Another short chapter unfortunately, I've had to go out bush for work but I didn't want to leave ya'll waiting ages for a longer chapter so here we are. Enjoy!
Riley woke up from a restless sleep, though she was sure any sleep that she had gotten was riddled with nightmares. Looking over to the empty bed on the other side of the room, she scowled in annoyance at both Shayla and herself.
She was still angry at Shayla for trusting these people; how and why did she trust so easily? Did she not realise that she is going to get herself hurt? Especially with that short brunette. Riley thought about how she had walked into the dining room last night during dinner, interrupting them with her fire. It didn't go unnoticed the heart eyes he had been making at Shayla, and it made her flare with frustration.
Riley almost didn't want to admit that she was angrier at herself though. The way that Shayla's expression had changed as Riley spat out the venom on her tongue caused her stomach to churn. Riley had been behind the look of sadness and anger in her best- and only- friend's eyes. That was her fault.
Curling herself further into the blankets that she was encircled, she fell deeper into the state of self-pity and self-loathing that had become so familiar to her. Riley pulled her legs up to her chest, lifting the leg of her pants and feeling the remnant of the gash that had caused her so much pain. It was just a raw scab now, but she knew that the skin would never heal properly; she would be left with the jagged scarring as a reminder of this nightmare.
Riley pulled her pyjamas back down, covering the injury to try and stop herself from rubbing at it in frustration. She had refused to change her clothing, even though what she had been wearing was ripped, and certainly not warm enough for how cold it had gotten.
If nothing else had been an indication about what had happened, the weather should have been. It was well and truly Spring back home, and now it was absolutely freezing. She wasn't even sure it got this cold on the reserve during Winter; she knew it sure as hell didn't in the city.
Sounds and voices echoed through the corridor and Riley realised that it must be breakfast. She groaned in annoyance and pulled the blankets over her head to drown out the sound of yelling and laughter, inwardly wishing that they would all bugger off so that she could be miserable in peace.
It was almost an hour of complaining to her own ears about the noise, when the voices begun to quieten and she was almost sure that there was no one remaining. Taking the opportunity to raid the kitchen of food and drink so that she could create a stash in the room, she grudgingly removed the blankets from herself and moved from the bed and to the door.
Slowly, she opened the door and listened, the silence a welcome relief. Riley moved down the corridor without any tact or concern for double-checking if anyone was in the chambers, but unfortunately her almost sure wasn't sure enough.
Riley had rounded the corner into the kitchen type room, and didn't realise until she had taken three steps in that there was someone sitting in the living area next to the fire, smoking on a pipe.
Breathing a sigh of relief that whoever it was hadn't noticed her, she slowly continued to move into the kitchen towards several plates of food that held cheeses, breads and fruits, momentarily contemplating taking a whole plate of food.
It was as Riley moved food across to a spare plate that she made a critical mistake; she reached for a huge apple from a dish when her elbow knocked her own plate and sent it skittering across the bench, making several loud noises in the process and scattering food items across the bench.
To Riley's dismay, the figure that had sat in the living area turned his head around lazily to observe the source of the commotion, to see Riley standing so still it seemed that she hoped she would remain invisible.
"Well, throwing food is much more enjoyable during a feast. Especially an Elven feast, that is quite entertaining." The man had risen from his seat and bowed deeply at Riley, and if it wasn't the cheerful aura that gave away who he was, the hat did.
Bofur walked several steps away from the hearth towards Riley, though on the other side of the kitchen bench, and slid the plate of food back to her with a grin.
Riley glared at him for several moments before almost snatching the plate back from him and piling more cheese on top.
"You know," Bofur drawled, his grin not faltering even when she pointedly ignored him. "You are missing the most delicious food from your platter."
"Yeah, well, I'm not interested." Riley deadpanned and turned on her heel towards the door with the plate piled high with food in her hand.
"I suppose I will just have to eat all the meat that Amelia hid away specifically for you. Would be a shame to miss out, though." Riley had stopped in her tracks, her salivating tongue and rumbling stomach forcing her to turn around and face Bofur despite wanting to be alone.
