Yay for chapters! I finally got around to posting this...enjoy! Don't forget to review!
Chapter 2
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Lulyn woke up an hour or two later. The pain in her side had eased up some, but not much. She looked over and noticed that Kor's wing had been healed. She figured it was Gandalf's work. She tried to sit up, but as soon as she moved, her hand flew to her side again. She lay back down and took deep breaths. "Lie still." A voice said from somewhere above her. She looked around and noticed Kili, Oin, Gandalf, and Bilbo standing by the side of the couch. Gandalf and Oin were discussing something in hushed tones. Bilbo looked out the window and turned pale at the sight of the orc corpses.
"I suppose I could try..." Gandalf finally said. "But it will be extremely tiring." He told Oin. Gandalf took his staff and laid the tip on Lulyn's wound. She winced. The wizard began chanting quietly and his staff began to glow bright blue. Lulyn felt the pain rise for a moment. She tensed up and squeezed the nearest thing, which just so happened to be Kili's hand. The glow grew brighter and brighter. Lulyn held back a cry. And soon the glow of the staff went out and Gandalf stopped chanting. She realized the pain had gone. She let go of Kili's hand when she'd realized she was holding it and turned slightly red. She began to grow very tired. "Thank… Thank you…" She breathed before dozing off.
"I will not take her with the Company. She doesn't belong with us." Thorin said in a hushed argument with Gandalf.
"Just give her a chance." Gandalf asked of him.
"She's a lady. She doesn't belong with a bunch of travelers like us." Thorin said. "She most likely wouldn't even want to come with us."
"And why would you think that?" Gandalf said raising an eyebrow. "She's got a thirst for adventure. And I don't think traveling with a bunch of men will make her look elsewhere. You saw her fight out there. She is strong. You could use as many warriors as you can get."
Thorin sighed, though it sounded more like a growl. "She can come. But only if she's ready to go when we're leaving. I don't want to be slowed down." He agreed begrudgingly.
They were interrupted by Bilbo, who was giving everyone rooms.
"Thank you Bilbo, but I must be on my way." Said Gandalf. "Elrond has summoned me to Rivendell."
Bilbo nodded.
Gandalf stood and ducked out the door and headed off toward Rivendell. Bilbo waved goodbye and closed the door. Then he scuttled off to bed.
Lulyn awoke the next morning to the delicious aroma of toast and eggs. Her eyes fluttered open and she found herself staring into the fireplace, which still had smoldering embers. The sun bathed everything in a bright light, making it a pleasant awakening. She sat up and found Kor chattering happily at her rising. He flew over and landed on her lap. His wing was good as new.
She found herself wandering into the kitchen where Bilbo had two plates filled with breakfast foods ready. "Good morning!" He said as he set breakfast on the table.
Lulyn sat at the table and took a bite of toast. Bilbo sat with her and munched on a cake from last night. Lulyn noticed how quiet things were. She looked around and only saw the birds chirping outside.
"Where has the company gone?" She asked.
Bilbo finished chewing a bite. "They left fifteen minutes ago."
Lulyn didn't say anything and glanced toward the door. She thought a moment. "Mr. Baggins, thank you; I appreciate your hospitality. But I must be going." She said, standing and running to the couch to slip on her boots.
"Where are you going?" He sputtered, jumping up and quickly following her.
"I'm following the Company." Lulyn said slowly with a smile and an adventurous glint in her eyes. She hurriedly disappeared and a moment later she came back with a red dress. She grabbed her bow and quiver then ran outside.
"Farewell, Mr. Baggins!" Lulyn said, mounting Brisa and kicking her into a canter. Bag End began to disappear behind her.
"Goodbye!" Bilbo called after her, waving a hand.
Lulyn raced across the Shire, jumping many fences. She urged her pony to go faster and wasn't looking where she was riding, trampling a hobbit's garden in the process. The hobbit jumped out of the way with a cry of surprise. "Sorry!" She called behind her.
Soon, on the horizon, many shapes appeared: thirteen dwarves on ponies. Lulyn galloped now. She reached the group just as they were crossing the Brandywine Bridge. She slowed her pony to a trot and came up behind Thorin.
"Thorin! Thorin! You left me behind." She said. He looked back at her with an eyebrow raised.
"I thought you weren't coming." He said.
Lulyn smiled and trotted up next to him. "Well, I'm here now. And I would like to be a part of the Company."
Thorin glared. He wanted to make it clear that he didn't want another member of the company.
"Thorin, please let me be a part of this company. I will follow you to the edges of the earth if you would allow me." She pleaded.
Thorin sighed. "Fighting orcs is no lady's business."
"You're right." Lulyn agreed. "But you must remember I am no lady." She smirked and pulled a knife from her cloak, then threw it with everything she had, nailing a pinecone on a nearby tree, just to prove her point. The knife fell to the ground with the skewered pinecone. She walked over and picked it up to slide the pinecone off the blade.
