Chapter 10: The Fourth Encounter Part: V

"Thyra come on," Sigurd encouraged as she tried to rouse the girl from sleep.

Kili had been watching Sigurd for the past ten minutes as she gently tried and failed to wake the slumbering girl. As time went on, an uncharacteristically agitated expression came to Sigurd's face. Getting fed up with her passive approach she thrust her thumb none too gently into the middle of Thyra's back. The girl let out a grunt of pain but did not budge.

"Thyra I know your awake!"

When there was no reply Sigurd threw her hands into the air and let out a groan of defeat.

"What's wrong?" Kili asked as he finally approached her.

Sigurd's eyes moved from Thyra to him and she slumped in stature.

"We have chores to do and Thyra won't wake up," she said, sending a glare at the girls back.

Kili looked at the small body that somehow took up the entirety of the cot as Thyra lay spread out in every direction with her face planted into her pillow.

"Let me try," he suggested helpfully.

Sigurd gave him an unsure look but finally nodded her head and indicated to the sleeping girl in invitation for him to try.

Kili walked confidently up the Thyra's cot and moved to touch her. For one moment, just before he made contact, he felt as though he was about to poke a sleeping bear. But he wanted to be helpful to Sigurd so he swallowed down the feeling and shook the girls shoulder.

"Rise and shine Thyra. The sun is up and the early bird gets the worm," he chimed optimistically.

Thyra bolted up and Kili was pulled down by the collar of his shirt until he was nose to nose with Thyra.

The dark charcoal that lined her eyes was smeared from a night of hard slumber. Combined with the purple bruises on her cheeks, it gave the illusion of hollowed cheeks and sunken eyes, making her look ghoulish.

Kili let out a high pitched screech as he instinctively tried to pull away from the haunting sight. But he only felt himself being pulled closer as he was forced to look straight into her eyes. They were an oxymoron; icy dark pools that burned brightly as she growled at him.

"The early bird may get the worm, but it is the early risen bug that dies," she seethed in a raspy voice. "I suggest you disappear little cockroach before I end you."

Her dark threat was ended as she forcefully pushed him away and buried herself back under the covers.

Kili stood shaking as if he had just been approached by a demon that had risen from the darkest depths of the underworld. He looked to Sigurd who was staring at him wide eyed.

"Maybe it would be better if I helped you instead," he suggested, doing his best to keep his voice steady.

His eyes flashed across the room to where Fili was standing with his hand on his sword and glaring at Thyra.

"And Fili can help as well," he suggested, thinking it wise to keep the two distant from each other.

He looked back to Sigurd and gave her an optimistic smile.

"That way you can be done even faster and Thyra can get her rest. I am sure she is just recovering from yesterday."

Kili swore he heard the hum of agreement come from Thyra's direction but chose not to look at her. He was positive he would be avoiding any contact with the girl for quite some time until the image of her demonic eyes no longer haunted him. He wondered if that would ever be possible in any near future.

"Are you sure?" Sigurd asked hesitantly. "Its cleaning out the stalls."

Kili did his best to keep from grimacing as he pasted a forced smile on his face.

"Of course," he agreed. "Let's just not mention that fact to Fili until after he has agreed."

"Why is it that every time we make a bet, no matter what the outcome, it seems to always end up with in my favor?"

Asha looked up from her desk to see Thorin standing in the doorway.

"You said you wanted to speak about the details in the morning," he explained, indicating the morning sunlight that flowed behind him. "I am assuming that you have certain requirements and demands?"

Asha nodded as she sat back and indicated the vacant seat across from her. As Thorin stepped forward and took his seat, Asha folded her hands and looked down at her lap while she pondered how to begin. She looked up to find Thorin staring at her softly.

"Gandalf explained to me the urgency that you have to get to the mountain before Durin's day."

"Aye," Thorin nodded.

"And I assume you will be taking the Mirkwood road to accomplish such a feat?"

Thorin nodded again, causing Asha to bite her lip thoughtfully as she processed this information.

"I can't risk taking my army through such a place." she finally responded. "That place is not right and it is too dangerous, especially for large numbers. Perhaps smaller groups can easily pass through without being detected by what lurks in the dark forest, but an entire army would be too much."

"I cannot take another way," Thorin defended. "It would take too long."

Asha nodded in agreement.

"And I understand that. That is why I will not ask you to. Instead I will take my group around while you travel through. We should still make good timing and be there in time to aid you in the aftermath of what is to come from venturing within the mountain."

