Disclaimer: I own only Eva. Everything else is not mine. Not making money, so please don't sue me…
AN: Thank you for your lovely reviews so far. I really appreciate the feedback that you give. It helps me to write better for you guys. :)
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Chapter 5 - Mahal's Shield
As the Company re-seated themselves in the sitting room of Bilbo's smial, Eva began to tuck into the tray that Bilbo had given her. Between bites of her mismatched meal she tried her best to recount her tail of how she had been asked and invited to Middle Earth, but meticulously left out the why. As she smeared the last of the creamy cheese on top of a beautifully crusty slice of sourdough bread ,she rolled her sleeves to her elbows. A sudden exclamation out of Ori made them turn.
"Impossible!" he squeaked
"Oh hush, Ori-" Dori began
"NO!" he suddenly yelled out "There! On the Lady's arm!"
Eva turned her wrist, revealing a tattoo "Ah yes, he did say you would recognise it."
"He said? Who said?" began Bofur, echoing Bilbo from earlier that night.
"Lord Aule." the woman replied as if it were the most logical thing in the world.
Balin's eyes widened "You met the Great Stone Father?!" he whispered as he stared at the woman's wrist.
On the inside of her left wrist was a tattoo of a shield, filled in with the crown of Durin, as well as a book and a crafting hammer and anvil below it. It rested atop a wreath of lavender.
"I don't follow yeh, Ori." Nori began to his brother. "Aye, t'is rare for a dam to be inked, but what's so special about that?"
"T'is Mahal's Shield, Nori." began Balin with reverence. "The blessing of our Father himself."
Nori blinked in confusion "Still no' followin' yeh."
"That's because it's not well recorded, Nori." Ori began "It's only happened twice in our written history."
"He's right." said Balin "There are great legends told of Mahal's Shield, tasked to protect the khazad during times of trial. Whenever Mahal's Shield has appeared, the khazad have endured and succeeded."
"But why would Mahal appoint a woman?" Dwalin began. "And of the Race of Man too?"
The woman in question huffed "Not this again!" she moaned "Why must this type of conversation always come back to the fact that I am female? It's not like I had a choice to be born with bosom and no prick!"
"She could be a spy for all we know!" Gloin cried.
An argument ensued between the dwarves, and the noise drowned out whatever Eva was trying to say in her defense. Eva dropped her head into her hands in frustration as Bilbo tapped her lightly on the shoulder and escorted her out of the room. Only Nori seemed to look at her somewhat sympathetically at this point.
"That did not go as I had hoped." Eva began with a sigh. "I guess that I shouldn't be surprised by this reaction though."
Bilbo placed a comforting hand on her shoulder "But wouldn't it be ill luck to ignore the Valar's will?"
The woman nodded "I guess I needed reminding that I really am starting out from scratch. Annoying as it is, they are right … they haven't a clue who I am."
Bilbo sighed "Regardless, it's a brave thing you're doing, Miss Eva."
She snorted derisively "T'is not brave, Bilbo. I am a woman of my word. I keep my promises. That happens whether I'm afraid or not." She paused, remembering what Gandalf would say to him after his fainting episode "There are many types of bravery in this world, Bilbo. Not all heroes wield swords and axes, you know."
There was a comfortable silence after that, before Eva rubbed her eyes. "I apologise, Bilbo. I think I will need some time to myself for a while."
"Then let me show you to a place you can rest and freshen up. It has been a trying time for you."
With a gentle nod, Bilbo took his candle with him and guided Eva through the smile to a simple
but clean room "There is an adjoining washroom where you may bathe if you wish."
That task done, Bilbo walked back to the group of dwarrow currently invading his home. He stepped back into the group as the dwarves were escalating the argument yet again.
Gandalf finally slammed his staff down in frustration "Enough! If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar, then a burglar he is! Hobbits are remarkably light on their feet. In fact, they can pass unseen by most if they choose, and while the dragon is accustomed to the smell of a dwarf, the scent of a hobbit is all but unknown to him, which gives us a distinct advantage. You asked me to find the fourteenth member of this company, and I have chosen Mr. Baggins. There's a lot more to him than appearances suggest. And he's got a great deal more to offer than any of you know, including himself.
"And the woman?" Thorin growled
"My companion." Gandalf replied stiffly "She will travel with me, and thus will be my responsibility. You must trust me on this."
Thorin gave the Grey Wizard a hard stare, then pinched the bridge of his nose "Very well. We'll do it your way. Give him the contract."
Bilbo squeaked as he was handed a rather lengthy piece of parchment by Balin. As he read, Bilbo spluttered.
"It's just the usual summary of out-of-pocket expenses," Balin began in a business-like manner "time required, remuneration, funeral arrangements, so forth."
"Funeral arrangements?" Bilbo squeaked
"I cannot guarantee his safety." Thorin murmured to Gandalf "Nor that of the woman."
