The female elves helped her with the bath even though she said she could do it herself. Her brown shirt was brought to wash and in its place a white dress to cover her all the way to her knees. The material is amazing but the way it restricts her has her tense.
Her hair is combed and weaved into braids. Looking in a mirror, she gawks as she seems to carry a newfound glow. Her fur was never this clean or even brushed to seem sheen as a horse mane. Her antlers were scrubbed, and they shine as she moves her head. The dark brown color was cleaner than any of her kin horns. Her hooves are cleaned and even shaved so she wouldn't be so off balance.
Once it is time to join the others, she found her walking is much better and can walk without hopping on her hooves. Guess she really needed to shave her hooves. The company sat on two long tables while she finds Gandalf and Thorin sitting with Elrond. Her hooves catch everyone's attention and their mouth gawk.
In a silk dress complimenting her curves and lean form, her hair was pulled back showing more of her slim neck and diamond face. Her fur was neatly brushed and shone under the light. Her honey eyes once again glowed gold.
"Wow, Iris, you look beautiful." The funny hat dwarf comment admires the satyr's beauty.
"Thank you. It is a first for me to be in a dress. Thank you, Elrond."
"My pleasure. Come sit please." She walks over and sits down smiling at Thorin who hasn't stopped gawking at her.
"Thorin, yoo-hoo." She snaps her fingers, whose nails have been cut and filled, in his face. That snapped him out of his gaze, and he smiles.
"You look good."
"Thank you." Glancing at the salad before her, she begins eating. It isn't as good as the berries bushes or the twigs she ate from nature around her, but it is fine.
"How did you come across such swords?" Elrond speaks probably returning the conversation held before she arrived.
"We found them in a troll hoard on the great east road," Gandalf says.
"And what were you doing on the great east road?" Elrond asks seeming curious and intrigued about what led them so.
"Simply traveling." Iris comments knowing Thorin would not like to confess the journey they are taking.
"Ah of course. May I ask what brings you here so far from home?" Elrond asks.
"Orcs and darkness have swept over everything. No trees are rooted anymore, the fire burned the land and every creature is eaten. It was no longer home so I fled. Radaghast found me and has taken care of me since."
"Your dark color tells me your blood resides more among mountains than the woods."
"You are correct. My family up to my ancestor used to run along the great white mountains but had to travel to our woodland kin due to that ferocious dragon."
"How old were you when the dragon forced you to flee?" Elrond asks.
"I was but a small faun. Couldn't run as fast as my parents and had to be carried by my father." She leaves it at that beginning to remember a huge travesty that occurred for her family.
"Any siblings?"
"Three young sisters. Snatched and eaten." Thorin looks horrified at the revelation. The elf's eyes too widen, and regret fills them.
"I am sorry. I did not know."
"It is alright. Years have passed on for grief to leave me. That is why I remain alive and stick to living my whole life till I grow white and pale. For my kin, I am the last and hopefully, I may bare more so satyrs never end in middle earth." Elrond nods and the conversation ends. Thorin excuses himself and leaves the table. Iris watches him walk off to stand and her gaze moves to the dwarves sneering at the salads. Her eyebrows scrunch in confusion.
"Lord Elrond, pardon my question but do you not have meat? Surely chicken or some meat would be among your diet of greens?'
"We eat more green than meat my dear." Elrond doesn't fully answer the question and Iris knows he does have meat but doesn't want to give it to the dwarves. So much for being guests.
"Of course. Excuse me as well." She stands and walks over to the dwarves, mainly where Bilbo is to ask him some questions she wishes to know. "Hey Bilbo, enjoying yourself?"
"Ah yes. Are you?" Bilbo looks at the goddess Satyr behind him.
"It isn't as good as the woods but it is fine. So, I was wondering if I can ask you a few things." She leans on the back of his chair looking down at the hobbit. He is cute she must admit.
"Sure."
Bilbo and Iris go on talking about the Shire and Hobbiton. The more she learns, the more her heart beats to live there. Peaceful and has a homey feel to it. If she had known about the place, she would have gone to live there herself.
"There a..." their attention is pulled to the funny hat dwarf standing on the table beginning to sing.
"...an inn. A merry old inn.
There's an inn
Inn, there's an inn, there's a merry old inn,
Beneath an old grey hill;
And there they brew a beer so brown
That the Man in the Moon himself came down
One night to drink his fill.
The ostler has a tipsy cat
That plays a five-stringed fiddle;
And up and down he saws his bow
Now squeaking high,
Now purring low.
Now sawing in the middle
So, the cat on the fiddle played a hey-diddle-diddle
A jig that would wake the dead;
He squeaked and he sawed, and he quickened the tune,
While the landlord shook the Man in the Moon:
"It's after three!", he said"
Everyone cheered and clapped, and Iris enjoyed the song very much with a bright smile on her face. Night fell and the dwarves retired on a balcony all camping together. Iris, Thorin, Bilbo, Gandalf, and Balin as she learned the name of the short white-bearded dwarf standing near a cliff with Elrond.
"It is the legacy of my people." Thorin grit out through his teeth as Gandalf insists, he shows the map to Elrond. "It is mine to protect, as are its secrets."
The old wizard rolls his eyes annoyed with the prince's stubbornness. "Save me from the stubbornness of dwarves; your pride will be your downfall. You stand here in the presence of one of the few in Middle Earth who can read that map. Show it to Lord Elrond."
