Aviel

Chapter 1

I opened my eyes to the singing of the birds and the sun shining through the window onto the floor of our house, dust particles floating in mid-air, as if time itself had stopped. I pulled back the thin blanket my mother made me when I was a small child. I looked over to my two favourite people, my brothers. Kili and Fili were inseparable. They had done everything together since Kili was able to walk, due to Fili's help. They hunted side by side on their ponies, go wondering round the village within each others eyesight and they would even sleep next to one another on their beds.

Fili was the oldest by 5 years, and he never let Kili forget that whenever he got out of hand. His long, mane like hair cascaded over his long face while his braided beard had somehow become so knotty during the night, that it looked like a birds nest. My eyes made their way to where I saw the sweetest sight. Between Kili and Fili's beds, Kili and Fili's hand were locked, as if they were scared of being separated during the night.

Kili was the youngest of the brothers but always thought of himself as being as wise and calm as Fili. Unlike his brother, his oak brown hair barely went past his shoulders which gave me a clear look at his face. He was too young to have a beard and it was his weakness as older dwafs made fun of him but quickly learned it was a bad idea as Fili would stand up for Kili again and again. Kili's eyes were a dark, mahogany brown that you could easily get lost in while Fili had an electric blue that would catch your attention.

After assessing the room, I got up stiffly and hobbled my way over to the front door. The golden hay prickled my feet with each tired step I made. I breathed in a whiff of the village as I gazed far into the East where I could faintly make out a tall cone shape. I exhaled as I looked at my families home, The Lonely Mountain, Home to Erebor.

The unforgiving wind bit my face as I looked on along with the rest of the grieving village at the three mounds of earth. My blonde hair blew around my face which would normally bother me but not today, today I was too caught up in the three lifes that had been ripped away from me so harshly. Hot tears created a waterfall down my already wet cheeks as I tried to hold back a sob. I was brought back to reality as a cold, shaking hand rested on my frail shoulder, draped in black cotton. I glanced back and I saw just as much sorrow and despair in my mother, Dís's eyes. She had suffered an even greater loss, her two sons who she put so much life and love into were taken away from her and she couldn't even say goodbye properly to them. I looked back at the three graves that were so neatly lined up, side by side. Fili and Kili were together as they always have been and my uncle, my strong, fearless uncle was next to Kili.

Balin said that Throin had been knocked down first by Azog, the pale orc, and Kili and Fili created a human barricade so that no more harm could happen to Thorin. They fought bravely and valiantly until Fili turned to look to his side at Kili who was fighting goblins one on one. Bolg, rzog's henchman, saw this as his chance to finish off Fili and lunged at him with his sword and slit Fili's throat. Fili fell with a heart breaking cry on top of Thorin. At that time, Balin and the rest of the company had fought their way to the line of Durin and slaughtered the oncoming enemy while Kili fell to his brothers side with tears blocking his vision as he tried to stop the blood using part of Fili's shirt underneath his armour to stop the flow of blood. As Fili started slipping away in his arms, Kili's tears dropped down on his older brothers blood stained beard. As Fili let out his last breath, Kili's vengeance grew deep inside him and he charged towards Bolg with his trusty bow and arrow and shot continuously at the large orc until he fell at Azog's feet. The pale orc king decided to end the line of Durin once and for all and swung his axe at Kili's arm. It came off in one swipe and Kili fell to his death.

As Balin finished the ceremony, I walked slowly up to the graves and dropped my small tokens onto each grave. For Kili, I put down the arrow that I first shot onto the target which I made myself. For Fili, I laid down my special clip which I wore to see Thorin, Kili and Fili off to the Shire, the start of their adventure. I used to tease him about how long Fili's hair was and sometimes put the clip in his hair for a laugh. Lastly, Thorin. He had been the father figure and I was his only niece. He would always have an eye on me as I was the most adventurous of his three sister's children. Whenever he came round, he would lift me up into one of his famous bear hugs and I would ride on his back around the house. He had a soft spot for me and made it very obvious that I was his favourite. I was too young to go on such a dangerous quest and he had to take me off my pony himself and told me to stay and look after the people of the Blue Mountains and my mother. I knelt down to his grave and laid my old wooden sword which he would train me with to become the sword fighter I am today. As I stood back up, I turned round to see the remaining company, Balin, Dwalin, Oin, Gloin, Ori, Nori, Dorin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur and the teary eyed hobbit, Bilbo Baggins. I'd grown quite fond of him over the past few days as he told me stories of how proud I should be of my uncle and how I should be happy that he died fighting for his homeland and risking his to make sure the people of the Blue Mountain had a good future. Bilbo smiled weakly at me along with the ten dwafs who looked like they'd aged 50 years during their quest. I slowly walked up to them, the wind drying the tears against my skin. As I stood face to face with Balin, he croaked out " You know what you must do Aviel. We feel your sorrow and also miss our great leader. But we must carry on with life and you must take up Thorin's place as the only heir of Durin left. Erebor is left defenceless and you're the only one who must take up the throne."

The tear stained company looked at me with a new emotion. They looked at Aviel Oakenshield as someone who is now old enough and strong enough to take up this daunting position, to be Queen Under The Mountain.