Reyna was suddenly aware of the bright light that was glowing outside of her closed eyelids. She opened her eyes and saw that it was morning. She sat up and stretched her sore muscles. Looking over, she found that both Kili and Fili were still asleep. Reyna got to her feet and realized that she was the first one awake... besides the enormous man sitting at the diningroom table. She instantly felt defensive of her friends. She assumed that he was their host, Beorn. Reyna was both relieved and uneasy that it was only him. She walked cautiously towards him. She was a few feet away when the large man spoke.
"You do not have to be afraid, young Bender." Beorn said in his deep voice. Reyna stood there, confused.
"How did you know?" she asked. Beorn turned around and looked at her with his brown eyes.
"There are too few in Middle Earth who bear those pendants. Come, sit down." Beorn simply answered. Reyna did as he said and sat on the bench next to him.
"What's your name, lass?" Beorn asked.
"Reyna Stormbringer." she replied, watching the large man carefully. Beorn smiled, taking Reyna off guard.
"Ah, a Stormbringer. I should have guessed." he said. Reyna watched him expectantly, waiting for an explanation. He never got the chance, as most of the Company had awoken at the sound of voices. The half-asleep dwarves shuffled over to the table and Beorn got up. The large man walked into the kitchen. Fili plopped down on Beorn's recently vacated seat. Kili sat on Reyna's other side. She smiled at the two brothers, who were rubbing the sleep from their eyes. Beorn returned from the kitchen with food and a large pitcher of milk. He glanced over at Thorin, who sat near Fili.
"So you are the one called Thorin Oakenshield. Tell me, why is Azog the Defiler hunting you?" Beorn said, pouring Reyna some milk. Thorin furrowed his eyebrows in suspicion.
"You know of Azog? How?" he questioned.
"My people were the first to live in the mountains, before the Orcs came down from the north. The Defiler killed most of my family, but some he enslaved." Beorn explained. Reyna looked up and saw what was left of shackles on the large man's wrists.
"Not for work, you understand, but for sport. Caging skin-changers and torturing them seemed to amuse him." Beorn continued. Reyna looked up at him, sympathy in her blue eyes.
"I am sorry." she said. Beorn glanced over at the young Bender and gave her a small smile.
"You, of all people, should not be sorry. You see, your people, the Benders of Ibilissa, were the only ones that attempted to aid my people in our time of need. In fact, it was a Stormbringer that set me free. I am forever in your people's debt." Beorn said. Reyna blushed and began to protest, but was cut off by Bilbo.
"There are others like you?" the little hobbit asked.
"Once, there were many." Beorn replied.
"And now?" Bilbo questioned.
"Now, there is only one." the large skin-changer said. The Company looked at Beorn in shock. Reyna, instead, was angered. The Pale Orc had wiped out a whole race of people. Azog had an arrow with his name on it.
"You need to reach The Mountain before the last days of autumn?" Beorn asked, regaining Reyna's attention.
"Before Durin's Day falls, yes." Gandalf replied.
"You are running out if time." Beorn observed. Gandalf nodded grimly.
"Which is why we must go through Mirkwood." the wizard responded.
"A darkness lies on that forest. Fell things creep beneath those trees. There is an alliance between the Orcs of Moria and the Necromancer in Dol Guldur. I would not venture there except in great need." Beorn warned.
"We will take the Elven Road. That path is still safe." Gandalf said. Beorn shook his head.
"Safe? The Wood-Elves of Mirkwood are not like their kin. They're less wise and more dangerous. But it matters not." he said forebodingly.
"What do you mean?" Thorin asked
"These lands are crawling with orcs. Their numbers are growing and you are on foot. You will never reach the forest alive." Beorn stated. The company stared at the enormous man, their eyes wide with shock. Beorn turned and looked at Thorin, his dark eyes looked wild and dangerous.
"I don't like dwarves. They are greedy and blind, blind to the lives of those they deem lesser than their own." Beorn said, slowly approaching Thorin. Reyna stood up and placed herself defensively in front of Thorin. She felt horrible for Beorn, but she sure as hell wasn't going to let him hurt Thorin. The giant of a man picked up a mouse from the table. The rodent looked even tinier in Beorn's large hand. He stroked it thoughtfully.
