Read the note at the end of this chapter thank you.
The formerly joyous feelings of courtship were eradicated when Thorin's voice was heard bellowing through the mountain. "Call everyone to the gate!" He exclaimed. "To the gate! Now!" Eyebrows furrowed, I exchanged glances with Fili before standing up and heading towards the gate, followed by the other dwarves.
"What's going on?" Bofur asked.
"Survivors from Laketown." Dwalin said in response, balling his hands into fists. "Hundreds of them... they are streaming into Dale." Novalee, I thought to myself.
It did not take long for Thorin to meet us at the gate with a look of pure sickness in his eyes. A portion of his face was still red from where I struck him. Nevertheless, it didn't appear to have done much good for his well-being. "I want this fortress made safe by sun-up. This mountain was hard won- I will not see it taken again." He growled, nodding towards the pile of rubble created by Smaug's exit. Did he mean to build a wall? The dwarf had truly lost it. Seeing my frustration, Fili gently squeezed my hand, then removing it before his uncle could see. Thorin scowled at us. "What are you all waiting for? Daybreak is nearly at an end."
The company all looked at one another before stepping forward and placing the rocks on the ground to make a steady foundation. Normally, I would have grabbed the fool by his throat to bring back some form of sense... but it was clear none of that would work on him. There was seemingly no cure for the dwarf's sickness. So, to prevent any conflict- as well as honor Fili's familial ties with him... I decided to be docile and help the dwarves with the stones. Docile. The word itself made me want to gag. It was truly weakness.
"The people of Laketown have nothing!" Kili said. "They came to us in need. They have lost everything."
"Do not tell me what they have lost. I know well enough their hardship." Thorin bellowed, glaring down upon the man who was once his beloved nephew. It seemed, now, even family could not get through to him. "Those who have lived through dragon-fire should rejoice. They have much to be grateful for." Seeing the despair on Kili's face was hard enough.
As the dwarf-king called for more stone to be brought, I walked towards him. Might as well try to by sympathetic. "This isn't your fault, Kili."
"Then who's fault is it?" He snapped, roughly placing a rock within a crevice. "I knew it was a mistake, to stay in Laketown as he left with the others... I could have spoken to him."
I shook my head. "Look at all that's happened because we've spoken to him. This gold- all of the wealth- it's cursed. It's made Thorin sick beyond what we understand." A weary sigh escaped my lips. "You're not to blame, Kili. None of us are."
Hours later, the glimmering campfires of the people of Laketown stood out against the night sky. The wall was about three-quarters finished, and Thorin had the dwarves working into the night.
Meanwhile, I had made up my mind.
"You won't be safe out there." Fili muttered as we headed up towards the balcony of the wall.
I gripped the rope under my arm, and once we had made it to the top, I met his gaze. "No, I won't be. And the longer Thorin is ill, you all will not be safe inside the mountain. I'm going out to find Gandalf- speak to Bard. Someone should do something to help- and at the least, knock some sense into Thorin's thick head." We both grew quiet as Fili took a lookout position, and I fastened one end of the rope around a rocky edge, tugging it to ensure its strength. As I dropped the rest of the rope down I turned to look at the dwarf, having crouched somewhat due to the lack of space.
"And if you get hurt?" He asked.
"Then you should kill me for not keeping promises, and then, you may use my skull as your dinner bowl." I whispered in response, the edges of my lips turning up into a smirk.
The dwarf couldn't help but chuckle at that reminder of when we were merely strangers, stumbling upon one another in the forest. "Right... I will keep that in mind." My eyes widened when he stood on his toes and placed a gentle kiss on my cheek- it was an affectionate gesture. "As strong as you are, do be careful."
I cracked a smile. "I will." Giving a final nod, I swung my leg over the side of the rock wall, making sure I was gripping the rope, and began to make my way down the wall. Different scents from the outside swept into my nostrils as I positioned my feet in the rock crevices, easily halfway down by this point. My joints ached from not transforming into a panther for so long. With all that had occurred, I didn't have an opportunity to. Fili and I had decided using a light would give ourselves away, so I needed to reach the ground unable to see but without dying. An easy enough feat.
Releasing a breath when my feet brushed the ground, I steadied myself and gave the dwarf a final wave- a signal to pull the rope up. I then adjusted Baratinu's strap on my back before heading off into the blanket of the dark. Only the sounds of chirping crickets and the wind blowing through the grass accompanied me on my mission. Oh, how I wanted to transform. To be in my second form and run, be on the hunt and capture some poor animal as my prize. My incisors had subconsciously elongated at the thought, however....
