To Seek the Pale Enchanted Gold Chapter 6 - Onward, a hobbit fanfic

A/N: So very sorry about the delay in posting this next chapter. All four in my house got hit with a nasty stomach virus and were down all weekend! I didn't even have the strength to sit up. But...much better now! :) The song Rhae sings in this chapter is The Mystic's Dream by Loreena McKennitt (I love her music and actually have it playing when I'm writing, specifically my favorite album "The Book of Secrets."). I don't envision the Ranger having such a high singing voice though. This chapter is kind of filler to help move my story along but...trolls! Trolls are coming. Hope you enjoy!

Just4Me: Thank you so much for your kind words! I'm so glad you're enjoying it!

As always everything belongs to Tolkien and/or Peter Jackson except the stuff you don't recognize.

Thorin decided they would rest for a day to allow the Ranger a little time to recover. He knew she was hurting despite how well she hid it. Knowing well the pain of trying to move, much less sit a horse, with injured ribs was something he was quite familiar with and he didn't want her injured further. The company welcomed the news with cheers - except the Ranger. Though he was expecting this he still couldn't keep the aggravated sigh from escaping his lips.

"We do not need to delay. It is just some pulled muscles. I am fine and do not want to be accused of being a burden." Rhaella stood before him, ready for travel, the arm of her injured shoulder in a sling, and anger sparking in her brown eyes.

"You are not a burden. I would be doing the same for any member of my company in the same situation. We could all use a day of rest."

"I hope you remember your words in case you try to throw this back in my face at a later date." She still wasn't convinced. Stubborn woman, he thought.

"Then you may remind me however you see fit should such an incident occur." This finally brought a slight smirk to her face.

"You can be sure I will." She left him and retreated to sit with Gandalf and Bilbo. Though she would never admit it the thought of being jolted by her horse all day had filled her with dread and a day to relax was welcome.

Looking up from the fire Gandalf gave her a warm smile, "How are you this morning?"

"Stiff and sore."

"You'll be alright?" Bilbo's voice was full of concern.

"Don't worry about me, Bilbo. This isn't the first time, nor do I think it will be the last time, that I've suffered through bruised ribs and pulled muscles, though it is the first time I've received such injuries from a tree."

"You looked white as a ghost when Thorin brought you back yesterday." He was clearly still distressed over the previous day's event.

"Well, how about I go toss you into a tree and see how you look afterwards?" Rhaella responded with a devious gleam in her eye.

"Oh no, that won't be necessary, I assure you. I was just worried about you."

"I appreciate that but I promise you that I will be right as rain again within a few days."

"Thorin looked positively panicked yesterday," he said nonchalantly, watching her out of the corner of his eye. Bilbo had also noticed the sparks between the leader of their company and the sarcastic Ranger. It puzzled him a bit as he was only accustomed to seeing hobbits court and he wondered if all of those from the races of men and dwarves were so blind and stubborn when it came to attachments to others. Rhaella stared at him in silence for a few moments, unsure how to respond to this bit of information.

"I'm sure he would've been concerned no matter who it had happened to."

"Yes, but he wouldn't have carried anyone else in the company as he carried you," Gandalf added with a twinkle in his eye.

"There is no point in talking about this," she huffed, very flustered. "I was injured, he helped me. That's the end of it." Bilbo noticed how flushed her face looked and was content to let the matter drop; he didn't want to make her angry. The wizard, however, was not quite finished.

"Remember what I said when you asked why you were on this quest? You have a purpose here even beyond what we can see. Don't think all that needs to be accomplished will be by brute force alone. Perhaps you will find what you have been seeking as well." She frowned at Gandalf's words, wishing he could just say what was going on but knowing that wasn't his way.

"I am a Ranger and here for no purpose besides as a guide and possible diplomat." Rhaella gave him a last, rather annoyed look and then moved to the other side of the fire to sit with Bifur and Ori.

"And they say dwarves are stubborn," the wizard chuckled.

After the Ranger had joined the wizard and the Halfling by the fire Thorin approached his nephew and motioned for him to follow. He hoped he hadn't waited too long to have this discussion with Fíli but knew it had to be done. There was too much at stake and he could not allow anything to possibly hinder the outcome of their quest. Once they were away from the company Thorin stopped and faced his nephew.

"What exactly is between you and the Ranger?"

"What do you mean?" Fِíli knew what was coming. He had been hoping his uncle would not broach this subject with him, not wanting to discuss it, but it appeared he would have to.

"I am not so old that I'm blind. Everyone has seen how you are with her and I want to know just how attached you have become."

"There is nothing inappropriate in my relationship with Rhae." Thorin bristled slightly at hearing how Fِíli used a nickname when speaking of her. That spoke of some kind of intimacy.

"So you admit there is a relationship?" That came out harsher than he'd intended and ice blue eyes that matched his own flashed in anger.