Thorin nodded his head in agreeance to everything she had so far proposed.

However," she added, "I wish to send Thyra and Sigurd along with your group."

"Why?" He questioned. Not necessarily out of disagreement but only curiosity.

"Call it a...reassurance policy," she said. "I want to make sure that this is a cause worthy of the lives that will be risked."

"Why those two?"

Asha shrugged.

"Thyra has the skills to not slow you down and she has exceptional skills at scouting out dangers. Like Thyra, Sigurd will keep up and her healing skills will be of useful. But I send her more because of Thyra."

"Is Thyra going to be a problem?"

Asha shook her head.

"No. She will be under strict order to listen to you and she will obey flawlessly, however as skilled as she is she has her flaws. Communication is not exactly her best feat. She knows Westron well enough but she is not perfect. If she gets too frustrated or under pressure she tends to struggle. Sigurd can help should that ever happy. She is not entirely fluent but she had learned enough that she will be able to get by. She is also the best when it comes to dealing with Thyra's personality. It can come off as a bit…abrasive to those not used to her," she finished. "Sigurd is like that spoonful of sugar and bit of cream in your coffee to make the bitterness a bit easier to swallow."

Thorin thought for a moment. He had his concerns such as Sigurd's soft nature. And while Thyra had fighting skills, he had also seen the way she and his nephew failed to get along. He did not like the idea of contention within his group but he believed that his nephew would not lower himself to bickering. Fili could be depended on to not let their contention effect the company's journey. And with the assurance of Asha's promising Thyra would behave, along with Sigurd's presence, he found himself able to accept their coming with him.

"Very well," he agreed. "What else?"

Asha lifted a brow.

"You assume I have more demands?"

Thorin looked at her with a tilt of his head.

"Are there no more?" He asked.

Asha smirked.

"I still want the opportunity of my men and women to be able to settle in Erebor should they wish, I want the guild to always be granted supplies in the future should we call for it, and I want the ability to back out anytime without any ramifications that would soil the reputation of the guild."

Thorin pondered her demands.

"I can agree to most but I must make an amendment on offering settlement to your people. You know the laws of our people. I can agree to any dwarf settling in Erebor but any other race I cannot allow. However, I can offer them lands outside of the stronghold."

Asha nodded and stood up as she held her hand out.

"It is an agreement," she said as Thorin did the same and shook her hand. "Oh, one more thing."

"Yes?"

"You are welcome to stay however long you want, but you will participate in chores and tasks that are needed to be done. Everyone pulls their own weight around here and you will not be an exception."

Thorin nodded.

"Just tell us what to do and it shall be done."

To say Fili was unhappy, was an understatement. He had just spent the entire morning with a scarf wrapped around his nose and mouth that did little to keep the smell away.

Sigurd had offered him an oil to put on the scarf to help with the smell but the moment he found out it was a mixture of Thyra's, he had denied the offering. He regretted it later but he was too proud to rectify his situation.

He wanted nothing to do with the girl. She bothered him by always finding a way to be on his mind. It was now almost to the point that it had become obsessive. What bothered him the most was that he could never truly find a legitimate reason to dislike her.

Perhaps it was their first interaction, they had literally started off on the wrong foot when she had flipped him to the ground. Or maybe it was her lack of effort in remembering his name. There was no telling the real reason earlier, but that inability to pin print the reason was in the past. Because at this very moment, as he dug bucket fulls of what he knew to not just be dirt, he found a reason to loathe her.

She was the reason why he was doing this. She was the one who had been the lazy sloth that woke up on the wrong side of the continent. It was her actions that caused him to be in such a position. His boots and trousers where soiled and he was sure no amount of washing would free them of the stench seeping into the fabric of his clothing.

And the happy humming and cheerful conversation of Sigurd and Kili did nothing to improve his dark cloud of a mood.

By the time they finished with cleaning out the manure and laid out fresh straw for the livestock, it was lunchtime. After washing up and scouring every inch of his body with the harshest soap he could find, Fili hoped that with a full belly, his sour mood would improve.

However, as the sloppy mess of lumpy brown stew that had a consistency closely resembling his earlier morning task, Fili instantly lost his appetite.

After lunch they were chored with helping in the kitchen by cleaning up after lunch and then helping with preparations for dinner. Just before dinner they were tasked with laundry. This last chore of the day was not as vile as his earlier tasks, but after being bent over for two hours as he rinsed and scrubbed dirty sheets, his back ached.

