Ya'aburnee

Fireside Tales

Liv managed to get 4 or 5 hours of sleep after she'd been relieved from watch duty, and they were back on the road again by the time the sun had risen in the morning. The day was uneventful, but Thorin seemed less on edge that day than he had for the last week or so.

That night, they set up camp near an outcropping of rock, setting a fire and settling down for the night. Some of the company were already sleeping, but many had stayed up to quietly chat, Liv sitting near Fili and Kili, leaning against the rock wall. They had been discussing throwing knives and other projectile weapons earlier, but as the night dragged on, and they began to get tired, they had fallen into silence. 

Liv glanced to her left and behind her, where Thorin sat a short way away. His eyes were closed, and he appeared to be resting, but still sat upright, not fully asleep.

A shadow crossing between her and the fire drew her attention to the hobbit who had silently risen from his bedroll to come stand nearby, stretching.

"Can't sleep?" She murmured quietly, and Bilbo nodded.

"The ground is very hard, and Bombur's snoring is very loud."

Liv offered a sympathetic smile and a quiet laugh as the hobbit casually walked over to Myrtle, the pony he rode, and she smiled fondly, pretending not to notice as she saw him sneak an apple to the pony. She fiddled with her hands in her lap, before a screeching cry made her head turn out into the darkness of the night. She knew that noise, unfortunately.

Bilbo turned quickly, looking frightened. "What was that?" He asked.

"Orcs," Kili replied with a grim voice, drawing the attention of Fili, who had been casually sitting until he caught on to what his brother was trying to do.

"Orcs?" Bilbo quickly tiptoed back over, and out of the corner of her eye she caught Thorin jumping to alertness, eyes snapping open, spine straight.

"Throatcutters," Fili joined in, leaning forwards. "There'll be dozens of them out there. The lone-lands are crawling with them."

Liv made eye contact with Gandalf. Fili wasn't wrong, but still, she knew the young dwarf wasn't taking it seriously. She couldn't fault him for that, necessarily. He'd always had weapons, and warriors around him, and had a warrior's training himself, so a pack of orcs wasn't necessarily something he understood the true fear of.

Kili continued the tale, "They strike in the wee small hours of the night, when everyone's asleep. Quick and quiet, no screams. Just lots of blood."

Bilbo turned out to the darkness in fear. "Not funny." Liv gave the brothers a pointed look as smiles broke out onto their faces, chuckling quietly at the Hobbit.

Their grins were quickly wiped from their faces at Thorin's voice. "You think that's funny? You think a night raid by orcs is a joke?"

"We didn't mean anything by it," Kili bowed his head, looking like a kicked puppy.

"No you didn't." Thorin nearly sneered, walking further away to the edge of the camp. "You know nothing of the world." 

Liv bit her lip, nervous energy from Fili and Kili spilling over to her as she watched Thorin walk away.

"Don't mind him laddie," Balin approached, Fili, Kili, Bilbo, and Liv looking up at him. "Thorin has more cause than most to hate orcs." Liv and Kili both looked over to the dwarf in question, his arms crossed behind his back, posture tense. 

"After the dragon took the lonely mountain," Balin continued, "King Thror tried to reclaim the ancient dwarf kingdom of Moria. But our enemy had got there first. Moria had been taken my legions of orcs, led by the most vile of all their race: Azog the Defiler." Liv shuddered slightly at the name. She knew, to fulfil her task, she'd have to confront the pale orc. 

"The giant Gundabad orc had sworn to wipe out the line of Durin. He began by beheading the king... Thrain, Thorin's father, was driven mad by grief. He went missing. Taken captive or killed, we did not know. We were leaderless. Defeat... and death, were upon us. That is when I saw him." Balin turned with a smile to look towards Thorin. Now, even the sleeping dwarves had risen from their slumber to hear the tale. 

"A young dwarf prince, facing down the pale orc. He stood alone against this terrible foe. His armor rent, wielding nothing but an oaken branch as a shield. Azog the Defiler learned that day that the line of Durin would not be so easily broken." Both Fili and Kili looked to Balin. Liv felt suddenly fiercely protective, knowing that in the end, she would have to stand between them and death. "Our forces rallied, and drove the orcs back. Our enemy had been defeated." Balin's face fell then, "But there was no feast, nor song that night, for our dead were beyond the count of grief. We few had survived. And I thought to myself then... there is one who I could follow. There is one who I could call King." 

By now, all the dwarves were standing, looking in awe to their king. Liv still sat, but looked upon him through the crowd, and Thorin turned to look upon his company. He inclined his head slightly, walking back over and into the group. "And the pale orc?" Bilbo broke the silence, looking up from where he was sitting at Balin. "What happened to him?"

Thorin answered instead. "He slunk back into the hole whence he came. That filth died of his wounds long ago." He made his way back to where he had been seated before. 

Gandalf and Balin shared a look, and Liv bit her lip, looking down. She wished he was right. But if he was, she wouldn't be here, and she wouldn't have lives in her hands.

Things quieted, after a time, and most of the dwarves had gone to sleep, save Balin, who had first watch, and Thorin. Gandalf remarked quietly that he was going to go to sleep, and Bilbo had fallen asleep long ago. Liv still sat, legs crossed, pensive. "You should sleep," Thorin muttered quietly, walking past her to stoke the fire, lowly enough that Balin on the outskirts of the camp could not hear him. "The second watch is yours."

"I'm not the only one still awake," she replied gently, looking up at him from where she sat. He looked at her and sighed, but said nothing, turning back to the flames. 

"At least I have a reason." He eventually said into the night.

"And who says I don't?" She asked, voice slightly defensive, and Thorin turned and studied her for a moment before turning back to the flames. "Our path for the next week is laid clear before us, and there is always someone on watch." She stood, stretching as she picked a path past him towards her bedroll. "Sleep would not hurt," She muttered lowly as she slipped past.

As she adjusted her things for sleeping, sitting on her bedroll to unbraid, brush, and re-braid her hair, she heard him move behind her, going to his own bedroll, bringing a small smile to her face. Although she could only see him out of the corner of her eye, she saw him settle, laying on his side, but she still felt his eyes watching her, turning her head as she plaited her hair. He turned quickly away, rolling to his other side, and she shook her head, finishing the braid and wrapping it around itself on the back of her head. 

After a few minutes, she quietly rose, slipping over to speak to Balin. "Would you wake me when it is my turn for watch?" She asked quietly, and the old dwarf turned to her with a kind smile and nodded.

As she turned, his voice stopped her. "I don't know what you said to him lass," He said quietly, Liv having to turn back and lean closer to hear, "but thank you. He needs his rest."

She smiled slightly and nodded once. She turned again and walked to her bedroll, lying down on her side, facing towards the fire. Her eyes didn't close, staring at Thorin's back in the firelight. She sighed softly, rolling onto her back to look up at the stars. Perhaps this time, she would get it right. Perhaps this time, she stood a chance. Perhaps she could save him.