Chapter 4

"Attie... Attie, I'm so sorry. It's all my fault-"

"No. Annie, stop. We can't play the guilt game right now."

"I can't help it, he's right... It's all my fault that-"

"Annie, please! Not... Not now." Bound to our respective poles, I can't even comfort my twin as she starts to cry. Hearing her sadness, Killer whines softly in his cage. "Annie... Annie y-you have to be strong now. Ok? Don't give him what he wants."

"If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have gotten into the car at all. And Killer..." My sister isn't listening to me. I know she's not. Dragging her gaze over to our bound dog, she cries harder "He broke his jaw, Attie... He broke... He broke it... I HEARD it break. Attie... Attie!"

"Shhh. Shhh." trying to quiet her, I hush my double as quietly as I can but she continues to weep "Annie, please. Be quiet. He'll-"

"So you're up, little flame?" A chill so cold that it could stop my heart runs through my body at those words. It's an endearment that he calls me, and I hate it. I hate the mockery of it, as if I were a candle just waiting to be snuffed out by just his violent breaths "Are you ready to play again?"

Steps thud loudly across the concrete floor. I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from whimpering as my tormentor stands before me. He's tall, a natural basketball giant if I've ever seen one, but he is still built like a tree. His pale skin and ginger hair rivals even mine, making his freckles stand out prominently. He bends low in front of me with a gentle smile that I quickly learned over the past few days, never lasts.

"It's a new day. What shall we do?" I say nothing, as I know the psycho isn't talking to me. No, he's talking to the people in his head and they are nothing if not vicious. Like a switch in the hands of a child, his face pulls into a number emotions before settling on a snarl. This time I do cry out involuntarily because I hate this one. He backhands me with ease before patting my cheek "No... No no no no no no no. You'll be quiet, little flame. It's time to play. There'll be plenty of time to cry after the game starts."

"No...Ah!"

"Let her go!"

Annie's voice penetrates the pain in my scalp and I want to tell her to be quiet. I never know what's coming my way but I do know that he hates Anita. Right from the start he told us that her purpose was to lure me to him and that he only has an end game planned for her. I grit my teeth as he grabs a tighter fistful of my hair and yanks my head back. Better me than her. I can take it... anything anyone of them can dish out. I hate them all, all of his 'personalities' but I hate this one the most. I try... I try not to but the cry escapes me anyway even as Annie continues her own begging.

"Please... Don't do this..."

"... It's time to play." Standing swiftly, he tries to make me follow him up but I'd rather have my hair pulled out then do anything he has planned. Last time... Last time he was here he made me hold Killer's chipped teeth while he cut off chunks of Anita's hair. It gets worse each day and I don't know what today holds, so I resist, knowing it'll only hurt me more. A familiar crack sounds and I taste blood from the second back hand delivered today "It's you... or it's her. Now, get UP."

The air can't come into my lungs fast enough, leading to me gasping on the floor as I try to get over the nightmare. Or rather, memory. Anita and I spent a lot of time with our psychologist to aid in overcoming that ordeal. It helped my sister some... But me? Not so much. A shuffling by my head has me looking up only to be greeted by a remorsefully angry Durin brat.

"Not that I care but I apologize for startling you awake. It's time to get up." So it was him that brought me to consciousness in such an uncomfortable state. His strange statement, paired with his frowning but confused eyes, leads to me saying absolutely nothing. We just stare at each other awkwardly before he finally clears his throat, his voice heavy with pity "Well. I had best be-"

"My shoulders hurt, I'm hungry, and I have to pee." Struggling into a sitting position I flex my fingers delicately "Fix one of these things or find someone more useful who can."
"And just why should I care for your needs?" I nearly sigh in relief as the pity on his face is replaced by annoyance. It's something I can't stand. Pity. Yeah, poor me. I've got issues, boo hoo. No matter what, I'll never be pitiful. I don't need it and even if I did, I don't want it "You have made it more than clear that you wish us all ill and want nothing to do with us."

"Not exactly. I want nothing to do with you though, that part is true. You could always just... let me go. You can't force me to stay with you and then complain about my presence." With the agility of an old cat, I bring my hands under my butt and legs before bringing them up my front to rest in my lap "So are you letting me go or not?

"NOT."

"Then fetch me my meal, slave."

His expressions are hilarious. Shock and anger battle on his young face before he settles on resigned displeasure. Lifting his chin, he tilts his head in a cross between acceptance and dismissal before turning on his heel and walking away. I take said time to begin chewing at my ropes. There were too many people around last night but everyone is busy preparing now.

With a silent snip, my bindings giveaway and I hop to my feet. Grabbing a nearby bag, I dump the majority of the items out (A plethora of stolen goods), leaving within it a few knives of varying sizes, before tossing in a stray throw blanket. The Larder is empty, so it'd be a waste of time to sneak all the way over there just for disappointment. Instead, I heft the bag onto my shoulder and immediately exit the premises through the small window sharing the empty room with me.

