reason. I'm still surprised Mayne hasn't shown up yet. He usually finds me after a day or two."
"Has he been with you long?"
Mikal nodded, "Little over five years now. But he's a special one. Very funny."
Thorin glanced at her for a moment, "That ability of yours, did the rest of the Orion share it?"
"Some of us, yes. Those of us that really tried to share the connection with our horses were usually successful. The bond is a priceless strength in battle."
"I can imagine. Can you speak to anything else?"
Mikal glanced at him for a moment, curious as to Thorin's curiosity. He seemed very welcoming of her conversation, despite his relentless pace and otherwise anti-social tendencies.
"I've not really tried to speak to anything else actually." Mikal gently laughed to herself, and at herself—how had she not thought of it before? "I can understand other things though, non-animal like. Feel them, in the earth."
"Like storms and such?"
She nodded, "Tremors in the soil, shutters of a mountain, the bite of a wind—they all say different things."
"Can you sense anything right now?"
She shook her head, "No. Nothing at the moment."
"Good."
"I can't say I have complete accuracy though, I may be completely wrong."
"Don't sell yourself short…" Thorin cleared his throat, "But if you are wrong, you ought to stay up here as first line of defense in the off chance we cross by any potential danger."
Mikal nodded, hiding a smile. "I am up here, am I not?"
Thorin looked at her once again and nodded after a moment of uncertainty. She knew her kind was blunt and quite literal, though living with Hobbits for some years was changing that. Mikal felt the subtle sarcasm sit with her bluntness nicely, as Bilbo put it—a little bit of joke never hurt anyone.
She appreciated Thorin for his forthright approach, he remained stoic and regal even in hesitation. It was a strange feeling she got, when the Dwarf smiled. It make him look completely different; younger, bright, happy. There was a pull in Mikal's chest when he smiled, like a guide telling her to keep doing whatever she could to keep that smile.
At this point, she didn't know why this Dwarf fascinated her so.
Perhaps it was his deafening heartbeat in her ears. Or perhaps it was because he knew her secret, but perhaps it was because he was clearly not afraid of her—which she herself feared would be the case in the beginning.
For now, that is what she settled on. She was happy that someone knew who she was and didn't care outside of being curious of her abilities. Like finding a fascinating bug you'd never seen before.
The company settled that night once again, like they had done many nights before, deep in the woods. Mikal had offered herself for first watch before anyone could take the chance. It was a nice evening, with kinder weather, and she was happy to be awake during it.
As the sun set Mikal sat off from camp by herself. She wasn't purposefully being antisocial, but she knew when she needed time to herself. With this new found ability to sense the beats of hearts she was overwhelmed and needed a bit of silence to focus.
The skill would be helpful in the future, however she worried what other skills would encroach upon her while she was out here. Mikal had settled in safely in the Shire because she didn't want to be a part of this world anymore. This…this war-driven, violent and bloody world. She'd enough of it—now her body, her purpose, this animalistic nature of her kind—was coming out with full strength.
Mikal feared she might lose herself for the worse, again.
Footsteps appeared behind her, and they got louder as someone approached her from behind. Before she could turn a bowl of noodles and broth was all but thrust into her face. She looked up to see Thorin.
"You must be hungry." He said, looking at her small form resting atop the fallen log.
"I'm alright, thank you though, Thorin."
"Eat." He said, the sternness of a King coming out in his cadence. "You're far too skinny."
Reluctantly she took the bowl with a nod. Thorin turned back and joined the rest of the camp around the fire. She watched him pour a bowl for himself and sit down next to Bilbo.
Mikal blinked at the simple action. Thorin made the conscious decision to feed her first, before himself. Her eyes narrowed back down at the steaming bowl of broth and realized she was actually quite hungry.
She sipped on the broth at the rim of the bowl as she turned back around to the darkness of the wood. Thorin glanced back at her, satisfied she was eating.
…
"You know, Kal doesn't usually take to people so easily." Bilbo said after observing the whole interaction.
"What do you mean?" Thorin grunted, obviously a bit annoyed by Bilbo's proverbial eavesdropping.
