The first song is My Father's Father by Civil Wars. The second is Sleepsong by Secret Garden.
"Quotation marks" is dialogue.
'Apostrophes' is American Sign Language
"The only impossible journey is the one you never begin."
~ Anthony Robbins
I was shaken awake- rather roughly, I might add- the next morning. Opening my eyes, I found myself caught in the gaze of Thorin Oakenshield, who was crouching in front of me. "We are leaving soon," he announced quietly, then moved to wake the others. I groaned but stood, careful not to hit my head on Faye's dangling legs, and stretched. Then I shook my sister awake, dodging the sleepy slap aimed in my direction, and made sure her eyes were open and she wasn't about to fall back to sleep before heading to the kitchen, where Bomber was making breakfast. Bilbo was nowhere to be seen, but I was almost 100% sure he would be joining us eventually.
Once we had eaten, and Balin had decided to leave the contract for the sleeping hobbit just in case, we set outside to get the ponies. Of course there weren't enough ponies for Faye and I, meaning we would have to share with the others. Fili and Kili volunteered their company, so I agreed to ride with Kili- giving Faye a not-so-subtle nudge in the right direction. She glared playfully at me as we mounted the ponies, though her eyes were on the blond dwarf as we set off.
"I said it, didn't I? Coming here was a waste of time," one of the dwarves said, setting off a chain reaction of grumblings and complaints about our 'lost' burglar. Faye and I shared a look. Most of the dwarves had taken bets on whether or not Bilbo was going to show up, with us advising Fili and Kili about the right decision. Fili, Kili, Balin, Oin, and Gandalf were the only ones who had bet he would join us. Oh, I can't wait to see their faces...
"Wait!"
The company reined in their horses, turning around to look at the hobbit that was running up to us, his contract waving in his hand. "Wait!" He finally caught up to us, handing the contract to Balin. "I signed it." The older dwarf gave the hobbit a look, then took out his jewelers eye and scrutinized the paper.
"Everything seems to be in order," he said after a small pause. "Welcome, Master Baggins, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield." As the dwarves gave light cheers, Thorin frowned and turned his horse back around.
"Give him a pony."
Bilbo paled. "No, no, that won't be necessary," he protested, but no one listened to him and Fili and Kili moved our horses forward, lifting him up by his armpits and placing him on one of the ponies. He looked mortified, flinching practically every time it moved.
"Come on, Nori, pay up!" Oin shouted from behind us. Nori threw a pouch of coins to the dwarf from in front of us, barely missing my head.
"One more," Fili reminded him, and he too got thrown a pouch, managing to catch it without hitting Faye, who was right behind him on the horse.
"What's that about?" Bilbo asked, looking around.
"Oh, they took wagers... on whether or not you'd show up," Gandalf told him, riding up alongside him on his own horse. "Most of them bet you wouldn't." Money pouches were flying now, going to the others who had bet in the hobbit's favor.
"And what did you think?" Bilbo questioned the wizard.
Gandalf hesitated to answer, before a pouch flew his way. He caught it, chuckling. "My dear fellow, I never doubted you for a second." He put the pouch into his bag.
It was a few minutes later when a loud sneeze from Bilbo interrupted the comfortable almost-silence that had fallen over us. "Oh, it's this horse hair... having a reaction," the hobbit grumbled, reaching in his vest pocket for something and freezing when he realized it wasn't there. "Uh... wait! Wait! Stop!" he shouted. Everyone stopped their horses, annoyed, turning around to look at him. I frowned at Faye who only smiled slightly at me, reminding me she knew things I didn't. It was already growing irritating.
"What on earth is the matter?" Gandalf asked.
"I've forgotten my handkerchief," was the reply. I snorted into my hand, earning an amused look from Kili, who spun around on the horse to view me. I ignored him.
"Here!" Bofur exclaimed, ripping a bit of leather off of something nearby him and throwing it at the hobbit, who held it out in front of it as if it would bite him if it got too close. "Use this," the dwarf said, smiling brightly.
