Chapter Four
Everyone was laughing at her. "You will never be anything, you can't do anything right. You don't belong anywhere do you, why don't you just die? You don't deserve to live, you aren't of any race, and you can't even say our language." Ris stared at her Daddy in horror.
"Daddy?" She asked her eyes filling with tears.
"You aren't a proper hobbit either, you can't remember the names of the flowers and your cooking is a disaster, its a wonder I even try." Bilbo said and turned away. "have fun pretending to be a dwarf, because that's all you will ever be able to do, pretend. Everyone knows it too and we laugh at you." Bilbo turned away and so did Thorin, together they left her alone.
"Papa, Daddy please comes back! PAPA! DADDY!" Ris sat up gasping for breath, she ran out of the room crying.
"What's wrong Princess?" One of the guards asked.
"Where's my Papa, where's my Daddy. I want my Papa I want my Daddy." Ris said and the guard stared at the child.
"Your Papa's rooms are to the left and your Daddy's rooms are down the hall, I'll go with you if you want to go see your Daddy, okay? I'll keep the monsters away with my axe."
"Your axe can do that?" Ris asked and the guard nodded.
"Its a special monster slaying axe, it also kills bad guys, or people that annoy me."
"Don't scare her more than she already is." Another guard said and the first one frowned, Ris grabbed onto the guard's hand and walked with him to her Daddy's room. Daddy was strong and he'd stop the nightmares, no one could hurt her, because he'd glower at them and scare them off. The guard opened the door and Ris went inside. She heard her Daddy snoring loudly and she giggled, before cuddling up against him. Thorin snorted and opened his eyes, staring down at his daughter.
"What's wrong Lass?"
"I had a scary dream and I wanted to see you." Ris said and Thorin smiled.
"Well I'm here lass, do you want to talk about it?" He asked and Ris shook her head.
"Just hold me and sing the song."
"Misty Mountains?"
"Yes Daddy!" Ris said and Thorin smiled, before he started to sing, Bilbo came in part way through and Ris stared at him a moment, before smiling at him.
"One of the guards told me you had a nightmare, you wanted to see both of us, didn't you?" Bilbo asked and Ris nodded.
"The guard said he would chase away the monsters and bad people, so I went to see Daddy. You tell good stories and are warm and safe, but Daddy would stop bad things from getting to me when you can't."
"So will the guards sweetheart, not just me but the guards too and you know Papa would protect you, if someone threatened you."
"But Papa couldn't protect me, not in the Shire, not now either. He's not strong like you Daddy, I want to be strong like you when I grow up, that way no one will ever hurt me."
"That is a worthy goal, but there are many kinds of strength. Your Papa is strong in his own way, few people have the courage to fight for others, and in the way your Papa does. Few people care as much about others as much as your Papa does as well. I have my skill with axe and sword, as well as my physical strength, but physical strength isn't everything. Promise me that when you get big and become the warrior you wish to be, that you will use that strength wisely."
"I will Adad, song now?" Ris asked sleepily. "And snuggles?" She reached her hands towards Bilbo and Bilbo sighed, he wasn't comfortable lying next to Thorin, but Ris could make him do things most people would be unable to. One look at Thorin's blue eyes and her smile and he was putty in her hands. He realized full well that he sometimes let his daughter get away with murder, because she was just too cute. He was glad that at least some people in Erebor saw her for the precious little girl she was, rather than only looking at her heritage. He smiled and felt his eyes drifting closed as Thorin sang to their daughter. He didn't mean to fall asleep in Thorin's bed, but he was snoring by the end of the song.
Thorin stared at his sleeping child and his one and silently thanked Mahuel for such a gift. He didn't know what tomorrow would bring, or if Bilbo would ever lie in his bed again after that night, but he knew that he had been given a priceless treasure for at least a small while. He couldn't resist watching as they slept, Bilbo's hands curled around their daughter, as they breathed slowly and deeply together. He smiled softly and gently removed a strand of hair from Bilbo's eyes, before falling asleep himself.