"Where?" Riley asked, her voice strained and her face a mask, revealing nothing to this stranger. He smirked back at her regardless and moved towards an open pantry to his right. Opening a door at the very back of the pantry, Riley saw him disappear momentarily before bringing out a plate full of meats that looked to be ham, turkey, beef silverside and another plate piled high with various kinds of sausages.
Bofur moved to the bench and set down the plates, quickly digging in as Riley moved over and grabbed dozens of pieces of meat to fill the rest of her own plate.
"It is quite warm by the hearth, if you would like to eat and rest in one of the armchairs."
"No," Riley said as she grabbed her plate once more and walked towards the doorway, not seeing the way that Bofur's smile faltered only momentarily.
"If it is my presence that is bothering you, I can leave if you wish." Riley didn't even face him as she replied with another stony response.
"No." As soon as the words left her mouth she realised her error and made an effort to fix. "I mean, yes." Riley flushed bright red and finally turned to face him to explain herself. There was mirth in his eyes as he watched the interesting human, so alike Amelia but so different.
"What I mean is yes you are bothering me, but I am going to my room so you can stay here and do whatever it is… You were doing." Riley had been angry as she spoke but her fire faltered as she glared at him, seeing the way his grin lit up even more at her harsh words.
"That is no problem at all, just let me know if you need anything. I might have an ale, if you felt persuaded to join."
"No." Riley replied once more, gauging his cheerful reaction before marching through the doorway and back to the room.
"I can't do it." Shayla stammered out, her muscles aching and the hair that fell from her pony tail sticking in clumps around her cheeks and neck with sweat. They had been practising with swords and daggers in what Jessika and Fain had said was 'basic' weaponry training for little over half an hour, but she was convinced they were just trying to kill her.
"Yes you can. You know you can and that is even beside the point. From what we have heard, you need to do it." Jessika breathed out, though not unkindly, as she swung a sword towards Shayla, who ducked the blow by falling to the cold, stone ground. The training area was a large, well lit cavern that held many racks full of weapons that ranged in length from twenty centimetres to almost two metres.
Shayla hadn't even been allowed to hold a weapon yet. All she had started with was evasion to the blows of various sharp weapons the twins had attempted to hit her with.
She didn't even want to think about how they were most definitely going easy on her.
"Please... I need to take a break." Shayla made out between panting breaths, wiping her arm across her forehead in a dismal attempt to wipe the sweat from her brow and the hair from her skin.
"Orcs will not let you rest." Fain was slightly harsher in his words than Jessika, and he swung his daggers towards Shayla's neck. She stumbled backwards, sure that he wasn't quite as careful as his sister with his blows.
"I don't... Even know what… Orcs are…" Shayla ducked a blow from Jessika's blade and landed heavily on her knees, wincing in pain as she moved slowly onto her backside and raised her hands in defeat.
"They are your worst nightmare. The most horrific thing you have ever laid your eyes upon," Fain replied seriously, surveying the blades within his hands.
"How would you know, Fai, you have never seen one." Jessika smirked only slightly at Fain, his ears seemingly turning bright red at being called out.
"I don't need to have seen them, 'Ka. We have heard the stories from Dwalin and Balin. We know what happened to Father, and Uncles." Jessika became serious then, too, giving her brother a dark look.
"Well, you don't need to scare Miss Shayla. She has only been here for two weeks." Jessika moved towards Shayla and extended a hand and a smile, which Shayla gratefully accepted.
"There is nothing wrong with being a little scared." Fain deadpanned, flipping the blades between his fingers and walking towards an area on the far side of the training field that looked like a medieval blacksmiths.
Jessika sighed a little, watching her brother walk away with disdain.
"He's right." Shayla said dejectedly. "But I'm not a little scared, I'm terrified." Jessika gave Shayla a sad smile before handing Shayla her blade.
Shayla took it with wide eyes, more surprised at the gesture itself than at the immense weight of the blade.
"That's okay. It's fine to be terrified, too, but soon you will know how to use that fear. Just give it time." Jessika smiled reassuringly at Shayla once more, helping the younger girl to feel a little more comfortable than she had all morning.
"Let's show you how to wield this, and then we will eat."
Thanks for the review pallysdeeks!