"But Orcs I hate more. And you must be doing something right if you have the Lionheart protecting you. What do you need?" Beorn asked. As Thorin told the tall man what was needed, Reyna stared at Beorn in surprise. Noticing the young woman's puzzled expression, Beorn motioned for her to come with him as he went to collect the supplies.
"You knew who I am. How?" Reyna questioned. Beorn glanced at her as he gathered the provisions.
"I keep up on the news, Reyna Stormbringer." he answered cryptically. Reyna sighed and shook her head.
"You have taken on quite the burden, young one. Are you sure it is worth dying for?" Beorn asked carefully. Reyna nodded.
"Thorin is a good man. Stubborn as a mule, but still a great man. I would die for any one of them, for they are family to me." she said. Beorn looked sadly at the Bender.
"Then I wish you good luck. You will certainly need it, where you are going." he said. With those words of comfort in her mind, Reyna went to rejoin her friends. As she did, she recalled the day Thorin asked her to join the company.
*****flashback*******
Reyna had been preparing to leave the Blue Mountains, as she had business to attend to back home. She was staying with Fili and Kili's family and would soon be departing. She heard a knock on the guest bedroom's door and looked up. Dis, Fili and Kili's mother, opened the door a crack. She was a kind woman and it was easy to see the resemblance between her and her sons. She had Kili's dark hair and Fili's green eyes. And yes, she did have a beard.
"Reyna, dear, Thorin is hear to speak with you." Dis informed her. Reyna furrowed her eyebrows.
"Is it urgent? I must be off, or I will be late to the Council." she asked. Dis nodded. There was a hint of fear in the dwarf woman's eyes.
"It is. He has come to discuss a quest. One to reclaim Erebor. He wishes for the boys to accompany him." Dis said. Reyna's eyes widened.
"I'll be right out." she told Dis, who gave her a smile and left Reyna alone. Reyna ran a hand through her long, black waves, anxiety and excitement rushing over her. She knew exactly what Thorin was about to ask her. She gathered her things and left to greet her old friend.
"Hello, Thorin." Reyna said, sitting acrossed from him at the diningroom table.
"Good morning, Reyna." Thorin said. He had been thinking carefully about how he should word his thoughts. Reyna sighed and said it for him.
"The quest to Erebor. You wish me to accompany you." she stated, not asked. Thorin looked taken aback. How had she known? Reyna rolled her eyes and laughed.
"Dis ran it by me." she explained. Thorin nodded his understanding.
"The whole lot is going, along with Gandalf the Grey and a person of his chosing. Yes, I would like you to come with us. If you would like to..." he said. Reyna looked at him thoughtfully.
"Well, of course I'll come. But you must promise me something." she said, a serious look in her sapphire eyes.
"What?" Thorin asked, confused.
"That you will not change, Thorin Oakenshield. That you will remain the good man that you are. You won't let all the gold and wealth of Erebor blind you to what is truly important." Reyna said. Thorin smiled.
"I promise." he said. Reyna smiled at him and got up.
"Where are you going?" Thorin questioned, watching the girl swing her bag and bow over her shoulder.
"Back to Hopefalls. When is this quest to set out?" Reyna asked.
"In three week's time. Meet us in the Shire. Look for the marked hobbit-hole." Thorin answered. Reyna nodded and went towards the door.
"See you then." she said. She exited the room and passed Dis, waving in farewell. The dwarf grabbed Reyna's arm, surprising her. Dis looked into Reyna's blue eyes with her green ones, urgency clear in them.
"You will keep them safe for me?" Dis asked. Reyna smiled kindly at Fili and Kili's frantic mother.
"You have my word. As long as I still draw breath, I will protect them." she said. Relief filled Dis and she released Reyna from her grasp.
"Thank you, dear." she said. She knew that the young Bender before her would never let any harm come to her sons (or her brother), as long as she still lived. Reyna nodded and began to leave. To her surprise, Dis pulled her into a tight hug.
"Stay safe, Reyna. You will always be family too." she said and then released the girl. There was the one thing Reyna could not promise, that is why Dis had not asked her to. Reyna would do her damned best to protect her friends, but she could not assure that she would come out of this. She was, after all, facing a dragon and god knows what else.
"Goodbye, Dis. Thank you for having me." Reyna said, walking towards the door.
"Anytime, dear." Dis said. And the dwarf had a strong feeling that she may never see Reyna Stormbringer again.
