An Unexpected Companion
Chapter 17
Pipeweed
Tiki did not know what road to follow to the Lonely Mountain, if there even was one. But, there was a river, winding, foaming as it rushed through rapids and brief waterfalls toward the gargantuan lake in the shadow of the mountain. If there was any way Thorin and his company went when they escaped Thranduil's grasp, this would be it.
At first, she paid no mind to her tagalongs. Legolas and Tauriel were silent followers, staying a few paces behind her the entire trek. Never getting close, but never drifting far away. Tiki regarded them with mild interest, but beyond that, her mind was focused on reaching the lake and catching up to her friends before they reached their destination.
It did not seem like a long walk to the large lake, but it still required some time. Around sunset on the second day, Tiki's pace finally slowed. Her stomach rumbled. The first day she merely foraged for what she could, but now she realized how sapped her body had become. Her mouth watered at the thought of fresh meat, skin charred, inside still red and juicy.
That sounds so good right about now.
But, for now, she settled for some berries next to the river, and a cold gulp of water. When the berries were washed down, she sighed and looked east, watching the twilight sky emerge as the sun set behind her. She frowned. Another day down, and still no sign of the dwarven company.
Did I fall that far behind them?
A leaf crunched. Tiki's green eyes flicked to Legolas as he approached. He wanted her to notice him. That would be the only reason he allowed his feet to make a sound.
"We should rest here for now," he said.
"We?" Tiki replied. "I wasn't under the impression that I wanted the two of you to come along. Feel free to return to your stubborn father if you want to rest." She rolled her shoulders, stepped forward, then paused as her muscles spasmed and her stomach growled.
"His majesty is correct," Tauriel said, earning a frown from Tiki. "We need to rest."
"Again, I ask why this has suddenly become a 'we' problem? I don't remember inviting either of you to follow me."
"But we have, and we aren't leaving," Legolas replied.
Tiki narrowed her eyes. "You were ordered to follow me, weren't you?"
Both elves shifted their feet. To Tiki, it almost looked like a pair of reckless teenagers getting caught making mischief. She snorted at the thought. Both Legolas and Tauriel were likely thousands of years old, like her. They were simply naive, which led to recklessness. They weren't stupid.
"My father implied that it might be prudent to do so," Legolas answered.
"And daddy gets his way, doesn't he?" Tiki snorted as Legolas's cheeks reddened a little. "Don't worry. I understand. You respect your father and his wishes. It's only right for you to listen to him. But, just because you two made this mission a team effort does not mean I plan on stopping."
"You're exhausted," Tauriel cut in, taking a step toward Tiki, concern on her face. "We can see as much."
"Your pace has faltered the past few hours, since at least midday," Legolas agreed. "Rest is just as important as haste. In all likelihood, the dwarves are in Laketown, and they haven't yet embarked to the Lonely Mountain."
"And if they have?"
Legolas shrugged. "I doubt they'd voluntarily wake Smaug on their own."
Tiki snorted. "Clearly you do not know Thorin Oakenshield or the stubbornness of dwarves."
"And you do?" Legolas shot back.
"Only a tad more than you, but that is enough." Tiki eyed the two elves. Tauriel had moved to block the path east, setting herself as a small barrier. Legolas folded his arms. He wasn't budging either. Tiki sighed as her stomach betrayed her again with a loud growl. "Fine, but on one condition."
"Name it," Legolas nodded.
Tiki gestured at his bow. "How good are you at hunting?"
Sweet, succulent, juicy venison roasted on a spit above a crackling campfire. It was the most beautiful scent Tiki had ever smelled. Her mouth watered as her emerald eyes stared fixated on the hunk of dear charring over the flames. Tauriel grimaced as she rotated her evening meal.
"How can you stomach this stuff? That was a living creature we butchered."
"And those leafy greens you eat are technically alive too, but you don't care about their feelings," Tiki replied as she heard Legolas munch on a piece of that bread he brought. He had offered her some, saying it would be more filling than any meat. Tiki doubted that and subsequently declined. He didn't argue.
Tauriel rolled her eyes. "You must be from a savage tribe then."
