Today they travelled much like they had the day before, on the ponies for hours, sore rears and little chatting, except today she was Kili's burden to bear. She was enjoying the two brothers' company immensely, something she had not foreseen and would have avoided if she could. When she had to eventually part ways with these dwarves, it would be hard to say goodbye to the rowdy brothers and their handsome smirks and gallant gestures.
Fili was riding solo today, on the pony just behind her and Kili's, and Thessa could hear him strike up a conversation with Gandalf.
She hadn't had many opportunities to talk to the old wizard since she had joined this little company, but she knew somehow that Gandalf was hiding something. She just felt it down to the marrow of her bones that he knew something about her, and she needed to find out what that something was before he blabbed to the rest of the company.
If these dwarves found out who she really was then they might become her new captors, and that could be much worse for her than the one solitary man she had endured before. At least with him, he was seeking payment on behalf of his coconspirators and they had blessedly not accompanied them on their cross-country trek.
These dwarves, though? They'd stick together and it would be much harder to escape the holds of thirteen dwarves, one wizard, and a hobbit, than a singular human man with a love for ale and a mean streak.
To distract her mind from spiraling down that terrifying path, Thessa glanced up at the gray sky and the puffs of darker gray that had been slowly coalescing for the last hour or so. Rain would be coming.
Just as that thought entered her mind, the heavens seemed to open above them and unleash an unholy downpour right atop them. Within seconds, everyone was drenched to the bone and none were spared, not even Gandalf with all his magic could prevent the heavy downpour from seeping into his lengthy robes.
Thessa ran a tired hand across her face to wipe the water from her eyes, and just knew that the clothes, if you could call these rags clothes, would do her no favors in this weather. She probably looked like a drowned seagull.
"Hey, Mr. Gandalf," Dori called from the middle of the group, little droplets falling from the ends of his gray beard. "Can't you do something about this deluge?" Thank the gods someone finally asked what they all had surely been thinking.
"It is raining master dwarf, and it will continue to rain until the rain is done," Gandalf replied with a huff. Well that certainly wasn't the answer she'd been hoping for. "If you wish to change the weather of the world, you should find yourself another wizard."
"Are there any?" Bilbo asked in a small voice from the pony in front of Thessa and Kili's.
"What?" Gandalf gazed curiously at the hobbit diagonal to him.
"Other wizards," he clarified over his shoulder. There was a moment of pause before the wizard answered.
"There are five others. The greatest of our order is Saruman the White, then there are the two blue wizards... you know, I've quite forgotten their names," Gandalf murmured absentmindedly, as if he was recalling a nursery rhyme from his youth. You would think a wizard would remember the names of only five other wizards.
"And who is the fifth?" Bilbo pressed.
"Well that would be Radagast, the Brown."
"Is he a great wizard, or is he... more like you?" asked the hobbit. Bilbo seemed genuinely curious about the other wizards, so much so that he seemed to have missed the little swipe at the gray wizard's ego. Thessa winced in anticipation of Gandalf's retort.
"I think he is a very great wizard, in his own way," Gandalf replied simply, surprising Thessa with his calmness. "He's a gentle soul who prefers the company of animals to others. He keeps a watchful eye over the vast forest lands to the East. And a good thing too, for always evil will look to find a foothold in this world."
Strange, Thessa thought, if it were one of these dwarves Bilbo had said that to, he most certainly would have an ax buried in his skull by now. But that wasn't Gandalf's way. He was calm and collected, and made no mention of the hobbit's little faux pas. Despite her suspicions of the old wizard, he actually wasn't a bad guy, in fact she didn't think she had even heard him raise his voice since she had met him in Bree.
A cold wind whistled through the trees, causing the rain to blow sideways and hit her face at a new, but no less forgiving, angle. She wrapped her arms tight around herself to ward off the sudden chill, but felt her teeth begin to chatter of their own accord. It never got this cold back home, she thought with dismay.
"My dear," Gandalf said as he glanced over at her, "We must find you some more suitable clothes and some shoes, it wouldn't do to have you succumb to the cold before we reach our destination." Thessa chuckled mirthlessly at the old wizard and shivered more violently this time when another breeze blew by.
"Kili!" Thorin's voice boomed from the head of their caravan, causing his nephew to swivel around quickly from where his upper body had been twisted around so he could chat with Fili.
"Give her your cloak." Thorin's eyes connected with her's then, and she could tell by the steely set to them that he meant business. His eyes traveled down to where her arms clutched at the sleeves of her sopping shirt, darkening in what had to be anger at her for being underprepared for the weather.
She sighed heavily, knowing Thorin was probably making another mental strike against her on his ever-increasing list of tallies for things she had done wrong.
They all looked over to Thessa, who had her arms wrapped around herself, after Thorin demanded Kili give the woman his cloak. Her two items of clothing provided little protection from the elements and she was damn near soaked to the bone.
Women didn't survive long in weather like this. The next thing they knew, she'd be sneezing and wheezing before she keeled over, and that would be that. Although, that would solve the whole problem of the woman slowing them down...
