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 16
"I would have thought it would take nothing short of death to separate you from Thorin Oakenshield."
Keeping her speed even with the wizard's, El levels him with a uninterested expression. After her mating with Dwalin, the grief stricken dwarrow refused to even look at her. Though not intending to enjoy herself, El had not expected there to be much pain in their union. Thus upon feeling intense pressure in her nether regions she had begun crying, much to her mate's discomfort. The embarrassment of such weakness still brings heat to her face. Dwalin was under the impression that she was unable to feel pain at all and as she corrected him, Kidhuzel could see the blood drain from his face.
Pulling away from the former maiden, Dwalin looks down at himself in horror. Blood and oil coat his thighs in a thick film but it is the color that knocks him backwards more than anything "Red... Yer blood is red."
"Yes... I am only half dragon."
"And half dwarf..."
Sliding across the floor away from his bleeding mate, for she surely is now, Dwalin drops his head into his hands. Regret fills him and he is lost as to what he regrets more: taking the girl or taking her so roughly. He didn't think he would hurt her; thought that the act was something to get over with quickly; thought she wasn't even a person to be gentle with. In that innocent way that had struck him as condescending before, El peaks up at him in curiosity. He has harmed her, yet she has never experienced anything else by him to even be angered by the treatment.
"Dwalin?"
"...Mahal strike me down."
Mahal did not in fact end Dwalin's life, but the dwarf could not let his actions go unpunished. He went so far as to depart ahead of the company, leaving Kidhuzel to explain the situation to the baffled king. Thorin had tiredly commanded the girl to rest, instructing her to only depart Rivendell with the wizard. It was with great control that kept the dam from chasing after her bearer as he led his companions into the predawn, leaving her with Gandalf.
'I will use this time to uncover what the sorcerer's true goal for this venture is.'
El is no fool; the simple act of restoring Thorin to his rightful throne is not Gandalf's motivation for this quest. There are plenty others who are more worthy of reclaiming their own lost birthrights for that to be his only aim.
"I simply needed to obtain a better skin to carry my oils in, lest my tears bring discomfort to my mate again." the wizard coughs and sputters around his pipe at her brashness; glaring at the smirking girl as she knew the effect her words would have. He of course knew of her and Dwalin's status, but was ill prepared for El to bring up the more sensitive topics "Having done so, I will wait for you to finish conducting your business, so that we may leave."
"Yes... well then..." Entering a shaded stone gazebo, Gandalf clears his throat to greet those present. Aside from the guards in the distance, the round table is surrounded by two elves and what El can correctly ascertain as a wizard. He stares at her with open suspicion that she can accept as justifiable "Good morning. Forgive me, but I have brought a guest to our merry gathering. Allow me to introduce the young dwarfdam, Lady Kidhuzel. My dear girl, this-"
"A dam, you say? A dam with horns, wings, and a tail?" the white wizard's eyes glide from each of her features with unbridled disgust before he turns to Gandalf in disappointment "Tell me, Gandalf, did you think these plans and schemes of yours would go unnoticed? Even now, you are so bold as to bring this... this... creature... into our midst."
"I would remind you that Kidhuzel is a guest of the lord of this house, and not some mindless beast."
"It is true." Elrond announces, though with a slight hesitation. She did nearly destroy his house guards with a river "She has proven herself to be extremely intelligent."
"An educated beast then."
"As for unnoticed?" The grey wizard presses firmly while taking a seat at the table and gesturing for El to make herself comfortable beside a pillar, Gandalf delves into the conversation at hand "No, I…I'm simply doing what I feel to be right."
"You believe dragging a dragon-"
"Half" El provides, only for the white magician to speak over her
"-across middle earth is right?"
"Contrary to what you may believe Saruman, bringing her on this quest was not something I wished to do."
El internally grins at being granted the name of the bothersome wizard. Something about him rubs her in a familiar way, warning the half drake that his soul is not as pristine as his robes. Yet, a tickle in the back of her mind has El swinging her head towards the elf witch. They stare each other down for a few silent seconds before the elleth breaks the contest, though the presence remains a blatantly bothersome thing.
"It was in no ones best interest to leave the child to her own devices."
"And yet" the elf matron all but sings in a clear voice "A dragon has long been on your mind."
