I do not own any of the characters or the Hobbit (just the AU storyline and my OC) those are the work of the esteemed and brilliant John Ronald Reull Tolkien, and without his genius, this and many other fan fics would not be in existence.
Please review! I love getting them-they keep me encouraged! J
The three stunned dwarves looked at each other with wide eyes, before slowly turning toward the girl. Lord Elrond and Gandalf looked at the girl in surprise as well, before glancing to each other. Seeing that she had closed her eyes, Thorin motioned his nephews to follow him out. Fili and Kili just stood where they were, eyes wide as they stared back and forth between each other and the girl, too dumbfounded to speak. Thorin sighed and moved back into the room. He passed between the lads, causing them to blink and refocus.
Thorin looked at the girl, who didn't seem to notice their reentry. He cleared his throat loudly, and she opened her eyes and looked back at him. Pain swirled in the blue of her eyes. Thorin gave her a long stare, before glancing down at the floor. Looking up, he bowed low at the waist.
"Thorin Oakenshield, at your service," he said awkwardly, straightening up.
"Thank you," he continued, clearing his throat again, "for saving the life of my kin, and for sparing my sister from further grief." The girl's eyes widened as she gaped at him, her tears ceasing in her astonishment.
Fili and Kili watched him in astonishment as well, having never actually seen their uncle bow to anyone before, before quickly following suit.
"Fili—" Fili started.
"And Kili—" Kili added, then together they bowed and said in unison, "At your service."
"Thank you for saving the life of my brother," Fili said, bowing his head. "I will be forever indebted to you."
"Aye. Thank you, my lady," Kili added, swallowing nervously. "I owe you my life." The girl blinked her eyes before flushing and looking down at her lap again, unable to bear the sheer gratitude in their gazes.
"You don't owe me anything," she said quietly, causing the three dwarves to look at her in wide eyed astonishment. She looked up at them.
"It was the right thing to do."
XXX
Gandalf bit back the chuckle at the sheer dumbfounded look on Thorin and his nephews' faces. Dwarves do not take blood debts lightly at all, and he knew how difficult it had been for Thorin to bow to her and offer his service. Gandalf had encountered very few people during the hundreds of years he had spent in Middle-earth who would help a complete stranger, let alone dwarves, with no thought of recompense for themselves, and even fewer who would be willing to die for them. He looked at the girl with intrigue. Something told him that there was more to her than met the eye.
Thorin motioned to his nephews, and they left the room, casting strange looks at the girl, as though they could not believe what they had heard. The door shut behind them with a soft click.
The wizard smiled, and placed his hand on her shoulder.
"You do not know what you are refusing," he stated with a knowing look in his eye. "Dwarves are fiercely protective of those who hold a blood debt over them, and reward those who save the lives of their kin very handsomely." Gandalf slyly winked at Lord Elrond, before looking back at the girl.
"But if people only help those who can reward them, then what happens to those who need help but cannot pay?" she replied, looking up at the wizard. "Should no one help them then?" she asked softly.
The wizard and elf stared at her in astonishment, before smiling at her.
"You seem very young, yet you possess wisdom far beyond your years," Lord Elrond said, nodding respectfully to the girl. "If there is anything you need, do not hesitate to ask." The girl looked up at the elf lord sadly.
"You have already been very kind to me, my lord, and I thank you. I cannot repay you for what you have done," she said, then looked down at her hands. She fingered the golden diamond ring on her left hand, and her voice wavered. "All I have left is my wedding ring. I-I do not have anything else. My husband, my babies, my home-it's all gone. I-I do not think I can part with it yet." Tears ran unbidden down her cheeks again as she looked up at the elf lord, and her voice cracked. "But if you ask it of me to repay you, I-I will."
Lord Elrond looked at her and his face softened as he saw the raw grief in her eyes. He could see how much the words had cost her. He had lived for many lives of men, and saw the pain wrought by loss far too often. He had experienced overwhelming grief when his brother, Elros, chose the path of men, and eventually died. And, though there was grief when his wife, Celebrian, sought the grey havens after her terrible ordeal with orcs, there was at least some comfort that he would see her again someday, when he finally makes the decision to leave Middle-earth and sail to the Undying Lands. He could not imagine the grief the poor girl felt, and his heart was filled with pity and understanding. He laid his hand over hers.
"There is no need to part with it," he replied softly. "Like you said, if one only aids those who can repay them, then others who cannot pay yet truly need aid will never receive it." She nodded in thanks, too moved to speak for a moment.
She glanced up at the elf lord, and quietly asked (if it wasn't too much trouble) if it was possible for her to get some traveling clothes, preferably a grey wool tunic and some trousers and a pair of boots, since her clothing was destroyed. The elf raised an eyebrow at her at the odd request, and she quickly assured him that the only reason she wished for male clothes was for safety so that other travelers wouldn't see she was a woman. The elf nodded in understanding, and assured her clothing and other necessities would be in her room by the evening.
