I started singing at the tavern every evening. Sans guitar, unfortunately, the disgruntled bard had packed up his instrument and left when he realised he was being replaced. But it gave me something to do and I was actually earning money. Winner. However, Vivni and Alddi refused to accept any of it. They told me that they didn't need it and that it was my hard earned silver to keep. It didn't stop me from offering and at one point I slipped some of my coins into their purse, anyway. If they wouldn't willingly accept it, I would get sneaky.
The people of Rildolach were very happy with my singing. It was something new to break up the monotony. I sang about places and things that none of them had ever heard of. That did mean that I was asked random questions about what I sang. A lot of them I couldn't even answer. What is a Wonderwall? Why does your heartbeat have a song? I don't know Ravni, I didn't write it.
I started to spend more time in the blacksmiths too. There wasn't much to do in the town so I spent more and more time annoying Mani with my presence. At one point he asked if I wanted to have a go at cutting some leather to size. I was more than happy to be of use. He taught me how to use the tools before giving me my own piece to practise on. The line I cut was a little bit shaky but it was mostly straight. Mani told me that it was very good for a first attempt. I beamed at that. He told me that it was going to be a scabbard for a short sword and that he'd be happy to let me help more. I was very excited.
Dwarves poured into the room from the forge next door, sweat and coal dust coating them like a second skin. It was lunchtime. They would come into the blacksmith's back room and eat pastries and sandwiches.
They talked about all sorts of things during those lunch times. Often they would share stories with each other of great battles and famous dwarves. It was fascinating to listen to.
"Have you got any stories, Lass?" Mani asked
"Oh, uh, let me have a think," I said, a little put on the spot.
What kind of story could I tell a bunch of dwarves? My eyebrows pinched together in thought. Then my mind drifted to the book I had unwittingly brought into this world. Neil Gaiman's Norse Mythology. I read a particularly good chapter last night. It even involved dwarves.
"Well, there is one from my homeland."
"Where's that again, lass?" said someone in the crowd.
"Uh, very far away," I thought for a minute, "Across the sea."
"Blimey, you are far from home"
"Okay, so this is a myth from Norse mythology." I proceeded to tell them the story of Loki cutting off Sif's hair and was charged with finding her a worthy replacement. The trickster god pitted dwarves against each other and had them create wonders. He nearly lost his head with a bet but as he had only bet his head and none of his neck the dwarves could not lop it off. They ended up sewing his mouth shut instead.
They listened with rapt attention and clapped once I had finished the dramatic retelling.
"That's one cracking story Lass," said Mani, giving me a hearty pat on the back.
"I still would of cut his head off." I heard one of the other dwarves say.
I'm sure they would.
The ground was cold beneath me and I shivered against it.
I was back in the dream again, watching it repeat helplessly.
"ADA!" I screamed. I was alone, so alone.
The monster dragged its way out of the darkness like it did every time. Callous and smirking.
A deep red stain bloomed out from a wound in my stomach. It seeped hot through my cold fingers onto the ground below. The monster had already hurt me once. It was back to finish the job.
"Found you," It laughed. All teeth and claws and snarls.
It was going to hurt me again. I curled up as tightly as I could. Too scared to do anything else.
I could see the glee in its eyes as it made to lunge.
Only it never reached me.
A large blade burst out of the monster's chest from behind. Black blood gushed out of the wound, slick and oily. The blade withdrew with a sickening sound and the monster was shoved to the side. In its place was my dad. His silver armour was speckled with blood and his pale blonde hair floated in the breeze over pointed ears.
Dad had found me.
I wanted to speak but I couldn't. Only a gurgling noise left my lips.
He dropped to his knees next to me in a clang of metal on earth. He bundled up my battered body in his arms and brought me close to his chest.
"Ada's here Liriel. Stay with Ada."
I woke up with a start, clutching at my blanket, willing my heart rate to slow.
That was new.
My nightmare had never taken a turn like this before. My family was always dead in that nightmare. No rescuer ever found me. The fact that my dad was alive in this one threw me off kilter. And not only was he alive, but he was also an elf.
Why was I having dreams of my dad being an elf? Was it just a delayed reaction to my turning into an elf or was it something else? Nothing made sense anymore.
