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For what seemed like a lifetime, Marie didn't dare to look up from the back of the eagle. Only once did she peek out from behind her hair to see the horizon coloured indigo before burying her face back into the soft feathers, feeling the strain of every muscle it used through her cheek. The eagles had flown all through the night into the oncoming dawn, bringing them hopefully somewhere safe.
Her hands were shaking and she had to take slow even breaths to regulate her race heartbeat. She was as lively as a fieldmouse on the first day of spring, every one of her senses felt alert and her mind kept replaying the same moments over and over again.
She had actually killed that orc, willingly and gladly killed it.
And she had been ready to kill again ... all for the sake of protecting Thorin.
'He was in danger Marie. You did it to help, not to enjoy it. You wanted to save him ... why?'
This wild, unbalanced, passionate feeling frightened Marie, but it was passing now. Marie once again felt self control at her fingertips. She managed, with great care, to wedge her sword back into its sheath.
She felt less like a killer now.
The eagle's screech vibrated through its whole body and Marie trembled with it. Light bounced off the tip of its wing and caught in her eye. Marie didn't think twice when she sat upright to escape it.
'Has the sun already rose?'
When she opened her eyes, she witnessed the golden sphere rising over a world bathed in white and gold.
The eagle tilted and Marie got a better look at this different world, one that existed high above her own. The clouds rolled across the sky like a vast sea breaking on the peaks of the mountains, the cold wind biting at her red cheeks, the other eagles soared bellow and above her.
'Amazing.'
Marie's eyes forgot about the blinding dawn as she stared in awe at the gold cast by the sun weaving through the clouds, like veins. The Shire, in comparison to all what she saw before her, seemed so small now. Marie raised her arms little by little out to the side, letting the air currents pull and push at them like the eagle's wings. The last remnants of her nerves washed away.
'Just amazing.'
A voice drifted on the winds, breaking Marie's trance. It was a voice drowned in fear, swelling in the gusts from the north. It called out again, louder and more desperate.
It was Fili's voice.
"Thorin!"
Marie's arms dropped back to the eagle's back, and her body grew heavy. 'Thorin? He's ... he's hurt ...'
Her eyes began searching for him, but only spotted the dark silhouette of the aerie diving into the white sea and Marie thought that she would be swept off the winged creature by it. But they passed through like ships in the mist.
The light was stronger when they broke through the clouds. The aerie glided over forest covered mountains, moving with the shapes and curves. Marie caught sight of Gandalf's pointed hat pass under her, and thought she had seen Dwalin encased in his eagle's talons as they turned.
The aerie looked to be heading towards a lone stone eyot that sat on the edge of the mountains. They circled it, and Marie was close to slipping at the current angle she was on. One eagle gracefully landed on the flat surface of the eyot's peak, a limp figure slipping from its talons before it took off again. The figure did not move.
'Thorin.'
The largest of the eagles was next to land, and Gandalf dismounted it was haste to rush to the fallen dwarf.
Marie's eagle carried her to the eyot next, talons gripping the ancient rock with ease. It lowered its neck to allow the hobbit to slide off safely. Marie began to run to Gandalf, but resisted. Thorin was so still that one may have thought that he was a corpse, which sent nauseous waves of recognition through her. This overwhelming sense of loss ...
She could only watch and hope that the wizard may yet save Thorin.
Marie could not see the wizard's face from under his hat and beard but his hand hovered over Thorin's face, like he was casting a spell.
The other dwarves where dropped off around their king, but Marie did not see them or their mounts flying around them. All she saw was the grey of Gandalf's cloak and the black of Thorin's hair.
Marie's hands tightened around the cuffs of her coat.
'Please don't make me go through this again.'
Gandalf moved his hand away from Thorin's face and the dwarf finally stirred. Marie heard his sharp intake of breath.
He was alive.
Marie looked down at her feet as the breath she had been holding escaped her lips, raking her fingers through her filthy hair. She thought she heard Thorin murmur something but didn't take too much interest in it. That is until she heard her name being said.
"It's alright. Marie is here and she's quite safe." Marie looked back. Gandalf was rising to his feet as he spoke, while Kili and Dwalin were helping Thorin to his feet. But instead of welcoming the help, Thorin shrugged away his nephew and comrade.
His eyes fixed on Marie.
"You. What where you doing?" He growled. "You nearly got yourself kill."
Marie glanced at Gandalf, but he just stayed silent and off to the side. The company stayed well out of this brewing conflict as well. Marie knew she was on her own with this one.
"Did I not say that you would be a burden?" Thorin approached her like a hunter, and all Marie could do was stand her ground. "That you had no place in the wild? No place amongst us?"
'That you did.' Was what Marie wanted to say, but thought it would be wiser to say nothing and kept her eye downward. She mentally prepared herself for another speech on who inadequate she was in the company and how useless she was.
What he said next however shocked everyone.
"I have never been so wrong in all my life."
His voice changed from its harshness to an emotional solace, and Marie was enveloped in his arms. At first Marie did not know how to react, but the realization of what this meant made her heart thump in her chest.
Even the dwarves and Gandalf understood that this moment signified Marie's complete acceptance into the company, now that Thorin had finally come round. Gandalf nodded in approval while the dwarves gave a little cheer.
What they couldn't see was just how tight he held the little hobbit. Marie thought that he could squeeze the life out of her if he chose to.
She had never been held so strongly before by anyone, and never had she felt so safe.
It seemed only right to return his hug, but maybe not as hard as his. Marie's arms barely reached around his broad frame and her face was buried in his should. The familiar scent of iron and wood made her cheeks flush but thankfully no one saw it.
The moments passed by quickly and at last Thorin released her, resting his hands on her slight shoulders as he looked her in the eye. "I am sorry I doubted you." He said. Marie believed the sincerity of it and just shrugged.
"It's alright. Perfectly normal for you to do so. I'm not a warrior ... or a burglar."
A gentle chuckle run through the company, but Thorin just smiled at her. Marie had never seen him smile before, but she thought it suited him far better than a scowl. It even made him more handsome.
'Handsome? Since when did ...?'
"Ssssscccrrrreeeeaaaacccchhhhh!"
The eagles let out a chorus of cries as they fly off to the north. The company turned to watch the great beasts become dark specks in the sky.
Marie glanced back at Thorin, but the dwarf was staring at something behind her. Whatever it was, it had his attention completely and Marie was keen to know what. She followed his eyes and saw, far in the distance a dark shape rising up.
"Is that what I think it is?" She asked. Soon all the dwarves and Gandalf were looking. Thorin stepped closer to the edge of the eyot and Marie could detect a slight limp in his walk. He was still injured and need of attention, but for now all that mattered was what they could see in the east.
A single peak.
"Erebor. The Lonely Mountain and last of the great Dwarf Kingdoms of Middle Earth." Gandalf said.
"Our home." Thorin added with pride.
"A raven!" Oin cried from the back, pointing to the pass bird as it headed east. "The birds are returning to the mountain."
Marie stifled her laughter when she saw what bird it was.
"That my dear Oin is a thrush." Gandalf corrected the old dwarf.
"We'll take it as a sign." Thorin looked down Marie, who stood at his side, "A good omen."
"Your right." Marie nodded and hooked her thumbs into her waistcoat pockets. The tip of her thumb traced the cool band of gold hidden there, and Marie was filled with newfound confidence. "I do believe the worst is behind us."