Chapter Ten: Mid-Day
Notes: Last chapter of the week! I hope I didn't leave it on too much of a cliffhanger going into the weekend. Some of my favorite chapters to write will be coming up and I'm very excited to share them with you all 😊❤️
Once we got back to the base camp I laid down and slept for as long as I could, hoping that Radagast and Gandalf's conversation would be long enough for me to catch up on a bit of sleep. None of us had much last night so a few stayed up to keep watch while the rest of us curled up on the ground and slept.
I could remember what I dreamt about because it was extremely vivid. I dreamt I was still back at the Prancing Pony and I was heading downstairs to start my shift, but when I went down into the tavern all of my family was there. All three of my brothers and two of my sisters, even my parents, sat at the bar waiting for me to serve them.
I acted as though it was any other day, like they were regular customers. Like we weren't even family. I served them like the rest of my patrons, with smiles and dimples and friendly chat. They just sat there though and stared at me, not drinking or talking to each other. All of their brown eyes stared at me like I was an actor in a play, something they were supposed to observe but not interact with. But I didn't even seem to notice.
Then, my oldest brother stood up from the bar stool. His hair was dark and curly like mine, his complexion was dark like mine, everything about him looked like me except for being older and being a man. All of the kids looked like we were all copies of each other but the two of us always had the most comments for being similar.
Eerin parted his mouth and said, "Lydia."
I stopped working and stared back at him, like I had finally recognized him. I shook my head and said, "Eerin? What are you doing here?"
"Lydia. You've run away."
"W-What?"
"From home. You've run away from the only place you've ever known."
I squinted at him and acted like I didn't know what he was talking about. "Eerin…you kicked us all out of the family house years ago. And it's not like I've gone far."
A voice came up behind me and said, "You didn't run away, Miss Lydia, you escaped." I spun around and the handsome dwarf with raven and silver hair stood there, his eyes intensely on me. We were mere feet away from each other. "You escaped a life that would have brought you no true happiness. You…decided to follow me."
My breathing faltered and I looked behind me to my family but they had all disappeared. We were the only two in the entire place which made a fire burst out of me. I turned back to Thorin, my heart breathing so fast.
I responded with a flush and I was tongue tied.
"If you follow me, then I have to follow you too." He leaned forward and I felt his lips graze my ear and that made me shudder. "That urge you had to follow me into this journey, I had it for you as well. I just knew…"
I couldn't think straight. "What? What did you know?"
He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me in even closer. "I just knew…" His lips moved both no words reached my ears.
I pulled back slightly and drowned in his blue eyes. I held his face in my hands and said something, but there was still no noise. I tried saying it again but nothing came out. I grabbed onto his arms and begged for the words to come out of my mouth.
A wolf's howl rocked me and shook the world around me. I held onto him tight and looked around in a panic. Another howl quickly followed and it made the world disintegrate around me, making Thorin disappear out of my hands. The dream faded away and I was lifted out of my subconscious when all I wanted was to stay for a bit longer.
My eyes flung open wide and I sat up, all the other dwarves also awake and looking around in a tizzy.
"W-What was that?!" I demanded, sitting up off the ground. "Wolves?"
"That was no wolf," Oin said with certainty.
A ravenous snarl came up behind us and before I could even turn to react Thorin had already buried his sword into his neck, killing it. Another one of the oversized, canine-like creatures came barreling down the hill towards us. I scrambled up onto my feet and pulled out my sword but luckily Dwalin easily took down the other one with his ax.
"Warg scouts," Thorin growled. "And where there's wargs, orcs are not far behind. We need to move now!"
Gandalf rushed back into camp, Radagast not far behind him. "We're being hunted! Get to the ponies!"
"The ponies have bolted!" Ori said in a panic from the top of the hill. "They ran when they heard the howling!"
"I can draw them away!" Radagast offered.
Gandalf shook his head, "These are Gundabad Wargs, they will catch you and kill you!"
