Coming Of Age – Chapter 20
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ThoraLee was feeling homesick as she watched the Durin family sitting together breaking their fast in the morning as they discussed the trip to the sub terrain chamber.
She had not seen her father for nearly a week and she missed him terribly. As she had no desire to see the gold they found, she thought of returning home to see her father and her Uncle Crimm.
First, she had to convince Thorin to let her borrow a pony to make a trip to Dale; she wondered what his reaction would be…
"Only if you'll permit me to send a guard or two with you," Thorin said, sounding concerned.
Lee shook her head, "Thorin, I am just visiting my father, in my house. I think I am safe in travelling by myself."
Thorin shook his head as he declared firmly as he looked at her pointedly, "No, you are my… future wife and Princess of Erebor. You will have protection."
"When you came to see me in Dale, you did not have any guards," she pointed, her anger growing.
Frerin was watching their heated exchange with interest. Thrain and Nur were shaking their heads, bracing for the worst.
"That is because I am a …" Thorin stopped himself as he pursed his lips, his fists clenched.
"What? That you're a man?" She finished his sentence for him. "Come on, Thorin. We're not going through with this again, you know I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."
Thorin shook his head stubbornly, "You're getting an escort, end of discussion."
"You are so…stubborn! I change my mind. I'm staying" She put her arms across her chest in anger.
Thorin threw his hands up, "No, you'll go see your father, as you wanted…with an escort, Lee."
Lee glared at him, "I. Am. Not. Going."
Thorin glared back at her in frustration, "FINE! Stay!" He stood up and left the dining Halls.
Frerin arched his brow and said, "Well, that was interesting, do they always…?"
"Stuff it, Frerin." Nur told him quietly. "Now is not the time to jest."
Frerin opened his mouth, he was about to say more when he saw his father's stern look and he clammed up immediately.
Lee stood up and with eyes down, said, "If you'll excuse me I…" she couldn't go on as she shook her head and left the room.
Later Thorin found her sitting alone in the gardens on the stone bench, looking forlorn; it broke his heart to see her thus.
If you love her, trust her and let her go…
A voice came within his heart.
He sat next to her but she ignored him, turning away from him as she wiped some tears from her cheeks.
"Lee…" He began.
"Go away Thorin." She shook her head.
Ouch!
He put his hand on her shoulder but she shrugged it away in anger.
"Lee! I'm sorry!"
She shook her head as she refused to look at him.
"Lee, I just want you to be safe. I don't know what would happen if something were to happen to you…"
"It's okay, Thorin. I'm stay…"
"No…go. I know you missed your father. I want you to see him. Just promise me you'll be safe." He picked up her hand and kissed her knuckles.
She nodded as she leaned against her forehead to his.
He then nudged her for a kiss as she obliged him.
"No guards, no escorts, though."
Thorin sighed and agreed reluctantly, "Fine, no escort, just Grakarbor."
"Grakarbor? What is that?"
Thorin chuckled, "Come, I'll take you to meet him." He held her hand and led her to the stables.
…
When they arrived at the stables, there was a fine looking chocolate brown pony with a rich leather saddle and reins held by a guard.
Thorin nodded at the guard as he took the reins from him, "Lee, meet Grakarbor…Grakarbor, this is ThoraLee my rúzín." He said softly to the beast. The pony neighed as he nudged against Thorin's shoulder in acknowledgement. "Grakarbor is my pony. He has been with me since I was very young, so he is quite an old man but he has yet many years to go. He knows his way to Dale and back. He won't get you lost, right old man?"
Lee giggled as she stroked the pony's snout; Grakarbor sniggered at Lee in response.
"Hmmm…I see he likes you already; you seem to have a way with everyone, beasts and people." Thorin watched her indulgently.
Lee moved close to him and whispered, "I'm just in love with one …person."
Thorin grinned, "I wonder who this lucky person?"
Lee laughed, "My new friend, Grakarbor."
Thorin looked at her and burst out laughing as Lee mounted the saddle.
As his laugher subsided, Thorin became somber and said to her, "Please be careful, rúzín,"
Lee nodded as she leaned down and kissed him, "Don't worry, Khazad-zukin, I'll be fine. I'm going to see my father, that's all."
"You have your dagger?"
She patted the small weapon she kept within her boot and nodded, "I'll be back before dark, my love."
