It took a while to trek down from the mountainside path and into the valley. The paths were well kept, at least, clear of any loose dirt or grass. In the back of her mind, Andrea wondered if the Elves made an effort to maintain the paths, or if it was some kind of magic that kept the paths clear.
With every moment that passed, Andrea thought she couldn't get any more tired and was soundly proven wrong. Only desperate stubbornness and Thorin's unerring grasp on her upper arm kept her from teetering off into the grass.
They had nearly reached the Valley proper when Thorin's voice reached Andrea's ears. She'd basically logged off by then, but she made an effort to listen.
"Fili, Kili," she heard Thorin say. "Take care of her should our wizard be proven wrong."
"Of course, uncle," said a voice that really could have been either of the brothers– Andrea didn't care to figure out which one.
The feeling of dirt turning to stone beneath her feet had Andrea cracking her heavy eyelids open. She didn't even realize she'd closed them.
"Kili," Thorin said quietly, and then the hand on Andrea's arm was switched out for another.
Andrea leaned into Kili's hold and looked around. They were standing on a sort of platform, seamlessly paved with grey stone. Greenery twined with open-air architecture that rose up out of the valley around them. Behind them stood a bridge that Andrea didn't remember traversing– god, she must be really out of it. The Company was spread out in a subtly defensive pattern, but Gandalf stood confidently before a stone staircase leading up to a building just like the rest.
"Mithrandir," called a clear voice. Andrea looked towards it to find a man descending the staircase. But not a Man. He seemed too tall, too graceful.
"Ah! Lindir," Gandalf exclaimed, quite pleased.
Lindir reached the bottom of the staircase and said something in Elvish that Andrea had no hope of understanding, nor did she remember what the subtitles had said in the movie. The movie. How much had things changed? She was too tired to go over the last few hours and figure that out.
"I must speak with Lord Elrond," said Gandalf in Westron. Or English. Or whatever.
The Elf –Lindir– made a mildly apologetic face. "My Lord Elrond is not here."
"Not here?" Gandalf sounded disgruntled and disapproving. "Where is he?"
The answer came providentially in the form of a horn blast, loud and bright, the same one that had rung out before the Orcs were slaughtered. Then came the sound of hooves on stone, drawing ever nearer. Andrea hardly had the time to look down the bridge and see the oncoming riders before Thorin called out in a language Andrea just barely recognized as Khuzdul.
"Close ranks!" Thorin shouted in Westron.
Andrea found herself dragged into the middle of the Company, pressed in on all sides by the weight of thirteen Dwarves and a single Hobbit who looked incredibly perplexed at the whole situation.
About as alert as her body could muster, Andrea watched as the Elves and their grey-white horses surrounded the Company, going about it in concentric circles as the horses snorted and the Dwarves growled and the Elves stared aloofly.
At last, the horses came to a halt. One of the Elves called out, "Gandalf!"
"Lord Elrond." Gandalf took a step forward and bowed, sweeping back his grey cloaks. He spoke in Elvish, and the Lord Elrond responded in kind, dismounting from his horse.
Lord Elrond looked absolutely nothing like Agent Smith. He looked too beautiful to be manly, and too handsome to be effeminate. The grace with which he moved in his long purple robes was astounding. He embraced Gandalf like a Man, though, his armor clinking just so.
"Strange," said Lord Elrond, "For Orcs to come so close to our borders." He held up a crude looking blade, undoubtedly taken from an Orc corpse. He handed it off to Lindir, saying, "Something, or someone, has drawn them near." He turned a nearly wry expression on Gandalf, who hummed apologetically.
"That may have been us," Gandalf admitted, looking towards the cluster of the Company.
Andrea, being a head taller than all the Dwarves surrounding her, had the misfortune of standing under Lord Elrond's piercing gaze. His eyes fell to Thorin, however, when the Dwarf King stepped out from his Company. The horses of the Elves fidgeted, but Lord Elrond dismissed them and their riders with a flick of his wrist.
"Welcome, Thorin, son of Thrain," Lord Elrond said as his men rode away, the horses' hooves hard on the stone.
"I do not believe we have met," said Thorin, and though Andrea couldn't see anything of him but his back, she could imagine the wary expression on his face.