"Understood."
"Nor will I be responsible for their fate."
As Bilbo read, his face continued to pale. The last straw for him was when Bofur mentioned something about "melting flesh of your bones" before he fainted dead away. Gandalf scolded Bofur, despite the grin on the dwarf's face. As Gandalf sat and tried to give Bilbo one of his talks, Balin sighed as he turned to Thorin.
"It appears we have lost our burglar. Probably for the best. The odds were always against us. After all, what are we? Merchants, miners, tinkers, toy makers. Hardly the stuff of legend….."
Thorin regarded his advisor with resignation "There are a few warriors amongst us."
"Old warriors." Balin added
Through his disappointment, Thorin gazed at the Company with pride "I would take each and every one of these dwarves over an army from the Iron Hills, for when I called upon them, they answered. Loyalty, honor, a willing heart. I can ask no more than that."
"You don't have to do this." Balin's soft voice begged "You have a choice. You've done honorably by our people. You have built a new life for us in the Blue Mountains. A life of peace and plenty. A life that is worth more than all the gold in Erebor."
Thorin grasped the key in his hand, feeling the angles of its design give him strength "From my grandfather to my father, this has come to me. They dreamt of the day when the dwarves of Erebor would reclaim their homeland." Thorin turned to his advisor "There is no choice, Balin. Not for me."
Balin smiled at the determination in Thorin's voice "Then we are with you, laddie. We will see it done."
Eva finally emerged from her room to the sound of the dwarves singing. This had always been one of her favourite parts of the story, but being part of it, immersed in the tenors and deep baritones of the dwarves sent chills through her. Their voices melded together in a melancholy way, a promise of remembrance that Eva could identify with well. Their story called to her very soul, and suddenly, she felt thankful to Yavanna and Aule for sending her there. She sat on the floor a little way from the hearth and listened to their last refrain.
"Far over the Misty Mountains grim,
To dungeons deep and caverns dim,
We must away, ere break of day,
To win our harps and gold from him!"
Eva found her courage and took a deep breath, letting their voices and their story gave her the strength to answer their call.
"A king he was on carven throne
In many-pillared halls of stone"
The Company turned to her in silence as she sang, letting her crystal clear voice echo around Bilbo's smial.
"With golden roof and silver floor
And runes of power upon the door
The light of sun and star and moon
In shining lamps of crystal hewn
Undimmed by cloud or shade of night
There shone for ever fair and bright"
Thorin's eyes bored into her obsidian depths, willing her to back down, and was impressed when she did no such thing. All she did was smile in return as she cast her eyes over the Company gathered in the smial. As she looked upon each one, they acknowledged her with a nod. Nori threw her an encouraging smile, which she returned.
"The world is grey, the mountains old
The forge's fire is ashen-cold
No harp is wrung, no hammer falls
The darkness dwells in Durin's halls
The shadow lies upon his tomb
In Moria, in Khazad-dûm
But still the sunken stars appear
In dark and windless Mirrormere
There lies his crown in water deep
Till Durin wakes again from sleep"
A silence descended on the group as Eva rose to leave.
"You know our story." Thorin stated.
Instead of answering him, she simply bid the Company a good night and walked out of the room.
"At the very least, Thorin." Gandalf began as Eva retreated to her room "Let her be a refuge for your Company. Let her presence remind them of why they are journeying to reclaim their home from the dragon."
Thorin was silent as one by one, the dwarves turned in for the night.
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"Come, Baheluh." Dwalin's deep voice intoned "Ye don't want to keep our One waiting."
Thorin lifted his head from the papers on his desk "I'll be in shortly." he said with a sigh
Dwalin huffed and approached Thorin, spearing blunt fingers through his thick hair, making Thorin's hand freeze just above the parchment. "Looks like I need to persuade ye-"
Thorin moaned softly, then sighed "Aye, I'll come." Thorin mumbled.
"I thought you'd do that later." came a mischievous feminine voice from his study door.
"He can be quite persuasive, yâsith." Thorin groaned
"Oh, yâsûn, you have no need to tell me."
Warm arms suddenly came up and around him from behind. Thorin leaned back and felt a soft kiss being pressed to his hair.
Thorin's eyes snapped open to the darkness of the hobbit's home, and he sighed. Rolling over, he pushed the dream aside and went back to sleep.
He didn't remember having the dream at all the next morning.
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Song 1: Misty Mountains Cold - lyrics by J. R. R. Tolkien
Song 2: Song of Durin - Eurielle (lyrics by J. R. R. Tolken)
Baheluh - friend of all friends
Yâsith - wife
Yâsûn - husband
AN: Reviews and feedback are love. A little glimpse at the romance to come. If the idea of a triad doesn't appeal to you, then I suggest that you stop reading here, much as I love your reviews and views.
