Cʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ Tᴡᴏ
« Tʜᴇ Tᴀʟᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ Sɪʀᴇɴ Pʀɪɴᴄᴇ »
The sorrow and pain,
only you can change...
•
MORNING CAME FAR TOO QUICKLY for the company's liking. Adella was the first one up, readying her pony for the adventure ahead. Slowly, the Dwarves had joined her while they waited for the others.
Now they were about two hours into their journey. Gandalf and Adella took up the front.
The company was brought to a stop by the Siren, having heard a sound in the distance. For Siren's had incredible hearing.
"What is it, Adella?" Gandalf turned to the Siren, eagerly waiting for a response.
Adella turned her pony around, coming to a stop beside Dwalin, looking into the trees from where they came. A small smile formed on her face as she saw the sandy blond curls of their Hobbit host.
"Wait! Wait!" He called out to the company, slowing when he noticed they were already stopped.
The female turned to the large, bald Dwarf with a smirk, holding out a gloved hand. Dwalin huffed in annoyance, reaching into his pocket and forcefully shoving a bag of coins into her hand. She lowered her head in thanks, then made her way to the end of the line of ponies.
"I signed it." Bilbo held the contract above his head, handing the parchment over to the wisest Dwarf. "Here."
Balin looked down at the Hobbit skeptically, before looking the contract over with his eyeglass. "Everything appears to be in order. Welcome, Master Baggins, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield."
The group continued one, Adella now taking up the back of the group, Kili coming to ride alongside her. Fili followed his brothers lead, riding at Adella's other side.
"All my life I've had questions about Sirens that no one has seems to know the answers to." Fili spoke with a blank expression, his eyes forward. "I hope to someday ask you them."
"I as well." Kili added, but unlike his brother, smiled brightly at the woman.
"Stop." The Hobbit called from ahead urgently. "Stop! We have to turn around."
The company complied with his request to stop, all turning to see what the problem was. "What on earth is the matter?"
Bilbo searched his pockets feverishly. "I forgot my handkerchief." Panic resonated in his voice.
"Here." Bofur offered, ripping off a piece of his shirt. "Use this." He tossed it behind him, to Bilbo. The party laughing at the Hobbit's disgusted expression.
"Move on." Thorin commanded, and so they did. Bilbo, however, remained unmoving, inspecting the filthy fabric in his hand.
Adella pulled her own handkerchief from her satchel, handing it to Bilbo as she passed by, smiling politely. "Thank you." He called after her.
"Brother?" Fili glanced at the girl behind him. "Care to play a question game?"
Kili followed his brothers gaze, catching on surprisingly quick. "We've nothing better to do." He answered with a shrug. "Shall I start?"
"Of course." Fili answered.
"Do you think Siren's sound as beautiful as they look?" Kili asked his first question with a teasing smile.
Fili glanced back once more. "Absolutely."
Adella felt her cheeks heat up in a slight blush. These brothers were far too kind to her. She has no idea why. She had not done anything to prove herself yet.
"Your turn." Kili urged.
"Do you, dear brother, think all Siren's are as short as ours?"
Kili let out a hearty laugh. "Not a chance. Not unless they're half Dwarf."
The brothers laughed together, carrying on with their game throughout the remainder of the morning.
Sometime in the late afternoon, the company traveled closely along a rivers edge, excpet for Adella, who thought it too dangerous to be so close; she had learned many years ago just how dangerous water could really be.
Her fears coming true when one of the ponies gave in to its exhaustion, stumbling into the raging river.
Kili, having been riding said pony, was caught up in the chaos as well. He went under the water, his pony pushing him further down in attempts to free itself.
"Kili!" His brother panicked, alerting his kin to the dangerous situation. All the Dwarves jumped from their ponies to help the young prince. "Kili!" His brother continued to shout.
"Fili, stay away from the edge!" Thorin pleaded. However, his words fell on deaf ears as Fili dived into the water to save his best friend. The river had other plans and took him under as well.
Adella let out a low, annoyed growl as she untied a bundle of rope from her pony. She pulled her dagger from its place by her thigh. This did not go unnoticed. Dwalin grasped her arm, glaring down at her. "Where do you think you're going?" Adella glared back due to his waisting of time to save the two princes.
The Siren ripped her arm from Dwalin's grasp, placing the blade between her teeth, before tying one end of the rope around her waist, shoving the other end into his rough hands.
