OOOOOH what's this? That's right! I'm back baby! lol Here's the newest chapter with more on it's way in the coming days!
I should have known better. When had death been so easy? Never. Not for me.
It crept up like an old friend, putting a hand on my shoulder to get my attention, only for me to brush it off like some unwanted visitor. Couldn't I just die for once without incident? Just…stay dead.
What kind of sick joke was this? Who had I slighted to provoke such a curse upon my existence?
I could ask a thousand times and never receive an answer. Here I thought, 'Finally!' After all this bullshit I went through, I was going to be at peace. No wars to haunt me. No fears to wake me up at night. Peace.
But NO.
I couldn't have that. They couldn't throw me a damn bone. Give me a final send off. I was cursed to be this person in between two worlds, but really from one and dammit! I didn't know what was happening anymore. Up and down weren't even the same. Right, left, wrong, right. It was all messed up and pointing in different direction.
I fell. Hundreds of meters. Rightfully, I should be a flat pancake on the ground. Dead. Gone. The company would sing songs of my heroic adventure that came to an abrupt end. At least, that's what I had hoped.
Perhaps if I just laid here long enough, I could will myself to the afterlife.
Maybe I was already dead…
No.
The pain in my body was too great and…I would never be that lucky.
I didn't know how long I was out, but I could tell it had been some time. It was light. Darkness had taken me when I fell into the abyss and now there was a glaring brightness that I could see just beyond my eyelids. I didn't even have the strength to open my eyes. Verifying where I was would be difficult at this point…but someone had taken me.
I was no longer in the Misty Mountains. At least…I didn't think I was. The air wasn't as moist as it had been up on the mountain pass and there were birds singing lightly in the distance. My ears worked exceptionally well at the moment, something I dreaded because of the awful pounding in my head. Every sound was amplified tenfold with each second, causing an irrational annoyance to swell inside of me.
Gritting my teeth, I had to fight not to scream. Surely doing so would be more painful. Breathing alone brought an ache to my chest.
Every second since I awoke was worse than the last. I was being jostled about in what I assumed to be a wooden cart. I could heard the rotation of the wheels upon a dirt path and the rocks that littered the ground bounced the cart enough for me to grit in agony.
"Pa! I think she's awake!" A boyish voice spoke just behind my head, causing a frown to form on my lips.
"Boy, quiet down. If she was awake, it'd be a damn miracle."
"But she's making all sorts of strange faces back there."
"Sit still and hold the reins. I thought you wanted to take charge of the horses? Have you lost interest so soon?" The man's gruff voice gave away his irritation toward his son.
The boy remained quiet for a moment before answering with a defeated sigh. "No, Pa…"
"Then keep your eyes on the path. Don't wanna spook the horses out here, lad."
"Yes, sir…"
"W-.." I tried to sound out some words as I forced one eye partially open, only to close it when the sun blinded me.
"What was that boy?"
"Huh?"
"What did you just say?"
"Pa, I didn't say anything…"
"W-where…" I tried again.
"Now I don't have time for your games, boy. Just tell me what you want!"
"Pa, I'm not sayin' nothin'!"
"Boy!-"
"Where am I?" I finally had enough strength to sound out my question, though I was sure my voice was too meek to even be heard.
How wrong I was.
"By the Gods! She's awake!" The man exclaimed loudly enough to cause a wince out of me. His voice was low and booming…sending my headache into a whole new level of pain.
"I told you!"
"Watch the road!"
The cart jostled around more than normal as I heard the man struggle to the back of the cart. Fabric and rustling beside my head informed me that he was positioning close to my body. For a moment, nothing happened and I held my breath instinctively as anxiety took over. Rough hands moved to the nape, gently raising my head off the pile of straw that had been cushioning it.
Racking with pain, I cried out. I felt so broken. Everything hurt. Not a single part of me was unharmed. My insides turned and twisted with every movement.
"Hush girl…" He spoke in a surprisingly soft tone, reassuring me that he was not going to harm me anymore than I already was. "I'm just going to give you some water."