Thorin glared at Lulyn and continued on, eyes set at the other side of the bridge.
"Where are you going? What's the mission...quest...thing this time?" Lulyn asked.
"Orcs have been reappearing all over Middle-Earth since the battle. Many looked to us to find out where they're coming from."
"How do you intend to fight all the orcs with only thirteen of you? You don't even know where they're coming from." Lulyn said. "I could be of use. I'm good at that sort of thing. I've been tracking orcs all my life. Please, Thorin."
Thorin sighed. "I do not want another member of this company."
Lulyn's face fell.
"But, if you can prove yourself, you I MIGHT let you join us."
Lulyn smiled brightly. "Thank you!" She said, resisting the urge to hug the rather grumpy dwarf.
"But, one wrong move, and this company will be leaving you behind."
After short bit, the company had reached the Old Forest. Thorin brought the Company to a halt when he'd realized they had no clue where they were going. He stared at his pony's ears, deep in thought.
"What is it, Uncle?" Fili asked.
"Nothing, nothing. Let's go." He continued on. Then not too long after that he heard a screech of an orc. The Company stopped in their tracks. "That wasn't…" Lulyn started.
"It was." Thorin confirmed. His blade began to glow blue.
Lulyn thought, knowing they had little time until the orcs would arrive. "We might be able to outrun them." She stated. "We need to get to Rivendell."
Thorin grunted. "I am not going to Rivendell. Not again."
"Thorin, you have two choices. Get to the safety of Rivendell, or get eaten by a pack of orcs. Take your pick."
Thorin groaned and started galloping in the direction of Rivendell. A small group, maybe four or five orcs, began running ahead of the company to cut them off. "This way!" Thorin ordered, turning his pony southeast. They managed to outrun the orcs, and soon they found they were out of the old forest and had reached the South Downs.
Lulyn looked around at the downs, wondering why they had taken this path, rather than keeping straight and shortening this journey to Rivendell. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Lulyn's train of thought was broken when Bofur came up beside her.
"Afternoon, lass." He said.
Lulyn smiled and nodded to Bofur. She glanced up toward Thorin. "Is he always this..." She hesitated.
"Grumpy? Angry? Unhappy?" Bofur said.
Lulyn stared at Thorin and raised an eyebrow. "
"He's not usually in such a bad mood. Not sure what's bugging him today." Bofur shrugged.
The sky steadily darkened after a while and rain began to fall. It slowly got heavier and heavier as they continued.
"Thorin, the ponies need a break. They look pretty tired. And they're soaking wet." Lulyn said finally.
"We need to keep moving. We've got a pack of orcs on our tail. We'll keep moving until sunset." Thorin said.
Lulyn frowned. They couldn't tell when sunset was until is was too late. She decided to respect Thorin's orders though. She was still getting used to the whole I'm-not-the-leader-anymore thing. But why should she? She wasn't even a part of the company yet, so she didn't have to follow his orders! Besides, the horses were wet and cold, by the looks of it.
While Lulyn was having a mental argument with herself, they had gotten to the side of a rather mountain-ish spot in the Downs. Lulyn was riding near the edge of a cliff. She remembered the days when this was unusual for her. When she'd had a place to live, and when she'd had a garden to grow things in; and the softness and warmth of a bed; when she had a...a family. She missed those days.
Lulyn's train of thought was interrupted by an orc screech. Thorin's sword began to glow again.
"Ready your weapons!" Thorin ordered. Lulyn noched an arrow and pulled the bowstring back.
Soon orcs were jumping out of nowhere. The rain, of course, began to pour harder. The rock began to get slippery beneath the dwarves' feet. Lulyn aimed and shot down many orcs. She dismounted and a huge orc/dwarf fight broke out. The Company stabbed, slashed, shot, and pushed many orcs over the edge of a cliff. Lulyn hung her bow over her shoulder and drew her sword. She began fighting with an orc that had a bloodthirsty look on its face. She stabbed the orc and it stumbled backward over the cliff, letting out a final screech before there was a thud and silence from below. She busied herself with another orc. It seemed to be the last of them.
The Company watched as she fiercely fought the orc. The orc began to drive her backward…toward the edge of the cliff.
Thorin would have done something, but he wanted to see Lulyn prove herself a good fighter.
Lulyn fought her hardest, but the orc kept driving her toward the edge. Lulyn's heels hung over the edge of the cliff. Her heart pounded wildly. The rocks underneath her foot slipped and Lulyn found herself dangling over the edge by one hand. The orc raised its axe, ready to finish Lulyn. She let out a screech of fear. She tried to cry for help, but her voice failed her. As the orc readied itself to bring down its axe, it froze and its knees buckled beneath it. It fell over the edge with an arrow in its back, revealing a soaked Kili who was lowering his bow. Lulyn sighed in relief but then remembered she was kind of still dangling over the edge of a cliff. Her fingers began slipping. She saw an overhanging tree and reached out to grab it. She unknowingly dropped her sword in the process. She held with both hands onto the tree, which turned out to be a thorn tree that hung over the edge of the cliff. She let out a cry of pain as the thorns tore at her bare hands.
