Oh boy, chapter two! Let's just hope that it's better than the last. Enjoy this chapter please; I am trying my best here! I want to get something straight here, Daeris is in no way related to the dwarves of Durin's lineage she and her husband were good friends/allies with Thror when he was sane enough to rule Erebor, and so you can kind of understand why Thorin calls her Aunt. Well enjoy! ~ Imagineer
P.S. Daeris is half a foot taller than Gandalf. And I apologize if anything seems mixed up or out of place/content.
Chapter 2
(Narrative POV)
Bilbo stood astounded by the woman who stood in his house, a woman who he thought to only exist in stories and legends. The woman who stood before him was Daeris, 'Queen of Shadows', 'Sovereign of the Stars', 'Majesty of the Moon', 'Knight of Night', 'Shadow Sorceress', 'The Moonlight Maiden', 'Ruler of Onyx Halls on Ivory Shores', and 'Crown Jewel of the Crystal Cliffs'. The list of names for her could possibly go on forever.
"Oh my, you…. you're the Queen of Shadows, but you cannot be, you are a myth, a story, a legend." He stuttered slightly shaking fearing his words would anger her. Daeris turned to him, upon seeing him shake she gave him a smile, a small smile but nonetheless reassuring to the hobbit. The scars covering her skin must have frightened him for once she fully turned to him the light was brighter at a certain angle that showed all of her visible scars while making Daeris look even more intimidating than in normal light.
(Daeris POV)
"Believe me when I say Bilbo Baggins of Bag End, I am just as real and alive as you are. You knew me once as a young pup named Lily but that is gone and past, the true identity of the one who you see now is I Daeris, 'Queen of Shadows'." I told him in my most gentle voice. The hobbit smiled back at me and then bowed, showing me his respect for me. 'Give respect, get respect.' I thought as I nodded my head to him when he stood straight again.
"Now, shall we continue this meeting Gandalf, I'd like to know why you summoned me here." I smirked at my old friend as I stood next to where he was sitting. I personally think that I am older than him, he has never told me his true age, and I suppose I don't really have to know; age doesn't matter when it comes to friendship.
"Ah yes of course, back to business." Gandalf replied smiling back at me. I leaned against the doorframe as the meeting re-adjourned. I not listen much until Gandalf brought out a map; I addressed them by telling them that they were 'Moon Runes' and that they could not be seen now but would be on the day that they were written on the map. 'Gandalf we are going to need to go to Rivendell for help with reading this for it has been to long since I have read runes such as these.' I voiced in his head.
"The reign of the beast will end." Oin finished telling the others apparently he had started talking as I was speaking to Gandalf. My eyes widened slightly upon hearing the word 'beast'.
"Uh, what beast?" asked Bilbo.
"Well that would be a reference to 'Smaug the Terrible', chiefest and greatest calamity of our age. Air-born fire-breather, teeth like razors, claws like meat hooks, extremely prone to precious metals." explained Bofur nonchalantly.
"Yes I know what a dragon is." replied Bilbo.
I sat still, frozen in shock; rage soon then consumed my very being but I hid it well. Bilbo had noticed that I had visibly become more pale than usual and placed a hand on my shoulder.
"My lady, are you well?" he asked. I did not reply but remained stoic and my posture as straight as a plank of wood.
"Gandalf, outside now." I ordered then rose from my seat, turned sharply and walked out the door. Looking up at the moonless sky I held my tears back as I gazed at the starlight; I was thinking of him and wondering if he was thinking of me. I did not look at Gandalf as he stood next to me, I was angry with him.
"You knew where he was and you never told me! I have been searching for him for seventy years, seventy years Gandalf! I do not think that you could even comprehend how torn my heart is at this betrayal, or how much I have missed my husband. Thorin probably believes that his Uncle is a traitor. Its all my fault."
"Now my dear nothing is your fault. It was painful for me to withhold information about you husband from you, I can only pray that you can find it your heart to forgive me." Gandalf sighed as I still refused to look at him.
"I will forgive when I feel like it." I replied stiffly.
"And how long till then." He asked.
"Oh, about…. three days." I answered nonchalantly and then looked at him, I saw the small twinkle return to his eyes as he smiled a gentle smile at me. We then turned back and returned to the dinning room just in time to see Balin hand Bilbo the contract.
"Funeral arrangements?!" Bilbo repeated as he took the paper. Gandalf and I returned to our seats as the little hobbit read through the contract.
"Lacerations, Evisceration, Incineration?!" he read aloud.
"Oh aye, he'll melt the flesh right off your bones in the blink of an eye." Bofur said. Bilbo started to look pale.
"You all right laddie?" asked Balin.
"Huh, yeah. I feel a bit faint." The hobbit replied as he tried in vain to calm himself down.
"Think furnace with wings," Bofur was trying to be funny but that certainly was not happening.
"Air, I need air." breathed Bilbo.
"Flash of light, searing pain, then poof, you're nothing more than a pile of ash." Bofur finished.
"Bofur I do not believe that your words are being of any help to this faint hearted creature." I told him as we watched Bilbo think about the words spoken to him.
"Hmm, nope." And with that Bilbo fainted. Gandalf got up from his seat.
"Oh very helpful Bofur." He spoke sarcastically and then walked over to where I knelt next to the little Halfling. With great ease I took him into my arms and looked at Gandalf.