Thorin nodded as he walked with her and the pony to the courtyard.
As she rode away after waving to him happily, Thorin couldn't help but felt uneasy letting her go by herself; he was tempted to follow her but he knew she would not like it.
And he had other pressing things to do; his family was waiting for him; they were waiting for him to make the trip to see the gold coins.
As he walked back to his family, he turned to look out to catch a glimpse of Lee one more time and thought of the irony; she was travelling to Dale from Erebor above grounds while he would be travelling in the same direction, to Dale from Erebor, only he would be undergrounds.
…..
Lee was still smiling as she rode on Grakarbor, looking about her. The scenery was the same yet different. Lake Dale on the left of the dirt road and a large field on her right; a gentle breeze blowing the wild grass as she breathed in the scent of wild flowers growing by the side of the road. It had been but about four days since she had last travelled from Dale to Erebor. When she and Thorin rode to the palace to help out the Durin family with the text script; Spring is here, the flowers are blooming prettily; she was in love with the most handsome prince of this land! Her life could not have been better.
How much had changed! Lee thought to herself. She was daydreaming about Thorin as the pony plodded along the dirt road when she heard voices around the bend of the road. She didn't think much about it as folks travelled back and forth regularly.
Then she heard her loud voice and groaned; Shia Cimbolli.
And whenever Shia was about, there would be two or three of her cronies. Great, just play nice and move along, Lee told herself.
But when she cleared the bend, her heart sank as she spotted Shia's brother Crudd and two of his friends, both of them equally fat and big as Crudd. Shia was with three of her friends, they were eating some sticky cakes, their mouths were dirty and sticky looking; they were standing by the side of the dirt road.
Hope they were in a good mood, Lee thought.
Grakarbor chose this moment to neigh his presence; all five of them turned their beady eyes upon her.
Crudd threw his half eaten cake on the ground and stood in the middle of the road, his two sidekicks threw their cakes down regretfully as they stood by their leader.
"Well, well, well, if it wasn't the high and mighty ThoraLee. Back from scrubbing the dirt floors of the mines?" Crudd sneered.
The two men laughed.
Shia, her mouth full of sticky cake was eyeing the pony, "Crudd, I wanna pretty pony! Give me pony!" She whined, the pieces of cake sputtering out of her mouth but she paid no heed to it.
Crudd walked to Lee and grabbed the reins and jerked it hard, "You heard Shia, she wants the pony! Give it to her. NOW!"
Lee shook her head, "Crudd, this is not mine, I borrowed it from…"
She didn't get a chance to finish her explanation when Crudd pushed her off the saddle. Lee fell down hard onto the dirt road, she hit her left shoulder hard upon the hard surface.
They laughed at her.
Lee glare at them angrily, "Give the pony back, Crudd, he's not mine."
Grakarbor was rearing on his hind legs in protest as Crudd was pulling his reins hard at him, he was neighing in fear as he tried to kick him.
Crudd began to panic as he turned to the other two men and yelled at them, "Don't just stand there! Help me!"
The two exchanged scared looks as they move cautiously to the angry pony who was eyeing them as well and trying its best to kick them with its hind legs as well as its front legs,
Finally in big jerk of its neck, Grakarbor managed to free itself from Crudd's grasp and for good measure gave him a very good hard kick in the face!
"OW!" Crudd screamed as he covered his face, bent in the waist.
"Run, Grakarbor! Run, my friend!" Lee yelled at the pony as Grakarbor began to run. . Crudd's cronies gave chase after the animal as they ran towards Dale.
Shia turned her anger at Lee who was getting up, holding her shoulder. "You will pay for hurting my brother!"
"Shia, I didn't do anything! He tried to hurt the pony...Argh!"Lee yelped out loud as she felt something slammed against her back as she staggered to the ground. One of the Shia's friends had hit her with a stick.
Her breath knocked out for the moment as she tried to take in some air and regained momentum; she wished for two things now, one was that she had listened to Thorin and accepted the escort and two, that her brother Jor was here with her, he would be able to help her get out of this predicament.
Now, she was getting really furious at them and told herself that when she had gotten out of this jam, they would wish they had not done what they did to Grakarbor.
Shia was laughing her piggish laughter as she and her three friends, one of them hold the stick, laughing at Lee.
