The Hobbit

Chapter Five

Before Evelyn knew it, the rest of the company had laid down as well and their loud snores soon filled the night. She remained facing the wall of the cliff, listening to the fire crackling and Fili and Kili talking beside it. She tentatively reached out her mind to Ember, ready to withdraw in case the dragon was asleep.

"I am awake, little one," Ember said as soon as she felt her rider's cautious mind brush against her own. "You can not sleep." Her tone was filled with worry and she wished nothing more than to curl up beside the girl.

"No," Evelyn responded softly. Her mind was racing far too much with thoughts of what could have been and thoughts of what could happen on this journey. "Something plagues my mind...almost as if there is something dark just beyond our sight. A great evil slowly gaining power. You feel it too, do you not?"

Ember didn't respond for a few moments but Evelyn didn't mind, she could tell the dragon was thinking over it and reaching out with her own mind. "Yes, I feel it," she finally said. Whatever was growing in the east was not welcoming at all and caused the dragon a great deal of worry. "I thought I sensed Murtagh and Thorn a few leagues back. I know I sensed Eragon and Saphira though," the bronze dragon admitted reluctantly after a moment of silence. She regretted saying anything as soon as she felt the onslaught of confused emotions coming from her rider.

"Oh," was all Evelyn managed to get out and rolled to lay on her back after swallowing slightly. "Do you think they sensed you?" She and Murtagh had bonded fairly quick when they had first met, easily becoming fast friends. He had settled into the role of her protector even though he knew she needed no protection. She could recall the nights they would keep each other company on watch whilst Eragon slept. Despite Murtagh and herself being close though, it came nowhere near the bond that she and Eragon shared. Was he alright? What was he doing?

"No...they didn't sense us..."

Evelyn chewed on her inner cheek slightly and gazed up at the stars and wondered if Murtagh was seeing the same thing she was. "Murtagh and Thorn are alright," Ember assured the distressed woman. "Have faith in them."

"I do have faith in them, but that doesn't stop me from worrying."

"Nor I, little one," Ember chuckled and sent up a small plume of smoke that Evelyn would be able to see. "Get some rest. You have a long journey ahead of you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, my sweet dragon."

"Goodnight, my ferocious rider."

It seemed as though the world was against the young woman sleeping, for as soon as she closed her eyes, a haunting shriek filled the air, causing her to draw her sword as she sat up quickly.

"What was that?" Bilbo asked, his voice shaking slightly in nervousness.

"Orcs," Kili said quietly, looking around.

That word alone seemed to have the company waking up almost immediately. Evelyn stood up gracefully and walked towards the edge to peer into the darkness, her blue green eyes searching through the night for any sign of movement. The only thing she could see was Ember laying a good bit away from where they had set up camp on the cliffside, her neck and head turning as she kept watch as well.

"Orcs?" Bilbo repeated a bit louder and scampered back quickly to be closer to the others.

"Throatcutters," Fili continued, pulling his pipe away from his lips as he leaned forward slightly, his braids dangling. "There'll be dozens of them out there. The lone-lands are crawling with them."

"They strike in the wee small hours when everyone's asleep. Quick and quiet, no screams. Just lots of blood."

Evelyn felt her blood begin to boil angrily as she looked at poor Bilbo who looked just about ready to faint. The darling hobbit was looking into the forest nervously while the two young princelings chuckled to themselves and shared a look.

"You think that's funny?" Thorin questioned the two sharply. "You think a night raid by orcs is a joke?"

The two princes looked down in shame, their smiled completely erased from their faces.

"We didn't mean anything by it," Kili mumbled quietly, trying to meet his uncle's eyes only to look back down.

"No you didn't. You know nothing of the world," Thorin grumbled angrily before stalking off to stand on the cliff's edge, only a short distance away from Evelyn who had turned to watch the forest once more, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword.

"Do you see anything?" Thorin asked the woman gruffly, his eyes peering out over the forest as well.

"Nothing that seems like a threat, but they could be just past my vision." She hesitated a moment before glancing over at him. "I could go scout around us," she offered.

Thorin shook his head. "No," he said and placed a large hand on her shoulder. "I will not have any of this company being in danger when the orcs could still be far away from us."

Evelyn frowned but nodded her head all the same. "As you wish," she said softly and looked over the forest once more before she heard Balin begin speaking.

"After the dragon took the lonely mountain, King Thror tried to retake the ancient dwarf kingdom of Moria. But our enemy had got there first," Balin spoked, his tone somber as he looked around to the dwarves before his eyes met Evelyn's.

The woman had turned slightly only to look away with her cheeks tinted pink in embarassment. Did they really want an outsider learning of their history? As she went to turn back around and tune them out, Thorin gently nudged her back towards the fire where Balin was speaking. Her eyes met the dwarven king's hesitantly before she went to sit down beside the two princes at his nod.

"Moria had been taken by legions of orcs, led by the most vile of all their race:," Balin continued once the woman was situated in between the princes, "Azog, the defiler. The giant, gundabad orc had sworn to wipe out the line of Durin. He began...by beheading the king. Thrain, Thorin's father, was driven mad by grief. He went missing. Taken prisoner or killed, we did not know. We were leaderless. Defeat...and death were upon us. That is when I saw him...a young, dwarf prince, facing down the pale orc."

Evelyn and Bilbo held their breath as they listened, eyes wide with anticipation as to where the story would go. For the others, they had already heard it, but the two listened intently as Balin spoke of the fight. To Bilbo, it was like he was a small child again, listening or reading of the tales of adventure and war. For Evelyn, it took her back to when she and Eragon would listen to Brom's stories eagerly, back when he was just Brom the Storyteller instead of Brom the Dragon Rider.

"He stood alone," Balin continued, gaining Evelyn's attention once more, "against this terrible foe. His armor bent, wielding nothing but an oaken branch as a shield. Azog the Defiler learned that day...that the line of Durin would not be so easily broken. Our forces rallied...and drove the orcs back. Our enemy had been defeated. But there was no feast...nor song that night, for our dead were beyond the count of grief. We few had survived. And I thought to myself then...there is one who I could follow. There is one...I could call king."

The dwarves all stood to look at their king who turned to face them with a determined look in his eyes, and Evelyn swore she saw the faintest tear in his eyes, but it did not fall. She could easily understand why the dwarves would follow him...he gave them hope. Hope that all was not lost and that they would reclaim their home once and for all.

"And the pale orc?" Bilbo questioned, looking to Balin. "What happened to him?"

"He slunk back into the hole whence he came," Thorin growled. "That filth died of his wounds long ago."

Had Evelyn not been paying attention, she would have missed the look that Balin and Gandalf shared. A look that made her think that perhaps Thorin's assumption wasn't entirely correct.