She took off, climbing swiftly up rocks to get as close to the brothers as she could. Her adrenaline pounded through her body, shaking her in every way. Her legs pushed off from a high rock, sending her gracefully into the water, not too far from the youngest of Thorin's kin.
Her arms and legs pumped hard as she swam as fast as she could, reaching out every time she thought she was close, in hopes to find the pony's reigns.
When her target was found, she pulled it from the water, using her dagger to saw at the thick material that forced the pony down.
The material eventually gave way, freeing Kili and the animal, removing the rope from her waist and struggled to attach it to the kicking and panicked pony, Kili holding onto its back.
Dwalin, having been watching the girl closely, called out to his kin to help him pull the two in. They held the rope tightly, pulling it back to shore. In the water, Adella coughed out water that had attempted to fill her lungs, continuing her mission to save Fili.
"Fili!" Thorin yelled for his nephew, running along the edge of the river, the prince's head popping out of the water.
The Siren spun around just in time to see him disappear again. She pushed herself to move faster, her limbs aching as she fought her way to the Dwarf's rescue.
Once close enough, the girl took in a deep breath, plunging deeper into the water. She brought her arms around Fili's waist, pulling him to the surface. The Dwarves on the shore, now having Kili safely with his Uncle, threw the rope back to her, where she looped it around the prince and clung to him as they pulled them both out.
Fili coughed and wheezed as he was pulled from the waters edge. Bofur held Adella up as her body gave out.
"Adella!" Gandalf raced towards his old friend, a worried Bilbo at his side. "You stupid girl." He reprimanded as if she were his child.
"Here." Bilbo helped Bofur lower her to the ground so she could sit. He wrapped her dry cloak around her shoulders.
"Adella." Fili's gruff voice came out, wishing for her attention. He walked towards them, his own cloak tightly wrapped around his shivering frame. "I must thank you. You saved mine and my brothers lives. I will forever be grateful."
Thorin looked around desperately for his older nephew. He had just been here by his side. Where had he gone? That's when he caught sight of Fili's familiar blond hair, and the Siren he spoke to.
The Kings blood boiled. She was stupid for jumping in after them. Had she not seen how quickly Kili had been swept away? If she had been unsuccessful, not only would he be mourning his nephews, but would no longer have his bargaining chip for the Elves if it came to it.
"Fili, come away from it." Thorin demanded of his nephew.
Kili was quick to defend the one who had just saved him from certain death. "She has a name, Thorin."
Gandalf came to her defense as well. "Thorin, have you no gratitude for the woman that just saved your sisters sons?"
Thorin reluctantly looked at the female. "I am grateful, but we had it handled. What would've happened if we had to save you as well?" He looked to Gandalf next. "She risked more lives than the ones she saved when she jumped into that river head first." He then turned away without hearing an answer, for she couldn't give one even if she had wanted to.
"Come 'ere lass." Bofur helped her stand, allowing her to use him as a crutch. "You're in no position to ride by yourself." He informed her, bringing her to his pony and helping her on the pony after him. "Rest, lass. I'll wake ya up if we need ya again."
She gave into his offer, placing her head on his back, closing her eyes and letting the darkness take her.
"How was she able to swim so fast?" Bilbo asked Gandalf. He knew absolutely nothing about Sirens, not even knowing they exsisted until she had come into his Hobbit hole. But he did know that she had made it to the two Dwarves in a matter of seconds. No being in all of middle-earth could have accomplished such a task.
Gandalf mounted his horse, getting himself as comfortable as he could before responding to the curious fellow. "Siren's are descended from mermaids. They inherited their incredible skills in the water."
"Mermaid's?" Bilbo's eyes widened in wonder. He had only read of them in story books. They were a thing of legend.
"They also inherited their hearing." Gandalf added. "Especially when communicating with their own kind. They're actually surprisingly quiet and well tempered creatures."
Dwalin scoffed, overhearing their conversation. "Siren's kill whoever stands in their way. They 'ave no remorse for their victims."
Bilbo's brows furrowed curiously. "Then why did she save Fili and KIli?" He turned to Gandalf, then back to Dwalin. He wasn't so much trying to defend her, he hardly knew her. He simply just wanted answers. "She surely felt something to risk her life like that."