"Careful," Tiki warned. "I'm hungry enough to consider you a snack as well."
Confusion flickered across Tauriel's face, reminding Tiki that these two still considered her one of their kin. A long-lost cousin of sorts. Her true nature remained a closely guarded secret, and she still was unsure about these two. They were friendly enough, even after her initial tense encounter with Legolas. She had already forgiven the elven prince. He had just been doing his job when he captured her and took her as a prisoner. She could hardly fault him for that. But, forgiveness does not create trust. It only allows for the seed to be planted.
Tauriel huffed. "Is this almost done?"
Tiki sniffed, reached out, then poked the roasting flesh. Tender. Perfect.
"It's good. Now give it here."
Tiki snatched the spit from Tauriel. Without even thinking twice, she bit into the hunk of venison. Warm juices washed over her tongue. Her eyes closed and she hummed, struggling to suppress the near-feral growl that would have slipped from her lips if she had been alone. Several more bites later, the venison was half gone. When her teeth bit into the charred bark of their makeshift cooking spit, Tiki reopened her eyes-
-and found both Tauriel and Legolas staring at her, wide-eyed and disgusted. A loose piece of deer skin hung from the corner of Tiki's mouth. She felt it against her chin. A sheepish sound left her as she reached up and tucked it into her mouth, chewing quickly and then swallowing. As the food settled, she smiled and rubbed her stomach.
"Much better."
"I-" Tauriel covered her mouth "I think I may feel a bit ill."
"I think even the dwarves might feel ill from that display," Legolas muttered.
"It's eating. It's natural!" Tiki protested, waving the spit then spying one last stray strip of venison on it. She quickly ate it, nodded, then tossed the spit to the side. She wiped the grease from her hands with a stray leaf and then tossed that away as well. After sitting in awkward silence another moment, Tiki reached for her pouch and pulled out the only personal item she possessed other than her dragonstone: the pipe Gandalf gave her.
She wedged the pipe in the corner of her mouth. Next, she found the last bits of pipeweed she had left and shoved them into the bulbous end. She didn't even bother to consider the reactions of Legolas or Tauriel as she conjured a small flame on her finger, lit the pipeweed, then puffed, making sure her smoke stayed smoldering. When she was satisfied, she drew in a long puff, then blew out a perfect circle. A slight smile tugged on her lips.
I can almost match you, Gandalf.
"Filthy habit," Tauriel muttered.
Legolas nodded as he tended to his bow, making sure the bowstring was taut. A part of Tiki wondered if he was even paying attention. The wrinkle on his nose told her he was, he just wasn't vocalizing it like Tauriel.
"The elves of Rivendell said much the same," Tiki replied.
"And you listened to them about as well as you listened to us." Tauriel replied.
Tiki chewed on her pipe. Smoke puffed out of the other corner of her mouth as she eyed the she-elf. After one more puff, she pulled the pipe free and held it out to her, surprising Tauriel.
"Last bits of pipeweed left. Last chance to try it."
"I think not."
"I'm not lying, I don't have any more in my supply-"
"She means she's not interested," Legolas responded. He reached to the side, grabbed a small bundle of sticks, then tossed them into the fire, stoking it back to a golden color. When he did, he flicked his sharp eyes to the edges of the camp.
"Expecting something?" Tiki asked.
"You can't be too careful beyond the safety of home," Legolas replied, easing back into his lounging position. Still, his eyes remained focused on the shadows at the fringes of the firelight.
Tiki shook her head and laughed. She then held the pipe out to him, surprising the elf prince. "You need to relax."
"Relax?"
"It worked on Radagast, so maybe it'll work on you?"
"You spoke to Radagast the Brown?" Legolas replied.
"That's the thing I've said today that surprised you the most?" Tiki laughed to herself and held the pipe out further. "Last chance, prince."
"The Prince wouldn't debase himself with-"
Legolas left Tauriel sputtering when he grabbed the pipe, giving it a curious look. He sniffed the smoke coming from the end in a lazy tendril. His nose wrinkled and his face contorted until a sharp sneeze shot from his face. He blinked some tears from his eyes then gave Tiki an uncertain look. Tiki shrugged in response.
"Your choice."
Legolas pursed his lips. A moment later, he put the pipe to his lips and puffed. Unlike Tiki, he didn't blow the smoke out. He inhaled it. A staccato of coughs shot from the elven prince, causing smoke to shoot from his sealed lips and nostrils. He waved a hand and opened his mouth, a harsh wheeze leaving him. All Tiki could do was laugh.
"It's not funny," Legolas croaked, but he couldn't suppress a wry smile.
"Give me that!" Tauriel snatched the pipe away from the Prince like a mother taking a toy from a toddler. Both Tiki and Legolas eyed her. Then, she surprised them both and puffed. When smoke shot from her ears, Tiki fell back howling.
It felt like so long since she last laughed that way, with such carefree joy. Her sides felt like they were splitting as she accepted her pipe back and took a long puff. The trio passed it around again. The pipeweed only lasted a few more turns around the fire before being spent, but it was worth it to Tiki. She could feel a small amount of trust growing in her.
Or that may have been some very potent pipeweed.
She laid on her back now, eyes staring up at the stars. Embers from the fire rose to greet them, creating little red flecks against the black sky, like new stars being born for her to see. A cool wind blew through, making the nearby river move fast over the smooth rocks and against its banks. It was a soothing sound that calmed her mind and eased her worries. It allowed her mind to wander more toward her new companions.
"Legolas, Tauriel, an inappropriate question for both of you perhaps: how old are you?" She asked, tilting her head up to look at them. Both were lounging on their sides by the fire as well, enjoying the warmth.
Legolas and Tauriel shared a glance then looked at her. "You first." They said together.
Tiki smirked. "Three thousand, give or take a few years. I've mildly lost count." She yawned. "Sleeping a lot can do that. Now, it's your turn."
Legolas yawned as well, his eyes drooping. "I was born at the beginning of this age. So… just under three thousand. Tauriel isn't much younger."
Tauriel nodded in agreement. Any exhaustion Tiki felt was briefly chased away as she gawked at the two elves. They gave her a puzzled look.
"Is something the matter?" Legolas asked.
"Ha!" Tiki shouted. "Finally!"
"Finally what?" Tauriel asked.
Tiki grinned at them. "I'm finally older than one of you. About time! Do you have any idea how strange it is to be considered ancient by everyone you know only to meet someone twice your age?" She laughed under her breath. "And that was just Elrond. Over six thousand for him, right? And he took orders from Galadriel. Makes me wonder how old she is?"
"My father once mentioned she was alive for both the Two Lamps and the Two Trees," Legolas said.
"What does that mean?" Tiki replied, tilting her head.
Legolas pointed a finger at the nearly full moon above them. "That was not around when she was born."
Tiki peered at Legolas. That did not seem possible. There is no way someone, anyone, could be older than the Moon! But, Thranduil did say that elves were created to be immortal. If one was careful enough, then perhaps it was possible. That revelation made Tiki sink into the grass.
"So… how many years is that?"
"Since the dawn of the first age?" Legolas replied.
"And that was?"
Legolas furrowed his brow, thinking. "Over ten thousand years ago, I think?"
Tiki's eyes widened. "Oh, that's long. That's-" she whistled, "yeah. I'm not going to talk back to her again."
"You insulted Lady Galadriel!?" Both Tauriel and Legolas cried.
"Goodnight," Tiki yawned, closing her eyes, ignoring their pleas for an explanation. Now that she was finally full of decent food, she felt like she could get a decent night's rest.
It had been a long time since Tiki had seen his face. Too long, in fact. Although, the artist's depiction of the Hero King from Archanea's more ancient days lacked the softness he actually possessed. His blue gaze was hard and stern, befitting a powerful ruler, as he focused forward, toward the rising sun in the painting's distance. Falchion, with a different guard than what his descendants now sported, was planted in the dirt at his feet, both hands resting upon the pommel. The blue plate looked big on him. Then again, he looked bigger in general.
Tiki chuckled and shook her head.
Oh, Marth, you were as slim as a string bean when I first met you.
Footsteps drifted near, then paused. Tiki didn't bother looking. She already knew who joined her in this wing of the Exalt's Palace. Robin always smelled of weathered books and ink.
The Shepherd's Tactician hummed as he brought a gloved hand to his chin and observed the painting. "I take it this is not a very good likeness of him?"
Tiki shook her head. "The shoulders are much too broad. He was never so barrel-chested either."
"They say he was a great warrior," Robin replied.
"And great warriors must look like your comrade Vaike?" Tiki asked with an arched brow.
Robin dug his hands into his coat pockets. "Then what did the Hero King look like, oh ancient one?"
Tiki chuckled under her breath. Her gaze remained fixed on Marth's face. "Don't you know it's rude to comment on a woman's age?"
Robin shrugged. "Actually no, I'm still learning all this."
"Bad memory?"
"Atrocious actually."
"Have trouble remembering what you ate for breakfast then?" Tiki asked.
Robin bobbed his head back and forth. "Depends on how deep into my work I am, as well as who cooked breakfast."
Tiki couldn't help but crack a smile. She wasn't unaware of the Tactician's peculiar malady. It was one of the first things she learned about him, although she did not discover it through gossip among his companions. She learned it when he got turned around in his own encampment, one he planned out, and asked her, who had just joined the Shepherds, for directions back to his tent. That was when she learned something was a bit off about him. Although, she did not find it annoying. If anything, there was a certain charm to his idiosyncrasies.
She glanced at him, smiling a little as his amber eyes studied the painting, drinking in every single detail. His sharp mind pinpointed each brushstroke. She could see him piecing the artist's process together in his head. An analytical approach to art. Not without merit, but he did need context, which he asked for.
"Marth was… not imposing at all," Tiki said with a wistful smile.
"Really? The Hero King cast a small shadow?"
"I wouldn't say that," Tiki replied. "His shadow was obviously long, but he never intended it to be so. If there was one quality I treasured in him, it was his humility. He never thought he was better than his companions."
Robin nodded. Tiki found herself looking at him more now.
"He sounds like Chrom," Robin said.
Tiki tilted her head. "In some ways."
"No?"
"The Prince is a bit more aggressive. He's more willing to seek out a fight. Marth only fought when given no other choice. He never started the fight, but he was the one to finish them." Tiki's ears twitched. "In a way, he was much more like you than Prince Chrom."
Robin blinked and gave her a surprised look.
That was the first time she looked into his eyes and got lost. For a second, she swore she saw Marth's kindness and naivete in those amber irises. As her heart began to warm, the air turned icy.
A tinge of crimson crept into his eyes…
A hand, gentle as a feather, shook Tiki awake. Her eyes opened, but she did not bolt upright. At this point, she had grown used to restless nights. The fire smoldered nearby. Thin streams of smoke wafted into her nose, the last gasps of the campfire. Morning dew clung to the grass around her, leaving her fingers and arms damp. Slowly, she pushed herself to a seat. Legolas was crouched beside her, a concerned expression on his face.
"You were shaking," he said. "Are you cold?"
Tiki shook her head. "I haven't been cold in some time."
Legolas' sharp brow furrowed. "Then you dreamt something?"
Tiki remained quiet. Nearby, she heard Tauriel move toward the river to refill their waterskins before continuing their journey to Laketown and the Lonely Mountain.
"Lady Tiki?"
"I'd rather not discuss it," Tiki muttered, rising to her feet. She rolled her shoulders, feeling the tendons groan in response. A sleepy yawn spilled from her lips.
I really need to take an extra long nap at some point.
When Tauriel returned, they doused the rest of the fire, scattered the ashes, then kept moving. Within an hour, the sun began to rise, but Tiki hardly noticed the warmth of the orange rays on her face. Her mind remained focused on the dream.
Or was it a memory?
Her toes caught on a rocky outcropping in the dirt. With a yelp, she stumbled forward. Legolas snapped an arm out, catching her and preventing her from tumbling along the riverbank towards a bend in the raging water. She panted, adrenaline rushing through her veins.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Legolas asked again.
"I'll be fine," Tiki replied as his arm fell away. "There's nothing to concern yourself about. It was… merely a dream."