Seeing her wipe her wet eyes with her hand and still sniffling, Gandalf fished in his sleeve. Finding what he was looking for, he reached his hand out to her. She couldn't stop herself as a watery laugh found its way between her lips when she saw what was in his hand. Gandalf and Lord Elrond looked at her in slight bewilderment, not sure what it was that made her chuckle slightly amidst her tears.
She took the grey handkerchief and wiped her eyes, silently wondering what would happen if Bilbo realized that his little "hanky" problem on that first day of the quest could have been resolved if Gandalf had bothered to tell the hobbit he had one up his sleeve the whole time.
XXX
Thorin, Fili and Kili walked the hall in silence. The brothers looked at each other, before looking up at their uncle. Seeing that Thorin wouldn't see them, they began to sign back and forth in igleshmek.
I don't understand. Why did she say we didn't owe her anything? Kili signed to Fili. His brother shook his head, just as bewildered as Kili.
I don't know, he replied back. You owe her a blood debt. That is very clear.
But she didn't seem to want my protection, Kili responded. Or a reward. Doesn't she understand what a blood debt is?
Perhaps not, Fili replied. I don't think she is a dwarf. She's very small, but she doesn't have a beard. I think she is a human.
But even humans have blood debts, don't they? Kili asked. Fili shook his head.
I'm not sure. Humans don't tend to keep their word, from what I can tell. They always tried to cheat Uncle Thorin at the forges, remember?
Kili nodded. He remembered very well when Dwalin brought Thorin home one night hurt and in a fury.
The winter after the boy's father was killed, when Kili was still young, Thorin had spent a great deal of time on a special order for a rather wealthy human in Bree. There was a bit of a food shortage that winter, and Thorin took every job he was offered to help put food on their table. He had traveled over fifty leagues and spent precious money to stay at an inn so he would be able to forge it in Bree and deliver it personally, as the human had requested. The deposit Thorin usually asked for was half of the cost of the sword. The other half would be paid on delivery, and it was supposed to be a very handsome sum.
Dwalin usually accompanied him on these long deliveries, but unfortunately could not accompany him this time, as he was on his way back from a meeting north and would not arrive in time. Since it was winter and the weather was unpredictable, Thorin could not afford to wait. Despite Dis insisting on someone accompanying him, he had told her he would be fine and he could take care of himself. She hadn't been convinced, especially after what happened to her husband, but unfortunately several dwarves had influenza, and no one could accompany him. And they had really needed the money.
When Thorin had finished the elaborate sword, he had gone to the customer and presented his work. The customer looked the sword over with a critical eye, but Thorin was among the best and there were no flaws in the work. He hummed, then called for someone in the back. Four large men came out to look at the sword, and their comments on the exceptional quality made Thorin straighten up with pride.
But, as the customer looked at Thorin, an evil smile crept on his face. Thorin's eyes grew wide, and his hand shot toward his sword hilt. But before Thorin could draw his sword, the four men had tackled him to the ground. He tried to fight them off, but the men were strong and fast. The customer began to yell "Thief!" and several more men joined the fray.
Thorin had been vastly outnumbered, and, though several of the men came away with bloody noses and broken jaws, they succeeded in pinning him down and tying him up. He was taken to the mayor of Bree, who happened to be very close company with the customer's daughter. There was a trial, and it was determined by all the "witnesses" that the sword in question was stolen from the man's possession three months ago.
In truth, a sword identical to it had been stolen from the man by a random human thief, but the customer professed a hatred of dwarves and had secretly commissioned a skilled dwarf to make it so that he could blame said dwarf instead, and earn a handsome sword in return without having to pay for it. He had heard that Thorin was among the best, and had sought him out. He had known that he could not fool a dwarf with fake gold and so had paid his deposit with real gold coin, but he had a mind to demand a fine from the dwarf greater than the cost which he had paid him.
Thorin had tried to defend himself, even insisting on them looking at his "maker's mark" which he put on all his swords, but every witness had owed the wealthy man money and their debts were promised to be cleared if they testified against him. Since no one present was willing to back his maker's mark or his story, he was thrown in jail, and the sword and all the coin he had on his person was taken from him to pay the fine. While in the jail, he was flogged and given only moldy bread and stale water.
By Eru's grace, Dwalin had arrived in Bree two days after the "trial" and heard about it. Most humans were very intimidated by the burly dwarf and his axes, and few dared to cross him. He managed, with the help of those who had traveled with him, namely Gloin, Bofur, and Balin, to break into the jail and free Thorin. They escaped with the injured dwarf king in the middle of the night, and were several leagues away by the time the bound and gagged jailer was found.
