An Unexpected Companion
Chapter 10
The Misty Mountains
Tiki never thought leaving Rivendell would hurt so much.
The first time she passed through with Gandalf, she barely had time to enjoy the famed company of the Elves. This time, she got to enjoy their hospitality to the fullest extent. And now, she understood why Gandalf spoke so highly of Elrond and his house. Even though the elven lord treated her with suspicion, he was still courteous and hospitable to her. The past few days had to have been some of the most restful she had experienced in a long time.
But, it had to end. The trek to the Lonely Mountain had to go on, and time was wasting. Durin's Day was only a few months off, according to Thorin and Gandalf, which meant the dwarven company with their wizard, hobbit, and manakete companions had to make haste east.
Elrond bade the company a warm farewell and wished them good fortune on their quest, words Thorin accepted with curt kindness. No such words were exchanged between Elrond and Tiki. The Manakete did not blame the ancient being. From what she learned about the War of Wrath; Elrond had plenty of good reasons to be wary of her.
That didn't mean she had to like it though. The colder send-off she received stung, but she was able to shake it off as she rode at the rear of Thorin's company, alongside Bilbo, the song of the Elves floating through the air around them as they made their way up the narrow pass out of Imladris. Eventually, they emerged from the hidden valley and crossed the nearby river, passing from Elrond's realm and into the harsher wilderness of Eriador.
Immediately upon exiting Imladris, Thorin turned the company toward the rising sun. In the distance, like shadowy fangs taking a bite from the gray sky, stood the jagged silhouettes of the Misty Mountains. The closer they drew to the mountains, the more Tiki had to crane her head back to try and see the snow-capped peaks, until finally, a few days out, she could no longer see the top.
A low whistle sounded from her lips. Her horse's hooves, crunched atop the rocky soil as the company's path moved up into the mountains. Beside her, Bilbo looked equally spellbound by the scale of the peaks.
Tiki's ears twitched when she heard a soft chuckle near them. She looked down, surprised to see Balin drifting back with his pony toward her and the hobbit.
"Never seen mountains like these before? I shouldn't be surprised that Master Baggins has not, but for someone as far traveled as you, Lady Tiki, I have a hard time believing you have never gazed on the Misty Mountains."
A small smile cracked Tiki's lips. "I have not seen these mountains, no. But, I have seen some tall ones in my time. The Hoshido Range had some massive peaks, including the Demon's Ingle."
"Demon's Ingle?" Bilbo's nose twitched. "That's a foreboding name if I've ever heard one."
"I never ventured too close myself," Tiki replied. "That is the wise thing to do when dealing with a volcano."
"Volcano?" Balin's brow furrowed. "I only know of one of those in Middle Earth."
"And that is?" Tiki asked.
A grave look formed on Balin's face. "Orodruin…"
Tiki tilted her head. "And that means?"
"Mount Doom," Bilbo translated, lips thinning. "Not exactly a happy place and just as foreboding on the lips as Demon's Ingle."
"Only with a history that does more than forebode," Balin muttered. "And it's best we leave it at that. It does no good to speak of the land of Mordor here." The second eldest dwarf, after Thorin, in the company cleared his throat. "Besides, we have plenty of good peaks to speak of here. After all, this is the very same range where Durin the Deathless founded the mighty kingdom of Khazad-Dum."
"Millennia ago, I assume?" Tiki replied.
Balin nodded. "A great many millennia before my time." A somber expression caused his face to fall. "No dwarf alive today has seen the halls of that grand city."
"Why not?" Bilbo asked.
"Goblins… why else?" Dwalin grunted nearby as he too drifted back toward his older brother, Bilbo, and Tiki. He shot Tiki a wary look before shaking his head and looking at the mountains around them. "They are thick in these passes."
"It was not just Goblins and Orcs that drove us from our ancestral home, Dwalin," Balin remarked, wagging a finger. "You know the legends as well as I do."
"And they are simply that, legends. And before you say anything further of Shadow and Flame, the elvish opinion is worth about as much as the mud on my heel," Dwalin spat into the dirt and sniffed.
"So Durin's Bane is nothing more than a myth?" Balin argued.
Dwalin gave Balin a weary look. "I'm not interested in getting into an argument over history with you."
"Only because you would lose," Balin chuckled.
"Durin's Bane?" Tiki questioned.
Balin's laughter faded, and Dwalin's face turned grave. Neither dwarf looked at Tiki. Instead, they both shared a knowing glance, as if they knew they shared too much already. Dwalin's lips thinned beneath his thick, dark beard.
"A monster. Demon might be a better way of putting it. No one who sees it lives-"
"Except for whoever told all of you about it," Tiki pointed out. "Unless you mean to tell me your people have held extended conversations with Goblins?"
Dwalin scoffed. "There is only one language those creatures understand." He patted the head of his ax. "They are all fluent in it."
"Good thing too. Those conversations would be incredibly boring if they weren't," Balin nodded. He peered up ahead, brow furrowing. "Storm's brewing."
"And Thorin will want to push through it," Dwalin nodded.
