Zoor Se Dovahruth
Thirteen

-Faal Dovahro Kiir-
The Dragon's Child

"Out of the frying pan…"

"…and into the fire! Run!" Gandalf finished for Thorin as they're trained eyes turned away from the enemy on their tails. Keeva's heart began to pound as the Durin princes pushed her ahead of them, unsheathing their weapons and running just as fast as a jack rabbit in the hunt.

Keeva was not quite sure why now, of all the times that could have been possible, the cursed symbols upon her are were searing her, the pain almost becoming unbearable. The last times she remembered such a pain had been when Alduin had torn Fokeinvokul's soul from her body. The pain was like anything unimaginable, the bones in your body breaking from the inside out, the air being burned from your lungs and your skin searing to life. Keeva collapsed after only managing to run a few more feet a head of her.

Fili and Kili had already passed her, both thinking she was falling behind to earn the rest of the company some time with her bow and arrows, which she was so dutifully skilled at. But Bofur and Bombur had watched the Bosmer fall, curling into herself as if she was trying to contain something with all of her will. Bofur prepared himself to swing at the first Warg as Bombur bent down to check on their companion, "Miss Keeva, what is the matter?"

Bomber's gentle hands reached down, brushing ever so lightly on her forehead to move her hair out of her face but instead recoiled with a hiss on his lips. He'd been burnt! The skin on the tips of his fingers were raw and already blistering. "Bofur, I don't think we can help her!"

"We can't just leave her!" Bofur shouted, finally taking out the one Warg that had lurched for them. Bombur shook his head, "I can't even touch her. Something is not right!"

Bofur lip the bottom of his lip, looking all around him as he trying to think of something to help their friend. There were dead leaves all around and beneath Keeva, Bombur was a little confused as to why he could not touch her but the leaves were unscathed. He decided not to contemplate on it long as he told his brother to help him.

Bofur and Bombur began to gather the leaves and throw them atop their friend. She was already so tiny and with her against the tree, covered in the dead leaves, she just seemed like a gathered pile of dirt and decaying life.

"We'll be back for you, Miss," Bofur told her quickly, taking up his forging hammer. "Don't you worry!"

Bofur and Bombur hurried off to find the rest of their company, hiding out in the trees as the rest of the Wargs and their masters made their way towards the dwarves.

Keeva could no longer decipher the real world from her conscious. The darkness that had been lurking in her dreams seemed to consume her, Oblivion taking her into its embrace, greeting her with a cold and tender kiss. It was cold, so cold, that Keeva almost forgot what season it really was on Middle Earth. Her skin began to pucker, the little goose bumps flourishing her skin with each cress the darkness gave her. Then, within the tresses of Oblivion, the dark hum of a creature coaxed her out of her confusion. "It has been a long time waiting, dii mon."

Keeva's lungs began to fill with the frigid air that reminded her of the snow covered region she called home in Skyrim. With her lungs restored, her mind could finally function properly, her eyes becoming focused and the creature becoming her nightmare.

Keeva shot up from her spot on the ground, her eyes growing with fear, and she tried to push herself farther away from the Dov only to seemingly be pulled back into his grasp. The cold and impenetrable scales of his tail held her tightly, but never so tight as to crush her. His eyes peered back at her, through the leathery skin of his wings, boring her with the color of flames so intense she thought she was actually watching fire.

"You tremble, fahvos?"

"Because you are the curse that plagues me," she whispered, knowing full well that even his ears were keener than her own.

"Plagues you?" he growled, offended in every sense of the word. His grip on her tightened a little but still never enough to hurt her. "Do I offend you so?! Is that what I get for protecting you all these years?! Loving you, caring for you, watching you like my own kiir?!"

Keeva flinched, her eyes snapping shut, ready for the snap of his jaws on her body or the frost of his Thu'um to finish her off. But it never came. Fokeinvokul watched her, his anger melting away as he truly saw the fear trembling on her lower lip. "The stories and legends of my past precede me."

The hum from the pit of his throat was comforting to the fearful Bosmer. She hadn't realized until now that it had always been his hum that had comforted her throughout her life in stressful moments. "I am a terrible creature. I am what my name describes. Evil, malicious, every bit as spiteful as the Dragon God himself. That has never changed, dii mon."

