Ellendil

A proposition for caution

The company was fast asleep, all apart from Fili who was on watch. He sprang to his feet as Elle approached from the shadows, the deer still above her shoulders. He eyed the deer, impressed albeit slightly confused. 'Are you going to carry that or eat it all at once.' Fili asked an eyebrow raised, like his brother often did. Although this gesture seemed to be more questioning than teasing. 'I did not kill the deer. I found an Orc scout lurking around the foot of the mountain. This was it's work.-' Elle told him as she laid the deer down by her belongings. Fili's eyes grew wide in surprise. 'An Orc scout? They are still on our trail? We must wake the others!' He said immediately rushing round shaking his companions awake. Elle watched him as she quietly muttered 'I wouldn't carry it, I would butcher it and dry the meat and carry that. Why would I carry the whole thing? Skin it, take out all the bones. Just the essentials you know?' He wasn't listening, Elle knew that but she wasn't speaking to be heard. Instead she was muttering to calm herself after what had happened. She looked around camp as dwarf after dwarf woke up startled by Fili's commands.
Thorin placed a hand on his nephews shoulders as he asked for an explanation. As soon as Fili mentioned Elle, Thorin marched over to where she knelt by the deer, it's coat still faintly shimmering in the moonlight. 'What happened?' He demanded as he saw the black blood over Elle's hands. Elle looked up, and searched his face. There was a frantic look in his eye, despite his calm exterior, with only the sharpness of his voice showing urgency, Elle could still see beneath it all. 'We are being followed. There was an Orc scout patrolling around the borders of the slopes, his party are stalking us, apparently meaning to kill us in our sleep.' Elle retorted as she brought out her knife and plunging it into the soft belly of the deer, opening it up. Thorin didn't flinch as he pressed 'Who was their leader?' Elle cast her eyes to the ground. He was not going to like this. 'The pale Orc.' she said loud for the company to hear as she stood up to her feet. They all had to know and make up their own minds if they would believe her, she knew Thorin would deny her word. Balin's head snapped up sharply at the name and his eyes caught Elle's. She held his gaze, and she could see he knew that her claim was true. Thorin remained silent and so Balin stepped in 'Whoever it is that is on our trail we need to move now, get some distance between us and them. Thorin, we should set off.' Said Balin as he gripped Thorins shoulders as he watched him nod in response. The dwarves killed the fire and packed away their bowls and rolled up blankets and slung weapons over their backs until they were all ready to get moving.
Elle hadn't made a move, she was now skinning the deer with her knife, flawlessly. Kili's voice came from infront of her, confused 'Elle, why do you not get ready to leave? Do you mean not to come?' Elle sighed at being noticed 'Im going to linger a while. Finish on this deer, it means extra food and also if I can, I may be able to throw off our pursuers by covering up some of your tracks. Perhaps lead them well away, back south. You need the time.' Elle answered quickly, not taking her eyes off butchering.
'On your own? Is that wise?' Kili pressed, reluctant to accept her decision. Elle scoffed. 'Kili, I am a ranger, I've done worse tasks on my own.' she smirked as she added 'plus this will be considerably easier now I don't have a party of loud, lumbering dwarves slowing me down.' Kili smiled at that last bit, although Elle knew he was still hesitant to accept the whole idea. 'I could stay with you, we could catch up to the others the day after next. Take a few short cuts as there is only two. With two the task will be done quicker. You'll need someone to watch your back.' He said both eyebrows raising this time, trying to convince her this was necessary. 'I would not ask you to desert the company, even for that day.' Elle put her knife down and faced him 'Kili, are you afraid that I'll see this as my chance and take my leave of the whole quest?' He looked at her with a mile but she could tell in his eyes this had crossed his mind. After he gave no answer she went back to her butchering. 'Well you wouldn't be completely wrong, dwarf.' She chuckled to herself.