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
Cirashala slept very restlessly, and as soon as the first pale hints of light entered the sky, her weary but surprisingly awake eyes fluttered open.
Lord Elrond had decided that it was enough that Gandalf slept in the room next to her rather than have someone with her at night now, since she was no longer unconscious and seemed to be healing well, although it would probably be another week, even with elvish salve, before her wounds healed completely.
She had been ordered to drink as much water as she could to aid in replenishing her blood supply and quell her dehydration, and she had done so all the previous day. Lord Elrond had also ordered a small bag of herbs to steep in water for the pain tea in her pack, as well as a water skin placed in her pack, and her things were now in her room, though the elvish lord had advised her to wait another week before leaving Rivendell.
Sitting up somewhat stiffly, she winced slightly as the movement tugged on her wound, but when she saw the pale blue light outside, her eyes widened.
Fearing that the dwarves would leave now that she was on the mend, and remembering that they had secretly left Rivendell very early in the movie, she stumbled out of her bed and rushed as best she could to dress herself in the travel clothes Lord Elrond had given her.
The motion of putting her arms through the arm holes on the corset (which thankfully laced up front), and afterward the tunic sleeves, caused her a bit of pain, but as soon as she had gotten up she had grabbed some of the herbs and put a pinch into a cup of water. As soon as she fastened the brown braided belt around her, she went and downed the cold tea. It nearly came back up, but somehow she managed to force it to keep down.
She went into the side room, and ducked her head under the slight stream of water that poured into the bath, wetting her hair. She dried it quickly, and ran the comb through it, before braiding it in two braids on either side of her head. She thanked the stars she was quick at braiding, and went back into her room.
Glancing nervously at the slowly brightening light, she threw her cloak on and clasped it under her chin. She reached for her pack, and stopped short in surprise. Apparently at some point during the night, the elves had brought a bow and a quiver full of blue fletched arrows, as well as a light sword that was perfectly sized for her. She picked them up and traced her fingers over the simple but carved bow, and drew back the string easily, though halfway through she winced at the pressure it put on her warg bite.
She set the bow down and unsheathed the sword, which glinted in the early morning light. She went through the basic 1-9 position sequence she knew (about the only sword training she had), though she was very careful to do it very slowly so as to not pull on her wound again. It tugged a little, but she was astounded to realize that the sword was very light as well, and easy for her to wield.
Hearing a bird begin to chirp outside, she quickly sheathed the sword, and placed the sword at her belt. She put the pack on carefully, wincing as it pulled at her wound as well. She then donned her quiver and slung the bow diagonally across her body with the string across her chest, not knowing exactly how to tie it to her quiver in such a way as to be able to draw it quickly.
Cirashala was panting heavily by the time she was done getting ready, and there were slight beads of sweat across the top of her brow. Her jaw was tight as she fought the feeling of nausea at the abuse her wound had received in her mad rush, but thankfully the tea was already beginning to work and the pain was lessening.
She reached for the door quietly, when she heard the adjoining door to her room open, and looked up to see the grey wizard looking at her pointedly.
"And just might I ask where you think you are going at this hour?" he asked her, raising an eyebrow as he leaned on his staff.
Cirashala closed her eyes in frustration. If she was delayed any more, she would miss the dwarves, and any chances of her being able to prevent changes in the time line because of her presence would be ruined.
She looked up at the wizard and her jaw set in determination. If Gandalf thought she would just stay here laying in bed while her presence in Middle-earth screwed things up further, then he had no idea that he would need saving from more than just the stubbornness of dwarves.
XXX
The company rose with the first light of dawn, and, after a very quick breakfast from their own supplies they hurriedly packed up their bedrolls and donned their weapons, before Thorin approached Bilbo.
"Burglar, did you find another way out of the valley?" Thorin asked. Bilbo nodded. Seeing as the elves were not suspicious of him at all as opposed to the dwarves, Thorin had asked him to scout around as much as he could to find out if there was a path out of the valley other than the main way they had come in where they could leave unseen.
