Chapter Six
The next morning, Lalina woken early and she helped Bombur cook breakfast, after making a run into town to pick up more food for Bilbo's pantry. As Lalina cooked, it was Fili and Kili whom entered the dining room. "Alright! Aunt Lalina is doing the cooking! We love Aunt Lalina's cooking!" beamed Fili. "What am I? Chopped liver?" joked Bombur. Lalina chuckled. "No, you're not. I just so happen I enjoy cooking too! We'll share the job!" said Lalina. Bombur grinned "Its good to hear you say that, Lalin." said Thorin, as he took his place at the head of the table.
After breakfast, everyone packed their belongings and headed out, as they met up outside the Green Dragon Inn. Lalina decided to share a pony with Thorin. "Of course, you share with Thorin! After all, you two are husband and wife, hey?" said Gloin, smiling at Lalina. "Yes." said Lalina, as she mounted the pony, taking her seat in front of Thorin. "Lalin, your sword.." began Thorin. "What about my sword?" asked Lalina. "Its bumping my leg." said Thorin with a sheepish smile. "Oh! Sorry, I'll fix that." said Lalina, and she did.
"Isn't Bilbo coming?" asked Lalina. "I doubt it, but the dwarves are already placing wagers on whether he is going to come or not, I bet on that he's not coming." Thorin replied. Lalina snorted. "What is the matter with all of you? You barely even know the guy, and you already doubting him?!" Lalina scorned. "Lalina, if I wanted your two coins I would ask for it!" shot back Thorin. Lalina sighed. "I give up!" wailed Lalina in frustration.
"Fine, I get on the bet too! I bet all of you he will show, and if I win this bet, and all of you lose, you will have to stand on one foot and sing "I'm a little Tea Pot'!" snapped Lalina. "You cannot be serious, lass!" blurted out Dwalin. "Well? Any of you agree?" asked Lalina. "It's a deal!" called out Kili. "KILI!" the entire company shouted. "Good." said Lalina. That will fix all of them, Lalina thought.
Fifteen minutes later, they could a hear voice call out in the distance. "Wait, wait! I signed it!" the voice called out. Everyone turned around, they saw Bilbo running towards them, waving contract in hand. "YES!" shrieked Lalina. And Thorin just glared at Lalina. "I hope you're happy!" whispered Thorin. "Oh, I am! I sure am!" beamed Lalina.
Bilbo handed over the contract to Bilbo, and looked it over. "Well, it seems everything is in place! Welcome to the Company of Thorin Oakenshield!" said Balin, smiling at the hobbit. "Give him a pony!" grumbled Thorin. "No, no! That wouldn't be necessary! I can walk! As far as Frog Mort.." began Bilbo, when suddenly Fili and Kili reached for the hobbit, and placed him on a pony. And they begin setting out. No soon as they began to move, Bilbo called out again. "Wait! Wait! Stop for a minute!" the hobbit called out. "What now?" snapped Thorin.
"I forgot my pocket handkerchief!" Bilbo replied. "Here! Take this!" Bofur called out, as he torn fabric from his coat, and tossed it to Bilbo. "Moving on!" Thorin announced, as they continued to press on. When evening came, they stopped to make camp. Lalina decided to wait until after supper to make the dwarves sing, since they lost the bet. "Just think, Bilbo, after supper, things are going to get interesting." said Lalina smiling at Bilbo. "Why?" asked the hobbit. Lalina explained her part in betting on the hobbit. "And since the dwarves lost their bet, now they have to hop on one foot and sing "I'm a Little Tea Pot!'!" said Lalina.
Bilbo burst into laughter hearing this. "You didn't! Does Thorin have to do that too?" asked Bilbo. "Thorin has to do it too!" said Lalina.
