Disclaimer: I do not own the Hobbit and all that bullshit.
Chapter Three: Deep Within The Night
The smell of food woke Lian from her dreamless slumber, uncomfortable being the only word to describe how she slept in the small wooden chair the previous night. With a grunt she shifted before sitting up stiffly, halting when a loud pop emitted from her joints. Slowly she swung her left leg down from where it had settled; having taken to the chairs arm rest in her restless tossing and making her look like a sprawled out mess to those who passed.
She felt a heavy weight fall from her as she moved and looking down to see a large fur coat now on the ground. Curiously she picked it up, knowing it not to be her own and she pursed her lips. Standing she let out a loud grunt; stretching as uncomfortable cracks and pops make their way from her joints. With a sigh Lian wandered into the kitchen and noticed a rather hefty dwarf cooking food; she can't help but chuckle, for he reminded her fondly of one of her chamber maid, Martha. Her chuckle startled the dwarf, causing him to drop his wooden spoon out of fright as he clutched his heart.
"I'm sorry, lad. I didn't mean to startle ya." She smiled apologetically, quickly snatching the spoon from the floor and holding it out for him. He hesitantly took it from her with a small nod before he returned to cooking; his normally rosy cheeks now a bit darker with embarrassment. She shook her head with another chuckle; apparently the dwarf was quite shy in her presence so she left him to wander outside.
Thorin stood near the fence of the yard, dark locks blowing in the early morning breeze as he sgazed out upon The Shire, eyes distant and almost sad.
"Balin was right, yer far too kind." Turning, Thorin is quick to catch the thick coat in which the young woman tossed; peering up at the woman.
"Do not mistake it for kindness, I simply wanted to cover your repulsive expression as you slept; I was hoping that it might smother you." He grimaced, as if recalling.
"Maybe…" She trailed, suddenly struck with a feeling of displacement as she gazed out upon the rolling hills; nothing like the simple plains of her home she had traveled hundreds of times.
"I feel like I'm in a dream…everything's so different from Forochel. So many colors, shapes and smells. I'm half expecting to wake up." She hummed, a dreamy look gracing her fair features.
"A dream can easily turn into a nightmare you wish you could wake from." Thorin harshly stated, turning sharply to wake the rest of the slumbering dwarves.
"Would ya?"
Thorin stop[ed, taken slightly off guard by the question and the peculiar way the woman's mind seemed to work. But he quickly recovered and replied.
"I've long since given up hope of waking."
And with that he entered the hobbit hole, leaving Lian to her thoughts as she once again took in the land around her. Leaves gently swayed on their sturdy wood branch, the morning mist clearing as the first few rays of sun peak over the hills.
That was one thing she could not get used to, the sun, never had she seen the way its light danced across the land nor warmed her flesh upon its rays. She would miss it upon her return to Forochel, one thing she wished she could take back with her from these strange lands.
"Beautiful, is it not?" Gandalf hummed, blowing puffs of smoke as he spoke; now staring out upon the lands with the young woman.
"Aye, though still it does not seem to be quite as comforting as my own lands." She replied.
"Understandable, Forochel is your home and will always hold a place in your heart. Even I must admit that it holds an unrequited beauty about it. Almost like you." He chuckled.
Lian chortled at his flattery, turning to meet the amused eyes of the wizards. "Aye, we're both harsh like a wolves fangs!" Mirth twinkled in her eyes as she spoke and Gandalf patted her shoulder fondly.
"After we eat we must go into town for transportation and supplies, then we'll be off." The wizards explained, guiding her back inside to join the other dwarves for breakfast.
"Good, I ran out of food on the way here, Berdan kept insisting for treats; spoiled horse." She scrunched her nose at the mention of her horse as they enter the dining room.
"And who was the one who spoiled her?" Gandalf questioned in amusement.
"It was Lorken! Weasely little lad was constantly sneaking the mare scraps!" She exclaimed, blaming one of the stable boys for her horse's spoiled manner.
"The horse sounds just like Bombur!" Fili laughed, elbowing the hefty dwarf she had seen in the kitchen prior this morning. He just smiled shyly and finished setting the food on the table just as everyone arrived, well, almost everyone. Bilbo was nowhere to be seen and Lian just shrugged it off, maybe the hobbit didn't want to join in on their little adventure.
