I followed Elrond into Rivendell, it was still as beautiful as I remembered. The city reminded me alot of my home in the North. I flew over the city seeing the Dwarves and Gandalf in one of the courtyards.
Alastor landed in the nearest courtyard to my own dwelling in the city. It was small and I hardly stayed in in long. Mainly for flybys and short stays. I did keep extra clothes there for when I needed to be much more then a simple hunter.
An Elven girl came by to keep it tidy from the dust but I didn't belong in Rivendell and I knew it.
My heart belonged to the North. That was my place, my home.
I released Alastor from his bridle and saddle. "We can rest for a while now," I said to him.
He snorted and shook his head, he settled down and rested in the courtyard. I decided to change before dinner. I also took another bath before to wash the grit and grime off.
After my bath and drying off, I decided to show those Dwarves that I could pull myself together. That I wasn't just a Tamer, but the granddaughter of the Chief.
I dressed in a more formal dress. It was still had the one shoulder piece as was the look for most females in the Tamers. Since women was in battle as well as the men, the one shoulder piece was bare on their dominate arm -as in all my outfits had my right shoulder exposed. In any case that an enemy attacked we could defend ourselves without worrying about digging straps into our shoulders.
My dress was a dark grey with silver and white feathers on the skirt, it was plain with no heavy adorments or gems. It was simple, how the Tamers use to be. Since we was considered warriors there was no need for any other thing that could easily have gotten lost or stolen but a silver cape came from it's back and went down to the floor signaling my status as part of the ruling family.
Natural beauty was much more elegant then heavy gowns, makeup and gems.
Since Tamers outfits was more for war then for impressions I could easily put it on myself. I put on white lace up sandles on my legs. I didn't bother with my weapons. Rivendell was safe and I hardly needed with them when I was here.
My hair was back up in it's signature braids, it was the warrior hairstyle.
Walking out of my house I saw Alastor eating from a cart full of vegetables, he doesn't really care for "rabbit food" but Elves was known for being vegetarians.
Alastor hardly complains when he's given food, a dragon's belly can handle any type of food, but he sure has his favorite types.
I heard the Dwarves in the dining room before I even got there. I caught their king's attention easily. Their conversations slowly stop as I enter the room.
"Ira!" I hear.
Fili and Kili ambush me in a group hug. It felt good to be 'accepted' for once. I hadn't really hugged other people before so it was a little akward but they seemed to not care.
"Where's Alastor?" Kili asked me.
"Eating."
"The lad eats more then us," Fili said as they went to their seats again.
I joined Elrond, Gandalf and Thorin at the 'adult' table it would seem.
Thorin and my eyes kept meeting as we ate the food of vegtables. Spirits he couldn't keep his eyes off me as Gandalf and Elrond spoke.
Elrond examines their blades. "This is Orcrist, the Goblin Cleaver," he said to Thorin. "A famous blade, forged by the High Elves of the West, my kin. May it serve you well."
Thorin accepted it with a nod as Elrond goes to Gandalf's sword, Glamdring at it's called. The Foehammer.
"How did you come by these?" Elrond asked.
"We found them in a troll hoard on the Great East Road, shortly before we was ambushed by Orcs," Gandalf explained.
"And what was you doing on the Great East Road. I suspected you took the Pass when I found Ira guarding it."
"You couldn't help but notice the dragon too." I took a sip of the wine, it was rather delightful.
Elrond chuckled. "Still what where you doing there?"
No one speaks, Thorin excused himself away from the conversation.
After dinner I find him on one of the balconies that overlook the largest courtyard with multiple waterfalls falling. His shoulders tense, his arms crossed.
"You alright Thorin?" I asked walking up. "You look tense."
"Do you not know that Elves and Dwarves hold a grudge against one another?" he asked. "One half of your people?"
"No, I didn't know much about Dwarvish life," I replied. "My father died when I was a baby and my mother not long after." I turned and leaned against the stone railing. "My grandfather raised me in the arms of the Tamers, he was the chief, king as you prefer."
He looked at me, I had said the right thing. I was techinally a princess, royal blood.
"Lost your train of thought Oakenshield?" I teased.
He smirked softly. "No."
I looked back out to Rivendell, it was quiet. "Rivendell is so much like how the North was," I said after a while. "Dragons flew in the sky, waterfalls frozen in the winter."
"I always thought Dragons was evil creatures but yours seems to not care about us at all."
"Not all dragons is like Smaug," I said. "There's a sickness, a strain of madness, that runs deep in dragons. Not all dragons succumb to it and it's rare when it does. Usually we can catch it time and keep them locked down till it's either dealt with by death or it goes away on it's own."
"Smaug got out?"
I nodded. "When they was moving him to his cage, he broke free of the chains that bound him." A tear slipped down as I explained what happened. "Fire was everywhere. My grandfather and Alastor's mother pushed us farther into the Tombs, there was a secret passageway that lead out of the mountians. When I turned back to call for my grandfather, I didn't hear him, only saw a flash of fire, but I heard dragons fighting meaning his mother was protecting the entrance of the Tombs, then silence.