I froze when I heard someone step on a branch. Without hesitation I crouched in the grass and didn't make a sound. Just my luck for some human imbecile to be wandering around in the brush. I should just kill him for being dumb. Inhaling through my nostrils, I focused my senses and caught a glimpse of a figure rising in the brush. I bared my teeth before rushing forward and tackling them. My initial shock didn't kick in until I got a glimpse of them in what moonlight was available.
It certainly wasn't a man. This woman was at least two heads shorter than I, with a head of firey red hair. She was donned in some sort of armor with letters that appeared... dwarvish? I never fully learned to read- much less more than one language- so I had no idea. Narrowing her eyes, she grit her teeth and gripped her formerly unnoticed war hammer. "Oy, get offa me!"
A loud grunt escaped my lips when she sent the war hammer flying into my side, and therefore sending me a couple feet through the air and into the brush. I looked up with a growl, and could now examine this woman more closely. She couldn't have been taller than four feet. A dwarf. The situation grew more interesting when she spoke.
"Who the hell do ya think ye are?" She exclaimed, visibly agitated. "Crouchin' up and tacklin' a woman in a brush, eh? Are ye delusional? Perhaps I should knock ye head a couple times with my hammer, see if that fixes the problem!"
I set my jaw. So she was feisty, as was I. "You should explain why you were close to the mountain, where the dwarves are, before I rip your throat open and cover the ground with dwarvish blood! How does that sound?"
Her eyes sparked with anger before she pointed a finger towards the mountain. "Oh really, ye furry giant? No one, an' I mean no one, keeps me away from mah kin!"
My eyebrows furrowed. "Your kin?" Oh... that explained a lot. "Say who you are."
"You first." She growled. I resisted the urge to growl.
"Kyja, daughter of Beorn the skin-changer. If that doesn't explain the fur and teeth I don't know what to tell you... I've been traveling with Thorin's company for over a year. Now will you set down the hammer before you hurt somebody?" The dwarves would be surprised to see me acting this diplomatic.
Expression softening, the dwarf woman lowered her war hammer and looked me over as a means of deciphering if what I said was true. Now that I didn't have her pinned to the ground, I could see that she had red-haired sideburns that stopped about halfway down her jawline. "If what ye say is true then I won't have ta kill ye." She stuck her hand out for me to shake. "Dramona Ironfoot, daughter of Lord Dain Ironfoot of the Iron Hills. Pleased to meet ye."
I lifted an eyebrow before outstretching a hand and returning the gesture. "Pleasure to meet you as well... I'm glad that we didn't kill one another."
Dramona laughed. "Wouldn't that be a tale to tell, eh?" She then shifted her weight. "Now hang on just a moment here... that still doesn't explain why ye were hangin' about the bush like a beggar."
The next few minutes consisted of me explaining my ties to the dwarves, how Thorin was acting, the conflict among the company- everything that she needed to know... including my newfound courtship with Fili. The dwarf smirked. "Ah, so ye like em short, eh? Aye, Fili's a looker, I'll give ye that. His brother Kili? My, now there's a dwarf that I could take to bed night after night!" My eyes widened in response. Don't get me wrong- I love the sexually-undertoned jokes as much as the next person, but Dramona possessed no shame. It would be nice to see her in place of Tauriel. After we both chuckled, Dramona grew serious. "Right... the illness- I heard of it from me father. Well, I'll go with ye. They don't need ta be bickerin' when Orcs are on the loose. Those bastards."
Just like that, an emotionally unstable skin-changer and her newfound stubborn-headed dwarf companion headed off to Dale to speak with Bard, Gandalf, and another surprising visitor. One that we both particularly hated.
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Alright guys, hope you liked this chapter! I felt like Kyja needed a best friend, so here's Dramona. I do believe they're #friendgoals. Nothing like potentially beating someone with a war hammer to conjure up a friendship, huh?
Anyways, the note. I will be going to Northern Ireland for 3 weeks to visit family, during that time there obviously won't be any updates. But considering I take 5 months to update regardless it won't mean much.
I can't believe this fanfic is coming to an end... it's honestly crazy.
But remember, if it upsets you: Don't cry, craft.
~ Orla
yes i am Dan and Phil trash like all of you i have no shame