Chapter Seven
That night, Bofur took out his flute that he managed to save after being captured by goblins, and he played a merry tune. The other dwarves seemed to find instruments in Beorn's house, as they took them up and started playing along, as they sang lively music. Although there was no harp to be found, Thorin took up a lute sitting nearby as he joined them, much to Cyril's surprise.
Cyril jumped up and started dancing among the dwarves. It had been years since she last danced, but she also told herself she wasn't much of dancer, but she enjoyed doing so for fun. Thorin smiled brightly as he watched her as he sang and played on the lute, and he kept his eyes on her. Cyril spun around, as she danced around Thorin, and suddenly she surprised everyone as she done a spit on the floor, as the song ended.
"Wow! Quite impressive! How can you do that?" exclaimed Gloin. "Lots of practice. I'm quite limber." said Cyril. "I should say so! My balls would crack I tried to pull something like that!" said Bofur.
Everyone laughed at Bofur's remark. "We love to see you do that, Bofur!" piped up Kili.
"I can do cartwheels as well. I used to do them all the time as a child." said Cyril. Cyril felt exhausted from doing all that, and she sat down next to Thorin on the floor as she laid her head upon his shoulder. Suddenly Thorin began strumming the lute again, this time playing a much slower song, and he started to sing, shortly joined in by the other dwarves:
The wind was on the withered heath
But in the forest stirred no leaf;
There shadows lay, by night and day
And dark things silent crept beneath.
The wind came down from mountains cold
And like a tide it roared and rolled;
The branches groaned, the forest moaned
And leaves were laid upon the mould.
With a final strum on the lute, the song ended. As the fire died down, most of the dwarves went to bed, and Cyril was slowly nodding off herself on Thorin's shoulder. Thorin smiled, as he put the lute aside, and he pulled Cyril into his arms, holding her close to his broad chest.
As soon Cyril's head laid down on Thorin's chest, she fell asleep. And what amazed Thorin was, she was still in human form. She has learned to manage her abilities, thought Thorin as he kissed Cyril on the cheek. Thorin remained awake for a little while, and pretty soon, he too dozed off, while holding Cyril in his arms. The next morning, the Company woke up as they joined Beorn outside on the front porch for breakfast, as they discussed the next leg of the journey.
When Cyril heard mentioned they would be going through Mirkwood, she shivered at the thought. She never liked the Wood Elves much, and she remembered her last encounter with them that didn't end well. Especially when they discovered about her curse. The Elf King had threatened to kill her, but there was someone there that had saved her from death. An Elf Female she became good friends with. With her help, she managed to escape.
"Do we really have to enter that forest?" asked Cyril. "Cyril, there is no other way." said Gandalf. Thorin looked at her, and Cyril stood up and walked away. Balin and Dwalin exchanged looks. Thorin decided he would talk to her later about her fears of entering the forest. "So, laddie, when do you wish to depart?" asked Balin. "This afternoon." Thorin replied.
After breakfast, the Company continue to train for a little while, and Thorin went to find Cyril so he could talk to her. Thorin shortly found Cyril sitting alone by a small stream, as he approached her and sat next to her. "Would you mind telling me what all that was about back there?" asked Thorin gently. "I don't want to go in that forest, Thorin. No way." said Cyril. "Cyril.. We have no other choice but to go in there." said Thorin. "You don't understand, Thorin! They'll kill me!" said Cyril looking up, gazing into Thorin's eyes.
Thorin placed his hands on Cyril's shoulders. "I will not allow them to touch you, I promise. Those tree shagging idiots will not touch you!" said Thorin. Cyril closed her eyes. "I should have told you about this before, Thorin, so I'll go ahead and tell you now why I fear the place and its residents." said Cyril, as he began telling her story.
Flash back.
It was two years since Cyril had been traveling on her own, and she been staying in Rohan for a little while, but due to a falling out with some of the men there, she had been forced to leave. Now back out on the road again for days, she had reached Mirkwood. She thought maybe the Wood Elves wouldn't mind if she had stayed and rest in their home.
Unfortunately, it wasn't the case. Once the Elf King looked at her, he could see behind Cyril's mask. And he knew not only she was half dwarf/ half hobbit, but a dragon as well. And he would not allow that to happen. He didn't want his people in harms way. He also accused her of trespassing. "I wasn't trespassing, Your Majesty! All I'm asking is for a place for shelter and food!" Cyril pleaded. "Not on my watch! You are a danger to my people, and therefore you will be locked up!" Thranduil yelled at her.
"But I haven't done anything wrong!" Cyril shot back. "Don't you dare raise your voice with me, woman! Do you have any idea whom you're speaking to?" hissed Thranduil. "Your Majesty, she had done no wrong! Please let her stay with us!" spoke up a female voice. Cyril turned to the female, and she saw a red headed elf approaching them. "You are defending this trash, Tauriel?!" barked Thranduil. "Yes, is that a problem? She has done nothing wrong, nor is a threat to our people! Please let her stay!" pleaded the Elf Captain. "NO! Guards, lock this woman up! She will be die tonight!" barked Thranduil.
The guards came and grabbed Cyril, as they took her to the dungeons. "No, no, no! Please Your Majesty!" Cyril screamed.