I tried to crack my eyes open, but weakness and exhaustion stopped any impulses I had. At his mercy, I conceded. The water skin touched my lips and cool water carefully poured into my mouth, slipping passed my clenched teeth and dry tongue. I coughed instantaneously. The violent shaking of my body jarred spikes of discomfort, relentlessly putting me into a fit of tears.
"Please…" I begged for him to just let me be. To just give me up to the Valar and leave me for dead. I couldn't take another moment.
"Don't fight it. You need to drink. You've been out for 3 days as it is…any longer and you'll die without anything in you."
There was no stopping him. He continued to pour water down my throat. The 'monster' was merciless. I was forced to gulp down copious amounts of water in an attempt to hydrate my parched form. Damn him for trying to save my life. I'd get my revenge. One day he'd beg to be killed and I'd make sure he lived another ten years just to watch him suffer.
I realised not too long after, when my body was starting to accept the substance without complaining, that I was being irrational about the whole ordeal. Once most of the water was emptied, he placed my head back down and brought a damp cloth to my face, wiping away grim and sweat. Hesitantly, I accepted it as a soothing act. My lips were still dry and cracked, but whatever pain I was in before, seemed to shift significantly into something more bearable.
"There now, lass. Feel better?"
Managing to scrunch my nose at him, I heard a soft chuckle.
"I can tell you're going to be a wild one. That man said you'd be something fierce, guess I should have listened."
What man? My eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. He seemed to understand immediately.
"We were just passing by the Misty Mountains when a man approached with you in his arms. Tall, he was. Like a damn tree. I thought for a moment that we'd be goners…but he simply asked us to take you. Even paid gold for the trouble."
"Where..." I swallowed hard as my dry lip split from the movement. I just wanted to know where I was, damn it.
A chuckle escaped his throat and he settled next to me, shuffling against the cart. "We're heading to our village. We live just inside Greenwood, south of the Old Forest Road."
"You mean Mirkwood." The boy said with annoyance. For years now the forest was beginning to decay and wither…it was not something they relished.
"It'll always be Greenwood to me, boy." The man retorted with a gruff voice. "Now be a good lad and quicken the pace. I'd like to be home by nightfall…we've been gone far too long as is."
With a snap of the reins, the cart was moving a bit faster. The sudden motion forced a grunt from the back of her throat.
"I know it hurts…Sorry about my boy, he doesn't know when to be gentle."
The man's voice was strangely becoming less harsh to my ears. It was overly protective. Fatherly. It made sense, considering his son was in the cart with us. I tried to shift my head, wanting to turn in order to see the man. It was indeed painful, but I needed to lay eyes upon someone…anyone.
Cringing, I managed to open my eyes to the man. In my blurred vision, I could see his outline, the sun blazing behind his face. It cast a shadow upon his features, but I could see the sandy grey hair that sat atop his head and the beard that framed his face. As my vision adjusted, eyes of steel gazed down at me with kindness and strength.
He was rugged…handsomely so.
Seasoned and older, he had an allure about him that brought a small smiled to my cracked lips. I didn't think he would notice, but he did. His mouth widened in its own smile and I became almost immediately aware that he was staring down at me just as much as I was staring at him.
"You have eyes like emeralds…"
Strange thing for him to say. I probably looked like a disaster, considering I fell from a bloody mountain.
"I can see why that man saved you. You're certainly a pretty little thing."
Uneasiness was beginning to creep into my features. The man realized my discomfort and put his hands up.
"Don't worry, lass. I'm not out to hurt you any more than you already are. Besides, I don't think my wife would be too kindly if I tried to take advantage of a wounded woman."
I'd like to see him even try.
-
The sound of chickens and sheep caught my attention. The rest of our journey had been quiet, with only a few words spoken between father and son. Now, we were pulling up to what was obviously a small village. I had long since been able to open eyes, alerting me to the plumes of smoke from wooden cottages along the road. They rose to the trees that were now covering the sun from my immediate sight.