******end of flashback*******
Reyna felt the burden of the promise she had made that day weighing down on her as she mounted the horse she had been lent. She had almost broken her promise already. She began to realize that it would be extremely difficult to protect her friends in an environment that she could not control. It was a problem that no normal girl her age had to face. But Reyna was not your average girl; she was a Bender. She had come on this quest aware that she would most likely not make it back. It was just a matter of time.
Reyna was snapped from her thoughts as Thorin ordered the Company to ride out. Kili and Fili trotted over to their friend and saw the troubled expression on her face.
"What's wrong, Rey?" Kili asked, bringing his friend back to reality.
"Oh, um, I was just thinking about Polaris." she lied. It was partially the truth. Reyna often found her thoughts going to her horse, whom she had not seen since before the troll attack. But that was only the beginning of her troubles.
Fili and Kili nodded, buying the story. They understood how close Reyna had grown to the horse. Though, they were not fully convinced that this was the only thing on Reyna's mind.
The company rode hard over the plains, towards Mirkwood. The sun shown brightly in the sky above them. None of them knew that they would miss that sun so much, once they entered the forest.
After about half a day's ride, they came to the edge of Mirkwood. Gandalf dismounted and Reyna followed his example. They walked through an arch that led to the pathway they were to take.
"The Elven Gate." Reyna said, dread filling her. She was not a huge fan of Mirkwood. Gandalf turned and looked at the rest of the company.
"Here lies our path through Mirkwood."
"No sign of the orcs. We have luck on our side." Dwalin said. Reyna turned and saw Beorn, in bear form, watching over them at a distance.
"I am not sure I would call it luck, Master dwarf." she said. The rest of the company turned to see what Reyna was looking at.
"Set the ponies loose. Let them return to their master." Gandalf ordered. Reyna walked back to her horse and took her supplies off of it. She gave the animal a nudge and it trotted off, back home. Reyna then rejoined Gandalf and Bilbo.
"This forest feels... sick, as if a disease lies upon it. Is there no way around?" the hobbit asked, fear in his voice. Gandalf shook his grey head.
"Not unless we go 200 miles north, or twice that distance south." he replied.
The wizard then moved further down the path, Reyna following. She had to talk to the wizard. She never got the chance, as Gandalf approached a statue that was overgrown with plants. Reyna could feel a strong evil presence here. The grey wizard moved the plants, revealing a painted red symbol. A flaming eye. Suddenly, Reyna was hit with a sharp pain in her head. She saw an eye, flames bursting out of it. The very evil that she had hoped was long gone. She gasped from the pain and her hand went to her head. As quickly as the pain came, it was gone. Gandalf strode to Reyna and put a hand on her shoulder to steady her.
"What did you see?" he asked gently. The young Bender's eyes were filled with panic and something that was rarely seen; fear.
"It was him Gandalf. It was Sauron." she said, her voice shaky. Gandalf's eyes widened. Sauron often chose to target Benders, as they were not easily corrupted. Instead, they tended to get in the way of his evil plans. So he would try to drive them mad or kill them by getting in their heads.
"It is as I feared." Gandalf said quietly. Reyna pulled him a little further from the others.
"Gandalf, ever since we escaped the Goblins I have felt an evil presence." she whispered. Gandalf nodded his understanding.
"As have I, dear Bender. You must not tell the others. It is now that they will need their courage most of all." he replied. Reyna nodded her head, though she was still uneasy. Nori was about to unload the supplies from Gandalf's horse when he walked over.
"Not my horse. I need it." Gandalf said. Nori stopped and everyone stared at the wizard.
"You're not leaving us?" Bilbo questioned with dismay.
"I would not do this unless I had to." Gandalf replied. Reyna's mind was racing at the thought of Gandalf leaving. She was now solely responsible for the safety of her friends. She hardly noticed when Bilbo was about to tell Gandalf about something he found in the Goblin Tunnels. The hobbit hesitated before dropping something back into his pocket. He told Gandalf that it was his courage that he found. Both Gandalf and Reyna were still sceptical. Bilbo had definitely found something more than his courage, but neither of them pressed the matter.
"I'll be waiting for you at the overlook, before the slopes of Erebor. Keep the map and key safe. Do not enter that mountain without me." Gandalf said, looking straight into Thorin's eyes as he did so. He then walked over to his horse.
