DISCLAIMER: Let's get this out of the way. I do not own or have any hope of ever owning the characters or happenings of middle earth. They belong to Tolkien and as far as I'm concerned he can keep them. For now. I do however, own my OC, Kidhuzel! So don't steal her. Please, feel free to leave any comments and/or questions that you may have. Follow the story in which ever way you would like, but make your thoughts known but be polite while you do it. Thank you!
~~~~~~~~~~Shishi~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 10
"Where did you go to, if I may ask?"
After determining that Kidhuzel was indeed merely sleep and not harmed, the dwarf king assigned Bifur to watch over the girl. The dwarf had accepted the duty as eloquently as anyone with an ax in their head would. He grumbled darkly and tossed his wild mane before taking his stance over the girl. With his injury had come a permanent state of paranoid agitation that only seemed useful in times of peril. Taking into account the night they just had, Thorin made a just decision.
"To look ahead." The wizard replies, while bopping one the stone creatures on the head
"What brought you back?"
"..." Coming up to the troll that had swallowed the drakling, Gandalf appraises the damage. Had the troll been alive when Kidhuzel decided to make her exit, he would not have lived much longer. Looking at her from the corner of his eye, the wizard frowns at her hidden face, doubting that she even knew what power she wielded "... A dragon."
"Kidhuzel..." sighing deeply, Thorin can not bring himself to be angered by the girl's defiance as it had indeed saved his head and the lives of those in his company. Still... "I instructed her to remain behind."
"According to her, your orders were for her to stay out of sight, which did for the most part."
"It was my intention for her to stay in the camp."
"A good thing she did not or you may have become the supper of our..." looking over at the cowering forms of the fallen trolls, the sorcerer shrugs his thin shoulders "stone visitors."
"No thanks to your burglar."
"Do not be a daft simpleton, Thorin Oakenshield! He had the nous to play for time, something young Kidhuzel caught on to quickly enough to copy." It would be folly for the king to acknowledge El's bravery and disregard Bilbo's. Even so, dipping his head slightly at the reprimand is the only apology the dwarf king offers. It is enough for Gandalf, hence he continues with his earlier train of thought concerning the trolls "They must have come down from the Ettenmoors."
"Ettenmoors?" Thorin accepts the change of conversation gracefully, though with a bit of surprise. The Ettenmoors were a vast land to the north that had remained untamed since its fall to the Witch King of Angmar during the Angmar wars. As it is known to inhabit many evil spirited things, few enter the lands and the creatures that dwell within seldom leave "Since when do the mountain trolls venture this far south?"
"Oh, not for an age." The wizards answer is full of vague wonder until his eyes drift once more to the slumbering girl. If his suspicions are found to be fact, then it would be very likely that she is some how tied to the happenings. He can not keep the weight of his mind out of his voice as his speaks "Not since a darker power ruled these lands."
"These are dark times we are in." Thorin nods slightly at the wizard before noticing the direction of his gaze. His own eyes flicker to El in silent realization before he quickly shakes his head in denial "Kidhuzel has spent her life hanging from my neck. She has no connections-"
"She spent more years than you could live to count in a frozen lake. With all her years by your side, she has spent 100 times's more in the dark." Breathing deeply, Gandalf stares unblinkingly at the monarch "Her claws drip with the poison of death. There is no doubt that she has dark powers."
"Wizard, what proof do you have..." As if anticipating Thorin's question, Gandalf already begins to bring forward his damaged hand. On it are five thin but deep gashes: The wounds are black and ooze thick blood that has turned sluggish like loose jelly. Even without much healing knowledge, the dwarf can clearly see that the wounds are not healing normally and were most likely not created by just any being "... What would you have me do?"
"We must bring her to the elves. They may be able to determine how much of a danger she is to others... and herself."
This could very well have been the best and worst news the dwarf has heard in a long while. 'She holds power that even makes a wizard tremble in her wake.' Great news indeed if she could be controlled and not taken by the elves and their 'good intentions.' El had not outright disobeyed him, but she had twisted his words to fit her desires; a true testament to her draconian ancestry. If he is to have any true command over the half drake, then Thorin would need to begin training her at the earliest convenience. Disregarding the wizard's claim to seek the elves advice, Thorin moves back to the topic at hand.
"... The trolls."
"The trolls." Gandalf knows when talk will lead no where worth going and storming off in anger again will help no one. The dwarf is stubborn and will not visit the elves for aid without much prodding. The wizard would help him in this any way he can "They could not have moved in daylight."