Keeva's blue eyes opened after listening to him talk. Her gaze found his as he continued, hoping that this meeting could come to a understanding, "But know this, you are the only thing I fight for anymore. You have taken, possessed, and captured this Dovahro soul. I will follow you to the ends of this earth and the next. You and I are one and shall be until the end of days."

"You truly mean me no harm?" Keeva asked, her eyes becoming glossy as she watch the dragon's skull turn around to confront her. He was merely inches away now. His eyes boring into her with any and all emotion he could conjure.

"I never have and never will, dii mon," he told her. A small, barely visible, smile pulled at Keeva's lips as the dragon uncurled his tail to release the girl. She reached out her hand, placing it on the tip of Fokeinvokul's nose and brushed it gently. "Then will you help me save my friends?"

"If that is what you wish."

…

"Kod, Toragid biriz." Azog growled, "Worori-da!"

At his command, the Wargs leaped upon the trees filled with Thorin and company. They jumped as high as they could, scrabbling at the trunks and breaking apart branches in their jaws in their efforts. The trees began to violently shake at the assault as the dwarves struggled to hold on.

Fili was desperately searching each tree for Keeva. The last he'd seen her she'd fallen behind; he thought she was going to carefully take out a few Wargs. But now that every single person of their company was in the trees for safety, he could not find her. She was not among their numbers. And that greatly concerned him.

"Sho gad adol!" Azog screamed at his pets.

The weight of the Wargs on the furthest tree from the edge of the cliff finally is uprooted from the ground and began to lean into the other trees filled with the other dwarves. As more Wargs join to tip the tree over, the dwarves and Bilbo decide to jump from the falling tree to the next. Unfortunately, a domino effect seems to take place, forcing the company to all jump for the last tree on the edge of the cliff. It too begins to fall, their lives seeming to come to an end only to be halted when the tree doesn't fall over the edge.

Azog laughs at this, enjoying the fear and pain his enemy is taking from the onslaught.

Looking around in desperation, Gandalf spies a pinecone and grabs for it. Using his staff, the Grey Wizard sets the pinecone on fire and then throws it down amongst the Wargs. They began to retreat in fear of the blaze that had begun to grow from the dried brush of the summer season. Azog is startled and angry with this new dilemma. Gandalf lights two more pinecones, "Fili!"

Throwing one down to the young dwarf, Fili catches just in times and urges Bilbo to grab a pinecone next to him. The Hobbit complies and Fili quickly lights the pinecone for his friend. They both throw the flaming little pods at the Wargs, their blaze growing much faster than anticipated. The forest starts to burn around them, the land becoming unrecognizable.

The tree beneath them suddenly starts to give way again. The tree is now perpendicular with the ledge , they are hanging over the cavern below and the sight is not much of a help to their cause.

Ori and Dori lose their grips, falling and crying out for help. Dori grabs for the end of Gandalf's staff just before he loses his own grip on the tree after Ori had fallen only to cling to his leg. "Hold on, Ori!"

The danger that the company was facing was not getting any better. Thorin slowly began to realize their fates if he did not stand up and do something. He clung to the tree, glaring with all the hate and anger he had for Azog. He used those feelings, emotions, and energy to pull himself up from the tree, drawing his sword as he began to walk down the leaning trunk.

Bilbo and the others hanging from the tree watch on as their leader begins to run through the burning ground and brush, and at Azog and his White Warg. The smug creature spreads his arms wide and grins, urging his enemy to attack him. Thorin growls, the anger building in his as he runs with his sword up and his oaken shield held out in front of him.

Azog crouches and roars as his Warg leaps for Thorin. The Dwarf King swings his sword but the Warg hits him in the chest with its paw, smashing Thorin to the ground. The other dwarves in the tree look on with shock. As Thorin tries to get back onto his feet, panting for air, Azog and his Warg wheel around and charge at Thorin once more. The mace smashes Thorin in the face before he can even react. Brutally flung to the ground by the impact, Thorin lies there beaten to exhaustion.

Dwalin is desperate to help his leader, but slips as he tries to get upon onto the tree. The Warg takes Thorin up into its mouth. Thorin manages to hit its head with the butt of his sword. The White Warg lets go with a roar, throwing the dwarf several feet away onto a rock nearby. Thorin lends heavily, his sword falling out of his hand and Thorin nearly unconscious.

"Biriz torag khobdudol."