He had called me Liriel in the dream. It definitely was not my name, yet I felt a strange draw towards it. It itched at the back of my mind, lingering like a sense of presque-vu, of almost remembering something. It felt important somehow though I had no way of knowing why. I put my face in my hands and sighed deeply, tears of frustration building in my eyes. This whole situation was insane.
I've been here for over 3 weeks now. The longer I stayed, the more antsy I felt. I needed to move, to do something. My mum was out there somewhere, alone and there was a quest potentially starting at any moment, while I wiled away my days here. I needed to find Kili and the company, sooner rather than later.
After a good cry, I felt a little bit better. My mood was very visible on my face as I left the house and Mani made a comment about it when I sat down next to him. I told them that I was just having trouble sleeping. He didn't try to pry further which I was appreciative of. The leather scabbard he'd let me work on was nearly finished.
Mani was helping me to carve runes into the surface when there was a commotion at the door. A few people got up and ran out, crowding around the entrance. Curious, I put the tools down and craned my neck to see what was happening. Through a gap between the group, I could see a newcomer. It was another dwarf, only I'd never seen this person before. They weren't from this neighbourhood. They had dark brown hair with two braids down the side of their face. Their beard was short which was rather odd because dwarves tended to let their beards grow as long as possible.
Everyone seemed to speak up at once. A wall of sound that I struggled to distinguish. It was hard to pick up what the new person was saying.
"Who is that?" I asked Mani.
"No one you need to concern yourself with Lass." He said dismissively.
It was obvious he didn't want me to talk to the new person. Maybe they weren't a big fan of elves. A potentially bad situation for me. Though it did not stop my curiosity and I could not stop myself from staring. At one point our eyes met. My cheeks warmed from being caught, but I was polite and gave him a little wave as a greeting.
His eyebrows drew together, perplexed and he did not return the wave, simply started talking to the dwarf next to him. Rude.
I tried to listen to what they were saying, straining my ears.
"Who is she?" the stranger asked.
Oh damn, he's talking about me.
"She's an elf that a couple of dwarves found in the forest a few weeks ago."
"An elf?" he asked, confused.
He looked back towards me quickly and I averted my gaze. Hopefully, he didn't catch me staring again.
"Aye, and a bairn at that. Vivni tells me she's only 20."
"Mahal, where's her kin?" said the stranger.
"She says her Amad's gone missing and that she got lost or something like that."
"Right," said the stranger. He had an odd tone to his voice. I couldn't tell what he was thinking.
He disappeared not long after that and everyone went about their day, but an exciting buzz lingered in the air.
Mani and I finished the scabbard as well. I was very proud of it. Obviously, it was a bit sloppier than the real ones but Mani told me he was proud too. A smile stretched across my face and I surprised him with a hug. He returned it in kindness and then told me to run along.
Alddi escorted me to the tavern so that I could perform but said he could not stay. There was something he needed to do with Vivni but he would be back in time to escort me home. Something about preparing a room and provisions for a new guest.
"There should be a few dwarves in the usual spot if you need anything Lass," he said.
I felt a little uneasy about being left alone but I swallowed it down with a smile and told him I would be fine. I turned and entered the tavern, noting a decent amount of patrons. Samson waved me over to the bar with a smile and offered me a drink. I thanked him and accepted the water gratefully. Well water tended to have an odd taste but it was cold and refreshing.
I glanced over at the corner where my dwarf companions normally sit. There were only a couple of dwarves occupying the space, an older one with an all-grey beard and the newcomer. The older one I recognised from the forge, I had never spoken to him but he seemed nice enough. After a couple of pleasantries, the older one got up and bid his companion goodbye. The newcomer glanced up as he left, catching me staring.
I quickly turned away, trying to act like I hadn't been looking in that direction.
"I heard tales of an elf child around these parts but I did not think them true," a voice startled me, closer than I had been expecting. "Tell me, what's a pretty thing like you doing in a place like this."
A man leered over me, skinny with shoulder-length hair. In another world, he may have been attractive but his creepiness tainted it. I took a step back from him but it did not stop the feeling of my skin crawling.
"I'm just finding my feet that's all," I said, wishing this conversation would end.
"You're lost, I hear. Far away from home," his eyes slid down my body, over my borrowed shirt and leggings and back up again. "I could help you get back to your family."