No, Thorin shook his head, he would not abide wishing death upon the woman. No matter the inconvenience she presented, she didn't deserve death. And some small part of him knew he would be sad at the loss, as if her no longer being a part of their company would be a great tragedy.
Thorin had to mentally shake himself again. His thoughts surrounding the woman were getting more tangled up by the minute. Half the time he could not piece together where some of his more ludicrous thoughts came from. For instance, how he kind of liked the way the rain had plastered her thin shirt to her body, how the breeze made the two womanly mounds at her chest pebble deliciously in the cold-
Thorin shook his head violently this time, trying to dislodge the unwelcome thoughts and drawing a puzzled look from Balin. He just frowned at the older dwarf and kicked gently at the pony's flank to urge him to pick up their pace. He wanted to get out of this rain, and also avoid any questions he knew Balin might ask.
"Oh, Thessa I'm so sorry! Here!" He heard his nephew say. He chanced a quick look behind him to see Kili wrap his dark brown cloak around Thessalia's shoulders. The woman leaned her head down so that Kili could drape the cloak over her, and a strange look came over him as he studied the back of her neck.
"Thessa, what is that on you neck?" Kili asked. Thorin averted his gaze and trained his eyes forward, knowing Balin's beady little eyes were probably watching him a little too intently. His ears though, were still tuned in to the conversation going on a few ponies behind him.
"Oh that?" Thessalia laughed nervously, "It's just a rune, for protection," she said with a little chuckle.
Thorin glanced back at her against his better judgement, surprise and suspicion in his eyes. Her gaze found his before it darted away quickly. She was lying about that rune, or whatever it was Kili saw on her neck. But why would she lie about something like that? What was she hiding?
"What language is it?" Fili asked, coming up closer beside his brother and leaning over to get a better peek at the rune.
"Uh, Elvish," the woman said hesitantly.
Thorin noticed the moment Gandalf's gaze caught her's. She gave him a pleading look and he watched as Gandalf gave an imperceptible nod of his head and she sent him a grateful one back.
Thorin frowned and faced forward once more. As soon as they stopped, he would be asking Gandalf about the interaction and what he knew about that rune. Because clearly he knew something. Something Thessalia didn't want them to know, and that spelled trouble for the whole company.
"Why would you have an Elvish rune on your neck then, lassie?" Dwalin challenged, ever the confrontational one with little tact. It was obvious that the bald dwarf didn't trust her, and Thorin had to agree with him, although asking such a direct question would only provoke more lies from the woman.
"I just thought it looked elegant, their language is quite artistic," Thessa covered easily, but it wasn't very good.
"I think it looks quite lovely, my dear," Gandalf spoke up, giving her a small wink as he rode on toward the front of the group.
A couple more rain-soaked hours passed by quietly. No one seemed to want to talk over the loud din of the rain as it pelted their faces. Eventually the downpour lessened, bit by bit, until a drizzle finally became a light mist. And then the sun peeked through the clouds once more.
The sunlight wasn't strong or warm enough to dry out their clothes, but it was enough to sway Thorin to call for them to halt for the day to make camp at the first semi-hospitable spot they could find. Which happened to be next to the burnt-out husk of an old farmhouse.
Thessa didn't know why, but the blackened shell of wood and nails made a shiver of fear race down her spine. Something told her that the previous occupants might not have moved on or had a peaceful death, judging by the collapsed roof and scorched earth around the structure.
"There's a stream just a bit that way to bathe in!" Nori called from the edge of the camp, drawing Thessa out of her morbid thoughts.
Thessa studied the dwarf with the strange, almost star-shaped hairstyle and concluded that he was more reserved and observant than the rest of the group. He often scouted around the camp when they stopped to rest and stuck to the shadows mostly, always keeping an eye on Ori. Dori and Nori both kept an eye on the youngest member of the company, and that thought made her miss her mother a little bit more.
"Good," Thorin's deep voice came from somewhere left of her. "Fili, Kili, look after the ponies, make sure you stay with them. Óin, Glóin, get a fire going."
As soon as she heard the word fire, she knew that meant dinner and Thessa's stomach grumbled loudly. She had eaten nothing but bread on the road and had skipped dinner the night before. Her stomach was pitifully empty and she could feel it's angry churning, as if it was punishing her for not feeding it appropriately.
She walked slowly over to where Bombur was setting up the dinner cookware when he noticed her approaching.
"Excuse me, Bomber," Thessa said politely, a sweet smile plastered on her face. "I've noticed that you all enjoy meat in your soup, but I have never been able to eat meat, as it makes me very ill. Would it be alright if I got a bowl of the soup before you put the meat in it?" she asked hopefully. The portly dwarf looked up and gave her a kind smile.
"Of course, Lass! You should have said something sooner! I'll make sure you have something without meat to eat from now on," he replied, his smile pulling up on the two large braids that hung from the sides of his large red beard. Well, that was easier than expected.
