Thank you for all your opinions so far! It was helpful and most amusing to read. My decision will be kept secret and you'll just have to keep reading to find out what happens. (Apologies for yet another delay. )
Waves splashed against wooden pillars and the distant cries of the men hauling cargo roused the female dwarf from slumber. Élarinya woke late the next day tangled under the covers. Her body felt relaxed, yet she forced herself to stay in bed longer than she should. To no prevail, she got up as her stomach rumbled, hungry for rations. The sky was blue with not a cloud visible. A cool, autumn breeze flowed through the opening in her window and chilled her skin instantaneously as she drew back the blankets. September was quickly coming to an end, and she could feel it in the air. That only meant that Durin's Day was fast approaching and another anniversary she would rather not think about.
Éla headed to the wardrobe to see about anything other than the burnt orange outfit adorned the previous night. Opening the doors, it was bare minus one midnight blue dress. She slunk her shoulders unhappily before eyeing it with apprehension. A hand hesitated over the soft material. There were far worse things to leave in, namely her undergarments. That would surely send the company on a rave, and quite possibly scar the younger ones for the rest of their days. For better or worse, she would have to make do for the time being.
Upon dressing, the maiden caught her reflection in a mirror mounted inside on the wardrobe's door. Éla leaned closer with caution, almost afraid of whom she saw. Her appearance was practically unrecognizable. If not for her slightly short and thicker frame, she could have passed as a woman of men. The notion disgusted her, but the reality of traveling on this quest slowly sunk in. Éla's physique was not as solid and bulky has it had been when she had departed Ered Luin nearly two years ago. She certainly lost some weight and muscle mass from their travels through the forest. The way the dress hung over her shoulders and hugged her body was worrisome.
Point taken; she felt ugly.
Independence defined her, so the female would not allow a simple garb to ruin the start of a seemingly good day. Peeping through the crack in the door, Éla walked out into the vacant corridor. She made her way downstairs and soon noticed the company occupying both kitchen and living spaces, immersed in many discussions. Thorin was conversing quietly with Balin in the far corner of the room so she snuck into the kitchen for some food.
"Bout time you were up! Another minute and these two were going to barge in your room."
Éla turned to Bofur and greeted them with a warm smile before nibbling on a slice of bread. "No luck would be had over a locked door."
"Good point, although I wouldn't have expected you to literally use the lock." He winked then took a bite out of an apple before seating himself next to Bifur, who was carving an object out of a piece of wood.
"You slept through the morning. Luncheon was served a while ago." Fili spoke softly, taking a puff from his pipe. His brother came up from behind and grabbed it with thick fingers. "H-hey!"
The younger dwarf laughed but was then swiftly encased in a headlock.
"Ow! C'mon Fili, let me go." Kili grunted, trying to release the arm around his neck. The others did nothing as they cracked up in amusement, leaving the poor lad to wither out from his brother's hold. Once freed, Kili's efforts to impose the same punishment on his brother failed as they began tackling each other in the kitchen.
"Take it outside." The female suggested. The brothers were broken up by Dwalin.
"There must be somewhere we can train. If I have to listen to that racket outside every day and deal with these two, I'm going to explode."
The brothers released themselves from Dwalin's hold, only for the warrior to really lunge for them and threaten to drag the young princes outside.
"Éla, save us!" Kili shouted in laughter. The female still worked on her slice of buttered bread.
"Sorry boys, you're on your own."
"We do not want to be thrown out like trash!" Fili protested. He then grinned at his brother, who appeared to have read his mind. Since there was a lack of aid, they tried reasoning with the warrior.
"Mister Dwalin, what would the townsfolk think of your actions upon seeing you tossing us out the door?" Kili asked wittily. Sure enough, Dwalin halted mid-step, pondering the question.
"Nothing." He proceeded down the hall with the two squirming dwarves in headlocks. A wicked grinned tugged at his mouth. "The only one who may save you now would be Thorin. I wouldn't place my bet on you two getting out of this though."
Éla watched in enjoyment as Dwalin shoved the brothers towards the door and walked back into the kitchen, laughing at their dumbfounded faces. They all half expected him to toss them outside, but apparently Dwalin did not wish to hear more daylong singing than what was already received from the merry townsfolk. Fili slung an arm around Kili and returned to the kitchen laughing and sending silent promises of revenge towards the warrior.
Out of the corner of her eye, Éla saw Thorin watching her before turning back to his white-bearded consultant. She wasn't mindful of their discussion until noticing her name crossing his lips. No attention was paid to the ruckus in the kitchen as Éla strode into the next room to the two dwarves.
