AN: I took a break for a bit so I don't get burned out from this. Don't worry, it's back. Not updating twice nightly now, though, so you'll have to be a little more patient. Thanks for reading, and don't forget to review.
With her "Trial" over, Brænna and the rest returned to their separate bedrolls and tried to sleep. Of course, she couldn't, not with everything whirling in her head. She was surprised how many of the Dwarves had decided to come to her aid in the mock trial, and was happy that Bofur had stepped up against his Prince to be her defence.
Still. Her memory caught on the smell of burnt flesh from the battle with the trolls and her mind was transported back to her dream with the Albino Dragon, and then back further…
No. She wouldn't think about that. Not ever again, she thought, shaking away the memories of charred flesh and screams from so many centuries before.
She rolled over, facing the fire, staring into the flickering flames, and slowly closed her eyes to sleep.
The next morning, she was gently shaken awake by Kíli, both he and Bilbo standing above her.
"Rise and shine, Miss," Kíli said. "Thorin wants to go check out the troll hoard, and he wants you along just in case they left any stragglers."
"How courteous of him," she groaned as she heaved herself into an upright position. "Five minutes?"
"Sure," Kíli said, stepping away, leaving Bilbo.
"What's up?" she asked the Hobbit.
"Umm… Gandalf was saying… um… you might be able to do something about this?" he asked, rolling up his sleeve, revealing a rather large stretch of bandages from his wrist to his elbow. Remembering how roughly she'd grabbed him during the fight, she gasped in horror.
"Did I do that? I'm sorry," she said, her hands glowing with healing magic as she unwound the bandages.
"Oh, no, no. One of the trolls… when he tossed me at you, well, troll hands aren't that soft," he said, as she revealed the chafed, bruised skin. Placing her hands lightly on the skin, she pulsed with her magic and watched the bruises turn yellow-green and disappear completely along with the red chafing. Once she was sure he was completely healed, she took her hands off, and he wiggled his fingers, and shook his hand about experimentally.
"Hah, good as new," he laughed.
"Glad to hear it," she said.
"Elf!" she heard Thorin call from across the campsite.
She looked up at Bilbo. "I've gotta go, I guess," she said.
Brænna got to her feet quickly, strapped on her weapons, thankful that Thorin had "allowed" her to have them, and strode after the irritable King under the Mountain. He led her and the rest of the Dwemer into the forest away from their campground, stopping at an opening Bofur found in the dense greenery. The Dwemer all regrouped, having split off to find the cave, and entered the fly-infested cave that was littered with bones and rotting flesh. Bilbo was green with nausea, and she assumed she wasn't much better.
"Oh, What's that stench?!" exclaimed Nori.
"It's a troll hoard," Gandalf replied as he covered his own mouth and nose. "Be careful what you touch."
The Dwemer themselves coughed and retched as they searched the cave at the pungent smell. However, their reactions lessened the very moment they saw the piles of gold and other treasures glimmering in the darkness.
Brænna's adventurer and thief habits rose up as her first reaction was to gather every last coin into her bag, whereas her draconic soul ached to chase the group away and claim it as hers. The level headed human side beat down these other parts of her, stepping and looking away from the gold.
As soon as her attention was drawn away, she noticed the slight thrum of power in the air, and a tingling at the top of her spine that could only mean one thing.
No, it can't be, that's not possible, the Half-Elf thought as she searched the cave for the source of the thrumming. How can one be here?
"Seems a shame just to leave it lyin' around," Bofur remarked offhandedly. "Anyone could take it."
Gloin obviously agreed. "Nori, get a shovel," he ordered.
As the Dwarves split into groups looking for more treasure, Brænna walked toward the back of the cave, where the power seemed to be calling her name. Far back in the back, almost past the glimmer of the light, she found a partially collapsed entrance, thickly covered in spiderwebs, yet otherwise untouched. She scraped away the webs, and immediately recognized some of the ancient carvings etched into the stone.
She magicked light into the palm of her hand, and burned away more of the silk, making sure not to set the entire cave on fire. There, set upon a pedestal off to the right, carefully, was a shimmery, silverish dragon claw. Her breath caught in her throat- this changed everything. Nords had come to Middle-Earth, disproving the theories of thousands of researchers who had attempted to piece together the history of the Nordic Ancestors. She had heard legends that the Nords came to the land from far north Atmora, but her finding… well she'd need to understand what more could be learned.