One of Azog's Riders jumps off his Warg and approaches Thorin. Bilbo, seeing this, pulls out his own sword and runs for the weakened dwarf. The orc stands above Thorin's body and places its sword against the King's neck; raising the sword, the rider is ready to take Thorin's head. As he swings down, Bilbo throws himself at the orc and knocks him over. They fight and Bilbo manages to stab and kill the creature.

Azog growls in anger and Thorin finally passes out, his last image being of Bilbo at his side. Bilbo pulls his sword from the orc's body and stands guard over Thorin's body, trying his best to protect what he can. Azog smiles wickedly, the hatred of the Black Speech bringing fear to the little Hobbit, "Kill him."

A couple of Wargs and Riders approach Bilbo, snarling and drooling for a kill. But out of the pitch blackness a roar, like none had ever heard before, filled the skies followed by the crack of thunder. Every single creature on the cliff froze with confusion or fear at the sound. Gandalf's old eyes pained with what was to come.

As the silence seemed to grow in the passing seconds with no sign of where the noise had come from, another roar echoed through the valley of the mountain side, letting them all know that whatever was out there was getting much closer. But they didn't have to wait long. A great gust of wind ripped through the cliff with a whooshing noise quite similar to what it would be like if a bird had swooped down upon its prey. The blazing fire lit the belly of the creature that was flying above them and before they knew what they were looking at a terrible chill came over the orcs that didn't seem physically possible.

"Fo Krah Diin!"

A blizzard suddenly was brewing, the orc scum approaching Bilbo were thrown back and impaled with spears made of ice. From the dark, upon the wind created by her knew companion, Keeva released her arrows, taking out one after the other, orcs falling like flies to a fire.

The sudden attack caught everyone off guard but the dwarves were soon up and helping in the battle against the enemy. Fili followed after his brother with his weapons drawn in both hands. He knew Keeva was safe now, somewhere, hidden amongst the trees. But his eyes wanted to wander over to the creature that seemed to come out of a nightmare.

Grey and black, but with the night sky the creatures was a much darker shade. Its leathery wings were riddled with holes from what Fili could assume was caused by many a battle. Its skull was as large as a horse and the horns and the base of it curled in a very malicious way. But it was the creature's eyes that spoke feats; they were the fire, the sun, the blaze that put fear into the hearts of any that looked upon them. And that gave Fili enough reason to look away and fight off the rest of the Orcs that were still retaliating.

The fighting only continued on for a while longer before Keeva spotted the Giant Eagles soaring in the distance. They were making their way over to her company, starting with the weakest and most vulnerable. Keeva spotted Thorin being taken and shortly after Bilbo, Fili, Kili, and Dwalin. They were all being picked up or tried their chance at jumping onto the Eagles. Keeva smiled, happy to know that her companions would be able to get out of harms reach.

With the last dwarf gone from the fight, Keeva took that as her chance to finish off the threat "Geblaan niin!"

Fokeinvokul roared with delight as he swooped down to land amongst the blaze. He was a Dragon, fire could never harm a dragon. Keeva stepped forth from the safety of the forest, footsteps following right after her. Within the light of the fire. Azog watched a tiny female and a taller male make their way down the hill, trapped between the Dragon and the figures.

Upon a closer look, the girl seemed to be in control, Azog reasoned. The Dragon listened to her and the man, well it was quite clear the girl had some talent at necromancy. Something his Master would find appealing.

Keeva glanced behind her, eying Bedastyr's decaying form before nodding her head toward their target. The remaining Orc followers were taken out in mere seconds by his arrows. Azog was left, "You've followed us long enough."

The Pale Orc laughed, "You've no power here!"

Keeva lifted her bow instead for her answer. The string was pulled tight, her arrow cocked and poised for the target. Azog growled something in black speech once more before Keeva let loose of her grip. The arrow soared through the fire and stuck Azog in the chest, just to the left of his heart, a fatal wound that will not kill him but instead give him a message.

"I will kill you and raised you myself if that is what it will come to," Keeva spat, walking over slowly but never close enough for Azog to touch her. "You've been warned."

Azog watched as a black portal formed out of the air. The decaying man dressed in blue looked to the girl for orders and she nodded towards the portal, the man entered and the portal vanished. The female then turned and climbed up onto the dragon, grasping the horns atop its monstrous head and spoke to the creature as if it was her equal. To Azog, she was a mystery, but a new enemy that needed to be taken out, or better. Capturing this little creature would please his Master even more. She would a prize.