Despite being annoyed at the dwarves being so eager to leave, Bilbo had thoroughly enjoyed the chance to explore Rivendell without hearing the company complaining the entire time. Plus, he had sort of felt as though he didn't really belong with the company, and had been feeling some longing for home. It was the evening prior, when he had been doing just that, when he had stumbled across Lord Elrond's library. Not having had the opportunity to peruse it that first night (and in the dark not realizing it was a library not just a simple study), he had gotten very decidedly sidetracked, and had stepped onto a balcony only to have Lord Elrond come up behind him.
Surprisingly, the elf lord was pleasant to talk to, and Bilbo after a few seconds found himself admitting the wise elf that he didn't feel as though he belonged with the dwarves. The kind elf had offered him the chance to stay in Rivendell if he should choose, and that offer kept swimming in the back of Bilbo's mind. But, he had signed a contract, and, being the polite and respectable hobbit that he was, refused to turn his back on it, at least for the time being.
After he had met with Lord Elrond, he had come across a small white bridge over a stream, from which a path extended up away from the buildings in the valley. He had followed it for a ways, unwilling to go too far lest he step out of the safety of the valley altogether, but wanting to make sure that it did indeed lead out of the valley. After it began to climb higher and higher along the cliff face, he realized that it did indeed lead out of the valley, or so it seemed.
Thorin nodded at Bilbo's discovery, and donned his own pack. Once the company was assembled, Thorin motioned for the hobbit to lead on. Bilbo looked at the dwarf, intimidation caused by the dwarf king giving way to annoyance.
"Aren't you going to bother thanking the elves for letting us stay, and healing the girl?" Bilbo asked, but at the glare he received from the dwarf king, he immediately felt less Tookish and more Baggins and regretted asking.
Thorin brushed aside him and didn't even answer the question. He looked over his shoulder, and called out to the hobbit.
"Mr. Baggins?" he said rather sternly. Bilbo sighed and his shoulders slumped a bit as he made his way to the front to lead the company out of the elven valley.
XXX
Cirashala faced the wizard with an icy glare.
"I am going to ask the dwarves if I can accompany them on their quest," she stated bluntly, "They need all the help they can get." She looked the tall wizard in the eye.
"I won't let you stop me, Gandalf," she said. The wizard regarded her with an unreadable gaze.
"How do you know about their quest?" he asked her, and her eyes widened slightly, before saying simply, "Why else would Thorin Oakenshield be going east?"
Gandalf looked at her, and shook his head, before letting out what suspiciously sounded like a chuckle. Cirashala wasn't quite sure what to make of it, and looked at him confused, her feet shuffling in her anticipation to find the dwarves before they left.
"There is more to you than meets the eye, or I am no wizard," he replied, his eyes twinkling. "I daresay you are far more stubborn than even those thick headed dwarves." She stared boldly at him, raising an eyebrow.
"I won't let you stop me, Tharkûn," she repeated, addressing him by the name the dwarves know him as this time. Gandalf stopped chuckling and eyed her with curiosity.
"Interesting that you, a human girl if I am correct, know my name among the dwarves," he said. "Where did you hear me called such?" Cirashala felt her stomach drop a bit. How could she tell Gandalf that she had heard it from all the Tolkien lore and books she had read over the years without giving everything away? She settled for a riddle, remembering the part in the Lord of the Rings where Gandalf had a spot of trouble deciphering the riddle at the west gate of Moria with the Fellowship.
"Legends pass over hill and under dale,
across river and into vale,
over mountain and under stone.
Ages go by, til songs fade and stories are grown.
Those then who choose to open the door
will hear the legends speak again once more."
She was very glad she could come up with one so quickly, so she didn't have to lie to the wizard. She doubted he would miss it if she did. What she had said was completely true. Legends get written down into books (in this case, it is Tolkien's legendarium), and if one wants the answers, one could read and discover the legends again.