My hears picked up people talking, children giggling, a few chops of an axe against wood.
It was all so normal. Peaceful.
I sighed and closed my eyes, listening to the sounds of the village. After a few more moments of travelling, we had come to a stop. The wagon halted, boards creaking as father and son jumped from their seats to the hard soil beneath.
It was strange…the pain I had been feeling hours earlier was beginning to dull. It was still there, but as my body was being removed from the back of the cart by several people, I could only groan in mild discomfort.
Perhaps I was actually dying…and my body was just giving up. Like it was coming to peace with my apparent demise.
"What happened to her?" A feminine voice asked as I was being carried. Doors opened and I felt warmth of a fire nearby.
"A man brought her to us, saying something about a fall." The familiar tone of the man from the cart answered.
"Why'd ya bring her here?"
"Because he paid me a sack of gold to do so. Besides, look at her Rhea…Don't tell me you wouldn't have helped. I would have brought her back even without the coin."
"Gold? She must be someone of great importance…Are you sure it was a good idea bringing her here?"
"I wasn't going to just let her die. There was no one around for leagues."
The woman didn't sound like she wanted me here…
I didn't blame her. It was only asking for trouble.
"I-I'm sorry…" I managed to whisper. The room fell silent after I spoke and I opened my eyes to pairs of eyes staring down at me.
"Poor thing." The woman named Rhea said, her face falling into pity. "I'll get the healer."
The man smiled down at me then as the black haired Rhea walked off to retrieve what could only be some form of doctor.
"You're going to be fine. Just you wait."
His words of encouragement had me closing my eyes again…and this time, I drifted off. The day's events were too much for my sore body and mind to fathom.
_
Days? Weeks?
How long had I been cooped up in this small wooden home? I couldn't tell anymore. I spent a few good days sleeping beside a fire that was always roaring. This was obviously the village of woodsmen; for there was always an abundance of wood coming in...and the constant sounds of chopping wood was heard during daylight must thrive out in this forest.
The man's wife -Rhea?- who brought me here was nice. She fed me, cleaned me up and made sure I was well taken care of. The gold must have brought such kindness out of her. It would likely bring them a great many things in life.
I was grateful for their efforts…but felt it was unnecessary.
The time spent resting had made it easier for my body to heal. I should have figured I wouldn't die. It wasn't in 'their' plan. The Valar would have me alive and kicking; if only to complete my purpose here.
Bastards. Keeping me alive like this was some form of punishment, I just knew it. That aside, I tried to remember why exactly I was here to begin with. My thoughts were always on the group of companions I left behind. They must have mourned me...I was their first casualty...but not their last. Not if what I already knew came to pass. Three more are set to perish. That thought alone had me fighting to regain control of my own body. Soreness forced me to lay in my makeshift bed, unable to move a muscle without a hiss or a wince.
Closing my eyes to the brightness of the day, I turned my mind inward, reaching for some vision of clarity. For a long time, I fought against the darkness that surrounded my person...and here in this tiny village, away from everything, I was able to really think on it.
The company was better off without me right now. Sauron was growing stronger with each day and his sights were not only set on The Mountain, but on me. He was controlling my head and heart from my position with the company. Even using his dark magic on those around me. How many times had I seen the wild looks Fili threw my way? It was easy to see that Sauron was using him to get to me. I became aware of this some time. Likely why he was always trying to...throw himself upon me. Rivendell had been a mistake. His closeness was a mistake. I'd not let it happen again. So...it was better this way...right? Them believing I was dead would be for the best. I'd save them some other way, yes? Like find Gandalf and tell him Thorin and his nephews were to die. Going to Erebor would be stupid. Just avoid it. The dragon was already in league with Sauron anyway...no doubt about that. It was an unnecessary adventure...
I furrowed my brows and grimaced at my own deduction of the situation. It was selfish. Obviously the Valar wanted it to happen...or why would I be here to begin with? Why would I be sent on this seemingly pointless journey?