The Dragon spread its leathery wings, stretching them as if it had not used them in many a years and roared once more, a thunderous crack following in its wake as the creature finally lifted itself up into the air. The two flew off into the distance in hopes to catch up with their companions.

…

The Eagles continue to soar through the sky, flying them over a great distance and over many mountains. The battle the company had just been through was miles away from them and their dear friend Keeva left behind. Thorin still lies unconscious in one of the Eagle's talons as the others worry about him. Fili stares down at his uncle, his knuckles nearly white with how tight he was clenching them. His Uncle was hurt and now Keeva, the one female he'd fondly grow attached too was now gone.

It was Bofur and Bombur who had shared the news that they had been the last to see her. They had watched her collapse. They had tried to help Keeva only to be forced to leave her because of the curse. After they had explained what they'd went through to hide her, to help her, everything started to make sense as to why the Dragon had suddenly appeared and Keeva was nowhere in sight. They all knew it had to be what Keeva had foretold them, what she had warned them about. They all assumed the worst. Keeva's mind was lost to the Dragon and there was nothing they could do for her.

Fili wanted to scream, throw anything and everything, but most of all he wanted to cry. But he couldn't, Fili wouldn't allow himself to. He was the Durin Heir. He had to remain calm, even though it was so hard for him not to.

Gandalf watched the company closely, noting the solemn faces and the tears in many of their eyes. Balin, Bofur, even Ori shed a few for their companion.

As the Eagles approached a massive rock structure in the shape of a bear, Gandalf knew this to be Carrock. The Eagle carrying Thorin gently deposited him and his sword on the flat surface. Another Eagle landed and allowed Gandalf slide off its neck, running over to the unconscious King.

"Thorin! Thorin." The dwarf doesn't respond as Bilbo runs up to the body as well, Gandalf places his hand on Thorin's face and quietly begins to whisper a spell. Immediately Thorin's eyes flutter open and he gasps for air, speaking weakly, "The Halfling?"

"It's all right. Bilbo is here. He's quite safe," Gandalf reassures him with a small smile. By then, the other dwarves have all landed on the Carrock, all surrounding Thorin's weak form. Dwalin and Kili bend down to help Thorin up but he ends up shrugging them off once he is on his feet. Slowly he approached Bilbo, "You! What were you doing? You nearly got yourself killed! Did I not say that you would be a burden? That you would not survive in the wild and that you had no place amongst us?"

Thorin's advance came nearly face to face with Bilbo, causing the Halfling to look worried and even frightened, "I've never been wrong in all my life!"

Thorin then surprises Bilbo with a warm embrace and the other dwarves grin from ear to ear. Even Gandalf is all smiles. Bilbo, still quite surprised, gives in and hugs Thorin back. "I am sorry I doubted you."

"No, I would have doubted me too. I'm not a hero or a warrior… not even a burglar." Bilbo's humor earns him some chuckles.

Thorin looks beyond Bilbo and sees something, striding forward to the edge of the rock and the others follow his gaze.

"Is that what I think it is?" Bilbo asks in astonishment. In the distance, on the horizon, they see the outline of a single, solitary mountain. The light of the rising sun gives it a very beautiful halo.

"Erebor," Gandalf muttered just as amazed, "The last of the great dwarf kingdoms of Middle-earth."

"Our home," Thorin said to himself, a sense of yearning burning through his body. "Keeva? Keeva, come look."

A silence filled the air after Thorin had called the one name nobody wished to mutter, in fear of the pain it brought. Thorin, noticing the change, turned around to view his ranks. Looking from each and every set of eyes he found they were ether avoiding his own gaze or staring back at him with a new found glossiness. When he did not find the set of blue eyes so distinguishable amongst the familiar flaming hair Thorin's heart broke. "No-"

"The curse, Thorin-" Dwalin began but ended up choking on his own words.

"The Dragon has taken her, but she sacrificed her life to save ours," Gandalf explained. "She and the Dragon fought off Azog to let us escape."

Thorin's gaze found Fili hiding behind his brother, his eyes down cast and his brows knitted together as if he was fighting off the urge to let his emotions go. Thorin for once in his life felt pain for his nephew. He knew, even though Fili had not admitted it yet, that his nephew had been falling for the girl.

In the distance, a quiet yet fearsome roar echoed off the faces of the mountains. Gandalf and the others turned to follow its maker, only to find the air empty of anything that could be their Little Rose. Thorin's knitted brows focused on the distance. "Is that it? Is that her?"