Ris woke the next morning, between both her parents and smiled sleepily. She gently moved out of her Papa's arms and scooted out of the small space between their bodies. Papa sighed and cuddled against Daddy and she smiled softly, before going quietly through the door. She put a finger to her mouth and the guards smiled, as they closed the door quietly behind her. "Now what do you want Princess.
"I'm hungry, what time is it?"
"Its six in the morning, why don't you try going back to sleep?"
"No I'm not sleepy, is anyone else up?"
"I saw Lady Gera a moment ago, she could help you get ready for the day, if you like?" The guard asked and Ris nodded.
"I can bathe myself, but I need help with my hair." She said and walked to her rooms, she got the tub ready and got into it. She washed her body first and then worked on her hair gently. She winced at the snarls, before putting in the conditioner and letting it soak for a while. She then rinsed and put on some pants and a shirt. Gera was sitting on a chair and Ris grinned at her.
"Hi Gera, can you help me with my hair?"
"Of course and don't you look lovely, I like the topaz shirt you are wearing, it goes good with those green pants."
"Thanks Gera." Ris said and smiled at Gera, before sitting down in front of her. Gera put her hair back into a braid and Ris smiled. "I'm hungry did you eat already?"
"No, I was just about to, when the guard said you needed some help getting ready." Gera said and Ris grinned.
"You do hair really good, normally Papa helps with my hair, but he's sleepy today and so is Daddy."
"Really now?"
"I had a bad dream last night, I don't remember it now but it was really scary, I wanted Papa and Daddy so I went to Daddy's rooms and Papa came too and we all cuddled in Daddy's bed."
"Really, did you like cuddling with Papa and Daddy?" Gera asked and Ris nodded.
"Uh huh and Daddy sang the mountain song to me, Daddy sings really good." Ris said and Gera smiled. "I woke up before Papa and Daddy and I didn't wanna wake em up, cause Papa says its not nice to wake him up when I get up, cause I always wake up really early." Ris said and took Gera's hand. "Is anyone else up?"
"Not when I came down." Gera said and smiled at the little girl. "Now what do you want to do after we break our fast?"
"Can you teach me more words in Khudzul, they sound nice and I want to know what people are sayin."
"I think I can manage that." Gera said and Ris grinned, they walked to the dining hall and sat down at the table together. Gera poured her some hot chocolate and served her some eggs, assuage and toast. "Do you want spicy or sweet jam?"
"Spicy!" Ris said and Gera spread the jam on the toast. Ris waited for Gera to finish serving herself before digging into the food. She heard something that sounded slightly like a herd of elephants coming downstairs and looked wide eyed at Gera.
"That would be the boys, I forgot they had early practice today, you can meet my son, he was at the practice yard during lunch yesterday." Gera said and Ris stared at her cousins as they came into the hall laughing. All three had on practice armor and they smiled at Ris. Fili and Kili sat down at her right and her left.
"Morning little cousin, did you sleep well?"
"After I cuddled with Daddy and Papa I did, can I go with you to the practice yard?" Ris said and both brothers smiled down at her.
"As long as you keep your distance, when we're fighting and get ready in time for us to go, we might see about getting you a lesson even, depending on how busy Dwalin is today."
"Really!" Ris asked and both brothers laughed.
"Oh you will be a proper warrior lass, once your taller than my codpiece." Gimli said and Gera glared at her son.
"What's a cod piece?" Ris asked innocently and Fili spat out a bite of egg.
"Since you be saying that to the child, you will be answering her question Gimli Glionson!" Gera said and Gimli turned red in the face.
"Its to protect a man's parts, when he's fighting. When a man is kicked in his naughty place it can really hurt."
"So if a bad man tries to get me, I should kick em there?" Ris asked and missed the wince of the three males.
"Yes, but only if he's a bad man, not in practice and not when you are just angry at your relatives. If someone attacks you, you kick him really hard, scream and run away from them, you got that Princess."