The wizard regarded her with deep wisdom in his eye, and chuckled.
"Yes, indeed. There is most definitely more to you than meets the eye. If not for your height, I could mistake you for a hobbit with that excellent riddle," he replied, then looked at her with a slight glint in his eye. The company may yet have need of her with what they will potentially be facing.
Smaug was not a stupid dragon by any means, and from what he had already seen, her cleverness could be used to their advantage. It was too bad she wasn't a hobbit as well, but they still had Bilbo, providing the hobbit didn't start longing for home too much. Gandalf didn't think he would abandon the dwarves, but if the dwarves continued to question Gandalf's decision to include the hobbit, he may very well be led to it.
"If you wish to hurry, you may yet catch them," the wizard replied, smiling. "But I would not get your hopes up. Thorin is a very stubborn dwarf, and like all of his kin, he is very protective of women, especially when said woman saves the life of his nephew. Whether he admits to it or not is of no consequence. I fear you will have to be very clever with your words indeed if you wish to persuade him to allow a woman to join his company."
Cirashala let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, and gave Gandalf a thankful look.
"Thank you, Gandalf," she said. She turned to leave, before her cheeks reddened slightly as she realized she did not even know where the dwarves' chamber was, nor did she know where the path was they would be using to leave the valley. "Um, do you by any chance know where the path is that the dwarves are planning to use to leave the valley?" The wizard smiled.
"I believe the path you are looking for can be found this way," he said, leading out the door.
XXX
He led her through several hallways and up and down stairs, until they came to a short stair going down into a beautiful garden, before placing his hand on his shoulder and stopping her.
"The path you wish to take is just across a white bridge straight through the trees ahead," he whispered. "I must leave you and make sure the dwarves are able to leave the valley unnoticed. I cannot aid you further." She nodded in understanding.
"Ni lassoui, Mithrandir" she said in elvish, hoping she got the words right for "thank you" before bringing her hand up to her chest and back down again, and Gandalf smiled.
More than meets the eye indeed, he thought as he watched her head toward the trees, before he turned to intercept any elves curious as to the whereabouts of their "guests".
XXX
The dwarves were just crossing the bridge when a loud snap caused them to turn around. The only dwarves who had not crossed the bridge yet were Fili and Kili, the latter having just stepped onto the bridge with his brother behind him. Not seeing the source of the disturbance, Thorin signed in igleshmek to Kili to circle around the place where they had heard the twig snap, since he was the lightest and therefore most silent footed of the dwarves.
Fili took cover behind a tree close to the bridge and drew his falchions silently, in case anyone was able to evade his brother's arrows. It was also so he would be hidden from sight, as opposed to completely open if he was to try and cross the bridge now.
Kili circled around quickly and as silently as he could. He had almost drawn his bow, but thought about the elves and their very keen eyesight and skill with bows, and thought better of it. He would likely be shot before he could even see his adversary. He kept his hand at the ready though, prepared to draw his sword quickly in case something went wrong.
He could hear light footsteps approaching, and saw a grey hooded figure with a bow and quiver on his back. The fabric was wool, but there were some slight patterns of leaves and vines along the edges of the cloak and on what little he saw of the tunic.
Definitely an elf, albeit a young one, he thought to himself, though he does carry his bow somewhat oddly.
He knew they could not afford to be caught now, so he crept up behind the young elf, a little surprised that the elf hadn't seem to hear him coming. Elves were supposedly very good at sensing others near them, but apparently that was a myth. This elf certainly wasn't paying attention to his surroundings at all. Better warriors than dwarves, indeed, he smirked to himself.
The hunter and his quarry were nearing the bridge, and Kili knew the company was coiled and ready to spring, though he could hardly see them in the underbrush. Thankfully there didn't seem to be anyone else with the elf, so perhaps they could simply tie him loosely to a tree with a gag so that he couldn't betray the dwarves' position, but yet be able to get out of his bonds after the dwarves had left the valley.