Because I was Emi. Daughter of the Valars. Emma ceased to exist the moment I fell into this realm.
I'd been fighting with my identity for so long...I would never be the same as I once was...but at least I could try.
Foolishly, I moved to sit up. Muscles screamed and tensed as I did so, but I refused to let it hold me back. How could I lay in comfort while they were off doing Valar knows what.
"What are you doing?! Lay back down before you strain yourself!" Rhea heard my struggles from the kitchen, which was literally feet away, and came bounding over with disappointment on her face. It would seem I was a terrible patient.
I glared her way and found the strength to sit up, my arms propping the weight of my upper body. She saw the tenacity in my gaze and stopped to look at me. The healer said my bones were broken and my body would not recover for months, maybe not at all...so this must have looked absolutely bonkers to her. How was I able to move?
Easy. I was a fucking beast.
She stared at me with wide eyes filled with horror and trepidation. No human could do this.
I rose to my feet, grunting and clenching my teeth as my body ached and begged for me to lay back down. Giving up now would make my attempt pointless.
Grasping the edge of the fireplace and whatever else I could reach out to, I was able to straighten out my body, enough for a few pops and cracks to ground out noisily.
The blanket that kept me warm for so long was pooled at my bare feet and my limp arms finally fell to my sides. Determination set on my face, I took a careful step toward a table just to the right of me, hoping to lean against the edge of it for good measure. My fingers found their mark and I used the leverage to take another step toward it.
The woman now watched with unease, but less fear than before.
"You shouldn't be moving..." Her voice was quiet, shaken and amazed.
I ignored her. I'd laid there long enough. I knew my body was ready to be back with the world of the living.
"My belongings..." I hoped by the grace of the Valars that whomever brought me to the father and son found my pack as well... along with my weapon.
Slowly, the woman pointed over to a corner. My eyes followed to see my pack, looking a bit worse for wear, was propped against the wall atop a barrel, my war-hammer still attached to it. It was still wrapped in the linens, safe from mortal touch, protecting them from its frostbite.
My legs begrudgingly obliged my command to move. I needed to get my pack and leave. Though I was thankful for these people and their kindness, it would be a mistake staying here in the comfort of the village. Eventually Sauron would find me…and destroy this village in an attempt to drag me back to him.
Shuffling my sore feet to the corner of the room, I briefly became aware that the woman, Rhea, had ran outside. She was likely running from me. These villagers likely wouldn't know what to do; seeing a broken person suddenly rise from their deathbed as though nothing occurred.
The thought pushed to the back of my mind as I reached my pack. I grabbed it roughly and brought it to my person, the weight causing me to tumble to the side. Thankfully there was a wooden wall available to catch me. Sighing, I looked down at the rough exterior of my bag and reached with shaking fingers to unbuckle it. I struggled to complete the task, but finally I was able to unbind and open its contents to me.
Peering into the bag, I saw all of my belongings. Clothes from Rivendell and Bree, soaps and withering apples, a few scraps of paper, and what I arrived to Middle Earth in. A sob escaped my lips, startling myself with the raw sound of my voice. The warm liquid that slid down my cheek was proof that I was crying. They dripped into the bag like light raindrops.
A swing of a door and the sound of heavy boots entering the cabin had me whipping my face around to my saviors. Rhea and her husband stood in the doorway. The man's eyes looked at me with concern and fear at first, but once he looked at my face, his eyes softened and he heaved a heavy sigh.
"She looks fine to me."
"Fine?! The girl just miraculously stands up like she wasn't injured and you just say 'She's fine!'?" Rhea was standing behind her husband, keeping an eye on me as though I could pounce at any moment.
The man only chuckled. "Dear, there's so many things in this world you haven't seen. THIS is probably the least of your concerns."
Annoyed, Rhea slapped him on the arm. "Oh so it's my fault I haven't been around the world and back like the foolish wanderer you are? You're a real pain in my arse!"