"This is not the Greenwood of old. The very air of the forest is heavy with illusion. It will seek to enter your minds and lead you astray." Gandalf continued. Reyna stepped forward, a bewildered and nervous expression on her face.
"Gandalf..." she said, trailing off. Gandalf turned to the girl. Sorrow was evident in his wise eyes.
"Stay strong, Reyna. They need you now, more than ever." he said. He pulled the young Bender into a hug. He then released her.
"You are of more use to them alive than dead. Do you understand?" Gandalf asked her quietly, so no one else could here. He was aware that if the time came, Reyna would do anything to keep the Company safe. Reyna nodded slowly and Gandalf mounted his horse.
"You must stay on the path; do not leave it. If you do, you will never find it again." he warned the company. The Grey wizard then wheeled his horse around and rode away.
"No matter what may come, stay on the path!" Gandalf called over his shoulder. The remaining company watched until he was out of sight. They then turned around and faced the woods that loomed before them.
"Come on. We must reach the mountain before the sun sets on Durin's Day." Thorin said. With that, the company followed the path into Mirkwood. The path twisted and turned in the gloomy forest. There was little sunlight and most times the dense undergrowth threatened to completely cover the trail. Despite their best efforts to keep on the path, the Company became lost. Reyna bumped into the back of Kili when the leader stopped suddenly.
"Keep moving. Nori, why have we stopped?" Thorin asked.
"The path... it's disappeared!" Nori exclaimed. The other dwarves then became very nervous indeed. Reyna's eyes grew wide with fear. She could not protect the Company if even the landscape around them was trying to kill them.
"Find it. All of you, look. Look for the path!" Thorin commanded.
"That would not be wise-" Reyna began, but was cut off by a searing pain in her head. She was not aware if it, but with the One Ring so near, she was in grave danger. Sauron would try to put an end to her before she realized what he was planning. Reyna heard his evil voice whispering to her and the pain grew steadily.
Around her the dwarves were being effected by the forest. They stumbled around, trying to find the path until everyone was thoroughly confused and lost. They muttered senseless, incoherent things and ran into each other.
"A tobacco pouch. There's dwarves in these woods." Dori said, the tobacco pouch in his hand. Bofur took it from him and stared at it.
"Dwarves from the Blue Mountains, no less. This is exactly the same as mine..." Bofur observed. They were most certainly out of it. Bilbo walked over. The woods seemed to have less of an affect on him.
"Because it is yours. You understand? We're going round in circles. We are lost!" he said, trying to get the dwarves to understand.
"We're not lost. We keep heading east." Dwalin protested.
"But which way is east? We've lost the sun!" Oin exclaimed.
That's it! Bilbo though to himself. He had to find it. If he could find the sun, they could find their way. He clambered over to a tree and began to climb. There was no sense trying to convince his companions of what needed to be done. They were long gone.
Reyna fell to her knees, the pain becoming more than she could handle. Her hands gripped her head, willing the pain that plagued her to stop. All she could see was black and that horrible flaming eye. Kili stumbled over to her. His thoughts were muddled, but he could see that something wad wrong with his friend. Fili followed after him, swaying as if he was drunk.
"I think there's something wrong with Reyna." Kili slurred.
"You're right. Her hair is all messed up." Fili replied. The two began to bicker with the others over unintelligible things, all thoughts of their friend gone. Soon all of the dwarves were fighting amongst themselves. All but Thorin, who heard something. It was a sinister whispering sound.
"What? What's that?" he asked, though no one heard him over all the fighting. Though his thoughts were foggy, Thorin realized that something was wrong. Horribly wrong.
"Enough! Quiet! All of you! We're being watched!" Thorin shouted at his kin. The bickering died down and the dwarves looked around them wildly as the whispering got louder.
The pain in Reyna's head ebbed away, though she had no idea why. She would later discover that it was because Sauron didn't have to bother killing her himself. Reyna's vision cleared up and she became aware of the whispering as well. She looked up and realized that their were webs hanging from the trees around her. She then saw a large, black creature leap at her. She did not even have time to scream before everything went dark.
Dun, Dun, DUN! Wow, that was quite the suspenseful ending, if I do say so myself. I will try to get the next chapter up soon, but I have a LOT planned for it. No hints there. Thoughts? Comments? Let me know :)
-Vega8282