Three steps, two one, then Kili jumped up and grabbed the elf from behind, covering his mouth with his left hand as Kili's other arm coiled around his chest. The elf screamed, though it was muffled by the hand over his face, and reacted surprisingly quickly, each move happening in quick succession.
Kili felt a rush of air leave his lips as a sharp elbow collided with his midsection, followed by a hard head slamming his face. Kili's head snapped back at the collision, and he felt warm, sticky liquid began to stream out of his nose as the elf stamped hard on the inside of his foot. He cried out, but that cry was immediately silenced as the elf brought his fist down hard-right in Kili's groin, causing the young dwarf to let go of him and fall to his knees, his face twisted in pain.
Fili jumped out of his hiding place with his falchions raised and rushed at the elf with a loud growl. He stopped short, his eyes widening and his mouth falling open as the startled "elf" cried out and jumped back, her hood falling off her head as she tripped over a tree root and landed on the ground with a gasp. Grabbing her wounded side, she scrambled back, opposite arm raised in defense. She looked at Kili curled up on the ground, and her eyes widened as big as saucers as her face turned white for a moment. Then she blushed a deep crimson to the roots of her hair, mortified that she had just defensively beat up the very person who's life she saved only a few days ago.
XXX
Kili hadn't expected the elf to react so quickly-or so well. Before he knew it he was hunched over on the ground, holding his gushing nose and curling in on himself, groaning. He saw Fili jump out of his hiding place at the corner of his eye, before stopping short.
Wha- why isn't he doing anything? Kili thought, confused. He looked toward the "elf" and his eyes widened when he realized who it was he had grabbed.
Having heard the commotion, the company jumped out of their hiding places and rushed over the bridge, before stopping short and gaping as they realized who it was that Kili had attacked. After a few seconds, Fili blinked and looked over at his brother, sheathing his weapons before rushing to his brother's side.
"Kee, are you all right?" he asked, reaching down to grasp his brother's arm and help him stand up. Kili nodded and hissed as Fili grabbed his cut, but thankfully his brother attributed his grimace to his more recent injuriesand didn't say anything about it.
The dwarves quickly eyed Kili, making sure he was more or less all right, before fourteen pairs of very surprised eyes turned toward the girl sitting on the ground. She looked at them, unable to look them in the eyes, before her gaze settled on Kili, who was still holding his bleeding nose. She managed to get on her knees, and bowed low at the waist, grimacing as the movement put undue pressure on her cut.
"M-my lord! I-I'm so sorry! Forgive me, I-I didn't know it was you!" she rushed out. She sat up, and looked into the stern face of Thorin, and shut her eyes, groaning under her breath.
Well, this was certainly a great way to convince Thorin to let me join the quest, she thought to herself, moaning internally. Just beat the crap out of his nephew who was almost killed three days ago. Good move, you idiot!
"What do you think you are doing, girl?" Thorin asked her sternly, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "You need to be resting until your wound is healed, then returning back to where you came from. The wilds are no place for a woman." She looked up at the dwarf king, before standing up and straightening her shoulders, biting back a whimper.
She looked the dwarf King in the eye, then drew her sword, causing several of the dwarves to reach for their weapons, before stabbing the sword in the ground and kneeling. The dwarves looked at her in surprise, and began to glance back and forth between her and Thorin. Her words came out in a rush, hoping to get all said before Thorin had a chance to interrupt her.
"Please let me come with you. You don't even have to pay me anything. I promise I won't eat much, and I will work harder than anyone else. I will do whatever you need me to do. I don't have much training with weapons, but I will practice all night long every night if necessary, and I swear I will keep up-I won't slow you down, I promise." She took a deep breath.
"Just please, please don't leave me with the elves," she almost whispered, swallowing hard as she looked up at the dwarf king, a pleading look in her blue eyes.