"She never listens to anyone. As long as I've known her. She trusts very few." Bilbo said, slurping up a noodle.
"I suppose you are one of the few, Master Baggins?"
Bilbo shrugged, "I'd hoped one day she'd trust me enough to tell me about her past. But despite that, one of the greatest friends I have known."
"So you do not know anything about her?"
"No, only bits and pieces that she's let slip. I know she was a warrior in the past and I'd imagine she's quite old. But other than that she's very private."
Thorin considered this for several long and silent moments.
"And you trust her, despite her reluctance to be open in your friendship?"
Bilbo looked at the Dwarf like he was a bit dumb, which Thorin didn't much appreciate.
"Of course I do. She was my condition in joining the company, after all. I wouldn't come without her, because I know in the end she'll get us back home." Thorin nodded at Bilbo's words and returned to his bowl. "My point is, though, she trusts you for whatever reason. You should trust her."
Thorin looked back at Bilbo with narrowed eyes. How had the Hobbit known what was going on in his head?
Mikal hummed to herself softly, picking at the dirt beneath her fingernails. The company was fast asleep, small snores could be heard in subtle sprinkles, and the crackle of the dwindling fire. She looked up into sky and smiled softly.
She would never tire of the stars for as long as she lived. They sat up in the sky offering beautiful visages of twinkling light, whilst asking for nothing in return.
When she was lying on the ground, the night of the massacre seven hundred years ago, bloody and in more pain than she'd ever experienced—all she could see was the stars. They brought about a certain comfort in that moment, the silence of the stars quieted and calmed her breathing.
She couldn't hear the screams of pain or the disgusting snarls and war cries from the orcs. Just peace.
Mikal thought she was going to die that night. She had never been so close to death before then, and didn't know what it was supposed to feel like. And in a way she did die on the ground that night, her arm ripped from her shoulder—the cold fever rippling through her body and the harrowing urge to give up. It was that night, the last night she ever considered herself a warrior.
But no use pondering on it now, she thought.
She sighed then, out into the silence of the late evening and looked back to her hands. With another sigh she looked around the camp. Her eyes landed on Thorin who rested propped up against a tree not far from where she sat. His breath was shallow and his hand rested on the hilt of his sword.
Always ready for battle. Much like she was feeling lately.
Thorin stirred for a moment in his sleep, as though he could sense her eyes on him. Mikal still watched him, a small smile falling upon her face.
She wondered what Dwarves dreamt of. Gold, maybe? Power and safety? More probable.
Another hour passed before she awoke Dwalin to cover the second watch until morning.
"Hardly a peep out there." She said quietly, hoping not to wake anyone else.
"Good. Should be a relaxing night then." He replied and she nodded with slight hesitation.
"I wouldn't get too comfortable. Things can change in an instant if you aren't too careful."
Dwalin nodded in agreement. "Aye. Never a true moment of calm these days."
Mikal smirked, "No truer statement could be said."
She settled herself closer to the fire next to Bilbo and took comfort in the warmth. She quickly drifted off.
After three hours of sleep Mikal bolted awake, brandishing her knife in a sudden panic. Balin and Oin were quietly setting up breakfast and simultaneously jumped at her abrupt action.
When she was confident there was no danger she slipped her knife back into it sheath at her side and nodded quietly to the two still startled dwarves. Mikal stood quickly.
"I'm going for a quick walk." She said quietly to which Balin nodded. The sun was slowly rising.
"Be careful, m'lady."
Mikal nodded and gently patted her knife, indicating she had no intentions otherwise.
As she left the faint bustle of camp her body visibly relaxed and she unclenched her teeth. Her dream still vivid in the back of her mind.
It was odd, to dream. She did it very rarely, and when she did they were usually nightmares—memories. Her mind, when free from conscious repression always went to those dark and violent places. However last night's dream proved the exact opposite.
Mikal herself felt silly for it, even a bit embarrassed. She'd dreamt of Thorin and her talking, but closely—intimately. She remembered the smile on his face, that matched her own—the look in his eyes that gave her a shutter in her knees. Thorin bore eyes bluer than indigo, like the sky in the Shire.