"Thank you, Bombur," Thessa sighed in relief and stooped to give the dwarf a hug, grateful that he had been so understanding. The dwarf seemed startled by her reaction for a second before he relaxed and patted her arm in a fatherly gesture.
Thorin strode purposefully over to Gandalf, who stood inside the remnants of the old farm house, his heavy boots sinking into the water-logged grass and absorbing what would have been loud, angry footfalls.
"I think it would be wiser to move on," Gandalf said before Thorin could ask about Thessalia's 'rune of protection'.
"We could make for the hidden valley."
"I told you already," Thorin said gruffly, "I will not go near that place." If there was one thing Thorin hated most, besides dragons and orcs, it was elves.
"Why not? The elves could help us, we could get food, rest, advice," Gandalf argued.
"I do not need their advice," Thorin sneered at the old wizard.
"We have a map that we cannot read, Lord Elrond could help us."
"Help?" Thorin questioned, his fiery anger causing him to forget all about the tattoo issue with the woman.
"When the dragon attacked Erebor, what help came from the elves that day? The orcs plundered Moria, desecrated our sacred halls, while the elves looked on and did nothing!" He hissed. "You ask me to seek help from the people who betrayed my grandfather, who betrayed my father."
"You are neither of them," Gandalf reminded him. "I did not give you that map and key to hold on to the past."
"I did not know that they were yours to keep," Thorin countered with a dark look. Gandalf looked like had had enough at this point, and strode away from the dwarf king before Thorin had a chance to grill him about Thessalia.
"Everything alright?" Bilbo asked as Gandalf blew by him. "Gandalf? Where are you going?"
"To seek the company of the only one around here who's got any sense!"
"Well who's that?" Bilbo asked, appearing slightly insulted.
"Myself, Mr. Baggins! I've had enough of dwarves for one day," Gandalf bellowed as he stalked away from the company and into the trees. Everyone was quiet for a moment or two, but they soon resumed their activities.
Thessa sat on her log for a good while, just watching the company move about the camp.
"Lass, would you be wanting to bathe before supper?" Balin asked as he and some of the other dwarves returned from the stream.
They had finished setting up their impromptu camp half an hour ago. Bombur was nearly done with their supper, Fili and Kili had rounded up and were taking care of the ponies, and the others had organized things or finished whatever little tasks needed to be done. Thessa really didn't know many of the nuances that went into camping in the wilderness.
She had heard earlier that Nori had found that stream just through some trees and some of the dwarves had already taken quick dips in the rushing water after they had finished their delegated work. She may not know much about camping, but she knew that bathing had to be an essential, especially for men. Her nose crinkled as she remembered how Glóin had smelled as he passed by her earlier.
"That would be wonderful!" She nodded vigorously. She needed a bath, desperately, and it would be nice to feel some water slipping through her fingers and hair again. She winced internally as she thought what she had probably smelled like to Kili as they rode all day together. Probably like a bloated whale.
Balin gave her the directions to the stream and she followed them, stepping carefully around twigs and sharper looking rocks as she entered the dense treeline.
"What's so funny?" Bilbo asked hesitantly when he noticed Balin and Glóin's expressions. Balin had a satisfied looking smirk on his old, lined face, while Glóin looked like he knew a secret that he was seconds away from blurting out to anyone who would listen.
"Oh nothing, Bilbo. We just hope the lass likes what she sees," came Glóin's innocent reply as the other dwarves around them burst into loud guffaws.
As Thessa was carefully making her way down toward the river, she noticed that the ground was rather rocky and starting to slope downhill. She tried to pick her way across the uneven ground when a couple of rocks slid out from under her feet. She lost her balance and fell to the ground before tumbling down the embankment and plopping into the stream.
She groaned as she sat up in the water, feeling the river's gentle current grazing over some fresh scratches on her knees and palms.
Huffing with effort, Thessa straightened to her full height, glanced around for any other dwarves, and nodded to herself. Thank the gods nobody saw that.
She contemplated taking her shirt and breeches off so that she could really scrub her skin like it deserved, but that was bearing a little too much skin for her comfortability. But there was something she could uncover that sorely needed a thorough washing.
She glanced around a second time to make sure the coast was clear, and that it was was a blessing because she was about to do something very risky.
The loud splash drew Thorin's attention as he saw someone fall into the water a short distance from where he was washing his hair.
He sucked in a quick breath when Thessalia's kerchief-covered head surfaced and he moved quickly and silently to stand behind a boulder that was large enough to hide his form. This was the last thing he needed, he thought. Although, try as he might, he couldn't help but peer around the boulder over to where the woman had just been.
She looked like she had a few scrapes on her arms and hands from her fall into the river, but she seemed okay otherwise as she rose to her feet.
From behind the boulder, Thorin watched as Thessalia, who had her back to him, brought her hands up to the kerchief around her hair. For some odd reason, Thorin held his breath, as if this were a private moment he was intruding upon, but yet couldn't draw his eyes away from.