"Lu!" Kili called over the sound of the pouring rain. He held out a hand. Lulyn took it, nearly pulling Kili over the edge. Fili ran up and took Lulyn's other hand. They pulled her up onto the rock and she lay there panting. She looked up at Kili. "You..." She breathed.
"Saved your life. I know. Just consider it payment of my debt." He winked. Fili glanced at Lulyn's hands and his eyes widened. She followed his gaze and realized her palms had cuts all over them. Deep ones. She began to feel the sharp pain as she looked at them closer. "Come on. Oin can help you with those." Kili said. As he held out a hand for Lulyn to take, she noticed some cuts across Kili's arm. He must have brushed across the tree without noticing. Lulyn felt her neck. Her necklace was missing. She ran to the edge of the cliff with a gasp. She was quite relived when she saw it was dangling from a thorn on the tree. She took the necklace an put it in a pocket of her dress.
Lulyn held out her hands for Oin to inspect. He poured a kettle of hot water over her hands to clean the cuts out. She winced as the hot water came in contact with her most likely to-be-scarred palms. At least the rain had stopped pouring and now was only sprinkling.
Oin bandaged up Lulyn's palms. She looked at her wrapped up hands. This wasn't going to be great for fighting. Lulyn searched through her bag and found a pair of gray fingerless gloves. She slipped them on over the bandages, just to feel a little more dignified. She glanced up at Kili, who hadn't stopped looking at her the way he had since he'd pulled her back up from the cliff. She eventually got up her courage and went to sit next to him. His concerned look turned to a smile. "How's your hands?" He asked. Lulyn managed a weak smile and glanced at them. "I dunno. I guess they're fine." She said. She remembered her necklace and reached into the pocket of her dress to pull out the little trinket. Lulyn clipped the necklace back around her neck and sighed. "What's that?" Kili asked curiously. Lulyn smiled sadly and fingered the amethyst. "A reminder of what I once had."
Kili tilted his head and smiled crookedly. Lulyn felt her heart do a weird pounding thing for a second. "What was that?" He asked.
She sighed and looked at the ground for a moment, but managed to look Kili in the eyes. "My family." She tried not to let her voice crack.
Kili nodded and stared into the fire.
There was a silence. "So, uh...archery. Who taught you?" Lulyn said, changing the subject.
"Thorin did." Kili chuckled and smiled at the memory. "Though, he needed a new coat by the time he was finished."
Lulyn raised an eyebrow. "Why's that?" She asked with a small laugh.
"Well...let's just say I was a little reckless when I was younger."
"'Was'?" Lulyn teased. Yet, she was right. Kili was still reckless. He was about to say something when Thorin interrupted. "Kili, you're on first watch tonight." He said firmly yet...gently? That was unusual. Kili nodded to Lulyn and went to go sit at the mouth of the cave. Lulyn went to her bedroll and decided she would try to get some sleep.
M mLulyn awoke the next morning early, before any of the other dwarves. She stood up and packed her things. She wanted to sneak out and go for an early morning ride. She stepped silently over each of the dwarves, careful not to wake any of them. She turned her back to the mouth of the cave and tip toes backward, looking at the sleeping bunch. Just when she thought she was safe to go, she found herself tripping backwards over Bombur. Lulyn landed on something soft, it made an "oof!" sound as she collided with it.
"Aw man." She said in a hushed tone.
"Lu?" A groggy voice said.
Lulyn closed her eyes a second longer than a blink and turned her head to the left. She saw the face of Kili, who had been awakened by Lulyn landing on him. Lulyn sighed and mentally facepalmed.
"What are you doing?" Kili asked.
Lulyn stood up. "Well, I was going on an early morning ride."
"Mind if I come?" Kili asked.
Lulyn sighed again and thought a moment. "Sure. Why not?"
They went out across the south downs and talked for a long time about the Company. Lulyn never had second thoughts about joining the company. No one could convince her not to try to join the company. She was going to prove herself even if that meant doing something ridiculously stupid.
Lulyn laughed as Kili told a story about a ridiculous prank he had pulled on a cave troll one night.
Kili tried to catch his breath as he continued telling the story. "But wait, it gets better." He said. "After that..." He paused and laughed for a moment. "After that, the troll started chasing me! I dragged him back to my house and my mum and dad freaked out." He and Lulyn began laughing again. It echoed off the downs.
"Well what did you do after that?" Lulyn asked, gasping for breath as she tried to keep herself from laughing again.
"Well, luckily, Uncle Thorin happened to be coming to visit when he found me being chased by a troll. I was in some big trouble after that." He laughed again, along with Lulyn who burst into giggles again as they decided to head back
"Uncle have you seen—" Fili said, coming up behind Thorin, then following his gaze down to the two dwarves on ponies below. "Oh. Found him." Fili headed down to meet his brother.