Blue eyes were not uncommon here, even amongst her kind. But for some reason she dreamt of his in particular—looking at her with an expression she'd never seen before, and couldn't interpret.
This feeling she felt, in this dream that birthed feelings, feelings that transcended to her awakened self—was indescribable. She admired Thorin for sure, but it felt different than admiration.
Mikal sighed and paused her steps at the edge of a babbling stream. She followed the path to see it led to the edge of a small cliff, the stream cascading down the rocks to a larger pond with crystal clear water.
A small smile fell upon Mikal as she watched the calming stream drip down the rocks. She sat herself at the edge of the cliff on soft, bright green moss and dangled her feet over the edge. The sun had now risen and the sky was rippled with yellows and pinks and oranges.
Mikal felt oddly calm, the faint memory of her dream nestled in the back of her mind. She didn't know what the feeling was but it was comforting and it made her happy. Perhaps that's why she awoke with such a start—she had never quite felt that before. Comfort and happiness in such trying circumstances.
She was suspicious of her feelings.
The image of Thorin in her dream, talking with her and gently touching her hands, filled her stomach.
A few birds tweeted overhead and she looked up at a small nest in the trees.
Then an idea filtered into her head; a distraction. Smiling she slipped her boots and socks from her feet, then her cloak, undercoat, and middle layer until she wore just a small tunic and her undergarments. Securing her knife in its sheath tightly in her hands—just in case, she took a few steps back and ran to the edge of the cliff and jumped off.
When she resurfaced she let out a delighted laugh and shiver. The water was freezing but also freeing. She swam around for a few minutes, taking in the beautiful view around her.
Luxuriating in the sensation of water.
Suddenly things made a lot more sense in this moment, bobbing in the water with closed eyes. The sounds of trickling water and tweeting birds calming her senses.
She scrubbed her hair with some seaweed she found at the bottom of the pond and relished in the natural scent of it. It had been quite a while since she had been clean. Though it wasn't always a necessity for her on the road, she did enjoy the feeling.
After another few minutes of bobbing in the water she decided it was time to return to camp, refreshed and relaxed. The climb back up the small cliff was simple and she jumped up over the edge, quickly grabbing her cloak to dry off. She dressed quickly and slipped her knife back to her waist.
Mikal took another look around at the small oasis she'd found and calmed, her eyes closing gently.
Suddenly she heard footsteps behind her and a heartbeat. She reached for her knife at her side and threw it toward the assailant with a quick twist of the hip. The knife landed deep in the trunk of a tree, just mere inches from Thorin's face. He looked at the knife then at her with a mixed emotion.
Thorin plucked the knife from the bark and walked toward her, now with hesitation.
"I came to retrieve you, we're about to head off." Mikal nodded and took the knife. The second her hand touched Thorin's, his heartbeat was heavy and fast in her ears. "Slack shot."
Mikal secured the knife back at her side, "Not for a warning, it wasn't."
"What are you doing out here?"
Mikal sighed, running her hand through her wet hair, "I was trying to clear my head."
"Did it work?" Thorin asked as they started back to camp side by side.
Mikal looked at him for a moment before turning her gaze to her feet. "For a little bit, yes."
Until you arrived, she thought.
Thorin nodded and was silent. Mikal felt anxious flutter growing in her chest and knew then it was the proximity in which the Dwarf King was to her. What was this?
"Did you sleep well?" He asked.
"Yes. Well—no." Mikal thought on it, "Strange dreams."
Thorin looked at her peculiarly but said nothing as they continued to walk. When they reached camp Mikal found the company all packed up, nearly ready to go. Bilbo tossed her pack to her and she nodded in thanks.
They were off again. This day though, Mikal decided to keep her distance from Thorin—his heartbeat was nearly deafening to her ears.
Hi all! Hope you enjoyed this one as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'm loving writing this slow blossoming emotion in Mikal. At this point it's still up in the air with me where we will go from here, with Thorin and the company. What do you think these emotions are? Let me know what you think!