Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit.
Been a while since my last update, but I have a legit reason for being late. I kept watching 'North and South' for obvious reasons of course. Feedback is always welcomed, but could I ask the about one review from 'Bilbo' and why he called Marie a whore? just so I can fix this later.
If a bird souring across the vast sky stretching from one end of the horizon to the other bothered to look down, it would have beheld the sight of a long drawn out line of dwarves, plus one hobbit, travelling east like ants towards the Misty Mountains.
The company hiked up steep rock faces and back down into barren valleys, tramping through vegetation as tough and unforgiving as the mountain's weather. For the sturdy and nomadic dwarves, the constant changes were dealt with in the usual dwarf fashion of sticking it out and joking about it later. Marie on the other hand struggled with the increasingly demanding journey. She had never walked as long as she had before and the fatigue was starting to take its toll on her, her usually tough hobbit feet and legs now bore tiny cuts and gashes from the trek. But she followed suit with her companions and kept her woes to herself.
Each day was a repetition of the last, making it difficult for Marie to keep track of just how long they had been travelling. On some days, Thorin would insist that they keep moving well past dusk to cover as much ground as they could and to keep one step ahead of the orc pack that had hunted them on the East road. Some of the dwarves, veterans like Gloin, Oin and Dwalin insisted that a pack would not bother pursuing them so far into the mountains and the presence of the elves would have deterred them, but Thorin's will would not be bent and so they moved on in the dark and freezing nights until their legs would at times threaten to give out beneath them. With each step made eastward, Marie could feel her heart being pulled west as if it was attached to something back there with thick rope that burned when resisted. This sensation first began not long after they had left the Valley of Imladris and left her feeling almost nauseous at times.
Had she'd know that she was going to feel like this, she would have stayed in Rivendell.
Soon Marie saw only the green of weeds and moss that crawled across the cold stone's face as their path took them right into the heart of the mountain range.
"Wait." Balin brought the company to a sudden halt at the opening to a barren stretch of land nestled in between two of the mountains and gestured to Thorin to join him. The company took this unplanned respite for all its worth and rested themselves on boulders and weapons. Marie ducked her head behind her upturned collar to shield her face from the blasts of cold air coming down from both the northern and eastern slopes.
"One thing I love about the mountains." Bofur said with a hint of sarcasm, "The constant chill you get in the bones."
"Bbbriillliiennttt ..." Marie's teeth chattered together like hooves on a cobble path, but the sound that came out of her throat made Bofur quirk his head at the hobbit. "You don't sound too good there Marie. Swallowed a bug on the way up?"
"I did." She answered bluntly. But Bofur only brushed her comment aside with a wave of his hand, "Don't worry, some stew will make it all better."
"A cup of tea would be far better." Marie muttered to herself and turned her focus elsewhere, namely the loose top button of her waistcoat hat she was fiddling between her thumb and index finger, catching her broken nails of the copper carving of an acorn on its face. She knew she shouldn't fiddle for if she accidentally twisted the thread any looser the button would pop off, but once it becomes habit then it is impossible to break.
"What is it Balin?" Thorin asked his friend, brushing past Marie and Bofur.
"The path easiest to take is this pass. It would take us right to the edge of the Greenwood. But .." Balin shook his head and look up at the sky. "I've miss timed the seasons."
"How so?"
"Look for yourself." He pointed to the black clouds hiding behind the peaks, the sound of thunder could be heard in the distance. "That storm is a large and fierce one and when it hits this whole valley will flood, then there will be no means for safe passage. We'll have to take the Narrow Pass."
Thorin knew what this meant.
"Are you sure there is no other way?"
Balin gave a deep sigh, "Though dangerous, I would rather take it than face flash floods."
"Understood." Thorin nodded and turned to bellow out this change in plans, "We make for the Narrow Pass!"
Unfortunately for Marie, she had been standing behind him when he shouted and was so surprised that she pulled her button and its thread clean from its hole.
"Oh lovely." She mumbled and pulled the worn thread from the back of it.
"You will have time to count your coins when we reach the Greenwood Miss Baggins." Thorin said.
Marie rolled her eyes and held up the inch wide piece of copper for him to see, "It's only a button. I hadn't the time or the thought to bring my purse." She corrected him, but quickly regretted doing so as his face looked like it was repressing a sneer of annoyance. She slid the button into the back pocket of her pants with surety that it would safe there.
If she had a chance in the near future she would mend the waistcoat, only for the sake of the buttons. Her father Bungo Baggins had them specially made in commemoration of Bag End's completion, and for his affinity for the large oak tree under which he built the family home which they had shared.
Marie was sure that its leaves would be changing their colours soon, and with it her garden's flowers. Most would be chocking on weeds by now and others would be dying of lack of love.
There it was, that tugging that made her eyes drift west again. This time her actions had been caught by Thorin. "Are you expecting to see the glittering lights of the Hidden Valley Miss Baggins?"