Alarm bells started blaring in my head. Loud, insistent and pinging off the inside of my skull. "No, thank you. I'm fine where I am for now."
"The name's Roderik. Me and my friends over there," he pointed to a table in the corner where two other men sat, their gaze fiercely pinned on us. One was huge and hunching and the other was smaller but no less intimidating "are heading east. We could take you with us, bring you safely to Rivendell."
I could feel my heartbeat in my throat. Not under any circumstances would I allow myself to be alone with that man. Malicious intent poured off him in waves, he wasn't even subtle about it. I took another step back, desperate to be out of the conversation. "I'm sure I will find my own way there eventually."
"But a young thing like you will need protection," his eyes burned into me, "There are dangerous people on the road."
Of that, I was very much certain.
"I think you've bothered the lady enough, mate. Take your pint and go," Samson cut in gruffly, slamming a cup onto the bar.
The creep levelled Samson with a searing glare before swiping his cup and storming off. Ale sloshed out of the sides and onto the tavern floor.
"Thank you," I said.
"No problem. We get a few shifty people in here from time to time. Pay them no mind," said Samson.
Ignoring him did not sound like the best of plans but I still took a deep breath and tried to push him out of my mind. It was rather difficult when I could still feel his eyes on me, following my every move. But I refused to give him the satisfaction of my fear and strode towards the stage.
"This song is called Somewhere Only We Know," I said.
I walked across an empty land
I knew the pathway like the back of my hand
I felt the earth beneath my feet
Sat by the river and it made me complete
Oh, simple thing, where have you gone?
I'm gettin' old, and I need something to rely on
So, tell me when you're gonna let me in
I'm gettin' tired, and I need somewhere to begin
I came across a fallen tree
I felt the branches of it looking at me
Is this the place we used to love?
Is this the place that I've been dreaming of?
Oh, simple thing, where have you gone?
I'm gettin' old, and I need something to rely on
So, tell me when you're gonna let me in
I'm gettin' tired, and I need somewhere to begin
The crowd, as always, were receptive to my singing. I think they enjoyed the novelty of new songs more than anything. I got a smattering of applause as I hopped down from the stage and made my way back over to the bar.
Samson had a bowl of stew ready for me like he did every night. It was part of the routine. He gave me a drink, I sang some songs and then he gave me a free meal. A pretty good deal if you ask me. I was just about to turn around and head towards a table when I caught some snippets of a conversation.
"How much do you think she's worth?"
"I dunno, I reckon an elf kid would be worth a pretty penny."
"She's gotta be worth at least 1000 gold on the black market."
The hairs on the back of my neck rose. I recognised at least one of those voices. The creep from earlier was in deep discussion with his 'friends'.
Had I heard them right? We're they discussing plans to fucking kidnap me?
A fresh wave of horror nearly floored me and I gripped the bar with shaking hands. My first thought was flight. I needed to run and I needed to run now. My body half turned, ready to flee for the door but I just about managed to stop myself, squashing that instinct into dust.
Think first, you idiot.
If I ran now, there was every chance they would follow me and even if I made it back to Vivni's house, they would then know exactly where I was staying. My best course of action was to fake a degree of calmness and wait them out. Alddi would come back for me eventually. Or I could ask someone else to escort me home. They may be less likely to trail me if I had someone with me. Preferably a heavily armed someone.
I scanned the crowd in hope but came back wanting. After spending most of my time around dwarves, I hardly knew any of the humans. Except for Samson, but he ran the whole bar, he couldn't just leave it unattended. I did not trust any of the other humans, which left the only dwarf as my potential saviour.
With no other option, I steeled myself and made my way over to his table in the corner of the room. The stranger raised his eyebrows at me as I approached but said nothing as I sat down a few seats away from him. I fidgeted with my bracelet as I worked up the courage to speak to him.
How do I manage to get myself into these fucked up situations?
He exuded a commanding aura, a dwarf whose very presence demanded respect. The words dried up in my mouth and I decided I could wait a little bit to ask him for help. I turned to my stew instead, shovelling in a mouthful but not really tasting it. My hand shook as I held the spoon.
"You sang well tonight," said the stranger.