Lord Elrond's lips curved into a faint smile. "You have your grandfather's bearing," he said. "I knew King Thror, when he ruled Under the Mountain."
"Indeed?" And here Andrea heard the beginnings of a sneer in Thorin's voice. "He made no mention of you."
Elrond Half-Elven seemed to laugh –little more than a brief huff– and he spoke at length in Elvish. Behind Lord Elrond, Lindir bowed his head, turned, and made his way up the stairs.
Perhaps due to their lesser stature, the Company had not seen Lindir accept what was clearly an instruction from the Elf Lord.
"What is he saying!" Gloin cried out indignantly over the growing grumbles of the Dwarves. "Does he offer us insult!?" The protests of the Company crescendoed.
"No, Master Gloin," Gandalf said, silencing them all. "He is offering you food, rest, and recuperation."
"I believe it is the latter two your lady companion needs the most," Lord Elrond said. "And a healer besides."
All eyes turned to Thorin, who looked over his Company and glared long at Andrea. Andrea just felt tired.
"We have no need of your healers," Thorin said after a few moments, "But accept your offer of shelter." It probably pained him to say as much, but he hid it well.
They were settled in one of the wings of Elrond's own household by Lindir, who had initially offered Andrea a room in a different wing and was soundly rebuffed by the Dwarves. A few insults may have been involved on the Dwarves' part. Andrea didn't mind it– she would rather be with people she found familiar, especially in uncertain surroundings.
At some point an Elleth showed up and offered to lead Andrea to the baths.
"Please," Andrea almost gasped. The Elleth smiled demurely and showed Andrea to a tiled room with a tub set in the floor that was already filled with near-steaming water. She pointed out the soaps and the oils for washing hair.
"Take your time," the Elleth said in that strange sort of lilt that Andrea was beginning to realize all Elves spoke with. "I've asked that some clothes be provided for you, and your own washed." She smiled. "You will feel better in clothing that has not seen so many days of travel."
"Thank you." Andrea hesitated. "Have you anywhere I can…" she bit her lip. "I wear a cup to contain my… bleeding, but I need to empty it." She'd been wearing it for hours now and it was probably close to over-full, though she didn't know what the limits were.
The Elleth smiled sympathetically. "I'll get a bucket and cloth," she said. She left, and returned soon after with the items, the bucket full to the brim with hot water. The Elleth carried it as though it weighed nothing. She set bucket and cloth down beside the bathtub and retreated to the doorway. She gestured to a woven screen by the wall. "You can set this up near the door and put your dirtied clothes behind it to be taken away. You'll find others in their place."
"Thank you," Andrea repeated. The Elleth smiled again and left, leaving Andrea well and truly alone.
Andrea stripped down and set up the screen, putting her clothes behind it. Then she performed the bloody task of emptying her cup and cleaning it. There was less blood than she was expecting– maybe her period was almost over already. At this point she couldn't even remember when it had started.
Getting into the bath was the ultimate bliss. She hadn't felt so wonderfully warm since she'd woken up in Middle Earth. It was a struggle not to simply fall asleep. Andrea scrubbed herself down with proper soaps and a real washcloth, cleaned her hair with a sweet smelling sort-of oil. She didn't know what it was, but it left her scalp feeling the freshest it had in ages.
Mustering up the courage to leave the water took a long time, but at last Andrea forced herself to leave it. The cool air of the room shocked her into wakefulness. The bath left Andrea feeling cleaner and better, and she felt energy seeping back into her limbs. She dried herself with a nearby towel and combed out her hair with the provided comb.
Clearly the Imladris Elves, at least, didn't skimp as hosts.
Behind the woven screen was a folded cloth garment and a pair of boots, stockings, and undergarments. The boots came as a surprise –Andrea was expecting slippers or something, that was an Elvish thing to wear, wasn't it?– but not an unpleasant one.
Retreating to a corner, Andrea first pulled on the underclothes before spreading the garment out. It was a reddish-brown dress, and a pretty one at that. Simple though, thankfully, for all that the quality of the cloth was better than Andrea had seen of late.