"No." She answered quickly and looked back at him to prove her point, "Why would you assume such a thing?"
"Doesn't the decor and generosity of the elves suit your tastes better than that of the Wild?"
"I wouldn't have thought you'd care what my tastes are."
"I don't."
Marie resisted the urge to pout in frustration and turned her gaze down to end their brief exchange. This irritated the dwarf who left her standing there with Bofur. "Keep a close eye on our Burglar." He ordered Bofur as he did, "We can't afford to have her falling off the path."
Bofur gave only a nod at the retreating dwarf and a confused wide eyed look to Marie, "The chief seems more high-strung than usual. Has anything foul happened between you two Marie?"
Marie answered with a stiff lip, "He just doesn't like me."
"Well, don't worry." Bofur clapped her on the shoulder, "The rest of us like you, some more than others."
"What?"
"Oh, nothing." Bofur said with a cheeky grin, resisting a glance over at a certain young dwarf. "Come along. This climb will not be without its challenges."
'Since when was anything without its challenges.' Marie took in a deep breath of the cold mountain air to steady her ruffled emotions, only to have her lungs freeze over.
xxxxx
The Narrow Pass was a small passage that cut along the mountain side. Every year a little more erodes away, and every step could potentially be the last if not careful. It took the company high about the earth and into the dangerous heights of the air. The path was so slight that for Bombur he had to shuffle along it sideways to balance out his impressive girth.
The storm hit them hard and fast, with the wind bringing forth droplets of rain that were the size of goose eggs and just as biting as the icy blasts of wind almost blew them off the mountain. Whatever orders Thorin bark out were lost in the wind and the fourteen unfortunate victims as the storm snuffled out the sunlight, sending the world into an early artificial night. Marie felt her nose and fingers quickly go numb and her already weary feet started to wander far too close the path edge. Had it not been for Bofur's watchful gaze and hand, she might have toppled over into the floods that raged on far below.
As the night fell, the dark grey clouds that hung above the mountains turn black and rain grew even colder. Aside from the terrifying claps of thunder and forks of lightning, a strange groaning like broken trumpets and animals in pain filled the air. It was a sound so strong Marie thought she could feel the mountain shake from it.
But she was wrong, for it was the mountain itself that groaned.
"Look out!" Dwalin screamed. Marie looked up and saw a giant boulder soaring though the sky. "Take cover!"
It hit the side of the mountain right above the Narrow Pass, shattering into smaller sharp pieces of debris that rained down onto the travellers. Marie threw her arm around her head and pressed herself into rock face to escape the falling rocks which took half of the Narrow Pass with them.
"This is no thunder storm. It's a thunder battle. Look!" Balin cried out. When Marie moved her arm away she saw what Balin was pointing at. On the other side of the ravine, she watched in horrified awe as two stone arms and a giant head pulled away from the mountain, followed by a stone torso and two legs. When it was completely free it stood even taller than the mountain it had spawned from.
Bofur stepped dangerously to the edge to get a closer look as it pulled off another chunk of the mountain, "Bless my soul, the legends were true. Giants! Stone Giants!"
"Take cover you fool!" Thorin screamed at him and Fili pulled him back in line. Just in time too, for the giant tossed the boulder high into the air. Marie felt sure it was aimed at them but she heard the groaning of another giant coming up from behind them. The boulder's impact was like an explosion as it sent to giant backwards.
The most the dwarves and Marie could do was hope and pray that they could make it past the fight and avoid being used as rocks themselves.
But before they could think of moving on the rock face cracked and spit open, dividing the company into two. They were trapped on the legs of another giant rising up from its place to join the fray. "In the name of Durin, hold on for you lives!" Marie couldn't be sure who had shouted that order, but she did not need to be told twice. Marie clung to the rock for dear life at the first giant drew closer, its footsteps shaking shards of rock free from its enormous body.
Before the giant they were trapped was fully erect, its opponent head butted it, making it crash into the mountain. From her position, Marie could see Thorin, Kili, Balin, Nori, Oin, Bifur and Gloin safely escape the leg they were trapped on.
Now Marie's half needed to find their means of escape.
The giant swivelled to regain itself before facing another blow. It was so violent that Marie might have been thrown off the creature if Dwalin hadn't placed his arm out in front of her. The opposing giant was beaten back with a stronger punch.
Marie was too terrified of dying than to be ill from all the swaying and jolting.
The third giant that had been downed earlier made its comeback and tossed a boulder, which took half the second giant's head off. The stone body began to collapse, and the first to go was its knees. They buckled under the mounting weight and which sent it straight towards the side of the mountain. Fortunately Dwalin's mind was able to fathom a plan. "When I give the word, jump for that alcove." He pointed to a small space on the mountain they were heading for.
"What?!" Marie screamed.
"Just do it!"
