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STOP! WARNING!
Please note, I posted twice today, so make sure you read the chapters in order...don't miss #100.
And please review both chapters, it would make me very happy.
Thank you!
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Chapter 101
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Kili woke to the smell of porridge and sausage cooking, the sizzling sound music to his growling stomach. As he opened his eyes, he was both surprised and pleased to see Tauriel sitting in front of the small fire, stirring the pot of food as it cooked.
"Good morning," she greeted him pleasantly, a warm smile on her face.
"Good morning," he grinned back, tossing back his blanket and rising to his feet. Bofur was the only other one who appeared to be awake, bustling around getting bowls and mugs lined up for breakfast as Tauriel minded the food. Fili, Dwalin, Nori and Oin were still sound asleep, yet with the tantalizing smell, Kili was certain they wouldn't be for long. "Did you sleep well?"
"When I chose to rest my eyes, yes," she nodded. "Elves generally require less sleep than other races, yet my bed was quite comfortable, and I did wake refreshed. And you?"
"I think I had a root poking me in the back all night," Kili complained, stretching his muscles a bit and wincing as he felt a twinge. "Apparently sleeping in a real bed for the past sixteen years has made me soft, I never used to notice things like this when we were on the quest. And to top if all off…Nori snores like a bear."
"I do not!" the pointy haired dwarf stated in a grumpy tone as he too began to stir. "I think all this outside air has just stuffed me up a bit…I guess I've spent far too much time inside the mountain lately…I need to get out more." He pulled out a pocket handkerchief - something the whole company was now prone to carry, thanks to Bilbo's influence – and blew his nose quite loudly.
"How soon till we eat?" Dwalin asked, the next to rise from slumber.
"Quite soon, Master Dwalin," Tauriel assured him, eyeing the thickening porridge and tasty sausages.
Kili then turned and nudged Fili with the toe of his boot, making the blond prince groan in protest.
"Rise and shine, sleepy head," Kili told his brother in a far more jovial tone than he normally had when forced to get up early.
"Go away, Kili," Fili ordered, pulling his cover up around his head in an attempt to block out the morning sun.
"Sorry, not going to happen," the younger brother laughed, grabbing hold of his blanket and giving a strong tug.
"Hey!" Fili squawked, as a blast of cold air hit his warm body, causing his eyes to snap open in irritation. "What's the big idea?"
"The idea is to get up and eat something before we have to set off again," Kili stated, tossing the blanket into his brother's face with a grin. "If you aren't careful, you will give Tauriel the impression that dwarves are lazy, and I think we have had enough cultural misunderstandings already."
"More likely, she will come to believe that dwarves are vengeful and vindictive, especially after she sees me thrash you good for this rude awakening, you mangy orc!" Fili grumbled, at last getting to his feet and picking up his bedroll.
"I love you too, brother," Kili laughed, leaving Fili mumbling to himself as he headed over to sit beside Tauriel. He took the bowl Bofur handed him and held it out, allowing the pretty elf to dish him up a hearty portion.
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Once everyone was fed, packed up and ready to go, the company of men, dwarves, and one elf, resumed their trek towards their destination. The weather was perfect that day, allowing the rescue party to make excellent time. The fact that each mile brought them closer to freeing those who were imprisoned in those accursed mines, only spurred them on.
They made a short stop for lunch, but soon were back on the road, eager to put in many more miles before camping that evening. Yet, when several of the ravens who had been traveling with them began to circle overhead and caw loudly, Fili called the group to a halt. Urging Storm ahead a few paces, he held up his arm and called one of the birds down to him. After speaking to it for a few moments, he launched it back into the sky and returned to where the others waited, Bain having ridden forward to see what was going on.
"What is it?" Kili asked, concern in his voice.
"Orcs!" the crown prince revealed. "Telk says there's a pack about fifty strong heading our way, though he does not think they know we are here. More than likely, they are simply traveling on a path that would eventually intercept with us."
"Shall I rally the troops for an attack?" Dwalin asked, reaching back to release his twin axes, hefting them in his hands in anticipation.
