Hey everyone! I'm back:) Sorry it has been so long but I'm gonna start updating this story again, yay! Please let me know what you think, hope you enjoy.
It had been hours.
The mountain was quiet as Fili wandered down the halls. He finally came to the doors of his uncle's room and was surprised to see Kili pacing outside the doors.
"Kili." Fili called to his brother. The raven haired Durin turned to his brother and surprised Fili with a hug. Fili quickly gathered his brother in his arms. He knew something was wrong...Kili never acted like this, he hadn't since he was small.
"What did they say, Kili?" Fili pulled away from his brother a bit, still holding his shoulder gently.
"I don't...I-I don't know Fee." Kili's voice was just above a whisper and raspy, "they haven't said anything...I just hear him coughing…" The two brother sat against the stone wall, silently,waiting.
XXX
Her sword hit the wooden dummy again and again, each time creating a cut deeper than the last. Ailyn kept her hand steady as she beat the wooden figure. A scream escaped her lips as she cast her sword to the ground.
"Don't do that…" A whispery voice hissed, causing Ailyn to spin around, only to see the training room empty.
"You're going to hurt yourself, Dwarfling…" The voice came again from behind Ailyn. She spun around again, only to see nothing there.
"We wouldn't want that...now would we?" The voice seemed to smile. Ailyn took a long breath listening. The voice sounded like it belonged to a woman. She quickly spung her sword in her hand, ready for an attack. The voice laughed.
"Look at you…" It whispered moving closer. "My, my, how you've grown." Suddenly Ailyn felt a weight upon her. She groaned, before she was forced to her knees, unable to move. The whisper of a hand swept Ailyn's cheek, "oh how I have missed you." Air flew by Ailyn's ear as a shudder went down her spine.
"Who are you?" She demanded with a grunt, trying to free herself, "what do you want?!"
"You wouldn't know me...it was a very...long time ago." The voice sounded almost sad, before it laughed with mockery, "Ah, look at you, trying to fight." Ailyn gasped in a ragged breath of air as she felt her throat beginning to close.
"Pathetic…" The voice laughed casting Ailyn to the floor with surprising force. She turned quickly finally being able to move, a dagger flashing in her hand, but the room felt empty once again. She whirled around as someone said her name
"Ailyn?" Revlon stared at her confused and slightly afraid, "what are you…" He looked around the room before back at Ailyn, "what are you doing?"
"Nothing." Ailyn placed her dagger back in her belt not taking her eyes from the Dwarf, "what do you need?" She cleared her throat and pushed her hair from her face.
"It's Thorin." Revlon answered before swallowing. Ailyn's face turned pale, she took a few steps towards Rulvon slowly her voice dropping into a whisper, "What happened?" Revlon took in a breath before answering the Dwarrowdam.
Before Revlon had even finished his sentence, Ailyn had run from the training room, towards the royal chambers. She was breathing hard by the time she got to the doors, and burst through them without pausing.
XXX
The next day, Ailyn looked out at the training area, pulling on her leather bracers. Two Dwarves from the Iron Hills sparred in one ring while a few others chatted and talked.
"Are you sure you're up for this?" Fili questioned as he came to sit beside his cousin.
"I have to start again sometime." Ailyn looked at him, "I am healed enough. I could defend myself well enough in Dale, against Orcs."
"Yes…" Fili nodded slowly, "but Orcs, you can kill. In here, you can't kill them." He chuckled, "you have to either beat them, or yield. And I know you don't yield."
"No, I don't." Ailyn shook her head, "I won't." She adjusted her grip on her sword. Her eyes flickered around the training room watching the other Dwarves fighting or cheering. Fili let out a sigh and sat back down. There was a group of Iron Hill Dwarves that seemed to be having a small tournament. Ailyn sat back down watching carefully. There were two Dwarves currently fighting each other. One was a good sized Dwarf, he swung an axe with impressive force. But his opponent, caught the handle of the axe with his hand and shoved the other Dwarf to the ground. The larger black haired warrior grinned like a wolf and held his sword up as the crown burst into the cheers.