Tiki looked past the two brothers, gazing at the dark thunder clouds rumbling and rolling over the mountains. Their black forms lumbered atop the peaks, clinging to them like dark hands clenching stones. The further into the mountains she rode, the more the ground shuddered as thunder and lightning raked through the darkening sky.
A forlorn sound slipped from Bilbo's lips.
"Why can't we have a nice sunny day of travel?"
"You still can," Tiki smirked at the Hobbit, "only it's back toward Rivendell."
Bilbo pointed a finger. "Do not tempt me, Lady Tiki. Us Hobbits are easily swayed by the promise of warm food, a hot fire, and fine drink."
"But you are not a normal hobbit," Tiki replied with a toothy smile, "otherwise, you never would have left the Shire."
Bilbo huffed and shook his head.
"Why must you always point that out?"
Rain cascaded from the sky in blinding sheets of water. Droplets clung to the fringes of Tiki's hair, causing some of her green locks to droop over her forehead, drenched. Her emerald eyes peered through them as she marched ahead, choosing to walk alongside her pony instead of forcing it to bear her weight in this monstrous storm.
Thunder cracked. Several of the younger dwarves jumped at the sound. Bilbo clung closer to the rocky cliffside as the company moved along a precarious path, just wide enough for them to move in a single file line. The Hobbit had his traveling cloak pulled tight over his small frame, hood drawn far over his head. But, it didn't matter how much he tried to cover or shelter himself. He was still soaked and scared.
Bilbo's gaze quivered to Tiki as she kept marching. A flash of lightning hammered a nearby peak, making rock explode outward and cascade down the mountainside. She didn't flinch.
"How are you so calm!?" Bilbo shouted over the howling wind.
Ori glanced back, not aware that Bilbo meant for Tiki to answer that question. "I'm not! This weather's not natural!"
Before Tiki could answer. She peered ahead. Her jaw fell open.
One entire side of a mountain up ahead peeled away from the rest. Rock limbs swung beside the walking pillar of stone as it marched forward through the canyon alongside the pass. Each step it took made the ground shake. A rumble passed through the air, as if the gigantic creature was exhaling before it broke into a swifter stride…
… and collided with another rock giant. The second giant swung a boulder- or was it its fist- at its attacker. Tiki staggered when the impact shook the ground, making her stumble.
"We need to find shelter!" She heard Balin shout on the wind, his words directed at Gandalf and Thorin. "Or we will have the entire mountain brought down upon us!"
She did not hear Thorin's reply, but she did notice the pace of the party pick up as they went from a slow trudge to a rapid race along the pass, no longer worrying about falling off the mountainside. Instead, all of them feared being crushed by the stone giants dueling in the chasm.
Another massive bam echoed through Tiki's ears. She winced, both hands flying up to cover them. When she let go of the reins to her pony, the beast panicked. Only the quick thinking of Bilbo grabbing the reins and calming the terrified animal kept it from careening off the cliff.
She gave the hobbit a grateful nod and then took the reins again. When she did, she heard Gandalf's voice impossibly loud over the storm and duel.
"Hold on!"
Tiki blinked and looked up. A giant was falling directly toward their mountain. The dwarves let out loud cries of panic and alarm as they all pressed against the mountainside. Tiki followed their lead, even as she took deep breaths, preparing herself to use magic if needed.
Thankfully, the giant slammed against the peak high above them rather than onto the mountain pass. The beast groaned as it bounced off before collapsing into a pile of boulders in the chasm. Right as Tiki felt some relief about the duel being over, she saw another stone giant emerge amidst the torrents of rain and lightning.
We won't make it like this.
A light winked to life ahead. The top of Gandalf's staff glowed with a soft, white light. A beacon for all of them to follow. It took a sharp left turn and disappeared into the mountainside. Relief flooded Tiki. They found a cave.
All of the dwarves hurried into the shelter, freezing when the cave shook and rubble descended from the ceiling. She heard several of them mutter about wanting tools to work with to brace the cave. After all, according to them, while this place looked sturdy, rock giants could cause a cave-in at any moment.
"This is as good a place as any," Thorin remarked, silencing their mutterings. "I'll take this cave over being out there."
Tiki blinked as she watched the dwarves' grumblings turn to nods of agreement. A small smile tugged on the corner of her mouth. She had seen a leader like Thorin several times in her long life. Someone who was able to turn dire circumstances and defeated feelings into victorious celebrations, hope, and determination. Such people were rare, and whenever she found one, she couldn't help but feel a small sense of pride knowing she was helping them.
So, content with their situation, she sank to a seat beside her pony, and leaned her head back, ready to close her eyes. Bilbo flopped to a seat beside her, panting.
"How-" He gasped, making Tiki flick her eyes at him, "how did you not even flinch?"
Tiki furrowed her brow. "I'm pretty sure I did flinch."
"Bilbo, you're asking an elf why they weren't afraid of a storm? Or giants?" Bofur chuckled at the Hobbit's supposed naivete. "They've seen and done almost everything, and I'm sure Tiki's the same way. She's got three thousand years of experience to draw on."
Tiki gave the dwarf a crooked smirk. "Why, Bofur, are you calling me old?"
Behind Bofur, Kili and Fili covered their mouths, trying to contain their amusement. Bifur's mouth opened and closed.
