"When cold winds are calling
And the sky is clear and bright
Misty mountains sing and beckon
Lead me out into the light," Ovila's bright voice and Calim's quick, cheery, infectious tune on the fiddle attracted the attention of everyone in the tavern and she grinned widely at the attention that focused completely on her and on Calim.
"I will ride, I will fly
Chase the wind and touch the sky
I will fly
Chase the wind and touch the sky.
"Where dark woods hide secrets
And mountains are fierce and bold
Deep waters hold reflection
Of times long ago.
"I will hear their every story
Take hold of my own dreams
Be as strong as the seas are stormy
And as proud as an eagle's scream.
"I will ride, I will fly
Chase the wind and touch the sky
I will fly
Chase the wind and touch the sky.
"And touch the sky
Chase the wind, chase the wind
Touch the sky."
Cheers bellowed through the tavern as Ovila finished singing, holding the last note out, and she smiled sweetly. Thondi eyed her daughter suspiciously, but Calim was involved, so it was doubtful there was anything untoward going on. What Thondi didn't know, though, was that Chalrim and Ori had snuck away eight pints of ale from Fili's collection on the bar. She watched silently as Ovila and Calim accepted the cheers with smiles and thanks and then quickly slipped away. They went over to Chalrim and Ori, who were sat quietly in the corner, and, if Ori was there, then nothing bad could be happening. Ori was everything Thondi longed for in a child: quiet, polite, and obedient. She smiled slightly and turned back to Dis, who was exclaiming that she hadn't even known that Ovila could sing.
In the corner of the tavern, the three siblings and Ori were downing ale while everyone else was busy singing their own songs. The ale was strong, making Ori and Ovila cough slightly, but Ovila stubbornly gulped it down when her brothers laughed. She didn't really like it, if she was completely honest, but, after the trouble she'd gone through to get it, she would drink it and she wasn't going to put up with her brothers' teasing if she didn't drink it all. She gulped down the very last drop and wiped the slight dribble from her chin with a satisfied sigh. The tankard was set down with a firm thud and the second was dragged in as her brothers picked up theirs and Ori nervously sipped on his first. He eyed the siblings as they chugged down the ale quickly and their fists banged on the table to keep time. Chalrim finished first, closely followed by Calim, and Ovila trailed behind, much to her disappointment.
"Have you heard about the phantom at the training grounds?" Dwalin's booming voice suddenly reached the four and Ovila and Chalrim exchanged quick looks.
"Phantom?" Thorin Oakenshield repeated as they past the four's table and paused to speak not too far from them. "What do you mean a phantom?"
"For the past year or so, the equipment has been moved and the practice dummies have taken a lot more damage than the regular training would permit," Dwalin answered and chuckled slightly. "Nearly took the head off of one too and I would love to know who's got the arm to do that."
"Someone's practicing in secret and not telling anyone of their achievements?" Thorin asked, eyebrows raised, and Ovila sunk a little in her seat. "What weapon are they using?"
"Axe by the marks on the targets and dummies, but a small one, so they might be using a pair," Dwalin replied and Chalrim shot his sister a warning look when she squirmed. "I can't work out who it is, though, because none of my recruits have an affinity for itty-bitty axes."
"Perhaps you should keep watch on the training grounds," Thorin suggested and Ovila shot Chalrim a wide eyed look that Calim didn't miss. "See if you can't recruit them if they are that good."
"Bit of training from me and they'd be the best," Dwalin smirked.
The two drifted on and Calim pinned a sharp look on his twin and his little sister, well aware that they were the ones using the training grounds. Excitement gleamed in Ovila's eyes and her cheeks flushed a soft pink at the praise from Dwalin and Thorin. She smiled slightly, looking like an excited child, and Calim's stomach sunk slightly, because she couldn't come forward and tell people. From Chalrim's wary expression, he knew what his sister was thinking and Calim nudged his twin. Whatever happened, they could not let Ovila admit that she was the phantom of the training grounds and Chalrim nodded in understanding. Besides, if Thondi ever found out, all of their heads would roll.
The twins steadily drunk ale, while Ovila had stopped drinking and Ori had gratefully followed suit. She'd slid his second tankard over to Chalrim and the first pint of ale was making his head feel quite light. Ovila's cheeks were slightly flushed from her two pints and her eyes were brighter than usual. That probably because of the occasional sips she took from her brothers' tankards and those sips were quite large. She leaned on Chalrim's shoulder and faced Ori to talk to him about his apprenticeship. She was smiling, looking more relaxed than Ori could remember seeing her, and he noticed her gaze flickering to something over his shoulder. He turned his head to see her watching Dwalin, Thorin, Balin, and Bofur and she had a thoughtful expression on her face.