Needless to say, by the time it got to dinner and he was sitting down to the highlight of his day, a simple meal of bread, mutton, and brussel sprouts, his mood had yet to really improve. But when Sigurd informed them that their duties for the day had been finished and they had the rest of the night to do as they pleased, there was a small spark of improvement to his mood.

Unfortunately before the spark could take flame, the heavy clatter of a plate being carelessly tossed onto the table, followed by Thyra's presence descending upon them, that spark was extinguished.

He looked at her as she wordlessly began eating. She had heavy bags under her bloodshot eyes and looked as though she had just woken up. The swelling of her injuries had decreased significantly but the dark bruises were still there as well as the cut that would obviously scar on her forehead.

Fili's eyes trailed down her arms taking in the other accumulated bruises but stopped when he came to crook of her left arm. A dark line had been inked and then split to branch and taper off farther down her mid arm. It reminded him of a bolt of lightning across the sky.

He remembered seeing it back in Rivendale but if memory served him, there had only been two lines that branched off from the main line. What had grabbed his attention was the fact that there were now three branches feeding from the main line. The red and irritated skin around the fresh looking ink told him that this line was in fact a new addition. And given the freshness of the tattoo, he could only assume it had been done today. His mood darkened even more.

While he had been shoveling feces and scrubbing pots, she had been sleeping and getting herself tattoos. He lifted his eyes to meet hers and glared.

Feeling his stare, Thyra looked up to meet his eyes. Her expression was one uncaring of the dark look he was giving her.

This only served to aggravate Fili even more. He opened his mouth to question her actions but she spoke first, her head turning to the side to address someone else.

"Siggy," she called.

At first both Fili and Kili where confused as to whom she was speaking to, but when Sigurd turned to her at Thyra's call, it became obvious. What did not make sense was the fact that Thyra was using a nickname to address Sigurd. The trait did not seem to pair up with her characteristics.

"The duties are done?" Thyra asked when she saw that she had gained her attention.

Sigurd nodded.

"Yes, Fili and Kili were kind enough to help and everything was completed earlier than expected.

Thyra nodded and stood from her seat having finished her meal.

"Very well, I go sleep," she said, her accent thicker than usual in her groggy state.

Fili's brow furrowed. She had given no thanks or even a look of recognition for what Sigurd, his brother, and himself had done for her.

"No thanks necessary," Fili muttered sarcastically under his breath, not sure if he truly meant for her to hear or not.

However, Thyra's hearing was much keener than he thought and her attention moved to him before she had made a move to leave.

"I know," she said bluntly.

Fili was taken aback by her lack of manners. While he himself did not care if she thanked him or not, her lack of appreciation to Sigurd did not impress.

"It is usually proper etiquette to be appreciative and acknowledge a service that has been done for you," he tutored. "Or do you not have civil manors in the east?"

Kili kicked out at his brother from beneath the table. But aside from the small wince of pain, the warning went unnoticed as Fili continued to stare down Thyra, determined to get some sort of acknowledgement. Fili never expected praise from others, but there was something about Thyra's blatant rudeness that got under his skin and provoked him.

Thyra's dark eyes stared tiredly back at him as she tilted her head to the side thoughtfully.

"We have many manners and rules of etiquette in my lands. However I see no need for them at the moment. I did not ask you to help, therefore, I owe nothing."

Fili frowned but said nothing in reply as she walked away.

"I appreciated the help," Sigurd assured him once Thyra was gone. "As I am sure Thyra is too. So just does not express her thanks very often...at least not verbally. I am sure she will find her own way later."

Fili gave her a doubtful look and shook his head.

"There is no need for you to thank us. You yourself did the work and was the one who cared for her injuries last night."

Sigurd gave him a small smile and nodded. An awkward silence then fell upon them until finally Kili spoke up.

"So Siggy, huh?"

Sigurd gave a more genuine smile at the name and nodded.

"It's what Thyra has called me nearly ever since we first meet. Asha says its because she connected with me and it's her way of endearment to our friendship but honestly...I think it is because Thyra butchered my name so badly when I first introduced myself that she only calls me that because she could never get my name right."

Kili smiled.

"I like it, it suits you."

Sigurd's smile widened even more.

"Then if you wish you may call me that as well."

Kili grinned as he nodded in agreement before finishing his meal eagerly so that he could be given a tour of camp that had been promised by Sigurd earlier that day.

It was not her intention to spend any more time than necessary with him.

