In the Shadow of Mountain Kings

Mine

The master's men led the company to the local inn, and set them all up in rooms for the next two evenings. It was decided they would set out on Durin's Day, in order for them to be properly equipped. Each of them, aside from Fíli and Kíli, had their own room, and had the chance to bathe and mend their clothes. Thorin gave the master a list of supplies they would need, which the greedy man was happy to fill.

The company was given food and drink aplenty the day before their journey, but Fíli was quick to notice that Firiel was not among them. At first, he had thought she was simply sleeping in and left it be, but, as the day wore on and the sun set, he realized that was not the case at all. She hadn't left her room.

After dinner, when the others were drinking and celebrating their near success, Fíli asked the innkeeper which room was hers. He started off to check on her, and found her room with great ease. It was right next to his. He knocked on her door gently, and was relieved when she replied.

"Come in," her voice called from within.

He opened the door and expected to see her coming towards him, but he was surprised by what he found. Firiel was simply standing at the window, staring out into the night sky. Her notebook was laid out on the bedside table next to a large candle, and her other belongings were spread out as well, still drying from their many watery treks. She had been given a tunic of blue silk to serve as a sleeping garb, and had obviously just bathed, for her hair was wet. He hadn't even seen her face, and the sight of her took his breath away.

Firiel barely even noticed Fíli's presence, nor the sound of him gently closing the door. She looked out towards the Lonely Mountain, of which she had a perfect view, and found a sick feeling creeping up inside of her. Fire and smoke, shadow and night. There was something very wrong with this whole place.

She stood there, pondering what on earth it was that made her feel this way, and wished that Gandalf were here to tell her. He knew what it was, and now Firiel wished desperately to know why the darkness came upon her in this way.

Clever-woman. Beorn had used the title so easily. It was what the Brandybucks had called her grandmother, and then her. A clever-woman, so strangely with the old forest, feeling the warmth of the sun, the wisdom of the trees. The plants made everything real, and in them she found peace. But there was no growth in this darkness. No plants, no forests, no life. It all fell into shadow.

"What's wrong?"

Firiel straightened to attention and saw Fíli was beside her, looking at her warmly yet quizzically. She tried to smile at him, but found that she could not, and turned to look out towards the mountain once again. He decided to look out with her, and saw the stars sparkling in the autumn night.

"I don't like this," she whispered suddenly, "Something is very wrong with this whole thing."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

Firiel looked up at him. Was she the only one who could feel the malcontent in the air?

"...You don't feel it? Even the wind had fled from this place. It's like we're standing on the edge of a ravine, a breath from the fall, and there is only darkness below. I cannot see what is to come."

Fíli looked out to the mountain again, and wondered what on earth she was talking about.

"Is this what you felt in the woods?" he asked.

Firiel frowned.

"I don't know," she admitted, "You really can't feel it?"

She looked so sweet in the starlight, with the bedside candle light flickering off her hair. This was the first time they had truly been alone since the start of their journey. He took her hand and brought it to his chest. She turned to look at him, confused by the action. He placed his other hand along her jaw, stroking her cheek.