I had thought him the brooding silent type, his words surprised me. So unexpected that I nearly spat out my soup. Some dribbled down my chin and I wiped it up quickly with my hands.
"Thank you" I said, mortified.
"It's not very often you find an elven child amongst dwarves," he said, taking a sip from his tankard and looking at me expectantly.
"That's probably true," I said. The fact that everyone thought I was a child was starting to wear on me.
"Have you ever journeyed close to the Blue mountains?" he asked
That drew me up short "No, I haven't."
"My apologies. You look familiar and I cannot figure out why."
My eyebrows drew together in confusion. It's not as if I had been anywhere outside of this small town. "I don't think I've ever seen you before."
I would definitely remember if I had, he seemed rather memorable. "My name is Leah."
"Leah?"
I nodded, taking another spoonful of my stew. He seemed deep in thought but then shook his head.
"My name is Thorin. It is nice to make your acquaintance Leah."
I clapped my hand over my mouth, nearly choking on my stew. "Thorin Oakenshield?" I coughed.
"Keep your voice down," he said, looking around quickly. When he was satisfied that no one had overheard he turned back to me "How do you know of me?"
"Your Kili's Uncle!" I whisper shouted "Is he okay? Did he make it home? Was he hurt?"
The questions raced out of me at max speed. It felt like my body was vibrating. Was this truly Thorin Oakenshield? Had I found my ticket out of here?
Oh my god I think I'm hyperventilating
Thorin's hand gripped my shoulder, a strong, reassuring pressure "Calm down, calm down."
I took a deep breath and tried to get myself under control.
"Do you mean to tell me that you're the same Leah from that other world Kili talks about?" he said, all but confirming his relationship with Kili.
It was him. It was Thorin, Kili's uncle.
"Yes!"
Kili had made it home. I felt a weight leave me with the knowledge. He had found his family again. He was okay.
I could see the cogs working behind his eyes. "But you're an elf, Kili showed me paintings and you were definitely not an elf."
"I woke up like this," I tried to explain. "Back in my world I was an adult human and then I arrived here and I was an elf!"
Thorin still seemed confused. "How are you even here? Kili made it sound like it was only him that could travel between our worlds."
"I thought that too until a gateway showed up in the middle of the road and I crash-landed in a strange forest. My mum was with me but I think we got separated somehow and now I have no idea where she ended up," I said, then my hand wandered to my pointed ear "I wonder if she's been turned into an elf too."
Thorin gave me a disbelieving yet sympathetic look. "I am sorry about your mother, it must be hard to be separated from her this way. I am also sorry that you have been turned into an Elf." you could hear the clear disgust in his words. Subtle dude.
"Thank you," I said.
Now that I knew who he was I could see the resemblance to Kili. Their face shape was similar and they shared the same nose. It must be a line of Durin trait.
Thorin was my ticket out of here. Perhaps it was fate, destiny or sheer dumb luck that he happened upon this little town but I knew that I had to go with him no matter the consequences. If he took me with him, I'd be able to see Kili again. The thought made my stomach flutter.
"You have to take me with you. Wherever you're going, I need to come too. I am begging you."
His eyebrows raised in surprise "Where I'm going is not safe I cannot in good conscience bring you with me."
My stomach dropped at his words. I started to get frantic. He couldn't leave me here. "Please! I can't stay here. It's not safe here either. I just overheard a group of men that were planning to sell me on the black market. Sell me! That's the reason I came over here in the first place. I was going to ask you to walk me home because I'm terrified of them."
My breath came out in forceful pants. I needed to slow down or my panic would get worse. But I needed Thorin to take me with him.
"Do you speak truth?" His voice was dangerously low. "Which men?"
I looked over my shoulder at the men in the corner. Their eyes were already watching us like hawks. I quickly looked back to Thorin.
"Those ones," I indicated with a small movement of my head.
He looked over at the men with a terrifying scowl. They buckled under his glare and looked away. I felt a pressure in my chest ease as they did.
"Is he the one that was bothering you earlier?" Thorin asked.
He had noticed? Why was that strangely heartening? "Yes. He was trying to convince me to travel with him. Something about returning me to my kin. Though we both know that is not what he truly has in mind for me."
"Mahal, Mi targê! Kili would kill me if I let anything happen to you," he exclaimed. "Fine, yes you can come with me until we reach somewhere safer. Perhaps we can find someone who could help."