"Alastor and I stayed in the Tombs until Smaug left. There wasn't much bodies left but I managed to find the ones that was still there and drag them to the Tombs. I buried all my people, me. You don't know how that messes with your mind," I finished. "I was only eleven."
"I can imagine," he said. "After Moria, my grandfather was dead, my little brother too, my father went missing not long afterwards. My sister is the only one who is left."
"You have a sister?" I looked over at him.
He nodded. "Dis, Fili and Kili is her sons. I made a promise to her, to keep them safe."
I sighed and turned away. He had a family, his kin was still alive. "Alastor is my only family left, all of my kin is dead. Burned to ash." I turned away. "You don't understand, you still have family. Goodnight Thorin."
His hand gripped my wrist causing me to stop in my tracks. It was rather calming.
Glancing back I saw in his eyes that he was pleading with me to stay.
"I'm sorry Thorin...you don't understand. Goodnight," With that I pulled away and retreated to my room. Shutting the door I leaned against it's heavy wooden frame.
Stinging tears fell down my cheeks, my bottom lip trembled. Why did I pull away? Giel melava tial gialar. Curse my greiving soul.
•~•
"Our business is no concern of Elves," Thorin snarled as we stood in one of the halls in Rivendell. We haven't talked since last night. When my broken soul had forced me away.
Why do I act like I do when I am around him?
I wore my grey warrior outfit that was similar to the one I wore in Bag End. It was also one strapped dress that stopped where my silver boots ended. My black leather bands was on my midsection and stopped at my hips. My hair was down, it stayed down.
Gandalf groaned. "For goddness sake, Thorin, show him the map."
"It's the legacy of my people," Thorin replied stubbornly. "It's mine to protect, as are it's secrets."
I couldn't blame him, I wouldn't want an enemy to read any secrets something I might have on the Tamers.
"Save me from the stubborness of Dwarves," Gandalf sighed. "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."
I let out a quiet sigh of relief when he hands the map over to Lord Elrond.
Balin tries to stop him. "Thorin, no."
He calmly brushes him aside letting Elrond look at the map.
Elrond looks at it after he takes it from Thorin's hand. "Erebor? What is your interest in this map?"
Thorin started to speak but Gandalf interupted him. "It's mainly academic. As you know this sort of thing sometimes contain hidden text." He called to Elrond as he was walking around reading the map.
"You still read ancient Dwarvish do you not?"
"Cirth Ithil..." Elrond said.
I noticed the moonlight was hitting the map making it shimmer.
I wasn't shy when I remembered the few bits of Elvish that Elrond had taught me. "Moon runes.."
Thorin looked over at me annoyed at what I said. I didn't know if it was a glare or a curious look, he's hard to read on his body language sometimes.
Elrond came to my rescue. "It is true, moon runes can only be read by the light of the moon on the same shape and season as the day on which they was written."
Thorin spoke after a moment of silence. "Can you read them?"
As Elrond lead us down the hall and to an open area outside on the side of a cliff, I stood near Thorin. The sound of waterfalls was around us, a crystalline table was in the center of the area.
Elrond spoke as he read the map. "These runes were written on a Midsummer's Eve by the light of a cresent moon nearly two hundred years ago. It would seem that you were meant to come to Rivendell. Fate is with you, Thorin Oakenshield. That same moon shines upon us tonight."
The clouds covering the moon fades away letting the rays of the moonlight hit the crystal table. Light flowed through the table flowing through the map and lighting up the room up. I tensed when I felt Thorin's arm brush against mine making the hair stand up on the back of my neck.
Elrond started translating the runes. "Stand by the gray stone when the thrush knocks, and the setting sun with the last light of Durin's Day will shine upon the keyhole."
Bilbo and I spoke at the same time. "Durin's Day?"
Gandalf explained. "It's the start of the Dwarves' new year, when the last moon of autumn and the first sun of winter apper in the sky together."
Thorin spoke up after learning what was on the map. "This is ill news. Summer is passing, Durin's Day will soon be upon us."
I turned my head to Balin who answered him. "We still have time," he said.
"For what?" I asked him.
"To find the entrance," he replied. "We have to be standing at the exactly the right spot at exactly the right time. Then, and only then can the door be opened?"
Elrond then knew of the plan. "This is your purpose? To enter the Mountian?"
Thorin's eyes glared as he took the map back with a gruff. "What of it?"
Elrond sighed as he turned to him. "There are some who would not deem it wise." He then turned to Gandalf.
"Who do you mean?" Gandalf asked him.
"You're not the only guardian to stand watch over Middle Earth." Elrond's words seemed cruel at first but as he walked away, I knew that he was right in someways. If Smaug escaped from Erebor due to us, it would be castatrophic on any one city.
I watch as Thorin stalks out of the area as I move to glance up at the moon, thinking back to last night. Our conversation.
He didn't know what it was like to bury his entire people leaving him the last alive. He had family left. Fili, Kili, that was his family. I had no one.