Date: TA 2941
Thorin: 195 years old
Lina: 192 years old
No sooner had the two women started down the trail than they found themselves surrounded by Elves. Six elves, bows and spears at the ready, had dropped before and behind the two females. Lina hissed angrily, her hammer in her hands. The ledge was not wide enough for the elves to fight effectively against her hammer. If it came to a fight, Lina would be able to knock at least two from the ledge and down the cliff face before an arrow could pierce her.
The fingers of Nes's right hand were suddenly bright with several small, bright blades. Her sword was drawn in her left. Crouching low, she would be able to avoid Lina's back swings and stay well below the elves' spear level. Her lips curled back in a snarl, revealing rows of sharply pointed teeth.
The elves seemed bewildered by the quick reactions the female dwarves possessed. Even more, they seemed curious. Their weapons remained trained on the two, but they conversed amongst themselves, only half-watching the dwarves. Lina was tense as the unfamiliar sound of Elvish flowed from their lips.
"They were set to guard the Hidden Pass against further intrusion," Nes whispered to Lina in Khuzdul. Lina was only mildly surprised to discover Nes could at least understand Elvish.
"Who came before us?" Lina hissed back.
"They mention a band of dwarves, led by Mithrandir, came through the pass about midday yesterday. Had it not been for a Lord Elrond riding along the edges of his lands, they would have led an orc pack straight into the valley," Nes relayed. The pair were quiet a moment longer as Nes listened for further information.
"It seems the sounds we heard last night came from one of the guards. He seems rather surprised we noticed him following us," the assassin commented drily. Lina smirked. Not much would escape Nes's senses.
As entertaining as Lina found it to allow the elves to carry on their conversation unaware the dwarves could understand, she was anxious to discover what had become of her husband and nephews. She glanced at the stone beside her, finding herself staring at Thorin's mark. Taking a deep breath, she pressed her palm and the ring against the stone. Her eyes closed and a brief set of images entered her mind. The line of dwarves stretched down the path before her.
" . . .leave the talking to me," she heard Gandalf say. The band started down the path. Thorin brought up the rear. As the others continued on, he quickly made his mark in the rock and gazed back up the trail. He was expecting her to follow.
Lina drew her hand back, taking a second to adjust to the present once more. If Thorin was still in Rivendell, then he was waiting for her to arrive.
"I am searching for Thorin Oakenshield and the dwarves he was travelling with," Lina announced over the elven chatter. "I would greatly appreciate any and all information regarding their current whereabouts."
The elves looked at her with mild interest and surprise. They hadn't expected her to speak to them at all.
"You are trespassing on the lands of Lord Elrond," the one who seemed to be in charge informed her.
"I got that bit," she muttered, then said quite clearly, "I am following the trail left for me by this band of dwarves. As the trail leads into your lord's domain, I would wish to speak with this Lord Elrond. Gandalf is also on my list of person to whom I wish to speak. If he is still present, I should like very much to see him." Lina did her best to throttle down a sound of annoyance as the elves began to converse amongst themselves once more.
"They will escort us down to the master of the house," Nes murmured. She sheathed her blades. Lina replaced her hammer across her back.
The elves blinked in surprise, but lowered their weapons as well. One of them raced off down the trail, presumably to let this Lord Elrond know they were coming. Another of the guards disappeared back into the Hidden Pass. The rest escorted the dwarven females toward the house.
The group had barely entered the courtyard when Lina caught sight of Gandalf. He stood conversing quietly with two elves, a male and female. The male had long dark hair and a very serious face. The female was taller than he and softer in appearance. Her golden hair seemed to be made of light itself. Her eyes turned toward the group, landing on the female dwarves. As she turned toward them, her male companions took notice of the group.
"Lady Firehammer!" Gandalf exclaimed upon seeing Lina.
"Master Gandalf," Lina acknowledged.
"How did you come to this place?" he asked, concerned that she had followed them this far. "And where are the rest of your warriors?"
Lina explained what had happened, leaving out the roles her dreams and visions had played in leading her to Rivendell. As she spoke, Lina noticed the intense interest with which the golden she-Elf was watching her.
"You are leaving something out," a female voice whispered inside Lina's mind. Lina started and froze. Frantically she tried to think where the voice had come from. She had not touched any sign of Thorin's.
"Ah, Lina, it seems Lady Galadriel would speak with you alone," Gandalf informed her, nodding to the she-Elf beside him. The way in which Lina's words had abruptly cut off was evidence enough that Galadriel had spoken into her mind.
"It's quite safe," he assured the dwarves when Nes growled defensively. Lina nodded to Nes, and her companion removed her hand from the hilt of her sword. The assassin took a step back, allowing Lina to follow the she-Elf. The elf, Lady Galadriel, seemed to glide as she led Lina away from the courtyard.
"I have heard many stories of you, Lina Firehammer," she said, her musical voice sending shivers down Lina's spine.