"Come now, don't be so harsh. Look, you're scaring the poor thing." He motioned to me, who was just holding onto my pack for dear life, praying they'd go away.
The woman looked at me and settled her tense shoulders. Perhaps she realized she was being a bit dramatic?
"Alright…" She started as she moved around her husband to look at me. "Are you hungry?"
My eyes darted between her and the man. As kind as they were, I was still a bit hesitant in putting myself in their care. Until now, I was pretty much forced to accept it, but since my body seemed to be cooperating, I just wanted to get the fuck out of here.
But food…was tempting.
I nodded.
The woman gave her own nod and walked to the kitchen, where a large pot of something was sitting atop another fire. While she bustled through the kitchen to ready my meal, the man shifted his feet and made to close the door.
I eyed him and continued to keep my hands on my pack. No sudden movements.
Once the door was closed, he removed the leather coat he was wearing and set it on a chair. His eyes traveled to me and with his own smile, waved me to come over.
"Let's have a seat and get some food in ya. Need to put some meat on those bones."
With that, he turned to the kitchen where a sturdy wooden table welcomed him and plopped down into a chair as his wife placed a bowl in front of him. Neither one of them looked at me or tried to force me into the kitchen. They simply set my bowl and bread down at an empty place and began their meal.
There was no obligation to join them. If I wanted to, I could easily slip out the door and leave. Sure, they may try to stop me, but in the end, I knew I'd win.
A growl erupted from my stomach, quashing any further plots to high tail it out of this place.
Damn.
_
"Well I'll be damned. This girl eats like a man!" The husband laughed loudly before taking another chug of his ale.
"Gregor, you shouldn't say such things."
I glanced up from my third bowl of rabbit stew to shoot a deadly glare. It was not effective. This 'Gregor' simply winked and took another hefty drink.
The stew was likely the best thing I'd eaten in a long time so I shook off any further comments he had and dug in. I couldn't remember the last warm meal I had. Each bite brought more warmth to my center and helped erase any trepidations.
When I finished, a sigh escaped my lips and I leaned back with a small smile.
"Thank you. It's been some time since I've had a home cooked meal."
My two hosts looked at me as though I was crazy before Rhea gave a curt nod. It was the first sentence I'd spoken to them. They probably thought I was daft up until now.
"It's no trouble at all." She responded, picking up my bowl and carrying it to a tub filled with other dirty wares.
Drifting my eyes back to Gregor, I noticed a bandage wrapped around his hand as he drank. I wasn't sure if I'd seen it before. I couldn't remember. Not that it mattered.
"So, girl, what happened?" A straight forward question.
"I fell." A straight forward answer.
He smirked and set his wooden drinking mug down, his fingers still clasped around it's handle.
"That's what the man said." Ah yes. The mysterious man. "Did you know him?"
"When I fell, I was alone."
"Hm. Then he must have found you…How'd you come to fall, Miss..?"
"Emi." I didn't hesitate with my name. "And how I fell is my own business." No one needed to know about the company. The less the better, right?
He seemed to mull over my words carefully, his chin moving back and forth before he sucked on this teeth. I held his eyes with mine. Gregor was obviously a very strong man, muscles pushing against his shirt and a pronounced jaw was more than enough to confirm it.
But I'm stronger.
"Not a very pleasant girl, are ya?"
"Gregor!" Rhea reached over from beside the table and swiped at his arm. He merely smirked, gave her a small look and then continued his eyeball assault on me.
"I'm not a girl."
"Oh?" His eyes gave a quick up-down before he opened his mouth again. "I suppose you're not. What are you, 16? Perhaps 18?" I forgot how young women get married in this time.
He sat across smirking at me, thinking he had me all figured out. Before I answered, my eyes wandered to his bandage again. Beneath the white linen, there was a darkness that contrasted to it. Not crimson of fresh blood or brown of old blood, but black.
It was me to smirk this time.
"Older than you."
He barked out a laugh with his little wife chuckling and shaking her head behind him, minding not to accidently drop one of the plates that looked new.