"Move on!" Thorin shouted from the front.
"You'll have to manage without pocket handkerchiefs, and a good many other things, Bilbo Baggins, before we reach our journey's end." Gandalf told him. "You were born to the rolling hills and little rivers of the Shire. But home is now behind you. The world is ahead."
OoOoOoOoOo
We rode on like this for a few days, stopping only when the sun sunk low in the sky to make camp. Company members were appointed to take watch throughout the night, someone made a fire, and Bombur started on supper. Faye, Bilbo, and I found it difficult sleeping on the ground at night, but Faye and I were quick adapters, and Bilbo didn't complain about it quite as much after a bit.
Soon, we found ourselves stopping under a rocky outcrop facing a jagged cliff. We set up camp, made a fire, and started on supper. Fili and Kili were chosen to keep watch. After we had all sat down for dinner around the fire, the dwarves began to sing again. It was another tune about retaking the mountain, Erebor, from the dragon Smaug. I hadn't been paying much attention to my surroundings, until Bofur cried out, "oh, don't look so sad, lassie. We'll win the dragon back from Smaug!" I frowned, and realized that a tear or two had fallen down my cheeks. Embarrassed, my face turned a shade of red as the dwarves started cheering and shouting in another language. Once it quieted down, Bofur spoke up again, "Do either of you sing?"
Faye smirked. "Well, Becca..."
"Shut up, Faye," I muttered. My voice was crap. I only sung when no one could hear me. Or for Faye, which was quickly turning out to be a regret. I shook my head at the funny-hatted dwarf. "I'm not very good."
"Come on, lass," Bofur encouraged. "Half of us are tone deaf anyway. Sing us a song!" Everyone nodded enthusiastically.
I glared at Faye, who lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug. Feeling awkward in the spotlight, I took a deep breath and chose a song. Okay.
"I hear something hanging on the wind
I see black smoke up around the bend
I got my ticket
I'm going to go home
The leaves have changed a time or two
Since the last time the train came through
I got my ticket and I'm going to go home
My father's father's blood is on the track
A sweet refrain drifts in from the past
I got my ticket and I'm going to go home
The winding roads that led me here
Burn like coal and dry like tears
So here's my hope
My tired soul
So here's my ticket
I want to go home
Home
Home"
A silence had settled on the company while I was singing, and no one spoke for some time after I had finished. My eyes caught Thorin's, and I was surprised at the raw pain I found there. The pain quickly turned to something else, something I couldn't place, and he turned away from me. I frowned, but quickly brushed it aside.
"You have a lovely singing voice, my dear," Bofur said, breaking the silence. I blushed. The whole company immediately agreed, complimenting my voice and begging me for more. I turned to Faye, who shook her head. 'You should sing,' I signed, deciding to have a silent conversation instead of a screaming match. She shook her head again. "You don't have to," the dwarf revised. I sighed, and began singing again.
I sang for maybe half an hour before we all decided it was time to retire for the night. I laid down on my bedroll, but sleep was eluding me. Deciding that I definitely wasn't close to getting any rest I went over to Fili and Kili, who were leaning against the rock face, sitting down next to them. The latter gave me a quick smile before returning to look for threats. I could feel Faye sit next to me- the two of us were always aware of each other, as if we shared a brain. I felt her presence beside me, and it wasn't long before she put her head on my shoulder, closing her eyes. I wouldn't have been surprised if she was already asleep. Lucky.
Even if she was, however, she would have been woken up by the piercing, inhuman shriek that echoed throughout the night. She tensed beside me and I froze, my hand finding hers and squeezing reassuringly. She was my little sister, if only by two years, and there was no way on earth I wouldn't protect her from whatever it was. Well, Middle Earth. "What was that?" Bilbo asked. I looked around and found him by his pony, Myrtle. I hadn't even realized he had gotten up.