"Uh huh." Ris said and returned to eating her breakfast. She finished her plate and ran back to her room, putting on the armor Thorin had gotten her the day before and grabbing her practice sword. She then grabbed Fili's hand and he smiled down at her.
"Looks like your Daddy forgot to get you a belt for your sword, we can stop by the toy stalls and get you one, before we go to the practice yard."
"K Uncle Fili, can I call you Uncle too Gimli?"
"I'd be very pleased if you did Ris." Gimli said and smiled at Ris, they walked together to the practice yard and Ris stared wide-eyed at the dwarves fighting. She saw a few kids her age and headed over to them.
"No Princess, you will be having your own lesson, they've been learning fighting styles for a few years now." The instructor said and Ris nodded. "Can I watch, until someone teaches me?"
"Sure, but don't you want to watch the older ones fight, your cousins are taking a turn." The instructor said and Ris stared at Fili and Gimli as they brought their weapons up. She was so transfixed by the display that she hardly noticed when someone was calling her name, someone touched her shoulder and she shrieked, before elbowing them in the groin and running away.
"Lass its alright, it was only Dwalin coming to get you." Fili said through laughing. "But you did very good, very good indeed."
"What have you been teaching the child?" Dwalin demanded from behind her, she turned around and saw the dwarf doubled over.
"That if someone attacks me , I should hit them in the codpiece." Ris replied and several adults chuckled.
"Not when someone is trying to get your attention though lass." Dwalin said and Ris nodded, as Dwalin slowly stood. "Now lets see about some foot work, hold that sword out like this, now your feet should go like this and this."
"Its heavy when I hold it with one hand." Ris said.
"That's normal, now to attack you push off with your right leg and advance with your left, like this." He demonstrated and Ris copied him. "Very good, now keep your eyes on your attacker." He said and she advanced across the field. "Now this is a retreat, like the advance only you move first with the forward leg and then with the backward one." He said and Ris again backed up across the field. "Now this is a lunge, you move your forward leg all the way forward, while using your back leg to steady yourself, and then when you are done with the lunge, you move your leg back again, can you do that?" He asked and Ris nodded, lunging forward and going back to the normal stance. "Very good, the stance you are in now is called the ready position, now I'm going to call out some moves, just keep your sword steady for now." He said and Ris nodded. "Forward, back, lunge forward, back, back, forward, forward, lunge forward, lunge forward, back." He said and Ris copied the movements. "Very good, now lets work with your wrist, I want you to flick your wrist and see how the sword moves." He said and Ris nodded, flicking her wrist and grinning when she saw the sword move. "Good that's called a beat a lot of sword is in the wrist and arms and depends upon blocking and attacking. Now here's a longer wrist movement." He continued to instruct her, until Ris' stomach rumbled and she looked up from her lesson. She stared at the amount of people that had gathered. "Ignore the crowd and concentrate on me, I'm the only thing that's important right now. Now I'm going to attack you and I want you to defend yourself and try to hit me back. No aiming for the face, or my codpiece though alright?"
"Alright." Ris said and smiled Dwalin. He attacked her and Ris lunged back, steadied herself and lunged forward, aiming for the open spot, as Dwalin blocked it, she then retreated and blocked as he tried to hit her, and left his leg open, she tried to hit it, but he knocked it aside and accidentally knocked the sword out of her hand. "Hold!" Ris said.
"There's no hold in battle." Dwalin said and Ris rolled picking up her sword and jumping to her feet, laughing as she did so. She then attacked Dwalin and got a hit on the astonished dwarf. "I didn't teach you that."
"Papa did, in dancing." Ris said and grinned, before attacking again, this time keeping a firm grip on her blade.
"You keep leaving openings." Dwalin said. "Remember to point your body sideways girl, sideways."
"Okay Uncle Dwalin." Ris said and smiled up at him, before swinging her sword around and clipping him on the knee.
"Blast you child, your just like your father, too talented by half. Now why don't you have a practice match with one of Bardur's class and leave an old man to lick his wounds."