"Ovila the Vile," a drunken, stupid friend of Fili's suddenly appeared next to the table and Ovila's smile vanished as her muscles tensed. "What are you doing hiding in the corner? Shouldn't you be entertaining the masses by acting like a fool?" he mocked.
"Bugger off, Farar," Calim ordered sharply and laid a warning hand on his sister's arm as Chalrim wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kept her still. "Just because you're so far up Kili's arse you've practically moved in," Calim sneered and Farar's smirk vanished. "So, bugger off, you little gnat."
"Why do you encourage her?" Farar spat. "No wonder she's such a freak with a dim-witted father, a frigid mother, and two oafs for brothers."
"You little-!" Ovila's yell was silenced as Chalrim slammed her back into the seat and she looked ready for murder.
"Walk away, Farar," Calim ordered lowly, as the most level-headed of his siblings, but his eyes glimmered with anger and he could practically feel the heat of his little sister's fury. "Walk away now and I won't bring this to your father and I'll blame it on the alcohol," Calim said firmly and Farar snorted.
"Why? 'Cause Ovila the Vile might get angry? I'm not scared of her like everyone else," Farar retorted and clutched his tankard tightly, his eyes glassy with the alcohol. "She's just a freak," he snarled and she didn't even care about the insult to herself, just the insults to her family. "You all are."
"And you're a brainless oaf that just follows Fili and Kili around like some bleating sheep," Ovila shot back in a stiff voice and Farar's eyes narrowed at the insult. "You're nothing more than a brown nosing little lamb that isn't even wanted."
"No one likes you-!"
"The people I love, they love me and I don't care about anyone else, especially not some sheep like you," Ovila cut over Farar's furious retort in scorching hiss and her hazel eyes blazed with livid anger. "So just walk away and let us enjoy the rest of our evening."
"Or what?" Farar challenged and two hands clamped down on his shoulders.
Ovila rolled her eyes expressively and those hands belonged to Fili and Kili. "Everything alright?" Fili asked carefully, taking note of the anger on the siblings' faces, on Farar's face, and the uncertainty on Ori's.
"Scurry away, little sheep, your masters are calling," Ovila stated and Farar tensed in his friends' grips.
"Ovila," Calim warned quietly and she swung her glare to the ceiling. "I'll put this down to the alcohol, Farar," Calim said calmly and stood. His fingers abruptly wrapped into the front of Farar's tunic and yanked him up to his level so they were nose to nose. "But, if you ever insult my family again, I will personally break every bone in your body," Calim threatened darkly and shoved Farar back sharply.
Farar staggered back, dropped his tankard, and stumbled over the next table. He landed on the ground and his tankard shattered beside him, splattering everyone nearby with ale. The twins and Ovila just glared at him until he scrabbled away like a little rat and Fili and Kili stared in silence, because everyone knew that Ovila was the one with their temper in that family. Calim and Chalrim very rarely lost their tempers while their sister was nearby, because she was always more likely to explode and they saw it as their responsibility to keep her line. So, for Calim, of all of them, to lose his temper meant that Farar had said something awful and Fili and Kili exchanged quick looks.
"Go away," Ovila shot at Durin's heirs and sunk heavier into Chalrim's side. "Mama is definitely going to blame me for this," she muttered and Chalrim rested a hand on her hair.
"We'll explain everything," Calim promised and Ovila shrugged limply.
"What did he say?" Kili asked.
"Nothing that concerns you, but you'll be glad to know that stupid name has stuck," Ovila snapped and winced when Thondi, Baltil, Dis, and Thorin strode over. "He started it-"
"Home!"
"Mama!"
"Get out!"
"Farar-!"
"I said out!"
Ovila glared stonily, then stood with a round of expletives that made everyone's mouths fall open and stormed out of the tavern. The twins immediately began to explain, to try to make everyone understand what Farar had said, and Ori even piped up in support. Ori was quickly silenced by Dori, though, and Thondi glared at her sons until they reluctantly closed their mouths and their protests stopped. Baltil apologised profusely and he looked tired and old, far more than he should do at one-hundred-and-forty-five. He rubbed a hand down his face as he took the rest of his family out of the tavern and made his way home.
When they got into the house, if anyone heard the bitter sobs of Ovila, no one said anything.
Thank you to all those that reviewed and put the story on alert and favourite! I hope you enjoy this latest instalment and please review :)
The song that Ovila sings at the beginning of the chapter is 'Touch the Sky' from the movie Brave and is sung by Julie Fowliss.