"We have a little over fifty soldiers ourselves, counting men and dwarves," Bain spoke up, then looked over to Tauriel, nodding to her respectfully, "and elves, of course. I'm sure we could easily take them."
"Aye, I'm sure we could as well, but at what cost?" Fili reasoned. "We are on a rescue mission, we mustn't lose sight of that. Yes, orcs are our mortal enemies, but do we risk depleting our forces by engaging them when it is not necessary? These men and dwarves being held captive are depending on us to come in strong and defeat those oppressing them. We cannot jeopardize our chances of success like this. I say we hold up, remain hidden and allow them to pass us by."
"Hiding like scared rabbits is not the dwarf way!" Dwalin huffed, yet after a heavy sigh, he nodded his head. "Yet I see the wisdom on your words. I agree."
"However, that does not mean if we encounter these creatures on our way home, we can't pound them into the ground," Fili offered, causing Dwalin's countenance to brighten at the idea. When everyone else nodded in agreement, Fili gave the order. "Bain, you and your men make for the tree line to the north, while we will take our position among those crags to the south. This way if they do happen to spot us, we will be in perfect formation to attack. And while it goes against all our training and gut instincts…do all you can to remain hidden and undetected."
"Aye," Bain nodded, reigning his horse around and galloping back to his troops to spread the word.
"I find your strategy a wise one, Prince Fili," Tauriel commended. "Often, it is said, that discretion is the better part of valor, and I commend you for not wishing to waste the lives of your troops needlessly."
Fili was taken aback by the elf captain's words, unsure exactly how he should respond. While he did not harbor the deep resentment for her kind like Thorin did, he had also never had one pay him a compliment either. It surprised him, to say the least, and yet the hopeful smile he spied on his brother's face was all he needed in order to know how to react.
"I thank you for your kind words and support, Mistress Tauriel," Fili said, nodding his head in thanks. Then, mostly due to how awkward he felt, he quickly turned and began shouting orders to those following. Soon they were all heading towards the rocky crags that would hide them and the wagons, as the orcs hopefully passed by unaware.
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"What's going on?" Frerin whispered as Flinn peeked out the hole in the canvas tent that surrounded the supply wagon. "Why are we going in another direction?"
"I don't know," Flinn admitted, though he could see the tension on the faces of the men who rode beside them. It had been a day and a half now and still the two dwarflings had remained undetected in their hiding place. However, this detour was a mystery, as well as a concern. Any deviation from the normal path could mean trouble, as well as discovery, should the wagon be searched for any reason. And Flinn still felt they were too close to Erebor not to immediately be sent back should their father find out they had tagged along. "Maybe it's a shortcut? Just stay quiet, and hopefully we will soon find out."
Flinn looked back at his little brother, doing all he could to force an encouraging smile. He knew that Frerin was becoming anxious about the trip, that he was more than likely wishing they had gone with Bombur, or stayed home, though he would never voice his thoughts out loud. Frerin was too loyal for that, and Flinn admired him for his courage, even at the young age of five. He loved his little brother and would do anything to keep him safe, yet he still felt that coming along had been the right thing to do. Their adad needed them…he just didn't know it yet. Still, being cooped up like this was wearing thin, and all the ten year old wanted to do was jump out, announce their presence and stretch his legs.
"If it's a shortcut, does that mean we can get out of here sooner?" Frerin asked, looking hopeful.
"Maybe," Flinn shrugged. "We will just have to wait and see."
"I hate waiting," Frerin grumped, sitting back against one of the boxes and crossed his arms over his little chest.
"I know…so do I," Flinn nodded, peeking out once more to see if he could tell what was going on. "But right now, that is all we can do."
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Soon the dwarves and Tauriel were completely hidden behind the rocks, hunkered down and their ponies tethered far enough away that they would not give away their position if they became frightened. Fili could see that Bain and his men had done the same, keeping themselves hidden among the trees. They only hoped this would work.