Andrea slipped it over her head and let the fabric fall. The skirt was a little too long, and the neckline uncomfortably low, but it was comfortable and Andrea found herself content with it. There was a belt available to cinch about her waist.
Pulling on the stockings and boots (which fit well enough) Andrea left the silent refuge of the bathing room. The Elleth who had taken Andrea there was waiting outside, and she smiled kindly.
"Come, Lord Elrond has had food prepared for you and your companions."
Andrea followed behind the Elleth, braiding her damp hair and tying it off with the cord she had been using thus far.
She'd been right about her feet swelling up. Now that she was walking she began to feel it, as well as an ache in her thighs and calves that the bath had not soothed away.
At last Andrea reached the others. Most of the Company was seated at a large table in the center of the… veranda? Gazebo? Andrea had never been very good with architecture. Either way, the open build provided for a good amount of fresh air and a lovely view of the Valley.
The Elleth did not lead Andrea there, though, but instead to the smaller table a short distance away, at which Gandalf, Elrond, and Thorin were seated.
Gandalf rose like the courteous old man he was and pulled out the fourth chair for Andrea. She sat down obligingly and pulled the chair in herself.
Lord Elrond turned a welcoming expression on her, saying, "I have declined your companions to tell me of you beyond your deeds, that I might ask you myself. What is your name?"
"Andrea Chen," Andrea replied, pulling at the skirt of her borrowed dress. She'd forgotten what it was like to wear skirts.
"And how came you to be in the company of one such as Mithrandir?"
Andrea had a few responses to that, and chose the least biting one. "We met through discourse over a book. The rest is history." Albeit recent history.
Elrond's eyes flashed with a knowing light. "So the company of wizards is as cryptic as the wizard himself."
"Maybe so." Andrea looked down at the food on the table. There was meat, and greens, and bread, and fruit. Andrea felt torn between two intrusive urges: stuff it all down her throat or sweep it all off onto the floor.
She was really tired.
"Eat, Miss Chen," Lord Elrond said, lifting an imperial hand. "You look refreshed, but color is still wanting in your cheeks."
If she'd had only the Dwarves for company, Andrea would have dug right in. In the presence of Elves, however, she held back. This was why she always hated eating at fancy restaurants; she felt too out of place.
When she reached to pull some greens onto her plate, she caught Thorin's eye. He quirked his brow subtly, a clear question in his gaze: Are you well?
Andrea hitched a short nod.
"So then, Mithrandir," Elrond said, as if continuing a conversation Andrea's coming had interrupted. "You mentioned unusual treasures you found on your way here."
"Ah!" Gandalf nodded. "Indeed so, my friend." He turned aside and took the sheath of Glamdring from his belt, gesturing for Thorin to do likewise. "Tell me what you think of this, for I find that it perplexes me."
Elrond accepted the blade and held it carefully and familiarly. He pulled it a few inches from its sheath, looking over the blade with a keen eye. "So you have found Glamdring, I see. The Foehammer, and sword of the King of Gondolin. I cannot say when it was lost, but it is well that you found it. I can imagine no better master." He handed it back to Gandalf, who muttered thanks.
Elrond turned expectant eyes on Thorin. After a moment, Thorin reluctantly presented Orcrist. Andrea admired the sword for the short time it was in Thorin's hold before Lord Elrond plucked it up and examined it. His light, Elvish fingers danced over the curve of the scabbard, and wrapped about the hilt to draw the blade out just so.
The sword looked no less beautiful in the hands of Elrond– indeed its grace seemed more fitting in his Elvish hands than Thorin's rough, Dwarven ones. Thorin looked on Elrond with a wary jealousy. For all he had protested taking it at first, Andrea thought wryly, Thorin wanted the sword now.
"This is Orcrist," said Lord Elrond. "The Goblin-cleaver."
Thorin's gaze snapped to Andrea. She met it, and hoped her panic didn't show in her eyes. Elrond spoke over their silent staring contest, saying, "It was a famous blade, once. May it serve you well, Thorin, son of Thrain, and may you wield it truly."
Thorin accepted Orcrist with a diplomatic nod, casting one last unreadable look at Andrea.
God, she'd fucked up.