"What have you heard?" Lina asked, both curious and unsure how to respond to the obviously powerful female before her.
"You saved Thrain from Smaug in the day of his coming. You earned your freedom, and made a name for yourself as a warrior and a smith." Galadriel smiled gently down at her. Lina relaxed a little under her friendly gaze. It was difficult to be defensive around her.
"Now, what is it you did not wish to speak of in front of us earlier? Something, perhaps, to do with dreams and visions?"
Lina felt her mouth go dry. The thought of her mind being an open book to the she-Elf disturbed her.
"Not quite an open book," the elf laughed. "Only what flickers across the surface of your mind is visible to me, youngling."
It was strange to be called "youngling" by one who looked younger than Lina, but, as old as Lina was, Galadriel was likely far older. After a moment, Lina was able to get her thoughts organized. Her explanation began with the first of the dreams as she travelled to the Iron Hills. Most of the earliest dreams were barely more than a single word, a flash of color, or a familiar smell. As time went on, the dreams had become more detailed. The dreams, however, were not consistent in content or length.
Galadriel listened attentively to Lina's story. After the dwarf had finished her tale, Galadriel began to ask a number of questions she had not yet received answers to. How long had Lina and Thorin been joined? One hundred and thirty-nine years.
"When you were joined, did you receive any sort of mark on your hand?"
Lina extended her left hand in answer, pulling her first two fingers aside to reveal the mark left upon her hand. The elf seemed surprised to see there was indeed a mark.
"Are there any others who received such marks at their joining?" she asked, examining the dwarf's outstretched hand.
"Tion had such a mark upon his hand," Lina remembered after a long moment. Now that she thought about it, the mark was extremely rare. She'd seen a similar mark upon his hand when he'd been teaching her his trade. When Lina had asked about it, Tion had grown very quiet and sad. There was such sadness there that Lina had not dared ask again.
"All joinings," Galadriel explained, "are recorded by the Valar, but not all are marked. Did your husband give you that ring?"
Lina looked down at the stone ring. She smiled softly as she ran her fingertips over the surface of it. The look on her face was answer enough for the she-Elf.
"He told me, months after he'd given to me, that he'd actually carved the ring on his own. He had a cut on his hand where the chisel had slipped when he was attempting to do so."
"Why do I have these dreams and visions?" Lina asked suddenly. "I'd never had them before the journey to the Iron Hills. Now they appear whenever I sleep or whenever I touch something of Thorin's, even if it is only his mark in stone."
"The Valar grant many strange and wonderful gifts to those they favor. Somewhere, somehow, you have earned their favor. The bond you share with Thorin is incredibly strong. The stone from which the ring is carved is of a kind to further strengthen that connection. Perhaps, with time and training, you could find a great use for these dreams and visions," Galadrial answered.
"I do not have such time," Lina whispered, her head bowing with sorrow. The orc pack had only made Lina more worried about Thorin. It had been many, many years since a pack that large had been sighted west of the Misty Mountains. Whatever was to come, Lina just wanted to be ready for it.
"Give me your hand, youngling," Lady Galadriel requested. Lina placed her hand into the elf's without hesitation. Her hand looked so scarred and rough inside the delicate white hand. The she-Elf ran her fingers over the surface of Lina's ring, her eyes closing as she did so. A gentle light began to pulse from deep within the stone. Lina stood transfixed.
"I have done what I can," the elf announced, drawing back. "The visions will be clearer, and the dreams will allow you to communicate with Thorin, should you choose to do so. I warn you, however, to be cautious in the use of this gift. It takes a great deal of concentration to hold the connection. If you are in danger, you may not be able to hold the connection, or, if you can, you may not be able to avoid threats to your life."
"Thank you, Lady Galadriel." Lina bowed slightly. When she next looked up, the elf had vanished.
Lina returned to Nes in the courtyard. Gandalf was waiting for her.
"Thorin has gone on ahead," he told her. "If you wish to meet up with him, I shall take you with as far as you desire."
"I will follow your lead, Gandalf," Lina answered. The wizard gave a short smile before bidding his host a fond farewell. Lina and Nes were surprised when two elves presented them with extra supplies for the journey.
"You are always welcome among us, Lady Firehammer," the dark-haired elf lord, told her with a small bow. Lina wondered at his words as she followed Gandalf from the courtyard. Even more, she wondered if these elves would have given aid on the day the dragon came.
Gandalf led the two female dwarves out of the valley by a different route than that which had brought them in. He set a fast pace, trying to catch up with Thorin. The dwarves had been told to wait in the mountains for him, but whether Thorin would heed his words or not remained to be seen. The proud dwarf was still quite upset at having been tricked into going to the elves for aid.
The small group had just reached the edge of the mountains when Gandalf called a halt for the night. For once, Lina was glad to stop. Neither she nor Nes had slept in two days, having pushed themselves to find Thorin's company. Both females fell asleep within moments of lying down. Lina's last conscious thought was of Thorin, wondering if he thought of her as well.