"They would have to catch me first," he said confidently. "Let me buy you some time, you'll need it if everyone is going to be on foot."
We had no other options so we accepted the help. Radagast went off on his sled and we packed everything up as quickly as we could. Without the ponies we were going to be carrying a lot more on our backs, which did not help with my body pains. I just pushed the pain out of my mind so I could follow everyone as we hurried out of the forest.
We rushed out of the trees and across an open plain, which had to be the worst case scenario if we were being followed by an enemy that was faster than stuck close to each other, moving as a unit in between the large boulders that offered us a little bit of coverage.
Far in the distance we could hear the hoard chasing after Radagast which was more than enough motivation to keep moving. More than once they got too close for comfort where we had to hide and hope we weren't spotted.
"Where are you leading us, Wizard?" Thorin demanded lowly.
Gandalf didn't answer and led us on a run to the next landmark. Thorin seemed hesitant but had no other option other than to follow him.
We stopped at the next boulder and pressed our backs against it while we caught our breath. My legs ached and I swore under my breath every time we stopped for a moment. I mentally prepared to make another mad sprint but my sword began turning blue. Then a low growl came up behind us making all of us freeze. We looked over our shoulders to the top of the rock.
What I assumed was an orc riding his warg stood at the top of the stone, sniffing the air. It obviously had caught the smell of us and it made my stomach drop. Kili drew his bow and started to knock an arrow slowly and silently. I put my sword away and pulled out my bow and arrow, preparing my shot as well.
Thorin gave a decisive nod. Fili nodded his head left and I nodded to the right. We both jumped out from cover and let out our shots. Mine embedded itself into the orc's neck before it could blow its horn and Fili shot the warg. It screeched a horrible noise as it tumbled down the rock and onto the ground. The dwarves attacked the warg as it thrashed to attack us but they killed it as quickly as they could, but we knew the damage was already done.
My insides shook. That felt different than killing a deer or a wild pig.
The howling echoes throughout the hills, moving closer to us. Gandalf shouted, "Move!" and any stealth we were trying to achieve was out the window.
We sprinted as fast as we could across the plains, trying to keep to lower and tree filled paths but we could hear them gaining on us. Adrenaline pumped through my veins and it made me hardly feel my feet hitting the ground. If I didn't have my injuries I knew I could have easily been outrunning everyone but even if I was in peak condition there was no way we would have been able to get away from the hoard chasing us.
We ran until we saw the orcs come over the hills. We knew that we had to fight so we circled up, backs to each other, prepared to receive them.
"Shoot them down!" Thorin ordered.
Fili and I started releasing arrows and taking the orcs and wargs down before they would reach us. My breathing shook and I was much slower than Kili, but luckily my experience from hunting still made me pretty accurate. It took me longer to aim though when my hands were shaking so much. "Just connect, just connect!" I kept whispering under my breath.
The orcs continued to surround us so I let off a few more shots. I knew they were getting too close. I swore to myself that if I wasn't killed by trolls I wouldn't be taken down by some ugly looking orcs.
"Where's Gandalf?!" Ori shouted.
My head swiveled and couldn't find him anywhere.
Dwalin yelled, "He's abandoned us again! Be prepared to fight!"
"Stand your ground!" Thorin said.
I released a shot and one of the orcs swiped it away with their sword and chuckled as they approached closer and closer. I quickly put my bow away and took out my glowing sword instead. I dug in my heels and prepared myself.
I could hear the orcs speak to each other in a tongue I didn't recognize. Though I didn't know what they were saying, I knew it had to be absolute filth. I put words into their mouths that motivated me to cut them down, I'm sure some of my guesses were accurate.
"Follow me, you fools!" We all looked and Gandalf stood by the nearest rock formation, a cavern entrance?
"Everyone go!" Thorin instructed. "Go, go!"