"Who's next?" He boomed turning in a small circle looking around the room. No other Dwarves stood, so he laughed, "cowards!" He called and returned to the bench taking a long drag of ale. Ailyn turned towards Fili and shrugged. He looked at her for a moment before looking back at the black haired Dwarf and his eyes went wide, "Ailyn, no, no, no-" he tried to catch his cousin as she stood and began to walk over to the group of Dwarves. He cursed in under his breath before following Ailyn.
"Ailyn, don't." Fili muttered to her, stepping in front of Ailyn catching her arm, "come on. He's healed from the battle, you aren't. Not completely."
"You need someone to fight?" Ailyn asked ignoring her cousin. Fili let out a irritated sigh, and moved to stand next to her. The black haired Dwarf looked over at her, then to the sword on her belt.
"Not you Lassie." He laughed and shook his head, "You shouldn't even be in here. Go back up to your room and your sewing," He joked, and a few other Dwarves broke out laughing.
"I'd like to try." Ailyn answered; now even more determined to fight him, "It is clear you think a Darrowdam cannot fight." She shrugged, "I want to prove you wrong." The Dwarf stopped drinking and looked at Ailyn curiously. "I'm Derin." He spoke his name like it was supposed to mean something, "What's your name?" Ailyn smiled and pressed her hand to Fili's side to stop him from telling the Dwarf who she actually was.
"Torvi." She replied with a small sad smile, "I am...the daughter of a blacksmith. Surely you won't turn down my challenge will you?" She tilted her head to the side in question, "not after you think that I don't belong here." Derin shrugged and grinned, turning towards the group of Dwarves, "I accept. I need any easy fight." He picked up his sword. "You won't last more than a minute." He walked to one of the rings.
"We'll see." Ailyn smiled,took one sword from her belt, and walked to the ring. Fili took a seat on the steps and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
"Who taught you to fight?" Derin asked as he circled around Ailyn.
"My father." Ailyn answered, watching Derin carefully. He was certainly a worthy competitor. But he was cocky. Perhaps a bit too much, Ailyn thought. He was certainly fit, with well toned muscles showing through his shirt. He had brute strength, and he relied on that. Ailyn had strength as well, but her skills were also with a sword, and that of physical fighting.
"Well, I'll make sure not to break anying." Derin spoke before lunging at Ailyn like a wolf, his sword flashing as he swung it at her head. Ailyn ducked down and moved to the side, quickly avoiding him all together. She swung around and rammed her foot against his knee. He grunted but didn't fall. Derin growled and again aimed his sword at Ailyn. Again, she dodged the blow, turning in a circle away from him. Derin let out a harsh laugh, circling Ailyn again.
"Just as I thought." He taunted, "you can't fight. You aren't even using your sword."
"Or perhaps you just can't aim quick enough."Ailyn shrugged and twirled her right sword, bringing it around in an expert movement. Derin growled again and moved towards Ailyn, bringing his sword down right on top of her. She raised her sword upward to stop his blow. Metal hit metal as the two Dwarves pushed against the other with all their might. However, Ailyn began to lean backwards as her legs began to bend. She could feel Derin pushing harder and her legs began to grow tired. In a quick movement, she gripped Derin's left wrist with her left hand, squeezing tightly as her knee came up and harshly connected with his gut. Derin groaned and for a split second stopped his applying pressure to the the sword. It was enough time for Ailyn to grab his arm and move it away from his face, kneeing him for a second time and sending him to the ground. Ailyn took in a deep breath and smiled lightly as Derin groaned, rolling to his side and slowly getting up. The Dwarves from Erebor broke into a cheer and Fili grinned while the Dwarves from the Iron Hills just murmured and frowned. All of them had no idea who Ailyn was. They had never seen her before.
"But now," Derin turned towards her glaring, "I won't take it easy on you." He gripped his sword tighter and once again charged at the Darrowdam. Ailyn raised her sword to meet his. Derin turned and aimed for her again, and again Ailyn blocked it. It went on like this for a bit, each of them trying to get a hit on one another, the other blocking the blow. Both Dwarves aimed and blocked with incredible speed. Derin's blows became harsher and harsher as he grew angry with the swiftness of his opponent. Ailyn kept her blows and blocks steady and her stance precise. Ailyn kept her sword up ready to defend herself. Derin hit her sword again, and unexpectedly gripped Ailyns arm dragging her forward. Before Ailyn could react, Derin had grabbed her arm that held her sword, twisting it downward so she let out a loud cry and her sword clattered to the floor. A smirk appeared on his face before he slammed his forehead down into Ailyn's and tossed her to the floor. He chuckled, "looks like I was right. You can't fight."