The company ate quickly, making small conversation with one another as they did; all of them introduced themselves to her and Gloin, the red haired dwarf, had addressed her on her skills with an axe, obviously doubting whether she can actually use it or not. She seemed to catch his attention though when she told him of her small collection of them back home; having been forged by the dwarves of Ered Luin, agreeing that the craftsmanship was indeed great.
"If you have such a collection then why do you carry with you such a crudely forged axe?" Gloin asked, carrying their conversation into the hall as she fastened her chest plate to her person.
"It was given to me by an old friend who perished years ago. I still wield his axe out of respect and it has gotten me out of many sticky situations. I've grown quite fond of it." She answered, finally fully armed and ready to go as she shrugged her vest on.
"It seems to resemble an old dwarvish style of craft, but then you think not when you see how poorly it was melted and shaped." Balin chimed in, running his callused fingers across the steel of her axe.
"We leave for supplies and transportation now." Thorin called, setting the lead as dwarves shuffled from the hobbit home and down the path to the town. Lian quickly guided her horse along by the reins, taking to walking along with the horse though she did not miss the huge patch of leaves and plants taken from Bilbo's garden
"Why do you dress in so many layers, woman? It is not cold." The menacing Dwalin asked as they walked.
"I'm accustomed to harsh winds and cold weather; what I wear now is considered little, often do we wear four, maybe even five layers of clothes. Which give none of the men much for the imagination." She chuckled, earning a twitch of a smile from the tattooed dwarf.
"Are all women warriors in your kingdom? I've heard that Men do not allow women more than to care for the young and household." Oin chimed in.
"We have a few women warriors, myself included, males are few compared to the women so we had no other choice but to allow those willing to fight. Which turned out to be quite favorable, we still have many women who take care of the young and household though." She explained, amused by their curiosity.
"You're lucky to have so many women; dwarvin women are a rarity in our race and you're lucky enough to snatch one. Ask Gloin, he's completely smitten for his lass." Nori laughed, looking towards the now starry eyed dwarf as he sighed dreamily.
"Her eyes are like the most priceless sapphire and her beard like a silk waterfall along her chest." He breathed, completely love struck for his beloved, causing most of the company to laugh.
"I bet she ties him up with that beard when he takes her to bed." Bofur added, causing Gloin's cheeks to turn flaming red color, cursing the other dwarf loudly for his mockery.
"Who wants to place bets on if our Hobbit shows?" Nori suggested, holding up a small bag of money as they reached an inn gracious enough to supply them with horses and supplies.
The dwarves immediately place their bets, the group split in half on their bets as to whether Bilbo would show or not. "Are you gonna bet, lass?" Bofur asked, raising a brow in almost a challenge as he grinned.
"I bet half my money on the hobbit." She grinned back; many bets has she placed, often where they with her soldiers on who would succeed in courting who and she often betted high.
"Confident are we?" He laughed.
"I always had a habit of betting on the most unlikely." She mused, green eyes twinkling with mirth as the inn keeper guided a party of horses towards them. "We'll see how far that gets you." He snorted, walking to take a pony along with the rest and she mounted her own as they take off towards the forest.
The dwarves made no objections in making conversation with Lian, besides Bifur, who Dori had explained never spoke anything but Khuzdul or made hand gestures anyways.
Ori was just starting to talk to her about his drawings when they are forced to a stop, a breathless yell calling out from behind them.
"Wait, wait!" Bilbo yelled, running as fast as his little hobbit legs could go towards the company, trailing parchment flowing in the wind upon his dash.
"I signed it." Bilbo gasped, coming to a stop before them as he desperately tried to catch his breath. Red cheeks glistened with a light sheen of sweat adorning his face as Balin took the contract from his hands, smiling at the hobbit as he pulled a magnifying glass from his bag.
"Everything seems to be in order here." He called, folding the contract neatly and putting it away safely.
"Welcome, Master Baggins, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield." Balin welcomed, a cheer resounding through the group along with laughter.
"Give him a pony." Thorin commanded, not waiting as he turned to move onwards; Fili and Kili didn't waste time in grabbing Bilbo by his clothes and hauling him onto the spare horse purchased.
"Nice to see you again, Mister Boggins, we were beginning to think you wouldn't show." Fili laughed, patting the hobbits shoulder rather roughly.
"It's Baggins and I didn't exactly wake up expecting an adventure." He stated, shifting the rather large bag he carried to a better position.