Those closest to the cave jumped in straight away, but those further away such as myself were immediately attacked by the orcs. I was very clumsy with my sword, only having to use them occasionally as self defense back at the tavern. Having someone actually out to kill you was something else entirely. It was good I was quick on my feet so I could dodge their attack and then strike while they were off balance.
Kili's arrows still flew through the air while the few of us fought our way over to the boulders. Thorin fought back orcs and helped everyone down into the cave, so once I was close enough he grabbed me and dropped me down the slope into safety.
I breathed heavily as I hit the cavern floor and immediately turned my attention to the entrance, making sure he and Kili made it. Moments later they both slid down and the sound of horns blared from outside. I didn't know if it was the sound of more orcs or something else, but I took it as a good sign that no one was chasing after us.
Then it almost sounded like another fight started outside. I could hear the sound of wargs and orcs being killed swiftly. Whatever it was, I was hoping beyond hope that it was on our side.
A single orcs rolled down into the cave entrance, nearly barreling right into me but I screamed and stuck my sword into its chest. I retracted my blade to only notice that the thing had already been shot in the head with an arrow.
I cleared my throat and grabbed the arrow to add to my quiver. "No worries lads, I got him." A few of them chuckled but Thorin grabbed my hand before I could add the arrow to my collection. He inspected the tip then turned his angry gaze to Gandalf.
"Elves," he grumbled.
Dwalin called from further within the cave, "I can't see to the end of it, should we go further and see where it leads?"
"Yes, yes!" Ori nodded, chasing after him.
We all filed after them, having to walk single filed through the twisting path. Some of the dwarves pushed and shoved at each other, eager to get to the end of the cave, so I happily stayed at the back with Gandalf. I felt along the walls and it had the oddest feeling to it, the surface was like any other weathered rock but it…felt different on my fingers somehow. There was an energy to it. As we drew closer to the end of the cavern I could feel the difference in the air as well. I really had no way to describe it, I just knew we were going somewhere important.
"You can feel it, can't you Miss Lydia?" Gandalf asked.
I looked back to him and nodded. "Where are we? I think I'm feeling…magic?"
"A very, very powerful magic my dear. We're almost there."
We came to the end of the cave and went down a few steps until we arrived at an edge of a cliff where the view went on for ages. There tucked into the face of cliffs and waterfalls was a beautiful city being kissed by the late-afternoon sun. Everyone stopped and stared at the sight, though they all didn't seem as impressed by it.
I think I could have stood there for ages.
Gandalf introduced, "The Valley of Imraldis. In the Common Tongue, it's known by another name."
"Rivendell," I breathed. I remembered stories specifically from Gandalf that told incredible tales about the beautiful sanctuary but even with his incredible descriptions I wasn't prepared to see the dream-like city.
"Here lies the last homely house east of the sea," he nodded.
Thorin, who looked the most displeased of all of them, looked at Gandalf with ill-intent in his gaze. "This was all your plan all along, to drag us all the way here so we have to seek refuge with our enemy."
"You have no enemies here, Thorin Oakenshield. The only ill-will to be found in this valley is that which you bring yourself."
"Do you honestly think the elves will give our quest their blessing and will help us and allow us to pass through? They will try to stop us."
"Of course they will. But we have questions that need to be answered and they can help us with them, I can assure you. If we are to be successful, this will need to be handled with tact and respect and no small degree of charm, which is why you will leave the talking to me."
I had heard the story along our travels, on why Thorin still feels betrayed by the elves. So, I knew it was not my place to interject and ask him to play nice even if I wanted nothing but a safe place to rest my head for the night. I could not blame Thorin for still being angry that they did not help when they were trying to take back Moira, I'm sure he needs to blame his father's and grandfather's deaths on them just as heavily as he does the orcs in order to cope with the tragedy of it. I just hoped it didn't blind him to the point where it would impede our journey.
I guess I was too optimistic about the state of the relationship.