Dwalin grumbled, not too sure himself why the female had saved the prince's. Perhaps she was tricking them into trusting her so that the kill would be easier. Or perhaps, he was completely wrong; but Dwalin liked to believe he was never wrong.
Hours passed before the ponies stopped again, this time the sun behind the mountains, and the sunset fading with it. Thorin had been the first to sop, taking in the area before them, before hopping down from his pony's back, dirt kicking up around his boots as he landed.
"We'll rest here for the night. Gloin, you're on first watch." Thorin instructed.
The Dwarves sighed in relief as they all got down from their own ponies. Bofur moved slightly so that he could see Adella over his shoulder, without knocking her off completely. "Adella, lass." He spoke to her, nudging her shoulder with his rough hand.
Adella jumped awake, ready to fight for her life, but calmed instantly upon seeing Bofur's kind face. She looked around her, noting they were no longer where she last remembered.
"We're stopping for the night." Fili had come to help her down from the pony. She had his trust; he was reluctant and cautious still, but knew his mother would want him to repay the person who saved his life. Though, she probably would've understood if he hadn't since the one who saved him was a Siren.
Adella took hold of Fili's shoulders as his hands gripped her waist and helped her down. She sent him a look of thanks with a kind smile, one he happily returned.
With her energy somewhat restored, Adella found her pony, which Gandalf had been kind enough not to leave behind. She stroked the pony's face, letting him know that his owner hadn't abandoned him. His harness slipped off and the weight lifted from his back, thanks to the woman.
"Gandalf," the timid Ori questioned the tall wizard, his hands fidgetting nervously. "If you won't tell us a story of a dragon, I'm sure you have many others to tell."
Gandalf, being unable to tell the sweet Dwarf no, gave a small nod. "Very well," he pulled his pipe from his robe at the same time Bombur's fire sparked to life. "I may have a story or two."
The Dwarves gathered around the fire, Bombur preparing a meal to be cooked, Adella keeping her distance on her bedroll, yet still just as intrigued as the others at what the Wizard had to tell.
"Many years ago," the old Wizard took a puff, his eyes scanning over the thirteen, Bilbo, and Adella. "before some of you were even born." He pointed the end of his pipe in Fili's direction. "In a remote kingdom, a prince was born."
Dwarves groaned, except for Ori, assuming this would be a tale of romance. Nevertheless, they listened still.
"A threat fell upon the kingdom, one made to the infant prince himself. So, the king sent his only child to live with a young maiden in the village. A few years later, a young girl was born, her life too in danger. She was sent to live with the maiden and prince, where she grew up alongside him. However, on the morning of the girls 6th birthday, the unexpected happened."
Adella's head hung. She knew this story well. For it was one she had told the Wizard, because it was a story of her own.
"The village was attacked. The ones who wanted the children dead had come, killing everyone and everything that breathed. The maiden, knowing her one duty was to protect the children, took off for the forest behind the village. Before she could make it, however, she was shot down by an arrow."
The Siren closed her eyes. It was as if it was happening all over again. As if she was back 113 years in the past.
"The two children ran off into the forest, being forced to leave their only known mother figure behind. The assassians had spotted them, taking chase after them, gaining closer by the second..." Gandalf puffed from his pipe, but did not continue, this confusing the company, Adella included.
"And?" Dori pressed with interest. "What happened next?"
"Did they catch the children?" Ori followed in question.
Gandalf's face remained unchanged. "No one knows." He lied. "If you ask me," he shifted in his seat.
"We are asking you." Oin spoke up, trumpet up to his ear.
The Wizard glared down at the old Dwarf, before continuing. "If you ask me, I believe the two escaped. Though, I'm not sure what happened to the prince."
Bilbo seemed to be the only one to catch the Wizard's words, quickly pointing it out. "What happened to the girl, then?" All eyes turned to Bilbo with a curious gaze. "You said you weren't sure what happened to the prince, then that must mean you know what happened to the girl."
Gandalf gave Bilbo a proud smile for catching it. "Very good, Bilbo Baggins. I do know where the young girl is, how do you suppose I knew the story to begin with?"
"Well, then what happened to 'er?" Bofur spoke from Bifur'e side, not too far from Bombur and his stew.
The Wizard's eyes flickered to Adella, then back to the curious eyes. "She's alive and well, if that's what you're asking. Her 120th birthday not too far away." He smiled, silencing their questions for the night.