Fili frowned and leaned forward more. "Come on, Ailyn. Get up," He murmured. The Dwarves from the Iron Hills cheered, while the ones from the Blue Mountains just glared at them and looked on at their princess. None reacted to her harsh treatment as Fili calmly stayed seated. Ailyn opened her eyes and took in a deep breath, getting to her knees, her arm reaching out to grab her sword as her head began to pound. Derin kicked the sword away from her and kicked her arm, turning her on her back. He smiled down at her smugly. "Really? Just give up already. Your father would be ashamed of you making a fool of yourself, Torvi." He pressed his foot onto her abdomen, pushing down slowly. Ailyn grunted lightly glaring up at the Dwarf, her left hand formed a fist and slammed it into Derin's lower torso and her right hand gripped his belt and pulled him towards her, so her knee connected with groin, Ailyn used her feet and his weight to flip him over her and slam him on his back. She got up quickly breathing in rapid breaths glaring at him, "Get up!" She barked, walking over to him as he scrambled up.
"Your- your sword." He groaned struggling to stand, trying to get her to give him more time.
"I don't need that to beat you." Ailyn answered swinging her arm up to block Derins oncoming blow. His sword collided with her leather bracer on her wrist. Her arm didn't waver under the pressure. Instead, she moved her arm down his and yanked the sword from his hand, casting it to the ground. Her right hand punched his chest moving him back, then her left again, then her right came up and hooked him across the chin. Derin growled and swung both his fists towards her. Ailyn moved away but was still hit in the shoulder. She steadied herself quickly and countered his attack with a hit to the stomach, then one to his face. Hearing a crack as his nose began to bleed and slamming her foot into his thigh. He dropped to the ground in pain. Ailyn raised her foot again and connected it with his chest as he fell backwards. He coughed and struggled to take in air holding his nose. Ailyn stared down at him with her jaw tightly set. Derin went to get up again but stopped when Ailyn slammed his sword down next to his shoulder, missing his arm but catching his shirt.
"Stay down." Ailyn answered, "I would if I were you."
"You'll pay for that!" Derin spat, and Ailyn tilted her head to the side, "Is that a threat?" She almost laughed.
"Yes!" Derin answered through gritted teeth. Ailyn smiled lightly and shook her head, "You have no idea who I really am, do you?"
"Why does that matter?!" He demanded, "you're just a darrowdam!" Ailyn nodded slowly, "Yes I am...but that is not all." She moved and grabbed her sword from the ground. Derin looked confused still laying on the ground.
"Who are you then?!" He demanded. Ailyn walked over to his head and kneeled down beside him, her sword in hand, she turned it so he could see Thorin's sigil on the handle, "I am an Oakenshield." She answered. Derin looked at the sword then at her, his expression going from confused to terrified. Ailyn refrained from laughing and stood slowly going over to Fili.
"Wait!" Derin commanded trying to get up, and then falling back down, his shirt still caught with his sword, "Stop!" Ailyn ignored him and walked back over to her cousin who was shaking his head with an amused smile.
"You played that well," He answered as he set one hand on her shoulder the other on her neck looking over her scratches and bruises, "Are you alright?" Ailyn nodded, glancing at the Iron Hill Dwarves who were just as surprised. Some simply stared at Ailyn, while others dropped to one knee and bowed their heads. Her eyes flew around the room, quickly growing uncomfortable with the amount of attention she had garnered.
"Come on." Fili lead Ailyn up the stairs grabbing his sword. While the Iron Hill Dwarves stayed in stunned silence, the Dwarves from the Blue Mountains cheered and laughed as Ailyn walked by. She nodded to them with a small smile taking in a long breath as they left the training room.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Fili questioned again once they were walking down the hall.
"I'm fine, Fee." Ailyn nodded, "just somewhat sore, but I felt like that anyway." She shrugged, and a twinge of pain went through her shoulder, from where she had been hit.
"You showed him a thing or two." Fili chuckled and shook his head, "You did well, staying calm while he became angered."
"He was bigger than me, I had to get him unfocused so he would be open for a hit." She looked at him with a small laugh, "I was also quicker than him, which helped."