"How came you by relics such as these?" Elrond asked Gandalf.
"We found them in a Troll-hoard on the Great East Road," Gandalf explained. "Shortly before we were ambushed by Orcs."
Elrond glanced at Thorin before directing his words to Gandalf. "And what were you doing on the Great East Road?" he asked, a wry tint to his voice.
Gandalf looked abruptly chastised. For a moment, Andrea felt as thought she'd missed some subtext, before she remembered that the Company's Quest was not greatly encouraged, being entirely fruitless and incredibly dangerous.
Thorin pushed his chair back and stood. "Excuse me," he said. He half-turned away, then paused. "Miss Chen, will you walk with me? I won't keep you from your dinner for long."
Andrea didn't much look forward to sitting at the same table as an old Elf and an even older Maia. "Of course," she said, pushing back her chair and standing. Her feet ached in protest, but she ignored them, walking with Thorin out of the open-air hall.
Thorin said nothing for a while. Andrea took the lead at one point, following the sunlit halls until she found a garden overlooking one of Rivendell's many waterfalls. She sat down on a bench to rest her feet, undoing her braid so her hair could dry properly.
"I don't think I'll be heading back to dinner," she said once it became clear Thorin wouldn't start the conversation. "Your Company was looking restless. I wouldn't be surprised if they've gone and done something by now."
Thorin looked out over the valley below, his hands clasped behind his back. He struck a noble picture, especially in the yellow light of the waning day. Orcrist was slung from his hip, a striking but not unattractive contrast to his Dwarvish profile.
"How did you know what the sword's name was?" he asked after a dreadfully long pause.
Andrea sighed, leaning back on her hands. "It was only a guess. I read a description of it once in a book– seeing the sword made me think of that. I didn't think it was actually Orcrist. I didn't even know Orcrist was real." All technically true.
Thorin turned away from the beautiful view, glowering at Andrea. "You know more than you say. I have thought as much since the moment I saw you. That Gandalf will not elaborate on your purpose here has only increased my suspicions."
He took a step forward, resplendent against the light of the setting sun. "So I ask you, why are you here?"
Andrea pursed her lips, forming her words carefully. On the inside, she was a breath away from panicking. Only determination not to show her fear to Thorin kept her from succumbing.
"You are right when you believe I know more than I say I do," she said slowly. "Gandalf… he chose me as he did Bilbo, to join your Company."
"For what purpose?" Thorin demanded in the impatient tone of a leader who was wont to get the answers he asked for.
Andrea pulled up her legs and crossed them under herself, bracing her elbows on her knees. The skirt of her dress flowed down onto the leaf strewn ground. "Gandalf… does not have the gift of foresight, and neither to I. But there are… omens. They tell of a danger to the line of Durin– to yourself and your kin. So Gandalf… called on me."
Thorin's eyes narrowed. "To what, protect the line of Durin? You, a woman who cannot protect even herself?"
Andrea refused to feel insulted. "Wizards work in mysterious ways."
The Dwarf King let out a huff. "Indeed," he muttered. He frowned at the ground for a time, then said, "I refused to allow you into my Company because you are a woman unable to protect herself. Our path grows more treacherous once we go through the Misty Mountains." His gaze flicked to a row of white-tipped peaks past the cusp of the Valley. "I would ask that you stay here, where you are safe.
"But…" He paused. "You risked your life for my Company, though you are not a part of it. Loyalty is in short supply, especially on a Quest such as this. If you wish to, I would have you join my Company."
Andrea stared at Thorin for a moment. She didn't know how he'd reached that conclusion. Her gaze slipped past him to the line of mountains. She thought of the goblins teeming within them.
"I need time to think," she said at last.
Thorin nodded. "My Company will stay no more than a few days. I'll have Balin write up a contract for you– sign it if you wish." And then he turned and walked away, his fur-lined coat sweeping along behind him.
A/N: we're gonna be getting a lot more Thorin and Andrea now that we're getting over that first obstacle, which was pretty much 'neither of them want Andrea to be here'. Thank you to A5mia, priya24626, 1, and Kilataia for your reviews! It's always fun to read them :))
As always, reviews are welcome and requested. If you don't review, well, thanks for reading :))