"There must be a cave nearby." With a quick hand movement, the dwarf king silently orders the company off to search "We shall find it."
"Um..." Thorin doesn't acknowledge the hobbit as he fidgets before him and the wizard, but neither does he totally ignore him. Instead, the king remains where he stands and waits for the smaller male to speak "I hate to be the one to ask, as everyone seems positively excited about it, but WHY are we looking for a troll cave?"
"You ask why?" Any modicum of respect Thorin has for the hobbit is slipping away rapidly. He is clearly not a wizened traveler but surely hobbits must know something of trolls. Inhaling deeply to fight the need to roll his eyes, the king gestures for Bifur to bring Kidhuzel along on the search. Even in sleep, her nose will be of more use than their own. Scoffing as he walks away, the dwarf gives a disbelieving sneer to the wizard "He asks 'Why.' Some burglar."
"Pardon?"
"Oh, do not mind him, my dear lad." Gandalf puffs around his pipe merrily, ignoring Thorin's outburst. Guiding the Shireling behind the company, the spellbinder explains "Trolls, much like dragons in this sense, enjoy hoarding."
"Like gold?"
"If they find it." he nods sagely. The group stops and Bifur holds El, who has grown long and willowy, in the air like a compass or a weather vane. He swings her this way and that, waiting for some sign. When he points her towards the east, the girl's body visibly recoils, telling the group something foul lies in that direction "Trolls keep whatever they can find, whether it is useful or not."
"So we are going to a troll hoard with the HOPES of fighting something worth the trip? What if we find more trolls instead?" Folding his arms around his quickly thinning middle, Bilbo frowns as they all march on despite his protests "Seems like a waste if you ask me."
"Good thing no one asked." Gloin snorts from the middle of the group and the dwarves laugh at the hobbits vivid blush
"Do not be so quick to judge, Bilbo Baggins." Gandalf chastises lightly, after the group has had their fun only to let out a cheer at finding the cave. Patting the hobbit lightly on the head, the wizard moves forward to lead the group into the newly discovered cavern "We might find something of use for yourself in there."
"I highly doubt that."
"Oh..." Bofur reels back in disgust as the group breaks in two; his half entering the dark cave "Whats that stench?!"
"It's a troll hoard." Rolling his eyes at the obviousness of the answer, Gandalf begins his search "Be careful of what you touch."
Outside the cave, Bifur sits in agitation with his cousin and Kidhuzel for company. His head snaps toward her each time she inhales too hard and he gnashes his teeth whenever her tail twitches in the grass. He wishes he had not been assigned such a duty. It is hard enough to travel with the constant whispers in the dark telling him to do darker things without this creature with him. The youngest Durin's words ring in his mind like a siren screaming for him to make a choice he doesn't know enough to decide on. He watches as Kidhuzel's tail flicks like a snake and it isn't until Bombur has a hold of his wrist that he notices the knife in his hand.
"Come now, Bif. That's not a nice thing to do."
"I think... that I only wished to help her." he answers in thick accented Khuzdul, the only language he can speak any longer
"How would harming her, help her?"
"It's her tail. Dwarves do not have tails... or horns... or wings."
"She's... well... she's special is all."
"... She's doing it again."
"Doing what?" The rotund dwarrow asks in confusion, peering around his cousin to gaze at the sleeping child "Moving her tail?"
"Growing." Dwalin growls, surprising the pair straight as he stands over them. Reaching down, he begins to tug her into a sitting position but falters as her hood falls away. Bifur and Bombur watch him as he quickly snaps the hood back into place before they can see what startled him so. Lifting her into his arms, he storms over to his king "Thorin, she's grown again."
"Already? We will have nothing for her wear by the week's end."
"I think ye should..." the rustling of leaves catches the bald dwarf's attention and if he hadn't been holding Kidhuzel, he'd have pulled out his weapon "D'ye hear that?"
"Hn..." Silencing his men, Thorin listens intently and determines that there indeed something near by "Something's coming!"
~~~~~~~~~~Shishi~~~~~~~~~~
Hey everybody! I'm in VA right now for spring break because NYC decided that they were too cool to have it last month like everybody else! But! At least I have this chapter for you guys, so someone can be happy. Any who, I want to say thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter. They keep me going when the AC breaks in the car ride and my dad plays music that I hate. Thank you Bleeding Blue Kunoichi, PurpleFairy11, UnforgivingWolf, and YMR. Thank you all. ~Shishi