She untied the soaked, stained cloth with some difficulty, but finally removed it from her head, revealing dark brown hair pinned in a tight bun at the nape of her neck. She then took a small pin out of her hair that seemed to be holding her bun in place. Thorin watched, enthralled, as long silky strands of brown hair slipped from their confines and down to the swell of her hips.
The chocolatey lengths shone brightly in the light of the setting sun, framing her silhouette. He could tell that there were things braided into her hair that glinted in the sunlight, but he was too far away to see what exactly they were.
He wanted more than anything in that moment to run his hands through that hair and feel its softness for himself. To breath in her scent and watch as the tresses fanned out over his pillow and-
The woman sighed in contentment as her hair fell from the bun and she sank down into the water to wash the long length. When she rose back to her feet, she turned slightly to the side, facing where the camp was and looked around for any members of their company that she might have missed heading her way.
Thorin felt dirty, even though he had just cleaned himself of all the muck and grime of traveling, as he watched Thessalia scrub the dirt from her arms and legs, taking care to wash her long hair as quickly and gently as possible.
When she turned slightly again, he could now see fully her from the side and couldn't help but notice how the wet tunic clung to her womanly curves. He quickly ducked behind the boulder with his back to the woman, his heart thudding loudly in his chest. He tried not to think about how curvy her hips had been, or the swell of her breasts from the way her tunic clung to her like a second skin.
Thorin nearly groaned aloud as he felt himself thickening in his breeches. If she had asked him to dance a jig and juggle goblin heads for just another peek at her body he would have. Gladly. He had to get out of there before he did something he might truly regret.
Thessa was just beginning to wash her hair more thoroughly in the cool water to free up some of the more stubborn dirt, when she heard a soft splash coming from behind a boulder.
"Hello?" she called, wrapping her arms tightly across her chest. She could have sworn that she was alone. She had deliberately checked the area twice before letting her hair down. At least she had elected to keep her tunic and breeches on, she didn't know what she'd do if any of the company saw her naked.
Then she saw Thorin's muscular form step out from behind the boulder, making her gasp in shock. She froze as their eyes locked, hers wide in terror and his dark with anger... and something else she couldn't quite place.
"You dare interrupt a king while he is bathing?" Thorin growled at her, those sinewy forearms bulging as they locked tight across his broad chest.
"I- I'm sorry, Thorin, I didn't know anyone was down here," Thessa tripped over the words as she crossed her arms even tighter over her chest to retain a bit of modesty. This was just what she needed, to piss their leader off even more so he could add another tally against her.
She noticed then that he was shirtless and his wet hair hung in dark waves over his shoulders. The rivulets of water from his hair traveled down over that broad chest and his well-defined abdomen. Gods, it looked like the guy had been carved from granite.
Thankfully the water came up just below his navel, but she had seen enough to send her heart hammering in her chest, and another strange feeling to coil much lower in her stomach.
"Well if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to finish bathing without an audience," his sarcasm more harsh demand than playful suggestion.
Thessa nodded jerkily, still slightly stunned, and scrambled over to the bank. She hauled herself out of the water and carefully made her way back up to the camp while pinning up her hair once more and tying the kerchief back around her head.
She couldn't believe Thorin of all people had seen her hair down! Thorin! Who knows what he would do now. Would he piece together from what he'd seen who she was? What she was? Would he black mail her, hold her hostage, leave her out here to fend for herself and thus rid himself and his company from the entanglement of associating with her? Would he pressure Gandalf for information?
Oh gods, would Gandalf tell Thorin what he knew? But what did Gandalf even know in the first place? She had yet to ascertain what the wizard knew and she never seemed to find an opportunity to talk with him alone.
All of these doomsday-esque thoughts filled the forefront of her mind as she stumbled her way back to camp on trembling legs. She felt almost numb as she thought about what would happen to her now that Thorin had seen something he definitely shouldn't have.
When Thessa returned to the camp she saw all eyes were on her. Oh no, how did they already know? She had beaten Thorin back to the camp, there was no way he could have gotten here before her and told the company about what he'd seen.
Some of the dwarves smirked and passed a roll of parchment to each other behind their backs while she took a hesitant seat by the fire to warm herself and dry her clothes as most of the company went back to whatever they were doing. No one looked at her like she was a monster, or a rare piece of treasure. No one spoke to her at all, really. And that was a good thing, she thought with a small sigh of relief.
Bombur came over and handed Thessa a bowl of soup that he had yet to put meat in and a cloak that he draped gently over her shoulders, smiling softly at her. She looked up into the dwarf's eyes, seeing no misgivings or hesitation there, only kindness.
"Thank you, Bombur" Thessa smiled gratefully, taking the bowl of soup in hands that shook ever so slightly. The portly dwarf just nodded in response and ambled away to serve more soup to his hungry traveling companions.
She saw the company all stop what they were doing and she glanced behind her to see what they were all looking at.