"What are two talking about?"
Thorin did not respond, neither did Balin who pursed his mouth in a thin line. His features had shown blunder.
"If you wish to discuss my fate, I would prefer to be notified and included in the matter."
Balin gave her a saddened look. "We were discussing the next step of the journey...and your involvement. We mean no disrespect for not including you and your aid has been most appreciative thus far."
"So why the secrecy?"
"There is no way to put this lightly, Élarinya. You are a-" Thorin spoke low so the others would not hear in the other room. His eyes fell on her form, taking in the feminine image that stood before him. It pained his gut to observe such a sight at a time like this. "There's no need for you to continue on this quest."
Éla crossed her arms over her chest. "So you plan to leave me behind."
The older dwarf became awkward and fumbled to face either two. "Lassie, that's not-"
"No, I understand perfectly." She would not have any of it. Her blood began to boil with anger and deceit. "If you wish to send me away say so, and I will leave on my own accord."
"No one wished anything."
"You were thinking it." Éla blurted.
"You did not sign a contract and are therefore, not bound to this company." Thorin argued.
"Seeing as my fate is no longer my own, what would you have me do, your majesty?"
Balin gave up on stopping the heated exchange. Thorin frowned, his eyes dark with spitefulness. He was confounded to hear her speak so coldly towards him. "The remainder of this quest has no place for a gentle heart. I would strongly consider for you to weigh all options while we are here."
He could not look at her a moment longer and stepped away. Éla spun around in his stead. "Thorin, I have lived my life. Why do you think I've been traveling? There's nothing in Ered Luin to keep me there, or anywhere else. What more could I possibly lose?"
He faltered. They both did. Balin fumbled for words that would be useless to articulate.
"That's what I thought." Sighing, the female dwarf grabbed her borrowed cloak and left the house wandering into the town of men. The second the door opened, a crowd of townsfolk began singing and cheering in the busy streets but quickly faded with Éla as the door slammed shut.
Thorin remained in place, feet cemented to the wooden floor. It was best to go after her, but he convinced himself not to pursue the female when they were mutually wilful. The argument had caught the attention of the others, who stood awkwardly in the hallway between the kitchen and where Thorin and Balin were in the living space.
"She's a good person." Balin finally spoke. "Don't push her away."
His voice lowered into a whisper only his lifelong friend could hear. "They need her more than you know."
Thorin was ridden with remorse. He would never openly express it though. Balin was right, he was pushing her away, yet never stopped to see the impact it would have on the rest of the dwarves. Her presence has become something he did not fully understand, or rather chose not to in fear of what may succumb. Remaining single-minded and raising defensive barriers did not seem to help at all.
"Élarinya will not abandon the company, laddie. She's bound through a verbal contract as is her caring nature. Whatever growing conflict that has you distancing yourself needs to be addressed. I won't meddle in business that isn't my own, but what happened in Mirkwood between you two should be resolved for the good of this company."
"I know. There's no need to worry, for nothing happened."
Balin questioned his friend's words, but the dwarf kept his unvoiced concerns to himself. Thorin's frustration was escalating and so he needed to get out. They would just have to ignore the obsessively singing folk outside and find something to better occupy their time.
Across the wooden bridge of Lake Town, Éla had meandered past the cargo bay and docks to the edge of the thin forest. There sitting under a tree, the female dwarf sat for several hours watching the sun slowly set near the horizon into dusk.
The thought of leaving grew more tempting but rash actions would not solve anything. There was no place left to go. No place to run from one's problems. Éla lightly chuckled to herself.
Everyone had their differences, which made them unique in their own way. A number of those differences would either mend or break her. Over time, she figured she became too caring from the years spent in the Blue Mountains. It was a hardworking, yet easy life of peace even when she had no family to go home to. Days were spent in the forge, but the markets became her favorite place to be: surrounded by the busy streets, dwarrowlings laughing and running through the crowds, and merchants proudly showcasing their crafts. Like all decent times of various prosperities, the female dwarf had created a simple life that was worth living. That life; however, was forever shadowed by death and grief. She had speculated her future many times after her mother passed away from despair, yet happiness in little things always found a way to shine through the dark solitary days.
Éla decided after an afternoon of contemplation, to return to the house. The company was probably worried where she had run off to. Either that or they busied themselves over other petty tasks.