Even Gandalf chuckled at this, when he overheard Lalina's plan. After supper, Lalina made her move. "Alright, everyone. Since you all lost your bet!.." Lalina began. "Do you have to remind us?" moaned Dori. "Yes, and you have to do that thing, since you lost the bet." said Lalina. "What thing?" asked Ori. "You have to hop on one foot and sing 'I'm a Little Teapot'!" said Lalina. "To hell we're not! We're not going to do that!" hissed Dwalin. "Well that's too bad then, because I won't be cooking for any of you, if you don't." said Lalina, making a fake pout. "And another thing, Thorin, you have to sleep on the other side of the camp site, if you don't do this!" said Lalina.
"Lalina, now you're not being fair!" said Thorin. "Well? Are you going to do this or not?" said Lalina. "Fine, we'll do it! Everyone stand up!" grumbled Thorin. "Prepare to laugh your asses off!" Lalina said to Bilbo and Gandalf. "Oh, we will! I'm enjoying this!" smirked Gandalf. And so the dwarves stood up and began hopping on one foot and they sang, "I'm a Little Teapot'. Lalina, Bilbo and Gandalf laughed hysterically. Bilbo was laughing so hard, he reached for his sides, tears falling down his face. "Breathe, Bilbo, breathe!" chuckled Lalina.
"Oh, you're going to get yours, Lalina!" said Kili. "Oh, and what are you going to do, pay me back?" said Lalina.
"Big time!" hissed Kili, as a mischievous grin appeared on his face. As the evening progressed, they could hearing a loud shriek in the distance, which startled Lalina, as she sat straight up. "What is that?" asked Bilbo. "Orcs!" said Kili. "Throat cutters! They come in the middle of the night, when you least expect-and soon, they attack when you didn't even know what is hitting you!" said Fili. And the two dwarves laughed softly. Lalina stood up and threw rocks at the dwarves. "IDIOTS! That is nothing to joke about!" shouted Lalina, and she walked away. And soon it was Thorin's turn to speak.
"You really think that's funny? You think orc raids are joke?" asked Thorin, sharply. "We didn't mean anything by it." said Kili, softly. "You know nothing of this world!" snapped Thorin, and he walked away, and stood in the same place where Lalina is standing. "There is a reason lads, why your Uncle hate orcs so much." said Balin, and he began telling the story of the Battle of Azanulbizar. Meanwhile, Thorin turned to Lalina. "Are you alright, Lalin?" asked Thorin quietly. "How could they joke about something like that! They have no idea the hell I went through in Ered Mithrin when the orcs raided my home!" wept Lalina.
Thorin placed his hand on Lalina's shoulder.
"You must excuse my nephews, Lalin. They had no idea what they were doing when they said those things. And I assure you, you will get an apology from them, because I will MAKE them apologize myself." said Thorin. Thorin took Lalina's hand. "We will get our revenge." said Thorin. Lalina looked into Thorin's eyes. "And I will be standing by your side and fight too." said Lalina. Lalina and Thorin turned when they could hear Bilbo speak. "What became of the Pale Orc? What happened to him?" asked the hobbit. Thorin approached the company, followed by Lalina.
"The orcish filth died in his wounds long ago. He is no more!" grumbled Thorin, as he sat down where he sat before, and Lalina sat next to him.
Meanwhile…
An orc scout approached Azog, whom was looking out over the land. "I found them sire, the Company of Dwarves, and Oakenshield is with them!" said the orc scout in Black Speech. "Are there thirteen dwarves?" asked Azog. "No sire, they have two others with them. A Halfling and a female dwarf with red hair." said the orc scout. Azog's eyes widened when he heard this. "Narin's daughter! The one whom slain most of our kin! I thought she died with them!" snapped Azog, angrily.
"I'm afraid she's a live, sire. And I hear she is married to the dwarf leader, Thorin!" the orc scout continued. Hearing this, angered the Orc leader. "Track them down, and bring them both to me, alive!" demanded Azog. "Yes, sire!" said the Orc scout, and he walked away.