The dwarf king had returned from the river wearing nothing but his breeches and boots, his wet tunic balled in his tight fist. His wet hair still dripped water down his torso and Thessa had to force herself to look away, blushing red from the roots of her hair to the tips of her toes. Her mouth felt dry as she tried not to picture Thorin standing before her in the river like some sea god, all bulging muscles and dark, hooded eyes that seemed to burn straight through her to her core.
That same tingle she had felt down at the river returned, coiling in her lower abdomen. She ignored it as she focused intently on her warm bowl of meatless soup.
Bofur and Glóin watched the brief reactions of Thessa and their leader and moved to take the parchment out of Balin's hands and scribbled something on it quickly while snickering to each other.
Thessa took a few bites of her soup as she studied everyone moving about the little campsite. Fili and Kili were checking on the ponies and the other members of the company were chatting about this thing and that over their dinners. Thessa looked around the group and noticed that their little hobbit was not present. Strange, she thought. Bilbo didn't usually go wandering off alone. And then suddenly there was a shout.
"Trolls!" Fili and Kili shouted as they burst from the forest to rejoin the company. She saw Thorin's head whip around to where his nephews came running from the treeline.
"What's happened?" Thorin growled low in his throat.
"Trolls! They've taken the ponies, and Bilbo as well!" Kili added, looking worriedly between his uncle and his brother.
"Everyone, with me!" Thorin called to the group. "You, stay here," he pointed at Thessa, who looked up at him from where she sat with her bowl of soup.
She watched the dwarves race off into the forest and wanted to go after them to help. Bilbo was in trouble and he had been very kind to her, how could she not come to his aid? Plus, she was the general of a damned army for the Valar's sake, she was not going to just sit there like some useless human woman.
Her eyes scanned swiftly over the camp before spotting a bow and some loose arrows strewn about next to what she assumed were Kili's things. Probably left behind in place of his sword in his mad dash to free Bilbo, she figured. Quickly, she hooked the bow across her chest and over one shoulder and grasped about ten arrows roughly in her palm as she rose up on her shaky legs and staggered after the dwarves.
She wasn't moving very quietly as her legs would not seem to cooperate. Blasted things, she thought with a huff. After a couple minutes of tromping loudly through the underbrush, she came upon the little clearing where Bilbo and the rest of the company were fighting the trolls.
She glanced around, trying to decide what she should do. She knew that she couldn't run very well if she needed to escape, so she had to stick to the shadows and remain unseen. Her specialty, as it turned out.
She heard the sounds of clanging metal and knew the company was trying to beat the trolls back, and it was then that she decided the best way should could help would be to try and blind the monsters from a distance so that the company could strike down the beasts themselves.
Thessa had her back pressed against a large, thick tree trunk and took a few steadying breaths. She hadn't trained with her bow in months, but this was a skill she thought could never get rusty.
She notched and arrow on the bowstring and drew back, leaning around the tree and took aim at one of the three trolls. She loosed the arrow and it hit its mark with deadly accuracy. The troll she had hit bellowed and pressed his hand to his eye, ripping the arrow out painfully as blood dribbled down his ugly face. The other trolls took notice of their wounded friend, and began looking around for a dwarf that carried a bow and arrows.
Thessa knew that they would find no bow amongst the dwarves, as they had all grabbed their swords to do battle with, or an ax in Dwalin's case, and that would prompt them to search for the shooter. She knew it was only a matter of time before the thick-skulled trolls figured it out and traced the path of the arrow back to where she hid.
Very carefully, she waited until all three trolls were heavily engaged with the dwarves before she slipped, none too gracefully, out from behind her tree and up against a different one some yards to the left.
One of the trolls began searching around the trees, like she had predicted, and looked for the shooter that injured one of their own when another arrow came flying toward him.
Her second arrow struck the searching troll in his right eye and that troll too bellowed loudly and stomped on the ground. It looked like the dwarves were gaining the upper hand now, so Thessa retreated further away from the action.
All of a sudden, the trolls held up Bilbo between them by his arms and legs. Thessa had to stifle her gasp as she saw the little hobbit wriggling in the air.
"Lay down your arms, or we'll rip his off!" the largest, unblinded troll shouted, his eyes casting about the treeline, most likely for the archer that shot the two arrows.
Thorin looked murderous as he hesitated a moment, then sank his sword roughly into the ground with a growl. The other dwarves dropped their weapons reluctantly and were quickly tied up by the trolls.
Thessa knew if she were to loose another arrow while every troll was on the lookout, she would definitely give her position away. So she stayed hidden, a little further back now so that if the trolls came searching again she might have a shot at getting away.
Once all of the company was incapacitated, Thessa counted where each one was and made a mental note. Some were tied to a spit over a fire, but most were tied up in sacks on the ground with only their heads poking out. Thessa wanted to do something now, but she couldn't get a clear shot from where she sat and she didn't want to give away her position just yet. She had to wait for the perfect moment.
"Don't bother cooking him, let's just sit on him and squash him into jelly!" one of the trolls that Thessa had partially blinded said.