"Aye, it's the sound alright," Balin nodded, placing a firm hand on Thorin's shoulder. "We better move on before it's too late."

The company began to collect their things, moving to the staircase at the side of the Carrock. Fili was the last to descend after his companions, his eyes turned back in the direction they had just come from, the roar filling the sky once more and his heart filled with pain. Fili took a step and never looked back.

…

Off in the distance, Keeva rode Fokeinvokul into the rising sun, the mountains becoming a distant set of hills in her sight as the regions geography began to change from hills to flat land and forests. She had not spotted her friends for some time and was beginning to lose hope in the search.

Her new companion was beginning to feel her emotions flood him with the remaining connection brought on by the curse. She was growing sad, doubtful, and lost. This concerned him, "Fate has its purposes, dii mon. Your have not yet left theirs. We will find them in due time."

"Not soon enough," she muttered.

After a long while, Keeva spotted a small cottage in a clearing just off the edge of a rather large and dense forest. Fokeinvokul reasoned it was as good as any place to take up shelter and for him to once again return to the depths of Oblivion.

Descending to the ground, Fokeinvokul landed softly, allowing Keeva to slip from his neck before he urged her to open a portal. "I will come whenever you call."

"And what of the Breton?" Keeva asked, opening a portal, her eyes flashing a magnificent green as she did so, "Will he leave me alone in my dreams?"

"He has no power over you," Fokeinvokul answered shortly, flicking his tail and thumping it on the ground with some force, "He is yours to command."

Keeva watched as her Dragon entered the portal, his massive size almost unable to fit through but eventually he was gone and the symbols on her arm glowing back to life. Keeva touches them gently, happy to have something back to normal as she finally closes the portal. "Erei mu grind einzuk."

Keeva turned on her heel, shrugging her bow and arrows back onto her back and patting her side to make sure her blade was still on her person. With a smile she ventured up to the cottage, surrounded by an exterior wall. The building was much larger than she anticipated. The door-lock was just out of her reach. With a sigh, she knocks on the door and stands back to admire the large beehives on the other side of the house. The door opens and Keeva jumps with surprise as a tall and hairy man answers. He stares down at her, his face emotionless and unnerves Keeva as she tries to clear her throat.

"Hello, my name is Keeva," she greets the large man, reminding her of the Giants back home.

"Hello Keeva," he returns in a deep voice and bends down to one knee so that he is at eye level with her. Holding out his hand to greet the girl, he in turn introduces himself, "My name is Beorn."

…

Glossary

Dii Mon – in Dragon Tongue means 'My daughter'

Fahvos – in Dragon Tongue means 'Why'

Kiir – in Dragon Tongue means 'Child'

Dovahro – in Dragon Tongue means 'Dragon's'

Kod, Toragid biriz – in Black Speech means 'That one is mine'

Worori-da – in Black Speech means 'Kill the others'

Sho gad adol – in Black Speech mean 'Drink their blood'

Biriz torag khobdudol – in Black Speech means 'Bring me the Dwarf's head'

Fo Krah Diin – is a Thu'um used to produce and ice attack and literally translates to 'Frost, Cold, Freeze'

Geblaan niin – in Dragon Tongue means 'Finish them'

Erei mu grind einzuk – in Dragon Tongue means 'Until we meet again'

A/N: So this is the last chapter to An Unexpected Journey. I hope you enjoyed it. I actually got really excited to write this last night because then I knew I could move on to the next part. I have so much planned for the second part and of course I'm so excited to write about Mirkwood. Keeva might find a bit of kinship going on there you'll soon find out.

But anyway, I really enjoyed writing out Fokeinvokul for the first time in a long while. I think the last time I wrote anything out just about him, with dialog and all was quite a few chapters back. So it was a nice change and break from the story line of the film. I really can't wait. I may even start sooner on the next chapter but don't look forward to it maybe until next week. I usually don't post chapters this close to one another. I find pacing is good for everyone.

I haven't done this in a while, but I find I should and need to thank a few of you for constantly supporting me. You all are there through thick and thin and I really appreciate that. So with that being said I'd like to thank Dalonega Noquisi, Marina Oakenshield, and Daydreamer0001 for their wonderful reviews. If I forgot any of you let me know and I'll put you up in the next chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own The Hobbit or Elder Scrolls. Any character that is not familiar is of my own creation.