"... It is true, my Lady. Unlike the young Kidhuzel, Smaug owes allegiance to no one."
Nodding to herself, El imagines what it would be like to be free of loyalty. To permanently depart from her bearer's side; to abandon her mate; to live her life surrounded by the allure of gold... The thoughts bring an abrupt yawn to her with their dullness. Gold doesn't breathe or cry or laugh. It doesn't learn or grow nor can it teach, thus it is useless to her. El would rather spend a thousand lifetimes with her mate blushing and apologizing over her bloodied maidenhood than a day with a useless shiny pile of metal. Thinking on it, she guesses that fact makes her as odd among dragons as dwarves. At least she learned something from the experience with Dwalin: Oil herself as well.
"But if he should side with the enemy, the dragon could be used to terrible effect."
"What enemy? Gandalf, the enemy is defeated. Sauron is vanquished. He can never regain his full strength." waving a hand at El, Saruman snorts in derisiveness "Unless that creature you are foolishly trying to take to the lonely mountain conceives for the drake. Then yes, we would have a new enemy by your making."
"I-"
"Lord Thorin would not allow that to take place, nor would I. The fire drake shall be slain and thus his line shall end." Gandalf intercedes before El can reveal that she already has a mate and thus can not willingly give herself to the fire drake. The small fact probably would not go over well with the small council "There are other forces with whom Smaug could join with however if we do not act."
"Gandalf, for four hundred years we have lived in peace."
El listens with half an ear to the elf lord, keeping her attention on the pacing witch. Her powers brush against the half drake's repeatedly, causing sparks to fly into the aura of the room. It raises tempers and while El could not care any less if those of the group grow angry, if a fight breaks out then she may be delayed in reaching her bearer. With a low growl, the half drake is forced to reign her presence in, allowing the enchantress the leverage she desires. The magic surrounds the dam like a heavy blanket in the summer, but being partially drake, El doesn't mind the heat.
"A hard won peace."
"Are we? Are we at peace?" Standing and pacing behind his own chair, Gandalf keeps his voice under control in the face of obvious denial. It is clear that he knows more than he is letting on about the situation at hand "Trolls have come down from the mountains, they are raiding villages, destroying farms. Orcs have attacked us on the road."
"Hardly a prelude to war." Elrond responds coolly
"A child born of dwarf and drake laid dormant in a frozen river for hundreds of years and was granted life now of all times. Can you not see that there is something afoot?! Something is coming and it will need an army."
"A series of unfortunate events. One anomaly will not change nearly half a century of peace. Always you must meddle. Looking for trouble where none exists!"
"Let him speak."
El shivers as the elf caresses her clothed arm gently. She smells to be kin of Arwen and having enjoyed the elf maiden's company so much, El decides not to bite the witch's hand off. She reeks of ancient power and it crawls across the drake's skin like bugs. Keeping an ear open for any more useful information, the girl takes to focusing on the perspiration on her skin. Closing her eyes, she heats each drop of moisture until it burns the foreign magic from her skin. Not meant to do any real damage, the witch has ample time to snatch her hand away before she is harmed. Opening her golden eyes, El glares at her before striding to the other side of the room just as Saruman begins speaking of mushrooms. The white wizard drones on but El is more concerned with the silent conversation now going on between Gandalf and the elf witch. She is about to demand they speak plainly when the wizard pulls out a clothed object from his robes.
"What is that?" Lord Elrond, having been silent for most of the conversation, asks
"A relic" the matron walks behind each of the participants before eyeing El critically "of Mordor."
"Mordor?" the elf lord repeats, reaching forward to unravel the bindings. 'Foolish of him but what else can anyone expect of a child?' El rolls her eyes behind her lids, silently declaring that the elf lord is indeed one of the youngest in the room "A Morgul blade."
"Made for the witch-king of Angmar, and buried with him."
"If the books in your library are to be believed, then when the King Angmar was felled, his body was placed in the fells of Rhudaur by the northmen." El enjoyed reading this story immensely and cannot help but contribute to the sharing of knowledge. Looking toward the skies in longing, she grips the column to her side tightly "All his possessions were entombed with him in the darkness."