"I have no desire to deny that we have a relationship; we are friends. We find each other's company enjoyable. She is intriguing and fun to be around."

"That is what she said as well." Fíli's eyes narrowed at his uncle when he realized Thorin had discussed something of this nature with Rhae. He could only imagine how condescending he had been to her. "You are my heir, Fíli, a future King Under the Mountain, and she is just a Ranger. You do not want to form an attachment now that you may regret later."

"We have nothing to hide."

"So you are not courting her?"

"No, I am not."

"And you don't have feelings for her beyond what is appropriate for friends?"

Fíli had to pause for a moment and think of the consequences of his words - what he wanted to say and what he knew he had to say. For the first time in his life he lied to his uncle. "No, Thorin."

Thorin felt a sense of relief wash over him at his nephew's words though he couldn't explain why he should feel such a way. He told himself he was glad his heir hadn't gotten himself tangled in something inappropriate for an Heir of Erebor. As he turned to head back to the cave his satisfaction was clear on his face and Fíli had to grit his teeth to swallow the emotions that threatened to bubble out. He tried not to feel resentment towards his uncle despite the hidden hypocrisy of his words - a Ranger wasn't good enough for the heir but apparently quite enough for the King. Besides being aggravated, Fíli was also quite surprised at his uncle's attraction to Rhae. He'd never known Thorin to show any interest in any of the dwarrowdams back in the Blue Mountains, always proclaiming himself too busy to worry about such matters. Reaching deep within himself he came to a decision, painful though it was. No matter what it cost him, he would not stand in the way of his uncle's happiness as he'd had so little of it since Smaug took Erebor.

That evening, revived by a day of rest, the company was in fine spirits as they sat around the fire. They joked and laughed, told stories, and pulled their instruments out and sang as well. Rhaella sat with them, enjoying their merrymaking. Their songs spoke of life, love, and loss and she was enchanted. She much preferred their music over what she had heard elsewhere. The sound of their voices flowing in harmony was wonderful. Kíli even tried to get her to dance at one point but she shooed him away with a laugh; she couldn't imagine trying to dance with her side hurting the way it did.

"Surely you have some songs or dances to share as well, Rhaella?" Bofur inquired, setting his clarinet in his lap.

"We did have some music and dancing in the camps but I never took much part in the revelries. I can't dance at the moment anyway. The music that sticks with me is what I remember my mother singing when I was a child."

"Could you share one with us?" Ori asked quietly. She thought for a moment, searching for an appropriate tune, and then nodded. It had been quite a while since she had used her voice in song but she knew the company would appreciate the effort and the story. It was one that had been sung by many of the Rangers, not just her mother, its sad words reflecting her race's own feelings of loss. After just a couple lines a few of the dwarves picked up their instruments and played softly along with her words.

A clouded dream on an earthly night
Hangs upon the crescent moon
A voiceless song in an ageless light
Sings at the coming dawn
Birds in flight are calling there
Where the heart moves the stones
There that my heart is longing for
All for the love of you

A painting hangs on an ivy wall
Nestled in the emerald moss
The eyes declare a truce of trust
Then it draws me far away
Where deep in the desert twilight
Sand melts in pools of the sky
Darkness lays her crimson cloak
Your lamps will call, call me home

And so it's there that my homage's due
Clutch-ed by the still of the night
Now I feel, feel you move
And every breath, breath is full
So it's there my homage's due
Clutch-ed by the still of the night
Even the distance feels so near
All for the love of you

She had closed her eyes as she sang, swaying slightly, being transported by not only the words resurfacing from her past but by the gentle music the dwarves had accompanied her with. It brought a smile to her face. Despite the ache in her shoulder and side she was quite happy and content. Perhaps Gandalf had been right. Perhaps this was what she had been seeking without even being aware of it - companionship, contentment, friends, family. These things she had not had in many, many years. The life of a Ranger was, by necessity, a lonely one. She had never felt dissatisfied or unhappy but now she wondered if she would be able to return quietly to that life once this quest was over. Could she be content by herself in the silence of the woods outside the Shire again? Or would the memory of these evenings haunt her? It was something she would have to consider at a later date.

Thorin had watched Rhaella as she sang, at first surprised at her voice, having never expected such out of the Ranger, and then completely enthralled. The sound swirled around him, comforting, the words reaching in and touching his heart in a way he hadn't thought possible at this point in his life. He tried to ignore it, tried to convince himself it was merely his enjoyment of her song and nothing more. He was Thorin Oakenshield, King Under the Mountain, and on a quest to reclaim his lost kingdom. There was no room for anything else in his life - or heart - right now. Anything else would distract him, cause him to lose focus on what was really important. When her song ended and the last sounds of music faded she opened her eyes and they locked on to his immediately as he had been unable to stop staring at her across the fire.

