Chapter One
The Shire,
Bag End, 2941
Cyril arrived in the Shire by nightfall. She hoped she wasn't late. She knew the hobbit lands well since she once lived here, until the Thain had ordered her to leave, shortly after the passing of her parents. As she entered, she could see many glares of the hobbits looking at her. She was used of the glares, she dealt with it most of her life. She finally arrived at the hobbit's home, and she approached the round green door, and she noticed the mark written on the door, Gandalf had told her about.
She could hear many voices talking and yelling from outside the hobbit's home. Well, here goes nothing! Cyril thought as she knocked on the door. "No! That better not be anymore sand blasted dwarves!" fumed a voice in the background. Cyril couldn't help but laugh at the way the hobbit complained. The door opened, and she could see Bilbo standing in front of her in his dressing robe, looking very overwhelmed. His frown turned into a smile as he looked at her. Bilbo and Cyril knew each other well, during her stay in the Shire, and they became good friends.
Bilbo pitied her, since she had to deal with rejection from people all her life, and it saddened him when he heard she was forced to leave the Shire due to her heritage. "CYRIL!" cried out the hobbit with excitement and the two of them hugged. "I never thought I would see you again! What brings you back?" asked Bilbo, allowing her to enter. "On a favor for the wizard, Bilbo." Cyril replied, smiling at the hobbit. "Let me guess! It has something to do with the quest, right?" said the hobbit. "Quite right. I really don't want to go, but Gandalf finally convinced me." said Cyril.
"I have managed to get some extra food for you, Cyril. Just sit in the dining room, while I can bring you, your dinner and tea!" said Bilbo. "Thank you so much, Bilbo!" said Cyril, as she entered the dining room. No soon as she entered the dining room, she could see all thirteen dwarves in the room, having their meeting, and she saw Thorin sitting at the head of the table eating his soup, and Gandalf sitting beside him. "Ah, Miss Cyril, you finally arrived!" Gandalf announced. "Cyril?!" snapped Thorin, as his head turned up, and saw Cyril standing and looking at everyone.
"Gandalf, what is this woman doing here? If you don't mind me asking?" asked Thorin, unkindly.
"She will be joining you on your quest Thorin. And before you say another word, there is something you should know about her abilities." said Gandalf. "Like he really gives a rat's ass." grumbled Cyril. "Cyril, please, let me tell them." said Gandalf. "Why can't she just tell us herself? She can be a useless, worthless piece of dung, but she has a mouth you know." snapped Thorin. Cyril restrained herself from losing her temper. She wanted to throw a punch at this dwarf, badly.
"Fine, Cyril, you don't mind telling them?" said Gandalf. "Fine, I will tell them." said Cyril, and she began telling the dwarves her tale during one of her travels she encountered a witch, who looked upon her, and without a word, she placed the dragon's curse on her. "By night, I'm a dragon, and by day, I'm in my normal form. I don't like having this curse, I cannot stand it. But I have to deal with this most of life, and its not fun." said Cyril. But unfortunately, Thorin and the other dwarves didn't buy any of it.
"And you expect us to bring this half bred, half dragon with us? How are we going to trust her, Gandalf? I never trusted her since she harmed my nephew back in Ered Luin!" snapped Thorin. Crap here we go again, back on this confounded topic! thought Cyril. "For Durin's sake, Thorin, I didn't hurt him! I saved him from drowning!" shouted Cyril.
"She did save my life, Uncle." spoke up Kili. "Silence, Kili!" barked Thorin. "I'm sorry, Gandalf. Thorin is right. I shouldn't be here. If I'm not wanted anywhere else, I'm not wanted on this quest either! Good night!" snapped Cyril, emotionally as she sprinted out of the dining room. "Cyril!" called out Bilbo. But it was too late, Cyril had left the home. As she went outside, she made way to a nearby forest where she could rest.
"I hope you're proud of yourselves! This woman deserves a chance in life! All she dealt with most of her entire adulthood is rejection. She doesn't deserve this! And Thorin, she had saved your nephew's life! A little praise and a thank you would've been much better than false accusations. She has skills in combat, she knows her weapons, and she's an excellent blacksmith. Think of the good traits she has." said Gandalf.
"Yes, I hear she is an excellent blacksmith. I remembered you told us she fixed your sword very well, and Dwalin's axe." spoke up Balin. Thorin thought back of when he first met Cyril, and her skills. He appreciated her of fixing his sword for him. "She has done no wrong to anyone, laddie. You could at least give her a chance." said Balin.
"But she is a woman, Balin. Her place is at home, cleaning and cooking for a husband." snarled Thorin. "Thorin, she has nobody! Just because she is a female, doesn't make her not a warrior! Have you seen her in a battle? Have you?" snapped Balin. "No, I haven't. None of us have." said Thorin. "And her skills at making weapons are beyond extraordinary Thorin. You cannot deny her because of her gender, for Durin's sake!" hissed Balin.
Thorin knew he was not going to win this conversation at all, and he gave in. "Very well! She will come with us. Make another contract for her." said Thorin. Balin nodded. "I'll go and talk to her." said Fili. "No, not right now. Its not a good idea." said Gandalf. "Why?" said Kili. "With it being night time now, its best that she is left alone." said the wizard. Remembering what Gandalf had told them about her curse, Fili and Kili knew Gandalf made a good point.