"It's- It's only factually, my lady."
Kili patted Bofur's shoulder. "She may be an elf, but her humor's dwarvish, eh?" He shook Bofur's shoulder as Bofur remained flustered. "Get some rest now. Fili and I have first watch tonight."
"Are you sure?" Bilbo asked, gesturing at Kili. "You two were near the front with Thorin. Perhaps you need to rest?"
Kili shrugged. "We'll be fine. Besides," he glanced over his shoulder at Dwalin, Balin, and Thorin, "us youngsters are a bit sturdier than our elders."
"I heard that Kili, and I'll challenge you to beat me at anything, anytime!" Dwalin barked, making the younger dwarf jump.
A nervous smile twitched over Kili's lips. "Jokes, Dwalin. Just jokes. You need to rest before you become a cranky elder with a gray beard."
"The day I become a cranky elder is the day you actually acquire some sense."
Tiki chuckled as the argument turned into what she would call a spirited debate. It happened often among comrades and friends. Friendly verbal spars that would eventually turn into jokes, laughter, and good memories.
Her own laughter faded a little as she recalled previous times she observed such antics. First, it was with Marth's army. That was the first time she knew what it was like to have comrades, friends even. Sure, she considered Ban-Ban a good friend when she was a young Manakete, but she still regarded him more as a parent rather than a comrade. Marth and his friends taught her the meaning of true friendship. She saw that more as the years went on too, eventually culminating in Exalt Chrom and his Shepherds thousands of years after Marth was gone.
Just like Marth, Exalt Chrom, Robin, so many of the Shepherds were gone too, along with so many of her friends. Her heart ached.
I thought I would be used to this by now.
"Tiki, are you alright?"
Her ears twitched. Tiki was back to the present, her memories of Marth, Chrom, Robin, and all of her old friends, fading into her mind once again. She glanced at Bilbo, a sad smile on her lips.
"I'll be fine." She yawned and blinked, weariness washing over her. "Get some rest, Bilbo."
Bilbo gave her a tired nod before slumping onto his side and drifting off. The others in the company did the same, including Kili and Fili eventually. Tiki was the last to close her eyes. As they closed, she saw Gandalf still awake, moving toward the cave exit as the storm and stone giants finally calmed.
A strange scent hit Tiki's nose. At first, she paid it no mind. It was probably just some wildlife wandering into the cave. The Misty Mountains had to have their fair share of wild animals roaming the cliffs. Maybe a goat stumbled into the cave? If so, she hoped one of the dwarves was awake to grab it. It would make a decent breakfast.
She rolled over, and the scent grew stronger. Her nose wrinkled. Now it did not smell like a wild animal. A wild animal would have a bit of a mossy, musty smell to it thanks to the rain. Wet fur was quite the distinct stench, after all. Tiki, however, detected something fouler. She couldn't place what it was, only that it reeked and was rancid. Like rot.
Her eyes flickered open. Through her bleary vision, Tiki saw the ground beneath her and the dwarves moving, barely shifting beneath the dirt and stone. Her head tilted as her vision cleared, confused.
"Gandalf?"
She looked around. The wizard was nowhere to be found. Tiki propped herself onto her elbows. Beside her, Bilbo snorted as he snoozed. Quickly, she reached over and shook his small shoulder.
"Bilbo, wake up," she hissed.
"Hm, wha- what?" Bilbo croaked, eyes blinking awake. He uttered a long, loud groan. When he did, Tiki heard a clicking sound. Like a latch opening.
Her heart jumped to her throat when a fissure opened in the ground.
"Trap!" She roared.
Her shout roused the dwarves, but not fast enough. The floor fell away. A pit opened up beneath them, with chutes and slides swallowing the dwarves before they could get their bearings. Tiki acted fast, clinging to the cave wall to prevent herself from falling. At the same time, she snapped her hand out and snagged Bilbo by his sleeve, keeping him from plummeting with the dwarves.
Bilbo looked down then looked up at Tiki, pale as a ghost. She gritted her teeth, trying her best to maintain her hold on the Hobbit.
Only for his sleeve to tear at one of the seams. He fell away, disappearing into the darkness with the dwarves.
Panic flooded Tiki. Without thinking twice, she let go of her handhold, plunging into the darkness. But, unlike the dwarves, and Bilbo, she did not hit a slide or a chute. Instead, she missed them, her hands scraping against the lip of one chute before she could stop her fall.
Her heart jumped to her throat as she fell further and faster into the darkness. Cold air whipped around her as she descended. Her heart hammered in her chest as she stared into the abyss, not seeing an end.
As fast as she could, she fumbled with the pouch on her hip, searching for her dragonstone. Right as her fingers wrapped around it, she saw stone flash out of the corner of her eye.
A harsh crack rang through her skull. In an instant, her world went black.
And chapter! It's been a minute since I got one of these out, but I'm glad I did! This was a fun one to write, and now I know what I'm going to write going forward for this little portion of the story. It's gonna be interesting, that's for sure!
Anyways, let me know what you all think of this chapter! As always, I hope you all enjoyed it! Have a nice day!
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