"Orcs," Kili replied.
"Orcs?" Bilbo stammered, practically running back to the campfire. I wrapped my arm around Faye, letting go of her hand in the process. She smiled up at me, even though I was pretty sure she was at least a little embarrassed for being treated like a ten-year-old. I heard another scream and Thorin started awake, reaching for his sword.
"Throat cutters. There'll be dozens of them out there," Fili continued from beside his brother.
"The low lands are crawling with them," Kili picked up. "They strike in the wee small hours, when everyone's asleep. Quick and quiet, no screams. Just lots of blood." Bilbo shuddered and my arm tightened around Faye- more for my benefit than hers, really.
"You think that's funny?" Thorin demanded, now up and standing in front of his nephews. "You think a night raid by orcs is a joke?"
"We meant nothing by it," Kili said, hanging his head.
"No, you didn't. You know nothing of the world," Thorin reprimanded, walking to the edge of the cliff and looking down. I gave Kili a small, reassuring smile.
"Don't mind him, laddie," Balin said. "Thorin has more cause than most to hate orcs." I looked up at him, frowning. Faye shrugged out of my grip, moving back to her bedroll as Balin continued talking. "After the dragon took the Lonely Mountain, King Thror tried to reclaim the ancient dwarf kingdom of Moria. But our enemy had gotten there first. Moria had been taken by legions of orcs, led by the most vile of all their race. Azog the Defiler." As Balin told the story, I could almost imagine it as if I was there. "The giant Gundabad orc had sworn to wipe out the line of Durin. He began... by beheading the king.
"Thrain, Thorin's father, was driven mad by grief. He went missing, taken prisoner or killed, we did not know. We were leaderless. Defeat- and death- were upon us. That is when I saw him. A young dwarf prince facing down the Pale Orc. He stood alone against this terrible foe. His armor rent, wielding nothing but an oaken branch as a shield. Azog the Defiler learned that day that the line of Durin would not be so easily broken. Our forces rallied, and drove the orcs back. Our enemy had been defeated, but there was no feast, no song, that night, for our dead were beyond the count of grief. We few had survived, and I thought to myself then, 'there is one who I could follow. There is one I could call... king.'" By that time everyone was awake and listening to the story, some standing in respect as they gazed at their leader. At that moment, I realized Faye was right. The 'king' actually was the king.
"And the Pale Orc?" Bilbo asked. "What happened to him?"
Thorin started walking back to his bedroll. "He slunk back in the hole whence he came. That filth died of his wounds long ago." He laid down on his bedroll, turning away from the company. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Balin and Gandalf exchange a look. I caught Faye's eye, walking down to my bedroll, which was next to hers, and frowning.
'Did he really die?' Her face was answer enough for me. My stomach felt twisted. I sighed, laying down on my bedroll. 'Do you want me to sing to you?' She pulled a face. Ever since our parents had died, she hadn't been able to sleep without our mother's lullaby. Of the two of us, my voice was most like hers, so I sang to her almost every night. Then she sighed and nodded, laying down and closing her eyes.
"Lay down your head and I'll sing you a lullaby
Back to the years of loo-li lai-lay
And I'll sing you to sleep and I'll sing you tomorrow
Bless you with love for the road that you go
May you sail fair to the far fields of fortune
With diamonds and pearls at your head and your feet
And may you need never to banish misfortune
May you find kindness in all that you meet
May there always be angels to watch over you
To guide you each step of the way
To guard you and keep you safe from all harm
Loo-li, loo-li lai-lay
May you bring love and may you bring happiness
Be loved in return to the end of your days
Now fall off to sleep, I'm not meaning to keep you
I'll just sit for a while and sing loo-li, lai-lay
May there always be angels to watch over you
To guide you each step of the way
To guard you and keep you safe from all harm
Loo-li, loo-li lai-lay
Loo-li, loo-li lai-lay"
She was asleep before I was finished, and it only took me another minute to fall asleep myself.