"You still could have done more damage." Fili answered with a look. Ailyn shrugged. "Why hurt a good warrior?"
"He did say something to make you angry." Fili countered, "I saw the change in your stance, and your motions." Ailyn shook her head, "It's fine" Fili nodded slowly, "Will you be alright here? I told Kili I was meet him on the lower levels, he found some old shops." Ailyn nodded, "I'm probably going to wash up before lunch." Fili nodded with a smile before turning to travel down the stairs.
Ailyn turned and headed towards the upper levels where the royal quarters were. She had just turned into the main hallway when someone unseen spoke up.
"You beat him, then."
Ailyn turned towards the voice, whipping out one of her daggers to point at the person's throat. Revlon held up his hands quickly, looking at the dagger touching his throat.
"Easy princess." Revlon looked back up at her, "I meant no offense."
"Please don't call me that. What are you doing back up here?" Ailyn questioned sticking the dagger back in her belt.
"That looks painful." Revlon answered, touching the left of her face near her cheek which had begun to bruise. Ailyn smacked his hand away. "What do you want?" She asked again.
"I just wanted to congratulate you." Revlon answered, retracting his hand, "not many can beat Derin."
"Not many people fight like I do." Ailyn answered before continuing to walk down the hall.
"I've been meaning to talk to you about that." Revlon caught up to her, "You and your cousins...you all are of course great warriors, which is no surprise." He laughed a bit, "The three of you...all have a very distinct set of skills that not many have. You for example," he shrugged, "I've noticed you hardly wear any armor, and you fight physically quite a lot."
"So." Ailyn spoke trying to walk faster and lose Revlon, not wanting to answer his questions. Revlon kept up his pace, "Why fight like that when you're a Dwarf? Aren't the ways we fight enough?"
"For you maybe, not for me." Ailyn answered finally getting to her room, and opening the door. Revlon grabbed the handle and pulled the door shut moving in front of Ailyn.
"Don't hit me." He held up his hands in surrender, Ailyn crossed her arms and let out a sigh waiting for him to continue.
"You have avoided every question I've asked you."
"You're right, I have." Ailyn nodded, "Because I don't like answering questions, please let me through." She tried to push past Revlon but he didn't let her.
"I am trying to understand you three." Revlon replied in a simple tone, "Alright? You, your family? You're practically legends. You and your cousins are lethal on the battlefield. Your father...he didn't rest in exile, he kept fighting. I mean, do you four understand what people think of you all?" Revlon was showing a softer side to himself instead of the role of the harsh guard he played the other night.
"I know what others think of me." Ailyn answered in a sour tone finally pushing past Revlon into her room. He stayed in the doorway while Ailyn took off her belt and set her sword on her bed to the left of the room.
"What do you mean?" Revlon questioned still not leaving. Ailyn stopped and took in a deep breath letting her shoulders drop for a moment before turning back to the Dwarf standing in the doorway, regaining her firm composure.
"I know what you think of me." She spoke standing in her room, "I know what all of you think of me." She laughed a bit shaking her head, "I started working in my father's forge when I was five years old. I started training when I was seven, along side Fili. Kili started when he was seven as well. Thorin gave him a bow because he was much smaller than Fili, and could not lift a sword properly. My father taught me how to forge my own weapon and taught me to respect it." She glanced down at her feet before looking back up, "My cousins trained with me, we learned together and fought together. But you see, the thing is, is that my cousins? They got immediate respect from learning to fight. They were the nephews of Thorin Oakenshield, sons of Frerin and Dis! Of course they shall be glorious warriors!" She shook her head again, "But me? I got respect, but not the same kind. I got respect because I was a princess, the daughter of the great Dwarf king. But when I picked up a sword? I was…'encouraged' to put it back down, and pick up a crown. Set my armor aside and take up a dress." She took a few steps closer, "I am still told those things to this day. After the journey to the mountain, after fighting and surviving the battle of the five armies."
