1 | vengeance [oakenshield]

FOUR

GHOSTS

Shortly after Katrina and Bofur's cruel joke (more on her end), the poor Hobbit had passed out. Gandalf didn't take this lightly and demanded she carry him to his sofa so he could regain some of his dignity when he awoke. Both of them received a a long and drawn out reprimand that fell on deaf ears as each word simply traveled straight through one and out the other. 

Now she and Gandalf were huddled around the Hobbit in a spare office room. The poor Hobbit was chewing on his inner lip and nervously tapping his fingers against his mug filled with tea. "I'm alright," he murmured through many blinks, "just let me sit quietly for a moment."

"You've been sitting quietly for far too long," Gandalf all but snapped, causing Bilbo to sputter before sheepishly taking a drink. "Katrina, please leave us. Mr. Baggins and I have much to discuss."

She didn't need to be told twice. Her feet carried her aimlessly through the Hobbit hole as she pondered on where to make herself comfortable. Even with so few Dwarves the dining room was still bustling with activity, Thorin's brooding stature was occupying the whole of the hallway, and she didn't feel like stuffing herself in the pantry just for the sake of solitude.

That meant the living room. Fantastic.

She exhaled slowly and slowly made her way over, peeking inside. The Durin boys, Dwalin, Balin, Bofur, Ori, Dori, and Bombur were occupying that room. Whatever chatter existed quicklu ceased when they saw her standing at the doorway, both parties giving each other pointed looks. Fili and Kili sneered at her, standing and striding out of the room, bumping into her as they left. She bared her teeth and snarled behind their back before walking in.

She made her way to the couch, Ori and Dori quickly scurrying off and sitting elsewhere. Katrina only rolled her eyes and sat down, a long sigh exiting her lips. Dwalin was whispering with Nori in the halls, Ori and Dori also speaking in hushed whispers. Katrina leaned forwards a bit and fumbled her fingers as she looked to the ground and listened.

"...what's she doing here? We don't need her," Nori hissed. "She's crazy, crazier than a whole Goblin hoard!"

"Hush, Nori," Dwalin growled. "Although I agree that we don't need the freak here, it's not our choice. If Thorin want's her to come, then so be it."

Katrina growled and listened elsewhere.

"...I wonder where she's from," the thoughtful voice of Ori mused. "She seems different, not like the rest of us. Odd, possibly, but she's pretty. I like her eyes."

Thanks, Ori.

"Hush yourself and dispel those thoughts from your head!" Dori snapped. "It's obvious: she's under some dark spell."

Katrina scoffed and rolled her eyes at the irony of that statement. They were scared of her. It gave her a sense of pride to know she had that type of power over them. She allowed her mind to formulate, make plans: how would she pick them off? Start with the weak to get it done quickly or start with the strong so there was no resistance left? She sighed heavily and raked her fingers through her hair. They were afraid, but she was no fool. These were Dwarves, and although their fear made them clumsy, it also made them all the more protective.