Dropping into a rose bush isn't my favorite thing to do but I'll take it over this suicide mission. Not bothering to wipe away the new strands of blood from the thorns, I round the giant smial. Coming quickly to the front makes the collision all the worse.

The Woolen clad youngster might be newer to the world than the others in his group but he is built just as solidly. I bounce off him but save myself from crumbling to the floor with some excessive arm pinwheels. For his part, the dwarf stumbles back a bit as well before steadying himself. He eyes me wearily before recognizing who exactly I am with a gasp.

"Shhh!" tapping my mouth with my index finger frantically, I try to keep the youth quiet. His mouth gapes as wide as his eyes as I reach out and grab his hand "Do you support the kidnapping of women?"

"Wha-"

"Do you!?"

"N-no."

"Under any circumstances?"

"I-"

"Are you scum or aren't you? Yes or no?"

"No."

"You are if you tell anyone that you saw me or alert them that I'm leaving. That's exactly what you'll be doing. That's exactly who you will be."

His eyes flicker with indecision as he debates my words. The longer he takes, the more likely someone is to notice that I'm gone. Thinking fast, I force myself to bring up the memories of the ordeal. Almost instantly my eyes begin to water and my heart starts racing. The dwarf notices immediately and steps forward in worry.

"Miss? Miss, are you alright?"

"What if I was your sister? Or your mother?" Wrapping my arms around myself to ward off the chills, I warn myself not to stay in the state for too long. It never ends well. "What if I was anyone but me? Would you be so content to ignore what is happening? Would you be okay with what you're about to do?"

"..." His face crumbles and I know I've got him but it doesn't matter. Reigning in my emotions before they can crush me under their weight, I duck my head to hide my blanking features. He took too long, and I know it from his next words. "T-Thorin...Dwalin..."

"Go inside, Ori."

"B-b-but-"

"Now."

The younger dwarf does not argue with his superior. Giving me a teeny backwards look of pity, he scampers off. Again with the pity. I do not acknowledge Thorin or Dwalin's presence, instead glaring at the scratch on my hand as it continues to bleed. It isn't too deep but it's long and cleanly made. I doubt any wounds I obtain from this forced trip will be anywhere near as superficial. Nope. I'll probably be okay for awhile, if I don't break my neck in the misty mountains. I'll be ok for a little... at least until the eagle show up. I'd rather face down Azog the defiler all on my own before I willingly go flying without a handy oxygen mask.

"Your tricks will do you no good any longer."

"It isn't a trick. If I were someone else, this whole idea would be unacceptable. So I'm sorry for trying to do what's in my best interest, King No-one-cares, but I don't want to die. I know this must come as a surprise to you, being that you're actually hell-bent on going on this suicide mission."

"We will be successful." Stepping forward, Dwalin clenches his fists in the anger his Monarch refuses to show "Erebor will be restored, despite you're interference."

"Yeah. You can bet it will be." They look at me strangely but I don't care. Biting my tongue against the venomous words that would truly only serve to get me knocked out again, I watch the sun peek over the horizon. Its beauty is breathtaking; A hidden foreshadowing of how awful this is going to be. Shaking my head, I take off running "No. I can't do this! I won't let you get me killed!"

The two males behind me curse darkly but don't have a chance to give chase as I nearly run into the oldest Ri brother. A good thing I don't. Despite his prim and tidy attire, his muscles are no joke. He's built like he could take a direct hit from a wrecking ball and still not drop his tea. He gazes at me the way one looks at a petulant child but as I open my mouth to offer a piece of my mind, he beats me to it.

"This is not what you may desire but it will happen because it must."

"I-"

"Cease all thoughts of going about this solely on your own. You are not alone in this. There is no longer 'I' or 'me'. There is no 'myself' or 'themselves'. We are all bound by this unforeseen happening and we must all learn to deal."

"I'll die..." There is no reason I can give for why I tell him this small fear. He wouldn't care, he has no reason to, but I want someone besides myself to know "If I go... I'll really die. You can't make me-"

"We can and if we have to, we will. We are bigger than you. We are stronger than you. There are more of us than there are you. So you need to be with us because you cannot be against us."

"Similarly, you are a woman and thus we would never wish you harm. The future cannot exist if not for the Feminine sacrifice, so we are always in its debt. We need you with us, simply because we cannot harm you should you be against us." Folding his arms across his chest, the dwarf sighs deeply "We do not wish to, but we can tie you up and drag you along. It is not our desire but we can force you into silence if the need be. We do not want to do anything to compel you into compliance but we will if you force us because we can. Yet know this: Your unhappiness or harm are not something we seek. Should you require aid while in our care, it will be given... Within reason."

"... This is crazy, you all know it..." And it is. Like hell they'd save me if I needed saving. "It'd be more beneficial to you just to let me get killed."

"That may be so," the Monarch steps in for his turn "but it will not come to pass. As dwarves, it is not our way. While you may not have our trust, so long as you do not offer us immediate threat, you will find yourself safe with this company. You have my word."

"... Your word then..." A king giving his word to a suspected spy means little to nothing to me but I don't say that. What good would it do me, surrounded by his subjects? "Let us see how far it goes."