"Maybe Gandalf can help me," I added. A wizard seemed like the perfect person to help me find my Mum. I wonder if he knows tracking spells.
His eyes widened in shock "How did you–" He shook his head with a resigned sigh "Nevermind. You will meet me here at sunrise tomorrow. Understood?"
"Yes, yes, thank you so much," I wanted to hug him so badly but I restrained myself.
Thorin walked me back to Vivni and Alddi's house. He was very vigilant and ensured that no one was following us. Vivni opened the door to us and made a very startled noise when she saw who accompanied me. They then bundled me off to bed so that they could have an 'adult' conversation with Thorin. I went with a sigh, not wanting to cause any more conflict.
From what I could hear, Thorin was telling them that I would now accompany him. Vivni and Alddi were very confused as to what King Thorin wanted with me, an elf, but Thorin did not give very much away. Simply told them that he was trying to help me.
Vivni and Alddi came up to me, once Thorin was gone, and they both gave me hugs. They were sad to see me go, which must have been a strange feeling for them, being upset about an elf. I was sad to leave them too. They'd done so much for me. I couldn't thank them enough.
Sleep evaded me rather thoroughly that night. My mind refused to stop its frenzied wandering. Thoughts of the quest, thoughts of Mum, thoughts of Kili. They all blended together into a wash of worry and anticipation.
If the quest had started, then I would not stop until I was part of the company. If I could help, then I would. I had knowledge rattling around in my head that could prevent pain, heartache and trauma…or potentially create more, with untold consequences. I would have to walk a tight line and decide what was worth changing and what needed to remain unchanged. A burden I did not want to be placed on my shoulders but had to bear all the same.
I also had immature concerns about the company liking me. It would have been easier had I not been transformed into an elf. Their natural tendency towards suspicion could potentially cast a dark shadow over me before they even got to know who I am. Was it frivolous to worry about people liking me? There were much bigger things at stake, yet the thought of some of my favourite book characters not liking me cut pretty deep.
And what about Kili? What would he say when I finally saw him again? I wasn't the same person as the last time he saw me. I had been turned into an elf for heaven's sake. Any reunion we had would be overshadowed by my stupidly pointy ears. In my heart, I believed that he would accept me no matter which form I took but I could not deny the small vulnerable part of me that worried about his rejection.
I managed a few hours of broken sleep and when I woke the sun was still hidden beyond the horizon. There was maybe half an hour until sunrise, which gave me enough time to pack my bag for the millionth time. I kept second-guessing about the best way to organise my things. Eventually, I settled on my arrangement and stopped fussing over it. Vivni and Alddi had given me a spare bedroll and blanket to take with me. Those I rolled tightly and attached it to the top of my backpack. Then there were changes of clothes that had been washed and returned to me, my book, my toiletries and Kili's dagger. After much deliberation, I decided to keep the dagger close at hand, you could never be too careful in this world. I hid the dagger in one of the big pockets on my right trouser leg. Thankfully it didn't press in too much and it was mostly concealed. The rest I packed neatly into the bag.
The sun crested over the hill and streaks of light stretched across the well-worn road down the centre of town. Thorin would be about soon. I imagined he was the punctual type and would not appreciate any delay, so I descended the stairs and made to leave the house. I lingered at the bottom, wondering if I should say goodbye to my hosts, but ultimately decided not to wake them. Instead, I left a quickly scrawled note on the table thanking them for everything and left the house.
The street was empty as I made my way outside. Early as it was most people were still tucked in bed or just rising. Though, I could already smell smoke in the air, trundling up from the forge down the road. Some dwarves must have had an early start and lit the forge before daybreak.
Mani might be there. The sun had not been up for long so there was probably enough time to pop my head in and bid them a quick farewell. This could be the last chance I would ever see him again. It would feel bittersweet to leave without saying goodbye.
With one last look towards the tavern Thorin told me to meet him at, I turned and walked towards the forge. My footsteps echoed around me in the still morning as I strode on, mingling with the sound of bird song and breeze. Then my ears picked up a new sound, odd and shuffling and coming from behind me. I didn't even get the chance to turn around before a filthy hand covered my mouth and I was dragged backwards.
