A Willing Heart

Twenty-Four

I looked up and saw my attacker.  I saw the tattoed hands first, and then his eyes, cold and hard.  I froze, the memory of him so vivid it robbed me of my breath and reasoning, and all of a sudden, I was a child again.  This time, I screamed, rolled over to my hands and knees and tried to crawl away from him.  He grabbed me by my hair, the hood of my coat having fallen along my back, and pulled me up.

"This is for the many years I spent in the dungeons of Erebor," the man hissed into my ear.  "Your prince put me there and threw away the key."

I kicked at him, tryng to aim for for his knees but I missed.  Then he kicked me behind my knee and I screamed in pain as my legs buckled beneath me.  Behind us I heard the sound of boots pounding against the pavement, and Thorin calling out my name. 

"Shall I let him watch me kill you?" The tattooed dwarf sneered as he turned both of us towards Thorin and Jürgen. "Or maybe carve out a new scar for you?  What do you think?"

Rodrick was strong. In his search for vengeance, he was stronger than I ever imagined and nothing I could do could make him let go of my hair, nor move the knife that now glinted in the sunlight against my neck.  I held my breath, stopping my struggles as the cool metal touched my skin.

"Should we let him watch, dear Frigga?"

My hand went to my belt and found the dagger that Jürgen had given me the night before.  I saw Thorin running towards us, his face pale as he saw the knife against my throat.  He stopped a few feet away, his eyes never leaving us. 

"Let her go, Rodrick," he growled.  "This is between you and me."

"Do you really think I care?" Rodrick laughed.  "You threw me in that dungeon and left me there to rot."

"How did you get out?" Thorin asked, his gaze drifting lower, spotting my own hand upon my belt.  His eyes narrowed and he frowned. 

"I had to find my own way out of that mountain.  I waited till the dragon buried itself beneath all that gold and silver."

"That's impossible," Thorin said.

"It is possible," Rodrick said, laughing. "But first, the dragon took care of the guards first.  They were all dead by the time the dragon was done with them - incinerated, but for the keys that were left among what was left of their bones.  Funny how the prison you put me into to rot forever proved to be my salvation, Prince Thorin.  And for that I am grateful  I went to Fennhill to collect my compensation from Master Lialam but what then did I find? Why, dwarves had descended upon the town and my only source of compensation gone."

Thorin was seething. I could see his nostrils flaring in anger as he pulled his sword from his scabbard.  Rodrick jerked me back, the cold blade of his dagger flat against my cheek.  Thorin drew back, inhaling as he did so.

"One step forward, Prince, and she's dead."  Rodrick began to laugh. "Oh to see the look on your face, Prince Thorin, is vengeance enough for me. But I want more.  I want you to see her die.  I want  you to pay for what you did to me."

"You killed little girls to collect the reward," Thorin bellowed angrily, his fists shaking. "You are a murderer!"

Rodrick nodded. "Ah, yes, that I am.  A murderer.  But they were all worth the reward for little Frigga here.  Besides, I did it all on orders from Master Lialam.  And though he paid me well, the price wasn't worth the years in the dungeons of Erebor.  Especially since he's dead.  But this time, this," he yanked me backwards against him.  "This is payment in full."

I could feel the dwarf's hatred emanating from his body, the taut muscles of his arm against the front of my neck, the stench of him overwhelming my senses.  At the mouth of the alley men and women gathered but were pushed back by dwarves that suddenly appeared out of nowhere.  I recognized them as the king's own guards, probably returning to see what had delayed Thorin. Now they pushed the crowd away, leaving the alley clear of any other distraction.