Lee saw that they were standing next to a great oak tree and the lowest limb was hanging loose; if she had jumped up at it and pulled it, it would break off, she could use it as a weapon.
But before she could run for the tree, Crudd jumped on her and began to pummel and punch her blindly. Lee tried to cover her head with her hands as she lay on the ground.
A few minutes later, Crudd fell off of her, exhausted as he kicked her hard.
Lee lay on the dirt as she eyed him, Crudd's face was a bloody mess; Grakarbor's hoof had made its mark on Crudd's forehead. Serve the bastard right for being cruel to the poor animal!
"Crudd!" Shia was crying at her brother
Lee got up and began to move slowly towards the tree.
She saw the other girls moving towards her, swinging the stick at her maliciously. Lee reached for her dagger in her boot.
As they reached close to Lee, she slashed at them her dagger managed to slash at one of their face, the girl howled in pain as she grabbed her face, blood seeping through her fingers. The other two retreated as they eyed their friend with concern.
"Get her!" Shia ordered her cronies as she knelt by her brother.
But they hesitated, not wanting to be marred by Lee.
Lee took the opportunity to run for the tree but she dropped the dagger as she climbed the oak tree and jumped on the half-broken limb. It gave out completely, Lee fell and rolled to the ground grabbing the broken oak branch with her.
When she stood up, she saw that they were circling closer as Lee walked away from them, holding the limb as a shield as well as a weapon.
As she was moving backwards, away from them, she saw that she was on the edge of the lake. "Look ladies, I don't want any trouble. Just get away from me, go back home and forget all this happened."
"Not a chance, Lee. You'll pay for what that pony done to Crudd."
Lee frowned, were they crazy? What had she to do with the pony? She certainly didn't tell Grakarbor to attack Crudd. She wished she did, but she had no control over the beast!
"Look, I have no control over the pony. I can't help if he kicked Crudd's face."
One of Shia's friend charged at her with the stick but Lee batted her with the oak limb, connected her on her head, the friend fell to the ground knocking her unconscious.
The other one screamed as she charged at Lee, she gave the limb a big swipe and it hit her on her backs, bringing her to her knees, she was panting as she was catching her breaths, their dresses torn where Lee had struck them.
Tired and bruised as well, Lee was also breathing hard when she felt a sharp piercing jab in her left shoulder!
When she turned her head slowly, pain pounded in her head as she saw the handle of her dagger sticking out of her shoulder, Shia standing above her.
Lee fell to the ground, she could barely move.
"Is she dead?" She heard Crudd called out. "I hope she is, she deserves to die!"
Lee felt a hard kick on the side of her waist as she winced hard but she didn't make any noise.
She stayed where she was hoping they would leave but it was futile wish as the two girls came over and kicked her in her head a few times until Lee began to feel dizzy.
She began to tell herself to stay strong…stay strong…Thorin, for Thorin…Thorin…
"Throw her in the water!" Lee heard Shia told the other girls.
"She's heavy, you need to help us!" They whined at her.
"Fine! Grab her legs!" She felt someone, presumably Shia roughly grabbing her arms and she felt her legs being held and she was dragged as rough gravel grazed against her body and soon, cool wetness.
Then she began to sink but not by much, only to her shoulders, the cold water soaking the wound, acting as a balm but soon it began to sting and then it started to hurt a lot; the dizziness was really making her head throbbed.
"She's not sinking!" One of the girls was yelling, her voice panicking.
"Push her into the deeper water!"
"I'm not going in there! I don't want to drown!" Shia was screaming at them.
"Here, use the limb."
"Wait!"Shia yelled as Lee felt her hand being pulled up and Shia yanked her green diamond ring off her finger. "Mine!" Her piggish said announced triumphantly as she put on the ring on her finger and smiled happily at the bauble. "Now, get that limb and push her into the deep water! NOW!" She ordered her cronies.
Lee felt herself sinking deep into the water as she began to cry, not because her life was about to end but because of the lost of her beloved ring; the ring Thorin had made.
Thorin…she would never see him again.
Lee, her left shoulder as if on fire, saw the broken oak limb and made to grab it with her right arm and hung onto it. Too tired to swim to the shore, she clung onto the oak limb as her eyes closed, letting the calm darkness claim her while her body washed with the current, along the lake that flow into a river that left Dale, and away from Erebor…
….
End of Chapter 20