CHAPTER FOUR
ORCS TALE
●○●○●
We arrived at a sleeping place soon after the whole handkerchief situation, I was lying down with my head resting on one of my bags, not comfortable yet to lay with someone, so I stayed a little away from the dwarves. The rest of the group were asleep, except for me, Kili, Fili, Gandalf and Bilbo.
Uncle Bilbo stood up and walked over to his horse to feed her, trying to be sneaky which didn't work very well as most of the eyes which were awake were placed on him. Then there came an odd noise, like a screech of some sort. "What was that?", I asked Kili sitting up quickly, making me move from my rucksack.
"Orcs", Kili answered looking out of our sleeping spot and into the woods in front of us.
"Orcs?!", Bilbo exclaimed stepping through the sleeping dwarfs, at this Thorin and Balin awoke. "Throat cutters, they'll be dozens of them out there. The lowlands are crawling with them.", Fili said. "They strike in the wee small hours when everyone's asleep, quick and quiet no screams....just a lot of blood.", Kili said trying to scare us, Bilbo looked at Fili and Kili with a rather shocked expression, which sent the two young brothers into a little chuckle session but it was cut short by Thorin speaking up. "You think that's funny; you think a night raid by orcs is a joke." Thorin said getting up and walking towards us.
"We didn't mean anything by it", Kili said his smile dropped and his voice was saddened. "No you didn't, you know nothing of the world.", Thorin walked past us towards the cliff edge.
Kili's look of happiness, mischief and laughter soon turned into utter sadness and embarrassment. I shuffled closer to him placing a hand on his own with a small smile of comfort.
"Don't mind him laddie, Thorin has more cause than most to hate orcs.", Balin said as we all looked to him and he started his story, "after the dragon took The Lonely Mountain, King Thror tried to reclaim the ancient dwarfin City of Moria, but our enemy had got there first. Moria had been taken by legions of orcs, led by the evillest of all their race Azog the Defiler. The Giant Gundabad orc had sworn to wipe out the line of Durin", he looked towards us with sad eyes, "He started by beheading the king", I had tears in my eyes tightening my grip around Kilis hand even tighter, he placed an arm around me, stroking circles on my arm before placing it back down on the floor beside him.
"Thrain, Thorin's father was driven mad by grief, he went missing, taken prisoner or killed, we did not know, we were leader less, Defeat and Death were upon us...that was when I saw him, a young dwarf Prince facing down the Pale Orc, he stood alone against his terrible foe. The armour went welding 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...or 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 I could follow, there is only one I could call King.", he finished and Thorin turned around to see everyone who was awake looking at him.
"But the Pale Orc?", Bilbo said our heads turning to him for a moment, "What happened happened him?",Bilbo asked before a voice near the entrance spoke, "he slunk back into the hole in which he came, that filth, died of his wounds long ago.", Thorin said all of our gazes turning to him.
We all nodded and returned to our previous activities, which for the most part consisted of napping or watching the burning fire which kept us warm. I leaned against Kili's chest, and instead of keeping his hands on the floor and looking upset, he wrapped one arm around my shoulder again, smiling down at me once more, looking into his beautiful, brown, soft eyes and I gently fell asleep to the sound of his steady heartbeat.
When the others were asleep I took watch sitting on a rock just outside of the cave. I heard footsteps from behind me, they were coming closer and closer before the person sat down next to me, "I can take watch if you want", a familiar voice said.
"No it's fine I can watch for a little longer", I said as Kili nodded. A couple minutes later he spoke up again, "Allísa?", Kili said. I turned my head to him to see he was already looking at me.
"How come... where ever you are... you always make it out to seem like its the best place in the world?" ,I frowned. "I don't get what you mean."
He bit his lip, "You bring this energy wherever you go; it's so youthful. It makes us all feel so incredibly warm. I don't know how you do it! And... it makes me feel like what I'm doing on this company is right."
I smiled sweetly, bringing my hand and placing it on his own. I curled my fingers so they would entwine with his own as he did the same.
"That's because everything you're doing is right", I sighed and continued. "I've been stuck in the same place my whole life I'm almost 51. Yes, I've seen beauties of the shire and baggend...but in all my years of socialising with travellers, I've never met such people and extraordinary compassionate as you dwarves. As wonderful, as sweet, caring, thoughtful, as... you"
"Dwar-...", he started to finished my sentence, but he could tell in the look I gave him that I ended where I wanted to. His eyes widened a little and I could feel my cheeks heat up.