The pace began to build as they were propelled towards the solid rock.
"Ready lads?"
Marie squeezed her eyes shut, unable to face death.
The earth disappeared from beneath her and she fell.
'I'm going to die.'
CRASH!
When Marie opened her eyes, she saw she was not dead. She had fallen but unbeknownst to her, she had managed to grab onto a ledge just below where the stone had collided. She found her feet once more and both them and her numb hands gripped onto the rock as the Stone Giant fell down behind her, crashing and rolling into the flooded ravine, letting out one last howl that maybe her ears want to bleed.
"No!"
That cry of anguish couldn't only belong to Thorin. For a brief second Marie feared the worst.
"We're alive!"
The hobbit let out the breath she had held in when Bofur's voice echoed from above.
"Marie? Where's Marie?"
Marie looked up in response to her name being called, a foolish decision for the raindrops hit her eyes and blinded her monetarily. The forks of lightning did not help her cause.
"Lass!?"
"There she is!"
Bofur, Dwalin and Ori bent their heads over the ledge looking for their burglar and all appeared horrified at the sight of her dangling so far from the edge.
"Come on lass! Climb up!"
Despite not being able to see properly she began to climb back to the pass, allowing the dark blurry movement she could make out above to guide her. Her struggle to pull herself up plus the combined weight of her travel pack and her inability to get a firm hold on the rock reminded her how out of practice she was. Regardless she clawed desperately at the stone, letting it cut into her palms and fingers. She was thankful she could not feel the pain.
"Just don't look down, don't look down." She repeated over and over again. She knew if she looked down she would be paralysed with fear.
"That's it Marie, you're almost there!" Bofur reached down, Kili and Ori holding down his body so he wouldn't slip off the edge.
It was still too far for Marie.
"Someone get a rope!"
"We don't have any rope!"
Amidst the commotion above, Thorin clasped a rock protruding out from the path and swung down, his large boots catching on the rock face to steady him. "Take my hand."
Marie found herself small ledge to push her arms off from and her bloodied fingers reached for his outstretched hand. The rock supporting her however broke away and she let of a small shriek as she felt herself falling, but Thorin's large hand quickly gripped her wrist. For a second Marie could see clearly her own fear mirrored in the dwarf's face as he literally had her life in his hands. "On three, grab the ledge." He ordered.
Marie nodded and held on to his wrist tightly. "One ... two ... three." With one deep growl, he heaved Marie up and into his chest and she grabbed at the ledge. Thorin wrapped his arm around her waist and helped push her up into Bofur's arms. Marie felt hands on her arms and travel pack as she was hoisted up. Dwalin alone assisted his king back up.
"You're alright now lass." Bofur said and rubbed his hands up and down Marie's arms to both comfort and warm her shivering form.
"For a moment there I thought we'd lost our burglar for good." Dwalin grunted and brushed off small pebbles that stuck to his fur vest.
"She's been lost every since she first stepped out her door." Thorin said before Marie could even think to thank him for saving her. "Dwalin, in here."
The two taller dwarves disappeared into a small opening that was situated in the corner of the alcove. While that happened, the dwarves helped one another recover from the ordeal. Bofur kept his arm around Marie as her stirred into the opening. There they found a narrow cave that allowed enough room to house all fourteen weary travellers.
"Let's get a fire going." Gloin rubbed his meaty hands together in glee at the thought of a nice warm fire.
"No. Caves in the mountains are seldom unoccupied." Thorin said, still unsure of their safety. "Bofur, you take the first watch."
Most of the company groaned and began to pat themselves down to remove shards of stones from their beards and cloaks. Marie just sat herself down against a wall to look at her hands, slowly but surely feeling the pain seep in as the numbness wore off. Half a nail had been ripped off her ring finger and there were shades lodged deep under the surviving ones and the gashes on the knuckles.
Kili lent his bow and quiver next to Marie and knelt by her side to check up on her, "It seems fortune has not been kind to you today Marie." He held out his open hands to her, asking to look at her fingers with his eyes. He was very careful with his inspection.
"Oin. Do you have any ointments left?" He called the old dwarf over, who held up his ear trumpet.
"What lad?"
Kili repeated himself slowly, "Oh dear. I may have something." Oin rummaged around in his knapsack for the right jar.
"May have what?" Thorin asked as he passed them during a second inspection.
"Ointments. For Marie's hands." Kili showed his uncle her injuries. Thorin stared for a moment, but quickly dismissed it. "The Wild is no place for a woman, not even the roughest hands are immune to its harshness."
'He saves me from falling to my death, then goes on to belittle me for my gender. Why didn't he just leave me back there?' Marie's bitter thoughts must have been made clear in her expression. Kili's hands carefully closed around hers. "He doesn't mean to be so brash Marie." He said in a gentle voice once he was sure Thorin was out of earshot, "That is just who he is."