The Company
As the night progressed, Lalina went to bed, and tried to sleep. Unfortunately, sleep wasn't in her favor, when she began having nightmares-flashbacks to when her home had been raided by the orcs.
Flash back..
Lalina had been in her chambers, preparing for a feast when her maid, Torche, came running into the chambers. Lalina sniffed as she could smell something burning from outside her chambers. "What is that burning smell?" Lalina asked loudly. Suddenly, Lalina's maid, and best friend, Torche, came running into the chambers. "My lady! We must go! Our home is under attack!" cried out the dwarf woman. "WHAT?!" cried out Lalina. "We must go!" said Torche, grabbing Lalina's arm. But Lalina pulled away from Torche, and reached for her sword that she had kept in her wardrobe.
"We must find father, first!" said Lalina. "I'm afraid there isn't time, my lady! The orcs had set our home ablaze, and if we continue to idle, we'll get burned!" cried out Torche, as she pulled Lalina's arm, and the two ran out of the chambers. By the time they came near the Throne room, they stopped. "Torche, Go. Just leave! Run as fast as you can! I must find my father!" Lalina said. "But my lady!" protested Torche. "JUST GO!" barked Lalina, and tearfully the dwarf woman ran.
Soon as Lalina entered the Throne room, she couldn't find her father any where. "FATHER? FATHER!" Lalina cried out. "You will never find him, dwarf scum-he's dead! I killed him, and all of your people!" said a dark, ominous voice behind her. Lalina turned, and she saw Azog glaring at her. "YOU BASTARD!" Lalina screamed as she tried to charge at the orc, but no soon as she done to, Azog threw his fist, punching at her, knocking her to the ground. At the same time, the fire began to spread around the Throne Room, and she had to get out of there, fast.
Lalina got up and ran, and she left the palace. By the time she came outside, she found bodies of dwarves everywhere, much to her shock, horror and dismay. Suddenly, she saw a familiar form ahead of her. It was the body of her best friend, Torche "TORCHE!" Lalina cried out.
Lalina ran towards her friend, whom lain lifelessly on the ground in a puddle of blood. "No, no! Don't leave me, Torche! Please don't leave me!" wept Lalina. She could see she was too late, Torche already dead, slain by the orcs. And suddenly, her thoughts turned to her father. "FATHER! OH NO! FATHER!" cried out Lalina, and she stood up, and she quickly began searching for Narin, when she soon found him, laying lifelessly on the ground, his head ripped apart from his body.
Lalina screamed, tears falling down her face, as she knelt before him. "I swear to you father, they will pay for this. They will pay for what they done to you, Torche and our home!" wept Lalina.
End of Flashback.
Lalina woke up, and she screamed, and she began weeping hysterically. The sound of Lalina's sobbing woke up Thorin. "Lalina? Lalina, are you alright?" asked Thorin gently, as he sat beside her. "I had a nightmare, it was a flashback of losing my father." said Lalina softly. "Oh, Lalin!" whispered Thorin, as he pulled Lalina into his arms. Lalina laid her head upon Thorin's chest. "Shh-its okay, Lalina-I'm here, I'm here!" Thorin whispered as he ran his fingers through her hair.
As Thorin held her, he began to hum a soft tune, rocking her gently in his arms. Soon, Lalina closed her eyes again, and she slowly drifted off to sleep on Thorin's chest. The next morning, the Company woke up and broke camp, as they continued their journey. It had been raining all morning, and it made everyone feel miserable. "Gandalf, can you do something about this deluge?" called out Dori.
"I can't do anything about the rain, Master Dori. Ask some other wizard who can!" said Gandalf. "Are there other wizards?" asked Bilbo. "Yes, there others. There are five of us. Myself, Saruman the White, highest of our order, and two blues, and Radagast the Brown." Gandalf replied. "Is Radagast a great wizard like you?" Bilbo continued to ask. "Radagast can be a great wizard-in his own unique way." said Gandalf. Lalina chuckled. Later on, Thorin called out to the others to stop for camp.