It was getting close to midday when Bilbo started to complain about being hungry.
"When are we going to stop for dinner," he asked loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Bilbo, I don't think we are stopping," I told him.
As if to reiterate my point Bofur tossed an apple back to Bilbo. Others were doing the same. I couldn't help but laugh at the look on Bilbo's face. It wasn't hard to tell that Bilbo wasn't expecting life on the road to literally be spent doing everything on the road.
The rest of the day was uneventful. We left the Shire completely behind us and moved on into Bree. Towards the end of the day we were completely gone from anything that Bilbo or I knew. Even if I had wanted to run away from this group, I probably wouldn't get very far. They knew this area far better than I. In a sense I was completely at their mercy. We traveled for miles. We only stopped for two small trips to rest the ponies and to stretch our legs. I could tell by the pace that Thorin was making us take that this journey meant a lot to him. To every one of the dwarves I was travelling with.
That night we made camp on a small out cropping of rock. The ponies were kept close by so as to ensure that they wouldn't wander off. Bombur, by far the biggest dwarf in the company was tasked with fixing dinner. As jobs were divvied up, those who weren't busy with a task began to choose where they would sleep for the night. Having been used to sleeping in high places I chose a flat area on the rocky outcropping that served as the face of the small mountain. Fili and Kili chose the area right below me, Thorin in the path I would have to use to climb down, Gandalf by the tree, and the others chose random places. I knew why Thorin chose the spot he did. He wanted to make sure he could keep an eye on me.
As we settled in for dinner, darkness surrounded us. Small chatter was made while everyone ate a bowl, in some cases two or three, of the stew that Bombur and Bofur had made together. Afterwards we all settled in for the night. Bombur was one of the first to fall asleep. Nervous as I was being in a new land I had a hard time relaxing enough to even attempt sleep.
I wasn't the only one having a hard time. Unaccustomed to life on the road, Bilbo could not seem to get comfortable enough to sleep. Not that Bombur's snoring was in any way relaxing. Bilbo quickly stood up, frustrated with how things were and headed over to the ponies, thinking that he could sneak one of them, his pony, a apple without being noticed. That was when we all heard the high pitched squealing that made everyone's nerves stand at attention.
"What was that," Bilbo asked heading back towards the small fire we had made, fear only slightly evident on his face.
"Orcs," I answered from my perch above camp. I'd had my fair share of fights with the vile creatures. I knew the sounds of their calls.
"Orcs," Bilbo stated hurrying back towards the fire a little bit faster than before.
"Throatcutters," Fili stated. "There'll be dozens of them out there. The lowlands are crawling with them."
"They strike in the wee small hours of the night when everyone is asleep," Kili added. "Quick and quiet, no screams. Just lots of blood."
Bilbo looked like he was about ready to run all the way back to his home in the Shire. Fili and Kili looked at one another and started to chuckle.
That was when Thorin spoke up. "You think that's funny? You think a night raid by orcs is a joke?"
The brothers were quick to stop laughing and realize their mistake. "We didn't mean anything by it," Kili stated humbled by what Thorin had said.
"No you didn't. You know nothing of the world," Thorin replied and stalked off to the edge of the cliff.
Everyone was silent for awhile after that. It made me question a few things about the brothers that had kept me company for most of the day. They seemed a little to eager to fight and now I knew why. They hadn't yet had to bear witness to the loss of a loved one due to orcs. I shook my head. I was young, but those two were younger.
"Don't mind him laddie," Balin said walking towards the boys and leaning against the rock wall. "Thorin has more cause than most to hate orcs."
The boys had curious looks on their faces when they looked back at Thorin. Balin continued with his story.
"After the dragon took the Lonely Mountain, King Thror tried to reclaim the ancient Dwarf kingdom of Moria. But our enemy had gotten there first."
At Balin's words my mind was thrown back to a time not long before I was born. Glimpses of that battle ran through my head, unbidden by me but drawn by the storytelling skills of Balin. I saw Thorin and a couple of others from our company fighting off the orc army outside the gates of Moria. I curled deeper into the warm cloak I was wearing trying to hide the fact that I was having yet another vision.
"Moria had been taken by legions of orcs, led by the most vile of all their race: Azog the Defiler. The giant Gundabad orc had sworn to wipe out the line of Durin."
I continued to see the story play out in my mind at Balin told the tale. I had heard of Azog before. But I had never known what he looked like until hearing Balin's words. The images my visions brought me were memories of those who had been at that battle.
"He began by beheading the king."
I brought my hands to my head, clawing at my scalp trying to get the visions to stop. But I knew that they wouldn't end until Balin was done with his tale. I could feel Thorin's desperation when he saw that his grandfather had been defeated by Azog. I felt the emotions that passed through each and every dwarf that was there and it was overwhelming me. I suddenly sat up, luckily unnoticed by the others.
"Thrain, Thorin's father, was driven mad by grief. He went missing, taken prisoner or killed we did not know. We were leaderless. Defeat and death were upon us. That is when I saw him." Balin paused with a smile on his face, looking out to where Thorin was standing by the ponies. I could easily tell just how much Thorin meant to Balin in that small moment. I saw it in the past and present.
"A young dwarf prince, facing down the pale orc. He stood alone, against this terrible foe. His armor was bent, wielding nothing but an oaken branch as a shield. Azog the Defiler learned that day, that the Line of Durin would not be so easily broken."
The visions I was having started to fade as Balin finished his tale. The other dwarves seemed in awe of their leader. I knew then that these dwarves would do everything for Thorin.
My mind once again my own I was able to hear Bilbo ask, "The pale orc? What happened to him?"
Thorin provided the answer, "Slunk back to the hole whence he came. That filth died of his wounds long ago."
It was then I noticed that Gandalf was watching me. He must have noticed I was having another vision.
In the distance a small group of orcs stood watching the group of dwarves, the wizard, the Halfling and the girl. One of them smiled to himself. He turned to one of the other orcs there with him.
"Send word to the Master. We have found the dwarf-scum."
The orc smiled even bigger. He was going to be rewarded for this find.