"I wouldn't mind going talking to her. She needs to sign the contract." said Thorin. "How would she sign it with claws, Thorin?" asked Gandalf. Bilbo had just recovered from his fainting spell when he overheard their conversation about Cyril. He couldn't help but chuckle when he heard it. The poor lass will have a hard time writing her name in dragon form, unless she uses the point of her claw, thought the hobbit.
Thorin snatches the contract from Balin. "Laddie, we should wait until tomorrow for her to sign it!" Balin called out. But it was too late, Thorin already had left Bilbo's home. "Why does he have to make a habit of not listening to reason?" sighed Balin, sitting down in his chair. Meanwhile Thorin walked out of the hobbit's home, and he saw no signs of Cyril. Suddenly, he saw a large creature sitting behind Bilbo's home. Thorin decided to walk behind the Hill of Bilbo's home, and he could see a large, black and dark purple dragon sitting nearby one of the windows, staring at the stars.
"Cyril." spoke up Thorin. Thorin's voice startled Cyril, and the dragon quickly stood up in fright. "Thorin, go away! You cannot see me like this!" hissed Cyril. "Cyril, calm down, I won't hurt you. I have decided you can join us after all. I have the contract for you to sign." said Thorin. "Thorin, we should wait until morning for me to sign it. As you can see, I can't right at the moment!" said Cyril. Cyril quickly turned away from the dwarf. Thorin sighed. "I have misjudged you, Cyril. And I'm sorry. Gandalf told me everything. I wish I known this sooner." said Thorin.
"I wanted to tell you before, Thorin. But I hadn't the heart to tell you because it would worsen things between you and your family. It's bad enough I was falsely accused of hurting Kili. I only saved him from drowning, and you stood there and seen it!" said Cyril. "Cyril, you get some rest. We can talk some more in the morning." said Thorin gently. "Okay!" said Cyril. "And your contract will be ready to sign tomorrow morning as well. Good night, Miss Cyril!" said Thorin.
"Good night, Thorin!" said Cyril, as she watched Thorin went back inside Thorin's home. After he done that, Cyril peered inside Bilbo's home. She could see all the dwarves gathering in the sitting room. And to her surprise, they took out their musical instruments, and began turning them. She shortly see Thorin entering the sitting room, and he sat down next to Balin, as Dwalin brought forth an item to Thorin wrapped in green cloth. To Cyril's surprise, when Thorin removed the cloth, a beautiful golden harp appeared.
I never expected to see a warrior-prince dwarf play such a beautiful, delicate instrument! This is going to be interesting, Cyril thought as she continued to peer into the window. Striking the harp, the other dwarves joined in with Thorin, as the beautiful music had started.
Cyril sat and listened in awe. Suddenly Thorin presently began to sing, shortly joined in by the other dwarves. The sound of Thorin's deep, baritone caused shivers running down Cyril's spine, as they sang:
Far over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away, ere break of day
To find our long forgotten gold
The pines were roaring on the height
The winds were moaning in the night
The fire is red, it flaming spread
The trees like torches, blazed with light.
Cyril shortly found herself dozing off into a deep slumber soon as the song finished, while a tear falling down her face, as she thought of her parents. She can remember the day the died, when her home had been raided by orcs. She never had spoken of their cause of death to anybody. At least not yet. The next morning, Cyril woke up and she met up with the others in the dining room for breakfast. "Ah, you woke up just in time for breakfast Miss Cyril!" said Bombur cheerfully.
Cyril took a seat, as the other dwarves looked at her. "What? You know its rude to stare." said Cyril. "We apologize, Miss Cyril. But you are very pretty!" said Kili, grinning. "Thank you, Mister Kili." said Cyril as she threw a piece of meat in the air and caught it in her mouth. The dwarves laughed at this. "That's quite a talent. I never knew you can do that!" laughed Fili. "My mother hated it when I done that. And since she's not here, I can do it all I want." said Cyril, and then her face saddened when she mentioned her mother.
"Are you parents still around?" asked Kili. You bastard, you just had to ask that, thought Cyril. "You must excuse me!" said Cyril, as she stood up and walked into the sitting room. "What? Is it something I said?" said Kili. "Something must have happened to her parents." said Dwalin, gravely. "Lets not ask her anymore, until she's ready to talk about it." said Balin, and the Dwarves nodded. "And she's forgotten the contract!" grumbled Thorin. "Just take it to her, laddie!" said Balin.
Thorin nodded, as he stood up and went into the sitting room where Cyril headed. He shortly found her sitting in the arm chair of the sitting room. "Miss Cyril, are you ready to sign the contract?" asked Thorin, as he entered the sitting room. "Yes, yes! Of course!" said Cyril, standing up, as she approached the dwarf.
Thorin handed over Cyril the quill and parchment, as she sighed the contract. When that was done, she returned the contract to Thorin. "I know this isn't my place to ask this, but when Kili asked about your parents, did something happen to them?" asked Thorin. "I really can't talk about this, Thorin." said Cyril quickly. "Is it that bad, you can't talk about it?" said Thorin. "Yes, if you must excuse me, I must finish my breakfast." said Cyril, and she walked back into the dining room.