"Life is an adventure! Never be unprepared for it, that's what's our Uncle says," Kili winked, while Fili flashed his pearly whites at the hobbit.
"Well then my adventure is traveling to the market," Bilbo mumbled.
Laughter flowed freely throughout the group as bags of coins were tossed about, including to Lian and she smiled; wiggling her eyebrows at Nori who simply grumbled. Another bet won.
"Wait, wait, stop, stop! We have to turn around." Bilbo called, pulling the entire company to a stop, turning to see what had the hobbit in such distress.
"I have forgotten my handkerchief." He groaned, looking back towards The Shire.
Lian raised her eyebrow at the hobbits apparent need for a handkerchief, shaking her head as Bofur threw Bilbo a torn piece of his pants as Thorin urged us on.
"Ya must not go out much." She stated more than questioned the small hobbit.
"Of course not, I prefer the comfort of my home and only go out to tend to my garden and go to the market. Of course everyone likes to call me a hermit." He grumbled, suddenly sneezing into his makeshift handkerchief.
"Well it certainly seems like what one would do. Don't ya ever want to explore the valleys or woods?" She asked, not being able to imagine not jumping at the opportunity.
"Oh no, no. I did enough of that as a child, constantly going about, stirring up trouble. I honestly don't know what was going through my head." He said dismissively; a complete homebody this one was.
"Well I'd get accustomed to such things again, Mister Baggins, cause there won't be an inn upon every stop I'm sure." Lian chuckled, curious how Bilbo will fare on this quest.
"We'd all go broke if that were the case." Kili laughed, patting his money pouch as if to make his point. Bilbo seemed to shift, as if expecting that there would be an inn on every stop.
"So Lian, was it? Do you have a strapping young lad waiting for you back home?" Fili asked, a playful smile upon his lips and a few heads turn, waiting for her reply.
"Good lord no! The day I allow a man to court me is the day I hang up my axe! Few have tried and they've all been left with a black eye or more!" She exclaimed loudly, causing Bilbo to jump rather violently.
"I'd like to see that, wouldn't you lads?" Oin laughed, a rumble of laughter following in agreement.
"It's not like I'm against it, I just don't want some blubbering fool as a husband. Not to mention I held no feelings whatsoever towards them." She finished dryly.
"I'm sure I can charm you into thinking otherwise," Kili grined, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, earning a sharp kick from his brother and a laugh from her.
The rest of the day went by in animated chatter, the dwarves speaking of their home and telling tales while they too would ask questions of their own. Eventually though they came to stop just as the sun cleared the hills and night fell.
"Oin, Gloin," Thorin called and without a word the two immediately get started on a fire as the rest of the company got comfortable.
Fire quickly drove the darkness away, throwing a red glow across the area as everyone made quick work laying out their bedrolls. Food is quickly made, the wonderful smell luring growls from all stomachs.
After the meal, everyone is quick to lay down for the night; snores quickly resounding amongst them. Lian had yet to feel the lull of sleep though, staring into the moon as it peaked into the sky.
Just like the sun, she had only caught tiny glimpses of the moon; pale light sometimes peeking through the thick clouds to reflect off the crystal like snow.
Suddenly a loud screech split through the night, causing her to instantly go rigid. She had heard similar cries upon many border patrols coming from the East towards the Mountains of Angmar. Though this cry was far off like many others she had heard; it still sent ice through her veins.
"What was that?" Bilbo breathed out, voice higher than usual as the screech drew on.
"Orcs…" Kili answered.
"Orcs?" The hobbit slowly crept towards the fire, feeling a bit safer in the arms of its warm heat.
"Throat cutters, there'd be dozens of them out there. The lowlands are crawling with them." Fili jerked his chin towards the dark.
"They strike in the wee small hours of the night, when everyone's asleep. Quick and quiet, no screams, just lots of blood." Kili added, causing the hobbit to pale despite the warm glow of the fire.
Bilbo looked towards the dark, dread written on his face as the brothers shared a knowing look and snickered at the hobbit's reaction.
"You think that's funny?" Thorin's sharp tone cut through their amusement, instantly silencing them.
"You think a night raid by orcs is a joke?" He continued; lips pursed into a fine white line as the brothers frown shamefully.
"We didn't mean anything by it." Kili defended, averting his eyes from the burning gaze of his uncles own.