As the trolls talked amongst themselves, she heard one troll say something about the dawn coming soon and being turned to stone.
If daylight could harm these things, then it was just a waiting game now. If she could only stall them long enough, or try blinding them all before the sunrise, then they were in the clear and she could get all of the company untied and back to safety.
Thessa surveyed the sky and decided that dawn was still too far off for her comfortability. These bloodthirsty trolls might make good on their threats to eat the dwarves before then and she couldn't let that happen.
She grabbed two more arrows, stringing both and, aiming with practiced precision, let them fly, striking both eyes of the third troll who still had two operating eyeballs. But now he had none if his hollering was anything to go by.
Thessa internally congratulated herself, but it was no surprise to her that she had hit her mark, one doesn't get to be leader of an army without becoming the best sharpshooter.
"Arghg!" the troll screamed as he stomped around and knocked into the other two trolls. One of the trolls who still had a good eye saw where her arrows came from and started reaching around in the shrubs she had ducked behind.
The dwarves all looked around, taking count of who was there and trying to figure out who amongst the company hadn't yet been captured. Thorin counted thirteen dwarves and one hobbit, none of which had carried a bow into battle. It must be Gandalf shooting the arrows from the behind the trees, he concluded.
Gasps came from the company as Thessalia was lifted into the air by a troll as she clutched a bow and some arrows in her hands. They watched as she fired a last arrow into the remaining eye of the troll holding her, blinding him completely. Now, two of the three trolls had been totally blinded and the third had only one good eye left.
Thorin felt both shock and a tiny bit of pride swell his chest as he took in the blinded trolls and how precise her aim had to have been to pull that off.
His thoughts ground to a halt however as the woman was slung about in the hand of the troll she had just struck and was thrown into the pile of dwarves.
Thorin grunted as Thessalia's head connected with his own and her small body slumped over his, her head now on his chest and her legs slung over Kili. He fought his binds to see if she was okay and called out to her.
"Woman!" No response. "Thessalia!" he whispered forcefully, eying the trolls to make sure they hadn't heard him. He was met with a groan and her eyes opened slightly before fluttering closed again.
Thorin gritted his teeth so hard he thought one of his molars would crack. No woman should be treated thus, even if she was a nuisance who was slowing them down.
He watched in impotent fury as the last troll with the singular working eye reached for the woman and lifted her off of Thorin by an ankle and brought her limp body up to his mouth. There was no pretense this time, no arguing about the best ways to cook or season her, it just decided to finish the job quickly.
It was about to swallow the young woman whole when Gandalf suddenly appeared atop a boulder, staff raised and voice booming as his gray robes billowed in the slight breeze.
"The dawn will take you all!" he shouted as the boulder he stood upon split down the middle, letting the light of the rising sun spill into the little clearing, turning the scrambling trolls to stone. The troll holding Thessalia had turned to stone with her ankle still in its firm grip and her unconscious body dangled precariously in the air above them.
"Thessa!" Kili cried and he was freed from his binds and attempted to climb up the troll's now stone body to get to her.
"How do we get her down?" Fili called over to Gandalf and the others as he too tried climbing up the stone troll to help his brother free their new friend.
Gandalf came over and struck the troll's thick leg with his staff, shattering the troll into pieces as the dwarves all shielded their eyes. Fili, Kili, and Thessalia all fell to the ground and Thorin's nephews rushed to the woman's unconscious body.
Thessalia opened her eyes slowly to see the two young brothers standing over her and they gingerly helped her to her feet. They had to steady her as she swayed and lost her balance until Kili finally hoisted her up into his arms.
Thorin felt a rush of jealousy wash over him as he watched his nephew wrapping his arms tightly around the woman and her arms come up to lazily drape around his neck before her head dropped heavily onto Kili's chest. His face tightened as Kili's eyes lit up when he looked down at the woman in his arms, like he had won some great contest and had carried off this woman as his prize.
The dwarf king had to remind himself that Thessalia was not his woman, and to be having these thoughts about her was wrong and would only serve to distract him from his purpose. And on that same note, she was already distracting his nephews. That certainly had to stop.
Kili carried her back to their camp and set her down gently on the log she had occupied earlier. Her head felt like someone was beating the back of it with a hammer. But at least she had given them enough time for Gandalf to arrive and save their asses.
Thorin pushed his way through the company until he stood in front of her, a towering wall of regal anger.
"I told you to stay here!" he growled at her. Thessa shrank away from his rage and tried not to look at him directly, her head pounding even more now with the sound of his yelling. Now she had really done it, she groaned. Of course he would be angry that his company was saved by a woman.
At the time, saving the company, whom she had come to view as her new set of friends, had seemed like an inspired idea. After all, she couldn't exactly find her way home if her guides were busy being digested by mountain trolls. But looking back now, perhaps showcasing her archery skills was a bad idea.
Scratch that, it was a horrible idea. First the hair, now the unexplainable talent with the bow, and then on top of that she had gotten herself knocked out and became as useless as the rest of them. But come on, without her help they would all be dead by now right? Wasn't that worth anything?