In the magelight, she was studying the underside of the claw, trying to discern the symbols that would be the code for a barrow or tomb, when she heard heavy footfalls behind her, and she placed the claw in her belt.
"Find anything of use back here?" he asked, clearly curious.
"Nothing of use, just of archaeological interest," she said. "Unfortunate, really. The most useful things are usually the furthest from the entrance."
"Archaeological interest?" he said, sounding out the word stiffly.
"Old, old history. Nothing shiny, glittery, or valuable back here," she said, gesturing to the wall. "Just some carvings."
"Would you mind showing me?" he asked.
"Of course," she said, and the light left her hand to hang in the air. Behind the spider silk that she gently pushed to the side, she said, "This is actually fairly common where I come from, hence the interest in its being here," she explained. "This," she said, gesturing to a carving of a large dragon spewing carved fire," is likely Alduin, the World-Eater. Big black dragon, nasty temper, notoriously hard to kill."
"But you did it anyway?" he asked.
"Yes. I'm not sure who this is, probably one of the Tongues," she said, using the ancient Skyrim word, gesturing to an armored man shouting an inferno back at the Dragon. "Shouting back at Alduin, or whatever dragon it is."
"So why's it interesting?" he asked.
"Because it's not supposed to be here," she laughed, grinning from ear to ear. "This is proof that I'm not the first person from Tamriel, the first nord to come here to Middle-Earth. I sensed this," she said, holding up the claw, "because these have a unique magical signature that I can detect through long practice. The door it opens doesn't seem to be here, but I'll keep looking," she said.
Kíli whistled appreciatively at the claw. "Best to keep it from Thorin?" he asked, and she nodded.
"The history of my people doesn't need concern him.
Brænna was perusing through one of the piles of gold, selecting the largest and most flawless of jewels to turn into jewelry when she heard the hiss of a sword being unsheathed. Immediately, she spun around, wary of bandits, but calmed when she saw that it was Gandalf, holding a shiny blade in a dusty scabbard.
"Nor were they made by any smith among men," Gandalf told the Dwemer Lord, answering a question Thorin had asked. "These were forged in Gondolin by the High Elves of the First age."
Realizing he was holding an Elven blade, Thorin snorted in disgust, almost tossing it away. At first, she was offended, then she agreed with him, disgusted by the thought of using a Thalmor weapon, though she reminded herself that the Elves here may be very different than the ones of Skyrim. She would have to call herself a hypocrite if she judged them based on the actions of their kin.
"You could not wish for a finer blade," Gandalf snapped, shooting Thorin a look.
Reluctantly, Thorin held the weapon up, drawing it out of its sheath to inspect it. She noted its silver color, fine craftsmanship, and the almost glowing shimmer in the dark cave. She wondered if it would be better than even the current Daedric weapons she carried.
"May I see one?" she asked the two of them.
Thorin, glancing over, and then scowling at the sight of her, strode past her toward the rest of the company.
"Ruth, even Rieklings have a better attitude," she muttered. "You say these are Elvish?" she asked.
Chuckling in amusement at the insult but not knowing what Rieklings were, Gandalf answered with a yes. She hummed as she inspected the weapons, before catching a glimpse of a pair of swords and picking them up. She gave a small sound of surprise when she felt how light they were, and unsheathed one of the blades. She gave a few quick, precise swings through the air, before balancing it in her hand.
"I am unsure whether these are better than the ones I carry now, though they are lighter," she said. "Still, it would be a shame to leave Daedric weapons here," she commented.
"I am certain they will remain here until you make the journey home. After all, it takes a rather strong stomach to explore a troll hoard," the Wizard replied. "Still, I feel we should join the company as I fear what they will do if they are left alone too long. I leave for a few hours only to hear explosions and to come back to a trial of an Elf by Dwarves," he remarked, reminding her of the events of the past few days.
She snorted. "The only thing that's changed between before that and now, is they know a bit more about me, and I know which of the Dwemer like me," she said.
In amusement, Gandalf chuckled, before following the Bosmer, before stepping on a blade that he deemed suitable for a certain Hobbit.
Brænna took a deep breath of air as she exited the cave, trying to get rid of the stench that remained in her lungs. She glanced at her new blades, and the back at where she had left the two. She felt strange, leaving behind something that had originated in Skyrim, and couldn't shake the feeling that she would never see the two again. Gandalf's comment about her return seemed strange, like he was thinking far too far ahead.
She had come to terms with her immortality long ago, having learned to live life a few days at a time. In all honesty, she didn't know what she would do after they defeated the dragon. Certainly, she would explore Middle-Earth, searching for the Barrows and Word Walls, and possible hiding dragons.
She was brought out of her musings when Gandalf approached the Hobbit, before handing him a sword that seemed more like a longish dagger. After a brief conversation, she heard Gandalf say, "The blade is of Elvish make, which means that it will glow blue when Orcs or Goblins are nearby," he explained. Quickly, she glanced down at her own sword, trying to sense any latent magic energy in her own weapon.
"I've never used a sword in my life!" the Hobbit exclaimed.
"And I hope you never have to," Gandalf said, trying to give him some wise advice. "But if you do, remember this: True courage is about knowing not when to take a life, but when to spare one."
Brænna sighed, thinking, A lesson everyone should be taught when given a weapon. If only someone had told me when I was starting out, then maybe the lives of many could've been spared.
Striding toward the Hobbit, she said, "Though we both hope the sword will stay sheathed, It is better you learn how to use it efficiently. I can train you on the basics, and if you show promise, more advanced things. I'm certain others in the company would be willing to help as well."
Bilbo was about to object, when she heard something crashing heavily through the forest.
"Something's coming!" Thorin hollered and the Dwemer gathered quickly, circling up.
"Gandalf! Brænna! I-" Bilbo started, but Brænna had already dragged him into the centre of the circle, forming up with the rest of the Dwarves.
"Stay together!" Gandalf cried, standing defensively. "Hurry now, Arm yourselves!"
When Gandalf had mentioned his wizard friend was eccentric, Brænna certainly hadn't expected a disheveled-looking man with bird droppings in his hair screaming about thieves, fire and murder.
She glanced around at her companions, wondering if this were a regular occurrence, but they seemed as confused as she was. Even the wizard himself looked confused at his fellow colleague's appearance.
"Radagast! Radagast the Brown. What on earth are you doing here?" Gandalf asked, sheathing his blade, the rest of the company following suit.
"I was looking for you, Gandalf!" the brown wizard cried. "Something's wrong. Something's terribly wrong!"
"Yes?" Gandalf asked apprehensively.
Radagast opened his mouth to speak, only to shut it as if he had forgotten what he was to say. He stammered a few times, before saying, "Oh, just give me a minute. Um, oh! I had a thought, and now I've lost it! It was, it was right there on the tip of my tongue!" he said, before going crosseyed looking down. OH, it's not a thought at all! It's a silly old-"
Gandalf reached forward, pulling out a distressed-looking insect waving its long legs around
"Stick insect!" Radagast finished, taking the bug.
She shuddered in disgust, remembering the many times she'd eaten bug parts for potion effects.
Now that the crisis was over, Gandalf and Radagast retreated from the group, and Bilbo stepped toward her with his new sword.
"Do… do you honestly think I can use this blade?" he asked.
"It's not a question of can, any creature with arms and a brain can, but I will teach you to use it well. I suspect that with training, even you can be a master of the blade," she said with a comforting smile.
Shyly, the Hobbit said, "You should do that more often."
"Do what?"
"Smile. It makes you look friendlier, and happier." he said, looking down at his lap.
Brænna gave a rueful chuckle. "When you live as long as I have, master Baggins, it becomes harder to find things to smile about. There is so much darkness in the world it seems pitiful to fight against it and you want to lie down and give up," she said, before noticing his worried expression. "But," she continued, "It is for folks like you that people like me continue the quest to eliminate that darkness. The sacrifice of one so others do not have to suffer the same fate and pain."
"You don't have to do it alone, though," a familiar voice said behind them. The pair turned around to see the two Brothers Durin listening in on their conversation. "You have us to help," Fíli continued.