"That was lovely, lass. Thank you for sharing it with us."

"You are welcome, Bofur. It has been many years since I attempted to sing."

"It was beautiful, Rhaella," Bilbo praised as he sat between her and Gandalf enjoying some Old Toby in his pipe. "You said you remembered songs from your mother?"

"Yes. Most of my memories of her involve music in some way. She was always singing and had a beautiful voice."

"You inherited your mother's gift," Balin told her and she blushed slightly, not comfortable with personal compliments.

"It is full of love and longing," Ori said quietly and she smiled at the young dwarf. He was always so easily overshadowed but he certainly didn't miss much that happened around him.

"Like a song you would sing for your One," Bofur added.

"Your One?" This wasn't something she had heard in her scant interactions with dwarves in the past.

"Yes, lass. Dwarves love only once in their life. When they find their true love, their One, it is like they have found their other half. Some know it as soon as it happens while it can take awhile for others to realize what is in front of them. But it is a strong, true love that nothing can break, not time or distance," Glóin explained.

"My mother always sang it so I suppose she was singing about my father. Once I got older and thought about the words, it seemed like it could be about the love and longing for a home that is always calling to you which is why I chose it to sing for you."

"It is like the call of Erebor," Thorin mused softly.

"Thank you for singing it for us, Rhae."

"You are most welcome, Kíli." The music began again and she was spared further conversation. Sipping at another cup of tea containing Gandalf's herbs she became aware of Thorin's continued gaze upon her. When the long held disgust she'd always felt for him did not surface she realized with a start that it had long since left her. What did she feel towards this dwarf king? She respected him, admired him what a good leader he was, but more than that? No, it was impossible, especially after what he had done all those years ago.

Their break ended early the next morning. Despite feeling rested Rhaella still ached all over and found it hard to mount up on her horse. After a few attempts she finally just gritted her teeth and hauled herself up; the throbbing pain would cease once she wasn't moving.

"Let me know if you need to stop because of the pain," Thorin told her, bringing his pony next to where she waited.

"That won't be necessary. Once we get moving I will be quite fine. Tálagor will take care not to jostle me too much."

"Tálagor? I've heard you call him that a few times. What does it mean?"

"Fast foot," she explained, patting the black mane of the animal underneath her. The dwarf king simply nodded and moved off, everyone falling in line behind him.

They traveled for several hours, only stopping for a quick mid-day meal. While glad he had let his company and the Ranger rest a day, Thorin was eager to continue on their way and wanted to make up as much time as possible. Erebor was calling to him and he was desperate to answer. To him it felt like they had barely started on their way to reclaiming their homeland. It was making him edgy. The relative easy of their journey so far was also making him uneasy. He called the Ranger to join him at the front.

"I am feeling just fine." He could've sworn she was pouting as she brought her horse next to him.

"I'm glad to hear it though that's not why I asked you to join me. You say you are quite familiar with the wild so perhaps you can explain the lack of - undesirable confrontation so far?"

"You mean why haven't we seen any orcs?" He nodded. "We have not journeyed so far east as to really expect them except under rare circumstances. They haven't gotten quite bold enough - yet - to come this far. Once we cross the river, however, I would suggest putting two at a time on watch each evening. The land -" Thorin looked up when the Ranger stopped mid-sentence. A worried expression covered her face.

"What is it?"

"Curses! The river. I hadn't considered the river." She nudged Tálagor and quickly rode ahead of the group, disappearing around a bend in the road. When she didn't immediately return Thorin urged the group forward at a quicker pace. A low roaring sound began to fill his ears and when they came out from the line of trees he spotted the Ranger at the edge of the river. A swollen, roaring, angry river.

"I hadn't considered what all that blasted rain would do to the river," she muttered as he came along side her.

"Is there another place to cross?"

She shook her head. "Not unless you want to go a hundred miles or so north and I would not advise that. To travel further north would put us much too close to the Ettenmoors."

"Then we will have to cross carefully." The group groaned silently at the thought of having to enter that swirling water but followed Thorin.

Rhaella and Fíli brought up the rear of the line to make sure everyone got across. As they watched the rest of the company tentatively cross the swollen and roaring river she again cursed the rain that had fallen for so many days. It had already caused too many issues. When Bombur's pony clambered up the far bank she took a deep breath and sighed.

"Ready?" Fíli asked, casting a quick glance in her direction.

"Aye, let's get this over with."

"I'll take the downstream side," the blonde dwarf stated. Rhaella nodded and they urged their mounts into the swirling water. Tálagor jerked underneath her, fighting against the bit in his mouth, but she ran a hand soothingly down his neck, talking to him in a low voice and he calmed down after a moment. They picked their way carefully across the river, the water coming higher and higher as they reached the center. Everyone on the opposite bank watched, holding their breath until the final two members made it safely across. Just as Rhae thought they were going to make it she saw Fíli's horse stumble, tipping him over into the water before being washed downstream.