"I'm sorry, Thorin," she said quietly, trying to make herself seem smaller and not rouse his anger anymore than it already was. "I just wanted to help."
"That was some mighty fine shooting, lassie!" Glóin shouted cheerily from behind Thorin, breaking the tension. The rest of the company adamantly agreed and praised her for her bravery and sharp shooting, but Thorin remained unimpressed and stalked away from her to speak with Gandalf.
Why would she do something so foolish, he grouched to himself. She could have gotten herself killed! Although, he did have to admit, her aim was better than he expected from a farm girl. Perhaps her father, or a brother had taught her to shoot. To hunt, yes that had to be the reason. Why else would a young woman need to learn the skill of the bow?
"They could not have moved in daylight," Gandalf pondered as Thorin approached.
"There must be a cave nearby," Thorin nodded his head, his thoughts momentarily sidetracked.
He signaled for the company to pack their things once more and ready the ponies, which they had found tied up by the trolls behind a thick copse of trees. Each member of the company grabbed his things, save for Thessalia as she waited on that log for everyone to finally move out, and they drew up in a semicircle to await their directions.
Gandalf led them further into the trees and they walked for a short while before they came across exactly what they were hoping to find. The troll hoard.
Thessa, who was at the back of the group came to the mouth of the cave and gagged at the smell. Glóin looked back and saw that she had not followed them into the cave, a worried look on his face.
"You alright there, lassie?" he called to her, stopping at the mouth of the troll's cave and giving her a once over.
"Yes, yes I'm alright." She nearly choked on the words as her stomach heaved at the stench in the air. "I just don't think I want to linger in there with that smell," she replied, covering her nose with the sleeve of her oversized tunic.
"If you're sure," Glóin mumbled with a hesitant glance over his shoulder before following the rest of the company into the cave.
A few minutes later the company emerged once again from the cave, stinking like rotten flesh and many other horrible things she dared not name.
They each poured over their spoils as Gandalf approached Bilbo, handing him a small elvish blade.
"I can't take this," Bilbo said nervously to the wizard, pushing the elegant piece of steel away from him.
"The blade is of elvish make, which means it will glow blue when orcs or goblins are nearby," Gandalf offered, pressing the blade back into Bilbo's hands. He continued to give the hobbit a few words of encouragement, urging him to keep the sword for himself when they heard Thorin call out.
"Something's coming!"
Radagast the Brown, one of the five wizards, burst through the trees on a wooden sled pulled by rabbits. The wizard masked his look of surprise at seeing his old friend and quickly drew him to the side, away from the company, to speak with him in hushed voices.
Thessa took a seat on a boulder nearby, her curious eyes watching the new arrival as he spoke in hushed tones with Gandalf, when Bifur came to sit by her. He used his hands to try to communicate with her, but she gave him a helpless look when it was clear she couldn't decipher a thing he was trying to say.
"I'm sorry, Bifur, I don't know what you're saying," Thessa admitted sadly. She knew that he couldn't speak the common tongue due to the ax she had heard he'd taken to the head.
"He wants to ask how your legs are, lassie!" Bofur called over to them, translating for Bifur. She glanced up at the mute dwarf in surprise as he gestured to her legs with an inquisitive look.
"Oh! They're doing much better, thank you," she smiled at Bifur's attentiveness to her condition. He really was quite a sweet dwarf when one took the time to listen to what he had to say, figuratively speaking of course.
There was a sudden howl in the distance, halting all conversations and drawing everyone's heads up.
"What was that? Are there wolves out there?" Bilbo asked, and Thessa had to second his inquiry. She had never seen a wolf before, but she imagined that sound was something a wolf would make.
"Wolves?" Bofur said, "No, that's not a wolf!"
From out of the trees, a giant, hairy beast on four legs, a warg Bofur had called it, sprang just as Kili drew back on his bow and killed the beast. The warg was much larger and vicious-looking than a wolf, Thessa shivered in fear. She was unarmed and just encountered a beast she had never seen the likes of before, something she had no hope of outrunning.
"Warg scouts!" Thorin shouted, "Which means an orc pack isn't far behind." Oh, shit.
"Orc pack?" Bilbo asked, unnerved by the sudden developments. Thessa shared a look with the hobbit and he could tell she was frightened too. She had never fought orcs, or wargs, and she no longer had any weapons to use, since the bow she had borrowed had been Kili's.
"Who did you tell about your quest beyond your kin?" Gandalf demanded of Thorin, his brows drawn down in anger.
"No one."
"Who did you tell?!" Gandalf persisted, the volume of his accusation increasing with his fury.
"No one I swear! What in Durin's name is going on?" Thorin growled in frustration.
"You are being hunted," the wizard said ominously, his head swiveling about as if searching for something.
"We have to get out of here," Dwalin called, finally talking some sense.
"We can't, we haven't got any ponies, they bolted!" Ori shouted from his position on the small hillside next to the company where the ponies had been gathered.