"I didn't mean to…" Revlon began but Ailyn cut him off again, "Those aren't the only thoughts about me, or my family." She moved closer to Revlon, now only a few feet from him, "You see, other people think my family and I are just like every other royal. Selfish, greedy, showing off, fighting just for the popularity, just for personal gain. Like everything that I do is for my own benefit and no one else's. But that, that is where you are all wrong. You think I decided to fight for the glory? For the fame?" She shook her head and took a few steps closer, "I chose to fight, because there has been a price on my head, and my cousins since the day we were born. I chose to fight because I was not going to let them die, I wasn't going to let anyone take my family away from me. But even then, that wasn't easy. Being the daughter of Thorin Oakenshield is an honor. But it was never easy. All my life people have looked at me and judged me, because I was born a girl and not a boy." She looked at Revlon for a moment before turning away, tugging off her leather bracers, "I fight the way I do because it is a skill I can succeed at, and use to help defend my people and my family. I don't wear much armor because it just slows me down."
"But…" Revlon thought for a moment, "doesn't it increase your chances of you getting hurt? Hit by an arrow, stabbed with a sword?"
"Of course it does." Ailyn answered walking back over to the door, "but that doesn't mean I'm out of the fight. I'm not invincible, none of us are. We still get hit, we still go down. But the difference is, is that, we don't stay down." She answered, "does that make sense?"
"Yes." Revlon nodded, and stepped back, "I'll let you rest now...pri-" He caught himself as Ailyn gave him a look, instead he just bowed and left. Ailyn let out a long groan and shut the door behind him.
XXX
"So you yelled at him?"
"I didn't yell at him!" Ailyn exclaimed leaning in the chair, "At least…I didn't mean to…" Her hand rested on over her eyes, "I was just… annoyed, and tired…"
"Then you need to sleep more." Thorin looked over at his daughter from where he half sat half laid in the bed. He was paler than normal and his voice was a bit raspy and soft but he was still very much the Dwarf king he always was. Papers were scattered over his lap as he looked through some of the records of the mountain.
"I do." Ailyn answered looking over at her father who gave her a look that said he didn't believe her, "I...try." She replied in a softer voice, "it's just harder. I'm not used to it here, and then there are the…" She trailed off quietly.
"The nightmares." Thorin finished for her, "I thought they weren't that bad."
"They weren't." Ailyn answered playing with a braid in her hair, "but it changed."
"What about them?" Thorin asked, setting some papers into a pile before picking up another. Ailyn stayed silent, thinking for a moment, "They...seem more, real. Like they aren't dreams...but memories." She looked at her father.
"Could they be?" Thorin questioned gently, "could they be more than dreams?"
This time Ailyn responded promptly shaking her head, "no...I've have no memory of the things I dream. I don't recognize anything. There is a voice...a woman's voice by the sound of it. She talks to me, but it's not Dis." She shrugged.
"What does she sound like?"
"She seems...far away, and somewhat angry. But her voice isn't angry, but it isn't kind either. Annoyed, maybe?"
"How often do you have them?" Thorin looked at her concerned.
"Almost every other night." Ailyn answered, fiddling with her braid more. She hadn't told anyone about her nightmares in a while. She had thought she had finally grown out of them. During the trek to the mountain she didn't have any really, but after the battle for the mountain they had returned. More dark, and confusing.
"Have you asked anything from Oin? To help you sleep?" Thorin attempted sit up more, but it only resulted in a coughing fit. Ailyn got up quickly, going to the bedside table, pouring some cool water into a cup and handing to her father. He drank all of it before setting it on the table again, "thank you, Mizimith." He let out a breath before looking at Ailyn, "Oin could give you something to help you sleep, ask him." Ailyn thought for a moment before shrugging, "I suppose it wouldn't hurt. The nightmare are so…" She shook her head as a shiver ran down her spine.
"It is alright to be afraid, Ailyn." Thorin spoke watching his daughter carefully.
"I don't get to be afraid." Ailyn spoke looking at Thorin. He smile softly and cupped her cheek, "my sweet girl. It is alright for to be afraid, but you must not let the fear overtake you. Don't give it that kind of power, not when you are so much stronger."
"Am I?" Ailyn asked sinking back into the chair, "stronger?"
"You've come this far." Thorin smiled at her softly, "despite all the challenges that stood before you. You can go further, I promise."
Well there is that chapter, I really hope you enjoyed it!
I am thinking about adding more characters to the story, including several female characters, so if you guys have any ideas for new characters or requests please send me a PM or comment, I would love to hear your ideas :)