The female dwarf was in no hurry to head back. It was nice to be out and about while not running from orcs or goblins. She took her time watching the men haul and stack barrels and shipments onto the docks while awaiting transport within the town. The sky grew dark so Éla pressed on beyond the gates and bustling folk, straight into the still atmosphere and warm smell of cooking. She looked around but there was no sign of the dwarves, not even the hobbit. Food was already prepared and placed on the dining room table, ready to be eaten. Éla turned around, about to head upstairs when she saw a note addressed to her on a small table stand in the hallway.
Élarinya,
If you have returned before us, we went to explore the grounds. Some members needed to burn energy. Please do not take our earlier conversation to heart. You are as much a part of this company as the rest.
We will be back in time for supper.
~Balin
Leave it to Balin to make someone happy again. Éla folded the note and tucked it away. While the smell of food was tempting, she wanted to wait for them to return before starting. Looking over the trays of cooked meats and vegetables was mouth-watering. The Master must have sent cooks to prepare it while they were out. If this was what they were to look forward to during their stay, Éla figured most of the company would be forever grateful for the lavished hospitality.
After a moment, Éla heard the front door open and multiple heavy footsteps followed. Not wanting to be rude, she went to greet those in the entranceway only to stop half-way through the lounging area, mouth agape.
"For heaven's sake, what are you two doing half naked?!"
Cheerful chatter paused as heads turned to face the female dwarf. She would have chosen different words to describe their wardrobe malfunction, but when stunned: the fewer the better.
"We didn't go out like this." Fili said while kicking off muddy boots, his shirt slung over his shoulder.
Kili seemed to have grasped the situation almost instantly and trudged forward in wide strides as he finished removing his unclean shirt.
"No, stay away." Éla put out a hand to stop him. "What were you doing to get yourselves so filthy?"
"Training. We found an old, muddy field across the bridge a little ways past the forest." Kili explained. The rest of the company pooled into the room, covered in dirt and sweat.
"So you thought it was a brilliant idea to train in a muddy field knowingly aware you didn't have any spare clothing yet?"
Bombur waddled in, his nose stuck in the air sniffing. "I smell food."
Dwalin, Nori and Bofur were about to sit on the sofa and the rest in the dining hall when Éla piped up. "No one is sitting down," she faced the dining room, "or eating, until you wash up."
Her request was met with grumbling complaints but it did the trick as she placed her hands on her hips. Fili and Kili exchanged dauntless looks and made their way towards the staircase. She stopped them before they could climb the stairs.
"I will not have you lot trail dirt and mud through a house that we are borrowing as guests."
Kili grinned cheekily at his brother. "What will you have us do? Take off our clothes right here?"
She could feel her face becoming flustered by the proposition but shook it off. The princes made their point. "Take off your boots so you don't tread anything in your wake. All of you."
Éla then shooed them upstairs before anything embarrassing occurred. Satisfaction swept through her as they obeyed and raced to their rooms like eager children. Her heart skipped a beat when Thorin passed but hovered on the first step, meeting her gaze. His eyes lowered, following the contours of her dress before stopping himself and looking back up. He opened his mouth but quickly closed it. Éla somehow knew what he wanted to say, and returned a nod. He wouldn't send her away. She would remain with the company so words were not required. For the time being...
"I really need to find some trousers and get out of these dresses." Éla mumbled to herself as Thorin headed upstairs. The thin shirt stuck to his back from the sweat and it was dreadfully appealing. There was something about being able to visibly see the muscles work with every slight movement that sent chills...now she really needed to slap herself for allowing thoughts to fall astray. Over the years the maiden had seen plenty of dwarf men hard at work in the forge and mines to know many body types. Yes, some were burly and others not so much, but it never affected her before. It never turned into something so attracting. Balin came and stood next to her, almost making Éla jump.
"We'll find you a pair before we leave."
Éla gave him an odd look, brow furrowed. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm under the impression you all rather enjoy the sight."
Balin smiled and patted her on the arm. "It is a sight we have long forgotten while on this quest. I know you care for all of us. Thorin knows it too. It's a comfort we take for granted and quickly cherish when it becomes scarce."
"Then explain to me why his majesty is spinning me for a loop. I can't deal with...with this."
Balin noticed her wrecked features coming to light. She was at a breaking point and he did not wish to send her over the edge. "Thorin doesn't want to put you in harm's way needlessly."
"Balin, you know I can take care of myself." Éla grew upset and tried to keep her bearings in order.
"Yes, I know and that is not what concerns him." Balin paused in uncertainty. "Life is more valuable than gold, especially that of kin."