Laughing, giving them a mocking hard look, she said, "Don't you know it's rude to eavesdrop?"
Kíli gave her a look, clearly wanting answers, but Fíli shrugged and said, "Never stopped us before," causing the other three to laugh.
"They're taking a long time, I wonder what they're talking about?" Bilbo said, looking after the two wizards.
Radagast had just finished telling his tale of Dol Guldur, and handed him a cloth-wrapped package. Peeking at the contents, Gandalf gave him a look of shock and concern.
"That is not from the world of the living," the Brown wizard hissed, before looking over his shoulder at the half-elf. "Gandalf," he asked. "Who is that woman you travel with?"
In surprise at the sudden change of topic, Gandalf answered, "Hm? Oh, that is Brænna Stormcrown, of Skyrim. A wood-elf and a powerful sorceress. I've asked her to travel with us due to her rather… special set of skills. Some of the Dwarves don't like her much, but she has been of significant help to us so far."
Squinting in her direction, Radagast said, "But why is there so… many of her?" he asked in confusion.
"Pardon?" Gandalf asked.
"There is something strange about her. A vicious power lies within her, dangerous and waiting, unlike anything I have ever seen. I would advise great caution. I see you trust her, but something does not sit right with me about her."
Completely confused, Gandalf was about to ask exactly what he meant by the statement, when a low, guttural howl was heard from nearby, shifting their attention.
In an instant, the Wood Elf in question had an arrow nocked, small sparks arcing off the tip, the Dragonbone bow heavy in her hands. She'd known she hadn't seen the last of the oversized wolves, but it was strange for it to attack so soon, and in broad daylight no less.
"Was that a wolf? Are there wolves out there?" Bilbo asked, his voice shaking.
"Wolves?" Bofur responded, almost panicking. "No, that is not a wolf."
Brænna stared at the Dwarf, bowstring slackening, before a snap and a snarl made her whip around to see a massive creature, a cross between a sabercat and a wolf jumping toward the company. She took careful aim, using the moments the creature was in the air before shooting a dragonbone arrow through the not-wolf's eye. Instantly, sparks arced all over its body, and it howled in pain and rage. As it landed, near-paralyzed, Thorin finished it off with a swing of his new blade to its head. Another wolf appeared behind him, leaping at the leader of the company before Kíli shot an arrow itno its shoulder. It stumbled right into the path of Dwalin's hammer, which crushed its skull.
Brænna finally learned the name of the creatures when Thorin shouted, "Warg Scouts! An orc pack is not far behind."
With a chill down her spine, Bilbo echoed her thoughts, asking aloud, "Orc pack?"
"Who did you tell about your quest, beyond your kin?" Gandalf asked angrily.
Confused, Thorin looked at the wizard before saying, "No one."
Yelling now, Gandalf asked, "Who did you tell?!"
"No one I swear!" the Dwarf answered. "What in Durin's name is going on?"
To the dismay of everyone, Gandalf answered, "You are being hunted."
Brænna snarled, and Kíli looked at her worriedly. Had there been only one or two more "Wargs," she would've been able to help them take them out easily. An entire pack? A nightmare. And an orc pack besides?
"We have to get out of here," Dwalin said.
"We can't!" Ori called, charging out of the bushes. "We have no ponies; they bolted!"
Damn it to Oblivion, she thought. Now we have to face them.
Just before she was about to offer the same, Radagast said, "I'll draw them off."
"These are Gundabad Wargs," Gandalf said, turning to his fellow Wizard. "They will outrun you!"
With a glimmer of mischief in his eye, Radagast answered, pointing to his sled. "These are Rhosgobel Rabbits! I'd like to see them try!"
"Fine, but do not take unnecessary risks!" Gandalf replied before turning to the company. "The rest of you, follow me. We must get in position to run to the other side,"
The other side of what? Brænna thought, before she saw a rather large open plain ahead.
Gandalf urged them to hide behind a particularly large rock as the howls echoed over the plain and throughout the nearby forest. She gripped her bow, not trusting the plan to really work, and not quite comfortable with her new swords yet.