But as the day went on and reports became fewer, Asha soon found herself making her way towards the smithery where she watched Thorin work from afar. He had shed his coat and now only wore a thin tunic with the sleeves rolled up as he labored over the hot furnace. His focus was entirely on shaping the hot iron into its correct form. It was only a simple mending of a pot worn thin, but Asha could tell he was putting just as much care and deliverance into it as he would a fine sword.

He was just as handsome as ever. His age showed with the greying stripes in his hair and beard but his physical shape was as she always remembered, strong and proud. Even has sweat poured down his forehead he still carried himself in away that would tell any passerby that this man was more than just a blacksmith.

"So the rumors are true, you became a blacksmith," Asha stated, causing Thorin to pause in his work.

Sticking his handy work into the vate of cool water that resulted in an eruption of steam, he added his work to the pile of finished products and walked towards her.

Asha handed him a ladle of water from the barrel she was standing next to and he gratefully accepted it. Refilling the ladle, Thorin settled himself on an empty stool next to Asha as they both fell silent and watched the others work.

"Gendal told me your skills are impeccable. Perhaps if this quest does not turn out I could persuade you to join the ranks," Asha amused after a while.

A soft smile adorned his lips at her comment but he said nothing in reply.

Together they sat in the hustle and bustle of the smithery. Chaos of hammers striking against metal and the radiating heat of the forge that came in waves with each blow of the bellows enveloped them. The drowning noise became their companion as they sat peacefully and watched the other workers as their minds mused over the what ifs, what could haves, and what should haves of their lives.

"Why did you not come to me?" Thorin finally asked softly.

He looked at her as he awaited his answer. Asha was looking down at her hands laid out in her lap as her teeth worried her bottom lip in thought.

"I suppose I was afraid at first. Your last words were not exactly the most inviting…"

"You know I did not mean them," Thorin quickly interjected.

Asha nodded.

"Yes, I do now. But at the time I was not in my right mind. Nor were those who survived with me, and I could not abandon them."

"There was something not right about going back into civilization immediately. We had trauma, anger, and loss to cope with. So we decided that we would create something worth living for. We knew there would never be recovery from our fall but we wanted to prevent it from happening to others. So we made a life, established some rules, and built the guild."

She looked up at him.

"I have to admit, there were many times over the years that I was tempted to seek out the famed Thorin Oakenshield. If but to just catch a glimpse. But each time we traveled near the blue mountains I could not bring myself to go through with it. I once managed to get to the front gates of Ered Luin. But before I could step foot into the city I was enveloped with cowardice."

Thorin took a moment to process this. She had been so close to him and he had not even known it.

There were times in his life, rare moments when he would feel small tugs that urged to stop what he was doing and follow their pull. But he had always ignored them and wrote them off as his imagination.

Now, he wondered if it were perhaps something more, something of Mahal's doing that could have drawn him to her. Had he just followed, just one time, would he have found her much sooner?

His moment of thinking was stopped when Asha continued.

"We have certain rules within the guild to keep things in order. One of them is to leave the past in the past. We do not question and we do not speak about things before our time with the guild. We call ourselves the Guild of the Lost for a reason. We want to remain unfound by what haunts us."

She looked up at him.

"It may seem like an unconventional way of coping and perhaps it does nothing to heal our turmoil, but it works for us. Only if a person is willing to share and another willing to listen do we speak our histories aloud. And we only share others pasts before the guild when given permission. I obviously broke those rules the other day and I regret my words. They were said in anger."

Thorin avoided her eyes now.

"We say many things in anger. I have yet to meet a person who did not regret uttered words in those circumstances."

He looked back up to see her watching him closely. A look of agreeance was written on her face as she nodded.

"We may not have had the most lucky of shared past…" she paused a moment as if hesitant to continue. "But perhaps...we could start anew, as fellow leaders in the world. It may not be as we originally imagined it. But maybe our families could finally come into some sort of friendship…"

Her tone was unsure but when Thorin's face turned up into the smallest of smiles and gave a nod, she could not help but beem up at him.

Seeing her like this made Thorin's heart accel. It was as if it were reminding him that this was not what he truly desired. But Thorin knew he was not one to be privileged with pickiness. He would take what he could get. Friendship was already above what he deserved with her.

"Friends?" he asked holding out a hand.

Asha looked up at him and slowly placed a small hand that once had always been smooth but was now rough and calloused into his. She nodded.

"Friends," she agreed and in that moment Asha began to think that perhaps, just maybe, it would not be so bad if Thorin met her son.

His son.

Their son.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .