The curse of Ellanora

Chapter Two: The Company Of Oakenshield

The hobbit stared at the woman from the Va'tor from the north. Such a long trip that would have taken months if not a year or so to venture even by horseback. She sat before him and he could not help but stare in awe at such deadly beauty before a knock on the door broke him out of her spell. Her pale white eyes stared at the door with wonder and confusion.

"Are you expecting anyone master Baggins?" she questioned him as he stared at the door in confusion.

"N-no, I'm not," he spoke loud at first before quieting down and headed for the front door to see who it was, Ellanora sat at the table expectantly with the cloth and hood now back in place. Moments passed before a bulky dwarf with tattoos on his head and long hair hit his shoulders along with a massive beard. Plus the battle axe she spotted on his back. His dark eyes found her as soon as he walked through the round archway.

"Who are you?" he growled making Ellanora cross her arms and arch a thin eyebrow at him. Her eyes glowed from beneath the hood giving him an uneasy feeling. No human could have such eyes; only animals of the night had such eyes.

"How rude master dwarf, maybe you should ask nicely," she drawled out slowly. He didn't speak before he sat down at the table and took Bilbo's plate of food without asking making her eyes narrow. Bilbo walked back in and sat in the corner. Silence washed over the three races as they listened to the dwarf's horrible table manners.

"y-you know the thing is, I wasn't expecting visitors," Bilbo spoke to the dwarf before the bell chimed making the hobbit turn. The ragged dwarf looked up from his plate.

"That would be the door," he grumbled through a mouth full of food. Her lips pulled back into a sneer of disgust as she watched him eat while the poor hobbit once again answered the door. The plate practically licked clean and the dwarf ventured off to find more food. She silently followed as he found a cookie jar above the fire place.

"OH!" the snow headed dwarf cried out in joy at the side of the bald headed one, "evening brother!"

"By my beard, your shorter and wider than last we met," the taller one spoke making the older dwarf roll his eyes.

"Shorter, not wider. Sharp enough for both of us," he teased with a wink that caused them both to chortle before clashing heads. Typical dwarves. She rolled her eyes as she moved further back into the house and sat down by the stairs listening to Bilbo rant to the two Dwarves that were raiding his pantry. Playing with one of her throwing knifes she didn't notice that the snow haired dwarf had spotted her on his way back to the table, "and who might you be lassie?"

"Ellanora of Va'tor," she spoke calmly stopping her blade in mid spin to stare at him. He gave a kind smile and bowed.

"Balin at your service," he spoke warmly, "I didn't know the Va'tor still existed."

"Aye, just well hidden," she assured with a mischievous smile. He let out a bark of a laugh before turning to the other dwarf.

"Dwalin come meet a Va'tor," he commanded as the battle axed dwarf approached, his thick arms crossed over his chest, she nodded to him. His eyes looking her up and down.

"Close or far?" he questioned. And she snickered.

"Far," she spoke with confidence. Only a warrior would understand such talk, was she a close range attacker or fought at a distance. He nodded in respect before venturing off again with Balin. Her head turned as the door was once again opened.

"Fili." The blonde dwarf in a wool trimmed coat spoke first.

"And Kili," The brunet spoke soon after, her eyes watching the two bow in synch before raising themselves up with bright smiles.