Éla pinched the bridge of nose, frustrated. "So why am I even here? Would it be best if I packed my things and leave in the morn?"
"I wouldn't wish to see you go, lass." The older dwarf looked startled and sad by her statement. "I'm afraid that would be something to discuss with Thorin."
Balin took his leave to wash up, leaving the female to herself.
"I wouldn't want to see you leave."
Éla spun around to face the hobbit leisurely sprawled in a chair, too tired to move. "Did you train as well?" His clothing was still dry and clean, so it was a dim question to ask.
"Not today. It was all the walking, and walking, and more walking! If that counts at all..." Bilbo slunk his head forward, shading his eyes from any light. "I'm so hungry it's not even funny anymore."
Scurrying footsteps echoed above, so Éla waved the hobbit to move into the dining hall with her. She quickly discovered the dwarves returning cleansed and in fresh clothes, much to her surprise. Their wardrobes had been stocked while they were out, and with good timing; she did not want to live under a roof full of grown dwarves running around in nothing but their underclothes.
After the hearty meal, the company stationed themselves around the fireplace for a content evening of chatter and song. Bifur took a seat next to Éla and grunted to grab her attention. When she faced him, the dwarf gestured for her to take the piece of wood and carving knife he held out for her.
"Thank you, Bifur." Éla returned a gentle smile as he took out another knife for himself and promptly became mesmerized in the task.
Time pressed on and soon the energized room quieted to soft hums and the crackling of the fire. Every now and then, Éla would glance over to Bifur's skilled hands as a toy was beginning to take shape. Her crafting was not as marvelous or detailed as his, but she found serenity and a sense of tranquility in the repetitive motion of the blade grazing and curling the wood splinters.
A while later, heads bobbed trying to remain awake and alert. Some were even falling asleep. Éla looked up from her own trance from movement to her left. Dori had gotten up and was nudging an already sleeping Nori and Ori. Bilbo's head rested in the palm of his hand as he tried to stay awake and Kili was already dozing, leaning against his brother's shoulder. Oin and Gloin conversed quietly with Bofur and Dwalin. Bombur continued to savor treats from their meal and Thorin stared into the dancing flames within the hearth. Éla wondered just how tedious their training session had been earlier that day. On a second thought, they had all gone through so much within a short time span, it was only half expected, eventually. She wanted to leave them since it was so heart-warming to see everyone together so peacefully and not out lost somewhere in the dark corners of Middle Earth. The sight was enough to make anyone want to huddle up by the fire and relax with them.
"I think it's time for bed." Balin said quietly.
Éla nodded and handed Bifur the knife he had loaned before helping Balin and Dori with waking and sending the others upstairs. The first one she patted was Bilbo, who looked up drowsily.
"Come Bilbo, we're heading to bed."
Next were the two young princes. Éla couldn't help the smirk tugging on the corners of her mouth. It was such a tender moment to see both leaning against the other. With a gentle hand, she shook Fili who opened his eyes as if he was suddenly caught red-handed for something he did not do. Upon seeing the female dwarf, he smiled then nudged his younger brother awake.
Éla watched as the members retired up the stairs to their rooms. Balin soon followed, leaving her alone with Thorin who was still seated facing the fire, but had taken out a key slung from his neck. Éla recognized the make as dwarvish but its purpose was beyond her knowledge. She still felt bad from her words spoken earlier and wanted to make it right. Holding anger or a grudge against someone was not in her nature. Sure they were stubborn, but Éla constantly knew this all must have stemmed back to her lack of explanations when Thorin inquired about her past. After the events in Mirkwood, there was no more harm that could be done. He did have a right to now.
As Éla began climbing the stairs, she stopped and turned to him.
"Back in the cell you mentioned my father was in the guard. That wasn't entirely accurate." She paused, unsure how this was going to affect anything if not, everything. "He was in the royal guard, Nihlir."
Thorin looked at her sternly with surprise. Wandering eyes searched for the truth, finally piecing the puzzle together. Éla held his gaze for a second longer before dropping it and continuing up to her room. There was a slight mixture of emotions in his eyes and it made her very self-conscious and heart race. Thorin was left alone with the new information presented as his memory rapidly came to life.
Éla will undoubtedly regret her decision before the night was out.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. (Long overdue, I know, but real life has been busy and I'll correct any grammar issues in the morning.)
Something funny happened a couple weekends ago while I was out with friends that's going to be recounted (and edited to fit the story) in the next chapter later this week.