"I will deal with you later, Tauriel!" snarled Thranduil, as he left the Throne room. Tauriel closed her eyes. Elf King or not, I will save her. She deserves to live, thought Tauriel. Tauriel quickly went to the dungeons, after grabbing the keys from one of the sleeping guards, and she approached Cyril's cell. Cyril's eyes widened. "He hasn't come to kill me, isn't he?" gasped Cyril. "Easy there, young one. I'm helping you escape." said Tauriel. "You're helping me?" gasped Cyril. Tauriel nodded.
After Tauriel unlocked the cell. "Follow me." said the Elf Captain. And so Cyril followed Tauriel to a secret back exit of the Palace. Once they arrived out in the open air, Cyril turned to Tauriel. "Thank you, Captain!" said Cyril. Tauriel nodded. "Namarie, Mellon!" said Tauriel, as she watched Cyril leave.
End of Flashback..
"I am glad you told me of this, Cyril. I'm so sorry. Thank Mahal, at least one elf had the decency to help you." said Thorin. "She didn't have to go against her king's orders. She took big risks there." said Cyril. "Yes, that could have cost her, her life." said Thorin. As the two sat in silence for a while, it was Thorin whom broke the silence.
"Come, we must get going!" said Thorin. Cyril nodded, as she followed Thorin to join the rest of the Company. As the afternoon came, everyone packed their belongings and departed from Beorn's home. As they were riding on Beorn's loaned ponies, Gandalf had announced to the Company once they reach the entrance of the Forest, he would be leaving them. The Company grumbled at this. "Do you really have to go, Gandalf?" spoke up Cyril. "Yes, I have to. I have something very important to attend to." said Gandalf.
Cyril understood. She knew with Gandalf being a wizard, they remain very busy. Well on the exception of Radagast, whom she met a while back, as she seen he was more laid back than Gandalf and Saruman. Several hours later, they approached the Forest, and the Company bid their farewells to Gandalf. After Gandalf departed, alongside with the ponies that are to be returned to Beorn, Thorin leads the Company into the forest. "Make sure you stay close with me, Cyril!" said Thorin, as they entered. Cyril nodded.
Cyril already could feel uncomfortable as they entered. And the more further they went, the air became very humid, and she could feel the enchantment in the forest growing stronger, as it already started to effect her and the Company.
As they pressed on further, Cyril felt tired, and exhausted and feeling light headed as well, as she began slacking in her footsteps. Thorin and the rest of the Company are way ahead of her, and she tried her best to keep up, but she couldn't. "THORIN! WAIT!" Cyril cried out. Unfortunately, they were too far ahead of her to hear her cries. "Crap!" cried out Cyril, as she tripped over a branch, and she fell on the ground.
Meanwhile, the Company pressed on, and it was Bilbo whom noticed someone missing from the group. "Cyril?! Miss CYRIL?!" the hobbit cried out. "Is it me, or we just went around in circles?!" grumbled Dwalin. "Hey, a dwarf has been here! I found a tobacco pouch!" said Bofur. "It's your pouch, you idiot!" snapped Dori. Suddenly the dwarves began to bicker. "EVERYBODY JUST SHUT IT!" screamed Bilbo. And the Dwarves fell silent. "We must find a way out of this accursed forest!" grumbled Thorin.
"Listen, everyone! We got a situation!" shouted Bilbo. "WHAT?!" all the dwarves shouted at once. "Cyril is missing." said Bilbo gravely. "Where is she?!" demanded Thorin. "I don't know, we was walking, and I looked behind me, she wasn't there." said Bilbo. "Thorin, we should go find her." said Balin.
"No! We have no time! She could find her own way out of this! We must keep going!" barked Thorin. "Thorin, you said yourself you was going to protect HER!" bellowed Dwalin, angrily. "We have to find her Thorin." pleaded Bilbo. "I said we must keep moving! Do you hear me?!" screamed Thorin, and they pressed on, as the dwarves grumbled.
Cyril's POV:
It didn't take me long to wake up as I realized I dozed off in the forest. And no soon as I woke up, a blond elf looked down at me and frowned, and I instantly recognized him. It was Legolas, Thranduil's son, and he pointed his arrow at me. "You! You're the one that escaped our dungeons! Let me inform you, miss you are in deep trouble now!" snarled Legolas, as he grabbed my arm, and he took me to the palace.
Shit, I'm going to die for sure now! I thought to myself.
It didn't take long for us to enter the Throne Hall of the Elf King's palace, and I could see King Thranduil glaring at me in anger and rage. I thought he was about to charge at me first, but he didn't. "How dare you escape me, woman?! Do you have any idea the penalty of escaping my dungeons?!" demanded the Elf King.
I remained silent. "The penalty is DEATH!" barked Thranduil. My eyes widened in horror and fear as he spoke. "But I will not kill you now, since I have been informed there are other trespassers in my forest. You will be locked up in the execution cell, until I decide the time for your death! Guards! Take her away!" Thranduil demanded. The guards came and took me to the execution cell. But as Tauriel was about to follow, The Elf King stopped. "You leave her alone! The next time I see or hear you speak to this woman, I will not only dismiss you from your duties, but banish you from Mirkwood as well!" The Elf King demanded.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" said Tauriel coldly.