The Hobbit: Lessrien Ancalimë

Chapter Two

Lessrien

Adad woke me up at dawn and we continued on our way without our burglar. A few of them took wagers on whether or not Master Baggins would decide to join us. I did not participate in the wager, too preoccupied with my own thoughts.

"Lessrien." I turn to adad, meeting his eyes. "I meant what I said last night, you are my kin, there is not a thing in this world that will change that."

"I know adad, I do not doubt your love or anyone else's love for me." I look down at my hands. "I-"

"Wait! Wait!" We all come to a stop and I turn to see Master Baggins running up to us. He stops in front of Balin. "I signed it." He hands the contract to Balin who looks it over.

"Everything seems to be in order. Welcome, Master Baggins, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield."

"Give him a pony." Adad instructs and we start on our way again. "What was it that you were saying, Lessrien?" I should have known adad would not let it remain interrupted.

"Your homeland is hoarded by a dragon...but mine has no such obstacle. Yet I remain here, leaving it in ash and ruin..." The white towers of my childhood still seem so clear in my memories, but so do the screams and the fires of the day that everything I loved was taken from me.

"You are one person, Lessrien. It is of no fault of your own that Gondolin remains in ash and ruin." I meet his eyes once again. "As soon as Erebor is once again ours, just say the word and every Dwarf here will follow you to help you take back and rebuild what is rightfully yours. You have my word, as your father."

I nod, but I don't know if I want to reclaim Gondolin... I don't know if I want to return to the land where I will be met with blackened ground and ruined buildings... and the remains of my kin, except for two.

"Stop! Stop!" Master Baggins shouts, bringing us all to a halt once again. "We have to turn around."

"What on Earth is the matter?" Gandalf asks the Hobbit.

"I forgot my handkerchief." Master Baggins answers so I turn around and ride over to him.

"Master Baggins, here you are." I hand him one of the ones I carry. "Return it to me once we have reclaimed Erebor." I turn around and head back up to ride alongside adad.

"Move on!" Adad orders, while giving me a quick glance. I know why; I'm much more soft hearted than adad is and while he doesn't see it as a weakness he just wishes I was more cautious about who I'm vulnerable with.

I am for the most part but adad trusts no one. He doesn't like that I still try to see the good in most people, though there are exceptions.

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A loud shrieking startles me awake. "What was that?" Master Baggins asks, looking over at Fili and Kili.

"Orcs." Kili answers and Adad wakes up in alarm. He looks to me and then towards his nephews.

"Throat-cutters. There'll be dozens of them out there." Fili states.

"The lone-lands are crawling with them. They strike in the wee small hours when everyone's asleep. Quick and quiet, no screams. Just lots of blood." Kili explains and I realize they're joking with Master Baggins and I angrily lay back down and turn my back to them - not that they noticed. Adad sure did and he gets up while Fili and Kili are laughing.

"You think that's funny? You think a night raid by Orcs is a joke?" Adad's stern voice is a clear indication that he's not happy with them. He gets up, placing his cloak over me.