Three Witches In A New World

Chapter Four

Word Count: 1471

"WHAT?!" shrieked Madison, as Gandalf explained to the Oldest Van Buren daughter that her father really is the Witch King of Angmar. This had stunned and shocked Madison, after finding out that her father is most definitely an evil person. "Madison, listen to me! The Dark Forces have known already of your arrival, as well as your other sisters! You must remain with the Company at ALL costs! If not, they will come and get you, and use you and your sisters for Dark Purposes." said Gandalf. "Well this news really brightened my day!" snapped Madison, angriliy and sarcastically. "Gandalf, Alex and Sadie really need to know about this--I have to tell them!" said Madison. "You may go ahead and tell them, Madison! But it seems that your youngest sister is known to ramble on a lot! You tell them, they must keep this a secret, and not to tell the others about this!" said Gandalf. "Oh, I will!" said Madison.

And so the two of them walked back to the Company, and Madison walked straight over to her sisters. "Madison, what's wrong? You look upset! What did Gandalf say to you?" asked Alexandra. "The two of you better sit down, for what I'm about to tell you! Gandalf knows who our father really is!" began Madison. "How would Gandalf know our father? Our Father abandoned us a long time ago!" snapped Sadie. "Yes, and Gandalf knows why our father abandoned us, Sadie! Now please shut up and let me tell you!" snapped Madison, and the two younger Van Buren sisters fell silent, as Madison told them. "WHAT?!" cried out Sadie and Alexandra together. "Now before you go off somewhere to chit chat with the dwarves and Bilbo, I highly advise the two of you not to say anything about our father to them! But Gandalf told me, we must stay with the Company for our own safety. Because if we get seperated from the Company, we will get taken away from them, and end up getting hurt, or worse--killed!" continued Madison.

"Well, let's just hope we don't get on Thorin's bad side then!" said Sadie. "And we won't." said Madison. The next morning, The Company pressed on and continuing their journey. "What did you and Gandalf talked about last night, Miss Van Buren?" asked Thorin to Madison, as they rode that day. "It's something that I cannot tell you, Thorin. I promised Gandalf, I would not say anything to you or the others about it." said Madison. "Miss Van Buren, your part of this Company, you will tell me everything!" said Thorin, sharply. "Thorin, I just told you I cannot tell you what we've talked about!! If you wish to make this an issue, you take it up with Gandalf!!" argued Madison, angrily. Why is Thorin making this so difficult? What part of no, doesn't he understand?! thought Madison. "Very well! I will take it up with Gandalf, then!" snarled Thorin. By early evening, they stopped to set up camp.

After supper, Thorin approaches the wizard. "Tell me, Gandalf, what other secrets that you and the Van Buren sisters are hidng from us? I know you and Miss Madison had talked last night, and I wish to know what it's about!" demanded the dwarf leader. Gandalf growled. Stubborn ass dwarves, they seem to always have to know everything, thought Gandalf. And so the wizard decided to tell Thorin. "Now Thorin, promise me you don't get angry, and over react for what I'm about to tell you! You need to know this, so you know the protocols of protecting these women." said Gandalf, and he explained to Thorin his knowledge of the Van Burens' Father. This had shocked and stunned Thorin, when he heard this. "That is why they cannot leave the Company at any cost! And you make sure they do not leave!" said Gandalf. "I assure you, Gandalf, they will remain with us! I will keep a very close eye on all of them!" said Thorin firmly.

Later on that same evening, Madison sat a further away from the Company, while the rest of the Dwarves are sleeping. But there were a few that are still awake, alongside with Bilbo and Gandalf. The ones that are still awake are Balin, Dwalin, Fili, Kili and Thorin, as well as the Van Buren Sisters.

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That same night, Fili and Kili began to tell Bilbo stories about Orc raids, and they were telling him the stories, just to scare him. And when they finished the story, they laughed quietly. "It's not funny!!" shouted Sadie, and she threw a pebble at both of the dwarves. "OW!" both dwarves cried out. "You really think that's funny?! You think Orc raids are a joke?!" said Thorin, sharply. "We didn't mean anything by it!" grumbled Kili. "You know nothing of this world!!" snapped Thorin, angrily, and he walked away, turning his back to the younger dwarves. "There is a reason why your Uncle hated orcs, laddies!" spoke up Balin, and he began telling them the tale of the Battle of Moria, which involved Thorin, his father and Grandfather, and brother, and Thorin witnessing Azog, killing his Grandfather. The story saddened the Van Buren Sisters, and Madison could understand why Thorin is angry and bitter, especially at the thought of losing family members in such a violent way.

"What happened to the Pale Orc? What became of him?" asked Bilbo, when the story ended. "The Orc filth died within his wounds long ago! He is no more!" snarled Thorin, as he returned to the Company, and took his seat not to far from where Madison is sitting. As the evening progressed, Madison tried to go to sleep, but she couldn't. Suddenly, something caught her attention. It was the sound of harp music, and a lone, deep voice singing. And she knew it was Thorin. She stood up, and she could see Thorin is no longer sitting in his usual spot. And she realized he must be taking watch, and so she went to find where the spot Thorin is sitting at, on taking duty on watch. It didn't take Madison long to find him, however. She found the dwarf leader sitting in a wooded clearing, on a large rock, playing his small, golden travel sized harp, and singing softly to himself.

Madison stood and watched and listened to the Dwarf sing and play his harp. The music and his singing sounded very sad, and the song tugged at her heart strings, and she could feel her own tears swelling in her eyes as she listened. It wasn't only that, but it was his beautiful singing voice and music that captivated her too. All of a sudden, the music and singing stopped as Thorin had felt her presence nearby, and he turned his attention to her. "Cannot sleep, Miss Van Buren?" spoke up the Dwarf. "No I cannot sleep. I've always been the nocturnal one out of my sisters!" said Madison, with a slight chuckle. "Come here!" said Thorin. He better not try and pry more information about my father out of me, or I'm going to be mad, thought Madison, as she slowly walked towards Thorin, and she sat beside him on the rock.

"Gandalf has told me about your real father--and I'm sorry that you had to hear about who your father truly is." said Thorin. "Well there goes keeping that news a secret!" Madison grumbled . "Madison, I'm glad Gandalf told me about this--he had done it for your own safety. He is not going anywhere near the three of you, if he's still around!" said Thorin, firmly. "Well, that's good to hear." said Madison. Madison wanted to ask Thorin about the song he was singing, but she decided not too. "Madison?" said Thorin. "Yes, Thorin?" said Madison. "If there is anything you, nor your sisters need--you can always tell me or the others." said Thorin. "O-kay, I will do that! Good night, Mister Oakenshield!" said Madison. "Good night, Madison!" said Thorin.

Madison thought it was quite unusual of Thorin addressing her by her name instead of calling her 'Miss Van Buren'. By the time Madison laid down in her bedroll, she climbed in, and she dozed off into a deep slumber. The next day, it had been raining all day long, much to the misery of the entire Company. However, it didn't ruin any of the moods of Sadie and Alexandra. "Raindrops keep falling on my head.." Sadie began to sing, shortly joined in by Alexandra. Madison laughed. It was their mother's favorite song, and Alexandra had a musical jewelry box that played it. Then Dori spoke up. "Gandalf, can you do something about this deluge?" called out the Dwarf. Madison chuckled at Gandalf's response. Then, the topic changed to other wizards like Gandalf.