Within the hour they could hear the sounds of the orcs approaching, for they were hardly a stealthy bunch. Telk had been correct, they were at least fifty strong, and well-armed. They cut a rather destructive swath through the grass and bushes as they passed between the two silent armies, never realizing just how close they had come to their deaths. It took every ounce of strength for Dwalin not to leap out and cut down as many as he could reach with his axes…but he reined himself in and held his ground. Fili gave him a knowing look, telling his older cousin that he felt the same way.
By the time the orcs had passed, sunset was approaching, and Fili cursed the hours they had lost due to the filthy beasts. Still, he knew they had done the right thing, for they simply could not afford to lose any in their party before they reached their destination. Difficult decisions were part and parcel when you were a prince of Erebor…and this one had been no less trying.
When Fili deemed it safe to come out, he signaled for Bain and his men to emerge as well, doing their best to keep their company as quiet as possible, lest the noisy orcs somehow hear them and return. Yet none did, and soon they were back on their way, eager to make up for lost time.
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"We are moving again," Frerin said, stating the obvious as the wagon lumbered along once more. "Wonder why we stopped…no one was eating, so it couldn't have been for lunch."
"No…they had lunch hours ago," Flinn reasoned, his brows furrowed with confusion. "I guess we will just have to ask Adad about it when we let him know we are here."
"I wonder what everyone will have for dinner tonight," the younger dwarfling mused, his stomach was already growling and he knew the smell of food would only make it worse.
"It doesn't matter, since we will have to be satisfied with what we brought with us," Flinn sighed, inspecting their meager rations. Their mother had only packed a small amount for the trip down to Esgaroth, figuring they would be dining on the fish they intended to catch, and then restock their supplies for the journey home. Thus their ration of dried meat had lasted only the first few meals, and now they were left with but a few pieces of bread and a small hunk of cheese. Still, it was food, and they were glad to have it.
"What do you think Ama and Freya are doing?" Frerin asked, snuggling up next to Flinn and laying his head against his arm. "Do you think they miss us?"
"I'm sure they do," Flinn said with a heavy sigh. He didn't want to tell his brother, but he missed his mother and sister too. "I bet they miss Adad as well, but at least we will see him soon." He looked down at the small amount of food they had left. "Very soon, I think."
"Good, I miss him too," Frerin nodded, liking the sound of that. In truth, he liked the sound of anything that did not involve sitting in the wagon any longer.
And so they ate and did their best to busy themselves with some simple games, doing all they could to keep their minds occupied so that they would not be bored to tears. Unfortunately, it was not working as well as they had hoped.
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When night finally fell, and the company had stopped to make camp, the men and dwarves busied themselves with building fires and tending to their mounts. The dwarves would be taking their turn on watch duty that night, and Dwalin had already informed everyone of their rotation schedule. Bofur was working on dinner while Nori and Oin were helping to gather firewood for the night. Fili and Kili had offered to take care of their ponies, since Storm wouldn't allow anyone but Fili to handle him.
"Things never change, do they, brother?" Kili chuckled as he brushed down his mount and checked his hooves for any stones.
"How so?" Fili asked, pulling out his hoof-pick and doing the same thing for Storm. The little grey had blossomed into a fine steed, not even resembling the emaciated, shaggy beast he had been when Sier had rescued him.
"Well, here we are, princes of Erebor, and still we are relegated to minding the ponies," he laughed.
"Yes, but at least there aren't any trolls nearby hoping to make a meal out of them…or us," Fili stated, then looking out at the dark forest that surrounded them, he added, "Or at least I hope there isn't."
"There is one thing I'm glad has not changed though," Kili added.
"And what is that?" the blond prince asked absentmindedly.
"That we're together on this mission," he admitted. "That no matter what, I can always count on my brother to be at my side."
"And that will never change, Nadadith," Fili assured him. "Even when we are three-hundred years old and gumming our food, I will be right there beside you in our rocking chairs. Me sharpening my blades and you shooting things with your arrows from across the room, dragging them back to you with a string."
The mental image made Kili laugh out loud, knowing that no matter what their future held, he was assured that Fili would be there.
"Now hurry up and let's go check out what Bofur has fixed for supper, I am starving!" Fili instructed, giving his little brother a wink.
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"I'm sure I packed more beans than that," the cook from Dale stated as he held up a half empty bag.