The plot was found out a few months later when the real thief was caught, and the Mayor of Bree was unseated and all the men involved arrested. A formal emissary with a written apology had been sent to the Blue Mountains, along with the elaborate sword and the gold that had been taken from Thorin. The emissary had been lucky to leave with his head still attached to his shoulders, but Thorin had remembered that he had been one of the few who had tried to stop the men from binding him, and had allowed him to leave with all his body parts intact. However, the dwarves had no business dealings with men of Bree for many, many years after that. And Thorin had a hard time trusting humans from that point on. But, they had to eat, and Thorin was forced to continue to work in the villages of men near the mountains. However, he never delivered any orders with less than six dwarves with him after that.
Kili remembered all too well the stories. Some men had been fair in their dealings with the dwarves. But most looked upon them with scorn, and tried to pay less than what the dwarves felt their wares were worth. And the dwarves hadn't had too much choice in the matter in the end, since their families depended on them to provide food and clothing.
If she says that I don't owe her anything, then does that mean she released me from my debt? Kili signed, a questioning gaze in his expression. Fili looked just as confused as he did and shrugged.
I don't know, brother. I don't know. He signed back. They reached the company's chambers and began to gather their things up for the early morning ahead of them.
XXX
As Lord Elrond promised, a servant brought Cirashala some traveling things that evening. Among them were two grey wool tunics that laced up the front, two pairs of dark brown leggings, a pair of black leather boots that reached up to just below her knees, a lightweight grey wool cloak, a leather corset, underwear, several thick cloths Cirashala guessed were for private matters, and four pair of wool knit socks.
There was also a leather pack, a wooden delicately carved comb, two bars of soap, a few washcloths, a few spare rolls of bandages and a crock with some salve in it. The servant explained that the bandages and salve were for her wounds and she needed to apply it every evening with fresh bandages for a week until the bite finished healing. Cirashala looked at all the things wide eyed. She thanked the servant profusely, and asked her to pass the thanks on to Lord Elrond. The servant nodded.
"Lord Elrond also wishes to ask what weapons you have training in, so that you will be able to protect yourself on the road," she added, and Cirashala's eyes widened.
"Um," she stammered, "I-I don't have much training. I have a little bit with a bow, and a little with a double bladed sword, but I really don't have much." The servant nodded.
"What is your draw weight for a bow and your weight for a sword?" she asked. Cirashala blushed and lowered her eyes.
"Only 25 pounds for a bow, and I have never held a real sword, just a training one," she muttered, embarrassed that it was so low. She was strong and despite her shorter stature could pick up 70 pounds or so easily, if not more, but the muscles used to draw a bow were not all the same muscles used to pick up children and other things, and her low draw weight reflected that. The elf nodded, and quickly left the room.
Cirashala wondered why she had asked about her weapons training. Did they really intend to provide her with weapons as well? She was astounded at Lord Elrond's kindness, and yet could not help but feel as though she was taking advantage of the situation.
XXX
Thorin had talked with Gandalf that evening, and the plan was for the dwarves to leave at dawn. Gandalf would try to distract the elves so they could leave in secret, then he would escort the woman to Breeland before joining the dwarves in the mountains. That way, her safety was ensured until she reached a human settlement, and in Thorin's mind since she had plainly stated they didn't owe her anything, he was not honor bound to aid her beyond that.
He was still very much shocked that she had said they didn't owe her anything. She had nearly gotten herself killed protecting his nephew, and yet she released them from their blood debt? He was very puzzled. Since when does a human bother to aid the dwarves without thought of recompense? He couldn't figure it out. Honor and duty demanded he get her somewhere where she would be safe, and in his mind that was the nearest human village.
He would have been content to leave her in Rivendell, but unfortunately that would involve leaving her with elves, and though she was not a dwarf, he would not consider such a thing. He was still annoyed at Gandalf for deliberately leading them to Rivendell after he told him he refused to go there, and he figured that the side trip to return the girl to Bree (for that is where she must have come, he thought, since it was the closest place to where she had been found) would give him some peace from the wizard for a while.
The four day delay had also been chafing at him. They had gotten the answers they needed from the map the first night, and the white wizard had appeared and tried to dissuade them from the quest. At first, Thorin adamantly refused, but after three hours of going around in circles with the arrogant wizard, Thorin had subtly signed to Balin, and they agreed to return home. He did not tell the wizard that in his heart Erebor was and had always been home, so technically he did not lie. The wizard had been skeptical, but he could not get any more out of Thorin and eventually had to take him at his word. It was a bit of a low move, but Thorin would not allow the white wizard or any elf to dissuade him from the quest.
He knew Durin's day would be on them before they knew it, especially since they still had the Misty Mountains and Mirkwood forest separating them from their goal. They needed to leave, and they could not waste the precious little time they had to safely escort the girl to Bree. If he had still been bound to the blood debt, he would have had no choice. Whatever the girl's reasoning (and what little sense it made), he was glad she had released them. They could not afford any more delays.