"This is not possible." Elrond denies, backing away from the blade and elegantly collapsing in his seat. Pressing his fist to his mouth, the elf lord ponders the problem "A powerful spell lies upon those tombs, they cannot be opened."
"Perhaps it was never placed within the tomb to begin with." The three look toward the half drake and she takes it as permission to continue "Who is to say the northmen did not miss a few of his weapons in their hurry to be rid of his corpse?"
"This creature has more sense than you, Gandalf. Though that does not say much." The white wizard grins at his brethren as El frowns at his statement. While it is possible that the northmen missed a weapon, it is also possible that they did not. One should take precautionary actions in a situation as unsure as this one. She is sure her bearer would wish to hear of this development "What proof do we have that this weapon came from Angmar's grave?"
"...I have none."
"Because there is none." threading his hands in on themselves, Saruman leans back in his chair as though he was a king address unruly subjects "Let us examine what we know. A single orc pack has dared to cross the Bruinen."
"That you know of." El supplies helpfully
"... A dagger from a by-gone age has been found."
"That could possibly have come from a magically sealed prison grave."
"A human sorcerer who calls himself the Necromancer, has taken up residence in a ruined fortr-"
"You do not know that he is human or even a hi-"
"And a mouthy halfbreed somehow survived it's death."
"... Her."
"It's not so very much, after all." speaking with an air of finality, El wonders if this wizard can smell as well as she can with his nose so far in the sky but keeps the thought to herself "The question of this dwarvish company however, troubles me deeply."
"The dwarves?" the grey pilgrim asks innocently enough to have anyone, who doesn't know him, fooled "What about the dwarves?"
"I'm not convinced, Gandalf. I do not feel I can condone such a quest. If they'd come to me, I might have spare them this disappointment."
"Then it is a good thing neither your permission nor your counsel were requested by the company." Saruman simply sends daggers at the girl; oblivious to the conversation once again being silently held by Gandalf and Galadriel "Your services are not needed."
"I am not a whore to be dismissed, creature of the dark." had El had any issues with her origins, she may have been offended. Even staring straight at Gandalf, he does not realize that he isn't listening "I will not pretend to understand your reasons for raising their hope. It is truly a cruel thing to do and I will have to clean up your mess. AGAIN. I'm afraid there's nothing else for it."
"My Lord Elrond!" Lindir, as El had learned the names of nearly everyone residing in these walls in her time here, bursts into the meeting. Out of breath and looking a bit frazzled, he takes a few gulps of air before continuing "The dwarves, they've gone."
"Well yes." El responds mercilessly as half the room gapes at the messenger "They left before dawn. I should be going as well, and I'll need Gandalf to escort me."
"You'll do no such thing!" pushing up from his seat, Saruman rounds the table quickly. His robes rustles with movement as he brings his staff out to block the exit "As the head of the Ishtari order and guardian of middle earth, I can not let a creature of your bearings to roam free."
"Well, I did say Gandalf-"
"You shall stay in Rivendell until I have-"
"No." slowing moving toward the edge of the stone platform El shakes her head "No, I can not stay here. My bearer awaits my return."
"I shall not release the plague of you upon this unsuspecting world."
"Then do not test me wizard. I'll win." El grins widely to show her fangs when the white wizard stops short from nearly following her off the ledge. Waving to the other occupants, the girl shouts to the grey wanderer "You know where I'll be. Please do not delay."
With that, she turns and shoots away from the last homely home. The air whips in her face for the first true time, as she has never genuinely flown so freely, and she gulps down the crisp morning air. Chirping in delight she enjoys the openness of the sky for a moment longer before diving down toward the earth to catch the scents of the company. Catching them within the hour, she retreats just before she comes into their sights; instead rushing off to play in the skies again. She can not return without the wizard but neither can she return to the wizard's side and risk being detained. Thus, she will allow herself this moment to herself. She has much information to sort through.
~~~~~~~~~~Shishi~~~~~~~~~~
Hey how are you? Good? Great! I'm hot as all heaven and earth but I will survive! How is the weather treating you all? I hope you survive to read another chapter. A chapter I meant to post last week but forgot. It's just been sitting in my docs. Sorry. Thank you Laura, YMR, and obsessed reader for not only reading, but also reviewing. I hardly get any reviews as it is, so I really really REALLY enjoy it when I do. ~Shishi