Just as full dark began to descend on the company, Thorin called for us to stop. I knew I would have to explain myself soon and I wasn't looking forward to it. As Bombur and Bofur prepared dinner for everyone, I helped Fili and Kili get the ponies settled in.
I was so focused on how I was going to explain everything to the people that had welcomed me in with open arms that I hadn't noticed I was brushing the same spot on my pony until Fili shook my shoulder.
"Are you alright, lass," he asked looking at me with concern etched on his face.
I nodded. "Just a lot on my mind is all. Nothing to worry about."
Just then Bofur called us over for dinner and we headed back to join the others. As bowls were passed around to everyone I gratefully accepted mine and then headed to the shadows to sit in silence on a fallen log until Balin and Thorin decided it was time. As expected both were the first to finish their meal. After handing back their bowls to Bofur, Balin walked over to me.
"Whenever you are ready lass," he said before rejoining Thorin at his spot near the fire.
Not everyone had noticed that Balin had talked to me and for that I was grateful. It gave me an opportunity to figure out how I would start telling my life story. As I sat staring in to the fire, I figured out what I had to do. I set my bowl down on the ground next to me and started listening to the fire. It was the very first element that I had learned to control and listening to the flicker of the flames was like listening to the beat of my own heart.
Eventually the fire noticed my presence and began to listen to my whisperings. I slowly stood up and as I did the fire grew taller, more fierce. I extended my right hand a small section of the fire rose away from the main fire and gathered in my hand. This had gotten the attention of everyone in the camp at this point.
They stared at me silent and waiting. It was then that I began my story to the others, playing with the fire to control my nervousness. "I'm not full fae. My father was a guard of the Elders back in the Western Kingdom but my mother was an elf, from where I do not know."
After I had mentioned the Elfish blood in my veins I saw that Thorin was getting upset. He stood up and walked to a nearby tree to lean on it.
"Because of my bloodline the Elders weren't very accepting of my father and I after that. My mother had died giving birth to me so thankfully she didn't have to live with the scorn of the Elders. When I was about 30 years old my father died. Because of that I grew up with a son of one of the Elders. His name was Reagan and once his father decided to retire to the western seas he would take over and head the Elder Council. Every fae is trained in the arts of fighting and each of us has our own special skill set. There's archery, sword fighting and very rarely the use of the dual blades. Reagan was a master at the bow and I am highly skilled at the use of the dual blades. But every so often a fae is born with a natural talent that doesn't involve fighting skills. Generally these skills are for healing or being able to see the truth behind anothers words. However I'm the exception. I was born with the ability to control fire, and eventually water and air. I'm still working on earth. It's as stubborn as I am sometimes. I can also….see. Sometimes when I hear of things that happened in the past I can see it as if I was there. Sometimes I can see the future and what is to come. Once a fae has mastered their specific skills in fighting or other abilities than they go through an ancient ceremony that enables them to have a set of armor to use that is meant only for them to enhance their abilities. Because I'm half elf I could never go through this ceremony.
About two months ago I was on border patrol with Reagan. There had been sightings of orcs on our southern border and it was necessary to evaluate and eliminate the threat because orcs are our mortal enemies. They coat their blades with a substance that is poisonous to us fae and will quickly kill us if we don't use a special herb blend to slow the spread of the poison. But anyway, we were less than a half day travel from our southern border when we noticed smoke coming from our outpost. Reagan and I increased our pace and when we arrived the fae stationed there had already been taken prisoner and the orcs were ravaging through our supplies. Reagan and I managed to take out the orcs there and freed our companions but we weren't paying enough attention because we were soon ambushed by the rest of the orc party that had been lying in wait for the ones Reagan and I had killed. The two fae stationed at the outpost were killed with arrows from the orcs. Reagan and I fought them off for as long as we could but Reagan wasn't as skilled with the sword as I was and was soon defeated by the orcs. I eventually killed the rest but was too late to give Reagan the herbs that would save his life because by the time I got to him the poison had already reached his heart. I held him in my arms as he faded. Because he died in my presence the Elders used it as a reason to finally rid themselves of me. I was banished because they felt that I had let him die on purpose. Even though I… nevermind.
That's my story. Take it as you will. But know, that I cannot stop traveling eastward until I can no longer feel the pull of my old home."
With that I finished my tale. It felt like it had taken forever to tell my story when in reality it was only about ten minutes or so. The dwarves in the company were quiet. Gandalf sat silently smoking on his pipe glancing between me and Thorin.
Eventually Balin asked the first question. "Why didn't you tell us this when we first met back in the Shire?"
I sighed. "I was afraid. I had been held at knife point and I had always been scared that if people knew of my gifts that I would be kept as a prisoner and used as a weapon. My gifts are just that. Gifts from the ancients that created this world. They entrusted me with them and I don't plan on betraying that trust either by choice or through force."
It was then that Fili spoke up. "If you are so skilled at using these dual blades then how come you don't carry any with you?"
"When I returned to our central city after Reagan died I was stripped of my weapons and locked in a cell. During the trial and sentencing it was determined that I was no longer worthy to carry weapons and was forbidden from taking any with me," I answered.
Again silence. For some reason I just knew that from here on out any decision regarding whether or not I traveled any farther with this company of dwarves would be up to Thorin. And he had yet to say anything. Bofur came up to me and took my empty bowl and started gathering the others to get them washed. As he did the other dwarves started to prepare their bed rolls. I stayed where I was waiting for Thorin to speak.
Eventually he turned around and strode over to me and sat down next to me on the fallen log. "You can stay with us until we reach the Misty Mountains. Then you must go on your own." And with that he walked away again.
There was a tree nearby and I decided to climb up and settle myself in on the branches. I knew that sleep would be hard to come by this night with everything I had revealed. Perhaps the stars would reveal my destiny this night if I climbed high enough even though they had yet to do so in the past. All I wanted was to know where my path would be leading.