"You gave me a second chance kili. You helped me get the adventure I've needed in a long time. And I can't thank you enough"
"There's no need", he stated, rubbing my hand with his thumb in small circle motions.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
*Kili's POV*
After a few more hours of talking to Alíssa, she finally fell asleep... I moved closer to her making sure I didn't wake anyone. I layed my head on the wall behind me, wrapping my arms around Allísa's torso. She moved slightly getting herself more comfortable. Pressing her head and full body weight closer to me.
An hour of sleep was all I got before Allísa woke up panting heavily, beads of sweat dripping down her forehead.
"Allísa", I whispered as she looked at me with her with fear and panic in her eyes. I brought her to my lap and rocked her back and forth, rubbing my hand on her back trying to calm her down as she cried into my chest.
"H-He was chasing me. I fell and he caught me-", she stuttered trying trying catch a small breath.
"Shhh it was just a nightmare", I whispered as she curled up in a ball crying into my shoulder.
After a couple of minutes she calmed down completely as I wrapped my arms tighter around her and if it was possible brought her closer to me. My hand drawing circled on her back as she smiled slowly falling asleep again.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
*Allísa's POV*
I kept running and running till I could no more. The wind was strong and it was hard to run against but I couldn't let him catch me. My foot got caught in something and I fell to the ground.
Then I saw him
My nightmare
I screamed but nothing came out. I felt the world break beneath me as I began to fall.
"Allísa", Kili said, I almost didn't hear him as my own heart beat was making my head being to hurt.
He brought me onto his lap and hugged me tightly, I hugged him back and cried onto his chest.
"H-He was chasing me. I fell and he caught me-", I started to hyperventilate trying to catch at least one breath.
"Shhh it was just a nightmare", he whispered, started to rock me back and forth, stroking my hair with his hands. He rested his head on mine, calming me down slowly.
Once I has fully calmed down a little at least, he embraced me tighter, closing any gaps in between us, by wrapping both arms around my waist as I rested my arms around him neck. His hand was drawing circled on my back as the darkness consumed me once again.
- - - - - - - -
We were on our ponies, but for me and Gandalf we we're on horses, riding through rain. I quite liked the rain, so I left my cloak hood down making my hair drenched while everyone had theirs up.
The rain was always so pretty to me, it would fall on nature and give it the extra sparkle it needed. it was mysterious and I loved the way it felt when it dropped on me.
"Master Gandalf, can't you do something about this deluge?", Dori complained, "It's raining Master Dwarf and I will continue to rain until the rain is done, if you want to change the weather of the world find yourself another wizard."
"Are there any?", Bilbo asked. "What?", Gandalf said confused. "Other wizards?", Bilbo finished.
"There are 5 of us, the greatest of our order is Saruman the white, then there are two blues you know I quite forgotten their names."
"Aren't there names something like Altar and Pallando, I read about them in one of my books", i said as the others looked at me quite confused, "Ah yes thats what they are called?", Gandalf said, "and who's the fifth?", Bilbo asked again. "That would be Radagast the Brown", he responded. "Is he a great wizard or is he more like you?", Bilbo asked rudely. "I think he's a very great wizard, in his own way, he has a gentle soul who prefers the company of animals to others, he keeps a watchful eye on the forest to the East. A good thing too because evil will always try to find a foothold in his world.", the wizard spoke defensive of his friend.
- - - - - - - -
Finally, we arrived at a new camp site. An old, abandoned house it didn't look very appealing to me; the walls had been broken down and the roof had been ripped off almost completely, leaving the house roofless. I gently dismounted my horse, turning my head to face the destroyed house, a shudder running down my spine as I imagined what might have happened to that house; not only that, but I was pretty sure Gandalf has said something about it being wiser to move on. I thought that too, what ever happened to this house, whatever did this could still be out there, "Gandalf where are you going?", Uncle asked. "To see the company of the only one around here with some sense", Gandalf answered walking further away, "and who's that?", Bilbo questioned making the wizard turn around in annoyment.
"Myself Master Baggins", Gandalf said angrily then muttered under his breath, "I have had enough of dwarfs for one day", he said and went off on his way up the hill. I turned to Kili with a worried look who gave me a reassuring smile and then a wink, I rolled my eyes before sitting on a rock beside me.