"No you didn't." He retorted roughly, pushing from the cliff to move farther away from the group. "You know nothing of the world."
By now Lian had rose from her bed roll as Bilbo huffed, not able to sleep as of the moment.
"Don't mind him, laddie." Balin reassured, placing a firm hand on the hobbit's shoulder as a comforting gesture towards the lad. "Thorin has more cause then most to hate orcs."
"After the dragon took the Lonely Mountain, King Thrór tried to claim the ancient dwarf kingdom of Moria… " He trailed, causing her to listen intently as he slowly continued; eyes glazed with a glassy sheen.
"But our enemy had gotten there first; Moria had been taken by legions of orcs led by the most vile of all their race, Azog the Defiler. The giant Gunderbag orc had sworn to wipe out the line of Durin…and he began with beheading the king." Balin closed his eyes mournfully, a painful expression breaking through his wrinkles face.
"Thrain, Thorin's father, was driven mad by grief. He went missing…taken prisoner or killed, we do not know. We were without a leader, defeat and death were upon us." Many had rose to listen to the tale, some with glazed looks of the memories while others bitter. The tale only made Lian's heart ebb with pain and sympathy.
"That's when…when I saw him." Balin smiled towards Thorin. "A young dwarf Prince, facing down the pale orc. He stood alone against this…terrible foe. His armor dented, wielding nothing but an oaken branch as a shield. Azog the Defiler, learned that day that the line of Durin will not be so easily broken."
"Together our forces rallied and drove the orcs back, our enemy fell, defeated. But there was no feast nor song that night; for our dead were beyond count of grief. We few had survived and I thought to myself then, there is one who I could follow…there is the one I could call King."
Many looked upon the person of tale, admiration and pride clear in their gaze. Lian could not even hold back a feeling of admiration towards the dwarf. Long had she hoped to be a leader such as he; to be so reliable and trusted by her people.
"What ever happened to the pale orc?" Bilbo asked.
"That filth long since died of his wounds." Thorin spat, venom dripping from his words.
Silence once more settled upon the company, snores sounding once again while Lian looked back up into the sky. She felt a conflicted of feelings in regards to the story and she soon wandered over to the cliff Thorin had occupied before the tale; not knowing where the dwarf king had gone now.
She had only heard one other tale quite as sad as theirs; her heart squeezing involuntarily when his face appeared in her memories, letting a few tears fall; for him and the dwarves she traveled with.
"What makes you weep, woman?" With a sharp intake of breath she steeled herself, instinct threatening to pull the hunting knife from her boot though her mind knew who spoke.
"They're tears of those who have passed." She answered sharply, voice harsher than intended as she quickly rubbed her eyes.
"Dwelling in the past would do you no good." He stated flatly, his shorter person coming to stand beside her own.
"And yet ya spend much of yer time there." She retorted but then sighs after a moment of silence, instantly feeling guilty.
"I apologize. I just simply wish to not speak of such things." Her scowl softened, knowing that he was not one to take her cross attitude out on.
"I need no apology." He grunted, saying nothing more and she made to leave but paused; a question hesitating on her lips as she glanced towards the begrudged dwarf.
"What do ya think makes a good leader?" She paused, a mixture of anxiety and dread boiling in her belly as she waited for his answer. He had apparently not been expecting her to ask him that as he looked over at her, his eyes skeptical as he looked her over.
"Loyalty, Selflessness, Courage…to take chances even when all odds are against you. If one does not make sacrifice for the people around him then all will fall." He answered slowly, carefully considering his words before he spoke them. His pale eyes taking in her reaction as he spoke, searching.
Lian pondered this for a second before nodding, taking a somewhat relived breath.
"That's comforting." She smiled brightly to him; green eyes crinkling at the corners as her cheeks almost glowed in the moon light. This caught the stare of Thorin's longer than he'd have liked.
"Well it's time for me to end my night, it'd be best we wake up early, a storms rolling in." She grunted, stretching her tired limbs with a pop and relaxing.
"What makes you think that?" He asked, eyebrows furrowed for the night sky was cloudless and the last thing they needed was rain.
Tapping her nose she grinned. "I can smell the moisture in the air." She said matter-of-factly.
"We'll see." He grumbled, making the girl let out a laugh before she turned to return to her bedroll once more. A bit more at peace with herself as she finally fell into slumber.