1 | dark pasts [oakenshield]

Five

Far over the misty mountains cold

To dungeons deep

And caverns old

We must away

'Ere break of day

To find our long-forgotten gold.

Bofur and Balin joined along, the other Dwarves still humming, some standing up now:

The pines were roaring on the height

The winds were moaning in the night

The fire was red, it flaming spread

The trees like torches blazed with light.

And just like that, Kayla was asleep.

~>~>~>~>

The Princess strolled the grassy terrain, a ginormous smile on her face. She hopped tree to tree, hiding behind them and giggling.

"I'm going to find you, Nana! You can't hide from me!" she said in her giddy five-year old taunting voice.

"Not if I find you first," her mother's voice said just as tauntingly, her voice echoing through the forest like bells.

The Princess giggled again. "No, me find you!" she said again.

"No, me find you!" Just then, the Princess felt a pair of arms wrap around her from behind and pick her up. She got spun in the air, giggling a like crazy. The person tickled her ribs, and the Princess started to laugh like crazy.

"No fair! You cheated!" the Princess tried to say, but she was laughing too hard.

She felt her mother laugh softly in her ear. Setting her down on the floor, Kaylana put both hands on her waist teasingly. "What? Me? Never."

The Princess jumped up and down. "Come on! Let's go find Ada!" she said, pulling her mother along.

But then something happened. As the Princess pulled her mother to the castle, the Princess' conscious was replaced by her twelve-year old self. She knew this scene, and it scared her. Turning around, she screamed. The pale Orc and it's Warg was right in front of her, the mace in the Orc's hand, and his eyes blood-thirsty.

"I found you, Princess," he said dangerously, an evil smile on his lips.

The Warg charged, and the Princess screamed before Kayla could reach her.

~>~>~>~>

Kayla woke up with a gasp, struggling to not knock over any vases or flip any tables. Her face was beaded with sweat, and her knuckles were white as snow. Breathing out, she let her head plop on the window. Then she felt a hand on her shoulder. Jumping, she turned around and put a knife at the person's neck. Her eyes widened when she saw who it was.

"Valar! Kili, I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed quietly.

Kili put his hands up in defense. Once Kayla lowered her knife, he lowered his hands. "Erm, we're going," he said, eyeing Kayla as she got out of her spot. "You might want to grab your stuff."

She nodded. Letting out a breath, she headed to the door and grabbed her stuff. She slung her pack over her shoulders, along with her quiver of arrows. She put her bow on her back, stretching her arms. Kili walked over to her cautiously.

"Are you alright?" he asked nervously. "You seem on edge. You know, a little off."

"Hmm? Oh. I am okay, thank you. Just..." she faltered, "I don't know, stressed."