"I sure hope so, since we still have three more days to our destination, and then the same amount coming back," Dunner replied, having offered to aid the cook in searching out the missing foodstuffs. "Soldiers can't fight on an empty stomach, you know, Manni."
"I must have stashed them further up front, so we wouldn't go through them too quickly," the cook grumbled, reaching up and hefting his bulky body into the supply wagon. He began to rummage through the boxes, crates, and sacks, mumbling about how disorganized things had become during the two days of travel. He had just made his way to the front of the wagon and pulled a cover off a couple of boxes when he gave a shout of surprise.
"Did you find the beans?" Dunner asked, having been leaning with his back against the wagon as the cook searched.
"No…but what I have found was certainly not on my list of supplies!" Manni replied, his tone causing Dunner to turn around and look at him questioningly. The burly man reached down with both hands behind a crate, pulling out two squirming and loudly protesting dwarflings by the scruff of their shirts. "Think we should cook these up and make a fine stew?" He laughed, watching as the two lads' mouths fell open in horror.
"Nah," Dunner replied, playing along. "They're too scrawny to make even a mouthful. Best feed them to the horses."
"NO!" Flinn yelled, struggling against the hold the man had on him. "You can't do that to my brother!"
"Your brother, is it?" Dunner asked, eying the dwarflings suspiciously. "And just what are you two doing hiding in our supply wagon? We are on a dangerous mission. This is not some pleasure trip."
"We know that!" Flinn huffed, giving up on worming his way out of the cook's grip, and doing his best to appear regal…which was very difficult while hanging there. "We're here to help our father!"
"Oh? And exactly who might your father be, lad?" the soldier asked, crossing his arms over his muscular chest and glaring at them with a raised eyebrow. When Flinn made no response, Dunner softened his voice, thinking they might be too frightened to answer. "Come now, no need to fear. We are honorable men from Dale. We would never hurt a little dwarfling."
"I AM NOT A DWARFLING!" Flinn shouted, always hating it when others didn't recognize that he was practically all grown up…and a warrior.
"Our adad is Fili, crown prince of Erebor, and if you don't let us go, he will cut off your head!" Frerin shouted, swinging his legs back and forth in an effort to get free.
"Prince Fili?" Dunner repeated, looking up at the cook in surprise. He then got a sly grin on his face, giving his friend a conspiratorial wink. "Well, now, that changes everything, Your Majesties." He gave the little dwarves an over-exaggerated bow. "Best set them down, Manni…that's royalty you got in your grip."
The burly cook did as directed, though he quickly regretted it when Frerin turned around and kicked him sharply in the ankle.
"Aaaaa! You rotten little…" Manni bellowed, hopping around on one foot and nearly falling over a crate…probably the one that held the missing beans.
Flinn grabbed Frerin's hand and they both made a break for it. Unfortunately, Dunner was far too quick, and scooped them up in his strong arms before they could escape the wagon.
"Whoa there!" he insisted, fending off their angry fists and flailing legs. "I think you two best settle down a bit."
"Put us down and take us to our father!" Flinn ordered.
"Oh, I fully intend to, little one," Dunner grinned. "And while you can rest assured that we would never lay a hand on you, I can't say the same for your father when he finds out you two stowed away like this." He shook his head, giving the two lads an almost piteous look, not willing to trade places with the disobedient dwarflings for anything. He could only imagine what Prince Fili would have to say when he saw them.
They were definitely in big trouble!
Yep, Dunner is right, they are in BIG trouble for such small dwarflings. ha ha.
How many of you thought they were going to sneak out of the wagon when the orcs passed and get caught? Nope, that was not the reason for their appearance, but bet I had you worried. ha ha.
Well, looks like Friday you will see how Fili reacts to his lads stowing away...I am thinking not well. ha ha.
Also, does anyone else think it is funny that Luke Evans (Bard) and Ian McKellen (Gandalf) are going to be in the new live action Beauty and the Beast movie coming out next spring? Bard will be playing Gaston, the pompous guy who wants to marry Bell! and Gandalf will be Cogsworth, the clock! Too funny.