Price of Battle ➝ The Hobbit ✓

Part Eleven

A/N: I am so sorry this is late. My internet's been down most of the weekend and I haven't been able to update. But I'm here now, so please enjoy!

PART ELEVEN ~

"Faraim."

Arien glanced uncertainly at her new companion, racking her mind for a face to whom the name belonged. She paused in thought, before shaking her head. "Nope. Doesn't ring a bell."

Thoros raised an eyebrow and shrugged, returning his gaze to the path ahead. "He was an old teacher at the training school. Used to visit sometimes. Remember him now?"

A flare of recognition passed through her eyes and she nodded her head vigorously, remembering clearly the old, witty teacher with whom she had greatly got along with. "Yes. I remember now," She said, suddenly overcome with surprise. "Wait. He taught you!? But I thought he was a bit... y'know... too old now..." She trailed off, becoming somewhat embarrassed.

Thoros chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Oh, no. It was his son, Dalarim. He's in his late hundreds now, still got a life ahead of him. But when we... parted, we became friends, I suppose. And I'm not sure how it happened but I found myself attending extra training lessons with the lad. He was very skilled, and had several decent moves to share. It took me months to match his skill, but.... I did it. I won a duel against him and that was the end of my training. And that's it. Now I have no more to tell..." He trailed into silence, and Arien stayed deep in thought, wondering how long it was since she had trained with her old friend. Many years, it seemed.

She glanced over to the dwarf, who's eyes were constantly glued on the path ahead of them, and wondered if he had missed their bond of friendship over the last few years. Perhaps that was why he had decided to join her, to rekindle their relationship. And Arien felt somewhat glad for it.

~

Thoros and Arien wondered, tirelessly, through the forest for another couple of hours, until the sky began to darken and the sun dipped into the horizon.

"We ought to make camp soon," Arien declared, pulling her cloak tighter about her body as a keen wind began to blow through the trees.

Thoros nodded and led them to a small clearing, sheltered from the weather by a dense canopy that coiled thickly above them. Arien slipped her pack of her shoulder and began setting up her blankets upon the damp ground.

"Should we risk a fire?" Thoros asked, shivering slightly as goosebumps prickled his skin.

Arien pondered on the question for a moment. "A small one," She agreed, for a chill was seeping into the bones that trembled beneath her skin. Thoros complied and began gathering crisp foliage and fallen twigs that plummeted sharply from the wavering trees above.

As Thoros busied himself with the fire, Arien prepared a light supper of bread and salted fish, which she planned to roast slowly over the flames once they had been kindled.

~

Thoros sighed with content, letting himself fall back amid the soft bed of leaves beneath him. His gaze wandered to the entwining vines that skirted up the trees and tangled through one another as they rose to the branches, dropping before weaving once more amongst the peeling bark.

Arien finished her meal and imitated Thoros' actions, allowing herself to land on a log of damp bark. She felt herself slowly overcome with sleep and settled down on her bedding, calling Thoros softly out his dream-like stance.

"Will you... put the fire out...?" She said dreamily, her eyelids growing heavy. Thoros nodded, dampening the wild flames until they were no more than mere sparks, a small remainder of the fierce light it had once been.

Arien nodded as the fire went out completely and wisps of grey smoke began to curl and coil and follow the wind into the night, seeping through gaps amid the canopy of foliage and slowly fading amongst the wavering darkness that coated the world outside the forest.

Arien quickly drifted into slumber.

"Hey Arien!" A young Thoros called, grinning madly as he dodged the clumsy child and leaped through the trees around her.

Arien scowled and grunted in annoyance as she outstretched her hand and lightly grasped the glimmer of white clothing as the dwarf raced past her once more. She tightened her grasp as Thoros struggled, before letting out a bout of laughter and loosening her grip. Then they both suddenly collapsed to the floor, clutching their stomachs as they giggled uncontrollably.

"Arien! Thoros! Where are you?" The two children abruptly stopped amidst their joy and laughter and glanced at each other, a mischevious glint in their eyes. Paying no heed to their friend's distressed tone, they bounded up from the forest floor, and hastily threw themselves amid the densely packed trees as they began sprinting over the coiling foliage that ruled the forest floor. Another fit of giggles threatened to escape from Arien's lips, but she quickly clamped a hand over her mouth to prevent the outburst.

She felt Thoros close behind her, breathing heavily, as they raced through the forest.

As they were nearing the clearing that acted as their destination, Arien heard Thoros give a muffled cry before feeling his body collapse to the floor with a resounding thump.

Arien turned in horror, crying the name of her best friend repeatedly, as she laid eyes on his limp body, a silver-feathered arrow shaft protruding from his back as dark blood pooled about him, soaking his crisp white shirt crimson.

"Arien!"

Arien bolted up from the floor, her eyelids fluttering open as she pushed the blankets off her trembling body. Her chest heaved as she studied her surroundings, shaking her head in confusion and disbelief.

"Arien. Are you okay?"

She gulped loudly, twice, letting the moments of confusion and disorientation pass, before nodding and wiping her brow with the back of her hand.

"Are you sure? You were calling my name... repeatedly."

Arien's lip trembled as she spoke. "It... It was just a dream... just a dream." She nodded, almost reassuring herself it was nothing more than a dream. Of course it was just a dream. Why else would he be standing before her, alive?

Thoros nodded, but still he frowned and didn't let it pass completely. He kept a close eye on her as she cleared her blankets away and took a small sip of water from her flask.

He quickly averted his gaze as Arien glanced his way, and began busying himself with his own belongings.

"Hopefully we'll reach the end of the forest by the day's end," He declared, raising his gaze to the pale sun that peaked through the clouds in the horizon.

"Hopefully," Arien mumbled, nodding wearily.