"Dreams for the Eldar are rarely just dreams," Tauriel replied.
"Eldar?" Tiki questioned.
Tauriel shrugged. "You are not Silvan or Sindar, that much is clear. But, I have a feeling you are also not Noldor. You would speak much more highly of Lord Elrond and Lady Galadriel if you were either of the latter."
"I respect them well enough," Tiki replied.
"Respect and friendship are two different things," Legolas pointed out as they traversed a rocky slope alongside some rapids. As usual, the elves handled the uneven terrain with complete grace. It was as if they were walking on flat ground all the time. Tiki almost scrambled on her hands and knees more than once.
How I wish I could just fly to the Lonely Mountain right now.
Tiki skidded to a stop when Legolas darted around her, cutting off her path.
"To bottle up those things that trouble you can only cause you more pain."
Tiki frowned then huffed. "Not the first time I've heard that one, Legolas. It certainly will not be the last. I'm not going to sit down and talk about things when I have a job to do."
"We can walk and talk," Legolas replied, moving backward as easily as he did walking normally. It was as if he was incapable of tripping, slipping, or looking fallible in the least. Tiki had to suppress a slight snort. Elves… they seemed to become more preposterous by the moment.
"We're only going to keep pestering you," Tauriel chimed in as she strode beside Tiki, one hand on her bow.
Tiki groaned. "I'm beginning to miss the stoic boredom exuded by your elders." She chewed on her lip. Anxiety crept through her veins, and it forced her to fish her pipe out. There was no more pipeweed, but the feeling of the smooth wood between her fingers gave her a small amount of comfort. "Fine, where do you want me to begin?"
"Who's Robin?" Legolas asked.
Tiki blanched. "I-"
"You spoke in your sleep, and-"
Tauriel said something in elvish, and whatever she said made Legolas blush. An apologetic look passed over the she-elf's sharp face. One Tiki understood, and it made her snicker. Yes, these two were naive, but Legolas was far moreso than Tauriel.
"Robin was- how do I put it?"
"You loved him?" Tauriel asked.
An ache lanced through Tiki's heart. Her pace faltered a little. "Yes," she answered.
"What became of him?" Legolas asked.
Tiki opened her mouth to reply but paused. What happened to Robin? She wracked her memory, but all she could recall were words from the other Shepherds. Soft words. Ones of love, encouragement, sorrow, and comfort. Grief clawed at her heart as she heard the voices of her friends once again, all of them telling her one thing.
We're sorry…
Tiki's throat bobbed. "He died." She wanted to choke. "I don't know how, but he did."
Legolas appeared puzzled. "You dream of a dead lover?"
Tiki's eyes flashed. Burning anger shot through her. A snarl ripped from her lips, rumbling, threatening to awaken the dragon within her.
"You would do the same!"
Tauriel snapped something in elvish. This time, Legolas's face turned stony. He bowed his head.
"Forgive me for being too forward, Lady Tiki, I-"
Tiki's anger abated as quickly as it arrived. She did not miss the sudden change in both Legolas and Tauriel's demeanor. Tauriel's soft voice, even when she spoke her native tongue, turned sharp as steel. Legolas' carefree smile ran away from his face. All of those things told Tiki that they no longer suspected she wasn't an elf. They no longer just had a feeling. They knew. But they also did not know what she was. She had to keep it that way until circumstances said otherwise.
At least until I meet Smaug. Then I will be speaking to one of my kin for the first time in many years.
Tiki stepped past Legolas, lunging to a rise in the riverbank. Atop that rise, she spied Laketown. She could see people moving along catwalks atop the water now. The smoke from chimneys appeared more like lazy tendrils than a gray cloud. They would reach it within the day.
"Lady Tiki?"
"I'm not in the mood to talk anymore," Tiki warned Tauriel. "Let's just get to the town. I want to find my friends."
They were silent the rest of the way.
And chapter! Whew! Been sitting on this one a while. Work and life stresses managed to give me a nasty spat of writer's block lately, but hopefully I'm starting to work my way out of it. We will see. Anyways, this was a fun one regardless! I hope you all enjoyed it! As always let me know what you think, and have a nice day!