"Older than me, eh? I've been alive for 34 seasons. I doubt you're that old! You're no older than my eldest."
"The man…who gave me to you…What did he look like?"
Gregor gave a quizzical brow to my change of topic and took another drink. After he swallowed and cleared his throat, he was able to give me some idea of what this mystery man looked like.
"Tall, he was. Like a mountain…and had a black beard."
"And his eyes?"
"His eyes?" Gregor furrowed his brows as he tried to recall. "Like…gold."
I hummed and closed my eyes. Aule. Mountains are his domain…
Smiling, I leaned toward the table, opening my eyes to the man before me. Reaching a hand across, I touch the bandaged hand lightly.
"My father was a very stern man." I started, confusing them both with words. "Harsh and unyielding to those who opposed him, but loving and fierce to those he cared for. When I left him, he gave me something special. A hammer of the whitest materials on this good Earth."
Gregor's expression faltered into a sober one. His eyes looked to my fingers that touched his bandage. Was he nervous?
"It's as strong and unyielding as he is…and holds a powerful enchantment on it, gifted from the Valar themselves."
Gregor swallowed his own saliva as he looked at me.
"I'm not angry that you looked at it…but be wary from now on when trying to touch it. It burns those it does not belong to."
Slowly and surely, I pulled my hand away and settled back into my chair. He was still looking at me with a nervous intensity. I'm sure he was regretting bringing me to his home right now. I could see it behind those piercing eyes.
"I will not hurt you or your family." I promised, if only to ease his mind. "And I thank you for your kindness…you opened your home to me. I will forever be in your debt."
Silence filled the room void of conversation. Gregor's eyes remained planted on my person, as though waiting for a sudden move, while his wife long since turned in a mild form of fear to stand behind her husband.
Maybe it was my lack of understanding that some men didn't deal with magic as I was accustomed to…or perhaps it was that they had seen too much magic and were fearful of what may come. But fear is comes in all shapes and forms.
How could I, as small as I was, give them so much anxiety? I admit, sometimes I can become something I wish I wasn't; angry and volatile. I really was transforming into Emi once more. My lip twitched in a sick sense of excitement. Sometimes fear meant turning the tides against the enemy…but these people were not my foe.
Grasping onto that confirmation, I gave a smile and slowly slid my chair away from the table. The woodsman flinched at the movement and put a hand out to protect the wife behind him.
I stopped and slowly put my hands where he could see them.
"I apologize…I didn't mean to frighten you. Your injury led me to believe you found my weapon. It's a dangerous instrument and shouldn't be handled by just anyone. I hope your wound is not too serious…"
Cautiously I moved to my feet and stepped nimbly in the direction of my pack.
"I'll gather my things and go," But to where? We were obviously in Greenwood…well, Mirkwood now, which meant I must be close to… "Could you be so kind as to point me in the direction of Rhosgobel?"
Something in the room shifted dramatically, causing me to tense as the woodsman stood rigidly.
"You seek the brown wizard?"
Brown wiza-? Oh, Radagast the Brown. Forgot about the brown part.
"Yes. Radagast used to be my mother's ward long ago…I was on my way to visit him when I fell." Smoooooth lie.
Ease took over the woodsman and his wife, visibly relaxing against the thick intensity that had built up within the cottage.
"You gave us one hell of a fright, girl." Gregor roughly grabbed his mug and generously drank from it before setting it down and swiping his arm across his mouth.
"The Brown Wizard has been very kind to our people. He warned us of dark visitors that could bring harm to our village…so please forgive us. We just-" Rhea tried to explain, coming forward with her hands together in embarrassment.
I raised a hand up with a smile. "There's no need to explain. I understand better than anyone what lies in the darkness." Moving to grab my bag, I lifted and swung it carelessly around my shoulder, "You were wise to heed his warning."
Not wanting to intrude any further, I made for the door, ready to head out into the big world called Middle Earth. His deep voice only stopped me from completing the task.