She caught sight of several large wargs with strange creatures atop them, wearing crudely-forged armor. The "Orcs" of this land, she assumed. Seeing the poor quality of the armor gave her hope of a fighting chance if Radagast should fail. Speaking of…
Radagast yelled behind him as the orcs began to give chase of his sled. "Come and get me! Ha ha!"
"Come on!" the grey wizard urged.
They darted between outcroppings and boulders, Brænna making sure to stay near the back just in case someone fell behind she could help. She looked away from the group to see a Warg crash over its rider having come too close to Radagast's sled. She and the company stopped completely as the Wargs neared, and they hid behind a nearby rock.
"Stay together," Gandalf called to the company.
Thorin ordered a move once the Wargs were far enough away, having noticed the circling path Radagast was leading the Orcs on. Once, though, Ori ran ahead of the group, having not noticed when the rest of them stopped, and was quickly yanked back by Gandalf.
As the threat passed once again, Gandalf urged a move. Brænna heard Thorin ask where the Wizard was leading them, a note of suspicion in his voice, but he received no answer. They continued running and hiding for a while before they stopped beneath a large boulder to catch their breath. She froze when she heard claws on stone and a sword being unsheathed. Obviously, she hadn't been the only one as Thorin ordered Kíli to get rid of Orc and Warg. Kíli readied his arrow, taking a deep breath before quickly stepping out and shooting the pair. She knew he had missed when the Warg screeched, tumbling down.
Still, the company made short work of the pair and for a moment, there was silence. She prayed to all the Divines and Daedra that they were lucky and the fight wasn't heard.
Those hopes were shattered as she heard guttural shouting and the howls of approaching wargs.
Knowing they were spotted, Gandalf yelled, "Move! RUN!"
They no longer hid as they tried to make their escape, trusting Gandalf in his directions. Knowing they were hopeless, Brænna whispered to the wind. As much as it pained her to reveal her friend so soon, they needed help.
"Odahviing! Fly fast, we're in trouble."
The Wargs began to run them down, and Gandalf redirected their course to a large lichen-covered rock. Then, they realized they were surrounded.
"There's more coming!" Kíli shouted, having arrived just before Brænna.
"Brænna! Kíli! Shoot them!" Thorin shouted.
Both archers' bowstrings hummed in the air as they fired arrow after arrow into the hides of the Wargs and the weaks spots in Orcish armor. Glancing around, Brænna asked, "Where's Gandalf?" when she realized he'd disappeared.
"He has abandoned us!" she heard Dwalin cry as she stepped back toward the rest of the dwarves.
"Hold your ground!" Thorin yelled as he readied his sword.
Gandalf's head popped up from a crack in the rock and yelled at them. "This way, you fools!"
Alerting the others to the hiding place, Thorin ordered all of them in. Finishing a Warg off with a quick arrow, Thorin slew its rider, giving her a nod of thanks.
Surprised at the gesture, she was about to remark on it, when her attention was caught by the raven-haired Archer when his uncle shouted, "Kíli! Run!"
Kíli shot one more arrow toward the closest Warg, taking out its rider before making a run to the crevice. He was halfway there when his boot caught a rock, causing him to fall.
She cursed in every language she knew, reaching for an arrow, only to find her quiver empty. She spotted a red glint in the sky, but it would be far too late before Odahviing arrived to help. There was only one thing she could do.
Shoving Thorin into the crack, she sprinted toward the felled Dwarf who was attempting to clamber to his feet. Brænna cried, "GET DOWN!" to him before leaping over his body, facing the Wargs directly. Thinking out a quick prayer of protection for the company, she reached deep within her Draconic soul, stirring the creatures who had become one with her.
In unison they woke, hissing, snarling for supremacy. Her throat grew hot and she felt her breathing grow heavy.
"Yesssssssssss…" they hissed. "Release our fury!"
"YOL! TOOR SHUL!" she shouted, a massive inferno blasting from her mouth, instantly charring all that stood in her path. Kíli was shocked at the devastation, and suddenly it clicked what the carving back in the cave had been. The Wargs and Orcs stopped as they approached, terrified that nearly a quarter of their group had been burnt to a crisp by a single female elf.
"Brænna?" Kíli asked shakily, reaching out a hand.
His blood turned to ice when his friend turned around.
Her eyes were glowing, unrecognizing and serpentine, her face locked in a bestial snarl.