"Fíli!" Without thinking she reached out and managed to grab hold of one of the straps holding his swords on his back. Luckily he had fallen to the left and towards her or else she wouldn't have been able to save him. The extra weight and the sudden jerk against her side made her shoulder and ribs scream in pain. She wouldn't let herself think of that at the moment as she had to concentrate on hanging on to the dwarf that the water was trying hard to rip away from her. With one hand clutched on Tálagor's reins and the other clutched to Fíli she strained to hang on and urge the horse towards the riverbank. The force of the river was relentless and she felt herself slipping. Before she was yanked off her mount she managed to wrap the reins around her hand an extra time; she was not going to allow the river to have them. The cold water took her breath away and she was momentarily submerged and she cried out as she felt pain in her other shoulder, water filling her mouth. The leather reins tightened on her arm, popping her back to the surface.

"Fíli, hang on to me!" she yelled over the roar of water. He got his body turned around and grabbed onto her arm, pulling himself closer to her. Once she didn't have his weight pulling her downstream she was able to get her feet to touch the riverbed though the water swirled around her mouth and she struggled to keep above it. "Wrap your arms around me. I can't hold you much longer and I need both hands to hang on to Tálagor!" As he did so she began shouting words of encouragement to her horse and the beast slowly made his way to the riverside, pulling the burden of the Ranger and the dwarf to safety. Relief flooded through her when she felt the upward slope of the riverbank under her boots. Strong hands grabbed her shoulders and pulled her out of the water. As she collapsed on the ground she checked to make sure Fíli was on solid ground and then looked up gratefully at her rescuer.

"Thank you, Bifur. I don't know if I would've been able to stumble up out of the water." He smiled at her and said something earnestly in Khuzdul.

"He said how could he not help you?" Bofur translated, appearing next to his cousin. " You almost drowned yourself to save our heir. Besides, you are a part of us now." Giving them a grateful smile Rhae tried to push herself up off the rocks but collapsed again when pain shot through her left shoulder. The cousins helped her to her feet, Bofur keeping an arm around her as they made their way to where most of the company waited, horrified at what had almost happened. They helped her to sit on a patch of grass near Oin so he could check her shoulder. Fíli, helped by his brother and Dwalin, sat next to her.

"Are you alright?"

He nodded. "Yes, thanks to you."

She waved off his words, "You do not have to thank me. There's no way I'd let you drown while there's breath in my body." He reached over and squeezed her hand. After checking them both over Oin declared Fíli no worse for wear and that the Ranger had merely pulled a muscle in her other shoulder. She groaned inwardly; how in the world was she going to be able to use her bow?

Thorin had hovered over his nephew since he was pulled from the river, the panic he had felt when he saw him tip over into the rushing water taking a long time to fade. If not for the Ranger's quick thinking he would have lost his heir; there was no way any of them would've been able to get downriver fast enough to save him. The Ranger. He tried not to think how his stomach had again dropped to his bollocks as he'd watched her desperately hang on to Fíli, refusing to let him go even when it pulled her from her own horse. He had no idea how she had managed it but he would be eternally grateful. When he was certain Fíli had suffered no injuries he turned his attention to the female. She was sitting with her back against a small tree, eyes closed.

She became aware of a shadow over her and reluctantly opened her eyes. "Thank you," Thorin said, for once towering above her.

"You're welcome. I would've done the same for any member of the company, though I am immensely glad it wasn't Bombur." He couldn't help but laugh, amazed she could joke at a moment like this. The rest of the dwarves' heads snapped around at a sound they rarely heard. Gandalf and Balin exchanged knowing glances.

"Will you be alright?"

"Just another pulled shoulder muscle. I'll be fine once I dry out."

"I don't plan on traveling much further today."

"I said I'll be fine. Don't worry about me." Thorin put his hand out to help her to her feet and after a thoughtful pause she took it without a word, struggling to stand. The warmth from his touch shot up her arm and she almost jerked away, surprised at the sudden thought that she would like to feel that warmth wrapped around her. He followed her to her horse and Rhae almost jumped out of her skin when she felt him place his hands on either side of her waist.

"No arguing," he said from behind her. "With two injured shoulders you will need assistance getting on that horse." She had to admit to the truth in his words. It had been a struggle to get on with one hurt; it would be impossible to do with both sides in pain. He lifted her up and she stared at her hands, wondering why they were trembling slightly as she picked up the reins.

"He is a good horse," Thorin stated, rubbing Tálagor's nose.

"That he is. I would never have made it across without his help." The dwarf king looked up at her for a moment longer before heading to his own pony. As the company once again started off down the road, Rhaella tried to forget how good his hands had felt on her waist and how her hands had been shaking afterward.

Revised/updated January 2016