"He'll be fine, of course, but I think you should make some tea for him. It may help calm his nerves enough for him to make a rational decision." Gandalf nodded and went to the kitchen to do as I asked. I took him to the Parlor room and placed him in his chair when that was done I put another log in the fireplace to make the room more cozy, and also more calming. When Gandalf came with a cup of tea Bilbo had awakened and I sat in the chair opposite of the hobbit.
"I'll be all right just let me sit quietly for a moment." said Bilbo after taking the cup from Gandalf, who remained standing.
"You've been sitting quietly for far too long." the gray wizard said sternly and was about to continue but I interrupted him.
"Gandalf please let me speak with him, and send Thorin in here as well, he needs to hear this." He nodded and left for a moment but when he came back he brought Thorin with him as I had asked.
"Thank you Gandalf, you can leave now." I told him, implying that I did not want him in this room. I knew when he left the room that he and the other dwarves stayed close to the door to listen in on the conversation. As long as did not see their faces I did not care, Thorin and Bilbo were the only faces I wished to see at this moment. Thorin knelt beside the chair I was sitting on, beside my left knee, facing the fireplace.
"You want to speak with me Aunt Daeris?" I nodded.
"Smaug was born a human, he is human but he is gifted, as were his ancestors before him, to be allowed to change his form to that of a dragon; you already knew this Thorin, but you need to hear what I have to say. I do not want you to hate your Uncle and think him to be a traitor to your people. Smaug is not in his right mind and the blame for that is heavy on my shoulders." I sighed; I could see Bilbo connecting the dots easily.
"What happened?" Bilbo asked curiously. I placed a hand upon my empty womb as I remembered.
"A long time ago this womb once sheltered a child of our love. We were so happy to discover that I had finally conceived after trying for two years since our wedding night. I thought it almost too good to be true, and as it turned out it was too good to be true. Around four, almost five months into the pregnancy we lost our little girl, she would have had his eyes, I could tell. We named her after his mother, Sarage; the pain and grief of losing her greatly damaged our spirits and diminished our relationship. In our sorrow we never spoke, we never blamed each other we instead blamed ourselves for what had happened. I blamed myself for not being strong enough to nurture and carry our child till her birth; I know not how Smaug blamed himself for our misfortune, the only condolence we found was in each other's arms as we laid together and wept each night over the miscarriage of our child, our little Sarage." I paused for a moment and wiped my tears away.
"The silence of our mourning went on for another year until one day while I was out in the gardens a black mist fell over our kingdom. It was known as 'The Mist', a pathetic name I know, but this mist was unlike any other mist; it was a mass of energy that tortured it's victim with their worst nightmares, fears, and made them relive the worst moments of their lives over and over and over again till their hearts burst from beating too fast. That is how it feasted, it wanted more power, it was hungry, but oddly enough it was not alive. It came after me, I was devoured by the darkness and the last thing that I saw was my husband reaching out for me in hopes to save me. I battled 'The Mist' for two years before destroying it; when I returned to my kingdom I could not find my husband, my beloved was gone, but he left his shadow behind to reign over the kingdom in his place. The servants who had last seen him said that five months before my return he went up into the crystal cliffs but never came back. I fled the onyx halls of our kingdom to the ivory shores and followed his path to the crystal cliffs. Coming across a large cavern I saw writing burned onto the wall and they read: 'Till moonlight shines again the beast shall remain, forever in search of his angel.' In great anguish I changed into my wolf form and clawed my own words onto the wall beneath his. 'Till the beast is found, his angel shall be forever fallen, until united they both return. The Dragon and the Angel, to finish together the words written on the crystal walls.' That was seventy years ago, I have been searching for seventy years." I finished.
"Well I for one would like to see a happy ending to this tragic tale but I must know, if I go can you promise I will be safe? Can you promise I'll come back?" Bilbo asked.
"I can guarantee your safety little one, but I cannot promise that when you return to Hobbiton you will not be the same little faint-hearted hobbit that left it." I replied gently, letting him think of what may happen to him once he signs the contract.
"I-I- I can't, I'm sorry my lady."
"There is no need to apologize for your decision little one. You must be awfully drained from this evening, it would be best if you retired to your bed." I spoke softly. He nodded, stood up and walked to his room past Gandalf and the other dwarves.
"Do not fret about finding a new burglar Thorin, Bilbo will change his mind before noon tomorrow." I whispered so that the others would not hear.
"How do you know?" he asked.
"Because I could see a small ember in his eyes, once he is rejuvenated by sleep he will change his mind and that small ember shall become a fire of determination. It is a determination that I have seen in many adventurers in my time, it always starts as an ember." I smirked. I bayed him goodnight and kissed his brow, then heading to a guest room down the hall I fell asleep to the sound of soft, forlorn singing of Thorin and his fellow dwarves.
Hey everyone sorry for the hold up. I have a question for you all, WHO should wake Daeris when its time to leave? Choose wisely AND! HOW should they wake here up? Sorry again if everything seems confusing and jumbled if you have and revision suggestions or just any corrections in general PLEASE JUST TELL ME because I do listen. I really hope you all like/love this chapter. Please check out some of my other stories or some of my sister AuthoressExtraordinaire's stories. I love you all! 3
~ Imagineer
P.S.
Sarage is pronounced as Say- rah- ge