"You aren't old Uncle Dwalin." Ris said and hugged him. "Thank you for the lesson."
"Aw lass, your welcome."
"Valron should be a good match for you."
"I'm not that bad." Valron protested."
"You are so that bad." Another boy said and Ris glared at him.
"I'll be fighting him!" She said pointing at the boy. "He's mean!"
"Lass he's above your skill set."
"I don't care, I don't like mean people." Ris said and Dwalin chuckled.
"Well then have at, but if he gets a few hits on you, stay brave okay?" Dwalin asked and Ris nodded, she faced off against the boy and saluted him, as he did the same. She then attacked, he blocked her and tried to attack her, but she lunged aside, before lunging back and scoring a hit. She then lunged back again before he could hit her and smiled at him. He glared at her and attacked twice as hard as before, she defended his blows, except for one that got passed her and struck her side, she lunged backward, before lunging forward quickly he didn't raise his guard in time, so she managed to score two hits, before darting away. He said something in Khudzul that Ris didn't like the tone of.
"Come at me!" She said and he stared at her and she cocked her head, before raising her arms and quickly lowering them. He bellowed and struck hard ad and fast, trying to overpower her with his blows and a few got in, but he also left himself wide open. Quick as a snake, she darted through his legs and to his backside, hitting him cleanly before he whirled around. "Why don't you leave that boy alone and pick on someone who can fight like you can?" She demanded and he stared at her as she realized that the boy had no idea of what she was saying. She glared at him and through her shoulders back defiantly.
"That's enough for now children, you both fought well." Dwalin said and then said the same phrase in Khudzul
"This isn't settled." Ris said.
"Yes it is Ris, now when I say a match is over, its over." Dwalin said and Ris glared at him. "you have both wounded the enemy."
"Is he okay?"
"I wager he'll be feeling this battle tomorrow, then again so will you." Dwalin said and Ris smiled at Dwalin
"What did he say?"
"He said you were unnaturally quick."
"Papa says I'm just as fast as he is." Ris said proudly.
"Now what did I tell you about bragging Ris?" Bilbo asked.
"Papa! Did you see?"
"I saw some of it, but Thorin and I were watching you fight, you did very er that is to say, you did very well."
"Thanks Papa!" Ris said and launched herself at Thorin. "Did you see Daddy?"
"You were magnificent, was it really only your first time sword fighting?" Thorin asked and Ris laughed.
"Silly Papa, of course it was, hobbits wouldn't do anything as fun as sword fighting."
"Ris that wasn't very nice, I know you prefer dwarven aspects of your heritage, but there are plenty of things that are fun that hobbits do." Bilbo said and Ris frowned.
"What you think is fun, I think is boring, except for dancing."
"Bilbo is right, that's not very nice and you need to learn about both aspects of your heritage."
"So I still have to study flowers and gardening and cooking and cleaning and manners and sewing and knitting and embroidery?"
"Heavens what have you been teaching her?"
"The normal things young hobbit lasses learn, if they pay attention to their parents."
"But its boring, can't I learn smithing, or sword fighting, or gem laying or anything other than gardening."
"You need to know how to grow your own food one day."
"Why?"
"Because I'll be too old to work in the garden and if you know how, even if the main stores fail, we won't starve in winter."
"That's a stupid reason, that's a really long time for now and gardening is really boring."
"Not if you have the proper attitude, it can be really fun if you let it be."
"Like watching paint dry is fun?" Ris asked and Thorin chuckled.
"Little one cant you be nice to Papa?"
"Not if he keeps making me garden, I hate it and I hate the Shire and I'm never ever going back there. If you try to make me, I'll just run away again and you'll never ever find me!" Ris said and ran away from the crowd. She heard a lot of people shout for her, but she didn't care, no one would force her to be something she wasn't not even Papa. Maybe if her Daddy didn't understand the elves would. She ran down several corridors and tunnels, until she found her way out of the kingdom. She then continued to run, but more sneakily then before. It took her the rest of the day, before she fell asleep in a pile of hay exhausted and hungry.