"I'll draw them off," Radagast said suddenly, getting ready to depart and hopping on his sled.
"These are Gundabad wargs, they will outrun you," Gandalf pleaded, trying to sway his friend from putting himself in danger.
"These are Rhosgobel rabbits! I'd like to see them try," Radagast informed him with a smirk as he shot off into the clearing nearby before Gandalf had a chance to stop him, drawing the attention of the orc pack and leading them away from the company.
"This way!" Gandalf bellowed a second later, leading the company away from the orcs as they ducked behind boulders and outcroppings, trying to remain unseen. The area was a little hilly and covered in a dense, ankle-high grass that stretched on for miles. The only cover to be had was behind the randomly spaced boulders that ranged from massive to minuscule.
Just as they dashed out from behind one of the larger boulders, the pack of orcs crossed their path just up ahead and their group was caught out in the open.
Thessa was struggling to keep up as this was the first real running she had done, and she hadn't even mastered walking yet! She felt her legs begin to quake with the exertion and hoped to the Valar that she could keep up with the group when they decided to sprint for it again.
"Stay together!" Gandalf called as they turned back around the other way and followed after the wizard. Thessa was having a hard time keeping pace with them, and the only reason she hadn't fallen too far behind was because Glóin had grabbed hold of her arm and was tugging her along after them. The company skidded to a halt behind another large boulder and Thorin whipped around to Gandalf.
"Where are you leading us?" he asked, suspicion in his deep blue eyes. But Gandalf only followed after the company as he ushered them down another slope and against an outcropping of bare rock.
A warg then perched upon the ledge above where the company was now hiding, huddled against the rock face. Thorin saw the warg, glanced down at Kili's bow, then back up to the warg, making sure his nephew got the message. Kili however shook his head and handed the bow over to Thessa.
She looked at Kili with wide eyes and then slowly nodded, understanding that he trusted her to take care of the warg since she was at a better angle. She set two arrows against the bow, one for the warg and one for its rider, and stepped out a hair from the rock face to get a cleaner shot.
She aimed both arrows carefully and loosed the string. One arrow lodged into the skull of the warg and the other into the head of the orc astride it. Two perfect shots. They wouldn't make a sound as they died, but the bodies were now displayed on top of the ledge where the rest of the pack could surely see them from a distance.
The leader must have seen the felled warg and its rider, because it sent the entire pack scrambling in the company's direction. Double shit.
"Run!" the wizard cried, arms pointing in some vague direction and the company blindly following in a frenzy.
They were in the open now and Thessa couldn't keep up any longer, the large bow and quiver of arrows slapping against her sides as she ran. Glóin had since let go of her hand and the others seemed to forget about her uncooperative limbs. Thorin however saw her lagging behind and their eyes caught as she trailed behind them. There was a look of real fear in his eyes as he saw how far behind she was and dug his heels into the earth before pivoting around and racing back to her.
He didn't hesitate as he hefted her easily into his arms, passing the bow and arrow back to Kili when they caught back up. Thessa wrapped her arms tightly around Thorin's shoulders and ducked her head down into the crook of his neck to keep the jostling to a minimum.
"Kili! Shoot them!" Thorin called to his nephew.
He ran after the company with Thessa in his arms, eventually making it into what seemed to be an underground tunnel that Gandalf had found, his nephew following soon after as he took down a few more orcs and wargs that got a little too close.
The rest of the pack was closing in on them until a horn sounded in the distance and they could hear the remainder of the pack being picked off. One orc rolled down into the tunnel with an arrow protruding from its neck. Thorin finally set Thessa on the ground and pulled the arrow from the orc, inspecting it.
"Elves," he sneered with distaste, tossing the arrow to the ground.
"I cannot see where the pathway leads, do we follow it or not?" Dwalin called from the back of the tunnel.
"We follow it of course!" Bofur yelled. The company followed Dwalin's lead, Thessa with much less enthusiasm and much weaker limbs, as they headed further into the tunnel.
The path through the passageway became more of a small canyon as they progressed and the ceiling dropped away to reveal the blue sky overhead. Eventually it let out into a large valley with waterfalls and lush hills on every side. A magnificent elven city was built right into the side of the valley.
Thessa didn't bother containing her gasp of surprise at the sight. It was magnificent, like nothing she had ever seen before.
"The valley of Imladris, in the common tongue it is known by another name—" Gandalf started.
"Rivendell," Bilbo finished, also amazed at the sight before him.
"This was your plan all along," Thorin accused as he came up to Gandalf, "to seek refuge with our enemy."
"You have no enemies here, Thorin Oakenshield, the only ill will to be found in this valley is that which you bring yourself," Gandalf chastised the dwarf king.
"You think the elves will give our quest their blessing?" He asked the wizard, "They will try and stop us."
"Of course they will, but we have questions that need to be answered. If we are to be successful, this will need to be handled with tact, and respect, and no small degree of charm. Which is why you will leave the talking to me," Gandalf finished, leading the company down the hillside and toward the great elven city.