"Stay put. It'll be dark soon…no sense getting killed on your first night alone."
I scoffed and looked at the man, a smirk curling on my lips. "There isn't much in this world that can kill me." I mean, come on, I fell off a bloody mountain. By now you'd think I was practically invincible.
"Don't be foolish." He responded while settling back down into a chair.
"No need to fu-AH!"
And there I was, crouched down to the floor holding the side of my face as it throbbed in pain. Why did it hurt, you might ask? Because fate thought this would be the perfect moment for the son of my wonderful hosts to come barreling in like a bull, throwing the door open without a second thought…while I was standing just on the other side. The edge of the door smashed into my face with enough force to stun me…and then the sheer pain of getting whacked in the face was upon me.
"WHAT THE FUCK!"
"Oh no! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it!" The young man was looking down at me unsure of what to do while I heard laughter from the only other male in the home. It bounced off the walls in what I could only describe as utter enjoyment.
I'm going to kill that stupid woodsman.
_
"I'm fine." Back in a chair, I sat with my arms crossed and one leg brought up. I'm sure the annoyed look on my face is what kept the woodsman snickering just on the other side of the table.
He was lucky his wife was tending to the now open cut above my brow. The whole right side of my face hurt like someone took a baseball bat to it. There had to be a bruise, I was sure of it. It was hot and swollen, causing me to wince each time she passed over the skin with a damp cloth.
Their son, now known as Gregor II, was sitting beside his father with a flushed face of embarrassment. Every so often, he would look up at me…and I'd stare him down with the most hateful glare I could muster. He'd look away immediately and continue to bore a hole in his lap.
"It's not so bad…I managed to stop the bleeding, but I'm afraid the swelling may keep for a fortnight or so…" Rhea was giving a warm smile, hoping that her attempt to help me would keep me from murdering her son.
Unlikely.
But killing the people who helped me was frowned upon…how fortunate for them.
I waved her off and looked away, my eyes settling on my pack just by the door. I needed to get out of here. The sooner, the better. If I could find my way to Radagast, he could lead me in the right direction to Rivendell or at least host me until I was ready to…I don't know what.
I closed my eyes and shifted away from them, standing unsteadily on my feet.
"Thank you again for your hospitality. I'll be on my way…"
"But…you're hurt! You should at least stay until it heals more." Rhea tried to argue, but I was already on my way to my pack.
"No, no…I think its best I leave."
"Pa, you're not going to just let her leave are ya?" The bane of my existence said quietly to his father. "She's not even dressed properly…people will see…"
Huh?
I looked down at myself at the young man's words and came to a sudden realization that I was in a chemise this entire time. The smock was slightly dirty, from me being in it for days at a time and laying in the pile of hay that was my bed. My legs were bare and my feet bore nothing on them…How was I supposed to wonder the wilderness in this? I should have noticed sooner…
"Well lad, it would have been a sight to behold when she finally figured it out."
My brow twitched. The one that hurt. It ached and brought my eyes narrowing with irritation. I'll have to change into whatever is left in my pack…then I can leave…but my boots…
My head turned about the room looking for them in haste.
"Your boots are by the fire. I wanted to make sure they stayed warm…the clothes you came in were ruined though…" Rhea slowly pointed out where said boots were sitting and gave me a sad smile.
I sighed and brought a hand to my head, rubbing at my temple on the side that didn't hurt. A migraine was slowly starting to creep up.
"You really should stay. Night's not far off and yer still not healthy enough to be off adventurin'. Just sit tight and wait a few more days, at least until ya aren't in pain." Gregor, the big man that he was, was hard to miss as he moved from the chair to stand beside me.
My eyes traveled to up to meet his face. He gave me a nod and still had that stupid smirk on his features.
It pissed me off to no end that he was right…
I was not in any condition to be prancing about in these woods without my full strength. Though I was thoroughly annoyed with this man and his clumsy son, I gave in with a slump of my shoulders.
I guess another day wouldn't hurt.