Thorin's narrow gaze moves to look at the Satyr's eyes fly to his from looking at the horizon. He asks with his eyes, and she blinks nodding showing surety all will be fine. He sighs meeting the elf's gaze, clenching his jaw as he reaches into his fur overcoat and withdrew the folded map left to him by his father. He swallowed, steeling his nerves as he takes a step forward.
"Thorin, no," Balin says, placing a hand on his arm. Thorin brushes it off, handing with his other hand the parchment to the elf.
"Erebor? What is your interest in this map?" Elrond's eyes recognize the lonely mountain image.
Thorin opens his mouth to answer, intending to confess the reason for the journey but Gandalf interrupts him.
"It's mainly academic. "Gandalf lies, giving the dwarf prince a look. "As you know, artifacts of this kind often contain hidden text. You still read ancient dwarfish, do you not?" He added as Elrond began pacing the floor lifting the paper up to the moon.
"I do yes." The elf's eyes turn to the satyr. "But I do believe I am not the only one fluent."
Eyes look to Iris, and she gulps. Glancing around, she sighs and walks over seeing the familiar writing. Her hooves never make a sound as she steps forward. The wind blows thin strands of her hair.
"I know how to speak but reading is another matter." Elrond offers the map nonetheless.
"Try." Thorin looks between the two of them not enjoying his map being handed like that. Her honey eyes the shade turned a caramel color.
"May I Thorin? You are the keeper of the map." Thorin's jaw tenses but he nods decently. He wishes to see if she really can read his kin language.
She gently grabs the map in her hands, her eyes changing colors as the light hits them and then disappears. She looks up at the moon before lifting the parchment.
"Moon runes." She announces, in awe like she found treasure. Just like in the cave finding her kin bow and arrows, Thorin sees her eyes sparkle.
"Of course," Gandalf speaks happily. He looks over his shoulder to his dwarf companions. "An easy thing to miss."
"In that case." Elrond reaches his hand out to the satyr and her expression tighten in a frown but hand it over. "Moon runes can only be read by the light of the moon of the same shape and season as the one by which they were written."
Thorin crosses his arms over his broad chest. "Can you read them?"
"I can. Iris, please join us." Iris's eyes widen in surprise as being invited to see moon runes.
They walk off and come to a crystal stone on a ledge of a waterfall. The clouds block the moon basking them in shadow. Her eyes glitter in amazement. She had never seen such magnificence. Thorin's grunt pulls her attention down to him. He gives her a pointed look.
"What? It's gorgeous and admit it, you like the view as well." She teases smiling before looking back at the falling water glistening white with the moonlight.
Iris missed narrowed eyes at her from Thorin. Bilbo chuckles beside her but coughs it off when the leader's gaze set on him. They look at Elrond who set the parchment down on the crystal.
"These runes were written on a midsummer's eve by the light of a crescent moon nearly two hundred years ago. It seems you were meant to come to Rivendell. Fate is with you Thorin Oakenshield; the same moon shines on us tonight."
"Huh, what irony." Iris eyes Gandalf thinking he knew this would happen.
Iris watches as the moonlight fell upon the stone, illuminating it from beneath. The hidden runes appear glowing, and she easily reads them like it is a second language to her.
"Stand by the grey stone when the thrush knocks and the setting sun with the last light of Durin's Day will shine upon the keyhole."
"Durin's day?" Bilbo asks Balin unsure what that is.
"It's the Dwarven New year." Iris answers remembering her uncle and aunt used to celebrate the season with a campfire and dance. Thorin crunches his eyebrows unsure how the Satyr knew of the season. She ignores the look and looks down at the map. The dragon summons dark feelings of vengeance to fill her heart. She will avenge her kin, even if it means dying herself.
"Summer is passing." Thorin comments. "Durin's day will soon be upon us."
"We still have time," Balin replies assuring the prince.
"Time for what?" Bilbo asks, confused.
"To find the entrance," Balin explains making Iris's eyes widen. She glances at Elrond whose back is toward them, but she knows he is listening. Her companions forgot the elf was with them. "We have to be standing in exactly the right spot at exactly the right time. Then, and only then, will the door be opened?"
"So that is your purpose?" Elrond turns around, his voice bearing a subtle anger. "To enter the mountain?"
"What of it?" Thorin responds through grit teeth defensive. He did forget the elf was with them.
"There are some," Elrond says narrowing his gaze to Thorin as he returns the map to Thorin. "Who would not deem it wise."
"What do you mean?" Gandalf asks unsure of his elf passive aggressive tone and a cryptic message.
"You are not the only guardian to stand watch over Middle Earth." Elrond walks off.
"Well, he is no longer jolly and straight. Best we prepare to leave soon if we are to get on our journey to the mountain."
"We?" Thorin asks looking at the Satyr.
"Yes, we. I am coming because I have my own business to deal with that big fat lizard that killed my siblings when they were just one year old. Barely even could walk. Your kin isn't the only ones that suffered that lizard's wrath and now I am going to come to show him what a real mad Satyr could do. Stop me will not do any good for you or anyone." Leaving it at that, Iris walks off to get rid of the restrictive clothing. Beautiful yes but not made for Satyrs at all.